Items Featured In TGPNOMINAL Xtra - aUGUST sKIES 2021
rOSS hOCKHAM'S aUGUST sKY gUIDE:
On the 1st, Jupiter's moon Ganymede occults another of it's moons, Europa.
From 11pm, you will see the Ganymede catch up with Europa covering part of Europa,
which will then pull away from it due to the relative motions of the moons, pretty cool thing to see.
Have a peek around the bottom limb of our Moon and you may spot a few cool features including The Straight Wall,
which is a linear fault on the Moon, in the south eastern part of the Mare Nubium.
From 11pm, you will see the Ganymede catch up with Europa covering part of Europa,
which will then pull away from it due to the relative motions of the moons, pretty cool thing to see.
Have a peek around the bottom limb of our Moon and you may spot a few cool features including The Straight Wall,
which is a linear fault on the Moon, in the south eastern part of the Mare Nubium.
Around 2am on the 2nd, a crescent Moon sits not far from the bright blue cluster of stars known as,
Messier 45, The Pleiades or The seven sisters.
The Pleiades is around 444 light years away from Earth and will be making a triangle between itself the Moon,
and the lower star Aldebaran. A lovely contrast of colours with the blue cluster a red star and the bright white Moon.
Also on the 2nd, Saturn is at opposition tonight.
It's rings will appear brighter in our sky through binoculars and telescopes.
Although low, you should still make it out really well, as its rings will be tipped down towards us.
In 2025 the rings will nearly be edge on with Earth, so they will virtually disappear.
Messier 45, The Pleiades or The seven sisters.
The Pleiades is around 444 light years away from Earth and will be making a triangle between itself the Moon,
and the lower star Aldebaran. A lovely contrast of colours with the blue cluster a red star and the bright white Moon.
Also on the 2nd, Saturn is at opposition tonight.
It's rings will appear brighter in our sky through binoculars and telescopes.
Although low, you should still make it out really well, as its rings will be tipped down towards us.
In 2025 the rings will nearly be edge on with Earth, so they will virtually disappear.
On the morning of the 3rd, the crescent moon will have moved.
Sitting just above The red Bulls Eye Star Aldebaran, which is part of the V shaped Hyades (Melotte 25) Cluster
representing the head of the constellation Taurus (The Bull).
Lying around 151 light years away from Earth,
The Hyades is said to be the Seven Brothers of the Seven Sisters (The Pleiades).
Which is now above right of it from around 2am.
Sitting just above The red Bulls Eye Star Aldebaran, which is part of the V shaped Hyades (Melotte 25) Cluster
representing the head of the constellation Taurus (The Bull).
Lying around 151 light years away from Earth,
The Hyades is said to be the Seven Brothers of the Seven Sisters (The Pleiades).
Which is now above right of it from around 2am.
On the morning of the 5th, as the 12% lit crescent moon rises,
it will be just by the Open Cluster M35, moving slowly further away from it, until Sunrise.
M35 is a lovely open cluster that looks great through binoculars,
with the added bonus of also having a small globular cluster pretty much in the same view.
it will be just by the Open Cluster M35, moving slowly further away from it, until Sunrise.
M35 is a lovely open cluster that looks great through binoculars,
with the added bonus of also having a small globular cluster pretty much in the same view.
On the Morning of the 7th, Jupiter's Moon Callisto will be eclipsed by the planet's shadow at 3.22am.
As it passes behind Jupiter, it will seem to dim or disappear as it passes into the gas giants shadow.
Keep an eye out for the very thin 2% Moon just after 4am.
See if you can spot it before sunrise, Being Careful Not To Look At The Sun.
As it passes behind Jupiter, it will seem to dim or disappear as it passes into the gas giants shadow.
Keep an eye out for the very thin 2% Moon just after 4am.
See if you can spot it before sunrise, Being Careful Not To Look At The Sun.
Between 4.37am-5.44am on the 9th, Pop back to Jupiter to watch Europa virtually disappear this time,
from Ganymede’s shadow as it covers the moon.
Also, on the evening of the 10th, the crescent Moon will be to the right to Venus just after sunset.
They will be low on the horizon, but still bright enough to be seen by eye.
from Ganymede’s shadow as it covers the moon.
Also, on the evening of the 10th, the crescent Moon will be to the right to Venus just after sunset.
They will be low on the horizon, but still bright enough to be seen by eye.
On the 11th, the Moon will have passed Venus and be slightly high up to it's left, as the sun sets this evening.
The 12th marks the peak of Perseid Meteor shower, from 10pm / 11pm through to dawn.
Apparently, the night of the 11th through to dawn is well worth staying up for, also.
We'll go into more detail about this for our Naked Eye Object Of The Month.
Apparently, the night of the 11th through to dawn is well worth staying up for, also.
We'll go into more detail about this for our Naked Eye Object Of The Month.
We have a Naked Eye Challenge for you on the 18th.
See if you can spot the faint Mercury and Mars, just after sunset.
This will be a challenge as the sun will still be lighting up the sky, but a low Western horizon may help you spy these planets probably for the last time for a while.
Don’t mistake it for the brighter Venus.
See if you can spot the faint Mercury and Mars, just after sunset.
This will be a challenge as the sun will still be lighting up the sky, but a low Western horizon may help you spy these planets probably for the last time for a while.
Don’t mistake it for the brighter Venus.
On the 19th, Its Jupiter’s turn to be at opposition tonight.
As a bonus, look early this morning and you will see that Jupiter's moons IO and Ganymede are really close together,
as it rises with them slowly getting further apart over the course of the morning.
As a bonus, look early this morning and you will see that Jupiter's moons IO and Ganymede are really close together,
as it rises with them slowly getting further apart over the course of the morning.
On the morning of the 20th, take another look at Jupiter at around 2.50am and you may spot IO and it's shadow crossing,
with the IO then overlapping it.s own shadow, across the planet’s surface.
with the IO then overlapping it.s own shadow, across the planet’s surface.
There's another transit on the evening of the 21st.
Between 9.15pm-11.35pm, IO and it's shadow will cross Jupiter again, so if you missed it before,
here's an awesome opportunity to see it.
This evening’s Full Moon will also look great, rising up from the horizon.
Between 9.15pm-11.35pm, IO and it's shadow will cross Jupiter again, so if you missed it before,
here's an awesome opportunity to see it.
This evening’s Full Moon will also look great, rising up from the horizon.
On the 22nd, as Jupiter rises this evening, you’ll get a double bubble with the Moons Ganymede and Europa,
transiting the planet.
A Great Photo Opportunity!
transiting the planet.
A Great Photo Opportunity!
It's the 30th and the last transit of the month goes to IO and Ganymede, along with their shadows.
Starting around 9pm ending around 4.22am, so a whole host for you to try and spot.
Starting around 9pm ending around 4.22am, so a whole host for you to try and spot.
Minor Meteor Shower Aurigids peak between 10.15pm-11.35pm on the night of the 31st.
Although active between 28th August to 5th September, they are said only produce 6 meteors per hour,
but this shower has produced bursts up to 50-100 per hour.
With the moon rising just after the peak time, we may get a good view.
Although the constellation Auriga (The Charioteer) itself rises from 10pm with the radiant rising around 11pm,
your best bet is a low clear North-East Horizon looking towards the star Capella and you may see them streak over you.
Although active between 28th August to 5th September, they are said only produce 6 meteors per hour,
but this shower has produced bursts up to 50-100 per hour.
With the moon rising just after the peak time, we may get a good view.
Although the constellation Auriga (The Charioteer) itself rises from 10pm with the radiant rising around 11pm,
your best bet is a low clear North-East Horizon looking towards the star Capella and you may see them streak over you.
ROSS HOCKHAM'S NAKED EYE OBJECT OF THE MONTH:
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Between 5th-13th, the Moon will be out of the way, so perfect conditions for our Objects Of The Month.
As mentioned earlier this month's Naked Eye Object is The Perseid Meteor Shower.
Meteors or shooting stars happen every night but a shower is a special event where the amount you can see increase dramatically, we have these yearly all through the year but some like this month’s Perseids produce more than others.
To understand why, we need to start by looking at comets, and in this case a comet called 109/P Swift-Tuttle named after those that discovered it, Lewis Swift and Horace Parnell Tuttle in 1862,
Yep, if you find something in space you get to name it.
A comet is like a huge snowball orbiting our sun this one has been going round for hundreds probably thousands of years, as it does it heats up as it nears the Sun and this causes a trail of dust and ice,
periodically Earth moves through these immense dust trails or lanes left by comets and sometimes asteroids as we orbit.
As we pass through these tiny pieces of comet dust enter our atmosphere at awesome speed, technically burning up in our atmosphere creating a streak of light across our skies.
Which is really awesome to see especially as the Perseids have been known to create the odd fireball,
where larger pieces literally pop across the sky leaving a smoke trail.
How do we see them?
The beauty of this event is you don’t need any equipment, just grab a coffee or hot chocolate.
Grab the kids and go out into your garden or a nice dark field and look up,
The peak of the shower happens on the nights of 11th and 12th, moving into 13th until dawn.
We actually entered the dust stream in July and won’t leave it until the end of August, so the shower of meteors slowly builds up each night to its peak then slowly dwindles back to normality.
These fixed events like the Perseids are named due to the location in the sky from where the meteors radiate.
The Perseids are named so because they seem to come from the constellation Perseus (The Hero),
in fact from around the ancient hero’s head.
Perseus rises pretty much from when the sunsets, I’d say around 10pm onwards to the North East.
Look for the constellation Cassiopeia (The Vain Queen) which looks like sideways W in the sky, Perseus is just below this.
What can we expect to see?
Well, every year they predict 100-120 meteors an hour but.....
you're never going to see this amount, because of light pollution.
Fortunately the Moon will be setting as the peak starts, this year.
Ross has managed to count 67 in around an hour and a half during The Perseids, just by lying in a field and looking up.
But its an unpredictable dust lane left by a comet with dense areas within it,
So you never know!
So while your out looking up,
Just think you're seeing pieces of a comet burning up in our atmosphere as our planet passes through it's path,
and it only takes one slightly larger piece to create a stunning display that you’ll remember for ever.
As mentioned earlier this month's Naked Eye Object is The Perseid Meteor Shower.
Meteors or shooting stars happen every night but a shower is a special event where the amount you can see increase dramatically, we have these yearly all through the year but some like this month’s Perseids produce more than others.
To understand why, we need to start by looking at comets, and in this case a comet called 109/P Swift-Tuttle named after those that discovered it, Lewis Swift and Horace Parnell Tuttle in 1862,
Yep, if you find something in space you get to name it.
A comet is like a huge snowball orbiting our sun this one has been going round for hundreds probably thousands of years, as it does it heats up as it nears the Sun and this causes a trail of dust and ice,
periodically Earth moves through these immense dust trails or lanes left by comets and sometimes asteroids as we orbit.
As we pass through these tiny pieces of comet dust enter our atmosphere at awesome speed, technically burning up in our atmosphere creating a streak of light across our skies.
Which is really awesome to see especially as the Perseids have been known to create the odd fireball,
where larger pieces literally pop across the sky leaving a smoke trail.
How do we see them?
The beauty of this event is you don’t need any equipment, just grab a coffee or hot chocolate.
Grab the kids and go out into your garden or a nice dark field and look up,
The peak of the shower happens on the nights of 11th and 12th, moving into 13th until dawn.
We actually entered the dust stream in July and won’t leave it until the end of August, so the shower of meteors slowly builds up each night to its peak then slowly dwindles back to normality.
These fixed events like the Perseids are named due to the location in the sky from where the meteors radiate.
The Perseids are named so because they seem to come from the constellation Perseus (The Hero),
in fact from around the ancient hero’s head.
Perseus rises pretty much from when the sunsets, I’d say around 10pm onwards to the North East.
Look for the constellation Cassiopeia (The Vain Queen) which looks like sideways W in the sky, Perseus is just below this.
What can we expect to see?
Well, every year they predict 100-120 meteors an hour but.....
you're never going to see this amount, because of light pollution.
Fortunately the Moon will be setting as the peak starts, this year.
Ross has managed to count 67 in around an hour and a half during The Perseids, just by lying in a field and looking up.
But its an unpredictable dust lane left by a comet with dense areas within it,
So you never know!
So while your out looking up,
Just think you're seeing pieces of a comet burning up in our atmosphere as our planet passes through it's path,
and it only takes one slightly larger piece to create a stunning display that you’ll remember for ever.
ROSS HOCKHAM'S BINOCULAR OBJECT OF THE MONTH:
The Binocular Of The Month this month isthe very unusual group of Stars called Epsilon Lyrae.
Find the bright blue star Vega, in the constellation Lyra (The harp).
It's easily found, being right up high, this time of year and being one of the brightest stars.
Just to it's left are a pair of stars known as Epsilon Lyrae.
What appears as one star to the naked eye actually turns into two, through binoculars.
Pop a telescope on them and each star in that pair turns into a further two, making four stars.
In the mid-1980s, astronomers using advanced imaging techniques detected a fifth star in that system as well.
These five stars are bound together by gravity and are around 162 light-years from us.
Find the bright blue star Vega, in the constellation Lyra (The harp).
It's easily found, being right up high, this time of year and being one of the brightest stars.
Just to it's left are a pair of stars known as Epsilon Lyrae.
What appears as one star to the naked eye actually turns into two, through binoculars.
Pop a telescope on them and each star in that pair turns into a further two, making four stars.
In the mid-1980s, astronomers using advanced imaging techniques detected a fifth star in that system as well.
These five stars are bound together by gravity and are around 162 light-years from us.
ROSS HOCKHAM'S TELESCOPE OBJECT OF THE MONTH:
.This months Telescope Object Of The Month is NGC-7023, The Iris nebula.
The Iris Nebula is a bright reflection Nebula in the constellation Cepheus (A King from Greek Mythology).
A reflection Nebula means that it's colour comes from the scattered light from it's central star.
Located some 1,400 light-years away from Earth,
the Iris Nebula’s glowing gaseous petals stretch roughly 6 light-years across.
Some photos show it having a lovely blue-white glow to it, hence why it's called the Iris Nebular,
as it looks like the outstretched petals of an Iris flower
The Iris Nebula is a bright reflection Nebula in the constellation Cepheus (A King from Greek Mythology).
A reflection Nebula means that it's colour comes from the scattered light from it's central star.
Located some 1,400 light-years away from Earth,
the Iris Nebula’s glowing gaseous petals stretch roughly 6 light-years across.
Some photos show it having a lovely blue-white glow to it, hence why it's called the Iris Nebular,
as it looks like the outstretched petals of an Iris flower
Aylesbury Town Council's Live IN The Park 2021:
NBS will be headlining Live In The Park 2021