Beautiful Morning Conjunction   
       
   August 15, 2014:  Sleeping late is one of the simple pleasures of summer   
   vacation.  This week, waking up early will be a pleasure, too.   
       
   Set your alarm for 30 minutes before sunrise.  Venus and Jupiter are   
   converging in the dawn sky for a beautiful conjunction that will wake you up   
   faster than a cup of strong coffee. To see it, you'll need a clear view of the   
   east-northeastern horizon and . that's all.  No telescope is required. These   
   are the two brightest planets in the Solar System, and they are visible to the   
   naked eye even from light-polluted cities.   
       
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK57BMj2Vj4&feature=youtu.be   
       
   A new ScienceCast video previews the spectacular morning conjunction of August   
   18, 2014.  Play it   
       
   The show begins on August 15th with Venus and Jupiter little more than 2o   
   apart.  That means they would fit with ease inside the bowl of the Big Dipper,   
   and you could hide the converging pair behind the palm of your outstretched   
   hand.   
       
   Which is Jupiter and which is Venus?  You can tell them apart by their   
   luminosity: Venus shines 6 times more brightly than Jupiter, a result of   
   Venus's super-reflective cloud cover and proximity to Earth.   
       
   As mid-August unfolds, the conjunction improves. The best morning to look is   
   Monday, August 18th when Venus and Jupiter will be just two-tenths of a degree   
   apart.  Now you can hide them behind the tip of your outstretched pinky.   
       
   Although optics are not required to see this amazingly bright pair, if you   
   have binoculars, use them.  A quick scan of the sky around Venus and Jupiter   
   reveals that the two worlds are not alone.  The planets have converged right   
   beside M44, the Beehive Cluster. Located about 500 light years from Earth,   
   this busy cluster of stars is barely visible to the naked eye, but it is an   
   easy target for ordinary binoculars.  At first glance it might seem that a   
   pair of supernovas has gone off inside the cluster-but that's just Venus and   
   Jupiter passing by.   
       
   After August 18th, the two worlds separate again.  The mornings of the 19th,   
   20th and 21st still reward early risers with a beautiful view, but less so   
   each day.  Soon, the balance of pleasure will tip back to sleeping late.   
       
   There is, however, one additional morning to look.  On August 23rd, a slender   
   crescent Moon will join Venus and Jupiter, forming a wide but beautiful   
   triangle approximately 7o on each side.  A cosmic triangle shining through the   
   rosy glow of dawn is a nice way to start the day.   
       
   Credits:   
   Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:   
   Science@NASA   
       
       
   Regards,   
       
   Roger   
      
   --- D'Bridge 3.99   
    * Origin: NCS BBS - Houma, LoUiSiAna (1:3828/7)