NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 16, 2018 (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.
** COOPER'S HAWK [Épervier de Cooper]
and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK [Épervier brun]
in photos can sometimes be easily
confused. However VickI Daley got a nice
example to co-operate for good photos in her Amherst yard recently. With collaboration with Gilles Belliveau, we
agree it appears to be a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
The tail feathers do look variable in length, but not graduated like a
Cooper’s Hawk would be with the central rectrices longer. The nape and crown seem to be consistent in
colour and that would be more in line with a Sharp-shinned Hawk, while the
crown of a Cooper’s Hawk often is darker, giving it a cap-like look, and it
would be near black while a Sharp-shined Hawk would tend to be more of a dark
gray tone. Gilles also points out that
the bill looks quite small for a Cooper’s and the head has a more rounded shape
rather than the flat top appearance of a Cooper’s Hawk. This is an adult bird showing the horizontal lines of the breast plumage not vertically
striped. Also the eye of the adult is
red while the immature would be yellow.
** Louise Richard reports that they
continue to see “Marvin”, their faithful NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD [Moqueur
polyglotte] in
the Jones Lake area near their home.
They saw it in the apple trees on the lakeshore at 8:00 AM on Thursday.
** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is added
to this edition, courtesy of sky-guru Curt Nason with some interesting chatter
on Orion’s belt.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, February
17 – February 24
Binoculars are great instruments for observing the brighter star
clusters and nebulae in the night sky, and Orion is a great place for
binocular treasures. Its most prominent naked eye feature is the angled
line of three stars that make Orion’s Belt. This trio will fit easily
within almost any binocular view. They are hot giant stars, with the one
on the right, Mintaka, being a little dimmer than Alnitak on the left
and Alnilam in between. Although they appear to be near each other, at a
distance of 1300 light years Alnilam is more than 400 light years
farther than the other two. Between Alnilam and Mintaka binoculars will
show an S-shaped asterism, Orion’s S, which peeks above his belt as if
he were a stereotypical plumber.
Below the belt is a string of a few dimmer stars that makes Orion’s
sword, one of which looks fuzzy to the eye. Binoculars reveal this to be
the Orion Nebula or M42, a vast cloud of gas and dust where stars are
forming. Just above the nebula is an asterism that resembles a person
running or perhaps the figure in a WALK sign. Several double or multiple
stars can be seen in this general area. Binoculars will also enhance
star colours so check out Orion’s two brightest stars, blue Rigel and
orange Betelgeuse. Defocussing slightly will enhance the colours even more.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:18 am and sunset will occur at
5:48 pm, giving 10 hours, 30 minutes of daylight (7:22 am and 5:54 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:07 am and set at 5:58
pm, giving 10 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (7:10 am and 6:04 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is at first quarter on Friday, February 23, and sword-like
Rupes Recta, a 110 km long fault known as the Straight Wall, will be
visible in a telescope that evening just below the Moon’s middle.
Jupiter rises by 1 am early in the week and is well-placed for morning
observing. Saturn shines in the southeast above the lid of the
Sagittarius Teapot asterism at 6 am, and by midweek orange Mars will be
halfway between Saturn and Jupiter. Mercury is at superior conjunction
this weekend but it will be seen near Venus in the evening sky early
next month.
The provincial astronomy club, RASC NB, meets on Saturday, February 17
at 1 pm at the Cherry Brook Zoo in Saint John. All are welcome. Also, on
the evening of February 17, RASC NB members are co-hosting the
Kouchibouguac Winter Stargaze. See the Kouchibouguac National Park
website for more information on the observing location and obtaining a
park permit.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Binoculars are great instruments for observing the brighter star
clusters and nebulae in the night sky, and Orion is a great place for
binocular treasures. Its most prominent naked eye feature is the angled
line of three stars that make Orion’s Belt. This trio will fit easily
within almost any binocular view. They are hot giant stars, with the one
on the right, Mintaka, being a little dimmer than Alnitak on the left
and Alnilam in between. Although they appear to be near each other, at a
distance of 1300 light years Alnilam is more than 400 light years
farther than the other two. Between Alnilam and Mintaka binoculars will
show an S-shaped asterism, Orion’s S, which peeks above his belt as if
he were a stereotypical plumber.
Below the belt is a string of a few dimmer stars that makes Orion’s
sword, one of which looks fuzzy to the eye. Binoculars reveal this to be
the Orion Nebula or M42, a vast cloud of gas and dust where stars are
forming. Just above the nebula is an asterism that resembles a person
running or perhaps the figure in a WALK sign. Several double or multiple
stars can be seen in this general area. Binoculars will also enhance
star colours so check out Orion’s two brightest stars, blue Rigel and
orange Betelgeuse. Defocussing slightly will enhance the colours even more.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:18 am and sunset will occur at
5:48 pm, giving 10 hours, 30 minutes of daylight (7:22 am and 5:54 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:07 am and set at 5:58
pm, giving 10 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (7:10 am and 6:04 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is at first quarter on Friday, February 23, and sword-like
Rupes Recta, a 110 km long fault known as the Straight Wall, will be
visible in a telescope that evening just below the Moon’s middle.
Jupiter rises by 1 am early in the week and is well-placed for morning
observing. Saturn shines in the southeast above the lid of the
Sagittarius Teapot asterism at 6 am, and by midweek orange Mars will be
halfway between Saturn and Jupiter. Mercury is at superior conjunction
this weekend but it will be seen near Venus in the evening sky early
next month.
The provincial astronomy club, RASC NB, meets on Saturday, February 17
at 1 pm at the Cherry Brook Zoo in Saint John. All are welcome. Also, on
the evening of February 17, RASC NB members are co-hosting the
Kouchibouguac Winter Stargaze. See the Kouchibouguac National Park
website for more information on the observing location and obtaining a
park permit.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
Orion's Belt
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. FEB 9, 2018.VICKI DALEY
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. FEB 9, 2018.VICKI DALEY
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. FEB 9, 2018.VICKI DALEY
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. FEB 9, 2018.VICKI DALEY
