Archive
12/06/2019 – Ephemeris – I’m giving a talk tonight: Cosmology and Astronomy in the Bible
Ephemeris for Friday, December 6th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 57 minutes, setting at 5:02, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:06. The Moon, 2 days past first quarter, will set at 3:02 tomorrow morning.
This evening yours truly will present one of his annual Christmas programs at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory starting at 8 p.m., the monthly meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. The talk is Cosmology and Astronomy in the Bible. In Genesis and elsewhere we have descriptions of the earth and the heavens. We’ll look at what the ancient Hebrews thought of the structure of the universe from the Bible and other writings. Tomorrow evening we will also have a Star Party from 9 to 11 p.m. This will be the last viewing night of the year. If it’s clear we’ll look at the Moon and Great Orion Nebula. The observatory is located south of Traverse City on Birmley Road between Garfield and Keystone roads.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Let there be light slide from the program
09/06/2019 – Ephemeris – GTAS meeting looks at autumn skies
Ephemeris for Friday, September 6th. Today the Sun will be up for 12 hours and 59 minutes, setting at 8:10, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:11. The Moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 12:52 tomorrow morning.
I will be giving a presentation Autumn Stars, Galaxies Myths, and Stories tonight at this evening’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. In the autumn season we lose the southern part of the Milky Way in the southwest, but there are number of of constellations that tell a famous story, that’s even made it to the cinema twice in recent years. There’s a star that evilly winks at us, and a huge galaxy the is visible to the naked eye that will crash into our Milky Way galaxy in the far future. After the meeting there will be a star party starting at 9 p.m. featuring, if it’s clear the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and that nearby galaxy.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The constellations as characters in the great star story of Autumn. Click on image to enlarge. Created using Stellarium.
08/30/2019 – Ephemeris – Astronomy events at the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes tomorrow
Ephemeris for Friday, August 30th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 20 minutes, setting at 8:23, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:03. The Moon is new today, and won’t be visible.
The second Sun and star party in August at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be held at the Dune Climb tomorrow if it is reasonably clear. The solar portion will start at 4 p.m., while dark sky viewing will start at 9 p.m.. It will be hosted by the Park Rangers and the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. The society’s new solar telescope can generally tease out some interesting detail from the currently quiet Sun. Later on the wonders of the Milky Way, which will span the skies from horizon to horizon will be seen, along with the planets Jupiter and Saturn. The park has one of the darkest skies in the Lower Peninsula, and the Milky Way is especially impressive this time of year.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Milky Way from the Sleeping Bear Dunes four years ago by Mark Stewart. This year Jupiter and Saturn would also be in this photograph.
A Sun Party at the Dune Climb. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
This in the beginning of setup for the October 21, 2917 star party at the dune climb. Taken early while there was enough light. The dune blocks up to 12 degrees from the southwest to northwest, but the rest of the horizon is quite low. Photo by the author.
The weather for this event is very iffy, so if it is cancelled members of the GTAS will have their telescopes at the Dune Climb Sunday night, if it is clear, to view the sky. Though not an official star party, campers and the public to view the heavens. For a voicemail on the status of the star party on Saturday please call 231-326-4700, ext. 5005.
06/07/2019 – Ephemeris – My presentation and viewing opportunities this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, June 7th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 9:25, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:57. The Moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 1:23 tomorrow morning.
I will be giving a presentation Apollo and the race to the Moon tonight at this evening’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. The 1960’s were a heady time in the undeclared race with the Soviet Union for supremacy in space, where it seemed that the US was continually playing catch up. In 1968 spy satellites showed that the Soviets had a massive rocket ready to go. After the meeting there will be a star party starting at 9 p.m.
Tomorrow there will be weather permitting a Sun and Star Party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes Dune Climb from 4 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. Both nights feature the Moon and Jupiter.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
A Sun Party at the Dune Climb. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
Preparing to start the May star party 3 years ago at the Dune Climb. A few of the telescopes are visible including the GTAS 25″ “Emmettron” telescope at the far right. Credit: Eileen Carlisle.
05/03/2019 – Ephemeris – How do you take a picture of a black hole? Find out tonight.
Ephemeris for Friday, May 3rd. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 19 minutes, setting at 8:49, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:28. The Moon, 1 day before new, will rise at 6:44 tomorrow morning.
Nearly a month ago the world was presented with the news and the image that the Earth spanning Event Horizon Telescope captured a picture of a black hole 55 million light years away. Tonight NMC Professor Jerry Dobek will explain how it was done at tonight’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory starting at 8 p.m. He will explain how simultaneous observations of the black hole by 8 separate sub-millimeter radio telescopes that were separately recorded on disk. The disks were brought and processed together to produce the image. Starting at 9 p.m. if it’s clear there will be a star party featuring the brighter wonders of the darkening sky.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The first image of the black hole in M87. Credit Event Horizon Telescope.
10/02/2018 – Ephemeris – I will give a talk on Saturn at the Traverse Area District Library tomorrow night
Ephemeris for Tuesday, October 2nd. The Sun will rise at 7:42. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 39 minutes, setting at 7:21. The Moon, at last quarter today, will rise at 12:55 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow night October 3rd at 7 p.m. I’ll be giving a talk at the main branch of the Traverse Area District Library on Woodmere Avenue, about the amazing discoveries made about Saturn, its rings and moons by the Cassini spacecraft and its Titan lander Huygens, spanning 7 years to get there and 13 orbiting Saturn among its rings and moons. The spacecraft made a planned plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere a year ago. The illustrated talk is called Remembering Cassini. Besides the numerical data sent back were images, some of which were made into videos, such as the landing of the Huygens probe on Titan. After the talk, if it will be clear, Saturn will be visible in the telescopes of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society, along with other wonders of the skies.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendu
06/24/2018 – I’ll be out at the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore Dune Climb tonight
I’m hoping to be out there and set up before 9 p.m. It’s a planet fest of sorts with Venus, Jupiter and Saturn plus a nearly full Moon. Sorry, Mars won’t rise till nearly midnight. Dress warmly, it’s supposed to get down into the 50’s, and with a north wind, may seem even colder.
See you there?
Keep looking up!
04/20/2018 – Ephemeris – Astronomy Day and the Lyrid meteor shower this weekend
Ephemeris for Friday, April 20th. The Sun rises at 6:50. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 44 minutes, setting at 8:34. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 1:50 tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow is Astronomy Day. The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will celebrate with a star party at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory. Tomorrow April 21st, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. There will also be activities inside the observatory, so clear or cloudy there will be something to see or do for all ages. The Lyrid Meteor Shower will be active this weekend and reach a peak Sunday. The meteors from this shower will seem to come from near the constellation of Lyra the harp, a small and narrow parallelogram of stars with the bright star Vega near it. The best viewing will be for a few hours in the wee morning hours after the Moon sets Sunday or Monday mornings.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
All sky view at 4 a.m. Sunday or Monday morning with the Lyrid radiant. Created using Stellarium.
The additional radiants showing in the image above are the (sigma) σ-Scorpids which will reach peak on April 28th, a minor shower and (eta) η-Auqariids which will reach peak on May 6th. Both these meteor showers have severe interference by the Moon.
10/20/2017 – Ephemeris – Last star party at Sleeping Bear Dunes this year is tomorrow night
Ephemeris for Friday, October 20th. The Sun will rise at 8:04. It’ll be up for 10 hours and 44 minutes, setting at 6:49. The Moon, 1 day past new, will set at 7:43 this evening.
A star party celebrating the 47th anniversary of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be held tomorrow evening, October 21 2017, starting at 8 p.m. at the Dune Climb if it’s clear. This is a change in location from some of the earlier notifications. It will be hosted by the Park Rangers and the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society. The society invites all to come, especially those with telescopes willing to share the wonders of the Milky Way, which will span the skies from horizon to horizon. The park has one of the darkest skies in the Lower Peninsula, and the Milky Way is especially impressive in late summer and early autumn. Please call 231-326-4700, ext. 5005 if in doubt about weather conditions. A decision will be made by 2 hours before the event.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
10/06/2017 – Ephemeris – GTAS meeting tonight – Remembering Cassini
Ephemeris for Friday, October 6th. The Sun will rise at 7:46. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 26 minutes, setting at 7:13. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 8:10 this evening.
Tonight’s meeting, at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory, of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society (GTAS) will feature yours truly and a program I’m calling Remembering Cassini. On a planet nearly a billion miles from earth the intrepid spacecraft called Cassini met its planned fate burning up in its atmosphere. It was a mission that lasted nearly 20 years, and orbited the ringed planet for 13 of those years, viewing the planet, its rings and moons from all angles, tasting the atmosphere of Titan, the geysers of Enceladus, and finally, at the end, the atmosphere of its host planet Saturn. We’ll have images, videos, and sounds of those alien worlds. At 9 p.m. there will be a star party featuring the Moon and Saturn
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 