Astro Events for September
Planets
Jupiter, the solar system's largest planet, will dominate the sky nearly all night during September, presenting its best appearance in almost 50 years. Glowing low in the east as evening twilight fades; Jupiter will climb high in the south before midnight and set in the west around the time morning twilight begins. With no bright stars nearby, the planet will be easy to spot. Jupiter's four brightest moons were discovered by Galileo, and they can usually be seen with binoculars. All four of these moons will be grouped to the east of Jupiter before the morning sky brightens on Sept. 24.
Venus and Mars will form a tight trio with the bright white star Spica low in the west-southwest at the beginning of the month. Brilliant white Venus on the left (south) will be 300 times brighter than pale orange Mars on the right, which will be hard to see without binoculars in the bright glow of twilight. The two planets will remain close all month as Spica gradually moves away from them toward the right (west).
As the evening sky darkens early in the month, Saturn will be visible with binoculars very low in the west, far to the right of Venus.
In the last two weeks of the month, Mercury will become visible very low in the east-northeast about a half hour before sunrise. Look for the white pinpoint of light glimmering through the morning twilight just below the bright white star Regulus in the constellation Leo the Lion. This will be Mercury's best morning appearance of the year for observers at mid-northern latitudes.
Aurora
On a clear September night, you may be lucky enough to see an aurora (sometimes called "northern lights"). These silent ribbons and curtains of light can appear whenever the sun is active, but they are especially likely from August to October. Eruptions from the sun's surface hurl enormous amounts of charged particles into space, and when some of these solar particles head in our direction, they cause auroral activity.
Equinox
The sun will reach the September equinox on Sept. 22 at 11:09 p.m. EDT
(Sept.23 at 3:09 Universal Time) marking the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. For the next six months in the Northern Hemisphere, the nights will be longer than the days.
Hal Stephen Star Trak Newsletter
The Perseids Meteor Shower August 12th & 13th
See a brillant display of light and beauty this August 2010!
The Perseids is the name of a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are so-called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Perseus. The stream of debris is called the Perseid cloud and stretches along the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it travels on its 130-year orbit.
Most of the dust in the cloud today is around a thousand years old. However, the Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2000 years, with the earliest information on this meteor shower coming from the Far East.
This year, if the sky is clear when the Perseids peak before dawn on August 12 and 13, there will be an unhindered display of silent fireworks.
This shower is one of the most popular every year because it happens on warm summer nights, when gazing at the starry sky is always enjoyable. There may be as many as 100 bright meteors per hour, some with smoke trails that last several seconds after the meteor has vanished.
The Perseids will be visible for most of August, though there will be fewer meteors to see the farther from the peak date you watch. If the peak on August 12 and 13 is hidden by clouds, try looking for meteors again as soon as the night sky is clear.
To minimize the effect of local light pollution, which can obscure as many as half of the meteors, try to avoid artificial lights. Face east if you have a clear view in that direction, and look about half-way up the sky from the horizon. You won't need binoculars or a telescope – the meteors move much too fast for that. The chances of seeing a fireball will be greatest near dawn, when Earth will be moving head-on into the meteor stream.
The Perseids may appear anywhere in the sky, but they will seem to originate from a point called the radiant in the constellation Perseus, which gives the meteors their name. The higher the radiant is above the northeastern horizon, the more meteors will be visible. Perseus is just north of the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia in the Milky Way, with the bright stars Capella and Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster below it.
Hal Stephen Star Trak Newsletter (Photo Credit Space.com)
NEW NASA Image of Our Galaxy's Heart
Unveilling and Public Dome Talk November 12th !!!
As part of our International Year of Astronomy observance, Jordan Planetarium will unveil a new mural-sized image of the center of our Milky Way Galaxy on November 12th.
The Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium was chosen by NASA as the only State of Maine site to be given the murals. They show the center region of our galaxy as seen by three of NASA’s Great Observatories: the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory. They will be displayed in the Planetarium lobby for all to see through 2010.
The image will be unveiled at 11:00 AM on Thursday November 12. Reporters will receive press kits on the image unveiling, and UMaine astronomer, Dr. Neil Comins, will be on hand to answer questions. Dr. Comins will expand on the subject with a 45-minute public talk under the Planetarium dome that evening at 7:00 PM. The talk is free to the public with questions and refreshments to follow.
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo turning a telescope to the heavens. Since Galileo's spyglass, telescopes have grown ever larger and ever better, and have moved to mountaintops and into space. NASA's Great Observatories represent the crowning achievements of astronomy four centuries later and are honoring this legacy with a spectacular national image unveiling.
A giant 6-foot-by-3-foot image presents a unique view that showcases the Galaxy center in near-infrared light observed by Hubble, infrared light observed by Spitzer, and X-ray light observed by Chandra. This combined image was carefully assembled from mosaic photo surveys of the core by each telescope. It provides the most wide-ranging view ever of our Galaxy’s mysterious hub. A companion panel also being unveiled depicts the original trio of Hubble, Spitzer, and Chandra images of the Milky Way.
These multi-wavelength views provide both stunning beauty and a wealth of scientific information unimaginable to Galileo 400 years ago.
Other IYA ties at the Jordan Planetarium include special star shows such as Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope, and November’s feature Friday night program, Touching the Edge of the Universe, as well as the Stellabaloo activity day of last April. For more information visit the Jordan Planetarium web site GalaxyMaine.com or call the Planetarium at 581-1341.
Additional information about the Hubble Space Telescope is available at http://hubblesite.org/. Additional information about the Spitzer Space Telescope is available at http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/. Additional information about the Chandra X-ray Observatory is available at http://chandra.harvard.edu/. Additional information about NASA’s celebration of the International Year of Astronomy is available at http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/.
Acadia National Park Hosts Night Sky Festival
Visitors to Acadia National Park will get a chance to explore the night sky this September. From September 17th through the 21st the park will be hosting the Acadia Night Sky Festival. Activities for all ages will be taking place throughout the weekend, including a night time walk through the park, guided tours of some of the darkest skies in the Eastern United States, and a chance to see the sun rise over Cadillac Mountain. For more information on the Night Sky Festival, check out its webpage here.
Comet Lulin Now Passing Earth
February 19th, 2009
Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin)-Beginning on the 16th of February there will be a visitor in Maine’s evening sky. The newly discovered Comet Lulin will be passing close by our planet Earth and viewable from backyards through binoculars, or in telescopes like the Clark refractor at the Maynard F. Jordan Observatory. Lulin was discovered in 2007. It will pass by Saturn in the constellation of Leo on the 23rd of February and will also drift by the bright star Regulus, on the 27th of February. It will be its brightest and closest to the Earth during the last week of February.
The Maynard F Jordan Planetarium has put together a downloadable audio field guide and as well a video guide to help observers spot out the comet when it passes by planet Earth. To read the full article and access the audio and visual guides follow these links:
Comet Finding Guide- video, audio and facts
YouTube- galaxymaine.com on youtube.
UMaine Astronomer to
Interpret the Sky
September 27, 2008
Sep 27 - Location: Maine
Huts & Trails project in Western Maine; www.mainehuts.org. September 27th at the premier Poplar Hut in Carrabassett Valley. (From Barbara Nickerson, Office Manager for Maine Huts and Trails)
 WILDERNESS SKIES telescopic observing, led by Professor David Batuski of University of Maine Department of Physics and Astronomy. We will use a telescope to observe Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune, as well as a planetary nebula and other nebulae and galaxies, binary stars, and star clusters. Dr. Batuski will talk about how stars are born, live and die, and about galaxies and even larger objects in the Universe. In case of possible rain or cloud cover late Saturday, check the message on Professor Batuski’s answering machine at 207-581-1019 after 5:00 PM to confirm whether the observing event has been postponed to Sunday night.
The presentation is free. Those wishing to stay overnight and experience
our back-country lodge and some excellent home-style meals, please call
for reservations.
There are only 25 available beds. (877) 634-8824
David Batuski is chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maine. He very much enjoys teaching introductory astronomy classes (live and online) year round, and his research projects are in observational cosmology - in particular, using very large telescopes in Arizona and Chile to observe the largest-scale objects we can see. For a few years around 1990, he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having discovered the longest single structure yet observed: a string of galaxies a billion lightyears in length.
Spot the Ringed Planet
in the Spring Sky!
This spring is an excellent time to view the ringed planet Saturn from your own backyard. You won't need a telescope or binoculars to see this heavenly body, although these tools will help you to see the planet in more detail. All you'll need to find this planet is your eyes and a bit of information.
In 2008 Saturn is visiting the constellation Leo in our sky. Leo is distinctive for the hook shape it makes in the sky. Classically the hook represents the head of a lion, while the bright star underneath it, Regulus, stands for the lion's heart. Leo can be found in the western sky about an hour after the sun has set. The Big Dipper can guide us to this constellation. Simply draw a line straight down from the dipper's cup and you'll find Leo's hook (imagine using the dipper to this the lion on the head!) Once found, Regulus will guide us to Saturn, for this bright object can be seen only a few degrees west of the heart star. Keep an eye out for this planet as June goes on. By the end of the month these two bright objects will have another visitor: the red planet Mars.
June is one of the last best months to see the ringed planet. Saturn and the constellation it lies in will be setting earlier and earlier in the evening as the summer goes on. By the middle of August the sun's glare will blot out the light from the planet and we'll have to wait until next summer to see the sixth planet from the sun.
Telescope Help Clinic
March 15th Noon-6PM
A free telescope clinic with the Penobscot Valley Star Gazers astronomy club will be held at the UMaine Jordan Planetarium Saturday March 15th from noon to 6pm. That is not a good time to be using a telescope, but it is a great time for scope owners and buyers to find out more about how they work and what is available. PVSG members will explain how to observe planets, stars, galaxies and more. For scope owners, they will also look at their telescopes and help with any set-up or operating problems.
Thinking of purchasing a telescope? Or, need help in setting one up? Club members will have various models on display for you to learn what styles might fit your needs and budget. Amateur telescopes on the market today range in price from forty dollars to thousands of dollars. PVSG club members will offer valuable information to compare the various models and options to consider before buying. So to get answers to one or one hundred questions about telescopes, drop in anytime between noon and 6:00pm.
The Jordan Planetarium will run free sky tours throughout the clinic so newbies and veterans can build up their sky IQ.
Weather permitting, following the clinic a night star party will be held from 7:00pm to 10:00 pm at the Maynard F. Jordan Observatory near the Maine Center for the Arts. The star party is also free of charge. Rain or shine, the Planetarium will offer its feature “Ring World” in Wingate Hall at 7:00pm where admission is $3.
The Penobscot Valley Star Gazers is a Bangor area astronomy club formed to promote education and enjoyment of the night sky. The club meets on the second Monday of each month in room 310 at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor at 6:30 pm. More information is on their web site at ttp://www.Gazers.org.
Total Lunar Eclipse: February 20, 2008
On February 20th a very special event will be taking place in the night sky: a total lunar eclipse. Eclipses of the moon can happen several times a year, but these eclipses are not always total (that is, the moon is not always blotted out completely). On the 20th, however, people all over the United States will be able to watch as the moon is slowly covered by the Earth's shadow.
The Earth casts a shadow just as any other object does when in front of a light. This shadow extends behind the Earth into space and into the moon's orbit. Most months the moon passes over or under this shadow as it orbits, but every once in a while it passes through it. When inside the shadow the sun's light cannot reach it, causing it to appear dark. When the moon is completely inside the Earth's shadow, however, it turns not black but an orange or red color. This is because the Earth is not quite big enough to cover the sun all the way. When the moon is completely in shadow light can still reach around the outside of the Earth. The eclipsed moon's orange and red color comes from all the sunrises and sunsets happening on Earth.
On the 20th the moon will first reach the darkest part of the Earth's shadow (the umbra) at 8:42 pm. By 10:00pm it will be totally eclipsed and will stay that way until 10:51. Finally, by 12:09pm it will have left the umbra and all easily observable changes will be over.
There will not be a planetarium show the evening of the eclipse, but the real thing will be coming into focus at the Observatory. Come join the eclipse party at the Jordan Observatory! Viewing will start at 8:30pm on the 20th and last until 11pm. DRESS WARM the Observatory is unheated! For more about the Jordan Observatory go here.
Winter solstice brings longest night of the year
December 22, 2007
Every year around Christmastime the northern hemisphere has a very long, cold night. That night is called the winter solstice. This year in Maine the winter solstice will take place on December 22. What does this mean for us? It means that we have a long, snowy winter to look forward to.
The winter solstice comes about as a result of the tilt of the Earth’s axis. As the Earth rotates the sun it wobbles like a top, causing the hemispheres to lean towards and away from the sun. When a hemisphere leans towards the sun, the sun appears higher in the sky during the day. Because of this, sunlight must follow a long path along a high angle in order to hit the Earth, causing the sunlight to last longer and be more intense. The opposite is true when a hemisphere tilts away from the sun: a short path and a low angle lead to less intense sunlight and shorter days. On the day of the winter solstice the sun is at its lowest angle in the Earth’s sky, leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year.
Throughout history there have been many different ways people celebrate the winter solstice. You can find out more about them in the Seasons of Light solstice show at the Jordan Planetarium.
Jordan Observatory Targets
Bright Comet
October 25, 2007
A naked eye comet suddenly appeared in Maine’s sky on Wednesday October 24th and the University of Maine’s Jordan Planetarium and Observatory guided sky watchers following its progress. The Comet named P17/ Holmes was discovered in 1892 by a British astronomer, and has had a history of unsteady brightness. It gets closer to the sun about every 7 years, but OCtober 24th, during its present return, it began to evaporate explosively. It has grown so large that it can be seen- looking like a star- with the unaided eye even though it sits farther from us than the sun.
Comet 17P/Holmes is found low in the northeast sky after dark, among the stars of the constellation Perseus. On the 25th, the Jordan Observatory on the Orono campus hosted a public star party for anyone wanting to locate this solar system vagabond. As long as the Holmes remains bright, it will be featured targe tin the public viewing hours at the Observatory and programs at the Planetarium will all include a short lesson on finding the comet in the Maine sky.
The chart below is simple and a 2-page .pdf star chart can be downloaded below. Astronomers are uncertain of how long this comet outburst will last. It was dimmer than little Pluto, the dwarf planet at the edge of the solar system, but at present it is one of the brighter stars in the sky.
Click chart for larger format:
pdf Star chart for locating Comet 17P/Holmes
Fall Meteors Rule!!
By Alan Davenport October 19, 2007
The rule is... “A meteor shower is usually washed out by clouds or a bright moon.” This could be great fall for catching the faint streaks we call shooting stars though because the moon is going to be shy and a couple of showers peak in the weekends. During the best showers, hours when there are increased falling star counts, the moon will be hidden from sight. Also, a couple of showers will come on weekends so it will be easier to stay up late when the meteors are most plentiful.
The Orionid meteor shower peaks Sunday night October 21 st and the moon sets near midnight. The best meteor watching always comes after midnight so that is good news! By November 18 thwhen the Leonid meteors fill the sky, the moon is again near first quarter and sets by midnight. The moon sets even earlier December 14 th for the high point of the Geminid shower and on January 4 th when the Quadrantid shower peaks for the warm blooded sky watchers. All that is needed is a dose of clear weather to make these celestial fireworks a fun show.
Making the most of a meteor shower and seeing bunches of falling stars takes a little patience and planning. Many of them will be dim so the first rule is to get far from house lights and away from city lights as much as possible. Second, spend at least 15minutes in the dark with nothing brighter than a red filtered flashlight so the eyes can become adapted to the darkness and see fainter stars. And third, lie down where most of the sky can be seen without much turning and twisting around.
The shooting stars seem to come from the constellation that is their namesake but they rarely appear there so make that part of the sky lowest priority, perhaps lying with ones head pointed toward it. Get a planisphere sky chart available from the Jordan Planetarium or surf to the Whole Sky Chart tool at Heavens Above: http://www.heavens-above.com and see where all the stars and major constellations will be for any time of night. In general, it is fine to just keep an eye on the middle of the sky and not focus much on the lower part of the sky less than two fist-widths above the horizon. ( A fist at arm’s length is about 10 degrees wide.)
These short-lived sparks are surprisingly small. Most are smaller than a fingernail but the larger bits will be the brighter meteors. They are simply moving so fast – up to 160 thousand miles per hour- that they flare up, burn, and shock the air into glowing as they pass through earth’s atmosphere. The earth gathers more than 10 tons per day of space dust in daylight and night from random meteors even when there is no shower. Watch for them whenever a clear dark night is at hand.
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