At the end of June, the "Summer Solstice" coincided with a solar eclipse
The once-in-a-year celestial phenomenon has maxed out the "circle of friends"
Missed the most spectacular solar eclipse of the century
Don't feel sorry
The starry sky in the second half of this year is also brilliant
In addition to the solar eclipse, there are also these celestial phenomena worth looking forward to
The picture shows the Gemini meteor shower (data map). Photo by Tang Junlin
Do you see the comet "Big Tail" this July?
The beautiful starry sky is intoxicating, and the most fascinating thing is the starry sky of summer night.
In early July, the comet NEOWISE dragged its long tail and appeared in the night sky at dawn, attracting the attention of many astronomy enthusiasts.
This summer night in the Year of the Rat, with the company of Comet NEOWISE, the night sky is decorated more beautifully and mysteriously.
On July 12, local time, in Saxony, Germany, the comet NEOWISE could be observed in the local night sky. Image source: Visual China
At present, the comet NEOWISE, known as one of the "brightest comets of this century", is still in the observation period, and friends can see it with naked eyes.
According to Hu Fanghao, an engineer at the Science Popularization Department of the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, on the 22nd, the comet will reach the perigee, about 103 million kilometers away from the earth.
Take Nanjing as an example. On the 25th, when night falls, this comet will appear on the horizon 30 degrees west-northwest.
A comet is actually a small "dirty snowball", mainly composed of rocks, dust, ice and gas.
Hu Fanghao introduced that when a comet is close to the sun, its gas and dust will be continuously evaporated by the action of solar radiation, forming a comet head and a comet tail.
Like other comets, Comet NEOWISE also has two tails, one is a straight and long gas tail composed of ionized gas, and the other is a curved tail composed of dust.
On July 12, local time, in Liverpool, England, the comet NEOWISE appeared in the sky early in the morning. Image source: Visual China
Astronomy enthusiasts everywhere have been paying attention to the trace of this comet. Due to the weather, it is difficult to see its true appearance in some places.
Everyone has few chances to see a comet in his life, and as light pollution in the night sky continues to increase, the chance of seeing a comet with the naked eye becomes less and less.
You have to see a comet once in your life! This is a rare big comet that "lived" the perihelion without breaking apart this year.
How to observe this rare comet? According to Hu Fanghao, in the past week, away from city lights, about an hour after sunset, when the twilight fades, and with wide eyes, a comet can be seen above the northwest horizon and the Big Dipper to the lower left. Later, you need to use binoculars or astronomical telescopes.
In the rest of July, when the sky clears, shall we go to see the comet "Big Tail" together?
Two "heavyweight" meteor showers in the northern hemisphere hit
I will accompany you to see the meteor shower falling on this earth, let your tears fall on my shoulder...Meteor shower, that is, some comets or asteroids in space disintegrate in orbit and leave debris. When the earth passes through the debris, these debris and the earth The atmosphere rubs and glows violently, producing meteors. Seen from the ground, these meteors appear to radiate from a point in the sky, which is called a radiant point. The constellation where the radiant point is located is the origin of the names of the different meteor showers.
The picture shows the Gemini meteor shower (multiple photos superimposed). Wang Junfeng
Hu Fanghao said that in the second half of the Year of the Rat, there will be several romantic meteor showers in the northern hemisphere. The most anticipated are the Perseid meteor shower on August 12 and the Gemini meteor shower on December 14.
"The annual flow of these two meteor showers is relatively stable." Hu Fanghao introduced that the maximum period of the Perseid meteor shower began at 21:00 on August 12, and the maximum period of the Gemini meteor shower began at 8:35 on December 14.
On August 12, when the Perseid meteor shower began its maximum, its radiant point was near the northeast horizon.
Hu Fanghao introduced the way to watch the Perseid meteor shower: look at it visually, don't stare at the radiant point, and keep the largest sky in sight. After 24:00 on the 12th, the waning moon with the age of 23 gradually rose, and the direction of the line of sight should avoid the moon.
Perseid meteor shower (data map). Photo by Zhao Chunliang
Can't wait for the Gemini meteor shower, the sky is full...Who said that you can't wait for the Gemini meteor shower, this year of the rat will be arranged!
When the Gemini meteor shower reaches its peak, several meteors will appear every minute, so it is also called the "king of meteor shower."
At the end of the Year of the Rat, we will usher in another Gemini meteor shower. The Gemini meteor shower is abundant and stable. It is one of the three major meteor showers of the year.
"This year the maximum value of the Geminid meteor shower will appear at 8:35 on December 14th." Hu Fanghao said that astronomers can choose to watch the evening of December 13, because the maximum value of the Geminid meteor shower is already daytime, and the maximum period The duration is longer, and you can watch it again on the evening of the 14th.
Please check the important astronomical timetable for the second half of the year
August 2 double stars with moon (Jupiter, Saturn)
Recommendation index: ★★★☆☆
On August 2, Jupiter and Saturn will conjoin the month. By then, if the weather is fine, the public of our country will be able to appreciate the astronomical beauty of the "double stars with the moon" with their naked eyes.
Great Perseid meteor shower on August 12
Recommended index: ★★★★★
As one of the three major meteor showers in the northern hemisphere, the Perseid meteor shower is known for its steady flow and many bright meteors. It is also one of the few major meteor showers active in summer.
According to the forecast of this year's International Meteor Organization, the ZHR (Zenith Hourly Occurrence Rate) of this Perseid meteor shower is expected to be 100.
The picture shows the Perseid meteor shower (data map). Photo by Xu Zhijian
Mars "rushes" on October 14
Recommendation index: ★★★★☆
The difference between Mars and the Sun's yellow longitude is 180 degrees, that is, when Mars, the Earth's central retina, and the sun are arranged in an approximate straight line, it is called Mars "offset" in astronomy.
The Geminid meteor shower is extremely large on December 14
Recommended index: ★★★★★
When the Gemini meteor shower reaches its peak, several meteors will appear every minute, so it is also called the "king of meteor shower."
The picture shows the Gemini meteor shower (data map). Photo by Wang Junfeng
Saturn and Jupiter on December 22
Recommended index: ★★★★★
The spectacular conjunct Jupiter and Saturn only happens every 20 years, the last time it was in 2000.
This is the closest time of the year to Saturn and Jupiter, and it can be seen in some observation sites that Jupiter and Saturn overlap.