Astro News

Friday, July 28

The weak, long-lasting Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower
is at its maximum activity during early-morning hours for
several days around this date.

Saturday, July 29

The red long-period variable star SS Virginis should be at
peak brightness (about magnitude 6.8) this week.

Sunday, July 30

At this time of year, the Big Dipper hangs diagonally high
in the northwest during evening - with its bent handle pointing
left toward Arcturus, which is shining brightly high in the west.

Monday, July 31

Jupiter's moon Io reappears from eclipse out of Jupiter's
shadow around 10:35 p.m. EDT, 9:35 p.m. CDT. A small telescope
will show it slowly swelling into view just east of the planet.

Tuesday, August 1

Jupiter shines over the first-quarter Moon this evening.

Wednesday, August 2

Jupiter shines off to the Moon's upper right in twilight,
and directly right of it later in the evening.

Jupiter is at quadrature, 90° east of the Sun.

Around 4:20 a.m. Thursday morning Pacific Daylight Time,
get a telescope onto Venus very low in the east (if it's
up yet for your location). The star Delta Geminorum,
magnitude +3.5, will be in the same field of view
10 arcminutes to the planet's south.

Thursday, August 3

The waxing gibbous Moon shines near the head of Scorpius,
and to the right of Antares.

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury is very dim and very low in the glow of dawn, below
bright Venus. Try using binoculars about 45 minutes before sunrise.

Venus (magnitude -3.8, in Gemini) is the "Morning Star" low
in the east-northeast during dawn. Much fainter Pollux and
Castor are off to its left.

Mars (magnitude +1.8, in Leo) sets in twilight.

Jupiter (magnitude -2.1, in Libra) shines in the southwest as
the brightest "star" of evening. The earlier in twilight
you look, and the farther south you live, the higher Jupiter
will appear in your sky and the sharper the telescopic view will probably
be.

Saturn is lost in the sunset.

Uranus (magnitude 5.8, in Aquarius) and Neptune (magnitude 7.9,
in Capricornus) are well up in the southeast by late evening.

Pluto (magnitude 14, in Serpens Cauda) is high in the south after
dark.

"Xena," or officially 2003 UB313, (magnitude 19, in Cetus) is in
the southeast before dawn.



--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond

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