This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the period August 30-September6, 2010

Information updated weekly or as needed.

Join Us Friday, September 3, For Our Next Star Party – Beginning at Dusk.

Weather permitting, the St. Louis Astronomical Society and the Science Center will set up a number of telescopes outdoors and be on-hand to answer your questions.

Regardless of the weather on September 3, join us indoors in our Planetarium Theater for “The Sky Tonight”. Showtime is at 7 pm., one hour earlier than usual due to the shrinking daylight hours!

This free, indoor star program will introduce you to the current night sky, the planets, and the seasonal constellations. Doors open 15 minutes before showtime. Shows begins at 7 pm. Sorry, no late admissions due to safety issues in the darkened theater. The St. Louis Astronomical Society hosts the monthly Star Parties at the Science Center which are held on the first Friday of each month through October. Our Monthly Star Parties are open to the public and free of charge.

This week Sunrise is ~6:32 am CDT and Sunset is ~7:28 PM CDT providing approximately 12 hours, 54 minutes of available sunlight to the region. For those of you with garden sun dials; The Sun reaches “local noon” at 1:00 pm CDT this week.

Last Quarter Moon is September 1 at 12:22 pm CDT
New Moon is September 8 at 5:29 am CDT

The Moon is near the Pleaides star cluster on the nights of August 31 and September 1 and near Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars in Gemini in the predawn hours of September 4 and 5.
 

The Planets Visible Without A Telescope

Venus
Is visible, low in the west-southwest as soon as darkness falls. Brightest of the naked eye planets, Venus remains a fixture in the western evening sky until late September.  Venus is rapidly losing altitude each evening as it passes between the Earth and Sun. Only a few more weeks remain to spy brilliant planet before it drops out of sight. Venus sets in the WSW at 9:00 pm this week.

Mars
Is found low in the west-southwest by the time darkness settles in. Look for the Red Planet just a few degrees to the right of brilliant Venus. Mars sets in the WNW at 9:05 pm.

Saturn
Is found extremely low in the west by the time evening twilight ends, all but lost in the obstructions near the horizon. The Ringed Planet sets in the west at 8:30 pm this week.

Jupiter
The solar system’s largest planet rises in the east at 8:15 pm this week and climbs higher into the southeastern sky during the late evening hours.   Jupiter crosses the meridian at 2:15 am and by morning twilight, Jupiter can be seen about 1/3 low in the west-southwest sky.  

Mercury
Is too close to the setting Sun’s glare to be easily visible this week. 

For more information on astronomy and space exploration, contact the Saint Louis Science Center’s Astronomical Inquiry Line at 314.286.4616