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Night_Skies_Total_Lunar_Eclipse_May_2003

Feature Article May 1

Feature Article May 1, 2003

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Total Lunar Eclipse Mays highlightIn the evenings, the brightest planet is Jupiter, high in the western sky and not setting until after midnight. On clear, moonless nights, careful observers may spot the Beehive Cluster of stars just to the right of Jupiter, and they may be able to see that over the month Jupiters orbit carries it a bit farther to the left and away from that famous cluster of stars at the centre of the constellation Cancer. The second planet to be noticed in the evening twilight will be Saturn, which can be easily spotted in the west well below and to the right from Jupiter. Saturn can be seen until about 11:00 p.m. at the beginning of May, but by months end it will be setting a little more than an hour after sunset. The other three bright planets are seen only after midnight. Reddish Mars is becoming much brighter than it was in previous months and now rises in the east between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m., and is very prominent in the southeast until morning twilight. Venus, the brightest planet of all, can be seen low in the eastern sky for about an hour before the sun rises. Mercury will be easy to see only during the last week of May, when it is just to the right and a bit down from Venus. Of course, a good view of the easterly horizon is essential to see these last two planets. Watching the moon glide past the planets will be particularly interesting on several occasions this month. On the evening of May 7 it is below Jupiter, and the First Quarter Moon is above that planet on May 8. During the two nights of May 21 and 22, try to watch the waning gibbous moon move from one side to the other of the planet Mars. On the morning of May 28 the slim waning crescent moon will be to the right of brilliant Venus and less brilliant Mercury, and it will be very low in the east at about a half-hour before sunrise. At the same time the following morning, May 29, it will be a challenge to see the slim crescent moon just to the left of Venus and Mercury, but the sight of those three objects so close together and so close to the horizon will be worth the effort of rising early. We are now into the eclipse season, and each eclipse season brings two, and sometime three, eclipses, though they are often not seen in a particular location on earth. This eclipse season brings us a total lunar eclipse on May 15 and an annular solar eclipse on May 31. The solar eclipse will not be visible at all from any parts of Central or Eastern Canada. However, for the lunar eclipse, Eastern Canada has a front row seat for the entire event. We may begin watching the Full Moon soon after it rises on the evening of May 15. Though the moon enters the penumbra, the very thin outer part of the earths shadow, at 9:05 p.m., its slight darkening will not be noticeable until about 9:30 p.m. The moon enters the earths umbra (the main dark core of the shadow) at 10:03 p.m., an event that will definitely be noticeable. From then until second contact of the umbra, or beginning of totality, at 11:14 p.m., the shadow will appear to march across the lunar landscape, as the moon enters more completely into the shadow. Mid-totality is at 11:40 p.m. The total phase ends 26 minutes later at 12:06, 6 minutes after midnight. The receding partial phase lasts until 1:17a.m., and the last bit of penumbral darkening will be detectable at about 1:45 a.m., though the moon will not be completely out of the penumbra until 2:15 a.m. What will be most interesting to observe is the range of colours across the face of the moon. Will it appear slightly reddish, yellowish, or grey in colour? And how much brighter will the northern hemisphere of the moon be than the southern hemisphere? Every eclipse seems to be slightly different. We know that atmospheric pollution on earth tends to darken the refracted light that travels from the sun through the earths atmosphere to the lunar surface at the time of a lunar eclipse. Observe carefully, and record your own impressions, AND note any subtle changes in colour. Another major astronomical event that will be visible from some parts of the world, but not from most parts of Canada, will be the fairly rare transit of the planet Mercury across the disk of the sun on May 7. This five-hour event ends at 6:34 a.m., which is before the sun even rises in most of Canada. In Eastern Canada, the event is almost over by the time the sun rises. With the need to have an almost-perfect view right down to the north-eastern horizon, and the absolute need to practise safe solar viewing to avoid permanent eye damage, few people will be able to see this event. Unless you are certain of the safety of your solar viewing method, avoid it completely. Personally, this rare event gives me a chance to see an old friend, David Levy, who has become the worlds most famous amateur astronomer because of his books and his comet discoveries and other achievements. David will be travelling from his Arizona observatory to eastern Canada, hoping for a chance to safely view the transit, and before visiting my place will be giving a talk on Transit Day to a group of astronomers in Kingston. Those interested in the talk should contact me for details. The Beginners Observing Guide is available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy. Many kinds of astronomical information will also be available from the astronomers at the International Astronomy Day display at the Frontenac Mall in Kingston on Saturday, May 10.

With the participation of the Government of Canada