Exploring the Night Sky With Us

Introduction

There are many former club members that continue the tradition of the club showing the available night sky delights to large and small groups alike.

Please contact me directly using the picture of my email address at the bottom of the page. You can also join us Email Group.

Conditions to be met for Best Results

Not all nights are favorable for observing.

Many telescopes get their eyepiece into strange positions depending on where they are looking so we provide a variety of steps and boxes to aid you – No Stretching to look through the Eyepiece to reduce strain in your toes and it does not build character.

Summer observing starts Late

In the summer, June through August, the sky is not dark until 10PM. Even by the end of August its only dark at 9:30PM. You can blame so-called Daylight Saving Time for the additional hour of light from March to September. Earlier times will be spent waiting for darkness.

By late September it is dark by 9:00 PM and in  October true darkness falls at 8PM and by the beginning of October through May it is dark by a reasonable time for general groups.  In Winter it will be dark as early as 6:30PM. These are good times to get out early.

Fall, Winter and Spring Observing starts Earlier

The night can be dark as early as 6 PM and it is possible to get out before the Moon rises. Check for the time of Nautical and Astronomical  Twilight to see if this is possible.

Best Nights are around the New Moon

The best times are close to a new Moon  in the range 5 nights before to 4 nights after. Other phases of the Moon are bright enough to obliterate almost anything interesting in the sky. After the new Moon the crescent show fascinating Lunar views and then the moon sets and other viewing starts.

The Unwelcome Full Moon (and most earlier phases)

Many people feel that the Full Moon and the folklore it generates would seem to make the Full Moon ideal to look at.  The lack of stark shadows on moon diminishes lunar details. You can see long trailing splashes of material from impact craters but little else. The brightness also overwhelms everything else in the sky except planets and brightest stars.  Observing requests  when the Moon is up when a Waxing Moon (approaching Full) will be unsuccessful. We will go out with up to 20% cloudiness forecast over the time period.

Weather – Cloudiness

Weather – even the best telescopes cannot see through clouds. Either of us may cancel if it looks cloudy. We might even go out if the clouds offer reasonable sized holes. Overcast – unlikely. We may go out up to 20% cloud cover predictions. The level of cloudiness is very hard to predict until a few days before. You may want to set a second date.

Weather – Cold

Cold weather requires warm clothes especially because Astronomy is not an aerobic activity. Wear mittens or gloves, warm shoes/boots and dress in layers.

Well Lit Places

Street and parking lot lights – we have lots of experience doing programs under them. The glare makes it hard to find objects and even stars but we will try our best. If you can arrange to have these lights turned off you may be rewarded with a great show.

Children under Five

Children under 5 simply do not have coordination  of eye brain and neck  to see through a telescope yet.

Training by looking though a toilet paper core (wide and short) graduating to a paper towel roll (narrow and long) playing “Eye Spy” will  help children develop the skills for a telescope / microscope.

What we might see

Various Planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) are sometimes visible. Depending on sky conditions and time of year you may also get to  see open clusters, globular cluster, bright galaxies, multiple , colorful and single stars, star fields and other bright nebula.

The Daytime Sky

The daytime sky, weather permitting, allow us to observe the Sun using solar filters. A simple solar filter will show sunspots. The Sun undergoes periods of few or no sunspots to a few or many sunspots depending on the timing of the solar cycle.

More expensive  dedicated solar telescope will show much more detail like prominences at the edge and filaments crossing the surface as well as ‘active regions’.

Although the Moon may be up it during the day it lacks the contrast of night but will show washed out Maria and Craters.

Night Sky Network

The club is still part of the Night Sky Network simply because there is no mechanism to leave it. It may be used to report on your  event if you allow us. We report weather conditions, occasion, number of adults and children. Nothing personally identifying is given.

Coordinators need to know

How to contact you (email is best) or a phone number.

Date and time , number of participants (best guess), where and when the event will be held.  Note that your event may not coincide  with good weather or Moon phase. Setting an alternative date might be helpful.

Contact

Please contact our out reach coordinator Michael Lecuyer using  the following email address.

This is not a link it is an image of the email address.

Or send your request to the   DelmarvaStargazers Group (Delmarva Stargazers Groups.io)