Sky Lights ~ Virgo

Venus appears low in the west and sets about an hour after the Sun. Observers can see the planet higher in the sky the further south they go. With an unobstructed horizon expect to see Venus pop into view during dusk. Brilliant at magnitude -3.8, Venus is a guide to dim Mercury and an even dimmer Mars. All 3 planets are in the constellation Virgo the Virgin during the sign of Virgo. Watch Venus distance itself from Mercury as it moves toward an exact conjunction with Mars 9/11. Binoculars are needed to easily see all 3 planets in a light sky. Maps: Aug.20 Dusk, Sept.1 7:45pm, Sept.10 8pm Use binoculars during the days that follow to watch the gathering of Venus, Mars and Mercury around Spica. Sept.17 7:30pm Map Venus moves along the sunset horizon from the west in late August to the southwest in December. Venus is best seen in November and December.

Mercury hugs the western horizon setting about an hour after the Sun. You'll need an unobstructed view, clear skies and binoculars to see this planet in a light sky. Even at its greatest elongation (27º) on 9/11, the planet gives a poor performance for those in the Northern Hemisphere. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere see Mercury at a better, higher altitude. After 9/11 Mercury grows fainter and sinks toward the Sun. Mercury lies below Venus and Mars; review the map links in the Venus paragraph above. Mercury is in inferior conjunction 10/6. By mid-October it appears in the morning sky and begins its second best performance for 2008, the first was in May.

Mars at magnitude 1.7 is very faint in a light western sky. Binoculars are needed to spot the planet and even then, the observation may be challenging. With the Mars/Venus conjunction 9/11, Mars lies below Venus and is seen between Venus and Mercury for the duration of Virgo. Sept.11 7:30pm Map For more map links see the Venus paragraph above. Any view of Mars in the evening sky comes to an end as the dim planet slips deeper into the solar glare at the end of Virgo. The planet conjoins the Sun 12/5 and reappears in the morning sky early 2009.

Jupiter is eye catching in the southern sky. It is at its highest in the south around 9:00pm, the best time for telescopic views. The planet sets in the west at 2:30am in the beginning of Virgo and at 1:00am by its end. After Venus at magnitude -3.8 sets, Jupiter at magnitude -2.6 is the brightest planet in the sky and it far outshines any star. The planet remains located at the eastern border of the constellation Sagittarius throughout 2008. It ends its retrograde motion 9/7 near the star Nunki. Jupiter and the waxing Gibbous Moon are a dazzling delight 9/7-10. 9/9 9:00pm Sky Chart

Saturn, in conjunction with the Sun 9/3, is lost in its glowing embrace during Virgo. Look for the planet to reappear in the morning sky mid-late October. Saturn's rings are closing toward their 2009 edge-on view.

The Big Dipper is in the northwest arcing to bright golden Arcturus in the west, as night falls. Star Chart How many summer evening stars can you find using spring's Big Dipper Navigation? Notice the seasonal position of the Big Dipper's bowl.

Scorpius the cosmic scorpion, a sprawling j-shaped constellation, is seen in the southwest at sunset. Antares is the red heart star of Scorpius. Look for brilliant Jupiter to the east. With binoculars on a moonless night can you find the Scorpion's missing claws (now the constellation Libra), its two stinger stars sometimes called cat's eyes or howabout the star clusters M6 and M7 above the Scorpion's stinger? Maps/Text Throughout the year you can Track Bunny's Footprints in Scorpius!

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 southwestern horizon, to the Summer Triangle high overhead, and onward toward Cassiopeia (M or W shaped) on the northwestern horizon. Star Map.

SouledOut.org Home