Venus Joins Saturn in the Lion   

 

 

   As we approach the summer season the days, along with evening twilight, have become noticeably longer for us Canadians.  The delay of the arrival of darkness has a greater impact on us stargazers in the Thunder Bay area.  This is due to the fact that we are located so far west (longitude wise) but still observe Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).  This means that dark skies appear later here than in Southeastern Ontario (near the centre of the Eastern Time Zone).  For example, on June 21, the sun will set in Ottawa at 8:55 p.m. EDT but sets in Thunder Bay at 10:03 p.m. EDT.  An observer must wait at least 1 ½ hours after sunset for the background sky to darken sufficiently to do any meaningful stargazing in the evenings.

 

   Venus continues to be the attraction in the west after sunset.  Its brilliant white shine makes it easy to spot.  Venus reaches its brightest towards the end of June glowing at magnitude of -4.6.  As the month of June begins Venus is located in a line to the left of the stars of Castor and Pollux in the constellation of Gemini.  A telescope will reveal Venus at a half-moon phase.  Venus passes across the northern fringe of the Beehive star cluster (M44) on June 12 and 13 in the constellation of Cancer.  Once the sky has darkened sufficiently, about an hour and a half after sunset, use binoculars to reveal the star cluster and Venus in the same binocular field.  The difference in brightness between Venus and the brighter stars of M44 is about 10,000 times.

 

   A photo opportunity comes up in mid-June as the crescent moon pairs up with Venus in the constellation Cancer in the darkening evening sky after sunset.  On June 17 the thin crescent Moon will lie seven degrees to the right of Venus.  The next evening the moon will have moved to a point about five degrees to the left of Venus and just over three degrees to the right of Saturn.  (One fist width at arm’s length covers about 10 degrees of sky.)

 

   Venus approaches Saturn rapidly over the month of June in the constellation of Leo, the Lion.  At the beginning of June Venus is located 23 degrees below and to the right of Saturn.  By midmonth this distance has shrunk to about 10 degrees.  By June 23 the separation is only five degrees.  After sunset on the evening of June 30 Venus and Saturn are a mere 0.5 degrees apart!  In a telescope Venus will appear 36 percent illuminated and Saturn will be seen with its rings in the same low power field.

 

   Jupiter reaches opposition on June 5 in the constellation Ophiuchus and its yellow glow at a magnitude of -2.6 makes it easy to identify amongst the much fainter background stars. Since Jupiter is far south on its path through the stars it will only be 20 degrees above the southern horizon at its highest (around 1:00 a.m. EDT in Thunder Bay mid-June).  Watch Jupiter as it slowly moves retrograde (westward) amongst the stars toward the sparkling orange-red star Antares in Scorpius at its lower right in June.  The nearly Full Moon will be found below Jupiter and Antares on the night of June 27.

 

   The summer solstice marks the longest days (and shortest nights!) of the year.  This year it occurs on June 21 at 2:06 p.m. EDT.  This event marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and the start of the winter season for those who live in the countries south of the equator.

 

 

Clear Skies

Ted Bronson