Where:

Frosty Drew Observatory

When:

Friday July 19, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

Cost:

Free! Donations Appreciated.

Tonight's forecast is calling for clear skies and wind, at times gusting to 26mph, then after 4:00 a.m. fog will role in. The 86% waxing gibbous moon will set around 3:00 a.m. significantly illuminating the sky. Wind gusts as high as expected tonight could keep the observatory telescopes closed but we will attempt an opening at 6:00 p.m. with views of the sun and any prominent sunspots including the large sunspot, 1793. Then around 8:30 we will open the observatory telescopes towards Saturn. The air tonight will be hot and humid and the mosquitoes will be feasting. Be sure to dress for mosquitoes, not warm temps!

Today at 5:27p.m. - 5:42p.m. the NASA Cassini spacecraft, which is in orbit around Saturn, will turn its cameras towards this little planet of awesomeness that we call home and snap a photo. This is the first time a photo like this is being taken with prior public knowledge. Additionally, this is the third time that a photo of Earth has ever been taken from the outer solar system! This humbling event has sparked a massive movement of interest and collaboration across the world. As a result, all day today “Wave at Saturn” events will be taking place across the world. Now we in New England are lucky since we will be on the side of Earth facing Saturn when the photo is taken. Today, Saturn is 897,396,139 miles away from Earth which is about 80 light minutes. So start waving at Saturn at 4:04p.m. - 4:22p.m. and your waves will reach Saturn just in time to be photographed at 5:27 – 5:42. Note that the photo will not show individual people, but how cool would that be!

Today has been called “The Day the Earth Smiled” and that is an appropriate title for the events of today. The photo shoot that planet Earth and all its inhabitants are participating in takes me back to the first shot of Earth from the outer solar system taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft 23 years ago. This shot is the famous “Pale Blue Dot” photo which inspired the phenomenal book by Carl Sagan titled “Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of Human Future in Space”. This first view of Earth from such a distance opened our eyes to the reality of humanity's existence among the vast cosmic stage. For me it was a moment of humility and a realization of a level of connectedness that exists between all of us to our home planet and our awesome place among the cosmic arena. So many works have been created around the narrative of Carl Sagan's famous Pale Blue Dot reading. Here is a recent favorite. Today, this is happening again...

The mosquitoes tonight will be taking reservations, be sure to dress for the feast. Pants, sleeves, and closed toe shoes are a necessity! It will be hot tonight as well so bring water as you will likely be sweating in those pants, sleeves, and closed toe shoes.

-Scott MacNeill