The Perseid meteor shower peaks this week. Expect nearly moonless skies and increased meteor activity ever late night and early morning this week.
Saturday: If the 1970s group The Knack were bigger fans of astronomy, they may have sang: “Oo, my little pretty one, pretty one. When you gonna give me some time, Corona?” The constellation Corona Borealis is a pretty one. Depending on what source you read, the myth associated with the constellation can be happy or sad. Bacchus, Roman god of wine, presented his bride, Ariadne, with a golden crown set with seven diamonds. Some sources say Bacchus tossed the crown in the air out of joy when he married Ariadne. Other sources say he threw the crown into the sky after Ariadne died because it reminded him of her. In either case, his friends among the gods thought the crown was beautiful and hung it in the sky to show it off. You can see if you agree with the Roman gods by looking for Corona Borealis tonight. Seven stars represent the seven diamonds. Look about five and a half fists held upright and at arm’s length above the west horizon or two fists above the bright star Arcturus at 11 p.m. The seven stars form a bowl.
Sunday: Venus, Saturn, and Mars make a little triangle low in the western sky at nightfall all week. They are less than one fist above the west horizon at 9:30 tonight. In order of increasing brightness and apparent size are Venus, Saturn, and Mars. Mars and Venus will move to the left throughout the week providing evidence that they are much closer to the Earth than the nighttime stars.
Monday: Many big city dwellers never see the milky white, nearly continuous band of stars known as the Milky Way. As cities grow and add more lights, it has become harder to see the bulk of the Milky Way galaxy, our home in the universe. But, there are two easy ways to see the Milky Way. The first way is to look in the mirror. You are part of the Milky Way. The second way is to look from due north through the point straight overhead (called the zenith) to due south from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. for the next two weeks. This is the time of year when the Milky Way is highest in the sky and away from the city lights on the horizon.
Tuesday: As a public service, I am going to review iPhone etiquette. Talking on your iPhone in a crowded room: bad. Checking for public astronomy events on your iPhone: good. Here’s how to be good. Go to the App Store and download the free app called Go StarGaze. This app allows users to search for public astronomy events in their area that are being put on by a Night Sky Network astronomy club such as the CWU Astronomy Club.
Wednesday: Jupiter is one fist above the east horizon at 11 p.m.
Thursday: The Perseid meteor shower peaks late tonight and early tomorrow morning. The meteors appear to come from a point just below the W of the constellation Cassiopeia. This point is about two and a half fists above the northeast horizon at 11 p.m. By 4 a.m., the peak time, this point is about seven fists above the northeast horizon. If you fall asleep or forget to set your alarm, you will be able to observe this shower from midnight to dawn for a few days before and after tonight in about the same location in the sky. The Perseid shower is one of the longest lasting showers. You may be able to see up to 60 meteors per hour in the late night and early morning hours all week thanks to the nearly moonless sky at these times. As your Mother might say, dress warm and sit in a comfortable chair for maximum enjoyment. These meteors are sand to pea-sized bits of rock that fell off of Comet Swift-Tuttle. They are traveling about 40 miles per second as they collide with the Earth and burn up in the atmosphere. For more tips about meteor watching, go to www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/3304061.html.
Friday: Deneb is about seven fists above the east horizon at 10 p.m. When you look at Deneb, you are seeing light that left Deneb about 1,800 years ago.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 7/31/10
Saturday: Mars and Saturn are neighbors in the sky all week. They are one fist held upright and at arm’s length above the west horizon at 9:30 p.m. Saturn is on top, the brighter of the two. They will easily fit into the field of view of typical binoculars. The much brighter Venus is a fist to the lower right of Mars and Saturn.
Sunday: In Scotland, August 1 was known as Lammas, the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. You can remember this by looking at Spica, named for the Latin word for “ear of wheat”, one fist held upright and at arm’s length above the west-southwest horizon at 9:30 p.m. It is also called a cross-quarter day, a day approximately half way between an equinox and a solstice.
Monday: When you think of the Solar System, the main objects that come to mind are the planets and the Sun. But much of the evidence of how the Solar System formed comes from meteors, comets, and asteroids. Scientists have been analyzing the small chunks of rocks and ice that fall to Earth. More recently, astronomers have been studying the rocks and ice in outer space with telescopes and space probes. For example, in July, 2005, the NASA mission Deep Impact smashed into a comet to study its structure. For more information about this rather cold “Hot Topic”, go to http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/topics_aug.htm.
Tuesday: What are some of the signs of August? 1. Hot weather. 2. Back to school sales. 3. A chain email saying Mars will look as big as a full moon this month. The first two are true. The third one never was and never will be. In August of 2003, Mars was as close to Earth as it had been in all of written history. With the right telescope magnification, it could look as large as the moon without magnification. But, even then, Mars did not appear even as large as Jupiter always does. This year, Mars is about half its maximum apparent size. Compare it with Saturn in a small telescope. Mars and Saturn are still one above the west horizon at 9:30 p.m. Mars apparent diameter is much less than Saturn’s.
Wednesday: Had the script been written a little differently for a well known Robin Williams movie, we may have heard Mr. Williams shout, “Goooood Morning Orion the hunter”. Orion is typically thought of as a winter constellation. But, it makes its first appearance in the summer sky. The lowest corner of Orion’s body, represented by the star Saiph (pronounced “safe”), rises at 4:30 a.m., well before the Sun. By 5 a.m., Orion’s belt is about one fist above the east-southeast horizon.
Thursday: Jupiter is a fist above the east-southeast horizon at 11:30 p.m.
Friday: Need a caffeine pick-me-up? Make it a double. Need an astronomy pick-me-up? Make it a double-double. Find Vega, in the constellation Lyra the lyre, nearly straight overhead at 11:00 tonight. Less than half a fist to the east (or left if you are facing south) of the bright bluish star Vega is the “star” Epsilon Lyra. If you look at Epsilon Lyra through binoculars, it looks like two stars. If you look at Epsilon Lyra through a large enough telescope, you will notice that each star in the pair is itself a pair of stars. Each star in the double is double. Hence, Epsilon Lyra is known as the double-double. The stars in each pair orbit a point approximately in the center of each respective pair. The pairs themselves orbit a point between the two pairs.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: In Scotland, August 1 was known as Lammas, the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. You can remember this by looking at Spica, named for the Latin word for “ear of wheat”, one fist held upright and at arm’s length above the west-southwest horizon at 9:30 p.m. It is also called a cross-quarter day, a day approximately half way between an equinox and a solstice.
Monday: When you think of the Solar System, the main objects that come to mind are the planets and the Sun. But much of the evidence of how the Solar System formed comes from meteors, comets, and asteroids. Scientists have been analyzing the small chunks of rocks and ice that fall to Earth. More recently, astronomers have been studying the rocks and ice in outer space with telescopes and space probes. For example, in July, 2005, the NASA mission Deep Impact smashed into a comet to study its structure. For more information about this rather cold “Hot Topic”, go to http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/topics_aug.htm.
Tuesday: What are some of the signs of August? 1. Hot weather. 2. Back to school sales. 3. A chain email saying Mars will look as big as a full moon this month. The first two are true. The third one never was and never will be. In August of 2003, Mars was as close to Earth as it had been in all of written history. With the right telescope magnification, it could look as large as the moon without magnification. But, even then, Mars did not appear even as large as Jupiter always does. This year, Mars is about half its maximum apparent size. Compare it with Saturn in a small telescope. Mars and Saturn are still one above the west horizon at 9:30 p.m. Mars apparent diameter is much less than Saturn’s.
Wednesday: Had the script been written a little differently for a well known Robin Williams movie, we may have heard Mr. Williams shout, “Goooood Morning Orion the hunter”. Orion is typically thought of as a winter constellation. But, it makes its first appearance in the summer sky. The lowest corner of Orion’s body, represented by the star Saiph (pronounced “safe”), rises at 4:30 a.m., well before the Sun. By 5 a.m., Orion’s belt is about one fist above the east-southeast horizon.
Thursday: Jupiter is a fist above the east-southeast horizon at 11:30 p.m.
Friday: Need a caffeine pick-me-up? Make it a double. Need an astronomy pick-me-up? Make it a double-double. Find Vega, in the constellation Lyra the lyre, nearly straight overhead at 11:00 tonight. Less than half a fist to the east (or left if you are facing south) of the bright bluish star Vega is the “star” Epsilon Lyra. If you look at Epsilon Lyra through binoculars, it looks like two stars. If you look at Epsilon Lyra through a large enough telescope, you will notice that each star in the pair is itself a pair of stars. Each star in the double is double. Hence, Epsilon Lyra is known as the double-double. The stars in each pair orbit a point approximately in the center of each respective pair. The pairs themselves orbit a point between the two pairs.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 7/24/10
Saturday: The Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks for the next few nights and early mornings with the greatest concentration of meteors being visible Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which the meteors appear to originate. These meteors appear to come from a point in Aquarius near the star Delta Aquarii, also known as Skat. This point is about one and a half fists held upright and at arm’s length above the southeast horizon at 1 am tomorrow morning. You can follow this point throughout the night as it will remain a fist above Fomalhaut, the brightest star in that section of the sky. Unfortunately, the nearly full moon and waning gibbous moon will be out most of the night and obscure the dimmer meteors. As you Mother might say, dress warm and sit in a comfortable chair for maximum enjoyment. Meteors are tiny rocks that hit the Earth and burn up in the atmosphere.
Sunday: Tonight’s full moon is in the constellation Capricornus the sea goat.
Monday: We read a lot about how kids nowadays are heavier than they used to be. You don’t read that about stars… until now. Astronomers from the European Southern Observatory just discovered the most massive stars in the universe using their Very Large Telescope (yes, that’s its real name). These two stars are about 300 times more massive than the Sun or twice as massive as the largest known stars. In addition to being very massive, they are several million times brighter than our Sun. Their brightness compared to the Sun is the same as the Sun’s brightness compared to the full moon. Neither of these stars is visible from Ellensburg. For more information, go to http://www.portaltotheuniverse.org/news/view/67492/.
Tuesday: Speaking of meteor showers, the Perseid meteor shower is NASA’s “Go Observe” object for August. The Perseid meteor shower is typically the most easily visible shower of the year for Northern Hemisphere observers. This year, moonlight will interfere with the dimmer meteors during the peak evenings of August 12 and 13. Luckily, Perseid meteors are visible from about the last week in July until the last week in August so you can start watching the Perseid meteor shower this week. The meteors appear to come from a point just below the W of the constellation Cassiopeia. This point is about two fists above the northeast horizon at 11 p.m. tonight. For more information, go to http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/observe_aug.htm.
Wednesday: Venus is a little less than a fist above the west horizon at 9:30 p.m. Mars and Saturn are a fist to the upper left of Venus. Saturn is the upper and the brighter of the two.
Thursday: Say "Cheese". 159 years ago this month, Vega, in the constellation Lyra the lyre, became the first star ever photographed. The photograph was done at the Harvard Observatory using the daguerreotype process. Vega is the third brightest nighttime star we can see in Ellensburg behind Sirius and Arcturus. Vega is nearly straight overhead at 11:00 tonight.
Friday: Jupiter is a little less than a fist above the east horizon at 11:30 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: Tonight’s full moon is in the constellation Capricornus the sea goat.
Monday: We read a lot about how kids nowadays are heavier than they used to be. You don’t read that about stars… until now. Astronomers from the European Southern Observatory just discovered the most massive stars in the universe using their Very Large Telescope (yes, that’s its real name). These two stars are about 300 times more massive than the Sun or twice as massive as the largest known stars. In addition to being very massive, they are several million times brighter than our Sun. Their brightness compared to the Sun is the same as the Sun’s brightness compared to the full moon. Neither of these stars is visible from Ellensburg. For more information, go to http://www.portaltotheuniverse.org/news/view/67492/.
Tuesday: Speaking of meteor showers, the Perseid meteor shower is NASA’s “Go Observe” object for August. The Perseid meteor shower is typically the most easily visible shower of the year for Northern Hemisphere observers. This year, moonlight will interfere with the dimmer meteors during the peak evenings of August 12 and 13. Luckily, Perseid meteors are visible from about the last week in July until the last week in August so you can start watching the Perseid meteor shower this week. The meteors appear to come from a point just below the W of the constellation Cassiopeia. This point is about two fists above the northeast horizon at 11 p.m. tonight. For more information, go to http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/observe_aug.htm.
Wednesday: Venus is a little less than a fist above the west horizon at 9:30 p.m. Mars and Saturn are a fist to the upper left of Venus. Saturn is the upper and the brighter of the two.
Thursday: Say "Cheese". 159 years ago this month, Vega, in the constellation Lyra the lyre, became the first star ever photographed. The photograph was done at the Harvard Observatory using the daguerreotype process. Vega is the third brightest nighttime star we can see in Ellensburg behind Sirius and Arcturus. Vega is nearly straight overhead at 11:00 tonight.
Friday: Jupiter is a little less than a fist above the east horizon at 11:30 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 7/17/10
Saturday: Being in a coma is a bad thing. Looking at the Coma Star Cluster is a good thing. The Coma Star Cluster is an open cluster of about 50 stars that takes up more space in the sky than 10 full Moons. It looks like a fuzzy patch with the naked eye. Binoculars reveal dozens of sparkling stars. A telescope actually diminishes from the spectacle because the cluster is so big and the telescope’s field of view is so small. The Coma Star Cluster is in the faint constellation Coma Berenices (ba-ron-ice’-ez) or Queen Berenice’s hair. Queen Berenice of Egypt cut off her beautiful hair as a sacrifice to the gods for the safe return of her husband Ptolemy III from battle. The Coma Star Cluster is about four fists held upright and at arm’s length above the west horizon at 10:30 p.m.
Sunday: There is a small herd of planets moving along the ecliptic low in the western sky tonight. The what? You know, the west. The direction where the Sun sets. Oh wait. You know that word. The word “ecliptic” is the new word for you. The ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun takes through the background stars. Since the planets orbit the Sun, they can also be found along the ecliptic. Look at 10 p.m. Venus is a half a fist above the west horizon, a little bit north of west. Mars is a fist above the west horizon, a little bit south of west. Finally, Saturn is a fist and a half above the west-southwest horizon.
Monday: Take a two and a half hour walk. Too long, you say? Forty-one years ago tomorrow, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first ever walk by humans on another world. They spend two and a half hours setting up scientific instruments and collecting rocks for study back on Earth. Michael Collins orbited the Moon in the spacecraft the three astronauts would use to return to Earth.
Tuesday: What are you going to do tonight? Certainly not watch the junk on TV. Clean the garage? Yeah, like that’s going to happen. No, you want to go to the astronomy celebration at Lind Hall on the Central Washington University campus from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. The evening starts in Lind Hall, room 215 with a brief astronomy lecture. At 9:30, we’ll start observing a variety of celestial objects. Dress warm and be ready to be edutained.
Wednesday: If you want to show your loved ones a celestial sign that they should hang up their clothes, show them Brocchi's Cluster, commonly known as the Coat Hanger cluster because of its resemblance to an upside down coat hanger. The cluster is six fists above the southeast horizon at 10:30 p.m., midway between Altair and Vega, the two brightest stars in the Summer Triangle. You'll need binoculars to make out the shape. First find Altair four fists above the southeast horizon. Slowly move your binoculars up toward Vega. You will run into the coat hanger along the way. And while you are at it, put away your shoes.
Thursday: Jupiter is about a half a fist above the east horizon at midnight.
Friday: Do you wish it was easy to find due north? After all, a compass points to magnetic north which is a few degrees off of true geographic north. Well, tonight’s your night. Capella, the brightest star in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer, is due north at exactly 10:14 p.m. It looks like a bright light on a pole on the north ridge because is only about one degree above the horizon.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: There is a small herd of planets moving along the ecliptic low in the western sky tonight. The what? You know, the west. The direction where the Sun sets. Oh wait. You know that word. The word “ecliptic” is the new word for you. The ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun takes through the background stars. Since the planets orbit the Sun, they can also be found along the ecliptic. Look at 10 p.m. Venus is a half a fist above the west horizon, a little bit north of west. Mars is a fist above the west horizon, a little bit south of west. Finally, Saturn is a fist and a half above the west-southwest horizon.
Monday: Take a two and a half hour walk. Too long, you say? Forty-one years ago tomorrow, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first ever walk by humans on another world. They spend two and a half hours setting up scientific instruments and collecting rocks for study back on Earth. Michael Collins orbited the Moon in the spacecraft the three astronauts would use to return to Earth.
Tuesday: What are you going to do tonight? Certainly not watch the junk on TV. Clean the garage? Yeah, like that’s going to happen. No, you want to go to the astronomy celebration at Lind Hall on the Central Washington University campus from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. The evening starts in Lind Hall, room 215 with a brief astronomy lecture. At 9:30, we’ll start observing a variety of celestial objects. Dress warm and be ready to be edutained.
Wednesday: If you want to show your loved ones a celestial sign that they should hang up their clothes, show them Brocchi's Cluster, commonly known as the Coat Hanger cluster because of its resemblance to an upside down coat hanger. The cluster is six fists above the southeast horizon at 10:30 p.m., midway between Altair and Vega, the two brightest stars in the Summer Triangle. You'll need binoculars to make out the shape. First find Altair four fists above the southeast horizon. Slowly move your binoculars up toward Vega. You will run into the coat hanger along the way. And while you are at it, put away your shoes.
Thursday: Jupiter is about a half a fist above the east horizon at midnight.
Friday: Do you wish it was easy to find due north? After all, a compass points to magnetic north which is a few degrees off of true geographic north. Well, tonight’s your night. Capella, the brightest star in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer, is due north at exactly 10:14 p.m. It looks like a bright light on a pole on the north ridge because is only about one degree above the horizon.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 7/10/10
Saturday: The little king, also known as the bright star Regulus, is feeling a hunka hunka burnin’ love for the bright planet Venus. Less than a pinky width held at arm’s length separates them tonight. They are one fist held upright and at arm’s length above the west horizon at 10 p.m. They will love each other tender for the entire week as they remain close together in the evening sky.
Sunday: After watching the movie “South Pacific” and honoring its well-known song by “washing that man right out of your hair”, go to the real South Pacific Ocean to view a total solar eclipse. This morning, the residents of the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Easter Island, as well as small sections of southern Chile and Argentina will see the Moon completely cover the Sun for a total solar eclipse. During a total solar eclipse, the new Moon is directly between the Earth and Sun. For people watching from the path of totality, the Sun disappears and it is possible to see the nighttime stars. The next eclipse visible in Ellensburg, as well as the entire United States, is a total lunar eclipse on the night of December 20 and 21.
Monday: Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter’s young nemesis, is related to Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black. Draco’s mother, Narcissa Black (Sirius’ cousin) helped develop a plan to trap Harry at the Ministry of Magic in the fifth book. Draco’s namesake, the constellation Draco the dragon is one of the largest constellations in the sky, winding around the North Star. Draco’s head is a four-sided figure nearly straight overhead at 11 p.m.
Tuesday: Saturn is one and a half fists above the west-southwest horizon at 10 p.m.
Wednesday: The Andromeda galaxy, the most distant object visible with the naked eye from a dark site, has moved into the evening sky. To locate the Andromeda Galaxy, first find the Great Square of Pegasus. At 11:00 p.m., the left hand corner of the square is about two fists above the east-northeast horizon. Less than two fists to the left and down a little bit is another star the same brightness as the star at the corner of the square. From that star, hop about a half a fist up to a star that is about one fourth as bright. Less than another half fist in the same direction is a fuzzy oval patch of light known as the Andromeda Galaxy. The galaxy is impressive to see in binoculars. It consists of about 400 billion stars and is 2.2 million light years away.
Thursday: Mars is less than a half a fist to the upper right of the Moon at 10 p.m.
Friday: Jupiter is a little less than a half a fist above due east at midnight tonight. Just before dawn tomorrow morning, it will be four fists above the south-southeast horizon.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: After watching the movie “South Pacific” and honoring its well-known song by “washing that man right out of your hair”, go to the real South Pacific Ocean to view a total solar eclipse. This morning, the residents of the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Easter Island, as well as small sections of southern Chile and Argentina will see the Moon completely cover the Sun for a total solar eclipse. During a total solar eclipse, the new Moon is directly between the Earth and Sun. For people watching from the path of totality, the Sun disappears and it is possible to see the nighttime stars. The next eclipse visible in Ellensburg, as well as the entire United States, is a total lunar eclipse on the night of December 20 and 21.
Monday: Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter’s young nemesis, is related to Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black. Draco’s mother, Narcissa Black (Sirius’ cousin) helped develop a plan to trap Harry at the Ministry of Magic in the fifth book. Draco’s namesake, the constellation Draco the dragon is one of the largest constellations in the sky, winding around the North Star. Draco’s head is a four-sided figure nearly straight overhead at 11 p.m.
Tuesday: Saturn is one and a half fists above the west-southwest horizon at 10 p.m.
Wednesday: The Andromeda galaxy, the most distant object visible with the naked eye from a dark site, has moved into the evening sky. To locate the Andromeda Galaxy, first find the Great Square of Pegasus. At 11:00 p.m., the left hand corner of the square is about two fists above the east-northeast horizon. Less than two fists to the left and down a little bit is another star the same brightness as the star at the corner of the square. From that star, hop about a half a fist up to a star that is about one fourth as bright. Less than another half fist in the same direction is a fuzzy oval patch of light known as the Andromeda Galaxy. The galaxy is impressive to see in binoculars. It consists of about 400 billion stars and is 2.2 million light years away.
Thursday: Mars is less than a half a fist to the upper right of the Moon at 10 p.m.
Friday: Jupiter is a little less than a half a fist above due east at midnight tonight. Just before dawn tomorrow morning, it will be four fists above the south-southeast horizon.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 7/3/10
Saturday: Tomorrow night, while you are looking at an explosion of fireworks, the NASA spacecraft Kepler may be looking at an “explosion” of exoplanets. So far, Kepler has found evidence of more than 700 stars being dimmed by their planets crossing in front of them and blocking light. Astronomers still need to compare the pattern of dimming with the potential pattern of star wobble caused by being tugged on by one or more planets before that can say for certain that have actually found planets orbiting these stars. But if even half of these stars show the characteristic wobble, it will nearly double the number of planets known to orbit other stars, also known as exoplanets. And this is only the beginning. The Kepler spacecraft is monitoring the brightness of over 156,000 stars in the constellations Cygnus the swan and Lyra the lyre. This region is midway between the bright stars Deneb and Vega. It is about the size of your hand held at arm’s length and is about six fists held upright and at arm’s length above due east at 11 p.m.
Sunday: This morning’s last quarter Moon is in the constellation Pisces the fish.
Monday: Mars and Saturn are moving towards each other in the night sky. At 10 p.m., Mars is one and a half fists above the west-southwest horizon. Saturn is a fist to the upper left of Mars and a little more than two fists above the southwest horizon.
Tuesday: Hot enough for you? Don’t blame the Earth-Sun distance. Surprisingly, the overall temperature of the Earth is slightly higher in July, when the Earth is farthest from the Sun, than in January, when it is closest. That’s because in July, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun. (This is the real cause of the seasons.) The Northern Hemisphere has more land than the Southern Hemisphere. Thus, in July, the large amount of Northern Hemisphere land heats up the entire Earth about two degrees Celsius warmer than in January. In January, the watery Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. But, water does not heat up as fast as land so the Earth is a few degrees cooler. If you are one of those people who measures twice and cuts once, the Earth-Sun distance is 152.1 million kilometers today. The Earth-Sun distance is 152.1 million kilometers. Now cut.
Wednesday: Last week, I speculated about which planet Regulus, the “little king” star in the constellation Leo, would chose to hang out with in the sky. Over the next few nights, you’ll see that choice and it is Venus. Venus and Regulus will be side-by-side, one fist above the west horizon at 10 p.m., for the rest of the week.
Thursday: Ripped from the headlines: The Moon wakes up with seven sisters this morning! The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades, is a bright open star cluster in the constellation Taurus. However, you’ll need binoculars to get a good view of the Pleiades this morning since its stars will be obscured by the moon glow. The Pleiades is about a finger width above the moon at 4 a.m. See, getting up early allows you to start rumors.
Friday: Jupiter is finally rising in the evening sky… if you define evening as 11:56 p.m. Still, you don’t have to stay up extremely late to see it. By 1 a.m., it is one fist above the east horizon.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: This morning’s last quarter Moon is in the constellation Pisces the fish.
Monday: Mars and Saturn are moving towards each other in the night sky. At 10 p.m., Mars is one and a half fists above the west-southwest horizon. Saturn is a fist to the upper left of Mars and a little more than two fists above the southwest horizon.
Tuesday: Hot enough for you? Don’t blame the Earth-Sun distance. Surprisingly, the overall temperature of the Earth is slightly higher in July, when the Earth is farthest from the Sun, than in January, when it is closest. That’s because in July, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun. (This is the real cause of the seasons.) The Northern Hemisphere has more land than the Southern Hemisphere. Thus, in July, the large amount of Northern Hemisphere land heats up the entire Earth about two degrees Celsius warmer than in January. In January, the watery Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. But, water does not heat up as fast as land so the Earth is a few degrees cooler. If you are one of those people who measures twice and cuts once, the Earth-Sun distance is 152.1 million kilometers today. The Earth-Sun distance is 152.1 million kilometers. Now cut.
Wednesday: Last week, I speculated about which planet Regulus, the “little king” star in the constellation Leo, would chose to hang out with in the sky. Over the next few nights, you’ll see that choice and it is Venus. Venus and Regulus will be side-by-side, one fist above the west horizon at 10 p.m., for the rest of the week.
Thursday: Ripped from the headlines: The Moon wakes up with seven sisters this morning! The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades, is a bright open star cluster in the constellation Taurus. However, you’ll need binoculars to get a good view of the Pleiades this morning since its stars will be obscured by the moon glow. The Pleiades is about a finger width above the moon at 4 a.m. See, getting up early allows you to start rumors.
Friday: Jupiter is finally rising in the evening sky… if you define evening as 11:56 p.m. Still, you don’t have to stay up extremely late to see it. By 1 a.m., it is one fist above the east horizon.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
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