Summer Night Skies
 | Author:
Jeff Ross
Contributor |
Summer Night Skies
Jeff Ross
We are now just a little over a week past the Summer Solstice. In Montana, that means short summer nights. Astronomical Night begins when the Sun is 18 degrees below the northwestern horizon and ends when the Sun is 18 degrees below the northeastern horizon. During that time the sky is dark enough for us to see 4th and 5th magnitude stars and is truly "night". Night at the end of June begins just before midnight and ends at 3 am!
Venus and Mars dominate the western sky at twilight. They are only a couple of degrees apart now and over the next few weeks, Mars will move slowly away from Venus gaining altitude. Both drop below the western horizon just before midnight.
Jupiter and Saturn are both visible in the morning sky. Saturn rises around midnight and at 3 am is in the southeast. Jupiter rises around 2:30 am and is still fairly low in the sky at 3 am.
If you are out near midnight, look directly overhead to see the Summer Triangle. The Summer Triangle is an asterism--a pattern of stars that is recognizable but not necessarily an official constellation. The Summer Triangle consists of three of the brightest stars in the summer night sky: Altair in the constellation Aquila, Deneb in Cygnus, and Vega in Lyra. First-time viewers will find a planisphere or a smartphone app a great aid in locating the three vertices of the triangle and their respective constellations.
At the end of night, you'll find the Big Dipper almost at its lowest in the north all year. The dipper is pointing up--ready to be filled. With all the rain we've had this June you'll probably see that it already is.
With clear skies, of course.
