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Mt. Washington Valley Astronomy Monthly Calendar


Sky Watch for June 2008

Mercury Mercury - reaches its greatest elongation on the east side of the Sun on May 14, and is in its best position for the year to be observed in the western twlight. Unfortunately, as usual it is low in the sky and dowsed in sunset glow. At mid-month, look for it just a few degrees above the west-northwestern horizon an hour after sunset.

Venus Venus - is 25 degrees in altitude one hour after sunset on June 1 but is just 15 degrees high by the end of June. It sets around 11:00 p.m. EDT at midmonth. Venus and Saturn grow closer together during the course of the month, the distance between them shrinking from 23 degrees on June 1 to 0.7 degree on June 30.

Mars Mars - located in Cancer and Leo during June. Mars will be 35 degrees up in the west by sunset at mid-month. The "red" planet will fade from magnitude 1.5 to 1.6 and have an apparent diameter of 5 arc-seconds during the month. Mars is still large enough to see the major surface features in an 8" telescope. The Martian atmosphere is now clear of dust, allowing good views of the surface. Besides the usual dark surface markings, the North Polar Cap should be visible. Mars will pass only 45' north of Regulus on the evening of June 30th.

Jupiter Jupiter - located in Sagittarius. Jupiter rises around 10:30pm EDT at mid-month and will be 27 degrees up in the south around 3:30am. The "king of the planets" will be magnitude -2.7 with an apparent diameter that increases from 45 to 47 arc-seconds. Jupiter's Great Red Spot, a large anti-cyclone, can be seen centered on the planet's disc at the following times (EDT):

6/05/2008, 05:49 am; 6/08/2008, 03:18 am; 6/10/2008, 04:56 am; 6/13/2008, 02:25 am; 6/15/2008, 04:03 am; 6/17/2008, 05:41 am; 6/18/2008, 01:33 am; 6/20/2008, 03:10 am; 6/22/2008, 04:48 am; 6/25/2008, 02:17 am; 6/27/2008, 03:55 am; 6/30/2008, 01:24 am

For detailed postions of Jupiter's Moons try this interactive javascript utility.

Saturn Saturn - located in Leo. The ringed planet is currently well placed for observing during the first half of the night. Saturn will be 40 degrees up in the WSW just after sunset at mid-month. Look for it a few degrees east of 1st magnitude Regulus during June. Saturn will be magnitude 0.7 during June with an apparent diameter of 17 arc-seconds. The rings will be 37 arc-seconds across and tilted 9 degrees to our line-of-sight. By late December, the ring tilt will be only 1 degree. At least 6 of Saturn's many moons are bright enough to be seen with an 8" scope.

The Cassini spacecraft continues its observation of Saturn and its many moons and rings. For the latest images from Cassini, see:

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm

For detailed postions of Saturn's Moons try this interactive javascript utility.

Uranus Uranus - will be high enough above the horizon to be a good target this month. It will be best when it is highest in the sky a few hours before morning's twilight starts. It will be in on the border between Aquarius and Pisces. At magnitude 5.8 Uranus should be an easy binocular object. Uranus shines with pale aquamarine color.

Neptune Neptune - can be found this month in the eastern sky a few hours before sunrise. It will be higher in the sky than Uranus but fainter and smaller than Uranus. Best time to observe is when it is highest in the sky just before morning's twilight interferes. It will be in Capricornus near the star Delta Capricornus. Neptune will be shining at magnitude 7.9. It will take some careful looking with a pair of binoculars to spot it. Through a telescope Neptune shines with a pale blue color.

Pluto Pluto - still a planet by ASO standards, located in Sagittarius. Pluto passes through opposition on June 20th and is up all night. The best time to see this "dwarf planet" is around 1:30am EDT at mid-month when it will be 31 degrees up in the south. An 8 inch or larger telescope and dark skies will be needed to see Pluto's faint magnitude 14.1 light.

Eris Eris (pronounced "EE-ris") - formerly known as Xena, 2003 UB313, and "the tenth planet" - is magnitude 19 in central Cetus, high in the south during evening.

For detailed information please visit Astronomical Delights

Asteroid 4 Vesta - (magnitude 5.4) is brighter than it has been since 1989 and is a naked-eye object from a dark site. During June, Vesta lies to the north of Jupiter and Antares as it heads westward through Ophiuchus into Scorpius.



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