The northeastern dawn sky of July 7th, at about 6:45am, say, will present the almost-dark crescent Moon next to the Hyades group, with its bright orange star Aldebaran. The following dawn will show the lowering Moon in line with Mercury and the orange star Betelgeuse in Orion.
Unlike the planets, most stars shine with constant brilliance. For a variety of reasons, some do not; Aldebaran and Betelgeuse are two such. Betelgeuse’s brightness varies by about one magnitude over a regular period of about 400 days, while Aldebaran’s variation is smaller, and its period irregular.
A tradition of the Kokatha people of southern central Australia has the vain hunter and woman-chaser, Nyeeruna, in about the same position in the night sky as western astronomy’s hunter Orion, with a club of fire magic (Betelgeuse). Each night he pursues the Yugarilya sisters (the Pleiades) who are of the Mingari, or Thorny Devil Lizard totem (Mingari women live by themselves and shun men). Fortunately their eldest sister, Kambugudha (the Hyades), intervenes and protects her younger sisters. But she also taunts Nyeeruna by spreading her legs (the inverted ‘V’ of the Hyades) at him, and raises her left foot (Aldebaran) with its own fire magic, to ward him off. The two combatants’ fires wax and wane as they struggle – but although Nyeeruna is powerful, Kambugudha is victorious, and keeps him at bay.
In the western twilight (about 6 pm) of July 12th, the Evening Star, Venus, will approach within one degree for a passing flirtation with red Mars, just above Diana’s Bow, the thin crescent New Moon in the west. The two planets will drift apart over the following nights, as each then brushes past the star Regulus in Leo; Venus on the 22nd, and Mars on the 30th.
Jupiter and Saturn will both be in opposition (at closest approach) to Earth in July, making a striking sight in the eastern evening sky, especially when joined by the full Moon (24th-26th). Two meteor showers peak on July 30th. The Southern delta-Aquarids fall, at best, at the rate of about twenty sightings per hour, but are usually faint; look for them in Aquarius, near Jupiter. The alpha-Capricornids, in neighbouring Capricorn (near Saturn) have a much lower hourly rate of about five; their compensation is the spectacle of long and bright falls, and sometimes even fireballs. Both may be seen from dusk until dawn.
Evening twilight (6:30pm) on August 10th will show Mars next to the New Moon low in the west. From August 17th- 21st, Mars and Mercury will be very close, Mercury far outshining Mars, even though its face towards Earth is now only partly lit (but you would need a telescope to see that detail).
Jupiter and Saturn will still be close to us and bright in August- a wonderful chance to spy some of their fascinating details (Great Red Spot, rings, satellites…), if you have a telescope or good, steadied binoculars. For example, on August 8th at 11:30pm, two of Jupiter’s moons, Ganymede and Europa will be in transit across the face of Jupiter, with a third, Io, about to be eclipsed by the gas giant. With a telescope, the transiting moons, as well as their shadows on the planet’s surface, may be seen.
By Vlack
The Coburg Meddler 