Sky Chart For The Month of August, 2011

ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR AUGUST 2011

The Moon

First Quarter occurs on 6th at h. 16-38 I.S.T.	Full Moon occurs on 14th at h. 00-27 I.S.T.
Last Quarter occurs on 22nd at h. 03-24 I.S.T.	New Moon occurs on 29th at h. 08-34 I.S.T.
The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 1^st and 30^th.
The Moon is at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 3^rd and 30^th, and at Apogee or farthest from the Earth on 18^th.

The Moon passes 1½º south of Mercury on 1^st, about 7½º south of Saturn on 4^th, about 5½º north of Neptune in the late evening of 14^th, about 6º north of Uranus on 17^th, about 5º north of Jupiter on 20^th, about 2½º south of Mars on 25^th, about 2½º south of Mercury on 28^th and about 7º south of Venus on 29^th.

The Planets

The Visibility of Planets :

Mercury: The planet sets about 1 hour to ½ hour after sunset upto 3^rd of the month. Thereafter it becomes too close to the Sun to be visible, being in Inferior Conjunction with the Sun on 17^th of the month. It reappears again in the eastern sky on 24^th of the month and rises about ½ hour to 1½ hours before sunrise for the remaining days of the month. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde and Direct with respect to the Earth on 3^rd and 27^th respectively.

Venus: The planet is too close to the Sun to be visible throughout the month, being in Superior Conjunction with theSun on 16^th . It approaches the Perihelion position in its orbit or reaches nearest to the Sun on 9^th.

Mars: The planet rises about 2 hours to 1½ hours after local midnight and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight throughout the month.

Jupiter: The planet rises before local midnight throughout the month and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight. It rises about 1 hour to 1½ hours before it upto first quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it upto second quarter of the month and 2 hours to 3 hours before it for the remaining days of the month. The planet is in Quadrature with respect to the Sun on 1^st. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth on 30^th.

Saturn: The planet sets few hours before local midnight throughout the month. It sets about 2 hours to 3 hours before local midnight upto second quarter of the month, about 3 hours to 3½ hours before it upto third quarter of the month and about 3½ hours to 4 hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Uranus: The planet rises after sunset and remains visible till the beginning of the morning twilight throughout the month. It rises about 3 hours to 2½ hours after sunset upto first quarter of the month, about 2½ hours to 2 hours after it upto second quarter of the month and about 2 hours to 1 hour after it for the remaining days of the month.

Neptune: The planet rises about 1 hour after sunset upto first quarter of the month, about 1 hour to close to sunset time upto third quarter of the month. Thereafter it rises around sunset time and sets about ½ hour before sunrise for the remaining days of the month, being in Opposition with the Sun on 23^rd.

Conjunction of Planets :

Mercury passes 6½º south of Venus on 16^th.

Venus passes about 1º north of Regulus (Magha) on 21^st.

Planets	Planets in Zodiacal Constellation	Magnitude
Mercury (Budha)	Moves from Leo (Simha) to Cancer (Karkata) on 17^th (Retrograde).	+1.0 o +5.3 and +5.3 to +0.1
Venus (Sukra)	Moves from Cancer (Karkata) to Leo (Simha) on 17^th .	-4.0
Mars (Mangala)	Remains in Gemini (Mithun).	+1.4
Jupiter (Brihaspati)	Remains in Aries (Mesha).	-2.5
Saturn (Sani)	Remains in Virgo (Kanya).	+0.9
Uranus	Remains in Pisces (Mina).	+6.0
Neptune	Remains in Aquarius (Khumbha).	+8.0

Source : : Director

Positional Astronomy Centre

India Meteorological Department

Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700 091.