STARGAZER #482 for June 28, 2008

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Evening Rendezvous in the West


Over the next two weeks Saturn and Mars, Leo's brightest star Regulus, and the
Moon will rendezvous low in the west just after dusk. It's an event to begin
watching nightly.

This evening ruddy-colored Mars is three moonwidths to the lower right of the
slightly brighter Regulus with brighter Saturn to their upper left. An hour
after sunset as twilight turns into darkness, the trio will be hard to miss two
and one-half fist-widths (held at arm's length) above the western horizon.

Monday and Tuesday evening Mars passes within two moonwidths to the upper right
of Regulus. Their close proximity provides an opportunity to observe how "stars
twinkle, planets don't." While this adage is usually true, it is less obvious
when objects are near the horizon and seen through more of Earth's atmosphere.
There even planets can twinkle some.?

By continuing to observe nightly, you'll see Mars approach Saturn. July 4, when
you're out watching fireworks, notice how the three are aligned and almost
equally spaced.

July 5 the Moon joins the trio to their lower right. The four will be aligned
from the upper left to lower right.

The next evening presents what might be the highlight of the entire show as the
crescent Moon moves to the trio's left. With your hand extended at arm's length,
you can hold the Moon, two planets and a star in the palm of your hand.

By July 7 the Moon is well to the trio's upper left, and getting bigger and
brighter. But the show still isn't over.

July 8-11 Mars passes less than two moonwidths to Saturn's lower left. Their
closest approach comes July 10 when they are little more than a moonwidth apart.

Next Two Weeks. Avg. sunrise: 6:29 a.m.; avg. sunset: 8:37 p.m. (for Waco, TX)

* Sunset tomorrow night is the latest for the year at latitude 30 degrees North.

* Monday morning the Moon is less than 4 moonwidths below the Pleiades star
cluster low in the east.

*?Tuesday morning, an hour before sunrise low in the east, look for a thin
crescent Moon and the star Aldebaran to its right a little more than the width
of your fist held at arm's length; between them nearer the horizon is Mercury,
the same brightness as the star.

* Wednesday is the midpoint of the year 2008, and the Moon is new.

* Friday the Earth is at aphelion, its farthest from the Sun in its elliptical
orbit, at 94.3 million miles.

*?Friday evening, an hour after sunset, the thin crescent Moon is to the left of
the Beehive cluster low in the west -- use binoculars to spot the cluster.

* July 9 the Moon is at 1st quarter, and Jupiter is at opposition (on the
opposite side of Earth from the Sun) when it rises at sunset, is up all night
and sets at sunrise.

Naked-eye Planets. Evening: Saturn and Mars are low in the west; Jupiter is
rising in the east. Morning: Mercury is near the eastern horizon an hour before
sunrise; Jupiter is low in the southwest.

StarDate. A reader asked Stargazer to list the stations that carry the
University of Texas McDonald Observatory's popular daily "StarDate" radio
program. The two-minute program is carried by over 500 stations nationwide and
25 in Texas--far too many to list here. So here's how to find a station in your
area. On the Internet go to www.stardate.org. Under the Radio button, select
Find Affiliates, then enter your state. Up will pop a list of cities, stations
(with their frequencies) and air times.


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Stargazer appears every other week in the Waco Tribune-Herald and other Texas
newspapers.? Paul Derrick is an amateur astronomer who lives in Waco.? Write him
at 918 N. 30th St., Waco, TX 76707, call or fax at (254) 753-6920, or e-mail at
paulderrickwaco@....?

Copyright 2008 by Paul Derrick.? Permission is granted for free electronic
distribution as long as these paragraphs are included.? Please obtain permission
from the author for publication in any other form.? To be added to (or removed
from) the free e-mail distribution list, send your e-mail address (and name) to
paulderrickwaco@....


* * See the Stargazer Web site at http://www.stargazerpaul.com. * *
* * See the Stargazer Web site at http://www.stargazerpaul.com. * *
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