Three planets are visible during the month of April. Bright Jupiter appears low in the east as the sun sets. It may be the first point of light you see as the sky begins to darken. By midnight it will be high overhead. Saturn is somewhat fainter, but will still stand out near the constellation Gemini the Twins. Both planets are great binocular and telescopic targets. Red planet Mars still lurks in the pre-dawn hours, low in the southeast. It's not so impressive now, but will put on a great show later this year.
Begin your journey to the final frontier on Astronomy Day from 10:00 am to 3:00 PM at the Adventure Science Center. Paul Johnson from the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, will give talks on space exploration at 11:00 am and at 1:00 PM. Members of the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society and Clarksville Astronomers will be on hand with telescope exhibits and solar observing. JPL Solar System Ambassador Chuck Schlemm and others will feature displays on the planets in our solar system and the exciting discoveries being made by robotic explorers today. Watch our web site for schedules and more information!
April 24th marks the 15th anniversary of the launch of Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. HST has had its ups and downs over the years, but it has made many amazing discoveries and captured countless beautiful images along the way. For HST's 15th birthday, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has prepared a pair of new, never-before-seen, high-resolution images that will be revealed to the public in special ceremonies to be held around the country. Adventure Science Center is proud to be one of those sites.
One of the images is of M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. The other image... well STScI isn't saying what it's a picture of. All they're saying is: it's stunning!
The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for the morning of April 25. The time is yet to be confirmed. Please watch our web site for the latest information, or call AstroLine at 615-401-5092. We hope to see you there!
On April 8, observers in our part of the world will get to see a tiny portion of the Sun covered by the Moon in a partial solar eclipse. From the Nashville area, the eclipse will begin at 4:43 PM. The eclipse's maximum will occur at around 5:17 PM, when a little under 13% of the Sun's disc will be covered by the Moon. The Moon will continue to creep across the Sun, until the eclipse ends around 5:50 PM.
It won't be very impressive from anywhere in the U.S., but in more remote parts of the world it will be a total eclipse. To be precise, though, it's an unusual variety of eclipse called a hybrid.
Solar eclipses come in several kinds. Besides partial eclipses, there are total eclipses, which occur when the Moon completely covers the Sun. Annular eclipses are similar to total eclipses, except that the Moon is a little too far away, and appears too small to cover up the entire Sun. An annular eclipse looks like a bright ring!
A hybrid eclipse is either annular or total depending on where you are on the Earth. The curvature of the Earth causes some observers to be further away from the Moon than others. The Moon looks smaller for those who are further away. Those observers will get an annular eclipse. Those who are ever so slightly closer to the Moon will get a total eclipse.
In any event, there probably won't be many more than the die-hard eclipse chasers watching this total eclipse, because it is visible only from the South Pacific Ocean. Observers at each end of the eclipse path, in New Zealand and northwest South America, will get to see an annular eclipse.
As for us in the US? Well, there aren't any good eclipses this year, solar or lunar. We'll take what we can get!
To view any solar eclipse, you must take the necessary precautions. Staring at the Sun can permanently damage your eyes. For tips on how to safely view a solar eclipse, visit any of the following web sites:
April brings not one, but two local star parties! First, join us and the Barnard Seyfert Astronomical Society for our next FREE public star party, set for Saturday, April 2, from 8:00 to 10:00 PM at the model airplane field at Edwin Warner Park. Weather permitting, we'll have prime views of Saturn and Jupiter!
Next, we'll be in the Parking lot of Greer Stadium to wrap up our annual Astronomy Day celebration. Yes there's light pollution close to downtown, but that won't stop us from getting good close-up looks at Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon, and more! (Yes, we were going to be in front of Adventure Science Center, but plans have changed!)
Remember both star parties are weather permitting. Check our home page or call AstroLine if the weather is iffy. And be sure to bundle up - even in the spring it can be chilly!
In addition to daily planetarium shows and special events such as Astronomy Day and star parties, be sure to check out Adventure Science Center's SciBites. These are science demonstrations on topics related to a theme. For April and May, the theme is Sky and Space. Test your Sun Smarts when it comes to your health and our nearest star; become one of the Light Detectives using the tools of astronomers, and Drop It! while conducting experiments in microgravity. SciBites page for daily showtimes.
