- Details
- Category: Astronomical Events
NEW ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT VIEWING THE PERSEIDS
The Analemma Society will open Turner Farm Observatory Park Saturday, August 11 for public observing of the Perseids meteor shower. Hours are 9 PM to 2 AM.
However, if we get rain or solid clouds, we will likely close early. Check for status updates at our @AnalemmaSociety twitter account (accessible on the website under Tweets).
The Analemmal Society will NOT open Turner Farm Park for public observing of the meteor shower on Sunday night, August 12.
Meteor showers are best viewed with your unaided eyes lying in a lawn chair wrapped in a blanket or sleeping bag to stay warm. At Observatory Park we will have a meteor expert on hand to explain what you're viewing and how best to observe (any direction and halfway between the horizon and zenith). The Perseids are visible all night long with maximum rates occurring after midnight.
On Sunday August 12th, a one hour meteor class is scheduled for 8PM at Observatory Park at the Roll-Top Observatory. This class sponsored by Fairfax County Parktakes and requires a small fee. Those interested can sign up for it on the Fairfax County Parktakes website (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/turner-farm/events). Search for "meteor" under "science and technology" at "TurnerFarmPk". The class limit is 24 persons, so sign up early.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is an annual event when the earth's orbit around the sun plows through debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. The date is around mid-August, varying between the 11th and 13th. The NASA video below was for the year 2015 when the best viewing occurred on August 12/13. This year Perseid meteor shower will reach its maximum rate of activity on 13 August 2018. Both nights of Saturday Aug 11/12 and Sunday Aug 12/13 are ideal for watching the meteors. This is a great year to watch the Perseid meteors as the moon is only a small waxing cresent after sunset ... well before midnight when we'll see the best display.
- Details
- Category: Astronomical Events
UPDATE -The Roll-Top Observatory is open to the public on clear Friday nigjhts
If the weather cooperates, on Friday Night February 10th the Analemma Society will hold a special Public Viewing at Turner Farm. Volunteers will be available at Roll-Top Observatory to help you watch the PENUMBRAL (PARTIAL) LUNAR ECLIPSE
We continue to invite the public to bring their own telescopes and set up outside the Roll-Top. There is more to see than just the moon
Please double check the weather and sky before attending. Check our Observing page for the Clear Sky Chart and Analemma Tweets for last minute messages.
The Roll-Top will open just after sunset at 6:15pm and remain open until 9:30pm. Here is a timetable of the lunar eclipse on February 10th, 2017:
5:32 PM Penumbral eclipse begins (all times Eastern Standard Time)
5:34 PM Moonrise
5:41 PM Sunset
6:09 PM End civil twilight
6:15 PM TURNER FARM PARK OPENS
7:33 PM Full Moon
7:44 PM Maximum Penumbral eclipse
9:30 PM TURNER FARM PARK CLOSES
9:53 PM Penumbral eclipse ends
Bundle up with warm clothing - Winter weather is here. The Roll-Top observatory has an enclosed classroom, but the observatory room is not heated and open to the sky. In the classroom we will have lunar charts and other astronomical books.
There are 4 telescopes set up for viewing in the Roll-Top observatory including a 7" high quality refractor. For public sessions, we may also have telescopes set up outside the building along the walkway to look through. Members of the public are welcome to bring their own telescopes and set them up as well. If you bring your own telescope equipment and have not been at one of our public sessions before, we recommend you contact one of the volunteers upon arrival so we can guide you on where to set up.
When you pull into the access road leading into the park, follow the road to the parking lot that will be to the left. Please put your headlights on low when entering the parking lot. All visitors must park in the parking lot. Enter through the pedestrian gate in the Northwest corner of the parking lot and follow the walkway up to the Roll-Top building (the squat building with the moveable roof). For public sessions, the Analemma Society will have a coordinator present to greet people and provide directions. But if the coordinator is busy or providing assistance inside the building, enter through the gray door on the walkway side of the Roll-Top building.
Beside the lunar eclipse, the planets Venus, Mars, and Uranus are visible for observing in the evening during February. The Orion nebula (M42), the Pleiades (M45), the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) are all up for viewing along with double stars, star clusters, planetary nebulas, and galaxies. The constellations of Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Orion, Taurus, Gemini are now prominent in the evening winter sky.
These public observing sessions are open to all. We get everyone from families with older kids, families with young children, individuals, couples, and students attending these public sessions.
These events are very weather dependent. Please check the Analemma tweet page on this website (or directly at @AnalemmaSociety ) for updates on Friday if the weather looks questionable for that night.
- Details
- Category: Astronomical Events
by Dr. Jeffrey L. Kretsch
|
Circumzenithal Arc |
I have watched and logged various atmospheric phenomena for over forty years and have enjoyed pointing them out to others. Going beyond rainbows, for the first ten years I noted rings (halos) and sundogs, and I had read about the many other atmospheric phenomena. Although I kept a log, I never noted more than rings and sundogs until a day in October 1981 when I saw a full display of rings, arcs, and the circumzenithal arc. Upon seeing those I started keeping a closer look at the sky and starting seeing other sunlight phenomena, some fairly frequently.
You learn to see. I hope in this brief article to help others to see these more often. This isn’t intended to be a comprehensive review of the phenomena as so many have done before (see references for some examples). I hope by this short article to have people use those moments when walking outside to briefly scan the sky and maybe catch a glimpse of sun arcs and other parahelic phenomena. Looking at what nature has to offer is inspiring. Take interest in the open air sunlight and see what beauty it has to offer.
- Details
- Category: Astronomical Events
During the day on May 9th, the planet Mercury will pass across the face of the sun. The planet will be visible in telescopes properly equipped for solar observing as a small black dot moving across the sun. The transit will begin at 7:12 AM EST and will last until 2:42 PM. Transits of Mercury are not as rare as Venus, but they are infrequent; the last one was in 2006 and the next transit of Mercury will occur in November, 2019.
Observatory Park in Great Falls, Virginia will be open to the public for the transit from 7 AM to 3 PM. We will have telescopes with solar filters to properly observe the sun and the transit. Please stop by to observe part of the transit and any visible sunspots. DO NOT TRY TO OBSERVE THE TRANSIT WITHOUT PROPER SUN FILTERS. YOU CAN BE PERMANENTLY BLINDED.
For more information on the 2016 transit of Mercury, Sky and Telescope magazine has a helpful on-line article:
Other observing locations in western Maryland from the Westminister Astronomical Society include:
Westminster Library, Finksburg Library, Mt Airy Library, TaneyTown Library, North Carroll Library (Go up Rt 30 to Charlotte's Quest), and overlook at Soldiers Delight. Contact Robert Clark This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
Page 7 of 7