THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
207-780-4249      www.usm.maine.edu/planet
70 Falmouth Street     Portland, Maine 04103
43.6667° N                   70.2667° W
Founded January 1970
Julian date:  2457658.16
         "It is said that writing is a lonely occupation.     The exact
opposite holds true because any mind mired in its own imagination exists,
even if for a few moments, wholly untethered within the dynamically active
and vibrantly iridescent worlds of its own conjuring.    That which is
desired is effortlessly summoned; that which has for so long lain dormant
is awakened;   Vague figments crystallize into sentient souls.   The
sinister phantom and fantastic spirit alike will enliven the  unfrequented
wield and remote mountain summit.   From the thinnest winds one can fashion
the richest  realms running parallel to and juxtaposed with one's own life.
  And, in the briefest moments, one can almost sense its presence and,
irrationally and wonderfully, think it actually tangible."



*THE DAILY ASTRONOMER*
*Monday, September 26, 2016*
*Week 4 Night Sky Calendar:   *
*September 26 - October 2, 2016*


The first full week of autumn and, happily, the world hasn't yet succumbed
to hopeless despair.   And, after all, why should it?   Who doesn't
secretly adore the brisk morning winds across crisp  frost coated grasses
and the muted ember lights aglow beneath the shadowed gables?    Those that
not so long ago darted rapidly across August's skin-scorching beaches now
gather woolen garments around them, as though already bracing themselves
against winter's unrelenting tempests.       The canopy darkened forests
slowly shrug away their foliage that will slowly dissolve into the
receiving soil before the crystalline snows enshroud it.   Meanwhile, we
sensible people have found shelter in far away alcoves equipped with
thermostats capable of imparting confession-inducingly high temperatures at
the flip of a switch.    Add to that an inexhaustible spigot issuing forth
torrents of sweet frothing flavored coffee and all we can say is, "you
hunter gatherer types have fun outside. See you in late June."

Those intrepid souls who do venture out will, as always, behold a firmament
abounding in wonders this week.   For instance, we'll watch Scorpius and
Sagittarius begin the night well over in the southwestern sky.       These
two splendid summer constellations won't remain on our evening stage much
longer.   As they disappear into the dusk, so, too, will the messier
objects within them.   You know, this school year we're hell-bent on
visiting every object within Messier's celebrated catalog.       Before we
begin with our night sky calendar, we wanted to stop briefly by a
magnificent Messier object, M6, the Butterfly Cluster


​*This image shows Scorpius and Sagittarius traveling along the southern
evening sky.   Within this field we find the "Butterfly Cluster,"just north
of the scorpion's tail.  Named for its vague resemblance to a butterfly's
wings, the Butterfly  is an open cluster about 1600 light years away.     *


*​The Butterfly Cluster (M6) an open star cluster that Charles Messier
included in his catalog in 1764.   This open star cluster is about 1600
light years away in the direction of Scorpius the Scorpion.      It
contains hundreds of component stars and is approximately 12 light years in
diameter.    Image: Ole Nielsen *

Even though Charles Messier cataloged the Butterfly Cluster in 1764, it was
actually discovered more than a century earlier by Giovanni Battista
Hodierna. (See "From the Catacombs of Infinite Knowledge.")      The
Butterfly Cluster was so named because it vaguely resembles a butterfly.
  M6 is a splendid example of an open or galactic cluster,  It consists of
a few hundred stars within a spherical shell 12 light years in diameter.
Although one can observe this cluster through a small telescope, one would
have to venture outside early, this Messier object and its host
constellation Scorpius are low in the southwestern evening sky tonight.

Now, to proceed with this week's night sky calendar

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26:   JUPITER IN SOLAR CONJUNCTION
Don't bother searching for Jupiter right now.  The giant world is swinging
around the other side of the Sun, well out of our sight.     Today, Jupiter
will be on the far side of the Sun relative to Earth: a configuration
called "superior solar conjunction."  The two types of conjunction are
superior and inferior.  A planet is in inferior conjunction when it is
between Earth and the Sun.   Only the inferior planets, Mercury and Venus,
can be in inferior solar conjunction.   All of the planets, inferior and
superior, can be in superior solar conjunction.     If you doubt this
statement, imagine Earth and Mercury revolving around the Sun.   Hold Earth
steady and let Mercury complete one orbit.    You should see in your mind a
moment when Mercury will be on the far side of the Sun relative to Earth.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28:  MERCURY AT GREATEST WESTERN ELONGATION (17.9
DEGREES)
Mercury is a morning sky sight this week.   Although it seems counter
intuitive, remember the following:  when an inferior planet is at western
elongation, it will be visible in the eastern pre-dawn sky.   When an
inferior planet is at eastern elongation, it will be visible in the western
early evening sky.       Look for Mercury in the early morning eastern sky!


THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29:   MOON 0.67 DEGREES SSW OF MERCURY
The thin, waning crescent moon lingers close to Mercury.     At the very
southern tip of the world, the moon will appear move directly in front of
Mercur which is called an "occultation."   However, this occultation won't
truly be visible as it will occur in daylight.   We we will see Mercury and
the sliver moon less than a degree apart against the brightening morning
twilight: a sight almost as dramatic as a bona fide lunar occultation.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1:  NEW  MOON
Also called "conjunction."     As October begins, so, too does another
lunar cycle.  Today, we commence lunation cycle 1160.

PLANET WATCH

MERCURY:(Host constellation - Virgo)  becomes visible in the pre-dawn sky
by the third week of September.   It is elusive, as always, but by the end
of September grows brighter than Saturn and Mars.   VERDICT:   Wait until
the very end of September to see Mercury in the early morning eastern sky.

VENUS (PICK PLANET!)  (Host constellation - Scorpius) Venus maintains a
constant brightness throughout September, but, of course, remains brighter
than all the other planets and all the night sky stars.    Even though
Venus sets during the very last twilight phase this month, it is still a
brilliant western sky object and easy to find if you have a low western
horizon.
VERDICT: If you're out at dusk, seek out Venus all month!

MARS:   Mars had its time in the limelight in May when it reached
opposition.  Although it remains in the western evening sky for the rest of
the year, it will diminish sharply in brightness through autumn.
 VERDICT:     See Mars in the southwestern early evening sky each night
this month.       As autumn ages, Mars will grow dimmer..

JUPITER: (Host constellation - Jupiter)  Not visible this month!    This
bloated gas giant returns to the pre-dawn eastern sky by mid October.
 VERDICT:  Well.....please wait until late next month.

SATURN:  (Host constellation - Libra)  Is dimmer than Venus, Mars and, by
late September, will also be dimmer than Mercury.  This planet will vanish
into the dusk by November.  Now, it rises about four minutes earlier each
night.   VERDICT:   Find Saturn in the early evening this month.   It will
become much harder to find in October as it approaches its hiatus.


_____________________________________________________________
FROM THE CATACOMBS OF INFINITE KNOWLEDGE
*Giovanni Battista Hodierna,  the forgotten compiler*

This school year, we are celebrating Charles Messier, the French astronomer
whose catalog of celestial objects remains with us even 200 years after his
death.     Even though Messier was a comet hunter by avocation, he is best
known as a compiler of the catalog be developed for the benefit of other
astronomers who might confuse these objects for comets.

​
*Giovanni Battista Hodierna, an obscure Italian astronomer who compiled*
*a catalog of 40 objects that astronomers might confuse for comets.  His
work*
*predated Messier's catalog by more than a century, but was little regarded
by the*
*astronomical community.   Many astronomical historians believe that
Messier*
*never even heard of the Hodierna catalog.*

However, we should give some mention to the Italian astronomer Giovanni
Battista Hodierna (1597-1660).    Don't worry if you've never heard of him,
for he is one of astronomy's most obscure figures.    Like Messier, who was
born seventy years after his death, Hodierna realized that some night sky
objects could be mistakenly cataloged as comets.    He compiled a list of
40 objects for the benefit of other comet-seeking sky watchers.     Though
his catalog was innovative, it lapsed into obscurity,  Even Charles
Messier, whose catalog we celebrate this year, likely never knew of its
existence.       However, more than a century before the final publication
of Messier's catalog, a long forgotten Italian astronomer produced its
precursor.
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