Category: Astronomy

By Heather Durham | March 31, 2020

Before we review this month’s activities, I want to unpack one term which has arisen during our recent situation. I am speaking about distancing … but physical distancing rather than the perhaps misused social distancing. I am fortunate enough to be able to be remain physically distant from others because I reside in my own home and am able to function from there.

Socially, on the other hand, I connect often with others, whether it be by phone, email, FaceTime, or online audio, and/or video conferencing. I recommend strongly that you think along the same lines. We all need to keep in touch and look after one another.

Having said that, let’s now proceed to see what the skies have in store for us during April of 2020.

April 1 – First quarter of the moon. The Sombrero Galaxy from Virgo May be viewable with binoculars or a telescope.

April 2 – Asteroid 3 Juno from the Constellation Virgo should be viewable this evening.

April 3 – Mercury and Neptune will be rising. Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters from the Constellation Taurus will be viewable with Venus.

April 4 – A spiral galaxy, M94, from the Constellation Canes Venatici will be on display but not for the naked eye. A jewel box open star cluster known as NGC 4755 will be visible.

April 7 – Today we will have a full moon. Because it will be at its closest point to the Earth, it may appear a bit larger than usual.

April 9 – Jupiter and Pluto, both from the Constellation Sagittarius will be rising in the same direction.

April 10 – The Moon will be as far from the Earth as possible this evening.

April 13 – Eris, or dwarf planet 136199 is the most massive and second largest known dwarf planet in the Solar System, according to Wikipedia, will pass very close to the Sun. (Wikipedia,2019). Centaurus A or NGC 5128 will be visible but not with the naked eye. Omega Centauri, a bright globular cluster should be visible to the naked eye providing your view point is very dark.

April 14 – This will be the final quarter of the Moon this month. The Moon and Jupiter will rise together. The Moon, Jupiter and Pluto will be on display together. The whirlpool galaxy or M51 will be visible.

April 15 – The Moon and Saturn will rise and closely approach one another. M83 from the galaxy Hydra will be visible, but not with the naked eye.

April 16 – The Moon and Mars will rise and closely approach one another. 136108 Haumea from the Constellation Bootes will be viewable.

April 17 – Once again this month we have another visit from the Canes Venatici, M3, a globular cluster.

April 19 – The Moon will orbit to its closest point to the Sun.

April 20 – The Moon will appear slightly smaller on this date as it orbits to the farthest point to the Earth.

April 21 – The Moon and Mercury will rise together.

April 22 – The Lyrid meteor shower from the Constellation Hercules will be at its peak. The pinwheel galaxy, M101 from the Constellation Ursa Major may be viewable, but not with the naked eye. There will be a new moon tonight.

April 23 – The n-puppid meteor shower will be at it’s peak today.

April 26 – Uranus will pass very close to the Sun today. The Moon and Venus will rise together.

April 28 – Venus will be at it’s brightest today.

April 30 – The Moon will be at its first quarter today.

Previous in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – March 2020; next in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – May 2020

References:

In-the-Sky. (2020, March 30). Calendar of Astronomical Events. Retrieved from in-the-sky.org/newscal.php?month=4&year=2020&maxdiff=7#datesel

Wikipedia. (2020, March 31). Eris (Dwarf Planet). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eris_(dwarf_planet)

By Heather Durham | February 29, 2020

Hi there everyone and welcome to the March Edition of Celestial Seasonings 2020! March is the month during which we transition from winter into spring. We will change the time on March 8, and spring will begin on March 19. As I sit here writing this today in late February, the Sun is shining brightly and my thermometer says 55 degrees. Time to put down my tech gadgets and go outside for a Sunday afternoon stroll.

Happy reading my friends and I hope you find the many delights offered to us well worth the wait and astronomical show. Now let’s begin our journey into the night skies of March 2020 …

March 2. LC2602, an open star cluster from the Constellation Carina will display. The Moon phase will be the first quarter.

March 6. M44, our prolific Beehive Cluster will closely approach the Moon.

March 8. Clocks are to Spring forward at 2 AM (or before you go to bed Saturday, March 7, or after you wake up Sunday, March 8). Neptune may be seen at the opposite side of the Sun from the Earth in the evening (Wikipedia, 2019).

March 10. NGC3532, from the Constellation Carina is also referred to as the Pincushion, Football, or Wishing Well open cluster will be visible (Wikipedia, 2019).

March 11. The Moon will orbit its furthest point from the sun.

March 14. y-Normid meteor shower from the Constellation Norma will be visible.

March 15. Asteroid 27 Euterpe, a minor planet designation will reach its highest point in the sky close to midnight.

March 16. This date will bring the last quarter of the Moon.

March 18. The Moon, along with Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will rise closely to one another.

March 22. Half of Mercury will be visible.

March 23. Mars and Pluto will rise together and be close to each other.

March 24. Venus will go to its furthest point from the sun. There will be a new moon which may appear smaller then normal for it will be at it’s farthest point from the Earth.

March 26. Venus will reach its highest point in the evening sky. 136472 Makemake, a minor planet designation will be visible most notably near midnight. Half of Venus will be visible. (in-the-sky.org, 2020).

March 27. Mercury will be as far away from the Sun as it ever goes.

March 28. The Moon and Venus will rise close to each other.

Previous in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – February – 2020; next in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – April 2020

References:

in-the-sky.org. (2020) Makemake. Retrieved from in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20200210_11_101

Wikipedia. (2020, February 24). Daylight Saving Time in the United States. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_in_the_United_States

Wikipedia. (2019, December). NGC3532. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC3532

Wikipedia. (2019, October). Solar Conjunction. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/solar.conjunction

By Heather Durham | January 31, 2020

Hi everybody and welcome to the February 2020 issue of Celestial Seasonings!

This month brings with it another visit from our Beehive Cluster, M44, as well as an increasing amount of daylight. Additionally, we are having an extra day this month for 2020 is a leap year. Now let’s see what the skies will provide for our viewing pleasure.

February 1: The first quarter of the Moon will appear.

February 8: The Open Beehive Cluster commonly referred to as M44 will closely approach the Moon. M44 is from the Constellation Cancer. The Moon will be 15 days old on this date. The a-Centaurid meteor shower coming from the Centaurus Constellation will occur. As part of the Milky Way, the globe-shaped cluster, NGC2808 from the Constellation Carina will be displayed (Wikipedia, 2019).

February 9: The Moon will be full.

February 10: Mercury will be far away from the Sun. This is also referred to as Mercury being at it’s greatest elongation East (in-the-sky.org,2019). The Moon will be at it’s farthest point from the Sun and the Moon will travel by it’s closest point to Earth.

February 12: Mercury has an 88-day orbit around the Sun and will be at it’s closest position near the Sun. As well, Mercury will be at it’s highest point in the sky.

February 15: This date will bring the last quarter of the Moon.

February 18: The open cluster from the Constellation Sagittarius, NGC6530, will closely approach Mars. The Moon and Mars will rise closely together in the same direction.

February 19: The Moon and Jupiter will rise up in the same direction. The Moon and Jupiter will rise closely to one another. Bode’s Galaxy or NGC3031 from Ursa Major will be great for observation.

February 20: The Moon and Saturn will rise in the same direction with the two of them passing close to each other.

February 21: The Moon will orbit towards it’s closest place to the Sun. NGC3114 also known as a sparse open star cluster from the Constellation Carina should be visible with binoculars.

February 23: This date will bring us a new moon.

February 25: Mercury will pass closely by the Sun.

February 26: The Moon will appear somewhat smaller as it orbits towards it’s farthest point from Earth.

February 27: The Moon and Venus will rise in the same direction.

February 28: M22, also known as NGC6656, an elliptical globe-shaped cluster from the Constellation Sagittarius and Mars will be making a close approach of one another (Wikipedia, 2019).

February 29: This year is a leap year, so there is a February 29. In Irish and English tradition, women were allowed on this day to initiate dances and propose marriage. If refused, the bachelor had to pay a forfeit.

Previous in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – January 2020; next in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – March 2020

References:

in-the-sky.org. (2020). Mercury. Retrieved from  https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20200210_11_101

Wikipedia. (2019, December 9). Bachelor’s Day (Tradition). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor%27s_Day_(tradition)

Wikipedia. (2019, December). Beehive Cluster. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_Cluster

Wikipedia. (2019, October). Messier 22. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_22

By Heather Durham | December 31, 2019

Happy New Year and new decade everyone! This month comes with an eclipse of the Moon as well as from M44, our Beehive Cluster. The darkest days are over now providing us with ever increasing daylight until June.

Let’s hope that our new decade is full of increasing optimism and joy! Now let’s explore what the Cosmos has in store for us this the first month of the new decade!

January 1: The Moon is at its farthest point from the Earth.

January 2: M41, the open cluster from Canis Major will be at its highest point in the sky.

The first quarter of the moon will occur as well.

January 4: Quadrantid meteor shower from the Constellation Boötes will be on display.

January 5: Earth will be at its closest point to the Sun.

January 10: The planet Mercury will travel close to the Sun.

A penumbral eclipse of the Moon will occur on this date meaning that the Moon will pass through the Earth’s shadow. Not only will the Moon be full tonight, but it will also travel to its farthest place from the Sun.

January 11: The Moon and the Beehive open cluster from the Constellation Cancer will approach one another. (Wikipedia, 2019).

January 13: Saturn will move closely by the Sun. Also, Pluto will move closely by the Sun. The Moon will pass closely by the Earth making it appear slightly larger than usual. As a minor planet designation, 1 Ceres will move very close to the Sun.  Also of note, 1 Ceres passes back and forth between Mars and Jupiter as the biggest object in the main asteroid belt.

January 15: On this date, another minor planet designation, Asteroid 511 Davida will be visible.  This is from the Constellation Gemini. From Puppis, the open star cluster otherwise referred to as M47 or NGC 2422 will be available for viewing. NGC 2403 which is also referred to as Caldwell 7 comes from the Constellation Camelopardalis is an intermediate spiral galaxy available in the night sky. (Wikipedia,2019)

January 17: This will be the date for the last quarter of the Moon. Once again from the Puppis Constellation, comes open star cluster NGC 2451.

January 19: Today will bring us y-Ursae minorid meteor shower from the Constellation Ursa Minor.

January 20: The Moon and Mars will both rise to the right (in a right ascension (see References)) and they will come to be in close proximity to one another.

January 21: From within the Constellation Cancer, comes Asteroid 5 Astraea.

January 22: The Moon and Jupiter will be both close together as well as rising to the right (in a right ascension (see References)).

January 23: The Moon will go to its closest point to the Sun.

January 24: The Moon will be new today.

January 27: Venus and Neptune will be close and also rise to the right (in a right ascension (see References)).

January 28: The Moon and Venus will rise to the right (in a right ascension (see References)). The Moon, Venus and Neptune will be in close proximity to one another.

January 29: The Moon will appear smaller for it is far away from the Earth.

January 31: Once again this month, we will be presented again with M44 or the Beehive Cluster. An open star cluster from the Constellation Vela, also known as Caldwell 85 may be visible with binoculars.

Previous in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – December 2019; next in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – February 2020

References:

in-the-sky.org. (2019). Retrieved from in-the-sky.org/newscast.php?month=1&year=2020&maxdiff=7#datesel

Wikipedia. (2019, December 19). Beehive Cluster. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_Cluster

Wikipedia. (2019, December 7). Boötes. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boötes

Wikipedia. (2019, December 18). Canis Major. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canis_Major

Wikipedia. (2019, December 27). IC 2391. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IC_2391

Wikipedia (2019, October 16). Penumbral Eclipse. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_eclipse#Penumbral_eclipse

Wikipedia. (2019, December 15). Right Ascension. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_ascension

By Heather Durham | December 5, 2019

Due to holidays and snowstorms, we join the celestial show already in progress.

December 2. The Pheonicid meteor shower will originate from the Constellation Phoenix.

December 4. The first quarter phase of the Moon should shine brightly in the evening sky. The Moon is at its apogee (its greatest distance from the Earth), which will result in it appearing smaller than usual.

December 6. The Cassiopeia meteor shower from Andromeda should be visible.

December 7. The Puppid-Velid meteor shower from Veda will appear in the night sky.

December 9. The Monocerotid meteor shower from Monoceros should be visible.

December 10. The Moon will be at its farthest distance from the Sun. This is commonly referred to as the Moon at aphelion.  Also this evening, Saturn and Venus will both rise at a right ascension,

December 11. Saturn and Venus will be passing one another.

December 12. The Moon will be full on this date. This Moon is the third full autumn Moon of 2019, known as the Oak Moon (in-the-sky.org, 2019). The Hydrid meteor shower from the Constellation Hydra presents itself. An object in space orbiting the Milky Way, known as the Large Magellanic Cloud or LMC will present itself today (Wikipedia, 2019).

December 13. Venus and Pluto will be rising otherwise known as conjunction.

December 14. The Geminid meteor shower from the Constellation Gemini is upon us this date.

December 15. From the Constellation Cancer, the Beehive Cluster will be making a close approach to the Moon. An open cluster from Orion will be visible, also known as NGC 1981.

December 16. From the Constellation Leo comes the Comae Berenicid meteor shower.

December 18. The Moon will be at perigee meaning at its closest point to the Earth. This Moon should appear larger than usual. This date also brings us to the last quarter of the Moon.

December 20. December Leonid Minorid meteor shower from the Constellation Leo Minor.

December 21. December Solstice and shortest day of the year.

December 22. Both the Moon and Mars will ascend a.k.a be in conjunction. As well, they both will be moving close together.

December 23. Ursid meteor shower from the Constellation Ursa Minor.

December 26. There will be a new Moon. The Moon will also be closest to the Sun.

December 27. The Moon and Saturn will ascend. Jupiter will move very close to the Sun.

December 28. From the Constellation Monoceros comes an open star cluster generally referred to as NGC 2232. The Moon and Venus will rise and will be approaching one another.

December 29. Once again coming from the Constellation Monoceros comes an open star cluster commonly referred to as NGC 2244.

December 30. Mercury will be located at its greatest distance from the Sun, otherwise referred to as aphelion.

We wish you a very Happy New Year! My resolution will be to issue this report in a more punctual manner. But you know how it is with New Year’s resolutions.

Previous in sequence Celestial Seasonings – November 2019; next in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – January 2020

References:

in-the-sky.org. (2019). Retrieved from  in-the-sky.org/newscal.php?month=12&year=2019&maxdiff=7#datesel

spacetourismguide.com.  (2019, November). What to See in the Night Sky in 2019.  Retrieved from spacetourismguide.com/night-sky-2019/

Wikipedia. (2006, October 29). Large Magellanic Cloud. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Magellanic_Cloud

Wikipedia. (2017, November 17). NGC 1981. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/NGC_1981

Wikipedia, (2007, April 20). NGC 2244. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/NGC_2244

By Heather Durham | October 30, 2019

Welcome to the November 2019 edition of Celestial Seasonings! This month of sky watching is not quite as prolific as last month. However we do have many exciting events to view and ponder including the Leonids, Mercury passing over the face of the sun as well as the second moon of autumn – the Beaver Moon – which will be full on the 12th. Lets get started……

November 2

A conjunction occurs when two planets look as if they are close to one another. This date brings the Moon and Saturn as well as the Moon and Pluto into conjunction.

November 4

Taurid is an annual meteor shower coming from the comet Encke. As well, Taurid is a dwarf shower that is part of the Taurus Constellation. You might hear them referred to as Halloween Fireballs because it is autumn. Rather than being as small as dust grains, they larger like small stones or pebbles. For this reason, they can be as bright as the Moon.

Today also marks the First Quarter of the Moon.

November 11

Mercury will be at inferior solar conjunction which also means that it is passing, more or less, between the Sun and Earth. This is also known as the Transit of Mercury, meaning it passes over the Sun, blocking out a small space of the solar disk (Wikipedia, 2019)

November 12

Asteroid 4 Vesta. This type of name describes a name-number combination given to a minor planet designation.

Not only is it one of the largest designations in the asteroid belt, it is also known as the brightest asteroid visible from Earth.

The full Beaver Moon will be before us tonight.

November 16

Mercury will be at Perihelion, meaning its closest point from the sun. It’s interesting to note that the orbit of Mercury is elliptical rather than circular as others are.

November 18

On this date, we are having a Leonid Meteor Shower which tends to be quite prolific. This shower comes from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle. (in-the-sky.org, 2019)

November 19

This date brings us the Last Quarter of the Moon.

November 21

Alpha-Monocerotid. This is a reliable minor meteor shower. This one should not be confused with the one occurring next month (Wikipedia,2019).

November 24

Today the Moon and Mars appear to be close together (in conjunction).

Venus and Jupiter will be in close proximity of each other (in conjunction).

November 26

Today brings us a New Moon.

November 28

Orionid, an annual as well as prolific shower from Haley’s comet comes from the constellation Orion.

Ceres is the largest object from the main asteroid belt, it lies between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.

The Moon will be at Perihelion (its closest to the Sun).

November 29

The Moon and Saturn will look as though they are in close proximity to one another (in conjunction).

November 30

Venus and Ceres will appear to be close together (in conjunction).

Previous in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – October 2019; next in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – December 2019

References:

in-the-sky.org. (2019). Leonids. Retrieved from in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20191118_10_100

spacetourismguide.com. (2019, October). What to See in the Night Sky in 2019. Retrieved from spacetourismguide.com/night-sky-2019/

space.com. (2019, October). Stargazing and Night Sky Watching. Retrieved from www.space.com/skywatching/2

timeanddate.com. (2019, October). Sights to See. Retrieved from www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/sights-to-see.html

Wikipedia. (2014, July 30). Alpha Monocerotids. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Monocerotids

Wikipedia. (2019, September 12). Apsis. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apsis

Wikipedia. (2019, October 27). Asteroid 4 Vesta. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4_Vesta

Wikipedia. (2019, October 26). Ceres (Dwarf Planet). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres _(Dwarf_Planet)

Wikipedia. (2019, September 17). Conjunction (Astronomy). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunction_(astronomy)

Wikipedia. (2019, September 30). Fornax. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fornax

Wikipedia. (2019, September 22). Leonids. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonids

Wikipedia. (2019, October 23). Mercury (Planet). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(planet)

Wikipedia. (2019, October 9). Meteor Shower. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_shower

Wikipedia. (2019, September 1). Minor Planet Designation. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_planet_designation

Wikipedia. (2019, June 9). Opposition (Astronomy). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposition_(astronomy)

Wikipedia. (2019, September 30). Orionids. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orionids

Wikipedia. (2019, October 16). Pleiades. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades

Wikipedia. (2019, September 28). Taurids. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurids

Wikipedia. (2019, October 27). Transit of Mercury. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Mercury

By Heather Durham | August 30, 2019

We will have the pleasure to see this month in our night sky, weather permitting, several wonderful celestial events. These include the usual sweep of stars and constellations, but also glimpses of galaxies, planets, comets, changes of moon phase, and the Fall equinox. Enjoy.

September 3

Mercury at superior solar conjunction

This elusive planet will pass very closely to the sun. It is often lost in the suns glare. This marks the end of Mercury‘s apparition in the morning sky and its transition to becoming an evening object over the next few weeks. It will also pass apogee at a distance of 1.37 AU from Earth making it appear very small and distant. (in-the-sky.org, 2019).

September 4

C2018 W2 (Africano) at perihelion

This comet will make its closest approach to the sun and might be visible from Rochester in the morning sky at 20:59 when it rises 21 degrees above the northeastern horizon. While this is not expected to be seen with the naked eye, it might be visible with bird-watching binoculars.

September 8

Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

The Moon will be 11 days old when the moon and Saturn share the same right ascension. The two objects or make a close approach around the same time. From Rochester, they will be visible in the evening sky at about 8:09 PM. They will continue to be observable until around 2am when they sink below 8° above your southwestern sky.

Close approach of the Moon and Pluto

When the moon is 10 days old the pair can be seen in the evening sky at around 7:25 pm. They should be visible with binoculars.

September 23

September equinox

No matter where you live on Earth, the sun will rise almost due east and set almost due west on this, the Equinox of this coming season. The timing of this event will be 3:36 EDT. The sun has a right ascension of approximately equal to 12 hours.

September is a month for new beginnings. The days will be shorter and the nights longer until the December Solstice.

In Rochester, the astronomical twilight begins at 4:57 am, the sunrise at 6:32 am, then the astronomical twilight ends at 8:14 pm. Sunrise is at 6:32 am, sunset at 6:39 pm and the time at which the sun is at its highest point in the sky is at 12:36 pm.

September 24

Close approach of the Moon and M44

When the moon is 25 days old, the Moon and the beehive cluster, M44 will make a close approach of each other. The pair will be visible and the dawn sky rising at 1:49 AM and reaching an altitude of 45° above the eastern horizon before disappearing from view as dawn breaks. The pair may be visible using a pair of binoculars.

Moon Phases, September 2019, Rochester, New Hampshire

Moon Phase – Date – Time of Day

• First Quarter – September 5 – 11:11 PM
• Full Moon. – September 14 – 12:35 AM
• Last Quarter – September 21 – 10.43 PM
• New Moon – September 28 – 2:27 PM

Previous in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – August 2019; next in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – October 2019

References:

Dominic Ford, Editor. (August 11, 2019). From the Inner Planets Feed. Retrieved from
in-the-sky.org/news

Equinox NH 2019 Celebration. (August 2019). Equinox New Hampshire. Retrieved from www.equinoxnh.com

Skymaps.com Monthly Report, (August 2019). Monthly Map. Retrieved from www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

timeanddate.com. (August 2019). September Equinox. Retrieved from www.timeanddate.com/calendar/september-equinox.html

Wikipedia. (August 2019). Conjunctions. Retrieved from en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunction_(astronomy)

Wikipedia. (August 2019). M44. Retrieved from en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_Cluster

Wikipedia. (August, 2019). September 2019 Equinox. Retrieved from en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_equinox

By Heather Durham | July 31, 2019

Fiftieth Anniversary of Apollo 11 – Just Past

For the first time in human history, man landed on the moon on Sunday, July 20, 1969. Michael Collins remained in moon orbit with the command module, while two others descended to the surface in the lunar module. Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin served as the lunar module pilot of Apollo 11.

Apollo 11 launched from the Kennedy Space Center at 9:32 am on July 16, 1969.

It took 2 years to locate the appropriate location for landing. Neil Armstrong was the first to set foot on the lunar surface, followed 19 minutes later by Aldrin.

These men located and brought back to Earth, 47.5 pounds of lunar material. The astronauts returned on July 24, 1969, after spending 8 days in space.

There were and are many celebrations for this 50th anniversary. This past January, the U.S. Mint released a 50th anniversary coin.

August 1 – New Moon

The new moon begins a two-week waxing (or increasing) phase that culminates in the full moon. Once visible, this would be a superb time to view other celestial events because the waxing crescent is visible in the evening sky.

August 8 – Venus at Perihelion

During which Venus is at its closest approach to the sun, a distance is 107,477,000 km. (66,783,111 miles).

August 9 – Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation

Mercury reaches elongation at 18.3 degrees from the sun. It might be viewed at dawn depending upon the weather conditions at that time.

August 12, 13 – Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseid Meteor showers come from a debris stream that surrounds the 133-year orbit of the Swift-Tuttle comet. Beginning in 1865, a young filament from the stream gives a mini peak display before the maximum shower occurred. At peak, meteor rates may reach 60 or more per hour.

These particles slam into Earth’s atmosphere so fast that it doesn’t take a large particle to put on quite a fantastic show. Actually the meteors are no bigger than a grain of sand or a pea. The show is produced by the kinetic energy that changes to heat caused by friction in the upper atmosphere,

Although these may not be that prolific this August due to the full moon, there should be 10-15 meteors per hour … a substantially lesser amount that in other years like 2016.

This month’s shower should be at its strongest right after the comet passes along the portion of its orbit that meets the Earth’s orbit as well as after it passes near the sun.

August 14 – Venus at Superior Solar Conjunction

While not visible with the Sun in the sky, Venus may be seen passing through the evening sky.

August 15 – Full Moon

August 30 – New Moon

Having two new moons in the same calendar month happens only once in every two to three years. (New moons are not lit, so there is nothing lunar to see).

Next in sequence: Celestial Seasonings – September 2019

References:

Lewin, Sarah. (2019, January 8). Perseid Meteor Shower 2019: When, Where & How to See It. Retrieved from www.space.com/32868-perseid-meteor-shower-guide.html

Powell, Martin J. (2019). Mercury. Retrieved from www.nakedeyeplanets.com

Sky & Telescope. (2019). Meteor Showers. Retrieved from www.skyandtelescope.com

Wikipedia. (2019, July 30). Apollo 11. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

Wikipedia. (2019, July 27). Moon. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon

Wikipedia. (2019, March 11). Perseids. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids