Archive
10/17/2016 – Ephemeris – Elon Musk’s vision of how he’ll colonize Mars
Ephemeris for Monday, October 17th. The Sun will rise at 8:01. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 52 minutes, setting at 6:53. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 8:21 this evening.
On September 27th Elon Musk announced his plans to send people to Mars, hopefully by 2024. He explained in detail how he would do it. He made an hour-long presentation at the International Astronautical Congress meeting in Mexico, which can be seen on the Internet at spacex.com. Also there is a shorter animation of how he expects to do it. He expects to send hundreds of people at a time into Earth orbit. The booster would return to the launch pad and another second stage with fuel loaded on top of it to be launched again on the next orbit to refuel the manned stage before sending it to Mars. Robotic missions would be sent before to set up the infrastructure for the Mars Base. I’m somewhat skeptical, but all great adventures start with a dream.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
New colonists looking out at the Martian landscape. Credit: Screen cap from SpaceX video.
Short 5 minute video: https://youtu.be/0agVZwux1Hs
Full address to the International Astronautical Congress meeting: https://youtu.be/IAZ-Xbn5hr0
10/14/2016 – Ephemeris – Super Moon Sunday and a weird comet
Ephemeris for Friday, October 14th. The Sun will rise at 7:57. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 1 minute, setting at 6:59. The Moon, 2 days before full, will set at 7:03 tomorrow morning.
The full moon on Sunday will be the Hunter’s Moon it will also be a super moon, though not quite as super as November’s super moon. I tend to disparage the effect because of the optical illusion that makes the Moon appear larger when near the horizon than when higher up. Besides there’s nothing out there of comparable size to compare it to. Farther out in space, the comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, which is weird among comets in having a nearly circular orbit between Jupiter and Saturn. It can be observed over it’s entire orbit. Normally a comet out that far is pretty much inactive. However every once in a while it produces an outburst, brightening and expelling a cloud of gas and dust. This can occur up to 7 times a year.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
This month’s super Moon will appear to be 33.4 minutes of arc in diameter when it will rise Sunday night at 7:40 p.m. in the Traverse City/Interlochen area. It will be 222,393 miles (357,906 km) away. November’s super Moon will rise November 14 at 5:53 p.m. and appear to be 33.6 minutes of arc in diameter. Note that half a degree is 30 minutes of arc. Last April 2nd’s mini Moon was 29.4 seconds of arc in diameter when it rose. It was 252,262 miles (405,977 km) away. This full Moon will appear 13.6% larger than last April’s full Moon.
10/13/2016 – Ephemeris – Europa appears to have water geysers like Enceladus
Ephemeris for Thursday, October 13th. The Sun will rise at 7:56. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 7:00. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 5:48 tomorrow morning.
On September 26th NASA announced that the Hubble Space Telescope has confirmed earlier observations that Europa, Jupiter’s second large moon is venting water vapor. It is pretty much known that Europa has a moon girdling ocean many tens of miles below its icy surface. The surface is devoid of craters, showing that there is some interaction with the ocean below and the cracks we see on the surface. Having plumes or geysers will allow spacecraft and landers to sample the ocean below without having to drill down to the ocean. NASA has okayed a mission to Europa. This could change the mission and instruments and maybe add a lander to probe the geysers, though first the have to find them.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Composite photograph of plumes at the bottom of Europa with a Galileo image of Europa. Credit: NASA/Hubble/Galileo.
10/12/2016 – Ephemeris – Jupiter joins Mercury in the morning sky22
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 12th. The Sun will rise at 7:55. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 7:02. The Moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 4:35 tomorrow morning.
Low in the east this morning at 7:15 both Mercury and Jupiter might be glimpsed, with Mercury just below Jupiter which is a bit brighter. Jupiter will rise at 6:38 a.m. and Mercury will rise at 6:47 a.m. Venus, Saturn and Mars are in the evening sky. Venus is briefly visible after sunset, low in the west. It will set at 8:20 p.m., following the Sun’s earlier setting times. Venus is still moving a bit southward and will still be hugging the southwestern horizon for the next month or so. Mars and Saturn can be seen in the darkened sky after Venus sets. Mars is way out to the left of Saturn passing above the Teapot of Sagittarius. Saturn, spectacular in telescopes with its rings, will set at 9:35 p.m. Mars will set at 11:14 p.m.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter and Mercury at 7:15 a.m. low in the east today October 12, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
Venus and Saturn at 7:22 p.m. tonight October 12, 2016, looking to the southwest. I doubt if you could spot Saturn at this time. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn, Mars and the Moon at 8:30 p.m. October 12, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and moon as it might be seen in a telescope. at 8:30 p.m. October 12, 2016. More than likely only the satellite Titan would be seen with Saturn. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
The Moon as it might be seen with binoculars tonight at 8:30 p.m. October 12, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
Planets and Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on October 12, 2016. The night ends on the left with sunrise on October 13. If you are using Firefox right-click on the image and select View Image to enlarge the image. That goes for all the large images. Created using my LookingUp program.
10/11/2016 – Ephemeris – Looking at the Moon tonight
Ephemeris for Tuesday, October 11th. The Sun will rise at 7:53. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 10 minutes, setting at 7:04. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 3:26 tomorrow morning.
We looked at the Moon in the last program, now 24 hours later the sunrise terminator has moved farther west, our east uncovering more landscape. The Moon rotates once in about 29 ½ days in relation with the Sun. This is the same time it orbits the Earth from new Moon to the next. We call that a lunation or lunar month. Near the upper left corner of the Moon is what looks like a half crater. It’s called Sinus Iridium, the Bay of Rainbows. It’s at the edge of Mare Imbrium or Sea of Showers. To the south cut by the terminator is Oceanus Procellarum, the flat Ocean of Storms. South of that is the small Mare Humorum, the Sea of Vapors. Between then is a distinctive crater Gassendi. South of all that is the odd shaped crater Schiller.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Moon at 9 p.m. October 11, 2016. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas.
Sinus Iridium photographed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter as texture mapped on the globe of the Virtual Moon Atlas.
The crater Gassendi from Apollo 16 – NASA
The craters Schickard and Schiller as seen from above from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The Sun will start to rise on Schickard tomorrow night. Credit NASA from Virtual Moon Atlas.
10/10/2016 – Ephemeris – Checking out the gibbous Moon tonight
Ephemeris for Indigenous Peoples Day*, Monday, October 10th. The Sun will rise at 7:52. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 13 minutes, setting at 7:06. The Moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 2:20 tomorrow morning.
The Moon is beginning to dominate the evening sky. So it’s time to get out that telescope or powerful binoculars. The terminator which now is the sunrise line will be cutting through the Sea of Showers, also known as Mare Imbrium. Just south of it is the large crater Copernicus, 56 miles (93 km) in diameter. Copernicus, near the Moon’s equator hit a flat lunar sea, so it’s quite conspicuous. Another crater near the Moon’s south pole is conspicuous because it’s so big. It’s Clavius, with an arc of diminishing sized craters within. It is 136 miles (225 km) in diameter. In the book and movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, it is the location of the US Moon Base, with the monolith in the distinctive crater Tycho north of it.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Moon at 9 p.m. October 10, 2016, with the landmarks described in the text above,
* Indigenous Peoples Day – This is officially the Columbus Day holiday in the United States, which commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus possibly on Plana Cay, which he named San Salvador. While in his four voyages he visited some Caribbean islands, Central and South America. He never made it to North America. Columbus was appointed the Viceroy and Governor of the Indies. He was accused of torture and other crimes. And the treatment of the Indigenous peoples as been horrific then and ever since, so pardon them if they don’t celebrate Columbus Day. This person of European ancestry tends to agree with them.
10/07/2016 – Ephemeris – Busy astronomical weekend in Traverse City
Ephemeris for Friday, October 7th. The Sun will rise at 7:48. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 22 minutes, setting at 7:11. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 11:30 this evening.
This is another busy weekend for the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. Tonight there will be a general meeting of the society at 8 p.m. followed by a star party at 9 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory, located on Birmley Road south of Traverse City, to which all are welcome. The featured speaker for the meeting will be Randy Leach presenting Astrophotography for the Average Guy. Photographing the sky without spending big bucks. Tomorrow evening members of the society will be on the north side of the 200 block of East Front street in Traverse City with their telescopes for the International Observe the Moon Night. We’ll start at 7 p.m. if it’s clear.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Substitute speaker: Yours truly: Personal recollections of 4 total solar eclipses and a look ahead at next year’s eclipse.
10/06/2016 Ephemeris – Viewing the Moon tonight
Ephemeris for Thursday, October 6th. The Sun will rise at 7:47. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 25 minutes, setting at 7:13. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 10:44 this evening.
Tonight the waxing crescent Moon will appear between Saturn on the right and Mars on the left. In a small telescope the Sea of Tranquility is now mostly in daylight. The Sun will rise on the Apollo 11 landing site about one this afternoon. The landing site cannot be seen from the Earth, it’s artifacts are too small. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has to get down to about 15 miles altitude to photograph them. The craters of Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina are seen to the south of Tranquility. Just south of them there looks like a wrinkle in the Moon surface. It’s the Altai Scarp, which is named for the Altai mountains of central Asia. The three craters border the small Sea of Nectar. The lunar seas are basins of solidified lava.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Moon Chart for tonight (October 6, 2016) at 9 p.m. showing the areas discussed above. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas.’
The Apollo 11 landing site in one photograph by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. There are many with varying Sun angles in the Internet. Search for: Apollo 11 LRO images. Credit NASA.
10/04/2016 – Ephemeris – The bright planets score: three in the evening and one in the morning
Ephemeris for Wednesday, October 5th. The Sun will rise at 7:46. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 28 minutes, setting at 7:15. The Moon, 4 days before first quarter, will set at 10:04 this evening.
Mercury is seen in the morning now, rising at 6:21 today, and should be high enough to be visible between 7 and 7:30 this morning low in the east if it’s clear. Venus, Saturn and Mars are in the evening sky. Venus is briefly visible after sunset, low in the west-southwest. It will set at 8:28 p.m., following the Sun’s earlier setting times. Mars, Saturn and the star Antares start the evening in the southwestern sky in a lengthening triangle, with Saturn on top and Antares below. Mars is way out to the left of the other two. Tonight Saturn will be about 10 of the Moon’s diameter to the left of the crescent Moon. Saturn, spectacular in telescopes with its rings, will set at 10 p.m. and Mars will set at 11:18 p.m.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Mercury in the east at 7 a.m. this morning, October 5, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
Venus, low in west-southwest with the Moon (enlarged to show phase), Saturn and Mars at 7:35 p.m. (20 minutes after sunset). Created using Stellarium.
The Moon, Saturn, Antares and Mars with the low constellations in the southwest at 8:30 p.m. October 5, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might appear in binoculars at 8:30 p.m. October 5, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
Saturn and some of its moons at 8:30 p.m. October 5, 2016. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Planets and Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on October 5, 2016. The night ends on the left with sunrise on October 6. If you are using Firefox right-click on the image and select View Image to enlarge the image. That goes for all the large images. Created using my LookingUp program.
10/04/2016 – Ephemeris – Celestial dolphin and Cupid’s arrow
Ephemeris for Tuesday, October 4th. The Sun will rise at 7:45. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 31 minutes, setting at 7:16. The Moon, 4 days past new, will set at 9:28 this evening.
There’s two small constellations I’ve overlooked in the heat of Summer. Located above the southernmost star of the Summer Triangle of three of the brightest stars in the sky, which is nearly overhead at 9 p.m., is the tiny constellation of Delphinus the dolphin, which is seen high in the south. Delphinus’ 6 stars in a small parallelogram with a tail, really does look like a dolphin leaping out of the water. The parallelogram itself has the name Job’s Coffin. The origin of this asterism or informal constellation is unknown. Of the dolphin itself: the ancient Greeks appreciated this aquatic mammal as we do. There’s another tiny constellation to the right of Delphinus, Sagitta the arrow, which represents Cupid’s dart.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Delphinus and Sagitta seen in an animation showing them without captions, with stick constellations, labeled, and as an artist sees them. Created using Stellarium.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 