NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
September 12, 2025
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
To respond by e-mail, please address
your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .
Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .
Proofreading
courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
** A Nature
Moncton field trip is happening tomorrow Saturday, September 13 with all
details below:
NATURE MONCTON FIELD TRIP
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Location: Fort Folly First Nation, Medicine Trail
Start time: 9:00 am, approximately 2
hours
Come join us for a guided walk along
the Medicine Hiking Trail, at the site of Amlamgog (Fort Folly) First
Nation. As we walk, our guide Elder
Nicole Dubé will introduce us to Mi’kmaw perspectives of medicine, food,
health, and healing.
This is a 2.5 km well-groomed trail,
family-friendly, and an easy walk through the woods. It features English,
French, and Mi’kmaw interpretative panels that showcase medicinal plants and
their traditional uses.
Directions:
If using Highway #2 from Moncton,
take exit #482. Turn right onto Renaissance Road, which links to Royal
Rd/NB-106 E (signs for NB-925/Dorchester). From the Memramcook Home Hardware, drive approximately 15 km (about 15 minutes).
Bernard Trail is off of Route 106,
which connects Dieppe – Memramcook – Dorchester – Sackville. Once on Bernard Trail, the buildings are not
numbered, so continue past the Health Centre and look for the teepee on the
left, and park there.
This is in the woods, so bug spray
and protective clothing are recommended. Don’t forget to wear your name tag
too!
All are welcome, Nature Moncton
member or not.
**This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2025 September 13 – September 20
Autumn arrives next weekend 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.
To the southeast in evening twilight is the chevron-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 is the southern fish, Piscis
Austrinus with its bright star Fomalhaut. Further east we have Pisces the
fishes, the current home of Saturn, with Cetus swimming below them, and well
above Capricornus we see Delphinus the dolphin leaping out of the sea.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:55 and sunset will occur at 7:33, giving
12 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (7:00 and 7:38 in Saint John). Next Saturday
the Sun will rise at 7:04 and set at 7:20, giving 12 hours, 16 minutes of
daylight (7:09 and 7:25 in Saint John).
The Moon
is at third quarter this Sunday, near Jupiter among the stars of Gemini on Tuesday, and it
teams up with Venus and Regulus Friday. Mars is within a binocular view above
Spica this weekend, a challenging observation, setting an hour after sunset. On
Friday morning Venus sits just above Regulus and just below the slim crescent
Moon, with all three fitting within the view of most binoculars. Saturn rises
soon after sunset as it approaches opposition next weekend. Mercury is at
superior conjunction this Saturday.
The fall
star party at Kouchibouguac National Park takes place this Friday and Saturday,
See the RASC NB website for details. Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show
at 8 pm on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay.
Questions?
Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
