* Astronomy

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: June 2011


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
June 2011
Permalink  
 


Mercury: at magnitude -1.0, starts the month in the constellation of Taurus. Mercury is at superior conjunction at 11:40 UT, on the 12th June.
(On June 16th,RA= 6h00m15s  Dec=+24°51.0' (J2000) Distance=1.313AU  Elongation=  5°   Phase k=97%  Diameter=5.1")

Venus: is a morning star of magnitude -3.9, The planet is in constellation Aries at the start of the month. It is best seen from 3.9h -19.5h. The New Moon is close to Venus at 6:35 UT, 30th June.
(On June 1st, RA= 3h09m45s  Dec=+16°21.3' (J2000) Distance=1.579AU  Elongation= 21°   Phase k=93%  Diameter=10.6")

  phase.gif


Earth: The earliest sunrise of the year is at 3:11.8 UT, 18th June. The Summer Solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere at 17:16.5 UT.

The Moon: The New Moon is on the 1st and the 30th June. Lunar Apogee is at 04:13.4 UT, 24th June.  Lunar Perigee is at 01:49.3 UT, 12th June. The First Quarter Moon is on the 9th June. The Full Moon (and Partial lunar eclipse) is at 21:13.6 UT, 15th June. Last Quarter Moon is at 11:48.2 UT, 23rd.

Mars: at magnitude 1.3 starts the month in the constellation Aries.
(On June 14th, RA= 3h30m01s  Dec=+18°41.3' (J2000) Distance=2.261AU  Elongation= 28°   Phase k=97%  Diameter=4.1")

Jupiter: is in the constellation Pisces. A magnitude -2.2, the planet is best seen from  3.3h - 4.0h. The Moon is close to Jupiter at 4:30 UT, 26th June.
(On June 1st, RA= 1h49m53s  Dec=+10°06.8' (J2000) Distance=5.670AU  Elongation= 41°   Diameter=34.7")

Saturn: at magnitude 0.7 sits in the constellation Virgo. The planet is best seen from 22.2h - 3.1h. The Moon is close to Saturn at 14:35 UT, on the 10th. Saturn is stationary: Getting Prograde on the 14th June.
(On June 1st, RA=12h42m20s  Dec= -1°42.9' (J2000) Distance=9.077AU  Elongation=120°   Diameter=18.2")


Uranus is in the constellation Pisces. Uranus at magnitude 5.9, has a bluish-green hue and appears 3.7 arcseconds wide. 
()

Neptune: is in the constellation Aquarius. Neptune is Stationary: Getting Retrograde on the 3rd June, 2011.

Pluto is in the constellation Sagittarius (mag 14.0). Normally, a finder chart is necessary to help in identifying the 0.1" diameter dwarf planet. The dwarf planet is best seen from 23.6h - 2.7h.
()

The Sun enters the zodiac sign Cancer at 17:17 UT, 21st June. A partial solar eclipse will occur on June 1, 2011.



__________________


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Permalink  
 

Out of the strange collection of heroes, heroines, animals and other assorted entities that make up the star pictures we have formed as the constellations of the night sky, none is stranger than the constellation Coma Bernices or Bernices Hair. It is just to the west of overhead in this months early evening Colorado sky.
This clustering of faint stars is located about halfway between the bright stars Arcturus in Bootes and Regulus in the constellation of Leo the Lion. At one time, this faint asterism actually belonged to Leo as a tuft on a much more extended version of Leos tail. Leos tail tuft became a casualty of history in the 3rd century B.C. when Egypt was ruled by the pharaoh Ptolemy III and his wife Bernice. She possessed legendary beauty, the highlight of which was her long, flowing hair.



__________________


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Permalink  
 

june.gif



__________________


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Permalink  
 

Highlights

The Solstice on June 21st (
17:16 UT) marks the official start of summer. It is the longest day for us in the northern hemisphere, and marks the celtic festival of Middansumor (AErra Liða)

The Summer Triangle -- Vega, Deneb, and Altair -- holds the central position, high in the south. The scorpion sits low to the south and slightly west. Directly to the arachnid's east is Sagittarius, the Archer, and between the two lies the direction toward the Milky Way galaxy's centre. The ribbon of soft light that delineates our galaxy flows up from the south, through the Triangle, and then cascades toward the northern horizon.

Notable Messier objects

M13 in the constellation Hercules, is one of the largest of over 100 globular clusters in our Galaxy. Located about 25,000 light-years away, it contains about half a million stars packed into a space only a few tens of light years in diameter. Globular clusters contain some of the oldest stars in the Universe.
M56 Also in the constellation of Lyra we find our first globular cluster of the night. In a telescope look for a small round ball of light, slightly brighter in the centre. This is a difficult binocular object appearing as a small fuzzy patch.
M27 Also known as the Dumbbell nebula, the largest planetary nebula in the Messier Catalogue, M27 lies in the constellation Vulpecula. Fairly easy to see in binoculars as a small hazy patch. In small to medium scopes it appears as a rectangular patch of light. In large scopes it may even appear round in shape with a bright rectangular, or dumbbell shaped core.



__________________


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Permalink  
 

June has two main meteor showers, the Arietids and the June Bootids.
Unfortunatly,
the Arietids are during the daylight hours.
The Earth will pass through a stream of dusty debris. Thought no one is sure where the
Arietids dust comes from, although some suspect its debris from the sungrazing asteroid 1566 Icarus. Most Arietid meteors are invisible because the Sun is up when the shower is most intense.

Shower Activity Period Maximum Radiant Velocity ZHR
  DateR.A. Dec. km/s  
June Scutids  3rd June    
May-Librids 4th June16.5h-22.8°12.24.2
June LyrdisJune 1-215th June 17.3h40.0 °37.27
Arietids 12h (daylight)June 2 - 14 8th June20.9h57.8°12.452.7
Tau Herculids
May 19 - June 199th June236°41.0°  
Theta OphiuchidsMay 21 - June 1610-15th June265-28°2910
Pi Puppids 16th June7.5h-15.0°24.825
Northern May Ophiuchids17th June17th June18.5h4.3 °10 
June Bootids
June 22-July 227th June224°+48°18 

The Bootid meteor shower will peak on the night of June 27th. The radiant is in the northern constellation Bootes, the Herdsman.

570216465_edadb87ab9_o.gif
This shower is currently active during June 27 to July 5 and possesses a maximum of activity that falls on the 28th.
The June Bootids have an hourly rate between 3 and 100. The stream is noted for an especially strong display in 1916, and good displays in 1921 and 1927. The source of the June Bootids is comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke.
The meteors are primarily faint, with an average magnitude near 5, however, bright meteors do occur regularly.
Slow meteors are characteristic.
At maximum the radiant is located at RA=233.7 deg, Dec=+52.2 deg.



__________________
«First  <  1 2 3 4 5 | Page of 5  sorted by
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.



Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard