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Quarterly Bainbridge Island, WA Begins Spring 2013 EVENTS CALENDAR Issue 101 (unless otherwise noted, all events are at the Edwin Ritchie Observatory, Battle Point Park) MARCH March 10 Daylight “Saving” Time Quarterlywww.bpastro.org Bainbridge Island, WA begins. Comet C/2011 L4 Pan- STARRS at perihelion March 11 D Hope for March 20 Vernal Equinox (4:02 a.m. PDT) March 24 Comet C/2012 F6 at Stormy perihelion March 27 A (2:27 a.m. PDT) Weather APRIL CALENDAR NOTES: Subtle April 10 D astronomical events grace 2013’s springtime skies. We’ve an invisible April 13 7:30 p.m. Planetarium Show Solar flare. Image credit: NASA Lunar Eclipse, a pair of dimming and Stargazing (open to the public) comets, a triple planetary conjunction obscured by twilight, the often-missed April 22 Lyrid meteors peak Zodiacal Light, weakening chances for Aurora Borealis, and, as happens April 25 A (11:57 a.m. PDT) every spring, the ascendancy of the Coma-Virgo cluster of galaxies, a glorious Partial Lunar Eclipse (Eastern concentration of “bright” extragalactic lights, that hopefully won’t leave too many Hemisphere) of its telescopic observers lost in disappointed aperture lust. With determination, imagination, and cooperating weather you can enjoy these events. But note that April 28 Saturn at opposition cooperating weather doesn’t simply mean calm. MAY There is the oft-observed consolation prize that stunning skies frequently emerge after a seemingly interminable storm finally sweeps the air clean. But let’s think May 9 D Annular Solar Eclipse larger. Weather is not simply an Earth phenomenon. The Sun storms too. Although (Solomon Islands) debate continues, and no one will know for certain until after it has come and gone, May 11 8:00 p.m. Planetarium Show it seems likely that we are now at the absolute peak of Solar Cycle 24. If so, and if and Stargazing (open to the public) the observed trends continue, this spring’s Solar Maximum may be the best chance May 24 A (8:25 p.m. PDT) any of us will have for catching naked-eye sun spots and the Aurora Borealis for Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (barely) a great many years. Yes, Solar Cycles wind down gradually. Next year may still be relatively strong. But, as it appears we are at the height of the weakest Solar Cycle May 25-27 Conjunction of Venus, of the past one hundred years, and several forecasts suggest the next eleven year Jupiter, and Mercury cycle may be even weaker, prudence suggests maximizing every opportunity now. The telescope pads on the berm outside our Ritchie Observatory offer a surprisingly JUNE good vantage, due to their long northern horizon. I saw one faint, but exhilarating, June 8 D 8:30 p.m. Planetarium Show midnight display from there last summer. To gauge when you should look, try and Stargazing (open to the public) SpaceWeather.com for the latest “information about the Sun-Earth environment.” June 16 50th anniversary, first woman In addition to clear Earth skies and stormy Sun, a far-reaching interpretation in space (Valentina Tereshkova) of “cooperating weather” might also encompass turbulent outer space events, such as cometary flybys and meteoric rains-from-the-sky. Two naked-eye comets are June 18 30th anniversary first US currently wowing Southern Hemisphere viewers and about to reach perihelion and woman in space (Sally Ride) cross into our northern skies, Comet C/2011 L4 Pan-STARRS, and Comet C/2012 June 20 Summer Solstice F6 Lemmon. Just after perihelion, a word which literally means “near Sun,” comets (10:04 p.m. PDT) are often at their brightest, but are also uncomfortably close to the horizon and June 23 A (3:32 a.m. PDT) too frequently drowned in twilight and atmospheric haze. Lemmon will arrive in Largest tidal swing of the year morning twilight, arguably the less desirable choice for Bainbridge Island observers. Although our island has easily reachable eastern shores with long unobstructed June 30 105th anniversary Tunguska horizons, morning apparitions face two serious strikes. The first, getting up long (meteor) explosion Calendar Notes con’t on page 2 Quarterly 2–Spring 2013 before dawn, is not generally considered moon will interfere until just before difficulties, unpredictabilities, and a legitimate complaint for an amateur dawn; but considering that in 1803 sometimes downright impossibilities astronomer (although I’ve certainly observers reported seeing 700 meteors of observing this spring’s celestial complained, and, occasionally, gone per hour, and the amazingly long highlights, the unquestioned telescopic back to sleep). The second, and more history the Lyrids possess, this is always showpiece of the night sky finally serious drawback, is that directly east, a shower to watch. achieves opposition. Saturn never where Lemmon will rise, lies Seattle—a Watching won’t enable viewing of disappoints. A telescopic view of the damnable source of comet-killing light May 24th’s Penumbral Lunar Eclipse; faint galactic nits adorning Berenice’s pollution. Earth’s shadow will be too far off-center Hair can certainly inspire great awe Fortunately Pan-STARRS will to be visually seen on the moon. Yet, and wonderment. But one must bring emerge west, in the evening. Although looking at its full moon, one may a great deal of fore-knowledge to the initial expectations for a magnitude zero ponder the geeky significance that this observation to appreciate that those comet have recently been downgraded invisible eclipse marks the beginning of murky smudges each teem with billions to magnitude 3, it should still be a fine a sesquicent moment, the first eclipse of (potentially) life-giving Suns; without binocular sight. The trick is finding of saros cycle 150. A saros is a period that knowledge the objects themselves the right vantage. Much of our island’s of just over 18 years when the eclipse- can be rather unimpressive. Not so with long western shore is too near the producing alignment of Earth, Sun, and Saturn. I’m not entirely sure why. NASA Kitsap Peninsula to give an acceptably Moon (nearly) repeats. This repetition photos are always more impressive than low horizon. A good metric is whether makes saros cycles the primary tool of what one sees visually. Yet Saturn is the or not the Olympic Mountains are eclipse prediction. Since each saros cycle one object that always causes the, “Oh viewable. By this measure Crystal lasts for over 1000 years as it crosses my God, I can see the rings!” reaction, Springs, and pretty much the from one end of the Earth to the other, regardless the telescope. I shall never forget entire south half of the island, fails. and since saros cycle 1 was arbitrarily my first 60mm sight of those amazing Fortunately, north of Fletcher Bay the assigned to the long-ago year 2000 rings. Nor shall I ever tire of them. channel widens. Another local difficulty BCE, this is a rather momentous, if To see Saturn for yourself, and learn is trees, most easily avoidable by taking wonky, event. (For those who just ran more about our amazing universe, join to the beach. Two reasonably good the division and wonder why this isn’t us at any of our always open-to-the- observation beaches are at the Skinner a much smaller number, perhaps saros public Planetarium Show and Stargazing Street and Beach Street road ends. cycle 5, note that there are always many events. They’re every second Saturday Conveniently, both are within walking saros cycles running simultaneously.) (but check the calendar for times), distance of the Observatory—especially Fortunately, in spite of the many regardless the weather.—Cheth Rowe helpful since neither allows parking. Whether or not you snag Pan- Walking Directions to Skinner and Beach St. Road Ends STARRS, any effort toward finding The Skinner St. Road End is a short, level, one-tenth mile walk ✫ a suitable western horizon will be from the foot of Skinner St. to its magnificent Olympic view good preparation for late May’s triple- beach. As at Beach St., the trail is announced by both a "Parking triple conjunctions of Venus, Jupiter, Prohibited" sign and the more welcoming "Shore Access." Park and Mercury. No, triple-triple is not Skinner St. itself is conveniently located directly across Battle an official term; but these three will Point Dr. from the turn-off to the Ritchie Observatory. The Skinner Street Road End be especially close for three days in turn-off is a five-way intersection; Skinner St. is the one that slants down toward succession. They will be stunning. the Sound. Figure a five minute walk (maybe slightly longer on the way back up). As Chelyabinsk reminds us, meteoric To reach the Beach St. Road End, travel 0.3 miles beyond weather is less predictable. While ✫ Frey, the north end of the park, along Arrow Point Drive. On lunar illumination interference can be your right you may notice a low, moss covered, carved sign precisely quantified, and the moment Park proclaiming "Arrow Point." Beach St. is about 100 feet further, of most shower’s peaks is well predicted, on your left. Beach St. is short, a scant 200 feet long. Its Road Beach Street Road End individual meteors appear according End trail is even shorter—a nine-rung stairs. The beach itself is to their own schedule. All one can do easy to denigrate. There's a washed up tire, a decaying green-plastic rowboat, is watch (or, for those with suitable a scrub alder that always seems to be in the way, all in a rather uncomfortably equipment, listen) and wait. Humans narrow space squashed between neighboring beachfront estates. There are have recorded this spring’s first major annoying motion sensor lights on the property to the north.
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