Stargazing Night

Stargazing Night

Where:
Frosty Drew Observatory
When:
Friday March 4, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.
Cost:
$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight is Stargazing Night at Frosty Drew Observatory and tonight's forecast is looking somewhat variable at this point. We can expect cloudy skies this evening becoming clear overnight. The variability in tonight's forecast comes down to when the clearing will happen. We can expect clearings any time between 8:00 – 11:00 p.m., which will significantly affect our plans tonight. One constant in tonight's forecast is the wind, which will be quite blustery to start and will certainly restrict our viewing to one side of the sky at best. This is really unfortunate as tonight does not see a Moon until near 4:00 a.m., leaving super dark skies for the entire night with a stunning 16% waning crescent rise.

We plan to open the Observatory and Sky Theatre on at 6:00 p.m. tonight. In the Observatory we will start on standby and closely monitor sky conditions. If skies clear early and wind is acceptable, we will offer up stunning views of the Orion Nebula and Jupiter with the four Galilean Moons. As the night progresses we will periodically shift to binary stars, nebulae, and star clusters. In the Sky Theatre we will feature a showcase of celestial objects photographed at Frosty Drew. Until skies clear (if they do?), we will be in the Sky Theatre offering up a commentary on the feature and host an open discussion on general astronomy. We will stay on site until at least 9:00 p.m.

Overall, tonight could have been amazing, though clouds, wind, and the additional variability in clearing times will make it a risky night to make the long drive. If you are in central – south RI, or southeast CT and you have clear skies, then your chances are good. We will monitor the sky and post updates to our Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) and Facebook. When we decide to pack it in, we will post a “Closing up” message. If you have a free night, stop in for a quick astro-fix and join in our hope campaign for early cloud clearings.

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

This coming Tuesday, March 8, 2016, Jupiter will reach opposition. At this point Jupiter will be on the opposite side of Earth than the Sun and consequently at its closest point to Earth in our yearly orbit around the Sun. Opposition will also bring Jupiter to the entire nighttime sky, rising just after sunset and setting just before sunrise. Jupiter's highest point in the nighttime sky happens when Jupiter is on the Meridian, which is an imaginary line that separates the East and West sky and runs from the North to the South. During opposition, Jupiter will cross the Meridian right around midnight. The months around opposition are the best time to view Jupiter since it is easily accessible and in full sunlight. After opposition, Jupiter will rise before sunset, making it a readily available target for evening stargazers in the months to come.

When Jupiter reaches opposition it will be about 412,290,000 miles distant from Earth. Jupiter orbits the Sun at an average distance of 483,644,267 miles, a little over 5 times the distance the Earth orbits the Sun. Measuring 86,868 miles in diameter, Jupiter is about 11 times the diameter of Earth, though volume wise, Jupiter could hold 1,321 Earths. Jupiter is a gas giant primarily comprised of hydrogen and helium with a potentially solid core about the size of Earth. Jupiter has 67 moons, including the famous Galilean Moons. Since Jupiter has only a 3.1° axial tilt we miss out on seeing Jupiter's three rings, though we do get to see eclipses on Jupiter by any one of the four Galilean Moons on nearly a daily basis. They appear to us as small circular shadows slowly moving across Jupiter's atmosphere.

Jupiter is certainly one of the best planets to check out in the night sky. It is fourth brightest object in the sky and appears to many as a super bright star or mistakenly as an airplane. The Galilean Moons are very visible in both small telescopes and binoculars and are always changing their visible configuration. In a good quality backyard telescope, Jupiter's atmosphere will reveal equatorial bands and numerous storms, including the famous Great Red Spot. Jupiter is easy to spot as the brightest object in the constellation Leo, where it will remain for our 2016 viewing season. Frosty Drew Observatory will showcase Jupiter every Friday night in our telescopes for the next couple months. Make a point to get out and see it for yourself, it is certainly not to miss!

Also on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, a total solar eclipse is happening. Though not visible from New England (don't worry, we will get our chance next year!), views can be had compliments of Slooh astronomers and observatories. Tune in Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. for a live view of the eclipse over the Indonesian countryside. For all of us in New England, the next visible solar eclipse will occur on August 21, 2017. Though it is a total solar eclipse, totality will not be visible in New England. If maximum eclipse is your digs, then you will have to head to Kentucky.

-Scott