MAY/JUNE 2017 | | 51
AUSTrALASiAN SKy
Sydney O bserv atory is part of th e Museum of Applied Arts and Scie nces. Th e Sydney O bserv atory night sky map was created by Dr M. Anderson using the TheSky
software. T his mo nth’s edition was prepared by Bre nan Dew. © 201 7 Mus eum of A pplied Arts and Scie nces, Sydney.
STAR BRIGHTNESS
Zero or brighter
1 st magnitude
2 nd^
3 rd
4 th
Brigh t star
Faint st ar
Ecliptic Milk y Way
Celestial Equator
Pla net
LMC or Large Magellanic Cl oud
SMC or Sm all Magellanic Cl oud
P
CHART KEY
HIGHLIGHTS IN JUNE 2017
This m onth marks t he beginning of winter wit h the winter
solstic e, the shortest day of the year in the Southern
Hemisphere , h appening on the 21st. Jupiter ca n be
found high in the north, wit hin the constell ation of Virgo
(the Maiden). T he planet Saturn, can be found in the
east, withi n the constell ation of Ophiuchus (t he serpent -
bearer). Prominent in the sky this m onth are t he
constellations of Leo (the Lion), Vir go (t he Maiden), Libra
(the Scales), Sc orpius (t he Scorpion ) and Centaurus (t he
Centaur). Crux (t he Southern Cross), c an be found high
in the sky i n the same upright-orientation that we see on
the Australian fla g. Cr ux can easily be located as it is
always adjacent to t he so-called Pointer st ars of
Centaurus.
THE CHART
The star chart s hows t he st ars and constellatio ns visi ble
in the ni ght sky for Syd ney, M elbourne, Canberra,
Hobart a nd Adelai de for June 2017 at about 7:30 pm
(local st andard tim e). For Darwin and simil ar locations
the chart will still apply, but som e stars will be lost off t he
southern e dge whil e extra st ars will be visi ble to the
north. St ars down to a brightness or magnitude limit of
4.5 are shown on the star chart. T o use this st ar chart,
rotate the chart s o that the dir ection you are facing
(north, so uth, east or west) is s hown at th e bottom. The
centre of the chart r epresents t he point directly above
your head, called the zenith point, a nd the outer circ ular
edge represents t he horizo n.
STSTAR BRIGHTNESSAR BRIGHTNESS
Zero or brighter
magnitude
nd
Bright star
Faint star
Ecliptic Milky Way
Celestial Equator
Planet
LMC or Large Magellanic Cloud
SMC or Small Magellanic Cloud
CHART KEY
HYDRA
HYDRA
Antares M4
M 7
Zubeneschamali
Zubenelakrab Zubenelgenubi
LIBRA
Coalsack
NORMA Alpha Centauri
OCTANS
CARINA
POI NTERS CRUX
DIAMOND CROSS FALSE CRO SS
β-crucis Eta Carina
Centre of the Galaxy M6 Jewel Box α-crucis
Vindemiatrix Denebola
Spica
CORVUS
M 104
CENTAURUS NGC 5139 SOUTHERN CCCROSSROSSROSS
Virgo galaxy c luster
Virgo galaxy c luster
Sigma Oct antis
MOON PHASE
First quarter 01st
Full Moon 09th
Last quarter
New Moon^
17th^
24th
First quarter on the 1stMoon
P Jupiter
Saturn P
June 2017