Section updated: Aug 1st, 2025
This region is chock full of interesting things to see. We’ll check on the status of T Corona Borealis and examine the globular clusters of M3 in Canes Venatici, M5 in Serpens Caput and Hercules’ M13 & M92 , M53 in Coma Berenices along with its Coma Star Cluster. Depending upon the conditions, we can try for a few galaxies that night, or even Omega Centauri in the south. If that is visible to us, then after 9:15 pm, we could push on toward Rigel Kentaurus (a.k.a “Alpha Centauri” the next star out), or Becrux and Gacrux of the Southern Cross. (They would be a challenge through the skyglow of Ft. Lauderdale & Miami, so there is no guarantee there!) By 10 pm, those constellations toward the Milky Way Galaxy’s central bulge will be appearing to us, such as Libra (see if you can notice the supposed “greenish” tint of its star Zuben Elgenubi!), M10 & M12 in Ophiuchus the serpent bearer, and Scorpio with its Cat’s Eye Nebula (M4) and the Northern Jewel box (NGC 6231), as will the northern summer constellations, like Lyra, its star Vega and its Ring Nebula - M57. The summer constellations dominate our view tonight.
There will be a 1st quarter Moon that appears in Libra south of Zubenelgenubi, the fulcrum star of its scales. Mars appears quite small and is distant at 2.12 au away. It appears next to Virgo’s outreached left hand star Zavijava. And we’ll be able to end the evening looking eastwards at Saturn and its moons.
Also note, the college has been repainting our hallways before the semester starts, so please excuse the stuff in the hallways and find the Observatory on the eastside of the building’s 4th floor as the signs are currently removed from the walls.
The Perseids should peak on the morning of the 12th. You’ll need to find a decently dark night sky to enjoy all of them as the waning gibbous Moon will challenge your ability to see many of them.
This region is chock full of interesting things to see. We’ll check on the status of T Corona Borealis and examine the globular clusters of M3 in Canes Venatici, M5 in Serpens Caput and Hercules’ M13 & M92, M53 in Coma Berenices along with its Coma Star Cluster. Depending upon the conditions, we can try for a few galaxies that night, or even Omega Centauri in the south. If that is visible to us, then after 9:15 pm, we could push on toward Rigel Kentaurus (a.k.a “Alpha Centauri” the next star out), or Becrux and Gacrux of the Southern Cross. (They would be a challenge through the skyglow of Ft. Lauderdale & Miami, so there is no guarantee there!) By 10 pm, those constellations toward the Milky Way Galaxy’s central bulge will be appearing to us, such as Libra (see if you can notice the supposed “greenish” tint of its star Zubenelgenubi!), M10 & M12 in Ophiuchus the serpent bearer, and Scorpio with its Cat’s Eye Nebula (M4) and the Northern Jewel box (NGC 6231), as will the northern summer constellations, like Lyra, its star Vega and its Ring Nebula - M57. So, the summer constellations are here!
Mars appears quite small and is more distant at 2.21 au away near Virgo’s star Porrima. While we can spot Saturn and its moons toward the end of the evening looking east.
