Skywatch: Saturn, Jupiter and Mars go to the opposition in June and July

Saturn our distant ringed planet, arrives at the opposition. Essentially, this great planet is opposite to sun as we see it from our earthly perspective. It is a "full" planet on June 27, according to the US Naval Observatory. UU

Gas Jupiter reached opposition on May 8, and Mars faces opposition on July 27. moon (officially, June 28 at 12:53 a.m.) travels the space of the ringed planet in our sky.

Catch the gibbous moon approaching Saturn, which has a zero, bright magnitude, starting around June 26. The ringed planet is in the constellation Sagittarius just above the shape of the dome of the teapot.

You should see Saturn and the moon in the southeast sky at night and the southwest skies before sunrise. The full moon dances with Saturn after sunset on June 28 in the southeast. The moon is at 1.8 degrees Saturn at midnight on June 28, according to the observatory.

At the beginning of June, Saturn rises around 10 p.m., and by mid-month, the planet rises at 9 p.m. At the end of June, the planet rises at 8 p.m. hour.

Throughout the month, Venus is a bright object of the afternoon. This week, find this cosmic gem in the northwest sky at dusk, hanging near the twins of the constellation Gemini stars Pollux and Castor . In a fourth negative magnitude, Venus easily crosses the light pollution of the night sky. Enjoy the splendor of Venus, as it is established after 11 p.m. the whole month.

Jupiter rises before the sun sets, but can now be seen in the southeast skies of the afternoon at -2.5 magnitude, bright. See the gibbous moon growing by the gas Jupiter on June 23 while the planet sets in the western sky before dawn.

The red planet Mars rises late in the night, perfect for pre-dawn views in the south. Mars is such a pleasant planet that it rises twice, according to the Naval Observatory. On June 6, Mars rises one minute after midnight, and then, 23 hours and 58 minutes later, it rises again one minute before midnight. At the end of June, Mars gets up at 10:40 p.m.

The official begins astronomical summer at summer solstice on June 21 at 6:07 a.m., says the Naval Observatory. That's when the sun seems to reach the Tropic of Cancer and then seems to retreat to the equator.

Earth-related events:

● June 4 – "Stars tonight" at the David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington, adjacent to Washington-Lee High School. 7:30 pm. $ 3. Friendsoftheplanetarium.org.

● June 5 – "Observation of exoplanets", a talk by astronomer Elizabeth Warner, at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 9 p.m. Observe the night sky later, weather permitting. www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.

●June 7 – "Titan: an exotic ocean world waiting to be explored", a talk by NASA space scientist Melissa Trainer. Embark on the titanic moon of Saturn Titan, which may have the ingredients for life. At the Mary Pickford Theater, James Madison Memorial Building, Library of Congress. 11:30 a.m. @librarycongress Web: goo.gl/izFq89.

●June 9 – Delight yourself with the winners of the science fair at the regular meeting of the Astronomers of the National Capital at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 7:30 pm. capitalastronomers.org.

● June 10 – "Geodetic astronomy: the basis for understanding the size and shape of the Earth", a talk by Dave Doyle, former head of geodesic studies, National Geodetic Survey. At the regular meeting of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, 163 Research Room, George Mason University. 7 p.m. novac.com

● June 13 – "Dreaming Big … Innovations in Space," a conference by General John E. Hyten, commander of the US Strategic Command. UU 8 p.m. Lockheed Martin Imax Theater, National Air and Space Museum. airandspace.si.edu.

● June 20 – "The historical quest to see the end of the universe … or its beginning", a lecture by historian Robert Smith, University of Alberta, as part of the Exploration Space Lecture series. 8 p.m. Lockheed Martin Imax Theater, National Air and Space Museum. airandspace.si.edu.

● June 20 – "In what part of history is the Orion Nebula?", A talk by researcher Marc Pound, at the University of Maryland Observatory in College Park. 9 p.m. Telescope observing later, weather permitting. www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.

aJune 23 – Solstice on Saturday! The National Air and Space Museum organizes a special celebration throughout the day of the beginning of summer (June 21) in two places: the museum in Washington and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. 10:30 a. midnight. Parking costs $ 15 before 4 p.m. at the Udvar-Hazy Center. airandspace.si.edu.

● June 23 – Astronomy Festival on the Mall. Celebrate the beginning of summer with dozens of telescopes and hands-on activities with other cosmic enthusiasts from 6 to 11 p.m. Around 100 astronomy educators from more than 30 scientific organizations will offer guided tours of the heavens. At 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, on the northwest corner of the Washington Monument. Organized and organized by the Hofstra University. Details: goo.gl/tc2y42.

Blaine Friedlander can be contacted at [email protected] .

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