Starry sky in summer when to watch. The Earth passes through the Perseids meteor shower - the sky is decorated with a real star rain. Astrological predictions for star rain

From August to September 2016, all 5 planets visible to the naked eye will line up in the evening sky. On some evenings, the young Moon will join them, complementing the majestic picture of the parade of the planets with the glow of a thin sickle. Let me remind you that the parade of planets is now called not the alignment of planets in one line in orbits around the Sun - this, alas, does not happen, but - to some extent, the close position of the planets in one region of the sky on one side of the daylight.

Unfortunately, the observation of the summer-autumn parade of planets in 2016 in Russia is unlikely to be possible - in the fall the ecliptic in the evening spreads low along the horizon and the planets will set almost together with the Sun or soon after sunset even during daylight hours. But in the southern hemisphere of the Earth, this spectacle will be enchanting. And there are already photographs from Chile - how it looks now.

Even in the southern hemisphere, to successfully observe all the planets at once, it will be necessary to choose a place with the most open view of the western region of the sky.

Throughout the month of August, the three planets - Mercury, Venus and Jupiter - will keep relatively close to each other, gradually approaching even tighter, in order to practically merge in the sky for the eye by the end of the period of joint visibility - to enter into close conjunction. This will happen on August 28, 2016 (in the Western Hemisphere - Chile, Argentina, ... - will still be on August 27):

Jupiter and Venus will converge so closely that Venus will be closer to Jupiter than some of its moons. And even the most keen-sighted people will not be able to see them separately with the eye during the closest approach - it will be one gigantic luminary with a brightness of -5 magnitude.

In a few days, on September 3 and 4, 2016 (September 2 and 3, respectively, for residents of the Western Hemisphere), the Moon will visit this trinity. How it will look, see the illustrations below:

Pictures are clickable and enlarged

But already in the following days, Mercury and Jupiter will disappear with the rays of the evening dawn and only three planets will remain available for observation - Venus, Mars and Saturn. Their community will be complemented by beautiful bright stars - blue Spica (alpha Virgo) and orange-red Antares (alpha constellation Scorpio).

In the month of September, Mars and Saturn, previously held together by a pair, will begin to scatter more and more in the sky. And Venus will have to catch up with each of the planets in turn.

But the first meeting will nevertheless take place with Spica on the eve of the autumnal equinox, these two luminaries will be separated by less than 3 degrees.

On October 4, 2016, next to Venus, the crescent of the young Moon will again appear. Both luminaries will be located in the constellation Libra, while Saturn will slowly move along the constellation Scorpio, and the noticeably more agile Mars along the constellation Sagittarius.

Then the Moon will visit each of the remaining evening planets in turn: Saturn (together with Antares) - October 6-7 (October 5-6 - for residents of the Western Hemisphere); Mars - October 8-9 (October 7-8, 2016 - for residents of the Western Hemisphere).

Passage of the Moon near Saturn and Antares on October 6-7, 2016

Passage of the Moon near Mars on October 8-9, 2016

It is worth noting that even a day earlier - on October 7 - Mars itself will pass very close to a rather bright star - Lambda Sagittarius "Kaus Borealis". This is a double star, although there is no reason to talk about the physical connection of the bright component with a faint star of magnitude 10.

At the closest approach, the angular distance between Mars and Lambda Sagittarius will be about 12 arc minutes, which corresponds to the distance between Alcor and Mizar - a double star in the handle of the Big Dipper bucket, by which the ancient Arabs checked the eyes of their warriors. Some may think that Mars and "Kaus Borealis" have merged into one.

On October 18, 2016, Venus will enter the constellation Scorpio. Saturn will have already left him by that time. But the three luminaries - Venus, Saturn and Antares - will look apart in the sky from about this day.

On October 28, 2016 (October 27 for Western Hemisphere residents) Venus will "slip" between Antares and Saturn. This spectacle will be worthy of the entire last parade of the planets.

Venus will be able to catch up with the planet Mars only in the first days of the next - 2017 - against the background of a blazing evening dawn, in which both planets will already be lost. The evening visibility of Venus in the southern hemisphere of our planet will come to an end. And in our - the northern hemisphere, excellent conditions will finally come for observing the "evening star". But this is a topic for a separate article, which will definitely be devoted to the conditions for the visibility of Venus in central Russia in 2016-2017.

Thank you so much for

Every year in August, those who wish can observe one of the most impressive natural phenomena - meteor shower in the constellation Perseus, Perseids. Starfall lasts for several days, but its peak invariably falls on 12th of August... A meteor shower is not only an excuse to leave the city with a whole list of desires, but also a great opportunity to practice shooting the starry sky.

Starry sky, blizzard of August,
On the road of cars, a gimmick,
They carry a drought, but I am happy,
I know for sure: the weather will change

Epigraph lines belong to the group leader Yuri Shevchuk... Few people know, but with this phrase, taken out in the name of the fifteenth studio album of the group DDT « August snowstorm"(2000), in Kazakhstan designate precisely Perseids... In the early 2000s, Yuri Yulianovich mentioned this in an interview, saying that the "blizzard of August" is a starfall in the Kazakh steppe.

In general, the Perseids are not the only meteor shower named for the constellation from which it appears. Here are the names of the following major starfalls: Draconians(October) - by the name of the constellation Draco, Leonids (November) - appear from the constellation Leo, Geminids ( December) - from the constellation Gemini.

In 2016, there was not much success in photographing meteors, however, any practice in photographing the sky will not be superfluous.

Perseids is a fairly popular meteor shower, largely due to the fact that it is observed practically in midsummer... Warm, often dry weather allows you to spend several night hours outdoors without the risk of catching a cold.

This meteor shower is formed as a result of the passage of the Earth through the plume. dust particles left by comet Swift-Tuttle(109P / Swift-Tuttle). These are precisely dust particles several millimeters in size - this is important to remember, since many people confuse meteors with meteorites... The latter are so large that they often fall to Earth without having time to burn up in the atmosphere. Meteora burn out completely, as a result of which we see a burning body and "tail".

2016 year. Even if you didn't manage to catch a meteor in the frame, do not forget about other shooting opportunities offered by a tripod and long shutter speeds.

Perseids - a phenomenon enough popular, therefore, closer to the event, many The media will definitely remind to you about the starfall and the conditions for better observation of shooting stars.

This year, 2017, it was predicted record flow - up 150 meteors per hour... Of course, such an opportunity to catch meteors on the camera could not be missed. Therefore, taking the equipment and a good company, I went take pictures of the starry sky.

In contrast to this year, in 2016 the moon was very low above the horizon (see previous photo), so most of the sky was open for shooting and observation (constellation Cassiopeia)

I will say right away that we did not see 150 meteors per hour. According to scientists, this figure refers to observation on completely open terrain outside the city in the absence of any artificial light sources such as highway lighting, lights in houses, and so on. Usually the predicted figure is advised to be divided by 5-6. However, in the Kazakh steppe, 150 meteorites per hour probably really resemble a snowfall.

This photo of the Big Dipper was taken directly from the window of the apartment. The only and significant difference from other photographs is that electricity went out in several districts of Minsk that night. If this happens to you, do not get lost and set up a tripod.

The second factor influencing the observation was moon position... On the night of August 12-13, 2017, the moon was high, illuminating half of the sky.

And finally clouds... This year the night was cloudless. However, somewhere around half past three, clouds began to appear, covering almost the entire area of ​​the sky that was not affected by moonlight, but after forty minutes they completely disappeared, which made it possible to continue shooting.

In 2016, the sky was completely open due to cold weather. In the evening, the temperature dropped to +12, and by midnight dropped to +8 and continued to decline. Not the most pleasant conditions for shooting, despite the cloudless sky.

year 2014. My first meteor caught. Due to the high clouds, it was necessary to shoot literally gaps in the clouds, constantly changing the position of the camera

According to scientists in the Moscow region, that night they noted 27 meteors in an hour and a half. We are during this time counted 22... Well, not bad at all. Especially considering the spectacular meteors we have seen this year.

A bit of cloudiness, however, can make the photo more interesting.

A few words about how to photograph meteors.

So we know time peak of stargazing, which is already a lot.

The second significant aspect is terrain... Need to find open a place away from artificial light sources... The most frequent sources of illumination of the frame are the city, and also the lanterns of the highway lighting. Even if it seems to you that the sky is completely dark, the flare will be visible in the frames when photographing with a high shutter speed (namely, it is used when shooting at night). It is worth noting that the frame will be more interesting if foreground there will be some object: a tree, a building ...

Equipment... You will need the following equipment:

• camera(or better, several) with the ability to set all exposure parameters (shutter speed, aperture, photosensitivity). Ideally - a full-frame camera, since it will give 1.5 times more frame coverage than a crop camera: the larger part of the sky you can cover, the more likely it is that a meteor will hit the frame;

Two meteors with very long tails at once, none of which fully entered the frame

• wide-angle fast lens(if the camera allows you to change lenses);
• tripod... A tripod is essential for long exposure photography. Another factor that comes up with tripod photography is wind.
• cable... Using a wire rope will prevent you from directly near the camera. It will also help to avoid shaking at long exposures. However, instead of a cable, you can use the delayed shooting mode (timer).
• mobile phone... It will serve flashlight... You can also download it compass to more easily find the constellation Perseus and determine the shooting direction.

IN the place of the cable we used time-lapse remote control, which made it possible not to approach the camera set on a tripod at all. The programmed remote took one shot after another during the entire shooting time.

Also, do not forget about warm clothes... You will need to be out in the open all night, so dress for the weather.

It's funny that all the Perseids caught this year were photographed in Ursa Major, quite far from the constellation Perseus.

A few words about exposure parameters.

• Most importantly, you have to use long exposure... Moreover, the longer the shutter speed, the more likely it is that a meteor will hit the frame. despite the ability to program any shutter speed using the time-lapse remote control, we used the maximum allowed by the camera for 30 seconds. The obvious disadvantage of long exposures - long processing and recording of the frame - will additionally half the chances of catching a meteor.
• Should maximally open diaphragm... This will allow reducephotosensitivity and by this improve image quality, reducing the noise level.

it basic principles... More precise parameters should be pick up on the spot based on the specific shooting conditions.

That's probably all.

A bit of luck. This shot was taken to capture the landscape with the Big Dipper ...

In general, the process of shooting meteors resembles fishing: a place is chosen, it is approximately known at what time the fish bite best. A "fishing rod" is placed on a tripod, a cable-"line" in the hand. Good company for conversations under the starry sky, drinks and snacks... And then a discussion about who caught the most meteors.

... and the next shot I caught a meteor. In the landscape. Against the background of all the recognizable constellation

But mainly, the Perseids are an opportunity to spend outside the city, perhaps last warm nights years, enjoying the spectacular natural phenomenon. Well, and make a wish. What if it comes true?, ..

They are pleasing to the eye and inspire to contemplate the endless space. A favorable season begins for lovers of observing distant foggy objects. Be sure to spot the Ring and Dumbbell planetary nebulae in the sky, the giant globular cluster of stars in Hercules, and the famous Andromeda Nebula! The easily recognizable drawings of the August sky are immediately noticeable: the Summer Triangle of the stars of the constellations Cygnus, Lyra and Eagle over the southwestern horizon, the huge Pegasus Square over the southeast, a semicircle of stars in the constellation of the Northern Crown over the west. The Big Dipper bucket floats during the night low above the northern horizon. The Milky Way at midnight arcs across the zenith from southwest to northeast.

The overview does not show the current positions of the planets in the constellations. Read more about the motions of the planets in the monthly materials "".

The article will help you navigate the star maps:
"How to use a star map"

We remind you: true midnight in Bratsk comes at about 1 am local time!
why so, we read in the material: Games with time. When is noon in Bratsk? ,

and after October 26, 2014, we read in the material: The clock in the Irkutsk region will be transferred once and for all

ABOVE THE NORTHERN HORIZON ...

The Big Dipper shines with seven stars of the Bucket. Cepheus is located high at the zenith. On the left of Pole star (+ 1.97m) the Dragon descends, and on the right rises to the zenith of Cassiopeia, which is easily identified by the five stars forming the letter M. Above the northeastern horizon, the constellations Auriga follow each other - with the brightest star Capella(+ 0.08m) - and Perseus. The Ursa Minor's dipper now drops to the left of Kinosury(North Star).

Night sky in AUGUST from the northern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

August night sky at zenith (overhead) around midnight in mid-latitudes

(direction to the northern horizon is the bottom edge of the image):

ABOVE EASTERN HORIZON:

The main constellations of the eastern horizon in August are Perseus with a winking variable star Algol and the constellation Andromeda, whose most notable object is a bright galaxy Andromeda's nebula (M31). From this area of ​​the sky, the most beautiful Perseids fly out, meteors are especially abundant every year on the night of August 12.

Night sky in AUGUST from the eastern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

ABOVE SOUTH HORIZON:

High, almost at its zenith, a huge cross of the constellation Cygnus with a bright star sparkles Deneb(+ 1.25m), a star is shining to her right Vega(+ 0.03m) from the constellation Lyra, and below is the constellation Eagle with its alpha star Altair(+ 0.75m) - three bright stars of these constellations form Summer triangle ... Popular objects for observations with a telescope in the Summer Triangle are ring nebula and Dumbbell... The Orom Square of Pegasus sparkles above the southeast, and the constellation Pisces floats below.

Night sky in AUGUST from the southern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

ABOVE THE WESTERN HORIZON:

The constellation Bootes enters with a brilliant orange Arcturus(-0.04m) pointed to by the handle of the Big Dipper Bucket on the right. Between Bootes and Hercules, a conspicuous constellation of stars sparkles in a semicircle of the Northern Crown with a bright "gem" Gemma(+ 2.25m). To the right of the Summer Triangle over the west are the constellations Hercules (above) and Ophiuchus (below). In Hercules, even in a simple telescope, a giant globular cluster of stars M13 .

Night sky in AUGUST from the western horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

Star maps are taken from Stellarium 0.11

THE MOST EASY ACCESSIBLE OBJECTS OF THE AUGUST SKY:

Andromeda's nebula and its position in the constellation

This is the most favorable period for observations of one of our closest galactic neighbors, the Andromeda Nebula (M31). It is easily distinguishable even through binoculars as a large elongated foggy spot above the star ν Andromeda. This beautiful spiral galaxy is located 252 million light years from Earth. Its length is 260 thousand light years, which is 2.6 times longer than that of the Milky Way. In the sky of the Earth, it covers an area of ​​3.2 ° × 1.0 °. The magnitude is + 3.4m.

Giant globular cluster M13 and position in the constellation Hercules

M13 considered one of the brightest globular star clusters in the northern sky, which can be easily discerned in an ordinary telescope. With binoculars, it can easily be found along the western side of the trapezoid formed by the stars ε, ζ, η, π of Hercules, between η and ζ. The cluster looks like a bright diffuse spot between a pair of seventh-magnitude stars, and hundreds of thousands of stars can be seen in the telescope, which is 25,000 light-years away. The cluster stars are crowded in an area 160 light-years across. The apparent dimensions in the earth's sky are 23 arc minutes, the magnitude is + 5.8m. In 1974, a short message was sent towards the cluster from the Arecibo radio telescope.

Ring Nebula M57 and position in the constellation Lyra

Ring Nebula(Ring Nebula) is one of the most famous examples of planetary nebulae and one of the most popular objects of amateur astronomical observations. The ejection of the expanding shell from the central star occurred about 5500 years ago. The nebula is quite bright (+ 8.8m) and can be found between γ and β Lyrae with powerful binoculars. In an amateur telescope, the M57 looks like a smoke ring. The nebula is located at a distance of 2.3 thousand light years from Earth, with a diameter of 1.5 light years in space. The central star that illuminates the nebula is very faint - only + 15m - and is inaccessible to amateur instruments. The apparent angular dimensions of the "ringlet" in the earth's sky are 2.5 "× 2".

Dumbbell Nebula M27 and position in the constellation Chanterelle

Dumbbell Nebula(Dumbbell Nebula) is another very popular amateur observation site. This planetary nebula is located in the constellation Chanterelles at a distance of 1.25 thousand light years from Earth. The Dumbbell Nebula is estimated to be 3,000 to 4,000 years old. The strange dumbbell shape of the nebula can be caught already in a telescope with an aperture of 80 mm or more. In shape, it looks like a stub of an eaten apple. To search for it, you need to focus on the "tip" of the constellation Arrow. The "dumbbell" is 3 ° above γ Sge in the direction of the Swan. The apparent brightness is + 7.4m stellar magnitude, and the diameter is 8.0 "× 5.7" arc minutes in the earth's sky.

Clear sky and breathtaking observations!

Starry sky of August.

The nights of the last month of summer are becoming longer and darker, which gives the observer more time to study the starry sky. The night temperature has not yet dropped to low values, which means that the observations will take place with comfort. The main event of August will be the brightest meteor shower of the year - the Perseids. This meteor shower occurs annually in August, when the Earth passes through the dusty tail of Comet Swiftl-Tuttle. This year, increased activity of the stream is expected and two highs at once - on August 11 and 12. These days the zenith number of meteors will reach 160 meteors per hour. Basically, these will be faint meteors, which will be clearly visible in the dark suburban sky. We hope you are lucky enough to see a shooting star and make a wish.

Constellations of August.

The sky of August. South facing.

At the zenith is the constellation Cepheus, to the east is Cassiopeia, and below it is Perseus, under which in the northeast is the constellation Taurus. Above the constellation Taurus is the constellation Auriga. In the high southeast are the constellations Andromeda and Pegasus, and low above the horizon is the constellation Cetus. In the southwestern part of the sky, the "Summer-Autumn Triangle" is still located, consisting of the brightest stars of the constellations Lyra, Cygnus and Eagle. The constellation Ophiuchus is located near the horizon. In the west, the "Head" of the constellation Draco is visible, as well as the constellations Hercules and the Northern Corona. In the northwest, the constellation Ursa Major and Bootes is visible.

Deep space objects in August.

Open star clusters:

Open cluster M11 or "Wild Ducks".

M24 in the constellation Sagittarius, M11 in the constellation Shield, M39 in the constellation Cygnus, Chi and Ash Perseus in the constellation Perseus.

Nebula:

M27 in the constellation Chanterelle, M57 in the constellation Lyra, M8 and M17 in the constellation Sagittarius.

Galaxies:

M81 and M82 in the constellation Ursa Major, M31 - the Andromeda Nebula galaxy in the constellation Andromeda, M 33 - in the constellation Triangle.

Galaxy M31 "Andromeda Nebula" - visible even to the naked eye in a fairly dark sky.

Planet visibility in August:

Mars and Saturn are visible low in the south for a short time, Uranus and Neptune are the best visibility at night.

Calendar of interesting astronomical phenomena in August:

Perhaps there is no such person on our planet who would not like star showers. Sometimes they are so beautiful that they simply fascinate with their beauty. It is this astronomical phenomenon that awaits us in August.

2016, like any other, has a constant schedule of meteor showers, since our planet passes the same space route every year. In addition to planets, there are a huge number of celestial bodies in space, among which asteroids can be distinguished. The passage of our planet through the asteroid belts is no less important for astrological forecasts and horoscopes than the state of the stars. It is important to take into account the energetics of an astronomical event, and not its physical meaning.

Perseid Starfall in 2016

In mid-August, our planet always passes through the Perseid meteor shower. It is quite powerful, as more than 60 meteors burn out almost every year during periods of peak activity in the Earth's atmosphere. The stream was named in honor of the constellation Perseus, from which cosmic particles appear. By the way, these particles are the product of a comet, which moves in its own special orbit, leaving us "messages". The comet itself flies near our planet only once every 135 years. These particles are composed of ice and dust. Their speed is phenomenal - up to 200 thousand kilometers per second. This affects visibility in a positive way, since the falling of pieces of a comet into the Earth's atmosphere causes powerful flares.

In general, the Earth enters the Perseids usually by the 20th of July, and comes out by the 23rd or 25th of August. The peak of activity usually falls on August 12-13. In 2016, people will be able to see the first shooting stars from July 18. On August 12, 2016, the shower will reach 100 meteors per hour, which is a lot compared to other known stellar showers. Almost two "stars" per minute are enough to enjoy the show. Naturally, this requires a clear sky and remoteness from the city, because even 10 km from the city, visibility is much better.

As usual, meteor showers will be observed the longest in northern latitudes. Visibility is better there and the sky is clearer. We are fortunate to be in the northern hemisphere, as the Perseids are almost invisible in the southern hemisphere.

Astrological predictions for star rain

The Perseids are the first starfall, which was found to be the product of a comet. It is also one of the first meteor showers discovered by astronomers and Chinese sages at the beginning of the first century AD.

In ancient times, people had a great desire to explain everything that was happening around them, and they turned, first of all, to the stars and space. It was then that the first major astrological teachings were born, telling us that any meteor shower is incredibly important for making astrological forecasts. It was customary to perform rituals on the waning moon during starfalls.

The Perseids, like other starfalls associated with the activity of comets, carry cautions for all signs of the zodiac and people in general. The fact is that comets have never been associated with anything positive among astrologers. They always bring us uncertainty and make us impulsive... The same goes for the meteor showers they cause. This is why, from late July to late August 2016, each of us will be slightly sharper than usual. During the moments of greatest activity on August 12-13, 2016, people may experience strange sensations of the presence of UFOs. The outbreaks, which on average will appear twice a minute, are not related to aliens, although many eyewitnesses claim to have seen alien ships in the air. This happened in 1992, 1993 and 1997. During these years, the Perseids were very active, so many are skeptical about the opinion of people about aliens visiting Earth.

Clairvoyants and psychics say that meteor showers are the time when protective talismans can be created against the evil eye, curse and failure. Bright flashes drive away evil spirits. This is the time when evil hides from our eyes even at night. Traditional healers during such periods cleanse from negative energy, performing rituals of cleansing from the evil eye, from generic negative programs and curses. In terms of energy, such periods are very strong - you can feel the power of the Universe, which gives us time to correct our mistakes.

Many also predict the future during the Perseids and other similar astrological events. In 2016, the best time for fortune-telling for the future will be the period from 5 to 12 August. Try to predict future events by looking behind the curtain before the start of the play. We wish you good luck and a beautiful rain of stars. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

01.08.2016 07:00

The entire Internet is replete with articles about the thirteenth Sign of the Zodiac, called Ophiuchus, but Vasilisa Volodina dispelled everything ...