Tonight's a big night! It's Mars closest approach, and we'll be out in
force in Old Town Monrovia tonight. Library Park, Myrtle & Lime, 9:00
p.m. 'til midnight.
If you haven't read the article in the Pasadena Star-News this morning,
Jane and I were featured on the front page in the Mars article:
<http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_3162189>
The weather forecast for tonight looks near perfect. Jane and I plan to
bring out our best Mars telescope tonight, a rare Astro-Physics 7.1-inch
refractor. Here are some pictures from a visit in April to Library Park
for this telescope: <http://www.otastro.org/2005-04-monrovia/>
If you're wondering about the later than usual hours for this occasion,
it's because the best viewing of the planet comes as it's highest in the
sky. If you're looking for the best view, plan to visit the telescope
as close to midnight as you can. Besides letting Mars get high in the
sky, the lines at the telescopes should be shortest then!
If you miss seeing Mars tonight, don't despair -- it won't be much
further away on our next trip to the sidewalks on November 11 and 12.
For the next couple of months, Mars will be close enough for interesting
looks.
In addition to November 11 and 12, Jane and I will be travelling to the
Borrego Springs Resort on Saturday November 5 in Anza Borrego State
Park, and plan to set up for Mars viewing right there at the lovely
desert resort.
Jane's Mars information page on the Mars opposition has more links,
pictures, and events: <http://www.otastro.org/Mars2005/>
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
The Old Town Astronomers are featured in an article in this week's
Pasadena Weekly: <http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/arspopuli/arspop.html>
They got it mostly right. :)
By the way, you might be interested in joining us to help show the Moon
and Venus at Wild Rose Elementary tonight, but not have a telescope to
bring. We plan to have a couple extra telescopes with us, and would be
glad to have you "person" one of them!
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
The Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers are attending a PTA family picnic
tonight at Wild Rose Elementary school in Monrovia. They're expecting
about 250 people for the event.
If you have a telescope and would like to join us there from 6:00 'til
about 8:00, we'd be delighted. We could use another telescope or two.
Targets tonight will be the late gibbous Moon and Venus.
If you can join us, drop me a note and I'll send instructions. Or call
my cell phone at 626-755-5415.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
There might be clear sky where you are, but here it's thick! No
telescopes tonight in Monrovia.
But see Jane's observing report from our trip to the Oregon Star Party
last month, right here: <http://www.otastro.org/2005-10-oregon/>
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
The Old Town Astronomers plan to be at Myrtle & Lime tonight in
Monrovia, but the weather is problematic.
The sky over our home in Monrovia right now is solid clouds. The
National Weather Service forecaster is unwilling to commit one way or
the other. The Clear Sky Clock is clearly wrong today. And the
satellite imagery shows an island of clouds right over LA county in a
sea of otherwise clear skies.
If it's clear at 6:30, we'll give it a shot. But don't make special
plans to visit Monrovia for astronomy this evening!
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
We gave it a valiant effort last night, but only had a few minutes of
Moon before the marine layer closed in. The forecast tonight is very
similar in Monrovia, with a mostly cloudy sky forecast.
So no astronomy tonight in Monrovia. We might give it another try next
weekend for the mostly full Moon. I'll send a note here if we do.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
"The three brightest objects in the night sky huddle close together in
the western sky this evening. We won't see them sharing such a small
region of the sky again for more than two years". I could snip more
from this evening's Stardate, whuich I heard on the radio as I was
driving home from work., but why not go out and take a look at the
spectacle for your self.
If you missed it (it's almost 8 p.m.Tuesday and the three are quite low
ing the west right now) you can experience the view vicariously by
reading the rest of Stardate Online
http://stardate.org/radio/program.php?f=today
Jane
See you this weekend maybe? We'll be out with telescopes showing a nice
moon Friday and Saturday nights.
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Today's Outdoor section of the L.A. Times features me in an inside
article titled "They're having a party, BYOT," from the June Yosemite
Glacier Point star party.
I haven't been able to see the issue yet, but the online edition has
some great photographs by Bryan Chan, the Times photographer who joined
us for the weekend. His photo library is attached online to an article
about John Dobson.
Here's BYOT:
<http://www.latimes.com/travel/outdoors/la-os-starside30aug30,1,4630350.stor…>
And the front of the Outdoor section online has "Heaven on Earth," Hugo
Martin's article about John Dobson:
<http://www.latimes.com/travel/outdoors/>
Off to the Oregon Star Party this week. Back next week with telescopes
for the first quarter Moon.
On the road,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Here at JPL, phones are ringing off lots of different hooks with
members of the public asking about viewing Mars tomorrow night. I've
even received calls from scout leaders planning "Mars Spectacular"
viewing events. I wish there was a scout badge for critical
thinking. :-(
Some of you folks may be getting questions too, so I thought you
might like these sound bytes.
A misleading chain letter hoax has been going around since June 2005.
The subject line of the chain letter is often 'Mars Spectacular".
It's a recycled chain letter from 2003, but with the year omitted,
and additional misinformation added. The "date" of the special
viewing night, according to this email is tomorrow, August 27th.
August 27th was the date of Mars Opposition 2003. Some people read
chain letters, and without applying any critical thinking, assume
they must be true. Then they forward them to everyone they know, who
forward them.....on and on and on.
The email is recycled and refers to Mars at opposition August 27th
2003, 2 years ago.
Earth and Mars make a close approach every 2.2 years. Mars opposition
in 2005 is October 30, 2005.
NASA has this article about it: Beware the Mars Hoax
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
Sky and Telescope Magazine has this: Don't get snookered by Mars
Malarky.
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_1556_1.asp
2005 will be a spectacular year to view Mars at opposition, but not
this weekend. Mars will be a beautiful reddish "star" in the sky
early in the evening from late October 2005 through spring 2006.
Suggest that people contact a local science center or astronomy club
near that time for locations of Mars viewing events.
If people want to see Mars right now (and avoid embarrassment if they
planned an event Saturday night) they have to stay up late. Mars
rises in the east at about 11 p.m. and is high overhead at about 3
a.m. The last three mornings, Mars and the moon have been sharing the
sky, dancing together on the ecliptic plane of our solar system. Mars
is gorgeous in the western sky at dawn every morning.
There are two bright objects in the western sky right after the sun
sets right now. Some people may think one or the other is Mars.
They are not. Venus is the lower (and brighter) of the two and
Jupiter is higher and 6 times fainter. These are the planets to view
right now. Save Mars for later in the year.
I created a Mars 2005 page http://www.otastro.org/Mars2005/ As Mars
becomes visible earlier in the evening, we'll be planning more
viewing events, and updating this page.
Mojo and I are off the to the Oregon Star Party tomorrow morning.
http://www.oregonstarparty.org/2005activities.htm We'll be back
after labor day, and our next sidewalk dates are September 9th
Pasadena and September 10th Monrovia.
--
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 Saturn Observation Campaign
http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
First quarter Moon this weekend!
There might be a chance for some Jupiter observing shortly after sunset
if we find a spot with a good southwest horizon, but mostly it's a Moon
weekend. Jupiter will be leaving the early evening skies quickly now.
Tonight (Friday August 12):
Old Town Pasadena, Colorado Blvd. near Delacey, 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Tomorrow (Saturday August 13):
Old Town Monrovia, Myrtle & Lime, 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sunset this evening is a 7:42 p.m. We can always see the Moon before
sunset, but it looks better after. :)
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
