* Astronomy

Before dawn on August 27th, look to the east to see a close encounter between Venus and Saturn in the constellation Cancer.
The two planets will be less than half-a-degree apart in the dawn sky at around 5:20 local time.
Venus shines brightly at magnitude -3.9: Saturn at magnitude 1.0 will be difficult to discern from the brightening dawn sky.


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Saturn is at magnitude 1.0
Diameter: 16.5 "
Position(2000): RA = 9h19m55.10s Dec = +16°27'28.4"

Venus is at magnitude -3.9
Diameter: 10.3 "
Position(2000): RA = 9h20m52.82s Dec = +16°27'51.2"

August 5 - 12:07am - Ganymede’s shadow begins moving across Jupiter’s face.
1:08am - Europa disappears behind Jupiter’s limb.
August 6 - 10:08pm - Europa finishes moving across Jupiter’s face.
10:09pm - Europa’s shadow begins moving across Jupiter’s face.
10:53pm - Io begins crossing Jupiter’s face.
August 7 - 12:08am - Io’s shadow begins crossing Jupiter’s face.
12:41am - Europa’s shadow exits Jupiter’s face.
1:01am - Io finishes moving across Jupiter’s face.
11:30pm - Io reappears from Jupiter’s shadow.
August 11 - 10:52pm - Ganymede begins to move across Jupiter’s face.
August 12 - 12:58am - Ganymede exits face of Jupiter.
August 13 - 10:12pm - Europa begins moving across Jupiter’s face.
August 14 - 12:47am - Europa’s shadow begins to move across Jupiter’s face.
12:48am - Io begins moving across Jupiter’s face.
9:59pm - Io disappears behind Jupiter’s limb.



August 15 - 1:26am - Io reappears from Jupiter’s shadow.
9:26pm - Io finishes moving across Jupiter’s face.
10:04pm - Europa emerges from eclipse of Jupiter’s shadow.
10:39pm - Io’s shadow finishes moving across Jupiter’s face.
August 21 - 12:54am - Europa begins moving across Jupiter’s face.
11:57pm - Io disappears behind Jupiter’s limb.
August 22 - 9:54pm - Io begins moving across Jupiter’s face.
10:14pm - Ganymede disappears into Jupiter’s shadow.
10:26pm - Io’s shadow begins moving across Jupiter’s face.
11:23pm - Io finishes transiting Jupiter’s face.
August 23 - 12:05am - Ganymede emerges from Jupiter’s shadow.
12:34am - Io’s shadow departs Jupiter’s face.
12:39am - Europa emerges from Jupiter’s shadow.
9:50pm - Io reappears from Jupiter’s shadow.
August 29 - 9:20pm - Ganymede disappears behind Jupiter’s limb.
10:22pm - Europa disappears behind Jupiter’s limb
11:11pm - Io begins moving across Jupiter’s face.
11:31pm - Ganymede reappears from Jupiter’s shadow.
August 30 - 12:20am - Io’s shadow begins to move across Jupiter’s face.
11:45pm - Io emerges from Jupiter’s shadow.

August 4th 12:00 UT

August will be a bad month for seeing the planets. Only Jupiter and Mars can be seen throughout the whole month. Venus and Mercury will be visible for the first part of August, and Saturn is too close to the Sun to be seen.

Mercury at magnitude 1.3, is in the constellation of Gemini, and will be visible in the Eastern morning sky during the first half of the month. At the start of the month it rises at 06:20 UT. The planet moves into Cancer on August 10, and into Leo on August 22.
Venus at magnitude - 3.9, is visible at the start of the month in the constellation of Gemini, low in the Eastern morning sky. At the start of the month the planet rises at 06:12 UT. Venus moves into Cancer on August 12 and into Leo on August 28.
Mars at magnitude 1.8 will be visible for the first hour or so of the night. At the start of the month it sets at 19:41 UT and at 19:20 UT by the end of the month. Mars is in the constellation of Leo, moving into Virgo on August 29.
Jupiter in the constellation of Libra, will be visible for the first half of the night. At the start of August it sets at 01:09 UT and at 23:25 UT by the end of the month. Jupiter will fade from magnitude –2.1 to –1.9 during the month.
Saturn, in the constellation of Cancer, is too close to the Sun to be seen.

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