Local night sky fans: tonight Weds July 27th, 8:56 p.m. I'm out of state, but have a look tonight and wave at the Space Station astronauts on this 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 week! Jane
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From: HQ-spotthestation(a)mail.nasa.gov
Sent: July 17, 2019 8:57:15 AM PDT
To: jane(a)whiteoaks.com
Subject: SpotTheStation
Time: Wed Jul 17 8:56 PM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 71°, Appears: 11° above SW, Disappears: 10° above NE
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From Jane, sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
From before sunset tonight (at 8:00 p.m.) to about 9:30 p.m. a few Sidewalk Astronomers will be at Myrtle and Lime streets in Monrovia. Some of us are on vacation or otherwise engaged this summer Saturday, but if you are out and about a few Astronomers should be there to show Jupiter, moon, possibly Saturn! Cheers! Jane and Mojo (not available tonight)
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From Jane, sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
We'll be out a little later tonight. Sunset isn't until 8 p.m. so that's
when we'll start observing at our usual Myrtle and Lime corner in
Monrovia CA. The moon is a few days from first quarter, so will appear
as a chonky crescent tonight. We've just about lost views of Mars this
apparition, you might glimpse it near the western horizon with unaided
eye after sunset, but it will be too low to aim a telescope at from our
corner.
Jupiter is beginning its months-long reign as King of the planets in the
night sky sky this month. Despite all the hype about Jupiter's
brightness and closest approach (opposition) to the Earth in its orbit
this week, this isn't the easiest time to view the planet early in the
evening. Just like the full moon phase, Jupiter Opposition means Jupiter
is "opposite" the sun, rising sunset *opposite* the sun and setting near
sunrise. At 8 p.m. sunset tonight, Jupiter will only be a few degrees
above the eastern horizon. It may clear the trees in Monrovia by 10 p.m.
tonight but will be best to see around midnight for the next few weeks,
when it reaches its highest altitude, which is only 30 degrees above the
horizon. Each week it will reach this highest point a half hour earlier,
so July and August will be prime viewing months.
So tonight's view, when Jupiter will be lower in the sky won't provide
awesome views. For awesomness, set your alarm, step outside between
midnight and dawn over the next few months. With some moderate-sized
binoculars and a steady view (use a fence or post to steady/balance the
binos) aim at Jupiter and you should be able to see the Galilean moons!
Hope to see some of you tonight! Jane
Jane Houston Joneshttp://www.otastro.org/ <http://www.otastro.org/>
Tonight should be our sidewalk night in Monrovia, but the clouds won't
clear until 8 p.m. and there is a line of small but powerful
thunderstorms between us and Antelope Valley. So we are cancelling
tonight's sidewalk astronomy to protect our telescopes, and not
disappointing our guests with poor views of the moon. Next dates are
June 8 and 15. If, you happen to look up and see the moon from home or
from your evening stroll tonight, you can use these links below to
identify features with your unaided eye. The moon is at First Quarter
tonight May 11, 2019 at 6:12 pm. You can find the phases of the moon
every month in What's Up video from JPL now. And I've included the link
to my very favorite moon map below.
What's Up video ends with the month's moon phases - a great addition to
the video! https://youtu.be/VoivZE4xLEw
Time and date -- a calendar of lunar phases for the year, just select
your location for precision: https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/
--> Moon Map I love! The awesome Lunar and Planetary Sciences Lunar
Landing Site Chart:
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/LandingSite/
Next sidewalk dates are June 8 and/or 15, weather permitting. Over and out!
Jane and the sidewalk gang
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Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Twitter: @jhjones @otastro
http://www.otastro.org/
Astronomy, travel, music, food, cats
First, tonight, a nice high ISS pass! Time: Tue Apr 09 8:15 PM,
Visible: 3 min, Max Height: 71°, Appears: 36° above WNW, Disappears: 19°
above SE. Sign up for your own alerts at the NASA "Spot The Station"
website https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/
Next, /NASA's What's Up podcast/ continues with a new team, but three of
us Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers are credited in the April video with
image contributions here: https://youtu.be/iZAKN8IiUdU
Finally, Saturday night, some of us will be out with telescopes in
Monrovia from sunset (7 p.m. DST) and for about 2 hours after that, so
come on down to Library Park at the Myrtle and Lime corner. We'll be
looking at the Moon and Mars, maybe the Pleiades or some other things
not marred by light pollution. Watch /What's Up/ for some good viewing
suggestions for the whole month, including how to find Polaris, the
North Star! Hint: It is not bright, but is easy to find.
--
Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Twitter: @jhjones @otastro
http://www.otastro.org/
Astronomy, travel, music, food, cats
Come out and join us tonight!!!!! Monrovia, Myrtlee and Lime Street
corner after sunset which is 7 p.m. tonight. We'll be there for about 2
hours. Jane and the OTastro gang
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Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Twitter: @jhjones @otastro
http://www.otastro.org/
Astronomy, travel, music, food, cats
It's cold and windy, but 4 of us will be out early for sidewalk astronomy tonight. Myrtle and Lime, Monrovia. 6 p.m. till 7:30 p.m. No promises that we'll be out later. Jane
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From Jane, sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
It's cold and windy, but 4 of us will be out early for sidewalk astronomy tonight. Myrtle and Lime, Monrovia. 6 p.m. till 7:30 p.m. No promises that we'll be out later. Jane
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From Jane, sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
ISS Pass again tonight. Time: Sat Feb 09 6:53 PM, Visible: 5 min, Max Height: 48°, Appears: 10° above
WNW, Disappears: 26° above SSE
The forecast is partly cloudy, Gary just stepped out and sees increasing clouds and no visible moon. The temperatures are dropping, and none of the astronomers appear to be available tonight, so we won't be bringing telescopes out tonight for all those reasons. If you feel so inclined, and can see some patches of sky, step outside to see the ISS pass at 6:52 p.m. and look for the slim crescent moon. It's 22% illuminated, and sets at 10 p.m. We may try again next Saturday but some of us are not available then either. Hang in there for better weather and less busy volunteer astronomers.
Jane
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Jane Houston Jones, JPL Retiree
Astronomer, music lover, JPL retiree
My Final What's Up Astronomy podcast #138: Dec 2018
Jane’s finale. An awesome comet https://go.nasa.gov/2DUnUsg
All 138 What’s Ups since 2007: https://go.nasa.gov/2usaBaB
Time: Thu Feb 07 6:59 PM, Visible: 2 min, Max Height: 41°, Appears: 11°
above NW, Disappears: 41° above N
Weather permitting (clouds and 20% chance of rain are in the forecast),
may cancel Saturday Sidewalk Astronomy. Here's the forecast. I'll post a
go/no-go on the website, and maybe a quick email on Saturdayo.
https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/91016:4:US
Finally, the new JPL What's Up video team has produced the February
program. I like it, and so will you! https://youtu.be/CUaYcikaarE
Jane
--
Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Twitter: @jhjones @otastro
http://www.otastro.org/
Astronomy, travel, music, food, cats