Catch the Closest Celestial Trio of 2010
For Philippine skygazers, here is another celestial grouping before the month of August ends. 😀
Clear skies!
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From earthsky.org
Venus and Mars will team up with the star Spica (the brightest star of the constellation Virgo) to stage this year’s closest celestial trio – three heavenly bodies fitting within a circle smaller than 5 degrees in diameter. A typical binocular field covers about 5 degrees of sky, and you might catch all three snuggling within a single binocular field in the early evening from end of August until early September.
Unfortunately for the northern hemisphere, the threesome sets at very early evening. Dazzling Venus is easy to see, but Mars and Spica tantalize at the threshold of visibility. The best viewing window opens up from around 45 to 75 minutes after sunset. Have binoculars handy!
After the trio sets in the west, look for the blazing planet Jupiter to rise in the east. After rising, this wonderfully brilliant world will be out all night long!
western sky on August 30, 7PM (PST)
On September 2, the three objects will seem to align in a straight line! 🙂
Journey to the Stars 