July 2020 The Monthly Newsletter of the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club More on Edited by Adam Thanz this image. See FN1 Chapter 1 Cosmic Reflections William Troxel - BMAC Chair More on this image. See FN2 William Troxel More on Cosmic Reflections this image. See FN3 Greetings fellow BMAC’ers! Here we are almost to July 2020. I also wanted to thank everyone for show-n-tell. There are lots of Hope my letter finds you and your family well and safe as the new, new but used and improved items that you are getting. This COVID-19 continues to uproot our lives. More about that later. is great. The show-n-tell feature will be part of our meetings for the upcoming year. Be sure and get your stuff together so you First I wanted to thank everyone for joining last month’s online can share with the members. I also want to encourage you once meeting. I think it went very well. We are still learning how to use you have shown the new item to the members don’t forget you Zoom and all the features the program has to offer. I want to can give an update of how the item worked once you had a thank Jon for sharing the update of his personal observatory chance to get it installed and test it out. We all read the reviews progress with the club. I was impressed with how far he has on new things before we buy them, but I personally think it gotten. I thought it was very interesting how he came up with the means more when one of our own club members has the item decisions each step of the build. Jon promised to keep us and does a review. Lets’ face it, the reviews are good information posted and even have us out to the sight once it is completed. I but I do not know those people. I know you. For me, it's "I know am looking forward to that event. Thanks again for letting us see the face behind the name." Thank you for your willingness to your big project. If you are thinking about starting something like share. this please feel free to contact Jon. He can give you some very good advice. I really want to encourage the rest of us to do a I am sure you are all wanting to know about this year's picnic. presentation via an online platform. I have talked about a few There will not be an *organized* picnic this year. I am not telling ways that you can do it. YouTube or just pictures of your projects you as an individual person or family that you can not go out and are two ways. If you want to be a meeting speaker, please let me just happen to run into another club member. If you choose to do know. I will get on it. I have lots of openings. Call or text me. this on your own, please be safe. Practice all the safety measures that have been recommended by the CDC and the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club Newsletter July 2020 3 WHO. Wear masks, keep at least 6' apart, meet outside and do not share anything including food, utensils, plates, etc. While I can not know when we will be able to be physically together and do things as a club again, I believe that at some point we will be able to be a more social club. Until that time, please be safe and remember we are getting through this pandemic together. I am working for future events and ideas that we can do as a club. Until next time, Be Safe and Clear Skies…. 4 Bays Mountain Astronomy Club Newsletter July 2020 Chapter 2 Celestial Happenings Jason Dorfman More on this image. See FN5 Jason Dorfman More on Celestial Happenings this image. See FN3 With July upon us, summer has officially arrived. As we all know, p.m. and Saturn, laying just 6° east of Jupiter, will rise just 25 it is sure to be an odd summer with the current state of things. minutes later. The two will climb to around 15° high in the SE Though the nights are short, I hope that many of you are perhaps shortly after 11 p.m. Jupiter shines brightly at magnitude -2.7 in taking advantage of the rare clear night to do some observing. the constellation of Sagittarius, about 10° east of the handle As July begins, the Sun sets just before 9 p.m. with the dark, stars of the Teapot. Saturn is a bit dimmer at magnitude -0.1 in star-filled skies not appearing until nearly 11 p.m. However, some Capricornus, just along its border with Sagittarius. late night observing will bring its rewards as both Jupiter and Jupiter will reach opposition first in the early morning hours of Saturn will reach opposition this month. Plus, we are catching up the 14th. Prime observing will occur when the planet reaches its to Mars, so the views of the Red Planet are also improving. If highest altitude due south at 1:30 a.m. Due to opposition you’re more of an early riser, you’ll still catch views of Mars, occurring during a summer month when the ecliptic is low in the Jupiter and Saturn while adding Venus and even Mercury in the night sky, Jupiter will be just 32° above the southern horizon at third week of July. Sunrise progresses from 6:15 a.m. to 6:36 its highest. Telescopes will reveal the disk of the planet spanning a.m. over the month, so the dark predawn skies will begin to about 48”. Saturn reaches opposition not quite a week later, in brighten a little before 5 a.m. the early evening of the 20th. It will be at its highest due south Planets also at 1:30 a.m. and just slightly higher than Jupiter at an As the Sun sets and the sky begins to darken, a waxing gibbous altitude of 33°. The planet spans 19” while the ring plane extends Moon sits at the head of the scorpion. Jupiter is just peaking out to 42” and is tilted 21°. above the horizon in the southeast. The gas giants are the Next up is the Red Planet, Mars, shining at magnitude -0.5. It will planetary highlights for July as they both will reach opposition rise just after 1 a.m. on the 1st and will rise to about 15° high an and thus prime observing. On the 1st, Jupiter rises just after 9:30 hour and a half later. It will climb to almost 45° above the SE Bays Mountain Astronomy Club Newsletter July 2020 6 horizon an hour before sunrise. Mars is moving through the Full Moon occurs on July 5th when the Moon will be about 11° southern section of the Pisces constellation this month, though it west and a little south of Jupiter. On the following night, the Moon will skim through the northwest corner of Cetus from the 8th to will lie between and slightly south of Jupiter and Saturn. Look for the 26th. The disk of Mars continues to grow as Earth continues a nearly 3rd quarter Moon passing just south of Mars in the to catch up to the Red Planet. It will increase from 12” to 15” over second week of July, On the 11th, it will about 7° to the SW of the month, while appearing about 85% illuminated. By month's Mars and about 5° east of Mars on the following night. New Moon end, Mars will rise just before midnight and will ascend to a little occurs on the 22nd, just two days after Saturn reaches over 55° high and almost due south an hour before sunup. opposition. As we approach the end of the month we’ll see the Moon return to our early evening skies. Look for a thin, 2-day old In the early morning hours just as the first light of dawn is crescent about 3° NE of Regulus on the evening of the 22nd. beginning to brighten the eastern sky, you can spot Venus rising just north of east. Just after 5 a.m. it will be 10° high and shining That’s all for this month. I hope you’re all well and staying safe. brilliantly at magnitude -4.6. Venus sits just above the Hyades star Have fun observing! cluster in Taurus. Though traveling eastward against the background stars, Venus is appearing to move further from the Sun as it heads towards its greatest western elongation in the second week of August. Keep an eye on it during the second week of July as it passes by Aldebaran, getting as close as 1° on the 12th. On the morning of the 17th, a thin sliver of a waning crescent Moon will be about 3.5° to the left of Venus. As we watch Venus swing around in its orbit and away from Earth this month, telescopic views will reveal the disk shrinking from 43” to 27”, the phase, however, will increase from 19% to 43% illumination. Luna 7 Bays Mountain Astronomy Club Newsletter July 2020 Chapter 3 The Queen Speaks Robin Byrne Robin Byrne More on Happy Birthday Harrison Schmitt this image. See FN3 This month, we celebrate the life of a man whose varied careers Schmitt who went to work for the U. S. Geological Survey’s have taken him many places, including the Moon! Harrison Astrogeology Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.