OTEvents October 2016

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Eclipse 2017 tips + another ISS pass tonight!

by Jane Houston Jones

ISS Pass (from LA area): Time: Fri Oct 21 6:31 PM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 58°, Appears: 10° above NW, Disappears: 12° above SSE- Get your own alerts for your location here --> https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ The August 21 2017 total Solar Eclipse is only ten months away! It will be visible in the US from Oregon to South Carolina -- in a thin path only about 60 miles wide. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/sun/2017eclipse If you are wondering where to go to see it, scroll down to "Find Your Spot" on the toolkit link above -- and click on the Google Interactive Map to see the eclipse path, anywhere you click, you'll get the time and totality length. In the west, totality can be seen only in a narrow path through Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming. The maximum totality (minutes and seconds) reaches 2 minutes 40 seconds near St. Louis, less in the west and east of maximum. Here are some examples of totality length near the centerline in the western states: 1 minute 55 seconds in Salem -- Bend, Corvallis and Portland all will have a partial eclipse. In Wyoming, Casper has 2 minutes 25 seconds, In Idaho, Rexburg gets 2 minutes 17 seconds of totality, while Idaho Falls, 29 miles south gets only 1 minute 41 seconds. Many hotels along the centerline are completely booked already. We wanted to drive with our telescopes for dark sky observing at night, and so we'd have flexibility to dodge clouds on the day or day before the eclipse, and rented a trailer. We found an RV park just 12 miles north of Rexburg ID, very close to the centerline. Our location will see 2 minutes 3 seconds of totality. This RV park still had lots of spaces available (and restroom/showers and a store) http://www.idahodunesrv.com/ <UrlBlockedError.aspx> The rates for "Special Events" like 4th of July, Labor Day and eclipses increase double (to $70 per night) for our large space https://www.idahodunesrv.com/reservations.php On this map is the campground layout https://www.idahodunesrv.com/map.php <UrlBlockedError.aspx> We rented the end space in the end row, space 56 on the map above for 4 nights August 19-22. We plan to join the Idaho Falls Astronomy Club at one or more of their dark sky star parties in the evenings before the eclipse, or possibly even set up in the RV space and share views with other campers, if the lights aren't too bad. There will also be livestreamed events of the eclipse for the armchair sun worshipers, more on that as time nears. And here's what the partial solar eclipse will look like here in the LA area. https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/los-angeles?iso=20170821 Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones What's Up podcast August 2016: Perseids and Planets https://youtu.be/0vE5Jr6HttU http://nasa.tumblr.com/post/148352903509/whats-up-for-august-2016

7 years, 11 months

2 events tonight - ISS pass and a star grazes by the moon!

by Jane Houston Jones

A really nice ISS pass everyone!! Time: Tue Oct 18 7:32 PM, Visible: 4 min, Max Height: 79°, Appears: 10° above NW, Disappears: 45° above SE Later..... at 10:25 p.m. a lunar grazing occultation! *Who:* Magnificent red Aldebaran, the "eye" of Taurus the bull appears to approach the moon's sunlit side, close to the north pole. Soon the star will be easy to see as it moves onto the dark side of the moon. If Aldebaran was placed where the sun is now, its surface would extend almost to the orbit of Mercury. It's also about 153 times brighter than the sun. Good image here: http://occultations.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/MoonViewWithCaption.j… *What:* A lunar occultation occurs when the Moon, moving along its orbital path, passes in front of a star or other celestial object, as seen by an observer (normally on the Earth). A grazing lunar occultation occurs when one of the two edges of the moon parallel to its orbital path appears to just touch or graze the object as the moon goes by. When this happens, a properly positioned observer will see the grazed object disappear and reappear, possibly several times, as mountains and valleys on the edge of the moon pass in front of it. *Where:* Along a very thin line from Los Angeles, through Denver, Sioux Falls, Minneapolis! http://occultations.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20161019_AldebaranGra… *When:* Greater Los Angeles area 10:25 - 10:29 p.m. http://occultations.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/CA_LA_6.jpeg Super detailed maps (Monrovia on the Centerline) http://occultations.org/aldebaran/2016october/ That's all for now! Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro What's Up Oct? Moon phases, Astronomy Day, Meteors, Saturn! https://youtu.be/TwLaBKi3LaY

7 years, 11 months

Sidewalk Astronomy Saturday October 8

by Jane Houston Jones

Saturday is International Observe the Moon night, and also Astronomy Day or both. For us, it's just our regular Saturday night closest to the first quarter moon -- the Saturday each month we bring the moon and planets (weather permitting) to the sidewalk. There are some other events Saturday the 8th in the bandshell on the other side of Monrovia Park, so come on down and enjoy the various afternoon and evening events by walking around the park! The big Library Park would make a great scale model of the solar system, with the sun at the fountain, wouldn't it? So come out and join us! When Oct 8 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Myrtle/Lime corner Monrovia CA Other events coming up: * Pasadena Astronomy Week Oct 16-22 http://www.cityofastronomy.org/events/ * Huntington Gardens Star Party Oct 28 (check their website) * Maybe dark sky at Amboy Crater October 29 RSVP with me for directions and tips * Mojave National Preserve public star party (free camping, RSVP) Nov 5 - the centennial celebration!! https://www.facebook.com/events/310376066006443/ Here is my monthly What's Up video, it's naturally all about the moon and Astronomy day this month!~ :-) Many formats on JPL website http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1442 YouTube: https://youtu.be/TwLaBKi3LaY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nasa/ Tumblr: http://nasa.tumblr.com/post/151195307324/whats-up-for-october-2016 -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro What's Up Oct? Moon phases, Astronomy Day, Meteors, Saturn! https://youtu.be/TwLaBKi3LaY

7 years, 12 months

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OTEvents October 2016