What can you expect to see at the Community Observatory this weekend?

We have a potentially good weekend for viewing the sky. The waning gibbous moon won’t rise until almost 11 PM on Friday and it will be an hour later Saturday. The weather forecast predicts some clouds with average seeing. Saturday looks to be a bit better than Friday. At worst, if it is like last weekend, we will be able to see only the brightest objects. So, please be sure to check out our website before you make the trip up the hill. If we are going to close, we will announce that by 3 PM on the day of the event.
The stellar sights will continue to be Jupiter and Saturn. Both will be well positioned and magnificent even if we have high thin clouds (our norm lately). Jupiter’s cloud bands and 4 bright moons will be easily seen. Those of you with excellent eyes may be able to see the Great Red Spot. Saturn is moving lower into the west and will be less impressive than it has been. Nevertheless, its yellow orb and edge-on rings will be memorable. Virtually everyone gasps when they first see it.
Social media is hyping a “Planetary Alignment” again for February 28th. It is true that seeing six planets will be <<possible>> on that date but it will be far from anything like the images that they show in their posts. Venus, Mercury, and Saturn will be low in the west right after sundown and thus difficult to see. Uranus and Neptune will be visible in our big telescopes but picking them out in binoculars is unlikely. Mars will not be visible at all yet. That leaves Jupiter. And, of course, the planets are always “aligned” in that they all follow the same path across the sky. There is nothing special about February 28th. Recommendation – BLOCK the posters who take advantage of the fact that there are no controls on social media to spread lies and half-truths.
The winter sky is full of amazing deep sky sights. The Pleiades Star Cluster is directly overhead. Orion with its amazing nebulas will be rising in the east.
There will be a Solar Saturday at MOSAC near Discovery Park this Saturday from 10 AM until Noon. The Sun has been very active with many X-class flares. X is the most vigorous of the flares. Most flares push material out of the Sun, but its massive gravity pulls it back. Sometimes charge particles are ejected so vigorously that the material continues out into the greater solar system. This is called a CME or Coronal Mass Ejection. IF that CME is directed towards Earth, we might experience auroras. We have been hoping that this could happen with this increased solar activity. Today's image is from Bill Hagbery, our head solar docent. It is the active sunspot region on the Sun that is producing the X-Class Flares.
Consider joining us this weekend. Our website is your best source of up to date information on our schedule.

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