News on what is visable in this months sky as posted by Adrian Zielonka's in his monthly sky notes.

Thank you Adrian and thank you CADAS.

 

Here is the astronomy new for August 2020

Astronomy
News

Night
Sky 2020 - August

Sunrise	Sunset	Mercury Rises	Venus Rises
1st – 5:37am 10th – 5:51am 20th – 6:06am 30th – 6:22am	1st – 8:57pm 10th – 8:41pm 20th – 8:21pm 30th – 8:00pm	1st – 4:11am 5th – 4:30am - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	1st – 2:22am 10th – 2:17am 20th – 2:17am 30th – 2:25am
Moon Rise	Moon Set	Moon Rise	Moon Set
- - - - - - - 1st – 7:58pm 2nd – 8:44pm 3rd – 9:19pm 4th – 9:46pm 5th – 10:08pm (ESE) 6th – 10:26pm 7th – 10:42pm 8th – 10:58pm (E) 9th – 11:14pm 10th – 11:31pm 11th – 11:51pm (ENE) 13th – 12:15am 14th – 12:46am 15th – 1:27am 16th – 2:19am 17th – 3:24am 18th – 4:40am 19th – 6:02am (ENE) 20th – 7:27am	1st – 2:49am 2nd – 3:48am 3rd – 4:56am 4th – 6:07am 5th – 7:18am (WSW) 6th – 8:29am 7th – 9:37am 8th – 10:44am (W) 9th – 11:51am 10th – 12:47pm 11th – 2:05pm (WNW) 12th – 3:13pm 13th – 4:21pm 14th – 5:28pm 15th – 6:29pm 16th – 7:21pm 17th – 8:04pm 18th – 8:38pm 19th – 9:06pm (WNW) 20th – 9:29pm	21st – 8:52am 22nd – 10:16am (E) 23rd – 11:40am 24th – 1:03pm (ESE) 25th – 2:24pm 26th – 3:43pm 27th – 4:54pm 28th – 5:54pm 29th – 6:43pm 30th – 7:20pm 31st – 7:49pm - - - - - - - All times in notes are set for Somerton unless stated	21st – 9:50pm (W) 22nd – 10:10pm 23rd – 10:31pm 24th – 10:55pm (WSW) 25th – 11:24pm 26th – 11:59pm 28th – 12:45am 29th – 1:40am 30th – 2:44am 31st – 3:53am - - - - - - - Moon Phases Full Moon – 3th Last Quarter – 11th New Moon – 19th First Quarter – 25th
	A S Zielonka

A useful site: www.heavensabove.com

There is a planned launch no earlier than 30^th
July of an United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral.
The Mars Perseverance Rover will be sent on its journey to search for
signs of habitable conditions on Mars in the ancient past and for
signs of past microbial life. The launch window has been extended to
the 15^th
August. The journey to Mars is a tricky one. The orbital paths of
Earth and Mars align just once every 26 months, so it's imperative
that Perseverance launch within its window to avoid a costly two-year
delay.

Comet 88P
Howell (10.7 mag – July 16^th) travels from Virgo
into Libra this month. (For details on this comet or others listed
below please see the 'Comet' section in the website above)

Comet 58P
Jackson-Neujmin (12.2 mag – July 16^th) stays in the
constellation of Orion this month.

Comet C/2018
N2 Asassn (14.3 mag – July 12^th) travels from the
constellation of Camelopardalis to Ursa Minor this month.

Comet C/2019
N1 Atlas (14.1 mag – July 12^th) travels from the
constellation of Canes Venatica to Coma Berenices this month. Its
reaches perihelion on December 1^st.

Comet C/2017
K2 Panstarrs (15.0 mag – July 12^th)C travels from
the constellation of Draco into Hercules this month. It reaches
perihelion in December 2022.

Comet C/2019
K7 Smith (15.5 mag – July 9^th) travels from the
constellation of Sagittarius into Hercules this month. It was at
perihelion in June when it was 4.475AU from Earth, which is within
the orbit of Jupiter.

Comet C/2020
F5 Master (15.8 mag – July 8^th) is in the
constellation of Apus this month. Its at perihelion in March 2021.
(not visible from the UK as it is the southern hemisphere)

Comet C/2017 U7
(15 mag – July 10^th) is in the constellation of
Sagittarius this month.

Jupiter and
Saturn are slowly drifting away from each other this month and by the
31^st they will be 8½ degrees apart. They do have a very
close conjunction in December though.

From the 1^st
- 5^th the asteroid Vesta passes within 2½ degrees of
Mercury. On the 3^rd at 5:00am they will be just ½ a
degree apart. Mercury will be 5¼ degrees above the ENE horizon and
at 62 degrees azimuth. The two stars Upsilon Geminorum (4 mag) and
Kappa Geminorum (3.5 mag) point to their direction. (For further
information on this asteroid or others please visit the website
above)

On the 1^st at midnight in the south Jupiter is just 2½
degrees above the moon with Saturn 7¾ degrees to the left of
Jupiter.

From the 1^st
- 6^th Comet C/2019 L3 Atlas (15.9 mag – July
17^th) passes close to the star Gamma Cassiopeiae (2.1 mag)
in Cassiopeia (the middle star of the 'W'). On the 3^rd at
midnight its less than a ¼ of a degree away.

From
the 1^st
- 10^th
the asteroid Ceres (7.9 mag) passes close to the star '114341' (3.6
mag) in Aquarius. On the 5^th
at midnight they are less than a ¼ of a degree apart low in the
south east and 10½ degrees above the horizon. (For further
information on Ceres or other asteroids please visit the 'Asteroid'
section in the website above).

At 10:00pm on the 2^nd Saturn will be 5½ degrees above
right of the moon with Jupiter 7¾ degrees to the right of Saturn.

At around 10:30pm
on the 2^nd Comet C/2019 U6 (8.5 mag – July 17^th)
will be 5 degrees from the star Muphrid (2.6 mag) in Bootes and 10
degrees from Arcturus (0 mag), all three in a straight line. Also on
the 2^nd Comet C/2017 T2 Panstarrs (10.3 mag –
July 16^th) is just 1 degree from Comet U6.

Mars is at
perihelion on the 3^rd.

On the 3^rd at midnight the star Zeta Capricorni (3.7 mag)
in Capricornus is 2¾ degrees below left of the moon.

From the 4^th
- 12^th Comet 115P Maury (15.2 mag – July 12^th)
is close to the star Lambda Aquilae (3.4 mag) in the constellation of
Aquilla. On the 8^th/9^th their just ¾ of a
degree apart. Its at perihelion on the 29^th when its
2.057AU from the Sun.

At 12:30am on the night of the 5^th the star Tau Aquarii (4
mag) in Aquarius is 2¼ degrees to the right of the moon.

Mercury is at
perihelion on the 6^th.

On the 6^th at midnight Neptune is 5¼ degrees above the
moon and 1¾ degrees to the right.

Mercury will be close to the Beehive Cluster on the 8^th &
9^th.

At 10:30pm on the
8^th & 9^th Comet C/2020 F3 Neowise (3
mag – July 20^th) will be approximately midway between
the stars Muphrid (2.6 mag) in Bootes and Vindemiatrix (2.8 mag) in
Virgo looking low in the west and 20 degrees above the horizon. On
the 8^th its 0.984 AU from Earth.

The moon is at
apogee (404,659km from the Earth) on the 9^th at 2:51pm.

At midnight on the 9^th Mars will be 4¾ degrees to the
left of the moon... and at 4:30am Mars will be 3 degrees above left
of the moon in the south.

On the 10^th at 4:30am Mars will be 9 degrees to the right
of the moon.

At 4:30am on the 11^th Uranus will be 4 degrees above the
moon and 2 degrees to the right. The star Mu Ceti (4.2 mag) in Cetus
is just 1¾ degrees below right of the moon.

On the 12^th at 4:30am the Pleiades star cluster is 9
degrees above left of the moon.

The Perseids meteor shower reaches its peak on the 12^th/13^th.
They can be seen from the 16^th July - 23^rd
August. Their associated with Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Venus is at
maximum western elongation on the 13^th.

From the 13^th
- 16^th Venus passes close to the star Nu Geminorum (4.1
mag) in Gemini. Venus is 5½ degrees below left of the moon with the
star Nu Geminorum only a ¼ of a degree above Venus.

At 4:30am on the 13^th the star Ain (3.5 mag) in Taurus is
1 degree from the crescent moon with Aldebaran (0.8 mag) 3¼ degrees
below Ain. An occultation of Ain by the moon occurs also today which
is visible over parts of eastern Russia, Alaska, Canada and the USA.

Comet C/2019
Y1 Atlas (13 mag – July 12^th) stays in the
constellation of Virgo this month. From the 14^th - 18^th
it passes close to the star Delta Virginis (3.3 mag) in Virgo. On the
16^th it will be less than a ¼ of a degree from the star.

On
the 15^th
at 3:00am Comet
249P Linear
(12.5 mag – July 8^th)
will be 2 degrees from the crescent moon and at
4:30am the star Propus (3.3 mag) in Gemini is just 1 degree below the
crescent moon.

At 4:30am on the 16^th the star Wasat (3.5 mag) in Gemini
is just 2½ degrees below left of a thin crescent moon. Venus is 9½
degrees to the upper right of the moon.

Mercury is at
superior conjunction on the 17^th.

Comet 210P
Christensen (15.5 mag – June 23^rd) is in the
constellation of Virgo this month. On the 17^th its just 1½
degrees from the star Delta Virginis (3.3 mag).

On the 18^th at 5:00am a very thin crescent moon will be 1½
degrees above the ENE horizon and at 60 degrees azimuth.

From the 19^th – 24^th Mars
passes close to the star Nu Piscium (4.4 mag) in Pisces. On the 21^st
their just ½ a degree apart.

At 8:50pm on the 19^th low in the WNW a very thin crescent
moon may be seen. The moon will be 1½ degrees above the horizon and
at 288 degrees azimuth.

On the 20^th at 9:00pm the moon will be low in the west at
4 degrees above the horizon and at 276 degrees azimuth.

From 21^st
- 23^rd Comet C/2020 K8 Catalina-Atlas (15.8 mag –
July 17^th) passes close to Venus. On the 22^nd
at 3:00am they will be approximately 3 degrees apart. Its closest to
Earth on the 14^th/15^th when it will be 0.598AU
distance. Its at perihelion (0.475AU) on September 14^th.

The moon is at
perigee (363,513km from the Earth) on the 21^st at 11:58am.

At 9:00pm on the 21^st the star Porrima (2.7 mag) in Virgo
is 4 degrees to the left of the crescent moon.

From the 22^nd – 24^th Venus passes close to
the star Mekbuda (4 mag) in Gemini. On the 23^rd their just
½ a degree apart.

On the 22^nd at 9:00pm the star Spica (1 mag) in Virgo is
6½ degrees to the lower left of the crescent moon. The star Virginis
(3.3 mag) is 5¼ degrees above the moon.

At 9:00pm on the 24^th the star Zubenelgenubi (2.7 mag) in
Libra is 5¼ degrees to the lower right of the moon.

From
the 25^th
– 30^th
Comet
246P Neat
(14.2 mag – July 16^th)
will pass close to the star Zeta Virginis (3.3 mag) in Virgo. On the
28^th
their just ½ a degree apart.

From the 25^th
- 31^st the asteroid Vesta passes through the Beehive
Cluster in Cancer during the early hours of the morning.

On the 25^th at 9:00pm the star Acrab (2.5 mag) in Scorpios
is 1 degree to the right of the moon. An occultation of Acrab by the
moon this occurs evening from 7:08:54pm – 8:19:47pm (These times
are set from Yeovilton). The Sun sets at 8:11pm.

At 10:30pm on the 26^th the star Theta Ophiuchi (3.2 mag)
in Ophiuchus is 3½ degrees to the left of the moon.

From the 28^th
Aug – 2^nd Sept Comet C/2019 F1 Atlas-Africano
(14.8 mag – June 23^rd) passes close to the star Pi
Hydrae (3.2 mag) in Hydra. On the 30^th/31^st
their just 1 degree apart. Its at perihelion in June 2021.

On the 28^th at 9:00pm Jupiter is 4 degrees to the upper
left of the moon. The star Nunki (2 mag) is 2 ½ degrees to the lower
right of the moon. The star Pi Sagittarii (2.8 mag) is 2½ degrees to
the upper right of Jupiter.

At 9:00pm on the 29^th Saturn is 3½ degreesto the upper
right of the moon. Jupiter is 8½ degrees to the right of Saturn.

C/2020
H4
Leonard
(14 mag – July 10^th)
is in the constellation of Ursa Major this month. It reaches
perihelion on the 29^th.

On the 31^st at 9:00pm the star Delta Capricorni (2.8 mag)
is 2½ degrees above the moon and 1 degree to the left.

* = Dates and times
are subject to change.

News:
Solar Orbiter: The science
payload is composed of 10 instruments.

5/10) PHI
Polarmetric and Helioseismic Imager (Germany): Provides
high-resolution and full-disk measurements of the photospheric vector
magnetic field and line-of-sight (LOS) velocity as well as the
continuum intensity in the visible wavelength range. The LOS velocity
maps have the accuracy and stability to allow detailed helioseismic
investigations of the solar interior, in particular of the solar
convection zone high-resolution and full-disk measurements of the
photospheric magnetic field.

News: It was
announced on the 16^th July that the first images from
Solar Orbiter, have revealed omnipresent miniature solar flares,
dubbed 'campfires' on the surface of the Sun. The 'campfires' were
captured by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) from Solar Orbiter's
first perihelion.

Facts: Astronaut Ed White made the first American spacewalk during
the Gemini 4 mission on the 3^rd June 1965. It was over the
Pacific Ocean and lasted for 23 minutes.

My thoughts: With all the Starlink satellites that going into orbit
around our planet spoiling the photos from ground-based telescopes
wouldn't be a good idea to have a few ground-based ones, around the
surface of the moon?