Those up waiting for Santa to appear may mistake red Mars for Rudolph
the reindeer's nose tonight! The just-past-full moon is below Mars
tonight in the sky. It's hard to miss these two objects, they are the
brightest objects in the sky! Last night Mars was to be seen just to
the right of the moon. Last nights's full moon could also be called the
moon at opposition - that is when the moon and the sun are on opposite
sides of the earth. So we see a lunar opposition every month! Tonight
Mars is at opposition - meaning that Mars and the sun are on opposite
sides of the Earth. This occurs only every 26 months!
This weekend, even though it was freezing (well, it was cold) lots of
you came out for a look at Mars and the moon in both Pasadena and
Monrovia. And the question most people asked was "what can you tell me
about the asteroid that is going to hit Mars?? I hadn't read the press
release before heading to the sidewalk Friday afternoon. I'll
summarize here: "Astronomers are monitoring the trajectory of an
asteroid estimated to be 50 meters (164 feet) wide that is expected to
cross Mars' orbital path early next year. Observations provided by the
astronomers and analyzed by NASA's Near-Earth Object Office at the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., indicate the object may pass
within 30,000 miles of Mars at about 6 a.m. EST (3 a.m. PST) on Jan. 30,
2008. "Right now asteroid 2007 WD5 is about half-way between Earth and
Mars and closing the distance at a speed of about 27,900 miles per
hour," said Don Yeomans, manager of the Near Earth Object Office at JPL.
"Over the next five weeks, we hope to gather more information from
observatories so we can further refine the asteroid's trajectory." You
can read more and see some really cool images of the asteroids current
position and possible paths here:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2007-152
I've updated my Mars2007 webpage for those who want a one-stop shopping
place for information about Mars. http://www.otastro.org/Mars2005/
Now I have to get back to following Santa's current position. :-)
Jane
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Saturday is not only our in-Monrovia sidewak astronomy viewing night,
but it is also the Winter Solstice! So in the spirit of the season, I
updated a familiar poem for your reading pleasure. Hope you enjoy it
By the way, the weather forecast calls for mostly clear and a low of 38
degrees Friday night, and partly cloudy and 41 degrees Saturday night.
So at this time we are still planning both nights 7-9 p.m. Now back to
the solstice! Jane
Inspired by the poem /A Visit From St. Nicholas/, written by Major Henry
Livingston, Jr.
Twas the night before Solstice, when all through the city,
Not a planet was visible, now isn't that a pity.
The telescopes were stored in the garage with despair,
In hopes that the weather would soon turn to fair.
The astronomers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of nebulae danced in their heads.
And Mojo with his laptop and I with my starmap,
Had just settled down for a cloudy night nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew with a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon shone so brightly, no clouds hid the glow,
The full moonlit lustre to objects below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But Pleiades, Orion, and Ursa Major, the bear.
With our trusty old telescopes, the setup was quick,
I knew in a moment we had objects to pick.
More rapid than eagles, the targets they came,
We aimed and we pointed and called them by name.
"Now, Procyon, now Pollux, now Castor and Capella!
On Aldebaran, on Rigel, on Sirius, and Betelgeuse, the red fella :-)
To the top and around the winter circle of stars,
Now a quick look at luna, then Saturn and Mars.
As fireflies that before the dawns morning light,
Brilliantly flicker and soon are a memory bright,
A new wonder would paint the dark sky to pale blue,
The sunrise was nearing and morning twilight was too.
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I stepped from the telescope and was turning around,
Down the chimney the stranger came with a bound.
He looked like an astronomer, bundled from head to his foot,
Like a stargazer his clothes were tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
Looked just like our telescope accessory pack.
His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry
He looked like we do after a cold winter starshow
Freezing but happy from the Milky Way glow.
The stump of a flashlight held tight in his teeth
Its soft red glow encircled his head like a wreath
We asked him if he'd ever looked closely at Mars
"I'm working at night, I've no time for the stars".
He stepped up to the eyepiece, a right jolly old elf,
And I smiled as he gasped, in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but took in view after view,
Then he spoke with a sigh he had more work to do.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
Happy stargazing to all and to all a dark night.
My apologies to Major Henry Livingston Jr. 1748 - 1828, author of /'Twas
the Night before Christmas/ or /Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas/.
Previously believed to be the written by Clement Clarke Moore.
http://www.henrylivingston.com
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Yesterday, December 18th Mars reached its closest approach to Earth,
and 6 days later, on December 24th is Mars Opposition. This year
Mars is 55 million miles from Earth at closest approach. This month
and next month too both offer outstanding views of Mars, but by late
January Earth pulls away from Mars and the best viewing window ends
in mid-February. So we've added some extra sidewalk astronomy
viewing nights to the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers schedule. We may
add more, too, so keep looking for these little notes from us.
Join us, weather permitting, in Pasadena, on Colorado Blvd somewhere
between Fair Oaks and Pasadena Avenues Friday night December 21 and
Saturday night at Monrovia's Library Park at Myrtle and Lime Streets
(less room for the next 2 years due to library construction
fencing). The current forecast calls for mostly clear both Friday
and Saturday nights. Do check out website for any weather changes.
If the mostly clear conditions change to mostly cloudy, we would
probably cancel and reschedule. Expect cold temperatures (high
30's/low 40's) this weekend - it'll be even colder - in the 20's on
Mt. Wilson! Both of these events will get started a little later so
we can show Mars higher in the sky. Plan on telescope viewing from
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. We probably will not arrive until then. By 9:00
p.m. we may be too cold to continue. Our Sidewalk Astronomers
founder, John Dobson, is fond of saying "many are cold, but few are
frozen". :-)
Each Mars opposition, Zolt Levay from the Space Telescope Science
Institute updates the excellent Hubble telescope "Mars close
encounters comparison chart ". And he updated it just today. I hope
you enjoy it - it really helps to show the apparent size of Mars each
year.
http://imgsrc.hubblesite.org/hu/db/2007/45/images/i/formats/print.jpg
JPL has a Mars Opposition feature today too, it's great, especially
the Mars Rotation video, and a link to the monthly What's Up Video.
:-) http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=1560
I hope to see you on the chilly sidewalk this weekend. We only see
our red neighbor on its approach to Earth every two years, and Mars
won't be this close to Earth again until 2016. I'll be handing out
some very special NASA Mars lithographs this weekend, while the
supplies last.
Want more Mars? Visit my Mars page: http://www.otastro.org/Mars2005/
Finally, speaking of John Dobson, you might enjoy listening to
astronomer Bob Cesarone's song about John Dobson, called "Telescope
Man". Bob's band, Northern Cross recorded the song a couple years
ago, and he gave a copy of it to John (and to us) late last year.
http://photo.whiteoaks.com/telescope-man.mp3
Jane
--
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 SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html
Step outside this month, look up in the east, and you'll be in for a
real treat! Mars is really bright and easy to view. That's the
topic of this month's What's Up: Mars! It's as big and as bright as
it will get this month, and it won't be this great a view again until
2016! What's Up here:
http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html
Tonight, I stepped outside of my San Francisco hotel, walked a few
feet to Union Square, and looked East down Post Street and there was
Mars high in in the cloudless sky. Mars is easy to see from the
city, the backyard, everywhere. Have a look!
This weekend, the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers will be showcasing
Mars and the moon from Monrovia on Saturday December 15. We'll be
out again Dec 21 in Pasadena and Monrovia December 22, weather
permitting.
Jane
--
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 SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html
Our good friends and associates from the San Francisco Sidewalk
Astronomers have published an excellent guide to buying telescopes, in
the spirit of the season.
I'll be adding a link from the Old Town Astronomers site, meanwhile you
can enjoy the article here:
http://sfsidewalkastronomers.org/telescopes/buying/
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
