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Ephemeris: 09/15/2023 – Rare Friday star party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes

September 15, 2023 Comments off

This is Ephemeris for Friday, September 15th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 7:53, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:22. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 8:20 this evening.

Weather permitting, a sun and star party will be held tonight at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore at the Dune Climb. The solar part will start at 5 pm, while the evening viewing will start around 8:30 pm. These events will be hosted by the park rangers and the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society, who will bring their telescopes to view the heavens, including the planet Saturn and the wonders of the summer Milky Way. The telescopes will be setup in the parking area closest to the dune. As twilight fades Saturn will be about the only object to view, as it gets darker more and more wonders of the Milky Way will be seen. They include star clusters and nebulae, clouds of gas and dust. And maybe we’ll get a peek at the galaxy next door, the Great Andromeda Galaxy.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT –4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Preparing to start the star party
Preparing to begin a star party at the Dune Climb. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
The Milky Way from Cygnus to Scutum
The Milky Way from Cygnus to Scutum. This image, actually a stack of 5 images. To the naked eye all the faint stars merge their light into the familiar milky glow. Featured here is the Great Rift, a series of dust clouds that split the Milky Way into two sections. Credit Bob Moler (me).

Categories: Ephemeris Program, GTAS Outreach Event Tags: , , ,