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January 06, 2011 |
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by Tristan Radtke
Coastal Journal contributor
In the dead of winter, stargazing is far from the minds of most who seek comfort and warmth. January is still a great time to catch a last glimpse of the Christmas constellations as they begin to disappear over the horizon -- long (although cold) and often clear nights, combined with the lack of bugs and other irritants that plague Maine starwatchers in the more balmy months, make January a great time to get outside and watch the night sky.
This month begins with a meteor shower, the Quadrantids, that reaches its peak near the very beginning of the month at about midnight on January 3. Stragglers from the storm will still be active around the weekend, particularly on Friday night, January 7. This shower is a relatively mild one, generally, but the Moon will be new during this shower, making it more attractive a prospect to watch.
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December 08, 2010 |
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by Gina Hamilton and Tristan Radtke
Coastal Journal staff
To our readers: This annual Christmas Star issue of 'What's up in the midcoast sky?' is our special gift to you for the season. Enjoy!
Ah, December ... the loveliest stars of the year begin to emerge after twilight ... the constellations Orion, Gemini, Canis major and minor.
But stars are ubiquitous this time of year, and can be seen in many other places ... decorating houses, treetops and buildings, and in numerous Christmas cards ... and all because of this one brief line from the New Testament:
"Behold, there came three wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and come to worship him..." - Matthew 2:1-2
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November 03, 2010 |
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 by Tristan Radtke
Coastal Journal contributor
Although it's colder outside this month than much of the year, November plays host to the Leonid meteor shower, one of the most prolific showers of the year. From historical high estimates of more than one hundred thousand meteors per hour to the average over the past few decades of around 2,000 to 3,000 per hour, the Leonid shower is known for producing large numbers of meteors.
While these estimates sound high, however, Earth's close encounter with Jupiter over the past few years is expected to disturb the bands of debris that create the shower, left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, and thus no showers of extraordinary magnitude are expected by astronomers for another few decades. Still, the average rate of meteors per hour in North America in the 2009 Leonid shower was over 75, making it one of the more active showers.
With the Moon rising late, this month will be an excellent host to the Leonids this year, and if you want to brave the cold temperatures, the best viewing will be around the evening of November 17.
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