Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory

When:

Friday November 11, 2016 at 6:00 p.m.

Cost:

$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight is Stargazing Night at Frosty Drew Observatory and the forecast is looking rather good. We can expect clear skies for the entire night, which is awesome! The concern in tonight’s forecast lies in the wind. We can expect significant wind tonight with gusts reaching into the 40mph range. This could spell disaster for our stargazing session. We will take the night as it goes and see if we can manage the wind. If so, we are in for a spectacular night. The 88% waxing gibbous Moon will be with us at sunset and will stick around for most of the night offering up fabulous views of the cratered lunar surface. Tonight is also the peak of the North Taurid Meteor Shower, which will bring an uptick in meteor counts into the 5-10 meteors per hour range. Certainly the constituents of a great night.

We will open the Observatory and Sky Theatre tonight at 6:00 p.m. In the Observatory, telescopes will start out with dusk views of Venus followed by fabulous views of the gibbous Moon. Once twilight wanes, we will direct our telescopes toward Uranus, Neptune, and a handful of binary stars. If we make it until the 2:30 a.m. moonset, we will check out the Orion Nebula and more. The Sky Theatre will feature our popular showcase of celestial objects photographed at Frosty Drew Observatory and will sport warmer temps for those looking to catch a break for the late autumn temps. We will stay open until until either the wind shuts us down or 11:30 p.m. approaches.

Overall, tonight is a toss up. The bright Moon will make for poor viewing of nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters. Add in the chance for some pretty high winds and this may not be the night to make the long drive. Though on the flip side, it will be nearly crystal clear and the Moon is in a great phase for viewing. If the Moon is your digs and the wind can stay calm, then this is your night! Note that temperatures will drop substantially tonight, almost to freezing. So dress for winter conditions! A parka, hat, gloves, and boots will be required. Dressing properly will make the difference between an awesome night of stargazing and just a miserable night of cold fingers and toes. Be sure to check in on Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) or Facebook before setting out to get the latest update from the Observatory on what is happening. Now celebrate clear skies and fabulous views of the Moon with us tonight at Frosty Drew!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

This coming Monday, November 14th at 8:52 a.m. EST the annual Supermoon will occur. Called a “perigee syzygy”, the Supermoon occurs when the Full Moon happens at nearly the same time as the Moon’s closest approach to Earth (perigee) during the 27.3 day lunar cycle. Lunar perigee will happen at 6:24 a.m. EST on Monday at a distance of 221,525.7 miles. Of the 13.37 lunar cycles in a year, one of the perigees will be the closest and if the Full Moon happens within a few hours of that perigee, we get the annual Supermoon. This means the Moon will appear slightly larger than all other Full Moons this year as well as brighter. Though we see Supermoons all the time, this event will be somewhat special, as it will also be the closest lunar perigee for the past 69 years. That last bit won’t make the view noticeably different but is certainly a fun fact. Though Frosty Drew Observatory will not be open for the Supermoon, Lights in the Dark writer, Jason Major and myself will host a Sidewalk Astronomy event on the bridge in Pawtuxet Village, RI on Sunday night to celebrate the Supermoon. Then on Tuesday night catch the near full Moon at Ladd Observatory in Providence, RI. Starting tonight, take a moment each night to step out and check out that super Moon!

-Scott