Archive
06/14/2019 – Ephemeris – I’m giving the talk Apollo and the Race to the Moon tonight at the Library in Thompsonville
Ephemeris for Flag Day, Friday, June 14th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:29, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:56. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:55 tomorrow morning.
Tonight the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host a star party… well a Moon party at the Betsie Valley District Library in Thompsonville, MI. It starts at 8:30 p.m. With what I like to call a twilight talk by yours truly, the title of which is Apollo and the Race to the Moon. I’ll explore the Apollo 11 mission and the events leading up to it both in the United States and the USSR. The bright Moon tonight will uncover all the Apollo landing areas, even though there too small to be seen from the Earth, though they will be shown in the presentation. Twilight talks at the library also involves a slide or planetarium-like presentation, so if it’s cloudy we’ll also explore the starry nights of summer inside. So come out clear or cloudy.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Comparison between The United States Saturn V and the Soviet N-1. Click on the Image to enlarge. Credit Karl Tate, Space.com.
06/07/2019 – Ephemeris – My presentation and viewing opportunities this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, June 7th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 9:25, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:57. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 1:23 tomorrow morning.
I will be giving a presentation Apollo and the race to the Moon tonight at this evening’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. The 1960’s were a heady time in the undeclared race with the Soviet Union for supremacy in space, where it seemed that the US was continually playing catch up. In 1968 spy satellites showed that the Soviets had a massive rocket ready to go. After the meeting there will be a star party starting at 9 p.m.
Tomorrow there will be weather permitting a Sun and Star Party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes Dune Climb from 4 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. Both nights feature the Moon and Jupiter.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
A Sun Party at the Dune Climb. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
Preparing to start the May star party 3 years ago at the Dune Climb. A few of the telescopes are visible including the GTAS 25″ “Emmettron” telescope at the far right. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
05/24/2019 – Ephemeris – Star party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore tomorrow night
Ephemeris for Friday, May 24th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 7 minutes, setting at 9:13, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:05. The Moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 2:13 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow evening the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for observations of the heavens in what we call a star party. The location on Saturday will be the Dune Climb. Hazy or partly cloudy skies are acceptable. The night will start at 9 p.m. with an introduction by the rangers and a twilight talk by a member of the society of what will be visible and why the Sun sets so late now. As the stars appear in the twilight telescopes will be pointed to them to see their colors and what they mean. By 10:30 the constellations will be visible enough to view the wonders they contain and the ancient stories they represent.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Preparing to start the May star party 3 years ago at the Dune Climb. A few of the telescopes are visible including the GTAS 25″ “Emmettron” telescope at the far right in the background. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
05/10/2019 – Ephemeris – The Astronomy Day event in the Grand Traverse Region
Ephemeris for Friday, May 10th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 37 minutes, setting at 8:58, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:19. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 2:41 tomorrow morning.
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host a public viewing night for International Astronomy Day tomorrow night, that’s Saturday the 11th, starting at 9 p.m. It will be at Northwestern Michigan College’s Joseph Rogers Observatory. If its clear the first quarter Moon will be featured along with other wonders of the spring sky. The observatory is located south of Traverse City, on Birmley Road between Garfield and Keystone roads. For the society members these, normally monthly star parties at the observatory are part of their outreach. They include sidewalk astronomy outings like Friday Night Live, and International Observe the Moon Night, to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and other locations.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
05/03/2019 – Ephemeris – How do you take a picture of a black hole? Find out tonight.
Ephemeris for Friday, May 3rd. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 8:49, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:28. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:44 tomorrow morning.
Nearly a month ago the world was presented with the news and the image that the Earth spanning Event Horizon Telescope captured a picture of a black hole 55 million light years away. Tonight NMC Professor Jerry Dobek will explain how it was done at tonight’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory starting at 8 p.m. He will explain how simultaneous observations of the black hole by 8 separate sub-millimeter radio telescopes that were separately recorded on disk. The disks were brought and processed together to produce the image. Starting at 9 p.m. if it’s clear there will be a star party featuring the brighter wonders of the darkening sky.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The first image of the black hole in M87. Credit Event Horizon Telescope.
04/05/2019 – Ephemeris – Starpardy Quiz at tonight’s meeting of the GTAS
Ephemeris for Friday, April 5th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 8:15, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:14. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
An astronomical quiz between the astronomy students and members of the Northwestern Michigan College Astronomy Club vs. the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be held tonight at 8 p.m. at the NMC Observatory. Folks attending can watch and learn or join one of the teams. The format is that of the popular Jeopardy show. These quizzes used to be called Star Bowls, after the old College Bowl TV shows. It’s been morphed into the Jeopardy format over the years. The answers and questions are on basic astronomy: constellations, planets, the Earth, astronomical history, current events and the dreaded potpourri. So come, enjoy the fun. After the quiz there will be, weather permitting, a star party
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
03/01/2019 – Ephemeris – GTAS topic tonight: Spring sky wonders
Ephemeris for Friday, March 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 6:30, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:18. The Moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 5:23 tomorrow morning.
I will be previewing the skies of Spring this evening at this evening’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society (GTAS) at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. The spring stars seem to get away from us with the rapid advance of sunset and the big bump of daylight saving time on the tenth. After the meeting there will be a star party starting at 9 p.m. On tap if its clear will be Orion and its great nebula, a star nursery only 1400 light years away. It will be a wonderful sight with its clouds and wisps of gas and dust illuminated by a clutch of hot baby stars. The Observatory is located south of Traverse City on Birmley Road off either Garfield or Keystone roads.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The constellations of spring with some constellations of winter leaving to the west and those of summer entering from the east. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.
02/21/2019 – Ephemeris – Greenspire School’s STEM Night is tonight
Ephemeris for Thursday, February 21st. Today the Sun will be up for 10 hours and 45 minutes, setting at 6:19, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:32. The Moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 9:05 this evening.
Tonight the Greenspire School is sponsoring its annual STEM Night from 6 to 8 p.m. at the school on Red Drive at the Grand Traverse Commons. Red Drive is a block west of Silver Drive that connects to Silver Lake Road at Franke Road. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be there for the sixth year with Gary Carlisle finding out what comets are made of by helping the kids create dry ice comets. We’ll have other exhibits too, and telescope kits to raffle off. Other exhibitors have hands on activities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for the whole family. There’s also cookies and hot chocolate.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Grand Traverse Astronomical Society members at STEM Night. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
02/01/2019 – Ephemeris – The annual Telescope Clinic tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, February 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 9 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:51, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:00. The Moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 6:40 tomorrow morning.
Did you or someone in your family get a telescope for Christmas, or have one in a closet or attic because you don’t know how to put it together or how to operate it? Or maybe you are trying to figure out which one to buy. Well, tonight’s your night. The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host a telescope clinic at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory on Birmley Road, south of Traverse City starting at 8 p.m. Telescope experts from the society will help you set up your telescope and give you observing tips. So bring ’em if you’ve got ’em. If it’s clear, at 9 p.m., there will be a star party to try out your telescope, or try them out on the lights of Traverse City. Can’t make it? We can help you after any meeting.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 