| Title: |
August Skywatch Highlights |
| Location: |
Hawaiian Islands |
| Date / Time: |
August 2009 |
| Comments: |
Behold our spectacular summer skies! Glorious bands of Milky Way stars illuminate our dark Hawaiian sky with a rich, "milky" haze. Brilliant JUPITER reaches opposition this month, when it lies opposite the Sun in our sky, shines at its brightest (magnitude minus-2.9), & remains visible all night long. Watch for Jupiter to rise from the Southeast before 8 PM in early August. The gas giant blazes in Eastern Capricornus, & shines far brighter than any other object in this dim region of the sky. With a small telescope or good binoculars, you can view Jupiter's 4 bright Galilean moons. Galileo first saw them nearly 400 years ago with a 1.5-inch telescope of lower quality than any available today. Those with telescopes can have a final evening view of SATURN, setting shortly after the Sun in early August. Saturn becomes lost in the Sun's glow by the end of the month. Start looking for MERCURY about 30 minutes after sunset, low in the western sky. Mercury will appear to move across Leo & toward Saturn this month. On August 22nd, Mercury & Saturn will appear side by side with Mercury to the left of Saturn and a full magnitude brighter. On this same evening, a crescent Moon stands 9 degrees to Mercury's left, creating a lovely "lineup." Early risers will have great views of Mars & Venus, rising from the East by around 2AM & 4AM respectively, while Jupiter is setting in the West. MARS is traveling eastward through Taurus the Bull, & crosses into Gemini the Twins toward the end of the month. Stunning VENUS rises from the Northeast, like a brilliant beacon, about an hour before morning twilight, (2 hours before sunrise). Our closest planetary "neighbor" is so bright in fact, (magnitude minus -4.0), that radio stations often receive calls reporting it as a UFO! Venus traverses thru the constellation Gemini this month, & on Aug. 25th crosses into Cancer the Crab. Step outside at or before 5 AM & look to the East to see Mars & Venus; (Mars will appear S.W. of blazing Venus). Look toward the S.W. to spot Jupiter setting in this predawn sky.
As for summer constellations, look for the Summer Triangle often called the Navigators Triangle, viewable after sunset, with bright stars Vega (in Lyra the Harp), Altair (in Aquila the Eagle), & Deneb (tail of Cygnus the Swan). Scorpius, the giant scorpion, is easily recognizable, as a "J" or fish-hook shape, (Ka Makau Nui O Maui), high in the Southeast at sunset. For an August sky map, visit Bishop Museum Planetarium www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium (bishopmuseum.org).
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Maintained by Roz Reiner - Kauai, Hawaii
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