Public Observation Night
- Where:
- Frosty Drew Observatory
- When:
- Friday September 7, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
- Cost:
- Free! Donations Appreciated.
- Share:
Once again, we’re getting mixed signals as to tonight’s weather, but, if the sky is clear, we’ll be concentrating much of the night with some of the deep-sky objects that can be seen because the Moon, which will be at its last quarter phase tomorrow, won’t be in the sky until very late in the evening. Also, the planets that have been in our sky in the evenings, Mars and Saturn, are setting very soon after the Sun, making them very hard to locate with the 16-inch telescope.
We are very privileged to be having Moon and meteorite sample disks from NASA for two weeks at the end of September. This will align perfectly with the International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, September 22nd, when we will join with observatories all over the world to pay tribute to our nearest sky neighbor. The Moon will be in its first quarter phase, a great time to enjoy it; in addition to the observing and NASA disks, we will have presentations and demonstrations on the Moon, plus an introduction to sky legends by storyteller Thawn Harris. On that day, the Charlestown Parks and Recreation will also be having a festival, which will include programs in our own Sky Theatre, so consider coming early and staying the day and night. And, we will also be showing the NASA disks that Friday, September 21st, regardless of weather. Hope you’ll be able to come and enjoy the Moon with us that weekend.
The Mars Curiosity craft is beginning to move around. By means of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, some of its foot tracks have been spotted. What that means for us is that Curiosity is physically able to very soon begin its intended mission, to climb the peak within Gale Crater in search of any possible evidence of organic material.
Frosty Drew Observatory is located at the darkest skies in Rhode Island. We are committed to continue introducing the night sky to all.-Francine Jackson-------------------------------------------------------------------------Tonight's weather forecast is calling for anything from mostly clear skies to partly cloudy, mostly cloudy, and fog. Most reports say we are good to go till about midnight. Additionally, the 59% waning gibbous Moon will not rise tonight until 11:00 giving us dark skies until about 10:30. This could set us up for some fantastic observing conditions for a couple hours. We plan to open the 16" telescope at 7:45 with views of binary stars, nebulae, and star clusters if the skies permit. We will also observe Uranus, and around midnight; Jupiter and the Moon if the skies stay clear.This past Tuesday (September 4) the NASA DAWN spacecraft successfully departed the proto-planet Vesta and is now en route to dwarf planet Ceres. The Dawn Mission, which launched in September 2007, has been in orbit around Vesta for the past 14 months. Since Dawn's arrival we have received back fantastic images and information about Vesta. The Dawn spacecraft was originally slated to leave Vesta on August 26th but a glitch in the spacecrafts reaction wheels caused a delay in departure. Dawn's next target, Ceres, is a dwarf planet that lies in the asteroid belt and is somewhat a mystery to us. The trip to Ceres will take several years with an expected arrival date in early 2015. Watch the Dawn Mission greatest hits video for a sample of what we learned about Vesta, with cheesy music and all:On Saturday September 22, we celebrate the Autumn Equinox, also known as the first day of Fall. This year be sure to save the date. On September 22nd the Harvest Festival will be taking place in Ninigret Park. The Harvest Festival is a fundraiser for the Charlestown Community Garden and a fun day for all. Frosty Drew Nature Center & Observatory will be open all day during the Harvest Festival and will be showcasing Moon rocks and meteorite samples on loan from NASA. After the Harvest Festival, Frosty Drew Observatory will be taking part in the global party for the Moon; International Observe the Moon Night. Be sure to plan your first day of Fall in the fresh air under the beautiful skies of Ninigret Park.Visit the Charlestown Community Garden website at: http://www.charlestowncommunitygarden.com/
Visit the Frosty Drew International Observe the Moon Night page at: http://frostydrew.org/events/InOMN2012/-Scott MacNeill
We are very privileged to be having Moon and meteorite sample disks from NASA for two weeks at the end of September. This will align perfectly with the International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, September 22nd, when we will join with observatories all over the world to pay tribute to our nearest sky neighbor. The Moon will be in its first quarter phase, a great time to enjoy it; in addition to the observing and NASA disks, we will have presentations and demonstrations on the Moon, plus an introduction to sky legends by storyteller Thawn Harris. On that day, the Charlestown Parks and Recreation will also be having a festival, which will include programs in our own Sky Theatre, so consider coming early and staying the day and night. And, we will also be showing the NASA disks that Friday, September 21st, regardless of weather. Hope you’ll be able to come and enjoy the Moon with us that weekend.
The Mars Curiosity craft is beginning to move around. By means of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, some of its foot tracks have been spotted. What that means for us is that Curiosity is physically able to very soon begin its intended mission, to climb the peak within Gale Crater in search of any possible evidence of organic material.
Frosty Drew Observatory is located at the darkest skies in Rhode Island. We are committed to continue introducing the night sky to all.-Francine Jackson-------------------------------------------------------------------------Tonight's weather forecast is calling for anything from mostly clear skies to partly cloudy, mostly cloudy, and fog. Most reports say we are good to go till about midnight. Additionally, the 59% waning gibbous Moon will not rise tonight until 11:00 giving us dark skies until about 10:30. This could set us up for some fantastic observing conditions for a couple hours. We plan to open the 16" telescope at 7:45 with views of binary stars, nebulae, and star clusters if the skies permit. We will also observe Uranus, and around midnight; Jupiter and the Moon if the skies stay clear.This past Tuesday (September 4) the NASA DAWN spacecraft successfully departed the proto-planet Vesta and is now en route to dwarf planet Ceres. The Dawn Mission, which launched in September 2007, has been in orbit around Vesta for the past 14 months. Since Dawn's arrival we have received back fantastic images and information about Vesta. The Dawn spacecraft was originally slated to leave Vesta on August 26th but a glitch in the spacecrafts reaction wheels caused a delay in departure. Dawn's next target, Ceres, is a dwarf planet that lies in the asteroid belt and is somewhat a mystery to us. The trip to Ceres will take several years with an expected arrival date in early 2015. Watch the Dawn Mission greatest hits video for a sample of what we learned about Vesta, with cheesy music and all:On Saturday September 22, we celebrate the Autumn Equinox, also known as the first day of Fall. This year be sure to save the date. On September 22nd the Harvest Festival will be taking place in Ninigret Park. The Harvest Festival is a fundraiser for the Charlestown Community Garden and a fun day for all. Frosty Drew Nature Center & Observatory will be open all day during the Harvest Festival and will be showcasing Moon rocks and meteorite samples on loan from NASA. After the Harvest Festival, Frosty Drew Observatory will be taking part in the global party for the Moon; International Observe the Moon Night. Be sure to plan your first day of Fall in the fresh air under the beautiful skies of Ninigret Park.Visit the Charlestown Community Garden website at: http://www.charlestowncommunitygarden.com/
Visit the Frosty Drew International Observe the Moon Night page at: http://frostydrew.org/events/InOMN2012/-Scott MacNeill
