An aurora over Whitehorse, Yukon was captured in this NASA handout image. It was the result of a 'severe' G4 electromagnetic storm set off by bursts of magnetized gases from the sun in mid-March this year. The effects were visible over much of Canada and as far south as northern California
Photo Credit: Sr./NASA / David Cartier

Stargazing on summer vacation 2015

Stargazing can provide some interesting vistas and they begin just after sunset these nights. The planets Venus and Jupiter are visible shortly after sundown in a rare conjunction that has many amateur photograpers capturing the movement.

Andrew Fazekas, The Night Sky Guy, says in looking to the western horizon, we’re seeing into our own solar system, as the sun reflects off the cloud cover of Venus, and a little later, Jupiter. From our point of view the two planets look close together, while in the heavens, Venus is mere 100 million kilometres away while Jupiter is more than 600 million kilometres away.

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The aurora borealis, which has had some brilliant showings during sun storm activity this year, is still amazing in the more northern regions of Canada. Fazekas assures, however, we will probably have the opportunity to see more great displays of what we call the northern lights, a little further to the south, during the next solar storm.

Star parties

Andrew Fazekas says, these solar storms, while monitored at all times, can only be forecast within 24 to 48 hours. Satellites monitor the solar activity as so much of our modern electronic technology depend on being safeguarded from these solar outbursts. To see what’s going on between the sun and the earth, Fazekas suggests the Space Weather website to get an idea when the Auroras may be most active.

Fazekas also advises getting out the telescope, if there’s one on hand, to find Saturn in the southern sky these nights. He calls it the ‘Wow’ planet because that’s usually what people say when they first see Saturn, and its rings, through a telescope.

And of course mid-August brings us the Perseid showers with August 11th, 12th and 13th the optimum nights for enjoying the view, weather permitting. Andrew Fazekas, a member of Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, says there will be “Star Parties” on these occasions in many locations across Canada.

And lastly, the man on the moon has been replaced by the men and women on the International Space Station, and to see it crossing the sky above is very moving.  Andrew Fazekas suggest the site, Heavens-Above.com to enter your location and get an update as to when you might see it with your own eyes.

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