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Durham Region Astronomical Association opens up the wonders of the night sky
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Take a look and see…
DURHAM — A few celestial events to look forward to in 2013:
May 25: Penumbral lunar eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth’s partial shadow, or penumbra. During this type of eclipse the moon will darken slightly but not completely. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of North America, South America, western Europe and western Africa.
May 28: Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. Conjunctions are rare events where two or more objects will appear extremely close together in the night sky. The two bright planets will be close to each other in the evening sky. The planet Mercury will also be visible nearby. Look to the west near sunset.
July 27, 28: Delta Aquarids meteor shower. The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to Aug. 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 27 and morning of July 28. The second quarter moon will block out most of the faint meteors, but you should still be able to catch quite a few good ones if you are patient. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
August 11, 12: Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to Aug. 24. It peaks this year on the night of Aug. 11 and the morning of Aug. 12. The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
August 27: Neptune at Opposition. The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
November 28: Comet ISON closest approach to the sun. Newly discovered comet ISON will make its closest approach to the sun on Nov. 28. If the comet survives its encounter with the sun, it could be one of the brightest comets in recent memory. Some astronomers estimate that it could even be bright enough to be seen during daylight hours. In August and September, the comet will begin to be visible in the morning sky in dark locations with telescopes. In October it will start to be visible to the naked eye and will continue to get brighter until Nov. 28. If the comet survives, it will be visible in the early morning and early evening sky and could be nearly as bright as the full moon. Some astronomers are already calling it the comet of the century.
Source: www.seasky.org
DURHAM — Michael Cook remembers clearly the first time he looked up and saw a star-filled sky.
Five years old and travelling north to a hunting and fishing camp with his father, the city lights far behind them, Mr. Cook recalls looking out a window and gazing at a dark night sky, dotted with sparkling stars.
“When you live in the city, you can maybe only see a handful of stars,” says Mr. Cook. “It was just magical. I fell in love with (astronomy) right then.”
It’s a passion that’s stuck with the Newcastle man for his entire life, in particular the past 35 years which has seen his interest and knowledge of the night sky grow to the point where he now serves as president of the Durham Region Astronomical Association (DRAA).
The DRAA was founded in 2001 after Durham stargazing enthusiasts tired of travelling to Toronto clubs. It was an instant success, growing to almost 100 members in less than two years.
“It’s never been easier to get into astronomy,” says Mr. Cook, crediting the vast amounts of information that can be found on the Internet.
View the photo gallery
Like any hobby, he says, it depends on how much time, effort and money you want to put into it.
There are people who simply want to stare at the stars, pointing to places they’ll never visit, and others who delve deep into the scientific end of astronomy.
“It’s as easy as watching TV,” says Mr. Cook. “Like any hobby, it just depends on how far you want to take it. There’s a whole gamut of what you can do.”
For beginners, the DRAA president suggests just picking up a good pair of binoculars and looking up into the night sky. There’s no need to purchase a pricey telescope right off the bat, stresses Mr. Cook.
“Lay on the ground on a beach towel and just take a look around,” he says. “There’s lots to see.”
The DRAA serves as a resource for astronomers of all levels, providing members with opportunities to meet and discuss their findings during regular meetings at the Whitby library, but also prides itself on its public outreach efforts to share the world of astronomy.
“We try and involve literally every segment of society, from the very youngest to the oldest,” says Mr. Cook, noting the club jumps at offers to share its knowledge everywhere it can, from schools and service clubs to Scouting groups and seniors’ centres.
Various workshops are also held to teach astronomy enthusiasts how to use telescopes, find things in the sky and analyze stars. It’s not necessary to own a telescope to join the club.
The DRAA also secured a government grant in 2005, which allowed it to purchase special equipment that projects what is seen through a telescope onto a screen or monitor.
“We want to attract people, especially youth and women,” says Mr. Cook. “Astronomy is dominated pretty much by middle-aged white men and we want to change that.”
The DRAA is also working on light pollution abatement, trying to convince various levels of government to enact bylaws and policies to lower outdoor lighting that brightens the night sky and is essentially a waste of hydro, says Mr. Cook.
“We want to focus light where we need it and not spill light where it’s a nuisance and a waste of energy,” he says.
With a seemingly endless supply of stars to gaze at, there’s always plenty to look at in the night sky.
“It’s a crazy, big place for sure… space is so much bigger than we ever thought,” says Mr. Cook. “It’s just mind-boggling and there’s lots of neat stuff yet to find.
“The sky’s the limit on what we’re going to find out.”
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