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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through July 17th, 2020. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3), has been putting on a good show in the northeast sky at dawn, with a tail that has grown longer and brighter with each passing morning. The comet will be highest at dawn on the 10th and 11th when it rises at 3:46 a.m. At 4:30 a.m., it is well placed for viewing against a dark sky while 5 degrees above the east-northeast horizon.
Venus and the brilliant star Capella are the brightest objects in the eastern sky, until the moon appears near Venus starting on the 15th. These objects serve as markers for locating the comet. To find the comet, scan the sky just above the horizon that is left of the point directly below Capella.
Beginning on the the 15th, it will be possible to see the comet above the northwest horizon in the faint constellation Lynx (located below the Big Dipper), for a brief time starting at about 9:30 p.m. Over the following nights, the comet will begin to move high into the western sky at nightfall as it slowly fades on its long journey away from the sun.
Although the comet can be seen plainly with unaided eyes until dawn starts to hide it at about 5:00 a.m., binoculars are strongly recommended to aid you in examining its golden, dusty tail. The tail of comet NEOWISE also has a lot of structure that can be seen through more powerful telescopes.
The bright outer planets, Jupiter and Saturn, can’t be missed as they gleam side by side above the southeast horizon at 9:30 p.m. Jupiter, the brighter object and the westernmost of the pair, crosses the meridian in the south at 1:00 a.m., followed by golden Saturn 28 minutes later.
Saturn’s spectacular rings can be observed through telescopes, and Jupiter’s well-known oval storm, the Great Red Spot, will be on the side of the planet facing telescope-quipped observers in the Pacific time zone at 1:00 a.m. on the 11th, 13th, and 16th.
The orange planet Mars, gleaming brighter than Saturn, moves from the eastern sky, where it is noticeable by 1:00 a.m., to a point high in the southeast by the time dawn starts. Because it is so high in the sky, it is well positioned for viewing through a telescope by 3:00 a.m. The planet’s brilliant south polar cap and dusky markings can be examined.
The waning gibbous moon is between Saturn and Mars on the 10th, and it passes close to Mars on the 11th and 12th. It is last quarter on the 12th and appears waning crescent before becoming new on the 20th. The moon passes close the brilliant Venus on the 16th and 17th.
Please note that, beginning on July 17, the Sky Report will be posted weekly on Friday.
Because of measures in place that are intended to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 Corona virus, Griffith Observatory remains closed until further notice. Consequently, all public telescopes are closed, and all public events have been cancelled. Please check the Griffith Observatory homepage for current information and continued updates of the situation.
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From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at Anthony.Cook@lacity.org.