Click on any object to receive expanded information and photos of its surroundings up to 1x1°.

Online star map- will help with observations through a telescope and simply with orientation in the sky.
Online star map - interactive map sky shows the position of stars and nebulous objects that are accessible to amateur telescopes in given time over this place.

To use the star map online, you need to set geographical coordinates observation locations and observation time.
Only stars and planets with a brightness of up to approximately 6.5-7 m are visible to the naked eye in the sky. To monitor other objects you need telescope. The larger the diameter (aperture) of the telescope and the less illumination from the lights, the more objects will be available to you.

This online star map contains:

• the SKY2000 star catalog, supplemented with data from the SAO and XHIP catalogs. Total - 298457 stars.
• proper names of the main stars and their designations according to the HD, SAO, HIP, HR catalogs;
• information about stars contains (if possible): J2000 coordinates, proper motions, brightness V, Johnson B magnitude, Johnson B-V color index, spectral class, luminosity (Suns), distance from the Sun in parsecs, number of exoplanets as of April 2012 , Fe/H, age, data on variability and fold;
• position of the major planets solar system, the brightest comets and asteroids;
• galaxies, star clusters and nebulae from the Messier, Caldwell, Herschel 400 and NGC/IC catalogs with the ability to filter by type.

There are no objects from Messier in the Caldwell catalog, and Herschel 400 partially overlaps with the first two catalogs.

It is possible to search for nebulous objects on the map by their numbers in the NGC/IC and Messier catalogs. As you enter the number, the map is centered on the coordinates of the desired object.
Enter only the object number as it is indicated in these catalogs: without the prefixes "NGC", "IC" and "M". For example: 1, 33, 7000, 4145A-1, 646-1, 4898-1, 235A, etc.
Enter three objects from other catalogs: C_41, C_99 from Caldwell and the light nebula Sh2_155 in the NGC field as written here - with underlining and letters.

Its refined and somewhat expanded version RNGC/IC dated January 2, 2013 was used as NGC/IC. A total of 13958 objects.

About maximum stellar magnitude:
The faintest star in the SKY2000 catalog, which is used in the online sky map, has a brightness of 12.9 m. If you are interested specifically in stars, keep in mind that after about 9-9.5 m, gaps begin in the catalogue, and the further you go, the stronger they are (such a decline after a certain magnitude is a common occurrence for star catalogues). But, if stars are needed only to search for foggy objects in a telescope, then by introducing a limit of 12 m you will get noticeably more stars for better orientation.

If you set the maximum 12 m in the “stars are brighter” field and click “Update data,” then the initial download of the catalog (17 MB) may take up to 20 seconds or more - depending on the speed of your Internet.
By default, only stars up to V=6 m (2.4 MB) are loaded. You need to know the downloaded volume to select the auto-update interval for the map if you have limited Internet traffic.

To speed up the work, at low map magnifications (in the first 4 steps), NGC/IC objects fainter than 11.5 m and faint stars are not shown. Zoom in on the desired part of the sky and they will appear.

When "turning off Hubble telescope images and others." Only black and white photographs are shown, which more honestly show the image available in an amateur telescope.

Help, suggestions and comments are accepted by mail: [email protected].
Materials used from sites:
www.ngcicproject.org, archive.stsci.edu, heavens-above.com, NASA.gov, Dr. website Wolfgang Steinicke
The photographs used were declared free for distribution by their authors and transferred to public use (based on data received by me in the places of their original placement, including according to Wikipedia, unless otherwise indicated). If this is not the case, write me an e-mail.

Thanks:
Andrey Oleshko from Kubinka for the original coordinates of the Milky Way.
Eduard Vazhorov from Novocheboksarsk for the original coordinates of the outlines of the Foggy Objects.

Nikolay K., Russia

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:

They delight the eye and inspire to contemplate the endless space. A favorable season is beginning for lovers of observing distant foggy objects. Be sure to spot the planetary Ring and Dumbbell nebulae, the giant Hercules globular cluster, and the famous Andromeda galaxy in the sky! Of the easily recognizable patterns of the August sky, the following are immediately noticeable: the Summer Triangle of stars of the constellations Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila above the southwestern horizon, the huge Square of Pegasus above the southeast, the semicircle of stars of the constellation Northern Crown above the west. The Big Dipper floats low above the northern horizon overnight. At midnight, the Milky Way stretches in an arc across the zenith from southwest to northeast.

The review does not show the current positions of the planets in the constellations. Read more about the movements of the planets in the monthly materials "".

This article will help you navigate star maps:
"How to use the star map"

We remind you: true midnight in Bratsk occurs around 1 am local time!
why so, we read in the material: Games with time. When is noon in Bratsk? ,

and after October 26, 2014 we read in the material: Clocks in the Irkutsk region will be changed once and for all

OVER THE NORTHERN HORIZON...

The Big Dipper sparkles with the seven stars of the Bucket. Cepheus is located high at the zenith. On the left of North Star (+1.97m) Dragon descends, and on the right Cassiopeia rises to the zenith, which is easily identified by five stars forming the letter M. Above the northeastern horizon, the constellation Auriga follows each other - with the brightest star Capella(+0.08m) - and Perseus. The Ursa Minor dipper now descends to the left of Kinosury(Polar Star).

The night sky in AUGUST from the northern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

August night sky at zenith (overhead) around midnight in mid-latitudes

(direction to the northern horizon - bottom edge of the image):

ABOVE THE EASTERN HORIZON:

The main constellations on the eastern horizon in August are Perseus with the winking variable star Algol and the constellation Andromeda, the most notable object of which is the bright galaxy Andromeda's nebula (M31). The most beautiful Perseids fly out from this area of ​​the sky; meteors shower especially abundantly every year on the night of August 12th.

The night sky in AUGUST from the eastern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

ABOVE THE SOUTH HORIZON:

High, almost at the zenith, the huge cross of the Cygnus constellation with a bright star sparkles Deneb(+1.25m), a star sparkles to the right of it Vega(+0.03m) from the constellation Lyra, and below is the constellation Aquila with its alpha star Altair(+0.75m) - three bright stars of these constellations form Summer triangle . Popular objects to observe with a telescope in the Summer Triangle are Ring Nebula And Dumbbell. The ornate Square of Pegasus sparkles above the southeast, and the constellation Pisces floats below.

The night sky in AUGUST from the southern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

ABOVE THE WESTERN HORIZON:

The constellation Bootes sets in brilliant orange Arcturus(-0.04m), which is indicated by the handle of the Ursa Major Dipper on the right. Between Bootes and Hercules, a conspicuous constellation of stars sparkles in the semicircle of the Northern Crown with a bright “gem” Gemma(+2.25m). To the right of the Summer Triangle, the constellations Hercules (above) and Ophiuchus (below) set above the west. In Hercules, even with a simple telescope one can discern a gigantic globular cluster of stars M13 .

The night sky in AUGUST from the western horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around local midnight:

Star maps taken from Stellarium 0.11 program

THE MOST EASILY ACCESSIBLE OBJECTS IN THE AUGUST SKY:

Andromeda's nebula and its position in the constellation

This is the most favorable period for observing one of our closest galactic neighbors, the Andromeda Nebula (M31). It is easily distinguishable even with binoculars as a large elongated nebulous spot above the star ν Andromeda. This beautiful spiral galaxy is located at a distance of 252 million light years from Earth. Its extent is 260 thousand light years, which is 2.6 times longer than the Milky Way. In the Earth's sky, it occupies an area of ​​3.2° × 1.0°. The magnitude is +3.4m.

Giant globular cluster M13 and position in the constellation Hercules

M13 It is considered one of the brightest globular star clusters in the northern sky, which is easily visible with a regular telescope. Through binoculars, it is easily located along the western side of the trapezoid formed by the stars ε, ζ, η, π Hercules, between η and ζ. The cluster looks like a bright diffuse spot between a pair of seventh magnitude stars. Through a telescope you can see hundreds of thousands of stars in this magnificent cluster, the distance to which is 25 thousand light years. The cluster's stars are crowded into an area 160 light-years in diameter. The visible dimensions in the earth's sky are 23 arc minutes, the magnitude is +5.8m. In 1974, a short message was sent towards the cluster from the Arecibo radio telescope.

Ring Nebula M57 and position in the constellation Lyra

Ring Nebula The Ring Nebula is one of the most famous examples of planetary nebulae and one of the most popular objects for amateur astronomical observations. The ejection of the expanding shell from the central star occurred approximately 5,500 years ago. The nebula is quite bright (+8.8m) and can be found between γ and β Lyrae with powerful binoculars. In an amateur telescope, M57 looks like a ring of smoke. The nebula is located at a distance of 2.3 thousand light years from Earth, with a spatial diameter of 1.5 light years. The central star that illuminates the nebula is very dim - only +15m - and inaccessible to amateur instruments. The visible angular dimensions of the “ring” in the earth's sky are 2.5" × 2".

Dumbbell Nebula M27 and position in the constellation Chanterelle

Dumbbell Nebula(Dumbbell Nebula) is another very popular object for amateur observations. This planetary nebula is located in the constellation Vulpecula at a distance of 1.25 thousand light years from Earth. The age of the Dumbbell Nebula is estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,000 years. The strange dumbbell-shaped shape of the nebula can already be caught in a telescope with an aperture of 80 mm. Its shape is similar to the core of an eaten apple. To search for it, you need to focus on the “tip” of the constellation Arrow. "Dumbbell" is located 3° above γ Sge in the direction of Cygnus. The apparent brightness is +7.4m magnitude, and the diameter is 8.0" × 5.7" arcminutes in the earth's sky.

Wishing you clear skies and exciting observations!

Selected astronomical events of the month: Moscow time.

August 1st and all month— there is still a possibility of noctilucent clouds appearing in the twilight sky at mid-latitudes,
August 2- new moon,
August 3rd- lunar coverage of the planet Mercury with visibility in South America,
5th of August — Venus passes a degree north Regula ,
August 6- lunar coverage of the planet Jupiter in daytime visibility in Indonesia and Australia,
10th of August— Moon in first quarter phase,
12th of August- maximum impact of the meteor shower Perseids with an hourly number of meteors up to 150 (possibly up to 500!!),
August 13 — Saturn in a standing position with a transition from backward to forward movement,

August 16- long-period variable star R Draco near maximum brightness (6.5m),
August 16 — Mercury reaches eastern (evening) elongation 27 degrees,
August 17— the Kappa Cygnids meteor shower from the constellation Cygnus reaches its maximum activity (3 meteors per hour),
August 18- full moon,
August 18- penumbral moon eclipse,
August 18— long-period variable star V Monoceros near maximum brightness (6m),
August 19- lunar coverage of the planet Neptune when visible on Far East and in North America,
August 22— Mercury passes 4 degrees south Jupiter ,
24 August— Mars passes 4 degrees south Saturn and 2 degrees north Antares ,
24 August— long-period variable star S Northern Crown near maximum brightness (6m),
25-th of August— Moon in last quarter phase,
25-th of August— lunar occultation of the star Aldebaran from the constellation Taurus with visibility in North America and Oceania ,
August 27- rapprochement Venus and Jupiter up to 4 arc minutes,
August 29— Mercury passes 5 degrees south of Venus,
August 30— Mercury in standing with the transition from direct movement to retrograde movement,
August 31- Aurigids meteor shower from the constellation Charioteer reaches maximum

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). This data is correct for the latitude of Moscow , where the midday altitude of the Sun will decrease from 52 to 42 degrees over the month. For observations Sun August is one of the most favorable months in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. Observations of spots and other formations on the surface of the daylight can be carried out through a 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/db/msg/1222232).

The moon will begin to move across the August sky at phase 0.02 in the constellation Gemini, and on the same day it will move to the constellation Cancer. Here on August 2 it will enter the new moon phase, moving into the evening sky. On August 3, the new month will enter the domain of the constellation Leo, and on August 4 it will pass to the south Regula , Venus and Mercury (occultation visible in South America) at a phase of about 0.05. By the end of the day on August 5, the Moon's phase will increase to 0.1 and it will reach the constellation Virgo, after passing through a conjunction with Jupiter (the occultation visible in Indonesia). On August 8, the growing crescent at phase 0.3 will pass to the north Speakers , and on August 9 it will leave the constellation Virgo and move to Libra constellation , where it will stay until August 11, taking over the first quarter phase here on August 10. On August 12, the lunar oval will visit the constellation Scorpio , passing north of Mars, and on the same day will go to constellation Ophiuchus , where it will approach Saturn at a phase of 0.75. On August 13, the Moon will move to the constellation Sagittarius, where it will remain until August 16, increasing its phase to 0.95. August 18 in the constellation Capricorn The moon will enter the full moon phase, during which a penumbral lunar eclipse will occur with a minimum phase visible on Far East countries. On the same day, the bright lunar disk will move into the constellation Capricorn , where August 19 will cover Neptune with visibility in the eastern regions of the country and on the North American continent. The next day, the Moon will cross the border with the constellation Pisces and rush to Uranus, with which it will approach on August 22, being at perigee at a phase of about 0.8. Entering the constellation on August 23 Kita , The Moon will move into the constellation Aries on the same day, but will stay there for a short time. Already on August 24, the lunar oval will move into the constellation Taurus , where it will enter the last quarter phase on August 25. On this day, the lunar half-disk will once again cover the star Aldebraran with visibility in America and Oceania . Continuing its path across the morning sky, the crescent moon will reduce its phase to 0.3 on August 27, when it reaches the constellation Orion , moving on the same day to the constellation Gemini. Having reduced the phase to 0.1, the Moon will reach the constellation Cancer on August 29 and will remain there almost until the end of the day on August 30, then moving to the constellation Leo. Here, the thinnest crescent moon will approach Regulus for the second time in a month and will complete its path across the summer sky almost in the new moon phase.

Bmajor planets of the solar system
Mercury moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Leo until August 20, and then moves into the constellation Virgo . On August 4, the planet will be covered by the Moon when visible in South America. In the middle (and even more so in the northern) latitudes, Mercury is not visible throughout the month, although on August 16 its elongation will reach 27 degrees. However, daytime telescope observations of Mercury remain available. The apparent diameter of the fast planet increases from 6 to 9.6 arcseconds over the course of a month with a decreasing brightness from -0.2m to +1.3m. The phase changes from 0.75 to 0.21, i.e. Mercury gradually turns from an oval into a half-disc, and then into a crescent. In May, Mercury passed across the disk of the Sun, and the next transit will take place on November 11, 2019.

Venus moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Leo, and on August 24 it moves to the constellation Virgo, where it will spend the rest of the period described. The Evening Star gradually increases its angular distance east of the Sun, and by the end of the month Venus' elongation will reach 23.5 degrees. The planet is visible in the evening sky, but it is difficult to observe it in mid-latitudes due to its low position above the horizon. Venus's apparent diameter is about 11 and its phase is close to 0.9 with a magnitude of about -3.9m.

Mars moves in the same direction as the Sun constellation Libra until August 2, then moving to the constellation Scorpio until August 21, when it goes into constellation Ophiuchus , where he will stay until August 25, once again entering the domain of the constellation Scorpio. The planet is observed in the evening and at night above the southern horizon. The planet's brightness decreases from -0.7m to -0.2m and its apparent diameter decreases from 13.0 to 10.5. Mars is gradually moving away from Earth, and the next opportunity to see the planet near opposition will only appear in two years. Details on the surface of the planet can be visually observed using an instrument with a lens diameter of 60 mm, and, in addition, photographically with subsequent processing on a computer.

Jupiter moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellation Leo until August 8, and then moves into the constellation Virgo. Gas giant It is observed against the background of the evening dawn until the middle of the month, and then disappears in the rays of the setting Sun. Angular diameter of the largest planets of the solar system decreases from 32.2 to 30.8 at a magnitude of about -1.8m. The planet's disk is visible even with binoculars, and with a small telescope, stripes and other details are visible on the surface, but conditions for such observations in August are far from favorable. Four large satellites are already visible with binoculars, and with a telescope in good visibility conditions you can observe the shadows of the satellites on the planet’s disk. Information about satellite configurations is in this CN.

Saturn moves backward through the constellation Ophiuchus, changing its movement to direct on August 13. The ringed planet can be observed almost all night above the southern horizon. The planet's brightness is about 0m with an apparent diameter of about 18. The ring and satellite can be observed with a small telescope Titanium , as well as some other brightest satellites. The apparent dimensions of the planet's ring are on average 40x16 with an inclination of 26 degrees to the observer.

Uranus(5.9m, 3.4.) moves backward through the constellation Pisces (near the star zeta Psc with a magnitude of 5.2m). The planet is visible in the night and morning sky, and the duration of visibility will reach 8 hours by the end of the month. Uranus rotating on its side is easily detected with binoculars and search maps, and the disk can be seen Uranus A telescope of 80 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 80 times and a clear sky will help. The planet can be seen with the naked eye during new moon periods in a dark, clear sky, but such an opportunity for middle and northern latitudes will only present itself in autumn and winter in deep, dark skies. Moons of Uranus have a magnitude less than 13m.

Neptune(7.9m, 2.3) moves backwards along the constellation Aquarius near the star lambda Aqr (3.7m). The planet is visible in the night and morning sky, and by the end of the described period its duration of visibility will exceed 8 hours. To search for the planet, you will need binoculars and star maps. Astronomical calendar for 2016, and the disk is visible in a telescope of 100 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 100 times (with a clear sky). Neptune can be captured photographically with the simplest camera (even a stationary one) with a shutter speed of 10 seconds or more. Moons of Neptune have a magnitude less than 13m.

From comets, visible in August from the territory of our country, at least two comets will have a calculated brightness of about 12m and brighter: P/Tempel (9P) and P/Wild (81P). Comet P/Tempel (9P) is slowly moving through the constellation Virgo and Libra. The comet's brightness remains at 12m. The celestial wanderer P/Wild (81P) moves through the constellations Leo and Virgo, maintaining a brightness of about 11m, but falling further and further south. Conditions for observing these comets in the mid-latitudes of the country are far from favorable. Details of other comets of the month (with maps and brightness forecasts) are available at http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html, and observational results are available at http://cometbase.net/.

Among the asteroids the brightest in August will be Vesta (8 .4m) and Ceres (8.4m). Vesta moves through the constellation Orion and Gemini, and Ceres - according to the constellation Cetus . In total, seven asteroids will exceed 10m in magnitude in August. Maps of the paths of these and other asteroids (comets) are given in the appendix to the KN (file mapkn082016.pdf). Information about asteroid occultations on stars at http://asteroidoccultation.com/IndexAll.htm.

Of the relatively bright long-period variable stars(observed from the territory of Russia and CIS ) maximum brightness this month according to data AAVSO reached: U CYG (7.2m) August 1, RU CYG (8.0m) August 3, Z DEL (8.8m) August 3, W PEG (8.2m) August 6, S UMI (8.4m) August 8, T CEN (5.5m) August 9, S GEM (9.0m) August 13, R DRA (7.6m) August 16, R COM (8.5m) August 16, SV AND (8.7m) August 17, X AQR (8.3m) August 17, V MON (7.0m) August 18, R VUL (8.1m) August 20, V VIR (8.9m) August 21, RR AQL (9.0m) August 22, S CRB (7.3m) August 24, X DEL (9.0m) August 29, V CNC (7.9m) August 29. More information at http://www.aavso.org/.

Among the major meteor showers On August 12 at 14:00 UTC maximum action was reached Perseids (ZHR= 150), called the August meteor shower. On August 17, the kappa-Cygnids from the constellation Cygnus will be at their peak with hour number 3 meteors. On August 31 at 19 hours universal time, the Aurigids stream from the constellation will have a peak maximum

Until August 11, the Sun moves through the constellation Cancer, and then through the constellation Leo, at the same time, until August 22, it is in the zodiac sign of Leo, and then moves through the sign of Virgo. August 1, 2008 - day 2,454,680 according to the Julian calendar, the Sun rises at 5:34 am, sets at 21:36 am Moscow (summer) time. August 31 - 2,454,710 Julian day, sunrise at 6:33 a.m. and sunset at 8:25 p.m. The length of the day in the middle of the month is 15 hours, and the night is 9 hours. When the Sun is low above the horizon before sunset, pay attention to the red color of our luminary. If there is still a slight haze, then you can see how irregular shape The sun, and large spots on it (if they exist, of course, these days). The flattened, asymmetrical shape of the solar disk is caused by the phenomenon of refraction in the atmosphere, as a result of which all celestial bodies are perceived as slightly elevated above the horizon - the closer they are to the horizon, the more. The lower edge of the Sun rises more, the upper – less.

There will be two eclipses this month: on August 1, during the new moon, there will be a total solar eclipse, visible in Western Siberia and the Altai Territory, and on August 17, during the full moon, the Moon will pass through the earth's shadow, and a partial lunar eclipse will occur, visible throughout Russia.

Circumstances of a total solar eclipse in the band of the total eclipse phase

Total solar eclipse August 1, 2008 belongs to the 126th Saros series according to the international classification. The positions of the Moon and Sun in relation to the Earth are repeated with high accuracy through saros– a period of 18 years and 11.3 days (or 18 years and 10.3 days, if five leap years fit within this period). The previous total solar eclipse occurred on July 22, 1990. It is interesting that after 54 years and 34 days, i.e. After three saros, the lunar shadow will be in approximately the same place on the surface of the Earth - this is a large saros. It will fall in September 2062, and a total solar eclipse will then be visible in approximately the same places as this year.

During Saros, an average of 70–71 eclipses occur, of which 42–43 solar (14 total, 13–14 annular and 15 partial) and 28 lunar. The nearest total solar eclipse in Moscow will occur only on October 16, 2126.

Knowledge of Saros made it possible to clarify the chronology of ancient events that occurred during eclipses. So, from Herodotus we read: “The Lydians and the Medes waged war for five years in a row. The war continued with equal success on both sides, but in the sixth year, while the troops were fighting, day suddenly turned into night. Thales of Miletus predicted this phenomenon to the Ionians, accurately indicating the year when the eclipse was supposed to occur. The Lydians and Medes, seeing that night suddenly covered the land, stopped the battle and began to worry only about how to make peace.” This eclipse is known as Eclipse of Thales. Calculations show that the battle between the Lydians and the Medes took place during an eclipse on May 28, 585 BC.

The surviving data on the occurrence of eclipses in ancient times showed that the Earth slowed down its rotation. Indeed, knowing the Saros period allows you to accurately calculate when, in what place and even at what hour the eclipse occurred. But calculations carried out in the 18th century showed a discrepancy between the time of day when eclipses began, which astronomers calculated, and what actually happened. Eclipses began almost 3 hours earlier than calculations predicted. This discrepancy can be explained if we assume that the length of the day is lengthening - by about 0.0023 s per 100 years. Why is this happening?

Back in 1754, the German philosopher Immanuel Kant expressed the idea that the tides that the Moon causes on Earth lengthen the length of the day due to tidal friction between the water shell and the solid surface of the Earth. The slowdown in the rotation of the Earth predicted by Kant was actually discovered and measured in the middle of the 20th century. The magnitude of the angular deceleration of rotation, according to modern data, is 4.81 10 –22 radians per second per second (the modern value of the angular velocity of the Earth’s rotation + =
= 7.292115·10 –5 rad/s), which corresponds to an increase in the length of the day by just these 0.0023 s in 100 years, and in 2000 years – by as much as 3.5 hours.

A total solar eclipse is depicted in a painting by an artist and architect of the first half of the 18th century. Cosmas Damian Asam "Solar Eclipse" - St. Benedict observes it. Apparently, this is one of three total solar eclipses that the artist himself observed (1706, 1724 and 1733). The painting is one of the earliest realistic depictions of an eclipse in history. The solar corona and diamond ring are clearly visible - the sun's rays, which for a split second break through the gorges of the mountains on the edge of the Moon. You, too, may be lucky if you carefully monitor the progress of the eclipse, especially in the last moments before the onset of its full phase. By the way, the eclipse of August 1, 2008 is a continuation through 16 and 15 Saros periods, respectively, of the eclipses of 1706 and 1724. So we have the opportunity to compare the appearance of the solar corona this year with what was observed in those distant years.

Painting "Solar Eclipse" Cosmas Damian Asam(1735), Weltenberg Abbey, Bavaria. http://www.sai.msu.su/apod/image/0801/eclipse_pasachoff_big.jpg

Circumstances of a partial lunar eclipse (UT)

Kostroma
Norilsk
Orenburg
Stavropol
Tolyatti
Chelyabinsk
Yaroslavl

Partial lunar eclipse on August 16 is a repetition through Saros of the total eclipse of August 6, 1990, which was observed in the eastern regions of Russia. It will be partial with a maximum phase of 0.81 and will be fully visible in the European part of the country, and in Siberia the Moon will set in different phases of the eclipse. The eclipse will not be observed in the Far East and Kamchatka. The partial eclipse will last more than 3 hours, and the penumbral phases will last more than an hour. The maximum phase will occur at 21:30 UT, when it will already be 1:30 a.m. summer time in Moscow. Interestingly, 1.5 hours before the start of the private phase, the Moon will cover Neptune (in the constellation Capricorn).

Detailed information about eclipses can be found on the website http://www.astronet.ru/db/msg/1223333.

When we go outside around 10 p.m., we will see the same constellations as at midnight in July. First of all, let's pay attention to three bright stars located in the northeast near the zenith, almost overhead at the tops of an almost regular, so-called Summer-Autumn Triangle. These are Vega (Lyra), Deneb (Cygnus) and Altair (Orla).

Above all is Deneb, the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus, which is shaped like a cross stretched along the silvery stripe of the Milky Way. It is not surprising that at the beginning of the 16th century, when attempts were made to eradicate pagan images of the constellations and replace them with Christian ones, this ancient pagan Cygnus was replaced with a cross held in her hands by Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine. This emperor, the patron of Christianity, according to legend, found the original cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified three centuries before his reign.

Constellation Cygnus from Al-Sufi's Uranometria, 903–986. (http://www.icoproject.org/img/ss9.jpg)

The Romans, like the Greeks, identified this constellation with the swan, whose appearance was taken by Jupiter (Zeus) in order to seduce the innocent beauty Leda (Nemesis). Such famous astronomers of antiquity as Hipparchus and Ptolemy called this constellation simply bird – Ornis, and many in those days and more ordinaryly - chicken. The Arabs called him chicken, And dove. The latter name remained for this constellation throughout the Middle Ages. It is for this reason that the name of the brightest star Deneb is short for Arabic dgeneb-ed-dazha zhekh (chicken tail). The star Albireo (Swan) is located at the "head" of Cygnus (or at the base of the Cross). This third magnitude star in a small telescope appears to be one of the most beautiful double stars (yellow 3 m and blue 5.3 m).

Near the zenith in the northeast is the constellation Cepheus - a pentagon of relatively bright stars. The star farthest from the pole in this pentagon is Cepheus, a well-known and bright pulsating variable star whose brightness changes are always a pleasure to observe (although not so easy).

Constellations above the southern part of the horizon (at the latitude of Moscow)

Under the left “wing” of Cygnus is the constellation Lyra with the brightest star of the summer sky, Vega. Between the stars you can try to see the ring-shaped planetary nebula M57 - the last exhalation of a dying star; Nebula brilliance 9.3 m .

Under the constellation Cygnus, just east of the celestial meridian, is the constellation Eagle. The eagle is the bird of the god Zeus, a symbol of dominance, glory, victory and triumph. The Arabs gave the name to the brightest star of this constellation el-nasr el-tair - flying eagle , where the modern name comes from Altair.

Somewhat west of the celestial meridian is the familiar constellation Ophiuchus, the brightest star of which Ras-Alhage (Ophiuchus) is located next to Ras-Algeti (Hercules). The constellation Ophiuchus is wrapped around the extended constellation Serpens, in which two parts are distinguished - the Head of the Serpent, located to the west of Ophiuchus, and the Tail of the Serpent, to the east of it. Two bright stars will help you find the constellation Ophiuchus - Altair (Aquila) and Arcturus (Bootes), - in the middle between which it is located.

Constellations above the northern part of the horizon (at the latitude of Moscow)

In the very west it is easy to spot the constellation Boötes, next to which a necklace of stars of the constellation Corona Borealis is noticeable. The star Arcturus (Bootes) is easy to find on the continuation of the straight line connecting the two extreme stars of the “tail” of Ursa Major.

To the east of the celestial meridian, under the constellation Eagle, near the horizon in the southeast, you can discern the constellation Capricorn, which is better visible in the southern regions of Russia.

The small constellation Delphinus, consisting of stars fainter than 4 m and located slightly east of Orel, is clearly visible due to the diamond-shaped arrangement of its four brightest stars (all around 4 m).

The constellations Pegasus and Pisces appear in the east.

Turning our face to the north, we will see the bright Chapel (Auriga) low above the horizon; slightly higher, in the northeast, Perseus begins to rise, who hurries to the aid of the beautiful Andromeda. The elongated chain of bright stars of Andromeda just points to Perseus. The most recognizable and prominent constellation in the northeast is Cassiopeia, whose five brightest stars are arranged in a W shape.

To the left of the meridian, in the northwest, the Ursa Major Dipper is visible, the two outermost stars of which point directly to the Polar Star (Ursa Minor). There are many interesting constellations in the north, but it is better to postpone their study for six months, until February, when they will be highest above the horizon.

Now it is better to study the stars and constellations that are near the zenith. So, the two brightest stars - and Ursa Minor - have about 2 m, – about 3 m, and the rest are weaker 4 m. The Ursa Minor star is called Kohab (from Arabic Kohab al-Shemali - Star of the North).

Along the entire southern side, near the horizon, you can trace the ecliptic, which stretches through the constellations Aquarius and Capricorn in the east, Sagittarius and Scorpio in the south, Libra and Virgo in the southwest.

PLANETS

Venus moves along the constellation Leo next to the Sun, so it is also not visible.

Mars moves through the constellation Leo next to the Sun, you can try to see it in the first ten days of the month for a few minutes immediately after sunset, the planet’s magnitude is 1.7 m .

Jupiter moves backward along the constellation Sagittarius, visible in the evening and night hours low above the horizon, its magnitude is -2.5 m .

Saturn moves through the constellation Leo near the Sun, so it is not visible.

Uranus moves backwards across the constellation Aquarius, its brightness is about 6m, you can try to find it with binoculars at night, but for this you need detailed map stars in its vicinity.

Neptune moving backwards through the constellation Capricorn, magnitude 7.8 m, you can try to find it with a telescope, but for this you need a detailed star map of its surroundings - up to 8 m .

METEORS

Perseids. The flow is active from July 9 to August 17, with a maximum of August 12–13 (60 met./h). Meteors are fast, white in color, and sometimes there are massive falls - 6-15 meteors in 2-3 minutes. The radiant is in the constellation Perseus, so it is best observed after midnight. By continuing the visible meteor trail back, you can determine the position of the radiant - the place from which all the meteors seem to originate. However, this month the bright Moon in a phase close to the full moon will interfere with observing these meteors.

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