Special Saturday Event! Halloween Night Kite Flight and Astronomical Observing night thanks to the Stow Parks & Recreation Dept and the Ohio Society for the Elevation of Kites!! SATURDAY 10/31/2009 at 4:00pm Sunset: 6:25pm Civil twilight ends: 6:51pm Nautical twilight ends: 7:23pm Astronomical twilight ends: 7:55pm Special event night...we'll be setting up telescopes at the Silver Springs camp grounds on Young Rd in conjunction with the Ohio Society for the Elevation of Kites for the annual Halloween Night Kite Flight at 4:00pm. We had a ball at this event four years ago and again last year. We fully expect to do the same this year! The Night Kite Flight folks are great - and always welcome us with enthusiasm exceeded only by the awe expressed by us astronomy folks at the magnificence of their illuminated kites. What?! Astronomers awed by illuminated kites? I'm entirely serious about this, you have to see them to believe it. Come out and share the joy - you won't be disappointed. FOOD!! ← Look at this! Hotdogs, chips, pop, and hot chocolate will be provided by the Stow Parks Department. The kites will be set up at the top of the hill at the new open pavilion. All this depends, of course, on the weather. Kites, telescopes and bad weather don't mix. If you have binoculars, please bring them and we'll show you how to find some very interesting objects including the 'Coat Hanger' star cluster, M27 - the 'Dumbbell Nebula', M31 - the Andromeda Galaxy. Yes - in binoculars. Also, to better see the kites! We'll have a very nearly full Moon that will be with us all night. the planet Jupiter and its moon Europa coming out of eclipse, colorful double stars, open clusters made up of hundreds of stars, globular clusters comprised of hundreds of thousands of stars, planetary nebula formed by dying stars, diffuse nebula and emission nebula where stars are being born, will all be available to us the entire night. Many amateur astronomers feel that late fall is the best time to observe since there are beautiful objects of all categories available and the Milky Way, the galaxy we call home, is directly overhead. How can this be? Come and we'll explain it! We hope to see you here for a night under the stars - now in our fifteenth year! All times are shown in EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) as seen from Silver Springs Campground in Stow, Ohio. Longitude: W 81° 24' 23.9" Latitude: N 41° 11' 37.6" Altitude: 336m The following Sun, Moon and planet detail was calculated as it will be on Saturday 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm (nautical twilight). Source: Guide8 software available from www.projectpluto.com ABOVE HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Jupiter -2.5 Cap 15:00 01:11 Uranus 5.8 Aqr 16:26 04:12 Neptune 7.9 Cap 15:13 01:43 Pluto 14.2 Sgr 11:50 21:49 Moon -12.2 Psc 16:51 06:46 BELOW HORIZON: Object Mag Const Rise Set Sun -26.7 Lib 07:52 18:25 Mercury -1.3 Vir 07:36 18:19 Venus -3.9 Vir 06:21 17:46 Mars 0.4 Cnc 00:04 14:45 Saturn 1.1 Vir 04:38 17:01 Sun data: Rise: 7:52am Transit: 1:09pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:25pm Constellation: Libra Distance: .99256798 AU = 148,486,057 km = 92,264,959 miles = 8.27 light-minutes Magnitude: -26.7 Apparent size: 32.23 arcminutes in angular diameter Civil twilight ends at: 6:51pm ( When the Sun is 6° below the horizon ) Nautical twilight ends at: 7:23pm ( When the Sun is 12° below the horizon ) Astronomical twilight ends at: 7:55pm ( When the Sun is 18° below the horizon ) Fall began at the Autumnal Equinox which occurred on Tuesday Sep 22, 2009 at 5:19pm Winter begins at the Winter Solstice which will occur on Monday Dec 21, 2009 at 1:47pm Next Solar Eclipse: Partial eclipse (>80%) on Monday August 21, 2017 2:30pm EDT Next TOTAL Solar Eclipse: Monday April 8, 2024 at 3:15pm On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm the Sun will be 12º below the west-southwest horizon Moon data: Rise: 4:51pm Transit: 11:43pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:46am - Nov 1 Constellation: Pisces Phase: 96.12% illuminated (waxing gibbous) Distance: 0.00255818 AU = 382,698 km = 237,798 miles = 1.28 light-seconds Magnitude: -12.2 Apparent size: 31.21 arcminutes in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 157.22° (evening sky) Age: 13d 17h 45m since last New Moon Prior Phase: First Quarter on Sunday Oct 25, 2009 at 8:42pm Next Phase: Full Moon on Monday Nov 2, 2009 at 3:14pm Next Lunar eclipse: Total eclipse (100%) on Sunday Sept 27, 2015 at 10:10pm EDT On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm the Moon will be 26.6º above the east horizon Mercury data: Rise: 7:36am Transit: 12:58pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 6:19pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.67% illuminated Distance: 1.41806038 AU = 212,138,814 km = 131,816,949 miles = 11.81 light-minutes Magnitude: -1.3 Apparent size: 4.74 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 2.85° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, December 18, 2009 (20° 17' 43") Morning: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 (24° 45' 10") On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm Mercury will be 12.8º below the west-southwest horizon Venus data: Rise: 6:21am Transit: 12:04pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:46pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 95.48% illuminated Distance: 1.60112188 AU = 239,524,424 km = 148,833,579 miles = 13.34 light-minutes Magnitude: -3.9 Apparent size: 10.42 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 17.54° (morning sky) Next maximum elongations... Evening: Friday, August 20, 2010 (45° 57' 59") Morning: Saturday, January 8, 2011 (46° 57' 24") On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm Venus will be 19.3º below the west horizon Mars data: Rise: 0:04am Transit: 7:25am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 2:45pm Constellation: Cancer Phase: 88.65% illuminated Distance: 1.18357447 AU = 177,060,221 km = 110,020,122 miles = 9.86 light-minutes Magnitude: 0.4 Apparent size: 7.91 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 91.48° (morning sky) Dates of Opposition (when Mars is closest to Earth) Previous: Monday Dec 24, 2007 at 2:29pm. Distance: 88,693,927 km. Size: 15.78 arcseconds. Next: Friday Jan 29, 2010 at 3:21pm. Distance: 99,400,435 km. Size: 14.08 arcseconds. On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm Mars will be 28.9º below the north-northwest horizon No, Mars was *not* "...as big as a Full Moon on August 27!" Please see the following links for more information about this annual 'Mars Hoax' http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/8708182.html http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp http://www.hoax-slayer.com/mars-earth-close.html http://www.universetoday.com/2007/07/25/will-the-mars-look-as-big-as-the-moon-on-august-27-nope/ Jupiter data: Rise: 3:00pm Transit: 8:06pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 1:11am - Nov 1 Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.04% illuminated Distance: 4.76561147 AU = 712,925,329 km = 442,991,267 miles = 39.69 light-minutes Magnitude: -2.5 Apparent size: 41.37 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 99.07° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Jupiter is closest to Earth) Previous: Friday Aug 14, 2009 at 1:44pm Next: Tuesday Sep 21, 2010 at 7:28am On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm Jupiter will be 31.5º above the south-southeast horizon Next transit of the Great Red Spot: Sunday Nov 01, 2009 at 1:34am (The Red Spot transits about every 10 hours 56 minutes) GRS longitude: 136.9 Jupiter satellite events (during darkness): Europa eclipse ends on Saturday Oct 31, 2009 at 7:39pm when Jupiter is 32° above the horizon Saturn data: Rise: 4:38am Transit: 10:49am (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 5:01pm Constellation: Virgo Phase: 99.89% illuminated Distance: 10.21358723 AU = 1,527,930,902 km = 949,412,258 miles = 1.42 light-hours Magnitude: 1.1 Apparent size: 16.27 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 38.48° (morning sky) Dates of Opposition (when Saturn is closest to Earth) Previous: Sunday Mar 8, 2009 at 3:44pm Next: Sunday Mar 21, 2010 at 8:28pm On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm Saturn will be 26.8º below the west-northwest horizon Uranus data: Rise: 4:26pm Transit: 10:19pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 4:12am - Nov 1 Constellation: Aquarius Phase: 99.97% illuminated Distance: 19.39056301 AU = 2,900,786,937 km = 1,802,465,460 miles = 2.69 light-hours Magnitude: 5.8 Apparent size: 3.63 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 134.41° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Uranus is closest to Earth) Previous: Thursday Sep 17, 2009 at 5:34am Next: Tuesday Sep 21, 2010 at 12:51pm On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm Uranus will be 29.9º above the east-southeast horizon Neptune data: Rise: 3:13pm Transit: 8:28pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 1:43am - Nov 1 Constellation: Capricornus Phase: 99.97% illuminated Distance: 29.75375062 AU = 4,451,097,738 km = 2,765,783,943 miles = 4.13 light-hours Magnitude: 7.9 Apparent size: 2.30 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 105.01° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Neptune is closest to Earth) Previous: Monday Aug 17, 2009 at 4:47pm Next: Friday Aug 20, 2010 at 5:59am On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm Neptune will be 32.8º above the south-southeast horizon Pluto (Dwarf Planet aka Asteroid 134340) data: Rise: 11:50am Transit: 4:50pm (Time of highest position in the sky, due South) Sets: 9:49pm Constellation: Sagittarius Phase: 99.98% illuminated Distance: 32.3212831 AU = 4,835,195,130 km = 3,004,451,000 miles = 4.49 light-hours Magnitude: 14.2 Apparent size: 0.10 arcseconds in angular diameter Elongation from Sun: 52.81° (evening sky) Dates of Opposition (when Pluto is closest to Earth) Previous: Tuesday Jun 23, 2009 at 3:49am Next: Friday Jun 25, 2010 at 2:59pm On 10/31/2009 at 7:23:16pm Pluto will be 20.8º above the south-southwest horizon *************** Web hosting generously provided by *************** JCSi - Jucikas Computer Services, Inc. 4381 Hudson Drive, Suite KV2, Stow, OH 44224 Tel: 330-689-0155 * Fax: 330-689-0165