Jane and I plan to be on the sidewalks in Pasadena and Monrovia this
weekend, and it looks like the weather is cooperating -- for the most part!
This week our weather was influenced by a pesky system called a "cutoff
low" over the Pacific -- so-called because it is cut off from the jet
stream, and its motion is difficult to predict. As we saw in last
year's record rainy season, a cutoff low can sit stationary off the
coast for days sucking tropical moisture into the LA basin.
That low has now moved southeast over northern Mexico, which causes our
winds to shift to offshore. That should bring us drier desert air and
clearer skies for several days. Early next week they're forecasting
very warm temperatures with the expected Santa Ana wind conditions.
When that dry air flows down the mountain slopes into the basin, it
heats up and gives us those indian summer conditions in November.
Tonight the conditions are not perfect -- we're still sitting in some
cool moist air from this week's weather system. Here in the San Gabriel
Valley we have some lingering marine layer clouds. We'll be able to see
the Moon and Mars okay, but the early part of the evening we'll be
looking up through layers of air at very different temperatures and
moisture content. Each of those layer boundaries give a slight
refraction to the light passing through, and makes for a shimmery view
obscuring much of the subtle detail on difficult objects like Mars.
So the moral of my rambling story -- the best views for Mars will be
Saturday evening in Monrovia. Join us there at Myrtle & Lime in Library
Park, from 6:00 'til 9:00 p.m.
But even with less than perfect conditions, we'll be in Old Town
Pasadena this evening from about 6:30 'til 9:30, on Colorado Blvd. near
Delacey, somewhere on the two-block stretch from Fair Oaks to Pasadena Ave.
Hope to see you there!
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Just a note to our fellow sidewalk astronomers on the list ...
Please let me know if you're planning to join us tonight in Monrovia!
You can help with or without a telescope, talking to visitors or helping
operate one of our telescopes. If you let me know you're coming, I'll
make a name badge for you.
Telescopes on tripods may be best set up in the park grass field along
Lime. It's important that we leave clearance on the sidewalk especially
near the handicap ramp and wheelchair turn-around areas.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Tonight's a big night! It's Mars closest approach, and we'll be out in
force in Old Town Monrovia tonight. Library Park, Myrtle & Lime, 9:00
p.m. 'til midnight.
If you haven't read the article in the Pasadena Star-News this morning,
Jane and I were featured on the front page in the Mars article:
<http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_3162189>
The weather forecast for tonight looks near perfect. Jane and I plan to
bring out our best Mars telescope tonight, a rare Astro-Physics 7.1-inch
refractor. Here are some pictures from a visit in April to Library Park
for this telescope: <http://www.otastro.org/2005-04-monrovia/>
If you're wondering about the later than usual hours for this occasion,
it's because the best viewing of the planet comes as it's highest in the
sky. If you're looking for the best view, plan to visit the telescope
as close to midnight as you can. Besides letting Mars get high in the
sky, the lines at the telescopes should be shortest then!
If you miss seeing Mars tonight, don't despair -- it won't be much
further away on our next trip to the sidewalks on November 11 and 12.
For the next couple of months, Mars will be close enough for interesting
looks.
In addition to November 11 and 12, Jane and I will be travelling to the
Borrego Springs Resort on Saturday November 5 in Anza Borrego State
Park, and plan to set up for Mars viewing right there at the lovely
desert resort.
Jane's Mars information page on the Mars opposition has more links,
pictures, and events: <http://www.otastro.org/Mars2005/>
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
The Old Town Astronomers are featured in an article in this week's
Pasadena Weekly: <http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/arspopuli/arspop.html>
They got it mostly right. :)
By the way, you might be interested in joining us to help show the Moon
and Venus at Wild Rose Elementary tonight, but not have a telescope to
bring. We plan to have a couple extra telescopes with us, and would be
glad to have you "person" one of them!
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
The Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers are attending a PTA family picnic
tonight at Wild Rose Elementary school in Monrovia. They're expecting
about 250 people for the event.
If you have a telescope and would like to join us there from 6:00 'til
about 8:00, we'd be delighted. We could use another telescope or two.
Targets tonight will be the late gibbous Moon and Venus.
If you can join us, drop me a note and I'll send instructions. Or call
my cell phone at 626-755-5415.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
There might be clear sky where you are, but here it's thick! No
telescopes tonight in Monrovia.
But see Jane's observing report from our trip to the Oregon Star Party
last month, right here: <http://www.otastro.org/2005-10-oregon/>
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
The Old Town Astronomers plan to be at Myrtle & Lime tonight in
Monrovia, but the weather is problematic.
The sky over our home in Monrovia right now is solid clouds. The
National Weather Service forecaster is unwilling to commit one way or
the other. The Clear Sky Clock is clearly wrong today. And the
satellite imagery shows an island of clouds right over LA county in a
sea of otherwise clear skies.
If it's clear at 6:30, we'll give it a shot. But don't make special
plans to visit Monrovia for astronomy this evening!
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
We gave it a valiant effort last night, but only had a few minutes of
Moon before the marine layer closed in. The forecast tonight is very
similar in Monrovia, with a mostly cloudy sky forecast.
So no astronomy tonight in Monrovia. We might give it another try next
weekend for the mostly full Moon. I'll send a note here if we do.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
"The three brightest objects in the night sky huddle close together in
the western sky this evening. We won't see them sharing such a small
region of the sky again for more than two years". I could snip more
from this evening's Stardate, whuich I heard on the radio as I was
driving home from work., but why not go out and take a look at the
spectacle for your self.
If you missed it (it's almost 8 p.m.Tuesday and the three are quite low
ing the west right now) you can experience the view vicariously by
reading the rest of Stardate Online
http://stardate.org/radio/program.php?f=today
Jane
See you this weekend maybe? We'll be out with telescopes showing a nice
moon Friday and Saturday nights.
--
Jane Houston Jones
Monrovia, CA
34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
Today's Outdoor section of the L.A. Times features me in an inside
article titled "They're having a party, BYOT," from the June Yosemite
Glacier Point star party.
I haven't been able to see the issue yet, but the online edition has
some great photographs by Bryan Chan, the Times photographer who joined
us for the weekend. His photo library is attached online to an article
about John Dobson.
Here's BYOT:
<http://www.latimes.com/travel/outdoors/la-os-starside30aug30,1,4630350.stor…>
And the front of the Outdoor section online has "Heaven on Earth," Hugo
Martin's article about John Dobson:
<http://www.latimes.com/travel/outdoors/>
Off to the Oregon Star Party this week. Back next week with telescopes
for the first quarter Moon.
On the road,
Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org
