Items Featured In TGP NOMINAL Xtra - July Skies 2021
Partial Solar Eclipse (10/06/2021) :
Here are some of the images that we took during the Partial Solar Eclipse on June 10th 2021
ROSS HOCKHAM'S July 2021 SKY GUIDE:
Ross spoke last month about Noctilucent Clouds, which are a High Altitude Phenomenon, at around 82km up in the Mesosphere. These clouds are ice sheets of tiny ice crystals made from meteor dust that hang in the atmosphere and sometimes it get lit up by the sun after sunset or before Sunrise. There's been some really cool pictures Posted in the UK Astronomy Facebook Group |
The Noctilucent Clouds have been very prominent this year, usually you see a little patch here and there
but over the last month, the whole Sky is full of these wispy silver and blue clouds.
So keep an eye out, about 45 minutes after sunset or before sunrise and have a look.
TGP NOMINAL Honorary Crew Member and Astrophotographer for UK Astronomy, 'Wil Cheung' has been capturing some Awesome images and conducting live streams, roughly about 3 ish in the morning
and going on until just before the sun comes up and like a muppet, Mark has been watching with him.
Check out Wil Photography on Facebook to find out when he is streaming again
and have a look at more of his amazing photos.
The Noctilucent Clouds should be around for the rest of July too.
but over the last month, the whole Sky is full of these wispy silver and blue clouds.
So keep an eye out, about 45 minutes after sunset or before sunrise and have a look.
TGP NOMINAL Honorary Crew Member and Astrophotographer for UK Astronomy, 'Wil Cheung' has been capturing some Awesome images and conducting live streams, roughly about 3 ish in the morning
and going on until just before the sun comes up and like a muppet, Mark has been watching with him.
Check out Wil Photography on Facebook to find out when he is streaming again
and have a look at more of his amazing photos.
The Noctilucent Clouds should be around for the rest of July too.
There is a Minor Planet hunt on the 1st.
It's called 12 Victoria (A850 RA), which is a large main belt asteroid that orbits the sun around every 3 1/2 years.
It reaches opposition on the 30th of July but you should be able to spot and track it through the month, as it starts it's journey in the northwest of the constellation Aquarius (The Water Bearer)
but without any bright stars it may be tricky to locate.
Over the month it will move into the constellation Aquila (The Eagle).
The best way to find it is look in the suspected area and draw (or jot) the stars,
look another night and do the same, you should be able to see that one of them has moved.
On the Morning of the 4th, Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation.
But it will be pretty low and just under a half phase, you maybe able to spot it before the Sun rises
but be careful DON’T LOOK AT THE SUN!
On the 5th, The Earth is at its furthest point from the Sun.
Just a mere 94 million miles roughly speaking, at its closest its 91million miles away.
So today the suns disc will be at it's smallest,
if doing some solar viewing with filters or Hydrogen Alpha Scopes, looking for sunspots or flares.
Just a mere 94 million miles roughly speaking, at its closest its 91million miles away.
So today the suns disc will be at it's smallest,
if doing some solar viewing with filters or Hydrogen Alpha Scopes, looking for sunspots or flares.
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The Moon rises around 2.30am on the 6th which is a couple of hours before the Sun rises. It's not far from the bright cluster of stars known as Messier 45 (the Pleiades) which will be slightly above it. Mercury will also join it in the sky around 3.50am. There will also be a high pass of the ISS. Rising at 4.05am in the west, that may be visible flying straight over the sky setting not far from the moon. You may spot Jupiter and Saturn further to the right of the thin crescent Moon. |
On the 8th, around 3.30am until sunrise, those early birds may get a chance of seeing a thin 3% lit Moon
with the planet Mercury which will be 50% lit just below right of it.
Jupiter and Saturn will again be visible.
Early morning on the 9th, two of Jupiter’s moons will appear quite close to one another.
At 02:43 IO and Europa will be quite close to each other, Europa will be the top left one with IO bottom right of it.
Mercury also reaches half phase in morning sky, slightly brightening but slowly getting lower, See if you can spot a ridiculously thin 1% crescent moon rising just before the sun.
At 02:43 IO and Europa will be quite close to each other, Europa will be the top left one with IO bottom right of it.
Mercury also reaches half phase in morning sky, slightly brightening but slowly getting lower, See if you can spot a ridiculously thin 1% crescent moon rising just before the sun.
On the evening of the 10th, as the Sun sets, see if you can spot the thin moon again but on the other side of the sun now, Venus will be following it in the sky as it sets you may spot a red Mars right next to it to the left.
On the 11th, the Moon will have moved in the evening sky and now sits closer to Venus
with the planet Mars being slightly closer to Venus soon to pass under it.
12th Back to Venus again in the evening sky along with a crescent moon which is now above left of the planet, Mars will have dropped slightly lower as Venus rises.
Mercury reaches its highest point in the morning sky on the 13th, so a good time to spot it if you didn’t earlier in the month.
Venus and Mars are now at their closest in the twilight sky this evening.
With a crescent moon farther to their left, Mars will now be below Venus.
Also from 11pm-01:25am have a look at Jupiter, as it’s moon IO will transit the planet with its shadow in front of it.
As it rises the transit would be just about to start.
Venus and Mars are now at their closest in the twilight sky this evening.
With a crescent moon farther to their left, Mars will now be below Venus.
Also from 11pm-01:25am have a look at Jupiter, as it’s moon IO will transit the planet with its shadow in front of it.
As it rises the transit would be just about to start.
On the Morning of the 15th, Mercury would have filled to about 70% making it brighter and easier to see.
See if you can spot the Lunar X and V on the shadow part of the Moon on the 16th.
They are best seen just before 11pm and you should be able to make out a V and an X shape
sticking out of the shadows where the morning light glances off some craters walls.
Into the early hours of the 17th, it’s Ganymede’s shadows turn to transit the gas giant, starting at 23:40 through to 03:17.
The moon itself will start transiting from 02:53am, so there’s a chance to see both on the planet at the same time.
Pluto will be at opposition in Sagittarius (The Archer) as well tonight.
Although quite difficult to see it is definitely possible to spot the Dwarf Planet.
Your best bet is grabbing an app or sky guide and star hopping from one to another until you spot it
or make a note and look again a few nights later and see which dot has moved, that’ll be pluto.
The moon itself will start transiting from 02:53am, so there’s a chance to see both on the planet at the same time.
Pluto will be at opposition in Sagittarius (The Archer) as well tonight.
Although quite difficult to see it is definitely possible to spot the Dwarf Planet.
Your best bet is grabbing an app or sky guide and star hopping from one to another until you spot it
or make a note and look again a few nights later and see which dot has moved, that’ll be pluto.
On the 19th, there may be a chance to capture Comet 4p/Faye by the planet Uranus.
Although faint at around 12.6 magnitude, cameras should be able to get a shot of both together.
Uranus rises (theres a joke there somewhere) at around 1am
and you really only have a 4hour window of opportunity before the Sun gets in the way.
The comet will be to the right of the planet,making a cool picture opportunity.
In the evening of the 21st Venus will be just above right of the bright blue star Regulus, as the sun sets.
With the red Mars to its right creating a nice colourful triangle in the sky.
The Full Moon on the 24th lies below the planet Saturn.
Rising at around 10:30pm, both would look pretty cool as the Moon pops up above the horizon.
Stay up into the 25th and Ganymede’s shadow transits Jupiter’s disc around 03:44am
as a near full moon lights up the sky, with the planet Saturn.
Watch the moon over into the 26th and you’ll see it pass under the planet, over the course of the night.
Although low and not at its best in the UK, Saturn reaches it's opposition on the 28th.
Meaning it will be brighter and easier to spot.
Take a peek as it rises, and you should be able to see Europa and its shadow in a mid pass across the planet.
Jupiter will not be far behind it having its opposition in August.
IO, Callisto and their shadows will transit Jupiter on the 29th, as it rises around 10pm.
So you’ll get to see two moons plus their shadows all in one go.
The 29th sees the peak of the Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower.
But a 64% lit moon may get in the way as it rises 22:00-2:36am.
This is a minor meteor shower radiates from the constellation Aquarius (The Water Bearer).
There is estimated to be 18 meteors per hour, but as we know meteor showers are unpredictable
so you never know what you may see.
So you’ll get to see two moons plus their shadows all in one go.
The 29th sees the peak of the Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower.
But a 64% lit moon may get in the way as it rises 22:00-2:36am.
This is a minor meteor shower radiates from the constellation Aquarius (The Water Bearer).
There is estimated to be 18 meteors per hour, but as we know meteor showers are unpredictable
so you never know what you may see.
The shower originated from the breakup of what are now the Marsden and Kracht Sungrazing comets
so if you see a shooting star just think that was a piece of broken up comet burning up in our atmosphere.
so if you see a shooting star just think that was a piece of broken up comet burning up in our atmosphere.
ROSS HOCKHAM'S NAKED EYE OBJECT OF THE MONTh:
This months Naked Eye Object is the Summer Triangle created by the stars Deneb, Vega, Altair.
If you look up in the sky towards the constellation Cygnus (The Swan), its tail is the blue/white star Deneb.
If you draw a line to the bright blue star Vega in the constellation Lyra (The Harp), then down to Altair in the constellation Aquila (The Eagle), another line back to Deneb will have created the Summer Triangle.
This is known as an Asterism which is a small grouping of stars that does not make up one of the 88 complete Constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union.
Asterisms often make use of bright stars in several constellations (such as the Summer Triangle)
or they may be parts of a constellation that are described in terms of more well-known objects
(for example, the Big Dipper of Ursa Major, the saucepan of Orion’s belt, or The Teapot of Sagittarius)
Seeing the Summer Triangle in the night sky helped our ancestors
know of the change of the seasons from spring into summer.
ROSS HOCKHAM'S BINOCULAR OBJECT OF THE MONTH:
Ross's Binocular Object is Cr 399 The Coat Hanger Cluster, a really cool group of stars
that look like an upside down coat hanger hanging in space.
Mainly consisting of blue stars there are a couple of white and a slightly yellow one in the small Asterism aswell.
To find it follow the constellation Cygnus (The Swan) down to it's head
underneath it are two stars that make up the Constellation Vulpecula (The fox).
the Asterism can be found below right of its far right star.
ROSS HOCKHAM'S TELESCOPE OBJECT OF THE MONTH:
Finally, this months Telescope Object is Messier 87 The Dumbbell Nebula.
This is a star that has died like the ring nebula we often talk about in Lyra but we are seeing it side on so gas is pouring out from either side of the dead space. A white dwarf which will pretty much be what our Sun will look like at the end of its life. Pouring heavy elements back into space to create new worlds.
It can be found in between Vulpecula (The fox)and Sagitta (The Arrow), opposite side to The Coat Hanger asterism.