Upstate New York Stargazing – Aug Week 3, 2017

Author's Note: The "Upstate New York Stargazing" series ran on the newyorkupstate.com and syracuse.com websites (and limited use in-print) from 2016 to 2018. For the full list of articles, see the Upstate New York Stargazing page.

Stargazing in Upstate NY: Where to find solar eclipse parties

A NY-centric view of the path of the next great American eclipse on April 8, 2024. Image from Fred Espenak, NASA GSFC

Updated: Aug. 11, 2017, 3:25 p.m. | Published: Aug. 11, 2017, 2:25 p.m.

Special to nyup.com

By Damian Allis | Contributing writer

This summertime weekly summary for planetary, satellite, constellation, and other observing opportunities covers the second full week of August. As of this publishing, there are 10 days left until what has been branded as the "Great American Eclipse." While you are encouraged to take some time on Aug. 21 to go outside with your solar-safe glasses and view the partial eclipse we New Yorkers will see from our latitude, local amateur astronomers are already awaiting the official "real deal" that will make its way across upstate New York on April 8, 2024.

The Sun-Earth-Moon geometry results in a partial or total solar eclipse somewhere on the Earth roughly twice a year, although there are some special years when as many as five solar eclipses can occur – the last special year being 1935 and the next one way out in 2206. If the Aug. 21 eclipse whets your appetite, there are many eclipses you can chase coming up, with three partial eclipses spread about the globe in 2018 alone. For upstate New Yorkers, however, totality will eventually come to many of us just by walking out our front doors. Those in Rochester will need only drive a few minutes west to be directly underneath the middle of the next continental-U.S. total eclipse path, while those in Buffalo will be right under the middle of the path.

If you cannot make it south to the total eclipse in 2017, just skip the second dessert, add a few more minutes to your daily jog, and keep in good enough shape to wait out the return of the next equally "Great American Eclipse" in 2024.

Reminder: In last week's article, we discussed solar safety and the presence of unsafe solar glasses in the market. If you bought or were given a pair, please read the NASA News press release on how to know your glasses are safe to use. In a nutshell: If you doubt – throw them out.

Many local libraries have already obtained solar-safe glasses for the eclipse, and I encourage you to check with your local branch to see if and when they'll be made available.

Below is a list of scheduled lecture and observing opportunities around Upstate New York for the eclipse – this list will be reproduced in the following articles and will hopefully be added to as other locations announce events. If you know of an event not listed, please send an email with details. As always around here, we can only hope for clear skies!

Solar Eclipse Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadySolar EclipseAug. 211:22 – 3:56 PMemail, website
Cazenovia Public LibraryCazenoviaSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 167:00 – 8:30 PM315-655-9322 website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalSolar EclipseAug. 2111:30 AM – 4:00 PMemail, website
Liverpool Public LibraryLiverpoolSolar Eclipse PartyAug. 211:00 – 4:00 PM315-457-0310 website
Marcellus Free LibraryMarcellusSolar Eclipse PartyAug. 211:00 – 4:00 PM315-673-3221 website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleSolar EclipseAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PMemail, website
Onondaga County LibrariesNOPL North SyracuseSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 146:30 – 8:00 PM315-458-6184 website
Onondaga County LibrariesJamesvilleLecture & Solar Eclipse @ DeWitt & Jamesville LibraryAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PM315-446-3578 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ Hazard BranchAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PM315-435-5326 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ Paine BranchAug. 212:00 – 3:00 PM315-435-5442 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ White BranchAug. 212:00 – 3:00 PM315-435-3519 website
Skaneateles LibrarySkaneatelesSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 121:00 – 2:00 PMemail website

Lectures And Observing Opportunities In Upstate/Central New York

New York has a number of astronomers, astronomy clubs, and observatories that host public sessions throughout the year. Announced sessions from several respondent NY astronomy organizations are provided from the third week to the end of August so you can plan accordingly. As wind and cloud cover are always factors when observing, please check the provided contact information and/or email the groups a day-or-so before an announced session, as some groups will also schedule weather-alternate dates. Also use the contact info for directions and to check on any applicable event or parking fees.

Astronomy Events Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic ObservingAug. 181/2 Hour After Sunsetemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic ObservingAug. 211/2 Hour After Sunsetemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyNight Sky AdventureAug. 158:00 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyAAAA MeetingAug. 177:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyOctagon Barn Star PartyAug. 188:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghAug. 128:30 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusBob Piekiel & Perseid Meteor ShowerAug. 12/138:30 – 11:00 PMemail, website
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusBob Piekiel & Solar ObservingAug. 26/271:00 – 3:00 PMemail, website
Green Lakes State ParkFayettevilleBob Piekiel & Summer SkiesAug. 18/198:00 – 10:00 PM315-637-6111 website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 118:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalPerseid Meteor ShowerAug. 128:00 PM – 12:30 AMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 188:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 258:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Stargazing @ Waterville LibraryAug. 26/278:30 – 11:30 PMemail, website

ISS And Other Bright Satellites

Satellite flyovers are commonplace, with several bright passes easily visible per hour in the nighttime sky, yet a thrill to new observers of all ages. Few flyovers compare in brightness or interest to the International Space Station. The flyovers of the football field-sized craft with its massive solar panel arrays can be predicted to within several seconds and take several minutes to complete.

This will be a long few weeks for ISS watchers, with a pass on the evening of the 11th, one on the 13th, then no flyovers until August 31st. If you follow the August 11th flyover far enough, you'll see the ISS pass very close to Saturn, will within the field of view of 10×50 binoculars. On the 13th, the ISS will fly exceptionally close to Jupiter and past the bright Spica in the constellation Virgo. Properly equipped members of the amateur radio community can even add audio to their visual experiences by listening to transmissions from the ISS – see ariss.org or issfanclub.com for details.

ISS Flyovers

DateBrightnessApprox. StartStart Direct.Approx. EndEnd Direct.
11-Augvery9:30 PMW/NW9:34 PMS
13-Augmoderately9:23 PMW/SW9:25 PMS/SW

Predictions courtesy of heavens-above.com. For updated nightly predictions, visit spotthestation.nasa.gov.

Lunar Phases

Third Quarter:New:First Quarter:Full:
Aug. 14, 9:14 PMAug. 21, 2:30 PMAug. 29, 4:12 AMSept. 6, 3:02 AM

The Moon's increasing brightness as Full Moon approaches washes out fainter stars, random meteors, and other celestial objects – this is bad for most observing, but excellent for new observers, as only the brightest stars (those that mark the major constellations) and planets remain visible for your easy identification. If you've never tried it, the Moon is a wonderful binocular object. The labeled image identifies features easily found with low-power binoculars.

Lunar features prominent in low-power binoculars.

Observing Guides

Items and events listed below assume you're outside and observing most anywhere in New York state. The longer you're outside and away from indoor or bright lights, the better your dark adaption will be. If you have to use your smartphone, find a red light app or piece of red acetate, else set your brightness as low as possible.

The sky at 9 p.m. from Aug. 11 to 18, accurate all week except for the changing Moon position.

Evening Skies: The two most prominent shapes in the sky are the Big Dipper and the Summer Triangle, with the Sagittarius Teapot highlighted in several previous articles. Whether or not you can see the Teapot, another very distinctive shape is as high as it will get in the southern sky right now just to the west. The body of Scorpius, easily identified by the bright red-orange star Antares and now residing below Saturn in the nighttime sky, hooks down and back up around the southern tree line at our latitude in a shape that nearly every civilization has recorded as being a celestial scorpion. Like the Teapot, the Scorpion tail is between us and the galactic center – a scan with binoculars will reveal a number of objects that do not come into focus like their surrounding stars.

The Big Dipper is a bright and easy guide for finding Polaris, the north star. From its handle, you can "arc" down to Arcturus. Jupiter, which stands out soon after sunset, is close to the bright star Spica in Virgo and to the southwest of bright Arcturus in Bootes. Saturn is also visible soon after dusk, rising soon after the bright orange star Antares in Scorpius.

The sky at 4 a.m. from Aug. 11 to 18, accurate all week except for the changing Moon position.

Morning Skies: Venus is unmistakable in the early morning sky, second only to the Moon in brightness before sunrise. The Moon is approaching Venus this week, coming into closest approach on the 19th. As dawn approaches, Venus and the bright stars Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, and Capella may be the last few celestial objects you see.

Planetary Viewing

Mercury: Mercury is very low on the horizon and awash in scattered sunlight soon after sunset, making it an unsafe observing target for the next few weeks. For the patient, Mercury becomes a good early morning target with Mars in late August/early September.

Venus: Venus remains unmistakable in the early morning and even into sunrise, rising just before 3:30 a.m. all week. With good, steady binoculars, you should be able to see that Venus is currently more than half-lit – and you can follow the changing phases of Venus as it and the Earth make our way around the Sun. Venus flies quickly through Gemini this week, having spent last week with Castor and this week with Castor's twin Pollux before striking the heart of Cancer the Crab at month's end.

Venus this week as it passes through the twins Castor and Pollux in Gemini.

Mars: Mars will not return to our pre-midnight skies until this time next year, but will become a morning target in late August/early September.

Jupiter: If you look southwest soon after sunset, Jupiter will be the brightest object you can see. Jupiter is setting earlier every night but is gaining back some of its observing time now that we're past the summer solstice. Low power binoculars are excellent for spying the four bright Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – and several online guides will even map their orbits for you. Jupiter is to the west of the bright star Spica in Virgo, roughly a full fist-width if you measure with your arm fully-extended. On August 13th, the ISS makes a very close Jupiter pass, then continues to graze the other bright object, the star Spica, in that part of the sky.

Jupiter and the Moon on July 28th in Virgo.

Saturn: Still on the western edge of the brightest part of the Milky Way, Saturn is going to spend the next 17 months making its way to the eastern edge above the teapot of Sagittarius, all the while giving us an excellent observing target until next autumn. If skies are agreeable on August 11th, observers will even be treated to a very close flyby of the ISS just before 9:34 p.m.

Saturn and the ISS on Aug. 11. If staring at Saturn with low-power binoculars, you will also see up-to 5 additional satellites zoom through your field of view several minutes before.

As a refresher from the June 30th to July 7th article, those looking in the direction of Saturn with binoculars are treated to a host of Messier ("M") Objects – all residing between ourselves and the center of the Milky Way galaxy above the spout of the Sagittarius teapot. A good star chart and some guide stars will help you determine just which object you're looking at.

The Perseid Meteor Shower, Peaking Aug. 12

The Perseids are arguably the best, and best-timed, meteor shower of the year, with long-night observing sessions made all the easier by reasonable temperatures and not having school the next day. If you saw an image announcing "the greatest meteor shower in human history" on social media these past few weeks, you may end up being quite disappointed in the quality of the show this year – and hopefully a little more skeptical on August 13th of the veracity of the claims made on shared, unattributed images. The quality of the Persieds this year will be greatly diminished by the presence of the Moon before 11 p.m. on the 11th and its presence during the peak on the morning of the 12th, which will wash out much of the splendor of any meteor trails you might see. That said, the Persieds are a very widely-spread shower, with activity from the end of July to the end of August. If you're out and observing under a clear, dark sky right now, you may see a few bright Perseid streaks regardless.

The name of each meteor shower is based on the constellation from which the shooting stars appear to radiate – a position in the sky we call the radiant. In the case of the Perseids, the meteor shower radiant appears to be just off the head of Perseus, which rises from the northeast just after 9 p.m. this month. The meteor shower itself is provided to us by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which last made its dramatic pass in 1992 and which will return again to replenish the debris field in 2126.

The radiant of the Persieds and some prominent shapes in the sky at 10:00 p.m.

Dr. Damian Allis is the director of CNY Observers and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. If you know of any other NY astronomy events or clubs to promote, please contact the author.

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Upstate New York Stargazing – Aug Week 2, 2017

Author's Note: The "Upstate New York Stargazing" series ran on the newyorkupstate.com and syracuse.com websites (and limited use in-print) from 2016 to 2018. For the full list of articles, see the Upstate New York Stargazing page.

Stargazing in Upstate NY: What to see in the night skies Aug. 4 to 11

Have solar glasses? Check to make sure they are good ones by looking for the ISO-12312-2 certification and manufacturer's contact info. Example solar-safe glasses from eclipseglasses.com.

Updated: Jan. 02, 2019, 3:48 p.m. | Published: Aug. 04, 2017, 2:20 p.m.

By Special to nyup.com

By Damian Allis | Contributing Writer

This summertime weekly summary for planetary, satellite, constellation, and other observing opportunities covers the first full week of August. With just under three weeks until the Aug. 21 solar eclipse, there's plenty of time to make sure you have safe solar glasses without excessive last-minute shipping fees. There have been many reports recently about unsafe solar glasses being sold for the eclipse – a sad state of affairs regardless of whether the sellers are uninformed or knowingly skimping on materials. The trick to solar observing is not simply to reduce the amount of visible light going into your eyes, but to remove as much of the high intensity visible light and damaging ultraviolet light as possible to keep from serious and permanent retinal damage. A recent NASA News press release goes into great detail about safe preparations for the eclipse, breaking down the issue of safe eclipses glasses as follows:

In a nutshell: If you doubt – throw them out.

Many local libraries have already obtained solar-safe glasses for the eclipse, and I encourage you to check with your local branch to see if and when they'll be made available. And don't worry – everyone else is going to call in sick that afternoon, too.

As a reminder: A number of eclipse articles have already been posted on syracuse.com, including:

* A general eclipse overview of when and where to watch

* Which libraries will be providing free solar-safe glasses in Central New York

* Some general observing information about the eclipse from the May and June UNY Stargazing series

Below is a list of scheduled lecture and observing opportunities around Upstate New York for the eclipse – this list will be reproduced in the following articles and will hopefully be added to as other locations announce events. If you know of an event not listed, please send an email with details. As always around here, we can only hope for clear skies!

Solar Eclipse Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadySolar EclipseAug. 211:22 – 3:56 PMemail, website
Cazenovia Public LibraryCazenoviaSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 167:00 – 8:30 PM315-655-9322 website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalSolar EclipseAug. 2111:30 AM – 4:00 PMemail, website
Liverpool Public LibraryLiverpoolSolar Eclipse PartyAug. 211:00 – 4:00 PM315-457-0310 website
Marcellus Free LibraryMarcellusSolar Eclipse PartyAug. 211:00 – 4:00 PM315-673-3221 website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleEclipse Lecture, ClintonAug. 27:00 – 8:30 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleEclipse Lecture, CanastotaAug. 37:00 – 8:30 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleSolar EclipseAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PMemail, website
Onondaga County LibrariesNOPL North SyracuseSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 146:30 – 8:00 PM315-458-6184 website
Onondaga County LibrariesJamesvilleLecture & Solar Eclipse @ DeWitt & Jamesville LibraryAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PM315-446-3578 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ Hazard BranchAug. 2112:00 – 4:00 PM315-435-5326 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ Paine BranchAug. 212:00 – 3:00 PM315-435-5442 website
Onondaga County LibrariesSyracuseSolar Eclipse Party @ White BranchAug. 212:00 – 3:00 PM315-435-3519 website
Skaneateles LibrarySkaneatelesSolar Eclipse LectureAug. 121:00 – 2:00 PMemail website

Lectures And Observing Opportunities In Upstate/Central New York

New York has a number of astronomers, astronomy clubs, and observatories that host public sessions throughout the year. Announced sessions from several respondent NY astronomy organizations are provided from the second week to the end of August so you can plan accordingly. As wind and cloud cover are always factors when observing, please check the provided contact information and/or email the groups a day-or-so before an announced session, as some groups will also schedule weather-alternate dates. Also use the contact info for directions and to check on any applicable event or parking fees.

Astronomy Events Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic ObservingAug. 41/2 Hour After Sunsetemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic ObservingAug. 181/2 Hour After Sunsetemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic ObservingAug. 211/2 Hour After Sunsetemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyNight Sky AdventureAug. 158:00 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyAAAA MeetingAug. 177:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyOctagon Barn Star PartyAug. 188:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghAug. 58:30 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghAug. 128:30 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusBob Piekiel & Perseid Meteor ShowerAug. 12/138:30 – 11:00 PMemail, website
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusBob Piekiel & Solar ObservingAug. 26/271:00 – 3:00 PMemail, website
Green Lakes State ParkFayettevilleBob Piekiel & Summer SkiesAug. 18/198:00 – 10:00 PM315-637-6111 website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 48:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 118:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalPerseid Meteor ShowerAug. 128:00 PM – 12:30 AMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 188:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingAug. 258:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervilleMeetingAug. 97:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Stargazing @ Waterville LibraryAug. 26/278:30 – 11:30 PMemail, website

ISS And Other Bright Satellites

Satellite flyovers are commonplace, with several bright passes easily visible per hour in the nighttime sky, yet a thrill to new observers of all ages. Few flyovers compare in brightness or interest to the International Space Station. The flyovers of the football field-sized craft with its massive solar panel arrays can be predicted to within several seconds and take several minutes to complete.

The 4th to the 8th will see double flyovers in the pre-midnight skies, followed by early flyovers through the 11th. If you follow the August 11th flyover far enough, you'll see the ISS pass very close to Saturn, will within the field of view of 10×50 binoculars. Properly equipped members of the amateur radio community can even add audio to their visual experiences by listening to transmissions from the ISS – see ariss.org or issfanclub.com for details.

ISS Flyovers

DateBrightnessApprox. StartStart Direct.Approx. EndEnd Direct.
4-Augmoderately9:10 PMNW9:15 PME/NE
4-Augextremely10:46 PMNW10:49 PMN/NE
5-Augvery9:54 PMNW9:59 PME/NE
5-Augmoderately11:30 PMW/NW11:31 PMW/NW
6-Augvery9:02 PMNW9:07 PME/NE
6-Augextremely10:38 PMW/NW10:41 PMW
7-Augextremely9:45 PMNW9:50 PME
7-Augsomewhat11:22 PMW11:23 PMW
8-Augvery8:53 PMNW8:59 PME
8-Augvery10:30 PMW/NW10:32 PMSW
9-Augextremely9:37 PMW/NW9:42 PMSE
10-Augmoderately10:22 PMW10:24 PMSW
11-Augvery9:29 PMW/NW9:34 PMS

Predictions courtesy of heavens-above.com. For updated nightly predictions, visit spotthestation.nasa.gov.

Lunar Phases

Full:Third Quarter:New:First Quarter:
Aug. 7, 2:10 PMAug. 14, 9:14 PMAug. 21, 2:30 PMAug. 29, 4:12 AM

The Moon's increasing brightness as Full Moon approaches washes out fainter stars, random meteors, and other celestial objects – this is bad for most observing, but excellent for new observers, as only the brightest stars (those that mark the major constellations) and planets remain visible for your easy identification. If you've never tried it, the Moon is a wonderful binocular object. The labeled image identifies features easily found with low-power binoculars.

Lunar features prominent in low-power binoculars.

Observing Guides

Items and events listed below assume you're outside and observing most anywhere in New York state. The longer you're outside and away from indoor or bright lights, the better your dark adaption will be. If you have to use your smartphone, find a red light app or piece of red acetate, else set your brightness as low as possible.

The sky at 10 p.m. from Aug. 4 to 11, accurate all week except for the changing Moon position.

Evening Skies: The two most prominent shapes in the sky are the Big Dipper and the Summer Triangle, with the Sagittarius Teapot highlighted in several previous articles. Whether or not you can see the Teapot, another very distinctive shape is as high as it will get in the southern sky right now just to the west. The body of Scorpius, easily identified by the bright red-orange star Antares and now residing below Saturn in the nighttime sky, hooks down and back up around the southern tree line at our latitude in a shape that nearly every civilization has recorded as being a celestial scorpion. Like the Teapot, the Scorpion tail is between us and the galactic center – a scan with binoculars will reveal a number of objects that do not come into focus like their surrounding stars.

The Big Dipper is a bright and easy guide for finding Polaris, the north star. From its handle, you can "arc" down to Arcturus. Jupiter, which stands out soon after sunset, is close to the bright star Spica in Virgo and to the southwest of bright Arcturus in Bootes. Saturn is also visible soon after dusk, rising soon after the bright orange star Antares in Scorpius.

The sky at 4 a.m. from Aug. 4 to 11, accurate all week except for the changing Moon position.

Morning Skies: Venus is unmistakable in the early morning sky, second only to the Moon in brightness before sunrise. The torso of Orion is increasingly peaking above the pre-dawn skies behind Taurus the Bull. As dawn approaches, Venus and the bright stars Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, and Capella may be the last few celestial objects you see.

Planetary Viewing

Mercury: While technically visible after sunset this week, Mercury is very low on the horizon and awash in scattered sunlight. Observers with binoculars might consider scanning the western horizon before 9:00 p.m. to find it, but DO NOT risk doing so until after the sun has set, as even a moment of magnified sunlight will permanently damage your vision. For the patient, Mercury becomes a good early morning target with Mars in late August/early September.

Venus: Venus remains unmistakable in the early morning and even into sunrise, rising just before 3:20 a.m. all week. With good, steady binoculars, you should be able to see that Venus is currently more than half-lit – and you can follow the changing phases of Venus as it and the Earth make our way around the Sun. Venus joins the twins Castor and Pollux in Gemini this week before striking the heart of Cancer the Crab at month's end.

Venus and the best sights of winter skies this week.

Mars: Mars will not return to our pre-midnight skies until this time next year, but will become a morning target in late August/early September. August 4th marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Phoenix Mars Lander mission, whose parachute decent on May 25th of 2008 was even captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The Phoenix chute deployed as seen from the MRO.

Jupiter: If you look southwest soon after sunset, Jupiter will be the brightest object you can see. Jupiter is setting earlier every night but is gaining back some of its observing time now that we're past the summer solstice. Low power binoculars are excellent for spying the four bright Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – and several online guides will even map their orbits for you. Jupiter is to the west of the bright star Spica in Virgo, roughly a full fist-width if you measure with your arm fully-extended. If the skies fail to cooperate at any point, you can still spend time exploring the largest planet in our Solar System thanks to the great science being done by the NASA Juno Probe currently in Jovian orbit.

Saturn: Still on the western edge of the brightest part of the Milky Way, Saturn is going to spend the next 17 months making its way to the eastern edge above the teapot of Sagittarius, all the while giving us an excellent observing target until next autumn. If skies are agreeable on August 11th, observers will even be treated to a very close flyby of the ISS just before 9:34 p.m.

Saturn and the ISS on August 11th. If staring at Saturn with low-power binoculars, you will also see up-to 5 additional satellites zoom through your field of view several minutes before.

As a refresher from the June 30th to July 7th article, those looking in the direction of Saturn with binoculars are treated to a host of Messier ("M") Objects – all residing between ourselves and the center of the Milky Way galaxy above the spout of the Sagittarius teapot. A good star chart and some guide stars will help you determine just which object you're looking at.

The Perseid Meteor Shower, Peaking Aug. 12

The Perseids are arguably the best, and best-timed, meteor shower of the year, with long-night observing sessions made all the easier by reasonable temperatures and not having school the next day. If you saw an image announcing "the greatest meteor shower in human history" on social media these past few weeks, you may end up being quite disappointed in the quality of the show this year – and hopefully a little more skeptical on August 13th of the veracity of the claims made on shared, unattributed images. The quality of the Persieds this year will be greatly diminished by the presence of the Moon before 11 p.m. on the 11th and its presence during the peak on the morning of the 12th, which will wash out much of the splendor of any meteor trails you might see. That said, the Persieds are a very widely-spread shower, with activity from the end of July to the end of August. If you're out and observing under a clear, dark sky right now, you may see a few bright Perseid streaks regardless.

The name of each meteor shower is based on the constellation from which the shooting stars appear to radiate – a position in the sky we call the radiant. In the case of the Perseids, the meteor shower radiant appears to be just off the head of Perseus, which rises from the northeast just after 9 p.m. this month. The meteor shower itself is provided to us by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which last made its dramatic pass in 1992 and which will return again to replenish the debris field in 2126.

The radiant of the Persieds and some prominent shapes in the sky at 10 p.m.

Dr. Damian Allis is the director of CNY Observers and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. If you know of any other NY astronomy events or clubs to promote, please contact the author.

Original Posts:

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Upstate New York Stargazing – May, 2017

Author's Note: The "Upstate New York Stargazing" series ran on the newyorkupstate.com and syracuse.com websites (and limited use in-print) from 2016 to 2018. For the full list of articles, see the Upstate New York Stargazing page.

Upstate NY Stargazing in May: A meteor shower and preparations for the solar eclipse

The transit of Venus across the Sun on June 5/6, 2012. By NASA/SDO, AIA.

Updated: May. 01, 2017, 12:00 p.m. | Published: May. 01, 2017, 11:00 a.m.

Special to nyup.com

By Damian Allis | Contributing writer

Every once in a while, New York and most of the rest of the U.S. is treated to some significant daytime astronomical phenomenon. As you might imagine, this only occurs when some object attempts to compete with the Sun for attention – and this only occurs when something big gets between the Sun and ourselves.

Within the past decade, we've had the good fortune of being able to see Venus (in 2012) and Mercury (in 2016) transit, or travel across the face of, the Sun using solar-safe astronomy equipment. The 2012 Venus transit held in downtown Syracuse even drew several hundred people to Armory Square.

On Aug. 21, the continental U.S. is going to be witness to a total solar eclipse – an event that hasn't happened for us since 1979. While New York will not experience complete coverage of the Sun, northern-most New Yorkers will experience about 70 percent coverage, while southern-most New Yorkers will just barely approach 80 percent. It is a fair bet that every active astronomy club in New York will be hosting an observing session with solar-safe equipment on the 21st or will be hosting a lecture of some kind in the days leading up to the eclipse.

If you haven't yet done so, mark Aug. 21 in your calendar and plan to call in sick that afternoon. We will address solar-safe observing and why such eclipses don't happen more regularly as the event approaches. For those already excited and looking for more information, check out eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html, greatamericaneclipse.com, or eclipse2017.org.

May lectures and observing opportunities

New York has a number of astronomers, astronomy clubs, and observatories that host public sessions throughout the year. Announced sessions from several respondent NY astronomy organizations are provided below for May. As wind and cloud cover are always factors when observing, please check the provided contact information and/or email the groups a day-or-so before an announced session, as some groups will also schedule weather-alternate dates. Also use the contact info for directions and to check on any applicable event or parking fees.

Astronomy Events Calendar

OrganizerLocationEventDateTimeContact Info
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic Star GazingMay 58:30 PMemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper LakePublic Star GazingMay 198:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadySenior Science DayMay 13:00 – 4:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyNight Sky AdventureMay 168:00 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyAAAA MeetingsMay 187:30 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyOctagon Barn Star Party & LectureMay 198:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterASRAS Meeting & LectureMay 57:30 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghMay 68:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghMay 138:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghMay 208:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghMay 278:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusSpring ConstellationsMay 198:30 – 10:30 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalKAS Monthly MeetingMay 37:00 – 9:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingMay 57:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingMay 128:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingMay 198:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night Lecture & ObservingMay 268:00 – 10:00 PMemail, website
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic Stargazing @ New Hartford Sherrill Brook ParkMay 209:00 PM – 12:00 AMemail, website

Lunar Phases

New:First Quarter:Full:Third Quarter:New:
Apr. 26, 8:16 AMMay 2, 10:46 PMMay 10, 5:42 PMMay 18, 8:32 PMMay 25, 3:44 PM

The Moon's increasing brightness as Full Moon approaches washes out fainter stars, random meteors, and other celestial objects – this is bad for most observing, but excellent for new observers, as only the brightest stars (those that mark the major constellations) and planets remain visible for your easy identification. If you've never tried it, the Moon is a wonderful binocular object.

Evening and nighttime guide

The view looking southwest at 9 p.m. on May 15 (except for the changing Moon position, this mid-month view is accurate for all of May).

Items and events listed below assume you're outside and observing most anywhere in New York state. The longer you're outside and away from indoor or bright lights, the better your dark adaption will be. If you have to use your smartphone, find a red light app or piece of red acetate, else set your brightness as low as possible.

Southern Sights: May is the last month to catch an easy glimpse of Orion and Taurus, but the bright stars in Auriga and Gemini help to fill in your observing time. The thin, wispy band of the Milky Way in this part of the sky runs thickest through the feet of Gemini and all of Monoceros. As you look further east, you're looking off the plane of our galaxy into the deep void of intergalactic space.

This means you see fewer Messier Objects inside the galaxy, but Virgo specifically is a prime location for hunting many galaxies that would otherwise be covered over by even the thinnest band of the Milky Way.

The view looking northeast at 9:00 p.m. on May 15.

Northern Sights: The Big Dipper lies high in the sky during pre-midnight observing hours this month.

Arcturus and Hercules are easy targets by the time you're ready to observe, and bright Vega in the constellation Lyra now clears the tree line, marking one corner of the Summer Triangle and the wealth of deep sky objects starting their return within the densest region of the Milky Way.

Planetary Viewing

Mercury swapped places with Venus briefly at the beginning of April as the first planet to fall below the horizon after sunset. For May, Mercury has followed Venus to the morning sky, giving early risers a great chance to catch multiple planets before sunrise later in the month. For the first two weeks, Mercury will rise close to civil twilight and be virtually washed out by sunlight. Looking due east for a very bright pinpoint in binoculars may seal the deal, but be VERY careful about keeping your view away from the rising sun. The damage to your eyesight from even a second of the magnified sun is instant and permanent.

True to its name, Mercury will fly through the constellations Pisces, Cetus, and Aries this month. The early morning of May 23rd will host the thin, waning crescent moon between Mercury and the exceptionally bright Venus. The distant planet Uranus will even share the lunar field of view in 10×50 binoculars that morning, but likely be too difficult to see against the brightness of even the sliver of a crescent.

Mercury, Venus, a thin crescent Moon, and even possibly Uranus on the morning of May 23.

Venus is unmissable in the morning sky right now, rising after 4:30 a.m. on May 1 and by 3:45 a.m. on the 31st. Its thin crescent shape is very visible even in low-power binoculars, but you may need something to steady your hands if you're going to try to see this crescent clearly.

If you don't have a camera tripod and binocular bracket handy, a common cheap trick is to flip a broom over and steady the binos on the bristles – but vacuum them off first!

Fortunately, you've the whole month to practice – Venus will be slipping farther away all month within the Pisces border, but its crescent will grow from a quarter to nearly one-half by month's end, giving us plenty of reflected light to monitor the process in May and beyond.

Mars remains a reasonable, but dimming, catch in the western sky after sunset and will be visible within the borders of Taurus before 10:00 p.m. all month. That said, June will mark the transition from Mars to not-Mars in the evening sky, after which we'll be waiting until the early mornings in mid-August for another sight.

The Mars and Moon, looking west on May 27.

Jupiter is in its viewing prime in May, rising near 6:00 p.m. on the 1st and by 4:30 p.m. on the 31st. Throughout the month, it will be high and visible in the pre-midnight sky, never straying too far from the star Porrima in the constellation Virgo. On the evening of May 7th, the waxing gibbous Moon will be at its closest to Jupiter, making for an excellent pairing in binoculars. At that point, Jupiter will be easy to spot – and possibly the only other object in the vicinity of the Moon that you can see.

Low power binoculars are excellent for spying the four bright Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – and several online guides will even map their orbits for you so you can identify their motions nightly or, for the patient observer, even hourly.

The Moon and Jupiter on May 7.

Saturn Saturn has seen some excellent press in the past few weeks and you will hopefully be seeing quite a bit more of it in the few months to come. The Cassini Mission, which has done as much for scientific study as it has for desktop backgrounds since beginning its study of Saturn in 2004, is ending in a most spectacular way on September 15th of this year, when the satellite is scheduled to fall into Saturn itself. The reasons are two-fold. First, the probe will have exhausted its plutonium fuel supply. Second, and more importantly down the road, there's always a slight chance that Cassini has been hiding microbial hitchhikers from Earth all this time. An uncontrolled probe might just end up crash-landing into one of Saturn's moons, such as Titan or Enceladus, in which case there's a slight chance that those hiding microbes might just set up shop and begin populating a life-less moon – or possibly start competing with any native microbes that astrobiologists are anxiously hoping to find during future missions.

Saturn returns to the pre-midnight sky on May 1st, rising earlier each night until clearing the horizon just before 10:00 p.m. on the 31st. Saturn sits right near the Sagittarius/Ophiuchus border this month, crossing into Ophiuchus territory on May 20th. May 13th will see the waning gibbous Moon paired with Saturn, rising just before midnight. This is an excellent sight in binoculars, but not necessarily the best Saturn sight this month. If you're a true night owl, try to find Saturn after 2:00 a.m. during the first few mornings in May – so long as the Moon has set below the western sky, you may be able to spy Saturn, the open star clusters Messier 21 and 23, as well as the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae – all in the field of view of 10×50 binoculars. This is when a tripod, good chair, and a good long look in the binoculars will serve you best. If the 2 a.m. session isn't your thing, simply wait until after May 22, when the Moon is below the horizon and Saturn et al. rise after 11 p.m.

An exceptionally busy view of Saturn in binoculars.

ISS And Other Bright Flyovers

Satellite flyovers are commonplace, with several bright passes easily visible per hour in the nighttime sky, yet a thrill to new observers of all ages. Few flyovers compare in brightness or interest to the International Space Station. The flyovers of the football field-sized craft with its massive solar panel arrays can be predicted to within several seconds and take several minutes to complete.

May is chock full of ISS, with 72 nighttime-visible flyovers predicted. The first few weeks of May offer a great number of these flyovers, but only if you're willing to start your day off very early. The flyovers for the first few weeks all occur after 2 a.m., but only three occur on or after the late hour of 5 a.m. The flyovers for pre-midnight observers begin after the 22nd, with three chances per day to observe the ISS on the 24th, 26th, 28th, 30th, and 31st. Simply go out a few minutes before the start time, orient yourself, and look for what will at first seem like a distant plane.

ISS Flyovers

DateBrightnessApprox. StartStart DirectionApprox. EndEnd Direction
6-Mayvery4:54 AMS/SW5:00 AME/NE
8-Mayextremely4:47 AMSW4:52 AME/NE
10-Mayextremely4:39 AMW4:44 AMNE
12-Mayvery4:31 AMW4:36 AMNE
20-Maysomewhat12:51 AMNE12:51 AMNE
22-Maymoderately12:41 AMN/NE12:43 AMNE
22-Maymoderately11:49 PMN/NE11:51 PMNE
23-Mayvery9:17 PMS9:21 PME
23-Mayextremely10:52 PMW/SW10:58 PMNE
24-Maymoderately12:29 AMW/NW12:34 AMNE
24-Mayextremely9:59 PMSW10:06 PME/NE
24-Maymoderately11:36 PMW/NW11:42 PMNE
25-Mayextremely9:07 PMS/SW9:13 PME/NE
25-Mayvery10:44 PMW10:50 PMNE
26-Maymoderately12:21 AMNW12:26 AMNE
26-Mayextremely9:51 PMW/SW9:57 PMNE
26-Maymoderately11:29 PMW/NW11:34 PMNE
27-Maymoderately10:36 PMW/NW10:41 PMNE
28-Maymoderately12:13 AMNW12:18 AMNE
28-Maymoderately9:43 PMW9:49 PMNE
28-Maymoderately11:21 PMNW11:25 PMNE

Predictions courtesy of heavens-above.com. Times later in the month are subject to shifts – for accurate daily predictions, visit spotthestation.nasa.gov.

Meteor showers: Eta Aquariids April 20 to May 20, peaking May 5 and 6

Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris field of a comet or asteroid. As these objects approach the warming sun in their long orbits, they leave tiny bits behind – imagine pebbles popping out the back of a large gravel truck on an increasingly bumpy road. In the case of meteor showers, the brilliant streaks you see are due to particles usually no larger than grains of sand. The Earth plows through the swarm of these tiny particles at up-to 12 miles-per-second. High in the upper atmosphere, these particles burn up due to friction and ionize the air around them, producing the long light trails we see. We can predict the peak observing nights for a meteor shower because we know when and where in Earth's orbit we'll pass through the same part of the Solar System – this yearly periodicity in meteor activity is what let us identify and name meteor showers well before we ever had evidence of what caused them.

The Eta Aquariid radiant, complete with Venus, Saturn, the newly returned Summer Triangle, and one perfectly-placed 5 a.m. ISS flyover on the morning of May 6

The Eta Aquariids are believed to be due to the great Halley's Comet, although there is some debate as to whether Halley's Comet produced the debris or gravitationally nudged debris into the current area. If it is all Halley's debris, then Halley's elliptical path around the sun produces two meteor showers – the second being the Orionids in October.

The name of each meteor shower is based on the constellation from which the shooting stars appear to radiate – a position in the sky we call the radiant. When there are multiple meteor showers associated with the same constellation, the radiant is traced back even more accurately, right down to one of the stars in that constellation. There are seven meteor showers associated with Aquarius, but only two produce decent meteor showers. The Eta Aquariids appear to originate from very close to eta-Aquarius, although zeta-Aquarius is quite close as well.

How to observe: The Eta Aquariids are a long, gradual meteor shower that stretches over about 30 days. There is no sharp peak, only a predicted maximum around May 5th and 6th, with decent viewings possible from the 3rd to the 8th. The constellation Aquarius sits quite low on the horizon in the early mornings in early May and is not particularly prominent either. Depending on when you try to observe, Venus would serve as an adequate marker, else find the Summer Triangle high above and look half the distance to the horizon. To optimize your experience, lie flat on the ground with your feet pointed to the southeast and your head elevated – meteors will then appear to fly right over and around you.

Those interested in seeing a full list should check out the American Meteor Society meteor shower calendar.

Learn a Constellation: Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia and Cepheus in the late-evening May sky.

Our northeast-facing image in the Evening and Nighttime Guide above shows the Big Dipper marked in green and an arrow pointing towards Polaris in the Little Dipper. If we extend that arrow down another full length, we end up pointing near the Cassiopeia/Cepheus divide. Those with either a background in Greek mythology or ticket stubs to one of the two versions of "Clash Of The Titans" will know that these two constellations come as a pair – King Cepheus, ancient ruler of Aethiopia, and Queen Cassiopeia, who offended the gods by boasting of her or her daughter Andromeda's beauty.

During pre-midnight observing hours in May, Cassiopeia may remind you of something from a different movie – the 1963 comedy "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World." Towards the end, Jonathan Winters is seen slowly turning around to identify one of the key plot points – a "Great Big W." Cassiopeia's motion around Polaris cleanly breaks into four groups that are easy to remember – from May to July, it's a "W" at the horizon, from August to October, a "3" in the northeast, from November to January an "M" high in the north, and from February to April an "E" in the northwest. Its five stars are very bright, but if the shape doesn't reveal itself the first few times, simply use the Big Dipper, find Polaris, and continue unit a W, 3, M, or E jumps out.

The five bright stars of the "W" asterism are all observing-worthy on their own. Caph is a variable star spinning so fast that it is 25% wider at its equator than its poles. Schedar is a four-star system. Navi is an unpredictable variable star whose brightness you can keep track of without any magnification. Ruchbah is an eclipsing binary star – which means one star goes right between us and the main star as it orbits every 25 months, causing a quick, predictable drop in the brightness. Finally, Segin is noteworthy for the shell of gas surrounding it, giving its spectrum a more complicated shape.

For the binocular observers, there are two Messier Objects to find – the open star clusters M52 and M103. Both of these might be more prominent in another part of the sky, but Cassiopeia lies just in front of a thin band of the Milky Way. As a result, binocular and telescope observers end up seeing a wealth of stars in the background as they scour for deep sky objects.

Dr. Damian Allis is the director of CNY Observers and a NASA Solar System Ambassador. If you know of any other NY astronomy events or clubs to promote, please contact the author.

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