Astronomy - 06.2019

70 ASTRONOMY • JUNE 2019

1. ONE YEAR OF MARS
   This sequence resulted from nearly
   100 imaging sessions, and those don’t
   count the processing. Of note are the
   planet’s changing angular diameter,
   the global dust storm during June
   and July, the South Polar Cap (SPC)
   emerging from its winter hood and
   shrinking away to a tiny summer
   remnant, and the planet’s tilt slowly
   increasing southward, giving a better
   view of the small SPC. • Damian Peach


2. COMPLEX PLANETARY
   NGC 6894 is a planetary nebula in
   the constellation Cygnus the Swan. It
   features several diffuse outer shells
   and a convoluted inner structure. The
   nebula lies 5,000 light-years away,
   and is expanding at 96,000 mph
   (43 km/sec). • Adam Block/Mount
   Lemmon SkyCenter/University of
   Arizona


3. A DISTINCT PAIR
   M65 (right) and M66 are spiral galaxies
   in the constellation Leo the Lion. M66’s
   face is more open in our direction, so
   it presents a more complex picture.
   Its red and blue regions contrast with
   M65’s more yellowish appearance.
   Both galaxies lie 35 million light-years
   away. • Rodney Pommier


4. LOOK DEEPER
   Globular cluster Palomar 13 is not the
   grouping of bright stars strewn about
   this image. Rather, it is the small and
   loosely concentrated collection of
   much fainter stars at center. Palomar 13
   lies in the constellation Pegasus and
   glows faintly around magnitude 14.

• Anthony Ayiomamitis

READER

GALLERY

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Diameter = 6.7"

Magnitude = 0.8 Magnitude = –0.8Diameter = 13.9" Diameter = 24.3"

Magnitude = –2.8

March 2018 April May June July

Opposition: July 27, 2018

Closest to Earth: July 31, 2018

Planetwide dust storm