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Sky by Month JUNE 2012 SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Constellations and Deep Sky Objects
This month we will see the night sky over the city of La Plata in Argentina
Towards Southeast horizon and near to the Zenith lies Scorpius, the scorpion
with its distinctive sting emerging from depths of the Milky Way
This sky´s area contains very bright stars, most notably it´s Antares, the heart of the scorpion
a red supergiant which colour rivals the planet Mars when matched together in the sky
Antares is 300 times greater than Sun
If we will place in the site of the Sun
then Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars would be devoured by this supergiant
This is a binary system which second component is observed with a greenish hue
induced by the contrast with the orange color of Antares A; ... its true color is blue
With mirror telescopes above 150 mm diameter is possible to unfold the star
However, using binoculars, it is also clearly visible
When her older sister, much brighter, is lagging behind the Moon
it´s produced, only a moment, the appearance of a bright emerald by fifth magnitude
The next lunar occultation will happen on 14 August 2024
Scorpio is situated in a sky´s area that contains many deep sky objects, visible to the naked eye or with binoculars
M4 is the globular cluster of stars closest to our Sun; are visually located near the star Antares
It is visible with binoculars
but the telescope will resolve individual stars easily, also notes a freak elongated shape at its center
M4 is one of the most impressive objects around the deep sky
Half way between Antares and the star Beta Scorpius lies M80
it´s another globular cluster with high density of stars at its core
this huge stellar density makes it shine enough to be seen through small telescopes
in spite of their 36,000 light years away
The striking open cluster M6 or the butterfly cluster is visible to the naked eye
Almost all the suns of this cluster are blue, it shows youth
however there are some more evolved stars, such as yellow supergiant of the image, noted for its beauty
M7, the Ptolemy cluster, is also visible without magnification lens
With binoculars we delight in the rich star field where this open cluster lies
Descend into the sky to observe an asterism drawn by six-star with half circle shape
that stand for the Corona Australis constellation
Near the star Epsilon is located a lovely set of three nebulae, most notably NGC 6726
Besides these nebulae are easily seen with binoculars the globular cluster NGC 6723
lies in the domains of the Sagittarius constellation
The nebula NGC 6729, is a nursery of suns very close to us
the stars of the interior can not be seen directly
but the material ejected by these infants stars travel at speeds up to a million kilometers per hour
which collides with the surrounding gas and creates shock waves that cause bright endless shapes
If you live below forty degrees of latitude in the northern hemisphere
will have the opportunity to observe with a simple binoculars, and very low over the south horizon
to the cluster Omega Centauri, visible in last days May and the first days of June
This month, from some places in Mexico, you can observe the Southern Cross
Looking to the Northern horizon, we raise our eyes to find ourselves in a vast region of the sky
with the thirteenth zodiacal constellation:
Ophiuchus, the physician surgeon of Argonauts or the Serpent Bearer
Ras Alhague, lies at the head of Ophiuchus, is the brightest star of this asterism
and rises in the early hours of the night over the Eastern horizon
This constellation is especially rich in globular clusters, highlights for its beauty: M9
a cluster which components can be resolved with a telescope of 20 cm aperture
M14, another globular. because of its stellar components shows a yellowish hue
M107, a globular cluster 20,000 light years away
M10, with telescopes of aperture 20 cm, has a yellowish color with a very dense stellar core
M12, very similar to the previous cluster
and M62 which, together with the two previous clusters, is visible through a simple binoculars
In 1604, the astronomer Johannes Kepler was able to study the explosion of a supernova
in this region of the sky, near the star Sabik, the second brightest star in Ophiuchus
The Kepler supernova remnant is currently invisible to human eyes
but accessible in sensitive eyes to x-ray of telescope Chandra
At the foot of the Serpent Bearer, and 400 light years away, lies Rho Ophiuchi binary star
surrounded by a blue cloud of gas and dust, is the reflection nebula IC 4604
...whose light comes from young blue stars....
In fact, this nest of stars lies more than 100 light years from Rho Ophiuchi
Ophiuchus is the bearer of the constellation of the Serpent
that is divided in two, Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda, head and tail of the snake
Highlight in the tail of the snake: M16, the Eagle Nebula
The set is formed by an open cluster of more than 400 stars associated with an emission nebula
Inside are so-called "Pillars of Creation"
Actually they are plumes of dust and molecular gas that cause the stars condense
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
Lunar phases
The June 21 happend in the southern hemisphere the shortest day and longest night of the year
announcing the entrance of Winter
The combination of the translational motion of the Earth around the Sun
and the inclination that keeps the planet's rotation axis to the plane of Earth's orbit
cause the projection of the Sun on the Earth's surface varies over the year
being in the June solstice when lowest in the Southern Hemisphere
The sun, like a pendulum, moves to the sunrise over the horizon line and before the June Solstice
seems to stop in the sky, hence the name "Solstice," "Quiet Sun" in Latin
The Sun, which has been rising more and more to the North, stops and rise from the same place for a few days
then beginning its movement to South to meet, in the December solstice
the maximum distance from the Eastern horizon
On June 1 the Moon apparently placed very near the bright star Spica in the Virgo constellation
Not much further from the star the planet Saturn will shane in a breathtaking sight
On June 4 there is a partial Lunar eclipse, visible from the Pacific and most of Australia
But from South America will be difficult to perceive the fine shadows of the Earth projected over the Moon
On June 6 there is an astronomical event that human being living now on Earth never can see again
That is why it presents an exclusive opportunity for those amateur astronomers
who were unable to observe the solar transit of Venus eight years ago
Those who were lucky enough to contemplate, can only try to convey the emotion
that led to the observation of small dark disk Venusian on the huge bright solar disk
...... and you could feel the movement of the spheres ...
You still have time, but remember, watch only with sunscreen binoculars or telescopes adapted
At dawn on June 17 appear close together in the sky East, a thin waning Moon
almost completely illuminated by Earthshine subtle projecting our planet
the gas giant Jupiter and Venus burning
After sunset on the 20th, Mercury will be visible very near the bright star Pollux
Very high in the sky, Mars and Saturn are waiting to be discovered by our curious gaze
The meteor shower of June Bootids is associated with the comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke
occurring between June 22 and July 2 and is expected to peak variable for the 27th
Those that have slower insertion into Earth's atmosphere: only 18 km / s
Its radiant is in the constellation Bootes, the pastor of oxen
Look at the Sky´s quiescence over your head…
...then the Earth´s motion you will sense under your feet