Full Strawberry Moon in this weeks Charlotte Astronomy Highlights
Thank you to NASA ambassador Tony Rice for providing the weekly Astronomical Highlights for Charlotte.
You can connect with Tony right here
Highlights
- Keep an eye on the western sky at sunset throughout June. Venus is visible below and to the right of Jupiter. Over the coming weeks, Jupiter and Venus will draw closer together each night, until the final evening of June when they will be less than a degree apart.
- Jun 10 Curtiss Cross, an X-shaped illumination effect located between the craters Parry and Gambart
- Tue Jun 02 12:19:01: full moon
June full moon names
- Rose Moon (Colonial American)
- Lotus Moon (Chinese)
- Green Corn Moon (Cherokee)
- Windy Moon (Choctaw)
- Moon When June Berries Are Ripe (Dakota Sioux)
- Moon of Horses (Celtic)
- Dyan Moon (English Medieval)
- Planting Moon (Pagan)
- Strawberry Moon (Algonquin tribe), Rose Moon (Europe) (Farmers Almanac)
- Tue Jun 09 11:41:44: last quarter moon
Planet visibility
| body (phase) | rise | transit (alt) | set | constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury (0%) | 05:59:05 | 13:09:08 (69°) | 20:18:24 | Taurus |
| Venus (52%) | 09:07:22 | 16:37:50 (73°) | 00:08:21 | Gemini |
| Moon (98%) | 19:47:31 | 00:08:09 (34°) | 05:24:09 | Libra |
| Mars | 06:07:21 | 13:35:05 (73°) | 21:03:39 | Taurus |
| Saturn | 19:40:39 | 00:42:16 (31°) | 05:39:38 | Libra |
| Jupiter | 10:59:00 | 18:00:11 (66°) | 01:04:50 | Cancer |
Sample rise/set times for 06/01/15
Satellite passes
International Space Station (ISS)
- The fair pass begins Sun 2015-05-31 21:57:41 from the SSW (210°) reaches 42°, lasts 6 minutes
- The poor pass begins Sun 2015-05-31 23:34:29 from the W (276°) reaches 25°, lasts 6 minutes
- The good pass begins Mon 2015-06-01 04:25:45 from the NW (313°) reaches 58°, lasts 6 minutes
- The fair pass begins Mon 2015-06-01 22:40:46 from the WSW (257°) reaches 40°, lasts 6 minutes
- The fair pass begins Tue 2015-06-02 03:32:36 from the NW (322°) reaches 33°, lasts 6 minutes
- The poor pass begins Tue 2015-06-02 05:09:05 from the WNW (287°) reaches 29°, lasts 6 minutes
- The exceptional pass begins Tue 2015-06-02 21:47:18 from the WSW (237°) reaches 76°, lasts 7 minutes
- The poor pass begins Wed 2015-06-03 02:39:31 from the NNW (329°) reaches 22°, lasts 5 minutes
- The good pass begins Wed 2015-06-03 04:15:34 from the WNW (300°) reaches 59°, lasts 6 minutes
- The poor pass begins Wed 2015-06-03 22:31:10 from the W (280°) reaches 23°, lasts 5 minutes
- The outstanding pass begins Thu 2015-06-04 03:22:15 from the NW (311°) reaches 68°, lasts 7 minutes
- The fair pass begins Thu 2015-06-04 21:37:21 from the W (261°) reaches 36°, lasts 6 minutes
- The poor pass begins Fri 2015-06-05 02:29:04 from the NW (320°) reaches 37°, lasts 1 minute
- The poor pass begins Sat 2015-06-06 01:35:56 from the NNW (327°) reaches 24°, lasts 2 minute
- The poor pass begins Sat 2015-06-06 21:27:45 from the WNW (285°) reaches 21°, lasts 5 minutes
- The poor pass begins Tue 2015-06-09 00:32:16 from the NW (326°) reaches 26°, lasts 2 minutes
- The poor pass begins Thu 2015-06-11 00:21:42 from the NW (316°) reaches 48°, lasts 2 minute
- The poor pass begins Thu 2015-06-11 23:28:29 from the NW (324°) reaches 29°, lasts 3 minutes
- The poor pass begins Sat 2015-06-13 00:11:15 from the NW (304°) reaches 73°, lasts 2 minute
- The good pass begins Sat 2015-06-13 23:17:54 from the NW (314°) reaches 55°, lasts 3 minutes
- The fair pass begins Sun 2015-06-14 22:24:38 from the NW (322°) reaches 32°, lasts 5 minutes
- below trees pass begins Mon 2015-06-15 00:01:04 from the WNW (288°) reaches 30°, lasts 1 minute
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
no visible HST passes predicted during this period
See Heavens Above for the latest pass predictions. Satellite pass gradings are based on altitude reached and duration of the pass. Higher altitude passes are closer to the observer and generally brighter as a result. Satellites other than ISS are much more difficult to spot.
Moon Phases
| date | phase |
|---|---|
| Tue 2015-06-02 12:19:01 | full |
| Tue 2015-06-09 11:41:44 | last quarter |
| Tue 2015-06-16 10:05:19 | new |
| Wed 2015-06-24 07:02:31 | first quarter |
Sun
Sunrise/set
| Date | Rise | Solar noon (alt) | Set | sunlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2015-06-01 | 05:55 | 13:20 (71.71°) | 20:46 | 14 hrs 51 min |
| Tue 2015-06-02 | 05:54 | 13:21 (71.84°) | 20:47 | 14 hrs 52 min |
| Wed 2015-06-03 | 05:54 | 13:21 (71.96°) | 20:48 | 14 hrs 53 min |
| Thu 2015-06-04 | 05:54 | 13:21 (72.08°) | 20:48 | 14 hrs 54 min |
| Fri 2015-06-05 | 05:53 | 13:21 (72.19°) | 20:49 | 14 hrs 55 min |
| Sat 2015-06-06 | 05:53 | 13:21 (72.30°) | 20:50 | 14 hrs 56 min |
| Sun 2015-06-07 | 05:53 | 13:21 (72.40°) | 20:50 | 14 hrs 57 min |
| Mon 2015-06-08 | 05:53 | 13:22 (72.49°) | 20:51 | 14 hrs 58 min |
| Tue 2015-06-09 | 05:52 | 13:22 (72.57°) | 20:51 | 14 hrs 59 min |
| Wed 2015-06-10 | 05:52 | 13:22 (72.65°) | 20:52 | 14 hrs 59 min |
- gained 0:08:13 (hh:mm:ss) of daylight over this period
- daylight (HH:MM): 14:55
- mean: sunrise 05:54 sunset 20:50
- max: sun angle 72.65°
Twilight
| date | rise | set |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 2015-06-01 | 03:52 | 22:47 |
| Tue 2015-06-02 | 03:51 | 22:49 |
| Wed 2015-06-03 | 03:50 | 22:50 |
| Thu 2015-06-04 | 03:50 | 22:51 |
| Fri 2015-06-05 | 03:49 | 22:52 |
| Sat 2015-06-06 | 03:48 | 22:53 |
| Sun 2015-06-07 | 03:48 | 22:54 |
| Mon 2015-06-08 | 03:47 | 22:55 |
| Tue 2015-06-09 | 03:46 | 22:56 |
| Wed 2015-06-10 | 03:46 | 22:57 |
Astronomical Seasons
- autumnal equinox: Wed 2015-09-23 04:20
- summer solstice: Sun 2015-06-21 12:38
Meteor Showers
Meteor Showers Peaking this period
| name | rating | start | peak | end | zhr* | speed (mi/s) | quality | moon at peak | parent body |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arietids | moderate | May 22 | Sun Jun 07 | Jul 02 | 54 | 37 | ↑ Mon 12:32 AM 06/08/15 61% full ↓Mon 12:08 PM |
Meteor Showers Underway this period
| name | rating | start | peak | end | zhr* | speed (mi/s) | quality | moon at peak | parent body |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime Eps. Arietids | minor | May 04 | Fri May 15 | Jun 06 | 4 | 23 | ↑ Sat 5:09 AM 05/16/15 2% full ↓Sat 6:43 PM | ||
| Daytime May Arietids | minor | May 04 | Fri May 15 | Jun 06 | 4 | 28 | ↑ Sat 5:09 AM 05/16/15 2% full ↓Sat 6:43 PM | ||
| Omega Cetids | minor | May 05 | Thu May 07 | Jun 09 | 8 | 38 | ↑ Thu 11:28 PM 05/07/15 79% full ↓Fri 10:02 AM | ||
| Daytime Zeta Perseids | moderate | May 20 | Tue Jun 09 | Jul 05 | 20 | 27 | ↑ Wed 1:50 AM 06/10/15 37% full ↓Wed 2:19 PM | ||
| Arietids | moderate | May 22 | Sun Jun 07 | Jul 02 | 54 | 37 | ↑ Mon 12:32 AM 06/08/15 61% full ↓Mon 12:08 PM | ||
| North Omega Scorpiids | minor | May 23 | Sun May 31 | Jun 15 | 5 | 23 | ↑ Mon 7:29 PM 06/01/15 98% full ↓Mon 5:24 AM | ||
| South Omega Scorpiids | minor | May 23 | Sun May 31 | Jun 15 | 5 | 26 | ↑ Mon 7:29 PM 06/01/15 98% full ↓Mon 5:24 AM | ||
| Daytime Beta Taurids | minor | Jun 05 | Sun Jun 28 | Jul 17 | 10 | 31 | ↑ Mon 6:14 PM 06/29/15 91% full ↓Mon 4:01 AM |
Next Major Meteor Showers
| name | rating | start | peak | end | zhr* | speed (mi/s) | quality | moon at peak | parent body |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perseids | major | Jul 17 | Wed Aug 12 | Aug 24 | 100 | 59 | bright | ↑ Thu 5:37 AM 08/13/15 0% full ↓Thu 7:24 PM | 109P/Swift-Tuttle |
| Geminids | major | Dec 07 | Sun Dec 13 | Dec 17 | 120 | 35 | medium | ↑ Mon 9:39 AM 12/14/15 7% full ↓Sun 7:29 PM | C/1964 N1 (Ikeya) |
see: International Meteor Organization calendar for details. ZHR is a rough prediction and represents optimal viewing conditions (clear dark sky, radiant directly overhead). Green rows are the best viewing
Aerospace Calendar
Launches
History
- Jun 01 Launch of Soyuz 9 by the Soviet Union. Its two cosmonauts, Andrian Nikolayev and Vitali Sevastyonov, would spend almost 18 days in orbit, then the record. 45 years ago
- Jun 01 Launch of the ROSAT spacecraft, a USA/European X-ray astronomy collaboration 25 years ago
- Jun 02 Launch of STS-91 Space Shuttle Discovery on the final Shuttle mission to Space Station Mir. 17 years ago
- Jun 02 Launch of Venera 15, a Venus orbiting radar mapper, by the Soviet Union. 32 years ago
- Jun 02 Launch of the Mars Express spacecraft, a joint NASA/ESA mission with both orbiter and lander components. The orbiter is working well (2/2012), the Beagle II lander failed. 12 years ago
- Jun 02 Surveyor 1 made the first U.S. soft landing on the Moon. 49 years ago
- Jun 03 A rare transit of Venus, observed by many for the purpose of calibrating the size scale of the Solar System, occurred this date. Captain James Cook, on his first great voyage of discovery, was sent to Tahiti with astronomers to make the necessary observations. Their observing site is to this day known as “Point Venus.” Cook would later (November 9) observe a transit of Mercury on that same voyage (shades of Kepler’s prediction for 1631!), from still-named Mercury Bay in New Zealand. Cook’s reputation as an impartial scientist/explorer was so well-established that his subsequent voyages were given international free passage, in spite of the American Revolution and other warlike conflicts of the day. 246 years ago
- Jun 03 Launch of Gemini 4, from which Edward White III made the first U.S. “spacewalk.” 50 years ago
- Jun 03 Launch of Gemini 9. One mission objective was to rendezvous and dock with a target satellite launched earlier. The rendezvous went OK, but the shroud protecting the docking mechanism failed to detach, preventing a docking attempt. 49 years ago
- Jun 05 Launch of STS-111 Space Shuttle Endeavour on an International Space Station logistics mission. 13 years ago
- Jun 05 Launch of STS-40 Space Shuttle Columbia on the fifth SpaceLab mission. 24 years ago
- Jun 05 Launch of the European Space Agency’s fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-4), Albert Einstein, atop an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 5:52 p.m. EDT. Albert Einstein was the heaviest spacecraft ever launched by Europe and delivered more than 7 tons of supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 15th. ATV-4 will also be used to boost the Station’s altitude and provide a module for the astronauts to live in during its planned five-month stay in orbit. 2 years ago
- Jun 05 Launch of the Student Tracked Atmospheric Research Satellite Heuristic International Networking Experiment (STARSHINE 1) from the Space Shuttle Discovery during mission STS-96. The hollow aluminum sphere measured 19 inches (48 centimeters) in diameter and was studded with nearly 900 small mirrors polished by school students from Zimbabwe, Pakistan and 16 other countries. Thousands of students from around the world tracked the faint reflections of the satellite as it circled the Earth every 90 minutes, until it was consumed by aerodynamic heating on February 18, 2000. 16 years ago
- Jun 06 Launch of Soyuz 11, bearing the first crew to occupy the Salyut 1 space station successfully (a crew carried by Soyuz 10 could not board due to a docking mechanism failure). The Soyuz 11 crew would perish by asphyxiation during reentry (6.30.71). 44 years ago
- Jun 06 Launch of the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory 3. 49 years ago
- Jun 07 Launch of Venera 16, a Venus orbiting radar mapper, by the Soviet Union. 32 years ago
- Jun 07 Launch of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer spacecraft. 23 years ago
- Jun 08 Launch of Luna 6, a planned lunar probe lost due to a failed mid-course correction. 50 years ago
- Jun 08 Launch of STS-117 Space Shuttle Atlantis on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to deliver the second and third starboard truss segments (S3/S4) and another pair of solar arrays. 8 years ago
- Jun 08 Launch of Venera 9, a successful Venus lander, by the Soviet Union. 40 years ago
- Jun 10 G.F. Bernhard Riemann proposed that space is curved, not flat (Euclidean). Einstein based his 1915 work on general relativity on Riemann’s concepts, in particular, his treatment of time as a fourth dimension. 161 years ago
- Jun 10 Launch of the Aquarius SAC-D spacecraft, an Argentineian satellite, on a mission to provide data on ocean salinity. 4 years ago
- Jun 10 The soon-to-be-incredibly-successful Mars Exploration Rover-A (aka “Spirit”) was launched towards Mars. 12 years ago
Covers Mon 2015-06-01 01:00 through Thu 2015-06-11 01:00 . Calculations are for Charlotte, NC (40.3690,-80.6330) at an elevation of 215 m and are expressed in local (US/Eastern) time and a 24 hour clock.
