Saturday: In this, the 200 anniversary of the year of his birth, let’s remember Abraham Lincoln: 16th president, person on the penny, and astronomer. Astronomer? Well, maybe not an astronomer, but someone who used observational evidence from the sky to solve a problem. In 1858, Lincoln defended Duff Armstrong, a family friend who was accused of murder. The prosecution thought they had a strong case because their primary witnesses claimed to have observed the killing by the light of the nearly full moon. Let’s listen in on the trial courtesy of the 1939 film, Young Mr. Lincoln.
Lincoln: How’d you see so well?
Witness: I told you it was Moon bright, Mr. Lincoln.
Lincoln: Moon bright.
Witness: Yes.
(Dramatic pause as Lincoln reaches for something)
Lincoln: Look at this. Go on, look at it. It’s the Farmer’s Almanack. You see what it says about the Moon/ That the Moon… set at 10:21, 40 minutes before the killing took place. So you see it couldn’t have been Moon bright, could it?
Lincoln used the known information about Moon rise and set times for August 29, 1858 as evidence in a trial. You may confirm Lincoln’s findings on the Moon set time by going to http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.php, the US Naval Observatory website, and filling out Form A. For more information about Lincoln’s “almanac trial”, go to http://media.skyandtelescope.com/documents/Almanac_Trial.pdf.
Sunday: Tonight’s first quarter moon is in the constellation Taurus. The open star cluster called The Pleiades is about a half a fist held upright and at arm’s length to the right of the Moon at 7 p.m.
Monday: Avast ye matey. Swab the poop deck. Pirates love astronomy. In fact, the term “poop” in poop deck comes from the French word for stern (poupe) which comes for the Latin word Puppis. Puppis is a constellation that represents the raised stern deck of Argo Navis, the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology. Argo Nevis was an ancient constellation that is now divided between the constellations Puppis, Vela and Carina. The top of Puppis is about a fist and a half to the left of the bright star Sirius in the south-southwest sky at 10 p.m. Zeta Puppis, the hottest, and thus the bluest, naked eye star in the sky at 40,000 degrees Celsius is near the uppermost point in Puppis.
Tuesday: Saturn is about three fists above the southeast horizon at 11 p.m.
Wednesday: Time to do a little word association quiz. I’ll type a word and you say the first thing that comes to mind. Ice. Did you say “cold”? Okay. Sun. Many of you said “bright”. Finally, galaxy. Hum, I bet you said “spiral”. Although there are many types of galaxies, most people’s image of a galaxy is a spiral galaxy. Many astronomers wonder how such stately, orderly-looking collections of stars could have survived the chaotic, collision-filled early universe. Two competing teams of astronomers have developed computer models to try and solve this puzzle. But, you don’t need a computer to enjoy our own spiral, galaxy, the Milky Way. At 7 p.m., the Milky Way rises from the southeast sky, passes straight over head and disappears in the northwest sky.
Thursday: Mars is about a half a fist to the upper left of the Moon at 7 p.m.
Friday: Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky, is two and a half fists above the south horizon at 9 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 2/13/10
Saturday: According to Greek mythology, the beautiful princess Andromeda was chained to a rock next to the ocean. Cetus the sea monster was about to devour her in order to punish her family. It seemed that all was lost. But, along came the great warrior Perseus, fresh off his defeat of the evil Gorgon, Medusa. The only similarity between Andromeda and Medusa was that Andromeda caused people to stand still and stares at her beauty while Medusa turned people to stone because of her ugliness. (And, you thought you looked bad in the morning.) Even though Perseus’ standing as the son of King Zeus and the slayer of Medusa was probably enough to win Andromeda under normal circumstances, Andromeda’s impending death-by-sea-monster was not a normal circumstance. So, Perseus drove his sword into the sea monsters neck and killed it. In a little known addendum to the story, Perseus carved “Percy (heart symbol) Andi” in the rock, thus originating the use of the heart symbol as a substitute for the word “love”.
You can find these lovers in the sky this Valentine’s Day. Just remember it is rude stare – and you never know when you might turn to stone. First, find the Great Square of Pegasus at 7 p.m. between one and a half and three and a half fists held upright and at arm’s length above the west horizon. The lowest star in Andromeda is the top star in the square. This represents Andromeda’s head. Perseus is at her feet, nearly straight overhead. Mirphak, the brightest star in Perseus is about eight fists above the west horizon. Perseus’ body is represented by the line of stars to the left and right of Mirphak.
Sunday: Give your sweetheart a ring for Valentine’s Day. No, no, no. Don’t break the bank. Show your sweetheart Saturn, the ringed planet. It is nearly three fists above the southeast horizon at 11:30 p.m.
Monday: Catch a glimpse of a Moon sliver this evening. The Moon will resemble a thin bowl pointing away from the Sun one fist above the southwest horizon at 6:30 p.m. You may notice that the entire Moon appears to be dimly lit. The bright crescent portion is sunlight that has bounced (reflected) off the Moon. The dim light of the rest of the Moon comes from sunlight which has bounced off the Earth and then off the Moon before reaching your eye back on Earth. This light is called earthshine.
Tuesday: The calendar may say February, but the late night sky is starting to say “summer triangle”. Vega, the brightest star in the summer triangle rises at 10:30 p.m. By midnight, it is a little less than one fist above the northeast horizon. The Summer Triangle is a set of three stars that is visible high throughout most of the night in the summer sky.
Wednesday: Vesta, the second most massive asteroid in the main asteroid belt, is at opposition tonight. This means Vesta is at its brightest and closest point to the Earth in this orbital cycle. Even thought Vesta is the brightest asteroid, you’ll still need binoculars to see it. First find Regulus, the brightest star in Leo and the bottom of the backwards question mark that represents Leo’s head. It is five fists above the southeast horizon at 10:30 p.m. Algieba, the second brightest star in the region, is about a fist to the upper left of Leo. Put Algieba in the middle of your binocular field of view. Vesta will be a little to the right of the middle. Look to this portion of the sky for the next few nights. Vesta will be the point of light than moves from night to night. For more information about finding Vesta, go to http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/80433142.html.
Thursday: “Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Pluto. Happy Birthday to you.” Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto, the solar system object formerly known as a planet, on this day in 1930.
Friday: Mars is six fists above the southeast horizon at 9 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
You can find these lovers in the sky this Valentine’s Day. Just remember it is rude stare – and you never know when you might turn to stone. First, find the Great Square of Pegasus at 7 p.m. between one and a half and three and a half fists held upright and at arm’s length above the west horizon. The lowest star in Andromeda is the top star in the square. This represents Andromeda’s head. Perseus is at her feet, nearly straight overhead. Mirphak, the brightest star in Perseus is about eight fists above the west horizon. Perseus’ body is represented by the line of stars to the left and right of Mirphak.
Sunday: Give your sweetheart a ring for Valentine’s Day. No, no, no. Don’t break the bank. Show your sweetheart Saturn, the ringed planet. It is nearly three fists above the southeast horizon at 11:30 p.m.
Monday: Catch a glimpse of a Moon sliver this evening. The Moon will resemble a thin bowl pointing away from the Sun one fist above the southwest horizon at 6:30 p.m. You may notice that the entire Moon appears to be dimly lit. The bright crescent portion is sunlight that has bounced (reflected) off the Moon. The dim light of the rest of the Moon comes from sunlight which has bounced off the Earth and then off the Moon before reaching your eye back on Earth. This light is called earthshine.
Tuesday: The calendar may say February, but the late night sky is starting to say “summer triangle”. Vega, the brightest star in the summer triangle rises at 10:30 p.m. By midnight, it is a little less than one fist above the northeast horizon. The Summer Triangle is a set of three stars that is visible high throughout most of the night in the summer sky.
Wednesday: Vesta, the second most massive asteroid in the main asteroid belt, is at opposition tonight. This means Vesta is at its brightest and closest point to the Earth in this orbital cycle. Even thought Vesta is the brightest asteroid, you’ll still need binoculars to see it. First find Regulus, the brightest star in Leo and the bottom of the backwards question mark that represents Leo’s head. It is five fists above the southeast horizon at 10:30 p.m. Algieba, the second brightest star in the region, is about a fist to the upper left of Leo. Put Algieba in the middle of your binocular field of view. Vesta will be a little to the right of the middle. Look to this portion of the sky for the next few nights. Vesta will be the point of light than moves from night to night. For more information about finding Vesta, go to http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/80433142.html.
Thursday: “Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Pluto. Happy Birthday to you.” Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto, the solar system object formerly known as a planet, on this day in 1930.
Friday: Mars is six fists above the southeast horizon at 9 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 2/6/10
Saturday: Are you scared of snakes? Then don’t look due east at 6:30 p.m. The pentagon-shaped head of Hydra the water snack is about one fist held upright and at arm’s length above the east horizon. And, this is no ordinary water snake. It is the largest constellation in the sky, more than twice the size of Orion. Hydra’s tail does not rise until after midnight.
Sunday: In 1985, the rock group Night Ranger released a song called “Goodbye”. The lyrics from the song may typify our emotions for Jupiter this week as it gets lost in the glare of the setting Sun: “All this could be just a dream so it seems, I was never much good at goodbye.” Say goodbye to Jupiter, a half a fist above the west-southwest horizon at 6 p.m.
Monday: Mars is four fists above the east horizon at 8 p.m. Less than half a fist to the lower right of Mars is the Beehive Cluster, an open star cluster of about 50 stars, all about 570 light years from Earth. The Beehive Cluster is a great object to look at through binoculars because it is big, taking up as much space in the sky as nine full moons.
Tuesday: Hydra is not the only long, squiggly constellation in the sky. Draco the dragon wraps around the cup of the little dipper. The head of the dragon is one fist above due north at 7:30 p.m. Eltanin, the brightest star in the constellation, is at one corner of the trapezoid-shaped head of Draco. Eridanus the river starts next to Rigel, the bright star in the lower right corner of Orion, and meanders down below the south horizon. Rigel is three and a half fists above due south at 7:30 p.m. That means at 7:30 tonight, there are long, squiggly constellations in the lower northern, southern and eastern sky.
Wednesday: The forehead of a lion is about to get smacked by an asteroid. Vesta, the brightest asteroid is moving through the night sky toward the bright star Algieba, located in the head of Leo the lion. First find Regulus, the brightest star in Leo and the bottom of the backwards question mark that represents Leo’s head. It is five fists above the southeast horizon at 11 p.m. Algieba is about a fist to the upper left of Leo, the second brightest star in the region. Put Algieba near the top of your binocular field of view. Vesta will be near the middle. Look to this portion of the sky for the next few nights. Vesta will be the point of light than moves from night to night. For more information about finding Vesta, go to http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/80433142.html.
Thursday: If you have a small telescope, or even a good pair of binoculars with a tripod, you can improve on Galileo’s initial discovery of Saturn. And, if Paolo Galluzzi, director of the Museum of History and Science in Florence, is correct, Galileo’s poor eyesight may have influenced his initial judgment of the ringed planet. Galileo thought that Saturn had an inflated side and not spherical. British and Italian scientists want to exhume Galileo’s body to test his DNA to determine the extent of his vision problems. Find Saturn using your good eyes nearly two fists above the east-southeast at 10 p.m.
Friday: Saturn is a little more than one fist above the east horizon at 10 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: In 1985, the rock group Night Ranger released a song called “Goodbye”. The lyrics from the song may typify our emotions for Jupiter this week as it gets lost in the glare of the setting Sun: “All this could be just a dream so it seems, I was never much good at goodbye.” Say goodbye to Jupiter, a half a fist above the west-southwest horizon at 6 p.m.
Monday: Mars is four fists above the east horizon at 8 p.m. Less than half a fist to the lower right of Mars is the Beehive Cluster, an open star cluster of about 50 stars, all about 570 light years from Earth. The Beehive Cluster is a great object to look at through binoculars because it is big, taking up as much space in the sky as nine full moons.
Tuesday: Hydra is not the only long, squiggly constellation in the sky. Draco the dragon wraps around the cup of the little dipper. The head of the dragon is one fist above due north at 7:30 p.m. Eltanin, the brightest star in the constellation, is at one corner of the trapezoid-shaped head of Draco. Eridanus the river starts next to Rigel, the bright star in the lower right corner of Orion, and meanders down below the south horizon. Rigel is three and a half fists above due south at 7:30 p.m. That means at 7:30 tonight, there are long, squiggly constellations in the lower northern, southern and eastern sky.
Wednesday: The forehead of a lion is about to get smacked by an asteroid. Vesta, the brightest asteroid is moving through the night sky toward the bright star Algieba, located in the head of Leo the lion. First find Regulus, the brightest star in Leo and the bottom of the backwards question mark that represents Leo’s head. It is five fists above the southeast horizon at 11 p.m. Algieba is about a fist to the upper left of Leo, the second brightest star in the region. Put Algieba near the top of your binocular field of view. Vesta will be near the middle. Look to this portion of the sky for the next few nights. Vesta will be the point of light than moves from night to night. For more information about finding Vesta, go to http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/80433142.html.
Thursday: If you have a small telescope, or even a good pair of binoculars with a tripod, you can improve on Galileo’s initial discovery of Saturn. And, if Paolo Galluzzi, director of the Museum of History and Science in Florence, is correct, Galileo’s poor eyesight may have influenced his initial judgment of the ringed planet. Galileo thought that Saturn had an inflated side and not spherical. British and Italian scientists want to exhume Galileo’s body to test his DNA to determine the extent of his vision problems. Find Saturn using your good eyes nearly two fists above the east-southeast at 10 p.m.
Friday: Saturn is a little more than one fist above the east horizon at 10 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 1/30/10
Saturday: Last February’s “Hot Topic” for the International Year of Astronomy is the Solar System. Even though the International Year of Astronomy is over, the Solar System lives on. Galileo’s discoveries about the Sun, the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter helped move us from a privileged spot in the center of the perfect heavens to one of billions of planets in the turbulent neighborhood known as the Milky Way Galaxy. Some may say that makes them feel small and insignificant. I say it makes me feel empowered. All those planets and very few, perhaps only one, inhabited by beings with the capability to comprehend their surroundings. It is better to understand your situation as one in a billion than to blindly and incorrectly think you are at the center of everything. Go to http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/topics_feb.htm for more information about the Solar System. Go outside and look three fists held upright and at arm’s length above due east for more information about Mars.
Sunday: The good news is the days are getting longer and the nights are getting shorter. The better news is the farther north you go in the United States, the longer the days get. Here in Ellensburg, there is one more hour of daylight than on the first day of winter. In the southern part of the US, there are only 30 more minutes of sunlight. Of course, on the North Pole, the day length goes from zero hours to 24 hours.
Monday: Jupiter is about a half a fist above the west-southwest horizon at 6 p.m. In less than two weeks, it will be lost in the glare of the setting Sun.
Tuesday: Today is Groundhog Day. If Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t see his shadow this morning, he is telling us that he follows the Chinese calendar and that spring starts early. On the Chinese calendar, equinoxes and solstices occur in the middle of their respective seasons. In order for the vernal equinox to occur in the middle of spring, spring must start on February 3 or 4, depending on the year. Thus, if Phil doesn’t see his shadow, spring may start on February 3 or 4 as on the Chinese calendar. If Phil sees his shadow, he is telling us he agrees with the western calendar and that there will be six more weeks of winter meaning spring will start near March 20.
Wednesday: Saturn is two fists above the east-southeast horizon at 11 p.m.
Thursday: Earlier this month, NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, spotted its first of many never-before-seen near Earth asteroids. While there is no danger of this asteroid hitting Earth in the foreseeable future, the United State’s government is worried about the threat of a rogue asteroid hitting Earth. So much so that Congress mandated that by 2020, NASA must find 90% of all potential Earth-impacting asteroids down to 140 meters across. I may write a book about this search called “Going Rogue – An Asteroid Life”. Here is an excerpt.
I’d rather stand in front of one of Obama’s death panels than be in the path of even a small asteroid streaking towards Earth. Would it be dangerous? You betcha! The asteroid that created the mile-wide impact crater in Arizona was only 25 meters in diameter and packed a wallop about 150 times the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. I say “Thanks but no thanks” to that kind of risk, even if this size impact occurs only once every few hundred years.
Friday: This morning’s last quarter Moon is in the constellation Libra, the scales of justice. Libra is the only zodiac constellation to represent an inanimate object.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: The good news is the days are getting longer and the nights are getting shorter. The better news is the farther north you go in the United States, the longer the days get. Here in Ellensburg, there is one more hour of daylight than on the first day of winter. In the southern part of the US, there are only 30 more minutes of sunlight. Of course, on the North Pole, the day length goes from zero hours to 24 hours.
Monday: Jupiter is about a half a fist above the west-southwest horizon at 6 p.m. In less than two weeks, it will be lost in the glare of the setting Sun.
Tuesday: Today is Groundhog Day. If Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t see his shadow this morning, he is telling us that he follows the Chinese calendar and that spring starts early. On the Chinese calendar, equinoxes and solstices occur in the middle of their respective seasons. In order for the vernal equinox to occur in the middle of spring, spring must start on February 3 or 4, depending on the year. Thus, if Phil doesn’t see his shadow, spring may start on February 3 or 4 as on the Chinese calendar. If Phil sees his shadow, he is telling us he agrees with the western calendar and that there will be six more weeks of winter meaning spring will start near March 20.
Wednesday: Saturn is two fists above the east-southeast horizon at 11 p.m.
Thursday: Earlier this month, NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, spotted its first of many never-before-seen near Earth asteroids. While there is no danger of this asteroid hitting Earth in the foreseeable future, the United State’s government is worried about the threat of a rogue asteroid hitting Earth. So much so that Congress mandated that by 2020, NASA must find 90% of all potential Earth-impacting asteroids down to 140 meters across. I may write a book about this search called “Going Rogue – An Asteroid Life”. Here is an excerpt.
I’d rather stand in front of one of Obama’s death panels than be in the path of even a small asteroid streaking towards Earth. Would it be dangerous? You betcha! The asteroid that created the mile-wide impact crater in Arizona was only 25 meters in diameter and packed a wallop about 150 times the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. I say “Thanks but no thanks” to that kind of risk, even if this size impact occurs only once every few hundred years.
Friday: This morning’s last quarter Moon is in the constellation Libra, the scales of justice. Libra is the only zodiac constellation to represent an inanimate object.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 1/23/10
Saturday: Draco Malfoy makes an appearance in all seven books of the Harry Potter series. Perhaps you’ve heard of these. But, the constellation Draco the dragon makes an appearance in the sky every night. It is a circumpolar constellation as viewed from Ellensburg meaning it never goes below the horizon. The head of the dragon is one fist held upright and at arm’s length above due north at 9 p.m. Eltanin, the brightest star in the constellation, is at one corner of the trapezoid-shaped head of Draco.
Sunday: The moon is putting the moves on seven sisters tonight. Oh, he’ll try everything. Stretch and try to put his arm around the sisters. Stop short. Use lame pick-up lines such as “Hey baby, what’s your sign?”. At 7 p.m., the open star cluster called the Pleiades, or the seven sisters, is about a half a fist to the left of the moon. As the night progresses, the Moon will get closer and closer to the seven sisters in the sky. But, alas, they never meet.
Monday: Jupiter is one fist above the southwest horizon at 6 p.m.
Tuesday: Saturn is one fist above the east horizon at 11 p.m.
Wednesday: At 11 a.m., Mars will be closer to Earth than any other day for 2010 and 2011, a miniscule 62 million miles away. Currently, the northern hemisphere of Mars is angled toward Earth. Since it is springtime on Mars, people with small to medium-sized telescopes, six inches and larger, should be able to see Mars’ northern polar icecap shrink as Martian summer arrives. It will look like a white dot at the top of Mars. (Or, the bottom of Mars if your telescope inverts the image.) Mars is three fists above due east at 8 p.m.
Thursday: Are you interested in participating in astronomy research? You don’t need to go back to school. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars getting a fake degree from an online university. The scientists working on the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE, camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter would like your input on which objects they should target for close-up pictures. While you may think the scientists are just trying to build interest in their project by having people look at pretty pictures, there is a real scientific benefit to having many eyes searching for interesting targets. There aren’t enough scientists to carefully inspect all of the low power images. And, surprisingly, computers are not nearly as effective as people in making educated judgments of images. So, go to http://www.uahirise.org/ and click on the HiWish button. You’ll be on your way to suggesting close-up targets for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Friday: Mars is at opposition tonight. No, that doesn’t mean that Mars refuses to eat his peas. (Please eat your peas, children.) Opposition means that Mars is on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun. An object is in opposition when it is due south 12 hours after the Sun. When an object is in opposition, it is at its highest point in the sky during the darkest time of the night. A planet in opposition shines brighter and appears larger in a telescope than any other night. And since Mars is also relatively close, it is exceptionally bright tonight. Mars is six and a half fists above due south at midnight.
Mars isn’t the only “biggest of the year” celestial object in the sky tonight. The Moon is at its closest position to Earth this month, also known as perigee. Since perigee happens only three hours after the full Moon, to turns out that tonight’s is the biggest full moon of the year. The Moon will look 13% bigger and 30% brighter than the most distant full Moon of the year, in August.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: The moon is putting the moves on seven sisters tonight. Oh, he’ll try everything. Stretch and try to put his arm around the sisters. Stop short. Use lame pick-up lines such as “Hey baby, what’s your sign?”. At 7 p.m., the open star cluster called the Pleiades, or the seven sisters, is about a half a fist to the left of the moon. As the night progresses, the Moon will get closer and closer to the seven sisters in the sky. But, alas, they never meet.
Monday: Jupiter is one fist above the southwest horizon at 6 p.m.
Tuesday: Saturn is one fist above the east horizon at 11 p.m.
Wednesday: At 11 a.m., Mars will be closer to Earth than any other day for 2010 and 2011, a miniscule 62 million miles away. Currently, the northern hemisphere of Mars is angled toward Earth. Since it is springtime on Mars, people with small to medium-sized telescopes, six inches and larger, should be able to see Mars’ northern polar icecap shrink as Martian summer arrives. It will look like a white dot at the top of Mars. (Or, the bottom of Mars if your telescope inverts the image.) Mars is three fists above due east at 8 p.m.
Thursday: Are you interested in participating in astronomy research? You don’t need to go back to school. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars getting a fake degree from an online university. The scientists working on the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE, camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter would like your input on which objects they should target for close-up pictures. While you may think the scientists are just trying to build interest in their project by having people look at pretty pictures, there is a real scientific benefit to having many eyes searching for interesting targets. There aren’t enough scientists to carefully inspect all of the low power images. And, surprisingly, computers are not nearly as effective as people in making educated judgments of images. So, go to http://www.uahirise.org/ and click on the HiWish button. You’ll be on your way to suggesting close-up targets for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Friday: Mars is at opposition tonight. No, that doesn’t mean that Mars refuses to eat his peas. (Please eat your peas, children.) Opposition means that Mars is on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun. An object is in opposition when it is due south 12 hours after the Sun. When an object is in opposition, it is at its highest point in the sky during the darkest time of the night. A planet in opposition shines brighter and appears larger in a telescope than any other night. And since Mars is also relatively close, it is exceptionally bright tonight. Mars is six and a half fists above due south at midnight.
Mars isn’t the only “biggest of the year” celestial object in the sky tonight. The Moon is at its closest position to Earth this month, also known as perigee. Since perigee happens only three hours after the full Moon, to turns out that tonight’s is the biggest full moon of the year. The Moon will look 13% bigger and 30% brighter than the most distant full Moon of the year, in August.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 1/16/10
Saturday: Who can forget that memorable song by Three Dog Constellations Night, “The sky is black. The stars are white. Together we learn to find the light.” Well, maybe it didn’t go like that. This is good because not all stars are white. Most stars are too dim to notice a color. But, the stars in the constellation Orion provide a noticeable contrast. Betelgeuse, five fists held upright and at arm’s length above due south at 10:30 p.m. is a red giant. Rigel, the bright star about two fists to the lower right of Betelgeuse, is a blue giant.
By the way, the three dog constellations are Canis Major, the greater dog; Canis Minor, the lesser dog; and Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs. Canis Major contains Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky.
Sunday: Jupiter is about a half a fist to the left of the Moon at 6:30 p.m. They are one fist above the west-southwest horizon.
Monday: Sometimes objects we can observe every day provide very difficult scientific questions. The star Epsilon Auriga is star that varies in brightness for a two year period every 27 years. Scientists were not sure of the exact cause of this dimming, the most recent of which started last summer. But recent images from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, which sees infrared wavelengths, are helping scientists solve the puzzle. The bright star in the Epsilon Auriga system is orbited by another star which is surrounded by a huge cloud of sad grain-sized particles. This cloud, which is approximately the size of Jupiter’s orbit in diameter, causes Epsilon Auriga to be only half as bright. You can follow the cycle with the naked eye. Epsilon Auriga is about a fist to the upper right of Capella, one of the brightest stars in the sky. Capella is seven and a half fists above due east at 8 p.m.
Tuesday: Mars is three fists above due east at 9 p.m.
Wednesday: Saturn is one fist above the east horizon at 11:30 p.m.
Thursday: How do you study the life cycle of a dog? Easy. Get a dog from the animal shelter, care for it for 15 years and study it. How do you study the life cycle of a star? Easy. Pick a star, watch it for a few billion years, and…. Wait a minute. Astronomers can’t observe something for a few billion years. Instead, they study stars that are at different points in their long life cycle and piece together the information from those different stars. What they do is like studying a one-year-old dog for a few minutes, then studying a different two-year-old dog for a few minutes, and so on. The sky in and near the constellation Orion provides an example of four objects at different points of star life.
First, find Rigel, the bright star in the lower right corner of the constellation Orion. This star, rapidly burning its fuel for a high energy but short lived existence, is three and a half fists above due south at 9:30 p.m. About one fist up and to the left are the three objects of Orion’s sword holder. The middle “star” is really a star forming region called the Orion nebula. There you’ll find baby Suns. Now, look about two fists to the right and a little below Rigel. You should be looking at a star that is about one tenth as bright as Rigel but still the brightest in its local region. The third star to the right of that star is Epsilon Eridani, the most Sun-like close and bright star. Betelgeuse, in the upper left corner of Orion, is a star at the end of its life that started out life a bit larger than the Sun.
Friday: Friday: Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, is three fists above the south horizon at 6 a.m.
Wait a minute. We got all the way to the end of the week with no Moon phase summary? How can that be? There are 29.5 days between the same Moon phase in two different cycles. That means about 7.5 days between the phases new, first quarter, full and last quarter. Since a week is seven days, there are some weeks in which none of the main phases occur. This week, the Moon was always in the waxing crescent phase.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
By the way, the three dog constellations are Canis Major, the greater dog; Canis Minor, the lesser dog; and Canes Venatici, the hunting dogs. Canis Major contains Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky.
Sunday: Jupiter is about a half a fist to the left of the Moon at 6:30 p.m. They are one fist above the west-southwest horizon.
Monday: Sometimes objects we can observe every day provide very difficult scientific questions. The star Epsilon Auriga is star that varies in brightness for a two year period every 27 years. Scientists were not sure of the exact cause of this dimming, the most recent of which started last summer. But recent images from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, which sees infrared wavelengths, are helping scientists solve the puzzle. The bright star in the Epsilon Auriga system is orbited by another star which is surrounded by a huge cloud of sad grain-sized particles. This cloud, which is approximately the size of Jupiter’s orbit in diameter, causes Epsilon Auriga to be only half as bright. You can follow the cycle with the naked eye. Epsilon Auriga is about a fist to the upper right of Capella, one of the brightest stars in the sky. Capella is seven and a half fists above due east at 8 p.m.
Tuesday: Mars is three fists above due east at 9 p.m.
Wednesday: Saturn is one fist above the east horizon at 11:30 p.m.
Thursday: How do you study the life cycle of a dog? Easy. Get a dog from the animal shelter, care for it for 15 years and study it. How do you study the life cycle of a star? Easy. Pick a star, watch it for a few billion years, and…. Wait a minute. Astronomers can’t observe something for a few billion years. Instead, they study stars that are at different points in their long life cycle and piece together the information from those different stars. What they do is like studying a one-year-old dog for a few minutes, then studying a different two-year-old dog for a few minutes, and so on. The sky in and near the constellation Orion provides an example of four objects at different points of star life.
First, find Rigel, the bright star in the lower right corner of the constellation Orion. This star, rapidly burning its fuel for a high energy but short lived existence, is three and a half fists above due south at 9:30 p.m. About one fist up and to the left are the three objects of Orion’s sword holder. The middle “star” is really a star forming region called the Orion nebula. There you’ll find baby Suns. Now, look about two fists to the right and a little below Rigel. You should be looking at a star that is about one tenth as bright as Rigel but still the brightest in its local region. The third star to the right of that star is Epsilon Eridani, the most Sun-like close and bright star. Betelgeuse, in the upper left corner of Orion, is a star at the end of its life that started out life a bit larger than the Sun.
Friday: Friday: Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, is three fists above the south horizon at 6 a.m.
Wait a minute. We got all the way to the end of the week with no Moon phase summary? How can that be? There are 29.5 days between the same Moon phase in two different cycles. That means about 7.5 days between the phases new, first quarter, full and last quarter. Since a week is seven days, there are some weeks in which none of the main phases occur. This week, the Moon was always in the waxing crescent phase.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Ellensburg sky for the week of 1/9/10
Saturday: The ringed planet, Saturn, is making its way into the evening sky. It is about a fist held upright and at arm’s length above the east horizon at midnight. Its famous rings don’t look as spectacular because we are looking at them nearly edge on.
Sunday: Jupiter is one and a half fists above the southwest horizon at 6 p.m.
Monday: Antares is about a pinky’s width to the upper right of the Moon at 7 a.m. They are in the southeast sky. If you think a pinky’s width is close, talk to someone in Boston at this time. In the far northeastern corner of the United States, northeast of a line from Boston, through Vermont, and into New York, the Moon will pass between the Earth and Antares leading to an occultation of Antares. You can follow the Moon-star pair in Ellensburg even after sunrise as Antares will stay in the same relative position for the next few hours. By then you’ll need binoculars.
Tuesday: This morning take the M-M challenge. No, not the M&M challenge. Nothing will melt in your mouth. And not the Eminem challenge either. You’re not Slim Shady, no, you’re not the real Slim Shady. I mean the Mercury-Moon challenge. Mercury is one fist to the left of the Moon at 7 a.m. They are less than a half a fist above the southeast horizon. Because of the rising Sun, it will be a challenge to see both M objects.
Wednesday: January is the coldest month of the year so it is time to turn up the furnace. Fornax the furnace one fist above due south at 7 p.m.
Thursday: Tonight’s Moon is new. Don’t bother looking for it. The new moon is the phase where the Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun. Hence the side of the Moon facing Earth is not receiving any sunlight and cannot be seen. But if you live anywhere from central Africa to east Asia, you will see the effects of the new Moon: it will block part of the Sun. Most of the people in that region will see a partial eclipse. Depending exactly where you live, the Moon will take a “bite” out of the Sun varying from a tiny nibble to a “you almost took my fingers off” giant bite. The lucky few who live along a 200 mile wide path from central Africa to east Asia will see an annular eclipse.
Despite the word similarity, annular does not mean once a year. Annular means “ring-shaped”. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon, as seen from Earth, is not large enough to cover the Sun even then they are perfectly lined up. We sometimes have total solar eclipses and sometimes have annular solar eclipses because the Moon is not always the same distance from the Earth and the Earth is not always the same distance from the Sun.
Here is the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse. Take a coin out of your pocket. Close one eye. Hold the coin close to your open eye such that you completely cover a round object across the room. This represents a total eclipse of that object. Now, slowly move the coin away from your eye until you can see an outline of the round object. This is an annular eclipse of that object. Your coin, representing the Moon, has too small of an angular size to completely cover the round object across the room, representing the Sun.
Friday: Mars is three fists above due east at 9 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
Sunday: Jupiter is one and a half fists above the southwest horizon at 6 p.m.
Monday: Antares is about a pinky’s width to the upper right of the Moon at 7 a.m. They are in the southeast sky. If you think a pinky’s width is close, talk to someone in Boston at this time. In the far northeastern corner of the United States, northeast of a line from Boston, through Vermont, and into New York, the Moon will pass between the Earth and Antares leading to an occultation of Antares. You can follow the Moon-star pair in Ellensburg even after sunrise as Antares will stay in the same relative position for the next few hours. By then you’ll need binoculars.
Tuesday: This morning take the M-M challenge. No, not the M&M challenge. Nothing will melt in your mouth. And not the Eminem challenge either. You’re not Slim Shady, no, you’re not the real Slim Shady. I mean the Mercury-Moon challenge. Mercury is one fist to the left of the Moon at 7 a.m. They are less than a half a fist above the southeast horizon. Because of the rising Sun, it will be a challenge to see both M objects.
Wednesday: January is the coldest month of the year so it is time to turn up the furnace. Fornax the furnace one fist above due south at 7 p.m.
Thursday: Tonight’s Moon is new. Don’t bother looking for it. The new moon is the phase where the Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun. Hence the side of the Moon facing Earth is not receiving any sunlight and cannot be seen. But if you live anywhere from central Africa to east Asia, you will see the effects of the new Moon: it will block part of the Sun. Most of the people in that region will see a partial eclipse. Depending exactly where you live, the Moon will take a “bite” out of the Sun varying from a tiny nibble to a “you almost took my fingers off” giant bite. The lucky few who live along a 200 mile wide path from central Africa to east Asia will see an annular eclipse.
Despite the word similarity, annular does not mean once a year. Annular means “ring-shaped”. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon, as seen from Earth, is not large enough to cover the Sun even then they are perfectly lined up. We sometimes have total solar eclipses and sometimes have annular solar eclipses because the Moon is not always the same distance from the Earth and the Earth is not always the same distance from the Sun.
Here is the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse. Take a coin out of your pocket. Close one eye. Hold the coin close to your open eye such that you completely cover a round object across the room. This represents a total eclipse of that object. Now, slowly move the coin away from your eye until you can see an outline of the round object. This is an annular eclipse of that object. Your coin, representing the Moon, has too small of an angular size to completely cover the round object across the room, representing the Sun.
Friday: Mars is three fists above due east at 9 p.m.
The positional information in this column about stars and planets is typically accurate for the entire week.
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