Astronomy news for the week starting Friday, July 25, 2014.
There sure is not much happening: summer doldrums perhaps. We
lead off with the new Moon on Saturday, July 26, so our constant
companion is not even visible as we open up Skylight's current
week. But that has its distinct advantage, as we can then see the
stars in all their glory in a dark
sky, presuming we can get away from artificial lighting. We do
also get to see the Moon wax in its crescent
phase during the latter part of our week, as first quarter is not reached until next week,
on Sunday, August 3. Your first look at the growing crescent will
be in western twilight the evening of Monday the 28th. Be sure to
admire the Earthlight,
which illuminates the Moon's nighttime side. The only other thing
the Moon has going for it is its apogee (farthest from Earth) on Sunday the 27th. The
near coincidence with new Moon will weaken tidal amplitudes at the coasts.
Dark skies bring us to the evening's two bright planets, Mars and Saturn, the red planet to the right. Now to the east of
Virgo's Spica, nearby Mars is rather quickly
shortening the angular separation between it and much more distant
Saturn, which in effect is just sitting there in Libra waiting. Mars will pass four
degrees north of it on August 26. As Earth pulls away from the
red planet, Mars is slowly dimming and is now about the same
brightness as Saturn, which is still pretty bright. But to see
them, look early, as Mars sets shortly before midnight Daylight
Time, Saturn following shortly after midnight. In the morning
sky,
Venus rises almost exactly at the first break of dawn, about 4
AM, as it ever so slowly slips away.
With the Moon gone, the starry sky comes alight. Perhaps you might spot
some meteors from the Delta Aquarid shower,
which peaks roughly midweek.
Then as the Big Dipper falls into the
northwest, the Little Dipper goes
over the top, above Polaris,
while Draco curls between the
two. To the south of, and parallel to, the Dipper's handle, find
the two-star figure of Canes
Venatici, the Hunting Dogs (of Charles II), and farther south
the lovely apparition of Coma
Berenices, a nearby cluster
that makes "Berenice's Hair" (that of an ancient Queen). To the
right of Polaris rules dim Cepheus, the King and most westerly of the constellations of the Andromeda myth. The rest of
the gang, represented best by W-shaped Cassiopeia, will be along shortly, as will be the
coolness of fall.
