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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
- Christian Homeschool Video Sites
- Reviews of Signs & Seasons
- Classical Astronomy Summer Campout
Dance of the Planets
- Venus Sinks Toward the Sunset
Saturn Enters the Evening Sky
Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which
the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the
magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a
God in heaven that revealeth secrets - Daniel 2:27, 28a
Welcome to the Classical Astronomy Update!
Hello Friends,
A belated Happy New Year to everyone! This is the first Update of 2009! It's been a fairly slow winter for astronomy news, and I've been swamped with my day job. (This free email newsletter and our homeschool curriculum do not pay the bills in our house!)
We have had a glorious winter here along the wind-swept shores of the Great Lakes! Cleveland had nearly four feet of snow in January, and our family had a blast! Unfortunately, we had a thaw recently and the beautiful snow is gone, leaving behind a soggy, muddy mess. But whatever weather the LORD blesses us with, it remains a joy to observe the astronomical cycles and see the days grow long again, a harbinger of warmer days ahead.
We received a nice email a while back from Barbara in Stillwater, OK, following our report of the recent planetary conjunctions with the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. Barbara writes:
I took the advice of the newsletter, and drove the kids over to the lake at sunset yesterday to get an unobstructed view of Jupiter and Mercury. I am so glad I did, not only was it a great view of Jupiter and Mercury, the moon and Venus, but also the color of the sky, the reflection on the water, and the silouette of the trees was so stunning it quite literally took my breath away.
I was happy to hear that Barbara and her her family were able to enjoy this scene. In my opinion, there are few sights in creation more beautiful than the Moon and bright planets glittering in the fading glow of twilight. The best part is, you can look at the sky for free! There is no charge for observing the heavens that declare the glory of God! If only more people would leave their houses for a few minutes to take a look.
Announcements
Christian Homeschool Video Sites
Recently, our Signs & Seasons book video has been posted at a couple of new Christian video sites. HomeschoolViewTube.com includes a number of videos of special interest to Christian homeschoolers. Christian Book Videos is a new site featuring videos for all new and upcoming releases for the Christian book market. Visit these sites frequently to see all the new content!
Reviews of Signs & Seasons
We've been blessed recently with some kind reviews of our Signs & Seasons astronomy curriculum. Here's a review from our friend Jean in Wisconsin, one of the early readers of the Classical Astronomy Update. Jean is a veteran amateur astronomer and one of the regulars over at the Well Trained Mind homeschool forums.
Signs & Seasons also received a nice review from our friend Teri at Knowledge House. Teri is also one of our early Update readers. Check out Teri's book Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom. This is a wonderful quote book that includes wise sayings from Scripture to famous person of history. It would be a great resource for homeschool copywork or for parents seeking personal enrichment.
Classical Astronomy Summer Campout - Pennsylvania
A Classical Astronomy campout is currently being planned for the weekend of August 14 at Cherry Springs State Park in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. This park is a recognized dark sky resource, the darkest skies east of the Mississippi, and the stars at this site are ASTOUNDING! If you really want a good look at the heavens that declare the glory of God, be sure to catch this event.
If you don't like to camp, there are other accommodations in the area. For more information on this event, click this page. The ongoing plans for this event are being discussed at the Classical Astronomy Yahoo group
so please join that group if you wish to participate in the discussion.
Dance of the Planets
Venus Sinks Toward the Sunset
The bright planet Venus is still shining as the "evening star" in the western sky after sunset. As frequently mentioned in the Update, Venus is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. You can't just miss Venus when it's in the sky. We mention Venus all the time in this newsletter, describing it as the very bright "star" hovering in the western sky. And we also get many emails asking "what is that bright star in the west after sunset?" That really is Venus, folks! Trust me! People have been seeing it throughout all history!
The waxing crescent Moon will pass very close to Venus on the evening of Friday, Feburary 27 -- separated by only three lunar diameters. This conjunction of the Moon and Venus will favor the longitudes of North and South America. This is your best chance for 2009 to see a lunar conjunction of Venus. If you have clear skies this Friday, be sure to poke out your head and take a look!
Venus reached maximum eastern elongation on January 14, when it was farthest from the Sun and highest in the evening sky. Swift moving Venus is now about to overtake the Earth as it rolls along in its faster orbit around the Sun. As seen from the Earth, Venus will draw closer and closer to the sunset throughout February and vanish into the sunset by mid-March.
Venus will invisibly pass between the Earth and the Sun at inferior conjunction on March 27. After that, Venus will emerge from the other side of the Sun's glow and then be visible as the "morning star" in dawn twilight before sunrise, where it will remain for the rest of 2009. So unless you're an earlybird that rises before the Sun, be sure to catch Venus in the next month before it disappears from the evening sky.
As Venus draws closer to the Sun, the bright planet displays crescent phases similar to the Moon. A small telescope or a modest pair of binoculars reveals the crescent shape of Venus. However, you need a stable mounting for binoculars to get a steady view of Venus. If you have binoculars and a camera tripod, you can get a binocular adapter from a camera store or an online dealer such as www.Binoculars.com.
It is a remarkable sight to see the "horns" of Venus through binocs, with trees, buildings and other ground objects in the scene. Though the phases of Venus are considered to be below the theoretical reach of human eyesight, some eagle-eyed observers report seeing a crescent Venus with the unaided eye! Drop us a line if you see a crescent Venus this coming month.
For more info about the the cycle of Venus and other aspects of the "clockwork of the heavens," check out our Signs & Seasons astronomy curriculum. Chapter 7 gives a detailed explanation of the motions of Venus and the other visible planets.
Saturn Enters the Evening Sky
The ringed planet Saturn has once again become visible in the evening sky. In 2009, Saturn is moving through the stars of the constellation Leo. The stars of Leo are currently rising in the early evening after sunset. Leo appears in the sky as a large trapezoid of stars, with the bright first magnitude star Regulus at one corner, and a small "sickle" representing the head of the lion. Leo is one of the constellations that more closely resembles the object it represents, appearing in the sky as a lion in mid-jump.
Saturn is a bright-ish "star" currently near the "back foot" of Leo. The nearly-full Moon will pass wide of Saturn on the evening of March 10. Make a note to look for Saturn on that evening. If you can find Saturn this week, grab your binocs and look for Comet Lulin, which is currently moving through Leo through the end of February. Comet Lulin will pass Saturn on Tuesday, February 24 and Regulus on Saturday, February 28. Check out this daily chart of this comet's position, from Sky & Telescope.
Look to the east for Leo when the constellation Orion is inclining toward the west. Saturn will reach opposition on March 8, when it rises as the Sun sets. After that, Saturn and Leo will be above the horizon after sunset and will remain in the evening sky for the spring and summer. As the annual cycle of the constellations proceed, Saturn will vanish into the sunset in early September, and will pass behind the Sun as seen from the Earth at its superior conjunction on September 17.
As seen through a telescope, the famed rings of Saturn will appear nearly edge-on throughout 2009. Saturn's rings will actually disappear on September 4, when the Earth crosses the ring plane of Saturn. Ring plane crossing are very rare, and sequences only occur every 15 years. Unfortunately, the 2009 event will not be visible to human eyes since Saturn will be lined up very near the Sun at that time and lost in the Sun's bright glow.
For more info about the cycle of Saturn, including detailed explanations of oppositions and superior conjunctions, check out our Signs & Seasons astronomy curriculum.
Coming in future Classical Astronomy Updates:
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Someday soon, we hope to finally explain about light pollution and how street lighting can spoil the quality of the night sky.
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In 2009, we will celebrate the Quadricentennials of Galileo and Kepler.
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In July, 2009 we will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
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The Earth will cross the ring plane of Saturn on September 4, 2009, and event that only occurs every 15 years.
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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