Sadly, currently 9 out of the 10 predicative weather app models that I use are predicting much thicker clouds tonight than they previously predicted (through at least 9 pm, perhaps later). We will monitor the skies but unless there is a really big improvement, our original plan to be on the sidewalk tonight (Saturday, 03/28) may not happen.
If so, sorry about that, and we will hope to see you next month on April 25th under better skies.
Hi,
Just a reminder about two upcoming events. The Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers have teamed with the Monrovia Parks Department for Community Stargazing from Monrovia Canyon Park. Tonight is the last session. Here is the flyer:
[cid:9d0cec63-0c5c-4b00-8b1d-694c9645d6ce]
There is no cost for the event above, but you do need to register. Rather than the general city website on the flyer, to register go to: https://secure.rec1.com/CA/monrovia-ca/catalog Click on the "Canyon Park" tab, and the registration link is at the bottom. Alternatively, you can call the number on the flyer.
Note that we don't know how many have registered so far, so if they are at capacity and cannot accept additional reservations, our apologies. However, all is not lost since we will be at our usual corner of Myrtle & Lime tomorrow evening after sunset (~7:10 pm). We hope to see you out and about, and "looking up"
*
The Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers
Hi Everyone,
Saturday is "International Observe the Moon" night! The Old Town Sidewalk
Astronomers plan to be out at the southeast corner of Myrtle & Lime (Library
Park), weather permitting. Astronomy enthusiasts worldwide will all be
looking up. You can be part of the party too by either observing the Moon
from home, or join us on the sidewalk!
Both the nearly Full Moon and Saturn will be available to our telescope, but
they both need some time to clear the trees and buildings after the 6:30 pm
sunset. So the starting time may be around 7:30 to 8:00 pm. We hope to see
you there!
Dave Hasenauer
For the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers
Hi everyone! This month the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers are featured
in a display of astro people, places and things related the night sky at
the Monrovia Canyon Park Nature Center. The exhibit opened Sunday
February 1st and will be on display for a couple months. It’s really
lovely! You can find info on parking and maps and so forth on the park’s
website
https://www.monroviaca.gov/your-government/parks/canyon-park#ad-image-0
The Sidewalk Astronomers at Monrovia Canyon Park Nature Center
Three things for February:
1. There is an expected sidewalk astronomy event on Saturday, Feb. 21,
at Monrovia’s Library Park, Myrtle and Lime Streets, weather
permitting. There are also some events at Monrovia Canyon Park on
Feb 27th, and at the Library on March 21st. More on March events
next month!
2. Groundhog day = Cross Quarter Days. Did you know February 2 marks
the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring
Equinox? This celebration was observed by the ancient Celts who
called this celebration Imbolc. The other cross quarter days are May
1, known as Beltane, August 1 known as Lammas, and October 31, known
as Samhain. I love that ancient knowledge and culture have continued
to our present time on Earth. And I like this explanation from the
Old Farmer’s Almanac.
https://www.almanac.com/quarter-days-and-cross-quarter-days
3. NASA’s What’s Up video. I’m so happy to report that the What’s Up
video which was created in 2007 is still being produced by JPL and
NASA. That’s almost 20 years. It’s NASA’s longest running video
series! Here’s the February 2026 episode:
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/whats-up-february-2026-skywatching-ti…
That’s all for February. Feel free to ask questions, let us know events
you are interested in reading about. Over and out!
Jane and Mojo and the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers
--
Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Co-owner, Pasadena Bridge Club
Astronomyhttp://www.otastro.org/Bridgehttps://pasadenabridgeclub.com
The rotating exhibit in the Monrovia Canyon Park Nature Center will celebrate the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers, serving Monrovia since 2004. All are welcome. If attending the reception, please let them know at the front kiosk and your parking fee will be waived.
[cid:124a97ea-b722-4a26-a706-c2b4be6c9244]
Hi everybody, we'll have telescopes out tonight in Monrovia and hope to
see you! It looks like it will be clear for awhile after sunset but
clouds may move in. We will likely start about 5:30 pm, and our targets
will be the Moon, Saturn and perhaps Venus.
Here's this month's What's Up video:
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/
"What's Up" is NASA's longest running web video series. It had its first
episode in April 2007 with original host Jane Houston Jones. :-) Today,
Preston Dyches, Christopher Harris, and Lisa Poje are the space
enthusiasts who produce this monthly video series at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. Additional astronomy subject matter guidance is
provided by JPL's Bill Dunford, Lyle Tavernier, and the Night Sky
Network's Kat Troche.
The What's Up team celebrates the memory of Gary Spiers, who provided
astronomy observing guidance for the series for many years. The Old Town
Sidewalk Astronomers also celebrate the life of Gary, who has been a
part of our family nearly since the beginning. I'm sure all of you who
have visited our sidewalk events, school events, and dark sky events
have looked through Gary's telescopes.
From Jane and the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers. <3
--
Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Pasadena Bridge Club co-founder and owner
Find me on FB, IG
http://www.otastro.org/https://pasadenabridgeclub.com
Saturday, September 14 is “International Observe The Moon Night“.
Imagine astronomy enthusiasts worldwide all looking up tonight. You can
look up at home and be part of the party, too! The founding San
Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers, and really, all astronomy clubs, have
had a habit going back to the 1960's and probably earlier of holding a
public first quarter moon viewing event for the public in cities around
the country and around the world. The moon is the best public astronomy
target, no dark sky needed.
Weather permitting, a few astronomers are planning to be at our usual
corner of Myrtle and Lime Streets in Monrovia tonight. Mojo and I will
be there. I have some Moon Lithos from JPL to pass out. This is our 20th
year of Old Town Sidewalk Astronomy, after I was a member of the SF
sidewalk astronomers since 1987, when I made a telescope in John
Dobson's telescope making class at the San Francisco Academy of
Sciences, and that changed my career and life. I think our telescopes
will be out sometime between 7:30 PM and 9:00ish PM once the moon crests
the Monrovia skyscrapers. :-)
Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the sudden death of one of our founding
members in late July. Gary Spiers read a notice I posted at NASA JPL
about Sidewalk Astronomy in Monrovia in early 2004, and showed up to see
what it was all about. He's been an active member and a dear friend ever
since. Those of you who are local and have attended our Monrovia
Sidewalk events have met Gary, and over the years, his two daughters,
with their telescopes over the early years. We miss him so much!
Gary proofread my What's Up Podcast script almost since it started in
2007, and many of his astrophotos appeared with credits over the 12
years. This was our favorite public National Park astronomy event with
volunteer astronomers since the 1960's. And this episode ends with a
photo of Mojo and Gary at Glacier Point, and is also dedicated to Gary
in the end credits. Hard to write this email but as I have told many
over the decades, the night sky brings comfort. Hope to see some of you
tonight. Send in a photo of your moon view tonight if you'd like.
Yosemite Nature Notes documented a Glacier Point public astronomy star
party Mojo, Gary and I volunteered for, Here's the link:
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=CFC7487A-1DD8-B71B-0B2096D9A018…
And here is this month's What's Up video,
https://plus.nasa.gov/video/whats-up-september-2024-skywatching-tips-from-n…
Jane and the Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers
--
Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Pasadena Bridge Club co-founder and owner
Find me on FB, IG
http://www.otastro.org/https://pasadenabridgeclub.com
Several of our Sidewalk Astonomers will be out at Monrovia Library Park
tonight! Come on down once the sun sets!
--
Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Twitter: @jhjones @otastro
Instagram @janehoustonjones
http://www.otastro.org/
Astronomy,travel,music,food,cats
Hi everyone! Several of our Sidewalk Astronomers will be out tonight at
the Monrovia Myrtle and Lime corner, from about 7:15 p.m. to 9:00 or so.
I won't be there, but will be with you all in spirit, as you look up at
the beautiful first quarter moon.
I have a lovely photo to share - of my mom and dad doing Sidewalk
Astronomy in San Rafael, CA. My dad died yesterday at 95.6 years old,
and my mom died Oct 2 last year at 92. Two lives well lived and they
were well loved, and made me the inquisitive person I became. Here they
are sharing views through their own sidewalk telescopes at their San
Rafael church. I often joined them with my own telescopes in the 1990's
and early 2000's before I moved south for work at JPL, and Mojo and I
discovered our beloved Myrtle and Lime Sidewalk Astronomy corner. Some
old timers on this email list probably bumped into my mom and dad on the
sidewalks up in Marin County :-)
Sidewalk Astronomy with mom and dad
http://photo.whiteoaks.com/2007-11-18-churchastronomy/slides/churchastro5.h…
My mom was an artist and often illustrated astronomy articles I wrote.
Here aremy two favorite writeups she illustrated for the Sidewalk
Astronomy newsletter in the 1990's, which definitely led to my love of
writing about astronomy, and led me to theMyrtle and Lime corner. <3
http://photo.whiteoaks.com/2009-galileo&me/slides/moonwriteup004.htmlhttp://photo.whiteoaks.com/2009-galileo&me/slides/swpleiades.html
Over and out from Jane and the wonderful members of our little gang of
Sidewalk Astronomers
What's Up April from JPL - still awesome! https://youtu.be/MeiGUv5jF5Y
--
Jane Houston Jones, retired JPLer
Twitter: @jhjones @otastro
Instagram @janehoustonjones
http://www.otastro.org/
Astronomy,travel,music,food,cats