Wonders of outer-space: July Offerings
Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969 with two earthlings Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. While a trip to the Moon may be a long shot there’s nothing to stop us from angling our heads for a glimpse of heaven every now and then. Amateur astronomer Aadil Desai tells us what to watch out for in between the gaps in the clouds during July.
Scintillating star clusters, waxing and waning planets, and pyrotechnic meteor showers, planet-like asteroids, speeding satellites and radiating comets put on a show in this month named after Julius Caesar.
Phases of the MoonIn its 29 day cycle the Moon has four principal phases, New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon and Last Quarter as it waxes and wanes through the different phases. This month you can see: Full Moon, on July 22. This is also the time when the Moon is at Perigee or closest to Earth (358,402 km). Last Quarter, on July 29, is the phase in which the Moon looks half illuminated.Viewing equipment: Few bright features can be seen with unaided eye, but to see craters and mares (sea like features) on the surface of the Moon, a pair of binoculars or a small telescope is required. Planets of the SunJupiter
Globular star clusters are gravitationally bound groups of thousands or millions of primarily old stars. Look for: M4, M9, M22, M54, M55, M62, M71, M80 and M107.
Open clusters found along the plane of the galaxy, are loose aggregations of dozens or hundreds of young stars, usually not gravitationally bound together. Look for: NGC 869 (double cluster), NGC 7654, NGC 6871, NGC 6705 (wild duck cluster), IC 4756, NGC 6613, NGC 6514 (Trifid nebula) and NGC 6124.
Look for: -North Delta-Aquariids: Maximum activity on July 26, visible till August 25.-Perseids: Maximum activity on August 12, visible till August 24.-Alpha-Capricornids: Maximum activity on July 30, visible till August 18.-South Delta-Aquariids: Maximum activity on July 28, visible till August 19.-Beta-Cassiopeids: Maximum activity on July 29, visible till August 19.Viewing equipment: No equipment required.To observe meteor showers you just need a star chart to note the track of the meteor, a notepad to write down different colours, sounds, trails and trains of smoke if visible and a counting mechanism to keep note meteors you see. To track the best time to watch them from your location, go to www.imo.net of The International Meteor Organization. It has details for observations and also allows amateur astronomers to contribute their sightings, which are published as an international report every year.Useful websites for tracking phenomena and monthly updates:To get regular updates you can log in to dedicated websites such as http://www.heavens-above.com, https://www.calsky.com/, http://www.midnightkite.com/index.aspx?URL=Software from your specific location, and they will provide you the exact positions and timings to observe comets, asteroids, and other astronomical events throughout the year.Aadil Desai is an amateur astronomer interested in astrophotography, chasing eclipses, comets, meteor showers and astronomical sketching of planetary, deep-sky objects and solar observations, since 1981.