Our natural satellite is the Moon.
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Alexander Kozlovsky
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This week, the Kappa-Cygnids meteor shower reaches its maximum action (zenith hourly number - ZHR - 3), and Mars passes through the open star cluster Nursery (M44). In the middle latitudes of the country, the period of appearance continues noctilucent clouds against the background of the twilight segment.
From the planets solar system: Mars is observed against the background of the morning dawn, Mercury (visible in the southern regions of the country against the background of the evening dawn), Jupiter is hidden in the rays of the setting Sun, and Venus is in the rays of the rising. Saturn has favorable evening visibility, and Uranus and Neptune can be seen with binoculars or a telescope throughout the night, using maps of their movement among the stars.
The moon, in its movement across the celestial sphere, will visit the constellations Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Ophiuchus, having evening visibility. The night luminary will spend the beginning of the week in the constellation Leo, and on August 17 it will move into the constellation Virgo, increasing the phase to 0.1. By midnight on August 20, the Moon will approach Spica at a phase of 0.24, and the next day will leave the possession of Virgo at a phase of 0.33. In the constellation Libra on August 22, the phase of the first quarter will begin, during which the lunar half-disk will approach Saturn, being observed low above the horizon in the evening. On August 23, the lunar oval will visit the constellation Scorpio, and on the same day it will move into the constellation Ophiuchus, continuing to increase the phase.
Of the comets, C / 2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) has a brightness of about 11m, which moves south along the constellation Bootes. Comet PANSTARRS (C/2014 Q1) has a brightness below 8m, moving through the constellation of the Chalice and Hydra. Comet Jacques (C/2015 F4) with a magnitude of 11m is observed almost at its zenith in the evening and at night in the constellation Lyra (near Vega). Maps of the paths of comets and asteroids are available in the KN for August and.
Among the asteroids, Vesta, moving along the constellation Cetus, has the highest brightness (6.8m). The second brightest is Ceres (7.9m), making its way through the constellation Sagittarius.
Of the relatively bright (up to 8.0m photographic brightness) long-period variable stars (according to AAVSO data) observed from the territory of our country, the brightness maximum was reached: T AND (8.5m) on August 20, W PEG (8.7m) on August 21, R LYN (7.9m) August 22, Z CYG 8.7m August 22.
Of the main meteor showers, the Perseids, the Southern Delta Aquarids from the constellation Aquarius, the Kappa Cygnids from the constellation Cygnus and the Aurigids from the constellation Auriga are active.
Some pairs of luminaries that fall into the field of view of binoculars this week: Moon - Spica, Moon - Saturn, Mercury - beta Virgo, Venus - Head of the Hydra, Mars - Manger (M44), Jupiter - Regulus, Saturn - beta Scorpio, Uranus - epislon Pisces, Neptune - Aquarius sigma, comet Jacques (C/2015 F4) - Vega.
Review of celestial objects in August - in the magazine Nebosvod for August 2009.
News of amateur astronomy on ASTRONET - http://vo.astronet.ru/planet.
Additional information about the phenomena of the near future is on the Big Universe website, in the Astronomical calendar of Sergey Guryanov, and also in the Almanac. Information for years to come - in and in. Web version of the Astronomical Calendar for 2015.
Clear skies and successful observations!
The sun. The maximum height of a daylight body above the horizon at the latitude of Moscow is 46 degrees (in the middle of the week). The moments of the beginning and end of civil (Grzh.) and navigational (Nav.) twilight, as well as sunrise, sunset and longitude of the day for Moscow for a week are shown in the table.
date Nav. Grzh. Sunrise Sunset Grzh. Night Long day 17 03:02 04:12 05:04 20:01 20:52 22:02 14:57 18 03:05 04:15 05:06 19:59 20:50 21:58 14:52 19 03 :08 04:17 05:08 19:56 20:47 21:55 14:48 20 03:11 04:19 05:10 19:54 20:44 21:51 14:44 21 03:15 04:21 05 :12 19:51 20:41 21:47 14:39 22 03:18 04:24 05:14 19:49 20:39 21:44 14:35 23 03:21 04:26 05:16 19:47 20 :36 21:40 14:30
Current data on the Sun and the appearance of its surface at a given time. The apparent diameter of the Sun is 31'36" (at the middle of the week). The daytime star moves in the constellation Leo.
Moon. The natural satellite of the Earth enters the phase of the first quarter on August 22. Moon phase at the moment. Phases of the Moon for the Future. The table shows the moments of sunrise, upper climax, sunset, height of the upper culmination, phase, radius and equatorial coordinates of the Moon at the time of the upper climax for Moscow. Ld is the libration of the Moon in longitude, Lsh is the libration of the Moon in latitude, Dt is the longitude of the morning terminator (librations are at 00:00 for Moscow).
date Sun VC Sunset VC. phase radius coordinates (VC) Ld Lsh Dt 17 08:07 14:30 20:42 +35o 0.07 14'44" 11:42.4 +00o36′ 0.8 2.4 291.6 18 09:12 15 :12 21:01 +31o 0.13 14'43" 12:28.7 -03o14′ -0.7 1.0 303.7 19 10:18 15:55 21:22 +28o 0.20 14'45 » 13:15.2 -06o57′ -2.2 -0.5 315.9 20 11:23 16:38 21:44 +24o 0.29 14'50" 14:02.6 -10o27′ -3, 6 -1.8 328.1 21 12:29 17:23 22:10 +21o 0.38 14'57" 14:51.6 -13o33′ -5.0 -3.1 340.2 22 13:34 06:10 p.m. '20' 16:36.2 -18o01′ -7.0 -5.0 4.6
This week, the Moon on August 22 at phase 0.49 will approach Saturn (passing one and a half degrees north of the planet).
planets
Mercury. The planet moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Leo. Mercury is in the evening sky, but you can find it against the backdrop of dawn only in the southern regions of the country, and the elongation of the planet will increase to 24.5 degrees by the end of the week. The brightness of Mercury adheres to the value of 0.0m, the apparent diameter increases from 5.6 to 6.1 arc seconds, and the phase decreases from 0.78 to 0.70. The distance from the Earth decreases from 1.19 to 1.10 AU. Space research - Messenger.
Venus. The planet moves backwards in the constellation Leo and Cancer (near the border with the constellation Sextans). Venus will be visible in the morning sky next week. The apparent dimensions of the planet from the moment of conjunction with the Sun (58 seconds of arc) are reduced to 56.1 arc seconds. The gloss sticks to -4.1m with the phase increasing to 0.03. The distance between Earth and Venus increases from 0.288 to 0.30 AU. Space Research - Venus Express.
Mars. The mysterious planet moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Cancer against the background of the star cluster Nursery (M44). The morning visibility of Mars in middle latitudes reaches one and a half hours. You can find it against the backdrop of dawn over the eastern horizon. The brightness of the planet has a value of +1.6m, and the apparent diameter is minimal - about 3.6 seconds of arc. The distance between Mars and Earth is slowly decreasing to 2.53 AU. Space Research - MSL Curiosity.
Jupiter. The gas giant has a direct movement, moving through the constellation Leo near Regulus. Evening visibility of Jupiter has ended, and it will appear in the morning sky in September. The largest planet in the solar system has an angular diameter of about 31 arcseconds at a magnitude of -1.7m, and a distance from Earth of 6.39 AU. Space exploration - Galileo.
Saturn. The ringed planet moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Libra near the star Beta Sco with magnitude +2.6m. Saturn can be observed in the evening above the southern horizon as a relatively bright yellow star. The brightness of the planet is +0.4m, and the angular diameter is about 16.8 seconds of arc. The ring is clearly visible in the telescope (reaching a length of more than 40 arc seconds when tilted to the observer at an angle of 24 degrees) and sometimes details of the planet's surface, and of the satellites, Titan (8.0m) is the most accessible. The distance from Earth to Saturn increases from 9.85 to 9.97 AU. Space Research - Cassini.
Uranus. The planet (m= +5.8, d= 3.5 arcsec) is moving backwards in the constellation Pisces (near the border with the constellation Cetus) near the star Zeta Psc (5.2m). Uranus can be found with binoculars during the night and morning hours, and requires deep dark skies to observe with the naked eye, and such observations will be possible this week. To view the disk of the planet, you will need a telescope with a magnification of 80x (under ideal conditions) and higher. The distance between Earth and Uranus decreases in a week from 19.41 to 19.31 AU. Space research - Voyager 2.
Neptune. The planet (m= +7.9, d= 2.4 arcsec) moves backwards in the constellation Aquarius between the stars sigma Aqr (4.8m) and lambda Aqr (3.7m). This week, Neptune will be exactly in the middle between these two stars. The gas giant is observed almost all night, and you can find it with binoculars or a telescope. The disk of the planet is distinguishable in an instrument with a magnification of 100x (under ideal conditions) and higher. The position of the most distant planets on the celestial sphere can be viewed on star maps in KN for January and the Astronomical calendar for 2015. The distance between Earth and Neptune decreases from 28.98 to 28.96 AU. Space Research - Voyager 2.
Pluto. The dwarf planet or plutoid (+14m) is in the constellation Sagittarius (near the trio of stars pi, omicron and xi Sgr) at a distance of 32.24 AU from Earth by the end of the week. For visual observations of Pluto, you need a telescope with a lens diameter of 250 mm and a transparent sky. Space research - New Horizons .
Review articles on the planets and small bodies of the solar system - Firmament 12 for 2008 and 1 - 8 for 2009.
Additionally http://galspace.spb.ru (all about planets) andhttp://astro.websib.ru (various reference astroinformation)
Ephemeris of planets and some asteroids for the middle of the week
20/08/2015 00:00 for Moscow. Epoch 2000.0 (distance to the Moon is in Earth radii).
Direct Sunrise Declination Brilliance Distance (au) Visibility Sunrise VC Sunset 15 Eunomia 00h 30m 21.5s +20o53'28.9 +8.3 1.431451 07:47 n* 18:42 03:08 11:29 4 Vesta 01h 03m 35.4 s -04o18'47.9 +6.6 1.575680 06:26 well 21:59 03:41 09:20 Uranus 01h 15m 02.0s +07o13'18.7 +5.7 19.371364 07:23 well 21:02 03: 53 10:39 Mars 08h 37m 59.0s +19o36'20.7 +1.8 2.542285 01:20 at 03:05 11:16 19:25 Venus 09h 19m 09.4s +07o05'56.3 -2.7 0.290607 — 05:10 11:54 18:39 SUN 09h 54m 20.9s +12o43'47.7 -26.8 1.012023 14:44 05:10 12:33 19:54 Jupiter 10h 15m 44.6s +11o42'44.6 -1.7 6.393242 - 05:38 12:52 20:06 Mercury 11h 20m 23.2s +04o11'34.5 -0.2 ,8 63.390024 01:05 at 11:23 16:38 21:44 Saturn 15h 46m 03.1s -17o55'29.5 +0.5 9.906145 01:53 at 14:11 18:21 22:32 2 Pallas 17h 03m 12.6s +16o57'53.5 +9.5 2.900914 06:53 at 11:48 19:38 03:32 1 Ceres 20h 05m 39.5s -31o44'19.0 +7.5 2.042020 03:44 n 20: 50 22:40 00:35 21 Lutetia 21h 41m 55.1s -19o31'51.3 +9.0 1.028501 07:41 est 20:17 00:20 04:20 N eptune 22h 41m 48.4s -09o07'48.0 +7.8 28.972892 07:47 n* 20:07 01:20 06:29 9 Metis 23h 27m 03.2s -13o47'30.7 +9.1 1.417457 07:04 well 21:21 02:05 06:45 August 20, 2015 00:00 Moscow time. Approaches less than 20 degrees for the luminaries: 01o49'19.8 Jupiter - Regulus 03o15'32.4 MOON - Spica 03o30'29.4 SUN - Regulus 05o19'31.9 SUN - Jupiter 10o19'54.6 SUN - Venus 11o52'59.9 Uranus - 4 Vesta 12o01'2 Metis 13o04'07.9 Venus - Regulus 13o08'37.4 Saturn - Antares 14o40'43.8 Mars - Pollux 14o41'40.3 Venus - Jupiter 16o00'27.4 Venus - Mars 17o25'22.2 Uranus - Eunomia 15 17o40'18.4 Mercury - Jupiter 17o40'18.4 Mercury - Jupiter 17o40'18.4 Lutetia 19o25'55.9 Mercury - Regulus 19o33'50.5 SUN - Mars
Asteroids. Asteroids will exceed 10m brightness this week:
1 Ceres (m=7.9) - in the constellation Sagittarius, 2 Pallas (m=9.9) - in the constellation Hercules, 4 Vesta (m=6.8) - in the constellation Cetus, 9 Metis (m=9.5 ) - in the constellation Aquarius, 15 Eunomia (m = 8.7) - in the constellation Pisces, 21 Lutetia (m = 9.3) - in the constellation Capricorn and 68 Leto (m = 9.9) - in the constellation Microscope.
Comets. The most observed celestial pilgrim of the year C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) is moving in the constellation Bootes, with a brightness of about 10m. Comet PANSTARRS (C/2014 Q1) has a magnitude of about 8m, moving through the constellation of the Chalice and Hydra. Comet Jacques (C/2015 F4) has brightened up to 11m (against the predicted 13m) and is observed almost at its zenith in the evening and at night in the constellation Lyra (near Vega). Path maps of comets and asteroids are available in KN for August. Details of these and other comets of the week and month (with maps and brightness forecasts) available at Seiichi Yoshida's website, and observations at http://cometbase.net/.
Selected astronomical phenomena of the week.
Time for events is given in Moscow = UT + 3 hours (universal time UT is indicated separately). On the website of Sergey Guryanov and http://saros70.narod.ru/ you can use the web version of the AK for 2015, which includes a general overview of the starry sky and the phenomena of the month of August. Information from other phenomena can be found in the KN for August, Astronomical calendar for 2015, AK for 2015, Astronomical phenomena until 2050, the Short Astronomical Calendar for 2016 - 2050, the Short Astronomical Calendar for 2051 - 2200, the Kalsky calendar and in the Almanac.
August 17 and all week, twilight - Possibility of mid-latitude noctilucent clouds.
August 18, 08:00 — Maximum of the Kappa Cygnids meteor shower.
August 20, 13 hours 33 minutes - Mars passes at 0.5 gr. south of the star cluster Nursery (M44).
August 23, morning - Long-period variable star R Lynx near maximum brightness (7.0m).
For more on phenomena and observations, see Astroforum , Starlab , meteoweb , Astrocat and Two Sagittarius .
View of the starry sky during the week at mid-latitudes (the scale of the view of the planets in the telescope is observed, north is at the top):
View of the northeastern and eastern parts of the sky one hour before sunrise on August 20 in cities at the latitude of Moscow. The inset shows the view of Mars through a telescope.
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View of the southern and southwestern parts of the sky an hour after sunset on August 20 in cities at the latitude of Moscow. The inset shows a view of Saturn through a telescope.
Sources: Observer Calendar N08 AstroKA; StarryNightBackyard 3.1 (descriptive part and view of the sky), http://saros70.narod.ru/ (calendar), AK program 5.14 (table data), GUIDE 8.0 (position of asteroids and comets), http://aerith.net/comet /weekly/current.html (operational information about comets), http://www.imo.net (meteors), AAVSO (variable stars), http://www.astronet.ru/db/msg/1280744 (astronomical phenomena until 2050), http://www.calsky.com/ (online calendar), http://asteroidoccultation.com/IndexAll.htm (occultations of stars by asteroids).
2015 will be rich in interesting astronomical phenomena. This year, astronomy lovers in Russia expect one solar and two lunar eclipses, a series of moon occultations of the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus, the Perseid peak at the new moon and, of course, the bright planets Jupiter and Venus.
We bring to your attention a brief overview of the ten most striking, in our opinion, celestial phenomena of 2015, which should not be missed. Big Universe will cover these events in more detail as they approach.
Solar eclipse March 20
The first in our review is total solar eclipse which will take place on March 20, 2015. The total phase of the eclipse will pass through the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands and the Svalbard archipelago to the north pole. In Russia and the CIS countries, the eclipse will be observed as a partial eclipse, the maximum phase will be 0.91 (in the Murmansk region). In Moscow, the phase will be 0.65, and in St. Petersburg - 0.78.
Despite the fact that nowhere in Russia the Moon will completely hide the Sun, it is safe to say that this eclipse will be one of the brightest celestial events of 2015. Read more about in our guide article. The simplest recommendations for observing the eclipse are also given there.
Lunar eclipse April 4
The second bright astronomical event will take place just two weeks after the solar eclipse. And again we will see an eclipse - this time already lunar. On April 4, 2015, the Moon, having reached the phase of the full moon, will briefly enter the shadow of the Earth. The maximum shadow phase will be 1.005, and the total eclipse will last only 12 minutes.
Residents of Kamchatka, Chukotka, Magadan Region and Sakhalin will be able to see the complete eclipse. On the Far East and in eastern Siberia it will be possible to observe the full phase. Residents of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Novosibirsk, eastern Kazakhstan and the Altai Territory will see the Moon emerge from the Earth's shadow (at sunrise). Finally, the eclipse will be unobservable for residents of the European part of Russia.
Planet Venus
beautiful Venus will become a real decoration of the sky this year. From the first days of January until July, Venus shines in the evening sky. At first, the planet is not very noticeable, as it sets below the horizon shortly after the Sun. Beginning in February, the visibility of Venus increases rapidly. The evening star rises higher in the sky; the peak of its visibility comes in the spring - from the end of March to the end of May.
Venus in the evening sky at the end of April 2015. Drawing: Stellarium
In June and July, Venus quickly approaches the Sun in the sky, entering into inferior conjunction with the luminary in mid-August. After that, the planet moves into the morning sky.
Beginning in September, Venus will begin to draw attention in the predawn sky. In the east and southeast, the Morning Star will spend the rest of the year.
Don't miss the opportunity to admire the beautiful planet this year!
Comets C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) and C/2013 US10 (Catalina)
This year it will be possible to observe at least two relatively bright comets. First, Comet Lovejoy C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy), passed the peak of brightness in mid-January and has now (end of the month) begun to fade. Nevertheless, it will be available for observations with the most modest optical instruments for another 2-3 months.
Tailed guests are a favorite target for astrophotographers. Pictures of Comet Lovejoy show amazing details in the structure of its thin ion tail. The bright head of the comet has a greenish color, noticeable even with visual observations through a telescope if you are out of town.
Bright comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) photographed on January 21, 2015. Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) is expected to be significantly brighter than Comet Lovejoy. Photo: Gerald Rhemann
We described the conditions for the visibility of comet Lovejoy in January 2015 in an article. There is also given a map of the comet's path through the constellations during the month.
Second Significant Comet of the Year - C/2013 US10 (Catalina), which will appear in the sky of the northern hemisphere in November 2015 and will be visible until April 2016. It is expected that the brightness of the comet will exceed the brightness of Comet Lovejoy by more than 2 times, and will reach 3 m . If the forecasts come true, then C / 2013 US10 (Catalina) has a chance to become a comet, which, under favorable conditions, can be seen with the naked eye even in the city sky!
Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus June 30
In 2015, Venus will make two close encounters with Jupiter, the second brightest planet in Earth's sky. The first connection will occur on the night of June 30 to July 1. In the evening in the sky will appear " double star"- bright Venus and Jupiter will be separated in the sky by less than 0.5 °! A beautiful couple can be observed in the northwest for about an hour after sunset against the backdrop of dawn.
Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus on the evening of June 30, 2015. After sunset, the planets will be visible for about an hour low in the northwest. Drawing: Stellarium
If you have a DSLR and a tripod, be sure to try photographing the couple against the backdrop of the dawn! We will publish the best pictures on our website.
Perseid meteor shower maximum activity on August 12
Traditionally, every year on the night of August 12-13, the inhabitants of the Earth observe the "August starfall", the maximum of the Perseid meteor shower. This shower is very stable and at peak times produces up to 100 or more meteors per hour. Among them are many bright meteors with traces, fireballs are not uncommon.
In 2015, there will be ideal conditions for observing the Perseids: the Moon will be in a stage close to the new moon, and will not interfere with meteor observations. So stock up on star charts, a comfortable chair, warm clothes and - all "in the field" to observe a bright spectacle!
Lunar eclipse on September 28
The second lunar eclipse of the year will occur on September 28th. The eclipse will be total, the maximum phase will reach 1.282, the duration of the total phase will be 1 hour 13 minutes. The total phase of the eclipse (at moonset) can be observed in the European part of Russia and the CIS countries. Residents of Western European countries, West Africa, the east coast of the United States and Canada and South America will see all phases of the eclipse, from the Moon's entry into the Earth's penumbra to its exit from the penumbra.
The sun. It will be in a maximum of 24 activity cycles, and therefore, a large number of spots will be observed on its disk. Just like in the outgoing year, the appearance of powerful auroras is possible, which will be visible at the latitude of Moscow and to the south of it. You can notice them by regularly monitoring the northern region of the sky, especially when a powerful coronal ejection occurs on the Sun, which usually reaches the Earth in three days. Unfortunately, in mid-latitudes, these auroras are not as bright and spectacular as in the circumpolar regions.
Solar eclipses. On March 20, the main event of the year will take place - a total solar eclipse, the total phases of which will be visible in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic. The Svalbard and Faroe Islands fall into the band of total eclipse. In the European part of the Russian Federation, a partial eclipse phase will be observed, which for Moscow will be 0.57. The maximum phase of the eclipse will reach an hour after local noon. The second solar eclipse of the year will occur on September 13th. It will be private, and its visibility band will pass only through South Africa and Antarctica.
Lunar eclipses. As well as solar, in the coming year, there will be two lunar eclipses. The first of them on April 4 will be clearly visible in Siberia, the Far East, Kamchatka and Chukotka. The second eclipse, which will take place on September 28, will also be visible in the European part of Russia. The entry of the Moon into the shadow will begin already in the pre-dawn hours (4 am), and the maximum phase of the eclipse will reach at 5 o'clock. 46 minutes when the Moon is not high above the western horizon. The exit of the Moon from the shadow will occur already at the moment when our satellite is under the horizon.
Planets. 2015 will be quite favorable for observing Venus, which will be visible in the evenings for most of the year, and will appear in the morning sky from the second half of autumn. And Jupiter, which in the first half of the year will be visible high above the horizon, moving through the constellations of Cancer and Leo, and with the onset of autumn will be observed in the morning sky.
For Mars and Saturn, the year will not be particularly favorable for observations. The first planet will be far from the Earth and will be observed either against the background of the evening dawn - until April, or the morning dawn - starting from autumn. The second planet, moving along the celestial sphere, descends lower and lower along the line of the ecliptic, and the most favorable period of its observations will fall on the bright nights of May and June.
Mercury will traditionally have 4 periods of visibility - two in the morning and two in the evening, while Uranus and Neptune will be clearly visible in the autumn sky, moving through the constellations of Pisces and Aquarius, respectively.
You can read more about the visibility of the planets in the coming year here: Planets in 2015.
Asteroids. At the beginning of the year, there will be a favorable visibility of the asteroid Juno, which will move through the constellation Hydra, having a brilliance brighter than 9 magnitudes. In the middle of spring and until the end of summer, it is worth paying attention to the Pallas asteroid, which, on its way through the celestial sphere, will climb high into the constellation Hercules, having a brightness of about 9 magnitudes.
With the onset of summer, favorable visibility of the asteroid Ceres will begin, the brightness of which will reach 7.5 magnitudes in mid-July. However, it will not be visible high above the horizon, moving through the constellation Sagittarius. And with the onset of autumn, a favorable period of visibility of another bright asteroid, Vesta, will begin, which will move through the central part of the constellation Cetus, reaching a brightness of 6.2 magnitudes. in early October, which, under favorable astroclimatic conditions, will make it possible to see it even with the naked eye. At the end of the year, the asteroid Hebe will draw attention to itself, which will move between Jupiter and Mars, observed in the morning sky, surrounded by many galaxies in the constellation Virgo. Unfortunately, at this time the brightness of the asteroid will not exceed 10 magnitudes.
As for near-Earth asteroids, on January 26, 2004 BL86 will approach the Earth, reaching magnitude 9 magnitudes. and, being observed in the northern part of the Hydra constellation, thus successfully located for observations in the middle latitudes of Russia. And in June, the kilometer asteroid Icarus will approach the Earth, the brightness of which will be 13.5 magnitudes. In addition, new near-Earths are discovered almost daily and it is quite possible that some of them will be available for observation by amateur astronomers.
Comets. Unfortunately, no bright comets, such as comets Hale-Bopp and Hyakutaka at the end of the last century in 2015, should be expected. The brightest of the expected comets are predicted to reach maximum brightness at the level of 3-4 magnitudes. The first of them C/2014 Q1 (Panstarrs) will reach its maximum brightness in mid-July, observed in the evening sky in the constellations of Cancer and Leo, the second C/2013 US10 (Catalina) should reach its maximum brightness at the very end of the year and will be observed in the morning, moving constellations Virgo and Bootes.
Of the telescopic comets, C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) should be singled out, which, according to forecasts, should reach a magnitude brighter than magnitude 10 in January, successfully located in the sky in the constellation of Orion, and comet 15P/ Finlay, which will be observed in the evening sky at the beginning of the year, possessing calculated brilliance 9 stars.
It is worth noting the fact that during the year some new unknown comet can be discovered, or vice versa, a previously discovered comet, due to the fragmentation of the nucleus, will increase its brightness by tens or a hundred times.
Coatings. In the coming year, a series of occultations of the bright star Aldebaran (0.9 magnitude) by the Moon begins. In Moscow, this phenomenon will be observed on April 21, August 9, September 5 (in the daytime sky), October 30 and December 23, and on March 25, only the opening of a star can be observed in the daytime sky.
Also in the coming year, the cycle of coverage of the star lambda Gemini (3.6 stars) will continue, which will be visible in the night sky on February 1, November 1 and 29.
It is worth noting the fact that almost every month within the European part of Russia, asteroids cover stars. Information about the most interesting of them is published in the monthly astronomical calendars of MOLA.
meteor showers.
In the absence of the Moon, the following meteor showers will peak in the sky: Lyra (poppy April 22-23), Perseids (poppy August 11-13), Draconids (poppy October 8), Orionids (poppy October 21), Leonids (poppy . November 17), and the Gemenides (December 14).
Astronomy lovers should also pay attention to the June Bootids meteor shower, the maximum of which falls on June 28, in connection with the return to the Sun of the comet, the progenitor of the Ponce-Vineki 7P stream.
Favorites astronomical events months: Moscow time = UT + 3 hours
August 1st and all month- the possibility of the appearance of noctilucent clouds at twilight
mid-latitude segment
August 1- Venus, Jupiter and Regulus (alpha Leo) approach in the sector of 7 degrees,
August 2- Saturn in standing with the transition from retrograde to direct movement,
August 2- asteroid Leto in opposition to the Sun,
August 2- the asteroid Vesta passes 11 degrees south of Uranus,
5th of August— coverage by the Moon (Ф= 0.69) of the planet Uranus in visibility in South America and Antarctica,
August 6 Mercury passes 8 degrees north of Venus
August 7- Mercury passes in 0.5 gr. north of Jupiter
August 7- Mercury passes at 0.88 gr. north of the star Regulus, August 8 - Mercury, Jupiter and Regulus converge to 1 degree,
August 9— coverage by the Moon (Ф= 0.3) of the star Aldebaran with visibility throughout Russia and the CIS,
11th August- Jupiter passes in 0.4 gr. north of the star Regulus,
August 13- the Perseid meteor shower reaches its maximum action (zenithal hourly number - ZHR - 100),
August 15- Venus (maximum apparent diameter 58 arcsec) enters inferior conjunction with the Sun and approaches the Earth to 0.288 AU,
August 16- asteroid Lutetia in opposition to the Sun,
August 18- the kappa-cygnids meteor shower reaches its maximum action (zenith hour number - ZHR - 3),
August 20- Mars passes in 0.5 gr. south of the star cluster Nursery (M44),
24 August- the beginning of the morning visibility of Venus,
August, 26th— coverage by the Moon (Ф= 0.89) of the star rho Sagittarius,
August 27 are the long-period variable stars R Leo (5m) and Chi Cygnus (4m) near maximum brightness,
August 27- Jupiter conjunct the Sun
August 31- the alpha Aurigids meteor shower reaches its maximum action (zenith hour number - ZHR - 5).
The sun moves through the constellation of Cancer until August 10, and then passes into the constellation of Leo and remains in it until the end of the month. The declination of the daylight, in comparison with the first two summer months, decreases every day faster and faster. As a result, the length of the day also rapidly decreases: from 15 hours 59 minutes at the beginning of the month to 13 hours 52 minutes by the end of the described period (more than two hours). These data are correct for the latitude of Moscow , where the midday height of the Sun will decrease from 52 to 42 degrees in a month. For observations of the Sun, August is one of the most favorable months in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. Observations of spots and other formations on the surface of the daylight can be carried out with a telescope or binoculars, and even with the naked eye (if the spots are large enough). Visual study of the Sun through a telescope or other optical instruments must be carried out (!!) using a filter.
The moon will start moving across the August sky in the constellation Capricorn during the full moon phase. On August 2, the bright lunar disk will visit the constellation Aquarius, approaching Neptune here at a phase of 0.93. On August 3, the night luminary, observed low above the horizon during the night, will move into the constellation Pisces, through which it will make a three-day journey. The height of the Moon above the horizon will increase day by day, and on August 5 it will reach Uranus and cover it at a phase of 0.69 in visibility in South America. Having passed into the constellation Aries, the lunar oval will take the phase of the first quarter on the morning of August 7, and already as a half-disk, turning into a sickle, will rush to the border of the constellation Taurus. Here, on August 8, the Moon will pass south of the Pleiades, and on August 9 it will once again cover Aldebaran with visibility throughout the country (partially in the daytime sky). On August 10, the melting crescent will visit the constellation of Orion, showing off against the background of morning twilight in the eastern part of the sky, and after midnight on August 11, it will move into the constellation of Gemini at a phase of 0.13. The next day, the thin old month will pass into the constellation of Cancer, where on August 13 it will approach Mars at a phase of 0.02. Having taken the phase of the new moon at the border of the constellation of Cancer and Leo on August 14, the Moon will move into the evening sky, approaching Venus in the smallest phase. The next day, the young month will enter into conjunction with Regulus and Jupiter at phase 0.01, and then visit the constellation Sextans to re-enter the expanses of the constellation Leo. On August 16, the growing crescent at a phase of 0.04 will approach Mercury, and on August 17 it will move into the constellation Virgo, increasing the phase to 0.1. By midnight on August 20, the Moon will approach Spica at a phase of 0.24, and the next day will leave the possession of Virgo at a phase of 0.33. In the constellation Libra on August 22, the phase of the first quarter will begin, during which the lunar half-disk will approach Saturn, being observed low above the horizon in the evening. On August 23, the lunar oval will visit the constellation Scorpio, and on the same day it will move into the constellation Ophiuchus, continuing to increase the phase. From August 25 to 27, the bright Moon will travel through the constellation Sagittarius, and will enter the expanses of the constellation Capricorn at a phase of about 0.9. Having spent two days to overcome this constellation, the almost full lunar disk on August 29 will move into the constellation of Aquarius, where it will take the full moon phase and for the second time in a month will approach Neptune on August 30. At the end of this day, the bright Moon will reach the constellation Pisces, where it will end its journey along summer sky at a phase of 0.93.
Bmajor planets of the solar system. Mercury moves in the same direction as the Sun throughout the month. The planet moves through the constellation Leo until August 23, then moving into the constellation Virgo. On August 7, the fast planet approaches Regulus up to 0.88 degrees, participating in the approach to Jupiter, observed in the evening sky. But for middle, and especially northern latitudes, this visibility is far from favorable, although the elongation increases to 26 degrees by the end of the month! This is a very good visibility for the southern hemisphere of the Earth. The apparent size of Mercury in a month increases from 5.0 to 6.5 with a phase decreasing from 0.95 to 0.64. The brightness of the planet decreases from -1.1m to +0.1m. Through a telescope in the areas of visibility, one can observe a disk that turns into an oval over a monthly period.
Venus moves backwards in the constellation Leo near Regulus, ending evening visibility even in southern latitudes. The elongation of Venus decreases to 8 degrees by August 15, when it comes into conjunction with the Sun, moving into the morning sky. Having assumed the status of the Morning Star, the planet can be observed against the dawn in a week. The apparent diameter of the planet increases to the conjunction from 52.1 to 58.2, and decreases to 52.0 by the end of the month. The phase changes from 0.08 to 0.01 (towards conjunction), then increasing to 0.08 and a brightness of -4.4m - -4.0m - -4.4m. A white thin crescent without details can be observed through a telescope, and sharp-sighted people can try to see it with the naked eye.
Mars moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellation of Gemini, on August 5 passing into the constellation of Cancer. The planet is observed for a short time at the eastern horizon against the background of the dawn. The brightness of the planet adheres to the value +1.4m, and the apparent diameter is about 4. A tiny disk is visible through the telescope, washed out by atmospheric flows.
Jupiter moves in the same direction with the Sun along the constellation Leo, gradually approaching Regulus (alpha Leo) and approaching it as close as possible to 0.4 gr. 11th August. In addition, Jupiter is involved in the rapprochement with Venus and Regulus up to 6 gr. August 1, and also - with Mercury and Regulus on August 8 at an elongation of about 15 degrees. The gas giant is in the evening sky, but is not visible due to its proximity to the Sun. The apparent diameter of the largest planet in the solar system gradually decreases from 31.2 to 30.8 at a brightness of about -1.7m. On August 26, Jupiter will conjunct the Sun and enter the morning sky.
Saturn moving backwards in the constellation of Libra (near the border with the constellation of Scorpio), on August 2, changing the movement to a direct one. You can observe Saturn in the evening, and it culminates at an altitude of 16 degrees at the latitude of Moscow. The brightness of Saturn decreases from 0.4m to 0.5m with an apparent diameter of 17.3 - 16.5. With a small telescope, surface details, the ring, and the moon Titan can be observed. The visible dimensions of the planet's ring are on average 40x16.
Uranus(5.8m, 3.5.) moves backwards in the constellation Pisces (near the star Zeta Psc with magnitude 5.1m). The planet is observed at night and in the morning, increasing the duration of visibility from 5 to 8 hours per month (in middle latitudes). Uranus, rotating on its side, is easily detected with binoculars and search maps, and a telescope from 80 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 80 times and a transparent sky will help to make out the disk of Uranus. With the naked eye, the planet can be seen during the periods of new moons in a dark clear sky, and such an opportunity will present itself in the middle of the month. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness less than 13m.
Neptune(7.8m, 2.4) moves backward through the constellation Aquarius between the stars lambda Aqr (3.7m) and sigma Aqr (4.8m). The planet can be observed all night, because. at the end of the month it almost reaches opposition. There comes the most favorable period of visibility of Neptune. To search for it, you will need binoculars and star charts in KN for January or the Astronomical calendar for 2015, and the disk is distinguishable through a telescope from 100mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 100x (with a transparent sky). With the naked eye, the planet can be seen under exceptionally favorable and special conditions (at the zenith in areas of especially dark sky) on the verge of visibility with peripheral vision. The satellites of Neptune have a brightness less than 13m.
From comets in August, the calculated brightness of 11m can be exceeded by two comets. The brightest, PANSTARRS (C/2014 Q1), will make its way through the constellations of Sextant, Hydra, Chalice, and Centaurus in the northern sky. The comet's brightness slowly decreases from 9m to 12m, failing to live up to predictions for naked-eye visibility. And although the elongation of the comet is gradually increasing, the visibility conditions in the northern hemisphere of the Earth are deteriorating due to a decrease in the declination of the celestial wanderer. The longest comet of the year, Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2), is moving south through the constellations Draco and Bootes. Its brilliance decreases from 10m to 11m in a month, and it is visible all the dark time, because the tailed wanderer does not go beyond the horizon to the northern latitudes of the order of 33 - 45 degrees. Details of the month's other comets (with charts and brightness predictions) are available at http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html and observations are available at http://cometbase.net/.
Among the asteroids the brightest in August will be Vesta (6.5m) and Ceres (7.5m). Vesta moves in the constellation of Cetus, and Ceres in the constellation of Sagittarius. Both asteroids are visible in the night sky. Maps of the paths of these and other asteroids (comets) are given in the appendix to the KN (file mapkn082015.pdf). Information on occultations of stars by asteroids at http://asteroidoccultation.com/IndexAll.htm.
From relatively bright (up to 8mph.) long-period variable stars(observed from the territory of Russia and the CIS) the brightness maximum this month according to AAVSO data was reached: T ERI (8.1m) on August 1, R CET (8.1m) on August 2, R TAU (8.6m) on August 3, T GRU 8.6m August 3, T HYA (7.8m) August 4, U MIC 8.8m August 8, R COM (8.5m) August 10, S LAC 8.2m August 11, T AND (8.5m) 20 August, W PEG (8.7m) August 21, R LYN (7.9m) August 22, Z CYG 8.7m August 22, U SER (8.5m) August 26, KHI CYG (5.2m) August 27, R LEO (5.8m) August 27, R AQL (6.1m) August 29. More information at http://www.aavso.org/.
Operational information about celestial bodies and phenomena available, for example, at the Astroforum http://www.astronomy.ru/forum/index.php and at the Starlab forum http://www.starlab.ru/forumdisplay.php?f=58 .
Clear skies and successful observations!
The coming year will give lovers of watching the sky a lot of colorful spectacles. The main astronomical events of 2015 promise to be impressive and unforgettable.
On March 20, 2015 it will be possible to watch total solar eclipse. The dark shadow of the moon will cover the north Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean, as well as the Faroe Islands.
Jenn Huls | Shutterstock.com
total lunar eclipse happens April 4th. It will be unusual, since it will last only a few minutes. This will be the shortest eclipse since October 13, 1856.
Dazzling Venus can be observed from May to June. The planet will remain in the skies at night from the third week of May. In some areas of the Earth, the planet will be visible even after midnight. And on June 30, just after sunset, in the southwest sky Venus and Jupiter will approach each other at a minimum distance.
Traveler Martin | Shutterstock.com
On August 12, the lucky ones will be able to see Perseid meteor shower. The number of observed meteors of this spectacular star shower reaches 90 meteors per hour.
David Lech | Shutterstock.com
An interesting astronomical phenomenon the last quarter of the moon against the background of one of the brightest stars in the sky, Aldebaran, the orange eye of the constellation Taurus, will be visible on September 4th. And at the end of the month, on the 28th, there will be another moon eclipse. It will be fully visible in central and eastern North America.
October 26, second time in 2015, Venus and Jupiter collide. Venus will shine 10 times stronger than the huge gas giant.
And two meteor showers will take over the night sky in the final months of 2015. Taurids will reach its maximum from 5 to 12 November, and geminids— 13 and 14 December. The last meteor shower guarantees an impressive spectacle for sky watchers: 2 meteors will cross the sky every minute.