Nature Moncton Nature News: September 27 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Sept 27, 2024

Nature Moncton members as well as any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition of Nature News

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**A Common Buckeye butterfly was observed Wednesday and Thursday in Cocagne at the pollinator garden near the Cocagne arena. On Wednesday the butterfly, nectaring on aster blooms, cooperated to provide Louis-Emile Cormier with a great spread wing photograph.

(Editor’s note: this butterfly has been a very rewarding arrival to the pollinator garden created with much effort by Louis-Emile Cormier.

This species is more commonly seen along the eastern seaboard of the US into Central America. Two specimens were spotted at the Cocagne pollinator garden a few weeks ago and there was another sighting at approximately the same time in Nova Scotia.)

**Gabriel Gallant was able to capture an excellent photo of a male American Copper butterfly appearing in very fresh prime condition.

The butterfly flew before Gabriel was able to photograph any underwing features. This male specimen can be easily confused with the male Bronze Copper butterfly from this view, but size is very significant as the American Copper butterfly is much smaller than the Bronze Copper butterfly. The banded antennae with orange bulb at the end is also a helpful ID feature for the American Copper butterfly.

*Eric Wilson recently observed six turkeys on the embankment of the Trans Canada Highway westbound to Fredericton just west of Oromocto. They were down closer to the woods but out in the open on the grass at the edge of the woods.

**Sue and Fred Richards went for a walk on their Taylor Village property on Wednesday and were in awe of the sheer beauty of the small Eyebright plant on the side of the road and share a photograph.

**It’s that time of year when we are more apt to see large female spiders laden with eggs out to meet the nutritional demands of that egg cargo.

Christine Lever captured an over-and-under view of a Cross Spider having successfully captured a Crane Fly to do just that.

**This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2024 September 28 – October 5
The Major League Baseball playoff season kicks off, or rather throws out the first pitch, this week and they always arrange to have the Great Square of Pegasus form a diamond in the eastern sky for evening games. At home plate is Algenib, the third brightest star of the constellation. Who’s on first? Yes, that is Markab, the brightest star of Pegasus. On second base we have its second brightest luminary, Sheat, which is probably what he mutters when he makes an error. On third is a star brighter than the other three, Alpheratz, who was traded to Andromeda but still likes to whip the ball around the horn with his former teammates.

Trailing off toward the dugout from third is a string of stars that forms the left side of Princess Andromeda. The second in the string is no second string player. Mirach is as bright as Alpheratz and shows a distinct orange colour in binoculars. A little more than one binocular field above the string from Mirach will bring M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, into your view, and from a dark sky that is a view you don’t want to miss. It might resemble a pool of champagne on the clubhouse floor of the World Series champions. Why am I seeing more blue jays at my feeders?

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:14 and sunset will occur at 7:03, giving 11 hours, 49 minutes of daylight (7:19 and 7:09 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:23 and set at 6:50, giving 11 hours, 27 minutes of daylight (7:28 and 6:56 in Saint John).

The Moon is new on Wednesday and near Venus in the early evening sky next Saturday. Saturn is at its highest and best for observing at midnight, around which time Mars will be rising. Jupiter rises around 10 pm midweek, and at 10:45 Tuesday evening telescope users might see its moon Ganymede disappear behind the planet and emerge from the other side two hours later. Mercury is at superior conjunction on Monday. For two weeks beginning on Tuesday rural observers can look for the subtle wedge of the zodiacal light in the east 90 to 60 minutes before sunrise,

Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay. The Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on October 5 at 7 pm.

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