1.  The Sky this month The Sky this month (Planets’ whereabouts)  Stargazers will be having a nice time watching the night sky with the famous Summer Triangle…  The Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower will be best observed from July 28 to 31. The estimated peak…  Astrophotography Using PAGASA Telescopes and Camera full story SPACE WEATHER Current Conditions Solar wind speed: 508.0 km/sec density: 1.7 protons/cm3 explanation | more data Updated: Today at 0500 UT X-ray Solar Flares 6-hr max: B9 0500 UT June 24 24-hr: B( 0500 UT June 24 explanation | more data Updated: Today at: 0500 UT Daily Sun: 23 June 2013 Sunspots AR1772, AR1775 and AR 1776 have beta-gamma magnetic fields that harbor energy for M-class solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI Time (PST) of rise and set of some planets at 10-day interval. Date MercuryVenusMarsJupiterSaturn RiseSetRiseSetRiseSetRiseSetRiseSet July 10 5:36 AM6:16 PM7:33 AM8:17 PM4:04 AM 5:02 PM4:29 AM5:24 PM1:05 PM*12:49 AM July 20 4:38 AM5:21 PM7:45 AM8:20 PM3:54 AM 4:52 PM4:00 AM4:55 PM12:26 PM *12:10 AM July 30 4:15 AM5:04 PM7:57 AM8:21 PM3:44 AM 4:41 PM3:30 AM4:24 PM11:48 AM 11:28 PM Moon Phases First Qtr. July 16 11:18 AM Full Moon July 23 2:16 AM Last Qtr. July 30 1:43 AM Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU. None of the known PHAs is on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding new ones all the time.PHAsnew ones On June 24, 2013 there were 1397 potentially hazardous asteroids. Visit Spaceweather.com for more info and updates Venus will be located at 15 degree above the west northwestern horizon at the beginning of the… Credit to: NASA July 2013 Astronomical Events New Moon July 8 3:14 PM * = Previous Day

2. PRESS RELEASE Astronomical Diary JULY 2013 Stars and Constellations Stargazers will be having a nice time watching the night sky with the famous Summer Triangle of the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair of the constellations Lyra, Aquila and Cygnus, respectively, being well placed in the eastern horizon before midnight, as shown in Figures 1 & 1a. Also shown in Figure 1a are well known constellations like Ophiuchus- the Serpent Holder, Scorpius- the Scorpion and Sagittarius-the Archer. Meteor Shower The Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower will be best observed from July 28 to 31 and estimated topeak date before midnight and onward from July 30. They are part of a complex of radiants in Aquarius, Capricornus and Piscis Austrinus, all of which combine with sporadic and early Perseid activity to provide a nice display of meteors on moonless mornings in late July. The stream normally produces about 5-10 meteors/hour with overall activity of about 15 meteors/hour under good sky conditions. Figures 2 & 2a show the position of the constellation Aquarius-the Water Bearer, where the radiant will originate. Astrophotography Using PAGASA Telescopes and Camera Figure 3 shows photography of astronomical events wherein astro personnel utilized PAGASA equipment.

3. The Planets Venus will be located at 15 degrees above the west northwestern horizon at the beginning of the month and will remain visible throughout the month of July. Venus will be shining at magnitude -3.9. It will traverse among the background stars of the constellation Cancer-the Crab, from the beginning until the second week of the month before going to the constellation of Leo-the Lion. On the 22 nd of July, Venus will be having a close conjunction with the 1 st magnitude star Regulus, the brightest star of the constellation Leo as shown in Figures 4 & 4a. Binoculars and small telescopes will show the pairing beautifully. Saturn will be visible in the evening sky throughout the month above the east southeastern horizon. It will be glowing at magnitude +0.6 and will be found among the background stars of the constellation of Virgo-the Virgin. Viewing through a telescope, the Ringed Planet will show its disk at 17 seconds of an arc in diameter across the equator. The visible ring system will measure 39 seconds of an arc and tilt 17 degrees to our line of sight during opposition. The Saturn system holds more than 60 satellites or moons, of which seven (7) glow brightly enough to show through moderate-aperture telescopes. Saturn’s Titan, the largest and brightest satellite, which shine at magnitude +8.4 can be easily seen through any optical instrument. It orbits Saturn once every 16 days. Neptune and Uranus will rise before midnight during the month. These planets will be located among the background stars of the constellations Pisces-the Fish, the constellation Aquarius-the Water Bearer, and will be glowing at magnitude +5.9 and +7.8, respectively. A modest sized binocular or a telescope and star map will be needed in observing both planets. Mars and Jupiter will be rising about half an hour before sunrise and will remain low in the east northeast horizon at the start of the month. Mercury will join Mars and Jupiter on the second week of the month and onward. The planet glows at magnitude +1.0 and will brighten quickly, reaching magnitude 0.0 and will be rising a few degrees higher in the north northeastern horizon before sunrise on the last week of the month.

4. JULY 2013 D a t eE V E N TT i m e (LST) 2Pluto at opposition8:00 AM 5Earth at aphelion11:00 PM 6Mars 4° north of the Moon8:00 PM 7The Moon at apogee (Farthest distance from Earth)9:00 AM 9Saturn stationary12:00 MN 10Mercury stationary10:00 PM 11Venus 7° north of the Moon7:00 AM 18Uranus stationary8:00 AM 20Mercury stationary10:00 PM 22Moon at perigee (Nearest Distance from Earth)4:00 AM 22Venus 1.2° north of Regulus1:00 PM 22Mars 0.8° north of Jupiter2:00 PM 25Neptune 6° south of the Moon2:00 PM 28Uranus 3° south of the Moon6:00 AM 30Mercury greatest elongation W(20°)5:00 PM VICENTE B. MALANO, Ph. D., Ph. D. Officer-in-Charge Administrator’s Office 27 JUNE 2013 For more information, call: Engr. Dario L. Dela Cruz Chief, Space Sciences and Astronomy Section (SSAS), (RDTD) PAGASA, DOST Tel/Fax Nos. 434-27-15

5. Figure 1. View of the eastern sky on 1 July 2013 at 8:00 PM Summer triangle

6. Figure 1a. View of the eastern sky on 1 July 2013 at 8:00 PM (showing constellations arts) Summer triangle

7. Stellarium Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower Radiant Figure 2. View of the eastern sky on 30 July 2013 at 11:00 PM

8. Stellarium Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower Radiant Figure 2a. View of the eastern sky on 30 July 2013 at 11:00 PM (showing constellations arts)

9. Stellarium Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower Radiant Figure 3. Perigee Moon (known as Supermoon) taken 23 June 2013

10. Figure 4. View of the west northwestern sky on 22 July 2013 at 7:14 PM

11. Figure 4a. View of the west northwestern sky on 22 July 2013 at 7:14 PM (showing constellations arts)