NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 4, 2019 (Friday)
Please advise editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or
photo labeling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com
For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
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** The Passenger Pigeon was once the
most populous bird in North America. It
seems hard to believe a species in such high numbers is now extinct, and this
happened because it was hunted by man to extinction. Jamie Burris came across a book entitled Old New Brunswick Kitchens, and
photographed a recipe from 1902 for Passenger Pigeon. It seemed okay to do at the time. I wonder what we’re doing today that could be
reflected on like this issue in 100 years!
Brian Stone photographed a 22° solar
halo on Thursday evening commenting he has not seen one of these in a while. To
further explain just what is being seen and how it forms, Brian provides the
attached link below that goes into to it more deeply.
** It’s Friday and time to include this week’s Sky-at-a-Glance,
courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason with this edition. This weekend will be the Hunter’s full moon,
and Jupiter and Venus will show themselves next week plus other items Curt
deals with.
This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2019 October 12 – October 19
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 Capricornus. 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 the 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 7:31 am and sunset will occur at 6:38 pm, giving 11 hours, 7 minutes of daylight (7:35 am and 6:44 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:41 am and set at 6:26 pm, giving 10 hours, 45 minutes of daylight (7:45 am and 6:32 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is full on Sunday, the Hunter’s Moon, which is the same effect as the Harvest Moon where the shallow angle of the ecliptic results in the Moon rising 22-25 minutes later for several evenings rather than the average 50 minutes. By midweek Jupiter sets around 9:20 pm, about two hours after Mercury and Venus set and nearly two hours before Saturn. Venus can be seen with binoculars shortly after sunset, and Mercury might be visible through the fading twilight to its left before they set.
The provincial astronomy club, RASC NB, is giving astronomy presentations at Moncton High School on the afternoon of October 19. For details, see their website at https://rascnb.ca/blog/tag/meeting/.
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 Capricornus. 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 the 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 7:31 am and sunset will occur at 6:38 pm, giving 11 hours, 7 minutes of daylight (7:35 am and 6:44 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:41 am and set at 6:26 pm, giving 10 hours, 45 minutes of daylight (7:45 am and 6:32 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is full on Sunday, the Hunter’s Moon, which is the same effect as the Harvest Moon where the shallow angle of the ecliptic results in the Moon rising 22-25 minutes later for several evenings rather than the average 50 minutes. By midweek Jupiter sets around 9:20 pm, about two hours after Mercury and Venus set and nearly two hours before Saturn. Venus can be seen with binoculars shortly after sunset, and Mercury might be visible through the fading twilight to its left before they set.
The provincial astronomy club, RASC NB, is giving astronomy presentations at Moncton High School on the afternoon of October 19. For details, see their website at https://rascnb.ca/blog/tag/meeting/.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
Aquarius 2019
PASSENGER PIGEON RECIPE!!
SOLAR HALO (22 DEG.). OCT. 10, 2019. BRIAN STONE
