Meteor season is here! Everything you need to know: Perseid meteor shower
This weekend – the mornings of August 8 and 9, 2015 – watch for the waning moon near the star Aldebaran, brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Aldebaran becomes a fixture of the early evening sky, starting around November or December. However, if you’re a night owl or early bird, you can use the moon to find this star in the wee morning hours right now. The moon will remain close to the ruddy star Aldebaran for the next few mornings.
You’ll also want to watch in this part of the sky – low in the east in the wee hours, higher in the east as dawn begins to break – for the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. It is a tiny dipper-shaped pattern on the sky’s dome – very easy to spot!
The moon, the Pleiades and Aldebaran come up over the eastern horizon as most everyone is deep asleep. Then, after rising, the moon, the Pleiades cluster and Aldebaran go upward and westward in the morning hours before sunrise.
Look for the threesome – the moon, Pleiades and Aldebaran – to be highest up just before dawn.
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The waning moon descends for the eastern horizon until it turns new on August 14, 2015. The green line depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected outward onto the constellations of the Zodiac.
The moon swings by the star Aldebaran every month that Aldebaran is visible in our sky. The cycle of the moon’s passage near Aldebaran is about 27 days. For the rest of this year, the moon will occult – cover over – the star Aldebaran in each monthly passage. The moon started this series of monthly occultations of Aldebaran on January 29, 2015, and the series will continue until September 3, 2018. But to watch any one of these occultations of Aldebaran, you have to be at the right place on Earth’s surface.
On the night of August 8-9, the lunar occultation of Aldebaran can be viewed from eastern Europe and the Middle East. For instance, in Moscow, Russia, the occultation of Aldebaran takes place on August 9, from 1:25 to 2:13 a.m. Moscow Standard Time.
Click here to find out more on this lunar occultation of Aldebaran.
If you live outside the occultation area, simply enjoy the moon swinging close to Aldebaran over the next few days.
In this July 1997 still frame captured from video, the bright star Aldebaran has just reappeared on the dark limb of the waning crescent moon in this predawn occultation. Image via Wikipedia
Bottom line: The star near the moon on the mornings of August 8 and 9, 2015 is Aldebaran, brightest star in Taurus the Bull. The Pleiades star cluster is also nearby. There is an occultation of Aldebaran visible from eastern Europe and the Middle East.
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Meteor season is here! Everything you need to know: Perseid meteor shower
This weekend – the mornings of August 8 and 9, 2015 – watch for the waning moon near the star Aldebaran, brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Aldebaran becomes a fixture of the early evening sky, starting around November or December. However, if you’re a night owl or early bird, you can use the moon to find this star in the wee morning hours right now. The moon will remain close to the ruddy star Aldebaran for the next few mornings.
You’ll also want to watch in this part of the sky – low in the east in the wee hours, higher in the east as dawn begins to break – for the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. It is a tiny dipper-shaped pattern on the sky’s dome – very easy to spot!
The moon, the Pleiades and Aldebaran come up over the eastern horizon as most everyone is deep asleep. Then, after rising, the moon, the Pleiades cluster and Aldebaran go upward and westward in the morning hours before sunrise.
Look for the threesome – the moon, Pleiades and Aldebaran – to be highest up just before dawn.
EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store
The waning moon descends for the eastern horizon until it turns new on August 14, 2015. The green line depicts the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected outward onto the constellations of the Zodiac.
The moon swings by the star Aldebaran every month that Aldebaran is visible in our sky. The cycle of the moon’s passage near Aldebaran is about 27 days. For the rest of this year, the moon will occult – cover over – the star Aldebaran in each monthly passage. The moon started this series of monthly occultations of Aldebaran on January 29, 2015, and the series will continue until September 3, 2018. But to watch any one of these occultations of Aldebaran, you have to be at the right place on Earth’s surface.
On the night of August 8-9, the lunar occultation of Aldebaran can be viewed from eastern Europe and the Middle East. For instance, in Moscow, Russia, the occultation of Aldebaran takes place on August 9, from 1:25 to 2:13 a.m. Moscow Standard Time.
Click here to find out more on this lunar occultation of Aldebaran.
If you live outside the occultation area, simply enjoy the moon swinging close to Aldebaran over the next few days.
In this July 1997 still frame captured from video, the bright star Aldebaran has just reappeared on the dark limb of the waning crescent moon in this predawn occultation. Image via Wikipedia
Bottom line: The star near the moon on the mornings of August 8 and 9, 2015 is Aldebaran, brightest star in Taurus the Bull. The Pleiades star cluster is also nearby. There is an occultation of Aldebaran visible from eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!
Donate: Your support means the world to us
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1OUAWly
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