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The following are a few of the many objects that may be viewed up in the sky, this week June 1 to June 7, 2008.

International Space Station

The following is a list of the brightest passes this week. Tues Jun 3 at 10:20 pm the ISS appears in the NW and disappears in the earth shadow in the ENE (magnitude -1.3 in brightness) Wed Jun 4 at 10:42 pm the ISS appears in the WNW and disappears in the earth shadow in the west at 10:44 pm (magnitude -1.4 in brightness) Thurs Jun 5 at 9:30 pm the ISS appears in the NW and disappears in the east at 9:35 pm (magnitude -1.3 in brightness) Fri Jun 6 at 9:52 pm the ISS appears in the WNW and disappears in the earth shadow in the SSE (magnitude -2.3) Sat Jun 7 the ISS appears in the NW at 8:39 pm and disappears in the east at 8:44 pm (magnitude -1.2) also about 1.5 hrs later it appears in the west at 10:14 pm and disappears in the SW at 10:17 pm (magnitude -0.4) Sun Jun 8 the ISS appears at 9 pm in the NW and disappears in the SE at 9:06 pm (magnitude -2.3)

The Sun

There are no active regions visible on the solar disk as of Sunday. Sunday June 1 sunrise was 5:35 am and sunset was at 8:25 pm MDT Saturday June 7 sunrise is at 5:34 am and sunset is at 8:29 pm MDT

The Moon

The Moon is new on Tues June 3rd at 13:23 MDT. Wed Jun 4 Lunation 1 (that is one day after new moon): Look for the thin crescent Moon low in the west-northwest. Thur Jun 5 Lunation 2: Earthshine should make a pretty view. Fri Jun 6 Lunation 3. Aim your telescope to the north edge of the crescent moon and locate the crater Endymion. Endymion is a flat floored crater which is 78 miles (125 km) across. Slew south and locate the crater Cleomedes just north of Mare Crisium. Look for crater Picard just west (left) of the center of Mare Crisium. Continue moving south and locate Crater Langrenus and then Vendelinus. Petavius and the Petavius wall are next. Next, we may view the crater Furnerius near the southern limb. Sat Jun 7 Lunation 4. Starting near the northern limb and locate the crater Atlas. Next is crater Macrobius just northeast of Mare Crisium. Not far south is crater Proclus. Nearby is the Pallus Somni, "the marsh of sheep". This area is a brighter than the mare to the west so is quite notable. Next are the oblong craters Messier and Messier A, located in Mare Fecunditatis. Bright rays extend westward for a considerable distance. The craters are thought to be performed by grazing impact with an object hitting at a very low angle. Finally, locate crater Fabricius located in the northeastern part of the Jansenn walled plain. Note that it has several central peaks.

The Planets

Mars is about 20 degrees above the horizon in the west when the sky darkens around 10:30 pm. On Saturday the moon will be nearby, only about 2 degrees below and to the left. Mars is now magnitude 1.5 in brightness and the disk is 4.7 arc sec in diameter. Saturn is in constellation Leo about 27 degrees above the horizon in the west as well. It is now magnitude +1.1 in brightness and the disk is 17 arc in diameter. Jupiter is the constellation Sagitarrius and rises about 10:45 pm. It is visible low in the southwest around midnight. Jupiter is currently magntiude -2.5 in brightness and the disk is about 46 arc sec in diameter. Jupiter's Great Red Spot can be difficult to spot. It is visible about an hour before and after the central meridian crossing which occurs at the following times this week: Tue Jun 3 at 02:11 am Thur Jun 5 at 03:49 am Thur Jun 5 at 11:41 pm Sat Jun 7 at 05:27 am Sun Jun 8 01:18 am

Dark Sky Objects

By the weekend, the moon interfers with our views of the early evening dark sky objects.

Comets

C/2006 Q1 McNaught is in the constellation Hydra . It is magnitude 10.9 in brightness and has 1.8 arc min diameter coma. C/2008 J1 Boattini is in constellation Cygnus. It is magnitude 11.8 in brightness and the coma is 2.8 arc min across.