Archive
06/06/11 – Ephemeris – The moon tonight
Monday, June 6th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 25 minutes, setting at 9:24. The moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 12:50 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:58.
The moon tonight is a fat crescent. In binoculars the small Sea of Crises is prominently located as a gray patch at the edge of the moon. The Sea of Fertility is below it, while the sea of Tranquility is between them and near the terminator, the sunrise line on the moon. In telescopes there are three craters south of Tranquility, most prominent of which is Theophilus. With its prominent central peak. Farther to the north of Crises and near the terminator is the crater Posidonus, larger than Theophilus, but has a double crater wall on one side. Larger telescopes can see cracks in its floor . It has no central peak, and shows its age of maybe three and a half billion years.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The moon on June 6, 2011 - Virtual Moon Atlas
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.
05/31/11 – Ephemeris – June preview
Tuesday, May 31st. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 18 minutes, setting at 9:19. The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 5:38 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:00.
Let’s preview June skies. There will be a lot of sun in June and very little night. The daylight hours will increase a bit from 15 hours and 19 minutes tomorrow to 15 hours and 33 minutes on the 21st, retreating back to 15 hours 30 minutes at month’s end. At this time of the year the sunset times for Ludington, Interlochen, Petoskey and Mackinaw City are very nearly the same. However the sunrise times are at their most divergent. With Ludington’s sunrise being 14 minutes later than Mackinaw City’s. The altitude of the sun above the southern horizon at local noon will hover around 68 to 69 degrees. Local noon, when the sun is actually due south will occur at about 1:43 p.m. Here’s what we’ve been waiting for: Summer will start on the 21st at 1:16 p.m.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
05/30/11 – Ephemeris – The constellation Corona Borealis
Memorial Day, Monday, May 30th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 16 minutes, setting at 9:18. The moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 4:56 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:01.
High in the southeast east at 10:30 this evening can be seen a small nearly circular constellation of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. It is just below Boötes, the kite shaped constellation off the handle of the Big Dipper. According to Greek myth the crown was given by the gods to the princess Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete. The crown is more like a tiara with the bright star Gemma also known as Alphecca at the front. While stars suggest that the crown is diamond studded, however the meaning of Gemma, a blossom suggests that Corona Borealis is a floral crown. Corona’s most famous star isn’t even visible to the unaided eye. It is R Coronae Borealis, a variable star, which appears to be surrounded by a dust cloud.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Corona Borealis with Boötes at 10:30 p.m. on May 30th. Created with Stellarium.
05/27/11 – Ephemeris – Spica, some thoughts about its future
Friday, May 27th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 12 minutes, setting at 9:15. The moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:27 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:03.
Yesterday I talked about Spica the bright star to the lower left of Saturn in the evening now. Spica is actually two very massive and hot stars orbiting each other in 4 days. One is 10 times the sun’s mass while the other is 7 times the sun’s mass. The more massive one will run out of hydrogen in its core first and begin to bloat in size. As it does so it will begin to transfer mass to the other star and speed up its evolution. The resulting show should be spectacular when seen at a safe distance. I’m not sure the stars 260 light year distance is safe enough. But we have many millions of years to wait before things get interesting, and that’s fine with me. What seems to be a silent, seemingly changeless sky can hide dramatic happenings.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Being only an amateur astronomer the above is rank speculation with no proof that the proposed events will happen. But it’s fun to think about.
Follow the Spike to Spica, 5/26/2011
05/26/11 – Ephemeris – The bright star Spica
Thursday, May 26th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 10 minutes, setting at 9:14. The moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 3:04 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:03.
The bright star below and left of the planet Saturn these evenings is the 15th brightest night time star in the sky, called Spica. I’ve found that some pronounce it “Speeka”. Either is correct. It is the stalk of wheat the constellation Virgo is holding. Spica is actually two stars in a tight 4 day orbit of each other. They are both reasonably matched in mass and brightness. Astronomers give it a spectral type B which is a slightly blue star. I found out that once photographing a lunar eclipse near Spica, The star came out very blue. The twin stars of Spica are 260 light years away. I’m glad the stars are young now. They will have a very interesting future as they age and interact in the next few million years.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Follow the Spike to Spica, 5/26/2011
Note the unlables Saturn near Spics. The cross near the handle of the Big Dipper ro tail of Ursa major is the zenith at 11 p.m.
05/25/11 – Ephemeris – The bright planets this week.
Wednesday, May 25th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 8 minutes, setting at 9:13. The moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 2:42 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:04.
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 southeast 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 10:13 p.m. and will set at 4:08 a.m. The morning planet traffic jam is breaking up. Rising first will be Jupiter at 4:28 a.m. in the east. Mars will rise at 5:13 followed by Venus 3 minutes later. Unless we have very clear skies and you have a very flat eastern horizon, you’d have to wait until maybe 5:15 or later to try to spot Venus. It will take binoculars to first locate them.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
05/24/11 – Ephemeris – The bright star Arcturus
Tuesday, May 24th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 6 minutes, setting at 9:13. The moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 2:21 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:05.
Very high in the southeastern sky at 10:30 is found the kite shaped constellation of Boötes the herdsman, chasing or herding the Great Bear Ursa Major of which the Big Dipper is the hind end, across the sky. The bright star at the base of the kite is the 4th brightest night time star Arcturus. It can be found and name remembered by first locating the Big Dipper and by following the arc or curve of the handle to Arcturus. This star is an orange colored giant star, 37 light years away. Its light was used open the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair believing its light left the star in 1893 the year of the previous Chicago Worlds Fair. It turns out that Arcturus is 3 light years closer than what they thought.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
