The Sky this Month (August, September)

/ 8 August 2013
Submitted by webteam.rascto… on 8 August 2013

On Wednesday, August 7, Chris Vaughan presented the Sky. Below are the events he discussed. At the bottom of the page you will also find a PDF with maps.

News
Space Exploration – Public and Private. Ref. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

  • August 3 – Launch of Japanese H-2B from Tanegashima Space Center, unmanned ISS re-supply
  • August 6 – Launch of GSLV rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center, India, payload GSAT 14 comsat
  • August 7-8 – Launch of Delta 4 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, payload WGS 6 comsat
  • August 22 – Launch of Kosmotras Dnepr rocket from Dombarovsky, Russia, payload Korean KOMPSAT 5 Earth
  • observation satellite.
  • August 22 – Launch of Japan's Epsilon rocket from Uchinoura Space Center, Japan, payload, SPRINT-A satellite
  • with a small space telescope to observe Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter.
  • August 24 – Launch of Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, payload, Eutelsat 25B & GSAT 7 comsats.
  • August 28 – Launch of Delta 4-Heavy rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, payload, NROL-65 US
  • National Reconnaissance comsats.

This Month in History (a sampling)

Ref. http://astroplanet.org/next.php

  • August 1, 1785 – Caroline Herschel becomes the first woman to discover comets, including Comet
  • 35P/Herschel-Rigollet
  • August 2, 1880 – Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is officially adopted by Parliament in the UK
  • August 3, 1596 – David Fabricius discovered variability of Mira, the first star to be identified as a variable star
  • August 11 & 17, 1877 – Asaph Hall discovers Phobos and Deimos (aka Gods of Fear and Dread, respectively)
  • August 11, 3114 BCE – Beginning of Creation according to the Maya civilization
  • August 13, 1642 – Christiaan Huygens discovered the Martian south polar cap
  • August 15, 1977 – WOW! signal is detected by the SETI program using The Big Ear radio telescope. The 72
  • second long signal is never duplicated
  • August 23, 1966 – Earth is photographed for the first time from lunar orbit by Lunar Orbiter 1
  • August 24, 2006 – International Astronomical Union demotes the planet Pluto to a dwarf planet or "trans-
  • Neptunian object".
  • August 29, 1541 – Nicolaus Copernicus's book "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" ("On the Revolutions of
  • the Celestial Spheres") goes to the printer

Star Parties
Ref: http://ontariostargazing.ca/astronomy-star-parties-events-ontario/

  • “RASC Dark Skies Observing”, Long Sault, ON – window opens September 2
  • “RASC City Skies Observing”, Bayview Village Park, Toronto – window opens August 12
  • “Starfest”, Mount Forest, ON – Aug 8-12 (www.nyaa.ca/starfest.htm)
  • “Manitoulin Star Party”, Gordon’s Park Dark Sky Preserve, Manitoulin Island – Aug 9-12 (www.gordonspark.com)
  • “L & A Perseid Meteor Watch”, Lennox & Addington County Dark Sky Area – Aug 12 (www.darkskyviewing.com)
  • “Perseids Meteor Star Party”, Gordon’s Park Dark Sky Preserve, Manitoulin Island – Aug 12-14 (www.gordonspark.com)
  • “New Eyes Old Skies Dark Skies Observing”, Tottenham/Ronan Aerodrome, ON – window opens August 26
  • “Charleston Lake Astronomy Night”, Charleston Lake Provincial Park (near Brockville), ON – Aug 31 (Tel: 613- 659-2065)
  • “The 16th Annual Algonquin Adventure Star Party”, Mew Lake Campground (in Algonquin Provincial Park), ON – Sep 5-8 (E-mail: bobandlil14@gmail.com)

Observing

Sun/Sunrise/Sunset

  • August 1st sunrise at 6:12 am, August 31st sunrise at 6:46 am
  • August 1st sunset at 8:36 pm, August 31st sunset at 7:51 pm (yay!)

Moon - Phases

  • August 6 at 4:51 pm EDT – New Moon
  • August 14 at 5:56 am EDT – 1st Quarter Moon (sets around midnight)
  • August 20 at 8:45 pm EDT – Full Moon
  • August 28 at 4:35 am EDT – 3rd Quarter Moon (rises around midnight)

Moon - Conjunctions

  • On the early morning of August 1, the Moon will be situated only 3 degrees west of (above) Aldebaran!
  • On the early morning of August 3, the Old Moon sits about 6 degrees southwest (to the upper right) of Jupiter.
  • On the early morning of August 4, the Old Moon sits about 6 degrees south (to the lower right) of Mars.
  • On the early morning of August 5, the Old Moon sits about 5 degrees south (to the lower right) of Mercury.
  • On the evening of August 9, the New Moon sits about 5.5 degrees south (to the lower left) of Venus.
  • On the evening of August 11, the waxing crescent Moon sits about 5 degrees west (to the lower right) of Spica.
  • On the evening of August 12, the 1st Quarter Moon sits about 5 degrees southwest of (below) Saturn.
  • On the evening of August 13, the 1st Quarter Moon sits about 1 degree south (to the lower left) of double star
  • Zubenelgenubi (alpha Libra).
  • On August 31, the Old Moon sits about 6 degrees southwest (to the right) of Jupiter.

Moon - Orbit

  • Apogee on August 3rd at 4:53 am EDT
  • Perigee on August 18th at 9:26 pm EDT
  • Apogee on August 30th at 7:46 pm EDT

Planets and Dwarf Planets

  • July 30th – Mercury’s reached Greatest Western Elongation, nicely visible for morning viewing during the first week of August, showing a lovely crescent, then rapidly descends towards the Sun. Superior conjunction on 
  • August 24th. Venus never climbs very high during this summer/autumn elongation. It sets at 10:07 pm on August 1 (83% illum) in Leo and 9:19 pm on August 31 (74% illum) in Virgo.
  • Mars is visible in early mornings – about 2 hours before sunrise on August 1 and three hours before on August 31. On Sept 8th and 9th, Mars will traverse the Beehive (M44)!
  • Jupiter rises at 3:33 am on August 1st and at 2:02 am on August 31st. All month in Gemini, it climbs away from
  • Mars in the pre-dawn sky. Beautiful lunar conjunctions on August 3rd and 31st.
  • Saturn, in Virgo, becomes limited to early evening viewing. Sets at 12:10 am on August 1 and at 10:16 pm on
  • August 31. The moons all cluster on the East side on August 23rd!
  • Uranus, in Pisces, best observable in the middle of the night, rises at 11:06 pm on August 1 and at 9:07 pm on August 31.
  • Neptune, in Aquarius, rises at 9:39 pm on August 1 and at 7:40 pm on August 31. It reaches opposition on August 27, making it a good late evening target.
  • Pluto, above Sagittarius’ teapot about 2 degrees SE of M25 all month, resides in a very star-filled part of the sky, and is well positioned for evening viewing.
  • Ceres and Vesta are near superior conjunction, Juno is observable north of Capricornus.

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) Update

Ref. http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2012S1/2012S1.html
On August 7th, it sits about midway between Pollux and The Beehive, rises at 4:40 am. By August 31st, rises at 3:46 am and sits one degree north of Gamma Cancri (Asellus Borealis) (Sunrise at 6:42am).

Meteor Shower(s)

  • Perseids - Active period July 17 – Aug 24, peaking before dawn on August 12th. Moon only ~25% illuminated, setting around 11 pm on Aug 11th. Radiant point is between Camelopardalis and Perseus in the NE sky – and nearly overhead by dawn (RA 3h 04m, Dec. +58°). Source of material was comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle (130 year period). Usually 60-80 per hour at the peak, many of a fireball nature.

Asteroids
Ref. http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/

  • Juno at opposition on August 3rd at 9 pm EDT
  • Iris at opposition on August 16th at 9 pm EDT
  • Aug 05 - Asteroid (2013 LF7) (diam. 100m - 230m) within 10.6 Lunar distances
  • Aug 09 - Asteroid 277475 (2005 WK4) (diam. 260m - 580m) within 7 8.1 Lunar distances
  • Aug 23 - Asteroid 1999 CF9 (diam. 1100 m) within 24.7 Lunar distances
  • Aug 31 - Asteroid 2002 JR9 (diam. 1400 m) within 63.5 Lunar distances
  • Aug 28 - Asteroid (2007 CN26) (diam. 170m - 380m) within 11.9 Lunar distances

Satellites

  • ISS passes continue until August 26th. Some higher/brighter ones include:
  • 07 Aug -2.7 21:49:58 10° WSW 21:53:17 61° NNW 21:56:38 10° NE
  • 08 Aug -3.3 21:01:20 10° SW 21:04:41 84° SSE 21:08:03 10° ENE
  • 16 Aug -2.3 22:37:24 10° NW 22:40:26 43° NNE 22:40:26 43° NNE
  • 18 Aug -2.5 22:36:37 10° WNW 22:39:15 52° WNW 22:39:15 52° WNW
  • 19 Aug -3.0 21:47:54 10° NW 21:51:14 60° NNE 21:52:15 38° E
  • 20 Aug -2.4 20:59:12 10° NW 21:02:24 41° NNE 21:05:18 12° E
  • 21 Aug -3.0 21:47:07 10° WNW 21:50:25 56° SW 21:51:15 41° SSE
  • 22 Aug -3.3 20:58:19 10° WNW 21:01:40 87° NNE 21:04:22 15° ESE
  • Iridium Flares most frequent evening passes occur between 9 and 11 pm.
  • Local occurrences info at www.heavens-above.com, phone/tablet apps, Chris Vaughan’s Skylights (email, www.astrogeoguy.tumblr.com)

Occultations/Eclipses
Ref: http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/ (additional links on the following URLs open track maps)

Constellations on the Meridian (Annually in August)

  • Scorpio and Sagittarius, Ophiuchus, Serpens, and Scutum, Aquila, Sagitta and Vulpecula, Cygnus, Lyra, and
  • Hercules (Late night: Capricornus, Microscopium, Delphinus)

Star party Skylights (Annually in August)

  • Summer Triangle (image from http://www.astropixels.com/milkyway/MilkyWayMos12-03.html) (eye)
  • Milky Way (eye)
  • Coathangar (eye / binoculars)
  • Summer Globs – M13, M92 (Her), M5 (Ser), M4 (Sco) etc. (telescope)
  • Summer Blobs – Lagoon, Trifid (Sag), Veil, N American, Crescent (Cyg), etc. (telescope)
  • Summer Knobs – Ring (Lyr), Dumbbell (Vul), Blinking Planetary (Cyg), Cat’s Eye (Dra) (telescope)
  • Seeing Doubles – Albireo (Cyg), Eps (Lyr), Marfik (Her/Oph) (telescope)
  • Hit Singles - Antares (Sco), Vega (Lyr), Arcturus (Boo), Herschel’s Garnet Star (Ceph) (eye, binoculars, telescope)

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