Archive
08/03/2018 – Ephemeris – Mars will be featured tonight at the NMC Rogers Observatory
Ephemeris for Friday, August 3rd. The Sun rises at 6:31. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 34 minutes, setting at 9:05. The Moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 12:37 tomorrow morning.
Tonight the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host a star party at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory from 9 to 11 p.m. If it’s clear the planets Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus will be the featured attractions. This is our nearest star party to the closest approach of Mars earlier this week, so Mars will be at its largest appearing in telescopes, however the position of Mars is quite far south in our sky, allowing our atmosphere to degrade the crispness of the view. Saturn is always magnificent with its rings, and Jupiter with it’s moons and cloud bands. Venus is getting nearer now and showing a gibbous phase. Later on the wonders of the Milky Way will be on display.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
05/04/2018 – Ephemeris – Tonight I present Venus from the mists of time to today
Ephemeris for Friday, May 4th. The Sun rises at 6:28. It’ll be up for 14 hours and 23 minutes, setting at 8:51. The Moon, 3 days before last quarter, will rise at 1:15 tomorrow morning.
The planet Venus is our evening star now. I’ve been talking about it on this program lately. Want to hear and see more? Tonight at 8 p.m. at the May meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory, I will be giving an illustrated talk: Venus from the mists of time to today. To the early Greeks it was two planets. To the Maya it was a calendar. In the 18th century it was a way to measure the size of the solar system. Today, it could be what our future looks like. After the meeting, at 9 p.m. the society will host a star party to view the planets Venus and Jupiter. The observatory is located south of Traverse City on Birmley Road between Garfield and Keystone roads.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
5 Pages of the Dresden Codex produced by the Maya tracking Venus’ appearances in the skies over the Yucatan. for 104 years. The Dresden Codex is one of only 4 surviving Mayan Codices.
12/01/2017 – Ephemeris – A look at how the ancients saw their world at the Rogers Observatory tonight
Ephemeris for Friday, December 1st. The Sun will rise at 7:59. It’ll be up for 9 hours and 4 minutes, setting at 5:03. The Moon, 2 days before full, will set at 6:22 tomorrow morning.
This evening’s meeting of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society starting at 8 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory will be yours truly’s biennial December program on mostly Ancient Cosmologies, a look at the cosmologies or world view of many mostly pre-scientific cultures, including the Biblical world view. We’ll see how these ideas are alike and different for cultures spread across distance and time. I’ll finish with a modern unscientific and throwback cosmology of the believers in a flat Earth. At 9 p.m. there will be a star party at the observatory, and another program if it’s cloudy. All are welcome. The observatory is located south of Traverse City on Birmley Road.
The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 