Venus + constellations in early morning sky.

[CaroleH]

Pre-dawn skies, early July, in S A: beautiful vision of Venus + Pleiades + Hyades + Orion (just visible) - is this an annual event? (I may just have missed it in the past due to being a late riser!) :)

[astro744]

Yes constellations are in the same location at the same time each year. They are also in the same location 4 min. earlier each night or 2 hrs earlier each month. i.e the constellations rise 4 min. earlier per night.

Venus on the other hand is a wanderer and will mover through different constellations.

[CaroleH]

Thanks, astro744, I understand the constellations being in same place; I was interested to know whether Venus meets up with these constellations annually, 'same time, same place, next year'? :thanx:

[omegacrux]

I got a picture of it yesterday morning , haven't posted it here , it's on my fb page

David

[astro744]

No not next year as Venus is in a different orbit and moves faster around the Sun. It is not an annual event but will occur again when the orbits of Earth and Venus become in sync with the same background stars. I'll see if I can find out when the same occurs again. Meanwhile Venus will be in the evening sky near Regulus in the constellation of Leo and will set 3 hours after the Sun on 6 July 2018. Mercury will be half way between Venus and the Sun and will also be visible.

I too enjoy the dance of the planets as their many conjunctions with constellations, stars, the Moon and each other make astronomy fun to watch and no equipment is needed either. Enjoy the 'dance'!

[CaroleH]

Thanks again! That is exactly the information I was looking for!
Yes these conjunctions are amazing and so beautiful.
omegacrux showed us some stunning photos of this, both on Space group & on Australian Amateur Astrophotography Group.
I suggest he shares these to iceinspace. :)

[CaroleH]

omegacrux see reply re Venus & constellations from astro744.
Proof that your photos were extraordinary! : )

[MichaelSW]

Carole,

G'day.

From my 2002 Edition of The Nature Companions, "Practical Skywatching" :-

"Venus circles the Sun once every 225 days. But because Earth is also moving, it takes Venus 584 days before venus reappears in the same part of our sky."

Hence, Venus makes five apparitions in eight years.

[CaroleH]

Good information, MichaelSW, I must do more reading - check which planets are in which constellations & when! :)

[astro744]

I used the term 'Dance of the Planets' earlier because of some software I bought in the late '80s called the same as sold by Arc Science Simulations Inc. It is still sold today even though it ihas old VGA graphics and was designed to run under MS-DOS. It is a true gravity simulator of our solar system which the authors make a point of in their description of the product. it also has a nice feature whereby you can search for events of many types over a selected period. It still runs under DOSBox but if contemplating buying get the free demo first to make sure it works on your hardware.

It was this software that got me even more interested in the motions of the planets, asteroids and comets in our Solar System

See http://arcscience.com/dance-of-the-planets/

[doppler]

Try this web site for up coming events, Southern Skywatch. July 20th looks interesting.

http://www.users.on.net/~reynella/skywatch/ssky.htm

[deanm]

July 20?...
Dean

[CaroleH]

So much to learn, so little time! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely follow up on this. ☺

[CaroleH]

I usually do check Southern Skywatch - I like the 'heads up' re events to look out for - & the simulations that help in identifying these. Astronomers - professional & amateur - are so generous with their advice & information ☺

[doppler]

"On July 20 the crescent Moon is in the head of tarus, close to Aldebaran"

[MichaelSW]

Carole,

G'day.

If you have a particular interest in observing the Planets, then the annual magazine, Astronomy 2017 Australia - Your Guide To The Night Sky from Quasar Publishing is VERY useful. Star charts plot the position track of each planet for the year, and monthly sections give a viewing report for each including any special associated events / occurrences.

Jupiter's Moon events are also detailed and it can be fascinating following the mechanics of this mini system. You can see moon and shadow transits, occultations, eclipses and reappearances.

In Brisbane, we are lucky to have two Lifeline Bookfests a year. There are a number of 'simpler' astronomy texts that regularly turn up:- Advanced Skywatching; Guide to the Night Sky; Skywatching; Encyclopaedia of Discovery - Skywatching. These books are authored as group efforts with Robert Burnham and David H. Levy being two common contributors. What I like about such simple books is that they introduce topics, spark an interest, and this leads you elsewhere for further reading.

At Lifeline Bookfest, they sell for $3 - $7. You can find them in Secondhand Book Shops for sometimes MUCH more!

Go to your local library. You might find some on the shelf.

Cheers.

Michael

[CaroleH]

Thanks - just back from a trip away, but I can now check these out & do more reading. :)