Open House Previews for Fall 2010
August 12-13, Perseid Meteor Shower:
Main event for the night is the meteor shower. When Earth travels through the debris left behind by coment Swift-Tuttle, high-speed collisions with dust and rock left behind produce a shower of "shooting stars" that appear to originate from the direction of the constellation Perseus. At peak times some 50 meteors per hour make this one of the most impressive meteor showers of the year.
We will open the Observatory at midnight August 12 (please note this is early Thursday morning). Bring a chair to sit on, or even better a blanket or towel to lie on and plan to stick around for a while. If the weather is not conducive on August 12 we will try again August 13 (note, we will go Friday morning only if Thursday is cancelled). Check the web page for updated weather information.
For diversion we will set up a few telescopes; we might be able to see
Solar System: We should be able to get a first look (for us) at Jupiter since last year, as well as Uranus and perhaps Neptune.
Stars and Clusters: We will have a rich selection of good targets here. One of my favorite color-contrast binary stars, Albireo will be visible. Many pretty open clusters, among them the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) and the Salt and Pepper Cluster (M52) also known as the Scorpion . We may also look at a few globular clusters such as M15 or M92.
Nebulae: One of the prettiest objects in the sky, the Ring Nebula (M57) will be visible. This planetary nebula is in fact unrelated to planets, but is the remnant of a Sun-like star that died recently (within the last 30,000 years). The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is another fine planetary nebula we may observe.
Galaxies: The famous Great Spiral in Andromeda (M31) will be visible. The nearest large galaxy to our own Milky Way, this is an impressive spiral spanning 4-5 times the size of a full Moon in the sky. Through our telescopes, we will only be able to make out the brightest central core of the galaxy; still, observing an object 2.5 million light-years away is exciting. We may look for more distant galaxies as well.
This will be our first Open House for the fall and we will use it to observe the headliners of fall skies. If you have favorite objects you'd like to see and do not see them on the list, feel free to ask!
Solar System: By sunset, Mars, Venus, and Saturn, in tight conjunction, will be setting and trees at our site will block them. If you are driving out early, look to the West for a possible glimpse; you are most likely to see Venus, brightest "star" in the sky.
Much later, those who stick around may get a look at Neptune, and perhaps Uranus and Jupiter, in an even tighter conjunction. Such simultaneous conjunctions, while not extremely rare, are amusing nonetheless. These three will rise earlier in the evening later in the fall and we will hopefully spend some serious time observing Jupiter and its moons then. Of the planet's 70-odd moons we can see the brightest four, famously first seen by Galileo and known as the Galilean moons though he, angling for favor with a powerful patron, named them the Medicean Stars. Uranus appears as a pretty blue disk, while Neptune, farther from the Sun as well as from us, looks in our telescopes like a dim star.
Stars and Clusters: We will have a rich selection of good targets here. One of my favorite color-contrast binary stars, Albireo will be visible. The brightest part of the Milky Way is almost directly overhead this time of year, and many pretty open clusters, among them the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) and the Salt and Pepper Cluster (M52) also known as the Scorpion . We will also look at a few globular clusters such as the Hercules Cluster (M13) or the Pegasus Cluster (M15).
Nebulae: One of the prettiest objects in the sky, the Ring Nebula (M57) will be visible. This planetary nebula is in fact unrelated to planets, but is the remnant of a Sun-like star that died recently (within the last 30,000 years). The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is another fine planetary nebula we may observe.
Galaxies: Unless the night is exceptionally clear, it will not be a great evening for galaxies, the brightest ones will be low in the sky and obscured by city lights and trees (or below the horizon altogether). Very late, we may have a chance at observing the Great Spiral in Andromeda (M31).
The headliner - and the spoiler - tonight will be the Moon. International Observe the Moon night is September 18, but we will observe it a day early. Bright and high, the Moon will offer some beautiful views. At the same time, its light, scattering off haze and dust in the atmosphere, will brighten the sky (like sunlight during the day) making dim objects difficult to see well (like the Sun makes stars disappear in the daytime). How much this restricts viewing will depend on atmospheric conditions which determine how much moonlight scatters. As always, if there is an object that interests you, call it out and we will do our best!
Solar System: As befits a headliner, the Moon will be the last object we observe. This is because looking at the bright Moon our pupils contract, destroying the dark adaptation that helps us observe dimmer objects. That said, you should be sure to get a look at the Moon before you leave. We will be able to observe and identify some famous craters, among them Tycho, Copernicus, and Archimedes. We can also find Mare Tranquilitatis, site of the very first manned Moon landing, as well as other features.
Later, those who stick around may get a look at Neptune, and perhaps Uranus and Jupiter, in tight conjunction. On Jupiter, we can make out the striped pattern of bright zones and dark bands that reflect the pattern of convective flow in the planet's atmosphere. Interestingly, one of the prominent bands, the Southern Equatorial Belt faded from view in May. This feature has faded before and reappeared, on a timescale of 25 years or so, but the mechanism behind this remains a matter of conjecture. Of the planet's 70-odd moons we can see the brightest four, famously first seen by Galileo and known as the Galilean moons though he, angling for favor with a powerful patron, named them the Medicean Stars. Uranus appears as a pretty blue disk, while Neptune, farther from the Sun as well as from us, looks in our telescopes like a dim star.
Stars and Clusters: We will have a rich selection of good targets here. One of my favorite color-contrast binary stars, Albireo will be visible. The brightest part of the Milky Way is almost directly overhead this time of year, and many pretty open clusters, among them the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) and the Salt and Pepper Cluster (M52) also known as the Scorpion . We will also look at a few globular clusters such as the Hercules Cluster (M13) or the Pegasus Cluster (M15).
Nebulae: One of the prettiest objects in the sky, the Ring Nebula (M57) will be visible. This planetary nebula is in fact unrelated to planets, but is the remnant of a Sun-like star that died recently (within the last 30,000 years). The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is another fine planetary nebula we may observe.
Galaxies: Unless the night is exceptionally clear, it will not be a great evening for galaxies, the brightest ones will be low in the sky and obscured by city lights and trees (or below the horizon altogether). Very late, we may have a chance at observing the Great Spiral in Andromeda (M31).
Solar System: We should get pretty good views of Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. On Jupiter, we can make out the striped pattern of bright zones and dark bands associated to the pattern of convective flow in the planet's atmosphere. Interestingly, one of the prominent bands, the Southern Equatorial Belt faded from view in March. This feature has faded before and reappeared in a few months, but the mechanism behind this remains a matter of conjecture. We may also look at Uranus and if the night is exceptionally nice Neptune. Uranus appears as a pretty blue disk, while Neptune, farther from the Sun as well as from us, looks in our telescopes like a dim star.
Stars and Clusters: We will have a rich selection of good targets here. One of my favorite color-contrast binary stars, Albireo will be visible. The brightest part of the Milky Way is almost directly overhead this time of year, and many pretty open clusters, among them the Double Cluster (Caldwell 14) and the Salt and Pepper Cluster (M52) also known as the Scorpion . We will also look at a few globular clusters such as the Hercules Cluster (M13) or the Pegasus Cluster (M15).
Nebulae: One of the prettiest objects in the sky, the Ring Nebula (M57) will be visible. This planetary nebula is in fact unrelated to planets, but is the remnant of a Sun-like star that died recently (within the last 30,000 years). The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is another fine planetary nebula we may observe.
Galaxies: We should have a fine view of our nearest large neighbor, the Great Spiral in Andromeda (M31). Only 2.5 million light-years away, this appears as a beautiful, huge spiral in high-sensitivity photographs of the sky, about 5 times larger than the full Moon in the sky. Alas, all we can see is the brightest part of the galaxy's nucleus, which will appear as a faint, fuzzy, patch of light. Still, looking that far out is fun.
As always if you have suggestions or requests please help us make these sessions more fun by sharing what you know!
Solar System: A first quarter Moon will be visible, making it a very attractive target for observation. With our instruments, we can make out many craters and specific features on the Moon's surface. We will have lunar maps on hand so we can identify the features we observe. On the other hand, a bright Moon may limit our ability to observe fainter objects, especially if clouds or haze reflect and scatter the Moonlight, making the sky bright and drowning out fainter targets.
We should get pretty good views of Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. On Jupiter, we can make out the striped pattern of bright zones and dark bands associated to the pattern of convective flow in the planet's atmosphere. Interestingly, one of the prominent bands, the Southern Equatorial Belt faded from view in March. This feature has faded before and reappeared in a few months, but the mechanism behind this remains a matter of conjecture. We may also look at Uranus and if the night is exceptionally nice Neptune. Uranus appears as a pretty blue disk, while Neptune, farther from the Sun as well as from us, looks in our telescopes like a dim star.
Late in the evening, we may get a look at Comet Hartley. This short-period (6.5 years) comet was discovered in 1986 and will make its closest approach to Earth on October 20 when it should be bright enough to see with the naked eye on a clear, dark night. So far, the comet's tail is quite faint and we may see only a lightly fuzzy star, but it is worth a try. On November 4, the Deep Impact spacecraft will perform a flyby of Hartley producing new images and data on the comet's nature and composition.
Stars and Clusters: We will have a rich selection of good targets here. One of my favorite color-contrast binary stars, Albireo will be visible. The brightest part of the Milky Way is almost directly overhead this time of year, and many pretty open clusters, among them the Double Cluster (Caldwell 14) and the Salt and Pepper Cluster (M52) also known as the Scorpion . We will also look at a few globular clusters such as the Hercules Cluster (M13) or the Pegasus Cluster (M15).
Nebulae: One of the prettiest objects in the sky, the Ring Nebula (M57) will be visible. This planetary nebula is in fact unrelated to planets, but is the remnant of a Sun-like star that died recently (within the last 30,000 years). The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is another fine planetary nebula we may observe.
Galaxies: We should have a fine view of our nearest large neighbor, the Great Spiral in Andromeda (M31). Only 2.5 million light-years away, this appears as a beautiful, huge spiral in high-sensitivity photographs of the sky, about 5 times larger than the full Moon in the sky. Alas, all we can see is the brightest part of the galaxy's nucleus, which will appear as a faint, fuzzy, patch of light. Still, looking that far out is fun.
As always if you have suggestions or requests please help us make these sessions more fun by sharing what you know!
Solar System: We should get pretty good views of Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. On Jupiter, we can make out the striped pattern of bright zones and dark bands associated to the pattern of convective flow in the planet's atmosphere. Interestingly, one of the prominent bands, the Southern Equatorial Belt faded from view in March. This feature has faded before and reappeared in a few months, but the mechanism behind this remains a matter of conjecture. We may also look at Uranus and if the night is exceptionally nice Neptune. Uranus appears as a pretty blue disk, while Neptune, farther from the Sun as well as from us, looks in our telescopes like a dim star.
Stars and Clusters: We will have a rich selection of good targets here. One of my favorite color-contrast binary stars, Albireo will be visible. The brightest part of the Milky Way is almost directly overhead this time of year, and many pretty open clusters, among them the Double Cluster (Caldwell 14) and the Salt and Pepper Cluster (M52) also known as the Scorpion . We will also look at a few globular clusters such as the Hercules Cluster (M13) or the Pegasus Cluster (M15).
Nebulae: One of the prettiest objects in the sky, the Ring Nebula (M57) will be visible. This planetary nebula is in fact unrelated to planets, but is the remnant of a Sun-like star that died recently (within the last 30,000 years). The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is another fine planetary nebula we may observe.
Galaxies: We should have a fine view of our nearest large neighbor, the Great Spiral in Andromeda (M31). Only 2.5 million light-years away, this appears as a beautiful, huge spiral in high-sensitivity photographs of the sky, about 5 times larger than the full Moon in the sky. Alas, all we can see is the brightest part of the galaxy's nucleus, which will appear as a faint, fuzzy, patch of light. Still, looking that far out is fun.
As always if you have suggestions or requests please help us make these sessions more fun by sharing what you know!
Solar System: We should get pretty good views of Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. On Jupiter, we can make out the striped pattern of bright zones and dark bands associated to the pattern of convective flow in the planet's atmosphere. Interestingly, one of the prominent bands, the Southern Equatorial Belt faded from view in March. This feature has faded before and reappeared in a few months, but the mechanism behind this remains a matter of conjecture. We may also look at Uranus and if the night is exceptionally nice Neptune. Uranus appears as a pretty blue disk, while Neptune, farther from the Sun as well as from us, looks in our telescopes like a dim star.
In tight conjunction with the three planets will be a first quarter Moon. This should be low enough in the Southern sky not to overwhelm everything else in the sky with its light, but high enough to itself be an attrative target for observation. On the terminator, the line separating light from dark, we will have optimal conditions for observing some prominent craters like Maurolycus and Aristoteles>. Farther into the illuminated side, we can try to look for Mare Tranquilitatis, site of the first lunar landing.
Stars and Clusters: We will have a rich selection of good targets here. We will look at a color-contrast binary star, perhaps Almaak in Andromeda or 6 Trianguli (HIP 10280) in which the brighter star is a blue giant star. Several pretty open clusters will be visible, among them the Spiral Cluster M34 and the Scorpion Cluster M52 as well as M39. . We will also look at a few globular clusters such as the Pegasus Cluster (M15) or perhaps M92.
Nebulae: One of the prettiest objects in the sky, the Ring Nebula (M57) will be visible if we can look for it early. This planetary nebula is in fact unrelated to planets, but is the remnant of a Sun-like star that died recently (within the last 30,000 years). The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is another fine planetary nebula we may observe.
Galaxies: We should have a fine view of our nearest large neighbor, the Great Spiral in Andromeda (M31). Only 2.5 million light-years away, this appears as a beautiful, huge spiral in high-sensitivity photographs of the sky, about 5 times larger than the full Moon in the sky. Alas, all we can see is the brightest part of the galaxy's nucleus, which will appear as a faint, fuzzy, patch of light. Still, looking that far out is fun.
As always if you have suggestions or requests please help us make these sessions more fun by sharing what you know!
December 21, Total Lunar Eclipse: