Public Stargazing

Public Stargazing

Where:
Frosty Drew Observatory
When:
Friday June 6, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.
Cost:
$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight's forecast is calling for mostly clear skies and warmer temps. The 64% waxing gibbous Moon will set at 1:33 a.m. offering us excellent views of the cratered lunar surface. We may experience partly cloudy conditions at the start of our solar viewing session which should clear out by 7:00 p.m. We plan to open at 6:00 p.m. this afternoon with live viewing of the Sun's photosphere showcasing any sunspots in view. After sunset, we will direct our telescopes towards the night sky. Our viewing list for tonight includes Mercury, Jupiter, the Moon, Mars, and Saturn, with Saturn and the Moon being our primary focus early in the night. After moonset we will turn our telescopes towards the center of the Milky Way galaxy to observe the fantastic collection of star clusters and nebulae residing there. Additionally, we will have numerous passes of the International Space Station over Frosty Drew Observatory during the course of the night. Finally, a cloud free Friday night!

For those of you visiting from distances greater than one hour, note that the 64% Moon will be quite bright and will significantly illuminate the sky. Though the Moon IS in an excellent phase for viewing, the Milky Way and other dim objects will be obscured by the moon light. The Moon will set at 1:33 a.m. after which the Milky Way will become very visible and the sky should overall be awesome, even if slightly hazy. Tonight also presents an excellent opportunity for those with telescopes to come and setup. If the Moon is your digs and you are up for a late night, this could be the night to make the drive. As always, keep up with @FrostyDrewOBSY on Twitter for status updates from the Observatory.

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

On Saturday night (June 7th) step outside anytime between twilight and moonset to catch a glimpse of the Moon and Mars in a celestial dance. The 72% waxing gibbous Moon will be within 3° of Mars until moonset at 2:03 a.m. Then on Sunday night (June 8th) the Moon will dance with a new partner, the bright blue star - Spica. Again, between twilight and moonset sneak a peak of the Moon within 3° of Spica. With relatively cloud free nights forecast for this weekend (partly cloudy on Sunday night), make a note to step out and observe these fantastic conjunctions as well as a quick peak at the beautiful starscape. Binoculars will make for excellent viewing of the Moon and other objects with warm pre-summer temps keeping it comfortable. If anybody snaps a photo of these excellent conjunctions, be sure to post it to the Frosty Drew Observatory Facebook and we will share it on our time line.

With the Summer Solstice just around the corner and warm summer nights abounding, stargazing in Rhode Island is ready to rock. With a host of astronomical observatories offering free stargazing and astro-geekage on a weekly basis, a bounty of quick astro-fixes are waiting to be scored. Each observatory has its rants about relentless weather patterns that thwart the skies overhead, though second chances are readily available to counter those elusive weather patterns. Aside from Frosty Drew Observatory's regular Friday night program, you will find free stargazing on Saturday nights in North Scituate, Rhode Island at the Seagrave Memorial Observatory. Tuesday nights at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island – Ladd Observatory opens its telescopes to the sky offering free celestial fixes to sky watchers. On Wednesday nights, the Margaret M. Jacoby Observatory at CCRI Knight Campus in Warwick gets its game on with free stargazing for all. When it comes to stargazing in Rhode Island, second chances are a necessity to stay one step ahead of the cloudy skies. Make it a priority to get out there this Summer for a breath taking view of Saturn's rings, the dramatically cratered surface of the Moon, the striking colors of Albireo, or just be mesmerized by the occasional shooting star or passing comet while taking in the vast starscape of the Milky Way galaxy.

-Scott