NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
May 13,
2022 (Friday)
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**Aldo Dorio got some pleasant photographs of a Hermit Thrush at
Hay Island on Thursday. This is normally one of our first thrushes to join us except
for the American Robin.
**Fred Dube got a nice photo of a Fishing Spider. This is one of
the larger spiders that we can expect to see this time of year and can span up
to 3 inches. It is usually found near bodies of water. It can bite humans if provoked
but normally of no danger unless someone is allergic. It is considered semiaquatic and can
dive into shallow water to prey on small fish or tadpoles.
**Lynn Dube photographed a sharply dressed Chipping Sparrow that
interrupted its white millet breakfast to pose for a photograph.
A colourful male Evening Grosbeak caught
the attention of Lynn’s lens as well.
Lynn also spotted a Mourning Cloak Butterfly looking a bit worn from wintering as the adult. This butterfly species
has been pleasantly numerous this year.
**Nelson Poirier is noting the male Rose-breasted
Grosbeak that arrived on May 10 is still visiting solo. Normally 3-5 arrive about the same time so this individual is possibly an advanced guard.
**It’s Friday and time to look at Curt Nason’s outlook for next week’s
sky. Take note of Curt’s photo of the lunar eclipse that is to take place Sunday evening into Monday morning.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2022 May 14 – May 21
The Moon takes centre stage this week with perhaps the most significant
stargazing event of the year: all the stages of a total lunar eclipse from
Sunday evening into early Monday. Although the Moon starts slipping into
Earth’s dark shadow at 11:27 pm, look for subtle gray shading on the lunar
surface beginning 30 minutes sooner. This is the penumbra, a lesser shadow
created when Earth partly covers the Sun as seen from the Moon. Between 11:27
and 12:29 am the dark umbra will creep across the lunar surface toward
totality. Note that the umbra appears on the left side, which indicates the
Moon is moving eastward in its orbit rather than the westward motion we see as
our planet rotates. Also, note the curvature of the shadow. The Greeks noticed
the curvature more than two millennia ago and correctly assumed it was because
the Earth is spherical. Watch for more stars to appear as totality approaches
and the sky darkens.
Totality lasts for about 85 minutes, ending at 1:54 am. The Moon could take on
a red or orange hue before and during totality, caused by our atmosphere acting
like a prism and bending the red part of the sunlight moonward. It could also
appear darker than usual if volcanic dust from the Hunga Tonga eruption in
January remains high in the atmosphere. You might also note that the bottom of
the Moon is brighter than the top. The Moon passes just below the centre of
Earth’s shadow during this eclipse, so the lower portion is farther from the
deepest and darkest part of the umbra. For an hour after totality you get to
watch the partial phase play out in reverse, followed by the fading of the
penumbra.
Our next lunar eclipse will occur on the morning of November 8, with the
Moon setting shortly after the end of totality. After that we will have to wait
until March 14, 2025 to see the shady Moon.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:47 am and sunset will occur at 8:43 pm,
giving 14 hours, 56 minutes of daylight (5:55 am and 8:46 pm in Saint John).
Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:40 am and set at 8:51 pm, giving 15 hours,
11 minutes of daylight (5:48 am and 8:54 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is full and near the middle of Earth’s shadow very early on Monday.
Mercury is moving sunward rapidly on its way to inferior conjunction next
Saturday. Mars passes a moon-width below Neptune on Wednesday morning but the
low altitude or twilight will make this a difficult sighting in a telescope. As
Mars closes the gap to Jupiter, Venus races eastward against the stars to widen
the spread of the four morning planets. Early rising Saturn is starting to look
lonely far to their west.
On Sunday evening at 8 pm, tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show via the
Facebook page or YouTube channel of Astronomy by the Bay.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton