This Month's Solar System Things
Summer Skies
Latest sunsets come after the summer solstice
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, your latest sunsets – and latest evening twilights – are happening around now. The year’s latest sunsets always come after the summer solstice even though the summer solstice brings the longest day.
The latest sunsets always come in late June and early July for the Northern Hemisphere.
But the exact date of the latest sunset depends on your latitude.
At a latitude of 42.8487°, the latest sunset of the year for Casper WY was June 28th at 8:47 pm.
July 1 morning: Moon near Mars
On the morning of July 1, 2024, the waning crescent moon will lie close to the red planet Mars. Also nearby will be the bright planet Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster. The moon and Mars will rise about three hours before sunrise.
August 18 – Full Super Sturgeon Blue Moon
A seasonal “blue moon” - the third of four full moons in one astronomical season.
A blue moon is special because it is the “extra” moon in a season with four full moons. This usually only happens every two-and-a-half years.
A blue moon also refers to the 2nd full moon in a calendar month.
The period of one full moon to another is about 29 ½ days. So, when two full moons occur in the same month, the first one is always on the first or second day of the month and the second one is one the 30th or 31st day.
A blue moon is not blue in color. In fact, a blue moon does not look any different than a regular, monthly full moon.
In very rare circumstances, the Moon can appear blue, but this would be caused by viewing the Moon through a haze of dust particles in our atmosphere, perhaps from a recent volcanic eruption.
The term Blue Moon is believed to have originated in 1883 after the eruption of Krakatoa, Indonesia. The volcano put so much dust in the atmosphere that the Moon actually looked blue in color. This was so unusual that the term "once in a Blue Moon" was coined.
August 12-13: Perseid Meteor Shower
The year’s biggest and best display of meteors will occur overnight from August 12 through the morning of August 13. Go camping - it’s the best way to see it – dark skies away from city lights.
The showers can be seen all across the sky but will radiate from the constellation Perseus.
The Perseids are caused by Earth passing through debris - bits of ice and rock - left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle which last passed close to Earth in 1992. The Earth passes through the densest and dustiest area on August 11-12. The rate can be between 150-200 meteors an hours.
Constellations to Look For in June, July and August
Summer Triangle
Highest in the sky during the summer months, in June and July evenings, you can find the Summer Triangle in the east at nightfall, and it swings high overhead after midnight.
The Summer Triangle is an asterism (a group of stars that make up part of a larger constellation) comprised of the brightest stars in the constellations Cygnus, Lyra, and Aquila.
Deneb in Cygnus, Vega in Lyra and Altair in Aquila.
The Milky Way streams through it.
Corona Borealis, the northern crown. It represents the crown of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos in Greek mythology. CB is home to the “blaze star” (“T CrB” ) a recurrent nova. T CrB is a binary star containing a large cool red giant star and a hot white swarf star. This star is only visible every 80 years – it last erupted in 1946 and astronomers believe it will do so again very soon possibly before September or in 2025.
Bootes, the herdsman. Famous for its bright star Arcturus, which is the 4th brightest star in the night sky. The Romans saw the stars of Ursa Major as both the Triones, a mythical group of oxen, and a plow, and saw the figure in Bootes as the ox driver and ploughman.
Scorpius, the scorpion. In Greek Mythology, it represented the Hercules, the strongman. The 5th largest constellation. Four stars
scorpion sent by a jealous Artemis to slay Orion. It was this form a square shape known as the Keystone. The keystone
sting that caused Orion's death. The scorpion still chases Orion represents the hero's torso. The Greeks called him Heracles, but
across the heavens but will never catch him because it rises in the Romans changed his name to Hercules. He is usually depicted
the East after Orion has set in the West. as kneeling with his right hand raised above his head holding a
Scorpius is home to Antares, a super-red giant star in the final club.
stages of tis life. It appears as a distinctly red object. This leads
many people to believe that they are viewing Mars. Antares
literally means "not Mars".
Sagittarius, the Archer. Usually depicted as a centaur pulling back on Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. The ancient Greeks identified it as
a bow. This ancient constellation is believed to have originated with the god Apollo struggling with the giant snake that guarded the
the Babylonians. He was their god of war, and stands with his bow Oracle of Delpni. It is commonly depicted as a man holding a snake.
pointed at the heart of Scorpius, the scorpion. In Greek mythology
Sagittarius representa half horse and half man creature known as a
centaur.
