![]() ![]() Where all that gas was swirling in, there was not light but blackness. This seemed to be the galaxy’s exact center, where gravity clenches the stars and gas in a tight spiral-to invisibility. They found a small black dot right in the middle of the giant galaxy M87-right where the motions of nearby stars suggested the presence of a billion solar masses in a tiny region. Then a bunch of ambitious radio astronomers, scattered around the world, networked their telescopes to simulate an Earth-sized telescope. But as for whether they could be seen…well, that seemed like a weird concept-almost a contradiction in terms. Throughout the 20th century, evidence accumulated for the existence of black holes and by century’s end, their existence was no longer doubted. Three years ago today, the world saw the first photograph of a black hole. A few popular talks on science subjects too, especially if they intersect with amateur astronomy (eclipses, etc.). Telescopes, cameras, spectrographs, magazines…a veritable AstroToysRUs celebration. This is a large (maybe a thousand people) gathering of amateur astronomers plus people who want to sell them things. On these dates, the Northeast Astronomy Forum was supposed to be held at Rockland Community College in Suffern, NY (it was postponed). Tonight, it’s a few degrees South of Castor and Pollux, the Gemini twins. National Optical Astronomy Observatory via Flickr.įirst quarter Moon. ![]() The total solar eclipse that occurred on. It’s a nearly perfect repeat of the Maeclipse-the event that drove me to buy my first telescope (the next day). The day will be magical in those regions. The shadow marches from central Texas through Arkansas to northern Ohio to upstate New York, Maine, and Canada's maritime provinces, before “falling off the Earth” at sunset. ![]() Most significantly, it’s a New Moon which lies exactly on the plane of the Sun’s orbit (“the ecliptic”), which means that a total eclipse of the Sun will occur, and that 2024 eclipse will be perfectly timed for USA observers. This is 738 days after the first New Moon of April 2022…and that means 25.000 lunar cycles. Break out the binoculars and cameras, and get thee to a good observing spot (access to the eastern horizon, around 5-5:30 am any of these mornings). On April 5 (Tuesday morning), Mars and Saturn appear in the same telescope field. On these four mornings, Venus, Mars, and Saturn will show off some fancy dance steps as they cavort closely together in the eastern pre-dawn sky. This is the cycle of shapes in a lunar eclipse - similar but not identical to the monthly cycle. The progression of lunar phases through a cycle. With 354.4-day years, the civil-calendar date of Chinese New Year moves around. Same deal (luni-solar) with the ancient Chinese calendar: 12 months of 29.53 days. Check the math: 6 years ago in civil reckoning, and the difference (1443 rather than 1400 years) arises because each lunar year (12 months of 29.53 days) is just 354.4 days. Year zero corresponds to year 622 CE-the Hegira, when Mohammed and followers fled from Mecca to Medina. Therefore the Islamic calendar is a strict luni-solar calendar. The months are true months (starting with the first sighting of the young lunar crescent), rather than the mathematically cooked-up 30- and 31-day versions in common civil use for the last ~2000 years. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, and calls for fasting during all daylight hours throughout the month. As Oscar Wilde said, “we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”įirst day of Ramadan (1443 A.H.). Steal a few moments of reprieve from the city’s mayhem to take in these sights. For Broadcast, Joe shares current monthly issues of Big Apple Sky Calendar, the guide to sky viewing that used to conclude the seasonal newsletter. His affable style mixed wit and history with astronomy for a completely charming, largely undiscovered cult classic: Big Apple Astronomy. In the 1990s, astronomy professor Joe Patterson wrote and illustrated a seasonal newsletter, in the style of an old-fashioned paper zine, of astronomical highlights visible from New York City. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |