For the Northern Hemisphere June 20 - July 22, 2009 All times are local unless otherwise specified. Look Up!
Planetary Treats What's Popping Up on Saturn's Rings? [Image] Source: Culled from the Cyclops News Release 6/11/09 Saturn’s Equinox Approach Reveals Towering Ring Structures The image above shows never-before-seen vertical structures in Saturn's rings. They are "colossal", 150 times as high as the rings are thick. These mile-high towers (1.5 kilometers) were brought into stark relief for the first time and only made possible by Saturn's approach to its August equinox. Note: The main rings, A, B and C are only about 10 meters (30 feet) thick. Saturn's Rings Labelled The search for ring material extending well above and below Saturn's ring plane has been a major goal of the imaging team during Cassini's "Equinox Mission," the two-year period containing exact equinox -- that moment when the sun is seen directly overhead at noon at the planet's equator. This novel illumination geometry, which occurs every half-Saturn-year, or about 15 Earth years, lowers the sun's angle to the ring plane and causes out-of-plane structures to cast long shadows across the rings' broad expanse, making them easy to detect. These towering vertical structures in the planet's otherwise flat rings are attributable to the gravitational effects of a small nearby moon. Small moons in very narrow gaps can have considerable and complex effects on the edges of their gaps, and such moons can be smaller than previously believed. It is one of those questions that have been nagging us since getting into orbit: Why haven’t we yet seen a moon in every gap? said Carolyn Porco, lead for the Cassini imaging team. We now think they may actually be there, only a lot smaller than we expected. Universe Today 6/16/09 More Vertical Structures Including an Animation Successful Launch ~ October 15, 1997 Orbital Arrival ~ June 30, 2004 Mission Extension ~ To June 30, 2010 Originally Cassini-Huygens Mission Extension: Cassini Equinox Mission Edge-On Equinox Rings 1995, 2009 Saturn is best seen above the western horizon as the sky darkens. Its golden star like glow sets around 12:30am in the beginning of Cancer and by 11:00pm at its end. Saturn located near the hindquarters of Leo the Lion is moving easterly toward the Lion's tail. Its yellowish orb at magnitude 1.1 is similar in brightness to blue-white Regulus, the Lion's heart star, which shines to the west of Saturn at magnitude 1.35. Draw a line through Regulus and Saturn to find bluish Spica in the southwest, the brightest star in Virgo the Virgin, also at a similar magnitude, 0.98. June 25-27, Saturday-Monday, the waxing Crescent Moon transits Leo the Lion, first west of Regulus, then between Regulus and Saturn and finally near Saturn. 6/25-27 9:30 Map ~ 6/27 9:30pm Map The First Quarter Moon lies between Saturn and Spica June 28, Tuesday. Click Moon Dances for additional maps and meditative reflections. Look for the triangle formed by Saturn, Spica and Arcturus. Compare their color and brightness. Find the Big Dipper, arc down to bright golden Arcturus in Bootes from there spike down to dimmer blue-white Spica in Virgo. Helpful Image ~ 7/10 10pm Sky Chart Telescopic Saturn Viewing Saturn's rings during July may be difficult. They are nearly closed at a ring tilt that decreases from 3.2º - 1.9º. In addition, the planet is sinking toward the horizon's turbulent atmosphere, which compromises its observation. Note: The diminishing reflective surface of the rings plus Saturn's increasing distance from Earth are resulting in a dimming of the planet. 4
year Ring Animation 2006-2009 Soon the Lord of Less Rings will be lost in the Sun's glare. The rings will continue to diminish, dim and darken as the planet sinks toward the Sun. They will close to exactly edge-on in September, when the planet is out of sight in conjunction with our central luminary. The maximum ring tilt of 27º occurred in 2003. Less rings show off more of the globe crossings of Saturn's five brightest satellites. Saturn's bright moons also continue their impressive -displays. The planet's biggest moon, Titan, remains the highlight. Once each orbit [16 days], Titan and its shadow transit Saturn's face. And half an orbit later, the massive planet eclipses Titan. Astronomy Magazine 7/09 North Americans can see three such events: Titan's shadow crossing July 1 and 17 ...Titan's eclipse July 9. Saturn's Moons Javascript Utility can guide your observations of Titan as well as Saturn's 4 other brightest satellites.
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Jupiter is a brilliant beacon of light at magnitude -2.8. It is located in the dim constellation Capricornus and far outshines any stars in its vicinity. The planet rises in the southeast around 11:30pm in the beginning of Cancer and at 10pm by its end. It is seen in the southern sky from 3:00am - 4:00am and afterwards in the southwest until the Sun rises. Jupiter nearing Earth can be seen getting brighter, bigger and higher in the heavens, as the weeks unfold. The planet appears to journey westward during its retrograde, May 15 - October 11. Jupiter at closest approach reaches opposition August 14 at 11:00am PDT (18:00 UT). Telescopic Neptune lies very near Jupiter. Both are in exact conjunction May 27 because of Jupiter's easterly motion, July 10 due to the westerly retrograde motion of Jupiter and December 21 because of Jupiter's easterly motion. The waning Gibbous Moon guides us to Jupiter the evening/morning of July 9/10. 7/9 11pm Sky Chart July 8-13 the waning Moon approaches, conjoins and passes the Jupiter/Neptune pair. Gorgeous Jupiter and Gibbous Luna can be observed until sunrise. Click Moon Dances for an additional predawn map and meditative reflections. It's Moon Shadow Season on Jupiter In 2009 Earth is moving through the plane of Jupiter's satellites, allowing the its Galilean Moons to line up in their special 6-year geometry. These moons, passing one in front of another, plus their shadows crossing the surface of Jupiter are grabbing the attention of those with telescopes. Professional astronomers are organizing a worldwide observing campaign to record as many of these events as possible. Click here for details. Jupiter's 2009 Satellite Phenomena ~ Complete List Jupiter’s
Moons
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The
Goddess “Eyes” the Bull ~
The Warrior Rides the Bull Numbered
Dots: These
represent the approximate
Rise and Set Times ~ Major Bodies Venus and Mars our predawn planetary pair, in exact conjunction on the summer solstice, June 21 at 6:10am PDT (13:10 UT), separate during Cancer. Mars ascends 20-30 degrees above the horizon, while Venus hovers around 20 degrees. The predawn duo rises in a dark sky. Mars appears over the northeastern horizon at 3:00am in the beginning of Cancer and around 2:30am by its end. Venus follows, rising around 3:15am at both the beginning and end of Cancer. Binoculars are helpful in first spotting the Red Planet in dawn's early light. Much better views of our Red Planet occur at the end of the year. Venus and Mars move from the dim constellation Aries to the bright stars of Taurus. Dazzling Venus shines 100x brighter than Mars, which is similar in color and brightness to Aldebaran the eye of Taurus the Bull. As seen in the map above, Venus becomes the second eye of the Bull July 11-15! The close proximity of these celestial bodies makes it a great time to compare Aldebaran, Mars and Venus. Reflections ~ Mars, the Pleiades ~ Venus, Aldebaran It is said the Pleiades are the nurses of Mars, the commander of the celestial armies. Perhaps after traveling nearly 2 years around the zodiacal wheel, Mars becomes weakened from all the interaction and action with opposing forces. Perhaps the nursemaid Pleiades, linked to Sirius and thusly known for transmitting the light of God (universal mind) into our solar system, revive Mars the spiritual warrior with the power of illumination to begin anew. Some say Mars near the Pleiades can be a time for peacemaking. While Mars gives humanity the opportunity for relationship, Venus establishes right relationship. With Venus near Aldebaran the star of enlightenment, and with the addition of its loving-wise emanations to the visionary and transformational axis of Aldebaran and Antares, we can expect that the governing bodies of humanity will be undergoing a realignment for the greater good. Mars and Venus representing the male and female energies are working together with the light of Taurus the Bull to awaken a spiritually aspiring humankind. Imagine humanity and its governing systems having "ah-ha, light bulb" moments that establish a greater good on Earth. The waning Crescent Moon guides us to the Pleiades, Mars and Venus July 18. 7/18 4am Map Click Moon Dances for an additional map and meditative reflections.
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[Image]
Mercury, though it glows brighter during Cancer, is a challenge to see because of its low altitude and close proximity to the Sun. This elusive planet disappears from view within the first few days of July and is in superior conjunction July 13.
The
Planets
[Return to Menu at top] Celestial Delights [Image] Stonehenge is an
ancient monument in England that includes a circular setting of massive
stones. They were precisely aligned in relation to the rising of the
sun on the summer solstice. The Summer Solstice occurs on Friday, June 20, at 10:46pm PDT; 05:46 UT 6/21, when the Sun enters Cancer and the Northern Hemisphere of Earth is tilted most toward the Sun. It is also when the Sun's path along the sky curves the most from the NE to overhead to the NW. Image The
Summer Solstice
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Happy
Aphelion Day! On Aphelion
Day we are 94.5 million miles away from the Sun, which is 3 million
miles further away than when our Earth was at perihelion. Aphelion Day is the day that the Earth and Sun are at their furthest distance from each other. Every July the Earth is at aphelion, the furthest from the Sun for the year and in January it is at perihelion, the closest to the Sun for the year. In 2009 the exact time of aphelion is July 3 at 7:00pm PDT (02:00 UT 7/4). Learn
More
We
build a lighted world and therein dwell ...
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Sky Lights ~ Cancer June 20 - July 22 Saturn lies above the western horizon until it sets around 12:30am in the beginning of Cancer and by 11:00pm at its end. Saturn near the hindquarters of Leo the Lion is moving easterly toward the Lion's tail. Its yellowish glow at magnitude 1.1 is similar in brightness to blue-white Regulus, the Lion's heart star, which shines at magnitude 1.35 and bluish Spica, the brightest star in Virgo the Virgin at magnitude 0.98. The planet's rings are nearly closed at a ring tilt that decreases from 3.2º - 1.9º during July. They will continue to close to exactly edge-on in September, when the planet is out of sight in conjunction with the Sun. The maximum ring tilt of 27º occurred in 2003. The diminishing reflective surface of the rings and Saturn's increasing distance from Earth are resulting in a dimming of the planet. 6/25-27 the waxing Crescent Moon transits Leo the Lion, first west of Regulus, then between Regulus and Saturn and finally near Saturn. 6/25-27 9:30 Map ~ 6/27 9:30pm Map The First Quarter Moon lies between Saturn and Spica 6/28. Look for the triangle formed by Saturn in the west, Spica in the southwest and Arcturus east of Saturn. Compare their color and brightness. Find the Big Dipper, arc down to bright golden Arcturus in Bootes from there spike down to dimmer blue-white Spica in Virgo. Helpful Image ~ 7/10 10pm Sky Chart Jupiter rises in the southeast around 11:30pm in the beginning of Cancer and at 10pm by its end. It can be seen in the southern sky 3am-4am and in the southwest afterwards. Jupiter is located in the dim constellation Capricornus and far outshines any stars in its vicinity. The planet is brilliant and easy to see at magnitude -2.8. Watch it ascend and brighten as the weeks unfold. Jupiter is retrograde 6/15-10/11 and reaches opposition 8/14 at 11:00am PDT (18:00 UT). Telescopic Neptune lies very near Jupiter; both are in exact conjunction 5/27, 7/10 and 12/21. The waning Gibbous Moon guides us to Jupiter 7/9-10. 7/9 11pm Sky Chart The waning Moon paired with Jupiter can be observed until sunrise. Venus and Mars our
predawn planetary pair, in exact conjunction on the summer solstice 6/21,
separate during the sign of Cancer. They transit eastward from the dim
constellation Aries to the bright stars of Taurus. Dazzling Venus shines
100x brighter than Mars and moves faster through Taurus the Bull. Mars
rises first at 3:00am in the beginning of Cancer and around 2:30am by
its end. Venus follows rising around 3:15am at both the beginning and
end of Cancer. Venus hovers around 20º above the horizon, while Mars
ascends from 20º - 30º. Mars can easily be seen in a dark sky; binoculars
are helpful in first spotting this planet in dawn's early light. Much
better views of our Red Planet occur at the end of the year. 7/13 Venus
lies next to Aldebaran, like the wide open brilliant 2nd eye of Taurus
the Bull. Aldebaran and nearby Mars are similar in color and brightness. 7/13
5am Sky Chart The waning
Crescent Moon guides us to the Pleiades, Mars and Venus 7/18. 7/18
4am Map
Mercury is a challenge to see during Cancer with its low altitude and close proximity to the Sun. The planet gets brighter and a little lower as June ends, shining at magnitude -0.9 at an altitude of 5º, 30 minutes before sunrise. The planet's magnitude increases to -1.0, as July begins, however it sinks lower on the horizon and disappears from view within the first few days of July. Mercury is in superior conjunction 7/13. Arcturus is the bright golden star overhead at sunset. Use the handle of the Big Dipper to arc down to Arcturus from there spike down to blue-white Spica in the south. Helpful Image The westward movement of Arcturus and the Big Dipper can be observed until 2:30am. Notice the seasonal position of the Big Dipper's bowl. Scorpius the cosmic scorpion, a sprawling j-shaped constellation, is seen in the southeast at sunset. Antares is the red heart star of Scorpius. Track Bunny's Footprints in Scorpius throughout the year! It's a summer constellation that's on the rise! The Summer Triangle a stellar right triangle is high in the northeast at sunset. Vega is the brightest star and western point; Deneb the dimmest star and eastern point, Altair is the southern point. Hercules the Strong Man lies about a third of the way from bright white Vega to golden Arcturus in the northwest. Look for his four star wedge-shaped torso. Star Chart The Milky Way appears like a faint cloud extending from Scorpius on the southern horizon, to the Summer Triangle high overhead, and onward toward Cassiopeia (M or W shaped) on the northern horizon. Star Map.
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