August 2007 - OTEvents - Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers

Mojo to speak tonight at Pomona Valley Amateur Astronomers, Harvey Mudd
by Morris Jones 31 Aug '07

31 Aug '07

Jane and I became familiar with the Pomona Valley Amateur Astronomers a few months ago when she spoke to them on the Cassini mission. It's a great club, and a great location, especially if you're more in the direction of Pomona than Pasadena. Tonight I'm going to give the talk that I gave last year in Ireland at the Whirlpool Star Party in Birr. It's a brief travelogue of the Sidewalk Astronomers' summer excursions to the great national parks of the western U.S., along with the talk I've given at the parks on the vanishing Milky Way, titled "You Are Here." I'll add some photos from our visit to Bryce Canyon park this summer as well. If you're interested in attending, the club web site is here, <http://www.pvaa.us/> and directions to the 7:30 p.m. meeting are here <http://www.pvaa.us/maps/meet.html> Late tonight, or actually early tomorrow morning, scientists are forecasting a rare return of the Aurigid meteor shower. Jane sent some information about it in an earlier message. While I'm giving my talk this evening, she will be at NASA Ames in Northern California, installing equipment on a small Gulfstream business jet, and preparing with a group of researchers to document the meteor shower at an altitude of 50,000 feet. It should be quite a story. I currently plan to observe the shower from home near Sawpit Wash in Monrovia in a comfortable chair. :) Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

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Another morning meteor shower - Saturday morning 9/1/07
by Jane H Jones 29 Aug '07

29 Aug '07

Here is another reason to wake up early on Saturday morning - a rare meteor shower! Bright shooting stars should be visible even with a big old bright moon, and our city light pollution. Look to the East and Northeast. "Some time in the 40 years or so around 4 A.D., comet Kiess (C/1911 N1) passed by the Sun, ejecting a cloud of dust particles. The comet returned in 1911, after completing one orbit. The dust particles were pushed by the Sun's light into slightly wider orbits and have been returning ever since, forming a thin ongoing stream of dust that usually passes just outside Earth's orbit. On occasion, the combined gravity of the solar system's planets moves this dust trail into Earth's path. Earth encountered this 2000-year-old dust in 1935, 1986, and 1994, causing a meteor shower known as the Aurigids." http://aurigids.seti.org/ Best viewing direction: Best viewing: Keep Moon out of field of view (best to block behind obstruction such as telephone pole, then watch whole sky), avoid city haze that scatters moonlight Best direction: East and Northeast Best time: Start one hour before peak, then see the rate of meteors increase and decrease while Earth travels through the shower When: Date: 2007 September 1 Peak time: about 11:33 +/- 20 minutes UT (= 04:33 a.m. Pacific Daylight Savings Time). Duration: about 1.5-hour Width: 25 minutes above half the peak rate What: Peak rate: ZHR (Zenithal Hourly Rate) = 200 per hour (10-minute interval) Meteor brightness: mostly -3 to +3 magnitude Shower radiant: constellation Auriga (Radiant at RA = 92, Decl. = +39) Entry speed: Vinf = 67 km/s Where: Visible from: California, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico [see flux applet for visibility from your location] Moon: 4 days past Full Moon, high in the sky Important because: Once in a lifetime crossing of the dust trail of a known long period comet (comet Kiess). Public interest: When you make a wish, consider that each meteoroid was released at some unknown moment during the period 36 B.C. - A.D. 45. Links: NASA Ames News Release: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2007/07_59AR.html -- Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Cassini SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html

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Total lunar eclipse tonight (tomorrow morning)
by Morris Jones 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

Here are the timings for tonight's total lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes directly behind the Earth relative to the sun, and the moon passes through the Earth's shadow. Mid eclipse is a 3:37 a.m. That's when the moon will be its darkest, usually a deep red. Some light reaches the moon by refracting through the Earth's atmosphere to give it that dull red glow. Before the total eclipse begins, you'll see the shadow moving onto the moon for about an hour. After it's over, again you'll see the shadow moving off the moon. I'm hoping to see all three parts of the eclipse. I love seeing the moon partially in the Earth's shadow. Here are the timings for each phase: 1:51 a.m. Partial eclipse beings 2:52 a.m. Total eclipse beings 4:22 a.m. Total eclipse ends 5:24 a.m. Partial eclipse ends Set your clocks! No optical aid required. Just enjoy seeing the moon go through those fascinating changes tonight. Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers http://www.otastro.org

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poor forecast
by Morris Jones 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

The weather forecast for tonight has been deteriorating steadily, with lots of cloud cover expected. We'll have a "look see" at about 7:00 at our street corner, but if it doesn't look promising, we'll indulge in some alternative activities. :) Cheers, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

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Sidewalk Astronomy this weekend, ISS pass tonight
by Morris Jones 24 Aug '07

24 Aug '07

Hi all, the weather looks excellent for astronomy tonight in Pasadena. Jane and I will set up in Old Town Pasadena on Colorado Blvd., somewhere near Delacey. We look for a parking spot on the north side of the street somewhere in the two-block stretch between Fair Oaks and Pasadena Av. We'll plan to be there from about 7:30 'til 10. We'll have a large gibbous moon tonight, and a good look at Jupiter. Tonight at 7:55 the International Space Station will fly almost directly overhead, visible from anywhere in L.A. county. Look for it like a bright slowly moving star, beginning in the northwest, and passing to the southeast. It'll be brighter than any other stars, and it won't have blinking lights like an airplane. It takes about five minutes for it to cross the sky. Tomorrow (Saturday) we'll set up in Monrovia at the corner of Myrtle and Lime, from about 7:30 'til 10, with a slightly bigger moon. Later we'll update you on the total lunar eclipse visible early Tuesday morning! Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

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Weekend America, and sidewalk astronomy
by Morris Jones 17 Aug '07

17 Aug '07

From the newsletter for Weekend America, on public radio, it looks like they'll be doing a rebroadcast of their story from May 19 that featured Jane, Mojo, and John Dobson. The program airs locally on KPCC 89.3 on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. 'til 3:00 p.m. But you can hear the story as it aired on May 19 here: <http://photo.whiteoaks.com/2007-05-19-weekend-america/sidewalkastro.mp3> This weekend Jane, Mojo, and Gary and his family are off to do "Stars over Yosemite" at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park. Dave, Todd, and Carolyn are planning to be in Monrovia at Myrtle and Lime Saturday night. Drop by and say hello! We should have a great crescent moon, and nice Jupiter this weekend. Maybe we'll have some visitors who hear the Weekend America story. :) We'll be doing more sidewalk astronomy next weekend with a big gibbous moon. And Jane or I will update you on the total lunar eclipse visible from here in the early morning sky on Tuesday morning, August 28. Clear skies, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

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Perseids and More in August
by Jane H Jones 10 Aug '07

10 Aug '07

Hello to all our OTAstro list! My August What's Up is Up on the JPL and NASA websites. It's about the Perseid Meteor Shower mostly, and is aimed at the general public - with some good easy to understand graphics aimed at the general public. Here is the place where they are archived permanently (this is the link to bookmark), on the JPL Education page http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html This link includes video formats that are useful for astronomy clubs, classrooms, museums and planetariums, plus this month I added links to some lunar and meteor educational material - these are aimed at grades 4-12. The best time to view the Perseids will be Monday morning before dawn, but that's not really convenient for most people. Saturday night/Sunday Morning will yield many meteors especially after 2 a.m. , with horizon skimming meteors at midnight, before Perseus rises very high above the horizon. If you go someplace dark, you'll see more than you will in the LA Basin, and if you can't get away, just put some space between you and the light sources - a side of a house or trees can help some. You will see them everywhere, but if you mentally trace the shooting stars to their "source" you'll be looking in the direction of Perseus, in the NE Sky. Local dark sky spots will be up I-5 at the Templin Highway turnoff, Mt. Pinos - on Frazier Peak, and up towards Mt. Wilson - but there is still a lot of LA glow up here. The Desert East of us affords darker and drier skies. The Andromeda Society of Yucca Valley hosts a monthly star party at Joshua Tree National Park's Hidden Valley picnic area Saturday Aug 11 - http://www.andromedasociety.org/ The Pomona Valley Amateur Astronomers will be at JTNP's cottonwood Springs campground Aug 11. Later on in August, Mojo speaks to the club's general meeting at Harvey Mudd College on the 31st. http://www.pvaa.us/calendarpage.asp The Peninsula Astronomy club of Northern California will be up at Glacier Point at Yosemite this weekend - if you could possibly get up there, it's magical for meteors. Mojo and I will be there the following weekend with one of our Northern California Astronomy clubs - the San Jose Astronomical Association. Most weekends, some club is hosting free star parties for the public at Glacier Point. http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/yosemite.html If you observe the Perseids and would like to contribute your observations, here's an ongoing meteor observing program you might be interested in: http://aurigids.seti.org/ . I'll be participating in this airborne mission observing the Perseids and Aurigids with the same group Mojo and I have worked with for almost 10 years counting the exciting meteor showers. Oh, and since we'll be at Yosemite on our usual sidewalk astronomy weekend of the 17th 18th August, check the OTAstro website http://www.otastro.org/ for dates and details. I think our usual group will be in Monrovia without us on Saturday the 18th, but probably not in Pasadena on the 17th. Jane and Mojo -- Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Cassini SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html

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