** Jules
Cormier updates on his Memramcook feeder yard. A PINE WARBLER [Paruline des
pins] arrived on Wednesday and was still present on Thursday. Jules comments it
is drab in color, so assumes it may be an immature bird. The LINCOLN'S SPARROW
[Bruant de Lincoln] continues to be present, and the BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole de
Baltimore] is also still present. Expected regulars have also swelled the
numbers.
** Aldo
Dorio shares a few photos from Hay Island. Two photos are of a male COMMON
GOLDENEYE [Garrot a oeil d'or]. One seems to have the abrupt forehead of a
Barrow's Goldeneye, but markings suggest Common Goldeneye. Aldo also got a photo
of a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK [Buse pattue], perched and in flight. Gilles Belliveau
comments on the blonde head that is typical of female and juvenile light morph
Rough-legged Hawks, with the thick, dark band across the belly, the broad, black
terminal tail band, and the broad, white tail base that also show. The perched
bird seems to show the feathering of the entire leg.
** Anna
Tucker got a photo of a BALD EAGLE [Pygargue a téte blanche] perched behind the
Tim Horton's location on St. George Boulevard. There is more white showing on
the belly area than may be expected, but as per Sibley is not inconsistent with
a second year sub-adult.
** The
upcoming weeks Sky-at-a-glance is added to this transcription courtesy of Curt
Nason. All appreciation to Curt for faithfully supplying these weekly
editions.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 12 – December 19
By 1930 the borderlines of 88 constellations had been set to cover the
entire sky by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the overlords
of all things astronomical. Many of the constellations were created by
stargazers in Babylonia more than 6000 years ago, later to be adopted
and expanded by the Greeks. Claudius Ptolemy’s second century treatise
The Almagest included a star map which included 48 constellations, most
of which survived the IAU. A few centuries ago some were made up to
cover gaps in the northern hemisphere and the newly “discovered” skies
of the deep southern hemisphere. We get to see all or parts of 66
constellations, but some are rather elusive.
Two of the gap-fillers in the northeast these evenings lurk between the
traditional autumn and winter constellations, and they can be as
difficult to see as their namesakes in New Brunswick. Stretching between
Ursa Major and the Gemini-Auriga pair is a sparse zigzag of stars making
the Lynx. Just as you are unlikely to see a lynx near urban areas, you
need to be in a rural region to spot Lynx. Between Lynx and the arc of
Cepheus, Cassiopeia and Perseus is the enigmatic and
tough-to-pronounce-after-a-few Camelopardalis, which of course is a
giraffe. With its head near Polaris, a critter this far north should
have been a reindeer. Speaking of which, Comet Catalina flies through
this constellation in February.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:52 am and sunset will occur at
4:34 pm, giving 8 hours, 42 minutes of daylight (7:54 am and 4:42 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:57 am and set at 4:35
pm, giving 8 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (7:59 am and 4:43 pm in Saint
John). Our earliest sunset occurred in the past two days but daylight
will continue to shorten until after the winter solstice, which occurs
at 12:48 am on December 22. Sunrises will continue to be later until the
first week of January.
The Moon was new on December 11 and is at first quarter on December 18,
giving great views through a telescope later in the week. Even better,
moonlight will not interfere with the reliable Geminid meteor shower
this weekend. The shower’s radiant, the location in the sky from which
the meteors appear to originate, is near Castor which rises about an
hour after sunset and reaches its zenith at 2:30 am. It is best to face
a dark area of sky 30 to 60 degrees from the radiant. Although the peak
of the shower is predicted for early Monday afternoon, the activity on
both Sunday and Monday nights should make braving the cold worthwhile if
the sky is clear. I will be pleased to see 10 meteors in any hour and
delighted with 20, but there could be many more.
Mercury sets 45 minutes after sunset this weekend and stretches that to
an hour late in the week. Binoculars are recommended to locate it. By
midweek Jupiter, will be rising before midnight and is at its best for
observing around 6 am. Venus continues to dominate the morning scene
while orange Mars approaches the blue-white star Spica. Saturn is now
rising an hour before sunrise. Binocular comet Catalina starts the
weekend about 10 degrees (a fist-width) above Venus and increases the
gap to over 15 degrees late in the week.
Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca
By 1930 the borderlines of 88 constellations had been set to cover the
entire sky by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the overlords
of all things astronomical. Many of the constellations were created by
stargazers in Babylonia more than 6000 years ago, later to be adopted
and expanded by the Greeks. Claudius Ptolemy’s second century treatise
The Almagest included a star map which included 48 constellations, most
of which survived the IAU. A few centuries ago some were made up to
cover gaps in the northern hemisphere and the newly “discovered” skies
of the deep southern hemisphere. We get to see all or parts of 66
constellations, but some are rather elusive.
Two of the gap-fillers in the northeast these evenings lurk between the
traditional autumn and winter constellations, and they can be as
difficult to see as their namesakes in New Brunswick. Stretching between
Ursa Major and the Gemini-Auriga pair is a sparse zigzag of stars making
the Lynx. Just as you are unlikely to see a lynx near urban areas, you
need to be in a rural region to spot Lynx. Between Lynx and the arc of
Cepheus, Cassiopeia and Perseus is the enigmatic and
tough-to-pronounce-after-a-few Camelopardalis, which of course is a
giraffe. With its head near Polaris, a critter this far north should
have been a reindeer. Speaking of which, Comet Catalina flies through
this constellation in February.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:52 am and sunset will occur at
4:34 pm, giving 8 hours, 42 minutes of daylight (7:54 am and 4:42 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:57 am and set at 4:35
pm, giving 8 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (7:59 am and 4:43 pm in Saint
John). Our earliest sunset occurred in the past two days but daylight
will continue to shorten until after the winter solstice, which occurs
at 12:48 am on December 22. Sunrises will continue to be later until the
first week of January.
The Moon was new on December 11 and is at first quarter on December 18,
giving great views through a telescope later in the week. Even better,
moonlight will not interfere with the reliable Geminid meteor shower
this weekend. The shower’s radiant, the location in the sky from which
the meteors appear to originate, is near Castor which rises about an
hour after sunset and reaches its zenith at 2:30 am. It is best to face
a dark area of sky 30 to 60 degrees from the radiant. Although the peak
of the shower is predicted for early Monday afternoon, the activity on
both Sunday and Monday nights should make braving the cold worthwhile if
the sky is clear. I will be pleased to see 10 meteors in any hour and
delighted with 20, but there could be many more.
Mercury sets 45 minutes after sunset this weekend and stretches that to
an hour late in the week. Binoculars are recommended to locate it. By
midweek Jupiter, will be rising before midnight and is at its best for
observing around 6 am. Venus continues to dominate the morning scene
while orange Mars approaches the blue-white star Spica. Saturn is now
rising an hour before sunrise. Binocular comet Catalina starts the
weekend about 10 degrees (a fist-width) above Venus and increases the
gap to over 15 degrees late in the week.
Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca
Nelson
Poirier,
Nature
Moncton
BALD EAGLE SUBADULT..DEC 9, 2015.ANNA TUCKER
COMMON GOLDENEYE .DEC 9, 2015.ALDO DORIO
COMMON GOLDENEYE .DEC 9, 2015.ALDO DORIO
Lynx_Camelopardalis 8 pm
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.DEC 9, 2015..ALDO DORIO
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.DEC 9, 2015..ALDO DORIO
