The biggest astronomical events coming this summer (and how to watch with your own eyes)
Summer is the season to become a stargazer. Whether you’re a kid or an adult, this is the time to lie back in the grass, get out of town, take a vacation to the countryside to experience a truly dark sky and share the universe with those you love.
So, let’s look at what you can see in the warm summer months of July, August and September.
The Summer Triangle
This summer, when you point your feet to the east and lie back, you’ll find a triangle of three celestial dazzlers – stars named Vega, Deneb and Altair. When you connect these stars with lines, they form a large triangle measuring about 30 degrees long and 20 degrees high.
This unofficial constellation is called the Summer Triangle. Each star in the triangle is part of its own constellation. Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the Harp. Deneb is the tail star of Cygnus, the Swan. And Altair is the eye of the constellation Aquila, the Eagle. The Summer Triangle is extremely easy to identify, and you’ll see all three stars every night in the summertime, even if you live in the heart of a city or under a light-polluted sky. It’s a perfect place to start each night of stargazing.
Scorpius and Sagittarius
Scorpius is a very distinct constellation that lies low in the southern sky on summer evenings. From most locations in the United States, it appears to creep across the heavens just above the treetops.
The stars in Scorpius form the shape of a fishhook or the letter J. This is the body and tail of the scorpion. The brightest star marking the constellation’s red, beating heart is Antares.
To Scorpius’ left you’ll find the constellation Sagittarius. This star pattern represents a centaur, who is half man, half horse wielding a bow and arrow. But if you have trouble imagining that image, Sagittarius’ stars resemble a teapot more than a centaur-archer.
Star clusters
Between the tail of Scorpius and the bow in Sagittarius lie two open star clusters. The Butterfly Cluster and Ptolemy’s Cluster have been known since antiquity, and they are just barely visible to the naked eye. But you can more easily find them through a pair of binoculars.
Ptolemy’s Cluster is the brighter of the two and its 80 visible stars all lie about 1,000 light years from Earth. The Butterfly Cluster is much fainter because of its greater distance, about 1,600 light years.
Morning planets and the return of Venus
In early July, to see planets in the sky, you’ll need to look before sunrise. Face east before dawn and you’ll easily spot Jupiter shining brighter than any other star. Above and to the right of Jupiter is Mars, which will be several times fainter but will stand out because of its orange color. The third planet is high in the eastern sky before dawn and will look like an ordinary yellow star. But if you aim a telescope at it, you’ll see rings! That unassuming light is really the planet Saturn.
Venus is by far the brightest planet in the night sky, but earlier in the year you could only observe it just before sunrise. Venus has rounded behind the sun and will emerge into the sky after sunset at the end of July. It will be dazzlingly bright and evoke its nickname of “The Evening Star.”
A lunar occultation
Although the next eclipse is still months away (there will be a partial lunar eclipse on Sept. 17), the moon will block out a bright light in the sky on July 13. That night, the moon will pass in front of Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. This rare event is called an occultation, and it will be visible from most of the United States.
That evening, you’ll see a bright blue-white star just to the left of the moon – that’s Spica. The Moon will close the apparent distance between the two until in one moment the starlight will be gone! The moon will be occulting Spica. About an hour later, the moon will have slid more to the east and, Spica will suddenly emerge from behind the moon and shine for you again. From the Cincinnati area on July 13, the moon will cover Spica from about 11:17 p.m.-12:29 a.m. Your times will vary depending on your location.
The coming nova
Coming later this year, a star will suddenly blaze in the constellation Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. Every summer night, you can find this star pattern high in the sky. But one night, a new star will appear that will add an extra shimmering jewel to the crown.
T Coronae Borealis (or T CrB for short), is a double star system in the Milky Way galaxy and about 3,000 light years from Earth. It has a red giant star and white dwarf star that circle each other every 228 days. The larger but cooler red star feeds material to the smaller, hotter white dwarf and this transfer of energy builds up. Eventually, it explodes like a hydrogen bomb with the mass of a planet.
The last time this nova occurred was in 1946. Astronomers are detecting tell-tale signs of an imminent eruption. It could happen any night this year and the brightness of the nova may only last a few days.
Dean Regas is an astronomer, host of the "Looking Up" podcast, and author of six books including "100 Things to See in the Night Sky." He can be reached at: www.astrodean.com.
Online Astronomy Program: The Summer Sky
What: Astronomer Dean Regas shows you how to identify stars, constellations and planets of the season – right from your own home. Great for all ages.
When: Tuesday, July 16, at 7 p.m.
Where: Online through a Zoom webinar. Watch live or view the recording later at your convenience.
Tickets: $10 per household.
Registration required: astrodean.com/shop.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The biggest astronomical events coming this summer (and how to watch)
