06/14/2019 – Ephemeris – I’m giving the talk Apollo and the Race to the Moon tonight at the Library in Thompsonville

Ephemeris for Flag Day, Friday, June 14th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 33 minutes, setting at 9:29, and it will rise tomorrow at 5:56. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:55 tomorrow morning.

Tonight the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will host a star party… well a Moon party at the Betsie Valley District Library in Thompsonville, MI. It starts at 8:30 p.m. With what I like to call a twilight talk by yours truly, the title of which is Apollo and the Race to the Moon. I’ll explore the Apollo 11 mission and the events leading up to it both in the United States and the USSR. The bright Moon tonight will uncover all the Apollo landing areas, even though there too small to be seen from the Earth, though they will be shown in the presentation. Twilight talks at the library also involves a slide or planetarium-like presentation, so if it’s cloudy we’ll also explore the starry nights of summer inside. So come out clear or cloudy.

The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Comparison between The United States Saturn V and the Soviet N-1. Click on the Image to enlarge. Credit Karl Tate, Space.com.

09/21/2018 – Ephemeris – Twilight talk and star, actually planet, party tonight in Thompsonville

Ephemeris for Friday, September 21st. The Sun will rise at 7:28. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 13 minutes, setting at 7:42. The Moon, 3 days before full, will set at 4:44 tomorrow morning.

Tonight members of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will hold a twilight talk and a star party at the Betsie Valley District Library in Thompsonville. It starts at 7 p.m. with a talk about how the Moon came to be and the features that will be visible tonight by yours truly. Where did the Moon come from? That mystery has baffled astronomers for ages. The rocks the Apollo astronauts brought back from the Moon offer clues to a possible answer. After which the Moon, Mars and Saturn will be visible. If cloudy, the talk will go on as scheduled, though the observing part of the evening will be replaced with a look at the skies via computer projection and a preview of the autumn season in the skies.

The times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.

07/20/2018 – Ephemeris – Two astronomy events this weekend

Ephemeris for Friday, July 20th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 5 minutes, setting at 9:21, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:17. The Moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:57 tomorrow morning.

There are two astronomy events in the Grand Traverse region this weekend, starting tonight with a twilight talk and a star party at the Betsie Valley District Library in Thompsonville. It starts at 8:30 p.m. with a talk about Mars throughout history and how it has fascinated astronomers and the public alike through the ages. After which Jupiter and Saturn will be visible. If cloudy, the talk will go on as scheduled, though the observing part will be rescheduled to a later date. Tomorrow, Saturday there, will be viewing at the Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory starting at 9 p.m. Jupiter and Saturn will be featured there too. 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.

Addendum

A group of folks out to see the planets with the member’s and society’s telescopes. Credit staff of the Betsie Valley District Library.

Scooter girl checking out the view through the rear finder of the society’s 25″ “Dobinator”. Credit staff of the Betsie Valley District Library.

07/24/2015 – Ephemeris – Astronomical viewing opportunities this weekend

Ephemeris for Monday, July 27th.  The Sun rises at 6:23.  It’ll be up for 14 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 9:14.   The Moon, 3 days past first quarter, will set at 3:36 tomorrow morning.

This evening when it gets dark the bright star Deneb in Cygnus the swan will be high  in the east northeast.  Deneb is the dimmest star of the summer triangle.  Of the other stars of the triangle, Vega is very high in the east, while Altair is lower in the southeast.  While Deneb’s apparent magnitude, or brightness as seen from earth, makes it the dimmest of the three bright stars, Deneb’s vast distance of possibly 2,600 light years makes it over 100 times the distance of Vega.  If brought as close as Vega, Deneb would be almost as bright as the full moon.  It is as bright as two hundred thousand suns.  It apparently has run out of hydrogen in its core.  Once a blue super giant star, it’s currently evolving through the white giant stage.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Betsie Valley District Library star party 2014.  A crowd gathers to view Saturn and Jupiter.  (Jupiter will be too low this time.)  Credit: Betsie Valley District Library staff.

The GTAS at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Platte River Point, April, 2012. This time there will be leaves on the trees. Credit Eileen Carlisle.