Astronomy - June 2015

PATHOF THE

PLANETS

The planets

in the sky

These illustrations show the size, phase, and orientation of each planet and the two brightest dwarf planets

for the dates in the data table at bottom. South is at the top to match the view through a telescope.

The planets in June 2015

CAS

AND

TRI

ARI

CET

CAS

PEG

SCL

SGE

EQU

LAC

AQR

CAP

PsA

MIC

GRU CrA

SGR

SCT

AQL SER

CYG

VUL

PER

AUR

LY N

SCO

OPH

HER

DRA

CrB

SER

LIB

LUP

PSC

TAU

FOR

ERI

ORI

COL CAE

LEP

PHE

Objects visible before dawnObjects visible before dawn

Moon phases Dawn Midnight

Path (^) of (^) the Mo
on
Dawn Midnight
Celestial equator
Uranus
Pluto
Saturn
Neptune
Ceres
Asteroid Pallas reaches
opposition June 11
Sun
Mercury
17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
30 29
Vesta
Eunomia
Herculina
Venus
Mars
Mercury
Ceres
Uranus
Saturn
Neptune Pluto
10"
S
WE
N
Jupiter
40 ASTRONOMY • JUNE 2015
Planets MERCURY VENUS MARS CERES JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO
Date June 30 June 15 June 15 June 15 June 15 June 15 June 15 June 15 June 15
Magnitude –0.1 –4.5 1.5 8.2 –1.9 0.1 5.9 7.9 14.1
Angular size 7.1" 26.0" 3.6" 0.6" 33.5" 18.4" 3.5" 2.3" 0.1"
Illumination 49% 45% 100% 98% 99% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Distance (AU) from Earth 0.942 0.643 2.569 2.126 5.885 9.044 20.421 29.706 31.942
Distance (AU) from Sun 0.374 0.724 1.553 2.926 5.369 9.982 19.993 29.965 32.890
Right ascension (2000.0) 5h01.5m 8h45.9m 5h30.7m 20h53.5m 9h25.0m 15h52.3m 1h13.4m 22h45.8m 19h02.3m
Declination (2000.0) 20°16' 20°06' 23°53' –26°02' 16°06' –18°00' 7°05' –8°42' –20°38'