Happenings – Travel Smart With Jodie

November brings the Taurids and Leonids plus an extra hour of sleep

It’s “fall back” time. Change clocks back an hour before you go to bed Nov. 4, 2023 or wait until morning Nov. 5, We say goodbye to Daylight Saving Time. at two a.m. on Sunday. Just remember: “Spring Ahead, Fall Back.”

Named for Taurus, the meteors shooting above now seem to emanate from that constellation. However, there is the Southern Taurids that started in September, go until Nov. 20 but peak Nov. 2-4 with a radiant at the southern part of the constellation. And, there are the Northern Taurids that peak Nov. 12-14 but have a radiant at the northern part.

The Taurids are from the comet Encke (pronounced “EN-key”), mentioned by 18th-century German astronomer Johann Franz Encke., Visit the Farmer’s Almanac and Taurid Meteor Showers for more information.

Next, are the Leonids whose parent is 55PTempel-Tuttle. They are among the fastest meteors traveling about 44 miles per second. They peak Nov. 17-18. They sometimes show up as impressive fireballs with colorful tails.

For more information visit Time and Date and EarthSky.

To see what’s up there in your sky, download “Sky Guide” and point phone to the sky.

Full moon and partial eclipse for October

The October full moon, called the Hunter’s Moon, rises 4:24 p.m., Oct. 28, 2023, but it will be below the horizon so wait until sunset to watch it, says the Old Farmer’s Almanac. However, as with past full moons, you get a preview on Oct. 27 and a continuation on Sept. 29.

Why the Hunter Moon? It’s related to the autumnal equinox. It follows the Harvest Moon that came Sept.29 in 2023. Its name came from the time that hunters could better find deer after leaves fell and fields were cleared.

Other names coming from Native Americans are Falling Leaves and freezing moon.

We had a partial eclipse of the sun in mid-October. Now it’s the moon’s turn.

If you are outside the eastern part of the US or in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe you get a bonus. You can watch a partial eclipse of the moon. Time and Date will stream it live.

Add some color to your trip

Fall view near Traverse City, MI (J Jacobs photo) — Early fall view near Traverse City, MI (J Jacobs photo)

It’s not too late for a fall color getaway in the Midwest.

Depending on where you want to drive you will find trees beginning to dress in golden hues and adding scarlet to their fringe.

Wisconsin: When viewing the latest fall report you see that Door County, a popular vacation destination in the northeastern part of the state is now at its peak color.

From good eating and fish boils to fun shopping and festivals, there is always something going on in the Door’s charming villages. Before crossing the bridge onto the main part of the Door Peninsula, stop at or call Destination Door County for a map and suggestions.

Illinois: If looking for an Illinois destination, consider historic Galena in the state’s north-eastern tip. The downtown boasts candy, ice cream and wine, restaurant stops and cute shops. Plus, it’s buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Start at the visitor center in the old RR Depot where you see the town rising, step-like across a small river.

Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park has a fall color trail destination. It is also near the wine trails of the Traverse City area. Both are worth visiting for views of Lake Michigan, Traverse Bay and snacking on Michigan cherries and apples.

See Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, MI | Trails & Tour

Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, MI | Trails & Tour

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