Which planet is called the "morning star" and why? Starry sky in the evening A bright star in the east in the morning.

In March, 3 planets visible to the naked eye can be observed in the morning sky: JUPITE R (m = -2.1) * , SATURN(m = +0.7) and MARS(m = +1.0). They rise before dawn and are visible close to each other, being in the same constellation - in the constellation Sagittarius, very low above the horizon. At the end of the month they are joined by MERCURY.

MARS appears above the horizon more than two hours before sunrise. At the beginning of the month, it rises first among these planets - at six in the morning and, as a yellowish star, is visible before dawn very low above the horizon in the southeast at an altitude of 7 degrees. At the end of the month, it rises at five in the morning.

JUPITER rises two hours before sunrise. At the beginning of the month, it rises half an hour later than Mars, at the end of the month Jupiter is the first among these planets to appear above the horizon and rises 20 minutes earlier than Mars. Visible in the southeast very low above the horizon as a very bright star.

20 March at 11:23- conjunction of Mars with Jupiter. Mars will be visible 0.7 degrees south of Jupiter.

SATURN rises last. At the beginning of the month, it rises an hour later than Mars; at the end of the month, they appear above the horizon almost simultaneously. Visible below and to the left of bright Jupiter. February 17 moves from the constellation Sagittarius to the constellation Capricorn.

March 31 at 15:59- the conjunction of Mars with Saturn. Mars will be visible 0.9 degrees south of Saturn.

Have MERCURY(m = +0.7) morning visibility, but it rises at dawn and is not visible against the dawn background. On March 24, it is at the maximum angular distance from the Sun - 28 degrees, but it rises 30-40 minutes before sunrise and is also not visible against the background of a bright sky. Moves along the constellation Aquarius.

* The magnitude “m” is indicated in parentheses. In magnitudes, the brightness of a planet or star is expressed (the brighter a star or planet, the lower its magnitude).

CONSTELLATIONS IN THE MORNING SKY

Constellations visible above the southern horizon Snakes, Ophiuchus, Libra and at the very horizon of the constellation Scorpion and Sagittarius some of which are below the horizon.

Starry sky above the southern horizon on March 15 at 06:30

Above the eastern horizon, summer constellations rise high into the sky: Lyra with bright Vega , Swan with Deneb , Eagle with Altair ... And the smallest constellations in area: Arrow, Delphi n and Small Horse... Autumn constellations rise at the very horizon: Pegasus and Andromeda .

Starry sky above the eastern horizon on March 15 at 06:30

In the west, the spring constellations go beyond the horizon: Leo with Regulus, Virgo with Spica, Small Lion and high above the horizon shines the brightest star of the northern hemisphere - Arcturus from the constellation Bootes ... In the northwest visible Big Bucket constellations Big Dipper .

Starry sky above the western horizon on March 15 at 06:30

In the north, a bright star shines low above the horizon Chapel from the constellation Charioteer... Over the north point "hangs" Polar star out Ursa Minor ... Visible in the northwest Big Bucket constellations Big Dipper .

The visibility and location of the planets in the sky during the month.

June, the "lightest" month, is not very favorable to astronomical observations. If in the south the nights are simply short, then in temperate latitudes the period of white nights begins altogether. Bright planets, the Sun and the Moon remain almost the only available objects for observation.

All four bright planets can be seen in the June sky this year. Jupiter is visible in the first half of the month in the evenings in the west, beautiful Venus throughout June in the mornings in the east. In the evenings, Mars and Saturn can be observed in the south and southwest. These two planets are the most convenient for observations in June.

But we will start our review with Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun.

Mercury

Mercury minutes before it is covered by the Moon in the daytime sky of Sochi on June 26, 2014.

At the beginning of June, the period of evening visibility of Mercury ends. The planet closest to the Sun could be observed in the early days of the month low in the northwest for about half an hour after sunset, and only in the south, outside the zone of white nights. Almost all of June, Mercury is in the sky near our daytime star and is therefore inaccessible for observations. On June 19, the planet enters into a lower conjunction with the Sun, that is, it will pass between the Earth and the Sun, after which it moves to the morning sky.

On June 26, Mercury, being in the sky only 10 ° from the Sun, will be covered by the Moon. This interesting phenomenon will be observed in the Atlantic, America and Europe, in particular, in the Crimea and the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Coverage will begin around 5 pm when the Moon and Sun are in the western sky.

The brightness of Mercury will be about 2.5m, which, in principle, allows you to see the planet against a blue sky background in a good amateur telescope. However, be extremely careful! Do not forget that the coating will occur near the Sun and the rays of the star can accidentally hit the eyepiece and damage your eyesight! We would recommend observing this phenomenon only to experienced amateurs. For our part, we will try to publish interesting photos coverage, if any, appear on the Internet.

Venus

Haven't seen Venus this summer yet? In early June, the Morning Star rises about an hour before sunrise over the eastern (more precisely, over the northeastern-eastern) part of the horizon.

However, the period of visibility of Venus is rather arbitrary: in Ukraine, the Crimea and the Caucasus, the planet is currently visible for almost 1.5 hours, appearing in the dark sky. At the latitude of Moscow, the period of visibility of Venus does not even reach an hour. Farther north, in view of the white nights - and even less. In this case, the planet rises against the background of dawn. But you can still find it in St. Petersburg because of the great brightness of the planet (during June it stays at about -4m). Note that at sunrise, Venus, which is actually white, can be red, orange, and deep yellow, confusing a beginner. In this case, we are faced with a typical redness. space objects near the horizon due to dust floating in the Earth's atmosphere.

What will happen in the sky with Venus within a month? I must say that throughout June the planet has a direct motion (that is, it moves against the background of stars in the same direction with the Sun, from west to east), moving along the constellation Aries. Venus is gradually catching up with the star in the sky, but in June the distance decreases slightly - from 37 to 30 degrees. At the same time, the position of the planet's rising point shifts slightly to the north.

30 degrees from the Sun is a very comfortable distance for observing such a bright planet in the predawn sky. However, in the temperate latitudes and in the north, white nights intervene, which makes it somewhat difficult to observe. But in this case, as we said above, Venus can be quite easily seen with the naked eye, not to mention observations through a telescope or binoculars. Before the sun rises, the planet manages to rise into the sky at the latitude of Moscow by about 10 °, at the latitude of Sochi - 15 ° above the horizon.

Perhaps it is after sunrise that the June observations of Venus through a telescope will be most interesting and productive. Already in the morning, the planet rises high enough above the horizon so that atmospheric turbulence does not greatly distort the picture in the eyepiece, and the low contrast between the blinding white Venus and the blue sky background often allows you to notice much more detail in the planet's cloud cover than usual.

During June, the apparent dimensions decrease from 14 to 12 arc seconds, and the phase increases from 0.77 to 0.86. (The planet, following a smaller orbit, overtook the Earth and is now moving away from it, and after a few months it will hide behind the Sun.)

Venus and the Moon in the morning sky on June 24. The dimensions of the Moon are magnified 4 times for clarity.

I must say that during the day it is quite possible to see Venus with the naked eye. To do this, it is enough to isolate oneself from the bright Sun and consider a section of the sky 30 ° to the right of the star. In the first half of the day, Venus will be slightly higher than the Sun, in the second, respectively, lower. Finally, on June 24, an excellent reference point for the search for Venus both before sunrise and in the daytime sky will be the “aging” Moon, whose narrow crescent will approach the planet up to 3.5 °.

Mars

2 months have passed since the April opposition of Mars. The brightness and apparent size of the Red Planet have decreased significantly and continue to decrease rapidly. However, in June, Mars remains the most one of the most visible celestial bodies in the evening and at night.

All month the planet is in the constellation Virgo, moving against the background of stars in the same direction with the Sun and gradually approaching Spica, the main star of the constellation Virgo. Mars appears in the evening twilight in the southwest at 25 ° above the horizon (at the latitude of Moscow). The planet can be distinguished from stars by its characteristic pinkish color and even radiance (stars, as a rule, flicker noticeably).

At the beginning of June, the visibility of Mars is about 4 hours, at the end - only 2 hours. The planet's brightness decreases from -0.5m to 0.0m, the diameter of the visible disk - from 11.9 ″ to 9.5 ″. In a good amateur telescope with a lens of 120 mm and higher, many interesting details can be found on the planet's disk - polar caps, dark and light areas, areas with various shades of yellow, red and even blue. And in modern digital photographs, the Mysterious Planet appears very effectively today.

Planet Mars, photographed on May 7, 2014. The image clearly shows the northern polar cap, dark areas of the Chryse area and bright cirrus clouds.

Jupiter

Saturn, Moon, Mars and Jupiter on the evening of June 8th. Jupiter in the evenings in the first half of June is visible in the rays of the evening dawn low in the northwest.

Shining in our sky for almost a year, Jupiter ends the period of evening visibility in June. The planet moves in the same direction with the Sun, but being farther from us than the daylight, it moves slower than the Sun against the background of stars. At the end of July, the Sun will catch up with Jupiter and the planet will again, like last year, move to the evening sky, where on August 18 a remarkable rapprochement with Venus will take place.

In the first half of June, Jupiter can be observed for about 2 hours in the evening twilight in the northwest (90 ° to the right of Mars); at the end of the month, the planet is actually hiding in the rays of the sun.

Despite the fact that Jupiter is currently located near the point of its orbit farthest from the Earth, the planet is so large that its brightness and size have not decreased too much compared to the winter period. In June, Jupiter's brightness is in the region of -1.9m, and the diameter of the visible disk is about 32 ″. The planet is still perfectly visible even with small telescopes; her observations will be in much to a greater extent interfere with a low position above the horizon and a bright background of the sky in temperate latitudes than distance from the Earth.

Saturn

The Moon and Saturn approach at midnight on June 11, 2014. Note that Saturn, Mars and the bright star Arcturus form an almost isosceles triangle in the sky in June.

The position of Saturn in the sky makes this planet the most convenient to observe in June 2014. Being in the constellation Libra for the whole month, the ringed giant appears with the onset of dusk in the south at an altitude of 15-20 degrees above the horizon, depending on the latitude of observation. In the south of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the visibility of Saturn will be about 6 hours, in temperate latitudes the planet will be visible throughout the entire short night.

In terms of magnitude (0.4m), Saturn is comparable to the brightest stars, but this may not be enough for a beginner to confidently identify the planet in the bright night sky of June. Especially for beginner astronomy lovers, we will inform you that in the evening Saturn can be found 30 ° (about 3-4 fists of an outstretched hand) east of the reddish and brighter Mars. When searching, it is important not to confuse Mars with the star Arcturus, which is also reddish and has approximately the same brightness as Mars. In general, Mars, Arcturus and Saturn form an isosceles triangle in the June sky, at the base of which there are two planets. The easiest way to find the planet will be on the night of June 10-11. At this time, next to Saturn (only 1.5 ° south of the planet), the Moon will be in a phase close to the full moon.

Saturn's color is yellow. Even in a small telescope, one can see the disk of the planet flattened to the poles and the luxurious rings of the planet, open at 20 °. The apparent dimensions of the planet are 18 ″, and the rings are 40 × 15 ″. In a telescope with a lens of 100 mm or more, you can try to see the Cassini Slit in the rings of the planet. Even in smaller instruments, you can see the largest moon of Saturn, Titan, in the form of an asterisk 8.4m.

Uranus and Neptune

The last planets in our review are Uranus and Neptune. The distant giants are too weak to be observed with the naked eye (only Uranus in moments of opposition can be seen at the limit of visibility on a moonless night). And in most amateur telescopes, they look at best like tiny greenish-blue discs without any details.

Now both Uranus and Neptune are in the morning sky in the constellations of Pisces and Aquarius, respectively. The visibility of Uranus is about 1 hour in June at the beginning of the month and rises to 2 hours at the end. The brightness of the planet is 6.0m, the apparent size of the planet is 3.4 ″; to see the disc, you need a telescope with a lens of at least 80 mm and a magnification of 80 × or higher. Note that it is almost impossible to observe the planet north of Moscow due to the white nights.

To an even greater extent, the latter also applies to Neptune, which, although it rises almost an hour earlier than Uranus, has a magnitude of only 8m. Like Uranus, Neptune moves across the sky in the same direction as the Sun. It can be found near the sigma star Aquarius (magnitude 4.8m). To see the planet's disk, you need a more serious instrument: a telescope with a 100-120 mm objective lens and a magnification of over 100 ×.

Let us repeat that the search and observation of these planets, due to their remoteness from the Earth, have, at best, only cognitive value for amateurs.

Let's summarize. In June, all the planets are visible in the sky, except for Mercury, which on the 19th is in the lower conjunction with the Sun. The most favorable conditions will be for the observation of Saturn and Mars. These two planets appear in the sky at evening twilight in the south and southwest, respectively. The planets are located at an altitude of about 20 ° above the horizon and are visible for 6 and 4 hours, respectively. In temperate latitudes, Saturn can be observed throughout the short night.

Venus is visible in the morning in the east for about an hour before sunrise. The brilliance of the planet makes it possible to observe it during the day, both with a telescope and with the naked eye. Jupiter can still be found in the evenings in the northwest, in the rays of the evening dawn. Its visibility is rapidly decreasing, and at the end of the month the planet will hide in the rays of the Sun.

So, now about the celestial rendezvous of Venus ...

Jupiter will enter the morning sky in the second half of December, shining low near the southeastern horizon in the constellation Ophiuchus. On December 22, Mercury will pass very close to it (the distance from the Sun will be 20 degrees). Venus at this time will still be in the constellation Libra.

On January 6, 2019, the morning elongation of Venus (-4.7m; El = 46 ° 57 ') will occur in the constellation Libra

The period of close visibility of Jupiter and Venus will occur in the second half of January 2019, when the distance between the stars is less than 6 °, and they can be observed in the field of view of ordinary binoculars! On January 22, two bright planets will converge in the sky up to 2.5 degrees - Venus will shine over Jupiter above the southeastern horizon in the constellation Ophiuchus.

Such connections are commonplace, since the planets and the Moon move on the celestial sphere along one "wide highway" encircling the sky, called the ecliptic plane.

Clear skies and successful observations of morning Venus!

The morning sky brightens rather quickly with dawn, and the stars disappear from it one after another. Only one luminary remains visible longer than others. This is Venus, the planet is the morning star. It is many times brighter than Sirius for an earthly observer and is second only to the Moon in the night sky in this sense.

Features of movement across the sky

Today almost everyone knows which planet is called the "morning star" and why. The beautiful Venus appears in the firmament shortly before sunrise. After dawn, it remains noticeable longer than other luminaries due to its brightness. The most keen observers can see a white dot in the sky for several hours after sunrise - this is the planet "morning star".

Venus also appears before the sun sets. In this case, she is called the evening star. As the sun sinks below the horizon, the planet gets brighter. You can observe it for several hours, then Venus sets. It doesn't appear in the middle of the night.

Second from the Sun

The answer to the question "which planet is called the morning star" could be different if Venus was in a distant part Solar system... A similar nickname was given to the cosmic body not only because of the peculiarities of its movement across the sky, but also because of its brightness. The latter, in turn, is the result of the position of the planet relative to the Earth and the Sun.

Venus is our neighbor. At the same time, it is the second planet from the Sun, almost identical in size to the Earth. Venus is the only one of its kind that comes so close to our home (the minimum distance is 40 million kilometers). These factors allow you to admire it without the help of telescopes or binoculars.

The deeds of days gone by

In ancient times, the answers to the question of which planet is called the morning star and which is called the evening star did not coincide. It was far from immediately noticed that the luminaries, preceding by their appearance, sunrise and sunset, are one and the same cosmic body. Ancient astronomers carefully followed these stars, poets composed legends about them. After some time, careful observation bore fruit. The discovery is attributed to Pythagoras and dates from 570-500. BC NS. The scientist suggested that the planet known as the morning star is also the evening star. Since then, we have known a lot about Venus.

Mysterious planet

The cosmic body, named after, as it were, justifying its name, for a long time excited the minds of astronomers, but did not allow them to get closer to solving their secrets. Almost until the 60s of the last century, Venus was considered a double of the Earth, there was talk about the possibility of detecting life on it. The discovery of its atmosphere contributed a lot to this. The discovery was made in 1761 by M.V. Lomonosov.

Improvements in technology and research methods have made it possible to study Venus in more detail. It turned out that dense atmosphere the planet is mainly composed of carbon dioxide... Its surface is always hidden from observation by a layer of clouds, probably consisting of sulfuric acid. The temperature on Venus exceeds all thresholds imaginable for humans: it reaches 450 ºС. This and other features of the planet became the reason for the collapse of all theories that suggested life on a cosmic body close to us.

Gas giant

However, the question "which planet is called the morning star" has another answer, and more than one. This name is sometimes used to refer to Jupiter. The gas giant, although remote from our planet at a decent distance and located farther from Mars from the Sun, follows Venus in terms of brightness in the sky. They can often be seen close to each other. As recently as early July 2015, Venus and Jupiter were seen as a beautiful double star.

It should be noted that the gas giant is quite often available for observation throughout the night. Therefore, it cannot be called as a suitable candidate for the role of the morning star as Venus. However, this does not make it less interesting and beautiful object of the sky.

Closest to the Sun

There is also another morning star. The planet, except for Venus and Jupiter, denoted as such is Mercury. The space body closest to the Sun is named after the Roman messenger of the gods for its speed. Either ahead of, then catching up with the daylight, for an earthly observer, Mercury is seen alternately in the evening and morning hours. This makes him related to Venus. The small planet is therefore also historically called the morning and evening star.

Elusive

The peculiarities of the motion of Mercury and its proximity to the Sun make it difficult to observe it. Low latitudes and the equator area are ideal places for this. Mercury is best seen during the period of maximum distance from the Sun (this time is called elongation). At mid-latitudes, the likelihood of seeing drops dramatically. This is only possible during the best elongations. For observers from high latitudes, Mercury is not available.

The planet's visibility is cyclical. The period is 3.5 to 4.5 months. If Mercury, moving in orbit, for an earthly observer overtakes the daylight clockwise, then at this time it can be seen in the morning hours. When it is behind the Sun, there is a chance to observe the fastest planet in the system in the evening. Each time, Mercury is visible for about ten days.

Thus, this planet is called the morning star for good reason. However, this "nickname" of Mercury is not known to everyone by understandable reasons: to see it in the sky is a rare success due to its close location to the daylight, as well as its relatively small size.

So which planet is called the morning star? It can be said with all certainty that such a question implies the answer "Venus", less often "Mercury" and almost never, although this is possible, "Jupiter". The planet, named after the goddess of love, due to its proximity to the Earth and high reflectivity, and hence brightness, is more noticeable to an inexperienced observer in astronomy, and therefore will always firmly occupy the place of the most beautiful morning star for the majority.

Selected astronomical events of the month (Moscow time):

July 1st and the whole month- the possibility of the appearance of silvery clouds against the background of the twilight segment,
July 1
2 july- Moon (Ф = 0.54+) near Jupiter,
3 July- asteroid (3) Juno in opposition to the Sun (9,7m),
3 July- Earth in aphelion at a distance of 1.01668 AU from the sun,
4th of July- covering by the Moon (Ф = 0.84+) of the Libra gamma star (3.9m),
5'th of July- Venus passes at 6.5 degrees. south of the Pleiades,
6 july- Moon (Ф = 0.92+) at apogee at a distance of 405,932 km from the center of the Earth,
7 july- The moons of Jupiter Io, Europa and Callisto in the closest approach to the disk of the planet,
7 july- Moon (Ф = 0.96+) near Saturn,
July 8- Moon (Ф = 1.0) at maximum south declination,
July 9- full moon,
10 july- Mercury passes through the Manger star cluster (M44) at an elongation of 19 degrees east of the Sun,
10 july- Mars passes at 5.6 degrees. south of Pollux,
10 july- long-period variable star V Dog Hounds near the maximum brightness (6m),
July, 12- Moon (Ф = 0.92-) in the descending node of the orbit,
July 13- covering by the Moon (Ф = 0.8-) Neptune with visibility in Antarctica,
the 14 th of July- the long-period variable star R Bootes near the brightness maximum (6m),
the 14 th of July- Venus passes in 3 degrees. north of Aldebaran,
July 16- Moon in phase last quarter,
July 17th- Moon (Ф = 0.45-) near Uranus,
July 19- Coverage by the Moon (Ф = 0.16-) of the star Aldebaran during daytime visibility in the east of Russia and in South-East Asia,
July 20- Moon (Ф = 0.12-) near Venus,
21 July- The moon (Ф = 0.05-) at the perigee of the orbit at a distance of 361240 km from the center of the Earth,
21 July- Moon (Ф = 0.04-) in the maximum declination to the north,
21 July- long-period variable stars R Cancer, R Virgo and U Hercules near the brightness maximum (6m),
July 23- new moon,
July 23- Moon (Ф = 0.01+) near Mars,
July 23- long-period variable star RV Sagittarius near the brightness maximum (6.5m),
July 25- Moon (Ф = 0.03+) in the ascending node of the orbit,
July 25- Coverage by the Moon (Ф = 0.06+) of the Regulus star with visibility in Indonesia and daytime visibility in Africa,
July 25- covering the Moon (Ф = 0.06+) of Mercury with visibility in Kamchatka and daytime visibility in Russia and the CIS,
26 July- Mercury passes a degree south of Regulus,
July 27- Mars conjunct the Sun,
July 28th- Moon (Ф = 0.33+) near Jupiter,
July 28th- Coverage by the Moon (Ф = 0.3+) of the Virgo gamma star (2.8m) with visibility at Far East,
July 28th- Mercury reaches phase 0.5 (dichotomy),
July 30th- Mercury in the maximum eastern (evening) elongation of 27 degrees,
July 30th- The moon is in the first quarter phase,
July 30th- the maximum effect of the Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower (ZHR = 25),
31 july- Mercury near the asteroid (4) Vesta (6 degrees south).

The sun with a minimum apparent diameter, it moves along the constellation Gemini until July 20, and then passes into the constellation Cancer and remains in it until the end of the month. The declination of the daylight gradually decreases, as does the length of the day, which changes from 17 hours 29 minutes at the beginning of the month to 16 hours 05 minutes by its end. These data are valid for the latitude of Moscow, where midday height The sun will decrease from 57 to 52 degrees during the month. Evening astronomical twilight merges with morning twilight until July 22, so for mid-latitudes the deep starry sky will open only by the end of July. For observations of the Sun, July is one of the most favorable periods of the year. Observations of spots and other formations on the surface of a daylight can be carried out through a telescope or binoculars and even with the naked eye (if the spots are large enough). But it must be remembered that a visual study of the Sun through a telescope or other optical devices must be carried out (!!) with the use of a solar filter (recommendations for observing the Sun are available in the journal "Sky" http: // astronet. Ru / db / msg / 1222232) ...

moon will start moving across the July sky in the constellation Virgo near Jupiter near the phase of the first quarter. The next day, the lunar oval will pass north of Spica (Ф = 0.61+) and rush to the constellation Libra, which it will enter on July 3 at a phase of 0.71+, and the next day it will cover the star gamma Libra at a phase of 0.84+. On July 5, the bright moon will visit the constellation Scorpio. Having passed on the same day to the constellation Ophiuchus, the Moon will pass the apogee of its orbit on July 6, observing low above the horizon all the short night. In this constellation, the Moon will be near Saturn, passing into the constellation Sagittarius (Ф = 0.97+) on July 7, making a path along it, which will last until July 10. In the constellation Sagittarius, the night star will take on the full moon phases on July 9. On July 10, the full moon will move into the constellation Capricorn and will stay here until July 12, when it enters the constellation Aquarius at a phase of 0.9-. Here the Moon on July 13 will cover Neptune at a phase of 0.8 - with visibility in Antarctica. The night star will cross the border of the constellation Pisces on July 14 at a phase of 0.71-, and on July 15 and 17 it will visit the constellation Cetus. Decreasing the phase, the lunar oval on July 15 and 16 will again visit the constellation Pisces, taking the phase of the last quarter and passing south of Uranus (Ф = 0.45-) on July 17. Having entered the constellation Aries for a short time on July 18, the Moon will move to the Taurus constellation (Ф = 0.29-), where on July 19, the next moon will cover the stars of the Hyades and Aldebaran clusters with daytime visibility in eastern Russia and in Southeast Asia. On July 21, the crescent moon will visit the constellation Orion (near Venus) at a phase of about 0.1 and, passing on the same day to the constellation Gemini, will stay here until July 23, being near the maximum declination. On the same day, the Moon will move to the constellation Cancer and take the new moon phase here (being near the perigee of its orbit). In the evening sky, the Moon will appear already in the constellation Leo, where it will move on July 24. Low above the western horizon, the thin month of July 25 will cover Regulus and Mercury. From these coatings in Russia, the coating of Mercury will be visible in the daytime sky (in the evening sky - in Kamchatka). Having made a path along the constellation Leo, the growing sickle on July 27, with a phase of 0.17+, will move to the constellation Virgo. On July 28, the Moon (Ф = 0.33+) will pass north of Jupiter, covering the gamma Virgo star on the same day (Ф = 0.3+) with visibility in the Far East. On July 29, the growing sickle will pass north of Spica, and on July 30, with a phase of 0.49+, it will move to the constellation Libra and take the first quarter phase here. The Moon will finish its journey across the July sky at a phase of 0.63+ near the Libra gamma star, which it will cover in August.

Large planets of the solar system.

Mercury moves in the same direction with the Sun along the constellation Gemini until July 4, along the constellation Cancer until July 16, then moving to the constellation Leo and staying in it until the end of the month. The planet is observed near the western horizon against the background of the evening dawn, but only in southern latitudes countries This evening visibility is unfavorable in the middle, and even more so in the northern latitudes of the country due to the polar day and white nights. The angular distance from the Sun at the beginning of the month is 12 degrees to the east, and by the end of the month it increases to 27 degrees, reaching maximum elongation. The apparent diameter of the fast planet gradually increases from 5 to 7.5 arc seconds with decreasing brightness from -1m to + 0.3m. The phase increases from 0.9 to 0.5, i.e. When viewed through a telescope, Mercury is an oval that gradually turns into a half-disk. In May 2016, Mercury passed across the disk of the Sun, and the next passage will take place on November 11, 2019.

Venus moves in the same direction with the Sun along the constellation Taurus, where it will spend the entire described period. The Morning Star gradually decreases the angular distance to the west of the Sun from 44 to 39 degrees. The planet is visible in the morning sky low above the eastern horizon. The high brightness makes it possible to observe Venus during the day. The oval of the planet is visible through the telescope. The apparent diameter of Venus decreases in a month from 18.5 "to 14.8", and the phase increases from 0.62 to 0.74 at a magnitude of about -4.1 m.

Mars moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Gemini. The planet is hiding in the rays of the setting Sun, and on July 27, a conjunction with the Sun takes place. The brightness of the planet is + 1.7m, and the apparent diameter is 3.5 ”. Mars is gradually moving away from Earth, and the next opportunity to see the planet close to opposition will appear in 2018. During periods of confrontation, parts can be visually observed in a tool with a lens diameter of 60 mm, and, in addition, photographically with subsequent processing on a computer.

Jupiter moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Virgo. The gas giant is observed in the evening and night skies to the right of the bright star Spica. Angular diameter itself big planet The solar system decreases in a month from 37.4 "to 34.4" with a magnitude of about -2m. The planet's disk is distinguishable even with binoculars, and with a small telescope, stripes and other details are visible on the surface. Four large satellites are already visible through binoculars, and in a telescope in good visibility conditions, shadows from the satellites on the planet's disk can be observed. Information about the configurations of satellites - in this CN.

Saturn moves backward along the constellation Ophiuchus. The ringed planet can be observed at night over the southern horizon. The brightness of the planet is from with an apparent diameter of about 18 ”. With a small telescope, you can see the ring and the moon Titan, as well as some of the other brightest satellites. The apparent dimensions of the planet's ring are on average 40 × 16 ”with an inclination of 27 degrees to the observer.

Uranus(5.9m, 3.4 ".) Moves in the same direction with the Sun along the constellation Pisces (near the star omicron Psc with a magnitude of 4.2m). The planet is visible in the night and morning sky. Uranus rotating "on its side" is easily detected with binoculars and a search map in the Astronomical Calendar for 2017, and a telescope from 80 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 80 times and a transparent sky will help to see the Uranus disk. With the naked eye, the planet can be seen during the periods of new moons in a dark clear sky, but such an opportunity will present itself at the end of summer. The moons of Uranus have a brightness fainter than 13m.

Neptune(7.9m, 2.4 ”) is moving backward along the constellation Aquarius near the lambda star Aqr (3.7m). The planet is visible in the night and morning sky. To search for the planet, you will need binoculars and star maps in the Astronomical Calendar for 2017, and the disk is distinguishable in a telescope from 100 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 100 times (with a transparent sky). Photographically, Neptune can be captured with the simplest camera with a shutter speed of 10 seconds or more. Neptune's moons have a brightness weaker than 13m.

Of comets visible in July from the territory of our country, the calculated brightness of about 12 tons and brighter will have at least three comets: Johnson (C / 2015 V2), PANSTARRS (C / 2015 ER61) and P / Clark (7IP). Comet Johnson (C / 2015 V2) moves through the constellations Virgo and Hydra. The comet's brightness is about 7 tons. The heavenly wanderer PANSTARRS (C / 2015 ER61) moves along the constellation Aries, having a magnitude of about 9 tons. Comet P / Clark (7IP) is moving towards the constellation Scorpio. Detailed information on other comets of the month (with maps and light predictions) is available at http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current. html, and observation results are available at http://cometbase.net/.

Among the asteroids the brightest in July will be Vesta (8.1m) (Ceres is not visible). Vesta moves along the constellation Leo. In total, in July, the brightness of Utah will exceed nine asteroids. Path maps of these and other asteroids (comets) are given in the appendix to the KN (file mapkn072017.pdf). For information on the coverage of stars by asteroids, see http://asteroidoccultation.com/Index.Ail.htm.

Of relatively bright long-period variable stars(observed from the territory of Russia and the CIS) the brightness maximum this month (according to the calendar-memo by Fedor Sharov, source - AAVSO) reached: S Ursa Minor 8.4m - July 5, U Microscope 8.8m - July 5, R Aries 8 , 2t - July 5, X. July 14, RR Ophiuchus 8.9t - July 14, S Dolphin 8.8t - July 16, W Pegasus 8.2t - July 17, R Cancer 6.8t - July 21, R Virgo 6.9t - July 21, U Hercules 7.5t - July 21, RV Sagittarius 7.8t - July 23, V Unicorn 7.0t - July 24, U Virgo 8.2t - July 25, S Aquarius 8.3t - July 25, R Cutter 7.9t - 27 July, X Charioteer 8.6t - July 28th. More information at http://www.aavso.org/.

Clear sky and successful observations!