Archive
04/25/2014 – Ephemeris – Star parties this weekend in the Grand Traverse area
Ephemeris for Arbor Day, Friday, April 25th. The sun rises at 6:41. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 57 minutes, setting at 8:39. The moon, 3 days past last quarter, will rise at 5:11 tomorrow morning.
The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be holding two events this weekend, starting tonight. Tonight’s Star Party will be held at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Dune Climb parking lot. The event runs from 9 to 11 p.m. The event will be cancelled due to clouds. Check by calling the park if in doubt this afternoon. The second event will be a star party at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers observatory tomorrow night. That one runs also from 9 to 11 p.m. For that one rain or shine we will have scheduled a presentation on famous women astronomers presented by Becky Shaw. The observatory is located south of Traverse City, on Birmley road about a mile south of Hammond Road.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
09/13/2013 – Ephemeris – Star party this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, September 13th. The sun will rise at 7:19. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 37 minutes, setting at 7:56. The moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:41 tomorrow morning.
Saturday evening from 9 to 11 p.m. The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be out at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory on Birmley Road, south of Traverse City for a Star Party. There will be a glimpse of Venus and Saturn at the beginning of the evening. The moon will be a great sight in telescopes. The society’s CCD camera can show the detail on the moon so actual formations can be pointed out. The CCD camera was purchased by the society to allow the handicapped and folks afraid of ladders to view some of the heavenly objects from terra firma. Other telescopes will allow a direct view of the moon. Some of the brighter objects beyond the solar system, we call them deep sky objects, can also be viewed if it’s clear.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The moon at 9 p.m. September 14, 2013. We’ll take you on a tour Saturday night, Created using Virtual Lunar Atlas.
09/06/2013 – Ephemeris – Local astronomical opportunities this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, September 6th. The sun will rise at 7:11. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 58 minutes, setting at 8:09. The moon, 1 day past new, will set at 8:27 this evening.
This evening at the regular monthly meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society Dr. David Penney will give a talk about our stellar neighborhood, the most populous stars in which are red dwarf stars. No red dwarf star has died of old age since the big bang. Their life span is calculated to be in trillions of years. The meeting is at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. Starting at 9 p.m. there will be a star party at the observatory. Tomorrow night society will host a star party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore if its clear. Viewing starts at 9 p.m. at the parking lot of the Dunes Climb. This will be a good time to discover the star clusters and nebulae of the summer Milky Way.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The GTAS at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Platte River Point, April, 2012. Credit Eileen Carlisle.
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.
10/19/2012 – Ephemeris – Sky gazing opportunities in the Grand Traverse region.
Ephemeris for Friday, October 19th. The sun will rise at 8:03. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 46 minutes, setting at 6:50. The moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 10:20 this evening.
There are two chances for the public to observe the heavens this weekend. First is a Star Party at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory tomorrow night Saturday the 20th from 9 to 11 p.m.. The observatory is open rain or shine with a presentation, if its cloudy. Sunday the 21st the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will hold its last Star Party of the year at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore celebrating their 42nd anniversary. This event will run from 8 to 10 p.m. At the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive at Stop 3, the Dunes Lookout. Parking for this event should be at Picnic Mountain just before stop 3. For both events we’ll have the first quarter moon, and wonders of the autumn and even summer skies.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
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.
06/22/2012 – Ephemeris – A double header of astronomy events tomorrow
Ephemeris for Friday, June 22nd. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:31. The moon, 3 days past new, will set at 11:19 this evening. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:57.
Tomorrow the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will be part of two events. The first is Boardman River Nature Center’s Nature Fest. The society will have telescopes, including the new hydrogen alpha solar telescope, to view the sun and the public will be able to examine meteorites there from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. Then starting 9 p.m. Society members will be at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory for it’s second star party of the month featuring the planet Saturn and the moon plus some of the brighter wonders of the night sky as it gets darker. Star parties in June and early July start before sunset so there’s always some hands on kids activities that are lead by the NMC Astronomy Club.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
06/01/2012 – Ephemeris – Great local astronomical events this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, June 1st. Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 9:20. The moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:20 tomorrow morning. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:59.
There’s a chock full weekend of astronomical events this weekend. First, this evening the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will hold its monthly meeting at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. We’ll preview the Transit of Venus and will be viewing the sun with the society’s new solar telescope if it’s clear. Following at 9 p.m. is the observatory’s star party. Tomorrow evening starting at 9 will be a star party at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore at stop 3, the Dunes Overlook, on Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Both these star parties will feature the nearly full moon and the planets Mars and Saturn. Who knows, we might even spot Venus in twilight. No promises though.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
09/16/11 – Ephemeris – Astronomical observing events this weekend in northern Michigan
Friday, September 16th. The sun will rise at 7:22. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 29 minutes, setting at 7:51. The moon, half way from full to last quarter, will rise at 9:27 this evening.
This evening the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host a viewing night at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory starting at 9 p.m. The featured objects of the evening will be the planet Jupiter and the moon. Jupiter is the largest planet and has 65 satellites, of which the four discovered by Galileo are large enough to be easily seen. Three of these are larger than our moon. The observatory is located south of Traverse City, on Birmley Road between Garfield and Keystone roads. Also this weekend, tomorrow members of the society will bring their telescopes to the Leland Heritage Celebration to safely view the sun, which has recently become vary active. Times for this event are 10 a.m to 3 p.m.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
08/26/11 – Ephemeris – Observing events this weekend
Friday, August 26th. The sun rises at 6:57. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 8:30. The moon, 2 days before new, will rise at 5:10 tomorrow morning.
We have a couple of events this weekend to view the heavens hosted by the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. Starting at 9 p.m. tonight the Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory will be open for viewing of the wonders of the summer Milky Way. Then Saturday night starting around 9 if it is clear the society will be at the Open Space or near the beach west of there for an asteroid Vesta viewing night. We’ll be hunting for a dark spot probably as far as we can get from lights. We’ll have a banner visible from the Grand View Parkway to the area we’ll be in. We’ll be viewing 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.
* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 