Archive
I’ll be part of the T.A.P.E Forum Tuesday June 7 at 7 p.m.
I’m giving a presentation for the T.A.P.E. Traverse Astronomy, Philosophy and Energy. It’s a free presentation at the Dennos Museum Center on the Northwestern Michigan College campus. My talk is about astronomy, our Grand Traverse Astronomical Society and our outreach program.
T.A.P.E. Poster
06/03/11 – Ephemeris – Local meteorite program tonight
Friday, June 3rd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 22 minutes, setting at 9:21. The moon, 2 days past new, will set at 11:07 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:59.
Those fascinating bits of rock and metal that fall from the sky, called meteorites will be the subject tonight as the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society holds its monthly meeting at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory starting at 8 p.m. Society member Joe Brooks has a collection of these celestial visitors, and has visited area schools with his collection. Meteorites, for the most part, come from the asteroid belt, bits of a planet that was destroyed or never quite formed due to Jupiter’s disruptive gravitational influence. He has one that may be part of the asteroid Vesta that the Dawn Spacecraft will visit this summer. The observatory is located south of Traverse City, on Birmley Road between Keystone and Garfield roads.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
06/02/11 – Ephemeris – The stars Mizar and Alcor
Thursday, June 2nd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 9:21. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 10:21 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:59.
The Big Dipper is high in the northwest at 11 p.m. now. It’s handle is also the tail of the Great Bear or Ursa Major. An Native American view of the bear was the the stars of the Big Dipper’s handle were not a tail, but hunters following the bear. The star Mizar, at the bend of the handle has a dim companion called Alcor. This was the cooking pot the hunters will cook the bear in. The ancient Arabs saw these two stars as the Horse and the Rider, and it was an eye test for warriors. If you could see Alcor, your eyesight was good enough. Even with my glasses I can rarely see this dim star, so I suppose I’d be the Arabic equivalent of a 4F. If you have a telescope, check out the Mizar-Alcor pair and you’ll find that Mizar has a close companion itself.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Stars Mizar and Alcor in the Big Dipper. Cartes du Ciel
06/01/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets for this week
Wednesday, June 1st. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 9:20. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible. | Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:00.
It’s Wednesday and time again to take a look at the whereabouts of the bright planets. The ringed planet Saturn will be visible in the south as it gets dark. It’s near the bright star Spica to its lower left. Spica has a blue tinge, while Saturn is yellowish. It will cross the meridian due south at 9:45 p.m. and will set at 3:40 a.m. Saturn is a wonderful sight is a telescope with its rings. Its bright moon Titan is also visible. Jupiter will rise at 4:07 a.m. in the east. Mars will rise at 4:46. Venus now rises too close to sunrise to be seen in the twilight as is Mercury. There will be a partial solar eclipse this afternoon for most of Alaska. Parts of Canada from the Yukon to Nova Scotia and Greenland. That means it won’t be visible from here.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 