Items Featured in TGP NOMINAL 9.11
Ross Hockham's June Sky Guide:
The June planets are much the same as last month's
with Venus and Mars low in the Western evening sky just as the Sun sets.
Saturn creeps up at 2am, Jupiter at 3:30am, just as the morning sunrise starts lighting up the sky.
Mercury and Uranus are the last to pop up from the East but are to close to the Sun for us to see them at the moment.
Neptune is in between Saturn and Jupiter below the pentagon that represents the right-hand fish of Pisces
but again not really in a great place to spot.
Now this time of year there is only really around 2 hours of true darkness each night in the UK.
To make the most of this, the Moon is out of the way from around 12th-23rd of June
so is the best time to get out and look for those summer galaxies and nebula.
with Venus and Mars low in the Western evening sky just as the Sun sets.
Saturn creeps up at 2am, Jupiter at 3:30am, just as the morning sunrise starts lighting up the sky.
Mercury and Uranus are the last to pop up from the East but are to close to the Sun for us to see them at the moment.
Neptune is in between Saturn and Jupiter below the pentagon that represents the right-hand fish of Pisces
but again not really in a great place to spot.
Now this time of year there is only really around 2 hours of true darkness each night in the UK.
To make the most of this, the Moon is out of the way from around 12th-23rd of June
so is the best time to get out and look for those summer galaxies and nebula.
It's still noctilucent cloud season so pop out around 90-120mins before sunrise or after sunset
to see if you can spot these cool clouds made up of frozen particles of meteor dust.
to see if you can spot these cool clouds made up of frozen particles of meteor dust.
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Mars sits in the middle of the cool M44 the Bee-Hive Cluster
Giving it a bright red shining companion amongst the stars.
A wonderful swarm of some 1000 stars its one of the closest clusters at 577 light years
and all the stars in it were created in the same nebula.
Giving it a bright red shining companion amongst the stars.
A wonderful swarm of some 1000 stars its one of the closest clusters at 577 light years
and all the stars in it were created in the same nebula.
The Moon rises around 21:20, with the red star Antares slowly appearing below it.
Over the course of the night the star will seem to move up to its right
then back down away from it as they move in the sky.
Over the course of the night the star will seem to move up to its right
then back down away from it as they move in the sky.
Venus finally reaches its greatest elongation meaning its at its farthest point from the Sun in our skies.
It will now start heading back towards the Sun, getting lower in our skies.
It will now start heading back towards the Sun, getting lower in our skies.
I have read about a cool Moon feature or phenomenon known as Zeno’s steps.
As the Moon tilts this side towards us and the light starts to shift off of it
A crater called Zeno will be visible to the top right of the Moon.
You might be able to see 3 steps heading down towards this crater
which was photographed by Danny Caes from the Public Observatory of Ghent-Belgium.
It maybe worth a look to see if you can spot them at some point on tonight’s moon.
As the Moon tilts this side towards us and the light starts to shift off of it
A crater called Zeno will be visible to the top right of the Moon.
You might be able to see 3 steps heading down towards this crater
which was photographed by Danny Caes from the Public Observatory of Ghent-Belgium.
It maybe worth a look to see if you can spot them at some point on tonight’s moon.
Venus now atop the awesome Bee-Hive Cluster.
In the evening sky just as the sun sets you will need a clear north-western horizon
as it will be twilight and low in the sky.
A pair of binoculars will be best to view them together.
Just be careful with the setting Sun!
In the evening sky just as the sun sets you will need a clear north-western horizon
as it will be twilight and low in the sky.
A pair of binoculars will be best to view them together.
Just be careful with the setting Sun!
The thin crescent Moon sits next to the gas giant Jupiter in the early morning sky just before sunrise.
see if you can spot the crater Grimaldi which should easily be visible.
Although there is debate as to whether it is a crater or a small Mare
with its age not being less than 3.9 billion years.
see if you can spot the crater Grimaldi which should easily be visible.
Although there is debate as to whether it is a crater or a small Mare
with its age not being less than 3.9 billion years.
The earliest sunrise of the year occurs today with the Sun rising at 4:38am, from the centre of the UK.
Only by a few seconds compared to the following days but at least it will be light when we wake up for a while yet.
Only by a few seconds compared to the following days but at least it will be light when we wake up for a while yet.
From 20th – 25th Watch the thin crescent Moon meet Venus and Mars in the evening sky, as it grows in brightness.
Why not keep a Moon Observation Journal?
Which you can Download For Free!
And watch and draw the phases of the Moon over the month.
Something cool to do with the kids or your partner.
Why not keep a Moon Observation Journal?
Which you can Download For Free!
And watch and draw the phases of the Moon over the month.
Something cool to do with the kids or your partner.
This is the day the Sun reaches its most northerly point in the sky
and a time of celebration for our ancestors who created whole monuments in celebration of the changing seasons.
and a time of celebration for our ancestors who created whole monuments in celebration of the changing seasons.
So, with it being the Summer Solstice, it's time to spot the Summer Triangle.
This Asterism is created by some of the brightest summer stars:
Deneb in the constellation Cygnus (The Swan), Vega in Lyra (The Harp) and Altair in Aquila (The Eagle).
Drawing a line between these stars creates a huge triangle in the summer sky.
This Asterism is created by some of the brightest summer stars:
Deneb in the constellation Cygnus (The Swan), Vega in Lyra (The Harp) and Altair in Aquila (The Eagle).
Drawing a line between these stars creates a huge triangle in the summer sky.
The Moon catches up to the red star Antares again with it being to its left as the Sun sets.
Over the night the moon will gradually get closer to the star before setting around 1:30am
ending the month as we started it.
Over the night the moon will gradually get closer to the star before setting around 1:30am
ending the month as we started it.