If you look at the northeastern part of the sky at dawn this August, you will probably notice an unusual star that looks like a “big” and very bright yellow star. Meet the planet Venus, which at the beginning of the year you probably noticed in the evenings in the western sky. But that was a period of evening visibility of the planet, which, approximately from mid-spring, was replaced by a period of its morning visibility.

So, the best time to observe Venus in August 2017 is 3 - 4 am (local time). The planet shines brightly against the background of the morning dawn, low in the northeastern - eastern part of the sky, like a star -4.0 mag. And it is simply impossible not to notice it in a clear sky. Until August 24, Venus will cross the constellation Gemini, moving south of the brightest stars of this constellation - Castor and Pollux. And at dawn on August 19, it’s worth arming yourself with a camera, because that morning the golden thin waning crescent moon will pass near bright Venus. And it will be a very beautiful sight!

The following sites and software were used in preparing the review.

In August 2017, 5 planets and 8 asteroids brighter than +10 magnitude* will be available for observation. Also on August 12, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its maximum - popularly called the “August Starfall”.

Two events will be associated with the Moon in August. August 7th will be partial lunar eclipse. It will begin before the moon rises, and we will only be able to observe half of this phenomenon. At the moment of the maximum phase, a slight darkening of the lower part of the lunar disk will be noticeable. The course of the eclipse is as follows:

Moonrise - 20:49
- Maximum phase of the eclipse - 21:20
- End of partial eclipse - 22:18
- End of the penumbral eclipse - 23:52

The second event associated with our natural satellite - total solar eclipse on August 21, but not visible in Russia. This eclipse will be visible to those in the United States on that day.

August 7 Moon enters the full moon phase, the last quarter begins on the 15th, the new moon on the 21st, and the first quarter on the 29th.

Mercury not visible due to its proximity to the Sun and low position above the horizon.

Venus visible in the morning three hours before sunrise as a very bright white star in the east in the constellation Gemini, later Cancer. The planet's brightness is -4.0.

Mars not visible due to its proximity to the Sun.

Jupiter visible with difficulty for an hour after sunset as a bright, yellow star in the constellation Virgo in the west, near the horizon. Already through binoculars, the Galilean satellites are visible near Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io. The planet's brightness is -1.8. On August 25, the Moon will pass near the planet, and it can be used as a guide: Jupiter will be 4 lunar disks below the Moon itself.

Saturn visible in the first half of the night in the southwest as a fairly bright star in the constellation Ophiuchus. The planet's brightness is +0.4. Through binoculars and a small telescope, the satellite Titan is visible near the planet. Gradually, the period of visibility of the planet is reduced.

Uranus We see all night in the constellation Pisces. The brightness of Uranus at this time is +5.7. The planet's brightest satellites, Ariel, Titania and Oberon, have a magnitude of +14.7 and are only accessible through medium-power telescopes or when photographing the planet. To find a planet, you need binoculars or a telescope and a star chart.

Neptune has the same visibility conditions as Uranus and is visible in the constellation Aquarius. Neptune's magnitude is +7.8. The brightest satellite of the planet Triton has a magnitude of +14.0 and is not accessible to observation in small telescopes. To find a planet, you need binoculars or a telescope and a star chart.

In August 8 asteroids have a brightness greater than +10: Ceres (constellation Gemini, +8.9), Pallas (constellation Eridanus, +9.3), Vesta (constellation Leo, +8.1), Hebe (constellation Ophiuchus, +9.9), Iris (constellation Aries, +8.9), Hygeia (constellation Sagittarius, +10.0) and Julia (constellation Pisces and Pegasus, +9.3).

The eighth asteroid is worth noting separately. This is a 5-kilometer near-Earth asteroid Florence, which will have a shine of +8.5…+10.0 at the very end of the month. This asteroid belongs to the so-called “potentially dangerous” asteroids. On the night of August 31 to September 1, it will pass at a distance of 7 million kilometers from Earth, due to which it will be quite bright. It will not pose a direct threat to us, since it will be 18 times farther than the Moon.

To find any asteroid you need binoculars, often a telescope, and a star map. Any asteroid in a telescope looks like an “ordinary star” that moves among the stars day by day.

In August, no comet accessible to amateur instruments will be visible.

Figure 1: Composite image of the 2016 Perseids. The author of the photo is Igor Khomich http://spaceweathergallery.com. Photo 2: “Jupiter and the Moon on the evening of August 25” Stellarium

* The “magnitude” or “stellar magnitude” of a celestial object is a measure of its brightness. The lower the magnitude, the brighter the celestial object. Accordingly, if we say “brilliance increases,” then its numerical value decreases. Thus, the Sun has a magnitude of -26, the full Moon -12, the stars of the Ursa Major bucket on average +2. A person in urban areas sees stars up to magnitude +4, in rural areas up to +6. The limit of binoculars (in the absence of sky illumination) is +8...+10, of a small telescope (in the absence of sky illumination) +12...+13.

On August 21, 2017, a total eclipse of the Sun will occur, which is called the Great American Eclipse, since the visibility strip of the total phase of the eclipse will pass through all of North America, only partial phases of the eclipse will be visible on the Chukotka Peninsula. It will be preceded by a partial eclipse of the Moon, which can be observed throughout Russia on the evening of August 7 from 20:22 Moscow time to 22:30 Moscow time. The moon will plunge into the earth's shadow by a quarter of its disk. From August 12 to 13, we will see the most beautiful starfall of the year! This night marks the peak activity of the Perseid meteor shower! According to IMO (International Meteor Organization) forecasts, up to 100 meteors are expected per hour!

I. Starry sky of August 2017
II. Space weather
III. Visibility of the Moon and planets in August 2017.
IV. Observing noctilucent clouds
V. Observations of the Moon and planets in August 2017
VI. What can you see in August 2017? through a telescope

Selected events of August 2017 in astronomy and cosmonautics

August 1st and all month– high probability of the appearance of noctilucent clouds in the twilight sky of mid-latitudes
August 2 – Moon at apogee - distance from Earth 405024 km (20:56)



August 5 – Mars at its greatest distance from Earth - 397636800 km (2.658 AU); gloss: 1.7 m; visible diameter: 3.52"
August 5 - 87 years ago, 08/05/1930, American astronaut Neil Armstrong was born - the first person to set foot on the surface of the Moon
On August 6, 56 years ago, Soviet cosmonaut German Titov made the second flight into space in history. On August 6, 1961, at nine o'clock in the morning Moscow time, German Titov ascended into low-Earth orbit on the Vostok-2 spacecraft and spent 25 hours and 18 minutes there, circling the Earth 17 times. On August 7, 1961, the astronaut returned to Earth
August 6 - 836 years ago (1181) a supernova exploded in Cassiopeia. It was widely observed in China and Japan and was visible for 6 months
August 7 – Full Moon (21:13).
August 7 – partial eclipse of the Moon, visible in Russia, max. phase = 0.246 at 21:13. Best conditions: Ural, Siberia, European part of Russia
August 8 – 69 years ago, the second female cosmonaut in the world, Soviet cosmonaut and public figure Svetlana Evgenievna Savitskaya was born
August 9 – 41 years ago (08/09/1976) the Luna 24 spacecraft was launched to study the Moon, collect and deliver lunar soil to Earth. She made a soft landing and took lunar soil from the Sea of ​​Crisis. On August 22, 1976, the Luna 24 return vehicle delivered lunar soil to Earth. For the first time, convincing evidence of the presence of water on the Moon has been obtained. Much later, in the 1990s, the Americans were able to obtain similar results in the Clementine (1994) and LunarProspector (1998) projects.
August 11-12– 55 years ago, on August 11, 1962, the orbital spacecraft Vostok-3 with cosmonaut A. G. Nikolaev was launched, and on August 12, Vostok-4 with cosmonaut P. R. Popovich was launched. For the first time in the world, a group flight of spacecraft was carried out, lasting three days. On August 15, 1962, the astronauts returned to Earth.

August 12 - 150 years ago, 08/12/1867, Soviet astronomer Sergei Konstantinovich Kostinsky, one of the founders of astrophotography in Russia, was born. For almost three decades, the scientist worked at the Pulkovo Observatory, and later was a professor at Petrograd University. Corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The main scientific works are devoted to photographic astrometry.
12 to 13 August– maximum activity of the Perseid meteor shower, according to IMO forecasts up to 100-150 meteors per hour

August 15 - 66 years ago (1951) dogs Mishka and Chizhik flew into space
August 15 – Moon in last quarter phase (04:17)
August 16 – occultation of Aldebaran by the Moon, visible in the daytime sky of southwestern Russia (10:00)
August 18 – 140 years ago, 08/18/1877, Asaph Hall discovered the Martian satellite Phobos
August 18 – Moon at perigee - distance from Earth 366127 km (16:16)


August 19 – 178 years ago, August 19, 1839, the Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory at the Academy of Sciences was opened. Since 1990, the Pulkovo Observatory has been part of the UNESCO-protected site “Historical Center of St. Petersburg and associated complexes of monuments”, and is included in the State Code of Especially Valuable Objects of the Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation, according to Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 275 of April 2, 1997 .
August 19 – 57 years ago, on August 19, 1960, the Soviet spaceship Vostok with the dogs Belka and Strelka on board made a daily flight with a return to Earth. In addition to the dogs, there were two white rats and several mice on board.

August 20 - 40 years ago On August 20, 1957, Voyager 2 was launched, 16 days later, on September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 launched
August 21 - 60 years ago On August 21, 1957, the first Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile R-7 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan)
August 21 – total solar eclipse, max. phase 1.031 at 21:26 Moscow time; the visibility strip of the total phase will pass through the entire North America, partial phases of the eclipse will be visible on the Chukotka Peninsula
August 24 – 11 years ago Pluto was “excluded” from the class of major planets
August 24 – end of activity of the Perseid meteor shower
August 25 – Saturn’s station, the planet moves from retrograde to forward motion (15:00)


August 26 – Mercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun, at 4.2° from the center of the solar disk, distance from the Earth – 0.625 AU.
August 26 – 36 years ago Voyager 2 flew near Saturn
August 26 - 277 years ago, Joseph-Michel Montgolfier was born, French inventor, creator of the hot air balloon.

August 28 – 228 years ago, August 28, 1789, English astronomer William Herschel discovered Saturn’s sixth satellite, which was subsequently assigned the number II (in order of distance from the planet) and the name Enceladus
August 29 – Moon in first quarter phase (08:14)
August 30 – Moon at apogee - distance from Earth 404305 km (14:26)
August 30 – The Moon passes 3° north of Saturn (18:00)
August 30 – 146th anniversary of the birth of Ernest Rutherford
August 30 - 25 years ago, August 30, 1992, the first Kuiper Belt object was discovered
August 31 - 38 years ago, 08/31/1979, the first reliably known fall of Comet Howard-Koeman-Michels on the Sun occurred

August starry sky

In the zenith region are the constellation Cepheus, to the east of it is Cassiopeia, below is Perseus.

In the northeast, the beautiful Cassiopeia, Perseus and Charioteer are clearly visible, and Taurus is on the horizon.

The southern part of the sky is dominated by the Summer Triangle, formed by the bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair - the main lights of the constellations Lyra, Cygnus and Eagle, and near the horizon - Ophiuchus. In the same part of the sky, small but very interesting constellations of the Arrow, Chanterelle and Dolphin are visible. The southern constellations of Sagittarius and Capricorn are located near the horizon.

In the southeastern region of the sky at high altitude are Andromeda and Pegasus, and near the horizon are Pisces and Whale.

To the west of the zenith the Dragon, Hercules and Ophiuchus are visible. The Milky Way stretches from south to northeast, passing near the zenith. The early morning sky is especially beautiful when the bright stars of Taurus, Orion and Gemini begin to rise.

The starry sky of August will be decorated with the traditional August Perseid starfall, which takes place from July 23 to August 20, and the peak of the shower is on August 12-13. But the starfall will be hampered by the waning Moon, which will create a fair amount of light. In 2017, according to IMO (International Meteor Organization) forecasts, up to 100 meteors per hour are expected!

Observing noctilucent clouds

In summer the stars don't twinkle brightly,
The day is long - cannot be expressed in poetry!
But twilight attracts attention,
After all, the sky is covered in silvery clouds!

August continues to be an excellent opportunity for spotting and observing noctilucent clouds. They can appear throughout the summer.

Noctilucent clouds from the ISS orbit.

Roscosmos, photo of Russian pilot-cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, during the 15th expedition to the International Space Station.

Sun

The Sun moves through the constellation Cancer until August 10, and then moves into the constellation Leo and remains there until the end of the month. The declination of the daylight, compared to the first two summer months, decreases faster and faster every day. As a result, the length of the day also decreases rapidly: from 15 hours 59 minutes at the beginning of the month to 13 hours 52 minutes by the end of the described period (more than two hours). These data are valid for the latitude of Moscow, where the midday altitude of the Sun will decrease from 52 to 42 degrees over the month.

On August 21, 2017, the Sun and Moon will stage a unique astronomical spectacle - a total eclipse of the Sun! It is called the Great American, since the visibility strip of the total phase of the eclipse will pass through all of North America; only partial phases of the eclipse will be visible on the Chukotka Peninsula. The duration of the maximum phase will be 2 minutes 40 seconds.
Observations of sunspots and other formations on the surface of the daylight can be carried out using almost any telescope or binoculars, and even with the naked eye (if the spots are large enough). But we must remember that a visual study of the Sun through a telescope or other optical instruments must be carried out (!!!) using a solar filter (recommendations for observing the Sun are available in the Nebosvod magazine http://astronet.ru.

Space weather

Magnetic storm forecast for August 2017
Photo: http://www.tesis.lebedev.ru

Moon

On the evening of August 7, from 20:22 Moscow time to 22:20 Moscow time, the Moon will plunge into the earth's shadow by a quarter of its disk, and a partial eclipse of the Moon will occur.

Visibility of the Moon in August 2017:

1 - 2 – in the evening
3- 15 – night
16 - 17 – after midnight
18 - 19 – in the morning
24 - 31 – in the evening

Visibility of planets in August 2017:

In the evening:

–Jupiter in the constellation Virgo;
–Saturn in the constellation Ophiuchus;

At night:

– Neptune in the constellation Aquarius;
–Uranus in the constellation Pisces;

In the morning:

– Venus (!) until August 24 in the constellation Gemini, then in the constellation Cancer;
Mercury and Mars are not visible.

Observations of the Moon and planets in August 2017

August 2 – Moon at apogee - distance from Earth 405024 km (20:56)
August 2 – The Moon passes 10° north of Antares
August 3 – The Moon passes 3° north of Saturn (11:00)
August 3 – station of Uranus - the planet moves from forward motion to retrograde motion (15:00)
August 5 – Mars at its greatest distance from Earth - 397636800 km (2.658 AU); gloss: 1.7 m; visible diameter: 3.52
August 7 – Full Moon (21:13).

August 7 – partial eclipse of the Moon, visible in Russia; Max. phase 0.246 at 21:13
August 10 – occultation of Neptune by the Moon, invisible in Russia (02:00)
August 12 – Mercury moves from direct to retrograde (09:00)
August 13 – The Moon passes 4° south of Uranus (11:00)
August 15 – Moon in last quarter phase (04:17)
August 16 – lunar occultation of Aldebaran, visible in the daytime sky in southwest Russia (10:00)
August 18 – Moon at perigee - distance from Earth 366127 km (16:16)
August 19 – The Moon passes 2° south of Venus (07:00)
August 19 – The Moon passes 9° south of Pollux (10:00)
August 20 – Venus passes 7° south of Pollux (19:00)
August 21 – New Moon (21:32)
August 21 – total solar eclipse, max. phase = 1.031 (21:26) The visibility band of the total phase of the eclipse will pass through all of North America, partial phases of the eclipse will be visible on the Chukotka Peninsula
August 24 – end of activity of the Perseid meteor shower
August 25 – Saturn’s station – the planet moves from retrograde to forward motion (15:00)
August 25 – The Moon passes 3° north of Jupiter (19:00)
August 26 – The Moon passes 7° north of Spica (01:00)
August 26 – Mercury is in inferior conjunction with the Sun, 4.2° from the center of the solar disk, distance from the Earth – 0.625 AU.
August 28 – end of evening visibility of Jupiter
August 29 – Moon in first quarter phase (08:14)
August 29 – Moon at apogee - distance from Earth 404305 km (14:26)
August 30 – The Moon passes 3° north of Saturn (18:00)

What can you see in August through a telescope?

Owners of the telescope will be able to observe in the sky:

Double stars: Perseus, Cassiopeia, Capricorn, Cygnus, and Lyra, Ursa Major,
variable stars: Cepheus, Perseus, Lyrae, Aquila;

Open star clusters: M24 in the constellation Sagittarius, M11 in the constellation Scutum, M39 in the constellation Cygnus, and Perseus;

Globular star clusters: M15 in the constellation Pegasus, M13 in the constellation Hercules;

Nebulae: 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.

Solar corona during an eclipse
March 9, 2016 visible from Earth and from Space

Credit: J. Wielinga (Angola, Paris Institute of Astrophysics), LASCO Wide Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph, Laboratory of Marine Research, SOHO Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, ESA, NASA; Processing: R. Wittich;
Copyright: S. Kushmi (Paris Institute of Astrophysics, National Center for Scientific Research)
Translation: Volnova A.A. http://www.astronet.ru

Sometimes a solar eclipse is a good time to look at the Sun. By taking advantage of the unusual alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, scientists were able to capture this photo of the total solar eclipse that occurred on March 9, 2016, from both Earth and space. The interior of the eclipse was shot on Earth, looking like the pupil of an eye created by the relatively dark Moon against the bright Sun. Around the solar disk covered by the Moon, a sparse corona is visible, shown in white, which can be observed from Earth without special equipment only during an eclipse. It's usually difficult to track the corona at great distances from the sun's disk, but this montage combines the optical image with false-colored observations of NASA and ESA's COXO Solar and Heliospheric Observatory orbiting the sun.

Such observations make it possible to study the constantly changing picture of magnetic activity at small and large distances from the Sun. After all, it is this activity that creates auroras on Earth.
________________________________________
When preparing the page, material was used from the School Astronomical Calendar for the 2016-2017 academic year, the Great Encyclopedia of Astronomy by V.G. Surdina and site materials:
http://www.astronet.ru;
http://edu.zelenogorsk.ru

There is nothing left until the new year 2017, which means that everyone who is not indifferent to the starry sky and who has a thirst for knowledge will be interested in getting acquainted with calendar of astronomical events the coming year.

This article will be useful not only to avid lovers of astronomy, but also to those who also want to join the practical observation and study of future events on a cosmic scale. Also, 2017 is rich in round dates, related to people and events related to domestic astronautics.

We placed special emphasis on such a phenomenon as full moon. Since ancient times, people have associated various magical rituals with the full Moon; Many cultures gave the full moon (or periods associated with it) separate names.

For example, in this article our readers will be able to find out what the full moon was called in one of the indigenous Indian tribes of North America. This is all the more interesting because this tradition was adopted by some European settlers.

Astronomy lovers eager to watch the brilliance of asteroids roaming the outer space of our solar system in 2017 will not be able to do so naked eye.

Read also:

Despite the fact that the brilliance of many objects will reach 9m(particularly asteroids Hebe, Irene, Metis and Eunomia), this not enough for such an observation. The so-called apparent magnitude (that is, the measure of illumination created by a celestial body) Ceres, the smallest dwarf planet in our solar system, will be at the end of 2017 the value 7.4m.

The brightness of comets can also be observed using home telescopes. We're talking primarily about comets. C/2015 V2 (Johnson), circumsolar non-periodic comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), small comet Honda-Mrkosa-Paidushakova, a short-period comet Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresaka and the comet with the shortest orbital period (3.3 years) 2P/Encke. However, if you are lucky with the weather, the brilliance of Comet Encke can be observed against the background of the February night sky naked eye.

Of great interest from the point of view of observation in 2017 is Venus: due to the fact that it will be much north of our star, the planet can be observed twice: evening and morning.

In 2017 (especially during the first months), observers have a wonderful opportunity to see Jupiter(including some features on the planet itself, especially the dark equatorial stripes). The giant's visibility will decrease October 26, at the moment of Jupiter’s conjunction with the Sun, but after just a few days in the clear morning sky this object will again be visible.

Mercury will be good to view throughout the year, except for the period from February 7 to March 7 when the planet enters into conjunction with the Sun. And here Mars for an earthly observer, due to the proximity of the planet to the Sun in 2017, will not be the best object to observe. The Red Planet will enter into conjunction with our star July 27, 2017.

In the coming 2017 it will be possible to record 4 eclipses:

- 11 February will happen penumbral lunar eclipse, when the Moon passes the so-called Earth's penumbral region (the area in which the Earth cannot completely obscure the Moon from the Sun). It is very difficult to record this phenomenon from the surface of the Earth without appropriate instruments, since the human eye can hardly detect a slight darkening of the Moon;

- February 26 It will be marked annular solar eclipse, when the Moon, passing across the disk of our luminary, is not able to cover it completely due to the fact that for the observer the diameter of the Moon turns out to be less than the diameter of the Sun;

- August 7 The Moon will partially be in the cone of the Earth's shadow region, which means it will be possible to talk about partial lunar eclipse. Observers from Earth will be able to see only that region of our planet’s satellite that will be in the penumbra at that moment;

- August 21 Residents of some localities in several US states will be lucky enough to observe total solar eclipse. For most of our country, this eclipse will go unnoticed. However, only residents of the Chukotka Peninsula and the extreme northeast of the country will be able to record private phases.

All astronomical events that are presented in this article are recorded according to Moscow time.

Astronomical calendar 2017

JANUARY

4 January – peak meteor shower activity Quadrantids, whose activity time falls on the period from December 28 to January 12. The number of observed meteors per hour will be 120. The radiant of the star shower is located in the constellation Bootes. As for Russia, this stellar stream will be able to be observed by residents of the Far East and eastern regions of our country.

January 10 – The Moon is at perigee: at 09:01 it will be at its closest distance from the Earth in January 2017 – 363242.3 km.

January 12 – 110 years since the birth of the founder of Russian practical cosmonautics, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.

January 12 – Full moon (peak at 14:34). The Full Wolf Moon, the hungry howl of numerous packs of wolves darting around American Indian villages, gives the January full moon its name.

January 18 – one of the largest asteroids in the main asteroid belt of our Solar System will noticeably increase in brightness – asteroid Vesta. The apparent magnitude will be 6.2m. However, this will not be enough to observe the object with the naked eye.

January 22 – Moon at apogee: at 03:12 the Moon will be at the point farthest from the Earth for January 2017 – 404911.4 km.

FEBRUARY

11 February – Full moon (peak at 03:33). On this day, at 03:43 Moscow time, there will be penumbral lunar eclipse. If the weather is appropriate, it will be possible to record it from almost the entire territory of our country, except for the Russian Far East. Heavy snowfall during this period led the American Indians to call the February full moon the Full Snow Moon. By the way, if snowfalls pass us by during this period, then the eclipse can be observed with the naked eye.

5

February 26 – New Moon (peak at 17:59). The annular solar eclipse, which will occur on this day at 17:58 Moscow time, will be visible to South Americans and residents of South and West Africa. Also, this eclipse will be able to be recorded by a few scientists and researchers who are carrying out their difficult mission in Antarctica. In Russia, observers will not be able to record this phenomenon.

6

The last start is planned for the end of February Soviet carrier "Soyuz-U"(to launch a cargo ship "Progress MS-05"). In the future, Roscosmos will abandon the use of these launch vehicles in favor of more modern ones with a greater carrying capacity.

MARCH

March, 6 – The world’s first female cosmonaut, Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova, turns 80.

March 12 – Full moon (peak at 17:53). Full Worm Moon (according to some American Indian tribes). It is during this period that earthworms appear in large numbers on the surface of the earth, which is caused by the liberation of snow from the earth as a result of warming.

Astronomical observations 2017

APRIL

11 April – Full moon (peak at 09:08). Full Pink Moon - this is what the American Indians called the April full moon. The basis for this was flowers called Phlox (from Greek - “flame”), which bloom in April in North America.

April 16-25 – Star shower of Lyrids. The meteor shower peaks on April 22. This phenomenon of starfall in the Lyra constellation will be most clearly visible from that part of our planet that is located north of the equator. Expected activity of the Lyrid star stream in 2017 – no more 16 meteors per hour. Interestingly, in 1982, the zenith hour number, which characterizes the number of Lyrid meteors observed with the naked eye, reached 90.

MAY

May 11 – Full moon (peak at 00:43). The Full Flower Moon, an intense period of spring flowering, may well have been the reason why the American Indians named the May full moon that way.

JUNE

the 9th of June – Full moon (peak at 16:10). Full Strawberry Moon - obviously, during this period, American Indian tribes collected strawberries (however, given the fact that ordinary garden strawberries were first bred in Europe by the middle of the 18th century, we are most likely talking about some kind of strawberry - perhaps Virginia strawberries).

21st of June – Summer Solstice Day For residents of the planet's northern hemisphere, it is the longest day of the year. Time – 07:24.

JULY

July 9 – Full moon (peak at 07:07). The Full Thunder Moon is a period of intense thunderstorms that gave rise to the American Indians calling the July full moon that name. Another popular name is due to the fact that this period is related to the intensive ossification of the antlers of North American deer (unossified bone tissue of future antlers) and, accordingly, to the maturation of males. That's what the Indians said - Full Moon of Males.

Astronomical objects 2017

AUGUST

August 7 – Full moon (peak at 21:11). The American Indians during this period enjoyed rich fishing due to the exodus of sturgeon from the Great Lakes. Hence the name of the August full moon - Full Sturgeon Moon. On this day, almost all residents of Russia, except for the Far Eastern region, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, will be able to observe partial lunar eclipse.

August 21 – New Moon (peak at 21:30). The day on which there will be a total solar eclipse. Partial phases of this phenomenon on the territory of Russia can only be recorded from some territories of Chukotka and Kamchatka. Notably, residents of the small town of Carbondale, Illinois will have a unique chance to witness the total eclipse event twice within a short period of time - August 21, 2017 and April 8, 2024. The longest duration of the total eclipse phase in the coming year will be 2 minutes 40 seconds for an earthly observer.

SEPTEMBER

6 September – Full moon (peak at 10:04). The Full Corn Moon is the period when the American Indians harvested not only corn, but also many other crops. Therefore, the September full moon was also often called the Full Harvest Moon.

September 17 – 160th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Russian theoretical cosmonautics, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky.

September 22nd – The day of the autumnal equinox, when the same length of day and night during this period marks the onset of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere of the planet and the end of winter in the Southern. Time – 21:02.

The apogee of the starfall in 2017 falls on August 12-13, but the chances of making a wish among the inhabitants of the Earth remain almost until the end of the month.

Where, when and how

The Perseids are a meteor shower that passes very close to the Earth, leaving behind a very beautiful “star trail” that surpasses many other stars in brightness.

Residents of the entire Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, including Russia, will be able to observe this romantic phenomenon and admire the most popular and brightest “star shower” of the year. Shooting stars will be best seen after midnight and before sunrise.

The maximum intensity of the stream will occur on August 13 - according to forecasts of the International Meteor Organization, up to 100-150 meteors per hour are expected, that is, more than two meteors per minute.

The stated figure refers to observations in the entire sky, far from the city with a clear horizon, noted Vladimir Surdin, a senior researcher at the State Astronomical Institute (SAI) of Moscow State University, RIA Novosti.

“Astronomers calculate a little differently. In the entire sky, if the conditions were the same as at the zenith, in general, the most ideal conditions. An observer in the city cannot expect this. It is necessary to reduce the amount by 5-6 times so that a person really feels, what he expects to see,” the expert explained.

At the same time, Surdin noted that if you stand for five minutes with your head raised, you will certainly see it, since the stream is active, and the meteor will “strike” across the sky approximately every 2-3 minutes.

For an observer in central Russia, around midnight, the constellation Perseus is located in the northeastern part of the sky. In the evening it begins its journey from the eastern horizon, rising very high in the morning (almost to the zenith), so that “shooting stars” become visible throughout the sky.

© photo: Sputnik / Vladimir Astapkovich

In order not to miss the flow, you need, first of all, to find the constellation Perseus and concentrate on observation. And in order to fully enjoy the gift of the Universe, it is necessary to choose places on a hill, not fenced by trees and high-rise structures.

The best view will be away from cities with their blinding light. Those who do not have the opportunity to get far from home can watch the starfall through live broadcasts.

To observe a meteor shower, you do not need any astronomical instruments - you can enjoy the night star spectacle of summer with the naked eye.

During a starfall, you can not only enjoy the beauty, but also use the opportunity to tell fortunes for the future. You will be able to mentally ask questions and receive positive or negative answers. A long trail after a star’s fall will be positive, while a negative sign will be a rapid decline.

Perseids

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the oldest meteor showers. The first mentions of them are contained in ancient Chinese chronicles dating back to 36 AD. It is also one of the big three largest star falls.

In medieval Europe, the Perseids were also well known - around the eighth century, this meteor shower was called the “tears of the immaculate Lawrence.” This is due to the fact that in Italy the festival of the Immaculate Lawrence falls precisely during the most active period of this meteor shower.

The Perseids are formed as a result of the Earth passing through a plume of dust particles released by Comet Swift-Tuttle. The smallest particles, the size of a grain of sand, burn in the earth's atmosphere, forming star rain. Comet Swift-Tuttle has an orbital period of about 133 years and is currently moving toward the outer reaches of the Solar System.

At first it “spills” with the greatest force, then gradually weakens. The Perseids are white meteors that streak across the sky. The glow of some particularly bright meteors lasts up to several seconds.

The last time Comet Swift-Tuttle passed by the Sun was in December 1992, and will return to it again only in July 2126. Therefore, for several years around 1992, the Perseids were very active. For example, in August 1993, observers in central Europe recorded from 200 to 500 meteors per hour.

Starfall originates from the constellation Perseus, hence its name.

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most popular and brightest celestial phenomena, appreciated by both ordinary observers and professional astronomers.

The activity of the Perseids is inconsistent from year to year. Theory predicts that burst activity should weaken as the distance between the comet and Earth increases.

In normal years, the meteor shower is relatively distant from the Earth's orbit and is located outside it. The periodic approach of comet trails to the Earth is accompanied by an increase in Perseid activity. The last time this happened was in 2004, 2009 and 2016. The next surge in stream activity should take place in 2028.

We wish you clear skies and don’t forget to make a wish, because it is during this period that everything you dream comes true!

The material was prepared based on open sources