ST. GEORGE — July ushers in a spectacular show in the skies over southern Utah, where clear skies and a waning moon serve as the backdrop for close encounters between planets, astronomical lines to the gas giant and the debut of one of the richest meteor showers of the year.
July began with Jupiter and Mars together in the east just before sunrise, and over the coming weeks the two planets will continue to move ever closer, culminating in a conjunction – where Mars will strike Jupiter on August 14.
The celestial events are explained in the video courtesy of NASA, which can be seen at the top of this report.
As an added bonus, on Monday, July 15, Uranus will appear to be nestled right next to Mars in the night sky during a planetary conjunction that puts Mars about half a degree from the bluish-green planet, which is much further away. according to EarthSky.
Using only the naked eye, the bright white light of Jupiter will stand out against the fainter and distinctly redder glow of Mars. After July 15th, Mars will begin to move away from Uranus towards the Pleiades as it makes a planetary line to the gas giant Jupiter.
Two weeks later, extremely bright Jupiter, Mars and an orange star called Aldebaran – the 14th brightest star in the sky – will join the Pleiades when a waning moon re-enters the sky stage to create a spectacular show on July 30 .
One of the brightest meteor shows of the year, the Perseid meteor shower, will make its debut on Wednesday, July 17, for its month-long show that will continue into August.
As the stream becomes increasingly active to its peak between August 11 and August 12, it sends up a steady stream of meteors that are rich in color and especially fast – making this particular sky show one of the most beloved for observers in the Northern Hemisphere .
If traced back, all of the meteors come from the constellation Perseus near the infamous “Double Cluster,” a region where two open star clusters are clustered near the sky’s dome. The Perseids are said to originate from the great comet Swift-Tuttle.
The radiant point of the Perseids rises late in the evening, around 11 p.m., in the northeast, so this particular shower is best seen from midnight to dawn. The moon will set around midnight, so there will be dark skies until sunrise — perfect for meteor hunting, says Space.com.
Even better, the largest number of meteors visible at the height of the radius will occur just before dawn.
Here are tips for viewing the Perseid meteor shower:
- An open sky is essential as these meteors move across the sky in many different directions and in front of a number of constellations.
- Try to look away from the moon when looking for meteors.
- Getting as far away from city lights as possible will provide the best view, and the best time to watch the showers is between midnight and dawn.
- Allow at least an hour to watch the sky, as it can take up to 20 minutes for the eyes to adjust to the darkness of the night.
- Put away the telescope or binoculars, as using either reduces the amount of sky you can see at once and reduces the chances of seeing a meteor.
- Let your eyes relax and do not look at any particular point. Relaxed eyes will quickly pick up any movement in the sky and you will be able to spot more meteors.
- Don’t forget to dress appropriately – wear clothes suitable for cold night temperatures.
- Bring something comfortable to sit or lie on. A reclining chair or pad will make it much more comfortable to keep your eyes on the night sky.
- Avoid looking at your cell phone or other light, as both destroy night vision.
- To find out when the moon sets each of these mornings, visit the Sunrise Sunset Calendars.
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