Archive
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.
06/24/2016 – Ephemeris – View the planets tonight from Betsie Valley District Library, Thompsonville
Ephemeris for Friday, June 24th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:58. The Moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 12:18 tomorrow morning.
Tonight the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host a star party… well a planet party at the Betsie Valley District Library in Thompsonville, MI. It starts at 9 p.m. With what I like to call a twilight talk by yours truly, the subject of which will be the planets, especially the ones that will be visible tonight. In June with twilight seeming to last forever, we are fortunate to have the bright planets Jupiter, Mars and Saturn well placed for viewing, so we don’t need to have very dark skies. The twilight talk part will go ahead even if it’s cloudy. However forecast is for clear skies. 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. So come out rain or shine.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Photos from prior events
Scooter girl checking out the view through the rear finder of the society’s 25″ “Dobinator”. Credit staff of the Betsie Valley District Library.
A group of folks out to see the planets with the member’s and society’s telescopes. Credit staff of the Betsie Valley District Library. Note: The blob isn’t the Moon or a UFO, but an out of focus bug caught in the flash.
Youngster looking at a planet through a member’s telescope. Credit staff of the Betsie Valley District Library.
06/17/2016 – Ephemeris – Sun & Star Party Saturday at the Sleeping Bear Dunes
Ephemeris for Friday, June 17th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:31, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:56. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:58 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow afternoon and evening will be what we call a Sun & Star Party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This event will be at the Dune Climb. From 4 to 6 p.m., the Sun will be featured using two types of telescopes, one showing the sun’s photosphere in what we call white light, and another showing the chromosphere above it in the light of hydrogen giving a completely different view. Starting at 9 p.m. will be a star party, actually really a planet party, viewing the planets Jupiter, Mars and Saturn, plus the nearly full Moon. A twilight talk will be given at 9 p.m. on how astronomy has been changed in the last 100 years by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, for the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Two of the telescopes that will be used at the Sleeping Bear Dunes star party Saturday night. Taken at the transit of Mercury by Emmett Holmes, whose telescope is in the foreground.
Kids viewing the transit through the society’s Lunt hydrogen alpha solar telescope.
06/03/2019 – Ephemeris – Two local astronomical events on tap for this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, June 3rd. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 24 minutes, setting at 9:23, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:58. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 5:56 tomorrow morning.
There are two local astronomical events this weekend, starting this evening with the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society’s meeting tonight starting at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. The program will be by Becky Shaw about some current female astronomers. At 9 p.m. will be a star party. Tomorrow night, the 4th society members will be in the town of Arcadia for a star party at the ball field starting at 9 p.m. Turn right from Oak St off M22 to North Ridgewood Drive. The townships around the Arcadia Dunes are in the process of applying for International Dark Skies Community status. Though it won’t get dark until late, the planets Jupiter, Mars and Saturn will be featured.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
05/20/2016 – Ephemeris – Astronomical outreach events this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, May 20th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 1 minute, setting at 9:10. The Moon, 1 day before full, will set at 6:22 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:08.
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be part of two events this weekend. Saturday evening society members will be at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Dune Climb parking lot closest to the dune starting at 9 p.m. for a star party viewing the planets Jupiter, Mars and Saturn and the full moon. There will be some actual star observing too. Folks are urged to park in the last two rows. On Sunday the society will be part of the Northwestern Michigan College’s Barbecue, with telescopes to observer the Sun safely and exhibits of photographs and actual meteorites, and videos in the Health and Science Building. For those who missed it we’ll have photographs of last week’s transit of Mercury, and maybe a video or two.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Two of the telescopes that will be used at the Sleeping Bear Dunes star party Saturday night. Taken at the transit of Mercury by Emmett Holmes, whose telescope is in the foreground.
05/13/2016 – Ephemeris – GTAS Astronomy Day tomorrow
Ephemeris for Friday, May 13th. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 46 minutes, setting at 9:02. The Moon, at first quarter today, will set at 2:59 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the Sun will rise at 6:15.
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host a public viewing night for Astronomy Day tomorrow night, that’s Saturday the 14th, starting at 9 p.m. It will be at Northwestern Michigan College’s Joseph Rogers Observatory. If its clear the slightly gibbous moon will be featured along with Jupiter, Mars and the ringed planet Saturn and 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 these, twice monthly star parties at the observatory and sidewalk astronomy outings by members, to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and other locations are what they do.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Other thoughts
I was checking out the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) LASCO C3 animation and Venus is making an entrance from the right as it heads for superior conjunction on June 6. June 6? Hmm. Wasn’t that last transit or Venus on June 5th 2012. We and Venus should be near the line of nodes again, where the planes of our respective orbits cross. I cranked up Stellarium, and sure enough the Sun will occult Venus that day… Not that we could see it.
03/31/2016 – Ephemeris – Tomorrow night’s Astronomy Society meeting
Ephemeris for Thursday, March 31st. The Sun will rise at 7:24. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 45 minutes, setting at 8:09. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 3:39 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow night the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will hold it’s monthly meeting with a program featuring a graduate from Northwestern Michigan College and the astronomy program: Becky Shaw who will present a talk on Women in Astronomy. This is a third presentation of female astronomers, who have made important breakthroughs in astronomy. I especially recommend this for girls interested in the STEM fields, that is Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to find out the wonderful contributions these women have made. Astronomy, by the way encompasses all the STEM fields. The meeting starts at 8 p.m. and the observatory is located on Birmley Road, south of Traverse City. At 9 p.m. there will also be star party if it’s clear, viewing the planet Jupiter, the Great Orion Nebula, and other wonders of the heavens.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
02/04/2016 – Ephemeris – The Great Underwater Panther & Fun star contest tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, March 4th. The Sun will rise at 7:14. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 21 minutes, setting at 6:35. The Moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 4:47 tomorrow morning.
The Anishnabek people of the Great Lakes Region, which includes the Odawa and Chippewa Indians have two constellations of winter that I know of. The first is The Winter Maker which uses many of Orion’s stars plus Procyon the Little Dog Star. It rises in the eastern skies in the evening as winter is beginning. The second is the Great Underwater Panther. Which uses the stars of Leo the lion’s backward question mark as its tail and the small knot of stars that are the head of hydra the water snake below Cancer as its head. I imagine this constellation was a warning to youngsters to keep off the thinning ice of spring, lest they fall in and be snatched by the great underwater panther that lives down there.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Alternately showing Leo and Hydra of our “Western” constellation and the Anishinabek constellation of the Great Underwater Panther. Created using Stellarium. The constellation drawing of the panther is mine after Michael Wassegijig Price.
Starpardy Tonight!
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, so this year I’m calling it Starpardy. And I can… I play Alex Trebek for this one, my second outing. Professor Jerry Dobek will be scorekeeper and arbiter of the Final Starpardy response, which will be open-ended this time. So come, enjoy the fun.
After the quiz there will be, weather permitting, a star party, and clear or not Becky Shaw will be by to continue her series on female astronomers of history and present day.
02/05/2016 – Ephemeris – Women in astronomy night at the GTAS tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, February 5th. The Sun will rise at 7:57. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 5:56. The Moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 6:12 tomorrow morning.
Tonight there will be a meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory, featuring a graduate from NMC and the astronomy program: Becky Shaw who will present a talk Women in Astronomy. This is a second presentation of more female astronomers, the last was in November I especially recommend this for girls in school interested in the STEM fields, that is Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to find out the wonderful contributions these women have made. Astronomy, by the way encompasses all the STEM fields. The meeting starts at 8 p.m. and the observatory is located on Birmley Road, south of Traverse City. At 9 p.m. the will also be star party if it’s clear.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Appropriate to our speaker’s topic: In the news now is Smith’s Cloud, discovered by Gail Smith (now Gail Bieger-Smith) in 1963 as an astronomy student at Leiden University in the Netherlands. In new studies with the Green Bank (Radio) Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope the velocity and composition of the cloud has been measured. It somehow was ejected from the Milky Way some 70 million years ago, but it’s coming back! In 30 million years it will crash back in, hitting the Milky Way’s other gas clouds and will probably cause a burst of star formation of maybe 2 million new stars.
Smith’s cloud superimposed on the Milky Way. Smith’s Cloud is only visible at radio wavelengths, while the Milky Way shown is a visible photograph. Credit: Saxton/Lockman/NRAO/AUI/NSF/Mellinger.
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