| Apr 05, 2012


By Fred Barrett

Photo of the Moon by Fred Barrett

Exciting news this month! I have been helping my fellow amateur astronomer Bob Hillier build his new observatory. We had a good fall and were able to clear the land and complete most of the construction. This past week we were finally able to install the dome on top of the building. The exciting part is that this observatory is only 500 meters up the road from mine. Developing a centre for amateur astronomy in the area would definitely be an asset. Tay Valley Township is discussing the possibility of declaring the area a Dark Sky Zone. That doesn’t mean that everyone has to keep their lights off! Simply put, so much light from outdoor lighting points up at the sky where it serves no purpose and is a complete waste of energy. Modern light fixtures point towards the ground where the light is really needed and therefore require much less power. Savings on a power bill can be significant.

This month I wanted to remind you that so much fun can be had viewing the sky through binoculars. They are simple, easy to use and provide wonderful views of the planets, especially the Moon. The Moon is a truly dazzling sight. Get a map on the internet or go to the library and find one. Exploring all the fascinating features on the Moon can provide many nights of entertainment. Two suitable binocular sizes for this sort of viewing are 7 X 50 or 10 X 50. The first number is the magnification and the 2nd number is the size of the light gathering lens at the end of the binoculars in millimeters.

Surely many of you looked at the spectacular view of Venus and Jupiter near the Moon at the end of March. Wasn’t it something to see? It won’t happen again for quite a few years. Jupiter is about halfway between Venus and the horizon. I get so many questions about which one is which! Venus and Jupiter will remain prominent in the sky through late April. If you have a telescope, look at Venus and see if you can make out details on its cloud surface. On the 8th of April Venus will pass close to the Pleiades and is worthy of a quiet moment out under the dark skies. Also, watch for Venus at the upper right of a thin crescent Moon on April 24. Mars is about half way up the sky a little east of south at dusk in early April and will get higher in the sky as the month progresses. I have never seen Mars present such a red colour in previous years. It’s a beauty this year. Since Mars is in Leo, near the prominent star Regulus, it’s a good time for you to get out your star charts and take a tour of Leo and find and observe the beautiful deep space objects that can be found in this constellation. Don’t forget Saturn! This ringed planet can be found near and just east of the star Spica. To find Spica, start at the handle of the Big Dipper and remember the phrase “around the arc of the handle to Arcturus and speed on to Spica”.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks this month on the nights of April 21 & 22. It will be a small one but with more meteors than usual crossing the sky, its well worth a look.

The Full Moon this month is on April 6. It has more than a few names. A few are “Planter’s Moon”. “Seed Moon”, “Grower’s Moon”. This the time of year for all of us to awaken from our winter hibernation and start planting our veggies! I have to admit though, that this spring has been one of the strangest I’ve seen in quite a while.

“The Beginner’s Observing Guide by Leo Enright is an invaluable companion for adventures in the sky. It contains star charts and is available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy. It can also be ordered from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada at www.rasc.ca/publications. A subscription to our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine “SkyNews” can be arranged at the RASC website as well.

Let me know how your observing has gone this month, especially anything unusual. I enjoy the feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions you can contact me through this paper or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Clear Skies! Fred.

 

 

If you have questions or suggestions, Fred Barrett may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Beginner’s Observer’s Guide by Leo Enright is available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy or by contacting the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada www.rasc.ca/publications, subscriptions for our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine, Sky News, are also available from RASC..

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