SkyEye: June 2003

Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).

Brief Calendar of Events

3	Tue	Mercury at greatest elongation east
7	Sat	First Quarter Moon
9	Mon	Pluto at opposition
12	Thu	Moon at perigee
14	Sat	Full Moon
21	Sat	Last Quarter Moon
21	Sat	Solstice
24	Tue	Saturn at conjunction
25	Wed	Moon at apogee
29	Sun	New Moon

The Sun and Moon

Solstice occurs on Earth this month, marking the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and the start of winter in the south. During the longest days of the summer, observers north of about 50° north latitude never experience true darkness.

As seen from the Earth, the Sun is moving from the constellation Taurus to the constellation Gemini.

The Planets

The word planet is derived from the Greek word for "wanderer." Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars.

Mercury: Mercury can be found in the eastern sky just before sunrise. Southern hemisphere observers will catch the best sight of this elusive planet in the constellations Aries, Taurus and Gemini. Mercury and Venus will appear quite close together on the morning of 21 June.
Venus: Southern hemisphere observers also have the best views of Venus this month but it is starting to fall toward the horizon. The "morning star" appears in the constellations Aries and Taurus, and will be in close proximity with Mercury on 21 June.
Mars: The red planet moves from Capricornus to Aquarius, and rises just before midnight.
Jupiter: Still found in the constellation Cancer, Jupiter sets as Mars rises.
Saturn: Ringed Saturn is at conjunction with the Sun on 24 June and so is lost in solar glare this month. It appears in the constellations Orion and Gemini.
Uranus: Verging on the edge of naked-eye visibility, Uranus rises in the constellation Aquarius just before Mars.
Neptune: A small telescope will be needed to see faint Neptune in the constellation Capricornus. It rises before midnight.
Pluto: Because Pluto is at opposition this month, it is up all night in the constellation Ophiuchus. However, because it is so small and faint, a large telescope is always needed to see it.

Minor Planets, Comets and Meteors

Minor Planets: A number of interesting minor planets populate the solar system.
Comets: There are no naked-eye comets visible this month.
Meteors: There are no major meteor showers this month.

The Celestial Sphere

Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognises 88 different constellations. The brightest stars as seen from the Earth are easy to spot but do you know their proper names? With a set of binoculars you can look for fainter objects such as nebulae and galaxies or some of the closest stars to the Sun.

Descriptions of the sky for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres are available for the following times this month. Subtract one hour from your local time if daylight savings time is in effect. (Note: These times are approximate.)

Northern Hemisphere : 45° N

1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)

Southern Hemisphere : 30° S

1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)

For More Information...

Consult our online glossary for non-technical explanations of many of the astronomical terms used in these pages.
Blue moons, eclipses, the dates of Easter and much more can be found at the Interactive Astronomy Pages.
For more information about the objects and events described in SkyEye, visit these astronomy-related sites.

Credits

Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of your favourite amateur astronomy magazine available in your local bookshop. Another excellent source is the current edition of the Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell and published by the Universal Workshop at Furman University.

The image of the Sun in the SkyEye banner is courtesy of the SOHO/EIT consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Used with permission.