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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through August 8th, 2018. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
During evening twilight, four planets are visible. Venus, the brightest planet, blazes in the west. To the upper left of Venus, in the south-southwest, is the bright gleam of Jupiter, in the constellation Libra the Scales. Golden Saturn, in Sagittarius the Archer, is fainter than Jupiter, but it is still as bright as a brilliant star, and it can be seen in the southeast sky, to the left of Jupiter. Finally, the fiery glow of Mars in the constellation Capricornus the Sea Goat, outshines Jupiter from its evening twilight position, near the east-southeast horizon.
Venus and Jupiter are best observed by telescope early in the evening. Venus currently shows a gibbous phase. Jupiter reveals its largest four moons, and striped belts of clouds. Its famous oval storm, the Great Red Spot, will face observers in Los Angeles at 9:00 p.m. on the 4th and 6th. Venus and Jupiter set at 10:00 p.m. and midnight, respectively.
Saturn, adorned with its incomparable system of spectacular rings, is best positioned for telescopic observation at 10:00 p.m., when it crosses the meridian in the south. Mars is highest in the sky at about 12:30 a.m. The visibility of the Martian planetary features is muted by a global dust storm that is only beginning to settle after covering the planet in June and July. Saturn slips below the horizon at about 3:00 a.m., and Mars sets shortly before sunrise.
The moon wanes from gibbous to crescent and it is last quarter on the morning of the 4th. Its rising time advances from 10:56 p.m. on the first to 3:04 a.m. on the 8th.
Free views of the Sun during the day and of the moon and planets at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday, before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for the schedule. The next free public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, August 18, from 2:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
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From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.