Archive
08/19/2016 – Ephemeris – Two astronomy outreach events tonight and tomorrrow
Friday, August 19th. The Sun rises at 6:50. It’ll be up for 13 hours and 50 minutes, setting at 8:41. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 9:29 this evening.
August is a busy month for the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society with events every weekend. Tonight the society members will bring their telescopes to downtown Traverse City and Friday Night Live, staying after to view the planets Saturn and Mars if it’s clear. Saturn’s rings are, of course , spectacular. Tomorrow night society members will be at the Kingsley Library for a twilight talk beginning at 8 p.m. followed by a star party in their parking lot. The twilight talk will introduce the telescope that’s being donated to the library by the society. The telescope is a small, simple to use table top model with a four and a half-inch aperture, great for viewing the Moon, bright planets and the wonders of the deep sky.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Viewing the Sun with a while light filter at Friday Night Live using Ron Uthe’s telescope at Friday Night Live. Credit Bob Moler
Ron Uthe (with the beard) explains that his telescope is pointed to Saturn in the 2013 Friday Night Live. Credit mine.
10/06/2015 – Ephemeris – Deneb our home-town star
Ephemeris for Tuesday, October 6th. The Sun will rise at 7:46. It’ll be up for 11 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 7:14. The Moon, 2 days past last quarter, will rise at 2:36 tomorrow morning.
We, here in Traverse City, Michigan have a pretty unique relation to the bright star Deneb, as is any location near 45 degrees north latitude. Tonight at 9:23 Deneb will be three-quarters of a degree due north of the zenith. Due north means that it’s on our meridian, a line you may remember from your school days. For astronomers it passes from the north point on the horizon, through the overhead point or zenith to the south point on the horizon. Also due to our latitude Deneb is circumpolar, meaning that it doesn’t quite set on a clean northern horizon. Deneb and 56 other stars are used for celestial navigation, which is still taught in case the GPS system goes down due to solar or enemy action.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Deneb nearly at the zenith from Traverse City. Created using Cartes du Ciel.
Deneb is close to the horizon due north. Created using Cartes du Ciel.
04/27/2012 – Ephemeris – Astronomy Day and other viewing opportunities this weekend
Ephemeris for Arbor Day, Friday, April 27th. The sun rises at 6:37. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 8:42. The moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 2:10 tomorrow morning.
The moon’s crescent is getting fatter each day as it moves eastward. There are two events scheduled to take with the moon and the bright spring planets, and one to show the sun this weekend. Tonight the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will hold a star party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It will be held at Platte River Point, west of Honor starting at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday is International Astronomy Day. Some of us will take our telescopes to the Open Space in Traverse City to view the sun with our new solar telescope and other scopes. That’s from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. That evening starting at nine with be a star party at the Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
04/26/2012 – Ephemeris – Three astronomical viewing opportunities this weekend
Ephemeris for Thursday, April 26th. The sun rises at 6:39. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 2 minutes, setting at 8:41. The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 1:33 tomorrow morning.
The moon is getting ready to take over the night sky. It’s crescent is getting fatter each day as it moves eastward. There are two events scheduled to take with the moon and the bright spring planets, and one to show the sun this weekend. Tomorrow the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will hold a star party at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It will be held at Platte River Point, west of Honor starting at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday is International Astronomy Day. Some of us will take our telescopes to the Open Space in Traverse City to view the sun with our new solar telescope and other scopes. That’s from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. That evening starting at nine with be a star party at the Rogers Observatory.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 