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08/23/2013 – Ephemeris – Sidewalk astronomy at Friday Night Live tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, August 23rd. The sun rises at 6:54. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 39 minutes, setting at 8:34. The moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 9:42 this evening.
Tonight the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be down on Front Street in Traverse City for the last Friday Night Live of the year. The society sets up in front of Orvis Streamside, just west of the State Theater. The society will be setting up telescopes to view the sun. The society usually stays out until 10 pm or so to view Saturn and tonight possibly the moon. This will wrap up a busy August and summer for the society which saw 17 events since June, and 8 this month alone. The fun isn’t over. The society has five next month, including the Sleeping Bear Dunes at the Dune Climb, the Leland Heritage Celebration at Fish Town and the Acme Fall Festival. We end up October 21st, celebrating the 43rd anniversary of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Sun in hydrogen alpha light through the Society’s solar telescope.
Looking at the Moon. Friday Night Live after hours.
08/16/2013 – Ephemeris – Another weekend under the stars
Ephemeris for Friday, August 16th. The sun rises at 6:46. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 59 minutes, setting at 8:45. The moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 2:44 tomorrow morning.
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will have a busy weekend, though not as busy as last weekend where we had four events on four nights. It starts this evening with Friday Night Live, viewing the sun if it’s clear. The society sets up in front of Orvis Streamside, just west of the State Theater. After the event closes we’ll stay after to view the moon and possibly Venus and Saturn. Saturday evening from 9 to 11 p.m. The crew will be out at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory on Birmley Road, south of Traverse City for a Star Party, again with the moon, Venus and Saturn. Some of the brighter objects beyond the solar system, we call them deep sky objects, will be viewed if it’s clear.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
On Front Street after Friday Night Live.
08/09/2013 – Ephemeris – A weekend full of local astronomical events
Ephemeris for Friday, August 9th. The sun rises at 6:38. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 18 minutes, setting at 8:56. The moon, 3 days past new, will set at 9:55 this evening.
This weekend is packed with events by the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society starting tonight with Friday Night Live on Front Street in Traverse City. We’ll start by looking at the sun if it’s clear, and at Saturn as night falls. Tomorrow night its a Star Party and meteor watch at Thoreson Farm at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore see the map at http://www.gtastro.org for location. Sunday night it’s Meteors and S’mores at Leelanau State Park. The Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak between 2 and 4 Monday afternoon, but we’re already seeing its meteors, which seem to come from the northeastern sky. The moon really won’t interfere until Monday night before midnight, so this is an excellent year for the Perseid meteor shower.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Friday Nite Live
Map to Thoreson Farm, northeast of Glen Arbor.
08/02/2013 – Ephemeris – Star Party tonight!
Ephemeris for Friday, August 2nd. The sun rises at 6:30. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 35 minutes, setting at 9:06. The moon, half way from last quarter to new, will rise at 3:38 tomorrow morning.
Tonight the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society and the NMC Astronomy Club will host a star party at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory starting at 9 p.m. featuring, if it’s clear, the planets Venus and Saturn. Some of the wonders of the summer sky can be seen as it gets darker. There are sparkling binary stars and star clusters including the Great Globular Star Cluster in Hercules, the Wild Duck Cluster, the Ring Nebula, the expanding gasses of a dying star. There are also other wonders of the Milky Way to be seen. There will be a program if the skies are too cloudy to observe. The observatory is located south of Traverse City, on Birmley Road between Garfield and Keystone roads.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/23/2013 – Ephemeris – Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at the Lanphier Observatory tomorrow night
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 23rd. The sun rises at 6:19. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 9:17. The moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 9:38 this evening.
The Lanphier Observatory of the Leelanau School is open this summer from 10 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday and Thursday evenings until Labor Day but only if it’s clear. The Leelanau School is located off M22 east of Glen Arbor. The observatory is located at the edge of the beach. Tomorrow night the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be hosting the viewing night at the Lanphier Observatory. Celestial wonders to be viewed will be Venus and Saturn, plus some of the brighter wonders of the night sky beyond the solar system. My informal connection with the Lanphier Observatory goes back to 1975 shortly after the Ephemeris program began. It was a gift to the school by then summer resident Charles Lanphier.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/19/2013 – Ephemeris – Smile you’re on Candid Cassini Camera
Ephemeris for Friday, July 19th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 6 minutes, setting at 9:21. The moon, 3 days before full, will set at 3:55 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:16.
Between 5:27 and 5:42 p.m. today go outside and look to the southeast and smile. An hour and a half later when the light arrives the Cassini spacecraft, hiding from the sun behind Saturn will take a series of photographs that will include the Earth in the background. All of us, the Earth included will fit into one pixel in Cassini’s camera. This is a reprise of the famous back-lit photograph of Saturn taken earlier in its mission. Closer to home members of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be part of Kingsley Heritage Days Saturday and Sunday to view the sun if it’s clear. Also the society will host a star party at the NMC’s Rogers Observatory starting at 9 p.m. tomorrow night.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Saturn night side mosaic taken early in the mission. Note the pale blue dot at the 9:30 position outside the main rings and just inside the next fuzzy ring out. That’s Earth. Credit: NASA. Click on the image to enlarge.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Star Party 7/13/13 – Status
7 p.m.
It is a go! Setup starts at 8 or before. Sunset is at 9:28. The moon will be visible before that. See you there.
3:23 p.m
As of this time the weather looks great. Weather forecast is for clear skies!
07/12/2013 – Ephemeris – Star party at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore tomorrow night
Ephemeris for Friday, July 12th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 9:26. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 11:22 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:09.
Tomorrow night there will be a star party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore starting at 9 p.m. It will be hosted by the park rangers and the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. The location this time will be at Platte River Point at the end of Lake Michigan Road off M22, at the end of the road where the Platte River Camp Ground is.. The celestial objects featured will be Venus, Saturn and the crescent moon. Also some of the brighter deep sky wonders will be visible later in the evening. This will be the first use of the society’s new CCD camera to display celestial wonders to those who can’t view due to handicap. We still have some bugs to work out. The star party will be canceled if cloudy. Call 326-5135 extension 331 for the status.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/05/2013 – Ephemeris – Earth at aphelion and astronomy tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, July 5th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 9:30. The moon, 3 days before new, will rise at 4:52 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:04.
The earth is as far as it will get from the sun for the year today at 94.5 million miles. Speaking of the sun, the monthly meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory tonight will host local landscape architect Dean Conners an expert on sundials. He created the sundial in the Children’s Garden behind the District Library. who will talk about some interesting sundials. After the meeting at 9 p.m. there will be a star party at the observatory with the planets Venus and Saturn plus some of the bright wonders of the summer sky, like the Ring Nebula, The Great Hercules Globular Star Cluster if it’s clear. There’s other activities if it’s cloudy.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
06/07/2013 – Ephemeris – Learn about telescopes and observe the heavens this weekend.
Ephemeris for Friday, June 7th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 9:25. The moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:06 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:57.
This will be a busy weekend for anyone wanting to view the heavens. First the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 8 p.m. tonight at the Rogers Observatory. It will be a program about how to use telescopes. The session will be conducted by Rod Cortright of the Northern Michigan Astronomy Club. This will be followed by a star party at 9 p.m. where the featured attractions will be the planets Mercury, Venus and Saturn if its clear. Tomorrow night, that’s Saturday night there will be a star party at Sleeping Bear Dunes Pierce Stocking Drive, Stop number 3 starting at 9 p.m. Please park at Picnic Mountain, just before stop 3. The Dunes star party will take place if it’s clear or partly cloudy.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 