mars

August Sky Spotlight

Astronomy and Physics, Earth, News

2nd: Moon at Perigee

On August 2nd, the Moon will be at its closest spot to Earth. This is called perigee.

7th: 1st Quarter

The Moon will be in its first quarter phase!

9th: Moon and Jupiter; Mercury in Greatest Western Elongation

The Moon and Jupiter will meet in the constellation Scorpio in the Southwestern sky.

Saturn, Venus, and Mercury in a dawning sky. Source: universetoday.com

Since Mercury is in between the Earth and the Sun, Mercury is always in the daytime sky. As Mercury goes around the Sun, it gets closer and farther away from the Sun in the sky. On the 9th, Mercury will be as far from the Sun as it gets. This is called greatest western elongation. This is when Mercury is at its best viewing because it’s not washed out by the Sun.

11th: Venus and Sun

On the 11th, Venus and the Sun will be together in the constellation Cancer! However, the Sun’s brightness will make this nearly impossible to view. Look towards (but not at) the rising Sun in the East.

12th: Moon, Saturn, and Pluto; Perseid’s Peak

The Moon, Saturn, and Pluto will be together in Sagittarius on the 12th. To see them, look towards the Southern sky.

In addition to seeing the Moon and planets, this night will feature one of the best shows the sky puts on: a meteor shower. The Perseid Meteor Shower will peak the night of the 12th and into the morning of the 13th. Look to the Northeast to see the show. Unfortunately, the bright Moon will inhibit viewing, but there will still be plenty to see!

15th: Full Moon, Venus at its Brightest 

The 15th will bring a full moon! And, if you look at the dawn sky, you will see a very bright Venus.

17th: Moon and Neptune; Moon at Apogee

The Moon and Neptune will appear together on the Eastern side of Aquarius. In addition, the Moon will be at apogee, it’s farthest point from Earth.

21st: Uranus and Moon

On the 21st, Uranus and the Moon will be seen in the Eastern sky in Aries.

23rd: Last Quarter; Venus and Mars

The Moon will be in its last quarter phase on the 23rd, while Venus and Mars will be together in the sky. They will be near the Sun in the constellation Leo.

29th: Mercury, Moon, and Sun

On the 29th, Mercury, the Moon, and the Sun will all be together. Look to the dawn sky to see them.

30th: Moon, Venus, and Mars; New Moon; Moon at Perigee 

The Moon, Venus, and Mars will be near the Sun; dawn will bring the best viewing. However, the new moon may be difficult to spot. Finally, the Moon will have returned to its closest point to the Earth.

31st: Sun and Mars

The Sun and Mars will be together in the constellation Leo.

July Sky Spotlight

Astronomy and Physics, Earth, News

2nd – New Moon, Total Solar Eclipse

July will start off as strong as June did! On only the second day of the month, we will have a total solar eclipse. Most of South America will be able to see at least a partial eclipse. Check Time and Date to see if you’re in the path!

3rd – Moon with Mars and Mercury

Astronomers call the sliver after a new moon a young moon. July’s young moon will be hanging out with Mars and Mercury in the constellation Cancer.

4th – Earth at Aphelion

The Earth’s orbit around the Sun is not a perfect circle, it’s an ellipse. This means that at some point, it must be at it’s furthest point from the Sun. That is in July! Aphelion is when a planet is farthest from it’s sun. This won’t affect our life at all, it’s just a neat fact.

9th – First Quarter, Saturn at Opposition

On July 9th, the Moon will be in it’s first quarter phase. This means that the left half will be dark and the right half will be light.

In addition, Saturn will be at opposition. This means that Earth will be directly between Saturn and the Sun.

13th – Moon with Jupiter

Jupiter and the Moon will be together in the constellation Scorpius in the Southern sky.

15th – Moon with Saturn

Saturn will be just East of the nearly full moon. They will be together in the constellation Sagittarius in the Southern Sky.

16th – Full Moon, Partial Lunar Eclipse

Most of the world (not including North America) will be able to see the Partial Lunar Eclipse! Check Time and Date to see if you’re in the path. If, like me, you are not in the path, enjoy the bright, beautiful full moon.

20th – Moon with Neptune

The Moon will be with Neptune in the constellation Aquarius in the Eastern night sky.

24th – Last Quarter, Moon and Uranus

On the 24th, the Moon will be in it’s last quarter with Uranus. They will be in Aries.

28th – Southern Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower Peaks

From midnight to dawn, and especially at 2 a.m., we will be able to see meteors originating from Aquarius. The moon will be a dark crescent, so the meteors will be easier to see. It is more visible from the Southern hemisphere than from the Northern Hemisphere.

31st – New Moon

Finally, on the last day of the month, we will end the same way we began: with a new moon.

Happy July viewing!

How to Send Your Name to the Red Planet

Astronomy and Physics, News, solar system

Almost every child has dreamed of being an astronaut. We look up at the stars and wonder what’s up there. While not everyone will be an astronaut, there are other ways to get your name to space.

NASA has announced a public engagement campaign in which anyone can submit their name to be sent to Mars. The names will be etched onto a chip and sent with NASA’s Mars 2020 rover. The names will be written “smaller than one-thousandth the width of a human hair”, according to NASA.

So far, over 4 million names have been submitted. A single chip can hold over a million names, but I think it’s safe to assume that NASA will be sending more than one chip with the rover.

Everyone who submits their name will receive a “boarding pass” for a flight to Mars. This boarding pass is, of course, for fun, and not a ticket to the Red Planet. It also “awards” frequent flyer points.

Anyone who wants to submit their name has until the end of September to do so. To submit your name, click here.

The rover will launch in July/August 2020 because Mars and the Earth will be close to each other. When they’re closer together, it takes less fuel, time, and money to launch. Therefore, these “close approaches” are simply the best time to launch.

Artist concept of the Mars 2020 rover. Source: NASA/JPL-CalTech

This rover’s main research will be regarding potential life on Mars. The rover will drill into the Martian surface to collect rock and dirt samples. These samples will be set aside, potentially to be brought to Earth in the future. In addition, the rover will look for organic compounds in the rocks. Other functions include testing an oxygen-production method and looking for subsurface water.

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover is going to allow us to understand the Red Planet’s history as well as we understand the Earth’s. In addition, scientists are hoping to answer questions about the possibilities of humans residing on Mars. That goal, however, is a long way away. NASA has recently announced plans to land humans on the Moon by 2024. This is a huge step towards Mars, but the Moon is considerably closer than Mars. Right now, the plan is to land humans on Mars in the 2030s.

Slowly but surely, humanity is going to Mars. It’ll be an exciting thing to watch. Click here for more information on Mars 2020.