Archive
07/28/11 – Ephemeris – GTAS Night at the Lanphier Observatory
Thursday, July 28th. The sun rises at 6:24. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 48 minutes, setting at 9:12. The moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 5:08 tomorrow morning.
The Lanphier Observatory in Glen Arbor is open Wednesday and Thursday nights through August but only on clear evenings from 10 to midnight. The observatory is located close to the beach at the Leelanau School, just east of Glen Arbor on M22. I was asked by Norm Wheeler, who is the director of the observatory to help him out tonight, so I’m also inviting the crew over from the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society to help out with me. The Delta Aquarid meteor shower is reaching peak around now. These will seem to come from the southeast in the morning. Also beginning to show themselves in the Perseid meteor shower. The full moon will dim their maximum on August 12th, but early meteors can be seen from now until then when the moon isn’t up.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/22/11 – Ephemeris – 8 days and nights of astronomy outreach
Friday, July 22nd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 1 minute, setting at 9:19. The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 12:22 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:18.
Tonight is the first of three appearances of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at Friday Night Live on Front Street in Traverse City. We’re usually stationed a few doors west of the State Theater. If it’s clear we’ll have telescopes looking at the sun. Solar activity is picking up with more sunspots visible than last year. The society will also be there next Friday along with three other events next week. On Wednesday the 27th we’ll be at Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay for a dinner, dessert, a twilight talk and viewing of the stars. On Thursday its the GTAS at the Lanphier Observatory in Glen Arbor. Saturday we’ll be at stop 3 on Pierce Stocking Drive at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/15/11 – Ephemeris – Inland Seas Summer Festival
Friday, July 15th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 13 minutes, setting at 9:25. The moon, at full today, will rise at 9:32 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:12.
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be part of the Inland Seas Summer Festival tomorrow in Suttons Bay. If it’s clear we’ll be viewing the sun. We’ll also have exhibits including meteorites and hands on activities. July is a big month for the society with Friday Night Live appearances on the 22nd and 29th. That last week of July will also see society members at Black Star Farms, The Lanphier Observatory in Glen Arbor and at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. As far as viewing the sun goes, our telescopes are equipped with safe filters that fit over the front of our telescopes and provide a safe viewing experience. Plus this year the sun is coming alive with sunspots as a new sunspot cycle is starting. It should reach peak in 2013.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
07/08/11 – Ephemeris – Viewing night Saturday at the Rogers Observatory
Friday, July 8th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 9:29. The moon, at first quarter today, will set at 1:14 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:06.
Tomorrow evening there will be a viewing night at Northwestern Michigan College’s Joseph H. Rogers Observatory. On tap if it’s clear will be Saturn and the moon plus the brighter deep sky objects, that is telescopic objects that are beyond the solar system. Saturn is the planet to see in a telescope with it’s fantastic rings. The moon will reveal its wonders including the great Copernicus crater, 56 miles wide and two miles deep with a triple central peak and terraced walls. The observatory hill is also good vantage point to view the Cherry Festival fireworks where they’re not so loud. 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//01/11 – Ephemeris – Meteorite program at the GTAS
Friday, July 1st. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 30 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon is new today, and won’t be visible. | Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:01.
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 is visiting this month. 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.
06/24/11 – Ephemeris – Local astronomical events this weekend
Friday, June 24th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 1:54 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:58.
This weekend we’ll have a night and a day of viewing courtesy of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. Tonight the Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory will be open for viewing starting at 9 p.m. It won’t get dark until after 10 p.m. The planet Saturn, colorful binary stars and some of the brighter deep sky objects later on may be seen if its clear. Saturday, society members will bring their telescopes for viewing the sun and meteorites to the Boardman River Nature Center’s Nature Fest. They’re at, 1450 Cass Road from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Last week’s viewing at Platte River Point was great. Despite gray skies, we spotted the star Arcturus and our main objective, Saturn and had a turnout of 40 people.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
06/17/11 – Ephemeris – Viewing at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Friday, June 17th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:30. The moon, 2 days past full, will rise at 11:02 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:56.
Tomorrow, that’s Saturday night the 18th, Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host the first of five viewing nights at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This one will be held at Platte River Point, at the mouth of the Platte River. We’ll be setting up telescopes around 8:30. Sunset will be about 9:30 and we expect to see Saturn and the first stars about 10 to 10:15 p.m. We’ll be there up to midnight depending on the crowds, and clear skies. Our next viewing opportunity at the Dunes will be July 30th at the Dunes overlook, stop 3 on Pierce Stocking Drive. We’ll also have evenings in August at the Port Oneida Fair, September, and October for the Lakeshore’s 41st Anniversary.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Note: Platte River Point can be googled for the location.
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.
05/20/11 – Ephemeris – Astronomy events this weekend in the Grand Traverse area
Friday, May 20th. Today the sun will be up for 14 hours and 59 minutes, setting at 9:08. The moon, 3 days past full, will rise at 12:30 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:08.
This weekend there are some local astronomical events It starts tonight with a viewing night at Northwestern Michigan’s Rogers Observatory with Saturn as the object best seen if it’s clear.. While the observatory opens at 9 p.m. Saturn itself will not be visible until after 9:30 due to the late sunset this time of year. The college has started to charge a fee for these event: $2 per person or $5 per family, something the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society has long opposed. Sunday the Astronomical Society will host exhibits at the NMC barbecue in the science building, plus viewing the sun if it’s clear. The society has many events this summer held at various venues around the area. Check gtastro.org for a schedule.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
05/06/11 – Ephemeris – Saturns rings and Astronomy Day
Friday, May 6th. The sun rises at 6:26. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 8:52. The moon, 3 days past new, will set at 12:25 tomorrow morning.
This evening Northwestern Michigan College’s professor emeritus “Doc” H.G. Smith will present a program on Saturn’s rings at this evening’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society starting at 8 p.m. at the college’s Rogers Observatory. The Cassini spacecraft has given us some amazing images of those rings. Tomorrow evening starting at 9 p.m. the Society along with the NMC Astronomy Association will host a public viewing night at the observatory. On tap, if it’s clear, will be the planet Saturn and the crescent moon. Tomorrow is also Astronomy Day, and we’ll have some special exhibits and programs related to that. 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.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 