Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory

When:

Friday September 23, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

Cost:

$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight is Stargazing Night at Frosty Drew Observatory and after a beautiful night last Friday, we are back to our usual Friday night forecast of cloudy skies with chances of rain. We have had a difficult trend for the entire 2016 year of clouds hindering our views on nights close to or on the New Moon. These are the nights that the Milky Way becomes visible and our view of the galaxy really blazes. Tonight would have been one of those nights if not for the weather attack. Though cloudy again, we continue to hope for improvements in viewing conditions as we move into the darker part of the year.

We will open the Observatory and Sky Theatre at 7:30 tonight. In the Observatory we will remain on standby as we monitor the sky for viewing opportunities. In the Sky Theatre we will feature our popular showcase of celestial objects photographed at Frosty Drew Observatory and will host a commentary and open discussion on general astronomy. We will likely close up around 10:00 p.m. unless the weather cuts us a break. Keep up with us on Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) or Facebook for updates from the Observatory.

Overall, tonight’s chances of catching a late season view of Saturn or the Milky Way have been thwarted by the incoming clouds and rain. If you’re in the local area and want to catch up on some of the amazing happenings in astronomy and space, then stop in for a chat. Otherwise, this will be another night to sit out. Next Friday, September 30th, brings the New Moon (the second New Moon of September), so we may have another chance at dark skies next week. Until then, step outside and enjoy the cool autumn nights and the fabulous starscapes on the clearer nights this week. Venus is sporting excellent views just after sunset in the western sky as the summer constellation depart us for the year.

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

Remember that amazing European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft that rendezvoused with, acquired orbit around, and landed on a comet? The spacecraft is the amazing Rosetta mission and the comet is 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P). After twelve years in space, two spent orbiting Comet 67P, the fabulous adventure is coming to an end. On Friday, September 30th, Rosetta will be sent on its final mission, from which it will not return. A mission to investigate the comet from the closest possible altitude, so close that Rosetta will inevitably crash / aggressive touch down onto the comet’s surface. At which point, operations of the Rosetta spacecraft will come to a close. This descent will allow us to capture very high resolution images of the comet’s surface, as well as help reveal secrets about the comet’s interior structure.

The Rosetta mission became famous when it attempted to land a smaller spacecraft, Philae, on the surface of Comet 67P. Philae’s landing was hindered by malfunctioning anchor harpoons which resulted in Philae bouncing from its intended landing site and eventually touching down in an unknown location out of direct sunlight, which is needed for the little spacecraft to stay awake. Philae’s location remained unknown for most of the mission. Though after months of rigorous searching, Rosetta found the missing lander on September 2, 2016.

Though the operations phase of the mission is coming to a close, the science phase of the mission is just getting started as we dive into mountains of science data waiting to be analyzed. Regardless of all the amazing discoveries to come, we have had quite a blast following along with Rosetta’s journey and the fabulous images of Comet 67P tell the stories of the awesome adventure. Check out the huge collection of images that Rosetta has captured, then tip your hat to ESA for putting together and operating a sensational mission!

Save the Date: International Observe the Moon Night returns to Frosty Drew Observatory for the sixth year in a row on Saturday, October 8, 2016 ! This is our night to make reparations with the Moon for all the complaining and hammering we do about the Moon outshining our views, and a reminder that the Moon really is a fascinating target to spend the night observing. It’s a celebration that takes place at thousands of locations across the world and you can be part of it. So mark your calendars and gear up for a fabulous night of only the Moon in all our telescopes and in all of our projections at Frosty Drew Observatory.

-Scott