The Night Sky June 2018
Of all of the things that have captured my imagination and interest in astronomy, my first sight of Saturn as a boy was breathtaking! I had seen it in books and magazines but from that moment I was hooked. Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system and although other planets have been discovered to have rings, Saturn’s are by far the most spectacular. The rings are made from particles of ice and rock. Although the largest ring is 7000 times the diameter of the planet, the rings are thought to be only 30 feet thick on average. Saturn could hold 750 Earths and it is not very dense, indeed less dense than water so it would float! Currently it has 62 known moons - the biggest being Titan. There are only a few chances of observing Saturn with its rings so don’t miss it this month!
So here’s your chance to see it. Try to borrow a telescope or binoculars. Saturn will be low in the sky but easy to spot very early in June as it sits just below an almost full Moon in the early hours of the first of the month. Looking South over the quarry and through an average set of binoculars, it will appear like a star ‘with ears’ but observing through a telescope the rings will be clearly visible. Also, later this month, Saturn will be ‘at opposition’. This is a term which refers to where it is placed in relation to the earth and the sun. It will be directly behind the earth and consequently much closer to us rather than being in its orbit the other side of the sun. It will be low in our skies for the next few years.
The summer solstice occurs June 21st and with it brings the longest day. You would think that because it is summer and the longest day, the earth would therefore be closest to the sun. This is wrong. We are in fact almost at the furthest point from the sun. It is the tilt of the earth that gives us our seasons, not the closeness to the sun.
I know from personal experience how frustrating stargazing can be. Often the clouds or poor weather thwart all best laid plans. However, my interest in astronomy is more than stargazing . I like to research, read and plan my observations which I resort to when the clouds roll in and I wait for those beautiful clear night skies. Whilst it is wonderful to have those long summer days it does mean a much shorter period to star gaze as there is almost no total darkness. During this time it is a good to observe brighter objects such as the moon and other unique phenomena such as Noctilucent clouds. These are the highest clouds in our atmosphere, way higher than normal at around 50 miles high. They are so high that when the sun has set for quite some time afterwards at this height they still catch the sun’s rays. The angle and effect of the illumination produce a very bright electric blue colour on the clouds whilst all around you is in darkness! This only happens about a month either side of the summer solstice so watch out for it.
The moon for most parts of the year can wash out dark skies and any plans of observing faint objects. During these summer months it is a perfect target for observation. To get the best out of these observations try to pick a period when it is not a full moon (28th June) or a new moon (13th June). The terminator, the place where the moon is lit and the shadow starts, is a great target to observe. Through binoculars you will be able to see craters cast shadows and have a real sense of depth that will be lost when the moon is full. It is astonishing that on the surface of the moon are the remnants of the Apollo landing sites that record our journey to the moon almost half a century ago! I remember as a boy looking through my telescope trying to spot the sites and now realise why I couldn’t (see diagram!)
Next month I will cover some targets on the moon for you to try and spot.
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