The Sky at Night

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Sorry, missed the peak of this one but should still be some to see

In 2021, the Quadrantids will peak on the night between 3–4 Jan
January Meteor Shower
The Quadrantids are usually active between the end of December and the second week of January, and peak around January 3-4. Unlike other meteor showers that tend to stay at their peak for about two days, the peak period of the Quadrantids only lasts a few hours.
Asteroid 2003 EH1
The shower owes its name to the now-defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis. The constellation was left off a list of constellations drawn out by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1922, but because the shower had already been named after Quadrans Muralis, its name was not changed. The Quadrantids is also sometimes called Bootids after the modern constellation, Boötes.
The Quadrantids are associated with asteroid 2003 EH1. The asteroid takes about 5.5 years to orbit around the Sun.

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/me...ntids.html

The next will be the Lyrids in April.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Blue moon tonight:

https://noticiasfuerteventura.com/fuerte...el-domingo

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Noticias:

The partial lunar eclipse could be seen in Fuerteventura next Friday 19.

The margin is very tight but could be seen in the early evening with the moonflow.

On November 19 there will be a partial lunar eclipse that will be clearly seen in many areas of the planet, curiously the island of Fuerteventura is "just" on the border of an area where it could be seen early at night.

 

The moon that day will be almost full, so if the possibility of contemplating the eclipse was given it is a very interesting phenomenon, the next one will be a total eclipse in November of the 22nd and would be seen more clearly on the island

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when only part of the moon is placed in the cone of the shadow and that part of the moon darkens. The Moon transits through the penumbra and only by part of the umbra, which is why we see part of the Moon illuminated. Depending on the percentage of the moon entering the umbra we can eventually see part of the Moon of a reddish hue.

 

It is an impressive phenomenon for those who can observe it with a good clear sky. Observations can be made with binoculars, or with a telescope using few magnification. The edge of the Earth's shadow is diffuse, and it becomes all the more diffuse the greater the magnification. The appropriate magnification is one in which the entire Moon fits within the eyepiece field.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Noticias:

The total lunar eclipse will be seen in Fuerteventura at dawn next Monday.

We will have to get up early (or stay up late) to see an astronomical phenomenon that will not occur again until the year 27

This May, the moon stars in astronomical phenomena. First of all, because it will look a little bigger than usual due to its proximity to Earth. But, above all, because there will be an eclipse of the moon.

 

This will be the first total eclipse that we will see in Spain since July 2019. And we will have to wait more than a year to be able to see another one, since until October 2023 the necessary circumstances will not occur.

 

The lunar eclipse on May 16, 2022 will be total. That is, the Moon will completely enter the umbra zone of the Earth's shadow. This eclipse will be visible in much of the world. Specifically, it can be enjoyed from all over Latin America, much of the United States and Canada, West Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, which will be the best point in continental Europe to see it (although it can be enjoyed even more from the Canary Islands).

 

To see an eclipse of the Moon you do not need any special equipment. It can be observed with the naked eye without protection, unlike what happens with solar eclipses. Even so, simple binoculars can improve the observation experience. To be able to enjoy it even more, it is also advisable to get as far as possible from areas with light pollution. The darker the environment, the better.

 

In addition, the eclipse will occur early in the morning in Fuerteventura. This means that the Moon will slowly approach the horizon in the west, where it will set just before the Sun rises in the east. Thus, it will be better to have your eyes clear to that point. This also implies that on May 16 it will be time to get up early to see the total eclipse of the Moon.

 

WHEN TO SEE THE TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE?

 

From the island, the eclipse will be seen in the early morning of Sunday, May 15 to Monday, May 16. Although the event will last more than five hours in total, from here it will only be visible for just under four, as the Moon will set (hiding behind the horizon) before the eclipse ends. Even so, it will be possible to see the so-called umbra phase completely.

 

In this NASA outline are all the details about how, where and when the eclipse is going to occur. These are the hours to take into account to see it from Spain:

 

2:32 a.m. on May 16. The first contact occurs. The Moon touches the penumbra zone, so the eclipse is barely noticeable.

 

3:28 a.m. First contact with the terrestrial umbra. The eclipse is already perceptible, although still partially.

 

4:29 a.m. The Moon completely enters the umbra and darkens, dyeing red.

5:11 a.m. Maximum of the eclipse. It is the moment of greatest concealment.

 

7:21. In the Canary Islands you can see the eclipse even longer, since the Moon will set at 7:21, local time, in Fuerteventura. The Moon will leave the twilight zone at 7:50 Canarian time and 8:50 peninsular Spanish time.

 

THE PHASES OF THE MOON AND ECLIPSES

 

The Moon is the inseparable companion of the Earth. Our satellite completes a lap around our planet every 27 days and nearly eight hours. Throughout this orbit, the Moon always receives light from the Sun. However, from the surface of the Earth we do not always see it in the same way. When the Moon is located between the planet and the star, we see the dark side and say that there is a new moon. And when the Moon is right at the opposite point, with the Earth in the middle, we see it fully illuminated. At that moment we say that there is a full moon. In between, the rest of the lunar phases remain.

 

Thus, every 28 days (to be rounded, since the cycle of lunar phases actually lasts 29 days and almost 13 hours) the Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon. Since our planet is quite a bit larger than the satellite, how come the Moon is still getting sunlight at that time and doesn't stay in the shadow of the terrestrial globe? That's the same reason we don't see a lunar eclipse once a month. The Moon's orbit is somewhat inclined with respect to the plane in which the Earth orbits the Sun. Thus, most of the time it manages to dodge the shadow cone that our planet projects.

 

WHAT IS A LUNAR ECLIPSE?

 

There are times, however, when the Moon's orbit does cross earth's shadow cone. That's when we talk about lunar eclipse. Thus, lunar eclipses occur in the full moon phase and when the Earth is placed right between the Moon and the Sun. As they point out from NASA, "the shadow of the Earth falls on the surface of the Moon, attenuating it and sometimes turning the lunar surface red over the course of a few hours." Each lunar eclipse is visible from the middle of the Earth. Half of it's night, of course.

 

Types of lunar eclipses

 

Depending on how this alignment between the Sun, Earth, and Moon occurs, three different types of eclipses can occur:

 

Total lunar eclipse. The Moon is located in the central part of the Earth's shadow, called the umbra. The satellite still receives some sunlight, but it comes through the atmosphere of our planet, so the lighting is dim and red and orange (later we will explain why).

 

Partial lunar eclipse. The alignment between the three stars is not perfect and the Moon only crosses the umbra zone partially. In those cases, you can see how the shadowing advances on the lunar surface without completely covering it and then receding.

 

Penumbra eclipse. Sometimes, the Moon does not reach the umbra zone and is located only in the penumbra zone, an area of soft shadow where the Earth only blocks a part of the sunlight. In these cases, the lunar brightness is slightly attenuated.

 

WHY DOES THE BLOOD MOON OCCUR?

 

During lunar eclipses, the surface of the satellite is illuminated by reddish and orange tones. It is what is popularly known as the blood moon, although the reasons for this phenomenon are not very esoteric. The blood moon has to do, like everything in this life, with the laws of physics and chemistry. Specifically, with a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering.

 

The light emitted by the sun travels through space in waves and each of the colors that form that white light has different properties. Blue light has a short wavelength. That is why the particles in our atmosphere disperse it easily and we see the blue sky. Red light, however, has a long wavelength (the longest in the visible spectrum), so it more easily dodges obstacles from Earth's atmosphere.

 

During the total lunar eclipse, some of the sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere and reaches the satellite. However, it does not manage to arrive in its entirety. Along the way, trapped in the gases and particles that surround our planet, the colors with the shortest wavelength remain. Thus, only reddish tones reach the satellite, staining it with 'blood'. The more obstacles there are in the atmosphere (such as suspended dust or clouds), the redder the Moon will become during the eclipse.

 
And what would a lunar eclipse look like from the Moon itself? Well, like a total solar eclipse and sitting on a reddish ground. For now, there is no living thing on our satellite that will observe this phenomenon. If one day there is a permanent lunar base, the photos can be as spectacular as the recreation of the image above. For now, we will have to keep waiting and settle for solar eclipses from Earth. The next total observable from Spain will be on August 2, 2027.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Bump!

Get up early tomorrow (Monday) if you want to see the lunar eclipse!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Radio Sintonia:

Six blind students discover a new star in the Canary Islands.

The second session of the sonification workshop for blind students from the Canary Islands culminated yesterday with the discovery of a new variable star. This finding constitutes an unprecedented scientific event since it is the first time that students with visual disabilities are trained and successfully conclude this experience.

 

For the identification of the variable star -called "K" provisionally-, the six students from schools in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, autonomously used the sonification technique, which allows analyzing the multiple light curves of different stars located in the Constellation of the Eagle and transforming them into sound.

From its detection, the process of registration in the international database "VSX" of variable stars, corresponding to the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), based in the United States, begins.

This concludes a research and training program initiated two years ago by the Astronomical and Educational Association "Henrietta Swan Leavitt" (AAEC), an entity that currently collaborates with the Ministry of Education, Universities, Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands in the projects "Asteroid Hunters in the Canary Islands" and "Characterization of Variable Stars", initiatives that have allowed Canarian students to make real scientific discoveries from the classroom.

The workshop began with a tour of the universe, through the birth of photons in the heart of stars and with a tour of constellations, mythology, poetry, asteroids, comets, exoplanets and variable stars.

The general director of Planning, Innovation and Quality, Gregorio Cabrera, witnessed the discovery, which in his opinion, demonstrates the benefits of inclusive education. He congratulated the research students and thanked the effort made by the teachers, educational care team for people with visual disabilities and families to carry out this experience.
This didactic action has been promoted by the Program for the Promotion of Scientific Vocations (STEAM) and the Area of Specific Needs of Educational Support (NEAE) of the educational department.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Noticias:

Tonight's super moon one of the largest and brightest of the year.

The July supermoon, known as the deer supermoon, will be seen throughout the night on July 13. Our satellite will appear 7% larger, in addition to 30% brighter than usual since it will be very close to perigee, that is, in its closest position to Earth. This time the distance that will separate the satellite will be 357,423 kilometers.

 

The July moon has been called in social networks and some media such as the Supermoon of the Deer, apparently it is a name given by the native tribes of the United States, and apparently has to do with the fact that during this month is when the deer began to grow antlers.

 

In any case this super moon of July will have little cloudiness, by which it will be seen from all corners of Fuerteventura, although the calima in height will not let you see the total quality of our satellite.

 
If you want to see the supermoon correctly, you have to get out of the areas with high light pollution. It is a unique event. The next supermoon won't happen until next year.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Noticias:

The mystery of the lights in the sky of Fuerteventura is solved.

Thousands of people watched last night the Starlink satellites of Elon Musk's company in the sky of the islands.
During the afternoon last night thousands of people in the Canary Islands were surprised to see in the sky a succession of lights that seemed to have no explanation. This phenomenon went viral on social networks and in different media of the islands. These are small light points that cross the sky perfectly aligned to the surprise and bewilderment of those who witness its trajectory.

 

"These are artificial satellites. More specifically of the Starlink satellites of the company SpaceX. This company put 60 of them into orbit in mid-March 2020. Already on that occasion they could be seen crossing the night sky forming a row. With the passage of time these satellites are separated from each other and that row ceases to be visible, "revealed the experts, while explaining that this phenomenon will be repeated: "SpaceX plans to launch new satellites later (to complete a total of no less than almost twelve thousand), so it is foreseeable that sightings of this type of lights will be repeated very frequently. "

 

Starlink is a project owned by billionaire Elon Musk, which is defined as a constellation of thousands of small satellites that will orbit at altitudes between 450 and 1200 km and intend to provide Internet coverage worldwide, with multiple applications in scientific, civil and military fields.

 

These satellites are being launched in batches of 60, as Madiedo has indicated and are seen from Earth. The satellites will separate over time undoing that line and will only be visible at dusk and dawn, but they have turned out to be brighter than expected. The large solar panels with which they have been built are reflecting sunlight back to Earth and astronomers have already complained that they could be brighter than some stars and this would hinder studies on space and observation of the night sky.

 

The response of the tycoon Elon Musk to these criticisms has been to deny that his satellites cause obstacles to the study of space and defend that the cause of bringing the Internet to millions of people with fewer economic resources is a greater good. Still, he has promised to revise the design of upcoming satellites to launch to make them less bright.

 

The satellites launched have four very powerful antennas that allow them optimal performance and have a weight of 260 kg. In addition to this, when they reach the end of their life, they deorbit themselves without interfering with the rest and end up burning with the Earth's orbit.

 
In a first phase, the company expects to be able to serve the northern United States and Canada this year, to reach almost all populated regions in 2021.

Tamara: part of the above article is 'old' but still explains what is happening.
I actually saw these myself last night but my pic is useless

link to article for good pic

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Noticias:

A new bolide crosses the sky of Lanzarote this morning.

There are already two meteorites fallen Canary Islands: the second at 1.54 last night.
When the petition launched by the scientific community to citizens to provide any image of the bolide that on Wednesday afternoon caused a huge rumble over Gran Canaria is still open, this morning another double, was recorded on the sky of Lanzarote, as published by Diario de Avisos.

 

The Spanish Network for Research on Fireballs and Meteors (SPMN) coordinated by the Institute of Space Sciences of the CSIC already announced yesterday that it coincided with the impression of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC) and the Volcanic Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcán): the enormous noise that was heard in Gran Canaria on Wednesday at 3:35 p.m. was the acoustic wave caused by a bolide when entering the Earth's atmosphere at speed Supersonic.

 

But the impression of all of them is based on the footprint that this phenomenon left on the network of seismographs of the Canary Islands, which clearly recorded the vibration of that explosion, with details that showed that it was not an Earthquake, but a sonic wave.

 

That is why the SPMN Network has called on citizens to send it any video, sound or photo they record of what happened. At the moment, it has not published any, but the 112 has collected testimonies of people who saw at that time from La Palma and Tenerife a bolide cross the sky in the direction of Gran Canaria, leaving a green trail.

 

In Gran Canaria, which was completely covered with clouds at that time, the phenomenon was not seen: it was heard and felt.

link to yesterday's article re GC and pic

 
This morning, the SPMN Network publishes on its Twitter account (@RedSPMN) that this morning another "very rare double bolide" was registered entering the atmosphere over the Canary Islands at 1.53 am.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Radio Sintonia:

Wonderful meteor shower in Fuerteventura!

Wonderful meteor shower in Fuerteventura! Observe the Perseids at the Poblado de la Atalayita Interpretation Center.



In an exciting rendezvous with the cosmos, the Museums of Fuerteventura announce a celestial event for all astronomy lovers. Tomorrow, August 11, from 20:00 hours, the Poblado de la Atalayita Interpretation Center will be illuminated with a series of activities dedicated to observing the spectacular Perseids, also known as tears of San Lorenzo.

AstroCiencia Nómada will host these fascinating activities, offering attendees highly sensitive and accurate equipment, along with top-notch monitors. This will allow to accurately capture every shooting star that crosses the sky.

The invitation is for the entire community. The counselor Rayco León, coordinator of the Museums of Fuerteventura, calls to participate in this free event and without prior registration. It will be an unparalleled opportunity to marvel at the amazing spectacle of the Perseids in a place as special as La Atalayita, a corner that shares the same view once enjoyed by the ancient inhabitants of Fuerteventura.

The program will be displayed during the night of Friday 11 and will last until the early hours of Saturday, August 12.

At 20:00 hours the exciting photography workshop will begin, giving attendees the opportunity to capture the majesty of the stars with their own cameras.

From 21:00 p.m. to 22:00 p.m., groups will prepare for the observation, counting and photography of the Perseids. An exciting live connection with the Early Meteor Detection Network (SMA) will add a touch of scientific excitement.

And then, from 22:00 to 07:00 hours, the long-awaited show begins: the Perseid shooting star shower will illuminate the skies of Fuerteventura, giving a show that connects us with the vastness of the universe. Don't miss this magical night of stars in Fuerteventura!