Night Sky Tour
Night Sky Tour
Date: September 3, 2021Time: 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Meeting Place: Red River Beach. Driving directions to the starting point will be included with your reservation confirmation email.
Leader: Michael Payne
Price: 10
Attendee Limit: 30
Age Limit: 12
This Friday evening, we will tour the evening sky from Red River Beach on Nantucket Sound in South Harwich. Following a constellation map to navigate the night sky, we will identify major constellations and stars as well as the planets Jupiter and Saturn. At this time of year, the sky has begun to transition from the brighter stars and constellations of summer to the fainter and less conspicuous ones of approaching autumn. The summer constellations are still in a good position to observe and learn how to tell apart. We will locate Scorpius, Sagittarius, Aquila, and Lyra, among other constellations. We will also observe the stars of the “Summer Triangle”: Vega, Cygnus, and Altair. Rising in the east and northeast we will locate the emerging autumn constellations of Capricornus, Pegasus, Cassiopeia, and Perseus. As we move around the sky, we will learn some cultural history from around the world about the constellations as well as some basic astronomy that will help explain why the night sky appears as it does to us in all its stargazing splendor.
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