Photo Credit: NASA, Clementine Mission
Friday October 6th, 2006 marks the occassion of the Harvest Moon which is the full moon closest to the Fall Equinox. Tonight we also have the added bonus of the Moon being at its closest point to Earth, also known as "perigee". The Moon's orbit around Earth isn't quite circular, it's an ellipse. As a result, at certain times Luna looks lovelier because it's closer. Check out the full moon tonight. According to NASA, It will appear about 12% larger compared to other full moons we have witnessed.
Photo Credit: Hubble Space Telescope STScI
Another interesting event involving our moon will come on the evening of Monday October 9th. Our cosmic neighbour will pass in front of the Pleiades star cluster. This open cluster of stars appears as a fuzzy "star" to the naked eye but binoculars and telescopes will be able to resolve individual stars. You can see in this picture that these stars look a little hazy. This is due to the fact that they are very young stars, formed inside a nebula. Some of the nebula is still visible in this picture but it's not likely that you will see it with binoculars or a small scope. Even so, the Pleiades are a beautiful sight. Did you know the Japanese name for the Pleiades? It's Subaru. Next time you see a Subaru on the road, look at the logo!
Interested in finding out more about astronomy? On Wednesday, October 11th, the Durham Region Astronomical Association will be presenting a seminar entitled "Intro to Astronomy" at the Courtice Branch of the Clarington Public Library, on Courtice Rd, just north of Hwy 2. The indoor seminar starts at 7 PM followed by public stargazing outside (weather permitting of course)
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