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This is the Classical Astronomy Update, an email newsletter especially
for Christian homeschool families (though everyone is welcome!)
Please feel free to share this with any interested friends.
IN THIS UPDATE:
- Announcements
- The Sky This Month Flash Animation
- Homeschooling Today Almanack Article
- Dance of the Planets
- Conjunction of Saturn and Mars
- Jupiter Returns!
For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, even every
man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow
upon you a blessing this day. - Exodus 32:29
Welcome to the Classical Astronomy Update!
Hello Friends,
Hope all of you in the northern hemisphere are making the best of this very weird summer. Our prayers go out to those near the Mississippi who have had floods. Our Ohio weather has been alternately blistering hot or cold and damp and otherwise strange.
Thanks again to all who have been participating in the Classical Astronomy Yahoo Group. If you like the Update, you might like that group also, since we often discuss astronomy nuggets that don't make it into this newsletter. Also, many of the experienced astronomy observers at the group provide "tech support" for people learning the sky. Come on and join!
Announcements
"The Sky This Month" Flash Animation for July, 2008
We've made another Flash animation for The Sky This Month series. Thanks to all who checked out the last one. But I'm puzzled folks, only 10% of the Update readers clicked the link to visit. This animation is a companion feature to this newsletter to help visualize certain concepts. Why not check out this new feature? What do you have to lose?
The Sky This Month for July, 2008
This animation is also cross posted at the Classical Astronomy Blog at HomeschoolBlogger.com. We also have these animations posted at our family YouTube account:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TheRyanSeven
Homeschooling Today Almanack Article
The latest issue of Homeschooling Today magazine (July/August, 2008) features our article, The American Almanack Tradition: Faith, Literature, and Science in Early America. If you don't already read Homeschooling Today, you can subscribe now, or you can view a PDF of the latest issue at:
http://www.homeschooltoday.com/
Dance of the Planets
Conjunction of Saturn and Mars
As we saw in the last Update, the planets Saturn and Mars have lately been passing through the constellation Leo, now visible in the western sky, hanging above the sunset.
The swifter-moving Mars is approaching Saturn in the night sky and will soon overtake the ringed planet. Mars will make its closest approach to Saturn on the evening of Thursday, July 10, when the two bright planets will be separated by only one and a half Moon diameters. This is the conjunction of these planets, when the two are "conjoined" in the evening sky.
Clear skies permitting, keep an eye on these planets from night to night as Mars approaches Saturn. When planets are this close to each other, the changes in their positions are very apparent from night to night. Folks, this is a special opportunity to view the clockwork in the sky that the LORD has placed above our heads, if you will only take the time to look!
The waxing crescent Moon will join Saturn and Mars on the evening of Sunday, July 6. This will be an easy opportunity to learn these planets, since even inexperienced sky observers can spot the Moon. Just look for the "stars" that are nearby the Moon on this evening. The other star near Saturn and Mars is Regulus, the bright star in the constellation Leo.
Keep an eye on the waxing crescent Moon as it moves east on the following nights, and passes the bright star Spica in the constelllation Virgo on the evenings of July 9 and 10.
All of these sky events are shown in the The Sky This Month for July, 2008 Flash animation mentioned above. We hope this animated movie will make it even easier for your family to identify these celestial objects in the evening sky. For more information about conjunctions and the motions of the planets, order your copy of Signs & Seasons, our homeschool astronomy curriculum.
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Order online at our website or from one of our fine distributors.
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Jupiter Returns!
The dazzlingly brilliant planet Jupiter returns to the evening sky in July, 2008. You can't miss Jupiter in the night sky, since it is the 4th brightest object in the sky, following the Sun, Moon and Venus.
During 2008, Jupiter has been passing through the constellation Sagittarius. In traditional star lore, Sagittarius is supposed to be an archer, but to our modern eyes, this star pattern looks remarkably like a teapot! So if you have a dark sky and a clear southern horizon unobstructed by trees or buildings, see if you can spot Jupiter blazing near the teapot in the sky!
Sagittarius is the southernmost point of the zodiac constellations, through which the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to move, as seen from the Earth. So Jupiter currently rises and sets very low to the south, and does not reach very high even at its highest.
Jupiter reaches opposition on July 9, and at this time Jupiter is in a position "opposite" to the Sun. So Jupiter rises in the evening sky just as the Sun sets. Therefore, as the twilight sky darkens to full nighttime, Jupiter can be spotted coming up in the southeastern sky.
After opposition, Jupiter will remain a bright fixture in the evening sky throughout the summer and into the fall. So look for Jupiter this week and keep an eye on it each clear evening over the coming months.
The nearly-full waxing gibbous Moon will pass through Sagittarius near Jupiter on the evening of Thursday, July 17. So keep an eye on these objects on that night.
An animation of the opposition of Jupiter is also shown in the The Sky This Month for July, 2008 Flash animation mentioned above. Please check thsi out for a better understanding of this subject. For more information about oppositions and other aspects of the planetary motions, pick up your copy of Signs & Seasons, our homeschool astronomy curriculum.
Coming in future Classical Astronomy Updates
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We hope to soon take a look at the folklore and history surrounding the bright planet Jupiter.
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A partial eclipse of the Moon will be seen over Europe, Africa and Asia on the night of August 16.
Til next time, God bless and clear skies!
-jay
The Ryan Family
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and
the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art
mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
- Psalm 8:3,4, a Psalm of David
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