Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 9 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 9, 2018 (Friday)

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca.

** Don Daigle was surprised to see a FLYING SQUIRREL [Grand polatouche] at 5:00 AM on Thursday at his Ryan Road bird feeder. He got a quick photo to show it enjoying its last snack of the night.

** Louise Nichols got a photo of a COYOTE [Coyote] seen from downtown Moncton, that is occasionally seen hunting during the day on the Riverview Marsh. Whatever it is foraging on, it seems to be looking round and plump.

** When seeing tracks and trails in the snow, it’s always indicated to peruse the area for other clues to build a case. Brian Coyle demonstrated that well with some photos he sends of a MINK [Vison d'Amerique] trail. Looking at the photo, it’s hard to label it as Mink, but Brian was certain of Mink as the trail came from a hole in the ice of a stream that has fish in it. He can see the 5 toe pads in the track, and the measurement between bounds was 24 inches, all consistent with Mink.

** Brian Stone was on a trail near Crandall University on Thursday to comment that very few tracks and trails were seen, but he did get a RED SQUIRREL [Écureuil roux]. Note that the two round front paws tend to land across from each other, not at an angle as with the SNOWSHOE HARE [Lièvre d'Amérique]. In soft fluffy snow the Red Squirrel can leave a larger than expected track. Brian also dropped by Mapleton Park to note the predominantly MALLARD [Canard colvert] group and one MALLARD [Canard colvert]/ AMERICAN BLACK DUCK [Canard noir] hybrid.

** A last reminder of the rerun of the Tracks, Trails and Scat workshop that will take place at the Sobeys community room at 55 Vaughn Harvey Blvd at 6:30 PM tonight, Friday. Feel free to bring along any photos you may have of animal sign, or photos on a flash drive, for discussion. The poster is reattached.

** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is added to this edition, courtesy of sky-guru Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, February 10 – February 17

The most inconspicuous of the zodiac constellations is faint Cancer the Crab, which is nestled between Gemini and Leo. In mythology the crab was sent by the goddess Hera to distract Hercules while he was battling the Hydra. The crab was no match for the strongman’s stomp. Ancient Egyptians saw it as their sacred dung beetle, the scarab. In the first millennium BC the Sun was in Cancer at the summer solstice, the time when it halts its northward motion and slowly starts heading south. This back and forth motion of the rising and setting Sun on the horizon was perhaps reminiscent of a crab sidling on a beach. The summer solstice is now situated above the foot of Castor in Gemini.

Cancer is recognized by a trapezoid of dim naked eye stars as the crab’s body, with a couple of other stars representing the claws. The four stars were also seen as a manger flanked by a pair of donkeys, Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis. On a clear dark night we can see a hazy patch of hay within the manger, and binoculars reveal it as a beautiful

star cluster called the Beehive, Praesepe or M44. Being near the

ecliptic, the planets often pass through or near this cluster

masquerading as a bright guest star. The Beehive was once used to

forecast storms, for if it could not be seen it was hidden by light

clouds at the front of a weather system. Binoculars can reveal another star cluster, M67, less than a fist-width south of M44.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:29 am and sunset will occur at 5:37 pm, giving 10 hours, 8 minutes of daylight (7:32 am and 5:44 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:18 am and set at 5:48 pm, giving 10 hours, 30 minutes of daylight (7:22 am and 5:54 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is near Saturn on Sunday morning and it is new on Thursday.

Jupiter and Mars are well-placed in the south for morning observing, while Saturn can be found to their lower left above the lid of the Sagittarius Teapot asterism. Mars is within a binocularwidth above the orange supergiant star Antares, in the heart of Scorpius. Mars was the Roman god of war, Ares was the Greek counterpart. The name Antares means "rival of Mars" due to the star's similar colour and sometimes similar brightness of the planet. Mercury and Venus will be visible after sunset

in the west before the end of the month. The International Space Station makes at least one evening pass between 6 pm and 8 pm until Tuesday. Check out the Heavens Above website for the times after setting your location.

The William Brydone Jack Astronomy Club meets on Tuesday at 7 pm in the UNB Forestry - Earth Sciences Building in Fredericton. The provincial astronomy club, RASC NB, meets on Saturday, February 17 at 1 pm in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre. All are welcome.

Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton