We'll be out sharing views of the moon and Venus tonight at Myrtle and
Lime Streets in Monrovia tonight. We'll be there by 6:30 for sure, now
that it gets dark earlier!
Read (and listen) to my info about the MAVEN Launch to Mars a week from
Monday, and an comet ISON update. I'll be attending the launch,
bringing agood luck banner to the MAVEN team signed by the InSight
Mission team (I am the outreach person for Insight, launching to Mars in
2016)
And don't forget our rescheduled Mojave National Preserve star Party
November 30. We'll have a gorgeous sky filled with the remnants of
summer constellations and the Milky Way, which make way for the
constellations of fall. Then in the hour before morning twilight, we'll
(hopefully) be up to look at a few comets. It's unlikely Comet ISON
will be visible (it passes nearest the sun on November 28th, and that
means even if it survives, it will be very near the sun, too close for
safe viewing. If there is a comet tail to be seen on the horizon, we'll
let everyone know before they go to bed saturday night.
Being November, It will be cold probably, but as John Dobson says "Many
are cold, but few are frozen"
I'll end with Mojo's three lovely comet images from our trip to Amboy
Crater last weekend. All three were imaged (and seen visually through
my telescope too) between 3:00am and 4:00am Sunday morning)
Comet R1
Lovejoyhttp://whiteoaks.com/astrophotos/2013-11-02/C2013-R1-Lovejoy-2013-11…
Comet S1
ISONhttp://whiteoaks.com/astrophotos/2013-11-02/C2012-S1-ISON-2013-11-02.jpg
Comet 2P (a periodic comet returning every 3 years) 2P Encke
http://whiteoaks.com/astrophotos/2013-11-02/2P-encke-2013-11-02-5min.jpg
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
Jane Houston Jones
@jhjones @CassiniSaturn @NASAInsight
What's Up For Nov? Maven Launch Nov 18, Comet ISON races towards the sun
http://youtu.be/MwP1UVCH6ck
My 2013 - Year At A Glance Astro Blog
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2013/01/07/whats-up-in-2013-at-a-glance/
Due to the shutdown which ended last week, some of the National Preserve
groups and individuals who coordinate the star party were unable to do
so. We plan to reschedule the twice-a-year Mojave National Preserve star
party. The campground is already reserved, and it's possible a few of
the astronomers will be there on their own, but the pot luck, firewood,
invited members of the community won't be there.
If you want to know if there will be an astronomer or two, let me know -
and I'll get back to you before Friday.
Sorry about that! Tentatively planning November 30 - and spring 2014
will be announced well in advance, subject to campground availability.
As a conolation. here's a spooky observing writeup in time for
Halloween! http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2009/10/30/spooky-halloween-observing/
I'll update the Comet ISON opportunities soon (dawn, low in eastern
sky)! Hint: It's not visible to the unaided eye yet.
--
Jane Houston Jones
@jhjones @CassiniSaturn @NASAInsight
What's Up? Juno Earth Flyby Oct.9, #IOMN, far side of moon NASA video
youtu.be/ReoS1xVQGVI
My 2013 - Year At A Glance Astro Blog
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2013/01/07/whats-up-in-2013-at-a-glance/
Heads up! Very good ISS pass tonight over LA area. 7:45-7:51p.m.
Also, Sidewalk Astronomy Saturday in Monrovia, it's International
Observe the Moon Night! 7:00-9:00p.m. Myrtle and Lime streets.
My monthly video is about it, plus about Juno spacecraft flying by earth
for a Gravity Assist on Wednesday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReoS1xVQGVI&feature=youtu.be
My video and JPL blog page (with a Comet ISON blog I wrote 2 weeks ago)
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup-archive.cfm
Oh, we saw Comet ISON yesterday morning! Here's my personal blog
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/
Month at a glance, updated:
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2013/01/07/whats-up-in-2013-at-a-glance/
Whew!
Very bright, right overhead (for LA). Free but you'll miss part of the
Dodgers/Braves (or Falcons/Jets).
Date
07 October 2013
Event Time Altitude Azimuth Distance (km) Brightness Sun altitude
Rises 19:45:12 0° 226° (SW) 2,341 1.2 -16.6°
Reaches altitude 10° 19:47:17 10° 227° (SW) 1,482 0.1 -17.1°
Maximum altitude 19:50:37 86° 317° (NW) 420 -3.4 -17.7°
Enters shadow 19:51:33 45° 43° (NE) 579 -2.9 -17.9°
Saturday September 14 is Sidewalk Astronomer founder John Dobson's 98th
birthday! What better way to celebrate it than by taking our telescopes
to the sidewalk and sharing the views of the moon (and maybe a last
glimpse at Saturn for a while) with you!
Mojo and I will be going to a birthday party for John tomorrow
afternoon, so we'll be hapy to include your wishes if you have a message
for John :-)
Join us on the corner of Myrtle and Lime Streets from about 7 - 9 p.m.
tomorrow night.
Now for the links portion of my email :-)
We have had some fine bloggers at the telescopes with us recently.
Here is Elson Trinidad's blog about last month's Monrovia Sidewalk
Astronomy, with a detour to the dark sky for some Perseid perusing.
http://www.kcet.org/news/the_back_forty/commentary/concrete-and-chaparral/e…
And here is Chris Clarke's "8 best places to see the night sky in LA
County"
http://www.kcet.org/living/travel/socal_wanderer/night-sky/stargazing/8-pla…
If you enjoy the written word as I do, you'll enjoy these two fine
writers. :-)
And my 2013 "At A Glance" astro journal has just been updated for
September, clmplete with a link to my What's Up video for September - my
75th podcast in this series!
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2013/01/07/whats-up-in-2013-at-a-glance/
See you Saturday, or if not, look up at the moon, and wish Sidewalk
Astronomer founder John Dobson a happy birthday!
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/http://twitter.com/jhjones
What's Up For Sept? LADEE Night Launch, ISON Spotted
http://youtu.be/YMt5CIsr-D8
CometISON Toolkithttp://solarsystem.nasa.gov/ISON
The forecast is clear, and we should have lovely views of a crescent
moon, close to first quarter, and Saturn.
Jane won't be there this week -- she's winging her way to Glasgow,
Scotland, to attend an award ceremony for the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards.
She's nominated in the "International" category, and we're hoping for a
win, but the competition is stiff!
We'll be at Myrtle & Lime, Library Park, from 8:00 'til about 9:30.
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://whiteoaks.com
There may be thin clouds overhead, but a few of us will be out at Myrtle
and Lime Streets in Monrovia with telescopes tonight anyway. On tap will
be the moon for sure, Jupiter setting early and Saturn rising.
Last weekend 11 of our intrepid Sidewalk Astronomer family headed out to
Black Canyon Group Campground in Mojave National Preserve for the spring
version of our twice-a-year public dark sky star parties. A fabulous
time was had by all - there were about 70 people there and 7 telescopes
to look through. Here is a writeup from one of the many media there:
http://www.lacanadaonline.com/news/tn-vsl-0515-a-star-party-in-the-desert,0…
And here is my monthly video, all about spring constellations, and how
you can find them when they are close to the moon (like Leo and the moon
tonight!) Each of the constellations I cover this month yields
beautiful deep sky objects we love to observe in the dark skies of the
desert, with astrophotos contributed by Mojo. http://youtu.be/sqnHaIYn_tc
Our Otastro website has May viewing tips and the next star party dates
http://www.otastro.org/
Jane and the astro gang
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
What's Up Podcast for May: Spring constellations
On Youtube: http://youtu.be/sqnHaIYn_tc
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones /CassiniSaturn /otastro
My Blog: http://jane.whiteoaks.com/
Yosemite Star Party Video http://www.youtube.com/user/yosemitenationalpark?feature=watch
There will be telescopes out at the corner of Myrtle and Lime Streets
tonight from sundown until about 9-9:30 p.m. depending on the crowds and
the astronomers. So stop by for a great view of the moon, a last look
at Jupiter until late fall, and maybe a peek at Saturn rising above the
buildings. It should be a good night - the clear sky chart looks great!
http://cleardarksky.com/c/MnrviaCAkey.html?1
Mojo and I are in Florida visiting family. We're planning to be with
sidewalk astronomers here at Lakewood Ranch, near Sarasota, FL. But the
clear sky chart indicates otherwise tho' (all those white squares
indicate nothing but clouds and probably rain too)
http://cleardarksky.com/c/HRHObFLkey.html?1
Here's a monthly recap of astronomical doings all year.
http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2013/01/07/whats-up-in-2013-at-a-glance/
Here's our next dark sky public star party info. May 11 at Mojave
National Preserve, Black Canyon Campground. There is free camping but
RSPV is required as camping space is limited. RSVP with David Lamfrom at
dlamfrom(a)npca.org or 760-219-4916 More info here:
http://mojavepreserve.org/index.php/site/article/star_party_in_the_mojave_n…
And if you are contemplating a getaway to Yosemite this summer, nearly
every weekend (except full moon weekend) from July 4 through Labor Day
there is an astronomy club doing a public star party at Glacier Point
both Friday and Saturday nights -- as shown in this beautiful video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhgR3zVfo-0&feature=youtu.be. The
Northern California Astronomy Cubs choose their first, second and third
choices for a weekend slot in a lottery. The club we always go with was
granted August 22-23. Moon rises fairly early, so it is not the clubs
first choice. But there will be dark skies for a few hours, a gorgeous
view of Saturn, then moonrise near Half Dome through club members
telescopes.
Special announcement :-( Due to budget restrictions, plans for a JPL
Open House in spring 2013 have been suspended. If budget considerations
improve, JPL hopes to host an Open House at a future date, perhaps as
early as fall 2013. Please check back here for updates -->
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/open-house.cfm
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
What's Up Podcast for April: Saturn's rings delight!
On Youtube: http://youtu.be/kdCYwyq3kes
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jhjones /CassiniSaturn /otastro
My Blog: http://jane.whiteoaks.com/
Yosemite Video http://www.youtube.com/user/yosemitenationalpark?feature=watch
We're going to have three telescopes set up tonight in old town
Monrovia, Library Park, at the corner of Myrtle & Lime, starting about
7:00 p.m.
The forecast is "mostly clear," and it looks like there might be a
little marine layer fog rolling in, but we're hoping for the best.
Jane and I are away from town this weekend, but wish them good luck! It
should be a good night for the moon and Jupiter.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://whiteoaks.com