STARGAZING: No doubt many readers are taking time at some this summer to look upward and remember they are only a small part of a vast universe.
EarthSky.org published an article earlier this week by Deborah Byrd giving “EarthSky’s Top 10 Tips for Super Stargazers.”
Byrd starts by reminding stargazers to “look up.” While at first this seems obvious, she is reminding us that there are many moments — such as while walking to the car or grabbing the newspaper before sun-up — when one can look at the world beyond Earth. We don’t necessarily have to set aside time for it.
Additionally, she says to hold off to buy a telescope until you have some stargazing behind your belt. Many things can be seen with only a pair of binoculars or your own eyeballs.
“Watch the moon,” she says. And the sun (not directly!). Look for patterns in the stars.
As the tips in the article seem to point out, skygazing is not a hobby for people with short attention spans. It is a time to stop and consider what you’re seeing. With a little time and thoughtfulness, you might be surprised with what you learn.
The URL to the article is quite long, but the article in its entirety can be found easily by typing “top 10 tips for super stargazers” into a search engine.
SUPERMOON: It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s…A SUPERMOON!
While we’re on the topic of skywatching, we thought we’d pass along another tidbit from EarthSky.org.
Tonight we’ll be able to see one of only five supermoons that will take place in 2014, according to an EarthSky article written by Bruce McClure titled, “The Next Supermoon in 2014 is July 12.”
Contrary to its name, a supermoon is not a superhero that is also a moon.
According to the article, astrologist Richard Nolle, who coined the word “supermoon,” defines the phenomenon as “a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90 percent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.” Nolle says four to six supermoons happen each year.
To those gazing at the night sky, this means the moon will appear a little bit bigger tonight.
“Supermoon” is a relatively new term for what is also known as a “perigee full moon” or a “perigee new moon.”
The closest full moon of 2014 will fall on Aug. 10, McClure reports. There had been two supermoons in January, and the last will fall on Sept. 9.
We heard some clouds are expected tonight. We only hope the clouds break long enough for us to get a glimpse of the phenomenon.
