Jodie – Page 6 – Travel Smart With Jodie

weather changes eclipse plans

This info just came from the Adler Planetarium:

Partial Solar Eclipse Tomorrow; Adler Pivots Plans to Adjust for Inclement Weather

WHAT: Due to inclement weather, the Adler has canceled the outdoor viewing event for tomorrow’s partial solar eclipse.*

Don’t worry! Guests can still come get their free solar viewers and meet WGN’s very own legendary meteorologist Tom Skilling in our Cosmic Cafe. No tickets required! Guests can enter the cafe through the glass doors just north of the main entrance.

Meet and Greet with Tom Skilling 9:15 am–10:00 am, and 12:00 pm–1:00 pm

*The museum will operate on a regular schedule from 9:00 am–4:00pm. Tickets are required for all exhibitions and experiences, and must be purchased online, in advance.

WHAT ELSE: Tom Skilling will also join us for a special edition of the Adler’s popular live YouTube show Sky Observers Hangout that will take place from 10:15 am–11:00 am. Learn about solar eclipses from our public observing team, and get those questions ready to ask Tom during a special YouTube Q&A!

ABOUT THE PARTIAL ECLIPSE:

The eclipse will begin at 10:37 am CDT, and will last until 1:22 pm CDT. The peak of the eclipse is at 11:58 am CDT, when about 43 percent of the Sun will be covered by the Moon as seen from Chicago. *All times listed are specific to Chicago, where cloud cover will make it difficult to see this eclipse.

Why visit Chicago this weekend

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(Photo courtesy of NPS.gov)

Open House Chicago, a free glimpse inside historically, architecturally and culturally significant buildings, churches, homes theaters and museums not normally open free to the public, will have open doors this weekend, Oct. 14 and 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., thanks to the Chicago Architecture Center.

What to expect: Chicago is a city of neighborhoods. The sites open this weekend are in neighborhoods ranging from Andersonville/ Edgewater and Beverly/Morgan Park through Bronzeville/Downtown and Hyde Park to Logan Square, Pullman and Uptown.

This festival is an extraordinary opportunity to explore some of the city’s great places in more that 20 neighborhoods.

Among the sites is the Pullman National Historical Park and the historic Fine Arts Building 410 S. Michigan Ave. that has been featured this week in the Sun Times and Chicago Tribune

Tip: many places will have lines but Chicago Architecture Center Members will receive a priority access pass so of living in the area or have plans to return and take its fame boat or an architecture tour, membership is a good deal.

For a downloadable Open House guide visit Site guide.

October meteor showers

here are always meteors flying overhead. A good overview is at NASA.Gov So don’t worry if you miss one group in the news. You can watch for others that peak a short time later.

In October the Draconids peak Oct. 8-9 with best chance to catch theses somewhat sparce meteors shortly after nightfall. They are the dust particles from the Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. Visit SPACE for a detailed graph of the radiation point.

But if you miss them, the more prolific Orionid meteor shower which can produce between 30 to 80 meteors pers hour, will peak about ten days later Oct. 20-21. They come from the debris of Comet 1P/Halley, (Halley’s Comet). For more information visit Time and Date.

September brings another full Supermoon

Some sky sites say September’s full moon appears on the 28th of the month. Others say look for it on the 29th. They are both right. The crest of the full moon is 4:57 a.m. CDT on Sept. 29. But you will see the full moon which is another of this year’s supermoons, at sunset on Sept. 28. I like EarthSky for this information.

Followers of Travel Smart know that full moons have different names. Some relate to the season’s weather or crops while others connect to Native American, Celtic and other cultures.

Not surprisingly, September 2023 is the Harvest Moon because it is the full moon closest to the fall equinox, Sept. 23. It is also called the corn moon.

Unless the weather interfers, it will be easy to see. Its larger than usual size and brightness has to do with its closeness to earth and not anything extra.

If you like finding planets in relations to the moon, look for Saturn an hour earlier. It will be moving through the sky ahead of the full moon. Jupiter will be tagging along after the moon.

Another good sky site to find more information is Time and Date.

Leaves and life change at the Fall Equinox

As nights get colder, leaves are turning gold, scarlet and copper. It’s the Fall or September Equinox. And, drum roll, it is happening Sept 23, 2023 at 2:50 a.m. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere.

The exact time is when the sun crosses the equator when going south from the north. The occasion is also known as the astronomical date for fall.

Vacationers wanting to head to the Southern Hemisphere know that the season will be warm because fall there doesn’t start until in March.

Meteorologists define fall using the average temperature change which happens the first day of the equinox month so their fall definition in the Northern Hemisphere began Sept. 1.

It’s likely you don’t need to be told that the days are getting shorter and night are longer. We seem to want to stay in bed longer and maybe change our schedules to use more daylight.

But at the Equinox they are equal before they continue in their short and long time spans.

Thus, the shortest day of the year is at the winter solstice. For more information and fun facts visit The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Triple moon treat ends August

August 2023 ends with a “Blue Moon” but it’s not blue.

The month also ends with a “Supermoon” that seems larger than usual. But even though it appears larger, the moon didn’t actually grow.

It also ends with a full moon. And yes, at full illumination it is full. So what is happening?

First, the phrase “once in a blue moon” came about because it is a somewhat rare occurence. It refers to having two full moons in one month. When a month starts out with a full moon it has enough days to complete the moon’s phase cycle with a second full moon as has happened in the 31 days of August 2023. (It can also be a seasonal blue month it is the third full moon in one season).

Time and Date notes that the last Super Blue Moon was December 2009, and the next one is August 2032. Also, that the next Blue Moon is August 2024, but it isn’t a Supermoon.

According to Space, our second August moon will look larger and brighter than other full moons in 2023. It is one of the year’s Supermoons, a moon that is full at the same time its orbit brings it closest to Earth (perigee).

But the second August full moon will be closer to earth than the other Supermoons. The average distance to the moon according to many scientific sites is 238,855 miles.

However, this August moon will be 221.942 miles, Aug. 30 at 9:36 p.m. EDT.

I like the NASA Science site that explains the August Blue Supermoon.

Jodie Jacobs

Catch best meteor shower of this year

If you have clear skies and can watch after midnight, chances are good that you can catch way more than one “falling ” star this weekend.

The bright, prolific Perseids, will be shooting debris from the 109P/ Swift- Tuttle comet at 90 or more meteors per hour late at night, Aug. 11-13 and peaking Aug. the 13th. The moon is a waning crescent so shouldn’t be a light factor.

They already started in mid-July and continue until Sept 1 but this weekend is expected to be their biggest display.

They are fun to watch as they are fast (37 miles per second) and are streaks of light with long trains or “wakes.” Plus, they are usually colorful.

Best time to look is very, very early in the morning before the sun rises. They shoot all over the sky but the radiant (where they seem to come from) is the northern section of constellation Perseus which is higher in the sky shortly before dawn.

For more information and charts visit NASA and EarthSky

Great detour stops on a road trip

Instead of stopping merely to stretch, think of the stop as a way to make a driving trip extra special. Sometimes we get so caught up in getting there we don’t take advantage of the unusual museums actually located along our way or in towns we’ll stop at anyway.

Because many towns have multiple sights it’s easier to fit in a place that makes it into popular guides. However, doing so may mean losing out on a place you will be excitedly recommending to others.

The following places are just a few of the unusual stops that a lucky travel writer might have uncovered. (Feel free to add your own recommendations.)

Traveling East-West

The Archway: If taking I80 across Nebraska, do more then stop to take a photo and go under the picturesque arch crossing above the highway at Kearney.

Opened in 2000, it celebrates the early and modern travelers who went west along the Great Platte River. See and hear life-like figures tell their stories against stagecoach and wagon backdrops. There’s even a more modern vista of autos and diners.

City Museum: If taking I70 or any of the other roads that lead to St. Louis, MO, make time to go downtown to explore this weirdly crazy museum. It opened about 25 years ago in an abandoned shoe factory. You will definitely feel like an explorer as you listen to menacing organ sounds while finding unexpected objects and pathways inside, outside on the roof and along different levels including underground.

Traveling North South

If driving the 101 to LA, go downtown to its latest museum, the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum that opened in 2021. it often updates exhibitions so you might catch old movies and costumes one time and might see Star Wars figures the next time.

4. If taking I 55 down to New Orleans, LA go to the warehouse district for the spectacular National WWII Museum. It has planes and artifacts but it is not about planes. It is a multimedia experience with immersive exhibits and first- person histories. Its “Expressions of America” reveals reflections of the men and women who served. It’s new Liberation Pavilion opens early Nov. 2023.

July and August meteor showers overlap

Sky watchers might catch a glimpse of the Capricornids. They are not abundant but if you see a bright slash across the sky it’s likely to be a Capricornid meteor. They peaked July 26 but are continuing through mid-August.

Look for the triangular Capricornus (Sea Goat) constellation for the Capricornid radiant.

Then be rewarded for looking up the beginning of August when the Delta Aquarids fly across the sky at about 10 per hour.

They peaked July 29 but continue through Aug. 19. However, you might miss some because they are not bright and don’t have a noticeable tail.

For their radiant look for Aquarius the Water Bearer (see a triangle of stars with a fourth star in the middle) between Capricornus and Pegasis’ Great Square.

Next, watch for the Perseids in mid-August. They are already shooting across the sky but will peak about Aug. 13-15 and continue through Aug. 24.

They come from the Swift-Tuttle also are abundant but more easily seen than the Delta Aquarids.

For more July-Aug. meteor shower info visit Space and the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

August full moons not a typo

You likely heard the phrase, ‘once in a blue moon.’ It’s about rarity, not color. It’s when one month boasts two full moons. And August 2023 is a prime example.

First, watch for the first full moon, called the Sturgeon Moon, on Aug.1, Peak illumination is 2:32 p.m. Eastern Time, but you should be watching for it after sunset when it’s more visible as it rises in the east.

It is also a Supermoon. Because its orbit brings it close to earth it will appear larger and brighter.

As for its name, it refers to when the Great Lakes’ huge sturgeon are often caught. Menacing looking, it is the North America’s largest fish and is considered prehistoric (136 million years ago) in origin.

For a great Sturgeon exhibit, check out Grand Rapics, MI’s Public Musuem.

The August moon is also called the “Corn” moon by some Native American tribes and many farmers.

Then, look skyward at the end of the month for the second full moon. What we call a “Blue Moon” appears August 30 with peak illumination at 9:36 p.m. ET.

Its appearance late in the month begins the later cycle of monthly full moon dates.

One other full moon note is that the moon will appear full the day before peak illumination and the day after so expect more night lite and picture taking ops.

For more excellent full moon info visit The Old Farmer’s Almanac and Time and Date.