June Sky Guide

Hi all,

Guide for June is below.

OBSERVING GUIDE
(Please note all times are BST and are based on an observing location of Belfast)

The Sun

At the start of the month the Sun rises at 04:55 and sets at 21:50. By the end of the month, it rises at 04:50 and sets at 22:00.

The Planets

Mercury is at inferior conjunction on the 7th and as a result is not well placed for observation this month. It becomes a morning object but by month‘s end it rises only an hour before the Sun at 03:50.

Venus is at superior conjunction on the 9th and as a result is not observable this month.

Mars is slowly slipping into the evening twilight. It rises during daylight hours and moves into Leo from Cancer during the month. It fades from mag +1.5 to mag +1.6 during the month. By month’s end it sets at 00:15.

Jupiter can be found in Sagittarius, close to the horizon. At the start of the month, it rises at 00:30 and by month’s end, it rises at 22:20. It brightens from mag -2.6 to mag -2.7 during the month.

Saturn is also slowly slipping into the evening twilight. It rises during daylight hours and can be found in Leo. It fades from mag +0.7 to mag +0.8 during the month. By month’s end it sets at 00:25.

Uranus can be found in Aquarius. At the start of the month, it rises at 02:35 and by month’s end it rises at 00:35. It brightens from mag +5.9 to mag +5.8 during the month.

Neptune can be found in Capricornus. At the start of the month, it rises at 01:50 and by month’s end it rises at 23:45. It maintains its brightness at mag +7.9 during the month.

Plutoid Pluto is at opposition on the 20th and can be found in Sagittarius. It will be mag +13.9, close to 6 Sagittarii and two degrees to the North of M23.

The Moon

The new moon is on the 3rd with the first quarter moon on the 10th. The full moon this month is on the 18th. The last quarter moon is on the 26th.

On the evening of the 5th, catch a 6% illuminated waxing crescent moon low in the North-West, South of Castor and Pollux just after sunset.

On the evening of the 7th, a 22% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies within three degrees of Mars, to the South-West of the planet.

On the evening of the 8th, a 32% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies in a straight line with Saturn and Regulus (Alpha Leonis).

On the evening of the 20th/ morning of the 21st, a 98% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies close to Jupiter, to the South-West of the planet.

On the morning of the 23rd, a 83% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies close to Neptune, to the West of the planet.

On the morning of the 30th, a 13% illuminated waning crescent moon lies close to M45 - The Pleiades, to the West of the cluster.

Asteroids

Juno is at opposition on the 10th and can be found in Ophiuchus.

Meteors

There are three showers this month. The first one is the Ophiuchids. They have two peaks, on the 9th and the 19th. The ZHR for this shower is 5. For the first peak on the 9th, there will be some lunar interference with a 42 % illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at 01:30 on the morning of the 10th. For the second peak on the 19th, there will be major lunar interference with a 98% illuminated waning gibbous moon only rising at 23:20 on the evening of the 19th.

The second shower is the June Lyrids with its peak on the 15th. It has a ZHR of 8. There will be some lunar interference with a 92% illuminated waxing gibbous moon setting at 02:35 on the morning of the 16th. The final shower of the month is the June Bootids which peak around 03:30 on the morning of the 27th. The ZHR is variable with rates over 100 recorded in previous years. There will be some lunar interference with a 44% illuminated waning crescent rising at 00:50 on the morning of the 27th.

Comets

Comet 17P/Holmes moves from Auriga into Gemini this month. It is fading with current observations estimating its brightness at mag +5.8. It slips into the evening twilight this month and is too close to the Sun to observe by month’s end.

Up to date information and finder charts for comets can be found at www.aerith.net and
www.skyhound.com/sh/comets.html

Deep Sky

On the deep sky front this month, galaxies M81 and M82 can be observed in Ursa Major. In Leo, we have several galaxies on view including The Leo Triplet - M65, M66 and NGC 3628. The place to really find galaxies is in Virgo. The Virgo Super Cluster can be found here with numerous galaxies on view. In Coma Berenices, there is M64 - the Black-Eye Galaxy. Also check out the constellation Canes Venatici with the globular cluster - M3 and several galaxies including M51 - the Whirlpool Galaxy and M63 - the Sunflower Galaxy. In Hercules, two globular clusters – M92 and the excellent M13 can be observed and in Lyra – M57 – The Ring Nebula can be observed. Also check out Sagittarius, low in the South which contains many messier objects including open clusters M18 and M25, to name but a few.

General Notes

Always keep an eye out for Aurorae. Check out www.stronge.org.uk/spaceweather.html for the most up-to-date information on the aurorae. The Summer Solstice is on the 21st of the month. This is the day with the greatest number of sunlight hours and after this the daytime gets gradually shorter and the nighttime gets gradually longer. It also marks the start of summer. The night sky does not get fully dark this month. Between May and the middle of August, Astronomical twilight is present at night. This is when the sun is between twelve and eighteen degrees below the horizon.

Watch out for NLCs - Noctilucent Clouds this month. They are also known as Polar Mesospheric Clouds as they are thought to be due to water ice particles up in the mesosphere. They are visible between the Northern latitudes of 50 to 65 degrees. Look to the North for a white/silvery glow. They can sometimes be faint, sometimes bright. Other interesting naked eye phenomena to look out for include the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein. Both are caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles which are present in the solar system. The Zodiacal Light can be seen in the West after evening twilight has disappeared or in the East before the morning twilight. The best time of year to see the phenomenon is late-Feb to early-April in the evening sky and September/October in the morning sky -- it's then that the ecliptic, along which the cone of the zodiacal light lies, is steepest in our skies. The Gegenschein can be seen in the area of the sky opposite the sun. To view either, you must get yourself to a very dark site to cut out the light pollution. When trying to observe either of these phenomena, it is best to do so when the moon is below the horizon. If you are observing them when the moon has risen, restrict your efforts to the period 4 days either side of the new moon as otherwise the moonlight will be sufficient to drown them out.

Finally check out www.heavens-above.com for the latest passes of the International Space Station and satellites, details of Space Shuttle launches and passes and for details of Iridium Flare activity.

Clear Skies

Neill McKeown

Thanks Neill.

Thanks Neil these guides are really handy