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

Weather and a full moon will both be issues this weekend. We are looking at 75-80% cloud cover on both Friday and Saturday. If that forecast persists, we will likely cancel both nights. We also have the full moon falling on Friday night. White light is the enemy of being able to see dim objects. Our best objects on full moon nights are the planets and the Moon itself. Jupiter and Venus are the only planets easily visible in the evening sky right now.

Let’s focus on the Moon this week. We have an extraordinary natural satellite! Here are some of the things that make it remarkable:

·       It is the biggest moon in the solar system when compared to its planet. It is about 25% the diameter of the Earth. Jupiter and Saturn both have bigger moons but they are a tiny fraction of the planet’s size.

·       The Moon is almost exactly the same angular size as the Sun in the sky. Both occupy about a 1/2 degree in the sky. That is what makes our Solar Eclipses so amazing. The Moon covers the Sun’s disk but we can still see its outer atmosphere. Our next Solar Eclipse will occur on August 12th of this year, but you will need to be along a narrow path from Iceland to Spain to see it. The image today is the Sun’s corona during our 2024 Solar Eclipse that passed through North America.

·       The Sun’s gravitational pull on the Earth causes our tides. The highest and lowest tides occur when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are in a line at the new and full moon. Do you know what it's called when three objects are aligned? Put your answer in the comments.

·       The Moon will be the next heavenly body where humanity will live. It is the goal of the Artemis Program to establish a permanent base on the Moon. This could happen in the next ten years.

·       There are craters on the Moon that are so deep that the Sun never reaches the bottom. We are convinced that we will find ice in those craters near the Moon’s South Pole. If you have ice, you have water, oxygen, and rocket fuel.

Be sure to check communityobservatory.com before you head up the hill. We call weather closures no later than 3 PM so, if you check it after 3 and we haven’t announced a closure, come on up. Even though we have had some warm days, our nights can be cold.  Bring a jacket. Be prepared to pay $2 to the college for parking.

 

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