1. Venus-Moon
Conjunction
Tonight, Tuesday, June 15th, the Moon and
Venus will be located very close to each other in the western sky just after
sunset. They are both the brightest to objects in the night sky and the view
tonight will be simply breathtaking! Venus is known as Earth's 'sister'
planet, and is approximately the same size. However, it has experienced extreme
climate change and is the hottest planet in the Solar System. Its thick clouds
of noxious gas reflect sunlight very well, making it extremely bright to
observers here on Earth.
To see the conjunction, simply look to the south after sunset, at around
10:30pm tonight, June 15th. The Moon will be beautifully thin crescent shape,
with the brilliantly white Venus blazing to its right.
For more astronomy tips for the rest of the week check out our section
below. Don't forget to send your observation reports to
observe@astronomy.ie for inclusion in Astronomy Ireland's
monthly magazine,
Astronomy & Space.
2. Astronomy Tips This
Week
Although the evenings remain bright until quite
late, there is still some excellent planetary observing to do. Check out our
tips below for the next few nights:
-
Venus and the
Moon are 9 degrees apart tonight, June 15th (see above).
-
On Thursday, June 17th, Mars and
minor planet Vesta are 6 degrees apart.
-
The following night on Friday, June 18th,
Saturn and the Moon will be just 9 degrees
apart.
-
Monday, June 21st, marks the Summer
Solstice at 12:28pm with the Sun directly above the 'Tropic of
Cancer'.
-
For more information on what to see in
the night sky this week check out the Sky Diary section
in the June issue of 'Astronomy &
Space' magazine.
Don't forget to email what you
see to observe@astronomy.ie and
we will try to publish your pictures and observations in forthcoming
issues of the magazine.
3. Dark Matter May Not Exist
According to a groundbreaking study, the mysterious
forces thought to make up to 96 per cent of the universe - dark matter and
energy - may not exist at all. British scientists at Durham University have
claimed that the method use to calculate the make-up of the universe may be
wrong. With stars, planets, asteroids, gas and other recognisable components
making up just 4 per cent of the universe, mysterious dark matter and dark
energy have been the primary candidates in the supposed composition of the other
96 per cent. However, physicists at Durham University now claim that this
standard model and the physics upon which it is based could be flawed, raising
the possibility that this "dark side" of the cosmos does not exist, which could
mean that the universe is expanding less quickly than previously thought.
Last July, Professor Gerry Gilmore of Cambridge University
gave Astronomy Ireland members and guests a fascinating lecture on the existence
of dark matter at our monthly public lecture.
To read more about this news story click HERE.
To order a DVD or Prof. Gilmore's talk on the
subject click HERE.