We often get questions from fans who have a telescope in the closet and
aren't sure how to use it. We had good luck in San Francisco offering a
"New Telescope Owner's Clinic" before their monthly city star party.
I'd like to do that in Monrovia this Saturday.
The best time to get acquainted with your telescope is during the day.
We can help set it up, align the finder, and collimate a dobsonian. We
can help you learn how to find objects, choose an eyepiece, and practice
observing things before it actually gets dark.
What we can't do is align a computerized telescope based on alignment
with bright stars.
If you are interested in doing this, please send me a reply to this
email, and plan to join me in Library Park at Myrtle and Lime at 6:00 on
Saturday. Bring your telescope and any supplies, along with an owner's
manual if you have one. We'll be able to observe the moon even during
the daylight.
I'll bring a tool box and maybe a solar telescope.
If I don't hear from you, I won't make plans to be there 'til about sunset.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la
Weather looks good for sidewalk astronomy this weekend. We'll have a
waxing gibbous moon, Saturn, and possibly a glimpse of Venus and Mars.
We plan to be in Old Town Pasadena this evening (Friday), and Old Town
Monrovia Saturday evening, 7:30 'til 9:30 p.m.
In Pasadena, look for telescopes on Colorado Blvd., on the north side of
the street, somewhere in the two-block stretch from Fair Oaks to
Pasadena Ave.
In Monrovia, we'll be on the corner of Myrtle and Lime, at Library Park.
Saturn should be a treat, with the rings barely four degrees open right now.
Venus is the brightest star in the west, following the sun into the
horizon. It's in a gibbous phase right now, on the far side of the sun
from earth. It will be fun to watch later in the year as it swings
towards earth and changes to crescent phase.
Mars continues moving further away from earth. While it's high in the
sky, we don't expect to see more than a pumpkin-colored dot at this point.
If you're up before dawn, as I usually am, look for bright Jupiter in
the east, having risen just an hour or so before the sun.
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mojo_la
Hi everyone, we're still up on cloud nine after last weekend's awesome
star party at Mojave National Preserve! It was so great to see many of
you over the weekend. There were at least 4 families from our astronomy
list who joined us, in addition to the 4 families worth of astronomers.
There were over 50 people there, and another 15 on Friday night for our
first night impromptu star party. Many staff and friends of the Mojave
National Preserve. http://www.preservethemojave.org/index.php
Here is a set of pictures I took. Each of us took lots of pictures on
the hikes, and Mojo has some spectacular panoramas that will make their
way to a blog soon. I'm busy writing up a story about the Chuckwalla
lizards of Amboy Cratrer and other tales myself. One park visit, so much
to learn and share!
http://photo.whiteoaks.com/2010-04-11-mojavejane/index.html.
We're heading to our no-frills observing site off the I-10 Red Cloud
Road between Chiriaco Summit and Desert Center in a few hours. But first
we'll head up into Joshua Tree National Park from the south to check out
the Colorado Desert wildflowers, and to hug one of our very favorite
national parks. This week is National Park Week (in addition to Earth
Week and National Astronomy Week) But this means there is free
admission to every one of the nations National Parks April 17-25th.
http://www.nationalparks.org/explore/?fa=national-park-week I hope you
make it to one of our local parks this week! Find your closest ones on
this link - there are 4 national parks within 100 miles of my zip code,
and we're heading to one of them!
Next weekend we'll be out on the sidewalks once again. We'll be in
Pasadena Friday night and Monrovia Saturday night to share moon, Venus,
Saturn and Mars (and maybe Mercury) with all of you who stop by! See you
under the stars!!
Jane
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
Website: www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
What's Up March 2010? Saturn & 21Lutetia! http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm
What's Up Podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/bBUANa
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjoneshttp://twitter.com/CassiniSaturn
Blog: http://jane.whiteoaks.com/
What's Up for April? How and when to view the Space Station and more!
JPL: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup.cfm
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=JPLnews#p/u/0/TfMiKZi0ba4
A lot of you know how to check for local ISS passes, or go out and watch the
passes, but many don't know when and where to look, or what to expect you
will see. This month's podcast explains how and what you will see.
I hope you share this podcast with your friends, family and networks who may
be unsure how to look, where to look, and when to look.
It's a good-time topic this month, especially because there is a shuttle
about to dock and then undock from the ISS. That means both the shuttle and
station can be seen together in the sky by some lucky people, maybe you! :-)
Speaking of this week, there is a very nice and high morning ISS pass
tomorrow morning here in the LA area, about 5:25 with a bonus - fainter
STS-131 passes nearby 4 minutes earlier. I attached those two charts (using
the familiar Heavens Above website) for us locals. Others can follow the
directions and find out when and where. :-)
Jane
PS: Final reminder about Mohave turtles and star party this weekend, weather
permitting is here: http://www.preservethemojave.org/events.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
What's Up For April - The International Space Station!
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup-archive.cfm
