**Curtis Marsch was driving through New Horton recently and
encountered what he commented seemed to be a ‘snowstorm’ of big Dragonflies
[Libellule] that seemed to last for approximately a mile. From photos of
remnants that got lodged in the grill of his truck, Gilles Belliveau suspects
they may have been BLACK-TIPPED DARNER [Aeschne à
tubercules].
**Aldo Dorio shares a closeup photo of a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER
[Pluvier argenté]. The intermediate plumages are becoming abundant, to make for
closer looks to identify the common Black-bellied Plover with the less common at
most sites AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER [Pluvier bronzé]. In saying that, Gilles
Belliveau comments he saw 22 American Golden Plover in Sheffield on
Friday. In Aldo’s photo, note the heavy bill of the Black-bellied Plover and the
lack of yellow or golden tones of the American Golden
Plover.
**Susan Richards comments on how much they enjoyed watching the
BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] and GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] activity
around Parlee Beach and Pointe-du-Chêne recently. A photo shows a very contented
adult Bald Eagle enjoying its seafood lunch.
**This week’s Sky at a Glance, courtesy of Curt Nason, is
attached. This time it’s the correct version, not last week’s. My apologies for
that misstep yesterday.
This Week’s Sky at a
Glance, September 12 – September 19
>From late summer and into autumn the Greek tale of Perseus and Andromeda plays out on the eastern stage of the night sky each evening. Princess Andromeda, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, is chained to the rocky coast of Ethiopia as a sacrifice to a vicious sea monster, portrayed by the constellation Cetus the Whale. Our hero Perseus, on his way home aboard Pegasus after beheading Medusa, rescues the princess and wins her unchained hand in matrimony. At the risk of sparking the ire of Perseus, many stargazers point their binoculars and telescopes toward Andromeda.
The constellation Andromeda consists of two lines of stars stretching toward Perseus from a common point. That point is the bright star Alpheratz, which is officially Andromeda’s head but it also forms one corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. The bottom line of stars is more prominent, containing the orange star Mirach and ending with the pretty double star, seen with optical aid, called Almach (or Almaak).
The highlight of the constellation is M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest spiral-type galaxy to our own Milky Way spiral. A telescope is not required to see this; in fact, I have had my best view of it through binoculars. Place Mirach at the bottom of your binocular view and perhaps raise it a bit to see a slightly dimmer star in the upper line of Andromeda. Continue about the same distance between that star and Mirach to find the fuzzy expanse of the Andromeda Galaxy. If you are in a rural area on a clear, moonless night you can see this with the naked eye, especially if you use averted vision. Averted vision is looking slightly off to one side so that you utilize the rod cells in your eyes, which are very sensitive to dim light. M31 is 2.5 million light years away (a light year is 9.5 trillion km) and for most of us that the farthest object we will ever see without optical aid. Note that the three stars on the right half of Cassiopeia’s W shape form an arrowhead that points toward M31.
>From late summer and into autumn the Greek tale of Perseus and Andromeda plays out on the eastern stage of the night sky each evening. Princess Andromeda, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, is chained to the rocky coast of Ethiopia as a sacrifice to a vicious sea monster, portrayed by the constellation Cetus the Whale. Our hero Perseus, on his way home aboard Pegasus after beheading Medusa, rescues the princess and wins her unchained hand in matrimony. At the risk of sparking the ire of Perseus, many stargazers point their binoculars and telescopes toward Andromeda.
The constellation Andromeda consists of two lines of stars stretching toward Perseus from a common point. That point is the bright star Alpheratz, which is officially Andromeda’s head but it also forms one corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. The bottom line of stars is more prominent, containing the orange star Mirach and ending with the pretty double star, seen with optical aid, called Almach (or Almaak).
The highlight of the constellation is M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest spiral-type galaxy to our own Milky Way spiral. A telescope is not required to see this; in fact, I have had my best view of it through binoculars. Place Mirach at the bottom of your binocular view and perhaps raise it a bit to see a slightly dimmer star in the upper line of Andromeda. Continue about the same distance between that star and Mirach to find the fuzzy expanse of the Andromeda Galaxy. If you are in a rural area on a clear, moonless night you can see this with the naked eye, especially if you use averted vision. Averted vision is looking slightly off to one side so that you utilize the rod cells in your eyes, which are very sensitive to dim light. M31 is 2.5 million light years away (a light year is 9.5 trillion km) and for most of us that the farthest object we will ever see without optical aid. Note that the three stars on the right half of Cassiopeia’s W shape form an arrowhead that points toward M31.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:53 am and sunset will occur at 7:37 pm, giving 12 hours, 44 minutes of daylight (6:59 am and 7:41 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:02 am and set at 7:23 pm, giving 12 hours, 21 minutes of daylight (7:07 am and 7:28 pm in Saint John). Note that the length of daylight in the two cities is becoming equal as we approach the equinox. Soon Moncton will see less daylight than its more southerly neighbour.
The Moon is new on Saturday, September 12, and gives a partial solar eclipse in parts of the southern hemisphere – a prelude to a stargazing highlight in two weeks. On September 27 we get a Harvest Moon eclipse with the closest full Moon of the year.
Mercury is very low in the west after sunset and will be difficult to see even with binoculars. Venus gets higher and brighter before sunrise while Mars starts closing in on the bright star Regulus. Jupiter makes its presence known to their lower left. See if you can spot a very slender Moon a binocular width below Jupiter on Saturday morning, September 12. Saturn sets around 10:15 pm midweek. Its best observing will be near the end of twilight.
Members of RASC NB will be offering public solar and night observing at the Kouchibouguac Fall Festival next weekend. See http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pnnp/nb/kouchibouguac/activ/special.aspx
Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.SEPT 11,2015.ALDO DORIO
BALD EAGLE.SEPT 10,2015.SUSAN RICHARDS
GREAT BLUE HERON.SEPT 10,2015.SUSAN RICHARDS
