The Universe (Alien Galaxies)

The new episode of The Universe for this Tuesday is “Alien Galaxies.” Here’s a preview…

To know our place in the universe take a look far, far away to the realm of Alien Galaxies. Our galaxy is one of hundreds of billions in the universe. The Milky Way consists of more than a billion stars, our sun being only one of them. Take a view of the universe through the Hubble Space telescope and go back almost all the way to the Big Bang. Cutting-edge computer graphics are used to bring the universe down to earth to show what life would be like on other planets, and to imagine what life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres.

And like before, “check your local listings” for a show time near you. You won’t be disappointed.

July 2007’s Full Moon

The full moon for July rides low in the southern skies. It is not as low as the full moon of June, because of two things: the orbit around the earth, and it’s place on the ecliptic (the imaginary line in the sky that the sun follows).

The moon orbits the earth in a relatively even ellipse. The difference between being close to the earth (perigee) and far from the earth (apogee) is a scant 25000 miles (225,700 v. 252,000). So the moon, in it’s 27.32 day orbit around the earth, it stays approximately the same size. However, because it’s orbit is inclined to the ecliptic by 5 degrees, the moon can be above or below the ecliptic, and opposite of the sun.

When the sun is high in the sky (summer for the northern hemisphere) the full moon rides low. When the sun is low in the sky (winter) the full moon is high up in the sky on cold December nights.

Tonight is full moon. The moon will be at its “full” position at 8.48pm EDT, and rise at 9.18pm EDT. This month’s full moon is called th “Buck Moon” as the time when deer get their antlers. It is also called the “Thunder Moon” due to the prevalence of thunderstorms this time of year.

Whatever its name, it shines brightly in the night sky, casting pale shadows upon the earthly scene below, and sometimes bothering the sleep of individuals who don’t have curtains in their bedroom windows.

If you are interested in a nice little program that will tell you the rise and set times of the moon and the sun for your area, check out Moonrise. It was developed by a local doctor. It is shareware, and the proceeds go directly to his children.

Stay tuned next month, as August’s full moon will prove to be quite a treat. More on that later.

Veen Observatory Visitors’ Night for July 28

With mostly clear skies tonight (Saturday night) the James C. Veen Observatory - located south of Lowell, MI - will be open for public tours and telescopic observations. Here are the particulars:

Time: 9.30pm - Midnight
Admission: $3 - Adults, $2 - kids 17 and under, under 5 free

Full information on Visitors’ Nights can be found on the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association website - graaa.org. Just click on the Visitors’ Night link in the menu.

There you will find a map showing directions to the observatory, and a FAQ about visitors’ nights. On the main page of the site, click on the OPEN sign, and you will be taken to a page with particulars about the specific night detailing what objects will be featured through the telescopes.

Tonights main feature will be the planet Jupiter. The solar system’s largest planet hangs low in the southern sky, and a telescope will show clouds bands on the planet, plus four of it’s moons. The other big object of the night will be the nearly full moon, it’s light being obvious as it drowns out dimmer stars. In addition, there will also be selected brighter deep sky objects like star clusters.

If you go out to the observatory, we’d love to hear your thoughts about the experience. You can leave comments here, or drop an email to graaa @ graaa.org.