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June Observing Guide
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14 years 11 months ago #78480
by Neill
June Observing Guide was created by Neill
Hi all,
June obs guide below
OBSERVING GUIDE
(Please note all times are BST and are based on an observing location of Belfast and covers the month of June)
The Sun
At the start of the month the Sun rises at 04:55 and sets at 21:50. By the end of the month, it rises at 04:50 and sets at 22:05.
The Planets
There are two planetary conjunctions this month with Jupiter and Neptune and also Venus and Mars. Details of both are below.
Mercury is at greatest western elongation on the 13th and is a morning object this month. However it is poorly placed for observation and keeps a low altitude through the month. By month’s end, it rises at 03:50, an hour before the Sun.
Venus is at greatest western elongation on the 5th and is a morning object this month. However it is best observed at month’s end when its altitude increases. At the start of the month, it rises over an hour before the Sun at 03:30 and by month’s end, it rises over two hours before the Sun at 02:40. Its brightness fades during the month from mag -4.3 to mag -4.1. It remains relatively close to Mars throughout the month with the closest approach between the two on the morning of the 19th, when they are two degrees apart.
Mars is also a morning object this month. At the start of the month, it rises over an hour before the Sun at 03:35 and by month’s end, it rises over two hours before the Sun at 02:20. As noted above, it has Venus for company this month.
Jupiter is also a morning object this month and can be found in Capricornus. It improves as the month progresses. At the start of the month, it rises at 02:00, by month's end, it rises at midnight. It is at conjunction with Neptune on the morning of the 1st, when the pair are half a degree apart. They remain relatively close throughout the month, near to the star Mu Capricorni (mag +5.1). The four Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are visible with 10x50 binoculars or a small telescope and are worth a look.
Saturn is slowly slipping into the evening twilight. It can be located in Leo and sets at 02:40 at the start of the month and by month’s end, it sets at 00:50. It fades during the month from mag +0.9 at the start of the month to mag +1.0 by month's end. It will not be visible in dark skies by month’s end due to the longer evenings and its westward movement.
Uranus is a morning object this month in Pisces. At the start of the month, it rises at 02:40. By month's end, it rises at 00:50 but keeps a low altitude making it poorly placed for observation.
Neptune becomes an evening object this month and it improves as the month progresses. At the start of the month, it rises at 01:50, by month's end; it rises at 23:55. As noted above, it is close to Jupiter especially at the start of the month.
Pluto is at opposition on the 23rd in Sagittarius with a mag of +14. A link to a finder chart can be found below.
The Moon
The full moon is on the 7th with the last quarter moon on the 15th and the new moon on the 22nd. The first quarter moon is on the 29th.
On the morning of the 1st, a 59% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies to the South of Saturn.
On the evening of the 6th/morning of the 7th, the near full moon lies just to the West of Antares (Alpha Scorpii).
On the evening of the 7th, there is an opportunity to see the moon illusion effect. It rises around 22:30 in the South-East and remains low in the South.
On the morning of the 13th, a 76% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies to the West of Jupiter.
On the morning of the 16th, the just past last quarter moon lies to the North of Uranus.
On the morning of the 19th, a 18% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies to the North-West of Venus and Mars with the two planets two degrees apart (see above). Look from about 03:30 low in the East for this event.
On the evening of the 27th, a 33% waxing crescent moon lies to the South of Saturn.
Meteors
The ZHR or Zenithal Hourly Rate is the number of meteors an observer would see in one hour under a clear, dark sky with a limiting apparent magnitude of 6.5 and if the radiant of the shower were in the zenith. The rate that can effectively be seen is nearly always lower and decreases as the radiant is closer to the horizon. The Zenith is the overhead point in the sky for an observer. The radiant is the point in the sky, from which (to a planetary observer) meteors appear to originate, i.e. the Perseids, for example, are meteors which appear to come from a point within the constellation of Perseus. A fireball is defined by the International Astronomical Union as a meteor brighter than any of the planets, i.e. magnitude -4 or brighter. The International Meteor Organisation alternatively defines it as a meteor which would have a magnitude of -3 or brighter at the zenith.
The major shower this month is the June Bootids which peak on the 27th. Activity has been variable for this shower and in recent years, ZHR’s of up to 100 were recorded in 1998 and of up to 50 were recorded in 2004. There are no predictions for enhanced activity this year, but it is still worth a look with the radiant lying close to M102, North of the Kite asterism. Lunar conditions are good for this shower with a 33% waxing crescent moon setting just after midnight on the evening of the 27th.
There are three other showers this month, all minor in nature with single figure ZHRs. The Tau Herculids peak on the 9th, the Ophiuchids have two peaks on the 10th and 20th and the June Lyrids peak on the 15th. Lunar conditions for the first Ophiuchid peak could be better with a 90% + illuminated waning gibbous moon rising around midnight in Sagittarius. The Tau Herculids are less affected by these conditions. For the June Lyrids, conditions are favourable with the just past last quarter moon rising in Pisces at around 01:10 on the morning of the 16th. The second Ophiuchid peak gets the best lunar conditions with a thin waning crescent rising on the morning of the 21st at around 02:50.
Comets
Comet 2006 W3 Christensen lies between the square of Pegasus and Lacerta during the month. It is predicted to remain around mag +9 with a predicted peak of mag +8 around August. At the start of the month it is visible from about midnight and by month’s end it is visible all night.
Comet 22P/Kopff is in Aquarius this month. Current predictions estimate it’s brightness at mag +9 with similar long term predictions through to the autumn. At the start of the month, it is visible from about 03:00 and by month’s end it is visible from about 01:00. On the morning of the 1st, it should lie around two degrees to the North of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction.
Deep Sky
On the deep sky front this month, galaxies M81 and M82 can be observed in Ursa Major. In Leo, we have several galaxies on view including The Leo Triplet - M65, M66 and NGC 3628. M95, M96 and M105 can also be observed in Leo. The place to really find galaxies is in Virgo. The Virgo Super Cluster can be found here with numerous galaxies on view. Also in Virgo, M104 - the Sombrero Galaxy can be found. In Coma Berenices, there is M64 - the Black-Eye Galaxy. Also check out the constellation Canes Venatici with the globular cluster - M3 and several galaxies including M51 - the Whirlpool Galaxy and M63 - the Sunflower Galaxy. In Hercules, two globular clusters – M92 and the excellent M13 can be observed and in Lyra – M57 – The Ring Nebula can be observed. Also check out Sagittarius, low in the South which contains many messier objects including open clusters M18 and M25, to name but a few.
For further observing information, check out
www.eaas.co.uk/index.php?option=com_cont...=blog&id=6&Itemid=11
General Notes
Always keep an eye out for Aurorae. Check out www.stronge.org.uk/spaceweather.html for the most up-to-date information on the aurorae. The Summer Solstice is on the 21st of the month. This is the day with the greatest number of sunlight hours and after this the daytime gets gradually shorter and the nighttime gets gradually longer. It also marks the start of summer. The night sky does not get fully dark this month. Between May and the middle of August, Astronomical twilight is present at night. This is when the sun is between twelve and eighteen degrees below the horizon.
Watch out for NLCs - Noctilucent Clouds this month. They are also known as Polar Mesospheric Clouds as they are thought to be due to water ice particles up in the mesosphere. They are mostly visible between the Northern latitudes of 50 to 65 degrees, however sightings have been made as far South as Iran – 38 degrees. Look to the North for a white/silvery glow. They can sometimes be faint, sometimes bright. Other interesting naked eye phenomena to look out for include the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein. Both are caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles which are present in the solar system. The Zodiacal Light can be seen in the West after evening twilight has disappeared or in the East before the morning twilight. The best time of year to see the phenomenon is late-Feb to early-April in the evening sky and September/October in the morning sky - it's then that the ecliptic, along which the cone of the zodiacal light lies, is steepest in our skies. The Gegenschein can be seen in the area of the sky opposite the sun. To view either, you must get yourself to a very dark site to cut out the light pollution. When trying to observe either of these phenomena, it is best to do so when the moon is below the horizon. If you are observing them when the moon has risen, restrict your efforts to the period 4 days either side of the new moon as otherwise the moonlight will be sufficient to drown them out.
Finally check out www.heavens-above.com for the latest passes of the International Space Station and satellites, details of Space Shuttle launches and passes and for details of Iridium Flare activity.
Clear Skies
Neill McKeown
Information Sources Used
www.skyviewcafe.com - Used for the Sun and Planets section. Also partly used for the Moon Section
Sky at Night Magazine Observing Guide and CD
www.aerith.net and cometchasing.skyhound.com – Used for the Comet Section for information and finder charts
BAA Handbook
Stardust Magazine
Sky Guide 2009 – South Dublin Astronomical Society
www.rasnz.org.nz/SolarSys/Pluto.htm - Pluto Finder Chart
June obs guide below
OBSERVING GUIDE
(Please note all times are BST and are based on an observing location of Belfast and covers the month of June)
The Sun
At the start of the month the Sun rises at 04:55 and sets at 21:50. By the end of the month, it rises at 04:50 and sets at 22:05.
The Planets
There are two planetary conjunctions this month with Jupiter and Neptune and also Venus and Mars. Details of both are below.
Mercury is at greatest western elongation on the 13th and is a morning object this month. However it is poorly placed for observation and keeps a low altitude through the month. By month’s end, it rises at 03:50, an hour before the Sun.
Venus is at greatest western elongation on the 5th and is a morning object this month. However it is best observed at month’s end when its altitude increases. At the start of the month, it rises over an hour before the Sun at 03:30 and by month’s end, it rises over two hours before the Sun at 02:40. Its brightness fades during the month from mag -4.3 to mag -4.1. It remains relatively close to Mars throughout the month with the closest approach between the two on the morning of the 19th, when they are two degrees apart.
Mars is also a morning object this month. At the start of the month, it rises over an hour before the Sun at 03:35 and by month’s end, it rises over two hours before the Sun at 02:20. As noted above, it has Venus for company this month.
Jupiter is also a morning object this month and can be found in Capricornus. It improves as the month progresses. At the start of the month, it rises at 02:00, by month's end, it rises at midnight. It is at conjunction with Neptune on the morning of the 1st, when the pair are half a degree apart. They remain relatively close throughout the month, near to the star Mu Capricorni (mag +5.1). The four Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are visible with 10x50 binoculars or a small telescope and are worth a look.
Saturn is slowly slipping into the evening twilight. It can be located in Leo and sets at 02:40 at the start of the month and by month’s end, it sets at 00:50. It fades during the month from mag +0.9 at the start of the month to mag +1.0 by month's end. It will not be visible in dark skies by month’s end due to the longer evenings and its westward movement.
Uranus is a morning object this month in Pisces. At the start of the month, it rises at 02:40. By month's end, it rises at 00:50 but keeps a low altitude making it poorly placed for observation.
Neptune becomes an evening object this month and it improves as the month progresses. At the start of the month, it rises at 01:50, by month's end; it rises at 23:55. As noted above, it is close to Jupiter especially at the start of the month.
Pluto is at opposition on the 23rd in Sagittarius with a mag of +14. A link to a finder chart can be found below.
The Moon
The full moon is on the 7th with the last quarter moon on the 15th and the new moon on the 22nd. The first quarter moon is on the 29th.
On the morning of the 1st, a 59% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies to the South of Saturn.
On the evening of the 6th/morning of the 7th, the near full moon lies just to the West of Antares (Alpha Scorpii).
On the evening of the 7th, there is an opportunity to see the moon illusion effect. It rises around 22:30 in the South-East and remains low in the South.
On the morning of the 13th, a 76% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies to the West of Jupiter.
On the morning of the 16th, the just past last quarter moon lies to the North of Uranus.
On the morning of the 19th, a 18% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies to the North-West of Venus and Mars with the two planets two degrees apart (see above). Look from about 03:30 low in the East for this event.
On the evening of the 27th, a 33% waxing crescent moon lies to the South of Saturn.
Meteors
The ZHR or Zenithal Hourly Rate is the number of meteors an observer would see in one hour under a clear, dark sky with a limiting apparent magnitude of 6.5 and if the radiant of the shower were in the zenith. The rate that can effectively be seen is nearly always lower and decreases as the radiant is closer to the horizon. The Zenith is the overhead point in the sky for an observer. The radiant is the point in the sky, from which (to a planetary observer) meteors appear to originate, i.e. the Perseids, for example, are meteors which appear to come from a point within the constellation of Perseus. A fireball is defined by the International Astronomical Union as a meteor brighter than any of the planets, i.e. magnitude -4 or brighter. The International Meteor Organisation alternatively defines it as a meteor which would have a magnitude of -3 or brighter at the zenith.
The major shower this month is the June Bootids which peak on the 27th. Activity has been variable for this shower and in recent years, ZHR’s of up to 100 were recorded in 1998 and of up to 50 were recorded in 2004. There are no predictions for enhanced activity this year, but it is still worth a look with the radiant lying close to M102, North of the Kite asterism. Lunar conditions are good for this shower with a 33% waxing crescent moon setting just after midnight on the evening of the 27th.
There are three other showers this month, all minor in nature with single figure ZHRs. The Tau Herculids peak on the 9th, the Ophiuchids have two peaks on the 10th and 20th and the June Lyrids peak on the 15th. Lunar conditions for the first Ophiuchid peak could be better with a 90% + illuminated waning gibbous moon rising around midnight in Sagittarius. The Tau Herculids are less affected by these conditions. For the June Lyrids, conditions are favourable with the just past last quarter moon rising in Pisces at around 01:10 on the morning of the 16th. The second Ophiuchid peak gets the best lunar conditions with a thin waning crescent rising on the morning of the 21st at around 02:50.
Comets
Comet 2006 W3 Christensen lies between the square of Pegasus and Lacerta during the month. It is predicted to remain around mag +9 with a predicted peak of mag +8 around August. At the start of the month it is visible from about midnight and by month’s end it is visible all night.
Comet 22P/Kopff is in Aquarius this month. Current predictions estimate it’s brightness at mag +9 with similar long term predictions through to the autumn. At the start of the month, it is visible from about 03:00 and by month’s end it is visible from about 01:00. On the morning of the 1st, it should lie around two degrees to the North of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction.
Deep Sky
On the deep sky front this month, galaxies M81 and M82 can be observed in Ursa Major. In Leo, we have several galaxies on view including The Leo Triplet - M65, M66 and NGC 3628. M95, M96 and M105 can also be observed in Leo. The place to really find galaxies is in Virgo. The Virgo Super Cluster can be found here with numerous galaxies on view. Also in Virgo, M104 - the Sombrero Galaxy can be found. In Coma Berenices, there is M64 - the Black-Eye Galaxy. Also check out the constellation Canes Venatici with the globular cluster - M3 and several galaxies including M51 - the Whirlpool Galaxy and M63 - the Sunflower Galaxy. In Hercules, two globular clusters – M92 and the excellent M13 can be observed and in Lyra – M57 – The Ring Nebula can be observed. Also check out Sagittarius, low in the South which contains many messier objects including open clusters M18 and M25, to name but a few.
For further observing information, check out
www.eaas.co.uk/index.php?option=com_cont...=blog&id=6&Itemid=11
General Notes
Always keep an eye out for Aurorae. Check out www.stronge.org.uk/spaceweather.html for the most up-to-date information on the aurorae. The Summer Solstice is on the 21st of the month. This is the day with the greatest number of sunlight hours and after this the daytime gets gradually shorter and the nighttime gets gradually longer. It also marks the start of summer. The night sky does not get fully dark this month. Between May and the middle of August, Astronomical twilight is present at night. This is when the sun is between twelve and eighteen degrees below the horizon.
Watch out for NLCs - Noctilucent Clouds this month. They are also known as Polar Mesospheric Clouds as they are thought to be due to water ice particles up in the mesosphere. They are mostly visible between the Northern latitudes of 50 to 65 degrees, however sightings have been made as far South as Iran – 38 degrees. Look to the North for a white/silvery glow. They can sometimes be faint, sometimes bright. Other interesting naked eye phenomena to look out for include the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein. Both are caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles which are present in the solar system. The Zodiacal Light can be seen in the West after evening twilight has disappeared or in the East before the morning twilight. The best time of year to see the phenomenon is late-Feb to early-April in the evening sky and September/October in the morning sky - it's then that the ecliptic, along which the cone of the zodiacal light lies, is steepest in our skies. The Gegenschein can be seen in the area of the sky opposite the sun. To view either, you must get yourself to a very dark site to cut out the light pollution. When trying to observe either of these phenomena, it is best to do so when the moon is below the horizon. If you are observing them when the moon has risen, restrict your efforts to the period 4 days either side of the new moon as otherwise the moonlight will be sufficient to drown them out.
Finally check out www.heavens-above.com for the latest passes of the International Space Station and satellites, details of Space Shuttle launches and passes and for details of Iridium Flare activity.
Clear Skies
Neill McKeown
Information Sources Used
www.skyviewcafe.com - Used for the Sun and Planets section. Also partly used for the Moon Section
Sky at Night Magazine Observing Guide and CD
www.aerith.net and cometchasing.skyhound.com – Used for the Comet Section for information and finder charts
BAA Handbook
Stardust Magazine
Sky Guide 2009 – South Dublin Astronomical Society
www.rasnz.org.nz/SolarSys/Pluto.htm - Pluto Finder Chart
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