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 – April, 2018

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 April: The Lyrid meteor shower

The good, the bad, and the potentially ugly things that fall from space. Micrometeorites (IFLScience.com), a SkyLab fragment (from wikipedia), and the Chelyabinsk meteor trail (Alex Alishevskikh).

Published: Apr. 02, 2018, 2:31 p.m.

By Damian Allis | Contributing writer

When asked to list the contents of our Solar System, some stop at the Sun, planets, and moons. Others will remember comets – a list of objects that grows much longer every year. For those looking for up-to-date info, see minorplanetcenter.net – we have comfortably cleared the 4000 comet mark. Some may add the asteroid belt – a region between Mars and Jupiter which looks less like the chaotic debris field from "The Empire Strikes Back" and more like oases of larger rocks separated by vast, empty deserts of tiny particles. Don't forget the currently 18,000-long list of NEOs, or Near-Earth Objects.

These are among the more than 18,000 reasons why the late-great Stephen Hawking and others have championed the need for colonization beyond the Earth's surface.

Changing positions in the sky is one thing – changing elevations is very different. Occasional bright flares make the news when captured on video. Events like Tunguska and Chelyabinsk remind us that there thing in space we might miss that could level cities. We are fortunate that most of the roughly 160 tons of debris from space that hits the Earth *each day* is in the form of micrometeorites that you could start collecting with a strong magnet and a flat rooftop.

The highly-anticipated demise of the Tiangong-1 over the weekend was a reminder that we may not be able to always rely on the "dilution-solution" of handling our garbage. Our planet is large, spherical, mostly covered in water, and largely unpopulated – but the number of satellites going to space will only increase as launches get cheaper. It remains to be seen if nations will opt to address the dangers of space junk before or after something serious – and unavoidable – happens here on the ground.

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 respondent NY astronomy organizations are provided below for April. 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 Lake1st Friday ObservingApr. 67:30 PMemail, website
Adirondack Public ObservatoryTupper Lake3rd Friday ObservingApr. 207:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyOctagon Barn Star PartyApr. 138 – 10 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyNight Sky AdventureApr. 177 – 8:30 PMemail, website
Albany Area Amateur Astronomers & Dudley ObservatorySchenectadyAAAA MeetingApr. 197:30 – 9 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterMember MeetingApr. 67:30 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghApr. 79:00 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghApr. 149:00 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterASRAS Open HouseApr. 1512 – 4 PMemail, website
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghApr. 219:00 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of ScienceRochesterObserving At The StrasenburghApr. 289:00 – 10:30 PMJim S., 585-703-9876
Baltimore WoodsMarcellusHello Spring SkiesApr. 13/147:30 – 9:30 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalKAS Monthly MeetingApr. 47 – 9 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night ObservingApr. 67 – 9 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night ObservingApr. 137 – 9 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night ObservingApr. 207 – 9 PMemail, website
Kopernik Observatory & Science CenterVestalFriday Night ObservingApr. 277 – 9 PMemail, website
Liverpool Public LibraryLiverpoolPlanet 9 LectureApr. 197 – 8:30 PMwebsite
Mohawk Valley Astronomical SocietyWatervillePublic StargazingApr. 78:15 – 10:30 PMemail, website
Syracuse Astronomical SocietySyracuseMessier Marathon and Public ViewingApr. 137:00 PMemail, website

Lunar Phases

Third QuarterNew MoonFirst QuarterFull Moon
Apr. 8, 3:17 amApr. 15, 9:57 pmApr. 22, 5:45 pmApr. 29, 8:58 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. 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. 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. on April 15, accurate all month except for the changing Moon position.

Evening Skies: Observers with bad necks or busy schedules have been waiting all winter for April. The constellations of the Winter Triangle – Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Orion – and additional of the Winter Hexagon – Gemini, Auriga, and Taurus – are finally lower in the western sky after sunset. Binocular viewers have precious little time to take in objects around Taurus and Orion.

This is also our last month to take advantage of Orion as a guide to its local constellations before it disappears again until just before sunrise in early August.

Orion can guide you around its neighborhood. Red = belt stars to Sirius and Canis Major; Orange = Rigel and belt center to Castor and Pollux in Gemini; Yellow = Bellatrix and Betelgeuse to Canis Major; Green = Belt stars to Aldebaran and Taurus; Blue = Saiph and Orion's head to Capella in Auriga. Click for a larger view.

Morning Skies: The observing excitement this month is to the south. Saturn and Mars are putting on an excellent show atop the teapot asterism in Sagittarius, while Jupiter watches from the west in Libra. Hopping from Antares to Jupiter to Spica, try to find the very personable representation of the constellation Virgo, who appears to be falling on her backside on the western horizon this month.

The sky at 5 a.m. on April 15, accurate all month except for the changing Moon position.

Planetary Viewing

Venus: Venus has been an evening delight recently, with early March observers even fitting it and Mercury into the same binocular field of view. Venus continues to set later each day this month, getting brighter throughout.

For bright sightings, Venus has the first half of the month to itself. On the 17th, it pairs with a thin crescent moon after sunset, then spends the next few days sliding right between our two closest star clusters – the Pleiades and Hyades in Taurus. April 28th is the closest grouping of the three, with Venus almost making a straight line with Aldebaran and the Pleiades.

Groupings of Venus, the Moon, Pleiades, and Hyades later this month.

Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn: Jupiter starts the month rising close to 11 p.m. and finishes the month clearing the horizon at 9 p.m. We'll have Jupiter in our nighttime sky until October, ideal for small telescopes all summer long. As an early marker, the Moon joins Jupiter from above in Libra on April 3rd

The full view of the southern sky on April 3, showing morning pairings of the Moon and Jupiter to the southwest and Mars and Saturn to the southeast.

Those with even poor-quality binoculars are able to see the four bright satellites of Jupiter – known as the "Galilean Moons" for their first observer – and the appearance of Jupiter as a disc of light instead of a simple pinpoint like all stars. Many websites, including the Jupiter's Moons webapp at Sky & Telescope, can provide you with the real-time and future positions of the fast-moving moons for any viewing opportunity you get this and every month.

The best show will be between Mars and Saturn this month. On April 1st, the two are just above the handle of the Sagittarius teapot with Mars on the right. On April 3rd, Mars will be directly below Saturn, an excellent site with or without binoculars. Mars move farther west each night thereafter, buzzing just below distant Pluto on the 26th and 27th. For those still not sure if those two extremely bright pinpoints are Mars and Saturn or not, the Moon provides an obvious marker on the morning of April 7.

The Moon meets Saturn and Mars above the teapot asterism of Sagittarius on April 7. Click for a larger view.

If you scan the area around both planets with binoculars, don't be surprised if you see batches of stars or little fuzzy features that don't come into focus – you're looking into the center – and densest – part of the Milky Way in this direction, where open clusters, globular clusters, and nebulae abound.

Swift Mercury even makes an appearance due east just before 6 a.m. starting in mid-April. If you intend on using binoculars to find it, be sure to stop your search well before sunrise.

ISS 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 and six current occupants can be predicted to within several seconds and take several minutes to complete.

Those looking to figuratively catch the ISS this month have the first 12 days to do so, after which it is gone from our skies until early May. The ISS is an evening target these first two weeks, with several days of double-flyovers all between 8 and 11 p.m.

ISS Flyovers

DateBrightnessApprox. StartStart Direct.Approx. EndEnd Direct.
4/1moderately8:24 PMNW8:29 PMNE
4/1moderately10:01 PMNW10:03 PMN/NW
4/2moderately9:09 PMNW9:12 PMNE
4/3moderately8:16 PMNW8:21 PMNE
4/3moderately9:53 PMNW9:55 PMN/NW
4/4very9:01 PMNW9:04 PMNE
4/4somewhat10:37 PMW/NW10:37 PMW/NW
4/5moderately8:08 PMNW8:13 PME/NE
4/5very9:45 PMNW9:47 PMN/NW
4/6very8:52 PMNW8:57 PME/NE
4/6somewhat10:29 PMW/NW10:29 PMW/NW
4/7extremely9:36 PMW/NW9:39 PMW
4/8extremely8:44 PMNW8:49 PME/SE
4/8somewhat10:21 PMW10:22 PMW
4/9very9:28 PMW/NW9:31 PMS/SW
4/10extremely8:36 PMW/NW8:41 PMSE
4/11moderately9:21 PMW/SW9:24 PMS/SW
4/12moderately8:28 PMW8:33 PMS

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: Lyrids – Active April 16 To April 25, Peaking The Morning Of April 22

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, they burn up due to friction and ionize the air around them, producing long light trails. 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 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. The Lyrid radiant is precariously close to the funny bone of the troubled Hercules, but is still considered within the official borders of Lyra the Harp. Finding the radiant is as easy as finding the bright star Vega, which rises in the northeast just before 9 p.m. on the active nights of the Lyrids. Those awake during the peak 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. window are treated to the complete Summer Triangle – a reminder that the summer constellations are well on their way.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower radiant, roughly between the bright star Vega and the southern elbow of Hercules. Click for a larger view.

How to observe: The nights leading up to the Lyrid peak will be the best time for viewing this month, as observers on the 23rd and 24th will have to compete with the bright moon to the west. One thing you'll be sure *not* to see this year is the comet producing the Lyrids – Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1) has a 415-year orbit and was last in our part of the Solar System in 1861, just a bit too early for anyone to even attempt capturing it on a photographic plate.

Learn A Constellation: Gemini

Gemini in the western sky after sunset this month above Orion's Club.

In last month's article, we delved into some of the mathematics that made up the early lunar calendars, noting how much simpler life would be if only the Moon went around the Earth every 30 days and the Earth went around the Sun every 360 days. This month, we go with a full-on mythological possibility.

Venus is bright enough to cast shadows, but is never out for more than a few hours past sunset or a few hours before sunrise – a planet can only be visible all night long if it's beyond our own orbit. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are the only three throughout human history that any one of our ancestors could have observed all night long. Of the three, Jupiter is the brightest object, no doubt the reason for its moniker of "king of the planets," its association with Zeus throughout Greek/Roman antiquity, and its attribution to the Babylonian god Marduk long before the Greeks.

Jupiter's orbit is 11.86 years long. That means, nearly every 12 years, Jupiter appears in roughly the same place in the sky from our vantage point on Earth. If one were to believe that the god(s) did not trade in coincidences in the nighttime sky, certainly the 12-year cycle for Jupiter's return to its starting point was something profound – and the division of its path into 12 stations by the Babylonians was simply good bookkeeping to make sure of no confusion when it came to knowing where one's god might be.

Our year-long walk around the zodiac brings us to Gemini the Twins this month. These two have spent at least the last 2,000 years dancing atop Orion's club in their Greek mythological roots, and have had their bright stars Castor and Pollux regarded as celestial twins as far back as Babylonian times. As the eastern-most member of the Winter Hexagon, Pollux and all of Gemini are easy to find and all the more prominent by their placement above Orion and Taurus. Often sketched with hands held, Pollux is all knees-and-feet, while the svelte Castor seems to have had a part of one leg knocked to the other by Orion's club.

M35, off Castor's foot and as wide as the full Moon. The smaller, denser cluster at lower-right is NGC 2158.

Gemini is best known for four observing targets of astronomical or historical significance. Off the western foot of Castor lies the open cluster M35, observable as a fuzzy patch without binoculars under dark skies. Much closer to home, Aristotle mentioned observing Jupiter occulting, or temporarily covering, a star in Gemini way back in December of 337 B.C.E. Much closer to home and recent history, both Uranus (1781) and Pluto (1930) were discovered within the borders of Gemini.

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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