Total Lunar Eclipse 2011 - in San Francisco

Saturday morning, we will witness a Total Lunar Eclipse visible from western North America and regions across the Pacific Ocean. In San Francisco, we will have a dramatic early morning spectacle of the fully eclipsed Moon setting on the Pacific just as dawn breaks. As with any total lunar eclipse, the Moon's surface will be completely covered by the dark 'umbral' shadow of the Earth, but it will remain visible, taking on an eerie appearance of rusty red, or deep grey, or a mix of colors. Every eclipse is a little bit different, so we wait in anticipation to see what happens Saturday morning.

The circumstances of this eclipse are outlined in detail in this informative Sky & Telescope article, and this excellent NASA Science News article.

The timeline for San Francisco (and the entire pacific time zone) are: start of eclipse at 4:45 am, start of totality at 6:05 am, and end of totality at 6:57 am. The glow of the dawn sky will emerge in the eastern sky shortly after 6:00 am, so the Moon will be in total eclipse as the sky begins to brighten, and by the time the Moon exits the total phase, the sky will be fully lit in advance of the sunrise at 7:13 am.

What does all this mean to the casual viewer? You will experience the best views and the most drama from 4:45 am until 6:30 am, when the Moon gradually changes from full to completely eclipsed, and the skies are dark enough to appreciate the beauty and subtlety of the lighting and color of the lunar surface. And as the Moon's brightness is attenuated as the Earth's shadow creeps across the surface, the backdrop of stars will begin to shine more brightly by contrast, revealing the wonderful winter sky at its best, with the constellations Taurus, Orion and Auriga around the Moon, and some of the most beautiful, bright stars in the entire night sky punctuating the skyscape.

I welcome the public to stop by Ocean Beach on the west coast of San Francisco for an early-morning star party, where I and others from the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) will have telescopes set up for public viewing. We will set up at the beachwalk just across from the Beach Chalet restaurant on Great Highway, starting around 4:30 am. But heed the advice of Deborah Byrd in this EarthSky article, and wear very warm clothes. You'll be glad you did, as the winter chill is quite intense just before sunrise.

Get Involved: Star Parties and Astronomy Lectures

There are many ways to get involved with astronomy. No matter where you live, you can find local clubs and events using the Night Sky Network website. Just about anywhere you go, you'll find a friendly astronomy club ready to welcome a new guest or member.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, we have a wealth of resources. As a member of the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA), I always recommend the monthly lectures at the Randall Museum in the City, open at no charge to the public (next lecture on October 19th). The California Academy of Sciences has an excellent lecture series, the Benjamin Dean Lecture Series, focused on astronomy topics (next lecture on October 17th). And in the greater bay area, you'll find things happening at The Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, Foothill College (lead by award-winning Professor Andrew Fraknoi) in Los Altos Hills, and more.

I take part in a few specific events. One of my favorite places to show off the night sky is at the weekly NightLife event at the Cal Academy in Golden Gate Park, every Thursday night. When the skies are clear, I can be found on the Living Roof showing off the skies with a trusty laser pointer, alongside Academy staff with telescopes pointing at the Moon, Jupiter, or other objects of interest. It is an excellent place to have fun and learn some new things about the night sky.

On November 5th, I'll be working with Tucker Hiatt of Wonderfest during the Bay Area Science Festival with a star party on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County. We're calling the event "Nekkid-Eye Nightscape," and it will follow a lecture called The Milky Way as Dark Matter Laboratory. Tucker and I will give an introduction to the night sky, showcasing the best and the brightest objects in the Autumn Sky. After the lectures, the SFAA will be there with wonderful telescopes to show off the night sky up-close and personal.

I hope to see you at an event sometime soon!

Get Involved: Public Nights at Observatories, Stargazing at the Libraries and Museums

There are many ways to get involved with astronomy, and I want to provide some links to get you going places.

First, some places where I present astronomy. I am a regular at the California Academy of Sciences most Thursdays at their NightLife event. These are for adults-only (sorry, kids, they serve alcoholic beverages), and when the skies are clear, they have astronomers with telescopes trained on stars and planets, and me giving tours of the night sky. Stop by on a Thursday night and enjoy the Cal Academy, and journey up to the Living Roof for a personal tour from me.

I make special presentations for organizations around the Bay Area, this week at the Marina Public Library as part of the IMBIBE series of events being put on by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. Come join me Friday night, June 17th, to see our nearest star (with its fascinating Sunspots) up close, and when the skies turn dark, a close up view of other celestial highlights.

Local observatories and science museums hold regular astronomical viewing nearly every weekend. Chabot Space and Science Center has viewing on Friday and Saturday nights through their powerful telescopes. The Peninsula Astronomical Society hosts viewing at the Foothill College Observatory in Los Altos Friday nights. And the Lawrence Hall of Science has viewing on Saturdays. Finally, my own club, the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, hosts a monthly Star Party at Mt. Tam in Marin, along with a lecture at the Mountain Theater. I often give tours of the night sky at the Mt. Tam star parties.

There's no excuse if you live in the Bay Area. And if you are not in the San Francisco Bay Area, check the Night Sky Network to find a club and activities near you.

Get Involved: Astronomy Lectures, Star Parties and more

The Bay Area has many great astronomy resources and if you want to expand your knowledge of the universe and have a good time, check out one of these upcoming astronomy-oriented events.

Star Party and Lecture on Mount Tamalpais: The San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) hosts monthly lectures and star parties at the Mountain Theater on Mount Tam in Marin County from April through October. Ken Frank is giving a talk this weekend (Saturday 11th September at 8:30 pm) on the Globe At Night project, highlighting the effects of light pollution

worldwide. Details on the Mount Tam website. Following the lecture, the SFAA has telescopes set up for public viewing.

Benjamin Dean Lecture Series at Cal Academy: The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco hosts excellent programs on many areas of science. The Dean Lectures focus on astronomy and this month (Monday 13th September at 7:30 pm) the talk is on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) with Jon Jenkins of the SETI Institute. Tickets and information at the Cal Academy website.

The San Francisco Amateur Astronomers monthly meeting is always open to the public. This month's meeting features NASA Ames astronomer Chris McKay speaking about extreme environments on heavenly bodies in the Solar System. The meeting is on Wednesday 15th September at 7:30 pm at the Randall Museum in San Francisco. More details on the SFAA Website.

I hope to see you at one of these excellent events.

Get Involved: Chart the Skies, Hear a Lecture, Attend a Star Party

There are many ways to take your interest in astronomy up a notch. Here are a few things that are sure to enhance your interest and knowledge of the skies.

Globe at Night: I am a big fan of this annual project, one that combines astronomy with awareness of light pollution and is also a global participation project. Go outside tonight and look up at Orion, then report what you see at the Globe at Night website. It only will take a few minutes but it will change how you see the sky at night. I am certain about this one.

Lecture: Each month the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers hold their meeting at the Randall Museum in San Francisco. The meetings are open to the public and feature a speaker on a topic of interest in astronomy. This month the meeting takes place on March 17th and features Andrew Pohorille from NASA Ames Research Center for a presentation on "The Origins of Life in the Universe."

California Academy of Sciences Nightlife: Every Thursday the Cal Academy stays open late for a fun, festive evening with music, drinks and science. When the skies are clear you can stargaze and look up close at the universe through telescopes on the Living Roof. And this week, on Thursday March 18, I'll again be a guest at NightLife giving a talk about the Night Sky and laser-guided star tours on the roof. I hope to see you there. (note: must be at least 21 years of age)

Star Parties: The San Francisco Amateur Astronomers host monthly star parties at Lands End in San Francisco, weather permitting. The next on is on Sunday March 21st. And on April 17th the Mount Tamalpais lecture series and star parties return. These are an excellent combination with lectures at the Mountain Theater and star gazing in a dark setting atop Mt. Tam. You won't be disappointed -- even when it is foggy in San Francisco it is generally clear and dark on Mt. Tam.

Get Involved: Cal Academy, Star Parties, meet John Dobson

February is a busy month here in San Francisco for those who are ready to take a step forward and get involved in a local astronomy event or two. Here's the lineup.

On February 11, the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) team up with the California Academy of Sciences for a new series of astronomy talks and star tours on the Living Roof of the Cal Academy. I'll be giving the talk this Thursday during the NightLife event at 7:15 pm. More information and tickets on the NightLife webpage.

On February 17, the SFAA holds its monthly meeting and lecture at the Randall Museum in San Francisco. And on February 20th they have their City Star Party and Telescope Workshop. You can dust off your old telescope and bring it out for a quick lesson on using your telescope (before the sun sets), and then enjoy stargazing at the City Star Party. This is at Lands End in San Francisco.

On February 25th and 26th, the amateur astronomy community of San Francisco bids farewell to a living legend in the field, John Dobson. John is a co-founder of the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers (they call what they do "urban guerilla astronomy") and the creator of the easy-to-build and easy-to-use telescopes that bear his name, Dobsonians. There will be a get together with John on Thursday 25th in the Sunset District of San Francisco, and sidewalk astronomy with John at a location to be determined in the city, to say Farewell as John moves from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I am impressed with Sidewalk Astronomers and especially with John Dobson, who had a singular vision to make telescopes accessible to anyone who wants to build one out of inexpensive parts, and to get these telescopes out on the street so everyone can appreciate the wonders of the sky and see something they hadn't seen before. I respect that.

I hope to see you at one of these events.

Astronomy Gifts for the Holidays / Telescope Shopping

If you are considering a gift for someone who enjoys astronomy (or want to share something with a young person who might like to discover astronomy), I present to you my astronomy gift guide for the holidays.

A. Astronomy Gifts.

At my local astronomy shop here in San Francisco, Scope City, I asked manager Sam and salesperson Steve what they would recommend for the holidays. Telescopes are plentiful and that warrants a separate section of this blog post - see below. But aside from telescopes, there are binoculars of all types, excellent books, tools such as Star Finders and Planispheres, and new this year, the Sky Scout, a hot selling item from Celestron that has the astronomy hobbyist world abuzz. Point the Sky Scout at an object in the sky and it tells you what the object is and provides additional details. For another approach, you can open a door for astronomy for someone with a gift subscription to Astronomy Magazine or Sky & Telescope Magazine.


B: Telescopes - Top 5 Things to Consider When Buying a Telescope

A telescope is a powerful scientific instrument which, when well cared for, can provide years of viewing pleasure. Top brands include Meade, Orion and Celestron. However, there is a very wide range of options, quality and performance to choose from so before you buy a telescope learn a few things about them. Telescopes.com offers some useful background information, as does Astronomics.com with its informative pages. The Bad Astronomy blog has a helpful article, and this post provides a lot of detail for the telescope shopper. If you summarize all of the articles and if I draw from my own experience, I would recommend five things to think about when purchasing a telescope.

1. Consider Binoculars. They are easy to use, can be used at daytime as well as nighttime, cost less than a telescope, and are a good first test of one's interest in the night sky.

2. Buy quality. Avoid the cheap telescopes at the department stores. They not only have generally poor quality optics, but end up being a turn-off for those who purchase them. It's worth the extra money to get something you will enjoy.

3. Start simple. As much as the high-tech telescopes look like fun, they are still complex instruments that will need some degree of care-and-feeding when you use them. The most basic scopes, simple refractors on a lightweight tripod, take little time to set up and are the most simple to use. Also, a simple telescope is not as bulky and heavy to carry around. For kids, try out the Celestron FirstScope (see below).

4. Be comfortable. You really need to feel at ease with a telescope, so in the best case go to your local astronomy shop and try out a few. Scope City will let you take their binoculars and telescopes out in front of the store and do the "Safeway Test" to see how well you can resolve items in the aisles of Safeway grocery store next door.

5. Learn to use your telescope at your local astronomy club. Amateur astronomers like to help others to learn about astronomy. The San Francisco Amateur Astronomers and San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers hold Telescope Clinics at their monthly star parties. These are excellent venues to bring your scope and learn to use it with astronomy enthusiasts. Check the Night Sky Network for a club near you.

C: For Young People.

Kids can benefit from astronomy gifts that are easy to use and make it simple to immediately start enjoying. I found numerous websites that showcase books for kids. Skymaps.com has a very well organized list of books for different age ranges, all the way from age 4 to young adult and educator. The Top 10 Astronomy Books for Kids on about.com offers some good choices. On the telescope front in 2009, Celestron premiered the FirstScope, an extremely simple telescope for kids that, from the reviews I've read, is surprisingly good quality yet very low price (about $50 at most outlets). It is an 'official product' of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) celebration. But in the end I was most enamored with this simple recommendation from the Suite101.com blog:

"What children really need, more than 'stuff,' is for someone to take the time to stand outside with them on a starry night and point out planets and constellations. Teach them the sky. You can give coupons good for '1 Hour of Observing with Mom' or something similar."

Happy Holidays. Stay warm and enjoy the long dark nights.

Get Involved: Astronomy Lectures, Star Parties and Telescope Workshops

There are many ways to get involved with astronomy here in San Francisco, or wherever you may be. A great resource for finding events in your neighborhood is the Night Sky Network, a resource chock-full of information from astronomy clubs across the United States. Just enter your location and you can find out what is happening in your area.

Here in San Francisco, the California Academy of Sciences has an astronomy lecture series called the Benjamin Dean Lecture Series. The next lecture in the series will be on Monday December 7th. The topic is Saturn, presented by Dr. Carolyn Porco, the director of the imaging team for the Cassini spacecraft that is orbiting Saturn. You can get tickets for the December 7th Dean Lecture online.

The San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) have their monthly meeting at the Randall Museum on December 17th and their "City Star Party" on December 26th at Land's End in San Francisco. The City Star Party on the 26th (weather permitting) will be a great chance to bring out new holiday gifts such as telescopes and binoculars and learn to use them alongside amateur astronomers. The SFAA and the San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers have free telescope workshops before each City Star Party but please RSVP to them at clinic@sfsidewalkastronomers.org if you plan to come on December 26th.

I hope to see you at an upcoming event!

The Milky Way and the Galactic Center

At the SFAA star party a couple nights ago on Mt Tam, the conditions were very clear and dark and we had a nice view of the Milky Way. With an excellent southern horizon, we could see all of Scorpius and Sagittarius and as my daughter and I were giving star tours to guests at the star party, I was happy to point out these two constellations and note that the center of the Milky Way was in the vicinity of the tail of Scorpius and the "teapot" of Sagittarius. This is called the "Galactic Center" and is the central bulge of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Looking toward the galactic center, however, you don't see a huge ball of light. That is because there is a massive dust cloud that lies between the Sun and the galactic center. Too bad for us, because it would be quite amazing to see the center of our own galaxy. Nonetheless, there is much richness in the sky near the galactic center and even in city lights you can begin to see some of that beauty if you use a pair of binoculars. Standard 7x35 or 10x50 binoculars can substantially increase the amount of light you can see, and that means you can begin to discern the stars and shapes of deep space objects such as the Lagoon Nebula or the Swan Nebula. Take out binoculars and point yourself south and see if you can start to see some of the wonders that are at the heart of the Milky Way.

Get involved: Astronomy events in August

San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) are hosting two events in the coming days, both open to the public at no charge.

The monthly meeting of the SFAA takes place on Wednesday evening August 19th at 7:30 pm at the Randall Museum in San Francisco. From the SFAA: "Jack Welch of the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Sonoma gives a presentation on how we measure time and how time measurement is handled in various astronomy and space situations. Welch will explain how our understanding of time measurement has changed as technology and theory have developed, and will explore some of the special challenges satellites and spacecraft have when it comes to timekeeping."

The monthly SFAA event on Mount Tamalpais in Marin features a speaker and a public Star Party. It takes place at the Mountain Theater on Mt. Tam on Saturday August 22nd at 8:30 pm (lecture) with the star party immediately following the lecture. From the SFAA: "Dr. Anthony Coloprete of NASA-Ames will fill us in on all the details of the LCROSS mission. Two spacecrafts are on their way to the moon, and the impending impact on October 9 will be visible even with small scopes from Earth. Why crash into the moon? Dr. Coloprete’s talk 'Prospecting for Water on the Moon' reveals all."

The SFAA welcomes all to their events each month. I hope to see you at one of these events.

Amateur Astronomy on KALW Radio / SFAA Star Parties

I like blogging about astronomy because I want to get the public motivated to spend a few minutes out under the stars instead of staying inside at night. To that end, I've been able to extend my reach by being a guest on KFOG radio from time to time. This week KALW, public radio at 91.7FM in San Francisco, broadcast a feature story on the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers at one of their Star Parties on Mt Tam. It's great radio and it gives you a good perspective on what you do at at Star Party. KALW also recorded a brief interview with yours truly talking about the night sky. I used to be a radio DJ years ago and it's a real pleasure to have the opportunity to get in front of a microphone and reach out to the public over that medium, be it on KFOG or KALW.

The next chance to meet the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers at a star party on Mt Tam is this Saturday night, July 25th. The evening opens at 8:30 pm with a lecture by Dr. Natalie Batalha of San Jose State, talking about a NASA mission called Kepler. The Kepler Mission is looking for habitable planets that are orbiting other stars in the Milky Way. After the lecture, the SFAA will have telescopes for public viewing of the heavens. Unfortunately I will miss the lecture and star party on Mt Tam this month, but fortunately I'll be near Lake Tahoe enjoying dark skies and hosting some star parties there. More on that in a future post.

SFAA Astronomy Lectures: Spitzer Telescope, Kuiper Belt

Every month the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) host a lecture by an expert in the field of astronomy. In June, the guest was Dr. Dana Backmann of the SOFIA Project and SETI Institute. Dr. Backmann spoke about the Spitzer Space Telescope and the detailed research underway to understand and photograph Exoplanets. These are planets orbiting stars outside of our own Sun, such as Epsilon Eridani, Fomalhaut and Vega. Of the 350 stars being studied by the Spitzer Space Telescope, 20% of them have "Kuiper Belts" where Neptune-like planets can be found.

This month the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers meeting and lecture takes place on Wednesday July 15th at 7:30 pm. The lecture features Dr. Eugene Chiang, Associate Professor of Astronomy and Earth & Planetary Science at UC Berkeley, in a talk entitled "The Tenth Planet & Beyond." Dr. Chiang will focus exclusively on the Kuiper Belt, the part of the Solar System beyond the orbit of Neptune that includes over 1000 icy, rocky objects, including one bigger than Pluto.

The SFAA lectures always take place at the Randall Museum in San Francisco and are open to all ages (although many of the topics are oriented toward an adult audience). Bring a friend and take advantage of the chance to get a truly in-depth perspective on a range of topics in the field of astronomy.

One additional note: a traveling display of astronomical photographs from space missions are on tour and currently at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The display, called "From Earth to the Universe (FETTU)" will remain at the CAS until September and then move to the Tech Museum in San Jose. The FETTU exhibit showcases the varying spectra of light and how scientists learn by studying the universe at wavelengths of light other than the visible spectrum, something that can help the public to better understand the SOFIA Project.