The Dog Days of Summer

Ever heard the expression, "the dog days of summer?" "Dog Days is the name for the most sultry period of summer, from about July 3 to Aug. 11. Named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the Sun." Source: Columbia Encyclopedia

Sirius is much like a Greek word meaning "scorcher." The "Dog Days of Summer" refers to the time period during the summer when Sirius--the brightest star in the night sky--is high in the daytime sky, supposedly adding to the heat of the summer Sun (Sirius is searing us).

Safe Solar Observing

There's more than meets the eye to the little yellow ball in the sky! See what you're missing--plan to attend the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Albert Einstein Planetarium FREE Monthly Star Lecture: Safe Solar Observing on Saturday 27 July 2002 at 6:00 p.m.

Earth at Aphelion

The shape of the Earth's orbit around the Sun is an ellipse (although it is almost perfectly circular); the point at which the Earth is farthest from the Sun is known as aphelion. The Earth reaches aphelion on 06 July 2002 (04h UT)--at a distance of 94,507,300 miles, the Earth is now 3,101,000 miles farther from Sun than at perihelion on 02 January 2002. Food for thought: if the Earth is farthest from the Sun, then why is it summer in the northern mid-latitudes? The answer lies in the annual cycle of change in the apparent path of the Sun across the sky (refer to June Solstice below).

Earliest Sunrise/Latest Sunset

Washington, D.C. - From June 10-18, the Sun rises at 5:42 a.m. EDT, the earliest time of sunrise all year. From June 20 to July 5, the Sun sets at 8:37 p.m. EDT, the latest time of sunset all year.

Event	Date(s)	Time (EST)
Earliest Sunrise	06/10/02 - 06/18/02	05:42 p.m.
Latest Sunset	06/20/02 - 07/05/02	08:37 a.m.

June Solstice

The Summer Solstice occurs at 9:24 a.m. EDT on 21 June 2002. On this date, the Sun reaches the northernmost line of latitude (the Tropic of Cancer, 23.5°N) where the midday Sun is at the zenith (the imaginary point directly overhead). At northern mid-latitude locations, the midday Sun reaches its maximum altitude (annually) and the duration of insolation (number of hours of daylight) is greatest. For example, in Washington, D.C. the midday Sun will reach an altitude of 74.5 degrees above the horizon and there will be nearly 15 hours of daylight (14h54m). Also, the Sun rises farthest to the north of east (to the far left of the Washington Monument in the accompanying photograph) and sets farthest to the north of west than at any other time of year.

It's interesting to note that the apparent paths of the Sun and Moon across the sky are exactly opposite at the solstices: near the time of the June Solstice, the Full Moon follows the path of the Sun during the December Solstice; near the time of the December Solstice, the Full Moon follows the path of the Sun during the June Solstice. For more information, see Yin and Yang - Dynamic Equilibrium in the Universe.

By jimminy, it's time to say, "Bye, Gemini!"

Ever heard the old expression, "by jimminy?" Originally, the phrase meant something like, "with any luck," derived from the mythological association between the Gemini Twins and good luck. By the middle of June, your luck has run out as the constellation Gemini (No. 3, FCPS Starfinder) slips below the western horizon shortly after 9 p.m.

National Hurricane Awareness Week

The National Weather Service has declared May 19-25, 2002 as National Hurricane Awareness Week. Each day of the week will have a special emphasis:


SUN	:	History
M-W	:	Hurricane Hazards
THU	:	Forecast
FRI	:	Prepare
SAT	:	Take Action

"The goal of Hurricane Awareness Week is to educate you about the hazards of Hurricanes and provide you with knowledge which can be used to help protect you, your family, and your property." [Quote courtesy the NOAA/NWS Tropical Prediction Center (TPC), formerly known as the National Hurricane Center (NHC).]

Sandburg Sun-Earth-Moon Day 2002

Weather permitting, the Sandburg Planetarium will host "Sun-Earth-Moon Day" on Mon., 06 May 2002, from 8:30 a.m. 'til 2:40 p.m. (Rain Date: Tue., 07 May.) The event is timed to coincide as closely as possible with Space Day (Thu., 02 May) and the Last Quarter Moon (Sat., 04 May). Amateur astronomers from the Maryland Sidewalk Astronomers (MSA), National Capital Astronomers (NCA), Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC), and Shenandoah Astronomical Society (SAS) have volunteered to be our guides for a day of sundialing, safe sunspot observing, and Moon-watching.


Editor's Note: Good friends and good conditions combined for a great day for firsthand observation of the real sky: fair weather prevailed for most of the day (relatively clear skies and comfortable temperatures); and the daily sunspot number was high (317). In a word, S-E-M Day 2002 was another smashing success! For details, read Sandburg "Sun-Earth-Moon Day 2002" - a special report highlighting Sandburg Planetarium's local celebration of Space Day.

Astronomy Day at Huntley Meadows Park

Due to inclement weather, AD@HMP has been
rescheduled for Sunday, 28 April, 3-9 p.m.

Weather permitting, join Planetarium Teachers from Fairfax County Public Schools (Sandburg, Edison, & TJHSST), volunteers from the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC), and Fairfax County Park Authority Naturalists for a local celebration of National Astronomy Day 2002 on Saturday, 20 April 2002, at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, VA.


A variety of activities are planned. From 3:00 'til 9:00 p.m., astronomy experts will be on-hand to provide guidance and answer questions. Planetarium Teachers will provide a guided tour of the evening sky, featuring all five of the visible planets as well as prominent stars & constellations visible with the unaided eye. Binoculars and telescopes will be available for public observation of day and night sky phenomena, including sunspots (3:00 - 6:00 p.m.), the First Quarter Moon (day & night), planets, especially Jupiter and Saturn (beginning at twilight), and other night sky targets such as binary stars, star clusters, and galaxies.

Two formal workshops (reservations required) will be held at the Huntley Meadows Park Visitor Center:

• 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. - Making & Using an Equatorial Sundial/Real-Sky Solar Observation; and
• 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. - Making & Using a Starfinder/Night Sky Observation
Workshops are open to adults and families with children nine (9) years and older. Space may be infinite, but in this case, space is limited! For more information or to make reservations, contact Kitty Keller, FCPA Naturalist, at 703-768-2525.

Rain Date: Sunday, 28 April 2002

[Astronomy Day@HMP is part of the program, "Bringing Astronomy to the People"--the Sandburg Planetarium public outreach initiative for 2001-2002.]




Editor's Note: During a three-hour window of opportunity between morning and evening rain events, approximately 50-70 people participated in AD@HMP. See photographs of the special event as well as the park, courtesy Phil Wherry.

A Gathering of Planets

During late-April and early-May, all five planets visible with the unaided eye can be seen in the western sky during twilight. For more information, including graphics illustrating where to look for the planets from 20 April 'til 03 June 2002, visit A Gathering of Five Planets, courtesy the Henry Buhl, Jr. Planetarium and Observatory, Carnegie Science Center. For additional narrative and graphics, see either Planets Gather in Evening Sky, a 15 March 2002 press release from Griffith Observatory, or Spring's Dancing Planets, courtesy Astronomy.com.

First 90-Degree Day

Tuesday, 16 April 2002 the high temperature at Reagan National Airport (DCA) exceeded 90°F--the first 90-degree day for the year 2002 (May 19 is the average date of the first 90-degree day at DCA; September 12 the last).

Spring Forward...

At 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, 07 April 2002 set your clocks forward one hour to begin "Daylight Saving Time" (EDT). Something of a misnomer, we merely shift the increasing daylight hours from morning to evening. Daylight Saving Time begins on the first Sunday in April (spring forward...) and ends on the last Sunday in October (...fall back).

April is National Poetry Month

Celebrate National Poetry Month and increase your sky awareness by reading some of Carl Sandburg's sky-related poetry, or by reading Carl Sandburg Middle School student-authored sky-related poetry.

Comet Ikeya-Zhang

A simple comet-watching mnemonic: I C IC C I-Z? (I see icy Comet Ikeya-Zhang?) Maybe. "A newly discovered comet, now approaching the Sun and Earth, could develop into a relatively bright naked-eye object in coming weeks, researchers say. The best views of the comet may be reserved for those under dark skies far from bright lights, but even city dwellers should be able to spot it. ... Ikeya-Zhang's expected path across the sky in the coming weeks will greatly favor Northern Hemisphere observers. During most of March on into early April, the comet will be visible near to the north-northwest horizon about an hour after sundown. Bright moonlight may hinder observations during the last week of March." [Source: Comet makes its celestial entrance, courtesy MSNBC.]

As of 15 February, Ikeya-Zhang's apparent magnitude was +6.8m. For reference, +6.0 is the naked-eye limit at a dark site; +9.0 is the limiting magnitude of 50mm binoculars. Comet Ikeya-Zhang is expected to peak somewhere between +3.5 and +3.0. "The 1986 appearance of Halley's Comet, considered disappointing by many, also peaked at around magnitude 3.0. In contrast, Comet Hale-Bopp, which put on a memorable show in April 1997, attained a brightness close to magnitude -1, or about 60 times brighter than Halley." [Source: ibidem, MSNBC]

For more information (including graphics showing where to look in the sky for the comet), read Comet Ikeya-Zhang (updated 01 MAR '02), an article featured at Sky & Telescope online.

Ikeya-Zhang Updates:

• Finder Charts for 13-19 March 2002
• Finder Charts for 20-26 March 2002
• Finder Charts for 27 March - 02 April 2002

March Equinox

The March Equinox occurs at 19:16 UTC (2:16 p.m. EST) on 20 March 2002. The word equinox literally means "equal nights," referring to either of two times of the year when the Sun crosses the plane of the Earth's Equator and day and night are of nearly equal length, that is, about March 21 and September 21. The Sun rises exactly due east (just to the right of the Washington Monument in the accompanying photograph) and sets due west. The March Equinox is the beginning of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere (in the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological spring is MAR, APR, and MAY).

Celebrate the Equinox and the Seasons by participating in a local observance of NASA Sun-Earth Day, Wednesday, 20 March 2002. [Teachers: See the SCSA/Themes/Sun-Earth Connection Web page for theme-related information resources and suggested teaching strategies.]

Sundials & Equinoxes: Theoretically, the gnomon (or style) of a properly oriented equatorial sundial will not cast a shadow on the dial plate during the equinoxes. Because the dial plate of an equatorial sundial is parallel to the Earth's Equator, the Sun is directly over the edge of the dial plate on the equinoxes, when the Sun is at the zenith along the Equator. From the March Equinox to the September Equinox, when the Sun is at the zenith in the Northern Hemisphere (between 0° and 23.5°N lat.), the gnomon shadow falls on the upper dial face; from the September Equinox to the March Equinox, when the Sun is at the zenith in the Southern Hemisphere (between 0° and 23.5°S lat.), the gnomon shadow falls on the lower dial face.

March: In Like a Lion; Out Like a Lamb.

	You've probably heard the old saying, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."
Usually, this saying is used to describe typical March weather: in the beginning of March, the weather is often wild; by the end of March, the weather is usually mild. But this modern weather proverb actually originates from astronomy: in the late-February/early-March night skies, Leo, the Lion (No. 5, FCPS Starfinder) is rising in the east ("coming in") at the same time that Aries, the Ram (lamb) is setting in the west ("going out").

Perigee & the Full Moon; the Moon Illusion

27 February 2002, the closest perigee of the year coincides with the Full Moon (see the Lunar Perigee and Apogee Calculator). Huh? The Moon's orbit around the Earth is an ellipse (not a perfect circle), therefore the Earth-Moon distance varies: perigee is when the Moon is closest to the Earth; apogee is when the Moon is farthest. Does the Earth-Moon distance vary enough to affect the apparent size of the Moon? In a word, yes (see Inconstant Moon - The Moon at Perigee and Apogee or Big Moonshine), although the difference may be imperceptible to all but the most careful observers.


Read about the "Moon Illusion," an unrelated phenomenon wherein some people perceive that the Moon appears to be larger when it is near the horizon than when it is higher in the sky:

• Explaining The Moon Illusion - why the Moon looks larger close to the horizon (by Lloyd Kaufman and James Kaufman for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) [reference: USNO Data Services FAQ]
• Scientists Offer Answer to Baffling Lunar Illusion

Moon Occults Saturn

Webster's Dictionary defines occult (transitive verb) as "to shut off from view or exposure, to cover, or eclipse." On 20 February 2002, the Moon occults Saturn. Slightly past First Quarter, the Moon is 55% illuminated (right side). In Washington, D.C., Saturn disappears behind the Moon's dark limb (upper left side) at 7:17 p.m. EST; it reappears on the bright limb (slightly above center, right side) at 8:39 p.m. The Moon's limb takes approximately two minutes to cover/uncover Saturn from ring tip to ring tip. The occultation may be seen with either the unaided eye or binoculars, however magnification of at least 30x is required to resolve the rings of Saturn (a small, "department store" telescope should be satisfactory).

18 February 2002 - Pluto Anniversary

Pluto was discovered 72 years ago today by Clyde W. Tombaugh, February 18, 1930.

02 February 2002 - Groundhog Day

According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, then there will be six more weeks of winter weather; if he doesn't see his shadow, then there will be an early spring. Hogtivities provides a list of activities for celebrating Groundhog Day with younger students.

Editor's Note: Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and we know what that means.... Sigh!

Cold Facts to Warm Your Heart!

At last, winter's icy grip may be slipping! Tuesday, 29 January, the daily average temperature in Washington, D.C. begins increasing--yippee!!!

Latest Sunrise/Earliest Sunset

The date(s) of latest sunrise occurs at the end of December/beginning of January; the date(s) of earliest sunset occurs in early December:

Event	Date(s)	Time (EST)
Latest Sunrise	12/31/01 - 01/10/02	07:27 a.m.
Earliest Sunset	12/02/01 - 12/12/01	04:46 p.m.

Earth at Perihelion

The shape of the Earth's orbit around the Sun is an ellipse (although its orbit is almost perfectly circular); the point at which the Earth is closest to the Sun is known as perihelion. The Earth reaches perihelion on 02 January 2002 (14h UT). Food for thought: if the Earth is closest to the Sun, then why is it winter in the northern mid-latitudes? The answer lies in the annual cycle of change in the apparent path of the Sun across the sky (refer to December Solstice below).

December Solstice - Happy Solar New Year!

The Sun reaches the December Solstice at 19:21 UTC (02:21 p.m.) on 21 DEC 2001, marking the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere (in the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological winter is DEC, JAN, and FEB). On this date, the Sun reaches the southernmost line of latitude (the Tropic of Capricorn, 23.5°S) where the midday Sun is at the zenith (the imaginary point directly overhead). At northern mid-latitude locations, the midday Sun reaches its minimum altitude (annually) and the duration of insolation (number of hours of daylight) is least. For example, in Washington, D.C. the midday Sun will reach an altitude of 26.5 degrees above the horizon and there will be 9h26m of daylight. Also, the Sun rises farthest south of east (to the far right of the Washington Monument in the accompanying photograph) and sets farthest south of west than at any other time of year.

It's interesting to note that the apparent paths of the Sun and Moon across the sky are exactly opposite at the solstices: near the time of the December Solstice, the Full Moon follows the path of the Sun during the June Solstice; near the time of the June Solstice, the Full Moon follows the path of the Sun during the December Solstice. For more information, see Yin and Yang - Dynamic Equilibrium in the Universe.

December's Gems/Boardwalk Astronomy

The Geminid meteor shower peaks on the night/morning of December 13/14. Under ideal conditions, as many as 120 meteors per hour might be seen. This year, the New Moon will not be a source of light pollution. To find Gemini (the shower radiant), refer to the December FCPS Starfinder which shows the 9 p.m. mid-December sky; Gemini is constellation No. 3, rising above the eastern horizon [to the upper-left of Orion, the Hunter (No. 1)]. For more information, visit SKY Online's Meteor Page.

Weather permitting, join the Sandburg Planetarium Teacher, volunteers from the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, and Fairfax County Park Authority Naturalists for an informal night of meteor- and skywatching at Huntley Meadows Park. Binoculars and telescopes will be available for public observation. Dress warmly! Bring a blanket &/or a lawn chair. Plan to meet at the Visitor Center around 9-ish on 13 DEC; as a group, we will venture out to the boardwalk/wetland trail in the middle of the park. For more information or to make reservations (required), contact Kitty Keller, FCPA Naturalist, at 703-768-2525. [Part of the program, "Bringing Astronomy to the People"--the Sandburg Planetarium public outreach initiative for 2001-2002.]

Editor's Note: More than 70 people registered to particpate in the "Boardwalk Astronomy" event (many more folks were wait-listed); regrettably the event was cancelled due to inclement weather. Thanks for your interest!

Earliest Sunset/Latest Sunrise

The date(s) of earliest sunset is near the beginning of December; the date(s) of latest sunrise follows a couple of weeks later:

Event	Date(s)	Time (EST)
Earliest Sunset	12/02/01 - 12/12/01	04:46 p.m.
Latest Sunrise	12/31/01 - 01/10/02	07:27 a.m.

Hurricane Season Ends

Hurricane Season in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean ends November 30th. The 2001 hurricane season was relatively inactive.

Once in a Blue Moon

During November 2001, there are two Full Moons: the first Full Moon occurs on NOV 1; the second Full Moon is on NOV 30. When two Full Moons occur in the same month, the second is referred to as a Blue Moon. Well, that's the most widely used modern definition of a Blue Moon. Visit the Blue Moon Folklore Web page for a comprehensive review of past usage of the term.

On average, Blue Moons occur once every three years (33 mo.). The next Blue Moon occurs in July 2004 (Full Moons on 02 & 31 July). The Blue Moon Web page includes a nice FAQ list, as well as a hyperlink to the Blue Moon Calculator.

Music sets the mood! From the audio CD, Classic Doo Wop: Best of The Marcels, listen to Track 1, Blue Moon (2:21).

Leonids Meteor Shower

The annual Leonids meteor shower should occur on the night/morning of November 17th/18th, peaking on Sunday, 18 NOV around 5 a.m. EST (Washington, D.C.). Plan to watch anytime after 11 p.m.-to-12 midnight when the constellation Leo, the Lion rises above the eastern horizon--meteors will appear radiate outward from Leo. To find Leo, refer to the January FCPS Starfinder (the 9 p.m. January sky is the same as the 1 a.m. November sky); note the bright star Regulus, the heart of the lion (Letter "M") rising above the eastern horizon. For more information, visit The Sky is Falling!, Astronomy.com's guide to meteors and how to watch them (also, Heads up: Here come the Leonids), or visit SKY Online's Meteor Page.

Next month, December's GEMs (the Geminids meteor shower)....

Editor's Note: Under less than ideal conditions (urban light pollution, haze, and toward sunrise, thin fog) between 4 and 6 a.m., Sunday, 18 NOV 2001, I saw dozens of meteors, possibly more than a hundred total. In contrast, a good friend reported that, "Conditions were very, very good on Skyline Drive; we easily saw thousands [of meteors] over a period of maybe three hours. There were times when four or five were visible at once, though it was more typical to see one every second or two." Incredible!

Beginning of Ramadan - 17 November 2001

"The Islamic calendar is based on lunar months, which begin when the thin Crescent Moon is actually sighted in the western sky after sunset within a day or so after New Moon." Ramadan is the name for one of the 12 months of the Islamic calendar. The New Moon occurs on 15 November 2001; the first day of Ramadan is 17 November 2001. "The Islamic date begins at sunset on the previous evening [16 NOV] and ends at sunset on the [17th]." For details, see the U.S. Naval Observatory article, Crescent Moon Visibility and the Islamic Calendar (source of preceding quotes).

Halloween - 31 October

The name All Hallows E'en means "hallowed" or "holy evening," the eve before All Saints' Day. Before that it was an old Druid festival that began at midnight and lasted throughout the following day. The festival was in honor of Crone Hecate the Destroyer who brought death to all vegetation, returning the seed of life to sleep [a simple explanation for the change of seasons from summer to fall to winter]. To honor Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seed, people shared apples and nuts.

Archeoastronomers theorize that the Harvest Moon and Halloween pumpkins may be related. When tilted to the left just after rising, the Full Moon's markings (the "man in the Moon") look like an orange-colored jack-o-lantern's face and it is possible that the Moon, as it appears to harvesters working into the evening during early fall, suggested the idea for the Halloween pumpkin.

Daylight Saving Time Ends

Remember the mnemonic: Spring forward; fall back? On the last Sunday in October (2 a.m., Sunday, 28 October 2001), clocks are set back one hour to return to Standard Time. Notice how much earlier sunset seems to be! Sure sign that winter is coming: the number of daylight hours is decreasing. By the time of the December Solstice (21 DEC 2001), there will be only nine hours and 27 minutes (9h27m) of daylight--the fewest hours of daylight all year!

First Frost

On average, the first frost occurs during late October or early November for much of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Tuesday morning, 09 October (a little ahead of schedule!) we observed the first widespread frost at the Sandburg Center for Sky Awareness.

A few frosty facts for Washington, D.C. (Reagan National Airport):

• Earliest occurrence of 32°F or lower in the autumn:
  10 October 1895
• Latest occurrence of 32°F or lower in the autumn:
  14 December 1980
• Average date of first occurrence of 32°F or lower in the autumn: November 8th

With the onset of frosty cold temperatures, it won't be long 'til the first snowfall! In the meantime, make artificial snow by visiting Snowflake Designer, a very cool (pun intended) Shockwave multimedia Web site.

October Sky

According to the NOAA National Climatic Data Center, October is the least cloudy month for the mid-Atlantic United States. Remember, climate is "average" weather (as well as weather extremes), so expect some clouds and precipitation during the month of October. But on average, you can expect many good skygazing opportunities during the Fall. Plan your skywatching sessions by visiting the SCSA Web page, What's up?

On a related note, if the sky is overcast then you may want to spend the evening indoors reading October Sky, the best-selling book by Homer Hickam (which inspired the movie of the same name). October Sky is the inspirational, loosely autobiographical story of a young boy from a small coal mining town in West Virginia who grew up to be a NASA engineer.

"Shine on, Shine on Harvest Moon..."

The Harvest Moon, named for the Full Moon occurring closest to the September Equinox (22 SEP '01), occurs on 02 October 2001, rising in the east approximately a half-hour (29 minutes) after the Sun sets in the west. The additional light late into the evening allows farmers time to harvest their crops after sunset.

The Harvest Moon usually occurs in September, but occasionally falls in October, as it does this year.

Sidewalk Astronomy/Sandburg MS BTSN

Weather permitting, Monday evening, 24 September 2001 [before the Sandburg MS Back-to-School Night (BTSN)], join the Sandburg Planetarium Teacher for a quick guided tour of the evening sky, featuring real-sky observation of sunspots (before sunset), the First Quarter Moon, as well as a variety of other night sky targets including the planet Mars, prominent stars & constellations, etc. Binoculars and telescopes will be available for public observation. Volunteers from the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club will be on-hand to provide guidance and answer questions. Look for us on your way to the BTSN meeting.


Editor's Note: Regrettably, the "Sidewalk Astronomy" event was cancelled due to inclement weather.

September Equinox

The equinox occurs on 22 September 2001 at 7:04 p.m. EDT, marking the beginning of astronomical autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of astronomical spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sun rises exactly due east (just to the right of the Washington Monument in the accompanying photograph) and sets due west, and day and night are approximately equal in duration. Note: meteorological fall (SEP, OCT, NOV) begins 01 SEP.

Sundials & Equinoxes: On the equinoxes, the gnomon of a properly oriented equatorial sundial will not cast a shadow on the dial plate. Because the dial plate of an equatorial sundial is parallel to the Earth's Equator, the Sun is directly over the edge of the dial plate on the equinoxes (when the Sun is at the zenith along the Equator). From the March Equinox to the September Equinox, the gnomon shadow falls on the upper dial face; from the September Equinox to the March Equinox, the gnomon shadow falls on the lower dial face.

NOVAC Star Gaze 2001

Interested in astronomy? Not sure how to get started? Plan to attend the NOVAC Star Gaze 2001, 22 September 2001, 4:00 p.m. 'til 12 midnight, at Franklin Park in Loudoun County, VA. Sponsored by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, a wide variety of activities (day and night) are planned.

Editor's Note: I'm pleased to report that it was my good fortune to be able to attend my first NOVAC Star Gaze, but it won't be my last! The event was attended by several hundred NOVAC members--knowledgeable men and women who enthusiatically invited anyone who passed by to have a look at the night sky as seen through a wide variety of binoculars and telescopes. Thanks to everyone who graciously allowed me to use their equipment--good show!

Say Goodbye to the 90s...

On average, September 12th is the last 90-degree day at Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). For more information about fall weather in the Washington, D.C. area, visit the WeatherNet4 Washington Fall Statistics Web page. With the onset of cooler temperatures, it won't be long 'til our first freeze which, in part, triggers leaf color to change.

Hurricane Season

Mid-September (specifically, 09 SEP) is the climatological peak of Tropical Atlantic hurricane season.

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