Sky watchers from Brazil to Mongolia were treated to a total solar eclipse.
For slightly more than 3 minutes, day turned to night as the new moon drifted in
front of our star. Be sure to follow some of the links and checkout the amazing
images coming in from around the globe.
As was just mentioned, the moon was new on Wednesday. That'll put us under a
tiny waxing crescent moon with 14% of its visible surface illuminated when it
rises. Look for the Moon to occult (block) the Pleiades star cluster tonight.
This should be quite a site. Binoculars or a small telescope will really add to
your viewing experience.
Finally,
we're celebrating 5 years of Utah Skies. Thanks so much for continuing support!
Astronomy News
From Around The World, and Beyond
Moon To Collide With M45 Tonight!
Saturday, April 1st, 2006 - As if blinded by its recent encounter with the Sun, The Moon will collided with M45, The Pleiades Star Cluster tonight. This once in a lifetime event will occur shortly after sunset in the western sky. No one knows what damage the bodies will sustain in the collision, but it is thought that the Pleiades will end up looking like the Hercules Cluster when all the dust settles, and the Moon's Wenslydale composition will appear more like Swiss. "We're quite excited. This is the first time we've ever had a chance to record a cosmic collision of this magnitude, and we have front row seats for the event," stated Donald C. Brown of NASA's Large Object Small Telescope program.
Utah Skies Turns 5
Thursday, March 30th, 2006 - Many would say we act it, but... this week Utah Skies turned five. Just over five years ago, Utah Skies began sharing out passion for the wonders of the night sky with anybody who's listen :-) We've made it a point to try to instill an awe for the vastness of the universe... and raise awareness to the growing problem of light pollution that threatens our heritage of star-filled skies. Through the years, we've worked with a large number of really wonderful people. Thanks to all who have made this an enjoyable adventure. We're looking forward to the next 5 years!
Storm Rages On Saturn
Thursday, March 30th, 2006 - (NASA) A giant storm continues to rage on the planet Saturn's southern hemisphere. First viewed back in January, the storm can be seen here as a brightening in Saturn's subdued cloud bands. Also captured in this shot by the orbiting Cassini Spacecraft is Saturn's moon Tethys, seen just below the plain of the rings. The fact that the storm stands out against the subtle banding of Saturn at visible wavelengths suggests that the storm's cloud tops are relatively high in the atmosphere. Tethys is 1,071 kilometers (665 miles) across. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Feb. 18, 2006, at a distance of approximately 2.8 million kilometers (1.7 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 162 kilometers (101 miles) per pixel on Saturn.
Totality
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006 - Absolutely gorgeous. That's how we'd describe this shot of today's total eclipse of the sun. Taken in southern Turkey by Graeme Coates, this image shows the beauty of the solar corona. Checkout the Spaceweather.com photo gallery for more incredible pics
Total Solar Eclipse To Darken Sky Tomorrow
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006 - Skywatchers from South America to Asia are in for a treat tomorrow as a total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from those areas. Those of us in the US will have to live vicariously though them... and the internet. The path of totality will run from Brazil to Mongolia. Checkout the NASA Eclipse web pages for more information.
Saturns Rings And 3 Moons
Friday, March 24th, 2006 - The orbiting Cassini Spacecraft recently snapped this gorgeous shot of Saturn's rings and three of its moons. Captured in this shot are Epimetheus (left), Pandora (right) and Mimas (center). Saturn is just outside the edge of the photo. Notice how Saturn casts a shadow onto a portion of the rings, rendering them invisible beyond a certain point. The planet Saturn is currently rising around 1:30pm and can be found high overhead as soon as it gets dark. Saturn is always a treat to observe, so if you have a telescope, be sure to point it towards the ringed planet the next opportunity you get.
The Great Red Spot (and Red Jr, too!)
Thursday, March 23rd, 2006 - Always a treat to watch, the planet Jupiter seems to be getting even more interesting lately. Pictured in this gorgeous shot from Christopher Go is Jupiter's famous Great Red Spot. Slightly above and to the right is the newest addition to the giant planets surface, Red Jr. . Jupiter is current rising about 10:20 pm. This means that the best time to view the giant planet is in the wee hours before sunrise. Jupiter is rising earlier each day... and will be well placed for evening observation in early May. Make it a point to get to know the solar system's largest planet in the coming months.
Zodiacal Light
Thursday, March 23rd, 2006 - Spring is the best time for northern skywatchers to view the Zodiacal Lights. They can be seen in the western sky shortly after the flow of sunset fades. Zodiacal Light or Gegenschein is the reflection of sun light off of interplanetary dust. They appear as a luminous column climbing up into the darkness just above where the sun set. This gorgeous shot was taken by Maui photographer Rob Ratkowski
NASA ST5 Micro-Satellites Successfully Placed in Orbit
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006 - At 9:03 a.m. EST this morning, the Pegasus rocket carrying three ST5 micro-satellites dropped from its carrier jet, inserting all three of the ST5 satellites into Earth orbit. Once each of the spacecraft will be checked to ensure it's functioning properly, and will then begin its mission evaluating the use of micro-satellite technology and examining the planet's inner magnetosphere, a part of Earth's atmosphere that protects us from radiation from the sun. NASA's Space Technology 5 (ST5) Project is building and testing micro-satellites. These smaller-than-normal satellites will test and validate new technologies for future science missions. The hope is that ST5 will demonstrate the benefits of a group of small low-cost spacecraft taking measurements at the same time in different locations. ST5 is scheduled to operate in space for at least 90 days. ST5's objective is to demonstrate and flight qualify several innovative technologies and concepts for application to future space missions. The ST5 Project is a part of NASA's New Millennium Program, which was created to identify, develop, build, and test innovative technologies and concepts for use in future missions. Check out the ST5 pages on NASA's website for more interesting information. or Utah Skies' weekly report for February 24th, 2006 where we covered this mission program.
GLOBE AT NIGHT - Study Begins Tonight
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006 - Skywatchers from around the world will be making observations relating to the magnitude of
stars visible in the sky where they live. Their observations will be recorded as part of the GLOBE at
Night program. There are no special skills or equipment required and there is no cost to participate in the program. GLOBE at Night organizers have set a target of 5000
observations worldwide in an effort to gauge the extent of light pollution. All it takes is a little of your time and clear skies between 7:00pm and 9:00pm between 3/22 and 3/29. Simply head outside and compare your view of The Constellation Orion with those presented on the GLOBE at Night website. Once you've made that determination, you simply fill out an online form and you're done. At this point though, you might as well take a moment and survey the night sky a bit further. Binoculars or a small telescope can really come in handy from this point onward. While you're out there, remember to have fun!
Quantifying Light Pollution
Monday, March 20th, 2006 - The National Park Services Night Sky Team recently released the results of a groundbreaking study of our nation's national parks. What they discovered will shock many. In even the wildest and most remote of our national parks, the night sky is negatively impacted by artificial light at night... light pollution. Physical scientists Chad Moore and Dan Duriscoe of the National Park Service sampled dozens of parks throughout the west and found virtually all suffered measurably. The ecological effects of all this artificial lighting are only now beginning to be understood. Recent studies have even shown this to be a mounting threat to our own health. These studies are stark examples of the incredible scope of the problem. Fully 2/3 of all Americans are now unable to see the Milky Way from their own backyards and 99% live under night skies tainted by light pollution. Checkout Science News for more on this story... and the Night Sky Team's Natural Lightscapes website.
Saturday, March 18th, 2006 - (NASA) Viewed from above, the Earth at night is a vast sea of darkness interrupted by bright areas of artificial light. From a more familiar perspective -- looking up from the Earth's surface -- the amount of light in the night sky impacts our ability to see stars and other objects in space. How much artificial light, from streetlights and other man-made sources, is polluting the night sky and where? To answer that question, the GLOBE program is having a party -- a star-hunting party, that is -- and you're invited. During March 22-29, 2006, students, teachers and families across the globe are invited to observe, record and report online the magnitude, or brightness, of visible stars. These measurements will help students and scientists determine how much light pollutes the night sky in various locations around the world. Through this activity, students will learn about the usefulness of latitude and longitude in mapping and analyzing data. They will also have the opportunity to locate the Orion constellation using stellar maps. Observations will be mapped at the GLOBE at Night Web site. This site includes detailed instructions on how to participate, tutorials on light pollution and finding Orion, and a list of national science, geography and math education standards addressed by the activity. The Web site will also provide access to all of the data collected to allow for further analysis. GLOBE is an international student observation campaign sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation. Participants record measurements of the atmosphere, land, water, and plant and animal life for use by students and scientists worldwide.
The sun is a fascinating subject; it's appearance changes from day to day. In fact, it is the only star in the sky that we can see any details on at all! This week, however, the sun is quiet; there are no large sunspots visible.
Mercury remains visible in the western sky, low on the horizon after sunset. Having reached its greatest eastern elongation on the 20th of June, it is falling back into the sun's glare and it's inferior conjunction on July 18th.
Because of its proximity to the Sun, Mercury is never really viewed against a dark background. Rather, it always struggles to be seen over the light of the setting or rising Sun. Patience (and clear skies) will reward you with some beautiful evening views of this planet.
In the accompanying image, Mercury is seen following the sun toward the western horizon of southern Utah with a slender crescent moon close behind.
Still in the morning sky near sunrise, Venus marks a beginning of the "early-bird's" day. Having attained its greatest western elongation earlier in the year, Venus is continuing its inexorable journey appearing to fall into the sun towards its superior conjunction at the end of October.
If you have a telescope handy, take a peek at the love goddess' name sake; the crescent of Venus is lovely indeed. Venus was beautiful along side the Pleiades on the June 23rd , and look forward to the first of July when Venus rises with Aldebaran, the 14th of July when Venus and the Crab Nebula dance together, and the 26th and 27th of August when Venus and Saturn rise together less than a degree apart!
The ESA's Venus Express spacecraft is now in its mission phase. The ESA reports "On 3 June at 13:42 UT, after 207 days of flight, 43 orbits around Venus and many test activities, Venus Express has formally completed its commissioning phase and has entered the routine science phase...The nominal mission is scheduled to last till the end of October 2007." Venus Express will study the planet in great detail, in particular the Venusian atmosphere and clouds.
While we train our optics skyward nightly, there are visual treasures and marvels to behold earthward. Pictured here is a collection of richly colored rock in the Uinta Mountains, a massive range in Northern Utah carved by glaciers from an immense uplift of Precambrian rock. Some of this rock is exposed as colorful quartzite and shales. The main crest of the Uinta Mountains runs west to east for more than 60 miles, rising over 6,000 feet above the Wyoming and Uinta Basins to the north and south. The highest point in Utah is Kings Peak at 13,528 feet.
The Moon will be new on the 25th, and begin waxing crescent until first quarter on July 3rd, when it will wax gibbous approaching full on July 11th. Those observers that consider the moon "light pollution" look forward to this time of the synodic cycle as the moon travels with the sun, keeping the night sky dark, favoring views of distant, elusive, and faint fuzzies - galaxies, nebulae, and clusters.
Remember, as the moon waxes and wanes, you can look forward to those phases where Moon observations are most fascinating. Features appear - mountains, craters, rilles - as the sunlight casts long, defining shadows. Look along the portion of the Moon separating light from dark, known as the terminator, for the greatest contrasts.
The Red Planet is found high in the western sky at sunset as it moves to it's superior conjunction opposite the Sun later in the year. Look at this sweet shot taken by Utah Skies member Brian Jolley last year when Mars was at its closest. He took this through the historic Clark refractor at Lowell Observatory.
Even without a telescope the view of and around Mars is interesting. Having moved through the constellation Gemini, Mars is approaching a conjunction with Saturn around June 17th. On its way, it will pass through M44!
Planet Jupiter | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
Jupiter is currently rising late in the afternoon, placing it favorably for those wanting views of the Sun's largest planet before heading off to bed.
This image is an example of what Jupiter has to offer viewers: interesting detail in the equatorial bands and, if conditions are right, swirls and festoons. Much beautiful structure can be seen through a typical telescope, but results vary depending on telescope aperture and sky conditions. Too, the Great Red Spot has some company: another storm has grow in proportion near the GRS, and has come to be known as Spot Jr!
If you have binoculars, point these towards Jupiter. While you won't be able to see any details on the planets surface, binoculars will clearly show you several of Jupiter's brightest moons, and regular observations will show them jockey for position as they orbit the giant planet. The movement is quite apparent, sometimes even in the span of a few hours.
This sweet shot of Jupiter nicely shows its great red spot and some of the incredible details just waiting your observation. Additionally, you can see one of Jupiter's moons eclipsing the giant planet. The round "ink spot" on the planet's surface is the shadow cast by its moon. Watching Jupiter's moons as they orbit and occasionally transit the giant planet is a very interesting part of observing Jupiter.
Saturn is now rising mid-morning and reaching the highest point in its path across the sky in the late afternoon; the spectacular views of the ringed planet will soon come to an end as it moves behind the sun with the passing weeks. Some truely great views of the ringed planet and its satellites are available on the Cassini Huygens pages. This sweet shot was taken by Don Brown of Utah Skies.
Uranus is currently rising in the early morning, about an hour after Neptune.. The Earth and Uranus have ostensibly achieved their greatest separation, and will soon begin to draw nearer again.
This fascinating image was taken from a ground-based telescope in the European Southern Observatory.
Planet Neptune | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
The planet Neptune, is currently rising several hours before the sun, leaving you precious little time to view the 8th rock. To speed up your acquisition of the planet, look just east of south before first light. Find Deneb Ageldi; Neptune is just about 4.5° west and north of "the water goat's tail". At just a touch brighter than mag 8, Neptune should be visible as a faint star-like object in binoculars or as a bluish object in a telescope. Once you've found it, higher powers will clearly reveal the disk of the planet .
This beautiful image of Neptune and its moon, Triton, was taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft from a perspective that will never be had from Earth. Interesting to note is the gray hue of the planet in this image. The atmosphere of the planet preferentially scatters the light forward from this vantage and so removes the bluish tinge, and reddens the color.
Planet Pluto | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
Pluto is rising before midnight, giving you the time you'll need to seek this faintest of planets. To know you've seen Pluto is going to require observations over several nights, carefully noting star patterns until you see one point of light move relative to the others: that's Pluto!!! But don't try this at home kids, unless you have some serious aperture, because at mag 15+, you're gonna need it!
This image of Pluto and its moon Charon was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the improved performance of a space-based observational platform over ground-based telescopes.
Deep Sky
NASA News
Galaxy on Fire! NASA's Spitzer Reveals Stellar Smoke
Where there's smoke, there's fire -- even in outer space. A new infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a burning hot galaxy whose fiery stars appear to be blowing out giant billows of smoky dust.
The galaxy, called Messier 82, or the "Cigar galaxy," was previously known to host a hotbed of young, massive stars. The new Spitzer image reveals, for the first time, the "smoke" surrounding those stellar fires.
"We've never seen anything like this," said Dr. Charles Engelbracht of the University of Arizona, Tucson. "This unusual galaxy has ejected an enormous amount of dust to cover itself with a cloud brighter than any we've seen around other galaxies."
The false-colored view, online at http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media, shows Messier 82, an irregular-shaped galaxy positioned on its side, as a diffuse bar of blue light. Fanning out from its top and bottom like the wings of a butterfly are huge red clouds of dust believed to contain a compound similar to car exhaust.
The smelly material, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, can be found on Earth in tailpipes, barbecue pits and other places where combustion reactions have occurred. In galaxies, the stuff is created by stars, whose winds and radiation blow the material out into space.
"Usually you see smoke before a fire, but we knew about the fire in this galaxy before Spitzer's infrared eyes saw the smoke," said Dr. David Leisawitz, Spitzer program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
These hazy clouds are some of the biggest ever seen around a galaxy. They stretch out 20,000 light-years away from the galactic plane in both directions, far beyond where stars are found.
Previous observations of Messier 82 had revealed two cone-shaped clouds of very hot gas projecting outward below and above the center of galaxy. Spitzer's sensitive infrared vision allowed astronomers to see the galaxy's dust.
"Spitzer showed us a dust halo all around this galaxy," said Engelbracht. "We still don't understand why the dust is all over the place and not cone-shaped."
Cone-shaped clouds of dust around this galaxy would have indicated that its central, massive stars had sprayed the dust into space. Instead, Engelbracht and his team believe stars throughout the galaxy are sending off the "smoke signals."
Messier 82 is located about 12 million light-years away in the Ursa Major constellation. It is undergoing a renaissance of star birth in its middle age, with the most intense bursts of star formation taking place at its core. The galaxy's interaction with its neighbor, a larger galaxy called Messier 81, is the cause of all the stellar ruckus. Our own Milky Way galaxy is a less hectic place, with dust confined to the galactic plane.
The findings will appear in an upcoming issue of the Astrophysical Journal. Other authors who contributed significantly to this work are Praveen Kundurthy and Dr. Karl Gordon, both of the University of Arizona. The image was taken as a part of the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which is led by Dr. Robert Kennicutt, also of the University of Arizona.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at Caltech. JPL is a division of Caltech.
The Hubble Space Telescope has distinguished itself as a premier source of astronomical images. Amazing HST images have graced the covers of major magazines and newspapers worldwide. In recognition of the amazing advances in astronomy and physics which have come from Hubble discoveries, we'd like to devote a section of this report to some of these incredible images, and share some of them with you. Our latest comes directly from the Hubble Heritage Team.
'Double Bubble' of Gas and Dust in the Large Magellanic Cloud
A unique peanut-shaped cocoon of dust, called a reflection nebula, surrounds a
cluster of young, hot stars in this view from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The
"double bubble," called N30B, is inside a larger nebula. The larger nebula,
called DEM L 106, is embedded in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy
of our Milky Way lying 160,000 light-years away. The wispy filaments of DEM L
106 fill much of the image. Hubble captures the glow of fluorescing hydrogen and
sulfur, as well as the brilliant blue-white colors of the hot stars.
The very
bright star at the top of the picture, called Henize S22, illuminates the dusty
cocoon like a flashlight shining on smoke particles. This searing supergiant
star is only 25 light-years from the N30B nebula. Viewed from N30B, the
brilliant star would appear 250 times as bright as the planet Venus does in
Earth's sky.
Lowell Observatory astronomer M.S. Oey and University of Illinois
astronomer Y.-H. Chu are members of a science team studying DEM L 106. Along
with their collaborators, Oey and Chu have made a clever use of the reflection
nebula around N30B. By obtaining spectroscopic observations at various points
across the nebula, they can study the spectrum of S22 from different angles.
Remarkably, they have found that the star's spectrum changes with the viewing
angle, suggesting that the star is surrounded by a flattened disk of gas
expelled from its equator.
Astronomers R. Davies, K. Elliot, and J. Meaburn,
who created the "DEM" catalogs of both the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds,
originally cataloged DEM L 106 in the 1970's. N30B was discovered in the 1950s
by astronomer K. Henize, who later became a NASA astronaut.
DEM L 106 was
imaged with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2). Hubble data taken in
1998 were combined with data taken by the Hubble Heritage Team in late 2001.
This weekend we move on to the constellation
Leo
Minor. This is not the easiest constellation to find.
First off, you'll need to start from Leo which we
visited recently. Leo Minor is due north of Leo.
Leo Minor is referred to as "the little
lion". There is no classical mythology relating to Leo Minor. In
fact, it was created by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius back in
the 1600's from 18
"un-used stars" between Ursa
Major and Leo.
The focus of our efforts this week will be the deep sky objects of Leo Minor. This constellation caused me to scratch my head for a second. Plain and simple, I really was not familiar with this constellation. There are so many awesome objects in other nearby constellations that I've just overlooked this one. And why not? It contains no Messier's... no Caldwell's. Hmm....Is there even anything init? So... with assignment in hand, I headed out to find out about Leo Minor. It turns out that I've been missing out on a bunch of fine deep sky objects. As you'll see shortly, Leo Minor is loaded with beautiful galaxies of all shapes and sizes.
Our first stop in Leo Minor is a tight double star Beta Leo Minor(mag4.2). This is made up of components of mag4.5 and mag6.5. They are separated by a mere 0.4". This will require steady skies and a bit of magnification to split.
Ok, our fist object is a beautiful
Spiral Galaxy NGC3344(mag9.95) This big, bright galaxy is viewed almost perfectly face-on. It spans almost 7' in diameter and has an almost stellar core. I love the delicate detail of the spiral arms. This is the classic look of a spiral galaxy. If you look closely, it almost looks like some stars are being flung off as it spins.
I tried to study this galaxy recently. Unfortunately,
the moon was approaching full and the best I could do was to confirm that I
found it and that it was indeed a spiral galaxy. At just about mag10, you'll
definitely need some dark skies to fully appreciate this object. From past
experience though I can tell you that it is worth your time and effort. Once you
track it down, crank up the magnification a bit so that the galaxy fill at least
1/4 of the eyepiece. In smaller scopes, the spiral arms appear as a haze around
a bright core. In instruments of 10" and larger, the arms begin to resolve
beautifully. This has been one of my favorite "discoveries". Hope you
enjoy it too.
Next we'll hit an edge-on
Spiral Galaxy NGC3432(mag11.25) NGC3432 as imaged by Al Kelly This galaxy which spans 6.2'x1.5', is viewed almost perfectly edge-on. Notice the clumping along the edges. This is often a result of star-forming activity in the outer spiral arms.
Simply viewing this galaxy in a smaller telescope
will be about you can expect. You'll definitely want dark skies and a bit
of aperture. Larger scopes will hint at the clumping visible in the
accompanying image.
Checkout this awesome shot of NGC3432 as imaged by Al
Kelly. Al is another astro-photographer who's always pushing the envelope. Spend a bit of time on his site and you'll understand just what I'm saying.
Next we'll hit cool interacting galaxy pair, Spiral
Galaxy NGC3395(mag12.1) & Irregular Galaxy NGC3396(mag12.2) Who'd have guessed it? With all that room out there, these two galaxies have managed to get themselves into a fender bender :)
Next up is a fine face-on
Spiral Galaxy NGC3486(mag10.35) Checkout the dense core and delicate arms of this galaxy.
Don't expect the arms to stand out this clearly though... You'll need very
large aperture and dark, steady skies to get that kind of view.
Let's wrap things up with this weeks
Utah Skies Challenge Object, Elliptical Galaxy NGC3158(mag11.85) If you look closely, most of the lights you see in the image are galaxies. NGC3158 is the brightest galaxy in this cluster of galaxies. If you're able to find 3158, you should also be able to see several of the other brighter members. To see more than about half a dozen galaxies you'll need at least 10-12" of aperture and dark skies. How many will you find?
Good Luck!
If you are able to find all of these objects, you may be one of the few, the proud, the Deep Sky Obsessed.
E-mail your findings to DeepSkyObservations@UtahSkies.org.
All light emitting from a fixture should be directed downward.
Floodlighting and spotlighting should be accurately aimed away from roadways and adjacent property.
Lighting should be shielded so that glare is not visible from adjacent property or from the street or highway.
MODERATION OF INTENSITY
Lower lighting levels provide better vision and require less re-adaptation of the eyes.
Excessively bright light spills onto other property and can cause glare even when shielded.
Maximum brightness levels should be established and not exceeded.
ENCOURAGE ALTERNATIVES TO GLARING, EXCESSIVE LIGHTING
Motion detector-activated lighting uses less energy and provides better security than constant light.
Encourage low level lighting which works better with closed circuit television.
Encourage alarms and other security measurers -- more successful than constant lighting.
LIGHT TRESPASS
Light should not spill onto other's property unless they want it too.
Fixture design, placement, moderation of intensity, and aim can help provide needed control from light trespass.
SIGNS INCLUDING BILLBOARDS
Signs should only be lighted internally or from lights mounted on top pointed downward.
Billboards should not remained lighted overnight.
n-premise signs should not stay lighted late or overnight after a business closes.
Dark colored signs with light letters reflect less light than dark letters on light signs.
Lights that flash, pulse, rotate, move, or simulate motion can annoy and distract.
ALL-NIGHT LIGHTING
Only lighting intended for security should be on all night if the business is closed.
ROADWAY GLARE
No light should be installed such that it produces excessive glare or excessive brightness that interferes with the vision of drivers and pedestrians.
A FEW EXCEPTIONS
Sports lighting should be allowed more brightness for the playing field, but directed downward and not allowed to spill into other property.
Christmas lighting, porch lighting, and landscape lighting are usually low intensity lighting not a problem unless it creates dangerous glare or nuisance.
courtesy ICOLE - Indiana Council on Outdoor Lighting Education
This weeks
featured outdoor lighting product comes from the folks at the
Justice Design Group.
Pictured here is the JDG-9615
in Spanish Tile. This beauty is UL Damp rated and would be a beautiful addition
to your covered deck, porch or patio. Justice Design fixtures are available in
over
40 distinctive finishes, so you're sure to find something for virtually any
setting. This fixture follows a simple night sky friendly mantra... put the
light where you need it and no where else.
As you'd expect, you can find
this attractive, dark sky friendly outdoor light in the
Ceramic Pendants section of your favorite
exterior lighting retailer,
www.StarryNightLights.com
Newsfeed
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Moon
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
The sun is a fascinating subject; it's appearance changes from day to day. In fact, it is the only star in the sky that we can see any details on at all! This week, however, the sun is quiet; there are no large sunspots visible.
Ok, our fist object is a beautiful
Spiral Galaxy NGC3344(mag9.95) This big, bright galaxy is viewed almost perfectly face-on. It spans almost 7' in diameter and has an almost stellar core. I love the delicate detail of the spiral arms. This is the classic look of a spiral galaxy. If you look closely, it almost looks like some stars are being flung off as it spins.
Next we'll hit cool interacting galaxy pair, Spiral
Galaxy NGC3395(mag12.1) & Irregular Galaxy NGC3396(mag12.2) Who'd have guessed it? With all that room out there, these two galaxies have managed to get themselves into a fender bender :)
Next up is a fine face-on
Spiral Galaxy NGC3486(mag10.35) Checkout the dense core and delicate arms of this galaxy.
Don't expect the arms to stand out this clearly though... You'll need very
large aperture and dark, steady skies to get that kind of view.
Let's wrap things up with this weeks
Utah Skies Challenge Object, Elliptical Galaxy NGC3158(mag11.85) If you look closely, most of the lights you see in the image are galaxies. NGC3158 is the brightest galaxy in this cluster of galaxies. If you're able to find 3158, you should also be able to see several of the other brighter members. To see more than about half a dozen galaxies you'll need at least 10-12" of aperture and dark skies. How many will you find?