'Observatory Dedicated to Boy Scouts of America'
(June 1998, BSA)
For the past three years, amateur astronomers Stephen Saber and Gene Evans have been showing the wonders of the night sky to visitors at the Loud Thunder Illowa Scout Camp and Forest Preserve in Illinois City, IL.
June and July alone see more than 2,000 Scouts from across the nation (and overseas) pass through the camp, and each are given the opportunity to view the Moon, planets, and distant galaxies through telescopes and binoculars.
The response was so well received that the HON corporation in Muscatine, Iowa funded the construction of a permanent astronomical observatory at the camp, the first specifically dedicated for use by the Boy Scouts of America.
In keeping with the forest preserve's Native American roots, the observatory was named Akotah Kanikamocik Acahkosak (The Place of Singing Stars).
Operated and maintained by Saber and Evans, the 18-foot automated dome houses a 14-inch Schmitt-Cassegrain telescope, and is available for all visiting Scout troops and their families.
[Despite my efforts and research to poetically name the observatory, it wasn't too suprising that the visiting Scouts almost immediately dubbed it the 'Thunderdome' (and I, accordingly, became 'Mad Max'). -Saber]
*****
| Outreach |
Starparties are more than just our chance to combine forces collecting photons, converse with friends, and show-off our new astro toys. Veterans also have the chance to flex their expertise as celestial tour guides for the visiting public.
And after offering thousands of visitors their first up-close glimpses of the heavens, I'd like to share some of my personal favorite laymans' reactions at the eyepiece.
HELIOPHOBIA: It was a beautiful day for Solar observing among the Red Rocks of Arizona. I had a long line forming behind my mounted and filtered 80mm giant binos. But a middle-aged woman 'on deck' was becoming increasingly reluctant despite the safety reassurances from me and those of her family that had already taken a peek. Without warning, her panic attack erupted with accompanying hysterical ranting about a possible intimate view of our star 'invading her spirit' and 'stealing her soul'. She ran from the line and spent the next 10 minutes waiting for the rest of her family crouched in fear and peering from behind a nearby building.
HAVE YOU HUGGED AN ASTROLOGER TODAY?: Mighty Jove never fails to make an impression with newbies. After taking a long look with praise and awe at Jupiter, an excited woman began gushing me with thanks and multiple bearhugs. Turns out she was an avid astrologer who had never had the chance to see her favorite planet 'live' among her birthsign's stars. She was so appreciative that I didn't have the heart to explain that Jupiter was nowhere near the constellation she had hoped.
LUNAR VERTIGO: A young lady in line for her first telescopic view of our moon got a bit more than she expected. That night, for kicks, I was employing the porthole effects of a 16mm Nagler. After about ten mesmerized seconds she managed a quiet and appreciative "Whoa". At almost the same time her knees slowly buckled. She fell onto my accessories table while still clutching the now teetering scope's diagonal. Fortunately my reflexes and moral priorities were on keel that night as I grabbed both the woman's arm and my tripod almost simultaneously, narrowly avoiding certain disaster. (Those Naglers should really come with a physiological warning!)
A SATURNIAN COMA: Saturn looked great that night. I was even envious that this massive group of Cub Scouts was going to enjoy such an incredibly crisp view of our ringed planet at only their first opportunity. In fact, an eager Scout about fifth in line was so literally floored by his view that he fell backwards into the grass and laid quietly mumbling "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God..." while blankly staring at the heavens for at least the next ten minutes. Not only was it amusing, but he made a great shill for those now anxiously waiting in my line.
IT TAKES A STEADY HAND: Back in the day, I used to whip out my red laser pointer at Outreach events to secretly coincide with Mir passes and Iridium flares.
Inevitably, one of the first questions asked was how far the beam would reach, to which I'd respond, "Pretty far. In fact, there are plenty of satellites above us in orbit (casually scanning the skies with the pointer), and sometimes you can catch them (aiming more intently now) at just the right angle and..."
(-7 mag Iridium flare erupts amidst gasps and cheers of amazement).
[Note: Due to recent public GLP misuse and to promote responsible laser use, I no longer perform this 'magic' light show.
But it was quite a crowd pleaser!]
GEE! NO, G.E.!: I overheard the story of
a Boy Scout camp offering the Astronomy merit badge to any hardy souls who could stay up late enough for the entire viewing session. The instructor had trained his scope on a bright planet (presumably Venus) just cresting the ridge across a valley. After the group had a look, he moved on to other objects for a few hours. Toward the end of the session, he returned to the planet they'd viewed earlier. Oddly enough, the luminous object appeared no higher in the sky than it had hours earlier. And on closer inspection, he noticed that it was in fact slightly below the ridge line on the far side of the valley. At that point the instructor realized he'd been training the scope on a street light.
At the end of that week of camp, the staff presented him with a plaque bearing a light bulb to commemorate the discovery of his new planet dubbed 'G.E.' (for General Electric).
WE DON'T NEED NO STEENKING EYEPIECES: Some folks just can't wait to get their first intimate views of the night sky. In a recent story of enthusiasm meeting confusion, I hadn't even mounted my giant binos before an excited elderly gentleman first in line eagerly attempted a peek at the Pleiades thru my tripod boom arm's stock.
He was so thoroughly chastized for this faux pas by his overbearing wife that I sympathetically passed on chiding him with "So, how was the view?"
MOON, SCHMOON: As part of a local elementary school's science fair, I was invited to bring my 8" SCT to share views of our moon and available planets.
Unfortunately, it decided to rain that evening.
Switching to Plan B, I set-up in the gymnasium and taped a blown-up 18" photo of our gibbous moon (laminated and cut round for just such an occasion) high above the bleachers at the opposite end of the gym.
Although the angle of my diagonal merely misled most folks as to location of the substitute-moon, one suspicious 3rd grader wasn't buying any part of this astronomical charade stating, "How can that be the Moon? I was just outside and couldn't see it at all through the clouds!"
He did not, however, seem to have a problem believing my scope was capable of first penetrating the building's ceiling.
FROM THE PUBLIC SOLAR COMPLAINTS DEPT.
"If it's so dangerous to look at the eclipse, then why are they having
one at all?"
"Why do we have Daylight Savings Time? That extra hour of sunlight is
killing my grass."
"Me and my class cannot make it to the Solar Eclipse on Wednesday.
Can you reschedule it?"
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: A line of elementary school students, along with some of the faculty, were taking turns at my scope viewing the available sunspots. After taking a peek, one exceptional 2nd grader began calmly explaining this Solar phenomenon to his nearby classmates. He recited perfectly facts concerning umbras and penumbras, surface temperature differences, approximate sizes of sunspots, as well as Sol's diameter and rotational period.
This was in some contrast to the next sunspot observer, the school's principal, who excitedly spun toward me from the eyepiece and simply exclaimed, "Wow! They look like ants!"
VICTORY SPIKE FOR VENUS: I was asked to host a daytime observing session at a nearby youth summer camp. Luckily, conditions were wonderful and the cloudless sky was about as blue as it gets in the Midwest. Hundreds of people had the opportunity to view Sol and Luna.
After lunch, Venus had also climbed high enough in the sky to make it an unscheduled but viable target. Among the first batch of afternoon campers, it was this group's adult counselor that was most excited that another planet might actually be observable during daylight hours. Upon seeing the admittedly pretty but featureless crescent of our sister planet for the first time, she began a touchdown-worthy dance around my scope. The 90 lb. woman's tirade included ecstatic screams and culminated with her falling to her knees and repeatedly pounding tiny fists into the ground.
(And to think I was just gonna stick to sunspots and craters!)
Of course, extreme reactions from views of our celestial treasures are always entertaining. But vicariously seeing the wonders above through a first-timers eyes should also always remind us- lest we take them for granted- of how beautiful, intriguing, and awe-inspiring the Cosmos and its aesthetics truly are.
Stephen Saber has received the Master Observer's award from the Astronomical League and is author of the 'Starhoppers Guide to the Herschel 400'.
He curses the clouds from his home in Rock Island, Illinois.
*****
| Articles |
Did you know that depriving large-aperture scopes of their
full deepsky potential is the #2 cause of cloudy nights?
Probably not. I just made it up.
Anyway, this should help take most of the gruntwork out of
preparing for the Astronomical League's ultimate fuzzy hunt.
Your Lightbucket is still hungry.
Feed it Herschel IIs.
TARGET DISTRIBUTION AND MIDNIGHT CULMINATION
DATES FOR THE H II CONSTELLATIONS
CMA (4 targets) JAN 2
GEM (3) JAN 5
MON (13) JAN 5
PUP (5) JAN 8
LYN (4) JAN 19
SEX (1) FEB 22
LMI (4) FEB 23
LEO (20) MAR 1
UMA (39) MAR 11
CRT (9) MAR 12
HYA (13) MAR 15
CRV (2) MAR 28
COM (19) APR 2
CVN (16) APR 7
VIR (62) APR 11
BOO (12) MAY 2
LIB (9) MAY 9
DRA (11) MAY 24
SER (3) JUN 6
HER (7) JUN 13
SGR (4) JUL 7
AQL (3) JUL 16
VUL (2) JUL 25
CYG (11) JUL 30
CAP (1) AUG 8
AQR (6) AUG 25
LAC (1) AUG 28
PEG (13) SEP 1
SCL (2) SEP 26
PSC (15) SEP 27
CEP (7) SEP 29
AND (4) OCT 9
CAS (2) OCT 9
CET (15) OCT 15
TRI (5) OCT 23
ARI (3) OCT 30
PER (13) NOV 7
ERI (17) NOV 10
TAU (3) NOV 30
ORI (8) DEC 11
LEP (3) DEC 14
AUR (3) DEC 21
CAM (3) DEC 23
NGC SEARCH SEQUENCES BY CONSTELLATION
CANIS MAJOR
2283 2367 2359 2374
GEMINI
2274 2331 2339
MONOCEROS
2170 2182 2252 2236 2254 2261 2245 2259
2269 2302 2309 2316 2346
PUPPIS
2396 2414 2432 2467 2525
LYNX
2415 2493 2500 2541
SEXTANS
3156
LEO MINOR
3254 3430 3424 3158
LEO
3107 3177 3162 3301 3274 3338 3596 3605
3599 3507 3681 3659 3067 3646 3689 3524
3547 3666 3705 3611
URSA MAJOR
2639 2756 2880 2805 3065 3516 3073 3225
3359 3668 3622 3642 3669 3683 3756 3319
3583 4271 4290 4605 4096 4144 4047 4100
4157 4013 3652 4062 5447 5462 5485 5443
5585 5204 5308 5430 5481 5480 5448
CRATER
3513 3511 3693 3732 3672 3636 3637 3892
3887
HYDRA
2610 2781 2855 2889 2784 2765 2986 3078
3145 3585 4105 5061 5078
CORVUS
4024 4039
COMA BERENICES
4237 4152 4212 4189 4298 4302 4312 4379
4340 4336 4571 4185 4169 4136 4310 4359
5056 5012 5053
CANES VENATICI
4248 4220 4217 4369 4244 4138 4395 4914
4956 5023 5103 5440 5444 5445 5371 5383
VIRGO
4045 4073 4168 4267 4299 4294 4313 4124
4233 4224 4235 4241 4260 4264 4270 4339
4343 4608 4647 4639 4519 4612 4586 4880
5020 5129 4691 4904 4999 4487 4941 4915
4981 4928 4939 4742 5077 4984 4902 5044
5037 5018 5084 5068 5087 5134 5493 5426
5506 5507 5560 5638 5668 5750 5775 5806
5813 5831 5838 5850 5854 5864
BOOTES
5520 5660 5687 5582 5533 5529 5590 5899
5523 5548 5490 5600
LIBRA
5812 5861 5878 5756 5728 5791 5605 5595
5597
DRACO
3682 4133 4236 4250 4256 4291 4319 5879
5985 6015 6340
SERPENS
5970 6070 6604
HERCULES
6106 6181 6166 6058 6155 6239 6548
SAGITTARIUS
6507 6526 6596 6717
AQUILA
6814 6772 6804
VULPECULA
6793 6800
CYGNUS
6894 6857 6888 6960 6992 6824 6991 6997
7031 7067 7082
CAPRICORNUS
6907
AQUARIUS
7184 7218 7171 7377 7392 7600
LACERTA
7245
PEGASUS
7156 7042 7177 7465 7463 7332 7457 7619
7626 7623 7742 7814 23
SCULPTOR
7507 24
PISCES
7541 7562 7785 7832 125 198 315 410
499 514 660 665 706 741 718
CEPHEUS
7023 7129 7139 7354 7419 7762 1184
ANDROMEDA
7640 206 214 513
CASSIOPEIA
7635 896
CETUS
175 217 151 337 357 636 428 991 1045
1035 1032 1073 1087 1090 1070
TRIANGULUM
672 604 890 925 1060
ARIES
821 1156 1012
PERSEUS
1058 1003 1207 1175 1193 1161 1169 1348
1491 1579 1582 1605 1624
ERIDANIS
1187 1114 1172 1199 1209 1162 1325 1332
1353 1400 1421 1507 1600 1618 1637 1700
1779
TAURUS
1514 1750 1587
ORION
1762 1662 1663 1977 1990 2023 2071 2112
LEPUS
1832 2139 2196
AURIGA
1883 1778 2192
CAMELOPARDALIS
2253 2347 2366
*****
| Deepsky |
Young/Old Crescent Spotting Tips
Set up at a site with as much altitude as possible overlooking an unobstructed horizon.
Optimal sky transparency allows the crescent to be detected and tracked down to, or up from, the horizon.
Using a telescope or binoculars (mounted binos are recommended), fine tune the focus on Venus, Jupiter, or one of the brighter stars beforehand.
For dusk attempts, have Sol's setting azimuth on hand- making note after sunset of a random landmark at that position for reference- as well as Luna's altaz position at sunset thru moonset. Accordingly, for dawn attempts, have Luna's altaz info for moonrise thru sunrise.
As dawn slivers have the advantage of possible detection with dark-adapted eyes, wearing sunglasses during the day prior to sunset attempts is recommended for maximum 'dusk' adaptation.
Once the crescent is acquired in binoculars, walk the bino down to the horizon/random landmark in consecutive FOVs for the approximate naked-eye altaz.
A favorable elongation is important. In the 24 hours before or after New Moon, Luna's angular separation from Sol can vary by several degrees. With a favorable ecliptic, net elongations (as altitude) of 6° or more at sunset or moonrise offer the best window for detection. 8-10° is necessary to catch Saber's beads in optimal/deep twilight.
Illuminated fractions of same-age crescents within 24 hours of New Moon can vary by over 200% and more than a full magnitude of brightness. Slivers near perigee provide faster elongations and thicker, brighter lunar profiles for personal record crescent spotting.
Last but not least, don't always count-out a shallow ecliptic. Occasionally our moon's extreme northern or southern declination will compensate for a less than favorable ecliptic angle.
Lunation 1086
New Moon 07 October 2010 1844ut
Areas offering net elongations as altitude of 6° or more
are indicated in blue/orange above with corresponding sighting
data provided below.
Angular Size/Distance
@-24hours 33.6'/356159km
@ 00hours 33.4'/357564km
@+24hours 33.1'/360866km
Declination
@-24hours -04°59'
@ 00hours -11°02'
@+24hours -16°23'
Colongitude
@-24hours 255.0°
@ 00hours 267.0°
@+24hours 279.1°
%Illumination/Mag
@-24hours 0.015/-1.36
@+24hours 0.014/-1.36
-24h Waning
lat/long: 10n00e
moonrise/azimuth: 0516ut/97
altaz at sunrise: 6.4/99
sunrise/azimuth: 0549ut/95
age at moonrise: -13h28m
30n30e
0322ut/97
6.1/102
0357ut/96
-15h22m
10n30e
0311ut/96
7.5/98
0349ut/95
-15h33m
10s30e
0302ut/96
8.4/95
0341ut/96
-15h42m
30s30e
0251ut/97
7.6/93
0332ut/97
-15h53m
30n60e
0116ut/97
7.2/102
0157ut/96
-17h28m
30n90e
2309ut/94
8.4/102
2357ut/96
-19h35m
10n90e
2301ut/95
9.8/98
2352ut/95
-19h43m
50n120e
2115ut/93
6.6/107
2212ut/97
-21h29m
30n120e
2104ut/94
9.6/102
2200ut/96
-21h40m
10n120e
2056ut/95
11.0/97
2152ut/95
-21h48m
10s120e
2049ut/95
11.3/93
2144ut/96
-21h55m
30s120e
2041ut/94
9.7/90
2135ut/97
-22h03m
50n150e
1908ut/92
7.6/108
2012ut/97
-23h36m
10s150e
1845ut/94
12.3/92
1944ut/96
-23h59m
30s150e
1838ut/93
10.4/89
1935ut/97
(-24h06m)
-24h Waxing
lat/long: 10n00e
sunset/azimuth: 1750ut/264
altaz at sunset: 6.8/253
moonset/azimuth: 1820ut/255
age at sunset: 23h06m
10n30e
1549ut/264
6.0/253
1615ut/255
21h05m
10s30e
1558ut/264
9.0/256
1638ut/255
21h14m
30s30e
1608ut/263
11.2/260
1703ut/254
21h24m
30s120e
1007ut/263
7.7/259
1046ut/255
15h23m
30s150e
0806ut/263
6.6/259
0851ut/255
13h22m
Lunation 1087
New Moon 06 November 2010 0452ut
Areas offering net elongations as altitude of 6° or more are
indicated in blue/orange above with corresponding sighting
data provided below.
Angular Size/Distance
@-24hours 32.2'/370867km
@ 00hours 32.0'/373689km
@+24hours 31.7'/377444km
Declination
@-24hours -15°54'
@ 00hours -20°03'
@+24hours -22°57'
Colongitude
@-24h 253.2°
@ 00h 265.3°
@+24h 277.5°
%Illumination/Mag
@-24hours 0.014/-1.36
@+24hours 0.013/-1.02
-24h Waning
long/lat: 90w30n
moonrise/azimuth: 1139ut/109
(venus 3.0 deg n)
altaz at sunrise: 6.1/115
sunrise/azimuth: 1219ut/108
age at moonrise: -17h13m
90w10n
1110ut/107
(venus 2.7 deg n)
8.4/109
1153ut/106
-17h32m
60w10n
0905ut/106
(venus 1.3 deg n)
9.5/109
2137ut/254
-19h47m
60w10s
0841ut/106
(venus 1.1 deg n)
9.8/105
0930ut/106
-20h11m
60w30s
0814ut/108
(venus 0.8 deg n)
8.7/103
0904ut/109
-20h38m
00e50n
0605ut/114
(venus 0.9 deg e)
6.0/125
0657ut/114
-22h47m
00e30n
0522ut/108
(venus 1.0 deg se)
9.3/115
0618ut/108
-23h30m
30e50n
0358/114
(venus 2.0 deg se)
6.5/125
0457ut/114
-24h54m
30e30n
0317ut/107
(venus 2.2 deg sse)
10.4/115
0417ut/108
-25h35m
30e10n
0251ut/105
(venus 2.5 deg ssw)
12.8/109
0352ut/106
-26h01m
30e10s
0229ut/105
(venus 3.0 deg sw)
12.7/103
0329ut/106
-26h23m
30e30s
0203ut/107
(venus 3.5 deg wsw)
10.9/101
0303ut/109
-26h49m
60e50n
0152ut/115
(venus 3.0 deg sw)
7.4/126
0256ut/114
-27h00m
60e30n
0112ut/107
(venus 3.5 deg ssw)
11.5/116
0217ut/108
-27h40m
-24h Waxing
long/lat: 160w20n
sunset/azimuth: 0404ut/253
altaz at sunset: 6.2/243
(mercury 2.3 deg nw)
moonset/azimuth: 0438ut/246
age at sunset: 23h48m
90w10n
2339ut/254
6.1/246
(mercury 3.8 deg nnw)
0006ut/248
18h47m
60w10s
2202ut/253
7.3/289
(mercury 4.5 deg nnw)
2234ut/248
17h10m
60w30s
2230ut/251
8.6/250
(mercury 4.1 deg nw)
2312ut/246
17h38m
Lunation 1088
New Moon 05 December 2010 1736ut
Areas offering net elongations as altitude of 6° or more
are indicated in orange/blue above with corresponding
sighting data provided below.
Angular Size/Distance
@-24hours 32.0'/373298km
@ 00hours 31.7'/376922km
@+24hours 31.3'/381250km
Declination
@-24hours -23°46'
@ 00hours -25°01'
@+24hours -24°47'
Colongitude
@-24h 252.5°
@ 00h 264.7°
@+24h 277.0°
%Illumination/Mag
@-24hours 0.013/-1.02
@+24hours 0.011/-0.68
-24h Waning
long/lat: 165w20n
moonrise/azimuth: 1626ut/114
altaz at sunrise: 9.5/119
sunrise/azimuth: 1720ut/113
age at moonrise: (-25h10m)
45e10s
0156ut/114
6.2/112
0229ut/113
-15h40m
75e10n
0027ut/113
6.5/115
0103ut/112
-17h09m
90e10n
2325ut/113
7.2/115
0003ut/112
-18h11m
105e10n
2222ut/113
7.5/115
2303ut/112
-19h14m
120e30n
2201ut/117
6.1/122
2240ut/115
-19h35m
120e10n
2120ut/113
8.2/115
2203ut/112
-20h16m
120e10s
2044ut/113
8.6/112
2129ut/113
-20h52m
120e30s
2002ut/117
8.1/111
2050ut/116
-21h34m
135e30n
2059ut/117
6.3/122
2140ut/115
-21h37m
135e10s
1941ut/113
9.3/112
2029ut/113
-21h55m
135e30s
1900ut/117
8.4/111
1950ut/116
-22h36m
150e10s
1839ut/113
10.0/111
1929ut/113
-22h57m
150e30s
1758ut/116
9.0/111
1850ut/116
-23h38m
-24h Waxing
long/lat: 15w10n
sunset/azimuth: 1912ut/247
altaz at sunset: 11.2/247
moonset/azimuth: 2009ut/245
age at sunset: (25h36m)
00e30n
1701ut/244
7.1/236
1746ut/242
23h25m
00e10n
1739ut/247
9.4/243
1829ut/245
(24h03m)
15e30n
1601ut/244
6.4/236
1643ut/242
22h25m
15e10n
1639ut/247
9.2/243
1727ut/245
23h03m
15e10s
1712ut/247
10.2/247
1804ut/245
23h36m
15e30s
1752ut/243
9.3/248
1847ut/242
(24h16m)
30e30n
1501ut/244
6.2/237
1541ut/242
21h25m
30e10n
1539ut/247
8.5/243
1624ut/245
22h03m
30e10s
1612ut/247
9.5/247
1702ut/245
22h36m
30e30s
1652ut/243
9.0/248
1745ut/242
23h16m
45e10n
1439ut/247
8.2/243
1522ut/245
21h03m
45e30s
1552ut/243
8.4/247
1642ut/242
22h16m
75e10n
1239ut/247
7.2/243
1317ut/245
19h03m
90e10n
1139ut/247
6.5/243
1215ut/245
18h03m
105e10n
1039ut/247
6.2/244
1112ut/245
17h03m
120e10s
1012ut/247
6.5/246
1048ut/245
16h36m
120e30s
1051ut/243
6.4/246
1131ut/241
17h15m
135e10s
0912ut/247
6.2/246
0945ut/245
15h36m
135e30s
0951ut/243
6.1/246
1029ut/241
16h15m
Lunation 1089
New Moon 04 January 2011 0903ut
Areas offering net elongations as altitude of 6° or more
are indicated in orange/blue above with corresponding
sighting data provided below.
Angular Size/Distance
@-24hours 30.6'/390723km
@ 00hours 30.3'/394864km
@+24hours 30.0'/398844km
Declination
@-24hours -24°02'
@ 00hours -22°07'
@+24hours -19°12'
Colongitude
@-24h 253.1°
@ 00h 265.3°
@+24h 277.6°
%Illumination/Mag
@-24hours 0.011/-0.68
@+24hours 0.010/-0.68
-24h Waning
long/lat: 90w30n
moonrise/azimuth: 1218ut/117
altaz at sunrise: 6.0/122
sunrise/azimuth: 1255ut/116
age at moonrise: -20h45m
90w10n
1136ut/114
8.0/116
1217ut/113
-21h27m
75w10n
1033ut/114
8.3/116
1117ut/113
-22h30m
75w10s
0957ut/114
9.1/122
1043ut/113
-23h06
75w30s
0914ut/117
8.2/112
1003ut/117
-23h49m
60w10n
0931ut/114
8.6/116
1017ut/113
-23h32m
60w10s
0855ut/114
9.4/112
0943ut/113
(-24h08m)
60w30s
0812ut/117
8.5/111
0903ut/117
(-24h51m)
-24h Waxing
long/lat: 165w20n
sunset/azimuth: 0435ut/246
altaz at sunset: 7.5/245
moonset/azimuth: 1838ut/108
age at sunset: 19h32m
120w30n
0114ut/244
6.1/242
0151ut/247
16h11m
105e50n
0914ut/234
7.3/227
1021ut/240
(24h11m)
120e50n
0814ut/234
7.1/227
0918ut/240
23h07m
120e30n
0915ut/244
9.4/241
1011ut/248
(24h12m)
120e10n
0953ut/247
10.2/248
1043ut/251
(24h50m)
135e50n
0714ut/234
6.4/228
0815ut/239
22h11m
135e30n
0815ut/244
9.1/241
0908ut/248
23h12m
135e10s
0927ut/246
8.4/252
1009ut/251
(24h24m)
150e10s
0826ut/246
8.3/252
0907ut/251
23h23m
Lunation 1090
New Moon 03 February 2011 0231ut
Areas offering net elongations as altitude of 6° or more
are indicated in orange/blue above with corresponding
sighting data provided below.
Angular Size/Distance
@-24hours 29.8'/401646
@ 00hours 29.6'/403563
@+24hours 29.5'/404971
Declination
@-24hours -17°45'
@ 00hours -13°52'
@+24hours -09°28'
Colongitude
@-24h 254.7°
@ 00h 266.9°
@+24h 279.1°
%Illumination/Mag
@-24hours 0.010/-0.34
@+24hours 0.009/-0.34
-24h Waning
long/lat: 60w10n
moonrise/azimuth: 1011ut/106
altaz at sunrise: 6.1/107
sunrise/azimuth: 1042ut/107
age at moonrise: -16h20m
60w10s
0947ut/106
6.0/105
1017ut/107
-16m44m
45w10s
0824ut/106
6.4/105
0857ut/107
-18h07m
15w10n
0645ut/107
7.3/108
0722ut/107
-19h46m
00e30n
0612ut/109
6.2/114
0649ut/109
-20h19m
00e10n
0543ut/107
7.6/109
0622ut/107
-20h48m
15e30n
0511ut/109
6.4/114
0549ut/109
-21h20m
15e10n
0442ut/107
8.2/109
0522ut/107
-19h49m
15e10s
0416ut/107
8.3/105
0457ut/107
-22h15m
15e30s
0346ut/110
7.2/105
0428ut/110
-22h45m
30e30n
0409ut/109
6.6/114
0449ut/109
-22h22m
30e10n
0340ut/107
8.4/109
0422ut/107
-22h51m
30e10s
0314ut/107
8.6/106
0357ut/107
-23h17m
30e30s
0244ut/110
7.5/105
-23h47m
45e30n
0307ut/110
7.2/115
0349ut/109
-23h24m
45e10n
0238ut/107
9.1/109
0322ut/107
-23h53m
45e10s
0212ut/107
9.3/106
0257ut/107
(-24h19m)
60e30n
0206ut/110
7.3/115
0249/109
(-24h25m)
-24h Waxing
long/lat: 165w60n
sunset/azimuth: 0321ut/237
altaz at sunset: 9.1/232
moonset/azimuth: 0457ut/253
age at sunset: 24h00m
165w20n
0454ut/253
10.4/256
0545ut/261
(25h23m)
120w50n
0059ut/245
9.0/242
0208ut/256
22h28m
120w30n
0140ut/135
9.3/253
0231ut/259
23h09m
105w50n
2358ut/245
8.5/242
0105ut/255
21h27m
105w30n
0040ut/251
9.0/253
0129ut/259
22h09m
90w50n
2259ut/245
8.1.243
0002ut/255
20h28m
90w30n
2340ut/251
8.4/253
0027ut/259
21h09m
90w10n
0006ut/253
7.4/259
0042ut/260
21h35m
75w50n
2158ut/245
7.6/243
2300ut/255
19h27m
75w10n
2306ut/253
7.1/258
2340ut/260
20h35m
60w50n
2058ut/245
7.3/243
2157ut/254
18h27m
60w10n
2206ut/253
6.5/258
2239ut/260
19h35m
00e30n
1739ut/251
6.0/253
1813ut/258
15h08m
raw data generated with WinEphem
*check local listings*
*****
| Lunar |
You've probably seen a very thin sliver of our moon after sunset or before sunrise. Imagine it thinner. And even thinner. Eventually all that's left is sunlight shining off the mountain peaks while leaving the valleys in darkness. This arched 'string-of-pearls' is known as Saber's beads after a comment I made about the visual similarity to what is seen during a solar eclipse.
Just before (and after) the moon passes in front of the sun, light shines at us through the valleys but is blocked by the mountains- the mirrored effect of Saber's beads. After reporting this resemblence, my esteemed stargazing colleagues honored me with its namesake.
While promoted as an outreach term, further scientific study may also provide new insights regarding local albedo values within the lunar libration zones.
*****
EXTREME CRESCENT SPOTTING TIPS
Set up at a site with as much altitude as possible overlooking an unobstructed horizon.
Optimal sky transparency allows the crescent to be detected and tracked down to, or up from, the horizon.
Using a telescope or binoculars (mounted binos are recommended), fine tune the focus on Venus, Jupiter, or one of the brighter stars beforehand.
For dusk attempts, have Sol's setting azimuth on hand- making note after sunset of a random landmark at that position for reference- as well as Luna's altaz position at sunset thru moonset. Accordingly, for dawn attempts, have Luna's altaz info for moonrise thru sunrise.
As dawn slivers have the advantage of possible detection with dark-adapted eyes, wearing sunglasses during the day prior to sunset attempts is recommended for maximum 'dusk' adaptation.
Once the crescent is acquired in binoculars, walk the bino down to the horizon/random landmark in consecutive FOVs for the approximate naked-eye altaz.
A favorable elongation is important. In the 24 hours before or after New Moon, Luna's angular separation from Sol can vary by several degrees. With a favorable ecliptic, net elongations (as altitude) of 6° or more at sunset or moonrise offer the best window for detection. 8-10° is necessary to catch Saber's beads in optimal/deep twilight.
Illuminated fractions of same-age crescents within 24 hours of New Moon can vary by 200% and a full magnitude of brightness. Slivers near perigee help present a thicker and brighter lunar profile for personal record crescent spotting.
Last but not least, don't always count-out a shallow ecliptic. Occasionally our moon's extreme northern or southern declination will compensate for a less than favorable ecliptic angle.
BRACKETING THE SLIVERS
Another rare and challenging notch for ones lunar bedpost is to catch the consecutive waning and waxing crescents within 24 hours on each side of New Moon.
For instance, July 2008's Buck Moon offered such an opportunity as I was able to spot both the -16.5 hour illumination before sunrise on the 2nd and the +23.5 hour sliver just after sunset on the 3rd.
*****
EXTREME CRESCENTS AND COLONGITUDE
A big piece of the puzzle concerning the appearance of a thin crescent's degree of segmentation may be predicted by its colongitude at New Moon which, not suprisingly, can vary by more than 10°, trumping the effects and cycling independently of the apogee-perigee lunar profiles. VMA simulations show New Moon colongs less than 270° to favor segmented waxing crescents while those over 270° favor segmented waning crescents. (Those over 270° would be considered 'early' colongitudinal moons).
Equally important to those hunting Saber's beads, colongitude may also be used inversely to determine the best profiles and visibilities for personal record crescent spotting.
The table below shows the lunation, colongitude at New Moon, duration in hours of the most segmented waxing limb (-280° colongitude), and the duration in hours of the most segmented waning/preceding limb (+260° colongitude). Data derived from thin crescent images and my own experiences with extreme crescents also concur with a 260-280° colong window. Of note; the youngest naked-eye crescent sighting to date (May 1990/aged 15.5 hrs), my May '06 sighting (20.5 hrs), and the Lodriguss example above (27.5 hrs) all have a colongitude of 276-278°.
Exact formations involved may vary at each lunation due to libration and other factors. The illuminations caused by sunlit mountainous regions and/or albedo effects also bear further study.
lun/colong/h-280/h+260
1068 274.7 10 28
1069 273.0 13 25
1070 271.1 17 21
1071 269.3 20 18
1072 267.6 24 14
1073 266.0 27 11
1074 264.9 29 09
1075 264.7 29 09
1076 266.0 27 11
1077 268.5 22 16
1078 271.3 16 22
1079 273.5 12 26
1080 274.7 10 28
1081 274.9 09 29
1082 274.4 10 28
1083 273.3 12 26
1084 271.5 16 22
1085 269.3 21 17
1086 267.0 25 13
1087 265.3 28 10
1088 264.7 29 09
1089 265.3 28 09
1090 266.9 25 13
1091 268.9 21 17
1092 271.1 17 21
1093 273.1 13 25
1094 274.7 10 28
*****
For the record, here's the ELCD from my first observation
of Saber's beads:
New Moon 27 May 2006 0526ut
(@+24hours)
Angular Size/Distance 31.2'/383356km
Colongitude 277.6°
Declination +27°04'
Solar Elongation 13.5°
Mag/% Illumination -1.02/.012
41.5n 90.5w
-24h waxing
moonset window: 01h10m
sunset/azimuth: 0126ut/300*
altaz at sunset: 9.3*/298*
moonset/azimuth: 0236ut/308*
age at sunset: 20h00m
First detected at +20.2 hours, this instance of Saber's beads peaked in deep twilight with the infant crescent hanging 2.0° above the horizon at a solar elongation of 12.2°.
By this time I was fully immersed in the imagery of a total solar eclipse- as if in the next few moments I would either be basking in our sun's corona or forced to turn away from its glare.
This experience left me with the mystery of why the phenomenon had escaped my attention in then over 10 years of diligent young/old crescent spotting, and more so, gone unreported after four centuries of magnified scrutiny.
As a drummer and not a scientist, I've done my best to make some headway into the window parameters for viewing this rare and beautiful lunar aspect.
Note the extreme northern declination and sunset altitude combined with a favorable colongitude and ecliptic which allowed one of the longest moonset windows and highest altitudes at sunset possible for a crescent that age. It is this rarity of catching the fully/near-fully segmented limb in a dark sky that defines the complete phenomenon.
*****
| Lunar |
