Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday August 4th and 5th written by Joe Slomka
This is the Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday August 4th and 5th written by Joe Slomka.
The Sun sets at 8:12 PM; night falls at 10:06. Dawn breaks at 3:57 AM and ends with sunrise at 5:51 AM.
The Moon resides in Ophiuchus on both nights. Monday, the Moon set at 12:45 AM and rises at 5:14 PM, at 9 PM is 18° high in the South, appears 30 arc-seconds in size and 81% illuminated. Tuesday, it sets at 1:31 AM in the Southwest, same size, 83% lit and rises at 6:10 PM. Wednesday, the Moon sets at 2:27 AM.
Mars and 4Vesta are evening sights. The Red Planet rises in western Virgo at 9:51 AM, 1st magnitude, appears 4 arc-seconds, highest at 3:55, 21° high, 95% illuminated and sets at 9:59 PM. Asteroid 4Vesta, in Libra, rises at 2:36 PM, highest at 7:53 PM, 94% lit, 7th magnitude, 0.3 arc-seconds, 33° in the South and sets at 1:13 AM.
Jupiter and Venus share eastern Gemini. Jupiter, closest to East, rises at 3:24 AM, highest at 10:54 AM, minus 2nd magnitude, 33 large arc-minutes, 6° at 4AM and sets at 7:85 PM; Jupiter and Venus convene 6° apart. Venus rises at 2:54 AM, blazes with minus 4th magnitude, 14 arc-seconds, highest at 10:22 AM, 10° at 4 AM, 77% visible and sets at 3:51 PM.
Uranus stands alone in eastern Taurus, rising at 12:39 AM, 5th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds, highest at 7:56 AM, 37° at 4 AM and sets at 3:14 PM.
Saturn and Neptune pair in southern Pisces. Saturn rises at 10:14 PM, highest at 4:11 AM, zero magnitude, 19 arc-minutes, and sets 45° at 10:03 AM. Neptune rises at 10:10 PM, 8th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds, 47° at 4 AM, highest at 4:11 AM and sets at 10:07 AM.
Dwarf Planet Pluto in southern Capricornus for those with large telescopes. Rises at 7:55 PM, 14th magnitude, 0.10 arc seconds, highest at 12:24 AM, 6° at 4 AM and sets at 4:49 AM.
About Midnight, shaped like a stick drawing of a house, constellation Cepheus aims toward North Star Polaris. In Greek legend, Cepheus was king-husband of Cassiopeia and father of Andromeda. Cepheus houses one star that became the prototype of a whole class of stars. Cepheids are variable stars that have relatively short periods. These stars vary their light due to processes within the stars. In 1893, Henrietta Swan Leavitt worked as a human computer for Harvard Observatory and made a discovery. Leavitt noted that the variation period of these stars was in direct proportion to intrinsic brightness. The Cepheid was a “standard candle”.; If one notes a star’s brilliance but perceives it from Earth as dimmer, one can estimate distance. Miss Leavitt made it possible to establish distances to star clouds and galaxies. All one had to do is find a Cepheid star and note its period. Ms. Leavitt’s discovery made possible the amazing progress of astrophysics.