Items Featured In TGP NOMINAL Xtra - july Skies 2018
This month there are two main events to talk about,
As you know I’ve been banging on about ‘Mars is coming’ for the last few episodes… well its finally here!
So it’s all about Mars this month but it is pretty low in the sky,
the later into the month we go it should get better
but Mars does appear pretty bright in the sky.
Mars is going to be at its closest brightest and biggest this month for around 15 years,
27th July it reaches opposition so its closest to us in Earth’s orbit.
It will quite possibly be THE brightest that the planet can ever shine in our night skies,
being only 35.7 million miles from earth,
(the earth being 93 million miles from the sun for context)
Sir Patrick Moore put it best by saying, ‘Mars is easy to see but hard to observe’.
Because when it is close it is low in our skies, when it is farther away its higher so a bit of a catch 22.
It will be at its best at around 3am where it will be at its highest point in the UK skies,
as it spins in 24hrs and 37mins you will need to observe it for the entire month
to actually see the whole of the planet.
But as it is prone to huge dust storms that can obscure even the biggest telescopes views, which it has had recently when I was out looking but it’s still kinda cool to look and think wow I’m seeing a huge dust storm on the planet Mars.
So where will you see Mars?
As you look in the July sky towards where the sun sets
you will see the very bright Venus possibly a low Mercury as well,
Careful when observing near the sun.
If you look slightly higher and to Venus’s left you will see another bright blob, Jupiter.
At around 10.30pm you will see another slightly dimmer blob rise from the south east below/left of Jupiter.
That’ll be Saturn which was at opposition last month.
If you stay up to around 1am Mars will start to rise around the same area
but to get its best views you’d need to wait till it reaches its highest point
which seems to be around 3am before the sun starts to rise again and get in the way.
Remember although we have had the longest day and shortest night,
but we still don’t get real dark skies till later in the year.
Mars is currently in the constellation Capricornus, which is represented by a horned goat.
As you look in the July sky towards where the sun sets
you will see the very bright Venus possibly a low Mercury as well,
Careful when observing near the sun.
If you look slightly higher and to Venus’s left you will see another bright blob, Jupiter.
At around 10.30pm you will see another slightly dimmer blob rise from the south east below/left of Jupiter.
That’ll be Saturn which was at opposition last month.
If you stay up to around 1am Mars will start to rise around the same area
but to get its best views you’d need to wait till it reaches its highest point
which seems to be around 3am before the sun starts to rise again and get in the way.
Remember although we have had the longest day and shortest night,
but we still don’t get real dark skies till later in the year.
Mars is currently in the constellation Capricornus, which is represented by a horned goat.
I mentioned earlier, aside Mars there’s something else going on this month,
and that’s again on 27th when Mars is at opposition
(that is the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow).
From the UK, we won’t see this too well, but the moon will appear a blood red as it rises at around 9pm.
and that’s again on 27th when Mars is at opposition
(that is the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow).
From the UK, we won’t see this too well, but the moon will appear a blood red as it rises at around 9pm.
If you watch until 9.30pm, the international space station will rise from Venus’s left fly up and over Jupiter, Saturn and back down just past the moon!
So, you can see 3 planets, blood red moon and the ISS all in the sky together! Put this in your diary…
Apart from these two awesome events what else is going on in the sky this month?
So, you can see 3 planets, blood red moon and the ISS all in the sky together! Put this in your diary…
Apart from these two awesome events what else is going on in the sky this month?
On the 9th Venus is near the star Regulus a bright blue star in the constellation leo,
You will be able to see the difference between how a star looks in the sky, compared to a planet.
You will be able to see the difference between how a star looks in the sky, compared to a planet.
On the 10th, around 11pm the Great Red Spot (GRS) on Jupiter should be visible,
with it's moon IO just finishing a shadow transit.
Pop out a bit earlier to see it!
with it's moon IO just finishing a shadow transit.
Pop out a bit earlier to see it!
On the 12th the Moon begins to get out the way, so it's Deep Space Observation (DSO) time.
It's not the best time of year for deep space observations,
but recently one of our Facebook Group Members managed to capture the Ring Nebula,
which is just under the star Vega in the Lyra Constellation.
Just in time to see if you can spot the dwarf planet (Grrrr!) Pluto,
that reaches opposition in the constellation Sagittarius on this day.
Also Mercury reaches its greatest elongation, making it the best time to spot the elusive planet.
On the 14th Mercury will be just to the south of the moon in the evening,
as the sun sets so a good sign post to spot our 1st planet.
On the15th the thin crescent moon will now be closer to Venus as the sun sets.
that reaches opposition in the constellation Sagittarius on this day.
Also Mercury reaches its greatest elongation, making it the best time to spot the elusive planet.
On the 14th Mercury will be just to the south of the moon in the evening,
as the sun sets so a good sign post to spot our 1st planet.
On the15th the thin crescent moon will now be closer to Venus as the sun sets.
From 10.30pm onwards, the Great Red Spot is visible again on Jupiter as well as the moon Europa transiting the gas giant.
On the 17th around 11pm, it's back to Jupiter for another transit of IO’s shadow.
The half moon (just past) will be near Jupiter on the 20th,
and at 11pm, the moon Ganymede will disappear this time behind the planet.
The 23rd is generally agreed as the start of the perseid meteor shower that peaks next month,
so if you’re looking up look for Perseus and you may spot a meteor or two as they begin to build up.
On 24th it's Saturn's turn to be near the near full moon tonight.
so if you’re looking up look for Perseus and you may spot a meteor or two as they begin to build up.
On 24th it's Saturn's turn to be near the near full moon tonight.
The 27th is night of red rising moon, the International Space Station (ISS) rising and Mars at opposition.
Don’t forget to see if your able to spot Mar's moons, Phobos and Deimos,
If you haven’t found Mars, on the 28th, the Moon is not far from it tonight, so that will help you spot it.
As always, feel free to email U.K Astronomy at [email protected]
Or join the UK Astronomy FaceBook Group.
Where there are over 3000 members happy to help you with any questions.
Don’t forget to see if your able to spot Mar's moons, Phobos and Deimos,
If you haven’t found Mars, on the 28th, the Moon is not far from it tonight, so that will help you spot it.
As always, feel free to email U.K Astronomy at [email protected]
Or join the UK Astronomy FaceBook Group.
Where there are over 3000 members happy to help you with any questions.
Ross's Dark Sky Hunt:
Now I went on a bit of a dark sky hunt last month, using a Dark Sky Map… my wife put a search out on a local group,
and I was lucky enough to be invited by a friend, to Great Moor Sailing Club, about half hour away from Milton Keynes.
The main idea was to find a good site take to a peek at the planets especially Mars,
and also checkout if the sky was good enough for me to take our 16” Robotic Dobsonian ‘Anakin Skywatcher'
(called this because he has turned to the dark skies’ for some deep space object hunting).
The site was pretty awesome. It had toilets, a help yourself café and was very secure as my friend let me in with a fob key on the grounds that I teach her about the sky in return.
Now I went on a bit of a dark sky hunt last month, using a Dark Sky Map… my wife put a search out on a local group,
and I was lucky enough to be invited by a friend, to Great Moor Sailing Club, about half hour away from Milton Keynes.
The main idea was to find a good site take to a peek at the planets especially Mars,
and also checkout if the sky was good enough for me to take our 16” Robotic Dobsonian ‘Anakin Skywatcher'
(called this because he has turned to the dark skies’ for some deep space object hunting).
The site was pretty awesome. It had toilets, a help yourself café and was very secure as my friend let me in with a fob key on the grounds that I teach her about the sky in return.
Within five minutes of setting up my 10” Dobsonian 'Luke Skywatcher'
and the 8” Dobsonian for my friend to use.. dubbed 'BB8'
A group of Sea Cadets came over and my private stargazing session turned into a teaching session
with me helping them all learn the skies, how to use the scopes and observing the planets and crescent moon.
But…..
Finally at around 1am I was alone with my 10”, 70ed refractor and 20x80 binoculars,
and with around two hours of OK skies left to view.
Even though it was actually the longest day, I was pretty amazed that I could see the milky way.
So in the winter it must be awesome!
But the main event was Mars, which was well up by now.
As the moon set, I turned my scopes to a blood red blob like our ancestors saw in the sky (why named it after god of war)
But when I looked through the scopes…
I saw nothing but a fuzzy wobbly red blob, I now know a storm was blowing on the planet,
so could not see any details on the planet.
But it wasn't over yet because as I set off home, I spotted some strange clouds in the sky,
and I actually pulled over in my excitement knowing exactly what I was seeing for the first time!
Noctilucent clouds, meteor dust and ice crystals in our upper atmosphere being lit from below
as our sun shines up from below the horizon.
and the 8” Dobsonian for my friend to use.. dubbed 'BB8'
A group of Sea Cadets came over and my private stargazing session turned into a teaching session
with me helping them all learn the skies, how to use the scopes and observing the planets and crescent moon.
But…..
Finally at around 1am I was alone with my 10”, 70ed refractor and 20x80 binoculars,
and with around two hours of OK skies left to view.
Even though it was actually the longest day, I was pretty amazed that I could see the milky way.
So in the winter it must be awesome!
But the main event was Mars, which was well up by now.
As the moon set, I turned my scopes to a blood red blob like our ancestors saw in the sky (why named it after god of war)
But when I looked through the scopes…
I saw nothing but a fuzzy wobbly red blob, I now know a storm was blowing on the planet,
so could not see any details on the planet.
But it wasn't over yet because as I set off home, I spotted some strange clouds in the sky,
and I actually pulled over in my excitement knowing exactly what I was seeing for the first time!
Noctilucent clouds, meteor dust and ice crystals in our upper atmosphere being lit from below
as our sun shines up from below the horizon.
I grabbed a few pics with my iPhone and shared them in our Facebook Group, for others to later
and noticed that many others saw them too.
There seems to be a spate of them at the moment, perhaps due to the volcanic activity around our planet as well.
Every night is an adventure, from Fireballs to ISS transits to Thunderstorms to Noctilucent clouds.
Astronomy is Awesome!