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THE STARRY SKY IN AUGUST 2008 Hinweis: Graphics on this site were created with the program RedShift 4. Part of the fascinating phenomena at a total solar eclipse is that stars and planets get visible. The umbra at the solar eclipse of 2008 August 01 is up to 240 km wide, in which the Sun is nowhere more than 33° high in the sky. Because of this, a more dark eclipse sky is expected, in which at first the bright planets Mercury and Venus come to your attention in immediate vicinity of the Sun and the horizon. The summer triangle, which consists of the bright stars Vega, Deneb and Atair, is opposite the eclipsed Sun half-high in the west. At least Kapella should be seen high in the east problem-freely as one of the stars of the winter sky. It gets more difficult with the stars which are closer to the horizon and a little dimmer like Aldebaran or Pollux. If there is time left you can maybe keep an eye out for Arcturus, which is low over the NNW horizon.  The eclipse sky over Grise Fjord/Nunavut. For those who took up position in Novosibirsk, the eclipse sky offers a little more. Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Mars are stringed like a pearl necklace east of the Sun. In between you can find the main star of Leo - Regulus - , which is just as Mars however possibly too dim to be made out. Arcturus, Vega and Kapella, the three brightest stars of the northern sky are quite high in the sky and form a huge triangle. When the sky is clear Spica, Deneb, Pollux and Prokyon should get visible although they are little dimmer and closer to the horizon.  The eclipse sky over Novosibirsk. Any solar eclipse is accompanied by a lunar eclipse. In this case it is a quite deep partial lunar eclipse on 2008 August 16 , which can be observed in Siberia and West China before sunrise. People who have already returned from their solar eclipse journey to Central Europe can enjoy it in the evening. At this lunar eclipse the Moon finds its way into the umbra of the Earth with about 80% of its diameter. Friends of the night sky enjoy themselves thoroughly in regions of Siberia, China or Mongolia which are far away from the city in spite of the quite short summer nights. The following graphics show the sight of the sky at the beginning of August 2008 at latitude 55° north (Novosibirsk!) at midnight local time.  Night sky 55° north in early August 2008 at midnight local time. If you observe the solar eclipse in the Arctic you will not get to see anything of the night sky because of the high latitude north. The fascination of the Midnight Sun (at the beginning of August to be seen north of 70° latitude) and the "White nights”" (at the beginning of August north of about 65° latitude ) will be more than a compensation. Friends of atmospheric phenomena also get to observe a lot in the polar region, speaking of mirages, halo phenomena, ice blinks and water skies. The "Whiteouts", the disappearance of any shadows, which let melt together clouds and the blanket of snow optically are just as fascinating as feared. WE RECOMMEND: Take good binoculars with you, not only because of the solar eclipse! In the Arctic but also in the vast expanses of Siberia and China with their diverse natural phenomena you will often need them for something else as well. |
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| JOURNEYS TO THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE 2008 |