Partial Lunar Eclipse of June 2012

Early in the morning hours of Monday June 4, west coast viewers will witness a partial lunar eclipse. This follows the dramatic Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse by roughly two weeks, the interval from a New Moon (with the Moon causing the solar eclipse) to the Full Moon (with Earth causing the lunar eclipse). These are two events in an Eclipse Season, and as should be expected, if one event is really great (the annular solar eclipse) the next will be less impressive (just a partial lunar eclipse).

Nonetheless, it's always a treat to see an eclipse of the Moon, and this one will be a nice sight, starting at 3:00 am for viewers in the pacific time zone, peaking around 4:00 am, and ending around 5:00 am as the light of dawn starts to break. EarthSky has some good images.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Corona Borealis - The Northern Crown

Facing east in May, you can see a number of very nice constellations filling the sky from horizon to zenith. The small constellation Corona Borealis takes some work to find in city skies, but it something to discover and remember among the bright stars and busy constellations of the springtime sky.

Corona Borealis, or The Northern Crown, is a simple "C" of stars sandwiched between the constellations Bootes and Hercules, two big constellations that dominate the late spring skies. Bootes is easy to find because it contains Arcturus, the third brightest star in the heavens, and is located just down the 'arc' of the handle of the Big Dipper. Hercules is a massive constellation that features the well-known deep space object M13, or the Great Globular Cluster. But Corona Borealis has none of these special features; it's just a simple collection of 2nd and 3rd magnitude stars that are grouped together nicely and are a simple pattern that is easy to locate, giving some texture to a small patch of the heavens for those whose eyes stop for a moment between the "big guys" in the sky. Try to spot it tonight.

The mythology of Corona Borealis is interesting, stemming from the crown of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete.

And the Northern Crown is balanced in the southern hemisphere by Corona Australis, the Southern Crown. I'll be on the lookout for that one this summer when Scorpius and Sagittarius come into view.

Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope.

Report from Mt. Shasta: Ring of Fire Annular Eclipse

I led a Road Trip to Mt. Shasta for viewing of last Sunday's Ring of Fire Annular Eclipse. The event was well attended and we had a nice array of telescopes and a lot of very enthusiastic participants taking in this special event, each in their own way.

I observed the January 1992 annular eclipse from San Diego, CA, and had a very different experience, finding the eclipse at that time to be interesting but not inspiring. However, Sunday at Mt. Shasta, the Ring of Fire was very inspiring. I enjoyed the view through a number of telescopes, including some Hydrogen-Alpha, and the usual white light filters. I enjoyed the collective shout of excitement as the eclipse reached annularity. And I was pleased to simply have clear skies, with some light high cloud but nothing that disrupted the view of the magical display in the sky.

I'll be posting photos and links of pictures and videos from the event. If you were at Mt. Shasta, send me a link and I'll add it here: 

My own video showing the scene at the Mt. Shasta Resort.

Video of the actual solar disk from Anju Saksena. Note the sounds of the crowd from 7:00 to 7:30.

More photos from Anju Saksena on her Facebook page.

The SFAA Facebook page.

View of the Moon's shadow on Earth from space.

Annular Eclipse image (above) taken at Mt. Shasta Resort, courtesy John Belew.

KALW Broadcast - May 16, 2012

Ben Trefny of KALW's Crosscurrents interviewed me about the Annular "Ring of Fire" Eclipse. It's a wide ranging discussion, with some fun mixed in as well. Listen here.

KFOG Broadcast - May 9, 2012

I always enjoy visiting the Morning Show at KFOG to talk astronomy. Listen in to our fun discussion about the Super Full Moon, the Ring of Fire Eclipse, and Lunar Gravity! Click here to listen.

Ring of Fire Eclipse 2012 in Northern California

It's May, and that means it is almost time for the Moon to cast its shadow on the Earth and create a wonderful spectacle in the afternoon sky. On Sunday May 20th, we will experience a very significant Solar Eclipse, a very rare and exciting "Ring of Fire," also known as an Annular Eclipse.

The afternoon of Sunday 20th, much of the western United States will see a very deep partial eclipse of the Sun. But in a special path across Northern California and several western states, we will witness the Moon fully enclosed within the disk of the Sun, creating a beautiful "Ring of Fire" effect. This effect will only last about 4 minutes, and will only be visible from the special path. Earth-Sky has an excellent overview article about the eclipse. If you choose to remain in San Francisco, you will see a very deep (90%) eclipse of the Sun, but if you travel a few hours north, you will experience the full Annular effect.

The map shows the path of the Moon's shadow across Northern California. I plan to watch this eclipse from the Mt. Shasta area, and there are many more areas to go to see this event. If you wish to join me and the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA), check this article on the Ring of Fire Road Trip or my past blog post. But you have lots of choices, and depending upon the weather outlook, you will want to have some mobility to get to a good viewing spot in case of (gasp!) clouds. Here is a much more detailed map from Eclipse-Maps.com.

One of the most important factors when preparing to watch an eclipse is eye protection. I encourage all readers to purchase specialized viewing equipment such as eclipse glasses or a shade 14 welder's filter. At all times, the intense radiation from the Sun can cause permanent eye damage and even blindness, and during an eclipse it is tempting to stare up at the Sun. However, with simple planning and preparation, you can enjoy the eclipse without any fear of damaging your eyesight. Mr. Eclipse has some valuable information about eye safety and resources for buying solar glasses.

I wish all of you clear skies and a great view of this special event.

Map courtesy of Eclipse-Maps.com.

Planet and Star Pairs Line the Sky

This April, as the weather has improved and I've been conducting star parties, I've found myself focusing on some striking pairs of planets and stars that punctuate the night sky this spring. The pairs are all located in the Zodiac, the band across the sky that houses the well-known 12 signs, and also the planets and the Moon. The pairs of planets and stars are easy to find, and when you find them, you get a big picture of the band of the Zodiac, with the planets in our Solar System superimposed upon that band.

Shortly after sunset, it is quite easy to find Mars, shining a bright orange color almost directly overhead, and just next to it, the bright blue-white star Regulus in the constellation Leo. Starting from this point and looking North-West toward the point of sunset, you will encounter the twin stars Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini. And starting again at Mars, if you look toward the South-East, you will find the next pair along the Zodiac, the planet Saturn and the bright star Spica in the constellation Virgo.

If you trace a line from Saturn through Mars, and then toward the North-West through Gemini and to the brilliant planet Venus, you will be tracing out the path of the planets along the night sky, through the band of constellations we call the Zodiac, and along a line in space called the Ecliptic. It's a great way to get acquainted with the heart of our night sky, and this week you can watch the Moon gliding through the same space, as it makes its 29 1/2 day journey around our home planet.

Images courtesy of Sky & Telescope.

Lyrid Meteor Shower 2012

Meteor Showers occur throughout the year, and a bright Moon can wash out the view, so when we have ideal conditions for a shower, it's a good idea to take a few minutes and try to see it. Tonight, the Lyrid Meteor Shower reaches its peak, and we will have no moonlight to interfere.

The Lyrids are named after the tiny constellation Lyra, and although it is a small constellation it features the fifth-brightest star in the night sky, Vega. The constellation is the 'radiant' of the meteor shower, meaning that the meteors appear to emanate from this area of the night sky. Lyra rises before midnight and as it climbs higher in the sky during the late night into the early morning, more and more Lyrids will be visible.

As is the case with all meteor showers, you want to dress warmly, find a relaxing spot in a dark area (mountains, backyard, beach), be sure you have a wide view to the night sky, and have some patience. Observing is good with a friend or two, since you might see one meteor in a part of the sky where your friend is not looking, or vice versa.

I wish you dark skies and a pleasant night observing.

Image courtesy of Astronomy.com.