Observer's Report for May/June 2017 All Times Given in the Observer's Report Are Cst Using a 24-Hour Clock

Home , Gamma Virginis, Lambda Aquarii, Phi Aquarii, Pi Sagittarii, Shadow

OBSERVER’S REPORT FOR MAY/JUNE 2017

Mars is in Taurus low in the WNW. On June 1st it is 7° up 30 minutes after sunset shining at magnitude +1.7. Binoculars will probably be needed to see it in the glow of twilight. On June 5th it moves into Gemini and on June 7th it shines among the stars of M35, however the view will likely be lost in the glow of twilight. Jupiter is moving west in Virgo shining at magnitude -2.3. On June 10th it is stationary in right ascension about 3° SE of Porrima (Gamma Virginis) then begins moving east. All of the Galilean moons are east of the planet on May 25th before 22:00 when Europa begins to transit. Io begins transiting at 23:50 leaving only Ganymede and Callisto visible until 00:20 when Europa's transit ends. From 00:50 until 02:20 the shadows of Europa and Io can be seen transiting across Jupiter's cloud tops. All of the moons are again east of the planet on June 8th with the Great Red Spot centered at 22:50. All of the moons are west of Jupiter on the night of May 29/30 with the GRS centered at 00:30. On June 12th all NOTE: the moons are again west of the planet. On June 3rd the waxing gibbous Moon is 1.5° NE of Jupiter. Also on this date from 21:25 until ALL TIMES GIVEN 23:20 the shadows of Ganymede and Io can be seen transiting across the face of Jupiter. On June 10th from 21:56 until 23:00 Callisto is the IN THE only moon visible. At 23:05 Io's shadow begins to transit ending at OBSERVER’S 01:15 followed by a Ganymede shadow transit beginning at 01:20. On REPORT ARE CST June 18th from 00:17 until Jupiter sets Callisto is again the only moon visible. Some times when the GRS is centered include: 5-21 at 22:20; USING A 24-HOUR 5-28 at 23:08; 6-2 at 22:16; 6-14 at 22:12. Saturn is moving west in CLOCK. southern Ophiuchus and rises around 22:30 in mid-May. Saturn is at opposition on June 15th when it will rise at sunset and be in the sky all night. The best time to view Saturn will be when it transits and is at its highest point above the horizon, especially this opposition because Saturn will only get about 30° above the horizon when it transits. Sat- urn shines near magnitude 0.0 all this month. The rings being tilted almost at the maximum contributes to the brightness of Saturn. From June 2nd until June 4th Saturn passes south of a 6th magnitude star that could be mistaken for a moon. Look for Titan, Saturn's largest moon, west of the planet on May 18th and again on June 3rd. Titan is east of the planet on May 26th and June 11th with Rhea, Tethys, and Dione between Titan and Saturn along with a 10th magnitude star masquerad- ing as a moon. Pluto is in Sagittarius about 2.5° east of Pi Sagittarii on June 1st when it transits about the start of twilight. Like Saturn it never gets more than 30° above the horizon. Neptune is moving east in Aquarius shining at magnitude 7.9. On May 20th Neptune is occulted by the Moon in a dark sky over the southern Atlantic ocean from the eastern coast of South America to the west coast of Africa. For us the Moon is about 2° east of Neptune when it rises. On June 1st it is 2.5° east of Lambda Aquarii, about halfway between Lambda and Phi Aquarii. On that date it is about 17° up at the start of twilight.

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Neptune is stationary on June 16th then begins moving west. Also on that date the waning gibbous Moon is less than 2.5° SW of Neptune. An occultation of Neptune at night occurs over the Pacific ocean off the coast of Antarctica. Venus is moving east in Pisces shining at magnitude -4.4. On May 22nd a thin waning crescent Moon is about 3° south of Venus. Venus reaches greatest elongation 46° west of the Sun on June 3rd, however because of the shallow angle of the ecliptic it will only be 18° above the horizon 30 minutes before sunrise. Ve- nus gradually climbs higher and moves north along the eastern horizon. On June 11th Venus moves into Aries and the following day it is at aphelion. Uranus remains low in the morning sky rising the same st time as Venus on June 1 . The next two days it is less than 2° to the DID YOU KNOW? north of Venus. By mid-June it is about 10° up at the start of morning twilight. Mercury remains mostly lost in the glare of twilight but Ceres was the binoculars may help to get a glimpse of it the first week in June but it largest known will only by 4° above the eastern horizon 30 minutes before sunrise. The Moon phases are: new 5-25 at14:44; FQ 6-1 at 7:42; Full 6-9 at asteroid in the 8:10; LQ 6-17 at 6:33. On May 28th the 5th magnitude star 74 Gemi- solar system norum is occulted by the crescent Moon from 22:00 until 22:17. until 2006 when Three days later the almost first quarter Moon occults 3.8 magnitude Rho Leonis from 23:37 until 00:31. Comet C/2015 V2 (Johnson) is it was added to a currently moving through Boötes and on the night of May 19th it is newly formed just under 1.5° west of Delta Boötis. On June 3rd it is about 5.5° east class of objects th of Arcturus. The comet moves into Virgo on June 14 . It is closest to called dwarf Earth on June 5th and perihelion occurs on June 12th. It is currently reported to be around magnitude 8. Asteroid 4 Vesta, shining at mag- planets. nitude 8, is moving east through Cancer and from May 19th through May 24th it is about 3° north of M44, the Beehive cluster. By mid- June it has moved into Leo. And finally, the earliest sunrise of the year occurs on June 14th at 5:32.

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