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Post Info TOPIC: August 2007


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Neptune at Opposition
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Neptune is at  opposition at 18:00 UT,  today.
An opposition occurs when the planet is opposite from the Sun relative to the Earth. At Opposition the planet will rise as the Sun sets and will set as the Sun rises providing an entire night of observation.
The planet is at it's brightest for the year, too. But, you  will still need a pair of binoculars or a telescope to  see the tiny blue dot.
The next Neptunian opposition occurs on  Friday, August  15 2008 07:09:59 GMT+0100 (GMT Daylight Time)

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RE: August 2007
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The Perseid meteor shower will dazzle in the early morning hours of Aug. 13. Plus, a popular planet shows up in the night sky.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=SraIR-ZN07Q]

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 Asteroid 2002 CB19 will make a Near-Earth Flyby (0.044 AU) mag 21, on the 8th August, 2007.
The 0.4km sized rock will make a dangerously close return in 2049.

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If the skies are clear next Sunday, you might be able to see comet dust raining fire. The Perseid meteor shower occurs in mid-August every year when Earth passes through a stream of dust no larger than a grain of fine sand that remains from the tail of successive passages of comet Swift-Tuttle.
Earth's atmosphere runs into the comet dust, like a windshield hitting a cluster of flying insects.

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Mars rises 0:45 to 0:34 am MDT in constellation Taurus. It is +0.4 magnitude in brightness, 7.4 arc sec across, and 86% illuminated.
Currently, the best time to view Mars is just before sunrise when it is high up (around 5 am). The Martian feature Syrtis Major is visible early in the week but rotates from our view midweek. By the weekend the prominent features are Mare Cimmerium, Mare Sirenum, and Olympus Mons.

The following are the Mars centre longitude at 5 am on days indicated:
Mon Aug 6: 255
Tues Aug 7: 245
Wed Aug 8: 236
Thur Aug 9: 226
Fri Aug 10: 216
Sat Aug 11: 206
Sun Aug 12: 197

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Sky Events in August

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=05LqBLb2B1w]

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The night skies of this month could exhibit the marvels of the planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae and other wonders of our universe enthrallingly, even though the rainy clouds could menacing hamper their good viewings. As darkness descends after sunset, we can vividly see zodiacal constellations of Virgo (maiden), Libra (scales), Scorpius (scorpion), Sagittarius (archer), Capricornus (sea goat), Aquarius (water bearer) and Pisces (fishes) enticingly stretching from western to eastern horizon. As night progresses, Aries (ram), Taurus (bull), Cancer (crab) and Gemini (twins) are slowing climbing the eastern sky. Various constellations with queer shapes and sizes commence to show their presence alluringly throughout the night.
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On Thursday, August 16th, Earth will cross the equator and ring plane of Uranus, and astronomers all over the world will be on watch. The unusual geometry offers a unique view of the planet's atmosphere, satellites and ring system.

URANUS-2007-8-1-5h06m
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Venus and Saturn slip into the evening twilight in August, leaving giant Jupiter to rule the night sky in Houston although attention must be shared with what usually is the year's best meteor shower and an early-morning total lunar eclipse.
Venus is easy to spot low in the west early in the month. Saturn, appearing smaller and not nearly as bright, is even closer to the horizon and difficult to see. Both soon are lost in the sun's evening glare.

Mars, which is growing brighter as the planet approaches opposition, rises about 4 a.m.

Mercury also is a predawn object, appearing low in the southeast about 30 minutes before sunrise.

Jupiter is a can't-miss target. The planet is riding just above the star Antares, the heart of Scorpius, the scorpion. Viewers with a telescope can watch the dance of Jupiter's four big moons and study the equatorial cloud belts.

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Jupiter's Satellites
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JupSatAug07a JupSatAug07b

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