Archive
09/23/2016 – Ephemeris – Solar observing available at the Acme Fall Festival tomorrow
Ephemeris for Friday, September 23rd. The Sun will rise at 7:31. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 5 minutes, setting at 7:37. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 1:02 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow members of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be at the Acme Fall Festival at the Flintfields Horse Park, 6535 Bates Rd., just north of M72 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Members will be viewing the Sun with telescopes equipped with solar filters and a special solar telescope which can view the Sun in the light of just the element hydrogen to see solar structures just above the bright ball of the Sun we usually see. This requires clear skies. The fat waning crescent moon should also be visible in the morning. Besides viewing the society will have displays showing the wonders of the heavens. Members will be there to answer your questions about astronomy and telescopes.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
09/09/2016 – Ephemeris – There’s a star party tomorrow at the NMC Rogers Observatory
Ephemeris for Friday, September 9th. The Sun will rise at 7:15. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 48 minutes, setting at 8:03. The Moon, at first quarter today, will set at 12:50 tomorrow morning.
For the sixth weekend in a row the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host an observing event. Just one this weekend. It will be a star party at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory tomorrow night, Saturday night the 10th from 9 to 11 p.m. The observatory’s and GTAS members telescopes will be used to view the Moon and the planets Saturn and Mars. Some of the brighter deep-sky objects of the summer sky will also be visible. There will be an alternate program available if it’s cloudy. Last weekend’s star party , out at the Sleeping Bear Dunes was a perfectly clear night with and nearly 1800 folks showed up to view the wonders of the Milky Way. The society and the park thank all who attended.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
08/02/2016 – Ephemeris – Two events for the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, September 2nd. The Sun will rise at 7:06. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 9 minutes, setting at 8:16. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 9:00 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 Dr. David Penney who will talk about Late Pleistocene Fauna and Extinction and its possible astronomical cause. Saturday there will be a star party at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Dune Climb starting at 9 p.m. Both star parties will feature the star clusters and nebulae found in the Milky Way, and views of Saturn and Mars. The dunes are the darkest spot around.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
08/26/2016 – Ephemeris – Friday Night Live tonight, Star Party tomorrow
Ephemeris for Friday, August 26th. The Sun rises at 6:58. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 8:29. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:10 tomorrow morning.
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society finishes off August with another busy weekend. Tonight the society members will bring their telescopes to downtown Traverse City and Friday Night Live, staying after to view the planets Saturn and Mars if it’s clear. Saturn’s rings are, of course, spectacular. Tomorrow night society members will be at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory beginning at 9 p.m. for a star party viewing of the planets, especially Saturn. That later as it gets really dark, the summer Milky Way will appear with its great telescopic treasures. Tomorrow, right after sunset the planets Venus and Jupiter will appear very close together. Observers far south of us will have a better shot at it than we do.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Venus near Jupiter at 9 p.m., or a half hour after sunset, August 27, 2016. I doubt if you could see the Jovian satellites against the bright twilight. It all but requires a big lake or ocean horizon, or a location far south of northern Michigan to raise these planets higher in the sky. Created using Stellarium.
08/19/2016 – Ephemeris – Two astronomy outreach events tonight and tomorrrow
Friday, August 19th. The Sun rises at 6:50. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 8:41. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 9:29 this evening.
August is a busy month for the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society with events every weekend. Tonight the society members will bring their telescopes to downtown Traverse City and Friday Night Live, staying after to view the planets Saturn and Mars if it’s clear. Saturn’s rings are, of course , spectacular. Tomorrow night society members will be at the Kingsley Library for a twilight talk beginning at 8 p.m. followed by a star party in their parking lot. The twilight talk will introduce the telescope that’s being donated to the library by the society. The telescope is a small, simple to use table top model with a four and a half-inch aperture, great for viewing the Moon, bright planets and the wonders of the deep sky.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Viewing the Sun with a while light filter at Friday Night Live using Ron Uthe’s telescope at Friday Night Live. Credit Bob Moler
Ron Uthe (with the beard) explains that his telescope is pointed to Saturn in the 2013 Friday Night Live. Credit mine.
08/12/2016 – Ephemeris – Two events this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, August 12th. The Sun rises at 6:42. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 10 minutes, setting at 8:52. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 2:12 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will close out the Port Oneida Fair which is held by and at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It will be held at the Thoreson Farm on South Thoreson Road off M22, just west of Port Oneida road. From 4 to 6 p.m. there will be observation of the Sun through white-light filtered telescopes and a hydrogen-alpha filtered solar telescope. Then from 9 to 11 p.m. there will be viewing of the Moon and the bright planets including Mars and Saturn, and depending on sky condition, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury. There may be a few bright stragglers of the Perseid Meteor Shower to be seen. All this requires clear skies, so if in doubt check with the park at 231-326-4700, ext. 5005 for a voicemail message.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Also tonight if weather permits the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will participate in Friday Night Live on Front Street in downtown Traverse City. The society will be in its usual spot, in front of Orvis Streamside, a few stores west of the State Theater. The event will be from 5:30 to 9 p.m. where we will have exhibits and solar viewing if it’s clear. Telescopes will be available for viewing the Moon and Saturn after 9 p.m. if skies permit.
Star Party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Thoreson Farm August 2013. Credit Eileen Carlisle.
Looking at the Moon. Friday Night Live after hours.
08/05/2016 – Ephemeris – Star party at NMC’s Rogers Observatory tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, August 5th. The Sun rises at 6:34. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 28 minutes, setting at 9:02. The Moon, 3 days past new, will set at 10:31 this evening.
There will be a star party this evening at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory hosted by the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society and the NMC Astronomy Club starting at 9 p.m. On tap, if it’s clear, will be Jupiter and the Moon early, then Mars and Saturn. Mars will appear quite small. As it gets darker the stars will appear. Some will show companion stars, while between the stars, what we call deep sky objects will be seen. Clusters of stars, and nebulae which can be either the birthplaces of stars or markers of dying stars. While other galaxies can be spotted our eyes are dazzled by our galaxy, the Milky Way spanning the sky from northeast to the south, in which these other objects dwell. The months of August and September are the months when the heart of the Milky Way is best seen.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Milky Way from the Sleeping Bear Dunes last August by Mark Stewart.
This year Saturn and Mars will be in the picture. In this picture Saturn is low and to the right.
07/22/2016 – Ephemeris – Tomorrow is Astronomy Fest at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Ephemeris for Friday, July 22nd. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours even, setting at 9:19, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:19. The Moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 10:55 this evening.
Tomorrow the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will hold its first, possibly annual, Astronomy Fest. There will be events all afternoon and evening at several locations in the park. From one to three p.m. at the Platte River Campground Amphitheater, there will be talks by Dr. Jerry Dobek, director of the Northwestern College’s Rogers Observatory and NPS Science Intern Caprice Phillips concerning dark skies and how you can help. Park Ranger Marie Scott will give her Starry night program. And yours truly will give a talk about the astronomical discoveries of the last 100 years. From 4 to 6 p.m. telescopes will be set up at the Dune Climb to view the Sun, and from 9 to 11 p.m. Telescopes will be set up at Platte River Point. to view the planets and wonders of the summer skies.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/08/2016 – Ephemeris – Star party tomorrow night
Ephemeris for Friday, July 8th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 9:29, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:06. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 12:01 tomorrow morning.
Last Friday there was a wonderful star party at the Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. Tomorrow night starting at 9 p.m. the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society and the NMC Astronomy Club will strive for a repeat, featuring Jupiter, Mars and Saturn however this time adding the fat crescent Moon. Toward the end of the evening as darkness finally falls the telescopes will also seek out the brighter deep sky wonders among the stars. The observatory is located south of Traverse City, on Birmley Road. To keep up with all the astronomical events hosted by the Grand Traverse group and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore check out gtastro.org on the Internet.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/01/2016 – Ephemeris – Local astronomy event tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, July 1st. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 9:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:01. The Moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 4:36 tomorrow morning.
This evening the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host it’s monthly meeting at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory at 8 p.m. On tap will be yours truly with a program about the last 100 years of developments in astronomy. A most exciting century that I can only hope to touch the highlights. This happens to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. This is my out of town tryout before I give the same talk on the 23rd at the Visitors Center of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. At 9 p.m. there will be a star party at the observatory with the viewing of Jupiter, Mars and Saturn plus some of the brighter deep sky objects of summer after 10:30. The observatory is on Birmley road south of Traverse City.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 