6 minute read
Astronomy
The Night Sky
WHETHER YOU ARE NEW TO STARGAZING OR HAVE EXPERIENCE EXPLORING THE DARK SKIES HERE IN FRANCE, YOU CAN FIND SOME HOPEFULLY INTERESTING DETAILS IN MY MONTHLY ARTICLE ABOUT WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR DURING AUGUST.
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By Claire Wardlaw
Claire Wardlaw, originally from Edinburgh, lives in the Charente with her husband. Since their move nearly 6 years ago, Claire has become passionate about astronomy
Avery special national astronomy event is planned for the first week of the month, while the Moon is tucked away. You can find more details about this on our new Facebook page 'Astronomy and Astrophotography France'. The beautiful bright planet of Venus will be particularly easy to spot while Saturn and Jupiter are very well placed throughout the month. One of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year, 'The Perseids', will be well worth losing a little sleep over. Why not plan a meteor spotting party with a few friends?!
Les Nuits des Étoiles 2021
After a very difficult wait due to the many restrictions we have all had to experience, it will again be possible for 'Les Nuits des Etoiles' to happen across France this month. From the 6th to the 8th many towns and villages will host a great stargazing event. This annual astronomy event has happened around France since 1991. Members of the public can explore the Moon, Planets, stars and many deep sky objects throughout the event using a wide range of telescopes and binoculars with expert guides pointing the way. I will be helping out with my telescope again at the local event here in Villejoubert in the Charente. To find an event near you or for more information, go to the site www.afastronomie.fr/lesnuits-des-etioles or look on Facebook for Association Française d'Astronomie.
Constellations to look out for in August
Facing south after dark, a few of the main constellations you can try to spot are; starting in the east and moving towards the west; − Andromeda, with its 'Square of Pegasus' being the most obvious formation. − Cygnus, the swan heading south and almost directly overhead, with the star Albireo marking the point of the swan's head − Hercules, where on a clear night you may be able to see M13 the beautiful Globular cluster set within the 'keystone' − Capricornus, much lower on the southern horizon and where you can find the planet Saturn You could make use of a planisphere, or star chart, to help orientate your way across the skies to search for these constellations. Positions will of course change slightly as the month progresses. A great free app you can use on a computer or mobile phone is 'Stellarium'.
The Moon and Planets
With the 'New Moon' falling on the 8th the few days either side of this will be the best and darkest nights for observing. With the bright light of the Moon out of the way we can see far more stars and perhaps even spot other deep sky objects. The Full Moon - or Full Sturgeon Moon - will be on the 22nd. Venus, while lower on the western horizon, will be especially bright this month. You can see it blazing away (magnitude -4.0) in the twilight. A very
We’re very excited to have started up this group, a place to share experiences of the night sky in France, for English-speaking residents.
thin crescent Moon will be seen in the west close to Mars and Venus on the evenings of the 10th and 11th. One of the brighter stars of our northern hemisphere, Antares, will seem very close to an almost quarter Moon on the 16th from about 10pm looking southwest. August brings the giant planets of Saturn and Jupiter back to prominence in the southern skies. They are both at their closest and brightest this month. An almost Full Moon can be spotted on the 20th, close to Saturn and on the 21st close to Jupiter. Look towards the southeast around midnight.
Meteor shower this month: The Perseids
This is one of the most impressive Meteor showers of the year so I am looking forward to getting outside and hopefully catching a few shooting stars with my
camera. The shower began in July, peaks on the night of the 12th to 13th and will continue until around the 23rd of this month. It may produce up to 100 meteors per hour so it can be a spectacular show. This year the Moon will be well out of the way making observing conditions very favourable. These meteors are fast, can leave persistent trains and occasional fireballs. To enjoy a night observing meteors, make sure that you have allowed your eyes to adjust to the dark for around 30 minutes. Ensure you are reclined with a wide open view of the sky … and remember to make a wish!
Shining a light on Astronomy Jargon: Libration
This is a term which is used to describe an apparent 'wobble' of the Moon. As the Moon spins on its own axes we can observe slightly more - 59% or a little over half - of its surface. The details on each edge of the Moon can then be viewed a little more during the month. Before manmade satellites were able to image every part of the Moon in detail, these 'peaks around the edges' were very fascinating. The British amatuer astronomer Patrick Moore studied these edges and named one large circular area he observed the Mare Orientale. After the far side of the Moon was later mapped out in detail it was discovered that this was in fact the largest impact crater on the Moon.
Object of the month: The Planet Saturn
Saturn is the second largest planet in our Solar system and being further away from the Sun than Earth takes around 29.4 Earth years to complete one orbit. It is, at its furthest point, 1,658.5 million km from Earth. At its closest approach it is 'only' 1,195.5 million km away. Saturn will reach its closest point to us on the 2nd August. You will find it in the middle of the constellation of Capricornus. To the naked eye it appears as a bright light rising in the east with Jupiter not far behind it. Through a small telescope the stunning rings - twice the diameter of the planet - are revealed. Also using a small telescope a few of Saturn's more prominent moons will be on display. Of its 60 + Moons, Titan is the largest and is even greater in size than the planet Mercury. The moons of Saturn which orbit closest to the planet orbit among the icy rings. Saturn, one of the gas giant planets, is made mostly of hydrogen and helium. It is thought to have an iron core. 760 earths could fit inside this planet! It is the fastest spinning planet in our galaxy, taking only 10hrs 40 minutes to rotate. Because of the speed of its rotation it is extremely windy on the surface of Saturn with winds of up to 1800kph. Viewing Saturn over a period of a few years it is possible to observe a change in the angle - or tilt - of the rings in relation to the planet as it orbits the Sun. At times the rings will be edge on, when they will be almost invisible. Later in the orbit the rings will appear fully open revealing far greater detail.
Observing/ Photo Challenge:
Here is a simple challenge for the month.... Whether or not you have a camera to pop on a tripod, a camera in your mobile or no camera at all, why not try and note/ record when and how often you can spot the Moon during daylight hours. It is always a beautiful sight and can make for some stunning images. If you do get a snap of the Moon, perhaps rising above a local landmark or above your garden, do share your images on our Facebook group 'Astronomy and Astrophotography France. Happy Stargazing!!
