Fortunately, friends say...
N. N. Dobronravov
August is the time for starfalls. This month, the stars shine brighter than usual in the night sky, and meteors that have not been visible all year become visible. In the coming weeks, residents of all Russian cities will see several amazing astronomical phenomena at once - two bright starfalls and a lunar eclipse.
Capricornids
When: early August
All last month Summer and half of September in the night sky you will be able to see a unique meteor shower - the Capricornids. It will be visible near the constellation Capricorn until September 15, but its peak activity occurs in early August, so observations are best made in the first week of the month. 
Capricornids can be found near the constellation Capricorn
Although the Capricornids were discovered by the Hungarian astronomer de Concolli back in 1871, this meteor shower is little studied. Researchers believe that at the peak of starfall activity, only 5-6 meteors can be seen per hour, but all of them are very bright and noticeable.
We owe many modern conveniences to space. The meteor shower claims to be one of the most unusual: astronomers have proven that it consists of three equal meteor showers, stretched over different sides: This is why the Capricornids can be observed from anywhere on Earth.
In order to see the starfall, you do not need special equipment: it is so bright that it is visible from dark to dawn with the naked eye. Finding the source of a meteor shower in the sky, the constellation Capricorn, is quite difficult, since there is not a single bright star in it. First you need to discover the constellation Aquila: in August it is one of the brightest in the sky, and its main star, Altair, forms a Summer-Autumn triangle with Vega and Deneb. Under the Eagle is Capricorn - it looks like a big smile. This is where you can see the Capricornids. You can watch the meteor shower without leaving your home: although Capricorn himself is completely inconspicuous, the meteor shower will be bright and spectacular.
Moon eclipse
At 21.20 on August 7, Moscow time, residents of almost all cities of Russia, except for the Far Eastern Territory, will be able to observe a beautiful and rare phenomenon - a partial lunar eclipse. It received this name because the Moon enters the Earth's shadow not completely, but only partially. In this case, the part of the Moon on which the Earth's shadow falls will look dark, and the rest will be in partial shade and illuminated by the sun's rays.
Residents of almost all Russian cities will see a partial lunar eclipse.
"It will be extraordinary beautiful phenomenon,” notes astronomer Anatoly Ryabtsev. – Interesting fact: at the same time, being on the Moon, you can see a partial eclipse of the Sun by the Earth.”
The lunar eclipse will last about 1 hour 55 minutes, and everyone will have time to admire the spectacle from the windows of their homes and even take photographs. Experts advise: It's best to look at this astronomical phenomenon through a telescope, but even if you don't have special equipment, this event will forever remain in your memory.
Perseids
The Perseids are one of the brightest and most intense starfalls: at the peak of its activity, up to 60 flaming meteors can be seen in the sky in one hour - 1 meteor every minute! 
The Perseids are one of the brightest meteor showers.
The starfall will last 10 days, from August 10 to 20, but greatest number meteors will be visible from August 12 to 14. You can see them with the naked eye: often falling stars merge into whole fireballs and lines, which makes the meteor shower amazingly beautiful and unusual. The Perseids deservedly take first place among all meteor showers in terms of the number of shooting stars and fireballs - giant meteors, which shine brighter than Venus.
The Perseids owe their beauty to the comet Swift-Tuttle, through whose tail the Earth passes every year. Smallest particles The comet's tail, consisting of ice, dust and various cosmic rocks, burns up in the atmosphere and falls to Earth as a shower of stars. The comet itself approaches the Earth only once every 135 years, and its next appearance is expected only in 2127, but even the burning trail of a celestial body looks very impressive: the starfall will be appreciated by all astronomy lovers.
You can see a fascinating phenomenon in the sky near the constellation Perseus. Everyone can find it. To do this, you need to draw an imaginary line from the extreme star of the “bucket handle” Ursa Major through North Star. A little higher you will see Cassiopeia - a constellation in the form capital letters"W". Directly below this constellation is Perseus, in whose area meteors will fall.
STAR SHOWERS IN 2017
7: Partial lunar eclipse.
The Moon will pass through the Earth's penumbral region, and a small part of it will pass through the total shadow region.
12–13: Meteor shower.
The famous Perseid meteor shower with a frequency of up to 60 meteors per minute.
21: Complete solar eclipse.
The Moon will completely eclipse the Sun, making its corona (the outer layers of the atmosphere) visible.
September.
Occurs at 20:02 UTC, when the Sun will shine directly on the equator and throughout the world day and night will be approximately the same length. This will be the first day of autumn (autumn equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
October.
7: Meteor shower.
The Draconid meteor shower differs from others in its low frequency (only about 10 meteors per hour) and in that it is best observed in the early evening rather than early in the morning.
19: Uranus at opposition.
Although this planet will be as close as possible to Earth, it will only be visible as a tiny bluish-green dot - we are too far away from each other. Unless you have access to a powerful astronomical telescope.
21–22: Meteor shower.
The Orionid meteor shower allows you to observe about 20 meteors per hour.
November.
4–5: Meteor Shower.
The Taurids meteor shower has a frequency of only 5-10 meteors per hour, but is unusual in that it consists of two branches.
13: Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter.
These two bright planets will be extremely close - before dawn they can be seen in the east at a distance of only 0.3 degrees from each other.
17–18: Meteor shower.
The Leonids meteor shower, at its peak, produces about 15 meteors per hour.
December.
3: Full moon, super moon.
The moon will be on back side Earth, fully illuminated by the Sun. This will be the only supermoon in 2017 where the Moon will be very close to Earth.
13–14: Meteor shower.
The Geminids meteor shower is truly the king of all meteor showers. It will be possible to observe up to 120 colorful meteors per hour!
Occurs at 16:28 UTC when South Pole The Earth will tilt towards the Sun. This will be the first day of winter ( winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern.
21–22: Meteor shower.
The Ursid meteor shower has a frequency of 5 to 10 meteors per hour.
In August 2017, 5 planets and 8 asteroids brighter than +10 magnitude* will be available for observation. Also on August 12, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its maximum - popularly called the “August Starfall”.
Two events will be associated with the Moon in August. August 7th will be partial lunar eclipse. It will begin before the moon rises, and we will only be able to observe half this phenomenon. At the moment of the maximum phase, a slight darkening of the lower part of the lunar disk will be noticeable. The course of the eclipse is as follows:
Moonrise - 20:49
- Maximum phase of the eclipse - 21:20
- End of partial eclipse - 22:18
- End of the penumbral eclipse - 23:52
The second event related to our natural companion - total solar eclipse on August 21, but not visible in Russia. This eclipse will be visible to those in the United States on that day.
August 7 Moon enters the full moon phase, the last quarter begins on the 15th, the new moon on the 21st, and the first quarter on the 29th.
Mercury not visible due to its proximity to the Sun and low position above the horizon.
Venus visible in the morning three hours before sunrise as very bright White Star in the east in the constellation Gemini, later Cancer. The planet's brightness is -4.0.
Mars not visible due to its proximity to the Sun.
Jupiter visible with difficulty for an hour after sunset as a bright, yellow star in the constellation Virgo in the west, near the horizon. Already through binoculars, the Galilean satellites are visible near Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io. The planet's brightness is -1.8. On August 25, the Moon will pass near the planet, and it can be used as a guide: Jupiter will be 4 lunar disks below the Moon itself.
Saturn visible in the first half of the night in the southwest as a fairly bright star in the constellation Ophiuchus. The planet's brightness is +0.4. Through binoculars and a small telescope, the satellite Titan is visible near the planet. Gradually, the period of visibility of the planet is reduced.
Uranus We see all night in the constellation Pisces. The brightness of Uranus at this time is +5.7. The brightest satellites of the planet, Ariel, Titania and Oberon, have a magnitude of +14.7 and are only accessible through telescopes medium strength or when photographing the planet. To find a planet you need binoculars or a telescope and star map.
Neptune has the same visibility conditions as Uranus and is visible in the constellation Aquarius. Neptune's magnitude is +7.8. The brightest satellite of the planet Triton has a magnitude of +14.0 and is not accessible to observation with small telescopes. To find a planet, you need binoculars or a telescope and a star chart.
In August 8 asteroids have a brightness greater than +10: Ceres (constellation Gemini, +8.9), Pallas (constellation Eridanus, +9.3), Vesta (constellation Leo, +8.1), Hebe (constellation Ophiuchus, +9.9), Iris (constellation Aries, +8.9), Hygeia (constellation Sagittarius, +10.0) and Julia (constellation Pisces and Pegasus, +9.3).
The eighth asteroid is worth noting separately. This is a 5-kilometer near-Earth asteroid Florence, which will have a shine of +8.5…+10.0 at the very end of the month. This asteroid belongs to the so-called “potentially dangerous” asteroids. On the night of August 31 to September 1, it will pass at a distance of 7 million kilometers from Earth, due to which it will be quite bright. It will not pose a direct threat to us, since it will be 18 times farther than the Moon.
To find any asteroid you need binoculars, often a telescope, and a star map. Any asteroid in a telescope looks like an “ordinary star” that moves among the stars day by day.
In August, no comet accessible to amateur instruments will be visible.
Figure 1: Composite image of the 2016 Perseids. The author of the photo is Igor Khomich http://spaceweathergallery.com. Photo 2: “Jupiter and the Moon on the evening of August 25” Stellarium
* The “magnitude” or “stellar magnitude” of a celestial object is a measure of its brightness. The lower the magnitude, the brighter the celestial object. Accordingly, if we say “brilliance increases,” then its numeric value decreases. Thus, the Sun has a magnitude of -26, the full Moon -12, the stars of the Ursa Major bucket on average +2. A person in an urban environment sees stars up to +4 magnitude, rural areas up to +6. The limit of binoculars (in the absence of sky illumination) is +8...+10, of a small telescope (in the absence of sky illumination) +12...+13.
August 21, 2017 will happen a total eclipse of the Sun, which is called the Great American, since the visibility strip of the total phase of the eclipse will pass through the entire North America, only partial phases of the eclipse will be visible on the Chukotka Peninsula. It will be preceded by a partial eclipse of the Moon, which can be observed throughout Russia on the evening of August 7 from 20:22 Moscow time to 22:30 Moscow time. The moon will plunge into the earth's shadow by a quarter of its disk. From August 12 to 13, we will see the most beautiful starfall of the year! This night marks the peak activity of the Perseid meteor shower! According to IMO (International Meteor Organization) forecasts, up to 100 meteors are expected per hour!
I. Starry sky of August 2017
II. Space weather
III. Visibility of the Moon and planets in August 2017.
IV. Observing noctilucent clouds
V. Observations of the Moon and planets in August 2017
VI. What can you see in August 2017? through a telescope
Selected events of August 2017 in astronomy and cosmonautics
August 1st and all month– high probability of noctilucent clouds appearing on twilight sky middle latitudes
August 2 – Moon at apogee - distance from Earth 405024 km (20:56)
August 5 – Mars at its greatest distance from Earth - 397636800 km (2.658 AU); gloss: 1.7 m; visible diameter: 3.52"
August 5 – 87 years ago, August 5, 1930, born American astronaut Neil Armstrong - the first person to set foot on the moon
August 6 –56 years ago Soviet cosmonaut German Titov made the second space flight in history. On August 6, 1961, at nine o'clock in the morning Moscow time, German Titov ascended into low-Earth orbit on the Vostok-2 spacecraft and spent 25 hours and 18 minutes there, circling the Earth 17 times. On August 7, 1961, the astronaut returned to Earth
August 6 – 836 years ago (1181) flared up supernova in Cassiopeia. It was widely observed in China and Japan and was visible for 6 months
August 7 – Full Moon (21:13).
August 7 – partial eclipse of the Moon, visible in Russia, max. phase = 0.246 at 21:13. Better conditions: Ural, Siberia, European part Russia
August 8 - 69 years ago, the second female cosmonaut in the world was born, a Soviet cosmonaut and public figure Svetlana Evgenievna Savitskaya
August 9 – 41 years ago (08/09/1976) the Luna 24 spacecraft was launched to study the Moon, collect and deliver lunar soil to Earth. She committed soft landing and took lunar soil from the Sea of Crises. On August 22, 1976, the Luna 24 return vehicle delivered lunar soil to Earth. For the first time, convincing evidence of the presence of water on the Moon has been obtained. Much later, in the 1990s, the Americans were able to obtain similar results in the Clementine (1994) and LunarProspector (1998) projects.
August 11-12– 55 years ago, on August 11, 1962, the orbital spacecraft was launched spaceship“Vostok-3” with cosmonaut A. G. Nikolaev, and on August 12 – “Vostok-4” with cosmonaut P. R. Popovich. For the first time in the world, a group flight of spacecraft was carried out, lasting three days. On August 15, 1962, the astronauts returned to Earth.
August 12 - 150 years ago, 08/12/1867, Soviet astronomer Sergei Konstantinovich Kostinsky, one of the founders of astrophotography in Russia, was born. For almost three decades, the scientist worked at the Pulkovo Observatory, and later was a professor at Petrograd University. Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Basic scientific works dedicated to photographic astrometry.
12 to 13 August– maximum activity of the Perseid meteor shower, according to IMO forecasts up to 100-150 meteors per hour
August 15 - 66 years ago (1951) dogs Mishka and Chizhik flew into space
August 15 – Moon in last quarter phase (04:17)
August 16 – occultation of Aldebaran by the Moon, visible in the daytime sky of southwestern Russia (10:00)
August 18 – 140 years ago, 08/18/1877, Asaph Hall discovered the Martian satellite Phobos
August 18 – Moon at perigee - distance from Earth 366127 km (16:16)
August 19 – 178 years ago, 08/19/1839 Pulkovo was opened astronomical observatory at the Academy of Sciences. Since 1990, the Pulkovo Observatory has been part of the UNESCO-protected site “Historical Center of St. Petersburg and associated complexes of monuments”, and is included in the State Code of Particularly Valuable Objects cultural heritage peoples Russian Federation, according to Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 275 of April 2, 1997.
August 19 – 57 years ago, on August 19, 1960, the Soviet spaceship Vostok with the dogs Belka and Strelka on board made a daily flight with a return to Earth. In addition to the dogs, there were two white rats and several mice on board.
August 20 - 40 years ago On August 20, 1957, Voyager 2 was launched, 16 days later, on September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 launched
August 21 - 60 years ago On August 21, 1957, the first Soviet intercontinental spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan). ballistic missile R-7
August 21 – total solar eclipse, max. phase 1.031 at 21:26 Moscow time; the visibility strip of the total phase will pass through the entire North America, partial phases of the eclipse will be visible on the Chukotka Peninsula
August 24 – 11 years ago Pluto was “excluded” from the class of major planets
August 24 – end of activity of the Perseid meteor shower
August 25 – Saturn’s station, the planet moves from retrograde to forward motion (15:00)
August 26 – Mercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun, at 4.2° from the center of the solar disk, distance from the Earth – 0.625 AU.
August 26 – 36 years ago Voyager 2 flew near Saturn
August 26 - 277 years ago, Joseph-Michel Montgolfier was born, French inventor, creator of the hot air balloon.
August 28 - 228 years ago, August 28, 1789, English astronomer William Herschel discovered Saturn's sixth satellite, which was subsequently assigned the number II (in order of distance from the planet) and the name Enceladus
August 29 – Moon in first quarter phase (08:14)
August 30 – Moon at apogee - distance from Earth 404305 km (14:26)
August 30 – The Moon passes 3° north of Saturn (18:00)
August 30 – 146th anniversary of the birth of Ernest Rutherford
August 30 - 25 years ago, August 30, 1992, the first Kuiper Belt object was discovered
August 31 - 38 years ago, 08/31/1979, the first reliably known fall of Comet Howard-Koeman-Michels on the Sun occurred
August starry sky
In the zenith region are the constellation Cepheus, to the east of it is Cassiopeia, below is Perseus.
In the northeast, the beautiful Cassiopeia, Perseus and Charioteer are clearly visible, and Taurus is on the horizon.
The southern sky is dominated by the Summer Triangle, formed by bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair are the main lights of the constellations Lyra, Cygnus and Eagle, and near the horizon - Ophiuchus. In the same part of the sky small but very interesting constellations Arrows, Chanterelles and Dolphins. Located at the very horizon southern constellations Sagittarius and Capricorn.
In the southeastern region of the sky high altitude- Andromeda and Pegasus, and near the horizon - Pisces and Whale.
To the west of the zenith the Dragon, Hercules and Ophiuchus are visible. Milky Way stretches from south to northeast, passing near the zenith. The early morning sky is especially beautiful when they begin to rise bright stars Taurus, Orion and Gemini.
The starry sky of August will be decorated with the traditional August Perseid starfall, which takes place from July 23 to August 20, and the peak of the shower is on August 12-13. But the starfall will be hampered by the waning Moon, which will create a fair amount of light. In 2017, according to IMO (International Meteor Organization) forecasts, up to 100 meteors per hour are expected!
Observing noctilucent clouds
In summer the stars don't twinkle brightly,
The day is long - cannot be expressed in poetry!
But twilight attracts attention,
After all, the sky is covered in silvery clouds!
August continues to be an excellent opportunity for spotting and observing noctilucent clouds. They can appear throughout the summer.
Noctilucent clouds from the ISS orbit.
Roscosmos, photo of Russian pilot-cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, during the 15th expedition to the International Space Station.
Sun
The Sun moves through the constellation Cancer until August 10, and then moves into the constellation Leo and remains there until the end of the month. Declension daylight, compared to the first two summer months is decreasing faster every day. As a result, the length of the day also decreases rapidly: from 15 hours 59 minutes at the beginning of the month to 13 hours 52 minutes by the end of the described period (more than two hours). These data are valid for the latitude of Moscow, where the midday altitude of the Sun will decrease from 52 to 42 degrees over the month.
On August 21, 2017, the Sun and Moon will stage a unique astronomical spectacle - a total eclipse of the Sun! It is called the Great American, since the visibility strip of the total phase of the eclipse will pass through all of North America; only partial phases of the eclipse will be visible on the Chukotka Peninsula. The duration of the maximum phase will be 2 minutes 40 seconds.
Observations sunspots and other formations on the surface of the daylight can be carried out using almost any telescope or binoculars and even with the naked eye (if the spots are large enough). But we must remember that visual study of the Sun through a telescope or other optical instruments must (!!!) be carried out using a solar filter (recommendations for observing the Sun are available in the Nebosvod magazine http://astronet.ru.
Space weather
Forecast magnetic storms as of August 2017
Photo: http://www.tesis.lebedev.ru
Moon
On the evening of August 7, from 20:22 Moscow time to 22:20 Moscow time, the Moon will plunge into the earth's shadow by a quarter of its disk, and a partial eclipse of the Moon will occur.
Visibility of the Moon in August 2017:
1 - 2 – in the evening
3- 15 – night
16 - 17 – after midnight
18 - 19 – in the morning
24 - 31 – in the evening
Visibility of planets in August 2017:
In the evening:
–Jupiter in the constellation Virgo;
–Saturn in the constellation Ophiuchus;
At night:
– Neptune in the constellation Aquarius;
–Uranus in the constellation Pisces;
In the morning:
– Venus (!) until August 24 in the constellation Gemini, then in the constellation Cancer;
Mercury and Mars are not visible.
Observations of the Moon and planets in August 2017
August 2 – Moon at apogee - distance from Earth 405024 km (20:56)
August 2 – The Moon passes 10° north of Antares
August 3 – The Moon passes 3° north of Saturn (11:00)
August 3 – standing of Uranus - the planet moves from direct movement backtrack (15:00)
August 5 – Mars at its greatest distance from Earth - 397636800 km (2.658 AU); gloss: 1.7 m; visible diameter: 3.52
August 7 – Full Moon (21:13).
August 7 – partial eclipse of the Moon, visible in Russia; Max. phase 0.246 at 21:13
August 10 – occultation of Neptune by the Moon, invisible in Russia (02:00)
August 12 – Mercury moves from direct to retrograde (09:00)
August 13 – The Moon passes 4° south of Uranus (11:00)
August 15 – Moon in last quarter phase (04:17)
August 16 – lunar occultation of Aldebaran, visible in the daytime sky in southwest Russia (10:00)
August 18 – Moon at perigee - distance from Earth 366127 km (16:16)
August 19 – The Moon passes 2° south of Venus (07:00)
August 19 – The Moon passes 9° south of Pollux (10:00)
August 20 – Venus passes 7° south of Pollux (19:00)
August 21 – New Moon (21:32)
August 21 – total solar eclipse, max. phase = 1.031 (21:26) The visibility band of the total phase of the eclipse will pass through the entire North America, partial phases of the eclipse will be visible on the Chukotka Peninsula
August 24 – end of activity of the Perseid meteor shower
August 25 – Saturn’s station - the planet moves from retrograde to forward motion (15:00)
August 25 – The Moon passes 3° north of Jupiter (19:00)
August 26 – The Moon passes 7° north of Spica (01:00)
August 26 – Mercury is in inferior conjunction with the Sun, 4.2° from the center of the solar disk, distance from the Earth – 0.625 AU.
August 28 – end of evening visibility of Jupiter
August 29 – Moon in first quarter phase (08:14)
August 29 – Moon at apogee - distance from Earth 404305 km (14:26)
August 30 – The Moon passes 3° north of Saturn (18:00)
What can you see in August through a telescope?
Owners of the telescope will be able to observe in the sky:
Double stars: Perseus, Cassiopeia, Capricorn, Cygnus, and Lyra, Ursa Major,
variable stars: Cepheus, Perseus, Lyrae, Aquila;
Scattered star clusters: M24 in the constellation Sagittarius, M11 in the constellation Scutum, M39 in the constellation Cygnus, and Perseus;
Globular star clusters: M15 in the constellation Pegasus, M13 in the constellation Hercules;
Nebulae: M27 in the constellation Chanterelle, M57 in the constellation Lyra; M8 and M17 in the constellation Sagittarius;
galaxies: M81 and M82 in the constellation Ursa Major.
Solar corona during an eclipse
March 9, 2016 visible from Earth and from Space
Credit: J. Wielinga (Angola, Paris Institute of Astrophysics), LASCO Wide Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph, Laboratory of Marine Research, SOHO Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, ESA, NASA; Processing: R. Wittich;
Copyright: S. Kushmi (Paris Institute of Astrophysics, National Center for Scientific Research)
Translation: Volnova A.A. http://www.astronet.ru
Sometimes a solar eclipse is good time to look at the Sun. By taking advantage of the unusual alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, scientists were able to capture this photo of the total solar eclipse that occurred on March 9, 2016, from both Earth and space. Interior The picture of the eclipse was taken on Earth, it looks like the pupil of the eye, created relative dark moon on the background bright sun. Around the solar disk covered by the Moon, a sparse corona is visible, shown in white, which can be observed from Earth without special equipment only during an eclipse. It is usually difficult to track the corona on long distance from the disk of the Sun, but in this montage the optical image is combined with false-colored observations of the COXO Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, created by NASA and ESA, orbiting the Sun.
Such observations make it possible to study the constantly changing picture of magnetic activity at small and long distances from the sun. After all, it is this activity that creates auroras on the ground.
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When preparing the page, material from the School was used astronomical calendar for 2016-2017 academic year, Great encyclopedia astronomy V.G. Surdina and site materials:
http://www.astronet.ru;
http://edu.zelenogorsk.ru
There is nothing left until the new year 2017, which means that everyone who is not indifferent to the starry sky and who has a thirst for knowledge will be interested in getting acquainted with calendar of astronomical events the coming year.
This article will be useful not only to avid lovers of astronomy, but also to those who also want to join practical observation and study of future events cosmic scale. Also, 2017 is rich in round dates, related to people and events related to domestic astronautics.
We placed special emphasis on such a phenomenon as full moon. Since ancient times, people have associated various magical rituals; Many cultures gave the full moon (or periods associated with it) separate names.
For example, in this article our readers will be able to find out what the full moon was called in one of the indigenous Indian tribes North America. This is all the more interesting because this tradition adopted by some European settlers.
Astronomy lovers eager to watch the brilliance of asteroids roaming in 2017 space our solar system, will not be able to do this naked eye.
Read also:
Despite the fact that the brilliance of many objects will reach 9m(particularly asteroids Hebe, Irene, Metis and Eunomia), this not enough for such an observation. The so-called visible magnitude(that is, the measure of illumination created celestial body) Ceres, the smallest dwarf planet of our Solar System, will be at the end of 2017 the value 7.4m.
The brightness of comets can also be observed using home telescopes. We're talking primarily about comets. C/2015 V2 (Johnson), circumsolar non-periodic comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), small comet Honda-Mrkosa-Paidushakova, a short-period comet Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresaka and the comet with the shortest orbital period (3.3 years) 2P/Encke. However, if you are lucky with the weather, the brilliance of Comet Encke can be observed against the background of the February night sky naked eye.
Of great interest from the point of view of observation in 2017 is Venus: due to the fact that it will be much north of our star, the planet can be observed twice: evening and morning.
In 2017 (especially during the first months), observers have a wonderful opportunity to see Jupiter(including some features on the planet itself, especially the dark equatorial stripes). The giant's visibility will decrease October 26, at the moment of Jupiter’s conjunction with the Sun, but after just a few days in the clear morning sky this object will again be visible.
Mercury will be good to view throughout the year, except for the period from February 7 to March 7 when the planet enters into conjunction with the Sun. And here Mars for an earthly observer, due to the proximity of the planet to the Sun in 2017, will not be the best the best object for observation. The Red Planet will enter into conjunction with our star July 27, 2017.
In the coming 2017 it will be possible to record 4 eclipses:
- 11 February will happen penumbral lunar eclipse, when the Moon passes the so-called Earth's penumbral region (the area in which the Earth cannot completely obscure the Moon from the Sun). It is very difficult to record this phenomenon from the surface of the Earth without appropriate instruments, since the human eye can hardly detect a slight darkening of the Moon;
- February 26 It will be marked annular solar eclipse, when the Moon, passing across the disk of our luminary, is not able to cover it completely due to the fact that for the observer the diameter of the Moon turns out to be less than the diameter of the Sun;
- August 7 The Moon will partially be in the cone of the Earth's shadow region, which means it will be possible to talk about partial lunar eclipse. Observers from Earth will be able to see only that region of our planet’s satellite that will be in the penumbra at that moment;
- August 21 residents of some settlements in several US states you will be lucky enough to observe total solar eclipse. For most of our country, this eclipse will go unnoticed. However, only residents of the Chukotka Peninsula and the extreme northeast of the country will be able to record private phases.
All astronomical events, which are presented in this article, are recorded according to Moscow time.
Astronomical calendar 2017
JANUARY
4 January – peak meteor shower activity Quadrantids, whose activity time falls on the period from December 28 to January 12. The number of observed meteors per hour will be 120. The radiant of the star shower is located in the constellation Bootes. As for Russia, residents will be able to observe this stellar stream Far East And eastern regions our country.
January 10 – The Moon is at perigee: at 09:01 it will be at its closest distance from the Earth in January 2017 – 363242.3 km.
January 12 – 110 years since the birth of the founder of the Russian practical astronautics Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.
January 12 – Full moon (peak at 14:34). Full Wolf Moon - the hungry howl of numerous wolf packs, lurking around American Indian villages, gave the name to the January full moon.
January 18 – will noticeably add brightness to one of the most large asteroids in the main asteroid belt of our solar system - asteroid Vesta. The apparent magnitude will be 6.2m. However, this will not be enough to observe the object with the naked eye.
January 22 – Moon at apogee: at 03:12 the Moon will be at the point farthest from the Earth for January 2017 – 404911.4 km.
FEBRUARY
11 February – Full moon (peak at 03:33). On this day, at 03:43 Moscow time, there will be penumbral lunar eclipse. If the weather is appropriate, it will be possible to record it from almost the entire territory of our country, except for the Russian Far East. Heavy snowfall during this period led the American Indians to call the February full moon the Full Snow Moon. By the way, if snowfalls pass us by during this period, then the eclipse can be observed with the naked eye.
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February 26 – New Moon (peak at 17:59). The annular solar eclipse, which will occur on this day at 17:58 Moscow time, will be able to be observed by South Americans and residents of the South and West Africa. Also, this eclipse will be able to be recorded by a few scientists and researchers who are carrying out their difficult mission in Antarctica. In Russia, observers will not be able to record this phenomenon.
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The last start is planned for the end of February Soviet carrier "Soyuz-U"(for start cargo ship "Progress MS-05"). In the future, Roscosmos will abandon the use of these launch vehicles in favor of more modern ones with a greater carrying capacity.
MARCH
March, 6 – The world’s first female cosmonaut, Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova, turns 80.
March 12 – Full moon (peak at 17:53). Full Worm Moon (according to some American Indian tribes). It is during this period that they appear on the surface of the earth. large quantities earthworms, which is caused by the release of snow from the earth as a result of warming.
Astronomical observations 2017
APRIL
11 April – Full moon (peak at 09:08). Full Pink Moon - this is what the American Indians called the April full moon. The basis for this was flowers called Phlox (from Greek - “flame”), which bloom in April in North America.
April 16-25 – star Rain Lyrids. The meteor shower peaks on April 22. This phenomenon of starfall in the Lyra constellation will be most clearly visible from that part of our planet that is located north of the equator. Expected activity of the Lyrid star stream in 2017 – no more 16 meteors per hour. Interestingly, in 1982, the zenith hour number, which characterizes the number of Lyrid meteors observed with the naked eye, reached 90.
MAY
May 11 – Full moon (peak at 00:43). The Full Flower Moon, an intense period of spring flowering, may well have been the reason why the American Indians named the May full moon that way.
JUNE
the 9th of June – Full moon (peak at 16:10). Full Strawberry Moon - obviously, during this period, American Indian tribes collected strawberries (however, given the fact that ordinary garden strawberries were first bred in Europe to mid-18th century centuries, we're talking about, most likely, about some variety of strawberry - perhaps Virginia strawberry).
21st of June – Summer Solstice Day for residents northern hemisphere planet is the longest day of the year. Time – 07:24.
JULY
July 9 – Full moon (peak at 07:07). The Full Thunder Moon is a period of intense thunderstorms that gave rise to the American Indians calling the July full moon that name. Another popular name is due to the fact that this period is related to the intensive ossification of the antlers of North American deer (non-ossification bone future horns) and, accordingly, to the maturation of males. The Indians said so - Full moon Samtsov.
Astronomical objects 2017
AUGUST
August 7 – Full moon (peak at 21:11). American Indians during this period enjoyed a rich fishing associated with the exodus of sturgeon from the Great Lakes. Hence the name of the August full moon - Full Sturgeon Moon. On this day, almost all residents of Russia, except for the Far Eastern region, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, will be able to observe partial lunar eclipse.
August 21 – New Moon (peak at 21:30). The day on which there will be a total solar eclipse. Partial phases of this phenomenon on the territory of Russia can only be recorded from some territories of Chukotka and Kamchatka. It is noteworthy that residents of the small town of Carbondale, Illinois, will receive unique chance observe an event twice within a short period of time total eclipse – August 21, 2017 and April 8, 2024. Longest duration The total phase of the eclipse in the coming year will be 2 minutes 40 seconds for an earthly observer.
SEPTEMBER
6 September – Full moon (peak at 10:04). The Full Corn Moon is the period when the American Indians harvested not only corn, but also many other crops. Therefore, the September full moon was also often called the Full Harvest Moon.
September 17 – 160th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Russian theoretical cosmonautics, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky.
September 22nd – The day of the autumnal equinox, when the same length of day and night during this period marks the onset of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere of the planet and the end of winter in the Southern. Time – 21:02.
