NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, September 08, 2017 (
Friday )
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca
Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397
(384-NEWS)
** Blaine Ellis got a photo of a CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY
[Papillon tigré du Canada]
caterpillar recently. It always surprises me how seldom we see the caterpillar
of this common butterfly. There must be lots of them out there.
** Ray Gauvin got an
interesting video of a ground wasp nest ground opening near his Parlee Beach
home. Take a look at the link.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h2avvwjvitzxx1f/MVI_8827.MOV?dl=0
They sure are busy this time of year,
however a few killing frosts will send all the workers to wasp heaven leaving
only the fertilized queen.
** Charles Prince got an
interesting series of photographs captured on his trail camera in Albert County.
Note the WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] foraging on August
22, forestry activity on August 29, then more deer at the site on September 02.
** Great to get a photo submitted of an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER [Pluvier
bronzé] in juvenile or basic plumage. Aldo Dorio got one at Hay Island on
Thursday, as well as a cooperative SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER [Bécassin roux]. It is
hard to judge from the photo of the American Golden Plover if it is in juvenile
or basic winter plumage but chances are it may be a juvenile at this point.
** This weeks Sky-at-a-Glance is included with this edition, courtesy of
Curt Nason.
This Week’s
Sky at a Glance, September 9 – September 16
The constellation Capricornus is a large chevron shape that is due south
around 10 pm this week. A pair of stars marks each upper corner, and
both stars of the western pair are colourful wide double stars in
binoculars. The sea goat arises from a tale of the Olympian gods being
surprised by Typhon, the most ferocious of the rival Titans. Knowing
Typhon was not fond of water, the gods changed into fish and escaped to
the sea. The god Pan, who was half-goat and half-man, panicked and dove
in before the transformation was complete and wound up with a goat’s
head and the tail of a fish.
There are four common targets for backyard telescope users near
Capricornus, but only the globular cluster M30 off the east side of the
chevron is officially within its borders. It is also the easiest of the
targets for binoculars. The globular cluster M75 lies west of the
chevron in Sagittarius, while globular cluster M72 and the four-star
(literally four stars, it is not an observing highlight) asterism M73
are above in Aquarius. Nearby is the more challenging, but worth the
effort, Saturn Nebula, the gaseous remnant of a dead star that somewhat
resembles the ringed planet.
A few millennia ago the Sun was in Capricornus at the winter solstice,
when at midday it is overhead at its most southerly point at latitude
-23.5 degrees. This is the southern border of the tropics, and it is
still called the Tropic of Capricorn despite the Sun being in
Sagittarius at this time. Earth’s 25,800 year polar wobble, called the
precession of the equinox, is responsible for this shift.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:50 am and sunset will occur at
7:41 pm, giving 12 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (6:55 am and 7:46 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:58 am and set at 7:28
pm, giving 12 hours, 30 minutes of daylight (7:04 am and 7:32 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is at third quarter on Wednesday, rising a little before
midnight Tuesday and setting at 3 pm. Around 10 am Tuesday, telescope
users at high magnification might be able to see the Moon occult
Aldebaran in daylight. Jupiter was in astronomical conjunction with
Spica on September 5, having the same right ascension as Virgo’s
brightest star. From our viewpoint, they will appear to be in
conjunction on September 16 as Jupiter sits a few degrees above Spica,
having the same azimuth. Saturn remains in good viewing position in the
south after sunset, with its rings proudly on display for telescope
users. Venus dominates the eastern morning sky despite being near its
dimmest. Mercury is at greatest elongation on Tuesday, and it can be
seen with binoculars near Regulus on Sunday and near Mars next Saturday.
The Saint John Astronomy Club and RASC NB share a meeting at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on Saturday, September 9 at 1 pm.
The William Brydone Jack Astronomy Club meets at the UNB Forestry /
Earth Sciences Building in Fredericton at 7 pm on Tuesday. All are
welcome. The RASC NB star party at Fundy National Park takes place
September 15 and 16 at the South Chignecto campground.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
The constellation Capricornus is a large chevron shape that is due south
around 10 pm this week. A pair of stars marks each upper corner, and
both stars of the western pair are colourful wide double stars in
binoculars. The sea goat arises from a tale of the Olympian gods being
surprised by Typhon, the most ferocious of the rival Titans. Knowing
Typhon was not fond of water, the gods changed into fish and escaped to
the sea. The god Pan, who was half-goat and half-man, panicked and dove
in before the transformation was complete and wound up with a goat’s
head and the tail of a fish.
There are four common targets for backyard telescope users near
Capricornus, but only the globular cluster M30 off the east side of the
chevron is officially within its borders. It is also the easiest of the
targets for binoculars. The globular cluster M75 lies west of the
chevron in Sagittarius, while globular cluster M72 and the four-star
(literally four stars, it is not an observing highlight) asterism M73
are above in Aquarius. Nearby is the more challenging, but worth the
effort, Saturn Nebula, the gaseous remnant of a dead star that somewhat
resembles the ringed planet.
A few millennia ago the Sun was in Capricornus at the winter solstice,
when at midday it is overhead at its most southerly point at latitude
-23.5 degrees. This is the southern border of the tropics, and it is
still called the Tropic of Capricorn despite the Sun being in
Sagittarius at this time. Earth’s 25,800 year polar wobble, called the
precession of the equinox, is responsible for this shift.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:50 am and sunset will occur at
7:41 pm, giving 12 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (6:55 am and 7:46 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:58 am and set at 7:28
pm, giving 12 hours, 30 minutes of daylight (7:04 am and 7:32 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is at third quarter on Wednesday, rising a little before
midnight Tuesday and setting at 3 pm. Around 10 am Tuesday, telescope
users at high magnification might be able to see the Moon occult
Aldebaran in daylight. Jupiter was in astronomical conjunction with
Spica on September 5, having the same right ascension as Virgo’s
brightest star. From our viewpoint, they will appear to be in
conjunction on September 16 as Jupiter sits a few degrees above Spica,
having the same azimuth. Saturn remains in good viewing position in the
south after sunset, with its rings proudly on display for telescope
users. Venus dominates the eastern morning sky despite being near its
dimmest. Mercury is at greatest elongation on Tuesday, and it can be
seen with binoculars near Regulus on Sunday and near Mars next Saturday.
The Saint John Astronomy Club and RASC NB share a meeting at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on Saturday, September 9 at 1 pm.
The William Brydone Jack Astronomy Club meets at the UNB Forestry /
Earth Sciences Building in Fredericton at 7 pm on Tuesday. All are
welcome. The RASC NB star party at Fundy National Park takes place
September 15 and 16 at the South Chignecto campground.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature
Moncton
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER .SEPT 7, 2017.ALDO DORIO
CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY CATERPILLAR.SEPT 2, 2017.BLAINE ELLIS
Capricornus_2017
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER.SEPT 7, 2017.ALDO DORIO
WHITE-TAILED DEER A (ON TRAIL CAMERA).AUG 22, 2017.CHARLES PRINCE
WHITE-TAILED DEER B (ON TRAIL CAMERA).AUG 22, 2017.CHARLES PRINCE
WHITE-TAILED DEER C (ON TRAIL CAMERA).AUG 22, 2017.CHARLES PRINCE
