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Tag Archives: Geminids

In the Sky This Week – December 11, 2018

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on December 11, 2018 by Bob TrembleyDecember 11, 2018
This entry is part 74 of 184 in the series In the Sky This Week

Mercury joins Venus and Spica in the southeastern predawn sky this week. Mars remains high in southern sky after sunset all week; the Moon will appear near Mars on Dec. 14th. See if you can spot all these objects in the south-southwestern sky at dusk on Dec. 11th. Observing Target: Fomalhaut The star Fomalhaut (see above image) is one of the brightest stars in the sky; it is a main sequence class A star approximately 25 light-years from the Sun. In a small telescope, it looks pretty much like any another bright star – but this star has a story! A ring of dust was discovered around this star, being shepherded by a large exoplanet with a 2000-year orbit! This exoplanet has be directly imaged using the Hubble Space Telescope. This humorous video about exoplanet Fomalhaut B was released before Halloween 2012: The Moon The Moon is a waxing crescent, visible toward the southwest in early evening. The Moon will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach, Space Exploration | Tagged Exoplanet, Fomalhaut, Geminids, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Sun, Venus, Voyager | Leave a reply

In the Sky This Week – December 4, 2018

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on December 4, 2018 by Bob TrembleyDecember 4, 2018
This entry is part 73 of 184 in the series In the Sky This Week

A very thin waning crescent Moon joins the weeks-long conjunction of Venus and Spica in the southeastern predawn sky on Dec. 4th. Mars remains high in southern sky after sunset all week; Mars is slowly fading in brightness as the Earth pulls away from it in its orbit (see solar system image below). The very thin waxing crescent Moon will appear near Saturn in the southwestern sky at dusk on Dec. 8th. The constellation Orion is high in the southeastern sky at midnight. Observing Target: M33 – The Triangulum Galaxy Messier 33 (or NGC 598) is a spiral galaxy located approximately 3 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. The Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Andromeda Galaxy and our Milky Way. M33 is one of the most distant objects that can be viewed with the naked eye. NGC 604 is a large star-birth region within The Triangulum Galaxy. NGC 604 is similar to the Orion Nebula in our Milky Way galaxy, but nearly 100 times larger! More … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged Geminids, Mars, Moon, OSIRIS REx, Saturn, Sun, Venus | Leave a reply

Skyward: September 2018

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on September 6, 2018 by David LevyJuly 10, 2019
This entry is part 13 of 28 in the series Skyward by David Levy

When Meteors Graze the Sky If I were just getting started in astronomy, who knows what field would have attracted me? In the 1960s it was comets, and I have no regrets. And notwithstanding the truism that there are no ifs in history, it is possible that I would have chosen meteors instead. Besides, meteors and comets are closely related. Each time a comet rounds the Sun, tiny specks of dust come off its surface. These specks of dust orbit the Sun in the same orbit as the parent comet, but when the Earth crosses that orbit, those specks of dust may enter the atmosphere and burn up. Thus, while we may spot a comet but once in its orbit, its meteors we can see every year. Click and scroll on this interactive display of the Perseid meteoroid stream: Because of that, throughout the year we are treated to very good shows of meteors. But each year, the same meteor … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged Delta Aquarids, Eta Aquarids, Geminids, Leonids, Lyrids, Meteor, Meteor Shower, Orionids, Perseids, Quadrantids, Taurids, Ursids | 1 Reply

Skyward: January 2018

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on January 8, 2018 by David LevyJuly 10, 2019
This entry is part 6 of 28 in the series Skyward by David Levy

The Geminids! The Geminids are the most active, surprising, gorgeous, and wonderful meteor shower of the entire year. I recall first observing this meteor shower on December 13, 1961 from Montreal. During observing session No.12E that night, I observed 15 meteors. Over the decades since then, I have counted thousands of Geminid meteors, all appearing to radiate from a point in the sky within the constellation of Gemini. The Geminids are the richest meteor shower of the year, but the 2017 version was fantastic even by its own standards. During session 20201RM2 on December 13, 2017 (I’ve had lots of observing sessions since 1961), over the course of about 90 minutes, I counted 64 meteors, of which some were so bright that I captured them on film. The attached pictures show two versions of the brightest meteor I saw that night. One includes a view of the sky over the Jarnac Observatory including that wondrous shooting star as it scratched … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged David Levy, Geminids, Meteor, Meteor Shower | Leave a reply

Geminids Meteor Shower 2017: Dec. 17-18

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on December 12, 2017 by Bob TrembleyDecember 12, 2017

The Geminids is a major meteor shower with good activity prior to midnight; the constellation of Gemini is well placed for viewing from 10:00 PM till dawn. Geminid meteors can be bright and intensely colored, but due to their medium-slow velocity rarely they leave persistent trains. The Geminids can be seen in the southern hemisphere, but only during the middle of the night, and at a reduced rate to viewers in the northern hemisphere. Peak: December 13-14 Active from: December 4th to December 16th Radiant: 07:28 +32.2° (see image above) Hourly Rate: 120 Velocity: 22 miles/sec (medium – 35km/sec) Parent Object: Asteroid 3200 Phaethon (1983 TB) Source: American Meteor Society The Moon is a waning crescent on this day, rising with the dawn; it should not hinder the viewing of this meteor shower. Asteroid 3200 Phaethon is classified as an Apollo-type Near-Earth Object (NEO), and a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA). Phaethon approaches the Sun closer than any other named asteroid, with a perihelion … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Science | Tagged Geminids, Meteor, Meteor Shower | Leave a reply

Geminids Meteor Shower 2017: Dec. 17-18

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on December 12, 2017 by Bob TrembleyDecember 12, 2017

The Geminids is a major meteor shower with good activity prior to midnight; the constellation of Gemini is well placed for viewing from 10:00 PM till dawn. Geminid meteors can be bright and intensely colored, but due to their medium-slow velocity rarely they leave persistent trains. The Geminids can be seen in the southern hemisphere, but only during the middle of the night, and at a reduced rate to viewers in the northern hemisphere. Peak: December 13-14 Active from: December 4th to December 16th Radiant: 07:28 +32.2° (see image above) Hourly Rate: 120 Velocity: 22 miles/sec (medium – 35km/sec) Parent Object: Asteroid 3200 Phaethon (1983 TB) Source: American Meteor Society The Moon is a waning crescent on this day, rising with the dawn; it should not hinder the viewing of this meteor shower. Asteroid 3200 Phaethon is classified as an Apollo-type Near-Earth Object (NEO), and a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA). Phaethon approaches the Sun closer than any other named asteroid, with a perihelion … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Science | Tagged Geminids, Meteor, Meteor Shower | Leave a reply
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Recent Posts

ⓜ Believing in things…

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on February 25, 2021 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoFebruary 24, 2021
This entry is part of 60 in the series And Then I Wrote

And then I wrote… in 2014, the national Catholic newspaper Our Sunday Visitor invited me to submit a few words about science and faith…  as anyone who reads these pages knows, it’s hard to shut me up on the topic! This covers familiar ground; but it does it in a … Continue reading…

Posted in And Then I Wrote | Tagged faith and science | Leave a reply

In the Sky This Week – February 23, 2021

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on February 23, 2021 by Bob TrembleyFebruary 24, 2021
This entry is part 184 of 184 in the series In the Sky This Week

Millions of people around the planet have seen NASA’s Perseverance Rover descent and touchdown video – I’ve watched it over and over! I tweeted that this landing made me feel like a kid during the Apollo era again! Cameras were not part of the rover’s initial design – and were … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged Dyson Sphere Program, Jupiter, Mars, Mars Perseverance Rover, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Sun, Supernova 1987A, Uranus | 1 Reply

Arrival: Mars Takes Center Stage As Probes Arrive At The Red Planet!

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on February 22, 2021 by Fr. James KurzynskiFebruary 24, 2021

These past couple of weeks have greeted us with exciting news from Mars! First, the United Arab Emirates mission to place a weather satellite named Al-Amal into orbit around the red planet was a success! One of the main goals of the “hope probe” is to understand the red planet’s … Continue reading…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a reply

ⓜ Full Moon-th Meetup: 28 February, 2021

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on February 21, 2021 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoFebruary 24, 2021

Featuring Dr. Robert Janusz, and the latest news of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope! Just for our paying members: on the next Full Moon (actually, the day after full Moon, this month), Sunday, February 28, we’ll be holding our regular on-line meetup where we get to know and chat with … Continue reading…

Posted in Announcement | Tagged Meetup | Leave a reply

Specola Guestbook | September 16, 1934: Pope Pius XI

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on February 21, 2021 by Robert MackeFebruary 21, 2021
This entry is part 82 of 82 in the series Specola Guestbook

Since its founding in 1891, many people have passed through the doors of the Vatican Observatory.  A quick perusal of our guestbook reveals several Names, including Popes, Nobel laureates, astronauts, actors, and saints. Today’s guestbook entry is not technically from the guest book.  It is from a separate parchment reserved … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, History, Uncategorized | Tagged Castel Gandolfo, Pius XI, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Specola Guestbook, Vatican Observatory | Leave a reply

The Sun Rules!

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on February 20, 2021 by Christopher M. GraneyFebruary 2, 2021

If they [the stars] are suns having the same nature as our sun, why do not these suns collectively outdistance our sun in brilliance? Why do they all together transmit so dim a light…? When sunlight bursts into a sealed room through a hole made with a tiny pin point, … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, History | 1 Reply
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Recent Comments

  • Fr. Bruce Wilkinson February 23, 2021 at 4:05 pm on In the Sky This Week – February 23, 2021I completely agree with you that putting cameras on EVERY space mission - without question and without fail. The ability to see the accomplishments of the various robotic missions have inspired future generations to want to become part of the space exploration crowd
  • Ed Yepez February 20, 2021 at 7:51 am on The Sun Rules!Excellent! Thank you very much for presenting this in such an understandable form. Also let me appreciate the math.(a lot of which I had forgotten) With Kepler, how you can make the correct observations, yet still come to an erroneous conclusion? But the observations remain correct, even useful for further...
  • Bob Trembley February 19, 2021 at 5:16 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021I joined a NASA Night Sky Network Zoom Watch Party - it was pretty cool! When I joined, an engineer was talking about his work on the helicopter - those wings are HUGE! I watched the the landing with my in-laws; it was cool to see the same image up...
  • Richard Hill February 19, 2021 at 12:54 am on Skyward by David Levy: February 2021Very nice meteor photo! Reminds me of one Geminid I saw as I was walking to night lunch on Kitt Peak. It passed right through Orion. Burned a memory in my brain.
  • Benjamin Goodison February 18, 2021 at 5:26 pm on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021... and three days later, Perseverance finally touched down successfully and is snapping its first images!I'm sure there were more than a few spontaneous prayers in the NASA control room in those last few minutes... there certainly were at my end :) Really looking forward to the wealth of new...
  • Bob Trembley February 16, 2021 at 8:31 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Oh my goodness! Thank you SO MUCH for the kind replies!
  • Joseph O'Donnell February 16, 2021 at 8:00 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Thank you for this. Always so helpful and enlightening.
  • Stan Sienkiewicz February 16, 2021 at 7:47 am on In the Sky This Week – February 16, 2021Bob, another great post. Wonderful way to start the day. Thanks for putting in the time to create these posts. Educational, beautiful, and awe inspiring. I really appreciate seeing these each week. Thank you, Stan
  • Fr. James Kurzynski February 12, 2021 at 10:40 pm on Space Exploration As An Act Of Interfaith Dialogue.Thanks Joel! I greatly appreciate your insight and encouragement!
  • Fr. James Kurzynski February 10, 2021 at 10:46 am on Polar Vortex, Snowy Owls, Puffins, and Answering the Question: Fr. James, If Global Warming Is Real, Why Am I So Cold?Thanks for you response! My apologies if it came across that Wisconsin was the southernmost Snowy Owls travel. That was not my intent. In my prep, I saw articles of sightings as south as Texas. The point being that some birds go south, others don't, and its a bit of...
  • Jim Cook February 10, 2021 at 8:05 am on Polar Vortex, Snowy Owls, Puffins, and Answering the Question: Fr. James, If Global Warming Is Real, Why Am I So Cold?Wisconsin is actually NOT very far south to find Snowy Owls in winter, as you can see from its eBird range map: https://ebird.org/science/status-and-trends/snoowl1/range-map I've subscribed to eBird's Snowy Owl reports list for almost 10 years now and while some years have seen more reports of sightings than others, they typically...
  • Fr. Timothy Sauppé February 8, 2021 at 8:38 am on A telescope made by an Angel…Br. Guy: This would make a great beginning to your opening address to the Solar Eclipse Retreat in 2024 for Bishops/Priests. I am going to save this. Fr. Timothy Sauppé
  • Richard Saam February 7, 2021 at 10:20 am on JWST update – Hexagons in SpaceI want to make an additional point on hexagons: In the realm of crystallography as described in solid state physics, there is an equivalence between real(energy) and reciprocal(momentum) hexagonal space. This was mathematically presented in Charles Kittel's (recently deceased) text "Introduction to Solid State Physics". And then something to ponder:...
  • Joel Hopko February 1, 2021 at 11:23 am on Space Exploration As An Act Of Interfaith Dialogue.Fr. Kurzynski -- I too was very moved by the Emirates and the other national efforts (Japanese, Indian etc.) Like you I found in them an expression of the human spirit and even the religious wellsprings that can inspire us toward a shared destiny beyond our fear and confusion. Thanks...
  • Richard Saam February 1, 2021 at 10:33 am on JWST update – Hexagons in SpaceAdding to Fernando's comments 'hexagons are pretty much everywhere in the universe': It can be argued that universal space time can be expressed as oscillating virtual hexagonal (~50 cm, ~8 hr) lattice units conforming to the conservation of energy and momentum and the universe vacuum energy density. There is some...
  • Christopher M. Graney January 27, 2021 at 9:05 am on Faith, Science and Astronomy TextbooksGood! Glad to hear it. As for myself I still think they need more on Kepler, at least if they are going to throw in bits of history with any religion content. It would help with those many students who are afraid that science is all about being non-theistic.
  • Joel Hopko January 24, 2021 at 12:24 pm on Faith, Science and Astronomy TextbooksProfessor Graney -- Call me easily placated, but I was actually somewhat relieved that most of the texts reviewed at least attempted to provide some nuance to the Galileo narrative. Certainly an improvement over the "martyr for science" trope so frequently dispensed over popular media. Obviously much work remains, but...
  • Fr. James Kurzynski January 20, 2021 at 6:48 am on Space Missions In 2021: What Are You Most Excited To See In This New Year?Thanks Janine! I love your reflection on the Al Amal mission! I was so impressed with the video they produced and, yes, I can't wait to see the United Arab Emirates contribution to science! It's something that isn't mentioned much, but should be mentioned more: True science, by its very...
  • Janine Samz January 19, 2021 at 9:37 am on Space Missions In 2021: What Are You Most Excited To See In This New Year?Thank you, Father. Let's see. I am drawn to three! The Emirates one is interesting because of the extent of what they are looking for and from history I know the Arab culture used to be a leader in science. It would be interesting to see them at work again...
  • Christopher M. Graney January 19, 2021 at 8:59 am on “Cosmos: Possible Worlds”, 10-13: Goodbye to a Losing SeasonMy experience with students and the general public is that a reasonable number of people will be amazed by the real universe. For example, people who saw the conjunction on the 21st were generally amazed. But certainly Cosmos seems to think that stuff has to be over the top.

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