Monthly Night Sky Report: June 2023

    Introduction

    The previous month ended with decent weather and mostly clear skies. Parts of Utah had a few smokey days due to wildfires in Canada, but overall it was a great month for stargazing. If you were unable to enjoy stargazing in May, be sure to check out the summer night sky during June.

    Typically, the weather begins to get hot and dry during June in Utah. This year has been a crazy year when it comes to weather, so this could change. Be sure to enjoy the night sky during the clear, warm nights of June! This month, Mars and Venus will pair with the Beehive Cluster on separate occasions, Venus will put on its best show of 2023 as the Evening Star, and many deep-sky objects will be visible. 

             

Mercury

      Mercury recently reached its greatest western elongation for this time around the Sun. During June, Mercury will sink closer to our star. This tiny world will brighten as it does so, reaching magnitude -1.0 on the 19th. Leading up to this date, Mercury can be found close to the Pleiades (M45) on the 10th. Uranus can also be found close to Mercury on the 4th, but the ice giant may be a hard target as the Sun brightens the morning sky. 

  

Venus

    Venus will likely be the first object observers see in the sky after sunset. The Earth's sister will be high above the western horizon as it reaches its greatest eastern elongation on the 4th. As we approach the 4th, observers may watch Venus line up with Castor and Pollux in Gemini. A day before Venus reaches its greatest eastern elongation, it can be found just 10° from Mars. On the 12th and 13th, Venus will pass close to M44, the Beehive Cluster. On the 21st, a thin crescent Moon can be found close to Venus.

    

Mars

    Mars will spend the first three days of the month in the Beehive Cluster (M44), creating an observing and astrophotography spectacle. Following this first weekend in June, Mars will exit the Beehive and continue through Cancer until the 20th when it passes into Leo the Lion. Venus and the Moon, found near the border of Cancer, will join Mars in the evening sky on the 21st. 

Jupiter

Saturn

     

    Jupiter will rise above the mountains shortly before the Sun for the first part of the month. This gas giant will shine at -1.95 magnitude during the first morning of the month and will be visible in the early morning glow from the Sun. Mercury can be found relatively close to the lower left of Jupiter as the month begins. As we progress, Jupiter will pull away from the Sun while Mercury sticks close by. The Moon will join Jupiter in the sky on the 14th. Jupiter will rise earlier with each passing day, making the end of the month the best time to view this planet since it will be higher in the sky and able to escape the glow of the Sun for a longer period of time.   

    Saturn will rise above the mountains around 3:00 in the morning, about two hours before Jupiter. By month's end, the ringed planet will rise about two hours earlier, allowing observers more time to view this planet. The Moon will join Saturn in this region of the sky on the 9th. Saturn will reach opposition later this year.  

   

       

Neptune

Uranus

    

    The two ice giants can be viewed through a pair of binoculars but will look their best through a telescope. Uranus will be difficult to spot this month as it rises above the mountains shortly before the Sun. During the first few days of June, Uranus can be found to the left of Mercury in the morning sky but will begin to pull away and can be found between Mercury and Jupiter after the first week. On the 15th, a thin crescent Moon can be found just to the left of this ice giant. As the month progresses, Uranus will rise earlier, with the end of the month seeing this planet rise above the mountains about two hours earlier than the beginning of the month. 

    Neptune will be easier to spot this month as it rises above the horizon about an hour after Saturn. This places the planet clearing the eastern mountains at about 4 in the morning. By the end of the month, this most distant ice giant will rise about two hours earlier. The nearly half-lit Moon can be found just below Neptune on the morning of the 11th. 

Meteor Shower 

   Unfortunately, there are no major meteor showers this month, but observers will still have the chance to view sporadic meteors in the night sky. Typically, an observer can see approximately seven meteors per hour on any given night. The summer solstice occurs on the 21st of June this year, making this day the one with the most sunlight. 

Spot Me....🕵️  

    June should be a great month for observers to dust off their telescopes and get out under the stars if they have not done so already. I will finish up the Messier catalog this month with Virgo, home of 11 Messier objects. This post will highlight five of these objects, all of which are close together in our night sky. The Midmonth Check-In will highlight the remaining six objects of the Messier catalog. So without any more rambling from me, let's jump into it! The first image below shows what the night sky will look like as an observer faces south after sunset. The second image has constellation lines and labels as well as a few of the major stars labeled. 

The southern night sky after sunset in June.

The southern sky after sunset in June with Spica, Porrima, and Vindemiatrix, the brightest stars of Virgo, labeled.

    I will start the Messier hunt in Virgo with M60 (aka NGC 4649) a lenticular galaxy approximately 57 million light-years from the Sun. This object dimly glows at magnitude 9.75 which means a pair of binoculars will be needed from a dark sky site or a larger telescope from brighter skies. To find M60, first locate Vindemiatrix then guide your binoculars/telescope about 3° to the west (right). See the image below for the location of M60.

Location of M60 in Virgo.

   Next on the list is M59 (aka NGC 4621) an elliptical galaxy that dimly glows at magnitude 10.56. This object will require a telescope to view. M59 is less than a degree away from M60. After viewing M60, nudge your telescope slightly to the right (west) and M59 will be visible. If using a low-power eyepiece, M59 and M60 should be visible in a single field of view. See the image below for the location of M59.

Location of M59 in Virgo.

    Our hunt will continue with M58 (aka NGC 4579), a spiral galaxy located approximately 68 million light-years from the Sun. Like the previous two objects, M58 is dim at magnitude 9.63 and will require a pair of binoculars from a dark sky site or a larger telescope from brighter skies. After viewing M59 and M60, guide your telescope a little farther west to locate M58. The image below shows the location of M58.            

Location of M58 in Virgo.

    After viewing M58, guide your telescope a little farther northwest to find M89 (aka NGC 4552) a lenticular galaxy that glows at magnitude 9.75. M89 is about 50 million light-years from the Sun. See the image below for the location of M89.

Location of M89 in Virgo.

    The final target is M90 (aka NGC 4569) a spiral galaxy approximately 60 million light-years from the Sun. This object shines at magnitude 9.50 and will require a pair of binoculars from a dark sky site or a larger telescope from brighter skies. After viewing M89, guide your telescope north (up) to locate M90. See the image below for the location of M90.

Location of M90 in Virgo.

    This area of the sky is home to the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. After viewing the five Messier objects discussed in this post, I encourage observers to scan around in this region of the sky to view other galaxies. See the two images below for the location of the five discussed objects in Virgo.

Location of M58, M59, M60, M89, and M90 in Virgo.

Location of M58, M59, M60, M89, and M90 in Virgo with constellation and star labels.

    

    The images in the "Spot Me..." section are provided by Stellarium, a free planetarium software. Here is an updated file of the Messier Catalog. Be sure to check back around the 15th of June for the remaining Messier objects in Virgo!

Monthly Breakdown

  

June 01: Mars visits the Beehive Cluster 

June 02: Mars visits the Beehive Cluster

June 03: Mars visits the Beehive Cluster

June 03: Full Moon 🌕

June 04: Mercury and Uranus within 3°

June 04: Venus at greatest eastern elongation

June 09: Moon passes within 3° of Saturn

June 10: Last Quarter Moon🌗

June 11: Moon passes within 2° of Neptune

June 14: Moon passes within 2° of Jupiter

June 15: Moon passes within 2° of Uranus

June 16: Moon passes within 4° of Mercury

June 17: Mercury passes within 4° of Aldebaran

June 18: New Moon 🌑

June 21: Summer Solstice

June 21: Moon passes within 4° of Venus

June 22: Moon passes within 4° of Mars

June 26: First Quarter Moon 🌓

     

    Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts.  You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.  

    

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images were taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos was taken by Jeff Greenland.

    

Midmonth Check-In: May 2023 and Ursa Major

  

Introduction and Monthly Reminders   

    

    Weather-wise, May has been a beautiful month. The temperatures have been pleasant and it's been nice seeing the trees and flowers come back after a long winter. My allergies don't like it, but I do! So far this month, we have experienced the Full and Last Quarter Moon phases, the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower, a close approach between the Moon and Saturn, and Mars being close to the star Pollux in Gemini. 

    For the remainder of the month, we can still look forward to the First Quarter and New Moon phases, as well as the Moon occulting Jupiter on the 17th. Of course, an observer can still view several of the Messier objects that have been discussed, including those from Ursa Major. Hopefully, the clouds will stay away so we can do some stargazing! 

  

Messier Targets 🔭

    

    Remember that Messier objects can be viewed throughout the year. To see which objects can be viewed during this time of year, please check out my Messier List file to aid in the hunt for these objects. Don't forget that there are tabs at the bottom of this spreadsheet to easily find objects according to Season, Constellation, Magnitude, and Classification.

    This post will highlight the remaining Messier objects that can be found in Ursa Major. These objects include three spiral galaxies and a planetary nebula. The images below show the region of the sky that contains Ursa Major.

Ursa Major can be found high in the northern sky after sunset.

Ursa Major with constellation lines.

    

    The first target is M97 (aka Owl Nebula, NGC 3587) a planetary nebula found under the belly of Ursa Major (under the dipper of the Big Dipper). This Messier object is roughly 2,030 light-years from the Sun. The Owl Nebula glows at a dim 9.88 magnitude and will require a pair of binoculars if viewed from a dark sky location or a large telescope if viewed from the city. See the image below for the location of M97.

Location of M97 in Ursa Major.

    Next up, is M108 (aka Surfboard Galaxy, NGC 3556) a spiral galaxy located about 28 million light-years from the Sun. The Surfboard Galaxy glows at a dim 10.69 magnitude, which means a pair of binoculars will be needed at a dark sky site or a large telescope from the city. After viewing the Owl Nebula, an observer should guide their binoculars or telescope slightly closer to the belly of Ursa Major to find M108. See the image below for the location of M108.

Location of M108 in Ursa Major.

    Following M108, an observer should guide their binoculars or telescope towards the rear leg of Ursa Major. Here, they can find M109 (aka NGC 3992) another spiral galaxy. This object is about the same magnitude as M108 and will require a pair of binoculars from a dark sky site or a telescope from urban skies. See the image below for the location of M109.

Location of M109 in Ursa Major.

    The final target in Ursa Major is M101 (aka Pinwheel Galaxy, NGC 5457) which is a spiral galaxy located about 21 million light-years from the Sun. The Pinwheel Galaxy shines at a magnitude of 7.84 which will require a pair of binoculars from a dark sky site or a small telescope from urban areas. Of course, a larger telescope will collect more light and show more detail. The Pinwheel Galaxy is located just above the tail (since bears have long tails) of Ursa Major (handle of the Big Dipper), between the two bright stars that make up this area of the constellation. See the image below for the location of M101.

Location of M101 in Ursa Major.

        This concludes the Messier objects that can be found in Ursa Major. Below you will find two images that show the location of these four objects as well as two more images that show the location of the seven Messier objects of Ursa Major.  

 

Location of M97, M101, M108, and M109 in Ursa Major.

Location of M97, M101, M108, and M109 in Ursa Major with constellation lines.

Location of the seven Messier objects in Ursa Major. Recall that M81 and M82 can be seen in a single field of view.

    

Location of the seven Messier objects in Ursa Major with constellation lines. Recall that M81 and M82 can be seen in a single field of view.

   June will highlight Virgo, the final constellation in my tour of the Messier Catalogue. Don't forget to view as many of these objects as possible during the coming weeks as the temperatures rise and the weather improves. The above images were provided by Stellarium, a free planetarium software that can be found online, downloaded, or installed as an app on your favorite mobile device. My updated Messier list can be found here. 

     

Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts.  You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.  

    

Now get outside and look up!

Monthly Night Sky Report: May 2023

   Introduction

    The month of April ended with a few thunderstorms and rain showers as well as some nice weather and clear skies. The last week of April also offered Utahns another unique chance of viewing the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights are unpredictable, especially in Utah. An interested observer needs to pay attention to the local news or use an app like SpaceWeatherLive to help track the possibility of viewing these lights over Utah. 

    May will likely continue the rainy weather and the temperature warmup that began in April. Hopefully, there will also be some clear skies for stargazers to enjoy the night sky. May will offer observers the chance to view another meteor shower, although the number of meteors to be seen will be limited. The Moon will occult, or pass between the Earth and Jupiter, blocking the giant planet from view during the second half of the month. Mars and Venus can be found paired together in the evening sky.

             

Mercury

      Mercury will reach inferior conjunction with the Sun on May 1st and will be hard to spot for most of the month. The innermost planet can be found in the morning sky, close to Jupiter. This gas giant can be used to help find Mercury around the 23rd of May when the pair are located within 7° of one another. The best chance of viewing Mercury will come on the 29th when this planet reaches its greatest western elongation, allowing it to rise above the Utah mountains about 30 minutes before the Sun. 

  

Venus

    Venus will continue to shine brightly throughout May, making it an easy object to spot shortly after the Sun sinks below the western horizon. During the first few evenings of the month, Venus can be found between the horns of Taurus. Mars can be found a short distance above Venus, in Gemini the Twins. As the month progresses, Venus will rise higher in the sky as Mars dips closer to the horizon. Venus will pass into Gemini by the second week of the month. By the end of  May, Venus will be in the same position, near Pollux in Gemini, as Mars was at the beginning of the month. A conjunction will occur between Venus and Mars in July. The Moon can be found close by on the 22nd and 23rd of this month. 

    

Mars

    Mars will start the month off in Gemini, near the bright star Pollux. This star will be similar in color to Mars, so don't confuse this pair of red lights in the sky! Mars will slowly make its way to the next constellation to the East, Cancer the Crab. This transition will occur by the 17th of this month. As observers watch the Red Planet, they will notice it moving closer to M44, the Beehive Cluster. Mars won't quite reach this Messier object during May but will pass in front of this open star cluster in June. This will create a great astrophotography opportunity as well as a visual treat. The Moon will join Mars in the night sky on the 24th. 

Jupiter

Saturn

     

    Jupiter was in conjunction with the Sun on April 11 and is slowly making its reappearance in the morning sky. With each passing morning, Jupiter will rise earlier, leading up to its best views in May occurring at the end of the month as it rises about an hour before the Sun. Like many observers, the Moon also can't wait to view Jupiter and will meet up with this planet on the 17th. On this date, the Moon will occult Jupiter, completely blocking it from view. This will occur around 5:45 in the morning for those interested in watching.  

    Saturn will rise above the eastern horizon around five in the morning at the beginning of the month and a full two hours earlier by the end of the month. Saturn will make a great target to view for observers waiting for Jupiter to rise above the horizon, especially near the 17th when the Moon will occult Jupiter. The best time to view Saturn will come at the end of the month when it can be found higher in the sky, trying to escape the glow of the Sun. The Moon can be found close by on the 13th of May.

   

       

Neptune

Uranus

    

    The two ice giants can be viewed through a pair of binoculars but will look their best through a telescope. Uranus reaches conjunction with the Sun on May 9th and will be lost from view for most of the month. The best chance for viewing Uranus will come at the end of the month when it rises above the horizon about an hour before the Sun. However, this distant planet will likely be washed out in the morning glow of the Sun so interested observers may need to wait until later in the year to view this planet.

    Neptune fairs a little better than Uranus during May. This most distant ice giant will rise above the horizon around 5:45 in the morning on the 1st and about two hours earlier by the end of the month. The Moon will join Neptune in the sky on the morning of the 14th. 

Meteor Shower 

   The Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower will return to the skies in May. This shower will appear to radiate from Aquarius, near Saturn, in the morning sky on the 6th. Typically, an observer can expect to see up to 50 meteors per hour during this shower, however, this year, the Full Moon will severely affect the number of meteors that can be seen. Due to the Full Moon, the best time to view this shower will come the week before and after the peak date. 

Spot Me....🕵️  

    The temperatures should continue to rise throughout May, presenting astronomers and outdoor enthusiasts with no excuses to stay indoors. This month I will continue the hunt for Messier objects with Ursa Major, one of the more well-known constellations for those in the Northern Hemisphere. The Big Dipper, which may be more common to a lot of people, makes up the hind quarters and tail of Ursa Major, The Great Bear. This constellation is home to seven Messier objects, but I've decided to break this up into two separate posts. I imagine most of my readers know where to find Ursa Major, but I have included two images below to help viewers orient themselves with the night sky. 

Ursa Major can be found high in the northeastern sky after sunset.

Ursa Major and the surrounding constellations with constellation lines.

    The first target in Ursa Major is M40 (aka Win 4, Winnecke 4) which is the only double star in the Messier Catalog. M40 lies about 510 light years from our Sun and can be seen with binoculars. To find M40, locate the star that makes up the base of the Great Bear's tail and then slightly drop your field of view towards the Ursa Minor (Little Dipper) and this double star should pop into view. Even though a pair of binoculars can be used to see M40, a telescope will allow this object to be found more easily. See the image below for the location of M40.

Location of M40 in Ursa Major.

    The next two objects can be found in a single field of view if a low-power eyepiece is used. The first object is M81 (aka Bode's Galaxy, NGC 3031) and is a spiral galaxy. The second object is M82 (aka Cigar Galaxy, NGC 3034) and is a lenticular galaxy. To find both of these objects, move towards the head of the Great Bear and again slightly shift your field of view towards Ursa Minor, more specifically, towards Polaris. See the image below for the location of M81 and M82. 

Location of M81 and M82 in Ursa Major.

    The two images below show the location of the three objects discussed in this post. 

Location of M40, M81, and M82 in Ursa Major.

Location of M40, M81, and M82 in Ursa Major with constellation lines.

    

    The images in the "Spot Me..." section are provided by Stellarium, a free planetarium software. Here is an updated file of the Messier Catalog. Be sure to check back around the 15th of May for the remaining Messier objects in Ursa Major!

Monthly Breakdown

  

May 05: Full Moon 🌕 

May 06: Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower peaks

May 10: Mars and Pollux within 5°

May 12: Last Quarter Moon🌗

May 13: Moon passes within 3° of Saturn

May 17: Moon occults Jupiter

May 19: New Moon 🌑

May 27: First Quarter Moon 🌓

     

    Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts.  You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.  

    

Now get outside and look up!

Planet images were taken by NASA.

Andrew vs. the Cosmos was taken by Jeff Greenland.