Skygazers' treat for June: The 'Summer Triangle'

Weather permitting, stargazers may still have a reason to look up at the night sky, state astronomers said.

 

PAGASA said the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair, which form the Summer Triangle, will be visible in the eastern horizon before midnight.

 

"Stargazers will be having a nice time watching the night sky with the famous Summer Triangle of the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair of the constellations Lyra, Aquila and Cygnus, respectively, being well placed in the eastern horizon before midnight," OIC administrator Vicente Malano said.

 

Also, PAGASA said the bowls of the Big and Small Dipper in Ursa Major and Minor stand above the northern horizon with the body of the constellation Draco between them.

 

The horseshoe-shaped grouping of stars of the constellation Corona Borealis will lie on the north-south meridian with the head of Draco below it.

 

Scorpio may be seen above the east-south eastern horizon, while Centaurus and Acrux are just above the south direction.

 

Summer solstice

 

Malano said Philippine nights will be shortest and daytimes longest around the summer solstice on June 21 at 1:04 p.m., Philippine time.

 

"This is the time when the Sun attains its greatest declination of +23.5 degrees and passes directly overhead at noon for all observers at latitude 23.5 degrees North, which is known as the Tropic of Cancer," he said.

 

He added this marks the start of the apparent southward movement of the Sun in the ecliptic.

 

Planets

 

In June, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury will form a planetary alignment in the evening twilight during the first week of the month. Venus will lie low in the west-northwest.

 

"The three planets span just 9 degrees, roughly the width of a closed fist held at arm?s length. They will be shining at magnitude -1.9, -3.8 and -0.3, respectively," Malano said.

 

Saturn will be visible in the evening sky throughout June, above the east-southeastern horizon.

 

Its brightness will fade from magnitude +0.3 to +0.5 during the month.

 

It will lie among the background stars of the constellation of Virgo and will show its disk at 18.27 seconds of an arc in diameter across the equator.

 

"The visible ring system will measure 41 seconds of an arc and tilt 17 degrees to our line of sight during opposition. The Saturn system holds more than 60 satellites or moons, of which seven glow brightly enough to show through moderate-aperture telescopes," Malano said.

 

Neptune and Uranus will be visible before dawn during the month. They will be located among the background stars of the constellations Pisces and Aquarius, glowing at magnitude +5.9 and +7.9, respectively.

 

But a modest-sized binocular or a telescope and star map will be needed to observe both planets.

 

Mars will rise about half an hour before sunrise and will remain low in the east-northeast horizon at the start of the month.

 

It will glow at magnitude +1.4 and will be located among the background stars of the constellation Taurus. — TJD, GMA News