* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: June 2014

Blobrana · L

Eyes on the Sky: June 23 thru June 29

Blobrana · L

Eyes on the Sky: June 16 thru June 22

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Blobrana · L

Eyes on the Sky: Jun 9 thru Jun 15

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Eyes on the Sky: Jun 2 thru Jun 8

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Blobrana · L

Maximum northerly lunar libration at 19:58.8 UT, 1st June. Look towards the North Pole and Mare Frigoris. Phase=14%

Blobrana · L

Asteroids at opposition

Asteroid (13) Egeria is at opposition on the 2nd June 2014.
Magnitude: 10.5
Distance to Sun: 2.70 AU
Distance to Earth: 1.70 AU

Asteroid (259) Aletheia is at opposition in the constellation Ophiuchus on the 10th June 2014.
Magnitude: 11.3
Distance to Sun: 2.736 AU
Distance to Earth: 1.721 AU

Asteroid (22) Kalliope is at opposition in the constellation Ophiuchus on the 12th June 2014.
Magnitude: 10.8
Distance to Sun: 3.179 AU
Distance to Earth: 2.167 AU

Asteroid (146) Lucina is at opposition in the constellation Ophiuchus on the 12th June 2014.
Magnitude: 11.3
Distance to Sun: 2.560 AU
Distance to Earth: 1.545 AU

Asteroid (198) Ampella is at opposition in the constellation Ophiuchus on the 14th June 2014.
Magnitude: 11.0
Distance to Sun center: 2.366 AU
Distance to Earth: 1.351 AU

Asteroid (471) Papagena is at opposition in constellation Sagittarius on the 18th June 2014.
Magnitude: 11.1
Distance to Sun: 3.225 AU
Distance to Earth: 2.209 AU

Asteroid (29) Amphitrite is at opposition on the 24th June 2014
Magnitude: 9.5
Distance to Sun: 2.70 AU
Distance to Earth: 1.70 AU

Asteroid (433) Eros is at opposition on the 29th June 2014
Magnitude: 12.0
Distance to Sun: 1.73 AU
Distance to Earth: 0.72 AU

Asteroid (165) Loreley is at opposition on the 30th June 2014
Magnitude: 11.6
Distance to Sun: 2.87 AU
Distance to Earth: 1.86 AU

Asteroid (39) Laetitia is at opposition in the constellation Scutum on the 30th June 2014.
Magnitude: 9.8
Distance to Sun: 2.719 AU
Distance to Earth: 1.721 AU

Blobrana · L

June has two main meteor showers, the Arietids and the June Bootids.
Unfortunatly, the Arietids are during the daylight hours. On the 8th the Earth will pass through a stream of dusty debris. Though no one is sure where the Arietids dust comes from, some suspect it's debris from the sungrazing asteroid (1566) Icarus. Most Arietid meteors are invisible because the Sun is up when the shower is most intense.

Shower	Activity Period	Maximum	Radiant		Velocity	ZHR
		Date	R.A.	Dec.	km/s
June Scutids		3rd June
May-Librids		4th June	16.5h	-22.8°	12.2	4.2
June Lyrdis	June 1-21	5th June	17.3h	40.0 °	37.2	7
Arietids 12h (daylight)	June 2 - 14	8th June	20.9h	57.8°	12.4	52.7
Tau Herculids	May 19 - June 19	9th June	236°	41.0°
Theta Ophiuchids	May 21 - June 16	10-15th June	265	-28°	29	10
Pi Puppids		16th June	7.5h	-15.0°	24.8	25
Northern May Ophiuchids	17th June	17th June	18.5h	4.3 °	10
June Bootids	June 22-July 2	27th June	224°	+48°	18

The Bootid meteor shower will peak on the night of June 27th. The radiant is in the northern constellationBootes, the Herdsman.

This shower is currently active during June 27 to July 5 and possesses a maximum of activity that falls on the 28th.
The June Bootids have an hourly rate between 3 and 100. The stream is noted for an especially strong display in 1916, and good displays in 1921 and 1927. The source of the June Bootids is comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke.
The meteors are primarily faint, with an average magnitude near 5, however, bright meteors do occur regularly.
Slow meteors are characteristic.
At maximum the radiant is located at RA=233.7 deg, Dec=+52.2 deg.

Blobrana · L

Highlights

The Solstice on June 21st (05:04 UT) marks the official start of summer. It is the longest day for us in the northern hemisphere, and marks the celtic festival of Middansumor (AErra Liða)

The Summer Triangle -- Vega, Deneb, and Altair -- holds the central position, high in the south. The scorpion sits low to the south and slightly west. Directly to the arachnid's east is Sagittarius, the Archer, and between the two lies the direction toward the Milky Way galaxy's centre. The ribbon of soft light that delineates our galaxy flows up from the south, through the Triangle, and then cascades toward the northern horizon.

Out of the strange collection of heroes, heroines, animals and other assorted entities that make up the star pictures we have formed as the constellations of the night sky, none is stranger than the constellation Coma Bernices or Bernices Hair.
This clustering of faint stars is located about halfway between the bright stars Arcturus in Bootes and Regulus in the constellation of Leo the Lion. At one time, this faint asterism actually belonged to Leo as a tuft on a much more extended version of Leos tail. Leos tail tuft became a casualty of history in the 3rd century B.C. when Egypt was ruled by the pharaoh Ptolemy III and his wife Bernice. She possessed legendary beauty, the highlight of which was her long, flowing hair.

Notable Messier objects

M13 in the constellation Hercules, is one of the largest of over 100 globular clusters in our Galaxy. Located about 25,000 light-years away, it contains about half a million stars packed into a space only a few tens of light years in diameter. Globular clusters contain some of the oldest stars in the Universe.
M56 Also in the constellation of Lyra we find our first globular cluster of the night. In a telescope look for a small round ball of light, slightly brighter in the centre. This is a difficult binocular object appearing as a small fuzzy patch.
M27 Also known as the Dumbbell nebula, the largest planetary nebula in the Messier Catalogue, M27 lies in the constellation Vulpecula. Fairly easy to see in binoculars as a small hazy patch. In small to medium scopes it appears as a rectangular patch of light. In large scopes it may even appear round in shape with a bright rectangular, or dumbbell shaped core.

Blobrana · L

Mercury: at magnitude 1.4, starts the month in the constellation of Gemini. The planet is best seen from 21:50 -22:35 UT. Mercury is at Aphelion (distance to sun: 0.4667 AU) on the 15th. Mercury makes its closest approach to the Earth (0.553 AU) on the 18th June 2014.
(On June 1st, RA= 6h07m47s Dec=+24°16.3' (J2000) Distance=0.693AU Phase k=20% Diameter=9.7")

Venus: is at magnitude -4.0. The planet is in constellation Aries at the start of the month. It is best seen from 02:30 - 16:50 UT. Venus is 2° from the Moon on the 24th. Venus is at Perihelion (distance to sun: 0.7184 AU) on the 13th.
(On June 1st, RA= 2h07m17s Dec=+10°43.9' (J2000) Distance=1.205AU Phase k=77% Diameter=13.8")

Earth: The Earth crosses the solar equator to the northern hemisphere at 17:59 UT, 6th June. Northern Solstice at 10:51.2 UT, 21st June, 2014.

The Moon: Full moon is at 04:11.5 UT, 13th June (This is the most southerly Full Moon of 2014). First Quarter Moon is at 20:38.8 UT, 5th June, 2014. Lunar perigee (distance 362048.2 km) is at 03:36.4 UT, 15th June. Last Quarter Moon is at 18:38.7 UT 19th June. The New Moon is at 08:08.5 UT, 27th June. Lunar apogee (distance: 404988.4 km) is at 04:30.0 UT, 3rd June, and at 19:18.8 UT, 30th June.

Mars: at magnitude -0.5 starts the month in the constellation Virgo. The planet is best seen from 21:10 - 01:40 UT. Mars is at magnitude 0.0 on the 28th. The Moons is close (2.4°) to Mars on the 8th.
(On June 1st, RA=12h36m37s Dec= -3°36.3' (J2000) Distance=0.799AU Phase k=91% Diameter=11.7" )

Jupiter: is in the constellation Gemini. At magnitude -1.9, the planet is staring to be lost to the evening glare this month. The Moons is close (6.5°) to Jupiter on the 28th.

Transit times of the Great Red Spot are posted in a separate thread.
(On June 1st, RA= 7h28m14s Dec=+22°13.5' (J2000) Distance=5.994AU Diameter=32.8")

Saturn: at magnitude 0.2 sits in the constellation Libra. The planet is best seen from 21;50 -22:35 UT. Saturn is 2.7° from the Moon on the 10th; The Moon occults Saturn in South Africa..
(On June 1st, RA=15h05m49s Dec=-14°53.8' (J2000) Distance=8.972AU Diameter=18.4")

Uranus: is in the constellation Pisces. Uranus at magnitude 5.9, has a bluish-green hue and appears 3.3 arcseconds wide.
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Neptune: is at magnitude 7.9 in the constellation Aquarius. The planet is best seen the morning sky. Neptune is stationary: Getting Retrograde on the 9th June.
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Pluto: is in the constellation Sagittarius (mag 14.0). Normally, a finder chart is necessary to help in identifying the 0.13" diameter dwarf planet.
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The Sun enters the zodiac sign of Cancer at 10:51.2 UT on the 21st June, 2014.