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Sidewalk Astronomy tonight, and a few upcoming events

by Jane Houston Jones

Sidewalk Astronomy tonight will get underway at about 7:30 p.m. same place -- Myrtle and Lime Street corner, Monrovia early birds should get a view of Venus, followed by great views of Jupiter, Saturn and probably Mars by 9 p.m. We'll probably shut down at 9:30 p.m. Coming up after that will be probably Sidewalk Astronomy on September 15th and/or 22nd, our annual star party at Descanso Gardens on August 29th, and our annual star party at Huntington Library on October 20th. You'll find out about those events if you are members of those gardens. I don't think they are open to the non-member public, but you could always check. I haven't heard yet if our October 6th Mojave Star Party date has been approved, or of flooding damage from rains a month ago will cancel or postpone that event. That's all for this week! Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro Jane's What's Up video episode #134: August 2018 - Perseids! https://go.nasa.gov/2IjBkNh New! FB Watch What’s Up video page https://www.facebook.com/NASAWhatsUp/

7 years, 7 months

8:26 pm - another ISS pass tonight, Perseids are peaking too!

by Jane Houston Jones

There was a great ISS pass Tuesday night -- we watched it from the Hollywood Bowl at intermission of Star Wars: A New Hope, in concert with LA Phil orchestration, and the film on the big screen. Folks at the "bowl" tonight will see the same show, including A New Pass! Time: Fri Aug 10 8:26 PM, Visible: 4 min, Max Height: 82°, Appears: 36° above NW, Disappears: 13° above SE. To get your own email or text alerts of passes over your location just sign up here https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ Now about the Perseids. The rates have been increasing day by day, just as predicted. You can see the last few years Perseids rates in my August what's Up video. https://www.facebook.com/NASAWhatsUp/ or at the other usual places. The Perseids, in a nutshell are visible at rates over 20 per hour for a couple weeks. The "peak" where the rates go up to 50-60 per hour (fewer seen from areas with light pollution, smoke, or clouds) and more -- up to maybe 70 per hour -- from the very darkest locations. Sunday night is the "peak" bur Friday, Saturday and Monday nights should also be well above the 20 visible per hour last night. This great chart shows the work of "citizen scientists" who go out and rigorously count meteors around the world. Bookmark and check back if this interests you. http://www.imo.net/members/imo_live_shower?shower=PER&yea=2018 The citizen scientists use a standard set of tools: Eyes, comfy chair, pencil, clipboard, tape recorder sometimes, timepiece that doesn't emit light to keep track of timed observing intervals, some star charts to measure your own visual acuity and sky darkness -- to see how many stars you can see in a triangle of fairly bright stars -- you might only see the three bright anchor stars from the city, you may see 5 to 30 from a dark site. With all these tools, even an observation from light polluted LA county (my driveway) matters, and the fact that I may only see a few per hour, in miserable light pollution, is calculated and part of the data. If this interests you, I'll be happy to drag some of you out to Amboy crater or another dark location of my choosing to count meteors and submit your data. It's geeky science fun! Here are a few additional sites with Perseid info. NASA's ScienceCasts video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=3sIEVwF5O8g Solar System Exploration's Ten Things: How to Photograph a Meteor Shower: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/510/10-things-how-to-photograph-a-meteor-… Jane's "Perseids from Amboy Crater" (sort of a tutorial to Citizen Science) http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2010/10/26/the-perseids-from-amboy-crater/ Oh, Sidewalk Astronomy Monrovia August 18th, weather and schedules permitting. -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro Jane's What's Up video episode #133: August 2018 - Perseids! https://go.nasa.gov/2IjBkNh New! FB Watch What’s Up video page https://www.facebook.com/NASAWhatsUp/ -- From Jane, sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

7 years, 7 months

Mostly clear, not TOO warm: Sidewalk Astronomy tonight!

by Jane Houston Jones

Join us tonight (Saturday July 21st for Sidewalk Astronomy at Monrovia's Library Park, Myrtle and Lime street corner, 7:30 p.m.until 9:30 p.m. Mars will be be rising by about 9 p.m. and it is already at its brightest since the very best (in something like 50,000 years) 2003 closest approach, but will be low in the SE sky, higher closer to midnight, bnut never very high, and also that's too late for our sidewalk astronomers to be out. It's only a fraction larger this opposition, so beware of the hype. There will be a magnificent parade of planets visible again tonight - but you can also see them from home! Perhaps you've noticed them over the last couple of months - both at home and through telescopes or binoculars. There are four bright objects -- Venus low in the W, then eastward Jupiter, Saturn and Mars spanning the W to the East. As Venus sets, Mars rises. You can see these planets without a telescope from your front or back yard! Tonight the moon is in the mix too. Here is a gorgeous photo my JPL colleague Bill Dunford took of the planetary lineup from near his home in Utah last week. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/496/parade-of-planets/ My What's Up video this month is all about Mars Opposition July 27th and Mars closest approach July 31st. Although we won't be out on the sidewalk during those nights, the planet will look just as big and bright tonight and almost just as big and bright next month for Sidewalk Astronomy in Monrovia. Sadly the planet never gets very high, even later in the night and will just peek above the buildings by our shut down time. https://go.nasa.gov/2IjBkNh In 2003 when Mojo and I still lived in Northern California we drove to Borrego Springs to gain a few degrees of planetary altitude (and temperatures of 110 °, cooling to high 90 degrees by midnight). I hinted last month that we are nostalgically repeating this road trip again this year, and if you want to join us in the extreme desert heat to view Mars near midnight from Borrego Springs on Friday and Saturday nights July 27 and 28 drop me a note, and I'll tell you where we'll be. (at a hotel parking lot, not out in the park someplace). There isno guarantee of weather, so it is completely weather permitting, and cancellation could be late Friday afternoon. Also next month August 11-13 is the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower, tho the week before and after will offer nice rates too! That will be August's What's Up topic, then I have 4 more What's Up videos before I retire from JPL at the end of November! Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro Jane's What's Up video episode #133: July 2018 - Mars Opposition! https://go.nasa.gov/2IjBkNh New! FB Watch What’s Up video page https://www.facebook.com/NASAWhatsUp/

7 years, 8 months

Sidewalk Astronomy tonight

by Jane Houston Jones

Tonight our astronomers are spread among several events, out of town, or sick (me). Tonight is a make-up night for last Saturday's cloud-out, so if you are out and about in Monrovia stop by! Sunset is at 8:09 p.m. tonight, but since the moon will be visible before sunset, a few telescopes should be aiming at the moon beginning near 8 p.m. until about 9:30 p.m. Myrtle and Lime Street corner, Monrovia CA. On tap tonight ;-) will be Venus about 30 degrees above the Western horizon after sunset. The moon, which was so pretty last night to the right of Jupiter, appears slightly bigger, and to the left of Jupiter tonight in the Southern sky, shining at magnitude -2.3. Compare it yourself to Venus, which is magnitude -4 and to the moon, which is magnitude -11 tonight. You can see all three easily with no telescope required, from the brightest urban location! Saturn won't rise until about 8:30 tonight, and won't be visible above the Myrtle Street rooftop and trees until after we shut down. So, if you step out at home after 10:30 p.m you'll see Saturn to the Southeast (left of) Jupiter and the moon. It's a gorgeous lineup. Saturn's magnitude is 0! Here is a graph explaining stellar magnitudes if this is a new concept for you http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/what-is-stellar-magnitude In a few weeks, Mars will be brighter than Jupiter, making it the third brightest object (Moon/Venus/Mars/Jupiter for a few weeks on either side of its closest approach to Earth since 2003. Mars reaches closest approach July 31, and will be visible rising in the East around sunset late next month. You'll have to stay up a few extra hours to have a good view of Mars tonight and next month (try midnight to dawn). Some of us will be going out of town with our telescopes (Borrego Spring) for Mars Opposition July 27-28 so if you are interested in information send me a note! We'll just be informally setting up telescopes in the hotel parking lot probably. It will be hot during the day, comfortable by midnight, and we cannot predict the weather, or be able to give weather updates. We will be repeating our long drive to southern California in August 2003 when Mars was last this close to Earth. A few months later in 2003, we moved South and started the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers! Viewing of Mars will be an after-midnight affair, and so it's not likely anyone will set up in Library Park, but there are events at Griffith Observatory. Bookmark the Night Sky Network, enter your location and find public events closer to you, plus any Mars Viewing events in late July! https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/clubs-and-events.cfm What's Up June is all about Saturn Oppositon, link is below, and July will published July 1, nd will be all about Mars. These are excellent times for amateur astronomy and planet viewing! -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro Jane's What's Up video episode #132:June 2018 Ringside Saturn, plus night-long planet parade https://go.nasa.gov/2H948ap New!Facebook Watch What’s Up video page https://www.facebook.com/NASAWhatsUp/

7 years, 9 months

Marine layer fog, so no sidewalk astronomy Saturday night

by Jane Houston Jones

We're in Vancouver BC but hear there is a thick marine layer covering our lower altitudes. Still clear up at Mt. Wilson, but I hear the level may rise above 5500 feet tonight. Thanks to Tim Thompson for that info. We'll try again in July, and let you all know if the dust storms on Mars will obscure the otherwise good views of the red planet closer to July month-end close approach, the closest since 2003 and the topic of What's Up July . Jane -- From Jane, sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

7 years, 9 months

Clouds will cancel Sidewalk Astronomy tonight!

by Jane Houston Jones

Sorry about that. None of us have special cloud-piercing filters on our telescopes! Stay tuned for June! Jane -- From Jane, sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

7 years, 10 months

Check status on Insight Launch at 4:05 am Pacific

by Jane Houston Jones

Mojo and I are in Lompoc, CA 11 miles from Vandenberg Air Force Base. If will be foggy here, but our plan is to drive up a grade to gain about 500 feet of elevation and be (hopefully) out of the fog. For those at home, look to the South. The Atlas V will arc pretty high, and should be visible in a clear sky. You'll need to check to see if the launch is on time, or within the 2 hour window. This is our recommend site for status and flight details, plus excellent commentary. https://spaceflightnow.com You'll need to set your alarm, check flight status, be looking south. Good luck, I'll post our success or not in about 8 hours. You can't miss seeing the moon between red Mars and golden Saturn in the southern sky, and with luck and dark skies, maybe an ETA Aquarid meteor at the same time!! Jane -- From Jane, sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

7 years, 11 months

Saturday April 28: A different Sidewalk Astronomy opportunity

by Jane Houston Jones

For the past three years we've brought Sidewalk telescopes to the Gilb Museum of Arcadia History for their spring soiree. The museum is located at 300 W Huntington and the event hours are 6-9 p.m. Saturday April 28th. Sunset isn't until 7:30 p.m. but the moon is our only target and it will be a fine target before sunset. Wine and cheese, art exhibit, history and astronomy, plus music and henna artist. https://www.arcadiaca.gov/government/city-departments/museum If you want to join us to enjoy your local museum, the event is free and open to the public, so come on down! May 5 there will be a Vandenberg launch visible from San Luis Obispo to Mexico's Pacific coast! InSight, NASA's next lander on Mars will launch May 5 at 4:05 am (3 hour window), then several minutes later each day for about a month, if launch is no go on the 5th. Here is a great video from JPL showing the visibility from Santa Barbara, LA and San Diego, plus links to live coverage of the launch. https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/mission/timeline/launch/watch-in-person/ It will be just as nice from your back yard in Monrovia as long as you can see north to south 1/3 up from the horizon at 4 am! InSight will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base Space Launch Complex-3 or SLC-3, and ride atop an Atlas V-401 rocket provided by United Launch Alliance. Mojo and I are heading to Lompoc to watch, but there are almost better chances to see it at home due to coastal fog on the central coast. Go Atlas V, Go Insight! -- Jane Houston Jones Solar System Public Engagement What's Up April: Moon,Mars,Saturn plus Lyrid meteors https://youtu.be/f2svvMGSwW8 NEW! FaceBook Watch What’s Up video page! https://www.facebook.com/NASAWhatsUp/

7 years, 11 months

Clouds! So no moon viewing tonight! :-(

by Jane Houston Jones

Our astronomer Gary provides this great (but unfortunate and untimely) weather report for tonight. It looks like the clouds will obscure the only object we could be looking at, plus it's hot and muggy, so we are voting to cancel tonight's event. "There’s a stationary high pressure region sitting off the coast and everything is rotating counter-clockwise about it. Today’s warm temps are pulling moisture out of the ocean and Gulf which is then moving North to our cooler air and condensing to form clouds. Forecast seems unlikely to clear but the forecast is also kind of hazy (if you’ll forgive the pun)! Gary -- Jane Houston Jones Solar System Public Engagement What's Up April: Moon,Mars,Saturn plus Lyrid meteors https://youtu.be/f2svvMGSwW8 NEW! FaceBook Watch What’s Up video page! https://www.facebook.com/NASAWhatsUp/

7 years, 11 months

Sidewalk Astronomy Saturday April 21

by Jane Houston Jones

There are a lot of astronomical events coming up! Saturday night we'll most likely be moving to another corner of Library Park because our corner will be used by a check-in booth for the Monrovia Wine Walk http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/4937/ The registrants will be collecting their tickets near our usual setup area and they've almost asked us to move (I called about it -- talked to two people about it, but the person who would call me back with a decision in an hour never did). I tried. So if you don't see telescopes on that busy corner, walk around the Library Park block. Primrose/Lime corner looks promising, we'll check it out tomorrow when the wine even gets started. We'll have a great moon view, and no planets Saturday night. But all this wind and cooler weather may mean an exceptional moon viewing night. If you are up early Saturday or Sunday morning, you might see some Lyrid Meteors, early am hours, and the moon will wash some out, but observing from home: just get to an area where the moon is blocked, and look up! What's Up April (linked in my signature line, has the info: May 5th: launch of a mission --> to Mars, InSight will be visible from Central California to Mexico. 4:05 a.m. on Cinco de Mayo with a launch window until June 8th. I talk about it in May What's Up video, because Mars and the moon will be visible in the sky at the exact time of the first launch opportunity on May 5th. How cool is that? To see an interplanetary launch from SoCal if you have a West and South unobstructed horizon). I worked on InSight for three years, and it is near and dear to my heart. :-) Next Mojave National Preserve star party the following weekend, May 12th. RSVP here as the free group campsite gets crowded. https://www.facebook.com/events/159520131414032/ I thing that's all for this month..... -- Jane Houston Jones Solar System Public Engagement What's Up April: Moon,Mars,Saturn plus Lyrid meteors https://youtu.be/f2svvMGSwW8 NEW! FaceBook Watch What’s Up video page! https://www.facebook.com/NASAWhatsUp/

7 years, 11 months

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