Nature Moncton Nature
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**Fred
Richards reports the second Nature
Moncton Movie Night of this winter was shared by about 20 people on
Thursday evening. The Roger Leblanc film MIGRATIONS was the video
chosen. Much of it was in French, but the subtitles were easy to read, and the
birds and scenery were spectacular.
Alain Clavette and Zachery Richard were featured in the film which
talked about birds that were found at two locations: New Brunswick and
Louisiana. Filming was done at both
locations with emphasis on the birds that migrated between them. Alain spoke about the making of the film and
was available for questions. There is
one more movie night planned, so check Nature News, Facebook, or the website
for information as it becomes available.
**Jane
LeBlanc caught two of three American robins in her yard this week enjoying
mountain ash berries. She also caught one of two white-throated sparrows
enjoying sunflower seeds.
**On
Thursday, Brian Stone received an alert from Brian Coyle (thank you,
Brian) about an apple tree on the Ammon Rd. that was hosting a
feeding frenzy of waxwings. Brian also told Brian that other species were
accompanying the waxwings, and so Brian got himself up and out and went for a
look. As he drove up to the tree, Brian noticed the birds were flying back and
forth from a tall tree across the street, seemingly feeding at the apple tree
in shifts. Brian Coyle was quite correct that there were more than just
waxwings feeding at the tree, and Brian came away with photos of bohemian
waxwings, cedar waxwings, pine grosbeaks, and American
robins. That's a nice mix of fruit-eating birds.
**While
driving to Hampton for a visit, Brian Stone and his wife Annette noticed a thin
haze of cloud come close enough to the Sun to get the iridescence
treatment. As Brian was driving, Annette took out her phone and took a few
photographs through the windshield that Brian later processed to compensate for
the windshield distortions.
A
quote from the internet ... " Iridescent clouds are a diffraction
phenomenon caused by small water droplets or small ice
crystals individually scattering light. Larger ice crystals
do not produce iridescence, but can cause halos, a different phenomenon".
Binoculars are great instruments for observing the brighter star clusters
and nebulae in the night sky, and Orion is a great place for binocular
treasures. Its most prominent naked eye feature is the angled line of three
stars that make Orion’s Belt. This trio, part of a star cluster called
Collinder 70, will fit easily within almost any binocular view. They are hot
giant stars with the one on the right, Mintaka, being a little dimmer than
Alnitak on the left and Alnilam in between. Although they appear to be near
each other, at a distance of 2000 light years Alnilam is nearly three times
farther than the other two. Between Alnilam and Mintaka binoculars will show an
S-shaped asterism, Orion’s S, which peaks above his belt.
Below the belt is a string of a few dimmer stars that makes Orion’s sword, one
of which looks fuzzy to the eye. Binoculars reveal this to be the Orion Nebula
or M42, a vast cloud of gas and dust where stars are forming. Just above the
nebula is an asterism that resembles a person running or perhaps the figure in
a WALK sign. Several double or multiple stars can be seen in this general area.
Binoculars will also enhance star colours so check out Orion’s two brightest
stars, blue-white Rigel and orange Betelgeuse. Defocusing your binoculars
slightly will enhance the colours even more.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:33 and sunset will occur at 5:33, giving
10 hours of daylight (7:36 and 5:40 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will
rise at 7:23 and set at 5:43, giving 10 hours, 20 minutes of daylight (7:26 and
5:50 in Saint John).
The
Moon is at third quarter on Monday and near Antares Wednesday morning. Mercury and
Venus have joined Saturn in the west in evening twilight. The increasing
angle of the ecliptic makes this the best evening apparition of the year for
Mercury, although it will be dimming rapidly toward the end of the month. Midweek
Venus sets 40 minutes after sunset and Mercury will be about a binocular width
to its upper left. Jupiter will be high overhead around 10 pm, and on
Wednesday telescope users can see its moon Ganymede emerge from transit at 6:12
while its shadow begins a leisurely three hour transit. Rural observers might
catch the zodiacal light angling up the ecliptic 60 to 90 minutes after sunset.
The
Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre this
Saturday at 7 pm. Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm on the
YouTube channel and Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay. The Fredericton
Astronomy Club meets in the UNB Forestry-Earth Sciences building on Tuesday at
7 pm.
Questions?
Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
