Astronomy Night - Saturday, Sept 14th

[Jeffrey Alexander (Arlington Astronomy Nights)]

Hi all,

The next Arlington Astronomy Night will be this Saturday, September 14th, starting at 7:15pm in Robbins Farm Park. Weather permitting, we'll be observing Saturn.  Because of Saturn’s current tilt relative to us, the rings will appear to be very narrow.  If you had a chance to see Saturn a few years ago, you’ll notice the difference.  Saturn was just recently “at opposition”, meaning that it was directly opposite the Sun from us. Being at opposition is when, roughly speaking, Saturn is also the closest it gets to us each year. It also means, by definition, that Saturn is rising just as the Sun is setting. While we wait for Saturn to rise above Boston and any low-lying clouds, we’ll be treated to a view of the nearly full Moon. We'll look at the dividing line between light and dark where we'll see shadows and depth in the craters. If you came to look at the moon a couple months back, come again to see what's different now, then stick around to see Saturn’s rings with your own eyes!

The later you can come, the more likely you are to see Saturn, but come any time to enjoy a night under the stars! Then come again on Tuesday evening (9/17) to watch the beginning of a partial lunar eclipse — the Moon will just barely reach Earth’s shadow, but will take on an eerie red glow - the light of sunsets around the world - as the evening progresses.

Astronomy Nights are free and fun for all ages. We gather at the benches that overlook Boston with one or more telescopes and everybody can take turns looking through and of course asking questions. You can find all the Astronomy Night information at https://arlingtonastronomy.org/.

Hope to see you there,

Jeff

[Jeffrey Alexander (Arlington Astronomy Nights)]