NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, September 29, 2017 (Friday)
Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or
photo labeling.
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Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
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** The elusive CRESTED CARACARA [Caracara
du nord] in Hopewell Hill may be displaying some behaviour to make it a bit
easier to locate. David Christie made
another morning visit at 9:00 AM to again find it perched behind civic # 5216
in a spruce tree this time. He watched
it for approximately 5 minutes when it flew off, and he could not relocate it
driving up and down the road. However,
Bill Winsor found it later in much the same location Dave did at 11:00 AM and
Mike Ray found it shortly after flying down into a field near civic # 5165, so
it’s very much still around but can be a challenge to locate.
** Ray Gauvin got a photo of a large
spider with its prey securely wrapped in its silk. The prey appears to be a wasp or flower fly. The photo does not allow a clear
identification of the spider, but its method of capture is clear.
** Jean-Paul LeBlanc got another
photo of the very numerous PAINTED LADY [Belle dame] butterflies flying at the
moment. It appears to be on the
late-blooming plant sedum. Several other
submitted photos showed it nectaring on this plant which must be very welcome
for late-season nectaring.
** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is
included in this edition, courtesy of Curt Nason. It’s looking like clear skies ahead for
awhile and dusk is coming on earlier so we may more clearly see what’s up
above.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance,
September 30 – October 7
Two stellar crowns are included among the 88 official constellations.
Both are above our horizon around 8 pm but one requires an unobstructed
and near-pristine sky to the south. Both crowns arise from mythological
tales of the popular demigod Dionysus (Bacchus in Roman mythology), the
god of wine.
Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is a pretty semicircle of stars
situated high in the west, one third of the way from Arcturus to Vega.
In mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She
helped Theseus slay the bull-headed Minotaur and escape from the
Labyrinth, and then accompanied him and his crew on a voyage home to
Athens where they were to wed. Along the way they stopped at the island
home of Dionysus, who was a great and wily host. After a night of
revelry Theseus was forced into leaving without Ariadne, and Dionysus
presented her with a beautiful crown if she would be his bride. The
crown was placed in the sky to commemorate their wedding.
The Sagittarius teapot asterism is low in the south before 8 pm this
time of year, and Corona Australis, the Southern Crown, rides the
horizon below. This semicircle of stars is sometimes called the lemon
wedge asterism, to go with the teapot and the teaspoon above the
teapot’s handle. Dionysus was the result of an affair between Zeus and a
mortal woman. The gods had to be careful in such affairs as mortals
could not withstand the full passionate heat of their embrace. Vengeful
Hera, the wife of Zeus, tricked the now-pregnant woman into requesting
Zeus hold her as he would a goddess, and as expected she did not
survive. The unborn child was sewn into the thigh of Zeus and raised by
his aunt after birth. Later, Dionysus honoured his mother by placing a
wreath in the sky. Such a start in life would drive anyone to drink.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:16 am and sunset will occur at
7:00 pm, giving 11 hours, 44 minutes of daylight (7:21 am and 7:06 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:25 am and set at 6:47
pm, giving 11 hours, 22 minutes of daylight (7:30 am and 6:52 pm in
Saint John).
The full Harvest Moon occurs on Thursday, it being the full Moon near
the autumnal equinox. Jupiter is pretty much out of the sky now, setting
20 minutes after sunset. Saturn is in the southwest after twilight,
setting around 10:20 midweek. In the morning sky Venus has a close
conjunction with Mars late in the week, appearing at its upper left on
Thursday and lower left on Friday. Mercury is well on its way toward
superior conjunction with the Sun on October 8.
RASC NB members in Saint John will be celebrating Fall Astronomy Day
with public observing at the Rockwood Park Bark Park (First Arch) on
Friday, September 29, with a cloud date of September 30. The Saint John
Astronomy Club meets at the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on
October 7 at 7 pm.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Two stellar crowns are included among the 88 official constellations.
Both are above our horizon around 8 pm but one requires an unobstructed
and near-pristine sky to the south. Both crowns arise from mythological
tales of the popular demigod Dionysus (Bacchus in Roman mythology), the
god of wine.
Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, is a pretty semicircle of stars
situated high in the west, one third of the way from Arcturus to Vega.
In mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She
helped Theseus slay the bull-headed Minotaur and escape from the
Labyrinth, and then accompanied him and his crew on a voyage home to
Athens where they were to wed. Along the way they stopped at the island
home of Dionysus, who was a great and wily host. After a night of
revelry Theseus was forced into leaving without Ariadne, and Dionysus
presented her with a beautiful crown if she would be his bride. The
crown was placed in the sky to commemorate their wedding.
The Sagittarius teapot asterism is low in the south before 8 pm this
time of year, and Corona Australis, the Southern Crown, rides the
horizon below. This semicircle of stars is sometimes called the lemon
wedge asterism, to go with the teapot and the teaspoon above the
teapot’s handle. Dionysus was the result of an affair between Zeus and a
mortal woman. The gods had to be careful in such affairs as mortals
could not withstand the full passionate heat of their embrace. Vengeful
Hera, the wife of Zeus, tricked the now-pregnant woman into requesting
Zeus hold her as he would a goddess, and as expected she did not
survive. The unborn child was sewn into the thigh of Zeus and raised by
his aunt after birth. Later, Dionysus honoured his mother by placing a
wreath in the sky. Such a start in life would drive anyone to drink.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:16 am and sunset will occur at
7:00 pm, giving 11 hours, 44 minutes of daylight (7:21 am and 7:06 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:25 am and set at 6:47
pm, giving 11 hours, 22 minutes of daylight (7:30 am and 6:52 pm in
Saint John).
The full Harvest Moon occurs on Thursday, it being the full Moon near
the autumnal equinox. Jupiter is pretty much out of the sky now, setting
20 minutes after sunset. Saturn is in the southwest after twilight,
setting around 10:20 midweek. In the morning sky Venus has a close
conjunction with Mars late in the week, appearing at its upper left on
Thursday and lower left on Friday. Mercury is well on its way toward
superior conjunction with the Sun on October 8.
RASC NB members in Saint John will be celebrating Fall Astronomy Day
with public observing at the Rockwood Park Bark Park (First Arch) on
Friday, September 29, with a cloud date of September 30. The Saint John
Astronomy Club meets at the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on
October 7 at 7 pm.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
Crowns
PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY.SEPT 24, 2017.JEAN PAUL LeBLANC
SPIDER WITH ENCASED PREY.SEPT 28, 2017.RAY GAUVIN
