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by Jane Houston Jones

Tonight (Wednesday) Greater LA folks will have a nice view of the International Space Station passing over. If you are outside of southern Cal, you can sign up to get your own zip code based alerts here https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/. Here is a good chart and explanation what and when you see the pass, and defines all the pertinent terms: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/message_example.cfm#AstronomicalHorizon Tonight: : Wed Apr 12 9:07 PM, Visible: 2 min, Max Height: 43°, Appears: 16° above NW, Disappears: 43° above N April 14: 8:58 PM, Visible: 3 minutes, Max Height 48°, appears 10° above WNW , Disappears 47° SSW BEST!! April 15: 8:06 PM, Visible 6 minutes!!, Max Height 72°, appears 10°NW, Disappears 14° SE April 17: 7:58 PM, Visible 6 minutes also, Max Height 36, appears 10° above WNW, Disappears 10° SSE Telescope and Bino owners, have a look at Jupiter (after sunset in East) and Saturn (after midnight to dawn in South) this month. Saturn near the moon mornings of April 14-17. You definitely would see some Lyrids if you were to be outside in fairly dark area on the morning hours of April 22nd. Info on that is in this month's What's Up video here! https://go.nasa.gov/2oFUfJz <https://t.co/eYRbZMh8W0> Over and out! Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro What's Up April? Jupiter Opposition, Lyrid Meteors go.nasa.gov/2oFUfJz

8 years, 11 months

Sidewalk Astronomy tonight features the moon.

by Jane Houston Jones

We have a clear night for moon viewing tonight, so join us at our usual spot at the corner of Myrtle and Lime Streets in Monrovia Saturday night from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. for some great views of the moon. Home armchair astronomers can step outside after 9 p.m. (better later) to see Jupiter, or Jupiter and moons (binoculars) rising in the east. Jupiter reaches opposition in a wee, meaning it is opposite the sun in the sky, highest at midnight, but visible all night long. More about Opposition in my monthly video linked below in my signature line. If you want more planets, both Saturn and Jupiter are visible if you want to set your alarm or wake up early in the morning, and you'll find Saturn below and east of Jupiter. After that, it's time to step away from the light pollution and join us at our 16th twice-a-year free star party in the Mojave National Preserve. Our fall star party was a big success and you can see for yourself in this national park video: https://vimeo.com/199881467 Our Spring event is May 27th, Join us May 27th Black Canyon Group Campsite, Mojave National Preserve, RSVP dlamfrom(a)npca.org - so we know how many campers will be there. There is an adjacent area for campers, and kids and dogs are welcome. There is a nice flyer on our OTastro website, in the upper right event box. http://www.otastro.org/ Jane and the sidewalk astronomers -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro What's Up April? Jupiter Opposition and the Lyrid Meteor Shower https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1463

8 years, 11 months

Sidewalk Astronomy clouded out again

by Morris Jones

This would have been our evening to set up telescopes in Monrovia at Myrtle & Lime in Library Park. But it seems we'll be dealing with clouds and a rainy Sunday again. If you're reading this somewhere with clear sky, there's a treat that doesn't require a telescope. The moon will cross in front of one of the brightest stars in the sky, Aldebaran, tonight. It's an early evening event, with disappearance expected at 7:08 p.m. in Los Angeles, and reappearance at 8:27 p.m. We won't get to see the event tonight from Monrovia, but there's a great description and graphics in Jane's "What's Up" podcast for March. Find it here on the JPL web site: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1460 Sky and Telescope also has a good article for astronomy enthusiasts here: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/aldebaran-occultation-march-4-2017/ For the next week or two, enjoy bright Venus in the western sky. If you have a chance to observe Venus with binoculars or a small telescope, you'll be able to see it shrink into a narrower crescent, all while getting larger and wider as it swings towards the earth. Inferior conjunction happens on March 25, and not many days after that it will become the "morning star" instead of the "evening star." Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://mojo.whiteoaks.com

9 years

Rain and late moonrise mar tonight's "Penumbral: Eclipse

by Jane Houston Jones

If it wasn't raining, an unspectacular lunar eclipse would be nearly over by the time the full moon rises at 5:32 p.m. tonight. I wrote a little "Ten Things to know about the Penumbral Lunar eclipse" article today. http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/2017/02/10/10-things-to-know-the-february-… <https://webmail.jpl.nasa.gov/owa/redir.aspx?C=hJ06W8fhgGGIwmpq46cN2jQFIEiqi…> If you use the platform Tumblr, NASA has a nice product about the eclipse here, and you don't have to be a Tumblr use to see it. http://nasa.tumblr.com/post/157061320334/subtle-lunar-eclipse <https://webmail.jpl.nasa.gov/owa/redir.aspx?C=rBy2H9omf2dAN486pO0nqzTGWS3EU…> Finally, I really like the Time and Date website eclipse graphics. https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2017-february-11 <https://webmail.jpl.nasa.gov/owa/redir.aspx?C=0K6xZpGe2cUCwBHrj-bdJdiKzJx1N…> Looks like our next Sidewalk Astronomy night will be March 4 and there will be an interesting celestial event. Around 19:09 PST on March 4, the almost-half Moon occults the red giant star Aldebaran. This might be a naked eye disappearance for the sharp-eyed. Everyone else should use binoculars or a small telescope. You CAN do this at home. If you can find the moon you have a chance to watch the moon pass in front of the star. The time is the exact time for La Canada Flintridge, so it will be a little different depending on where you are located. For those coming to the sidewalk maybe we'll have one of the telescopes with a videocamera attached and a monitor to view this special event, so more people can see it. Here is a nice writeup of who can see this event. The reappearance is on the lighted hemisphere around 20:27 PST and will require binoculars or telescope. The color difference between star and Moon will be striking. Thanks to Steve Edberg and Tom Traeger for the heads up! Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro What's Up Feb? Use Venus and Mars to find the Zodiacal Light, plus two comets and the brightest asteroid. https://youtu.be/HT2htvbcmm8 New: Ten Things Blog https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/category/10things

9 years, 1 month

No sidewalk astronomy in Monrovia tonight

by Jane Houston Jones

No Sidewalk Astronomy tonight, darn it! We thought those clous would clear, but alas, it didn't happen. If we reschedule for this month it could be next Saturday night with a full moon, but the pretty planets Venus and Mars don't mind a little moonlight. In the meantime, here's my stargazing video for February in a couple new formats. JPL video http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1457 NASA Instagram (60 second video) Part 1 https://www.instagram.com/p/BQA66FEFuoV/?taken-by=nasa and Part 2 https://www.instagram.com/p/BQA7PO6Fc9P/?taken-by=nasa Tumblr http://nasa.tumblr.com/post/156678946399/whats-up-for-february The RV park we are observing the 2017 solar eclipse from is full except for dry (aka tent) sites in a large area. We'll have a nice group of folks from our Sidewalk Astronomers mailing list and some of the astronomers too! Site Map http://www.idahodunesrv.com/map.php reservations: https://www.idahodunesrv.com/reservations.php?month=August+2017 I'll be putting together tips for viewing the eclipse, and for those staying here, tips to enjoy a beautiful partial solar eclipse! That's all for now! Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro What's Up Feb? planets point to Zodiacal Light, 2 comets plus the brightest asteroid. https://youtu.be/HT2htvbcmm8 New: My Ten Things Blog https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/category/10things

9 years, 1 month

Western sky tonight and tomorrow

by Morris Jones

9 years, 1 month

Sidewalk Astronomy cancelled tonight

by Jane Houston Jones

We are cancelling Sidewalk Astronomy in Monrovia tonight. If you do get a clearing, here is a star chart for 5:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time tonight.https://goo.gl/ROgrsB You could break out the binoculars and try looking at Venus and Mars and the moon. Between the two planets is fainter Neptune. If you can see below Venus you canalso try for Comet 45P for about an hour after sunset, depending on your location andif you have a flat SW horizon. Neptune is blue, comet is needle-shaped with the tail pointing up as it is being blown by the solar wind! We'll have news about our next Mojave National Preserve Star Party (possibly April or May), next sidewalk astronomy night, future Huntington Garden star party, and the Solar Eclipse next time. We now have about 4 folks from our sidewalk Astronomy family joining us at the Idaho Dunes RV Park. Toggle between the map, and the reservations pages https://www.idahodunesrv.com/map.php and https://www.idahodunesrv.com/reservations.php?month=August+2017 We are in spaces 50-56, and you can several nearby spaces available. Speaking of the Eclipse, NASA's Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter LRO https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-moon-data-provides-more-accu… My two astro products (for my work at JPL) are What's Up and a new thing called Ten Things. It's a list of ten interesting things happening in the solar system each week. I sneak in a stargazing "thing" almost every week, and this one features all the 2017 Meteor showers, so it's a useful bookmark. :-) What's Up January video: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/2017/01/03/whats-up-january-2016 Ten Things http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/category/10things 2017 Meteor Showers: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/2016/12/12/10-things-december-12 Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro What's Up Jan? Comet, moon, Venus, Mars and Quadrantids ring in the new year! https://youtu.be/e1QyhUqv1yE New: My Ten Things Blog https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/category/10things

9 years, 2 months

Sidewalk Astronomy cancelled tonight

by Jane Houston Jones

It's cloudy with a chance of rain tonight, so we're cancelling Monrovia Sidewalk Astronomy. In the meantime, check out my monthly video about the December night sky here: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/2016/12/01/whats-up-december-2016 And here's my new blog called Ten Things, where I select ten "need to know" Solar System stories, people or images that caught my attention this week. It's not a new blog, but I am the current author :-) https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/category/10things -- JJane Houston Jones @jhjones @otastro What's Up Dec? NYE Comet, Mars/Neptune https://youtu.be/8rS1zU2zB34 New: TenThings Bloghttps://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/category/10things

9 years, 3 months

Nice ISS pass tonight!! SpotTheStation

by Jane Houston Jones

-------- Original Message -------- From: HQ-spotthestation(a)mail.nasa.gov Sent: November 29, 2016 9:57:21 AM EST To: jane(a)whiteoaks.com Subject: SpotTheStation Time: Tue Nov 29 6:04 PM, Visible: 3 min, Max Height: 88°, Appears: 19° above SW, Disappears: 47° above NE -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

9 years, 3 months

Sidewalk Astronomy tonight is cancelled, also supermoon demystified

by Jane Houston Jones

Hi everyone and welcome new members from the Mojave National Preserve star party last weekend! We are already setting up the spring date which we'll announce once its finalized. There were over 50 tents, over 120 attendees, a couple dozen attendees were urban youth, visiting MNP and camping out for probably the first time looking through about 10 telescopes! Article and photos http://www.mojavepreserve.org/news/2016/11/7/promoting-the-preserve We were expecting a lot of questions about the "Supermoon" at the telescopes tonight, but it's super cloudy, so we are cancelling our sidewalk astronomy -- we usually hold it near the first quarter moon Saturday night, but we did Mojave non that night this month since the campground was available. Both Sunday and Monday night will be about equally good to measure the "full " or what we astronomers call a "perigee" moon, so look in binos In a nutshell a supermoon new or full moon which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit. Dubbed so by an astrologer in 2011. Because the Moon's orbit is an ellipse instead of a circle, its distance from Earth varies during the month from about 225,800 miles (363,400 km) at perigee, or closest approach, to 252,000 miles (405,550 km) at apogee or furthest distance in the elliptical orbit. Changing the distance causes the Moon's size and brightness to change as well. A perigee moon is on average 7% bigger and 16% brighter than an average full Moon, but during an unusually close perigee (the supermoon moon), the full Moon can be 12–14% larger than a full Moon at apogee (farthest) and 30% brighter. There are nice graphics and explanations here --> http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/see-the-biggest-supermoon-in-68-ye… If it is clear tomorrow, the full moon rises at 4:38 p.m. here in California. The moon turns precisely full on November 14, 2016 at 1352 UTC <http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/universal-time>. meaning the moon will reach the crest of its full phase on November 14 at 1352 UTC <http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/universal-time>. That translates to 9:52 a.m. AST, 8:52 a.m. EST, 7:52 a.m. CST, 6:52 a.m. MST, 5:52 a.m. PST. The moon will reach perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth for this month – within an one and one-half hours of that time. This EarthSky article gives a lot of other great information and graphics! http://earthsky.org/?p=190918 There are 4-6 supermoons every year, so have a look, and do what I am going to do -- make a moon measuring device and start comparing! All you need is an index card shown in the Sky and Telescope magazine article above, with some 5 mm to 10 mm slots cut unto it. 6mm is close to 1/4 inch, fyi. Hold your moon measurer straight out, aim at the moon, and see which slot matches the moon's diameter, write down the date, repeat next full moon. You can also hold your index finger out stretched, and see that it covers both regular full moons, closest perigee moons, as well as farthest away moons. :-) Some astronomers hate the name Supermoon, but if it raises awareness, I'm good with it. :-) Jane Houston Jones @jhjones What's Up November 2016: Venus, Jupiter and Saturn + more meteor showers https://youtu.be/aj7hDvy9bgI

9 years, 4 months

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