Public Stargazing

Public Stargazing

Where:
Frosty Drew Observatory
When:
Friday February 20, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.
Cost:
$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight's forecast is calling for clear skies, cold temps, and a light wind becoming calm by midnight. The 4% waxing crescent Moon is showing an excellent phase for viewing and will hang low in the Western sky after sunset until 7:45 p.m. when it sets. Additionally, Venus, Mars, and the Moon will be in conjunction tonight during the twilight hours. Temps will be cold, though dropping into the single digits, the calming wind will make it feel a bit warmer than it has been for the past few Fridays. This is not an excuse to dress inadequately! Hats, gloves, boots, and a winter parka are required tonight. Overall, tonight's clear skies and super thin crescent Moon, and the fabulous twilight conjunction will make for an excellent night of stargazing.

We plan to open the Observatory and Sky Theatre at 6:30 p.m. In the Observatory we will direct our telescope towards the sexy crescent Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and an impressive list of star clusters and nebula. The Sky Theatre will be toasty warm with a slide show of astrophotos shot at Frosty Drew on display. With the cold temps, the Sky Theatre will offer a nice spot of warmth for those in need. Later in the night, if temps do not chase us out, we will direct the telescope towards Jupiter's Great Red Spot, which will come into view around 10:30 p.m. Then later in the night, views of the Virgo Super Cluster, a cluster of galaxies that the Milky Way is part of, will be on display.

Overall, tonight looks to be an awesome night of stargazing. The super thin crescent Moon will allow for exceptional viewing of the stunning starscape over Frosty Drew Observatory. Temps will be cold, and the telescope and dome equipment start to complain once temps drop below 20°F. Sky conditions, the frequency of visitors in attendance, and how our equipment is dealing with the cold are all factors in deciding when we close up. We try to stay open until, at least, 11:00 p.m. If venturing out, it would be a good idea to check in with our Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) or Facebook for status updates from the Observatory. We post a “Closing up” message when we decide to begin our shutdown operations. Otherwise, get out and have a fantastic night under the winter starscape!

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

Starting tonight and progressing over the weekend, a fabulous stellar dance will take place in the Western twilight sky as Venus, Mars, and the crescent Moon come together in a fabulous conjunction. Tonight, though not the closest Mars and Venus will appear to each other, will probably be the best night to observe the celestial pairing as the crescent Moon will join the party. After sunset you will certainly notice the beautiful 4% crescent Moon in the WSW sky with Venus about 1.5 degrees East, shining so bright it can easily be mistaken for a plane. As twilight sets in, Mars will appear within a half degree of Venus making for the celestial trio. Saturday will see the departure of the Moon from the conjunction festivities, but will also see the closest conjunction of Venus and Mars at around ¼ a degree from each other. New England weather will likely obscure views of Saturday's conjunction, though tonight will present a spectacular chance to spot the stunning event. So grab your winter garb and get out there for a fabulous view of Venus, Mars, and the Moon hanging out in the Western twilight sky. If you snap a photo, post on the Frosty Drew Facebook and we'll share it on our time line.

This Saturday morning (February 21st), beginning at 7:10 a.m., the first of three spacewalks on the International Space Station (ISS) will occur. The spacewalks are happening to prepare the ISS for a pair of international docking adapters (IDA's) that will allow for future commercial crew vehicles to dock with the station. Though the IDA's are not on board the station at this time, cable routing and preparations of the Canadarm2 for IDA installation later this year are slated for completion in the three spacewalk series. Tune in to NASA TV for live coverage of the first spacewalk starting at 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning. The remaining two spacewalks are set for February 25th, and March 1st, which will all be broadcast live in NASA TV.

-Scott