The Newsletter of the Cape Cod Astronomical Society. September, 2015 Vol. 26 No. 9

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1 \M The Newsletter of the Cape Cod Astronomical Society September, 2015 Vol. 26 No. 9 Maybe One of the best Perseid Meteor Showers? this year s event WAS one of the best! Many fireballs! Hope you didn t miss it! So What s the Big Show for September? How About This: SUPER, FULL, AND TOTAL ECLIPSE! On September you you can: View the Super Moon: as big as it will be all year because it is as close to the earth (closest perigee in 2015) as it will be all year. See a total eclipse in Prime Time: Yes, it will be Full. But it will also run all the way through the earth s shadow (first umbra at 9:07 pm; last umbra at 12:27am) on Sunday evening. Come to The Schmidt Observatory at 8:30 for a special program (more info on page 3.) Watch out for high water: possibly highest tides at Cape Beaches this year (11 feet at Cape Cod Bay at 10pm, just before mid-eclipse.) Anything else going on this month? (Please see more info later) How about a DAYTIME Solar Star Party at 9am on September 6.. or our first Winter Season Quarter-Moon- Star Party at 8:30pm on September 19 th? Our Next Monthly Meeting: is Thursday, September 3rd, at 7:30pm in the D-Y High School library. Coming to us following many years on the water commercial marine experience, new member John Carlisle will speak to us on Celestial Navigation As always, public welcome. Reminder: No more Thursday Star Parties this year. The first Quarter-Moon- Star Party (public welcome) is Sept 19 th at 7:30pm. We are also beginning once a month New-Moon- evenings for Staff and Members only beginning Sept. 12 th. Please see more information on both these opportunities with near term schedules on page 3.) In this issue: Lunar Eclipse at the Dome / Jon Greenberg Memorial Card / Quarter-Moon, New-Moon Star Parties Begin / Solar Star Party / Autumnal Equinox / Bright Venus / Big Tides / 1

2 Bright New Stars: We like to profile new members in our Society in this section of First Light each month. If you are a new member and have not yet been so recognized, or might have new information for us (background, astro equipment preferred, interests, etc.) on yourself or someone else, please let us know ( info@ccas.ws). MEMBERS: PLEASE CONSIDER SUBMITTING AN ITEM OR ARTICLE FOR PUBLICATION IN FIRST LIGHT. CCAS News Items and Current Events: Jon Greenberg Memorial Card: Please see page 7 for a Memorial Card remembering former long-time member Jon Greenberg. September beings significant changes to Star Party schedules. Please see the information beginning on page 3 including the new schedule for Quarter-Moon events open to the public, a whole new kind of once-per-month CCAS- Members-only meeting at the Dome, and a special new daytime event for members, guests, and students to study the sun. The Dues cycle began at our July meeting. Dues for most folks are $30/year. We need this money to pay our bills and support our Observatory! Please bring your check to the next meeting or mail right away to: CCAS, 34 Ridgewood Rd. Orleans MA Thank you. We have several active members who are more than a year in arrears. Please, everyone, get current as soon as possible. The Cape Cod Astronomical Foundation is now participating in the AmazonSmile program ( please go to this Amazon login page and sign up. Going forward, 0.5% of the price of all your Amazon purchases will be donated to the Cape Cod Astronomical Foundation when you are a signed-up participant. CCAS Meetings: Many thanks to recently joined member Jim Lynch, for his most informative presentation: General Relativity and Cosmology: The Mathematics De-Mystified at our meeting on August 6 th. Jim is the recipient of the Robert W. Morse Chair for Excellence in Oceanography, and is a senior scientist in the Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department at WHOI. For most people, Einstein's theory is hidden in forbidding mathematical equations. However, the underlying meaning of the math embodying Einstein s theories is NOT rocket science, and can be understood by all in rather simple terms. Jim helped us pursue significant understanding of what Einstein s math means in this talk. Please see Gus Romano s excellent overview of key points from this talk in the Minutes for our August meeting, website reference provided on the next page. New member John Carlisle will speak to us on Celestial Navigation at our meeting on September 3 rd. John has an interesting background certainly qualifying him to speak on this topic: he is a long time merchant marine officer having served on tankers and container ships; John has also sailed tall ships worldwide. He has taught marine navigation, specializing in celestial navigation and, in the early 2000's, was a leader in his union school's planetarium, a Spitz A3. Telescope Night at the CCAS October Meeting: As we have done in past years, every so often we have a Telescope and Equipment Showcase as the subject for a CCAS monthly meeting. This year we will have this show and tell session at our meeting on October 1. The session will include not only scopes and binoculars but other equipment of interest including special items for the astrophotography arena. Key CCAS telescopes, some available for loan from The Schmidt will be available for browsing. Members are invited to bring their own scopes or binoculars. Finally, you may also offer your own equipment for loan or sale at this session. Public is welcome. Y all bring your scopes too! Professor Tim Barker, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Wheaton College, has informed us that he hopes to be able to give a talk at our meeting on November 5 th on the Apollo program. If all goes as planned, he will be able to bring some actual samples from the moon, on loan from NASA, to the meeting. Stay tuned. We are pleased to announce that Professor Larry Marschall of Gettysburg College, astronomer, teacher and always an excellent speaker, has agreed to give us a presentation at our meeting on December 3 rd. Information on Professor Marschall s topic will be published in a later issue First Light or when available. Reminder: Gus Romano (or his delegate) hosts a Dutch-treat dinner gathering for members and friends on each CCAS meeting night (before the meeting) at the South Yarmouth Hearth & Kettle restaurant at 5:45pm; (the meetings begin at 7:30 at D-Y.) The speaker for each meeting is always invited. Please join the group to dine and talk about all things interesting, including astronomy! The H&K is at 1196 Rte 28, South Yarmouth, about a half mile west of the Station Avenue/Main Street intersection with Rt. 28 (traffic light). 2

3 Mike Hunter, CCAS President, is our Program Chairman. Please contact Mike or if you have any leads on speakers for upcoming meetings after December. Members, PLEASE participate in the effort to recruit good speakers to present programs in astronomy and related sciences at our meetings. Please let us know if you have any leads or, even better, volunteer to give a talk yourself! Minutes: The minutes of the August meeting are on our website; click on the Minutes button at or go to From the Dome: Special Lunar Eclipse Event at the Schmidt A total eclipse of the moon takes place 9:07pm -12:27am EDT on Sunday, September 27 th (penumbral eclipse begins at 8:40pm EDT; ends at 12:55am EDT.) Such a phenomenon taking place at Prime Time hours prompted the Observatory Staff to schedule a special Star Party at the Dome that Sunday evening; starting time: 8:30pm. Public welcome. Observations will begin at 8:30pm when the moon is just high enough to clear the sill in the Dome for observations using our 16 Meade telescope. A particular aspect of this viewing will be to observe and record at what times the umbral shadow reaches various craters and other features on the moon as the eclipse proceeds. Will the touch times forecast in an article in the September issue of S&T Magazine (p 29) be accurate? A fun exercise. Don t miss it. Summer Thursday Star Parties End; Winter Schedule of Quarter-Moon- Star Parties Begins: Here is the schedule for Quarter-Moon Star Parties thru January; public is invited; all events begin at the Dome at 7:30pm on the following evenings and end at 9:30pm: September19 th October 17th November 21 st December 19 th January 16 th Want to know what a Quarter-Moon- Star Party is? Our website ( Star Parties and Activities Info button describes it this way: From September thru June, we will have one regularly scheduled Star Party taking place at 7:30pm on the each month closest to the date of First Quarter Moon (about 7 days old) each month. When the moon is near its First Quarter, the terminator (the line dividing light from dark) is favorable for viewing sunlight or shadow on the sides of craters. This time is also good for observing the dark side of the moon occult (cover) stars in the sky beyond it as it moves in its orbit. FOR MEMBER ONLY: New-Moon- Work Sessions at the Schmidt Begin. At its meeting on August 21 st, the Observatory Staff decided to initiate a new once-per-month meeting at the Dome for members only. Here is the initial schedule; starting time is 7:30pm: September 12 th October 10th November 14 th December 12 th January 9th These meetings, held on the night each month closest to the New Moon, are to provide a regular opportunity for CCAS members to work on projects at the Dome and/or to become better acquainted with our equipment and more involved with Dome activities and operations. If you are a CCAS Member, and not yet involved at the observatory, this is your opportunity to join in, have fun, and share star gazing and learning about observing and our equipment with the Observatory Staff. Announcing a Very Special DAYTIME Star Party which will focus on our own local star: This from Bernie Young, Director of Research at The Schmidt: The Observatory will be opened at 1:00 PM EDT Sunday, September 6, (Labor Day Weekend) to observe Sol, our local star, with the 4" Hydrogen-alpha solar telescope. When everyone has seen the features on the sun, we will look at other stars (magnitude 3 and brighter) and attempt to capture their spectra with a diffraction grating and the Rspec software. This is an exercise to expand our daytime observing capabilities, especially for the high school science students. For a video describing spectroscopy using Rspec please see: 3

4 If it's hopelessly cloudy, this star party will not occur. Call the observatory at if in doubt. Wait at least 8 rings before you decide no one is there; (it takes a while to get to the phone from upstairs or outside.) As always, Private group or individual observing sessions at the Werner Schmidt Observatory may be scheduled by contacting Observatory Director Joel Burnett at Joelburnett@comcast.net or sending an to info@ccas.ws Our Society exists to promote observing! Help us promote this objective by asking for time at the Dome! CCAS has both 8 and 14 Dobsonian telescopes for loan to members. Contact info@ccas.ws if you wish to borrow one. Observing Resources: September Observing: Please see resources in the September issue of Astronomy Magazine, pp 36-41, and Sky and Telescope, pp 41-57, and Reference 5 for good guides to the sky. See also the stories on the lunar eclipse highlighted in the next column. See reference 6 for positions of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Highlights in the Night Sky for September: A few highlights in addition to the main lunar eclipse event: The autumnal equinox takes place on September 23 rd at 4:21am. At this moment, the hours of day and night (nox) are equal (equi). This event also marks the point midway from the summer solstice, when, at all latitudes, the sun is as high in the sky as it will be all year, and the winter solstice, when the sun is as low in the sky as it will be all year. If you like cool weather, you are happy to have reached the autumnal equinox; if you like hot weather, not so much. On September 21 st, Venus shines at its brightest all year, mag - 4.8, in the pre- dawn sky. The main event this month, is, of course, the lunar eclipse of September 27 th, featured on our front page. Here s some more information: Super, Full, and Total Eclipse : Here s some vocabulary to use when inviting your friends to watch the entire event: Super: once each month the moon reaches perigee, the closest it will get to the earth during that month. Tides are always extreme when the moon is at perigee. But once each YEAR, the moon achieves closest perigee when it is closest to the earth in that entire year. When so close, it appears just a bit larger than any other time. At this closest perigee for the year, the moon will be only 221,773 miles from the earth: indeed, a Super moon! We all know what Full means. But when the moon is at closest perigee and full, it is really super and highest tides take place. More on the big tides this month in a bit. Total Eclipse: The earth has a somewhat dim outer shadow called the penumbra; in some partial eclipses, only the penumbra will dim the moon for an hour or so. The earth alsohas a full deep shadow called the umbra. In some eclipses, the penumbra will dim nearly the entire moon for a while followed by only part of the umbra moving across the moon; part of the moon is only dimmed while the other is darkened during the bypass. But when we are lucky enough to have a Total Eclipse, an entire sequence takes place in front of our eyes as follows (all times EDT): o Penumbra starts: 8:40pm o Umbral Shadow starts: 9:07pm o Dark umbra first complete: 10:11pm o Mid- eclipse: 10:48pm o Umbra begins partial exit: 11:23pm o Umbra leaves entirely: 12:27am o Penumbra last visible (?) 12:55am. Incidentally, you will also hear the term Harvest Moon this month. The Harvest Moon each year is the Full Moon that takes place closest to the Auumnal Equinox. The September 27 Full Moon is a Harvest Moon. Do plan to enjoy the eclipse. Come to The Schmidt Observatory and share your experience with others. Do read the articles on the eclipse in the September issues of S&T (p26, p45) and Astronomy (p10- Bob Berman: color changes during the eclipse; p56- Main Story) Do prepare any camera or binoculars for this event. Consider using a tripod; if you have a camera on a steady tripod and take one photo every minutes, you will have a wonderful slide show to share with others; if you have photo processing software, you can create a side- by- side stage- to- stage total event image that shows the changes hour by hour. 4

5 Don t Stand Too Close to the Water While Watching the Eclipse! Because we have a Super (closest perigee) and Full Moon the night of the eclipse, and the sun, moon, and earth are in line with one another, high tide heights at Cape Cod and elsewhere will be extreme on September 27. Here are tide heights expected at some New England locations: Boston 11.0ft 11:19pm Nauset Beach 8.2ft 11:49pm Sesuit Harbor 11.0ft 11:23pm Pleasant Bay 4.0ft 1:47am Moon Phases, September, 2015 Last QTR,, Sept. 5 th, at 5:54am EDT New Moon, Sunday, Sept. 13 th, at 2:41am EDT First QTR, Monday, Sept. 21 st, at 4:59am EDT Full Moon, Sunday, Sept. 27 th, at 10:50pm EDT ALERT: Total Eclipse from 8:40pm; ends 12:55am EDT Caution: SUPERMOON: at this cycle s perigee is closest to earth as it will be this year; if observing the eclipse at the beach, be careful not to get your feet wet: this night will see the highest tide there will be at most locations all year. Minima of Algol 1,3, September: Algol, a variable double star in Perseus, shines normally at mag 2.1 but once every 2.87 days dims to mag 3.4. The dimming is caused by the dimmer of two self-orbiting stars eclipsing the brighter as viewed from earth. There are two convenient evening occurrences of the Minima of Algol this month: Wednesday, September 2 nd at 8:15pm (only the brightening will be after dark); and Tuesday, September 22 nd, at 9:55pm. Using binoculars or a small telescope, try to begin viewing two to three hours before the minima to watch the dimming (record magnitudes now and then by comparing Algol with neighboring constant magnitudes) and up to two to three hours after the minima to watch the brightening. Mooncusser s Almanac and Monthly Alert 1 SEPTEMBER 2015 Object Sept. 1 (EDT) Sun R 06:06 S: 19:14 Moon R: 20:58 S: 09:48 Mercury (in sun) Venus (pre-dawn) Mars (predawn) Jupiter (near sun) Saturn (early evening) Uranus ( all nite ) Neptune ( all nite) Pluto (evening) R: 08:28 S: 20:05 R: 04:21 S: 17:34 R: 04:02 S: 18:18 R: 05:43 S: 19:07 R: 12:50 S: 22:43 R: 20:43 S: 09:42 R: 19:08 S: 06:09 R: 16:09 S: 01:38 Sept. 15 (EDT) 06:21 18:50 08:41 19:58 08:26 19:23 03:27 16:52 03:53 17:47 05:03 18:19 11:59 21:50 19:47 08:44 18:12 05:12 15:14 00:42 Sept 30 (EDT) 06:36 18:24 20:13 09:49 06:39 18:11 03:03 16:26 03:42 17:12 04:20 17:27 11:06 20:54 18:46 07:42 17:12 04:11 14:15 23:43 Declination Tables for the Moon 2 during this month please contact your editor for information or sources. 5

6 Jon Greenberg Memorial Card: Most CCAS members know that Jon Greenberg was a long-time member of our club. Jon died November 15 th, Jon was known for his love of studying the sky, his home rooftop observatory (we now have the main telescope and pedestal that used to be mounted there), his knowledge of and interest in the history of astronomy, and his extraordinary talents as a teacher which included well over ten years conducting a series of weekly classroom sessions followed by night sky observing at his home. We will long miss Jon s presence and the open invitation he offered literally hundreds of people to love and get involved with amateur astronomy. We wish to thank Alice Greenberg, now living in New Mexico near her son Danny, for sending CCAS one of the Memorial Cards noting Jon s burial atsea in Cape Cod Bay this past May. Here are images from the card: It seems pretty clear that all Jon s family knew well his love of observing the night sky. Thank you, Jon. Thank you, Alice and family. CCAS Member Interviewed for Blue Moon Article: During July, your editor provided some information about Blue Moons to Don Wilding of the Cape Codder. The article published too late (July 29 th ) to highlight in the August First Light. To become an expert on Blue Moon check out the online version of the article at: NOTICE: NEW COPIES OF THE BROCHURE INTRODUCING CCAS AND ITS ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE; INQUIRE AT info@ccas.ws IF YOU WISH COPIES. 6

7 Cape Cod Astronomical Society President Michael G. Hunter (cell) Vice President Ed Swiniarski Secretary Gus Romano Treasurer Peter Kurtz Observatory Director Joel Burnett First Light Editor Peter Kurtz Mailing Address: A. P. Kurtz, CCAS Treasurer, 34 Ridgewood Rd, Orleans MA Cape Cod Astronomical Foundation Chairman Emeritus Werner Schmidt Chairman Mike Hunter Vice Chairman Ed Swiniarski Director of R&D Bernie Young Secretary Joel Burnett Treasurer Gus Romano Observatory Director Joel Burnett Observatory Phone Line The Cape Cod Astronomical Society meets at 7:30 pm on the first Thursday of every month in the library of the DennisYarmouth Regional High School in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. Meetings are open to the public. Membership dues are $30 for adults, $15 for students in two year colleges and part year residents, and no charge for spouses or for students in K12 schools. REFERENCES AND NOTES FOR THIS ISSUE: 1) Information for The Mooncussers Almanac and Monthly Observing Alerts was extracted from Sky Events, Astronomy Magazine Online (Astronomy.com), Stargazing.net s Planet Rise/Transit/Set calculator ( Astronomy Magazine, Sky & Telescope Magazine, Sky and Telescope Skywatch 2011, and other sources. The Observer s Handbook, 2010 and 2011, published by The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is also an important reference, particularly for information on lunar libration and declination and the minima of Algol. 2) Information on how Libration and Declination Maxima and Minima can make visible parts of the moon normally hidden was reviewed in the January2007/January2008 First Light. Quick recap: Max Long brings to view extra right side; Min Long, extra left side; Max Lat, extra north side; Min Lat, extra south side. Max Dec puts it high in our sky during its transit; Min Dec puts it low. 3) Algol is an eclipsing variable star in Perseus which has its brighter component eclipsed or covered by its companion once every 2.87 earth days. When the dimmer component is not eclipsing the brighter, Algol appears typically about magnitude 2.1; when eclipsed, magnitude 3.3 The minima usually lasts about two hours with two hours on either side to bring it back to mag 2.1. Good comparison stars are γandromedae to Algol s west, mag 2.1, and εpersei to its east, mag ) Here is the web address for Astronomy Magazine s The Sky This Month online for September: 6) S&T s interactive Java utility for showing the positions of Jupiter s main moons for any date and time: for Saturn s moons: 7