Beautiful Morning Conjunction
 
August 15, 2014:  Sleeping late is one of the simple pleasures of summer
vacation.  This week, waking up early will be a pleasure, too.
 
Set your alarm for 30 minutes before sunrise.  Venus and Jupiter are
converging in the dawn sky for a beautiful conjunction that will wake you
up faster than a cup of strong coffee. To see it, you'll need a clear view
of the east-northeastern horizon and . that's all.  No telescope is
required. These are the two brightest planets in the Solar System, and they
are visible to the naked eye even from light-polluted cities.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK57BMj2Vj4&feature=youtu.be
 
A new ScienceCast video previews the spectacular morning conjunction of
August 18, 2014.  Play it
 
The show begins on August 15th with Venus and Jupiter little more than 2o
apart.  That means they would fit with ease inside the bowl of the Big
Dipper, and you could hide the converging pair behind the palm of your
outstretched hand.
 
Which is Jupiter and which is Venus?  You can tell them apart by their
luminosity: Venus shines 6 times more brightly than Jupiter, a result of
Venus's super-reflective cloud cover and proximity to Earth.
 
As mid-August unfolds, the conjunction improves. The best morning to look
is Monday, August 18th when Venus and Jupiter will be just two-tenths of a
degree apart.  Now you can hide them behind the tip of your outstretched
pinky.
 
Although optics are not required to see this amazingly bright pair, if you
have binoculars, use them.  A quick scan of the sky around Venus and
Jupiter reveals that the two worlds are not alone.  The planets have
converged right beside M44, the Beehive Cluster. Located about 500 light
years from Earth, this busy cluster of stars is barely visible to the naked
eye, but it is an easy target for ordinary binoculars.  At first glance it
might seem that a pair of supernovas has gone off inside the cluster-but
that's just Venus and Jupiter passing by.
 
After August 18th, the two worlds separate again.  The mornings of the
19th, 20th and 21st still reward early risers with a beautiful view, but
less so each day.  Soon, the balance of pleasure will tip back to sleeping
late.
 
There is, however, one additional morning to look.  On August 23rd, a
slender crescent Moon will join Venus and Jupiter, forming a wide but
beautiful triangle approximately 7o on each side.  A cosmic triangle
shining through the rosy glow of dawn is a nice way to start the day.
 
Credits:
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:
Science{at}NASA
 
 
Regards,
 
Roger

--- D'Bridge 3.99