Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday July 1st and 2nd, written by Joe Slomka

This is the Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday July 1st and 2nd, written by Joe Slomka.

The Sun sets at 8:37 PM; night falls at 10:52. Dawn begins at 3:07 AM and ends with Sunrise at 5:22. Now that we passed Solstice, today’s days are shorter by a few seconds.

Monday’s Moon rose in northern Aries at 1:39 AM and sets at 4:36 PM; by 4 AM it was 24° high, appears 32 arc-minutes in size and 23% illuminated. Tuesday’s Moon moves to eastern Taurus, rises at 2:09 AM, 17° high, 32 arc-minutes, 15% lit and sets at 5:52 PM; Uranus and the Pleiades shine 4° below the Moon. Wednesday’s Moon rises at 2:47 AM; the 25-day-old Moon also rises in Taurus, 10° high and 7% lit; Jupiter lies 5° below the Moon, along with the Pleiades now 4 1/2° below the Moon.

Mercury, close to the Sun, is first planet to appear, rising in Cancer at 6:47 AM, glimmering with minus zero magnitude, appearing 5 arc-seconds, 8° high in the Northwest, appears 77% illuminated, and sets at 9:47 PM; Mercury is visible all month but fading. Venus rises in Gemini at 5:56 AM, blazes with minus 4th magnitude, is very close to the horizon, appears full and sets at 9:04 PM.

Saturn rises in southeast Aquarius at 11:59 PM, first magnitude, 18 arc-seconds and 36° high. Neptune, 10° above Saturn, rises in southeastern Pisces, temporarily stationary, 8th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds, rises at 12:22 AM and 37° high. Mars rises in eastern Aries at 2:11 AM, 1st magnitude, 5 arc-seconds, 90% lit and 20° high at 4 AM. Uranus shares eastern Taurus with Jupiter; Uranus rises at 2:35 AM, smolders with 6th magnitude, appears 3 arc-seconds and 15° high. Giant Jupiter is last, glaring with minus 2nd magnitude, appears 33 arc-seconds, and 7° high. All Dawn planets set during daylight and either appear full or are close to it.

Only two constellations refer to real people. Coma Berenices lies above Leo’s tail. The other constellation, Scutum (Shield), is now visible in summer skies. Scutum is a dim constellation above teapot-shaped Sagittarius within the glorious Milky Way. It is the fifth smallest constellation. The astronomer Johannes Hevelius named it for the Polish King Jan Sobieski. The Ottoman Empire threatened to invade Europe. Sobieski commanded an allied army and stopped the enemy outside of Vienna. Hevelius created Scutum partially to commemorate this victory, but also to thank the king for rebuilding his Gdansk observatory.

Clear Skies Joe Slomka