Mon Nov 11, 2024 MOON AND SATURN
Last night the waxing gibbous moon was right next to the planet Saturn, what astronomers call a conjunction. Tonight the moon will be a little bit to the east of Saturn, but you’ll find both of them over in the southern sky after sunset, provided there are no clouds up there to block your view. With a pair of binoculars you can see some of the moon’s dark features, the lunar maria, pretty well. The Sea of Crises, and the Seas of Serenity, Tranquility and Fertility appear as smooth, flat dark areas on the moon. With a small telescope you can also see quite a few of those craters as well. But binoculars aimed at the planet Saturn will just make this yellow, star-like object appear as a small blob. You’ll need a telescope with at least 40 or 50 power magnification to discover its beautiful rings.
Tue Nov 12, 2024 PLANETS IN THE EVENING SKY
There are several planets in our evening skies this month. The easiest one to find appears in the southwest at sunset – it’s the planet Venus – so bright that you can even see it over there before it gets really dark. On the opposite side of the sky, in the northeast, the planet Jupiter appears above the constellation Orion – Jupiter is another, bright evening “star,” not as brilliant as Venus, but still pretty bright. It appears an hour or so after sunset. Midway between the two is the planet Saturn – tonight just draw a line from Jupiter to the waxing gibbous moon, and keep going on toward Venus – you’ll find Saturn along the way. Mercury is very low in the west near the horizon at sunset, and you’ll likely miss it. And Uranus and Neptune are also up there, in Aries and in Pisces – but you’ll need a telescope to see them.
Wed Nov 13, 2024 PLANETARIUM SHOW: PHANTOM OF THE UNIVERSE
There is something out there called “dark matter.” It accounts for almost 90 percent of the mass of the universe, but it cannot be seen. But we can observe the effect it has on stars and galaxies. Still, how do we see that which is hidden from the telescopic eye? Join us this weekend at the Hallstrom Planetarium for our new show, “Phantom of the Universe,” where we pursue this hidden dark matter! “Phantom of the Universe” is narrated by Tilda Swinton and will be presented on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. If skies are clear after Friday evening’s show, the Treasure Coast Astronomical Society will set up telescopes so we can look at things up there that can be seen, like that bright, almost full moon that’s over in the east at sunset. Call the box office at Indian River State College for tickets, at 772-462-4750.
Thu Nov 14, 2024 SELENOLOGY
The moon is about a fourth of the diameter of the Earth. Technically, it doesn’t revolve about us, but about a common center of gravity knowns as a barycenter, that happens to lie about a thousand miles below the surface of the Earth. The Earth and the moon have a lot of common characteristics, but also quite a few differences. The Earth is somewhat denser, containing more metals for instance. The composition of earth rocks and moon rocks is similar, but the mineral content is slightly different and moon rocks are amazingly dry! The study of the moon and its geology and landforms is called selenology – Selene is a very old name for the moon; in Greek mythology she was the sister of the old sun god Helios.
Fri Nov 15, 2024 NOVEMBER FULL MOON
The moon is full today. This is the Celtic Dark Moon, which recognizes the lengthening of the night as winter approaches. The Creek and the Seminole Indians call this the Moon When the Water is Black with Leaves, a time when leaves drop from the trees and darken ponds and rivers. The Mandan Hidatsa people live farther north, and this is their Moon When Rivers Freeze. To the Tewa Pueblo this the Moon When All Is Gathered In -the late harvesting moon. We’ll watch the moon tonight at the Hallstrom Planetarium, following our show about dark matter in the Universe. Shows are at 7 and 8:30 this evening. You can purchase tickets at the Planetarium, but the moon viewing is free, of course.
