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08/14/2015 – Ephemeris – Two events with an astronomical flavor this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, August 14th. The Sun rises at 6:43. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 6 minutes, setting at 8:50. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society (GTAS) will be at Friday Night Live* this evening in Traverse City and will stay after if its clear to view Saturn in the telescopes. Tomorrow night is something new. A group of people are applying to make the Arcadia Dunes a dark sky park or a dark sky community. The GTAS will help by holding a star party there tomorrow night starting at 9 p.m. The location is the Baldy Trailhead parking lot on M22, north of Arcadia. To find directions to the location using the Internet search for Arcadia Dunes to locate the Arcadia Dunes, C.S. Mott Nature Preserve which is owned by The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy where there are interactive maps to the trailheads. If the application is successful the GTAS may be there 4 times a year.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
*Friday Night Live is a block party on the 100 and 200 blocks of Front Street in Traverse City, MI which officially runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The GTAS usually stays later if it’s clear.
Addendum
Ron Uthe (with the beard) explains that his telescope is pointed to Saturn in the 2013 Friday Night Live. Credit mine.
Passers by look at the Moon through Gary Carlisle’s telescope in a 2013 Friday Night Live. Credit mine.
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.
07/20/2012 – Ephemeris – Astronomical events this weekend in the Grand Traverse Region
Ephemeris for Friday, July 20th. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 3 minutes, setting at 9:20. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 9:52 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:17.
This is another big weekend for the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. During the day tomorrow, Saturday the 21st members of the society will be in Kingsley for Kingsley Heritage Days to show the sun, if it’s clear, and have other hands on activities. Saturday night the members will set up telescopes at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for a star party. That will start at 9 p.m. at Platte River Point at the end of Lake Michigan Road off M22 between Frankfort and Empire. That event is weather dependent. If that’s too far to go the Northwestern Michigan College Astronomy Club will be hosting a star party at the Rogers Observatory south of Traverse City on Birmley Road. They will have interesting activities for the kids.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
One thing I omitted: We’ll be at Friday Night Live tonight on the 200 block of Front Street in Traverse City. Friday Night Live runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. We’ll be there later if its clear. Also Kingsley Heritage Days will also be on Sunday the 22nd.
08/19/11 – Ephemeris – Lots of viewing opportunities this weekend
Friday, August 19th. The sun rises at 6:49. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 52 minutes, setting at 8:41. The moon, 2 days before last quarter, will rise at 10:53 this evening.
This will be a big weekend of observing the heavens if it’s clear. First the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be part of Friday Night Live on Front Street in Traverse City. Starting at 9 p.m. Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory will be open for viewing of the skies. Saturday night starting around 9 the society will be at the Open Space for an asteroid Vesta viewing night. This will be repeated on the 27th. We’ll probably be as far as we can get from lights in the area of the old power planet to view this asteroid which is currently being orbited by the dawn spacecraft. It will look like a star in our telescopes, but one of our members has a piece of Vesta which he will exhibit also at the Open Space.
* 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.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 