Summer Stargazing Nights

Summer Stargazing Nights

Where:
Frosty Drew Observatory
When:
Friday June 3, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Cost:
$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight is Stargazing Night at Frosty Drew Observatory and the forecast is a bit variable at this time. We can generally expect partly cloudy conditions at sunset becoming mostly cloudy overnight with heavy fog moving in around midnight. This is rather unfortunate since the practically new, 1% crescent Moon will not rise until after 5:00 a.m. and would have left amazingly dark skies to celebrate the fabulous views of the Milky Way expanding the starscape. Though fantastication is likely off the list, we still may score a few glimpses of Jupiter and Saturn during twilight and in between passing clouds.

We plan to open the Observatory and Sky Theatre at 7:30 tonight. In the Observatory telescopes will open on standby as we evaluate viewing conditions on site. If clouds cut us a break, we will open the telescopes for views of Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and whatever else we can see. Otherwise, we will be in the Sky Theatre with a commentary and showcase of celestial objects we photograph at Frosty Drew Observatory as well as an open discussion on general astronomy. We will stay open until 10:00 p.m. or clouds chase us out, whichever comes later.

Overall, tonight's forecast, though variable, is not looking too optimistic. Tonight is certainly the night to be out if it was clear, though clouds and fog have different plans. We will post updates to our Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) and Facebook about conditions on site as the night progresses. Following or checking in on our social media before setting out will help you make an informed decision on making the long drive or not. Even though skies look grim, we are gearing up for a fabulous summer at Frosty Drew filled with amazing views of the Milky Way, Saturn, Mars, and more. So start getting excited!

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

Early this morning (June 3, 2016) Earth and Saturn reached the point in their yearly orbits when they align with the Sun. This is called opposition and happens when Saturn is on the opposite side of Earth than the Sun. Saturn's opposition occurred at 3:00 a.m. EDT making today one of the best days to view Saturn in 2016. During opposition Saturn will rise at sunset and set at sunrise, crossing the meridian at midnight. The meridian is the imaginary line that runs from north to south and separates the east and west sky. When planets cross the meridian they are at their highest point in the sky. Opposition is also the time when Saturn is at its closest approach to Earth, coming as near as 838 million miles distant this morning. Additionally, Saturn will arrive at its Summer Solstice in May 2017, at which point the rings will be at maximum tilt towards the Sun (and Earth). The years around the Solstices are the best time to view Saturn's magnificent rings. So make a point to get out over the next month and check out how amazing Saturn looks in the Frosty Drew telescope and have your moment connecting with the breathtaking beauty of the cosmos.

Since the turn of the year, we have had a near continuous trend of cloudy skies during the period around the new Moon with skies being relatively clear around the full Moon. This has made it difficult for us at Frosty Drew to capture many of the fabulous spectacles the Universe holds just beyond our unaided sight. Well this past Wednesday night (June 1), the skies opened up with no Moon in sight and offered us a glimpse of what we have been missing. We set out with awesome things in mind and spent the entire night out under the fabulous starscape. One of the images we captured was of the stunningly beautiful Messier 11 open star cluster. Commonly called “The Wild Duck Cluster”, M11 is a rather dense open star cluster found in the lesser-known constellation Scutum. Messier 11 contains over 2,000 young sibling stars and resides at a distance of 6,200 light years. During summer in the Northern Hemisphere views of Messier 11 are easily attainable with binoculars and backyard telescopes. On moonless nights at Frosty Drew Observatory we will regularly have M11 on display in our telescopes. Check out our photo below, then make plans to get out to Frosty Drew this summer and see the fabulous Wild Duck Cluster for yourself.

-Scott