Astronomy a Go Go! podcast

Subscribe to podcast

by Alice Few

In the car, at work or under the night time sky astronomy goes where you go!

Recent podcasts

Tour of the Sky: September 2007

01/09/2007

Download this month's sky map!

Kym Thalassoudis does a wonderful job creating accurate and easy to use star maps every month! Visit his site at www.skymaps.com for skymaps and links to other useful astronomical sites. Also a great portal for astronomical gifts!

Northern hemisphere sky map
Southern hemisphere sky map

Those in the Southern Hemisphere should also visit James Barclay's site for a great tour of the Southern Hemisphere September sky.

Another great site for Southern Hemisphere viewers is the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar can be found at the RASNZ site
Ian Musgrave has a very handy Southern Hemisphere site called Southern Sky Watch.

Download "What's up 2007: 365 days of Skywatching" by Tammy Plotner, published by Universe Today (Faser Cain) it is a fantastic and it is free!

Planets for September 2007 Mercury- Well placed in the evening sky for more Southern viewers (South of 30 degrees N) through September and into October. The best evening apparation for Southern viewers will be Sept 28 -0.5 mag (1st) to -0.0 mag (21st) Venus- Brilliant in the morning sky and climbing higher daily. By the middle of the month Northern viewers will see Venus 11 degrees above the horizon just before sunrise. -4.2 mag (1st) to - 4.4 mag (21st) Mars- In Taurus passes into Gemini towards the end of the month. Rising after midnight just north of Aldeberon at the early part of the month. By mid month Mars, Aldeberon and Bettlejuice make a nice triangle and by the end of the month Mars sits at the foot of Castor near open cluster M35. 0.3 mag (1st) to 0.1 mag (21st) Jupiter- Sets in the early evening just after Antares. Vespa starts out just to the NE of Jupiter but pulls away to the East as the month continues. -2.2 mag (1st) to -2.1 mag (21st) Saturn- Returns to the morning sky along with Venus after the beginning of the month. It will start the month in the glare of the Sun but climb steadily throughout the month rising 3 hours before the Sun by months end. Saturn sits NNE of Regulus NE of brighter Venus. Regulus is only 0.8 mag fainter than Saturn so they will look like twin stars. Southern views will have to work to catch the pairing. 0.6 mag (1st) to 0.7 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius 5.8 mag (1st) to 5.8 mag (21st) Neptune-Will camp out in Capricorn all year long 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.8 mag (21st) 4 Vesta -Categorized as a minor planet (Vesta family Main Belt) not far from Jupiter this month and at a magnitude of 5.4 - 6.0 will be a good naked eye object for September. Vesta is the second most massive object in the asteroid belt with a mean diameter of 540 km and was named after the Roman goddess of home and hearth. Vesta will be close to Jupiter for most of the month.

Key Dates for September 2007

Days and Times in UT (help with time)
Observations are for 8pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 9pm for the mid-northern latitudes.

Great site for sunrise and sunset times and a downloadable toolbar application by Steve Edwards

Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights September
3 - Moon 1.2 deg N of Pleiades (M45) 4 - Last Quarter 2:35 UT - Moon near Mars 8 - Moon 1.1 deg N of the Beehive Cluster (M44) - Venus 9 deg S of Moon 9 - Uranus reaches opposition. Uranus will be bright enough to see unaided from dark locations. Finder chart for Uranus and Neptune - Look for a waning crescent moon with Venus to the SW. Binoculars will help you find Saturn and Regulus close together to the East of the Moon. 10 - Regulus 0.2 S of Moon and Saturn 0.8 deg N of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for data for your area. 11 - New moon 12:44 UT ">partial solar eclipse ** CAUTION Never look directly at the Sun. Follow the link to the NASA site for eclipse safety. Eclipse for Antarctica and S. American see notes below 14 - Spica sits between a crescent Moon and Mercury. In the Southern Hemisphere Mercury is above the mouth of Crater the cup. 15 - Moon at apogee 17-18 - Moon drifts below the Jupiter and Antares pair 18 - Mercury at aphelion - Antares 0.7 deg N of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for data for your area. - Jupiter 6 deg N of Moon 19 - First Quarter 16:48 21 - Zodiacal Lights visible in Northern latitudes in the East in morning twilight for next two weeks 22 - Mercury 0.08 deg North of Spica use binoculars to help pick them out of the muck of the horizon. By tomorrow they will have switched places. 23 - Equinox 9:51 UT The point in our orbit around the Sun when the day and night are at equal length and the Sun crosses over the ecliptic into the Southern Hemisphere. Shorter days in the North and longer day to come in the South. - Venus at greatest brilliancy 26 - Full Moon 19:53 28 - Moon at perigee 29 - Mercury at greatest elongation 30 - Moon 1.1 deg N of Pleiades (M45) - Monthly Messier*

Sagittarius is the home of many globular clusters which surround the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Seven of the these globulars appear in the Messier catalog, we will be visiting five of them this month. When you complete the search for these objects be sure to spend some time scanning this region with binoculars or a telescope and see what other sights you can discover. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

M13 - The great globular cluster in Hercules is bright enough to be seen with naked eye. Binoculars easily show this cluster as a bright fuzzy ball. M13 is partially resolvable in small aperture telescopes and becomes a fantastic swarm of tightly packed individual stars through large scopes.
M92 - Another globular cluster in Hercules, M92 is easy to find in binoculars appearing slightly dimmer and smaller than M13. As with M13 it is partially resolvable in small scopes and is a fine sight in large instruments.
M14 - A small, bright globular cluster in Ophiuchus. It is a difficult binocular object, look for a small fuzzy patch of light. Through a telescope M14 is an even patch of light, the stars not resolvable except through large scopes.
M22 - This is the other great globular in our tour this month. Located just above the teapot asterism in Sagittarius, M22 can be seen with no optical aid. M22 is easy to find in binoculars, and easy to resolve in telescopes, with about the same impressiveness as M13.
M28 - Located near M22 in Sagittarius, this is a small bright globular. A tough binocular object, look for a small fuzzy patch. Easily seen in a telescope, but requires large aperture to resolve individual stars.
M69, M70, M54

All of these are small bright globular clusters laying along the bottom of the teapot in Sagittarius. Very similar in appearance to M28, these are all tough binocular objects requiring dark skies and possibly averted vision to see. M54 is slightly brighter and appears more starlike through binoculars than the other globulars. These are all easily seen in telescopes, though not easily resolvable.

From the Astronomical Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada

Astronomical Highlights for 2007

Earth's major motions for 2007
Perihelion Jan 3 20h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day Feb 2-6 Equinox Mar 21 00:07(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day May 4-7 Solstice June 21 18:06(UT) Aphelion July 4 00h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day Aug 5-8 Equinox Sept 23 19:51(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day Nov 5-8 Solstice Dec 22 06:08(UT)

Planet Positions for 2007
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Gem Leo Sex Cnc Leo Leo Vir Mars Oph Sgr Cap Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Gem Gem Jupiter Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Uranus Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Neptune Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap

Eclipses for 2007

March 19 - partial solar eclipse (see map, times, and animation!): The first solar eclipse of 2007 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Pisces and is visible from eastern Asia and parts of northern Alaska

September 11 - partial solar eclipse (see map, times, and animation): The last eclipse of 2007 is a partial solar eclipse at the Moon's descending node in southern Leo. Its visibility is confined to parts of South America, Antarctica and the South Atlantic

March 3-4 - total lunar eclipse (see map): The beginning of the umbral phase visible in the Arctic region, Africa, Europe, Asia except for extreme eastern region, most of Indonesia, western Australia, Queen Maud Land of Antarctica, extreme eastern South America, Greenland, the Indian Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean, and the eastern North Atlantic Ocean; the end visible in Africa, Europe, western Asia, Queen Maud Land of Antarctica and Antarctic Peninsula, South America, eastern North America, Greenland, the Arctic region, the Atlantic Ocean, the western Indian Ocean, and the extreme eastern South Pacific Ocean.

August 28 - total lunar eclipse (see map): The beginning of the umbral phase visible in North America, South America except extreme east, Antarctica except for Enderby Land, New Zealand, eastern Australia, extreme northeastern Asia, the Pacific Ocean, and the western Atlantic Ocean; the end visible in New Zealand, Australia, most of Antarctica except Queen Maud Land, Indonesia, eastern Asia, western North America, the Pacific Ocean, and the southeastern Indian Ocean.

Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory)

Meteor Showers for 2007

As luck would have it, all the major meteor showers reach their peaks in 2007 with the Moon out of the sky. Any of these showers can produce dozens of shooting stars each dark hour leading up to dawn.

Mark your calendar to look for...
Perseids on August 13th Orionids on October 21st Leonids on November 18th Geminids on the night of December 13-14 (Meteor enthusiasts are keenly awaiting the Geminids in 2007 because their progenitor, the defunct comet Phaethon, precedes them in a flyby of Earth on December 10th.) Historical and Current Events...Did you know?

Culled from Wikipedia and others, by Mark Tillotson (Thank you Mark!)

The approximate date of Earth's aphelion. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation of Gemini and ends in the constellation of Cancer.

View the historical calendar!

Comets for September

Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pages
Skyhound Comet pages

Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat or write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!

Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"
Douglas Spotted - "Starry Night"

Episode media

Eclipse Special

26/08/2007

Click here to
Animate Me!!

This star chart will show you what is around the Moon at the time of totality. Neptune and Uranus are near by and would make for interesting targets while the Moon is dimmed.

Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory)

What to see

The entire 'winter' hexagon will rise just before dawn with Sirius just before and to the S of Venus just as the 'summer' triangle sets.

Red Mars pairs up with red Aldeberon in Taurus. Mars it brighter and to the NE of the red eye of the bull.

When the moon is eclipsed it will be directly between Neptune and Uranus

Next total eclipse for those in N.America will be Feb 21, 2008 for future date check the bottom of the NASA Eclipse Website!

Planets Mercury- deep in the glow of sunset. Better viewing in September and October -0.9 mag (1st) to -1.4 mag (21st) Venus- is emerging from the glow of the sun, just beginning its tour as the Morning Star for the next half-year. Look for it above the eastern horizon 60 to 40 minutes before sunrise. It's getting a little higher every day. Mars- In Taurus and the red planet will be near the dimmer, giant red Aldeberon. Jupiter- In Ophiucus north of the bright red Antares. -2.5 mag (1st) to -2.4 mag (21st) Saturn- lost in the glare of the sun Uranus-In Aquarius magnitude 5.7, is passing within 1/4Â of the yellow-orange star Phi Aquarii, magnitude 4.2. Neptune-Will camp out in Capricorn all year long 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.8 mag (21st) 4 Vesta -Categorized as a minor planet (Vesta family Main Belt) not far from Jupiter this month and at a magnitude of 5.4 - 6.0 will be a good naked eye object for August. Astronomical Highlights for 2007

Earth's major motions for 2007
Perihelion
Jan 3 20h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day
Feb 2-6 Equinox
Mar 21 00:07(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day
May 4-7 Solstice
June 21 18:06(UT) Aphelion
July 4 00h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day
Aug 5-8 Equinox
Sept 23 19:51(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day
Nov 5-8 Solstice
Dec 22 06:08(UT)

Planet Positions for 2007

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Gem Leo Sex Cnc Leo Leo Vir Mars Oph Sgr Cap Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Gem Gem Jupiter Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Uranus Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Neptune Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat or write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!

Episode media

Tour of the Sky: August 2007

01/08/2007

Download this month's sky map!

Northern hemisphere sky map
Southern hemisphere sky map

Those in the Southern Hemisphere should also visit James Barclay's site for a great tour of the Southern Hemisphere August sky.

Download "What's up 2007: 365 days of Skywatching" by Tammy Plotner, published by Universe Today (Faser Cain) it is a fantastic and it is free!

Planets for August 2007 Mercury- In Gemini at the beginning of the month is visible for the first few mornings of the month in bright twilight. At month's end Mercury will be visible in the West in the evening twilight. At months end Mercury is in Virgo look forward to better viewing in September and October -0.9 mag (1st) to -1.4 mag (21st) Venus- In Sextans the brilliant Venus has been slowly sinking towards the Sun and lower in the evening sky. Look for Venus in the early twilight at the very beginning of the month and look for her razor thin crescent. Venus then disappears, and for Northern viewers, and is not visible again until the end of the month in the constellation Cancer. -4.3 mag (1st) to - 4.3 mag (21st) Mars- In Taurus and glides by the Hyades on the 19th. By midmonth Mars rises between 11 and 2 depending upon your latitude. Towards the end of the month the red planet will be near the dimmer, giant red Aldeberon. 0.7 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Jupiter- In Ophiuchus becomes stationary and returns to proper motion on the 7th. At sunset Jupiter is near the meridian moving eastward each night. -2.4 mag (1st) to -2.2 mag (21st) Saturn- In Leo th mid-southern latitudes can still eek out Saturn, telescopically, in the Sun's glare 0.6 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius 5.8 mag (1st) to 5.8 mag (21st) Neptune-Will camp out in Capricorn all year long 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.8 mag (21st) 4 Vesta -Categorized as a minor planet (Vesta family Main Belt) is catching up with Jupiter and starts the month a degree from the double star Beta Scorpius and at a magnitude of 6.7 and is still a good binocular object for August. At the end of the month Jupiter and Vesta will be less than the width of the moon apart. Vesta is the second most massive object in the asteroid belt with a mean diameter of 540 km and was named after the Roman goddess of home and hearth. Key Dates for August 2007

Days and Times in UT (help with time)
Observations are for 8pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 10pm for the mid-northern latitudes.

Great site for sunrise and sunset times and a downloadable toolbar application by Steve Edwards

Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights August
4 - Moon at perigee (closest to Earth 368,891 km) 5 - Last Quarter 21:20 UT 5-8 - Cross Quarter Days 7 - Waning crescent Moon near Mars - Jupiter stationary resumes its direct/eastward motion 12 - New Moon 23:03 UT 13 - Peak of the Perseid meteor shower 5h UT** - Peak of the Delta Aquarids - Neptune at opposition 15 - Mercury at superior conjunction - moving into the evening sky 17 - Look for Spica and Arcturus above the crescent moon 18 - Venus at inferior conjunction - moving into to morning sky 19 - Moon at apogee (furthest from Earth 404,618 km) and roughly between Spica and the Jupiter/Antares pair 20 - First Quarter Moon 23:54 UT 21 - Jupiter 5 deg from Antares, possible occultation check the IOTA website for data for your area. 22 - Antares 0.7 deg N of Moon 24 - Mars 5 deg N of Aldebaran 28 - Full Moon, Total lunar eclipse 31 - Moon at perigee (closest to Earth 364,171 km) - At dawn look for the reappearance of Venus low and in the East. Don't confuse the "morning star" with Sirius in the SE Monthly Messier*

This is the month that we begin to sneak into the summer Milky Way and the heart of our galaxy as we find 12 more object. Some are visible to the naked eye, all are possible in binoculars. There are six globular clusters, four open clusters, and two diffuse nebula. Many of these objects also appear to be in pairs, either in visual appearance or location.

M10, M12 This pair of globular clusters in the middle of Ophiuchus are easily swept up in binoculars looking like small blue snow balls. Through an 8" telescope M12 is well resolved while M10 is slightly more fuzzy looking. Both become very bright towards the center.
M107 A small, fairly faint globular cluster in Ophiuchus. It is a tough binocular object, appearing as a very small faint patch of light possibly requiring averted vision. In a telescope, M107 is a larger and brighter fuzzy patch of light than what can be seen in binoculars.
M9 Another small, relatively faint globular cluster in Ophiuchus. M9 is very similar to M107, only slightly brighter. Another tough, but possible binocular object.
M19, M62 Another pair of globular clusters in Ophiuchus separated by about four degrees. Fairly easy to find in binoculars, they are smaller than M10 and M12 thus not quite as obvious. These clusters are not resolvable through small scopes, and appear as round fuzzy patches brightening towards the center. M19 is slightly brighter than M62.
M6, M7 This is a pair of large, bright open clusters in Scorpius visible to the naked eye. Binoculars provide the best view of these clusters. Both are completely resolvable in 10x50 binoculars and can be fit into the same field of view. M7 is the larger and brighter of the pair.
M8 This is a bright emission nebula in Sagittarius, easily visible to the naked eye. The common name of M8 is the Lagoon nebula. In binoculars M8 is an oval cloud of light larger than the full moon with several bright stars embedded within it. A telescope makes this nebula larger and brighter but does not really improve the view.
M20 Another diffuse nebula in Sagittarius only 1.4 degrees northwest of M8 and is called the Trifid nebula. This is easily seen in binoculars looking like a cloud of smoke around some bright stars. A view through a telescope appears much the same, although try to pick out the three dust lanes that gives M20 its name. This is a somewhat difficult object to see right away, at first glance it looks like the optics are in need of cleaning and are causing the light from the bright stars to "smear".
M21 This is a small, but bright open cluster in Sagittarius right next to M20. Binoculars show a very small bright patch partially resolvable. Small telescopes easily resolve all of the clusters members. M8, M20, and M21 are all within the same binocular field and lie in a very rich region of the Milky Way. This view is one of the finest to be found.
M23 The last object of the month is a large open cluster in Sagittarius. through binoculars M23 is a large, hazy patch of light almost the size of the full moon. A telescope at low powers easily resolves this cluster among a rich background of other stars.

*Monthly Messier information gleaned from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Moncton Centre Quebec and from the Astronomy Connection website.

Table Mountain Star Party Observing List and those who completed the list Astronomical Highlights for 2007

Eclipses for 2007

Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory)

Meteor Showers for 2007

Culled from Wikipedia and others, by Mark Tillotson (Thank you Mark!)

Comets for August

Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pages
Skyhound Comet pages

Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat or write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!

Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"
Courtney Jones - "Ride"
Big George Jackson Blues Band/Roscoe Chenier - "Netherlands Blues"

Episode media

Tour of the Sky: July 2007

02/07/2007

Download this month's sky map!

Northern hemisphere sky map
Southern hemisphere sky map

Those in the Southern Hemisphere should also visit James Barclay's site for a great tour of the Southern Hemisphere July sky.

Download "What's up 2007: 365 days of Skywatching" by Tammy Plotner, published by Universe Today (Faser Cain) it is a fantastic and it is free!

Planets for July 2007 Mercury- Moves into the morning sky for the later half of the month. It reaches greatest elongation west on July 20th and brightens throughout the month. Should be visible with the unaided eye at latitude 30deg S by the 15th and on the 19th for 30 deg N. Observers in higher latitudes might need binoculars to fish Mercury out of the morning twilight but this will still be the best morning apparition for the north for the year. 5.2mag (1st) to 0.2 mag (21st) Venus- Still brilliant, still glorious in the western sky at sunset. Starts off the month nicely paired with Saturn but by the 16th look for a very nice grouping of a young crescent Moon, Venus, Saturn and Regulus. After mid-month she begins her descent back towards the sun and her inferior conjunction on the 18th of Aug. Venus reaches her peak magnitude at -4.5 on the 12th of July. -4.3 mag (1st) to - 4.3 mag (21st) Mars- Moves from Aries into Taurus on July 27th. Easier to see this month in the early morning twilight for both hemispheres. If you need help finding Mars, look for the Moon on the 9th and find Mars just 6 degrees South. 0.7 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Jupiter- Not far from Antares in Scorpio Jupiter blazes opposite Venus. Jupiter transits early in the evening making it a nice 'family' object the kids can see before going off to bed. Filters will help fish it out of the twilight. -2.5 mag (1st) to -2.4 mag (21st) Saturn- Out shone by both Venus and Jupiter, Saturn joins the show again at the beginning of the month paired with Venus then again on the 15-17th as he lines up with Regulus, Venus and the Moon. If you can tear yourself away make sure you get a good look at Saturn and his rings before we loose him to the glare of the sun. 0.6 mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius 5.8 mag (1st) to 5.8 mag (21st) Neptune-Will camp out in Capricorn all year long 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.8 mag (21st) 4 Vesta -Categorized as a minor planet (Vesta family Main Belt) not far from Jupiter this month and at a magnitude of 5.4 - 6.0 will be a good naked eye object for July. Vesta is the second most massive object in the asteroid belt with a mean diameter of 540 km and was named after the Roman goddess of home and hearth.

On the 4th of July she spends Independence day just north of the double star Beta Scorpius.

Key Dates for July 2007

Days and Times in UT (help with time)
Observations are for 8pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 10pm for the mid-northern latitudes.

Great site for sunrise and sunset times and a downloadable toolbar application by Steve Edwards

Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights July
- This is a good month for hunting down Noctilucent clouds! (Read more about them....) 2 - Venus .5 deg from Saturn in the evening sky 3 - Neptune 1.3 deg N of Moon in the morning sky. Possible occultation check the IOTA website for data for your area. 4 - Mars solstice! Winter for the N hemisphere and summer for the S hemisphere. - Have a safe 4th of July 6 - Venus in descending node 7 - Earth at aphelion (furthest point from the sun) 0h UT - Last Quarter Moon 16:54 UT 9 - Moon near Mars in the morning sky - Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) 10 - Moon near the Pleiades in the morning sky - Mercury stationary 12 - Mercury at greatest heliocentric latitude S. 13 - Venus 1.7 degs from Regulus in the evening sky 14 - Venus at its brightest at 17 UT Mag -4.5 - Vesta stationary - New Moon 12:04 UT 16 - Moon near Saturn in the evening sky. Possible occultation check the IOTA website for data for your area. 17 - Moon near Regulus(another possible occultation) and Venus. 20 - Mercury at greatest elongation 20 degs West from the Sun in the morning sky 22 - First Quarter Moon 6:29 UT - Moon at apogee at 9h UT 28 - Delta Aquarid meteors peak 30 - Full Moon 0:48 UT 31 - Mercury at ascending node - Neptune 1.3 degs N of Moon. Possible occultation check the IOTA website for data for your area. Monthly Messier*

This will be a light month as we wait for the Milky Way to rise into better view later this NH-summer/SH-winter. Our list consist of six globular clusters and one very bright galaxy. All of these objects are possible with binoculars, most are down right easy even with small binoculars.

M3 - This globular cluster in Canes Venatici is one of the brightest objects in the sky. In binoculars this object is definitely not star like, but more of a bright, small snowball easy to see. Small telescopes will begin to resolve M3 into individual stars. The hardest part of this object is locating it in a portion of sky that contains few bright landmarks.

M53 - Another globular cluster in Canes Venatici. While not quite as big or bright as M3 it is still an obvious binocular object. Resolvable in small telescopes, it as easy object to find sharing the same low power telescope field as fifth magnitude Alpha Coma Berenices.

M5 - A big, bright globular cluster located in Serpens Caput. M5 is as nice as M3 but lies near a fifth magnitude naked eye star (5 Serpentis) making it an easy object to find.

M68 - An eighth magnitude globular cluster in Hydra, M68 is a difficult binocular object for Northern observers. It appears as a faint fuzz spot in binoculars, you may need to use averted vision or large binoculars to find this one. Appearing as a round fuzzy patch in a 8" telescope, you will need a much larger aperature to really resolve it.

M83 - A face on spiral in Hydra. M83 is fairly easy in binoculars as a faint, fuzzy patch of light. In a telescope look for a large patch of light with a bright center.

M4 - A big bright globular in Scorpius, easily located near Antares. This is an easy binocular object appearing as a round snowball. Partially resolvable in a telescope, the trade mark of this globular is a line of bright stars crossing the center.

M80 - This is the smallest and faintest globular cluster this month. Located in Scopius, M80 is a very tough binocular object appearing as a faint star with slight fuzziness around the edges. This is confirmed with a telescope, M80 has a bright central condensation in the middle of faint fuzz. It is one of the Messier objects that even through a medium telescope still looks like a comet.

*Monthly Messier information gleaned from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Moncton Centre Quebec and from the Astronomy Connection website.

Astronomical Highlights for 2007

Eclipses for 2007

Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory)

Meteor Showers for 2007

Mark your calendar to look for...
Lyrids on April 23rd Perseids on August 13th Orionids on October 21st Leonids on November 18th Geminids on the night of December 13-14 (Meteor enthusiasts are keenly awaiting the Geminids in 2007 because their progenitor, the defunct comet Phaethon, precedes them in a flyby of Earth on December 10th.) Historical and Current Events...Did you know?

Culled from Wikipedia and others, by Mark Tillotson (Thank you Mark!)

The approximate date of Earth's aphelion. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation of Gemini and ends in the constellation of Cancer.

The historical and current events ended up being too long for the poor libsyn blog pages!!! (Imagine)
Please go to this file for this wonderful list of historical events!

Comets for July

Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pages
Skyhound Comet pages

Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat or write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!

Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"
Celili Moss - "Leis a lurrighan"
Dust Rhinos - "Wild Mountain Thyme"

Episode media

Tour of the Sky: June 2007

31/05/2007

Download this month's sky map!

Northern hemisphere sky map
Southern hemisphere sky map

Those in the Southern Hemisphere should also visit James Barclay's site for a great tour of the Southern Hemisphere June sky.

Download "What's up 2007: 365 days of Skywatching" by Tammy Plotner, published by Universe Today (Faser Cain) it is a fantastic and it is free!

Planets for June 2007 Mercury- Look for Mercury between Venus and the horizon after sunset until around the 18th (depending upon your latitude) when Mercury disappears in the glare of the sun. Mercury is best at the beginning of the month where he sits just to the NE of M35, an unorganized open cluster at the feet of Castor. Also in the immediate area is NGC 2158 which I think is a much nicer object. At greatest elongation on June 2nd Mercury has reached hip high between the twins before swinging back towards the sun via Pollux's knees. .4 mag (1st) to 3.7 mag (21st) Venus- High in the sky after dark Venus continues to highlight the western sky reaching greatest elongation 45 deg east on June 9th. Venus makes several great photo ops this month starting with a nice line up with Castor and Pollux (Gemini) the first couple of days of June before sliding over to graze the Beehive Cluster (M44) between the 12th and 13th. Get the telescopes and cameras ready for the 17th-19th as the young Moon slides past Venus and Saturn. Finally she pairs up with Saturn between the 28th and the first of July for a nice close encounter. -4.1 mag (1st) to - 4.2 mag (21st) Mars- In Pisces until June 26th when it passes into Ares. Look for the red planet near the moon on the 10th where they both sit on the western arm of Pisces. Very low on the horizon for mid-upper Northern Latitudes better viewing the further south you go and outstanding in the Southern Hemisphere. 0.8 mag (1st) to 0.8 mag (21st) Jupiter- King of the planets is finally in prime position rising as the sun sets and is visible all night. Opposition on June 5th puts Jupiter 400 million miles from Earth. Jupiter moves eastward across lower Ophiucus and by Aug 1st sits just north of Antares. Low in the sky for mid-high northern latitudes moves higher in the sky as you move south. Some nice days to catch his four Galilean moons close to the planet disk are: 4th, 5th, 12th, 29th, and 30th -2.6 mag (1st) to -2.6 mag (21st) Saturn-Absolutely beautiful in Leo almost at the Cancer border. Saturn's rings are tipped 15 deg from edgewise towards us so take advantage of these beautiful rings by catching Saturn earlier in the month before the Moon rises. Saturn make a nice appearance near Venus between the 17th and 30th and the Moon on the 18th 0.5 mag (1st) to 0.5 mag (21st) Uranus-In Aquarius 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.8 mag (21st) Neptune-Will camp out in Capricorn all year long 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st) 4 Vesta -Categorized as a minor planet (Vesta family Main Belt) we are adding her to the mix because she will be not far from Jupiter this month and at a magnitude of 5.4 - 6.0 will be a good naked eye object for June. Vesta is the second most massive object in the asteroid belt with a mean diameter of 540 km and was named after the Roman goddess of home and hearth.

On the 4th of July she spends Independence day just north of the double star Beta Scorpius.

Key Dates for June 2007

Days and Times in UT (help with time)
Observations are for 8pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for 11pm for the mid-northern latitudes.

Great site for sunrise and sunset times and a downloadable toolbar application by Steve Edwards

Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website! Astronomical Highlights June

1 - Full Moon 1:04 UT 2 - Mercury at greatest elongation, 23 deg east of the Sun (evening sky) 5 - Jupiter at opposition 23h UT 8 - Last Quarter Moon 11:43 UT 9 - Venus at greatest elongation 45 deg east of Sun (evening sky)
- Jupiter double shadow transit 9:18 UT 10 - Moon near Mars (5 deg S of Moon)22h UT in the morning sky 12 - Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) 363,780 km from Earth 12-13 - Venus skims the Beehive Cluster (M44) 13 - For you sundial lovers the equation of time at 0 ... for more information. 15 - New Moon 3:13 UT 17 - Pluto at opposition 18 - Moon near Venus, possible daytime occultation check IOTAfor occultation information for your area 19 - Moon near Saturn (8h UT) AND Regulus (23h) possible occultation check IOTAfor occultation information for your area 21 - June Solstice 18:06 UT The sun reaches its highest point north of the celestial equator and is at 'stand still' before moving south again. This is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere (middle or beginning of summer) or the shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere (middle or beginning of winter). For a great animation of the 'seasons' check out the Prentice Hall site 22 - First Quarter Moon 13:15 UT 23 - Uranus at standstill begins its retrograde motion (westward) 24 - Moon at apogee (furthest from Earth) 404,540 km 28 - Moon near Antares 8h UT possible occultation check IOTA for occultation information for your area 30 - Full Moon 13:49 UT
- Close encounter of Venus and Saturn Monthly Messier*

This month we attack the heart of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. If you download show #39 we actually walk you through a nice long list of Virgo Galaxies including those listed below.

These 13 galaxies all within less than 100 square degrees of sky and the brightest of these galaxies, M87, is only 8.6 in total magnitude so this will be a telescope only month. Plan on searching for small faint fuzzies, dark, clear skies are a must.

M84, M86 - A pair of elliptical galaxies in the famous Markarian's Chain in Virgo. Appear as small fuzzy balls with bright, almost stellar cores. Both easily fit into the same low power field of view. M86 is slightly brighter and more oval than round M84.

M87 - M87 - Elliptical galaxy famous for its black hole and jet. Another round fuzzy ball with a bright core. Slightly brighter than both M84 and M86.

M89 and elliptical galaxy paired with spiral galaxy M90 - Both of these galaxies fit into the same low power field of view. M89 is another round fuzzy ball similar to M84, while M90 appears as an oval patch of light larger than M89. M90 has a bright central region.

M91 - Spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices. A faint, slightly irregular oval hazy patch of light.

M88 - A small oval shaped fuzzy patch with a bright stellar core. Similar in size and shape to M90. Can fit into the same field of view as M91. Bump up the power and see if you can tease out the spiral arms.

M58 - Another spiral galaxy that appears as a slightly oval shaped fuzzy patch of light with a bright central region.

M59, M60 - M59 and M60, both are elliptical galaxies and both can easily fit into the same field of view. M59 is a small, hazy oval patch, not all that easy to see. M60 is another fuzzy oval patch of light, larger and brighter than M59.

M99 - A bright round fuzzy patch of light which is a face on spiral galaxy.

M98 - This edge-on spiral galaxy appears as a bright pencil like streak of light.

M100 - A round hazy glow of light, bright in the center but gradually fading towards the edge. Using more power and averted vision see if you can detect the spiral arms of this face on galaxy.

For navigating the Virgo Cluster I highly recommend "Mastering the Virgo Cluster" by Alan M MacRobert; Sky & Telescope (Archives); May 1994; 42;

*Monthly Messier information gleaned from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Moncton Centre Quebec and from the Astronomy Connection website. Astronomical Highlights for 2007

Earth's major motions for 2007
Perihelion
Jan 3 20h(UT) First Cross Quarter Day
Feb 2-6 Equinox
Mar 21 00:07(UT) Second Cross Quarter Day
May 4-7 Solstice
June 21 18:06(UT) Aphelion
July 4 00h (UT) Third Cross Quarter Day
Aug 5-8 Equinox
Sept 23 19:51(UT) Fourth Cross Quarter Day
Nov 5-8 Solstice
Dec 22 06:08(UT)

Planet Positions for 2007

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Venus Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Gem Leo Sex Cnc Leo Leo Vir Mars Oph Sgr Cap Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Gem Gem Jupiter Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Uranus Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Aqu Neptune Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap

Eclipses for 2007

Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval Observatory)

Meteor Showers for 2007

Comets for June

Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pages
Skyhound Comet pages

Historical and Current Events...Did you know?

Culled from Wikipedia by Mark Tillotson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June )
Thanks Mark!!!

6/1 b- 1928 - Georgi Dobrovolski, cosmonaut (Moon crater) 6/2 1896 - Guglielmo Marconi receives a patent for his newest invention: the radio. 1966 - Surveyor program: Surveyor 1 lands in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon, becoming the first US spacecraft to soft land on another world. 2003 - Europe launches its first voyage to another planet, Mars. The European Space Agency's Mars Express probe launches from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan. b- 1930 â Pete Conrad, NASA Astronaut. Flew on Gemini 5, 11, Apollo 12, and Skylab 2 missions. (d. 7/8/1999) 6/3 1965 - Launch of Gemini 4, the first multi-day space mission by a NASA crew. 1965 - For 21 minutes, Edward H. White floats free outside the space vehicle Gemini IV for the first time. b- 1659 - David Gregory, Scottish astronomer (d. 1708) 6/4 1769 - A transit of Venus is followed five hours later by a total solar eclipse, the shortest such interval in the historical past. b- 470 BC - Socrates, Greek philosopher (d. 399 BC) b- 460 BC - Hippocrates, Greek historian (d. 370 BC) b- 1754 - Franz Xaver, Baron Von Zach, Austrian editor and astronomer (d. 1832) (Moon crater) 6/5 b- 1819 - John Couch Adams, English mathematician and astronomer (d. 1892) (Moon crater) 6/6 1971 - Soyuz program: Soyuz 11 launches. 2002 - Eastern Mediterranean Event. A near-Earth asteroid estimated at 10 meters diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya. The resulting explosion is estimated to have a force of 26 kilotons, slightly more powerful than the Nagasaki atomic bomb. b- 1436 - Regiomontanus, German mathematician (d. 1476) (Moon crater) b- 1580 - Godefroy Wendelin, Flemish astronomer (d. 1667) b- 1932 - David Scott, NASA astronaut. Flew on Gemini 8 and Apollo 9 and 15. 6/7 d- 1826 - Joseph von Fraunhofer, German physicist and astronomer (b. 1787) (Moon crater) 6/8 2004 - First Transit of Venus in this millennium. b- 1625 - Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Italian scientist and astronomer (d. 1712) (Moon crater) 6/10 2003 - The Spirit Rover is launched, beginning NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission. b- 1710 - James Short, Scottish mathematician (d. 1768) (Moon crater) b- 1929 â James A. McDivitt, NASA Astronaut. Command Pilot, Gemini 4 (1965) and Commander, Apollo 9 (1969). 6/11 2004 - Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of Phoebe. b- 1723 - Johann Georg Palitzsch, German astronomer (d. 1788) (Moon crater) 6/12 1967 - Venera program: Venera 4 is launched (it will become the first space probe to enter another planet's atmosphere and successfully return data). 2004 - A 1.3 kg chondrite type meteorite strikes a house in Ellerslie, New Zealand causing serious damage but no injuries. b- 1577 - Paul Guldin, Swiss astronomer and mathematician (d. 1643) 6/13 1983 - Pioneer 10 becomes the first manmade object to leave the solar system. b- 1773 - Thomas Young, English scientist (d. 1829) (Moon crater) b- 1831 - James Clerk Maxwell, Scottish physicist (d. 1879) (Moon crater) d- 1993 - Deke Slayton, astronaut (b. 1924) 6/14 1822 - Charles Babbage proposes a difference engine in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society entitled "Note on the application of machinery to the computation of astronomical and mathematical tables." 1962 - The European Space Research Organization is established in Paris â later becoming the European Space Agency. 1967 - Mariner program: Mariner 5 is launched toward Venus. 6/15 763 BC - Assyrians record a solar eclipse that will be used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history. b- 1765 - Johann Gottlieb Friedrich von Bohnenberger, German mathematician (d. 1831) (Moon crater) 6/16 1911 - A 772 gram stony meteorite struck earth near Kilbourn, Columbia County, Wisconsin damaging a barn. 1963 - Soviet Space Program: Vostok 6 Mission, Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space. b- 1888 - Peter Stoner, American mathematician, astronomer and Christian apologist (d. 1980) 6/17 b- 1714 - CÃsar-FranÃois Cassini de Thury, French astronomer (d. 1784) 6/18 1178 - Five Canterbury monks see what was possibly the Giordano Bruno crater being formed. It is believed that the current oscillations of the moon's distance (on the order of meters) are a result of this collision. 1983 - Space Shuttle program: STS-7, Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space. d- 1650 - Christoph Scheiner, German astronomer (b. 1573) (Moon crater) d- 1922 - Jacobus Kapteyn, Dutch astronomer (b. 1851) 6/19 b- 1846 - Antonio Abetti, Italian astronomer (d. 1928) (Moon crater) b- 1922 - Aage Niels Bohr, Danish physicist, Nobel laureate (Moon crater) b- 1933 - Viktor Patsayev, Soviet cosmonaut 6/20 1990 - Asteroid Eureka discovered. 1941 - Ulf Merbold, German physicist and astronaut 6/21 2004 - SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight. 2006 - Pluto's newly discovered moons are officially christened Nix & Hydra on this date. b- 1646 (O.S.) - Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, German philosopher and scientist (d. 1716) (Moon crater) b- 1823 - Jean Chacornac, French astronomer (d. 1873) (Moon crater) b- 1863 - Max Wolf, German astronomer (d. 1932) (Moon crater) b- 1958 - Gennady Padalka, cosmonaut d- 1951 - Charles Dillon Perrine, American astronomer (b. 1867) (Moon crater) 6/22 1633 - The Holy Office in Rome forces Galileo Galilei to recant his scientific view that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe. b- 1930 - Yuri Artyukhin, cosmonaut (d. 1998) d- 1429 - Ghiyath al-Kashi, Persian astronomer and mathematician (b. 1380) 6/23 b- 1612 - AndrÃ Tacquet, Belgian mathematician (d. 1660) (Moon crater) b- Donn Eisele, NASA Astronaut. Flew on Apollo 7. (d. 12/2/1987) 6/24 1983 - Space Shuttle program: STS-7 Mission Sally Ride, first female American astronaut, returns to earth. b- 1485 - Johannes Bugenhagen, German reformer (d. 1558) b- 1915 - Fred Hoyle, British astronomer (d. 2001) d- 1946 - Ellison Onizuka, American astronaut (d. 1986) d- 1637 - Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, French astronomer ( b. 1580) (Moon crater) 6/25 1997 - An unmanned Progress spacecraft collided with the Russian Space station, Mir. d- 1671 - Giovanni Battista Riccioli, Italian astronomer (b. 1598) (Moon crater) 6/26 1973 - On Plesetsk Cosmodrome 9 people are killed in an explosion of a Cosmos 3-M rocket. b- 1904 - Frank Scott Hogg, Canadian astronomer (d. 1951) (Moon crater) b- 1925 - Pavel Belyayev, cosmonaut (d. 1970) (Moon crater) 6/28 d- 1889 - Maria Mitchell, American astronomer (b. 1818) (Moon crater) 6/29 512 - A solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. 1995 - Space Shuttle program: STS-71 Mission (Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir for the first time.) b- 1868 - George Ellery Hale, American astronomer (d. 1938) (Moon crater) b- 1962 - George Zamka, astronaut 6/30 1905 - Albert Einstein publishes the article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies", where he introduces special relativity. 1908 - The Tunguska impact event occurs in Siberia. 1971 - The crew of the Soviet Soyuz 11 spacecraft is killed when their air supply escapes through a faulty valve. d- 1971 - Crew of Soyuz 11 o Viktor Patsayev (b. 1933) o Georgi Dobrovolski (b. 1928) o Vladislav Volkov (b. 1935)

Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat or write us a favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!

Music Scottish Guitar Quartet -"Romance within you"
Boom Boom Beckett - "Summertime"
Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet - "Pour-quoi, pour-quoi pas"

Episode media

Astronomy a Go Go! podcast

Recent podcasts

Tour of the Sky: September 2007

Eclipse Special

Tour of the Sky: August 2007

Tour of the Sky: July 2007

Tour of the Sky: June 2007

Search

Tags