Applegater Summer 2013 7
THE STARRY SIDE
Miracles of a balanced universe
by greeley wells
ASTRONOMICAL DETAIL
What is the sun, this machine of heat
and light?
It’s a balance of two unbelievably
powerful forces. One, an inward force,
is gravity—way stronger than our gravity
because the sun is a million times bigger
than earth is. Bigger objects exert a
more powerful gravitational pull; smaller
objects, like our moon, exert less. That’s
why astronauts can dance and jump on
our small moon almost weightlessly. The
second is an outward force: the sun is
literally a hydrogen bomb! A huge and
continuous explosion is taking place all
over the star. Gigantic sprays and waves of
energy, flames and other things are blasting
out from the sun’s surface. All this is going
on 93 million mile—safely away from
us. We are at the perfect distance: not
too far, not too close. This is yet another
miracle of a balance in our universe that
benefits us.
THE NIGHT SKY
Writing this, I’m out at 4 am in April,
but I’m seeing the summer sky. I often
describe how early mornings give you a
sneak preview of the next season. So spring
mornings reveal summer nights, and I feel
a kind of nostalgia for the next season’s
delights...in this case its warmth!
The beloved Summer Triangle is up
fully in the east, made up of the three
bright stars: Vega, Altair and Deneb. The
bright Vega is overhead in Lyra. Altair
is the brightest middle star in Aguila the
eagle, to the south. (The three-in-a-row
stars in the constellation of Aguila are like
the Orion’s belt of summer.) Deneb is at
the northern end (top) of the Northern
Cross.
The Northern Cross, with Deneb at
the top, is really Cygnus the swan with her
beautiful long neck, outstretched wings,
and short tail. She glides gracefully south
toward the center of our galaxy right next
to the archer Sagittarius. If you’ve got a
clear view of the southern sky, you will be
able to see this constellation known by the
English as the “teapot,” of course. (They
also call the big dipper “the plow.”)
In the middle of all this is the
beautiful Milky Way stretching across
the sky from Cassiopeia (just behind my
northern mountains to overhead) and on
to Sagittarius in the south. The Milky Way
makes an interesting split right overhead,
in the middle of the Northern Cross, and
then keeps going.
Sagittarius’ small triangular spout
on the right seems to spurt out the milky
way, the milk for English tea. Our galactic
center is close to the upper right of that
triangular spout. For many years now,
physicists and astronomers have been
searching with strong telescopes and other
sensing devices to see what is happening
at our galactic center. Scientists are now
sure there’s a powerful black hole there;
Mars is
not visible in
June at all, as
it’s mainly in
Greeley Wells
the sun’s glare.
But in July Mars rises in the dawn with
Jupiter. Near the end of July, Mars begins
to rise bright and golden orange in the
dawn to the upper left of the brighter
yellow/white Jupiter. You should be able
to get both of them together in a single
binocular or moderate telescope view.
Saturn is high up in the sky at dusk
close to Spica by month’s end. The planet
sinks from there all night to the west
during June. On July 16 a half moon is
right next to Saturn—a good way to find
him. Saturn is setting around midnight at
the beginning of August, and around 10
pm by month’s end.
Mercury starts out in June above
Venus, sinking to parallel with her by mid-
month at dusk. By July’s end he appears
in the dawn with Jupiter.
OF NOTE
Meteors of the Gamma Delphinids
are “very favorable” this year on Tuesday,
June 11. Near dawn is the best time to
catch them, but any time gives you some
meteors. Your patience and attention span
are the two main ingredients to successful
meteor gazing.
The summer solstice is June 21. The
days are the longest and the nights the
shortest—but most fun for stargazing.
The moon appears biggest on Sunday,
June 23. This is because it is at its closest
point to the earth, and simultaneously
in its fullness. This June full moon is
called the Flower, Rose or Strawberry
Moon. July’s full moon on the 22nd, is
Starting from the south, there’s the Teapot and Scorpius. Hercules and Lyra are overhead known as the Hay or Thunder Moon. The
and outside the Milky Way. Altair, Vega and Deneb make the Summer Triangle. What other full moon on August 21 is known as the
fascinating stuff catches your eyes? Illustration: Guy Ottewell’s Astronomical Calendar 2012. Grain or Green Corn Moon.
A late-July dawn gem: Pollux and
the stars they can track spin extremely THE PLANETS
Venus
in
June
is
low
in
the
sunset
Caster,
the Gemini twins, are to the left of
fast as they approach that center and spin
back out. Those star motions help us dusk, playing with Mercury and Jupiter. Mercury, Mars and Jupiter (with the rising
imagine what we cannot see, since black Venus and Mercury are two degrees apart Orion to the right) in the dawn sky as the
holes themselves, logically, cannot be at dusk on June 20. (A degree is about month of July ends.
The Delta Aquarids are active in the
seen. Scientists have determined that this one finger’s width held at arm’s length.) At
particular black hole is so far away that we dusk on the night of June 9, a slim crescent last week of July. The best nights will be
have absolutely nothing to fear from it. moon is visible just below Venus. The next July 30 and 31. At the same time, a minor
In fact, it is doing us a great service as its day it’s to the left of Venus and Mercury. shower of Alpha Capricornids are “very
strong gravitation keeps the galaxy moving On July 22 the blue/white Regulus, in Leo, favorable.”
joins the sunset play just one degree below
The grand finale of meteors is the
on its path through the universe.
the
brighter
yellow/white
Venus.
This
is
Perseids!
Always on August 12-13, these
Look a little south and farther to the
right of Sagittarius, and you’ll see another a good time to compare planet and star are the year’s best, a must-see. No excuses
three-in-a-row set. This one is vertically colors and actions; they’ll be in one view this summer; it’s warm, they are overhead,
placed; it’s the head and shoulders of a using binoculars and telescopes. Note the and the moon sets before predawn when
scorpion. Look to their left and another blinking quality of stars and the relative the best viewing is possible (although any
three-in-a-row appear: the scorpion’s back steadiness of planets. That’s distance for time will be rewarding). While you watch
(the bright one in the middle is Antares, you. On August 9, dusk finds a crescent for them, you can gaze on Orion rising in
the rival of Mars). Red, isn’t it? Farther left moon close to Venus, after being close to the east as an early sign of the approaching
winter.
or east are two small stars side by side; they Regulus the day before.
Jupiter is falling in June, from below
Of special note is the first sighting
are Scorpio’s stinger, connected to the body
Venus
to
fading
in
the
sun’s
glare
by
mid-
of
Comet
ISON at the end of August in
by a long line of stars going down below,
swinging up to the right, and connecting month. July finds Jupiter in the dawn the dawn.
Greeley Wells • 541-840-5700
with the diagonal three-in-a-row. It’s a along with Mars. On August 31 a crescent
moon visits Jupiter in the dawn.
greeley@greeley.me
good picture of a scorpion.
