Tonight is Iffy

The forecast for tonght is iffy, so there's a fairly good chance we'll have to cancel. However, if the sky looks to be clearing by early evening, I'll set up, anway.

December 26, 2009 6-9pm

Monrovia Sidewalk Astronomy, corner of Myrtle and Lime in Old Town Monrovia. Jupiter early in the evening and moon viewing throughout the evening.

Feeling under the weather

Won't be able to make Monrovia myself, but I'm sure there'll be at least a few others with telescopes there tonight.

Monrovia Sidewalk Astronomy, November 21, 2009

This Saturday we return to Myrtle and Lime in Old Town Monrovia as part of the Old Town Astronomers. We'll probably try to set up by 7pm (possibly earlier) and stay until at least 9pm (later if there's a crowd). There will be a four-day old moon to view to the south-southwest, and Jupiter to the south-southeast.

Monrovia Sidwalk Astronomy, Aug 1

Probably the last chance to see Saturn in the evening sky for quite some time. Jupiter will be coming up late in the evening. Not sure if we'll still be set up when it becomes visible. Otherwise, it's moon viewing.

May or may not try to do sidewalk astronomy during a few of the Rosemead Park concerts.

The last two "What's Up?" from JPL have been about the Hercules globular cluster and the Milky Way. Check them out!

Quiet time

Our late-May event was clouded out. The next Monrovia event will be June 27.

Monrovia Sidewalk Astronomy, Saturday, May 2

It's staying light later, so we probably won't start observing until 7:30pm or so. Saturn and the moon are still the main targets (possibly the only targets). The Orion Nebula and the Pleiades are both pretty low and probably not going to be viewable.

Monrovia Sidewalk Astronomy, Saturday, April 4

We'll be at our usual location on Saturday, April 4. Moon and Saturn viewing are on tap. Set up around dark (roughly 7pm). Tear-down probably around 9:30pm or so.

International Space Station Flyover of the Rosemead Area

There are two very good fly-overs of the International Space Station over the Rosemead area over the next two days. Tonight, a little after 8:11pm, it'll appear low in the northwest and pass silently towards the east-southeast. At -2.2 magnitude, it will be the brightest point of light coming from the sky you'll see (other than the moon, of course).

On April 3, around 7:30pm, it will again appear out of the northwest and head towards the southeast. This one is predicted to be a bit brighter than the last one.

Additional information should be available at this link. Click on the date and it'll produce a star map for you to match to your horizon.

The information is generally accurate for anyone within about fifty miles of Rosemead.

What's Up? for March 2009

JPL's lastest installment in their "What's Up?" series was recently posted. This month's topic is Saturn.

Venus is rapidly dropping towards the sun. Later this week, it'll pass between the earth and the sun and move into the morning sky. To see it before it disappears from the evening sky, look just above and a bit north of where the sun set. It'll be the extremely bright, star-like object.

In a telescope, it would look like a very narrow crescent.

Sidewalk Astronomy in February and March

On Friday, February 27, we'll be setting up in Farnsworth Park in Altadena. This park is far north on Lake, past New York. The park's on the west side of Lake, with a street called "Mountain Curve" on the north end of the park.

On Saturday, March 7, we'll be setting up in our usual corner in Monrovia, at Myrtle and Lime.

A crescent moon, a crescent Venus and a late-rising Saturn are on tap for the 27th. Saturn will be rising an hour or so earlier by the next week, with Venus setting earlier and a gibbous moon visible all night.

Both nights will start around 6pm. Altadena will wrap up around 8pm. Monrovia will wrap up around 9pm.

Both events are weather-permitting, of course.

IYA video

JPL has put together this nice little video as part of their tie-in to the International Year of Astronomy (the 400th Anniversary of Galileo pointing a telescope up into space). The Old Town Astronomers (of which I am a part) is featured. I'm the dorky fat guy in the blue sweatshirt.

Next Sidewalk Astronomy in Monrovia: January 31

Yep, January 3 is officially clouded out. No sidewalk astronomy today.

Our next attempt will be in four weeks, on the Saturday, January 31. As usual, this is the Saturday closest to the first quarter moon.

Corner of Myrtle and Lime in Old Town Monrovia.

Weather looking kind of iffy

The weather is looking kind of iffy for sidewalk astronomy in Monrovia tonight. It hasn't officially been cancelled, yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is. Keep an eye on the weather. If the clouds are still hanging around, there'sa fairly good chance it'll have to be called. Sorry, but we can't control the weather!