Tour of the Sky: June 2010
9 Jun 2010, 13:10 UTC
Astronomy a Go Go! June Sky Tour
This tool displays the approximate Moon phases for a
given month(images are close approximations). For official phase times and dates
for this month and past months are available from the U.S. Naval
Observatory.
Astronomical Online
Glossary
Download this month's sky map!Skymaps.com is our favorite monthly
skymap provider. Download either the Northern hemisphere, Equatorial, or
Southern Hemisphere sky map so you can follow along with our viewing
sessions.Creator: Kym Thalassoudis
Southern Hemisphere Additional InformationAs Astronomy a Go Go! finds
its home in the higher Northern latitudes those of you who live south of the
equator will benefit from these two Southern Hemisphere sites: Royal
Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ site (absolutely
outstanding) and Southern Sky Watch.
June Planets(click images to enlarge)
Mercury- Visable in the Eastern morning sky for the beginning of the
month. Views best for the Southern Hemisphere. Superior conjunction on the 28th
0.1 mag (1st) to -0.4 (21st)
Venus- Beautiful in the western evening sky. -3.9 mag (1st) to -4.1
mag (21st)
Mars- Fantastic! Western evening sky in Leo. 1.1 (1st) to 1.3 mag
(21st)
Jupiter- Morning sky in Pisces within 0.5 deg S of Uranus on the 26
-2.3 mag (1st) to -2.3 mag (21st)
Saturn- Placed in the western evening sky and delightful to see.
Visible before full dark. 1.0 mag (1st) to 1.0 mag (21st)
Uranus- In the Eastern morning sky near Pices 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9
mag (21st)
Neptune- In the Eastern morning sky near the Aquarius-Capricornus
border 7.9 mag (1st) to 7.9 mag (21st)
Astronomical Highlights for June 2010
Days and Times in UT: (help with
time)Observations are for 10 pm for Northern Hemisphere and 8 pm for the
Southern Hemisphere. Today's sunrise
and sunset times or plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory
Website
Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website!
Day
Event
4
- Last Quarter Moon
6
- Jupiter 0.5 deg S of Uranus
- Mars 0.9 deg N of Regulus
- Jupiter 7 deg S of Moon
7
- Venus at greatest heliocentric lat. N
9
- Mercury 6 deg S of Pleiades (M45)
- Venus 5 deg S of Pollux
10
- Moon 0.6 deg S of Pleiades (M45)
11
- Mercury 5 deg S of Moon
12
- New Moon (11:15 UT)
15
- Venus 4 deg N of Moon
- Moon at perigee (365932 km)
17
- Mars 6 deg N of Moon
18
- Ceres at opposition
19
- First Quarter
- Saturn 8 degrees N of Moon
20
- Mercury at ascending node
- Venus 0.4 deg N of Beehive (M44)
21
- Solstice (11:28 UT) The Sun reaches it furthest point North where it
pauses before turning around and heading back towards the equator and the
Southern Hemisphere
24
- Antares 1.8 degrees S of Moon
25
- Ceres 0.01 degrees N of Moon
- Pluto at opposition
- Mercury at perihelion
26
- Full Moon - Partial Lunar Eclipse
28
- Mercury in superior conjunction
Date information courtesy of: RASC Observer's Handbook, Skymaps.com,
Astronomical Calendar 2009, CalSky, Skymaps.com. sunrise and sunset times
for your home*Comparative lengths of
day and night
Image courtesy of Randy Brewer
Virgo Galaxies!Start by arc-ing from the handle of the big dipper to
Arcturus and then "Speed on" or "Spike" to Spica. Once at Spica work you way up
the body of the Maiden to Porrma, her throat, and then up her outstretched arm
to Vindemiatrix.
Another way is to start from the head of Leo the Lion wander west to Denebola
and then across to Vindemiatrx.
43 Galaxies?!?!? Okay, here we go....North is up
Object
Magnitude
Type
Notes
Section 1
The 'on ramp'.....
Epsilon Virginis - Vindemiatrix
2.8
Yellow giant 100 light yrs away
Bunsen Burner
9 and 10th
This asterism point away from Epsilon and in the direction we want to
go
Struve 1689
7 and 9.5
29" apart.
NGC 4762 and NGC 4754
10.3 and 10.5
Sp
4754 is off by itself and 4762 is between a 9th and 10th mag star. Use
averted vision or tap the scope to get 4762 to pop out
NGC 4694
11.4
Sp
Very hard to find 11.4 mag elongated NW-SE
NGC 4660
11.8
E
Tiny round cotton ball
M60
8.8
E
One of the biggest and brightest ellipticals in tonight's tour. At higher
powers you can make out a slight halo as well as the companion galaxy 4647
NGC 4647
11.3
Sp
Close companion to M60, 3' to the NW a challenge to pick up unless you use
averted vision. It is a spiral but looks much more like a smaller version of its
elliptical companion
M59
9.6
E
Has a profile more like a spiral but this evening is all about being faint
so- 0.4deg W not as bright as M60. Giant elliptical slightly elongated
SE-NW
NGC 4638
11.2
Sp
Fainter and smaller depending upon your field of view (FOV) you can squeeze
it in along with M60 and M59 making an isosceles triangle with the
three.
NGC 4606
11.8
Sp
A toughie. Look for a fuzzy star with two stars on the south. If you have a
larger scope you may have passed over 13.0mag 4607 an edge on spiral galaxy out
of reach of our smaller scopes.
North is
up
Object
Magnitude
Type
Notes
Section 2
The first 'fork in the road'....
M58
13.0
Sp
Spiral galaxy a little fainter and smaller than M59 a dark sky and larger
scope (bigger than 8") will start to pick out its smoke like wisps of spiral
arm. Take a good look at where you are because we will need to return back to
M58 after a detour down the M90 (and friends)side alley.
NGC 4550 and NGC 4551
11.7 and 12.0
Sp and E
(Misprint in the MacRobert's narrative where they are referred to as 4450
and 4451) Heading NW from M58 these two sit very close together and are both
very faint and tricky to find.
M89
9.8
E
A nice break from hunting around for the last two. It will seem to pop into
view...strange how perspective does that to you. A round fuzzy blob with a
brighter core.
M90
9.5
Sp
Just after M89 is a little "W" that runs to the NNW to M90 a giant spiral
galaxy with a low surface brightness but it is very large. There is an unrelated
12 mag star sitting between the Earth and the center of this galaxy. Elongated
N-S look for a darkened lane on the eastern edge.
NGC 4564
11.1
Backtrack to M58 and then 0.5 deg SW to a tall box asterism just off the NE
corner is 4564.
NGC 4567 and 4568
11.3 and 10.8
Sp
Another pair of spirals that seem to be joined at the ends. They are
nicknamed the "Siamese Twins" (Who am I to argue but they reminded me much more
of amoeba from high school biology class)
NGC 4528
12.1
Sp
Very tiny and quite faint another candidate for power, aperture and dark
conditions
NGC 4503
11.1
Sp
Off by itself and very diffuse on 10" or smaller scopes this might take DARK
skies, tapping, averted vision...all of your faint fuzzy objects
tricks.North is
up
Section 3
Back way in....
NGC 4452
12.0
Sp
This galaxy is a tiny little fuzzy. It is in between two rows of stars and
there is a third row of stars below it housing...
NGC 4429
10.0
Sp
An easier find, still a fuzzy blob but easier than 4452
NGC 4440
11.7
Sp
Slid back up to 4452 and then to the NW corner of the three rows (or Arcs)
of stars. It sits just SW of the Northern most star in the arc
M87
8.6
E
Now we begin to appreciate the "Ms" in front of numbers. After so many faint
NGC an "M" gives us hope for something bigger and brighter. Not to disappoint
M87 is .75 deg East of 4440 and a nice big bright giant elliptical. The bright
nucleus is one of the brightest radio sources in the sky.
NGC 4478
11.4
E
Is M87's companion much fainter and again needing your faint object
tricks
NGC 4476
12.2
Sp
Here we go getting super faint again, another target for larger scopes or
darker skies (or sometime more experience) but give it your best because your
rewards is...North is
up
Section 4
"The Grand Tour" or "Markarian's Chain"
M84-M86
9.1 and 8.9
E
We start with the 'face' of the Chain M84 and M86, both elliptical galaxies,
make up the eyes of the face. M86 is distinctly brighter with its own little
cluster on the NE corner.
NGC 4388 and 4387
11.0 and 12.1
Sp and E
Making an equilateral triangle to the South and forming the mouth is NGC
4388 and edge on E-W spiral galaxy and directly in the middle of the triangle
finishing off the nose is NGC 4387 another elliptical galaxy.
NGC 4402
11.8
If the face had an eyebrow then it would be 4402. North 8.5ish' from M86 the
E-W edge on spiral galaxy appears to have a slight dust lane and a North leaning
bulge. Almost like a ladies broad brim hat.
NGC 4413
12.2
Sp
In the opposite direction 9'WSW of 4388, NGC 4413 is an almost face on
spiral galaxy
NGC 4425
11.8
Sp
From 4388 make and equilateral triangle to the west with M86 and your corner
will be roughly in the area of 4425 another edge on spiral galaxy brighter than
4413
Now we can start moving up the Chain in pairs...
NGC 4435 and 4438
10.8 and 10.2
Sp
Draw a line WNW from M84 and M86 to the first pair in the chain, both spiral
galaxies. Nick-named "The Eyes" 4438 is slightly longer with wispy arms reaching
NW-SE and both galaxies mirror each other in orientation NW-SE
NGC 4461 and 4458
11.2 and 12.1
Sp and E
The next pair, fainter the elliptical 4458 is all but indistinguishable (for
me)from the small 10.95 mag star to its NW. 4461 is slightly brighter spiral
galaxy elongated N-S
NGC 4473
10.2
E
This slightly brighter elliptical lost her buddy (bad Scout) and lays E-W
alone in the middle of the Chain. You may not have noticed but you are now in
Coma Berenices.
NGC 4477 and 4479
10.4 and 12.4
Sp
About 12' NNW are another pair of spiral galaxies. 4477 is the brighter and
Eastern most of the pair
NGC 4459 and 4474
10.4 and 11.5
Sp
A wider pair of spirals 4459 is very close to a 8.2 yellow star and look
like an elliptical galaxy. 4474 is much fainter but has that familiar central
bulge of an edge on galaxy.
M88
9.6
Sp
The last two links in the Chain are biggies and brighties! M88 is a partial
face on spiral with a multitude of arms making a nice even frisbe
disk.
M91
10.2
Sp
A particularly appropriate reward at the end. This face on barred spiral is
beautiful with two large arms sweeping out on opposite
sides.
Bright(er) Comets for May 2010McNaught has returned!
Look for a McNaught to brighten to just naked eye magnitude around mid-month
in Perseus! For those watchin Epsilon Aurigae with me find McNaught near Capella
on the 21st. More details here: Spaceweather.com
and tracking maps here: Sky and
Telescope
C/2009 R1
McNaught: ~6 mag - on the Pisces-Pegasus border More comet
information at Seiichi
Yoshida's comet website. Also checkout Gary Kronk's comet and meteor pagesSkyhound Comet pages
Historical and Current Events...Did you know?
Mark has developed his own website so
let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this
month!
Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hator write us a
favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!
Music B.D.
Lenz -"Lazy Bones"Gred Federico-
"Beneath the Stars"Great Big Sea-
"Eavesdropper's/Both Meat and Drink/Off We Go"
Great Astronomy Activities!
Citizen Sky
For those in Northern Hemisphere, Capella, the "She Goat" in Aurigae, is
circumpolar. At my 47 deg North, Capella disappears behind the tree line, and
into the light polluted horizon, but she pops up in a few hours and is easy to
find. Also easy to find are epsilon Aurigae (al Maaz the Billy Goat) and "The
Kids" which make a small, long, triangle of stars just to the Southwest of
Capella.
For the next 21 months Epsilon Aurigae, usually the brightest of the trio,
will start behaving quite differently than it has for the past 27 years. Epsilon
Aurigae is a type of variable star called an eclipsing binary. Epsilon Aurigae
and some unknown dark partner, rotate around a common center of mass and every
27 years that dark companion eclipses the giant F-type star. August marks the
anticipated beginning for that eclipse which will last for 714 days, dimming
from 3.0 mag to about half of its brightness.
So why am I calling this a great astronomy activity? Epsilon Aurigae has some
definite quirks and more eyes are needed to help scientist figure out what
Epsilon Aurigae's invisible partner really is! We need help...WE NEED YOU!!
Anyone can participate; we need people to observe epsilon Aurigae, folks to look
at the data for quirks, patterns, or voids, artist to help present the data to
the public, friends willing to get the word out to others! To find out more
visit:
The Citizen Sky Project
AAVSO page on
Epsilon Aurigae
