The onset of autumn arrived without fanfare this past week on the 22nd. If you have been paying attention you have noticed the subtle change in shadows cast by trees and buildings, and the earlier sunsets and later sunrises. The constant gradual changes in the amount of sunlight on our planet is a fascinating thing to ponder when driving to and from your destination each day. The ancient cultures who observed the changing seasons and stars in the skies kept records that are still seen and even studied today.
This week Jupiter will emerge from the eastern horizon into the sky by 8:30 p.m. with best opportunities for exploring the patterns of this giant gas planet by ten o’clock p.m. Even a small telescope will disclose the ivory and brownish/orange-tinged rippling stripes of clouds which comprise Jupiter’s atmosphere of hydrogen, helium and smaller amounts of methane and ammonia. These same ingredients are what comprise our sun.
With a telescope the four Galilean moons will likely pique an observer’s curiosity and may lead to an interesting data collection as the locations of the moons are tracked throughout a night or even a month. These four moons are named after the famous astronomer who was the first person to turn a telescope to the sky and discover the changing positions of these “moonlets” over time. More powerful telescopes revealed at last count, 79 moons orbiting the gas giant.
The new moon occurs today, which means our moon is lost in the glare of the sun. Because the angle of the paths of our planet and our moon is slightly different, we do not have lunar or solar eclipses each month, but they do occur on predictable patterns. Geometry is a great explainer of natural phenomenon. Who knew in high school geometry class?
It has been a while since we shared the “clock-face” location of the planets; perhaps this will help picture why we see some planets and not others. Each one is orbiting in its respective path counter-clockwise. With the sun at the center, Mercury is at three o’clock in the innermost path. Venus is second at ten o’clock, Earth at three o’clock farther away from Mercury. Mars is at two o’clock, Jupiter also at three o’clock, Saturn at four-thirty, Uranus at one o’clock, Neptune at three-thirty. Pluto is out there much further at four-thirty. Pluto’s orbit will intersect that of Neptune in the distant future.
Perhaps when you visit the Christina Torres Memorial Observatory at Resaca de la Palma for the Friday night hike you will be able to see Uranus and Neptune. Even if those are not visible, the craters on the moon will be amazing to view “up close and personal”.
Pummeled since the beginning of time by asteroids, meteorites, and perhaps even comets, the lunar regolith is different from ours. It has been said to smell like spent gunpowder and have a consistency of flour. It has sharp edges that cut into the fabric of the suits worn by the American astronauts as they roamed the lunar surface in the first explorations completed in the 20th century. The planned NASA Artemis mission will benefit from those pioneers experiences and we will be waiting to learn more about our natural satellite.
Until next week, I hope to see you at the Resaca de la Palma night hike. KLU.
