From starfalls to lunar eclipses. The best astronomical events in August

1.06.2017 20:31 | Alexander Kozlovsky

This week, on the night of August 7-8, there will be a partial lunar eclipse, which will be visible throughout almost the entire territory of Russia and the CIS (except for the easternmost and northernmost continental regions). The maximum phase of the eclipse will be 0.25 (the Moon will pass through the northern part of the earth's shadow), but it is noteworthy that before the beginning and after the end of the partial eclipse, the Moon will be completely in the earth's penumbra. The partial eclipse will begin at 20:22 Moscow time and end at 22:19, lasting more than two hours. However, the darkening of the lunar edge can be noticed earlier (penumbral phase). The start and end times of the eclipse are the same throughout the country (taking into account the difference in time zones). The next day after the eclipse, the Moon (F = 0.99-) will be in the descending node of the orbit, and on August 9 the Moon (F = 0.95-) will cover the planet Neptune with visibility in Antarctica and Australia. On August 12, Mercury will reach a stationary position with a transition to retrograde motion, and the Perseid meteor shower will reach its maximum activity (hourly number of meteors - 120). At the end of the week, the Moon will pass near Uranus at a phase of about 0.7-. In addition, it is possible to observe noctilucent clouds that appear against the background of the morning and evening twilight segment. A new star (about 10 stars) has appeared in the Scutum constellation. A new comet C/2017 O1 (ASASSN1) has also been discovered, which moves along the constellation Eridanus in the direction of the Hyades star cluster with a magnitude of about 10m.

Of the solar system planets: Mercury is visible in the evening sky in the southern latitudes of the country, Venus is visible in the morning and afternoon, Mars is not visible, Jupiter has evening visibility, Saturn is visible all night, and Uranus and Neptune can be found in the night and morning skies. Detailed planetary ephemeris and motion maps are given in the printed version.

Some close pairs of luminaries: Moon - Neptune, Moon - Uranus, Mercury - Regulus, Venus - Pollux, Jupiter - Spica, Saturn - Antares, Uranus - omicron Pisces, Neptune - lambda Aquarius, Ceres - Venus, Vesta - Regulus, C/2015 ER61 (PanSTARRS) - Pleiades, P/Clark (71P) - Antares.

Review of foggy celestial objects of the month - Video calendar for the month http://www.youtube.com/user/AstroSmit And http://www.youtube.com/c/AstroMich.

Information about the phenomena of the past and future - in.

Review articles about planets and small bodies of the Solar System -.

Date a(2000.0) d(2000.0) r delta m elon. V PA con. Ceres (1) 6 Aug 2017 6h47m10.25s +24.22498 deg 2.664 3.460 8.9 32.8 61.70 89.7 Gem 11 Aug 2017 6h56m07.14s +24.21928 deg 2.661 3.420 8.9 35 .5 61.25 90.4 Gem Pallas (2) 6 Aug 2017 2h52m14.26s - 2.01971 deg 2.748 2.495 9.4 93.4 42.99 121.0 Eri 11 Aug 2017 2h57m00.66s - 2.80169 deg 2.736 2.421 9.3 97.0 42.46 125.8 Eri Vesta (4) 6 Aug 2017 10h48m07.85s +12.71824 deg 2.326 3.200 8.1 25.5 71.07 111.9 Leo 11 Aug 2017 10h57m06.34s +11.82625 deg 2.321 3.218 8.1 23.1 71.68 112.2 Leo Hebe (6) 6 Aug 2017 17h10m49.18s - 9.15632 deg 2.422 1.716 9.7 122.9 22.11 186.7 Oph 11 Aug 2017 17 h10m53.09s - 9.89662 deg 2.410 1.757 9.8 118.5 22.39 172.4 Oph Iris (7) 6 Aug 2017 1h47m21.92s +18.79753 deg 1.937 1.456 9.1 101.8 51.72 62.1 Ari 11 Aug 2017 1h53m40.17s +19.57392 deg 1.928 1.401 9.0 104.8 48.44 61.8 Ari Julia (89) 6 Aug 2017 23h13m11.35s + 7.02201 deg 2.103 1.222 9.6 140.1 34.15 321.0 Psc 11 Aug 2017 23h10m02.73s + 7.86982 deg 2.100 1.189 9.5 144.7 36.52 311.9 Psc a right ascension for epoch 2000.0, d - declination for epoch 2000.0, r - distance from the Sun (au), delta - distance from the Earth (a.u.) e.), m - magnitude, elon. - elongation, V - angular velocity (seconds per hour), RA - position angle of the direction of movement of the celestial body, сon. - constellation con. Ceres (1) 6 Aug 2017 6h47m10.25s +24.22498 deg 2.664 3.460 8.9 32.8 61.70 89.7 Gem 11 Aug 2017 6h56m07.14s +24.21928 deg 2.661 3.420 8.9 35 .5 61.25 90.4 Gem Pallas (2) 6 Aug 2017 2h52m14.26s - 2.01971 deg 2.748 2.495 9.4 93.4 42.99 121.0 Eri 11 Aug 2017 2h57m00.66s - 2.80169 deg 2.736 2.421 9.3 97.0 42.46 125.8 Eri Vesta (4) 6 Aug 2017 10h48m07.85s +12.71824 deg 2.326 3.200 http://astrogalaxy.ru/055.html 8.1 25.5 71.07 111.9 Leo 11 Aug 2017 10h57m06.34s +11.82625 deg 2.321 3.218 8.1 23.1 71.68 112.2 Leo Hebe (6) 6 Aug 2017 17h10m49.18s - 9.15632 deg 2. 422 1.716 9.7 122.9 22.11 186.7 Oph 11 Aug 2017 17h10m53.09s - 9.89662 deg 2.410 1.757 9.8 118.5 22.39 172.4 Oph Iris (7) 6 Aug 2017 1h47m21.92s +18.79753 deg 1.937 1.456 9.1 101.8 51.72 62.1 Ari 11 Aug 2017 1h53m40.17s +19.57 392 deg 1.928 1.401 9.0 104.8 48.44 61.8 Ari Julia (89) 6 Aug 2017 23h13m11. 35s + 7.02201 deg 2.103 1.222 9.6 140.1 34.15 321.0 Psc 11 Aug 2017 23h10m02.73s + 7.86982 deg 2.100 1.189 9.5 144.7 36.52 311.9 Psc a straight e ascension for epoch 2000.0, d - declination for epoch 2000.0, r - distance from the Sun (au .), delta - distance from the Earth (AU), m - magnitude, elon. - elongation, V - angular velocity (seconds per hour), RA - position angle of the direction of movement of the celestial body, сon. - constellation

Selected astronomical phenomena of the week.

Starry sky of August.

The nights of the last month of summer become longer and darker, giving the observer more time to study the starry sky. Night temperatures have not yet dropped to low levels, which means observations will take place with comfort. The main event of August will be the brightest meteor shower of the year - the Perseids. This meteor shower occurs annually in August when the Earth passes through the dust tail of Comet Swiftle-Tuttle. This year, increased activity of the stream is expected and two maximums at once - on August 11 and 12. On these days, the zenith number of meteors will reach 160 meteors per hour. These will mostly be faint meteors that will be clearly visible in dark, suburban skies. We hope that you are lucky enough to see a “shooting star” and make a wish.

Constellations of August.

August sky. View to the south.

At the zenith is the constellation Cepheus, to the east is Cassiopeia, and below it is Perseus, under which in the northeast is the constellation Taurus. Above the constellation Taurus is the constellation Auriga. High in the southeast are the constellations Andromeda and Pegasus, and low above the horizon is the constellation Cetus. In the southwestern part of the sky, the “Summer-Autumn Triangle” is still located, consisting of the brightest stars of the constellations Lyra, Cygnus and Eagle. The constellation Ophiuchus is located near the horizon. In the west the “Head” of the constellation Draco is visible, as well as the constellations Hercules and Corona Borealis. In the northwest you can see the constellation Ursa Major and Bootes.

Deep space objects in August.

Open star clusters:

Open star cluster M11 or "Wild Ducks".

M24 in the constellation Sagittarius, M11 in the constellation Scutum, M39 in the constellation Cygnus, Chi and Ash Persei in the constellation Perseus.

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, M31 - the Andromeda Nebula galaxy in the constellation Andromeda, M 33 - in the constellation Triangulum.

Galaxy M31 “Andromeda Nebula” is visible even to the naked eye in a fairly dark sky.

Visibility of planets in August:

Mars and Saturn are visible low in the south for short periods of time, Uranus and Neptune have the best visibility at night.

Calendar of interesting astronomical phenomena in August:

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.

August is the time for starfalls. This month, the stars shine brighter than usual in the night sky, and meteors that have not been visible all year become visible. In the coming weeks, residents of all Russian cities will see several amazing astronomical phenomena at once - two bright starfalls and a lunar eclipse.

Capricornids

When: early August

Throughout the last month of summer and another half of September, you will be able to see a unique meteor shower - the Capricornids - in the night sky. It will be visible near the constellation Capricorn until September 15, but its peak activity occurs in early August, so observations are best made in the first week of the month.

Capricornids can be found near the constellation Capricorn. Photo: Roscosmos

Although the Capricornids were discovered by the Hungarian astronomer de Concolli back in 1871, this meteor shower is little studied. Researchers believe that at the peak of starfall activity, only 5-6 meteors can be seen per hour, but all of them are very bright and noticeable.

The meteor shower claims to be one of the most unusual: astronomers have proven that it consists of three equal meteor showers stretched in different directions: that is why the Capricornids can be observed from anywhere on Earth.

In order to see the starfall, you do not need special equipment: it is so bright that it is visible from dark to dawn with the naked eye. Finding the source of a meteor shower in the sky, the constellation Capricorn, is quite difficult, since there is not a single bright star in it. First you need to discover the constellation Aquila: in August it is one of the brightest in the sky, and its main star, Altair, forms the Summer-Autumn Triangle with Vega and Deneb. Under the Eagle is Capricorn - it looks like a big smile. This is where you can see the Capricornids. You can watch the meteor shower without leaving your home: although Capricorn himself is completely inconspicuous, the meteor shower will be bright and spectacular.

Moon eclipse

At 21.20 on August 7, Moscow time, residents of almost all Russian cities, except the Far Eastern Territory, will be able to observe a beautiful and rare phenomenon - a partial lunar eclipse. It received this name because the Moon enters the Earth's shadow not completely, but only partially. In this case, the part of the Moon on which the Earth's shadow falls will look dark, and the rest will be in partial shade and illuminated by the sun's rays.

Residents of almost all Russian cities will see a partial lunar eclipse. Photo: NASA

“This will be an unusually beautiful phenomenon,” notes astronomer Anatoly Ryabtsev. “An interesting fact: at the same time, being on the Moon, you can see a partial eclipse of the Sun by the Earth.”

The lunar eclipse will last about 1 hour 55 minutes, and everyone will have time to admire the spectacle from the windows of their homes and even take photographs. Experts advise that the best way to view this astronomical phenomenon is through a telescope, but even if you don't have special equipment, this event will forever remain in your memory.

Perseids

The Perseids are one of the brightest and most intense starfalls: at the peak of its activity, up to 60 flaming meteors can be seen in the sky in one hour - 1 meteor every minute!

The Perseids are one of the brightest meteor showers. Photo: NASA

The meteor shower will last 10 days, from August 10 to 20, but the largest number of meteors will be visible from August 12 to 14. You can see them with the naked eye: often falling stars merge into entire fireballs and lines, which makes the meteor shower surprisingly beautiful and unusual. The Perseids deservedly take first place among all meteor showers in terms of the number of shooting stars and fireballs - giant meteors that shine brighter than Venus.

The Perseids owe their beauty to comet Swift-Tuttle, through whose tail the Earth passes every year. The smallest particles of the comet's tail, consisting of ice, dust and various cosmic rocks, burn up in the atmosphere and fall to Earth as a shower of stars. The comet itself approaches the Earth only once every 135 years, and its next appearance is expected only in 2127, but even the burning trail of a celestial body looks very impressive: the starfall will be appreciated by all astronomy lovers.

You can see a fascinating phenomenon in the sky near the constellation Perseus. Everyone can find it. To do this, you need to draw an imaginary line from the extreme star of the “bucket handle” of the Big Dipper through the North Star. A little higher you will see Cassiopeia - a constellation in the form of a large letter "W". Directly below this constellation is Perseus, in whose area meteors will fall.