Starry sky in April: a short guide. What to watch: Jupiter near opposition Astronomical observations in April

In April of this year, 5 planets, 5 asteroids brighter than +10 magnitude* and three comets will be available for observation.

MoonOn April 4 the first quarter begins, on the 11th there is a full moon, on the 19th there is a last quarter and on the 26th there is a new moon. On April 11, the Moon will pass close to Jupiter, and on April 28, there will be a very close conjunction of the Moon and Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus (see figure). The latter phenomenon will be difficult to observe due to its low position above the evening horizon.

Mercuryyou can try to find it at the beginning of the month in the west near the horizon within an hour after sunset. The planet's brightness gradually decreases from +0.8 to +4.

Venus visible in the morning before sunrise as a very bright white star in the east in the constellation Aries, later Pisces. The planet's visibility period is gradually increasing. Even through binoculars, Venus will appear as a small, thin crescent. People with perfect vision will be able to distinguish the crescent of Venus with the naked eye. The planet's brightness is -4.5

Mars visible low in the west, north-west for 2.5 hours after sunset at the beginning of the month, at the end of the month for 1.5 hours as a not very bright orange star. The planet moves through the constellations of Aries and Taurus. Planet brightness +1.5.

Jupiter can be observed all night as a bright yellow star in the constellation Virgo in the southeast, south, southwest. Already through binoculars, the Galilean satellites are visible near Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io. Gloss -2.3. On April 11, the Moon will pass near the planet.

Saturn visible in the second half of the night in the southeast as a fairly bright star in the constellation Sagittarius. The planet's brightness is +0.4. Through binoculars and a small telescope, the satellite Titan is visible near the planet.

Uranus

Neptune not visible due to its proximity to the Sun.

In April, 5 asteroids have a magnitude greater than +10: Vesta(constellation Gemini and Cancer, +7.8), Ceres(constellation Aries and Taurus, +9.0), Irena(constellation Leo, +9.9), Victoria(Virgo constellation, +9.9) and Amphitrite(constellation Leo, +10.0). To find all asteroids you need binoculars, often a telescope and a star map. Any asteroid in a telescope looks like an ordinary star, which moves among the stars day by day.

Comets available for observation will be: Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresaka(magnitude +7, constellations Draco and Hercules, all night), Encke(magnitude +8 and below, within an hour after sunset), Johnson(magnitude +8, all night, constellation Hercules). To find all the mentioned comets you need a telescope and a star chart. Comets are visible through a telescope as gray hazy spots of varying brightness and size. The presence of a tail is optional.

Image: Stellarium, Moon-Aldebaran conjunction.

* “magnitude” or “stellar magnitude” of a celestial object is a measure of its brightness. The lower the magnitude, the brighter the celestial object. Accordingly, if we say “brilliance increases,” then its numerical value decreases. Thus, the Sun has a magnitude of -26, the full Moon -12, the stars of the Ursa Major bucket on average +2. A person in urban areas sees stars up to magnitude +4, in rural areas up to +6. The limit of binoculars (in the absence of sky illumination) is +8...+10, of a small telescope (in the absence of sky illumination) +12..+13.

Starfalls are a gift from the Universe to all people. Falling meteors can be seen without a telescope or other equipment, so there are many people around the world who like to watch this phenomenon.

Everyone wants to make a wish on a falling star. In April, you can do this thanks to the Lyrids, a meteor shower that hits the Earth at the same time every year.

From an astronomical point of view, this meteor shower can be called very stable, because it constantly begins and ends at almost the same time.

• The name “Lyrids” comes from Lyra, the constellation in the region of which meteor explosions occur.
• This meteor shower has been observed for almost two and a half millennia, making it, if not the oldest meteor shower in history, then one of the oldest.
• This phenomenon is not caused by the belt of asteroids and debris, but by Comet Thatcher, which astronomers discovered only in the second half of the 19th century.
• Because meteors are comet particles, they are very bright but do not have a tail. They are also incredibly fast. Their speed is about 50 kilometers per second.
• The Lyrid meteors appear to be coming from the same location, but this is just an illusion, similar to when you think the rails meet near the horizon even though they are still parallel.
• Previously, it was one of the most powerful flows. It happened that up to 1000 pieces of debris fell per hour. Now this number hardly reaches 25-30, but the density may increase. Perhaps the reason is that the comet approaches Earth once every 400 years, so the next meteor shower of thousands of fragments will be closer to 2300.

Lyrids in April 2017

From April 16 to April 25, debris from Comet Thatcher will fall in the eastern night sky. The Lyrid will reach its maximum on the night of April 22-23 in the European part of the country. If you are now in another part of the planet, then the maximum will be on April 22, 15:00 Moscow time.

You won't need a telescope because such bright flashes will be visible to the naked eye. Best time for observation - after 22:30.

You can determine the future by starfall. If the first meteor you see passes at, say, 22:00 or 23:00, 0:00, 1:00 and so on, then this will be a good sign of fate. A favorable time awaits you in the next couple of weeks. Happy observing, and don't forget to press the buttons and

Selected astronomical events of the month (Moscow time):

April 1— lunar occultation (Ф = 0.24+) of the star Aldebaran with visibility in Primorye, Sakhalin and the south of Kamchatka,
April 1— Mercury reaches its maximum evening (eastern) elongation of 19 degrees,
April 3— Moon (Ф= 0.5+) at maximum declination (+19.0 degrees),
April 3— Moon in first quarter phase,
5th of April— long-period variable star R Sagittarius near maximum brightness (6.5m),
April 6— Saturn in station with the transition from direct movement to retrograde movement,
April 7— long-period variable star S Virgo near maximum brightness (6m),
April 7— lunar coverage (Ф = 0.84+) of the star Regulus during visibility in the water area Pacific Ocean, South America and Antarctica,
April 7— Jupiter in opposition to the Sun,
April 7— The Moon is in the ascending node of its orbit,
April 9— long-period variable star U Orionis near maximum brightness (6m),
April 10th— Mercury in standing with transition to retrograde movement,
11 April- full moon,
12th of April— Venus in standing with the transition to direct movement,
14th of April— Uranus conjunct the Sun,
April 15— Moon (Ф= 0.85-) at apogee,
April 16— Moon (Ф= 0.75-) near Saturn,
April 17— Moon (Ф= 0.6-) at minimum declination (-19.0 degrees),
April 19— Moon in last quarter phase,
20 April— Mercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun,
April 21— The Moon is in the descending node of its orbit,
April 22— lunar coverage (Ф = 0.18-) of Neptune with visibility in Australia and the Pacific Ocean,
April 22- maximum action of the Lyrid meteor shower (hourly number of meteors - 18),
April 23— Moon (Ф= 0.1-) near Venus,
25th of April— Moon (F = 0.01-) near Mercury and Uranus,
26 April- new moon,
April 27— Moon (Ф= 0.05+) at perigee,
April 28— lunar coverage (Ф = 0.07+) of the star Aldebaran with visibility at Western Europe and in the European part of Russia and the CIS,
April 30— Moon (Ф= 0.5+) at maximum declination (+19.1 degrees).

Sun moves through the constellation Pisces until April 18, and then moves into the constellation Aries. The declination of the central star gradually increases, reaching a positive value of 15 degrees by the end of the month, and the length of the day quickly increases from 13 hours 07 minutes to 15 hours 23 minutes at the latitude of Moscow. The midday altitude of the Sun will increase over the month at this latitude from 38 to 49 degrees. Long twilight periods in mid- and northern latitudes leave little time for deep dark skies (a few hours). The higher you go north, the shorter the night. At the latitude of Murmansk, for example, dark skies can be observed only in early April, and by the end of the month white nights will begin here. Observations of spots and other formations on the surface of the daylight can be carried out through a telescope or binoculars and even with the naked eye (if the spots are large enough). But we must remember that a visual study of the Sun through a telescope or other optical instruments must (!!) be carried out using a solar filter (recommendations for observing the Sun are available in the Nebosvod magazine http://astronet.ru/db/msg/1222232) .

Moon will begin moving across the April sky in the constellation Taurus near the Hyades, which it will cover on April 1 at a phase of about 0.2+. Having also covered Aldebaran with visibility in Primorye, Sakhalin and the south of Kamchatka, the young month will continue its journey through the constellation Taurus until April 3, when it will visit the constellation Orion at a phase of about 0.4+. During this period the Moon rises to greatest height above the horizon. The bright lunar disk will spend in the constellation Gemini from April 3 to April 4, taking the first quarter phase here, and then moving into the constellation Cancer at a phase of about 0.6+. The lunar oval will remain here until April 6, entering the constellation Leo on the same day. Having passed south of Regulus on April 7 (the occultation of the star with visibility in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, South America and Antarctica) at a phase of 0.84+, the night star will continue to move through the expanses of the constellation Leo until April 9, when it enters the constellation Virgo (Ф = 0, 95+). In this constellation, the Moon on April 11 will enter the full moon phase near Jupiter and Spica, and on April 12 it will move into the constellation Libra. where he will stay until April 14 (the apogee of the orbit), visiting on this day the constellation Scorpio at a phase of about 0.9-. On April 15 and 16, the Moon will move through the constellation Ophiuchus, showing off in the night sky low above the horizon and gradually decreasing its phase. On April 16, the night star will move into the constellation Sagittarius and pass near Saturn at a phase of about 0.75-. Having completed an almost three-day journey through Sagittarius, the crescent moon, at a phase of about 0.5-, will move into the constellation Capricorn on April 19, taking on the last quarter phase. In two days, the Moon will enter the constellation Aquarius at a phase of about 0.3-, where on April 22 (Ф = 0.18-) it will cover Neptune with visibility in Australia and the Pacific Ocean. A thin sickle (Ф = 0.1-) will cross the border of the constellation Pisces on April 23. Here, on April 25, the thinnest month will approach Mercury and Uranus, and the next day it will take on the new moon phase already in the constellation Aries. In the evening sky, the Moon will appear in the constellation Taurus on April 27 in the form of the thinnest crescent, which will decorate the western sky, also being near the perigee of its orbit. On April 28, the growing month will approach Mars, and then will once again cover the stars of the Hyades and Aldebaran clusters at a phase of 0.07+ and with visibility in Western Europe and the European part of Russia and the CIS. Rising higher and higher above the horizon, on April 30, the lunar crescent will once again visit the constellation Orion (Ф = 0.2+) on April 30, and on the same day it will move to the constellation Gemini, where it will complete its path across the April sky at a phase of 0.27+ .

Large planets of the solar system.

Mercury moves all month near the border of the constellations Pisces and Aries. On April 10, in the constellation Aries, the planet passes the stationary point with the transition to retrograde motion. On April 20, Mercury will enter into inferior conjunction with the Sun and move into the constellation Pisces, remaining there until the end of the month. You can observe the fast planet against the backdrop of evening twilight for up to an hour and a half! This is the most favorable evening visibility in 2017. The elongation of Mercury on April 1 reaches 19 degrees, and it is easily accessible for observation above the western horizon in the form of a star with a magnitude of about 0m. The apparent diameter of the planet during the visibility period increases from 7 to 11 arc seconds, and the phase decreases from 0.5 to 0.05, i.e. Mercury, when observed through a telescope, has the appearance of a half-disk, turning into a crescent with increasing apparent diameter. In the second ten days of April, Mercury quickly decreases its brightness and elongation, hiding in the rays of the setting Sun. In May 2016, Mercury passed across the disk of the Sun, and the next transit will take place on November 11, 2019.

Venus moving backwards through the constellation Pisces, where it will spend the entire period described. On April 12, the planet will change its motion from retrograde to forward. The Morning Star is observed at twilight, but due to its high brightness (-4.6m) and distance from the Sun, it can be observed with the naked eye even at midday. It should be noted that observations of Venus during the daytime with a telescope are more efficient than before sunrise, because there is no glare factor due to the brightness of our celestial neighbor. The angular distance of the planet increases from 13 to 40 degrees. The apparent diameter of Venus decreases from 58" to 38", and the phase increases from 0.02 to 0.27. This means that the telescope observes an increasing thickness of the crescent with a simultaneous decrease in the apparent diameter of the planet. In the first half of the month, Venus surpasses all other planets in the solar system in apparent size.

Mars has direct motion and moves through the constellations of Aries and Taurus, gradually decreasing its angular distance from the Sun. The planet is observed in the evening above the western horizon for about two hours. The planet's brightness decreases from +1.5m to +1.6m, and its apparent diameter decreases from 4.2" to 3.9". Mars is gradually moving away from Earth, and the opportunity to see the planet near opposition will appear only next year.

Jupiter moves backwards through the constellation Virgo (near Spica), gradually approaching its opposition - April 7. The gas giant is observed throughout the night with a visibility duration of about 9 hours. The angular diameter of the largest planet in the solar system increases to 44.2" by the day of opposition, and by the end of the month it decreases to 43.0" with a magnitude of 2.4m. The planet's disk is visible even through binoculars, and through a small telescope, stripes and other details are visible on the surface. The four large satellites are already visible with binoculars, and with medium-power telescopes in good visibility conditions you can observe the shadows of the satellites on the planet’s disk.

Saturn moves in the same direction with the Sun along the constellation Sagittarius, switching to retrograde motion on April 6. The ringed planet can be found in the night and morning skies over the southeastern and southern horizons and has a visibility of more than three hours. The planet's brightness remains at +0.4m with an apparent diameter of about 18". With a small telescope you can observe the ring and the Titan satellite, as well as some of the other brighter satellites. The apparent dimensions of the planet's ring are on average 40x16” with an inclination of 26 degrees to the observer.

Uranus(5.9m, 3.4”) moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces (near the star zeta Psc with a magnitude of 5.2m). The planet can be observed in the evening in the western sky at the very beginning of the month, and then it disappears into light twilight. On April 14, the planet will pass a conjunction with the Sun. Uranus, rotating “on its side,” is detected with the help of binoculars and search maps, and a telescope with a diameter of 80 mm or more with a magnification of more than 80 times and a transparent sky will help you to see the disk of Uranus. The planet can be seen with the naked eye during new moon periods in a dark, clear sky, but such an opportunity will arise only in late summer, autumn and winter. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness less than 13m.

Neptune(7.9m, 2.3”) moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Aquarius near the star lambda Aqr (3.7m). The planet appears in the morning twilight in the first ten days of April. To search for the planet, you will need binoculars and star maps in the Astronomical Calendar for 2017, and the disk will be visible in a telescope of 100 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 100 times (with a clear sky). The series of occultations of Neptune by the Moon continues (the next occultation is on April 22). Neptune can be captured photographically with the simplest camera (even a stationary one) with a shutter speed of about 10 seconds. Neptune's moons have a brightness of less than 13m.

From comets, visible in April from the territory of our country, three comets will have an estimated brightness of about 10m or brighter: Encke, Johnson (C/2015 V2) and P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak (41P). Comet Encke, with a maximum estimated brightness of 8m, moves through the constellation Aquarius. Skywalker Johnson (C/2015 V2) moves through the constellation Hercules, with an estimated magnitude of about 8m. P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak (41P), with a maximum estimated magnitude of about 7m, moves north along the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, Draco and Hercules. The calculated gloss may not match the real one. Details of other comets of the month (with maps and brightness forecasts) are available at http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html, and observational results are available at http://cometbase.net/.

Among the asteroids the brightest in April will be Vesta (7.6m) and Ceres (8.9m). Vesta moves through the constellations Gemini and Cancer, and Ceres moves through the constellations Aries and Taurus. In total, 5 asteroids will exceed 10m in magnitude in April. Maps of the paths of these and other asteroids (comets) are given in the appendix to the KN (file mapkn042017.pdf). Information about the occultation of stars by asteroids on

Of the relatively bright long-period variable stars(observed from the territory of Russia and the CIS) the maximum brightness this month (according to the calendar memo of Fedor Sharov, source - AAVSO) was reached: SS Ophiuchi 8.7m - April 1, Z Eagle 9.0m - April 2, R Sagittarius 7.3m - 5 April, S Virgo 7.0m - April 7, U Orion 6.3m - April 9, RS Libra 7.5m - April 9, W Ceti 7.6m - April 9, S Hydra 7.8m - April 11, S Canis Minor 7.5m - April 15 , X Ophiuchus 6.8m - April 16, S Southern Pisces 9.0m - April 16, R Dragon 7.6m - April 18, R Cassiopeia 7.0m - April 19, R Pegasus 7.8m - April 20, RZ Pegasus 8.8m - April 21, R Leo Minor 7.1m - April 22, Y Libra 8.6m - April 26, R Furnace 8.9m - April 26, U Cetus 7.5m - April 26, SS Virgo 6.8m - April 28, V Virgo 8.9m - April 28, T Cassiopeia 7.9m - April 28. More information at http://www.aavso.org/.

Clear skies and successful observations!

2017 has come to an end. And the last day of light of the outgoing year will end with sunset, which at the latitude of Moscow will happen at 16:04. And after about an hour and a half, the last rays of the evening dawn will go out in the southwestern part of the sky, and the dome of the sky will be decorated with patterns of constellations.

But on this New Year's Eve, a bright full Moon will shine in the sky, which from the evening of December 31 will rise in the eastern part of the sky and in the following hours will continue its path across the sky, rising higher and higher above the horizon and culminating over the point of the south about an hour before midnight . In the hours remaining before dawn on January 1, our natural satellite will gradually descend in the western sky towards the horizon until it sets behind it about an hour before the first sunrise of the New Year.

So, despite the bright moonlight from the eastern part of the sky, from the onset of darkness on the evening of December 31, let us turn our gaze to the western part of the sky, in which three bright stars are visible in the early evening: Deneb (α Cygnus) is visible high in the sky, below and to the right of which it shines bright Vega (α Lyrae), and very low above the horizon the bright white star Altair (α Aquilae) is visible. And these three bright stars, being the decoration of summer and autumn starry evenings, form a summer-autumn triangle in the sky.

Pay attention to Deneb, below which there are stars, forming in the sky together with Deneb a figure similar to a giant cross. However, ancient astronomers saw in this figure not a cross at all, but a swan. And the constellation has retained this name to this day. To the right of Cygnus, bright white Vega attracts attention, being the main star of the small constellation Lyra, shaped like a parallelogram, which is clearly visible below Vega. Look through binoculars at the constellations Cygnus and Lyra, and you'll notice a rich array of faint stars in this area of ​​the sky. This is not surprising, because a bright section of the Milky Way passes through these constellations, clearly visible high above the horizon on summer nights. Further, the Milky Way falls to the western part of the horizon, where the bright white Altair shines - the main star of the constellation Aquila, which has already begun to set beyond the horizon.

Meanwhile, high in the southwestern part of the sky you can see the constellation Pegasus, below - Aquarius and Capricorn setting beyond the horizon, which in January will take the Sun into its possession, thereby leaving the evening sky.

Above and to the left of Pegasus, the Andromeda stars pass through the celestial meridian with the famous bright galaxy M31, clearly visible in binoculars, and in the absence of strong sky illumination, with the naked eye. Above Andromeda, at the zenith (the point in the sky above your head), the constellation Cassiopeia is located in the form of the Latin letter “W”. To the left of Cassiopeia and Andromeda we will find the stars of the constellation Perseus, and to the right of Cassiopeia, above the bright Deneb, which we mentioned a little earlier, the constellation Cepheus is visible high above your head, the stars of which form a shape in the form of a house with a sharp roof.

Below Andromeda and Pegasus a chain of faint stars of the constellation Pisces is visible, and even lower above the horizon the stars of the constellation Cetus are visible. And all these constellations are autumn.

Now let's turn our gaze to the north, where the seven bright stars of the Ursa Major bucket are located low above the horizon. Above you can see the North Star and the faint stars of the Ursa Minor bucket falling from it, which are not so easy to find in the city sky due to strong illumination. And between the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor buckets stretches a chain of stars of the constellation Draco, which first rises to the constellation Cepheus, as if skirting the constellation Ursa Minor from the east (on the left), and then falls to Vega, where the trapezoidal figure of the “head” of Draco is noticeable.

At the same time, winter constellations rise in the eastern half of the sky along with the full Moon. High in the sky, below and slightly to the left of Perseus, a large pentagon of Auriga stars is visible with a bright yellow Capella (α Auriga). To the right and a little lower - where the Moon shines this evening - Taurus is visible with bright orange Aldebaran among the scattering of stars of the Hyades. And above and to the right of Aldebaran we will find a tiny bucket of 6 stars. This is the Pleiades open star cluster. Below Taurus (and below the Moon), Orion rises above the horizon, and below Auriga the stars of Gemini appeared with bright Castor and Pollux.

Note the positions of the stars this evening, and then look at the sky again at midnight when January 1, 2018 arrives. And you will notice how much his appearance has changed. In the southern part of the sky all the bright winter constellations are located along with the bright, full Moon. First of all, this is Orion, located below the Moon and distinguished by three stars lined up in one slender line, above which the reddish Betelgeuse (α Orionis) flickers, and below and to the right is the bright white Rigel (β Orionis). Above and to the right of Orion, high in the southwestern part of the sky, are the stars of the constellation Taurus with bright orange Aldebaran (α Tauri), as well as open star clusters clearly visible to the naked eye - the Hyades and Pleiades. High in the sky in the southern part is visible the large pentagon of the constellation Auriga with the bright yellow Capella (α Auriga). Below and to the left of Auriga (above and to the left of Orion) the stars of Gemini catch the eye. These are, first of all, two bright stars: Castor (the one above) and Pollux (the one below and slightly brighter). On star charts, these stars are designated by the Greek letters α and β, respectively. Below Gemini is the small constellation Canis Minor with bright white Procyon (α Canis Minor). And finally, at a low altitude above the horizon in the southern part of the sky we will find a very bright blue-white star. This is Sirius (α Canis Major) is the brightest star in the earth's night sky. Its brightness has a negative value - minus 1.4 stars. led Now look for Procyon and Betelgeuse again and you will notice that in the sky these three bright stars form an almost equilateral triangle, which is called - winter triangle.

View of the southern part of the sky at midnight on January 1, 2018.

Now let's look to the east, where the stars of the constellation Leo with the bright white star Regulus (α Leo) appeared much to the right and below the bucket of the Big Dipper. And after another hour or two, find the bright orange star Arcturus (α Bootes) low in the eastern part of the sky. Other stars of the constellation Bootes, forming a figure in the sky in the form of a large parachute, are located to the left of Arcturus. And even lower, try to find a semicircle of faint stars in the constellation of the Northern Crown. The brightest star here is Gemma (α of the Northern Crown).

...It's coming to an end New year's night. The sounds of firecrackers subside, the lights in the windows go out. It's time to get a good night's sleep. But not for astronomy lovers, because the morning sky will also delight us interesting objects Solar system. Around 6 - 7 o'clock in the morning we will look at the southeastern part of the sky, where we will notice a very bright yellow star not high above the horizon. Only this is not a star at all, but the planet Jupiter, which lives in the constellation Libra. And to the right, next to Jupiter we will find a rather bright (magnitude +1.5 mag.), but significantly inferior in brilliance to Jupiter, reddish Mars. Remember how modest this neighboring planet looks at the very beginning of 2018. Already in the summer of the coming year, it will be the No. 1 luminary in the night sky, not only in terms of brightness, but also in terms of the attention it attracts, after all!

The sky in the coming year will, as before, delight and delight us with the most interesting astronomical phenomena: there will be celestial performances, and the occultation of some luminaries by others, and unusual comets will appear, and mysterious meteorites will fly by, and other events will happen, including those which are impossible to predict.

But what you won’t be able to observe this year, unfortunately, are eclipses: the first pair of them will take place on February 11 (penumbral lunar, in the Southern Hemisphere) and February 26 (solar, in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans), the second pair - as usual, in 177-178 days - on August 7, lunar and August 21, solar, will also be visible outside Russia.

Where and how can you observe planets?

MERCURY is best observed in the predawn sky in May - June (in Aries - Taurus) and in September (in Leo), when its brightness will reach a record minus first magnitude. The rest of the year it will appear low above the horizon, and observations will be quite problematic.

Mercury is full of mysteries, especially in motion. Suffice it to say that, having made two revolutions around the Sun (i.e. in two of its years - 176 of our days), it will turn around its axis exactly three times. Moreover, his day lasts exactly the same amount of time. What would it be like for us if night on Earth lasted 365 days? And the same day? Moreover, if at the same time the heat during the day was +450 degrees, and at night it was super cold - minus 180 degrees! These are exactly the “hellish” conditions on Mercury. Here it must be said that it was not in vain that the Almighty awarded him such long days: 88 of our days are day, 88 days are night. With our day (24 hours), it would not last even a year next to the Sun - it would fall apart from cyclic thermal deformations.

And further. It is almost magically connected with our Earth and with its neighbor Venus: the synodic period of Mercury (the time during which it overtakes the Earth by one revolution - 176 days) is exactly equal to a day on Venus (!) and exactly equal to two revolutions around its axis , and this one revolution is 10 times less than the synodic period of Venus (586.7: 58.67 = 10)! That's where the miracles are! Real! Not horoscopes.

VENUS - the planet is perfectly visible all year, except for the second half of March, when it will pass between the Sun and the Earth (on March 25 it is in inferior conjunction) and then will show off in the morning sky as the brightest luminary (up to minus 4.6 magnitude), visiting everything constellations from Pisces to Sagittarius in December.

Venus recently surprised us by showing for the first time a strange sideways smile, a bright arc in its atmosphere almost from pole to pole. What does this focus mean? Astrophysicists are still thinking about this.

The planet's atmosphere is unique in the solar system. Firstly, it consists of 96% carbon dioxide with drops of hydrochloric, sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids, i.e. terribly aggressive; secondly, it rotates furiously around the planet - 60 times faster than the surface! There are 10 thousand lightning strikes every second, which is 100 times more than on Earth. Due to the greenhouse effect, the rocky surface heats up to 500 degrees! And this is at a pressure of 95 atmospheres. Sheer hell!

MARS is being capricious this year. In February - May, it appears in the evenings in Pisces, Aries and Taurus, and then in the predawn sky in Leo, Virgo and Libra, but its disk will be very tiny, no more than 6 arc seconds - not every amateur will see something.

But on September 12, you will be able to contemplate a real celestial spectacle: on the morning of this day, Mars and Mercury will converge in the sky! They will be separated by only 6 arc minutes - at one moment they will simply seem to touch each other. A rare sight!

JUPITER sparkles in Virgo, having a magnitude of about minus 2.2 magnitude. It is best to watch it all night in the first half of the year. On September 7, it will be in conjunction with the Sun and then move into morning visibility.

SATURN will be clearly visible in Ophiuchus (brightness 0.5 magnitude) all year except the last week of December. Its rings are open and visible in full glory. By the way, these days the American Cassini spacecraft periodically dives into them, studying the composition and structure of the rings.

By the way, Saturn and Jupiter are also connected by their resonance: when the first makes two revolutions around the Sun, the second makes exactly five!

URANUS (in Pisces) and NEPTUNE (in Aquarius) are accessible for observation only by owners of reputable telescopes, since their magnitudes are about 5.5 and 7.8 magnitudes, respectively.

Planetary conjunctions

In addition to the mentioned performance of Mars and Mercury, Jupiter and Mercury will converge very closely (about one degree) in the sky on October 18, with Venus on November 13: the two brightest planets are a fantastic sight!

Coatings

This year the Moon will cover Mercury twice - on July 25 and September 19, and on September 18 both Venus and Mars in one morning (in Leo).

Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus will have to wait 3-5 years for occultations.

Comets

Of the 60 shaggy stars approaching the Sun this year, comets will be the best visible, even with binoculars:

Encke in the spring will pass over the stars Gamma, Iota, Omega of the constellation Pisces and then sharply turn south. The comet is not just extraordinary, but even strange: not only is it the fastest - it takes only 40 months to fly around the Sun (a record!), but it also moves in an incomprehensible way - in shocks, ignoring all the laws of celestial mechanics. Perhaps she's tripping over her own tail?

Johnson in March - June will fly through the constellations Hercules, Bootes and Virgo.

Panstars in May will have a maximum magnitude of 10 magnitude.

Giacobini-Kresaka on April 13 will pass 22 million km from Earth. Her path runs through the Big Dipper and the Dragon.

Of the meteor showers, the most impressive will be the Perseids on August 13 (Perseus) and the Leonids (Leo) on November 17.

Clear skies and successful observations everyone!

Alexander LESOVOY, methodologist, head of the astronomical circle of the Palace of Children and Youth Creativity