[NatureNS] Night Sky Highlights, and two sites of interest

Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 14:06:42 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Blake Maybank <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca>
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*** This Week's Sky at a Glance

Courtesy of the Nature Moncton's Information=20
Line.  The weekly sky summary is prepared by=20
Nelson Poirier  <<mailto:nelson@nb.sympatico.ca>nelson@nb.sympatico.ca>.

Some daily events in the changing sky for May 13 =AD 21

Face northwest and look high for the Big Dipper,=20
now hanging down by its handle. Just a few weeks ago it was horizontal.

On Tuesday, May 17, the Moon will go into its=20
Full Phase meaning we will see it in the sky all=20
night. Expect higher high tides and lower low tides.

This is the time of year when the star cluster=20
Cassiopeia sits at its lowest due north after=20
dark, looking like a wide W rather than a flattened M.

On May 16 sunrise was at 05:45 and sunset at=20
20:45. On May 21, sunrise will be at 05:47 and sunset at 20:53.=C2

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter continue their=20
evolutions low in the bright glow of dawn. Using=20
binoculars looking 30 minutes before sunrise low=20
in the east, Venus is the brightest.=20
Second-brightest is Jupiter, now moving farther=20
to Venus's upper right. Below Venus by about 1=20
=C2=BD=C2=B0 is Mercury, still brightening. Faint little=20
Mars is a real challenge object to their left or lower left.

Saturn (magnitude +0.6) is the only planet in=20
good telescopic view in the evening sky. Look for=20
it high in the south-southeast as the stars come=20
out, with the star Spica to its lower left and=20
bright star Arcturus nearly twice as far to its=20
left. Saturn is highest in the south not long after dark.

In a birding scope Saturn's rings are 7.6=C2=B0 from=20
edge on and can be readily observed.

Sites of Interest  (courtesy of Blake Maybank)

And if the absence of clear skies is getting you=20
down, you can visit Photopic Sky Survey, a 5,000=20
megapixel photograph of the entire night sky=20
stitched together from 37,440 exposures.   You can find it here:

http://skysurvey.org/

And if you wish to become involved as a volunteer=20
in assisting with mapping the galaxy, or the=20
moon, or looking for planets, etc, go to
Zooniverse.

http://www.zooniverse.org/

For my part I enjoy looking at Old Weather data=20
collected by Royal Navy Vessels, and digitising=20
it, but most of the projects are astral in=20
nature, not terrestrial.  A perfect diversion for cloudy nights.

Cheers,

Blake


----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-
Blake Maybank
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/
902-852-2077

Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"
http://nsbs.chebucto.org

Organiser, Maritimes Nature Travel Club
http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel

author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns
Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers:
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d

White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada =20
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<html>
<body>
<b><u>*** This Week's Sky at a Glance<br><br>
</u></b>Courtesy of the Nature Moncton's Information Line.&nbsp; The
weekly sky summary is prepared by Nelson Poirier&nbsp;
&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:nelson@nb.sympatico.ca">
<font face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" size=3D2>nelson@nb.sympatico.ca</a></font>
&gt;. <br><br>
<b><u>Some daily events in the changing sky for May 13 =AD 21<br><br>
</u></b>Face northwest and look high for the <b>Big Dipper</b>, now
hanging down by its handle. Just a few weeks ago it was
horizontal.<br><br>
On Tuesday, May 17, the <b>Moon </b>will go into its Full Phase meaning
we will see it in the sky all night. Expect higher high tides and lower
low tides. <br><br>
This is the time of year when the star cluster Cassiopeia sits at its
lowest due north after dark, looking like a wide W rather than a
flattened M.<br><br>
On May 16 sunrise was at 05:45 and sunset at 20:45. On May 21, sunrise
will be at 05:47 and sunset at 20:53.=C2&nbsp; <br><br>
<b><u>This Week's Planet Roundup <br><br>
</u>Mercury, Venus, Mars</b>, and <b>Jupiter </b>continue their
evolutions low in the bright glow of dawn. Using binoculars looking 30
minutes before sunrise low in the east, Venus is the brightest.
Second-brightest is Jupiter, now moving farther to Venus's upper right.
Below Venus by about 1 =C2=BD=C2=B0 is Mercury, still brightening. Faint lit=
tle
Mars is a real challenge object to their left or lower left. <br><br>
<b>Saturn </b>(magnitude +0.6) is the only planet in good telescopic view
in the evening sky. Look for it high in the south-southeast as the stars
come out, with the star Spica to its lower left and bright star Arcturus
nearly twice as far to its left. Saturn is highest in the south not long
after dark. <br><br>
In a birding scope Saturn's rings are 7.6=C2=B0 from edge on and can be
readily observed.<br><br>
<b><u>Sites of Interest</u></b>&nbsp; (courtesy of Blake
Maybank)<br><br>
And if the absence of clear skies is getting you down, you can visit
Photopic Sky Survey, a 5,000 megapixel photograph of the entire night sky
stitched together from 37,440 exposures.&nbsp;&nbsp; You can find it
here:<br><br>
<a href=3D"http://skysurvey.org/" eudora=3D"autourl">http://skysurvey.org/<b=
r>
<br>
</a>And if you wish to become involved as a volunteer in assisting with
mapping the galaxy, or the moon, or looking for planets, etc, go to<br>
Zooniverse.<br><br>
<a href=3D"http://www.zooniverse.org/" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://www.zooniverse.org/</a><br><br>
For my part I enjoy looking at Old Weather data collected by Royal Navy
Vessels, and digitising it, but most of the projects are astral in
nature, not terrestrial.&nbsp; A perfect diversion for cloudy
nights.&nbsp; <br><br>
Cheers,<br><br>
Blake<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-<br>
Blake Maybank<br>
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<br>
<a href=3D"http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakemaybank/<br>
</a>902-852-2077<br><br>
Editor, &quot;Nova Scotia Birds&quot;<br>
<a href=3D"http://nsbs.chebucto.org/" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://nsbs.chebucto.org<br><br>
</a>Organiser, Maritimes Nature Travel Club<br>
<font color=3D"#0000FF"><u>
<a href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel</a></u></font> <br><br>
author, &quot;Birding Sites of Nova Scotia&quot;<br>
<font color=3D"#0000FF"><u>
<a href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/birdingns" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns<br>
</a></u></font>Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back
covers:<br>
<a href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/mr627d" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d</a> <br><br>
White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada </body>
</html>

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