NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, September 17, 2021 (Friday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Frank Branch had the female SCARLET
TANAGER rejoin him in his Paquetville yard Mountain Ash tree on Thursday
evening around supper time. It was
taking one fruit at a time and then off to a nearby maple tree, but back
approximately every 10 minutes for another berry. A few birders were able to get to see it and
photograph it.
** Yolande LeBlanc comments she still
had one RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD arrive on Thursday. She had a lot of blooming flowers that may
have attracted it in its migration, but it did make a brief feeder visit.
** It may be a very familiar AMERICAN
ROBIN, but Aldo Dorio got some nice portraits of one that must be shared. It may a young-of-the-year that hatched early
as the mottling on the breast is almost gone.
It seemed to enjoy being photographed!
Aldo also continues to see AMERICAN
PIPITS at Hay Island that expect we will be able to enjoy on a visit there
for a while.
** It’s Friday and time to check out
what next week’s sky has in store, courtesy of sky-guru Curt Nason. And yes, official autumn arrives next week!
This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2021 September 18 – September 25
Autumn arrives this week, and dedicated stargazers are happy to have the longer
observing time afforded by earlier sunsets. The summer constellations appear
reluctant to move on, however; emerging from twilight in nearly the same place
each night because the earlier darkness masks that they rise four minutes
sooner each day. But move on they do, and by mid-evening the two groups of
autumn constellations lord over us.
Perseus sits below W-shaped Cassiopeia in the northeast these evenings. Cepheus
is a house-shaped constellation north of Cassiopeia, and Andromeda lies with
her feet below Cassiopeia and her head sharing a star with Pegasus. The
asterism called the Great Square of Pegasus rises as a large diamond, a
harbinger of the baseball post season. These constellations relate to a classic
tale in Greek mythology, as does Cetus, playing the role of a ferocious sea
monster. Cetus is actually a whale, and this segues to the second group - the
water constellations.
Saturn and Jupiter are in or near ark-shaped Capricornus the sea goat. Above
and left is the source of all this water; Aquarius, the water bearing servant
of the Olympian gods. Below him is the southern fish, Piscis Austrinus with the
bright star Fomalhaut, and further east we have Pisces the fishes. Cetus swims
below them, and well above Capricornus we see Delphinus the dolphin trying to
leap back into summer.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:01 am and sunset will occur at 7:24 pm,
giving 12 hours, 23 minutes of daylight (7:06 am and 7:28 pm in Saint John).
Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:10 am and set at 7:10 pm, giving 12 hours
of daylight (7:15 am and 7:15 pm in Saint John). The Sun is above the equator
on Wednesday at 4:21 pm, beginning our autumn season. Note that we have 12
hours of daylight three days after the equinox. If we had no atmosphere and if
sunrise and sunset times were based on the middle of the Sun, then equal day and
night would occur on the equinox. However, sunrise is when the top of the Sun
appears and sunset is when the top disappears. Also, atmospheric refraction
makes the Sun appear to be sitting on the horizon, rising and setting, when it
is actually just below it. This extra time means we get equal day and night a
few days before the first of spring and a few days after the first of autumn.
The Harvest Moon occurs on Monday evening, rising just 20-30 minutes later each
evening all week rather than the average time of 50 minutes. Saturn and Jupiter
are at their best for observing in mid-to-late evening. Jupiter’s Red Spot can
be seen with a telescope around 8:30 pm Wednesday and 10 pm on Friday. Venus
sets before 9 pm this week, and Mercury is a challenge to see with binoculars,
setting 30 minutes after sunset.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
