Archive
07/21/2022 – Ephemeris – Observing the heavens from the shore of Sleeping Bear Bay
This is Ephemeris for Thursday, July 21st. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 3 minutes, setting at 9:20, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:18. The Moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 1:35 tomorrow morning.
There’s an observatory on the shores of Sleeping Bear Bay near Glen Arbor that is open to the public twice a week on clear nights. It’s the Leelanau School’s Lanphier Observatory, which is open Wednesday and Thursday evenings weather permitting from 10 p.m. to midnight through August 25th. The Leelanau School is located at 1 Old Homestead Road, off M22, just north of Glen Arbor. The Observatory is behind the Student Center and across the Crystal River. It’s a bit of a hike. It will help to take a flashlight for heading back in the dark. The observatory dome contains a 14-inch telescope on a computerized mount, and smaller telescopes may be available on the observatory deck. The observatory is run by Norm Wheeler, retired instructor of the school. Get there early to enjoy the sunset on Lake Michigan.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Lanphier Observatory from the trail leading up to it. It’s just off the beach. Beside observing from the main telescope in the dome, there is observation of the constellations and Milky Way from the deck. Credit: Bob Moler.
07/12/2016 – Ephemeris – The Lanphier Observatory is open twice a week during the a summer
Ephemeris for Tuesday, July 12th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 18 minutes, setting at 9:27, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:10. The Moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:53 tomorrow morning.
There’s an observatory on the shores of Sleeping Bear Bay near Glen Arbor that is open to the public twice a week on clear nights. It’s the Leelanau School’s Lanphier Observatory, which is open Wednesday and Thursday evenings weather permitting from 10 p.m. to midnight until Labor Day. The Leelanau School is located at 1 Old Homestead Road, off M22. The Observatory is behind the Student Center and across the Crystal River. The observatory dome contains a 14 inch telescope on a computerized mount, and smaller telescopes may be available on the observatory deck. The observatory is run by Norm Wheeler, recently retired instructor. Get there early to enjoy the sunset on Lake Michigan.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Lanphier Observatory. From the Leelanau School website.
The dome interior with the 14 inch telescope and the computerized mount. From the Leelanau School website.
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.
07/28/11 – 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.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 