NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, September 1, 2017 (Friday)
Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or
photo labeling.
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
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your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca.
** Roger Leblanc paid a visit to
Petit-Cap on Thursday. He did not hit it
right for shorebirds, but Petit-Cap always does seem to have surprises. Roger observed 25 CASPIAN
TERNS [Sterne caspienne] loafing
on the lagoon side. There were some
juveniles among them. Roger comments
that this is the most Caspian Terns he has ever seen in one spot in New
Brunswick.
** Ray Gauvin sends a photo of a BEE
[Abeille] with a very full “pollen basket” on its leg, foraging on white roses
in front of the Parlee Beach Provincial Office on the Parlee Beach Rd.
** Aldo Dorio sends a photo of a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON [Bihoreau gris] adult at Tabusintac. Both adults and young of the year are roaming
the area now. Aldo also photographed
fish in a shallow pool at Hay Island. They
appear to be BANDED KILLIFISH [Fondule Barré].
Note the striping on the side and the yellow spot on the dorsal fin on
some of them which some feel is suggestive of this species.
** I visited the Sackville Waterfowl
Park on Thursday. There were
approximately 60 shorebirds there, mostly both Yellowleg species. One LESSER YELLOWLEGS
[Petit Chevalier] was having
a chat with a PIED-BILLED GREBE [Grèbe à bec bigarré] we seem to rarely see out of
water. A few GREATER
YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] were perched on a swallow box and by the look of the guano have been
using it regularly as a perch.
** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is
included in this edition, courtesy of Curt Nason.
This Week’s Sky at a
Glance, September 2 – September 9
Another solar system event highlights this weekend, a relatively close
encounter with the fourth largest near-Earth asteroid (NEA), 3122
Florence. This 4.4 kilometre diameter rock passed within seven million
kilometres of Earth on the morning of September 1. It is fading slowly
but will remain within reach of small telescopes over the long weekend.
I have seen two NEAs in the past 15 years and consider them to be among
my observing highlights, both for the challenge and the uniqueness.
The trick to observing one is ambush it. Get a detailed star map of its
path through the sky and pick out an easily identifiable star or group
of stars that it will be passing during your observing time. Set your
scope on that area ahead of time - then keep watch for a moving star
entering the field of view. A smaller NEA making a closer passage can be
affected by Earth’s gravity and have its orbit changed slightly, so a
wide-field eyepiece helps (higher focal length eyepiece). However,
Florence is large and still quite distant (no need to wear a helmet),
making orbital perturbations unlikely. It moves among the starry
background by about two-thirds the width of the Moon every hour, visible
motion at higher magnification when it is near a star. The best time to
try for it is around 9 pm Saturday when it passes between the belly and
the nose of Delphinus the Dolphin. A map on the Sky & Telescope website
can be found here:
http://wwwcdn.skyandtelescope.com/wp-content/uploads/3122-Florence-Chart-B-1.pdf
Delphinus is one of the prettiest constellations and can be seen high in
the southeast around 9 pm. It is composed of a small diamond-shaped
asterism with a couple of stars tailing off to the right, and it doesn’t
take a lot of imagination to picture a dolphin leaping out of the sea.
Although its stars are not bright, its compact shape is eye-catching.
Below it are the watery constellations of Capricornus, Aquarius, Piscis
Austrinus and Pisces. In mythology, Poseidon had designs on the sea
nymph Amphitrite but she was afraid and hid from him. The dolphin ratted
her out and was rewarded with a place of honour in the sky. The diamond
part of the constellation has also been called Job’s Coffin but the
origin of this has been lost to time.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:41 am and sunset will occur at
7:55 pm, giving 13 hours, 14 minutes of daylight (6:47 am and 7:59 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:50 am and set at 7:41
pm, giving 12 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (6:55 am and 7:46 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is full on Wednesday, the Mi’kmaq Moose Calling Moon. Jupiter
lies low in the west after sunset as it approaches a conjunction with
Spica. Saturn remains in good viewing position in the south after
sunset, with its rings proudly on display for telescope users. Venus
rises after 4 am now and dominates the eastern morning sky despite being
near its dimmest. Mercury, Mars and Regulus can be seen with difficulty
within the same binocular field this week, rising about 75 minutes
before the Sun.
The Saint John Astronomy Club and RASC NB share a meeting at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on Saturday, September 9 at 1 pm.
All are welcome.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Another solar system event highlights this weekend, a relatively close
encounter with the fourth largest near-Earth asteroid (NEA), 3122
Florence. This 4.4 kilometre diameter rock passed within seven million
kilometres of Earth on the morning of September 1. It is fading slowly
but will remain within reach of small telescopes over the long weekend.
I have seen two NEAs in the past 15 years and consider them to be among
my observing highlights, both for the challenge and the uniqueness.
The trick to observing one is ambush it. Get a detailed star map of its
path through the sky and pick out an easily identifiable star or group
of stars that it will be passing during your observing time. Set your
scope on that area ahead of time - then keep watch for a moving star
entering the field of view. A smaller NEA making a closer passage can be
affected by Earth’s gravity and have its orbit changed slightly, so a
wide-field eyepiece helps (higher focal length eyepiece). However,
Florence is large and still quite distant (no need to wear a helmet),
making orbital perturbations unlikely. It moves among the starry
background by about two-thirds the width of the Moon every hour, visible
motion at higher magnification when it is near a star. The best time to
try for it is around 9 pm Saturday when it passes between the belly and
the nose of Delphinus the Dolphin. A map on the Sky & Telescope website
can be found here:
http://wwwcdn.skyandtelescope.com/wp-content/uploads/3122-Florence-Chart-B-1.pdf
Delphinus is one of the prettiest constellations and can be seen high in
the southeast around 9 pm. It is composed of a small diamond-shaped
asterism with a couple of stars tailing off to the right, and it doesn’t
take a lot of imagination to picture a dolphin leaping out of the sea.
Although its stars are not bright, its compact shape is eye-catching.
Below it are the watery constellations of Capricornus, Aquarius, Piscis
Austrinus and Pisces. In mythology, Poseidon had designs on the sea
nymph Amphitrite but she was afraid and hid from him. The dolphin ratted
her out and was rewarded with a place of honour in the sky. The diamond
part of the constellation has also been called Job’s Coffin but the
origin of this has been lost to time.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:41 am and sunset will occur at
7:55 pm, giving 13 hours, 14 minutes of daylight (6:47 am and 7:59 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:50 am and set at 7:41
pm, giving 12 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (6:55 am and 7:46 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is full on Wednesday, the Mi’kmaq Moose Calling Moon. Jupiter
lies low in the west after sunset as it approaches a conjunction with
Spica. Saturn remains in good viewing position in the south after
sunset, with its rings proudly on display for telescope users. Venus
rises after 4 am now and dominates the eastern morning sky despite being
near its dimmest. Mercury, Mars and Regulus can be seen with difficulty
within the same binocular field this week, rising about 75 minutes
before the Sun.
The Saint John Astronomy Club and RASC NB share a meeting at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on Saturday, September 9 at 1 pm.
All are welcome.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
BEE WITH FULL POLLEN BASKET.AUG 31, 2017.RAY GAUVIN
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (ADULT).AUG 31, 2017.ALDO DORIO
Dolphin
FISH (SUSPECT BANDED KILLIFISH).AUG 31, 2017.ALDO DORIO
GREATER YELLOWLEGS. AUG 31, 2017.NELSON POIRIER
LESSER YELLOWLEGS.AUG 31, 2017.NELSON POIRIER
PIED-BILLED GREBE AND LESSER YELLOWLEGS.AUG 31, 2017.NELSON POIRIER
