Summer Stargazing Nights

Summer Stargazing Nights

Where:
Frosty Drew Observatory
When:
Friday July 31, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
Cost:
$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight's forecast is calling for clear skies! I think this is the first clear skies Friday of summer 2015 for us at Frosty Drew. Unfortunately it is happening during a full Moon, the second full Moon of July, which makes tonight's full Moon a Blue Moon. Though the Blue Moon may not actually appear blue in color, it will certainly brighten up the sky making observation of any deep sky objects not possible. Nebulae and star clusters may not be on the agenda, but Saturn will look fabulous bathed in moonlight as well as binary stars, and of course; the blindingly bright Moon.

We will open the Observatory and Sky Theatre at 6:00 p.m. In the Observatory, telescopes will showcase the solar photosphere featuring any visible sunspots. Once the Sun sets, we will try for a super quick view of Venus' crazy thin 8% crescent, which will only be visible for about 10-15 minutes after sunset. After which, views of Saturn's rings and the bright Blue Moon will be available. As the night progresses we will showcase a handful of double stars and complain about how bright the Moon is. The Nature Center will be open for visitors between 7:00 – 10:00 with Naturalists on hand to showcase our daytime activities. The Sky Theatre will feature astrophotos shot at Frosty Drew Observatory with an open discussion on general astronomy. The Lunar Lounge will be setup on the Northwest lawn showcasing a live projected view of the Blue Moon. We will stay open until midnight, at which point the bright Moon will certainly kick us out.

Overall, tonight's forecast is looking fabulous, though that bright full Blue Moon will certainly hammer the skies tonight. If the Milky Way is your digs, then tonight is certainly not your night as the Moon will make the Milky Way not visible. Though if you have a thing for the Moon, then tonight will bring you 100% lunar craziness with the added bonus of the Blue Moon. So come out and suffer the bright full lunar phase with us and have an astro-geekout with the Blue Moon at Frosty Drew Observatory.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

On July 17th the much anticipated Perseid Meteor Shower began. Producing many fireball meteors and an overall dazzling display, the Perseid shower is one of the most known meteor showers of the year. Though the peak period is still about 1.5 weeks out, we are starting to see a significant uptick in the number of bright meteors passing over the Observatory and this is the year to be out as we are in for a potentially awesome display of meteor goodness.

The Perseid shower is a result of Earth passing through a debris field left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, comet 109P was identified as the source of the Perseid shower in 1865. The comet has a 133 year orbit around the Sun, making its last visit to the inner solar system in 1992.

Meteor showers are named after the constellation that their meteors appear to radiate from. This is called the “radiant point”. The Perseid shower radiates from the constellation Perseus, visibly about half way between Perseus and Cassiopeia near the naked eye visible Perseus Double Cluster. Since Perseus is rising around sunset, the radiant point will be about 40º above the horizon at 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12th and rising higher over the course of the night, eventually passing overhead. This places the radiant point at an excellent place for viewing.

This year we are in for an awesome display of meteors! The Moon will be entering its new phase on Friday morning which means only a super thin crescent Moon will join us just before sunrise during the shower peak on the early morning of August 13th. The bright Moon usually obscures many dim meteors, so having no Moon present makes for the best viewing conditions. Additionally, the Perseid shower has a very active post peak period. At Frosty Drew, we have observed peak level conditions within three days following the actual peak date. Since the Moon will be pretty much non-existent in our skies during the days following the peak, all we need now is good weather (clouds begone!) for this to be a Perseids to remember.

Frosty Drew Observatory will open all night on Wednesday, August 12th for the Perseid peak. Starting at sunset, we will offer views of Saturn's rings, and a handful of nebulae and star clusters along the visible Milky Way. Once 11:00 p.m. strikes, we will close the Observatory telescopes and make our way to the Observatory court yard where the Perseid shower will be taking off. We will stay on site until the sunrise kicks us out. If weather is favorable, we will likely be on site overnight Thursday as well. The following Friday night will bring our Stargazing Night and, if skies are clear, will line us up for another fabulous night of meteor watching. During all nights, the Milky Way will be strikingly visible with meteors shooting by. So stop in during the peak or post peak period and enjoy a fantastic night out under the stars with us.

Tonight's full Moon is the second full Moon of July. This makes tonight's Moon the Blue Moon, as far as modern definitions go. Traditionally, a Blue Moon was the third full Moon during a season of four full Moons, which would happen about once every two-to-three years. Though today we love to draw dramatic attention to the Moon any chance we get. So modern definition will also define the second full Moon in any given month as a Blue Moon too. This significantly reduces the “rarity” of a Blue Moon, rendering the “once in a Blue Moon” idiom as actually not all that rare. Regardless of how you classify a Blue Moon one thing is for sure, the Moon will certainly not appear blue as a result of the classification event. Happenings on Earth that affect atmospheric density can result in the Moon appearing bluer than usual, though this has nothing to do with the occurrence of the full Moon in any cycle. For us at Frosty Drew, it is just another super bright full Moon that will obscure our view of the Milky Way, but we love the Moon! So get out and enjoy the super bright Blue Moon tonight and be happy that the Moon stabilizes Earth's axial tilt making for a suitable climate for life to thrive.

-Scott