NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 27, 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
To respond by e-mail, please address
your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca.
** Brian Stone leaves a few more photos
from his and Janet Kempster’s day on Wednesday along the Shediac to Saint
Thomas coastline. A few RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS
[Harle huppé] appear
to be molting males. It can be a
confusing time of year with some duck species, where the young juvenile males
can still have remnants of their initial female-like plumage, and males that
have been in eclipse summer plumage are molting back to breeding plumage.
A gull Brian photographed appears to be a HERRING GULL [Goéland argenté] going into second winter plumage,
showing the bill fading to black with the black only on the forward half of the
bill, some grey feathering showing on the mantle, and a pale yellow eye
starting.
A EUROPEAN
STARLING [Étourneau sansonnet] photo
shows a bird in winter plumage with a dark bill and silver flecking on the
body.
** The Nature Moncton Information Line
and BlogSpot will not be issued from tomorrow, October 28th to
November 11th, as will be away from email and Wi-Fi most of that
time. All is expected to be back to
normal as of November 12th or 13th. All observations anyone wishes to report will
be compiled and sent out then.
** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is
included in this edition, courtesy of Curt Nason.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, October
28 – November 4
Aquarius the Water Bearer is the source of all the water associated with
our southern autumn constellations. It is situated among Pisces to the
east and Capricornus to the west, with Pegasus north and Pisics
Austrinus south. Its western end stretches over top of the Sea Goat.
Most of the stars of Aquarius are relatively dim but one asterism stands
out, the tight group of four stars that forms the Water Jar. Resembling
a circle with three spokes, this asterism is also called the Steering
Wheel.
One tale from mythology has Aquarius representing Ganymede, the handsome
son of a Trojan king. Zeus was attracted to the lad and sent his pet
eagle to kidnap him. Ganymede was given the important position of cup
bearer (wine pourer) at Olympian feasts. There may have been another
motive of the kidnapping, for the moons of planet Jupiter are named for
Zeus’s lovers and Ganymede is the largest of those moons.
A few Messier objects lie within Aquarius, the best being the globular
cluster M2. I usually star hop to this one by going from a star in the
neck of Pegasus to its ear, and extending that line an equal distance. A
fainter globular cluster, M73, is above the back of Capricornus, and
just to its east is enigmatic M73. Stargazers wonder how this four-star
asterism made it to the Messier list. Nearby to the northeast a
moderate-size telescope might reveal the Saturn Nebula, the glowing
gaseous remnant of a dead star that somewhat resembles the ringed planet.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:54 am and sunset will occur at
6:10 pm, giving 10 hours, 16 minutes of daylight (7:58 am and 6:17 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 8:04 am and set at 6:00
pm, giving 9 hours, 56 minutes of daylight (8:07 am and 6:07 pm in Saint
John).
The Moon is full on Saturday, November 4, the Hunter’s Moon or the
Mi’kmaq Rivers Freezing Moon. Binoculars are required to spot Mercury
before it sets a half hour after the Sun midweek. Saturn follows Mercury
to the horizon two hours later. Mars is an early riser, three hours
before sunrise, followed by Venus an hour and a half later. This
Tuesday, set up your scope and give your masked visitors and their
parents views of Saturn and the waxing gibbous Moon while handing out
goodies. It will be a welcome treat for all.
International Observe the Moon Night is on Saturday, October 28. Members
and guests of RASC NB will have telescopes and binoculars set up at the
Irving Nature Park in Saint John for this event on Friday, October 27
from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, with a back-up date of Saturday. There will also
be public observing at the Moncton High School Observatory on October 27
from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on November 4 at 7 pm. All are welcome.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Aquarius the Water Bearer is the source of all the water associated with
our southern autumn constellations. It is situated among Pisces to the
east and Capricornus to the west, with Pegasus north and Pisics
Austrinus south. Its western end stretches over top of the Sea Goat.
Most of the stars of Aquarius are relatively dim but one asterism stands
out, the tight group of four stars that forms the Water Jar. Resembling
a circle with three spokes, this asterism is also called the Steering
Wheel.
One tale from mythology has Aquarius representing Ganymede, the handsome
son of a Trojan king. Zeus was attracted to the lad and sent his pet
eagle to kidnap him. Ganymede was given the important position of cup
bearer (wine pourer) at Olympian feasts. There may have been another
motive of the kidnapping, for the moons of planet Jupiter are named for
Zeus’s lovers and Ganymede is the largest of those moons.
A few Messier objects lie within Aquarius, the best being the globular
cluster M2. I usually star hop to this one by going from a star in the
neck of Pegasus to its ear, and extending that line an equal distance. A
fainter globular cluster, M73, is above the back of Capricornus, and
just to its east is enigmatic M73. Stargazers wonder how this four-star
asterism made it to the Messier list. Nearby to the northeast a
moderate-size telescope might reveal the Saturn Nebula, the glowing
gaseous remnant of a dead star that somewhat resembles the ringed planet.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:54 am and sunset will occur at
6:10 pm, giving 10 hours, 16 minutes of daylight (7:58 am and 6:17 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 8:04 am and set at 6:00
pm, giving 9 hours, 56 minutes of daylight (8:07 am and 6:07 pm in Saint
John).
The Moon is full on Saturday, November 4, the Hunter’s Moon or the
Mi’kmaq Rivers Freezing Moon. Binoculars are required to spot Mercury
before it sets a half hour after the Sun midweek. Saturn follows Mercury
to the horizon two hours later. Mars is an early riser, three hours
before sunrise, followed by Venus an hour and a half later. This
Tuesday, set up your scope and give your masked visitors and their
parents views of Saturn and the waxing gibbous Moon while handing out
goodies. It will be a welcome treat for all.
International Observe the Moon Night is on Saturday, October 28. Members
and guests of RASC NB will have telescopes and binoculars set up at the
Irving Nature Park in Saint John for this event on Friday, October 27
from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, with a back-up date of Saturday. There will also
be public observing at the Moncton High School Observatory on October 27
from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on November 4 at 7 pm. All are welcome.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
Aquarius_2017
HERRING GULL (MOLTING INTO 2ND WINTER PLUMAGE). OCT. 25, 2017. BRIAN STONE
NORTHERN FLICKER. OCT. 25, 2017. BRIAN STONE
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER DUCKS. OCT. 25, 2017. BRIAN STONE
RING-NECKED DUCKS. OCT. 25, 2017. BRIAN STONE
STARLING. OCT. 25, 2017. BRIAN STONE
