Sure, a dark sky is something amateur and pro astronomers say is to-die-for. But for those of us stuck in the light-polluted suburbs, the summer sky happily obliges with bright shiny objects to observe with binoculars or even the naked eye.
“This is a fun time of the year because we have a plethora of evening stars to look at,” says University of Denver astronomy professor Robert Stencel.
Just after sunset, look to the west for Venus, the bright evening star. “It is going through its brightest phase in June and July, but it’s also beginning to come around between us and the sun, becoming a bigger and bigger crescent that will be visible in binoculars, soon.”
Binoculars? Sure. Astronomer Galileo observed many planets 400 years ago using a viewer with about half the magnifying power of contemporary binocs, Stencel says.
While you have the glasses out, look for Saturn in the western sky. You’ll know it because it’s bright, but unlike Venus, it will appear oval-shaped because of its rings.
In the southeastern sky, you can catch a glimpse of Jupiter, which is second in brightness to Venus. Look around 10 p.m. Use the binoculars and you may be able to make out the four moons in its orbit.
Want some professional help picking out the planets? Here are two chances to get help:
Members of the DU astronomy club will be on hand in the park with portable telescopes you can look through. If you have a buck in your pocket, you can take a peek through the big glass in the observatory.
