Nature Moncton Nature News: October 13 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

October 13, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Louise Nichols spent a couple of days in the St. Martins area at the beginning of the week. She spent one day in the Fundy Parkway, where she hiked various trails. She also hiked the trail at Quaco Head. She sends some photos of the beautiful scenery, some plant life and mushrooms, a White-tailed Deer on the side of Lighthouse Rd., and a couple of birds, including a Winter Wren who chirped in annoyance at Louise for quite some time on a nearby branch along the Quaco trail. A beautiful area to explore!

(Editor’s note: in Louise’s photo of the Salmon River, note the many spruce trees among the colourful fall foliage of deciduous trees that have succumbed to the Spruce Beetle.

In the White-tailed Deer photo, note that it is taking on its more dull brown pelage of winter of hollow insulating hair. A vestige of the chestnut summer plumage shows on the brow of the head.

The unidentified mushroom is large and on a ground substrate not matching any suspected species.)

**Brian Stone reports that American Robins are gathering in his backyard as they do every fall around this time and are foraging on his lawn and also beginning to strip the Mountain Ash trees of their abundant berry crop. The more than a dozen robins are obviously feeling the need to fatten up before winter comes.

(Editor’s note: with the abundant Mountain Ash berry crop, there is a good chance many American Robins will stay with us for the winter, having no need to migrate. There is also a good possibility Pine Grosbeaks, Bohemian Waxwings, and Cedar Waxwings may join us to take advantage of the bountiful crop.)

**Aldo Dorio sends 2 photos of Black-bellied Plovers, going into basic winter plumage, taken at Hay Island on Thursday. At this stage, closer observations are needed to distinguish them from American Golden Plovers.

**Wayne Fairchild reports that he has seedpods of Swamp Milkweed about to mature and is willing to share with anyone who may want some. He has both white flower and pink flower seedpods ready shortly.

Nelson Poirier also has pink flower seedpods maturing shortly as well, should anyone be interested.

**It’s Friday in our day to review what next week’s night sky may have in store for us courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason. Mother Nature’s forecast may keep us from seeing it, but still there!

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023 October 14 – October 21
The astronomical highlight for New Brunswick this week is a partial solar eclipse on Saturday afternoon from 1:33 to 3:25. At the peak, around 2:30, approximately 10% of the Sun’s surface area will be covered by the Moon. This is a prelude to a total solar eclipse occurring across the central half of the province on April 8, 2024. If any nature or astronomy clubs want a presentation on how to observe it safely, what you will see and where, and why they are so rare, please contact me.

(Editor’s note: Curt will be giving a presentation on the April 8 event to Nature Moncton and virtually available to all on February 20, 2024.)

Solar eclipses occur at the new Moon, but since the Moon’s orbit is tilted to Earth’s orbit by five degrees (ten times the Moon’s apparent diameter), it is usually above or below the Sun at that phase. For a period of a few weeks, twice a year, the new Moon occurs when it is near to crossing Earth’s orbital plane and there will be a partial, annular, or total eclipse somewhere on the planet. With a total eclipse, a rarity at any one location, the Moon’s shadow races across part of Earth on a path 100 to 200 kilometres wide. Locations outside of the shadow get a partial eclipse, with percent coverage decreasing with distance. An annular eclipse; which the one this weekend will be in parts of the United States, Mexico, where check Central and South Americas; occurs when the Moon is near apogee and its apparent width is smaller than that of the Sun.

Looking at the Sun without proper eye protection, even when it is mostly covered by the Moon, can cause temporary or permanent eye damage, and since the retina has no pain receptors you will not notice any damage for several hours. Proper protection is #14 or #13 welder’s glass, or approved eclipse viewers / glasses purchased from a reputable dealer. Note that these are not safe for use with binoculars and telescopes; other filters can be purchased for this purpose. A cheap and effective way to view the partial eclipse is to project the sunlight through a pinhole onto a white surface. Check the Internet for methods of doing this. Or use Nature’s projection method by looking at the shadows of leaves, which often have tiny holes to project the Sun’s image.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:34 am and sunset will occur at 6:35 pm, giving 11 hours, 1 minute of daylight (7:38 am and 6:41 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:44 am and set at 6:22 pm, giving 10 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (7:47 am and 6:29 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is new on Saturday afternoon, eclipsing up to 10% of the Sun between 1:33 and 3:25, and it is near the orange supergiant star Antares on Wednesday. Saturn is at its best for observing in late evening, still giving good views of its rings in a telescope. Rising about a half hour after sunset midweek, Jupiter offers telescopic views of its Red Spot storm around 10 pm Tuesday and near midnight on Thursday. Mercury is at superior conjunction on October 20, returning to the evening sky next month. Mars sets unseen in bright evening twilight, heading slowly toward solar conjunction in a month.

The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre at 7 pm this Saturday. There will be public observing of the partial solar eclipse at the Irving Nature Park in Saint John and public observing at the park next Saturday evening for International Observe the Moon Night.