views from the croft

Below you will find Ian Brantingham's guide to what you can expect to see in the night sky this month. If you would like further information regarding what you can see in the night sky this month, either email Ian Brantingham or come along to Sigma's next meeting (further information on Events page). Here is a useful lunar calendar for your reference.

Visit the Handy Angles page to ease your navigation around the night sky!!

August 2008

Hi, and welcome to what is happening in the skies above Moray this August.

Before I cover the night sky, a rare event is occurring on the 1st. Millions of people in Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia and China are going to witness a total eclipse of the sun. The Moon's shadow will blot out the sun as it races across the planet. However, billions will experience a partial solar eclipse, and that includes the Moray coastline, were 40 % of the sun will be blocked out.

The first thing to remember about a partial eclipse is don't look at it. Even the tiniest bit of sun left uncovered by the Moon can badly hurt your eyes, and don't use filters that fasten to an eyepiece of a telescope. Second thing is, look at shadows. The shadows cast by trees will look strange and crescent shaped. This is the pin-hole - camera effect, and it looks really strange.

The timings for Moray are start - 09.24am local, Max - 10.25 local and end 11.15 local, so here's hoping for clear skies.

The nights are starting to close in, but slowly at first, so it is still light till quite late.

The Summer Triangle, consisting of Altair in Aquila, Vega in Lyra & Deneb in Cygnus, is now due south, and showing well in the darkening sky. It sits directly above the constellation of Sagittarius which is home to the biggest planet in the solar system, Jupiter. Although close to the horizon, it is very bright and a small telescope will enable you to see it's 4 major moons. To the southeast is the box of Pegasus, just above Pisces the fishes, and beyond that Andromeda & its famous galaxy.

Above Andromeda is the “W” shape of Cassiopeia, and in the northeast, Auriga with its bright star Capella is close to the horizon. Our old friend the Plough (Ursa Major) is in the northwest, and its handle points to Arcturus, the brightest star in Bootes, and just above the western horizon. It the southwest, Hercules sits above Ophiuchus.

The Moon is new on the 1st and the 30th , and because of the orbit pattern that causes the eclipse on the 1st, the full moon on the 18th. is partially eclipsed by the earth. This starts at 20.36 local, before the moon rises, peaks at 22.11 local and is over by 23.34 local. It will tend to turn the colour of the moon a dark red.

The meteor season is now in full swing, and the star of the show is the Perseids.

This is the dusty debris from comet Swift-Tuttle, but this year it is close to the full moon. Although active from mid July to late August, this shower peaks on the 12th, and the 4 days around this, especially the nights of the 11th & 12th are the best chance for viewing, provided of course the weather is nice to us.

I once managed to see the aurora in late July, but this is rare. Although no luck so far, there has been some solar activity, so keep looking to the north.

A large amount of Noctilucent Clouds have been seen over the past month but that season tends to end with August, so this is probably the last month you will see them. These are strange steel coloured clouds that are right on the edge of space, and only visible after sunset.

Finally the ISS finishes its marathon show with a pass on the 1st starting at 21.48 & finishing @21.52

For ISS times visit www.heavens-above.com

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