Early Morning Treasures

 Waking up at 2 in the morning is something usually done out of necessity rather than desire. As you get older, the truth in this statement becomes more and more obvious.

    On this morning, when the alarm sounded I was out of bed in a flash. I put on my glasses and without turning any lights on, went out to the front porch. It was bright outside, the cloud cover was reflecting the lights of the neighborhood and the near-by businesses back to the ground. This was disappointing in more ways than one!

    Going back inside, I turned on the computer and checked a couple weather sites and looked at some satellite views. I then made the decision to get dressed and take a drive up to the Wagman Observatory. I’d take a chance!

    There were two things that prompted me. One was to watch the dual passes of the two space stations orbiting the earth and the other was to view through the telescope, the planet Saturn.

    The first, the passes of the space stations; they are normally seen nightly crossing our skies and rarely at the same time. On this morning, they would appear, from my location, to head towards each other and cross paths only seconds apart!

    The second, Saturn has been hiding behind the sun and only recently reappeared in the morning sky. The Brashear refractor is placed in the observatory in a way that doesn’t allow a low eastern view and so to observe the planet, it has to rise high enough to clear the building. This means either wait a month or two longer, or come up early in the morning and catch it as it nears the meridian.

    Arriving at the hilltop at 3:15, the clouds were still thick but there were a couple dark spots in them. I pulled a chair from inside the building and sat down and relaxed. The sounds of the crickets were the loudest things I could hear. There were no cars going by at this time of the morning. It was extremely pleasant. The howl or cry of a coyote broke in occasionally. I watched the clouds drift by, sometimes lifting my binoculars to check out what looked like a hole. As the clock neared 4 I finally saw some stars, then it was as if the sky just gave up. Looking towards the northwest, I saw clear skies!

    I opened up the roof and prepared the Brashear 11” scope for some observing. My target was in sight, the brightest object in the southern sky, Saturn. It was just past the meridian, the imaginary north-south line that divides the sky. A perfect spot for observing!

    I used a 17mm eyepiece, a favorite of mine. It provides a 243 power view. As always, the view was spectacular. The planet often has a three-dimensional look to it. There were cloud bands visible on the surface of the planet and in the rings; a couple bands could be seen. There was shading on the edge which added to the three-dimensional aspect. On one side of the rings, the shadow of the planet cut through them, showing where the sun sat in relation to the planet. I pulled over a chair and just sat and looked.

    When observing by eye, the longer you look the more you will see. There are times when the view increases in sharpness, times when the air above settles and allows an extremely crisp view. It is these times that make the wait worthwhile. It was quiet… peaceful… and fulfilling.

    A little before 5, I went outside and set up my camera and tripod. According to Heavens-Above.com, the space station passes were due to appear at 5:08. Their paths would intersect around 5:12. The sky was beautiful! The winter constellations were sitting above the eastern horizon. Orion was lying on its side towards the south, Auriga and Gemini were a bit further north. The Pleiades looked wonderful further up in the sky. A couple shots were taken with the camera to determine speed and focus and then I put my hat over the camera to protect the lens from getting any dew on the optics.

    Tiangong was seen first coming out of the west at 5:09, heading almost directly overhead. Looking to the south, I saw the ISS moving towards Orion. Both were bright and easily seen. I went back and forth between them, watching their paths, watching as they neared each other. Looking at the ISS I saw a meteor flash near-by. The pair moved to a point where both were equal distances from the Pleiades. Tiangong entered Auriga and the ISS passed over top of Bellatrix, the shoulder of Orion, getting closer. 

    At 5:12, the ISS passed underneath the approaching Tiangong, the pair missing each other, from my viewpoint, by only a couple seconds. As I watched the pair starting to fade away, another meteor shot through the sky, almost like an exclamation point to what I had just seen!

    It was a great show! I couldn’t help but wonder if the crews on either spacecraft could see the other and exactly, how far apart were they?

    I put the camera gear away and went back into the observatory. I had put a doubler on the scope earlier which brought the power up to 486. I was able to see a couple more moons but there was a loss of sharpness with the increase of power. I removed the doubler and once again, just sat and looked. I find it hard to tire of looking at this planet. I attempted to draw a couple sketches of what I was seeing but my artistic abilities are severely lacking.

    I decided that I should take a look at the Orion Nebula before I left. It has been quite a while since I had looked at that. I loosened the locks on the scope and went to spin it around and I realized that it was useless, the sky had brightened enough that Orion had disappeared! The morning sun was nearing.

    I put things away, docked the scope and then closed the building. By 6, I was on my way back home. It was nice driving home from the observatory in the daylight as compared to the darkness of middle night. It was a great morning session, I felt invigorated and refreshed and ready for the day. What a wonderful way to start a day!

A Good Day

 The alarm went off earlier than usual. It was Friday the thirteenth and Ann Marie and I were going out for an early morning ride. I walked over to the front door and took a look outside. The bright star Spica could be seen peeking through the branches of the tree across the street.

    Knowing that an ISS (International Space Station) pass was going to be happening soon, I got dressed to go outside to watch it. Due within a couple minutes, I returned to the door only to see it appear above the house across the street. I was able to watch it without even leaving the house! Now that is the way to observe on cold days!

    After eating breakfast, I went to pick up Ann Marie. Going out to the car I noticed the thin crescent moon hovering above another neighbor’s house. Four days away from new, it was only 16% illuminated. I think that crescent moons are so much nicer to see than full moons, since they are harder to find and we see them less often. Seeing one without searching for it makes it even more special. What a great way to start our journey!

    We had some rough plans to head towards Apollo and the Kiskiminetas River. Our plans are always open to change. We had some geocaches to find and hopefully we would also find a coffee shop to refill our car cups. The first stop of the day was a visit to our favorite bakery, Stocklein’s. This bakery, originally opened in East Liberty back in the 1930’s, was relocated to its present location, Penn Hills in 2009. We like it because of how everything there tastes like the baked goods from our childhoods.

    Our first geocache was an interesting find. It was hidden inside an upright post. A piece of cord hung inside it, wrapped around a bolt. It took us a couple minutes to figure out how to get the cache. We had to pull on one side until the cache was raised up to where we could grasp it. We found most of the caches, but a couple were inaccessible because of frozen piles of snow.

    While driving we passed a small coffee shop and promptly turned around to check it out. At Bear Roots, (on rt.66) the woman behind the counter put a fresh pot of dark coffee on for us. While we waited we looked around the shop and watched as cookies were made being in the back. Along with our coffees we got a couple cookies to take along with us. They were desert later in the evening. Our bill came to $13 which was appropriate for Friday the 13^th!

    We drove along some nice back roads, a couple paved only with gravel. They were covered with snow and ice but we had no problems traversing them. We drove through woods and fields and in places we were on top of hills, giving us nice views into the snow covered valleys below. We passed cemeteries both large and small, along with Churches and old cabins.

    When we reached Cochran Mills we turned back. At one time there was a community here. The first mill in Burrell Township was built here in 1800. Before long more buildings joined it along with housing for the workers and a small settlement evolved.

    One of the residents of the town was Elizabeth Jane Cochrane who later became well known as she wrote under the name of Nellie Bly. In 1887, she wrote about the injustices and evils of the Blackwell Island Lunatic Asylum by going into the asylum under cover as a patient. She also wrote about her journey around the world, challenging Jules Verne’s story, Around the World in Eighty Days. She accomplished the trip in 72 days.

    The town was demolished in the 1930’s. Supposedly there are still foundation ruins of some of the buildings along Crooked Creek. We didn’t attempt to find them, preferring to stay in the car rather than hiking through the snow, perhaps we will do it another time.

    Returning towards home, we stopped at the Pittsburgh Mills to meet our friends Frank and Kelle for lunch. After a filling meal we all went and found a couple more caches hidden around the mall area. Then we returned home.

    As far as Friday the 13^th’s go, this was a good one. Really though, I can’t remember any Friday the 13^th that was bad. It is just a number; of course it’s one with a bad reputation. It’s sort of like how the full moon is supposed to cause more crimes. I figure that every day will be good if you look for all the good things in it. By concentrating on the better things in our days, they tend to stay productive and worthwhile. Always keep looking for the positive and hopefully our days will all turn out well.

    Two of my favorite words are; triskaidekaphobia (meaning the fear of the number 13) and triskaidekaphilia (meaning the love of the number 13).  In case you’re wondering when the next Friday the 13^th will be, it will be next month and before the year is over there will be another one in November!

Chances are, they'll be good days!

A Week of Snow

 This past week was a cold one. A lot of it has been spent inside, looking out. I made a couple little trips during the week, to fill my lungs with fresh air and to give myself a change of scenery. It started off on Sunday, with the beginning of what the weather forecasters predicted would be anything between 3 to 80 inches of snow. They had been warning us about this for the past week. As usual, supermarket shelves were getting bare. I myself was looking forward to it!

    For once the forecasters had gotten it correct. First came the snow and then later, cold, cold temperatures. As the snow started to accumulate, I made numerous trips out to shovel my walk. These outings were the only times I left the house that day. As darkness fell, there was about 9 inches of snow in the yard. It was still snowing as I went to bed. 

    Monday morning I started digging the car out of the mounds of snow pushed up by the plows. Once the car was free, I took a short ride down to Etna and back. I was thinking about getting some pictures but most places hadn’t been cleared yet, so finding a spot to park was difficult. Back home again, I returned to my books and the boob tube.

    On Tuesday morning, Ann Marie and I went for a drive to get some breakfast. The drive to her house was uneventful but there still weren’t many spots to pull over for pictures. The hills and valleys still had that undisturbed look to them; the deer and kids hadn’t spoiled the smooth surfaces yet. The snow piles were getting higher at the ends of people's driveways. The diner wasn’t crowded and the food was delicious. It is always nice to have someone cook for you. The roads were still relatively car free.

    Wednesday morning I took a ride to Bakerstown to visit the farm market. I arrived before they opened so I continued north on rt.8. At the Country Kitchen I stopped to take a couple pictures and then returned to the market. The parking lots and roads still had large piles of snow around them, they wouldn’t be melting soon. At the farm market I bought some fresh vegetables, some apples and a loaf of bread. I then went to Ann Maries to share my bounty. 

    Later that night I braved the cold to watch the International Space Station pass below the planet Jupiter and then I took another short ride. Afterwards back at home, I retired to my book and a warm bed.

    Thursday morning, the frost was forming on the windows. I went down to the North Side to visit Arlan at City Books and to watch for trains. I finished the roll of film in my camera, so when I got home; I developed the film and then scanned it. I stayed inside for the rest of the day working on that, nice and warm.

    Friday, the end of the month, was a cold day! Ann Marie and our buddy Jim went to visit a coffee shop that was new to us. On the way to pick them up, I met a man down beside the Alleghany River taking pictures, wow, crazy huh? Who would ever want to do that? (Me???) I only stayed for a few minutes… As I was driving over to Ann Marie’s house, the car thermometer was showing that it was -3 degrees outside. We picked up Jim and then after a short drive we stopped for coffee.

      We had to search a bit before we found a spot to park but we found one about a block or two away. The sidewalks were a bit treacherous but we managed to get there and back without any problems. At Constellation Coffee we had sipped hot coffee while we BSed, sitting in the sunlight coming through their front windows. The shop smelled like fresh ground coffee like any good coffee shop should. We were warm and happy. Good coffee and good friends generate good conversations!

    Leaving the shop I saw a sign showing two things, both the state of our nation and the state of the weather!

      Saturday was spent at home. I only went outside to get the mail and to put out the garbage. I also made a trip out to the bird feeder but that was it. I took two pictures that day…here’s one of them. Afterwards… I ate my model!

    And then it was Sunday again. A week had gone by, the snow was still piled up on the street in front of the house, and the temperatures were still hanging below freezing. I like it but hopefully the temps will be rising soon, and the snow will start to melt. This IS Pennsylvania in the winter; it makes me look forward to, and to appreciate the rains and muds of spring. 

    I’ve reloaded my camera with another roll of film, and the digital camera is charged up, I’m ready for the next week, bring it on!

Viewing the Aurora from Wagman

 Chances are that you have heard numerous reports, seen hundreds of photographs and even listened to and watched news reports about Friday night’s auroras. Well, let me add one more to your pile.

    The sun is currently at what is called solar maximum, the peak of an eleven year cycle. A massive coronal mass ejection from the sun was due to hit the earth causing a huge geomagnetic storm. The particles expelled from the sun interact with the earth’s magnetic fields and causes what is known as Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights. (In the southern hemisphere, they are called Aurora Australis or the Southern Lights.) Solar observers gave notice a few days ago and rapidly the word spread. Astronomers passed the word via the internet and before long TV newscasters were mentioned it along with how and where the aurora could be viewed.

    The convergence of any astronomical event and bad weather is a well known coincidence. In astronomy clubs a common joke is that by simply buying a new telescope or eye piece you will be bringing bad weather into your hometown. Astronomical events such as conjunctions, occultations and eclipses can bring on this phenomenon also. It was because of this that I reigned in my enthusiasm a bit!

    The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh (AAAP) had its monthly meeting on Friday night. Attendance was in person or via Zoom, I chose to attend by way of my computer. Sitting beside the window my attention drifted between the meeting, the NOAA Aurora Prediction page (it was looking good!) and the sky outside. I left when the meeting was half over; the chance that something might occur in the sky overrode the meeting’s presentation.

    The clouds in the sky were very dramatic looking, tinged with oranges and reds. I was hoping that the sky would clear as I drove towards the club’s observatory. As the sky darkened there seemed to be a brighter patch in the north and while I didn’t think it was an aurora, the thought did cross my mind more than once. My hopes were rising.

    Pulling up to the gate at the Wagman Observatory, I found that the small parking lot was filled and cars were parked alongside the narrow road. Someone had parked directly in front of the gates and I had to search them out in able to open them.  There were about 20 or more people scattered across the field. Once the gate was opened cars flooded into the field, coming and going for the rest of the evening.

    At 9 o’clock the sky was still rather bright. The crescent moon in the west was all that was visible. Slowly more and more stars appeared. A large cloud was situated in the north but still everyone there was hopeful and excited. People stood alone and in groups, all facing the north. A TV camera man had his camera set up, patiently waiting along with the rest of us. Cameras were set up on tripods and nearly everyone had phones in their hands, quietly talking among themselves. During the evening, at least 10 members of the AAAP arrived along with a crowd possibly numbering 100 or more.

    The first noticeable burst came right after 10. I heard someone say “I can see it!” and then, there was no doubt that we were seeing an aurora. A big one!

    Batches of colors, mainly red and pink (to my aging eyes) appeared in the sky. Fainter colors appeared, looking more like rays or curtains. They would appear and then fade off only to reappear elsewhere, different shapes and colors. Grays and whites along with yellows seemed more prominent behind the observatory while the blobs or larger batches of colors seemed to be mostly off to the left, in the NW. The aurora grew in size, eventually extending past the zenith and into the southern skies. It was spectacular!

    About 15 minutes into this show, the International Space Station made a pass almost directly overhead. Its pass made it appear to slice through both the Big Dipper and the aurora. We couldn’t have asked for more. Everyone in the field was excited.

    It was fun being in a group while experiencing this event. The feelings of happiness and wonder were contagious. I couldn’t help but compare it to last month’s total solar eclipse, both events showcased the wonders of our world and the beauty of the skies, presents that were given to us to enjoy.

    The show continued for about an hour before fading down after 11. The TV man provided footage for the Channel 2 news.  Thousands of pictures were taken. The glow of smart phones was seen everywhere I looked. The pictures taken by them were dramatic, providing more colors than what we saw by eye. I was envious; my camera exposures were in the 20-25 second range while theirs were just a second or two, but I still enjoyed the process of photographing the aurora. It’s interesting how different cameras and phones produced different colors in their pictures.

    The club members started packing up to go a bit after 11 and I was getting tired also. Before we could leave we had to get all of the cars out of the field. Thankfully there were only 6 or 7 left. We told the owners that they could stay on the hilltop; they just couldn’t leave their cars there. There was one driver we couldn’t locate, after a brief search, I finally found him over the hillside below the observatory.

    While locking the gate, a County Policeman arrived with lights flashing. There were cars lining both sides of the road, some had actually parked on the road rather than off to the side. I can only imagine that some tickets were issued after I left. People were still arriving as I drove away.

   The last time I had seen an aurora, the only other time I might add, was at the same place, Wagman Observatory, on June 13^th, 1991.

     I drove home through a thick fog and when I got home, nothing was visible in the sky at all. I was extremely happy to have taken the drive up to the observatory!

    During the event, I couldn’t help but think; last month we had a total solar eclipse and this month we were treated to a fantastic aurora. What in the world will June bring us?

Searching For Satellites

The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, (AAAP) had scheduled a club event for the 29^th and 30^th of July. It wasn’t a star party; it was a club get-together to see how many satellites we could spot in the course of a night. There had been a previous record of 62 set by two club members many years ago, it was time to try and break the record.

    As so many of our clubs' events go, the weather on Friday was rather “iffy”. An e-mail was sent out cancelling that night's event. Four of us showed up anyway.

    A beautiful sunset appeared as I drove up to the observatory. It was that time of the day where the colors seem more intense. The tiny crescent moon was located a short while after the sun set, a mere 2% illuminated. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a moon as thin as this before! That was the highpoint of my night, but the rest didn’t let me down either.

    We sat on the concrete pad beside the observatory and watched as the sky darkened. The brightest satellite we saw was the International Space Station, (ISS) making a 5-minute pass. It skimmed stars in Ursa Major (The Big Dipper) and Ursa Minor (The Little Dipper) before cruising through Cygnus and then disappearing in the earths’ shadow and the clouds.

    In the couple hours of darkness that I was there, I saw 8 satellites, 9 if you wanted to count the moon! I went home a happy sky gazer.

    Saturday delivered another nice night sky. The moon, a little bit larger than the night before was located around 8:30. As the sky darkened, (sunset was at 8:37) it became much easier to see.

    I took a walk over the hill to get some pictures of the moon and the observatory. While I was playing with my camera, I missed the first sighting, the ISS. I was watching for it but between the lower position on the hill and the bright sky, I missed it. (I know…excuses, excuses) I did see it on its second pass 90 minutes later.

    There was at least 14 people that showed up on Saturday. It is hard to say since it was dark when some arrived. By the time I returned to the top of the hill, they were well on their way accumulating their numbers.

    The rules are pretty simple. It has to be an artificial satellite; the moon doesn’t count. There also has to be at least two people that see it, it needs confirmed. That was it, nice and simple.

    Thank heavens for the members with good eyesight, that and laser pointers. They would see a satellite and then point to it with their pointers, enabling me to find the satellites with my binoculars. I was able to see the brighter ones by eye, but most of the ones I saw were seen with optical aid.

    We saw Saturn rise and we saw some falling stars. In-between sightings I browsed around the constellations, checking out things I normally only observed with telescopes.

    I left a little after 11, there were some clouds moving in and I had to get up early the next morning. I saw one final satellite as I was getting into my car bringing my total to 30. I had watched a couple satellites that appeared to be crossing each other’s paths, which was pretty cool. I saw three in the sky at the same time, though I’m sure there were probably more up there, I just didn’t see them. 

    The most satellites I’ve seen in the sky at one time was well over 15 or 20. It was right after a Starlink dump. They stretched across the sky, coming from behind a cloud and disappearing near the horizon. It was a morning I’ll always remember. There were over 30 satellites in the parade passing overhead.

    Sadly, the official grand total for Saturday as computed by our esteemed official, Eric Fischer, was 42. That is 20 less than the current club record. Cirrus clouds moved in and hid the fainter satellites from view as the night progressed. Since we are moving into August the angle of the sun isn’t favorable for long nights of satellite viewing. We will try again next year, maybe the Pittsburgh weather will co-operate with us for a change.

    I believe we all enjoyed ourselves though, we talked, we laughed, we visited with each other unlike at star parties where we tend to our telescopes and only talk with the public and the members parked beside us. We relaxed and had a good time, sitting under the stars and the satellites.

A Special Day

Today has always been special to me. I’ve always looked forward to it! This morning, it started out around 3:45 as my alarm rudely awakened me from a great dream. Looking out the window, I saw darkness. Opening the door and stepping outside, I was treated to a view of numerous stars in a cloud free sky.

    Oh Yes!!

    I could’ve set up the telescope but I thought watching the planets come up over the horizon might be a better, and easier, way to go. I opted for a short drive to the near-by hill top with the camera, tripod and my binoculars. The view there is always superior to my front yard.

    About 20 minutes later with a warm drink in hand I was parking the car. It was quiet and there were stars everywhere. My observing spot is fairly light free. I could see stars pretty low to the horizon and that’s tough here in Shaler!

    I set up the camera and took a couple test shots and then scanned the stars with my binoculars. The moon had set about an hour before I arrived so there were no problems with it hiding the stars.

    Jupiter had just risen above the horizon when I arrived and Venus would soon be breaking out so I concentrated on that section of the hillside. It was easy to see where it would be rising, the other three planets, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter made a straight line right to where it would be showing up.

    Venus showed up a couple minutes after its predicted time of arrival. Suddenly…there it was behind the trees and then it was shining free. It is amazing how quickly they rise when you have a reference point to compare them to! I snapped a few shots and then went back to exploring the sky with the binoculars

    As the sky brightened, the International Space Station passed off in the north. I had hoped it would be close enough to Venus to get a picture but by then the sky was too bright. Watching it in binoculars would just have to do.

    The birds were starting to wake up, soon joggers would be out and I was ready to refill my coffee cup. I made it home in time to see the sunrise.

    I said this day was special to me. It isn’t because of the stars or the planets. Not even the ISS made it special. It’s because on this day my daughter Chelsey was born!

    She just had a new son, Nico, who arrived a couple days before Mothers Day and her birthday. Yes, I’d have to say that our lives are truly blessed. It’s going to be a great day. This day always is!

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Watching Shadows

     Watching the birds on the feeder outside the window, their colors become so much brighter as the shadows move away from them. The details of the feathers become more noticeable. The red hood on the woodpecker “pops” and the bright blues of the Blue Jay's feathers stand out against the brown of the trees. You can easily distinguish between individual birds!

    Whenever a photograph is taken, shadows and light make up what we see on the paper. (or on the screen) The composition of a good shot involves positioning the lights and darks in a pleasing way.

    The earth’s rotation as it orbits around the sun brings us into the earth’s shadow every night. Day and night depend on where the sun is in relation to us. When we see a Lunar Eclipse, we are watching as the earth’s shadow moves across the surface of the moon. When we see a Solar Eclipse, we are watching as the shadow of the moon passes across the earth’s surface.  The sun is being hidden by the moon.

    On a separate note, isn’t it amazing that the orbit of the moon and the size of the moon is just right to completely cover the sun? If the moons orbit was further away from the planet, we wouldn’t get complete coverage. For that matter, isn’t it neat that the orbits coincide with each other to properly line up to provide these events!

    Here’s another note for you…On April 8^th, 2024, we here in the Pittsburgh area will be treated to a nearly complete solar eclipse. (Approximately 95% of the sun will be covered from here) By driving north to the area around Erie, we will be able to see a complete solar eclipse! 100%!!! The shadows path cuts across more than just the Erie area, there are plenty of places you can go to see this event! If you can do it, I’d suggest making that drive! You will be inside the shadow of the moon! The surrounding area will be dark even though it will be the middle of the day! Mark your calendars! Don’t miss it!

The Chinese S.S. (Tiangong) going from west to east (R to L) at top of picture

(Click to enlarge)

Tiangong disappearing as it passes over the Pleiades

    I experienced another example of the earth’s shadow a couple nights ago. There was a pass of the Chinese Space Station (Tiangong) going over Pittsburgh. After it passed overhead, it started to fade and then disappeared from view. It had just passed into the earth’s shadow. While it was visible, about 250 miles above us, the sun was shining on it and illuminating it. Since it is so far away, no details could be seen, just a bright star like point of light traveling across the sky. When its orbit took it into the shadow, it appeared to disappear.  There one minute and gone the next!

    There are lots of satellites which orbit the earth, many which can be seen without any optical aid. Two of them, Tiangong and the ISS (The International Space Station) have crew members living on them! You can get an idea of when they will be passing over your area by checking various apps and web sites.

 I use Heavens-above.com to see what’s going over my house.

    You know that it doesn’t take a lot to excite me. I find that something to be proud of! Things like watching shadows of Jupiter’s moons crossing the planet’s surface. Seeing the peaks of mountains on the moon being illuminated by the sun while their bases wait in the shadows for the sunshine to reach them is always cool to see. Simply watching the shadows on the hillside across the valley slowly rise up the hill as the sun gets lower and lower can be exciting.

    Watching the shadows move across the snow in the back yard, I can’t help but think, it is such a neat world we live in! There are so many interesting things we see every day. So, keep your eyes open, who knows what we might see next?

Watching for The Space Stations

    It was the morning of the 4^th, a little after 6 oclock, the light of dawn hadn’t arrived yet. For the most part, the neighborhood was dark and quiet. My neighbor’s porch light did intrude a bit but I could work around it. There was no moon in the sky making it appear even darker.

    I had gotten up early to watch two space stations pass over my house. Who would have imagined doing this 50 or 60 years ago? Science fiction HAS come true!

(No comment needed!)

    Finding a spot that was shielded from the obtrusive porch light next door, I familiarized myself with the stars above. The camera was set up with hopes of getting a couple shots as the stations passed bright stars. Then, all that needed to be done was to wait and enjoy the silence.

Tiangong passing towards the left (East) under Arctures

    The first to appear was the Chinese space station Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace”. It came over the trees right at the scheduled time. Presently there are three astronauts on board this structure. Watching as it got higher in the sky, I was startled by a woman walking her dog. I pointed to the satellite and told her what it was, she simply said “cool” and continued her walk. I'm guessing she wasn't impressed.

    Nearing the end of its passage across the sky, off in a different direction the International Space Station (ISS) had appeared behind some other trees. For a brief while I could see both space stations in the sky at the same time! While it might not excite others, I found this fascinating!

    I swiveled my camera around to catch the ISS and when I looked up, I saw a bright object beside Polaris. (The North Star) As I watched, it proceeded to get brighter. I pushed the shutter on the camera and when I looked back up, the object had disappeared. 

The ISS passing over Polaris, heading towards the right (East)

    Once the ISS had completed its pass, I went inside (into the warmth!) to see if I had caught the flare. The pictures came out nicely, the ISS appearing much brighter than Tiangong since it is a bigger structure. (There are seven crewmen from different countries on the ISS presently.) Someday I'll get a picture with both of them in the same shot!

    As far as the flare goes, I can only guess to what it was. It reminded me of an Iridium Flare. Years ago, there was a fleet of satellites that were shaped in a way that caused bright flares to appear as the sunlight shined on them. If you happened to be in the proper spot at the proper time, you could see them. They were fun to point out to people at star parties.

    There had also been a meteor shower that peaked the day before. It could’ve been one of them. I failed to notice which direction it was coming from, it appeared to be coming straight towards me.  There was also a report of a possible meteor exploding over the Western Pennsylvania area on New Year’s Day…could it have been something related to that?

    Whatever it was, it made for an exciting morning! I always find it rewarding to see things in the sky, or elsewhere, that I wasn’t expecting.

    I had planned on going back inside and slipping back under the covers but this changed everything. I had to see how the pictures came out and to check a few web sites to see if any other bright satellites were in the sky at that time. I found nothing on-line, so I’m leaning towards a flare from a random satellite. There are thousands of objects floating around up there…who knows?

ISS to the left in the trees, the flare and Polaris, all in line

(6:30:42AM EST)

    A couple of satellites, a flare, a good cup of coffee and a bit of research, yup, this day was off to a great start!

Prepping for a Star Party

 

               I’m excited! The AAAP will be holding star parties once again. With the majority of the population in Pennsylvania being vaccinated, the mask requirements have been dropped.

               This will be the first star party in 20 months. Since my retirement is nearing, I am no longer working Friday nights. This will free me up for both nights (July 16 & 17^th) at the Wagman Observatory in Deer Lakes Park.

               The general idea behind a star party is to show the public the wonders of the night sky. Club members bring their telescopes and set them up so that visitors can use them. Guests are welcome to bring their own scopes or just look through the member’s scopes. All the telescopes are there for you to look through, including the two large scopes mounted in the observatory. 

                  I can’t remember the last time I took a telescope to a star party. I do know it has been a long time! I used to go to lots of them. I had possession of one of the clubs better refractors and would set it up near the observatory. I remember fondly people saying that the refractor showed better images than the two mounted telescopes inside the building. Ahh, those were the days. It is always enjoyable showing people the stars!

               Since it has been such a long time since I went to one and dealt with the public, I figured I needed to make up a checklist to make sure I didn’t forget anything I would need.  I also made a list of possible objects to view during the night.

               Forgetting things is something I tend to do very well. There is nothing worse than driving 10-15 miles only to discover that I’ve forgotten the box of eyepieces or the weights used to balance the scope.

               There are approximately 20 days until the first star party. (Depending on when I post this or when you read it) I’ve made up my “to take” list and my “to view” list. Both are subject to change as the dates near. Here is what I’ve included so far:

To Take:

The Refractor

Tripod

Weights

Eyepieces

Binoculars

Flashlight (red)

Log book/ pens

Star Atlas, Observers Handbook & the current Astronomy magazine

Drinks / Snacks

Jacket

Hat

Bug spray

 

To Observe:

    Venus (west) sets around 10

    Mars (west)

    Moon- sets after midnight

    Jupiter (east) rises around 10:30-11

    Saturn (east) rises around 9:30- 10

    Any satellite passes worth noting

    Mizar and Alcor (Ursa Major)

    M81 & 82 (Ursa Major)

    M-31 Andromeda Galaxy

    M-57 Ring Nebula (Lyra)

    Double Double (Lyra) Epsilon Lyrae     

    Double cluster (Persius) after midnight ?

    Coat Hanger Cluster  (in line with Alberio)

    Alberio Double star in Cygnus 

With my list of objects to observe, I try to go for things which will be exciting for novices to see. It is also important to list things which will be visible during the night of the party! No sense listing the Orion Nebula if Orion won’t be in the sky that night.

               Venus and Mars will be in the western sky, setting shortly after dark falls. The moon will be in the sky until around midnight, being about 40% illuminated, it will be a good object to observe. The mountains along the terminator are always fun to look at.

               The planets Jupiter and Saturn are always crowd pleasers, they will be showing up in the east as the night progresses. The moons of Jupiter can be seen to move over an hour or so and the rings of Saturn are always memorable.

I have included a couple double stars and a few other things such as clusters and asterisms. I also included M-57, the Ring Nebula. This can be a difficult object for some to discern since it is rather faint, I’ll save it for later in the night, after the moon sets.

Before the event, I’ll go out in the yard and try to locate these objects. I haven’t done a lot of observing lately and I need to be able to quickly locate these things. It is always tough when someone is standing there, waiting to see what you have in your scope!

I’m anxiously looking forward to these dates. It will be great to spend a night under the stars. This though, brings up another subject, the possibility of bad weather. We live in Pittsburgh and it has a terrible history of bad weather conditions. I always say, “If there is something astronomical planned, the chances are it will rain!” (The picture above was taken during a VERY close conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter. The weather gods laughed at us…) I might have a cramp or two on July 16^th and 17^th, because I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed until then!

If you’re in the area, I hope to see you there!  Mark these dates...July 16 & 17, 2021! Find out more at The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh web site:

3AP.ORG

I went outside for awhile last night and located a couple of the items on my list. It was a beautiful night, the temperature was perfect for observing. A pair of shorts and an open shirt was all I needed. (That and some bug spray) The stars competed with the fireflies. I saw a couple shooting stars and then got stuck on the items I was observing.  I wanted to just find them and then go to the next but I found I couldn’t help but stick with them for awhile, enjoying the beauty of the night. I saw LOTS of satellites; it seems as if no matter where I’m looking, one will drift through the field of view. Just before I tore things down, I saw a great shooting star, it was slow and bright and right where I was looking. How can you beat that?

Speaking of satellites, I woke up a little before 5 the next morning and watched the Chinese space station, Tianhe-1, go over and then a short while later, the International Space Station following a slightly different path. I watched both until they were lost in the brightness of the eastern sky.

The birds were chirping away, singing their morning songs and I, went back to bed where my dreams were waiting for me.