Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, August 12th and 13th, written by Joe Slomka
This is the Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, August 12th and 13th, written by Joe Slomka.
The Sun sets at 8:01 PM; night falls at 9:50. Dawn begins at 4:11 AM and ends with the Sun rising at 6:00.
Western Libra hosts the Moon on both nights. Monday’s First Quarter rises at 2:09 PM by 8:30 PM it is 20° high, appears 30 arc-minutes in size, 54% illuminated and sets at 11:26 PM. Tuesday it rises at 3:17 PM, by 8:30 PM it lies 20° in the South, still 30 arc-minutes, 64% lit and sets at 12:01 AM, Wednesday. On the night of the 13th and 14th, the Moon passes southwestern star Antares, at 8:30 PM, Antares lies 2° from the Moon, both 20° above the horizon. This is one of several conjunctions this year.
Western Venus blazes with minus 4th magnitude, appears 10 arc-seconds, 94% lit, 3° high at 8:30 PM and sets at 8:49, presenting a challenge for the observer.
Saturn leads, rising in southwestern Aquarius at 9:11 PM, shining with zero magnitude, 19 arc-seconds, highest at 2:48 AM, by 5:30 AM it lies 28° high. Neptune 11° from Saturn, lies in southwestern Pisces, 7th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds, highest at 3:29 AM, and 37° high. Eastern Taurus gathers Uranus, Mars and Jupiter together. Uranus rises at 11:50 PM, 5th magnitude, 4 arc-seconds, lies 59° high and is 11° East of Mars. Mars, rises at 12:56 AM shines with zero magnitude, 6 arc-seconds, 48° high, 88° lit and only 21 arc-minutes from Jupiter. Jupiter rises at 1:02 AM, radiant with minus 2nd magnitude, a large 36 arc-seconds, and 48° high. On Wednesday, Mars passes 19 arc-minutes north of Jupiter, the pair nestled within the Horns of Taurus, the Bull. Both can be seen in binoculars.
Midnight finds the constellation Perseus rising from the northeast and presents the annual Perseid meteor shower. Meteors are bits of comets or asteroids that encounter Earth and burn up in our atmosphere. Perseids originate from Comet Swift-Tuttle. As a comet approaches the Sun, ices and gases evaporate and take tiny flakes with them. When Earth runs into comet’s path, meteor shower is the result. Weather permitting, Monday is an ideal time to observe the Perseid shower, since the Moon sets before midnight. Simply take a lawn chair into a field and enjoy. A blanket helps to ward off evening chill. You will see bright meteors streaking across the sky. If you backtrack their path, they seem to originate from the constellation Perseus. This is an effect of Earth’s entering the meteor stream; you see a similar result when driving through a snowstorm. After midnight, you may witness additional 5 very old meteor streams, according to magazines. If weather does not permit observing on Monday night, the shower will still be visible Tuesday night.
Clear Skies Joe Slomka