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Jupiter, King of the Planets

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, rules the evening sky as you would expect his kingly namesake. Jupiter should be easy to locate, shining brightly in the west after sunset just south of Leo the Lion.


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At the start of the month, Jupiter will drop below the western horizon at about 11:30 PM. By the end of the month, this mighty planet will set shortly before 10:00 PM leaving the evening sky devoid of any planets until Venus rises three hours before the Sun.

Once you have found Jupiter, compare its brightness to Regulus, which marks the heart of the lion, and Spica, which lies nearby in Virgo the maiden. Jupiter will be the brightest 'star' visible in the night sky except for when the Moon is above the horizon. Enjoy it now, because Jupiter will be lost in the glare of the sunset by the middle of August.

Colorful Lights of the Night

Even after the July 4th fireworks are over, you might still find a few people looking up at the sky for a little more red, white, and blue. After all, it's easy to find if you know where to look.

First, find Jupiter and compare it to some of its starry neighbors. You might just notice a difference in color. Jupiter appears white while Regulus and Spica look blue-white to your eye. Now, look for Antares, at the heart of Scorpius, the Scorpion. It's a red colored star!

Except for our yellow Sun, many people don't think of the stars as having much color because most stars we see at night look white. This effect is caused by the structure of the human eye. The sensors in the eye that reveal colors need a lot of light to be triggered Most stars are too faint to trigger our color sensors, so they appear white. Only about a dozen stars are bright enough to show us their colors under dark skies. Who knew the night sky could be so patriotic?

Lights Out on July 15

Everyone is invited to attend the next regular meeting of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society (BSAS) which is scheduled for Thursday evening, July 15 at the Adventure Science Center. The meeting starts at 7:30 PM and will feature a very special guest speaker.

Scott Davis, Technical Manager for the International Dark Sky Association, will speak on the general subject of how light pollution is gradually hiding the stars in the night sky, and more specifically on what you can do to help reverse this trend. Davis is from Tucson, Arizona, one of the country's most light-pollution conscious cities - and states.

BSAS is a diverse group of astronomy enthusiasts who enjoy sharing the wonders of the sky with each other and the general public. Be sure to visit their website often at www.bsasnashville.com for the latest news.

Meteors Out on August 13th

One of the two best meteor showers of the year peaks on August 12, but since most people can't stay out late on a weeknight, the annual August Star Party and Perseid Meteor Watch is set for Friday evening, August 13 from 8:00 to 11:00 PM at the model airplane field in Edwin Warner Park.

Members of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society will set up their telescopes to provide views of double stars, star clusters, and more. Unfortunately, there won't be any planets up during that time, but it's a big universe, and there still will be plenty to see.

Bring a lawn chair and a few friends to enjoy the show! Insect repellant is a necessity at this time of year, but please, put it on BEFORE leaving your car so that we don't get any on the telescopes or other equipment.

Lunar Odyssey: Then and Now

Way back on July 20, 1969, two astronauts from Earth first set foot upon the desolate surface of the Moon while the rest of the world watched from a quarter million miles away. It's hard to believe that this momentous event took place 35 years ago. Those ghostly images bouncing across the television screen seem like ancient history, especially to all the young people who have grown up with the space shuttle and ISS.

The President's space initiative suggests that we could be able to land people on the Moon by the year 2020. If you can't wait that long, visit the Sudekum Planetarium to join the crew of TransLunar 4 in Lunar Odyssey. You'll be taken on a voyage to our enigmatic neighbor to explore its geology, history, mythology, and mystery.

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