Entering June, the observation conditions for several major planets visible to the naked eye, except for Mercury, are quite good. The main observation targets in the first half of the night are Venus, Mars, and Saturn, and the angular distance between them is gradually narrowing. In the second half of the night, Jupiter rises, giving us another chance to witness the splendor of the largest planet in the solar system. June 21 is the Summer Solstice. On this day, the daylight in the Northern Hemisphere is the longest of the year, while the night is the shortest, and the further north one goes, the shorter it becomes. In areas within the Arctic Circle, the sun will not drop more than 18 degrees below the horizon, and the twilight glow will affect the limiting magnitude for visual observation. Therefore, for a period around the Summer Solstice, regions above 50 degrees north latitude are not very suitable for astronomical observations. However, for observers at latitudes around 30 to 40 degrees north, this period is suitable for observing man-made celestial bodies, especially the International Space Station (ISS).
The International Space Station, abbreviated as ISS, is located in an orbit about 300 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, with an inclination of about 50 degrees to the equatorial plane, orbiting the Earth approximately every 90 minutes. Usually, we observe the ISS during dusk and dawn because the ISS itself does not emit light; we can only see it when it is illuminated by the sun. If it is late at night, the Earth will block the sunlight when the ISS passes over, so we cannot observe it directly. However, around the Summer Solstice, for mid-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, even at midnight, the sun is not too far below the horizon. If the ISS passes to the north of the observation site at this time, it can still be observed. This makes it possible to see more than five ISS passes within 7 or 8 hours. Such observation activities are also known as the International Space Station Marathon.
Astronomical Overview:
01: 00:00 Saturn stationary, becomes prograde
01: 03:00 Neptune stationary
03: 22:00 Neptune conjunction with Moon
06: 08:00 Jupiter conjunction with Moon
06: 14:00 Uranus conjunction with Moon
07: 13:00 Mars conjunction with Regulus
11: 08:00 Mercury conjunction with Moon
15: 09:00 Venus conjunction with Moon
17: 18:00 Mars conjunction with Moon
19: 05:00 Saturn conjunction with Moon
21: 19:28 Summer Solstice
26: Partial Lunar Eclipse: 18:16 First Contact, 19:38 Maximum Eclipse, 21:00 Last Contact, Magnitude 0.542. Parts of eastern China can see the moon rise while eclipsed.
28: Mercury superior conjunction with Sun
Lunar Phases:
Last Quarter: 5th, 06:13
New Moon: 12th, 19:15
First Quarter: 19th, 12:29
Full Moon: 26th, 19:30
June 06: Jupiter Conjunction with Moon
Jupiter takes about 12 years to orbit the Sun once. Recently, it has been moving between Aquarius and Pisces. In these early summer nights, Jupiter does not rise until the second half of the night, which somewhat affects its popularity in June. In fact, Jupiter has many highlights. The Great Red Spot is naturally its icon, but it is not easy to see clearly through an ordinary astronomical telescope. We should still focus our attention on the colored cloud belts on its surface and the four bright Galilean moons.
Jupiter’s conjunction with the Moon is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs every month. June 6 is the 24th day of the fourth lunar month, and Jupiter will be in conjunction with the waning crescent moon. At around 19:00 Beijing time, the angular distance between the two reaches its closest point, about 7 degrees. For observers in China, both are below the horizon and cannot be observed. Before dawn on June 7 is a better time to observe them, at which point the angular distance between Jupiter and the Moon has increased to more than 9 degrees. Jupiter’s brightness is magnitude -2.3, which is not much different from the 33% phase of the Moon. During this conjunction, Jupiter is also very close to Uranus. At 03:00 on the 7th, Jupiter is in conjunction with Uranus, with an angular distance of less than 0.5 degrees. Uranus has a brightness of about magnitude 5.9, while the brightness of Jupiter’s Galilean moons is around magnitude 5 to 6.
June 26: Partial Lunar Eclipse
The partial lunar eclipse occurring on June 26 can be seen in Southeast Asia, the eastern Indian Ocean, Oceania, the Pacific Ocean, Antarctica, southwestern North America, and western South America. The maximum magnitude of this partial lunar eclipse is 0.542. In the Qingdao area, this astronomical phenomenon can be observed from 19:30 to 21:30.
A partial lunar eclipse is a type of lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses can be divided into three types: partial lunar eclipse, total lunar eclipse, and penumbral lunar eclipse. When only part of the Moon enters the Earth’s umbra, a partial lunar eclipse occurs. When a partial lunar eclipse occurs, the Moon will take on a beautiful appearance, half white and half bronze. A partial lunar eclipse can be divided into three stages: First Contact, Maximum Eclipse, and Last Contact.
[Click to view GIF: 2010-06-26 Partial Lunar Eclipse Map]
[Click to view GIF: 2010-06-26 Partial Lunar Eclipse Process]
In 2010, China can enjoy a total of three lunar eclipses: the partial lunar eclipses on the early morning of January 1 and the evening of June 26, and the total lunar eclipse on the evening of December 21. The partial lunar eclipse on June 26 is visible in Southeast Asia, the eastern Indian Ocean, Oceania, the Pacific, Antarctica, southwestern North America, and western South America. The maximum magnitude of this partial lunar eclipse is 0.542, much larger than the one on January 1. The only drawback is that only the southeastern part of China can see the moon rise while eclipsed, and the observation conditions are average. The penumbral phase of this lunar eclipse begins at 16:56 Beijing time. For the entire territory of China, the Moon is below the horizon at that time, and the same is true at the moment of First Contact at 18:17. Taking the Beijing area as an example, the Moon rises at around 19:45 that day, which is already past the Maximum Eclipse (19:39). By the time of Last Contact at 21:00, the Moon has risen in all parts of China except for a few western regions like Xinjiang and Tibet. The penumbral eclipse ends at 22:21, after which it is difficult to detect any change in the brightness of the Moon’s surface. Although the Moon’s altitude is low during the eclipse in most parts of China, and observation is greatly affected by atmospheric transparency and ground obstructions, the fact that it occurs shortly after sunset while the sky is still bright creates favorable conditions for taking "creative" lunar eclipse photos. We can easily capture the low-altitude Moon together with iconic landscapes or people.
June 27: June Bootids Meteor Shower Peak
Although it is not one of the traditional high-flow meteor showers, this year’s June Bootids (JBO) has received more attention due to the possibility of an outburst.
According to the latest forecast from the International Meteor Organization, the active period of the June Bootids this year is from June 22 to July 2. The possible peak occurs at 22:30 Beijing time on June 27, and the ZHR value may reach over 100. The radiant point of the June Bootids is located in a higher latitude area of the Boötes constellation. The radiant point is visible almost all night, so the observable time for this meteor shower is very long.
The meteors of the June Bootids are very characteristic. First, the speed at which the meteoroids enter the Earth’s atmosphere is only 18 km/s, which belongs to extremely slow meteors. Second, there are many bright meteors. These are all favorable conditions for our observation. Although the full moon will be the biggest interference factor, since it is during the Summer Solstice, the full moon’s altitude is low and it is far from the radiant point, so this year’s June Bootids is still worth monitoring.
Sun
At the beginning of the month, the Sun’s apparent right ascension and declination are 4^h 35.2^m and +22^\circ 00.6';
At the end of the month, the Sun’s apparent right ascension and declination are 6^h 35.4^m and +23^\circ 11.4'.
This month, the Sun moves from Taurus to Gemini.
June 6, 02:49: Mangzhong (Grain in Ear), solar longitude is 75^\circ.
June 21, 19:28: Summer Solstice, solar longitude is 90^\circ.Moon
The times when the Moon passes apogee and perigee are June 4, 01:00 and June 15, 23:00, respectively. The times for Last Quarter, New Moon, First Quarter, and Full Moon are the 5th at 06:13, 12th at 19:15, 19th at 12:29, and 26th at 19:30.
June 26, 20:00: Partial Lunar Eclipse, visible in Southeast Asia, eastern Indian Ocean, Oceania, Antarctica, southwestern North America, and western South America. Penumbral eclipse begins 16:56, First Contact 18:17, Maximum Eclipse 19:39, Last Contact 21:00, Penumbral eclipse ends 22:21, maximum magnitude 0.542.Mercury
June 28: Mercury superior conjunction with Sun. Before the 28th, Mercury is a morning star. It appears low in the northeastern sky before sunrise and is difficult to observe. Before the superior conjunction, the distance between Mercury and the Sun closes daily, and it is lost in the Sun’s glare on the 28th. After the superior conjunction, Mercury becomes an evening star, located low in the northwestern sky at sunset. June 11, 11:00: Mercury conjunction with Moon, Mercury is 5^\circ south of the Moon. June 16, 10:00: Mercury conjunction with Aldebaran, Mercury is 5^\circ north of Aldebaran.Venus
Moves from Gemini into Cancer, an evening star. It appears in the northwestern sky after sunset, moving further away from the Sun. Its altitude at sunset gradually increases from 23^\circ to 26^\circ, with a brightness of about magnitude -3.9. This is the best period for observing Venus this year. June 9, 18:00: Venus conjunction with Pollux, Venus is 5^\circ south of Pollux. June 15, 15:00: Venus conjunction with Moon, Venus is 4^\circ north of the Moon.Mars
Prograde in Leo, moving closer to the Sun, located in the southwestern sky at sunset. Its setting time gradually advances to around 23:30. Visible in the first half of the night, brightness about magnitude +1.2. June 6, 23:00: Mars conjunction with Regulus, Mars is 0.9^\circ north of Regulus. June 18, 03:00: Mars conjunction with Moon, Mars is 6^\circ north of the Moon.Jupiter
Prograde in Aquarius, rises from the east at about 00:30, brightness about magnitude -2.4. Observation conditions are further improving. June 6, 19:00: Jupiter conjunction with Moon, Jupiter is 7^\circ south of the Moon. June 7, 03:00: Jupiter conjunction with Uranus, Jupiter is 0.5^\circ south of Uranus.Saturn
Moving in Virgo. June 1: Saturn stationary, changing from retrograde to prograde. Visible high in the southwestern sky at sunset, brightness about magnitude 1.0, sets at 00:30 the next day. The first half of the night is a good time to observe Saturn. June 19, 19:00: Saturn conjunction with Moon, Saturn is 8^\circ north of the Moon.Uranus
In Pisces. June 6, 19:00: Uranus conjunction with Moon, Uranus is 6^\circ south of the Moon.Neptune
Moving in Aquarius, brightness magnitude 7.8.Asteroids
Asteroid 1 Ceres: Opposition on the 19th, magnitude 7.1. Asteroid 15 Eunomia: Opposition on the 27th, magnitude 9.0.Comets
C/2009 R1 (McNaught): Magnitude 7.4 at the beginning of the month, about 42^\circ from the Sun; magnitude 4.6 at the end of the month, about 17^\circ from the Sun.
Sources: 2010 Astronomical Overview, Amateur Astronomer, Skylook.
When reposting, please include the original address: https://kexue.fm/archives/656
For more detailed reposting matters, please refer to: Scientific Space FAQ