NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, 6 July
2019 (Saturday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Catherine
Clements
Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
**The warm days have the butterflies
active around Krista Doyle’s Lewis Mountain home. She photographed WHITE
ADMIRAL [Amiral], RED ADMIRAL [Vulcain], and CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL
[Papillon tigré du Canada] butterflies about their missions in the abundant
solar energy. Krista also got a male RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD [Carouge à epaulettes] displaying its red epaulets at its best.
**Chris Antle had a
wildflower appear in her Maquapit Lake cottage garden a few years ago, to make
a very colourful addition. It is SMOOTH FALSE FOXGLOVE [Gérardie jaune], which
is shown in Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide as occurring in Maine and south
of there. Newcomb is a great wildflower guide, but an older one. This
plant has obviously made its way into New Brunswick, and is looking very
content in Chris’s garden.
**Another incident of
CEDAR WAXWINGS [Jaseur d'Amérique] actively feeding on WILD STRAWBERRIES [Fraisier des champs]: Dale Gaskin
came across a flock of Cedar Waxwings feeding on Wild Strawberries, seeming to
take them to some JACK PINE TREES [Pin gris] to feast on them. This follows a
recent photo that Aldo Dorio got of Cedar Waxwings feeding on ripe Wild
Strawberries. Maybe it’s an expected seasonal delicacy for this fruit
connoisseur.
**Aldo Dorio got a photo of an insect gall
at Hay Island that took a bit of sleuthing help. Sean Blaney identified the
plant host as SEASIDE GOLDENROD [Verge d'or toujours verte], and Stephen Heard
at UNB identified that the gall is produced by the larva of a moth that lays
its eggs on the plant, with the larva forming the gall for protection and
foraging. It is a moth that not too much is known about; it does not have a
common name, other than it is occasionally found on its host plant Seaside
Goldenrod.
**This week’s Sky at a Glance is included
with this edition, courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason.
This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2019 July 6 – July 13
Although Jupiter appears to be in the constellation Scorpius this summer, it is actually within the official borders of Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. By being in the constellation I mean passing in front of it. The stars are much farther than the planets, but how much farther? Neptune is the most distant planet from the Sun, about six times farther than Jupiter and 30 times farther than Earth. Sunlight takes 4.2 hours to reach Neptune but 4.2 years to reach the closest star, Proxima Centauri.
Rasalhague, the brightest star of Ophiuchus and which marks his head, is 49 light years away, while the one at his waist is about ten times farther. Rasalhague is closer to us than it is to some of the other stars that form the constellation. The constellation shapes are a matter of perspective but they will look the same from Neptune as they do from Earth.
Centuries ago the area where Jupiter currently resides was shared by Scorpius and Ophiuchus. When the constellation borders were set by the International Astronomical Union in 1930 this area was designated for Ophiuchus and, since the ecliptic runs through here, it became the 13th constellation of the zodiac. But don’t expect to find it in the daily horoscope.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:35 am and sunset will occur at 9:12 pm, giving 15 hours, 37 minutes of daylight (5:43 am and 9:14 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:40 am and set at 9:08 pm, giving 15 hours, 28 minutes of daylight (5:48 am and 9:10 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is at first quarter on Tuesday, giving great views through binoculars or a telescope all week. Jupiter is at its highest and best for observing in late evening, and telescope users might see its Red Spot around 11 pm on Thursday. Saturn reaches opposition on Tuesday and will be in the evening sky after sunset throughout the summer. Mercury and Mars are very low in the west after sunset, while Venus is very low in the east before sunrise.
The next RASC NB star party will be at Mactaquac Provincial Park on July 5 - 6. The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre at 7 pm on July 6. All are welcome.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Although Jupiter appears to be in the constellation Scorpius this summer, it is actually within the official borders of Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. By being in the constellation I mean passing in front of it. The stars are much farther than the planets, but how much farther? Neptune is the most distant planet from the Sun, about six times farther than Jupiter and 30 times farther than Earth. Sunlight takes 4.2 hours to reach Neptune but 4.2 years to reach the closest star, Proxima Centauri.
Rasalhague, the brightest star of Ophiuchus and which marks his head, is 49 light years away, while the one at his waist is about ten times farther. Rasalhague is closer to us than it is to some of the other stars that form the constellation. The constellation shapes are a matter of perspective but they will look the same from Neptune as they do from Earth.
Centuries ago the area where Jupiter currently resides was shared by Scorpius and Ophiuchus. When the constellation borders were set by the International Astronomical Union in 1930 this area was designated for Ophiuchus and, since the ecliptic runs through here, it became the 13th constellation of the zodiac. But don’t expect to find it in the daily horoscope.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:35 am and sunset will occur at 9:12 pm, giving 15 hours, 37 minutes of daylight (5:43 am and 9:14 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:40 am and set at 9:08 pm, giving 15 hours, 28 minutes of daylight (5:48 am and 9:10 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is at first quarter on Tuesday, giving great views through binoculars or a telescope all week. Jupiter is at its highest and best for observing in late evening, and telescope users might see its Red Spot around 11 pm on Thursday. Saturn reaches opposition on Tuesday and will be in the evening sky after sunset throughout the summer. Mercury and Mars are very low in the west after sunset, while Venus is very low in the east before sunrise.
The next RASC NB star party will be at Mactaquac Provincial Park on July 5 - 6. The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre at 7 pm on July 6. All are welcome.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY. JULY 5, 2019. KRISTA DOYLE
COMMON EASTERN BUMBLE BEE. JULY 5, 2019. KRISTA DOYLE
INSECT GALL ON SEASIDE GOLDENROD. JULY 5, 2019. ALDO DORIO
INSECT GALL ON SEASIDE GOLDENROD. JULY 5, 2019. ALDO DORIO
Ophiuchus_Jupiter
RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY. JULY 5, 2019. KRISTA DOYLE
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD MALE DISPLAYING. JULY 5, 2019. KRISTA DOYLE
SMOOTH FALSE FOXGLOVE. JULY 4, 2019. CHRIS ANTLE
WHITE ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY. JULY 5, 2019. KRISTA DOYLE
