This morning at -3°C /26.6F (yes, a good frost last night!), was another enlivening one for walking. I first looked out from our back deck for Saturn at 5:10 a.m., as the dawn was still quite dim, but with the combination of trees and streaky clouds in the eastern sky, I could not spot it. But I did see, straight above, the Summer Triangle. I quickly got ready, heading out of the house at 5:20. I ran to an open spot just west of our hamlet, but the clouds, though very pretty, were too thick to see Saturn. And while it was clear above me, Altair and Deneb in the Triangle had already faded, with Vega becoming dimmer, but still fairly visible. Also, Arcturus was there in the west, although also fading from view. Ten minutes later, it was no longer visible. Ten or twelve minutes after that, Vega had also gone.

I note that Jupiter is starting to emerge low in the east at sunrise. It may be too tricky to see without binoculars at this point, but I'm looking forward to spotting both Saturn and Jupiter in the not-too-distant future.

So concludes another invigorating start to the day!  

Posted by: @jo

I note that Jupiter is starting to emerge low in the east at sunrise. It may be too tricky to see without binoculars at this point, but I'm looking forward to spotting both Saturn and Jupiter in the not-too-distant future.

Have you had a chance to spot Jupiter yet?  Here, I'm hindered by the early onset of twilight and trees to the east. However, this morning I stepped out around 4.30 and was pleasantly surprised to see Jupiter above the trees (without having to walk a few blocks to get a better view). It was to the lower left of a very pretty Moon (which was also lit with earthshine). This is my first viewing of the giant planet since it passed behind the sun April 11.

Tomorrow (June 14), the Moon will only be a couple of degrees from Jupiter.

In the evening sky, Venus continues to dominate, though it's starting to sink back into the twilight, rushing toward inferior conjunction (when it passes between earth and the sun) in August. It is slowly drawing toward faint Mars to its upper left.

Posted by: @stargazer

Have you had a chance to spot Jupiter yet? 

I have not. There have been clear nights for my walks recently ... except for clouds and haze well above the eastern horizon (go figure ), so Jupiter still remains hidden for me. I was able to get out walking around 5 a.m. this past week, though, with Saturn clearly visible higher in the ESE. By 5:25, however, it has disappeared in the growing dawn (sun rises at 5:43 these days).

Not much other stargazing for me these days, as we are currently sitting on our longest day of the year, so I am asleep in the evening even before it gets dark. Eager for the days to start shortening again, when stargazing and being out-of-doors will be a much more regular thing.  

Posted by: @stargazer

However, this morning I stepped out around 4.30 and was pleasantly surprised to see Jupiter above the trees (without having to walk a few blocks to get a better view). It was to the lower left of a very pretty Moon (which was also lit with earthshine)

This sounds absolutely lovely!

Tonight, Venus and Mars make their closest approach, with Venus 3.6 degrees to the lower right of Mars (as seen from the Northern Hemisphere). Mars is a tiny faint light compared to the glory of Venus, but that bright planet will fall back into the twilight over the next month while Mars hangs on a little longer.

Last week presented several good viewing opportunities for the Chinese Tiangong space station. I've seen it only a few times, compared to the larger and brighter ISS. The Tiangong is also in an orbit less inclined to the equator, which means it's lower in the sky from higher latitudes such as mine.

Next Friday (July 7), Mars is close to (about 2 degrees away) the star Regulus in Leo, with Venus lower right of the pair.

There are several interesting things happening in the sky now, even if the nights are short in the Northern Hemisphere.

Northern (or Southern) Lights are possible beginning Wednesday night (July 12).

Mars is passing within 1 degree of Regulus, Leo's brightest star, right now. But it's something of a challenge since Mars is about as dim as it ever gets, and both are low in the twilight. I was able to spot the pair in binoculars about 45 minutes after sunset, using Venus as a guide, but a darker sky and a good horizon are better for seeing them. They are to the upper left of bright Venus (as seen from northern latitudes).

Much easier to see are Saturn and Jupiter, both rising as the night goes on (Saturn by 11 pm and Jupiter by 2 am local daylight time here).

This morning I stepped out around 4 am. The last-quarter moon was quite pretty, its dark side lit by earthshine, and to the lower left of Jupiter I was able to see the Pleiades for the first time this apparition. Here, this little cluster is associated with winter, but early risers can see it during the peak of summer. And if the Pleiades are out, can Orion be far behind? In a few weeks the mighty Hunter will rise before the sun does.

Does anyone like to read old astronomy books?  I recently ordered Philips’ Guide to the Night Sky by Patrick Moore and A Walk through the Heavens by Milton D. Heifetz and Will Tirion, which are both from the 1990’s.  Sir Patrick Moore wrote many excellent books about astronomy and hosted The Sky at Night, a great television series.  I even have some old field guides from the 1960’s and ‘80’s. I keep them because they help me recall more pleasant nights when the skies were better, and there was less light pollution. I like these old books because they are beautiful works of art which modern technology cannot duplicate.  I also have the original hardcover edition of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, which is much more attractive than the newer paperback edition. It was published at the same time as the 1980 TV series was broadcast. It was a nostalgic decade and a wonderful time for the amateur astronomer. 🙂

Posted by: @stargazer

This morning I stepped out around 4 am. The last-quarter moon was quite pretty, its dark side lit by earthshine, and to the lower left of Jupiter I was able to see the Pleiades for the first time this apparition. Here, this little cluster is associated with winter, but early risers can see it during the peak of summer. And if the Pleiades are out, can Orion be far behind? In a few weeks the mighty Hunter will rise before the sun does.

Beautiful! I was out at 4:50 this morning, local time. It was a refreshing 12°C / 53.6F, with hardly any humidity. The crescent Moon was crisp and clear in the east, with Jupiter, about 8° to its right. Saturn was high in the south. It was lovely seeing the Summer Triangle and Cygnus high in the west. Cassiopeia was at the sky's zenith; I spotted Aldebaran not too far above the horizon in the east; Capella higher in the NE. I tried to pick out the Pleiades in the eastern sky, but could not see it.

I am eager to start seeing Orion on my morning walks! My favourite constellation.

Clouds were moving in from the west (beautiful alto cumulus), so within a half hour into my walk, many of the stars had disappeared behind that huge mass. I did keep an eye on Jupiter until it was swept behind the overcast (6 am), and estimate it would have faded from view about 3-5 minutes later.

Tonight will be too warm to walk early tomorrow morning (plus a lot of rain is coming), but Friday night looks cooler, so I am sure hoping to get out early Saturday morning again ... and want to spot the Pleiades this time, if possible!

Your post is interesting on astronomy books, @narnian78. I don't own many, but, as I have mentioned before, I do have a special fondness for Starlight Nights: The Adventures of a Star-Gazer by Leslie C. Peltier. In fact, I think I need a re-read soon! (Thanks to you, stargazer, for introducing this delightful, informative, and memorable read years ago - on the first forum, I think, so sometime before mid-2009.)

@jo 

Starlit Nights was one of the most interesting biographies I have read. Being written by Mr. Peltier, an amateur astronomer, it is a very personal life story. I still have my old copy that I purchased at the Chaffee Planetarium in Grand Rapids, Michigan so many years ago. I liked the informal style of the book. Another wonderful book which is very easy to read is 365 Starry Nights by Chet Raymo, which is considered a planetarium in a book.  It is like having a personal companion to guide you through the heavens. 🙂

Posted by: @narnian78

Another wonderful book which is very easy to read is 365 Starry Nights by Chet Raymo, which is considered a planetarium in a book.  It is like having a personal companion to guide you through the heavens. 

I think I have heard of this book before, but had forgotten about it. Will try to track 365 Starry Nights down. Thanks for the recommendation!

And ditto about Starlight Nights!

I enjoyed your description of your walk this morning, Jo. I would have liked to see the sky this morning but it was cloudy.

In mid-northern latitudes, there are a few nights each July when it's possible to see the ISS on all of its passes in one night (a total of 5) - though it means not sleeping well that night. 😉

Tonight will be the third night of 3 for this opportunity. The past two nights have been cloudy.

On books:

I can also recommend 365 Starry Nights. It may also be time to revisit Starlight Nights.

There are two books that I found especially helpful when I was first learning the sky some decades ago: The Sky Observer's Guide (by R. Newton Mayall, Margaret Mayall, and Jerome Wyckoff), and Stars, a Golden Nature Guide. Apparently both are still available (if only used), but are both seriously out-of-date (things like eclipse tables and planet finder charts are unusable since they are so old).

There are a few other, even older books I read back in the day:

The Friendly Stars: How to Locate and Identify Them by Martha Evans Martin and Donald Howard Menzel. Originally published in 1907, I have the 1964 revised edition. Again, its technical information is out of date, but its charm is in its conversational tone and is reminiscent of Starlight Nights (but, in my opinion, not nearly as engaging as Peltier's book).

Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning by Richard Hinckley Allen, originally published in 1899 and revised in 1963. In recent years it has been criticized for inaccuracies and use of too-limited ancient sources in its research.  These days, the internet has easily-searched star name lore and meaning that is more accurate.

I'm a little hesitant to mention The Gospel in the Stars by Joseph A. Seiss, published in 1899. He was a Lutheran minister who published several other books as well. His main point in this book is that the Christian Gospel is displayed for all to see in the skies above - but far more than the Psalmist's declaration that "The heavens declare the glory of God." But I can't endorse this book because he is so eager to make the sky an allegory (something Narnia fans are familiar with!) that he assigns meanings to star names contrary to the usually accepted meanings. For example, Sirius is usually translated scorching (from the Greek Seirios), but he claims it means Prince, Guardian, Victorious.

Other books will probably come to mind after I post this.

(It's not "old," but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent devotional The Heavens: Intimate Moments with your Majestic God by Kevin Hartnett. Many thanks to Jo for introducing me to this book!)

Edit: Sure enough, here's one I forgot. I first found it 25 years ago in the gift shop at Gooseberry Falls State Park on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It's rather obscure but I see a revised edition is still available. It's They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths by Jean Guard Monroe and Ray A. Williamson.  I enjoyed reading about how different people groups interpreted the night sky and what we see there.

I have ordered 365 Starry Nights, which should be here sometime in the next few weeks.   Looking forward to that read. With the chit-chat about night sky books here, I could not resist a re-read of Starlight Nights, and am in the middle of this delightful book now. It is just so good. Peltier's winsome writing and endearing descriptions of the early 20th century in Ohio make me wish for a time machine so I could go back and visit that farm near Delphos.

I just read his section about The Friendly Stars. Good to hear about all those books, stargazer. I had heard questionable things about The Gospel in the Stars. I think I will not make a plunge for that one.

Yes! The Heavens: Intimate Moments with your Majestic God was first introduced to me by Dr. Ransom's mom (her username was Mother Music, or something akin). I must dig up our copy and spend time in there again. A beautiful read, accompanied by stunning photos.

Posted by: @stargazer

They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths by Jean Guard Monroe and Ray A. Williamson.  I enjoyed reading about how different people groups interpreted the night sky and what we see there.

This sounds very interesting. *makes a note*

This morning's walk was a memorable one at 11°C / 51.8F, for I finally spotted the Pleiades rising in the east, somewhat above Aldebaran. I was outside by 4:40, which was great timing to be under the night sky, except for a lighter colouring on the eastern horizon, which only grew as time went on, of course. By just after 5 a.m., the Pleiades was no longer seen.

I also was thrilled to see all the stars, planets (Jupiter and Saturn), and constellations I mentioned two posts back. Cygnus was magnificent high in the west, with the Northern Cross very visible. Cassiopeia was directly above, and I was reminded from Peltier's book that the middle star of this constellation is a variable star.

Yesterday morning (which was more humid), a large swarm of bats were having fun above me as I started out on my walk. Bats are so cool, and it was fun watching them seemingly erratically ('though in actuality not at all) swoop all around.

The sun is now rising 17 minutes later than at its earliest time (which was 5:43), and as the weeks advance, there will be many more opportunities to be under the night sky again.   

EDIT: Anyone else eager for the Perseid meteor shower, peaking here during the early morning hours of August 13?

@jo 

I am sure you will enjoy 365 Starry Nights. My.copy of the book is least ten years old, but it may have been revised since I purchased it.  I always liked Chet Raymo’s informal writing style and the pictures in the book are very appealing.  You can use it for any time of the year and the constellations are easily referenced.  I remember that I began reading it in late summer when I found really interesting information on Cygnus, the Swan constellation, which contains the Northern Cross.  It’s full of interesting stories about the backgrounds of star patterns like the Summer Triangle with its bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair and many other intriguing stars in their constellations. 🙂

This is the small observatory I visited last night.

https://www.miottawa.org/parks/observatory.htm

It is located in a county park. The area has a lot of light pollution, but the county park has about 200 acres of woods which help to shield the telescope from some of the lights.  The bright planets such as Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn can easily be seen and some of the brightest galaxies and star clusters.

We looked at the crescent moon. The local astronomy club had some public viewing. Early in the evening there was a problem with the telescope focusing, but later there was a decent view. There are two public observatories in my area. This one is about ten miles away and the other is about 35 miles away from where I live. I have visited both of them, but the one farther away I was there years ago. Do you have any public observatories in your area?

Posted by: @narnian78

I am sure you will enjoy 365 Starry Nights.

Indeed! I am looking forward to reading this sometime after it arrives.  

That observatory looks great! That must have been such an interesting time. Nice that you have a couple of observatories fairly close. We don't. The nearest one is nearly two hours away.

This morning I was hoping to be up around 4:30, then to be walking by 4:45 or so, but alas, I slept in until 5:11. Quite disappointing, as by the time I got out, it was 5:30, when dawn was light enough that most stars were not visible. I did manage to see Saturn and Vega, and Jupiter, which was visible for quite awhile yet, but that was it. Capella was up there in the NE, but I forgot to look for it.  

Tonight is also going down to 11 or 12C / 52-53F, so I will be out again tomorrow morning, and hopefully by well before 5 this time!  

That looks like an awesome time, @narnian78!

There are several options for public observatory viewing near me, though I haven't taken advantage of them recently, partly due to the pandemic.

The University of Minnesota's physics building has an observatory with a 10.5 inch (267mm) refracting telescope. Back when I was a student there, I occasionally attended their public viewing sessions (which are still held). It's an awesome instrument and I recall looking at things like the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn's rings through it, but the campus is right across the Mississippi from downtown Minneapolis and light pollution prevents viewing anything but the brightest objects.

The Minnesota Astronomical Society operates Eagle Lake Observatory southwest of the Twin Cities, and they also have public viewing sessions.  I haven't been but may try to attend once the weather cools off and the bugs die down.

The University's Bell Museum doesn't have an observatory but often features public viewing with telescopes set out on the roof or parking lot. I observed the November 2019 transit of Mercury there. The staff was a delight (especially considering how cold it was!) and there were multiple telescopes so there was little waiting in line.

Last evening was pleasant and I enjoyed a backyard campfire with Ryadian and some other friends. The Moon was easy to see, but I couldn't find nearby Mars, Venus, or Mercury. It may be time to wave goodbye to those planets until they reappear in the morning sky (for Venus, that may be the end of August, but Mars hides behind the sun until next year).