Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory

When:

Friday October 16, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.

Cost:

$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight is Stargazing Night at Frosty Drew Observatory and after two Fridays of craptastic weather it appears we may have a pretty nice night ahead of us. Though somewhat conflicting, some forecasts are calling for mostly clear to clear skies, with some sources calling for partly cloudy skies. This could be very fortunate as the super thin 12% waxing crescent Moon will hang low in the western horizon until it sets at 8:26 p.m. While above the horizon, the Moon will offer us stunning views of its sexy crescent phase sporting a beautiful and easily visible Earthshine, which is sunlight reflecting off of Earth cast onto the shadow side of the Moon. With a thin crescent only lasting until late twilight, we are in for super dark skies, with awesome views just waiting for an enthusiastic spirit to revel in the awesome celestial happening of the cosmos.

We will open the Observatory and Sky Theatre at 6:30 p.m. In the Observatory, telescopes will offer a quick showcase of Saturn, which will set super early. After which, the crescent Moon will be too hot to pass up! Throughout the night, a stunning showcase of nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies will be celebrated in our telescopes. The Sky Theatre will be open and warm featuring a showcase of celestial objects and happenings we photograph at Frosty Drew Observatory. Depending on weather, we could stay late, possibly until pre-dawn to catch a glance at the fabulous dance the morning planets have been putting on.

Overall, tonight could be an awesome night out under the stars. Some forecasters are calling for clear skies, and everything else lines up for amazing after that! We will post updates to our Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) and Facebook if conditions deteriorate. Otherwise, if clouds stray out, tonight's the night to make the drive. Dress warm as autumn is certainly upon us. Long pants, closed toe shoes, socks, a jacket and hat should be on your list of things to bring. Grab a lawn chair, binoculars, or just your favorite group of people and make the trek out to the darkest skies in Rhode Island and get to know that inner geek just waiting to break free at Frosty Drew Observatory, tonight!

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

Have you noticed the fabulous dance the planets have been putting on in the early morning sky lately? Over the past month; Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and now Mercury, have been hanging out together in the early pre-dawn sky. Though Mercury will only be sticking around for a few days, the show starring Jupiter, Venus, and Mars will just get better. Over the next month we can expect the three planets to put on conjunction after conjunction, some with less than 1º of separation between both planets.

The first of these super close conjunctions will be on Sunday morning, October 18th. Step outside between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. and look to the East. Mars and Jupiter will appear strikingly close to each other at about 25 arc minutes separated (near ½ a degree). This is close enough to catch both in a telescope together! Add in that Venus, shining as the super bright Morning Star, will be about 6º above the pair and the view will be totally stunning!

Over the next three weeks we can expect numerous conjunctions of the three objects, some including the stunning crescent Moon. The frequency of conjunctions are almost on a three day interval with excellent viewing in between as well. Here are some choice dates to get out and watch. Note that the November dates are after the switch back to EST, so set out an hour earlier:

October 18th:
Jupiter and Mars appear less than a half degree apart in the morning sky.

October 22nd & 23rd:
Mars, Jupiter, and Venus will appear near equal distances apart in the morning sky.

October 25th:
Venus and Jupiter in conjunction with Mars just below the pair.

October 28th:
Mars, Venus, and Jupiter will appear near equal distances apart with Venus in the center.

November 3rd:
Mars and Venus will appear less than a degree apart in the morning sky. Awesome!

November 6th:
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and the 23% crescent Moon will put on a striking dance!

November 7th:
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and the 16% crescent Moon will continue their dance with the Moon super close to Venus and Mars. So amazing!

These conjunctions are all fabulous events and none should be missed. Make a habit of getting up early and catching a view of the stunning show pieces. Not to mention the photo ops here are off the wall! If you happen to catch a shot of any of these awesome conjunctions, post it on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FrostyDrewObservatory) and we'll share it on our time line. Now set your alarm, grab a toasty morning drink, and sit out under the morning starscape and welcome in the holiday season with a fabulous celestial dance, complements of the Solar System!

Save the Date! This coming Monday, October 19th at 7:00 p.m. on the Providence Rhode Island State House lawn the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory is putting on a Star Party to coincide with the White House Astronomy Night. Frosty Drew's own Scott MacNeill and Tom Abbott will be part of the action with telescopes setup on the State House lawn along side other local astronomers. This is a chance to let your astro-geekage shine! Make it a priority to get out under the city lights and celebrate how awesome the cosmos are and let Rhode Island see how awesome astronomy can be!

-Scott