What is Simon J Astronomy?

I have been running this blog for a while now.  Why?  For what purpose?  The motto is "Local Amateur Astronomy For Everyone".

This project is spread across different forms of social media.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy

The Facebook page serves many purposes:

• Deliver breaking astronomy/space news so you are up to date on the latest research and discoveries.
• Links to blog entries we publish throughout the week.
• Photographs we have taken and maps to help you view the sky.
• Invitations to astronomical events around town we either host or volunteer at.

Blog: https://simonjastronomy.blogspot.com/

Blog Homepage

The blog also has many purposes:

• Weekly sky updates for the naked eye, binoculars and telescopes.
• Web log of observing sessions.
• Weather phenomenon.
• Special events in the sky.
• Introduction to basic astronomy concepts.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SimonJAstronomy

The Twitter account allows us real time coverage of events and breaking news:

• Links to blogs.
• Breaking events such as developing aurora and weather conditions

That is a rundown of our current setup.  This project is evolving and it may spread to other media.  However, this still does not answer the question: What is the purpose?

We are a family of five living in the suburbs of southeast Calgary.  We believe astronomy can be practiced by everyone and we want people to have the opportunity to learn and experience it for free.  Have you seen Saturn through a telescope before?  Have you seen someone else see Saturn through a telescope for the first time?

We are dedicated to public outreach throughout the city.  On August 21, 2017 we spent our morning at Olympic Plaza showing many Calgarians the marvelous wonder of the solar eclipse.  While many retailers were selling eclipse glasses for unreasonably marked up rates we were giving them away for free.

Olympic Plaza Outreach, August 21, 2017

We are scheduled to visit many cub, scout and guide groups throughout the city.  Our free presentations focus not only on badge requirements but can immerse you in the expansive experience of the sky.  We are both security cleared for volunteering with the Calgary Board of Education and can visit you right in the classroom.

If you would like to book a presentation please send us an email or contact us through the FB page and we can customize something for your group/audience.  

Email: simonjastronomy@gmail.com

2017 Week 36: (September 3-9)

We are now in September and the kids will be starting school.  We are heading straight towards the Autumnal Equinox in just a few weeks.  There are a few sights in the sky this week that I am looking forward to.

Date	Event
September 4	Mercury Stationary
September 4	Neptune at Opposition
September 5	Neptune 0.8°N of Moon
September 6	Full Moon

Mercury will be stationary on Monday and will then head towards its best morning apparition for northern observers a few weeks later.  Neptune will be at opposition the same evening.  Unfortunately the Full Moon will destroy any attempt to get a good look at the outermost planet of our Solar System.  I am hoping in a few days after the Full Moon to try to image Neptune with my 11" SCT.  The image below is my 2016 attempt at imaging the planet.  It may look like a simple blob but it was taken with a simple smart phone through an untracked 8" reflector telescope.

Neptune

The Full Moon will be out this week, a half cycle from the eclipse of two weeks ago.  With all the smoke in the air it may appear red.  The smoke scatters most of the shorter wavelength visible light leaving just the red end of the spectrum to reach our eyes.  This is similar to the red hue of a sunset or sunrise with the atmosphere playing the role of the smoke.  Light from the sun takes a longer path through the atmosphere to our eyes when it is lower in the sky.

What else is there to see at this time of year?  Cassiopeia appears in the northeastern sky as the familiar 'W' shape.  Andromeda sits neatly below the 'W' and can be seen with the naked eye.  Saturn is still visible in the South sky.  If you are lucky you might be able to catch Jupiter follow the Sun down at sunset.  The Big Dipper asterism is in the northwest sky easily visible.  As always throughout this time of year the Summer Triangle appears right overhead.  See if you can pick out the three bright stars forming this asterism.

Keep your eyes to the sky and look for some interesting astronomy activities this month!

2017 Week 35: (August 27-September 2)

The week after the solar eclipse is not looking incredibly great for casual sights in the sky.  However, there are some cool things going on with Mercury later in the month.  The chart below shows some of the basic things you can see from your backyard.

Date	Event
August 29	First Quarter
August 30	Saturn 4°S of Moon

The Moon has gone from New (during the eclipse) to First Quarter by Tuesday.  I always say the first quarter is my favourite phase because it is out at a reasonable time in the evening and has many interesting structures along the terminator.

First Quarter Moon

Saturn in the south will be hanging out with the Moon during the next evening.  Since Saturn is sitting at a low declination you should try to observe it soon before it goes below the horizon for the season.

Saturn

The Summer Triangle sits right over our head as the Sun goes down.  You can catch the bright trio of Deneb, Vega and Altair at your zenith.

Neptune is becoming an easier target as it approaches opposition later next week.  Unfortunately its opposition is polluted out by the light of the near Full Moon.  When the Moon moves far enough to the East I will try to find it for the first time in 2017.  It sits just over a degree away from Lambda Aquarii, a naked eye star in Aquarius.  It is just outside the field of view with my 25mm eyepiece on my 8" reflector telescope but will fit tidily inside my 41mm Panoptic eyepiece.

Pisces is also rising in the East and will give us a good shot and finding Uranus.  Uranus sits about the same distance from the naked eye Omicron Piscium as Neptune is away from Lambda Aquarii.  I'll give that one a shot with my 41mm as well.

Of course Andromeda is coming up too and many can have the chance to naked eye M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy from their favourite dark site.

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy

There are several astronomy events coming up in September, stay tuned to our page to learn more about them!

The Next Eclipses

I feel it fitting to end this eclipse week with a preview of what to expect in the next few years.  There will not be a solar or lunar eclipse seen from Calgary for another five months.

On January 31, 2018 we will have a total lunar eclipse visible from Calgary.  This will be an eclipse for early morning risers.  As you go to work at 6:30am the eclipse will be at maximum.  The Full Moon will look like a soft pink orb setting in the western sky.

After this early morning eclipse we will not have the opportunity to see another until January 20 the next year.  This will be another total lunar eclipse peaking just after 10pm Sunday evening.

2020 will have a couple boring penumbral lunar eclipses similar to the one we had back in February.  See: 2017 Week 6: (February 5-11).  The 18 months between May 2021 and November 2022 will have three total lunar eclipses and one partial lunar eclipse.  Then, finally, another partial solar eclipse will occur on October 14, 2023!  It will be similar to the one we experienced this week.  However, there will be no zone of totality in the world.  It will be an annular eclipse.  Don't fret though, there will be a total solar eclipse 7 months later but another partial for us Calgarians.

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

The 2024 total eclipse is interesting as the zone of totality again transits the United States.  It will move from SW to NE catching much of New Brunswick.  It will, however, miss downtown Toronto, Ottawa and Moncton by mere kilometers.  All you need to do is hop in a car and drive to the totality zone nearby.  The lucky residents of Montreal can sit in their own backyards and see the event for this one!  If you are a resident of Carbondale, Illinois you would have seen totality this past Monday and will again in 2024!  This earned it the nickname Solardale.

Partial Solar Eclipse

Our blog will now go back to its regular schedule of observing updates and weekly things to see in the sky for the casual observer.  Stay tuned as September has an amazing conjunction of three planets, a bright star and the Moon on the same day!  They will be in a line just longer than 10° in the sky!

Eclipse 2017

What an incredible day!  The weather was perfect for witnessing this great event that won't be in our sky again until October 2023!

We left our home at 9:00 this morning and headed for Stephen Avenue Mall.  We unloaded the equipment and setup at the northwest corner of Olympic Plaza.  I would estimate more than a thousand people came to take a look through the telescope.

Amazing Turnout at Olympic Plaza

The Moon started to take a bite out of the Sun at 10:20 and the first glimpse took your breath away.  The Moon was actually moving in front of the Sun for a rare convergence!  A lot of people saw this part of the eclipse and tried to take photographs through the eyepiece with some success.

"The Sun looks like a crescent Moon!"

Just over an hour later the crowd had grown into an excited mob wanting to take in the peak of the eclipse.  80% coverage!

Peak Eclipse from Calgary

The world seemed a little darker and the shadows a little crisper.  Lots of people had their eyes safely to the sky and immersed themselves in the beauty our world can provide.

"It's such a cynical world it's nice to see the awe on people's faces"

The great part of the day was seeing many different people of different races, religion, sexual orientation and age collectively come together and share a moment of joy as they watched the eclipse together.  The world has seemed so full of hate and division that these moments are quite sublime.

"It looks like a fingernail!"

Many more people came to the telescope during the peak time of the eclipse.  You could cross your fingers and see the Moon taking a good chunk of of the Sun on the ground.

Eclipse through the Fingers

Some people even dragged out the colander from their kitchen to project many images of the eclipse onto a screen.

Colander Eclipse Projection

Many noticed the pattern made by the shadows of leaves on the ground was unique for the eclipse.

Eclipse Leaves

After the peak, the Moon started moving off the face of the Sun and prominent sunspots came into view through the telescope.  This region of solar activity was responsible for the aurora this past weekend.

Sunspots during the Eclipse

Many people had a chance to use the eclipse glasses to catch a filtered unmagnified view of the sight up in the sky.  A person who received glasses to view the eclipse indicated:

"That was probably the coolest swag I've ever had."

As the time got closer to 12:50 the feeling that we will not see this in Calgary for another 6 years set in!  Some people who were there from the beginning stayed until the end until the last poke of the Moon was seen on the Sun.  It was a quiet moment with an ethereal sadness permeating the crowd.

Final Moments of Eclipse

We stayed a few minutes past the end of the eclipse to take in the experience we had.  One final picture of the Sun was taken before we trekked back to the parking lot to head for lunch.

The Full Sun

We are looking forward to relaxing and seeing the success of our friends from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada who traveled to the zone of totality.  The International Space Station even caught an image of the shadow on the surface of the Earth.  This stunning image is shown below.

Shadow of the Moon on Earth (Photo Credit: Twitter @Space_Station)

What a remarkable day.  Thank-you to all who came out to see this great event!  For information about upcoming free, kid friendly events follow us on Twitter and Facebook!  We will be hosting some star nights in South Calgary soon!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonjastronomy  (@simonjastronomy)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/simonjastronomy

The Solar Eclipse FAQ #3

The big day is tomorrow and the weather forecast looks great!  Although it is smokey right now we can only hope it clears for the morning!  I want to cover a few last things before the event.

How can I ensure my children are safe?

I discussed this in my previous FAQ post but I believe it needs to be reiterated.  Do not look at the Sun without protection.  If you are using eclipse glasses do not peek around the sides of them.  If you have children using them they must be supervised.  In fact, if you are going to let your children use eclipse glasses I would hold them onto their face to ensure no slippage or peeking.  If you are sharing one pair among your family keep an eye on your children so they do not look at the Sun while you are enjoying the view.  Views with the glasses should be limited to one minute at a time.  Make sure you read the directions printed on the back of the glasses.  Damage to the eyes from the Sun may occur painlessly and you may not notice until the next day when you have irreversible harm.  This is why a lot of schools keep the students inside as they can not monitor them all simultaneously.

I hate to instill fear but the seriousness of this is very important.

For some comic relief here is a cute video that explains the basics of the eclipse at an elementary school level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cm5gok2zmk

What else should I bring to watch the eclipse?

Here are some suggestions for items that would be good to have while viewing the eclipse.

• Direct solar viewing eye protection
• Regular sunglasses (for when you are not directly viewing the Sun)
• Sun hat
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Water
• Chairs

The Sun will still be as dangerous as it normally is so the same basic precautions should be taken.  The Moon should not be used as a substitute for sunscreen!  Do not use unfiltered cameras on the Sun unless you want to get a terrible photo along with a broken camera.

What are people doing to watch the eclipse?

DIY

I have a friend who built a large projector to safely view the Sun.  An image of his apparatus is shown below.

Solar Projector

The Sun enters the top of the tube through a 3mm hole made in tin foil.  The light from the Sun is projected onto a white plate at the bottom of the tube.  This is shown below.

Projection of the Sun

Drive and Camp

A lot of people I know are actually heading down to the zone of totality.  Idaho seems to be the top spot for most Calgarians.  However, there are a few heading to Oregon and Nebraska.  I hope the sky is clear for all of them.  Hotels are sold out all along the route and have actually been re-booking previous reservations for more than 10x the original value.  As of yesterday there were still camping spots left but, as for traffic, it may be a dice roll if you choose to leave today.

Around Calgary

There are a few events happening around town.  The University of Calgary will have an eclipse centre setup outside of the engineering building on Monday morning.

https://ucalgary.ca/rao/node/2071

The Telus Spark is hosting telescopes and eclipse viewer crafts.

http://www.sparkscience.ca/experience-telus-spark/events/eclipse-party/

I will setup a station at Olympic Plaza with an 8" filtered telescope, some eclipse glasses to borrow and I might try my hand at making a projector!  I do not yet know exactly where we will be at Olympic Plaza as it depends on buildings and trees but will post as soon as I know tomorrow morning.

Nothing

Some people just don't care or don't know.  That makes it our job to tell everyone how great it will be and that it won't happen again for another 6 years!

2017 Week 34: (August 20-26)

The week many astronomers have been waiting for has finally arrived!  There will be a total solar eclipse occurring the morning of Monday August 21!  Let's get the boring stuff out of the way first.  As always the table below showcases what is happening in the sky for the upcoming week.

Date	Event
August 21	New Moon
August 21	Total Solar Eclipse
August 25	Jupiter 3°S of Moon
August 25	Saturn Stationary
August 26	Mercury Inferior Conjunction

Jupiter is starting to get low in the western sky after sunset.  It will be in conjunction with a beautiful waxing crescent Moon this Friday.  It will be a perfect night to take a walk along a ridge that has a great view of the western horizon.

The same night Saturn will finish its retrograde motion (westerly motion) and begin its prograde motion (easterly motion).  Mercury will be at inferior conjunction (between the Earth and Sun) with the Sun next Saturday and will appear in the early morning sky during the following weeks.  This leads up to the best morning apparition of Mercury on September 12.

Monday.  Solar Eclipse.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Global News this morning to discuss this great event.

http://globalnews.ca/video/3680329/watching-the-solar-eclipse-in-calgary

Links to my recent eclipse FAQ can be found below.

Solar Eclipse FAQ #1
Solar Eclipse FAQ #2


We will be downtown at Olympic Plaza with a solar filtered telescope and eclipse glasses.  Currently the Sun is sporting a great cluster of sunspots that will be on full display through the telescope.  Once we find a nice solid spot we will post the location to our Facebook page and Twitter feed.

A few quick facts!

• When viewing the eclipse from Calgary the Sun will be about 80% covered by the Moon.


• The next solar eclipse visible from Calgary will be on October 23, 2023 followed quickly by another on April 8, 2024.


• Mark August 22, 2044 in your calendar.  Calgary will be in the zone of totality and the Sun will be completely blocked by the Moon for 1 minute and 47 seconds.


• For this eclipse, hotels in the US have cancelled $99 rooms booked years in advance and forced people to re-book for more than a thousand dollars.  Rotten!


• I purchased eclipse glasses in April for 85¢ a pair.  I've seen retailers selling them for more than $50 this week.


• The totality for this eclipse will touch only one country -- The United States.  The last time the zone of totality only touched the continental US was July 29, 436 (1581 years ago)!


• The next total solar eclipse anywhere on Earth will be July 2, 2019.  The totality zone will sweep across the lower Pacific and cross into Chile and Argentina.  The zone will cross Chile about 500km North of Santiago and eventually hit the burbs of Buenos Aires about an hour later.  Book your tickets now!

The map below shows the viewing times across Canada.

Canadian Eclipse Map (Photo Credit: The Weather Network)

This will be an exciting event not to be missed.  I hope it inspires lots of kids(and grownups) to develop an interest in astronomy!