Saturday, June 25
Hercules the Strongman is high in the east by sunset. Inside this constellation is our target: the planetary nebula NGC 6210.
This magnitude 9.2 nebula, sometimes called the Turtle Nebula, can be spotted from most locations with large binoculars or a small scope. To locate it, find magnitude 2.8 Beta (β) Herculis, then scan 4° east-northeast.
The Turtle rivals M57, the famous Dumbbell Nebula, in brightness. But NGC 6210 is just 48″ across at its widest point, and it shrinks to an apparent 30″ or so at best through most amateur telescopes. Still, it won’t appear exactly starlike — instead, according to Astronomy columnist Stephen James O’Meara, it will look like a swollen star seen through poor atmospheric conditions. What you’re actually seeing, though, are shells of gas and dust ejected by a dying Sun-like star.
For those in or near the Washington, D.C. area, the annual Astronomy Festival on the National Mall event is tonight. This free public outreach event runs from 6 P.M. to 11 P.M. EDT between 3rd and 4th Streets, SW, across from the National Museum of the American Indian. There will be telescopes for viewing, outreach booths from numerous universities and organizations, and scientists available to answer questions and help you explore the night sky.
Sunrise: 5:33 A.M.
Sunset: 8:33 P.M.
Moonrise: 3:02 A.M.
Moonset: 5:47 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (10%)
Sunday, June 26
The Moon passes 3° north of Venus at 4 A.M. EDT, shortly before the pair rises in most locations across the U.S. An hour later, both have breached the horizon in the Midwest, sitting among the stars of Taurus the Bull. The two are now closer together — about 2.5° — and our satellite has slid slightly northeast of the planet, appearing to its upper left. The nearly 27-day-old Moon is nearing New, now just 7 percent lit. Venus, meanwhile, shows off an 85-percent-lit crescent through a telescope, its disk some 12″ across.
Less than 7° above Venus is the Pleiades open star cluster, also cataloged as M45. This beautiful group of young stars is often mistaken for the Little Dipper because its components appear to some as a compact dipper shape. However, the true Little Dipper asterism is part of Ursa Minor in the north.
Another hour later, Mercury has risen in the Midwest (it’s already daylight on the East Coast) and once more, all five naked-eye planets stand in order from the Sun in the eastern sky. Enjoy this stunning and rare lineup as long as you can; we’ll lose it early next month as Mercury drops out of sight.
Sunrise: 5:33 A.M.
Sunset: 8:33 P.M.
Moonrise: 3:33 A.M.
Moonset: 6:48 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (5%)
Monday, June 27
The Moon, trundling along the ecliptic, passes 4° north of Mercury at 4 A.M. EDT. Two hours later (before dawn in the Midwest but in daylight on the East Coast), the two are slightly closer and the Moon has continued east, now northeast of Mercury (to the planet’s upper left). Our satellite’s barely 3-percent-lit crescent may be a real challenge to spot, so try binoculars or a telescope if you’re having trouble. Take care to put away all observing equipment several minutes before local sunrise in your region, which may differ from the time given below.
Some 7° to Mercury’s upper left (southwest) is Aldebaran, the Bull’s bright red giant eye. This star will likely be one of the last luminaries visible in the approaching dawn. According to star expert Jim Kaler, its name means “the Follower” because it appears to follow the Pleiades through the sky. Aldebaran contains some 1.7 times the mass of the Sun and is 43 times as wide. If placed in the center of our solar system, it would reach halfway to Mercury and appear 20° across in our sky. (The Sun, by comparison, spans 0.5° or so in apparent width — the same as the Moon.)
Sunrise: 5:33 A.M.
Sunset: 8:33 P.M.
Moonrise: 4:09 A.M.
Moonset: 7:48 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (2%)
The Sky This Week: Planet action abounds
Source: Trending Update Article
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