LISTEN to this week’s Sky Report
This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through August 26, 2015. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
The innermost planet, Mercury, can be found about 7 degrees above the western horizon starting 30 minutes after sunset. To estimate 7 degrees, remember that your clenched fist appears about 10 degrees wide when you hold it out at arm’s length. Mercury appears like a bright star to the eye, and displays a gibbous phase when seen through a telescope.
The golden planet Saturn, in the constellation Libra the Scales, appears in the southwest sky after sunset and sets in the west-southwest at about 11:30 p.m. The planet, its magnificent rings and several of its many moons are featured through Griffith Observatory’s public telescopes.
The phase of the waxing moon changes from crescent to first quarter on the 22nd and is gibbous on the following nights as it approaches full moon on the 29th. The time of moonset changes from 10:24 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. between the 19th and 26th. The first quarter moon appears above Saturn and the fainter orange star Antares of the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion on the 22nd.
The International Space Station makes two appearances over Los Angeles. The first appearance is on Wednesday the 19th. The space station will be visible between 8:49 and 8:54 p.m. and will move from just above the northwest horizon to a point 39 degrees high in the east, where it meets Earth’s shadow. The ISS is highest at 8:53 p.m. when it will appear 56 degrees above the northeast horizon at Griffith Observatory. Another appearance on Friday the 21st takes place between 8:39 and 8:44 p.m., when the ISS moves from just above the west-northwest horizon to 22 degrees high in the south-southeast where it meets Earth’s shadow. The space station will be highest at 8:42 p.m. when it is 49 degrees high in the southwest.
Free views of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for the schedule. The next public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, August 22.
Follow the Sky Report on Twitter for updates of astronomy and space-related events.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com