Mid-month reminder to watch for Mars and the Beehive Cluster joining in the night sky beginning on the 21st. This pairing will be short lived as Mars finishes passing through this star cluster on the 24th. Observers still have time to watch Mars and Venus approach each other until only 7° separates the pair by the end of the month.
Jupiter and Saturn are rising earlier with each passing night so observers may want to stay out a little later to view this pair of planets. The warm (too hot!) temperatures should allow for more comfortable viewing for most observers.
Recently, there was a discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus by an international astronomical team. On Earth, phosphine is only created in an industry setting or by microbes that do not need oxygen to survive. Based on this discovery, NASA has announced two new missions to Venus. One of these missions will study the atmosphere of our sister planet while the other will map the surface and study the geology. These missions combined will give astronomers an idea of why Venus is the way that it is; thick atmosphere and extremely hot temperatures, instead of being more habitable like the Earth. These missions won't launch until the end of the decade but gives the curious minded something to look forward to!
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| Now get outside and look up! |
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