Local Astronomical Info

Current Local Time:	Sunday, July 6, 2008 1:45:44 am CDT
Julian Date:	2454653.78176
Local Sidereal Time:	19:27:37.5

This page provides automatically generated astronomical information for the Saint Cloud, MN area^[1] as well as links to astronomical information on other websites that can help you decide whether the conditions to make astronomical observations tonight.

The Sun, Moon, and Planets

The current positions and the rise and set times for the sun, moon, and planets are listed below. The positions are accurate to 2 arcseconds (the unaided human eye has a resolution of about 60 arcseconds) and the rise and set times are accurate to ±2 minutes.^[2]

Planetary Ephemeris for Saint Cloud, MN at Sunday, July 6, 2008 1:44:00 am CDT
	Right Ascension	Declination	Altitude	Azimuth	mag.
Sun	7h 03m 17s	+22° 38’ 27"	-21.6°	5.6°	-26.7
Moon	9h 56m 01s	+10° 49’ 24"	-24.3°	319.0°
Mercury	5h 32m 41s	+20° 59’ 59"	-18.6°	27.9°	-2.0
Venus	7h 35m 50s	+22° 38’ 50"	-21.8°	357.5°	-3.9
Mars	10h 20m 24s	+11° 30’ 22"	-20.8°	313.7°	1.3
Jupiter	19h 17m 31s	-22° 23’ 41"	22.0°	182.1°	-2.7
Saturn	10h 29m 51s	+11° 14’ 32"	-19.8°	311.4°	1.0
Uranus	23h 34m 00s	-03° 36’ 24"	16.4°	113.2°	5.8
Neptune	21h 45m 00s	-13° 51’ 39"	22.8°	143.1°	7.8
134340 Pluto	17h 57m 41s	-17° 02’ 29"	24.3°	203.2°	13.9
136199 Eris	12h 06m 08s	-03° 12’ 46"	-16.2°	282.3°	15.8

	July 6, 2008			July 7, 2008
	Rise	Transit	Set	Rise	Transit	Set
Sun	5:35am	1:21pm	9:07pm	5:35am	1:21pm	9:07pm
Moon	8:35am	3:56pm	11:00pm	9:52am	4:44pm	11:21pm
Mercury	4:14am	11:51am	7:28pm	4:15am	11:53am	7:31pm
Venus	6:07am	1:53pm	9:38pm	6:09am	1:54pm	9:38pm
Mars	9:47am	4:39pm	11:30pm	9:46am	4:37pm	11:27pm
Jupiter	9:12pm	1:35am	5:59am	9:07pm	1:31am	5:54am
Saturn	10:00am	4:49pm	11:38pm	9:56am	4:45pm	11:34pm
Uranus	12:04am	5:51am	11:38am	12:00am	5:47am	11:34am
Neptune	10:58pm	4:02am	9:06am	10:54pm	3:58am	9:02am
134340 Pluto	7:26pm	12:15am	5:05am	7:22pm	12:11am	5:01am
136199 Eris	12:36pm	6:25pm	12:14am	12:32pm	6:21pm	12:10am

NOTE ABOUT RISE/SET TIMES: If text is greyed out that means the rise/set time is on the previous/next day. "c.p." means the object is circumpolar and is continuously above the local horizon.

Currently Visible Comets

The following ephemeris lists the comets brighter than 15^th magnitude as tablulated by Seiichi Yoshida’s Weekly Information about Bright Comets website.

Cometary Ephemeris for Saint Cloud, MN at Sunday, July 6, 2008 1:44:00 am CDT
	Right Ascension	Declination	Altitude	Azimuth	mag.
C/2007 W1 (Boattini)	3h 27m 30s	+03° 25’ 11"	-18.1°	64.9°	5.0
17P/Holmes	7h 09m 50s	+32° 41’ 02"	-11.7°	3.5°	6.0
C/2008 A1 (McNaught)	7h 10m 01s	-38° 16’ 18"	-82.1°	23.4°	9.1
15P/Finlay	4h 02m 35s	+21° 10’ 03"	-8.9°	47.0°	10.1
C/2008 J1 (Boattini)	22h 01m 48s	+66° 09’ 56"	60.8°	31.4°	10.2
19P/Borrelly	5h 11m 05s	+16° 57’ 38"	-20.4°	34.5°	11.3
C/2006 OF2 (Broughto…	2h 27m 36s	+40° 36’ 12"	18.9°	50.7°	11.4
C/2006 Q1 (McNaught)	11h 10m 25s	-07° 27’ 49"	-28.7°	290.2°	11.6
C/2007 G1 (LINEAR)	16h 17m 54s	-27° 28’ 58"	5.4°	220.7°	11.9
C/2008 C1 (Chen-Gao)	8h 37m 53s	-21° 31’ 29"	-61.8°	322.5°	12.3
C/2007 N3 (Lulin)	20h 46m 28s	-16° 23’ 19"	25.4°	158.5°	12.8
6P/dArrest	19h 34m 21s	+11° 34’ 45"	56.0°	176.3°	13.8
C/2008 J4 (McNaught)	7h 13m 51s	+31° 28’ 08"	-12.9°	2.6°	14.2
C/2006 U6 (Spacewatc…	7h 44m 59s	-37° 00’ 59"	-80.7°	335.6°	13.8
C/2007 B2 (Skiff)	12h 17m 20s	-08° 50’ 43"	-18.3°	276.1°	13.8
29P/Schwassmann-Wach…	7h 06m 37s	+26° 21’ 22"	-18.0°	4.5°	14.1
P/2008 J2 (Beshore)	16h 28m 10s	-17° 07’ 07"	15.5°	224.0°	14.3
C/2006 W3 (Christens…	4h 03m 26s	+61° 07’ 33"	24.2°	24.2°	14.5
8P/Tuttle	12h 02m 57s	-51° 31’ 35"	-45.5°	236.1°	14.8
C/2005 L3 (McNaught)	15h 17m 00s	+22° 51’ 43"	35.3°	267.6°	14.8

	July 6, 2008			July 7, 2008
	Rise	Transit	Set	Rise	Transit	Set
C/2007 W1	3:27am	9:43am	4:00pm	3:17am	9:36am	3:57pm
17P/Holmes	4:39am	1:26pm	10:13pm	4:37am	1:24pm	10:11pm
C/2008 A1	10:55am	1:27pm	3:58pm	10:57am	1:26pm	3:55pm
15P/Finlay	2:43am	10:20am	5:58pm	2:42am	10:21am	6:00pm
C/2008 J1	c.p.	4:19am	c.p.	c.p.	4:16am	c.p.
19P/Borrelly	4:12am	11:28am	6:45pm	4:10am	11:28am	6:46pm
C/2006 OF2	10:34pm	8:45am	7:00pm	10:28pm	8:43am	7:02pm
C/2006 Q1	11:57am	5:29pm	11:01pm	11:54am	5:26pm	10:59pm
C/2007 G1	6:41pm	10:36pm	2:30am	6:37pm	10:30pm	2:23am
C/2008 C1	10:26am	2:56pm	7:26pm	10:27am	2:54pm	7:21pm
C/2007 N3	10:11pm	3:04am	7:56am	10:05pm	2:57am	7:48am
6P/dArrest	7:01pm	1:52am	8:42am	6:59pm	1:49am	8:37am
C/2008 J4	4:53am	1:31pm	10:05pm	4:58am	1:30pm	9:57pm
C/2006 U6	11:19am	2:03pm	4:48pm	11:16am	2:02pm	4:48pm
C/2007 B2	1:09pm	6:36pm	12:02am	1:07pm	6:33pm	11:58pm
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann	5:18am	1:23pm	9:27pm	5:15am	1:20pm	9:24pm
P/2008 J2	5:57pm	10:46pm	3:35am	5:53pm	10:42pm	3:31am
C/2006 W3	c.p.	10:20am	c.p.	c.p.	10:16am	c.p.
8P/Tuttle	c.p.	6:21pm	c.p.	c.p.	6:20pm	c.p.
C/2005 L3	1:51pm	9:35pm	5:19am	1:47pm	9:31pm	5:15am

NOTE ABOUT RISE/SET TIMES: If text is greyed out that means the rise/set time is on the previous/next day. "c.p." means the object is circumpolar and is continuously above the local horizon.

Meteor Activity Outlook for June 28-July 4, 2008

by Robert Lunsford (American Meteor Society)
Used by kind permission of the author.

After several months of low activity the meteor rates for both hemispheres see a marked increase in July. In the northern hemisphere the change is not noticable until mid-month when several southern radiants, the Perseids, and sporadic rates all increase in activity. Southern rates are good all month long. During this period the moon reaches its new phase on Thursday July 3rd. At this time the moon will be located near the sun and will not be visible at night. This weekend the waning crescent moon will produce minor interference during the last few hours before dawn. As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45 N) the estimated total hourly rates during the evening observers would be near two. For morning observers the estimated total hourly rates should be near ten. For those located in the mid-southern hemisphere (45 S) morning rates would be near twenty and evening rates near four. These rates assume that you are watching from rural areas away from all sources of light pollution. The actual rates will also depend on factors such as personal light and motion perception, local weather conditions, alertness and experience in watching meteor activity. The radiant positions and rates listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning June 28/29. These positions do not change greatly day to day so the listed coordinates may be used during this entire period. Most star atlases (available at science stores and planetariums) will provide maps with grid lines of the celestial coordinates so that you may find out exactly where these positions are located in the sky. A planisphere or computer planetarium program is also useful in showing the sky at any time of night on any date of the year. Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is positioned highest in the sky, either due north or south along the meridian, depending on your latitude. It must be remembered that meteor activity is rarely seen at the radiant position. Rather they shoot outwards from the radiant so it is best to center your field of view so that the radiant lies at the edge and not the center. Viewing there will allow you to easily trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if it is a shower member) or in another direction if it is a sporadic. Meteor activity is not seen from radiants that are located below the horizon. The positions below are listed in a west to east manner in order of right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are located further west therefore are accessible earlier in the night while those listed further down the list rise later in the night. The following showers are expected to be active this week: A few June Bootids (JBO) may be seen during the evening hours radiating from a position near 15:00 (225) +47. This area of the sky lies in northern Bootes, six degrees north of the fourth magnitude star Beta Bootis. This radiant is best placed as soon as it becomes dark. Rates at this time should be less than one for those located in the northern hemisphere and near zero for observers south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 18 km/sec., the average June Bootid meteor would be of very slow speed. The large Antihelion (ANT) radiant is now centered at 19:20 (290) -21. This area of the sky lies in eastern Sagittarius, three degrees east of the third magnitude star Pi Sagittarii. Actually any meteor from western Capricornus, southern Aquila, as well as eastern Sagittarius could be a candidate for this shower. This radiant is best placed near 0200 local daylight time (LDT) when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the sky. Rates at this time should be near three for northern observers and four for observers south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec., the average Antihelion meteor would be of medium-slow speed. Studies by Sirko Molau of the IMO's video data has revealed an active radiant located in southeastern Aquila. Maximum activity was reached on June 25, but activity continues through the 30th. The radiant lies at 20:16 (304) -07, which is located ten degrees southeast of the bright first magnitude star Altair (Alpha Aquilae). This radiant is best placed near 0300 LDT when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the sky. Rates are most likely less than one per hour regardless of your location. With an entry velocity of 40 km/sec., the average North June Aquilid (NZC) meteor would be of medium speed, but noticably more swift than the nearby Antihelion radiant. As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45N) the Sporadic rates are finally beginning to increase. One would expect to see approximately eight random meteors during the last hour before dawn from rural observing sites and two per hour during the evening hours. As seen from the mid-southern hemisphere (45S) morning rates would be near seventeen per hour as seen from rural observing sites and four per hour during the evening hours. The table below presents a condensed version of the expected activity this week. Rates and positions are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning. SHOWER DATE OF MAXIMUM ACTIVITY CELESTIAL POSITION ENTRY VELOCITY CULMINATION HOURLY RATE CLASS* RA (RA in Deg.) DEC Km/Sec Local Daylight Time North-South June Bootid (JBO) Jun 27 15:00 (225) +47 18 21:00
…
(The complete weekly outlook is available here)

A description of the meteor showers visible during the month of July is available from Gary Kronk’s excellent Comets and Meteor Showers webpage.

Deep Sky Objects

Here are the current positions and rise/set times for a selected sample of deep sky objects that look reasonably nice in a small telescope from the Saint Cloud area.

Deep Sky Ephemeris for Saint Cloud, MN at Sunday, July 6, 2008 1:44:00 am CDT
	Right Ascension	Declination	Altitude	Azimuth	mag.
Crab Nebula (M1)	5h 35m 00s	+22° 01’ 25"	-17.9°	26.9°	8.4
Lagoon Nebula (M8)	18h 04m 24s	-24° 20’ 10"	17.7°	199.4°	5.8
Hercules Cluster (M13)	16h 42m 04s	+36° 27’ 20"	58.2°	268.1°	5.9
Eagle Nebula (M16)	18h 19m 24s	-13° 44’ 47"	28.8°	198.5°	6.5
Trifid Nebula (M20)	18h 03m 12s	-22° 59’ 23"	18.9°	200.1°	8.5
Andromeda Galaxy (M31)	0h 43m 06s	+41° 19’ 34"	34.7°	63.8°	4.4
Orion Nebula (M42)	5h 35m 48s	-05° 26’ 32"	-43.3°	39.2°	4.0
Beehive Cluster (M44)	8h 40m 33s	+19° 57’ 23"	-22.3°	341.0°	3.9
Pleiades (M45)	3h 47m 30s	+24° 09’ 06"	-4.5°	48.2°	1.5
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)	13h 30m 24s	+47° 10’ 22"	32.2°	306.6°	8.1
Ring Nebula (M57)	18h 53m 57s	+33° 02’ 48"	76.1°	208.9°	9.0
Sombrero Galaxy (M104)	12h 40m 26s	-11° 40’ 22"	-16.2°	269.8°	9.3

	July 6, 2008			July 7, 2008
	Rise	Transit	Set	Rise	Transit	Set
Crab Nebula	4:11am	11:51am	7:31pm	4:07am	11:47am	7:27pm
Lagoon Nebula	8:09pm	12:22am	4:35am	8:05pm	12:18am	4:31am
Hercules Cluster	1:40pm	11:00pm	8:20am	1:36pm	10:56pm	8:16am
Eagle Nebula	7:32pm	12:37am	5:42am	7:29pm	12:33am	5:38am
Trifid Nebula	8:01pm	12:21am	4:41am	7:57pm	12:17am	4:37am
Andromeda Galaxy	8:37pm	7:00am	5:23pm	8:33pm	6:56am	5:19pm
Orion Nebula	6:12am	11:52am	5:32pm	6:08am	11:48am	5:28pm
Beehive Cluster	7:31am	3:00pm	10:29pm	7:27am	2:56pm	10:25pm
Pleiades	2:12am	10:04am	5:55pm	2:08am	10:00am	5:51pm
Whirlpool Galaxy	c.p.	7:49pm	c.p.	c.p.	7:45pm	c.p.
Ring Nebula	4:22pm	1:12am	10:02am	4:18pm	1:08am	9:58am
Sombrero Galaxy	1:45pm	6:59pm	12:13am	1:41pm	6:55pm	12:09am

NOTE ABOUT RISE/SET TIMES: If text is greyed out that means the rise/set time is on the previous/next day. "c.p." means the object is circumpolar and is continuously above the local horizon.