Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday June 26th, and 27th, 2023

This is the Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday June 26th, and 27th, written by Joe Slomka.

The Sun sets at 8:38 PM; night falls at 10:55. Dawn begins at 3:02 AM and ends with the Sun rising at 5:19.

Western Venus and Mars share Leo on both nights. Venus blazes with minus 4th magnitude, 31 arc-seconds in size, 19° high at 9:15 PM, 35% illuminated and sets at 11:01 PM. Venus continues its chase after Mars, only 3° away. Mars glows with 1st magnitude, 4 arc-seconds in size and shrinking, 95% lit, 21° high at 9:15 PM and sets at 11:12 PM. Both fit into the same binocular or telescope field.

Southwestern Virgo houses the Moon on both nights. Monday’s Moon is at First Quarter, rises at 1:22 PM, 36° high at 9:15 PM and 57% illuminated. Tuesday finds the Moon setting at 1:16 AM and rising at 2:27 PM, 34° high, 67% lit, and setting at 1:36 AM, Wednesday. The Moon is close to the star Spica on both nights.

Dwarf Planet 1Ceres creeps away from the star Denebola in Leo; it is now about 10° from Leo’s tail, 8th magnitude, 96% lit, 0.5 arc-seconds in size, 43° high at 9:15 PM and sets at 1:32 AM. Comet C/2023 E1 continues to circle the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor), 5° away, highest at 8:37 PM, 14th magnitude, 67% lit and 54° high.

The rest of the planets rise during Dawn, with the exception of Mercury (too close to the Sun). Southern Saturn begins the parade, in Aquarius, rising at 11:52 PM, glowing with zero magnitude, 2 arc-seconds and 36° high at 4:45 AM. Southeastern Neptune, 20° above Saturn, 8th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds, rises in Pisces at 12:40 AM and is 39° high.

Eastern Aries houses Jupiter and Uranus. Jupiter rises at 2:14 AM, glimmering with minus 2nd magnitude, a large 36 arc-seconds and 28° high. The Gas Giant holds two events on Wednesday: The Jovian moon Io begins an eclipse at 10:03 PM, Tuesday, and ends at 1:26 AM; the Great Red Spot (a giant storm) becomes visible at 4:40 AM. Uranus, 12° above Jupiter, brings up the rear, glowing with 6th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds, rises at 2:45 AM and appears 21° high.

While Scorpius dominates the southern night sky, the constellation Libra is also quite important. Depending on sky conditions, the constellation looks either like two stars to the Scorpion’s upper right, or it resembles a diamond. Of all the constellations in the Zodiac, it is the only inanimate figure. According to legend, the stars of Libra originally belonged to Scorpius, forming its two claws. The Arabic names for Libra’s two brightest stars translate as “Northern Claw” and “Southern Claw.” The legend further states that Julius Caesar created Libra by cutting off the claws and redesigning the constellation to form the “scales of Justice” which resemble the scales we see in every courthouse in the country. Caesar thus commemorated his reform of the Roman legal system and calendar. Coincidently, Libra lies due South at the same time we experience the Summer Solstice, when day and night are equal.