Nature Moncton Nature News: September 29 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

September 29, 2023

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise both the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

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

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Aldo Dorio got a documentary photo of a young-of-the-year American Robin in his Neguac yard. This bird is obviously from a late brood as it appears to have recently fledged.

**On a recent visit to Fundy Parkway, Brian Stone and Nelson Poirier took note of the cross-sectional pattern of several Red Pine trees that have been cut and wondered about the ‘real story’ about the different layers.

A consultation with Doug Hiltz at the Maritime College of Forest Technology gave a wonderful explanation of what we were really looking at, and suspect Doug’s explanation will have a lot of us taking a second look when we have the opportunity to see trees cut in cross-sections during our wood’s travels. Doug’s explanation is too good not to be quoted verbatim, and that is done below:

“Internal tree tissues all originate in a thin layer called the vascular cambium. Cells produced on the outer side of this cambium are called phloem. Cells produced on the inner side of the cambium are called xylem. Both the xylem and phloem are vascular tissues that transport nutrients, sugars, and liquid up and down the tree. As the tree grows, it puts on layers of new cells in both the xylem and the phloem every year. The innermost layers of the phloem (sometimes called inner bark) remain alive and active and transport photosynthates (sugars and starches) down the tree into the trunk and root system. The outermost layers of the phloem harden off and die and become what we refer to as bark (outer bark). The outermost layers of the xylem (called sapwood) are alive and active and are how water and minerals are transported up the tree to the leaves to be used in photosynthesis. As newer layers of cells are added every year, they become part of this sapwood, while older inner layers become inactive and are then called heartwood. Heartwood is not exactly dead but is inactive and fills with solidified organic compounds, increasing the tree's structural strength. Because of these compounds, the heartwood of a tree often has a different colouration (darker) than the sapwood, though that depends on the tree species. The proportion of heartwood to sapwood is also highly variable by species, with some having mostly sapwood and little heartwood or vice versa. I have included a very basic diagram below. It does get more complex than that with primary and secondary xylem and phloem layers as well as annual rings (each year is represented by a pair of rings) in the xylem each being divided into what we call early wood and late wood. But, I will leave the tissue talk there for now, though I'd be glad to expand on those last points sometime if anyone is interested.

In your photos of these pine logs, you see a very dark ring around the outside of the logs; this is due to a couple of things. In pine logs (especially eastern white pine but often in red or jack pine), you will see a "resin ring" around the outside of the log where the thick pine sap/resin oozes out of that active sapwood in the outer layers of the xylem. It is one way we identify pine logs as being pines. Now, the resin, when fresh, is usually clear, yellowish, and/or slightly white and crystallized. However, if left outside in conditions that are too warm (20+degreesC) and/or moist (greater than 70% relative humidity), the sapwood of the logs is often infected by a fungus called blue stain, which, if the log is sawn into lumber, actually gives the lumber a nice bluish grey colour that is often sought after for pine furniture.”

**It’s Friday and our day when sky guru Curt Nason gives us a preview of what we may see in next week’s night sky. With weather predictions of clear nights and darkness coming on earlier, spending time looking up could be very rewarding.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023 September 30 – October 7
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 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 for the kidnapping; 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 (NGC 7009), the glowing gaseous remnant of a dead star that somewhat resembles the ringed planet. As a bonus, this season Saturn is moving eastward through the middle of Aquarius.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:16 am and sunset will occur at 7:01 pm, giving 11 hours, 45 minutes of daylight (7:20 am and 7:06 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:25 am and set at 6:48 pm, giving 11 hours, 23 minutes of daylight (7:29 am and 6:53 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is full on Friday, September 29, and it is at third quarter next Friday. Along the way it passes near Jupiter on Sunday, the Pleiades star cluster on Tuesday, and Pollux in Gemini on Friday. Venus brightens the morning sky in the east as it approaches Regulus in Leo. Mercury rises around 6 am this weekend but more than a half hour later next weekend. Saturn is at its best for observing in late evening, still giving good views of its rings in a telescope. Jupiter rises mid-evening, riding high for great observing from late evening to morning twilight.

Weather permitting, a rain date for the cancelled RASC NB star party at Fundy National Park will take place on the evening of October 6 at Herring Cove. The Sunday Night Astronomy Show is back from summer vacation, airing at 8 pm Sundays on the Facebook page and YouTube channel of Astronomy by the Bay.

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