{"id":2655,"date":"2022-03-27T07:36:29","date_gmt":"2022-03-27T11:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=2655"},"modified":"2022-05-15T21:50:30","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T01:50:30","slug":"aprmayjun2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2022\/03\/27\/aprmayjun2022\/","title":{"rendered":"AprMayJun2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Upcoming Monthly Meetings on Zoom<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Tuesday, April 26, 7:00 pm
Tuesday, May 31, 7:00 pm
Tuesday, June 28, 7:00 pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will continue to use this format for monthly meetings until it is safe to meet in person again. A week or two before each meeting, members will receive an email announcement with a link that will allow them to connect to the online meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just click the link or copy and paste in your browser and that will connect you to the meeting. You can do this on any device that has an internet connection and a browser.  You can do this on a smart phone. You can display yourself if you like with your selfie camera on your device. If you don’t that’s okay, don’t feel you have to.

You can also dial in to the meeting. The number and password will be given in the announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Public outreach events are being planned for the next several months and into the fall. To see what is coming up, click on the calendar tab at the top of the page. Be sure to check periodically as new events may be added later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reports of Monthly Meetings on Zoom<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Donna Pursley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 25, 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There were 23 members in attendance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray sent a link to the NASA site for the James Webb telescope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Winter Solstice Quiz winners are: 1st<\/sup> place \u2013 Dave Johnson, 3-way tie for 2nd<\/sup> place \u2013 Bob Carruthers, Jim Mazur, and Laurie Averill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have 85 members. 2 new members: Carlos Forray and Charles Vossbrinck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shop Talk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Washburn is still looking at Jupiter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray Kaville saw Comet Lenard very low on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a couple of comets coming but may be faint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Amato and his brother saw some nice dark sunspots. The Sun is blossoming with spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carlos belongs to the Rockland group also. He just moved here from New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have done public outreach and he is into astrophotography also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greg Barker gave a short explanation of CSP, Silver Sands and Young\u2019s Park. We also do outreach for private events (except during Covid).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fred Danowski took pictures of the Orion Nebula. He showed the group and will send to Jim for the newsletter. The deadline for the next newsletter is late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donna Pursley mentioned that the Westport group and the Skyscrapers in Rhode Island have nice speakers that we could listen to on Zoom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laurie saw the Wolf Moon rising over Rt. 68. Very low and looked very large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don Straka mentioned that a setting Moon is great for public outreach because we can spend time on the Moon and when it sets and we can move on to fainter objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public likes looking at the Moon, the terminator. People don\u2019t realize that some of the mountains are 5 miles tall. All of the mountains on the Moon were formed by craters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rich Asarisi had a telescope behind him that was imaging for the first time in a month. He has IR lights in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Menturweck mentioned that Prospect has lots of sky glow from surrounding towns. Can see the Pleiades but not the Hyades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The snow on the ground reflects the light and causes more light pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rich Cosgrove saw the Wolf Moon coming up through the trees. Looked like a fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James said that the Bethany Airport is a good site. He has set up his telescope in an area there. He saw Comet NEOWISE from his kitchen window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 22, 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There were 18 members in attendance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have 82 members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Carruthers \u2013 Presentation on Radio Astronomy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 18-20 years ago he listened to Radio Jove. There was a NASA project to make a radio telescope to try and hear emissions from Jupiter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dave Johnson and Chris Hungerford helped build a radio telescope at Bethany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a 12-foot tower, a tin can \/ bowling ball mount and a 4-element Yagi antenna tuned to 17MHz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They did hear the Jupiter emissions. The sounds only happen when certain longitudes on Jupiter face towards the Earth and the moon Io is between Jupiter and the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob and Gianne Jenkins played a few tapes of the emissions. Some sounded like ocean waves. They also played a sample of a NASA tape of the bursts. Long waves and short burst that sound like popcorn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob has also heard sounds from Sagittarius A \u2013 sounds like static.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bethany was built in its location because of radio astronomy. A focus point between to ridges, but high.  Bethany received transmissions from Sputnik. Morris code for Hello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob has a smaller Yagi \u2013 handheld \u2013 170MHz AM band \u2013 could hear radio noise from the sun. There is more noise when there are sunspots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shop Talk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Predom \u2013 occultations of the Moon \u2013 talked about Astronomics wide angle eyepieces on sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gianne \u2013 viewed the moon 12hr before full. Could see craters along part of the rim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Amato \u2013 at West Haven beach \u2013 very cold \u2013 sky was dark \u2013 was nice just to look at the constellations \u2013Pleiades, Hyades, Orion, Canis major \u2013 all lined up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray Kaville\u2013 Orion is very bright \u2013 stunning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donna Pursley\u2019s Presentation \u2013 Some objects to find on the Moon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has started the Astronomical League\u2019s Lunar Observing and thought these would be a good challenge for the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Sinus Iridum \u2013 Promontorium Heraclides, Promontorium Laplace
In Mar Nubium \u2013 Rima Birt, Repes Recta
In Palus Putredinis \u2013 Rima Hadley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She will have Greg send something out to try and find these objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many members are very much into looking at the Moon and made some suggestions.
Bob sketches the Moon.
Chris uses Moonglobe app on iPhone.
Ray like looking at small areas and concentrating on those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Asteroid 3658 Feldman <\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Al Washburn has recently been informed that his sister\u2019s, sister-in-law\u2019s husband, who recently passed away, has had an asteroid named after him. The recipient is Dr. Paul D. Feldman.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

From Dr. Feldman\u2019s obituary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astronomer Paul Feldman, a worldwide leading authority on comets who pioneered the field of ultraviolet spectroscopy of comets, was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1939 and died peacefully at home on Jan. 26, 2022. He was 82.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Feldman was professor of Physics and astronomy at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Asteroid 3658, a Main Belt Asteroid, discovered on October 13, 1982, has now become Asteroid ( 3658 ) Feldman. Dr. Feldman received this honor for his numerous contributions in \u201chigh energy ultraviolet spectroscopy\u201d particularly of the Earth\u2019s atmosphere, Venus, the outer planets and comets. His design and supervision of a number of spacecraft instruments have led to many advances in our understanding of the physical processes in the solar system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Johns Hopkins website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1976, during a sounding rocket experiment to observe Comet West, Feldman made the first detection of the carbon monoxide molecule in a comet, recording what is still one of the finest examples of a cometary ultraviolet spectrum ever obtained. Since then, Feldman remained at the forefront of attempts to study cometary CO, using sounding rockets, the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, FUSE, and the Rosetta spacecraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More of his accomplishments and credits can be found on the John Hopkins Hub:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/physics-astronomy.jhu.edu\/2022\/01\/31\/remembering-paul-feldman\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meteorites at The Guilford House!<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Al Washburn

While recovering from hip surgery and unexpected colonoscopy surgery and recovering at \u201cThe Guilford House\u201d, in Guilford, CT, I asked permission to present the club\u2019s meteorites to an audience of fellow residents. This request was granted and on March 3, 2022, before an audience of 10 attentive and curious seniors, Jeni and I presented the ASNH meteorite collection, in full. Each person was given a handout, with photo, of each of the 3 main types. As we went through the main characteristics of each group a sample was carried around, by Jeni, for each attendee to hold and see up close. The session went over an hour and was followed by some very good questions. I was literally wheeled out of the session while talking about my mother and how she outlived Pluto! I was scheduled for an MRI back in my room that could not wait. At this point, Jeni fielded numerous final inquiries from the residents about our solar system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Childhood Astronomy<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Michael Amato<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was just 10 years old, Mars was just 35 million miles away, and I went outside every night to look at it with my hapless 20X handheld telescope. I couldn’t see any detail, but I still enjoyed looking at Mars. I was also able to see Jupiter’s four moons through my scope for the first time ever, and I was even able to show my younger brother the moons of Jupiter. In 1957, I was 11 years old while my brother and next-door neighbors were both 10 years old. We read that bright Comet Arend-Roland would be appearing in our evening sky, so we went out to catch the comet. At first, we saw a bright fireball which in itself was something to see, but then as it grew darker we were able to see this very bright comet. Again, we had to use our little scopes to view its head, but what really amazed us was a very bright anti-tail which was pointed toward the sunset. It was so bright we did not even notice the huge tail pointing away from the comet. 1956 and 1957 put me on the road to astronomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the New Jupiter: Discoveries of the Juno Mission <\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Dr. Scott Bolton, Principal Juno Investigator, Nov. 10, 2021
Summarized by Laurie Averill, Volunteer JPL Solar System Ambassador<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New discoveries of the Juno Mission challenge theories about how planets are formed, Jupiter\u2019s weather cycle, and magnetic fields.  They also provide insights into Ganymede. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This illustration uses data obtained by NASA’s Juno mission to depict high-altitude electrical storms on Jupiter. Juno’s sensitive Stellar Reference Unit camera detected unusual lightning flashes on Jupiter’s dark side during the spacecraft’s close flybys of the planet. Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/SwRI\/MSSS\/Gerald Eichst\u00e4dt\/Heidi N. Becker\/Koji Kuramura  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formation of Jupiter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New observations about the structure of Jupiter challenge current theories of planet formation. Jupiter\u2019s core is dilute and made up of hydrogen and helium that is 60 to 70% of the size of the planet at the center of its endless atmosphere.  Unlike planets with well-defined cores that current theories indicate were formed by colliding and clumping of materials in the disc left over from the Sun\u2019s formation, a new theory proposes that Jupiter was formed like the Sun by a collapsing interstellar cloud.  This insight could help to explain the formation of giant, gaseous exoplanets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shallow Lightning and Mushballs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ammonia is an important component in the generation of lightning and Jupiter\u2019s weather cycle.  Shallow lightning occurs above the water ice cloud of the atmosphere of Jupiter, higher than was thought possible, and is not produced by a weather cycle solely dependent upon water.  Lightning has been detected on Jupiter in a shallow region above the water ice cloud with the low-light camera: (Watch video:  https:\/\/youtu.be\/tq_6DClZ0Ns<\/a>).  A current model suggests that violent thunderstorms blow water ice crystals over 16 miles up into the Jovian atmosphere above the water clouds.  Here ammonia vapor acts as antifreeze, melts the water ice crystals and joins with them to form ammonia-water clouds in the minus 126 degrees Fahrenheit environment.  Droplets of falling ammonia-water collide with upwelling water crystals and electrify the clouds to form the lightning.  These droplets also seed mushballs, Jovian hail stones.  The mushballs grow larger as they are driven up and down through the atmosphere.   Ammonia-water mush and, in lower water-cloud levels, water coat the seeds in progressively thicker and heavier layers.   When the mushballs are heavy enough, they escape atmospheric currents, and fall deeper into Jupiter\u2019s atmosphere.  Jupiter\u2019s atmosphere warms as it nears the core.  The ammonia mush eventually heats enough to evaporate and release the ammonia vapor in the deeper levels of the atmosphere.  This model explains the weather cycle of Jupiter and why ammonia has been visible to Juno at the top and deep levels of the atmosphere, but disappears in between.  Juno can only observe ammonia directly as a vapor.  These observations can also help to understand the weather on exoplanets that is driven by the cycling of vapor, liquid, and frozen forms of compounds other than just water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

(continued next page)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Juno Mission, continued:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jovian Magnetic Fields<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magnetic fields of Jupiter are asymmetrical.  The movement of compressed, metallic hydrogen within the diffuse core generates the dynamo action that creates the magnetic fields.  The magnetic fields interact with the zonal winds–jet streams that flow from east to west and west to east forming the distinct bands in the atmosphere and a gigantic storm blue spot.  The magnetic fields have secular or time-based variation changing within the five-year period of observations made during the Juno mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This still from an animation illustrates Jupiter’s magnetic field at a single moment in time. The Great Blue Spot, an-invisible-to-the-eye concentration of magnetic field near the equator, stands out as a particularly strong feature. Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/Harvard\/Moore et al.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ganymede Discoveries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ganymede\u2019s surface ice is 150 kilometers deep and covers an ocean. Ices on the surface have different structures and temperatures.  Ganymede is airless and is constantly bombarded by plasma from Jupiter\u2019s magnetosphere.  The bombardment by Jupiter\u2019s high energy particles has changed the composition of Ganymede\u2019s ice at high latitudes.  Fine grained water ice dominates this region.  At lower latitudes, Ganymede\u2019s magnetic fields protect the ice where it still contains the original non-water components\u2014salts and organics.  Lines on Ganymede\u2019s surface suggest plate tectonics.  The lighter areas are younger, the darker older.  Ganymede has a magnetic field and generates waves that have been recorded by Juno\u2019s WAVES instrument that tracks electric and magnetic radio waves. The recording has been generated by shifting the wave frequencies into the audio range. Watch video: https:\/\/youtu.be\/_09R6jIo74U<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Juno\u2019s ten-year mission ended in July 2021, but has been extended through September 2025 or until the satellite stops functioning.  It will continue to observe Jupiter and Ganymede emphasizing Jupiter\u2019s more northward regions, faint rings and dust particles.  It will also extend its observations to Europa and Io focusing on radiation from their tori, ring-shaped clouds of ions, and volcanic activity.  The observations of the Galilean moons will provide useful information to the upcoming missions:  NASA Europa Clipper and ESA JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Raw mission data sets from the Junocam for generating images of Jupiter are available at https:\/\/www.missionjuno.swri.edu\/junocam\/processing#Welcome<\/a>.  Join citizen scientists and artists and use the data to create new images of Jupiter and its moons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Calling All Lunatics!<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Ray Kaville<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our closest planetary object. The Moon.

Many nights of unsuccessful searching for random difficult objects (of course this is all subjective to the
level of my astronomical knowledge) have had me feeling blessed that an object this robust and easy to
find exists in our night sky. Countless times I\u2019ve perused the naked eye surface markings through various
powered Eps and been thrilled to watch this live planet perform so close to home. Recently I ran across
this article from the BBC SkyAtNight magazine that provides an excellent insight into the Lunar Maria
(seas) for the astronomical observer. It\u2019s full of images and some great links to other lunar treasure
chests that you should all explore. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll enjoy this as much as I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Happy viewing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n


https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/space-science\/lunar-maria-guide-list-seas-moon\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astronomy Links<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Ray Kaville<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A unique view of the historic Apollo 11 launch and a very interesting description:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apollo 11 Saturn V Launch Camera E-8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astronomy apps you may want to have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.secretsofuniverse.in\/top-space-apps-2022\/?fbclid=IwAR1FPfAGPaXaXQbrEMJxBo_nDqWEPyuKw7stHm38BNnvGri7PH0ieN-taao<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Found in the base of a statue of Robert E. Lee statue (there is an astronomical connection):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/12\/22\/1067064001\/experts-find-books-a-coin-and-an-envelope-in-robert-e-lee-statues-base?utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews&utm_campaign=npr&utm_source=facebook.com&fbclid=IwAR2JwLYcFx2205ysU6r13xoZd20FRf5ABVO_cg91dw8sFDt3GfZfNUcj3a8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From NASA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/go.nasa.gov\/3Gsjzt5<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/europa.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See which spacecraft are talking to the Deep Space Network at any time: https:\/\/eyes.nasa.gov\/dsn\/dsn.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Zealand’s attempts to preserve the night sky:

https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/article\/20220202-saving-the-night-sky-new-zealands-craziest-experiment-yet<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Calendar<\/strong> 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\n\n\n

SkyMap<\/strong> 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\n\n\n

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

Directions <\/strong>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\n\n\n

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

Gallery<\/strong> This section features 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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Shooting Star Crossword April 2022<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to try this crossword puzzle online (no pencil or paper needed), go to this link:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/crosswordlabs.com\/view\/shooting-star-april-2022<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Across<\/strong>
3.<\/strong> water bearer
9.<\/strong> meteor shower
10.<\/strong> star in Orion
12.<\/strong> king
15.<\/strong> Cygnus double star
16.<\/strong> telescope company
17.<\/strong> lion
18.<\/strong> Moon wobble
19.<\/strong> star party
20.<\/strong> dog star<\/td>		   <\/td>Down<\/strong>
1.<\/strong> early NASA program
2.<\/strong> fish
4.<\/strong> measure of high speed
5.<\/strong> discoverer of Uranus
6.<\/strong> type of galaxy
7.<\/strong> dragon
8.<\/strong> M13 home
11.<\/strong> virgin
13.<\/strong> 200-inch telescope
14.<\/strong> hat-shaped galaxy<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For the crossword ANSWERS<\/strong>, go to this link: http:\/\/www.skyledge.net\/crossword-answers-april-2022.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Night Sky Highlights for April-June 2022<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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

Lyrid Meteor Shower
Peaking on the night of April 22-23<\/strong>
The first meteor shower of the warm months is not a very strong one, but with patience a few meteors can be seen, and some of them may be fireballs. On the peak night of April 22-23, the last quarter Moon will be rising around 2:30 am, so the best observing will probably be before then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Total Lunar Eclipse
Night of May 15-16<\/strong>
If the weather is clear, this should be an excellent eclipse for us in the northeastern US. As shown below, totality begins at 11:30 pm and last for almost an hour and a half. This is because the Moon will pass deep into the Earth’s shadow. The color of the Moon and how dark it appears varies substantially from one eclipse to another, and it will be interesting to see how it appears this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penumbral eclipse begins 9:32 pm
Partial eclipse begins 10:28 pm
Total eclipse begins 11:29 pm
Maximum eclipse 12:11 am
Total eclipse ends 12:54 am
Partial eclipse ends 1:55 am
Penumbral eclipse ends 2:51 am<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mercury<\/strong>
Mercury makes a good appearance above the western horizon after sunset in late April. It is farthest from the Sun, and therefore easier to see, on April 28. For several days before and after this date, it should not be hard to spot in the twilight sky as long as you have a good view of the western horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn<\/strong>
You won’t see any of these planets this spring unless you look to the east in the early morning hours. During April, the four planets can be seen in a row in the eastern sky before morning twilight. From left to right, there will be Jupiter (lowest in the sky), followed by brilliant Venus, then Mars and Saturn. As April progresses, Jupiter will get higher and closer to Venus until is passes by Venus during the nights of April 30 and May 1. Then, throughout May, Jupiter and Mars get closer and closer together until they pass each other on May 29. These four planets can still be seen before dawn in June, but by then they will be more spread out. Saturn will be rising around midnight by the end of June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uranus and Neptune<\/strong>
Although you will need a telescope or at least binoculars to see them, Uranus and Neptune will join the parade of planets in the morning sky in May and June. To find them, you will need a go-to scope or a finder chart such as the one in this article from the Sky & Telescope<\/em> website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

For deep-sky observers, spring is the time to hunt for galaxies. The expansive Coma-Virgo galaxy cluster passes through the southern skies during the evening hours. Messier’s catalog includes 11 targets in Virgo, all of them galaxies, and all of them visible in a small telescope. The links to the star-hop charts can help you to locate them. Galaxies that are close together are listed together below, and a single chart can be used to find them. If you know where to look for these objects, it is not difficult to view all of them on one clear evening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 49
<\/strong>This is a large and bright elliptical galaxy (magnitude 8.4) about 54 million light years away. It is slightly oblong and has a bright core. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 58, 59, and 60<\/strong>
These three galaxies are magnitudes 9.8, 9.8, and 8.8, respectively. Messier 58 is a nice barred spiral galaxy, and Messier 59 and 60 are ellipticals. Very close to M60 is another galaxy, the spiral galaxy NGC 4647. These galaxies are roughly 55 to 60 million light years away. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 61 (Oriani’s Galaxy)<\/strong>
We see this barred spiral galaxy face-on. Through a small scope it appears as a circular glow with a much brighter center. With larger scopes, some detail in its spiral arms can be seen. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 84, 86 and 87<\/strong>
All three of these are elliptical galaxies of about magnitude 9. The largest of the three is M87, an enormous galaxy containing over one trillion stars. M84 and M86 are separated by just about 1\/4 degree, so they can be seen together through eyepieces of low or medium power. M87 is about 1 degree to the southeast. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 89 and 90<\/strong>
M89 is a small but bright elliptical galaxy and appears roughly circular. M90 is a large spiral that we see at a diagonal angle, so it appears quite elongated. The two galaxies are about 2\/3 degree apart, so they can be seen together in the same low-power eyepiece. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 104 (Sombrero Galaxy)<\/strong>
Almost everyone has seen a photo of the Sombrero Galaxy with its broad dust lane and pointy arms. At magnitude 8.3, its oblong shape can be seen in just about any telescope, and with larger scopes the dust lane becomes more obvious. At a distance of a mere 29 million light years, M104 is closer than the galaxies of the Coma-Virgo cluster. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gallery<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Fred Danowski sent in this colorful view of Messier 42, the Orion Nebula, which is his first attempt at imaging a deep-sky object! It was taken on December 14, 2021 with a 10-inch Meade LX200 EMC (Alt\/Az) telescope and a Nikon D5300 camera. The image is based on 18 stacked 13-second exposures. The software he used for image acquisition and processing included Astro Photography Tool, Deep Sky Stacker, and GIMP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fred then used StarNet++ to remove all the star images and leave just the nebula to produce the lower image. This approach can help astrophotographers process bright star images and dim nebulae separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On a February trip to Florida, Don Filer captured two classic deep-sky targets. Don writes: “I had plans to go to the Winter Star Party in the Florida Keys this year but they were cancelled at the last minute.  Since I was going anyway, I switched gears and went to Kissimmee Prairie State Preserve which is in the middle of the state and is a designated Dark Sky Park.  They have a separate camping area for astronomers with 5 sites.  The skies were indeed fairly dark (Bortle 3) and no obstructions on the horizon.  Last year I purchased an EvScope which I have enjoyed and find easy to use.  Below are two photos I took during this trip.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Upcoming Monthly Meetings on Zoom Tuesday, April 26, 7:00 pmTuesday, May 31, 7:00 pmTuesday, June 28, 7:00 pm We will continue to use this format for monthly meetings until it is safe to meet in person again. A week or … 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":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-19"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2655"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2725,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2655\/revisions\/2725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}