{"id":1606,"date":"2018-07-05T13:53:54","date_gmt":"2018-07-05T17:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=1606"},"modified":"2019-01-17T07:56:23","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T12:56:23","slug":"julaugsep2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2018\/07\/05\/julaugsep2018\/","title":{"rendered":"JulAugSep2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Solstice Picnic, Saturday June 23<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The annual Summer Solstice Picnic was held at Osbornedale State Park in Derby on Saturday, June 23.  The forecast was for rain and thunderstorms, but the picnic went on as scheduled because we had a sturdy pavilion building in which to hold the gathering.  As it turned out, the rain did not come, and we had cloudy but pleasant weather for the entire afternoon.  There was plenty of good food and conversation, and some of our group had a chance to take a walk around the park\u2019s trails.  We were also treated to a display of some interesting raptors, thanks to a nearby gathering of a birding group that had brought a number of owls and hawks. Several of the hawks flew from tree to tree in our vicinity, responding to the commands of their trainer.<\/p>\n

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Young’s Park Observing, Saturday April 21<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Donna Pursley<\/h3>\n

\"\"For the first time in a long time we had a perfectly clear night and it wasn\u2019t freezing cold. There were plenty of people there long before it was dark. A few new members came out to join us tonight. The clear sky clock said excellent conditions but there was something going on in the atmosphere so the viewing wasn\u2019t the best. Plus the moon was very bright. The telescopes were aimed at many different targets besides the moon, including Venus, Mizar and Alcor, the Beehive Cluster, the Sombrero Galaxy, the Whirlpool Galaxy, M81 and M82, globular clusters M3 and M13, and a very red star in Hydra. Overall it was a successful night, and the visitors who came to look were very excited about what they saw.<\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

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 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Monthly Meetings<\/strong><\/h1>\n

At the March monthly meeting, Donna Pursley and Laurie Averill gave presentations on current findings about gravity waves. Donna introduced the presentation by explaining what gravity waves are and how the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatories (LIGO\u2019s) detect them.  Laurie described the discovery on August 17, 2017 of the merger of binary neutron stars that was observed in gravity waves and also a wide variety of electromagnetic wavelengths through global scientific collaboration.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Because Leitner Observatory was closed, the location of the April monthly meeting was changed to the Universalist Unitarian Church in New Haven.  Michael Miller gave a presentation called “Where are They?” about the question of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.  He covered many different approaches, from the Drake Equation for calculating the probability of extraterrestrial life to the Rare Earth hypothesis.  This was followed by a lively and interesting discussion by those present about their own views of whether there is life beyond Earth, and what the chances are that we will find it if it is out there.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n


\nMonthly Meetings, continued:<\/p>\n

At the May monthly meeting, Al Washburn continued with his discussion of the ASNH meteorite collection. This presentation focused in detail on iron meteorites from three different locations. First, Al presented samples from Sikote-Alin. The fall of this meteor was observed in the skies over Siberia in 1947, creating an explosion that was heard for up to 200 miles away. Al also showed some samples from famous Canyon Diablo meteorite, which fell in Arizona roughly 30,000 to 50,000 years ago and produced Meteor Crater, some 4000 feet across and several hundred feet deep. Finally, Al presented our samples from the Gibeon meteorite that fell in Namibia. Many tons of material have been recovered from all three of these large impacts.  After the presentation, everyone got another chance to go up and handle these rare rocks from outer space.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n


\nGood To Stargaze
\n<\/strong><\/h1>\n

A smart-phone app recommended by Rich Asarisi<\/h3>\n

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 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Upcoming Public Events<\/strong><\/h1>\n

These events are free and open to the public. If the weather looks questionable for an observing event, check the ASNH website<\/a> before you leave home. There will be a scrolling message on the home page if an event has been cancelled.<\/p>\n

Sunday, August 12, 7:30-10:00pm<\/strong>
\nAnsonia Nature Center, 10 Deerfield Ln, Ansonia CT 06401 (map<\/a>)
\nPerseid Meteor Shower
\n<\/span>Scopes are needed for this event. Observing weather permitting.<\/p>\n

Friday, October 5, 8:00-10:00pm<\/strong>
\nStratford Point Public Observing
\n<\/span>Directions: Off I-95: Take Exit 30 turn left onto Surf ave turn toward School for Aviation,Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Turn left on to Lordship Blvd. Left at Oak Bluff Ave, at rotary take 2nd exit onto Prospect Drive. Gated entrance to Audubon Society on the left<\/span><\/p>\n

Saturday, Octrober 6, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Young’s Park, Branford CT
\nPublic Observing Session<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events for ASNH Members<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Saturday, August 18, 8:00-10:00pm<\/strong>
\nLong Wharf Nature Preserve (map<\/a>)
\nStargazing night at a NHLT Preserve. Private event.<\/span><\/p>\n

Friday, September 7 to Sunday, September 9
\n<\/strong>Connecticut Star Party – Save the dates!
\nEdmund D. Strang Scout Camp
\nGoshen, CT<\/p>\n

Saturday, September 15, 8:00-10:00pm
\n<\/strong>Cold Spring Farm, 46 Town Road, Colchester (map<\/a>)
\nStargazing night at Colchester Land Trust
\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Features<\/strong><\/h1>\n

If you have not looked at the newsletter before, check out some of the regular features. There are four useful links in the menu at the top of this page:<\/p>\n

Calendar <\/b> This is a monthly calendar that includes all the scheduled events of ASNH, other regional events of interest, plus the dates and times of noteworthy events in the night sky.<\/p>\n

SkyMap <\/b> This page has a chart of the sky as it appears over the New Haven area at the present date and time. It is constantly updated, so you can go to this page on any clear night to see what is overhead.<\/p>\n

Space Place<\/strong> Read the monthly article from Space Place.<\/p>\n

Directions <\/b>This page gives directions to all the locations where regular activities of ASNH take place, including the monthly meeting, public observing sessions, and the annual Connecticut Star Party.<\/p>\n

Other regular features can be found within these pages:<\/p>\n

Upcoming Public Events <\/strong>Many ASNH events are free and open to the public. These include the monthly meetings and public observing sessions at Young’s Pond Park in Branford and Silver Sands State Park in Milford. This section gives the dates, times, and descriptions of these events.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events for ASNH Members <\/strong>These events are for ASNH members only. Some are private observing nights, and others are outreach events where volunteers are needed with the telescopes and equipment.<\/p>\n

Night Sky Highlights <\/strong>This section lists some objects to observe in the sky during the next few months, whether you are using just your eyes, a pair of binoculars, or a telescope.<\/p>\n

Gallery <\/strong> This section will feature recent photographs of celestial targets taken by ASNH members and others. If you have a picture you want to share with us, please submit it to newsletter@asnh.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The following article is from Cosmic Pursuits<\/h1>\n

COPYRIGHT \u00a9 2018 MINTAKA PUBLISHING INC.<\/p>\n

Cosmic Pursuits<\/a><\/p>\n

The Night Sky This Month \u2013 July 2018<\/h1>\n
\"\"
An image of Mars captured by Damian Peach in June 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s another excellent month to feast your eyes on planets. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are all easily visible in the night sky with the unaided eye. And while Jupiter and Saturn remain large and bright and beautiful in a telescope, Mars is the main event this month as the planet makes its closest approach to Earth in 15 years. The planet will be a sight to behold without optics as it hovers fat and bright in the southeastern sky an hour or two after sunset. When the atmosphere is steady, observers with a telescope will see plenty of surface features including the southern polar cap, red-orange plains, and darker expanses of exposed rock and crater fields. The planet will remain well positioned to observe for all of July and well into August and September. There\u2019s also a fine lunar eclipse for observers in Europe, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand later in July, and there\u2019s a respectable meteor shower at month\u2019s end for southern stargazers. Here\u2019s what to see in the night sky this month<\/span><\/p>\n

1 July 2018.<\/strong> Mars and the waning gibbous Moon lie just 6\u00ba apart for most of the night. Mars will brighten rapidly and grow in apparent size this month on its way to opposition on July 27.<\/p>\n

4 July.<\/strong> Mercury lies less than a degree from the Beehive star cluster (M44) in the western sky after sunset. Use binoculars to see the pair. Mercury will continue to get a little higher above the horizon each day until July 12 and will remain visible until the 17th<\/sup> or 18th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

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Venus and Mercury in the western sky about 45 minutes after sunset on July 10, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6 July.<\/strong> Earth reaches aphelion, its furthest distance from the Sun during its annual orbit. Today, we are 152,095,566 km from our home star. Or to be more precise, the center of the Earth is that distance from the center of the Sun.<\/p>\n

6 July.<\/strong> Last Quarter Moon, 07:51 UT.<\/p>\n

9 July.<\/strong> Look to the west after sunset to see bright Venus just 1\u00ba from the 1st<\/sup> magnitude star Regulus. Venus presents a gibbous disk this month as it sinks each night into the western horizon. The planet shines at a very bright magnitude -4.2, brighter than anything in the sky except for the Sun and Moon.<\/p>\n

10 July.<\/strong> I know it\u2019s hard to believe, but the stars of northern winter (and southern summer) are starting to make an appearance in the eastern sky before sunrise. Today, a thin crescent Moon lies near the stars of the Hyades star cluster and the bright star Aldebaran just over the eastern horizon. Binoculars will give you a lovely view.<\/p>\n

10-11 July.<\/strong> Jupiter ceases its retrograde motion today and now begins moving eastward against the background stars each night. The planet is a couple of months past opposition, but it\u2019s still a splendid sight in the evening sky.<\/p>\n

12 July.<\/strong> Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation, its largest angular distance from the Sun. The planet will now begin to move quickly each day back toward the western horizon. It will reappear in the morning sky later in August.<\/p>\n

13 July.<\/strong> New Moon, 02:48 UT<\/p>\n

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The Milky Way in July as seen from Northern Virginia. Image credit: Brian Ventrudo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

13 July.<\/strong> A partial solar eclipse is visible over Antarctica and the extreme southern reaches of Australia.<\/p>\n

15 July.<\/strong> Another lovely view: look for Venus, a waxing crescent Moon, and the star Regulus in the western sky after sunset. All lie within about 5\u00ba of each other.<\/p>\n

19 July.<\/strong> First Quarter Moon, 19:52 UT.<\/p>\n

20 July.<\/strong> The gibbous Moon forms a triangle with brilliant Jupiter and the 2nd<\/sup> magnitude star Alpha Librae (also called Zubenelgenubi).<\/p>\n

24 July.<\/strong> The Moon makes its way along the ecliptic and checks in with the planet Saturn in the constellation Sagittarius. Saturn reached opposition in late June and continues to put on its best show of the year. The planet is located above the Teapot of Sagittarius in the southeastern sky after sunset and remains visible all night long.<\/p>\n

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The location of the planets Mars and Saturn in the southern sky at midnight in late July 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

27 July.<\/strong> Mars reaches opposition, rising in the east as the Sun sets in the west. Oppositions of Mars only happen every two years and two months, and this apparition is the best since 2003. Mars makes its closest approach to Earth on July 30-31. You can\u2019t miss it. Look to the constellation Capricorn in the southeast (or east in the southern hemisphere), just east of Sagittarius after sunset. You will see a blazing bright planet shining with a steady ochre glow. If you have a telescope, make the effort to observe Mars. You\u2019ll get the best view when the planet is furthest above the horizon a couple of hours after midnight this month. It rises a little earlier each night. Go have a look. Mars won\u2019t be this close again until 2050.<\/p>\n

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The visibility of the lunar eclipse of July 27-28, 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

27 July.<\/strong> Full Moon, 20:20 UT<\/p>\n

27-28 July.<\/strong> Observers in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia will enjoy a total lunar eclipse. In Europe, the partial phase of the eclipse gets underway as the Moon rises on the night of the 27th<\/sup>. In Australia, the Moon sets on the morning of the 28th<\/sup> as the eclipse is in progress. This will be a long eclipse with a total of 1 hour and 43 minutes of totality. Mars, which reaches opposition tonight and shines at a brilliant magnitude -2.8, lies just 5-6\u00ba away from the Moon during the eclipse. Alas, observers in North America will miss this event. But we still have Mars!<\/p>\n

28 July.<\/strong> The Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks. <\/strong>Look for 15-20 meteors per hour, with a path that traces back to the radiant in the constellation Aquarius. This somewhat weak shower favors southern-hemisphere observers. The best view is after midnight, and you can see these meteors anywhere in the sky.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Night Sky Highlights for July-September 2018<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Solar System<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Perseid Meteor Shower
\nWeek of August 10-15 (and beyond)<\/strong>
\nThis promises to be an excellent year for observing the Perseids, because they will peak around the time of the new Moon so the sky will be nice and dark.  Weather permitting, the best viewing should be on the night of August 12<\/strong> (and ASNH will sponsor a public viewing night at the Ansonia Nature Center (map<\/a>).  But occasional Perseids can be seen in night sky for several weeks starting in late July, so keep an eye out for them.<\/p>\n

Mercury
\n<\/strong>There will be a good opportunity to observe Mercury during the first half of July, when it will be low in the west right after sunset.  You will need a clear view of the western horizon.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Venus<\/strong>
\nVenus will be easy to see in the west after sunset throughout the summer this year.  At about magnitude -4, it is the brightest object in the sky besides the Sun and the Moon.<\/p>\n

Mars<\/strong>
\nThis summer, Mars will make its closest approach to Earth since 2003.  It is closest (and of course largest through a telescope) on July 31, when it will be 24.3″ in diameter (more than half the apparent size of Jupiter).  But don’t just wait for that one night, because it will be quite large throughout July and August.<\/p>\n

Jupiter<\/strong>
\nThe giant planet will be easily visible in the evenings throughout the summer, in the constellation Libra.  This will be a perfect time to observe its cloud bands, the red spot, and its four brightest moons.<\/p>\n

Saturn<\/strong>
\nSaturn is in Sagittarius, and it will rise around sunset in  the beginning of July.  It will be well placed for evening observing this summer.  Its rings continue to be tilted at a good angle for viewing them from our vantage point.<\/p>\n

Uranus and Neptune<\/strong>
\nUranus is in Pisces, and Neptune is in Aquarius.  They will be better placed for convenient evening observing this fall, but if you want to stay up late and view them during the warm summer months, you will need a finder chart such as the one in this article from the Sky & Telescope<\/em> website:<\/p>\n

www.skyandtelescope.com\/observing\/planets\/ice-giants-neptune-and-uranus\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Deep Sky Objects<\/strong><\/h2>\n

At just about any summer observing event, you are likely to see the old favorites (the Ring Nebula, the Wild Duck Cluster, Messier 13, etc). But there are many more great objects in the summer skies that are not observed quite so often. A few of these are listed below. For each object, click on the star-hop chart to get instructions and printable maps showing how to find the object in the evening sky.<\/p>\n

Messier 10 and 12
\n<\/strong>Globular clusters in Ophiuchus
\nThese two clusters in the middle of Ophiuchus are both large and fairly bright, and they are good targets for telescopes of all sizes. Medium to large scopes will show hundreds of individual stars in both clusters. The stars of M12 are less densely packed, making them easier to resolve all the way to the center of the cluster.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 16, the Eagle Nebula
\n<\/strong>Nebula and star cluster in Serpens
\nThe Eagle Nebula is a not especially bright when observed visually. The cluster of stars is easy to see, but even through a large telescope the nebula is dim and diffuse.Look for a faint glow within and around the star cluster, and use a nebula filter if you have one. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 20, the Trifid Nebula
\n<\/strong>Diffuse nebula in Sagittarius
\nThrough a telescope, the Trifid Nebula consists of two hazy balls of light. With a medium or large telescope, you can see dust lanes in the larger and brighter section that divide it into three lobes and give the object its name. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 21
\n<\/strong>Open cluster in Sagittarius
\nJust over 1\/2 degree northeast of Messier 20 (the Trifid Nebula) is M21, an open cluster of several dozen stars that is ideal for telescopes of all sizes.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 23 and 25
\n<\/strong>Open clusters in Sagittarius
\n<\/strong>With the naked eye, you can see Messier 24, a very rich section of the Milky Way about 1.5 degrees across. It is a wonderful sight in binoculars or a telescope with a wide field of view. It is flanked by two bright open clusters, M23 to the west and M25 to the east. Both of these are nice sights in binoculars and telescopes at low power. These two open clusters are each about 2000 light years away.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 71
\n<\/strong>Globular cluster in Sagitta
\nIn this middle of the small but distinctive constellation of Sagitta, the arrow, there is a fine globular cluster that is easy to locate. M71 is loosely packed with stars, and a telescope with medium or high magnification will resolve the stars nicely.  It is particularly attractive with its Milky Way background full of tiny stars.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 92
\n<\/strong>Globular cluster in Hercules
\nAlthough its neighbor in Hercules, M13, gets all the attention, Messier 92 is also a very impressive globular cluster and it is definitely worth tracking it down.  The cluster is about 27,000 light years away and contains several hundred thousand stars.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

v Aquilae
\n<\/strong>Red carbon star in Aquila
\nAt the tail end of Aquila is v Aquilae, one of reddest stars visible in the sky, due to the presence of carbon in its atmosphere. Its magnitude varies from 6.6 to 8.4, so it should be easily visible in any telescope. Just 1\/2 degree to the southeast is the small planetary nebula NGC 6751 (see below).  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

NGC 6751
\n<\/strong>Planetary nebula in Aquila
\nIf you are using a telescope with an aperture of at least 6 inches, after observing v Aquilae (see above), look just 1\/2 degree to the southeast and you should be able to spot NGC 6751, a small planetary nebula. High magnification will help to identify it as a nebula and not just a star.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gallery, page 1<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Here are images of some of the deep-sky objects described in the Night-Sky Highlights of this issue:<\/p>\n

Messier 12, Globular cluster in Ophiuchus<\/strong>
\nImage by Leo Taylor, taken with an 8-inch Meade 2080 telescope and a Pentax D110D camera.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Messier 25, Open cluster in Sagittarius<\/strong>
\nImage by Leo Taylor, taken with an 8-inch Meade 2080 telescope and an SBIG ST4000XCM imager.
\n\"\"
\nMessier 71, Globular cluster in Sagitta<\/strong>
\nImage by Leo Taylor, taken with an 8-inch Meade 2080 telescope and an SBIG ST4000XCM imager.
\n\"\"
\nMessier 92, Globular cluster in Hercules<\/strong>
\nImage by Leo Taylor, taken with an 8-inch Meade 2080 telescope and a Pentax D110D camera.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gallery, page 2<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Messier 16, the Eagle Nebula<\/strong>
\nImage by Jim Mazur, taken with a 14-inch Meade LX850 telescope and an SBIG ST8300M imager.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Messier 20, the Trifid Nebula<\/strong>
\nImage by Jim Mazur, taken with a 14-inch Meade LX850 telescope and an SBIG ST8300M imager.
\n\"\"
\nCarbon star V Aquilae (upper right corner) and planetary nebula NGC 6751 (lower left corner)<\/strong>
\nImage by Jim Mazur, taken with a 14-inch Meade LX850 telescope and an SBIG ST8300M imager.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Solstice Picnic, Saturday June 23 The annual Summer Solstice Picnic was held at Osbornedale State Park in Derby on Saturday, June 23.  The forecast was for rain and thunderstorms, but the picnic went on as scheduled because we had a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-12"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1606"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1879,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1606\/revisions\/1879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}