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Night sky in August
THE DIAGRAM shows the evening sky as seen from latitudes 0 to 40 degrees North. The inner circle represents the horizon as seen from latitude 22.5 degrees North. The star chart has been extended on the northern and southern sides for use all over India. The chart should be held overhead and turned in such a way that the North, South, East and West marked on the chart point to the correct directions. With the help of a few known star-groups in the sky, the remaining stars can be easily identified using the chart. From a particular place these stars will be seen at about 21.30 hours and 19.30 hrs of local mean time on the 1st, 16th and 30th of the month.
The Moon: Full moon occurs on August 12 at 10.18 a.m. and new moon on August 27 at 10.56 p.m. IST. The first quarter of the Moon occurs on August 5 at 12.58 p.m. and the last quarter occurs on August 20 at 06.18 a.m. IST. The Moon passes about five degrees south of Neptune on the evening of August 11, four-and-a-half degrees south of Uranus and about two degrees north of Mars on the night of August 13, four-and-a- half degrees north of Saturn on August 23, about nine degrees north of Mercury on August 29. The Moon is at perigee i.e. nearest to the Earth on August 6 and at apogee i.e. farthest from it on August 19. The lunar crescent becomes first visible after the new-moon day on the evening of August 28.
THE PLANETS:
Mercury (Budha): It is visible in the evening in the eastern sky, sets about one-and-a-half hour to one hour after sunset during the first half of the month and about one hour to half-an-hour after it during the second half. The planet is at aphelion i.e. farthest away from the Sun on August 14. It is at the greatest elongation of about 27 degrees from the Sun on August 15. Its motion becomes retrograde on August 28. At the fag end of the month, it is too near the Sun to be visible. It moves from Leo (Simha) to Virgo (Kanya) on August 21. It visual magnitude varies from - 0.1 to + 1.3
Venus (Sukra): It is too near the Sun to be visible during the month, being in superior conjunction with the Sun on August 18. It is at aphelion i.e. nearest to the Sun on August 10. It moves from Cancer (Karkata) to Leo (Simha) on August 17.
Mars (Mangala): It is visible in the evening in the eastern sky, rises about two hours to one hour after sunset during the first half of the month and about one hour to within half-an-hour after it during the second half. It is nearest to the Earth on August 27. At the fag end of the month, the planet rises at about sunset and sets about sunrise, being at opposition with the Sun on August 28 when it is visible throughout the night. It is at perihelion i.e. nearest to the Sun on August 30. It remains at Aquarius (Kumbha) throughout the month. Its visual magnitude varies from - 2.3 to - 2.9.
Jupiter (Brihaspati): It is visible in the evening in the western sky, sets about one hour to half-an-hour after sunset during first quarter of the month. Thereafter it is too near the Sun to be visible, being in conjunction with the Sun on August 22. The planet remains in Leo (Simha) throughout the month. Its visual magnitude is about - 1.7.
Saturn (Sani): It is visible towards the eastern sky from the early hours till early morning , rises about three hours to two hours after local midnight during the first half of the month and about two hours to one hour after it during the second half. The planet remains in Gemini (Mithuna) throughout the month. Its visual magnitude is about + 0.1.
Uranus: It is visible in the evening in the eastern sky till early morning, rises about one-and-a-half hour to about half-an-hour after sunset till the third quarter of the month. At the beginning of the fourth quarter of the month, the planet rises at about sunset and sets at about sunrise, being at opposition with the Sun on August 24, when it is visible throughout the night. During the remaining days of the month, the planet sets within half-an-hour before sunrise. It remains in Aquarius (Kumbha) throughout the month. Its visual range is about sixth magnitude.
Neptune: It is visible in the evening in the eastern sky, rises at about sunset and sets about sunrise during the first quarter of the month, being at opposition with the Sun on August 4 when it is visible throughout the night. It remains visible from the evening till early morning, sets within half-an-hour to about one hour before sunrise during the second quarter of the month and about one hour to two hours before it during the second half. The planet remains in Capricornus (Makara) throughout the month. Its visual range is about eighth magnitude.
(Source: Director, Positional Astronomy Centre,
India Meteorological Department, New Alipore, Kolkata - 700053.)
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