Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory

When:

Friday June 24, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

Cost:

$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight is Stargazing Night at Frosty Drew Observatory and it looks like we may be in for another fabulous night out under the stars! Forecasts are calling for clear skies for most of the night with a threat of patchy fog in the early morning hours. This works out excellent for us considering the 82% waning gibbous Moon will rise at 11:21 p.m. and significantly brighten up the sky. This will give us a good 1.5 hours to check out the bright Milky Way before the Moon overtakes it.

The Observatory, Sky Theatre and Nature Center will open at 7:30 tonight. In the Observatory, telescopes will showcase sunset views of Jupiter and the Great Red Spot. Once late twilight sets in we will direct the big telescope towards Saturn, showcasing its fabulous rings. Telescopes will be setup in the Observatory courtyard showcasing dozens of nebulae, star clusters and binary star systems. The Lunar Lounge will be open once twilight sets in, projecting live telescopic views of star clusters and nebulae visible along the Milky Way. The Nature Center will be open until 10:00 p.m. with Frosty Drew Naturalists available to showcase the daytime side of Frosty Drew. We will keep the Observatory open until at least midnight.

Overall, tonight looks to be another excellent night to be out. Warmer temps and no school make for easy late night moments with the stars. The late moonrise will allow for stunning views of the Milky Way once twilight winks out. Add in that three planets are visible, including Saturn, and we have a real rock star night! Check in on our Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) or Facebook for updates from the Observatory. We always post a “Closing up” status when we decide to pack it in. So gear up and set out to Frosty Drew tonight and celebrate the first weekend of summer with fabulous starscapes and breathtaking celestial moments.

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

Over the past couple months we have been attempting, repeatedly, to capture our yearly opposition photograph of Saturn. Since opposition happened on June 3, 2016 our opportunity is waning fast. Factors that we have to consider usually come down to sky conditions. Is it cloudy or too hazy, how about Fog? Fog is always a killer for shooting the night sky. Are we out of twilight or do we have enough darkness ahead to shoot under? Though there is one factor that is often overlooked by non-astronomers and can really make or break a planetary shoot, it’s called “seeing”.

Seeing is a measure of atmospheric quality or stability. Since light refracts through the atmosphere, changes in atmospheric density can cause distortions in our view. A good example of this is heat rising after a hot day. The waves rising heat creates are magnified by our telescope causing the view to continuously shift in and out of focus in a wave like pattern, resembling the blurring of objects visibly observed beyond a bonfire when looking over the fire. Seeing has been our deal breaker lately, until this past Saturday night. On June 18, though accompanied by a bright Moon, the atmosphere stabilized nicely for about 2 hours allowing us to capture our shot. Check it out below, then make plans to visit Frosty Drew Observatory this summer and see Saturn for yourself.

-Scott

Photo: Visitors to Frosty Drew Stargazing Nights get a tour of the constellation by a Frosty Drew astronomer with a laser. Christine Rhubarb shot this beautiful view.