Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory

When:

Friday August 14, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

Cost:

$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight is Stargazing Night at Frosty Drew Observatory and the forecast is looking excellent. We can expect clear skies early with light clouds and fog moving in after 2:00 a.m. Today is the New Moon, so that means no Moon at all tonight! Add in that the Perseid Meteor Shower is still rocking the sky and we are in for another killer night of sky watching and stargazing!

The Observatory and Sky Theatre opens at 6:00 p.m. this afternoon. In the Observatory we will showcase any visible sunspots on the solar photosphere. Once the Sun sets we will direct our telescopes towards the fabulous night sky. Saturn and its breathtaking rings and moons will be on display to start. Once the twilight moves out, the sky will open up with Milky Way becoming strikingly bright. We will showcase nebulae, star clusters and galaxies as we move into the night. The Nature Center will be open from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. with a showcase of the daytime side of Frosty Drew. The Sky Theatre will feature our popular astrophoto showcase all shot at Frosty Drew. We plan to stay late with either clouds or dawn kicking us out.

Tonight could be “that” night at Frosty Drew! With a New Moon, clear skies, and shooting stars, this will be a night to remember. Early morning fog may chase us out before sunrise, though beforehand we will have nothing short of stunning views. This is the night to make the drive. So grab a lawn chair, blanket, friends and family, or just come out alone and connect with that inner geek out under the fabulous starscape as meteors blaze the background Milky Way at Frosty Drew tonight.

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

On Saturday, August 15, 2015, Venus will arrive at inferior conjunction, which is the point in Venus and Earth's orbit when Venus passes almost directly between Earth and Sun. The past 8 months have given us fabulous opportunities to see Venus in the evening sky with conjunctions abounding! Remember the fabulous conjunctions this past winter of Venus and the crescent Moon in twilight? How about that unbelievable conjunction of Venus and Jupiter this past June where both were visible together in telescopic views? Amazing! Once inferior conjunction completes, Venus will begin moving into the morning sky just before sunrise. In about two weeks we will start to see Venus taking on its role as the “Morning Star” and will continue to blaze our morning skies into the winter.

This past week the Perseid Meteor Shower has been putting on quite a show. With no Moon to speak of, clear(er) skies, and warmer temps, we have been reveling in the shooting star spectacular overhead. We have received varying reports of poor viewing with contrasting reports of fabulous views from different locations. At Frosty Drew we have had a better-than-usual display of Perseid meteors. This past Wednesday night brought our annual Perseid Meteor Shower event and enthusiastic meteor watchers came out by the hundreds. Meteor sighting counts exceeded 200+ meteors before midnight swung around. The shower will continue through the weekend with a quick tapering off. Historically at Frosty Drew, we have observed significant periods of increased activity during the immediate post peak nights. So get out under these sexy skies and catch a sight of shooting stars blazing the stunning starscape!