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This is the Classical Astronomy Update, an email newsletter especially
for Christian homeschool families (though everyone is welcome!)
Please feel free to share this with any interested friends.
IN THIS UPDATE:
- Announcements
- The Beautiful Dark Skies of Michigan
- Fourth Day Press Watchcat
- The Old Schoolhouse Special
- Seasonal Skies
- Approach of the Autumn Sky
The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and
the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made
summer and winter. Remember this, that the enemy hath
reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people
have blasphemed thy name. - Psalm 74:16-18.
Welcome to the Classical Astronomy Update!
Hello Friends,
Thanks to everyone who recently ordered our new Signs & Seasons Field Journal and Test Manual. We hope that your highschooler will begin to discover the forgotten sky. If you haven't yet visited our new Classical Astronomy Store, be sure to check out the Workbook here.
Our family recently went to nearby Cedar Point Amusement Park for a very full day of thrills and excitment. If you're not familiar with the place, Cedar Point is the roller coaster capital of the world here in Ohio, and is always introducing new record-breaking coasters each year. We saw cars in the parking lot from just about every state in the eastern USA. We went during Homeschool Week, which is after the school kids go back, on a very cool and pleasant day with light attendance.
We're presently dabbling with the idea of planning a Classical Astronomy Day at Cedar Point for 2009 during Homeschool Week. If enough people are interested, it might be possible to get a really good group rate. Would your family be interested in participating? If so, drop me a line and we'll look into it.
Announcements
The Beautiful Dark Skies of Michigan
Over Labor Day, our family visited our good friends, Dr. and Mrs. Parsons and family, in Jackson, Michigan. We had a very pleasant visit, and met many of their friends at their church picnic, including Nolan, an Update reader. I was astounded by the dark sky in that area. Wow! For all my feeble attempts at astronomy writing, I don't get enough opportunities to observe a quality night sky. We live in a very light-polluted city neighborhood, two blocks from a major freeway, with lights that shine straight into our bedroom window. It's always a breathtaking sight to see the sky as the LORD made it.
On our last night, Dr. Parsons and I went over to nearby Lime Lake to observe the dark sky with a relatively unobstructed horizon. In addition to seeing the fainter stars associated with the Summer Triangle, we were able to see the fall constellations coming up in the eastern sky. In addition to the bright Great Square of Pegasus, it was easy to see the inconspicuous zodiac constellations Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces, which are usually too faint to be seen from my own light-drenched backyard.
Though it was already late and the kids were asleep when we left the house, we were there until VERY late. The time flew, and a couple hours seemed like 20 minutes. Seeing the Pleiades and Taurus above the eastern horizon, we stayed long enough to see Orion rising in the east. The stars of the Hunter poked out one at a time above the treetops across the lake, until Orion's Belt was visible.
What a great sight! For both of us, it was the first Orion sighting of the season! The only problem was, before we knew it, it was 3:00 AM!!! Lost sleep is one of the real hazards of Classical Astronomy!
The LORD inspired the King of Israel to write that, "the heavens declare the glory of God." I'm not sure what this verse means to Christians who live under the light-spoiled skies of the city, who never see the sky as it was made to be seen. If you are fortunate enough to live under a dark rural sky, you really need to take advantage of the resource available over your head and learn as much as you can. Even if you live in the concrete canyons of the city as I do, you can still learn a lot in spite of the orange murk of the urban night sky, and you can always make occasional visits to a dark sky location.
In either event, find out what the "man after God's heart" was writing about. And if you live in Michigan near Lime Lake, be sure to meet up with Dr. Parsons!!!
Fourth Day Press Watchcat
You've all heard of a watchdog, but have you ever heard of a watchcat? Here we see Zippy, the official Fourth Day Press watchcat, in our "warehouse," keeping a close eye on your future orders of Signs & Seasons and the new companion workbook. Don't let Zippy's hard efforts be in vain! Order your copies today!
Signs & Seasons: Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy
hardcover, 280 pages, $39.00
Signs & Seasons Field Journal and Test Manual
softcover, 192 pages, $16.00
The Old Schoolhouse Special Offer
Our friends at The Old Schoolhouse magazine are having a fabulous Fall Special for new U.S. subscribers, a 50% savings off cover price. Right now, you can subscribe for only $39! You'll receive 2 years of The Old Schoolhouse magazine (8 large quarterly issues), the current issue (so you get a quick jump start!), and 6 fabulous Bonus Gifts (for the first 3000). PLUS, the first 1,000 new subscribers will also receive their Homeschooling with Heart tote bag!
The Old Schoolhouse is full of suggestions, encouragement, and practical how-to information. It is a storehouse of helpful articles for fresh ideas, a little boost, or facts to share with potential critics - all from a solid Christian perspective.
Have you checked out The Old Schoolhouse? Why not do so today? View the full details and subscribe online at:
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/US_Promotion.php
Seasonal Skies
Approach of the Autumn Sky
During the evenings of fall, the Moon and planets lie very low toward the horizon. The bright evening star Venus hovers low over the western sky, even when it is be far from the Sun. In 2008, Jupiter lies at the southernmost point of its 12 year cycle, passing near the place of the winter solstice. The waxing Moon lies low to the south as it increases through its crescent phases. The half-moon of fall is at its lowest place in the southern sky of any half-moon of the year.
The Autumn Ecliptic
Readers of Signs & Seasons understand that there is a circle through the sky called the ecliptic through which the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to move as they follow their cycles through the heavens. The ecliptic is basically the plane of the Earth's orbit, and approximately corresponds to the plane of the solar system, since the planes of the other planetary orbits around the Sun are only slightly different from the Earth's. There is a band of constellations that lie along the plane of the ecliptic, through which the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to move. These constellations are collectively known as the zodiac.
The Earth's axis is tilted 23 1/2 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic, and for this reason, the Sun appears high in the northern part of the sky during the summer, and low in the southern part of the sky during the winter (as seen from the northern hemisphere -- these appearances are reversed as seen from the southern hemisphere.
As seen from here on the Earth's surface, different parts of the ecliptic are above the horizon at different times of day and different days of the year. This the basic cause and effect of the cycle of the seasons that the LORD ordained and that we all observe.
During September, the Sun appears to be passing in front of the stars of the constellation Leo, moving toward the constellation Virgo, reaching the place of the autumnal equinox on or about September 23. Thus, the constellations to the east of Virgo are visible in the evening sky after sunset. These constellations are the southernmost constellations of the zodiac, and are low in the sky as seen from the northern hemisphere.
As a result, the circle of the ecliptic appears to form a very low, shallow angle to the horizon in the early evening. Since the Moon and planets lie along the ecliptic, they also form a shallow angle to the horizon.
The Harvest Moon
Seen from the northern hemisphere, as the waxing Moon passes along the ecliptic during September, it never gets very high above the horizon. The waxing crescent Moon hugs the southwestern horizon as it increases each night, and its crescent appears nearly vertical. The First Quarter half-moon of September is low in the southernmost constellation Sagittarius. The waxing gibbous Moon is seen low in the southeast each evening before nightfall, and the Full Moon rises nearly due east.
The Full Moon closest to the first day of fall is traditionally called the Harvest Moon. This is significant because, in the nights after the Harvest Moon, the waning gibbous Moon rises early after sunset and provides additional moonlight in the early evening hours. The LORD in His provision has arranged this to provide farmers with additional light to work by in bringing in the harvest.
Just as the waxing Moon of September is never high above the horizon in the early evenings, the waning gibbous Moon of September is never very far below the horizon at sunset during the evenings after the Full Moon. Thus, the waning Moon rises soon after the sunset for several nights after the Full Moon. This effect also holds into October, where the second Full Moon of fall is called the Hunter's Moon, historically to provide hunters extra daylight to hunt dinner in the shortening days of fall.
Be sure to observe the Moon's motion over the span of each clear evening during September, 2008. The waxing gibbous Moon will pass the bright planet Jupiter on the evening of September 9, approaching within six lunar diameters. The Harvest Moon will be September 15. Keep watching over the following nights to observe the Harvest Moon effect, and how the Moon rises shortly after sunset each evening.
For more information, check out the SkyWise cartoon, The Autumn Ecliptic.
Coming in future Classical Astronomy Updates:
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Into the fall, the planet Venus will become prominent in the evening sky.
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We hope to explain about light pollution and how street lighting can spoil the quality of the night sky.
Til next time, God bless and clear skies!
-jay
The Ryan Family
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and
the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art
mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
- Psalm 8:3,4, a Psalm of David
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