Happenings – Page 7 – Travel Smart With Jodie

Does January full moon mark middle of winter

January full moon is the Wolf Moon J Jacobs photo)

If you like taking photos of a full moon, get those cameras or cell phones ready Jan. 16 through Jan.18 to snap the first full moon of 2022.

Even though the moon at its fullest illumination Jan. 17 at 23.48 UTC (5:48 p.m. CST), it will appear full the day before and day after Jan. 17.

A newscaster mentioned that Jan. 17-18 marks a halfway point for winter. Well, that depends.

Meteorological winter started Dec. 1 and continues through the end of February because the meteorological seasons are divided into quarters of three months each. In the Northern Hemisphere meteorological spring is March, April May.

A sky watching site mentioned that the last full moon was Dec. 19, 2021, two days before the Northern Hemisphere’s December solstice. For 2022, astronomical winter began December 21, 2021 and ends at the Equinox, March 20, 2022. Time and Date has a calendar.

The astronomical calendar is based on the Earth’s rotation around the sun with seasons divided by two solstices and two equinoxes, determined by a combination of Earth’s tilt and the sun’s position over the equator.

Another feature of a full moon is its name. Folklore, typically based on animal behavior and crop cycles, calls the January full moon the Snow Moon, Hunger Moon and, most popularly, the Wolf Moon.

Animal behavior is also behind Groundhog Day. Just for fun, on Feb. 2, check out groundhog predictions of winter’s end from Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania and Woodstock Willie in Woodstock, IL (where “Groundhog Day” was filmed).

For more information visit NASA Solar System Exploration and Time and Date.

Meteor Shower

Of course people will be watching fireworks in person or on TV the night when Dec. 31, 2021 turn into early morning Jan 1, 2022.

But the sky will be doing its own show during this period with the Quadrantids. They will peak when Jan 3 turns to Jan. 4, 2022.

The good news is that the New Moon will rise and set with the Sun so it won’t be a factor.

The sort of bad news is that the meteor shower peak of about 110 to 120 meteors an hour is a short couple of hours. The expected peak time is 21 UTC (Universal Time Clock.

Named for a defunct constellation Quadrans Muralis the meteor shower’s other name is the Bootids for constellation Bootes. The parent is Asteroid 2003 EH which takes about 5.5 years to orbit the Sun.

For more information visit Time and Date and EarthSky.

December full moon heralds winter

Don’t be surprised if a bright light wakes you this weekend. The December full moon rises very high in the sky opposite the sun at 10:36 p.m. CST Dec. 18, 2021. But the shining orb looks full and bright Friday through Monday.

In the eastern part of the northern hemisphere the high moon hour is close enough to midnight to be considered a Sunday full moon. Click Moonrise Calculator for time in your area. You can watch for the full moon just before sunset.

The December full moon has several nicknames such as the Long Night Moon and Full Cold Moon because it comes closest to the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21,2021). It marks the start of winter and is the date with the longest period of darkness. The December full moon also has a very high trajectory so it will be in the sky longer.

Other names are the Yule Moon, Winter Moon, Frost Moon and Oak Moon.

Find good source information at EarthSky, NASA Solar System Exploration, TimeandDate and Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Best meteor shower

“Catch a falling star.” That idea shouldn’t be hard the first half of December when the Geminids send about 120 meteors per hour across the sky at its peak.

Although most meteor showers happen when the Earth passes through the debris from comets, the Gemeni meteor shower is debris left by an asteroid called 32 Phaethon.

However, the Geminids, as the shower’s meteors are known, are named for their radiant point in the constellation Gemini where the “Twins,” the bright stars Castor and Pollux, reside. They appear to emanate from Castor which can be found near Pollux.

But this meteor shower can be seen from all directions so don’t worry if you can’t pinpoint the constellation.

The Geminids, considered among the best meteor showers of the year, starts Dec. 3 in 2021. To catch it at its peak, look up the night of Dec. 13 into the early hours of Dec. 14.

Of course, the best viewing area would be away from city and street lights.

Two good Gemini Meteor Shower resources are NASA and NASA Solar System Exploration.

Watch the sky this week!

Meteor shower. Full moon. Lunar eclipse. Oh my!

The mid-November sky is full of interesting phenomena to see if you are patient.

First challenge: Watch for the Leonids, a November meteor shower from the Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle debris. The Leonids can be prolific but this year only about 10 to 15 meteors are expected even at its peak Nov. 16-17.

Best time will be early Wednesday morning just before dawn when the waxing gibbous moon, on its way to full moon phase, sets about 4:45 a.m.

Which brings us to the second challenge: a full moon coupled with a lunar eclipse. November’s full moon is the Beaver Moon which in 2021 reaches full phase at 3:59 a.m. Nov. 19 at the height of a nearly full lunar eclipse.

So enjoy its fullness the day before and day after (the moon appears full for three days) because we will also be experiencing the longest lasting lunar eclipse in 580 years.

That’s because the moon will be at its slowest orbital speed at the same time it will be at apogee, the farthest point from the Earth.

Its all about the Earth’s shadow on Nov. 19 when the moon’s position is just about directly opposite the Sun.

In the Midwest you can start to watch the eclipse just after midnight but it won’t be as noticeable until an hour later.

At the peak of eclipse at 4:02:53 a.m. Eastern Time, 97% of the Moon will be in full shadow.

More about the Beaver Moon The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests looking for the full moon after sunset Nov. 18 before its hits peak illumination during the eclipse early Friday morning. The Almanac has a moonrise and moonset calculator.

Full moons typically take their name from Indian and farming events and seasons. Beavers have been known to have laid up their stock for winter and done building their homes by mid November.

Mark geninids on cal for dec13-14

Two comets put on meteor displays in October

Meteor shower Photo courtesy of NASA) — Meteor shower (Photo courtesy of NASA)

First, watch for the Draconids. They are overhead now but best is to look for them at their peak Oct. 8-9, 2021

Emanating from the debris of comet 21P/Giacobinib-Zinner, the Draconids’ typical output is only about 10 meteors per hour although it famously shot hundreds of meteors across the sky back in 2011 and in 1945.

The good news is that the best time to watch for them is shortly after dark so you don’t have to wait until after midnight.

The meteor shower derives its name from its radiant point near the head of constellation Draco the Dragon in the northern sky.

Then, put the Orionids on your calendar for Oct. 21, 2021. They are the second meteor shower this year to come from comet Halley. It produced the Eta-Aquarids in May.

Producing about 20 meteors per hour their radiant point is the constellation Orion.

For more info visit Time and Date and Earth Sky.

Harvest Moon says fall is here

Full Moon in September is the Harvest Moon. ( J Jacobs photo)

You might not have heard of the Sturgeon Moon in August or the Buck Moon in July but chances are you’ve heard of the Harvest Moon that is appearing overhead now in September.

It’s more than just a popular song.

Harvest Moon is the name some cultures, native tribes and farmers have given to the full moon that usually appears mid to late September because it rises when the sun goes down thus giving famers more light to get the crops in.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September autumnal equinox. In 2021 that comes Sept. 22 when day and night are about equal in length. (It comes in March in the Southern Hemisphere)

You probably noticed that large golden orb already appearing above the horizon. It will be fullest and brightest Sept. 20, about 6:45 p.m. CDT. but will also appear full the following day.

If listening to TV weather reports, you are likely to hear meteorologists referencing the date as the beginning of autumnal fall but adding that meteorological fall began about 3 weeks before the September equinox on Sept. 1.

Autumnal fall ends at the December Solstice, when astronomical winter begins. but for meteorologists the fall season ends Nov. 30.

Check Time and Date for more more equinox information and go to the Old Farmer’s Almanac for more full moon facts and folklore.

August full moon a bit fishy

Full moon over Chicago's northern suburbs. 9J Jacobs photo) — Full moon over Chicago’s northern suburbs. 9J Jacobs photo)

Enjoy our bright sky light all weekend. The moon will appear full Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021 but it really will be opposite the sun Sunday morning at 8:02 a.m. and even look full on Monday.

According to the Farmer’s almanac the Algonquin tribes in the northeastern states called the August full moon the Sturgeon Moon because these fish were usually more easily caught in the Great Lakes then.

A rather ugly, large fish, sturgeon ancestors date back to the time dinosaurs roamed the region. The Grand Rapids Public Museum has a permanent exhibit about these Great Lake fish.

But the August Moon is also called a blue moon even though that definition typically refers to two full moons in one month. In this case the referral is to full moons in one season.

For more names and full moon information visit NASA and Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The Perseid meteor shower is back

The Perseids produce more than 40 meteors per hour. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

Put August 11 on your calendar to watch the night sky. The best meteor shower of the year, the Perseids, will be entertaining night sky watchers with at least 40 fireballs an hour when they peak next week. However, they have been known to rack up as many as 100 meteors per hour.

As debris from comet Swift-Tuttle, the Perseid Meteor Shower occurs annually when earth’s orbit takes it near the comet’s path from the end of July to mid-August. The meteors are already zooming across the sky but in 2021 the peak is Aug. 11-13.

If you like company or have trouble seeing them, tune into NASA which has invited everyone to watch with them. Watch time is Aug. 11-12 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. CDT on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

If weather is a problem, there is likely to be a second chance Aug. 12-13. The livestream is hosted by the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

A crescent moon will be setting early so moonlight shouldn’t be a factor. Watch between midnight and dawn away from city lights. Some folks stretch out on blankets but if the ground is dewy damp pull out a lawn chair.

Don’t worry if you don’t see any meteors right away. It takes a few minutes to adapt to the night sky. The meteor shower radiant appears to be above Perseus.

Good sky-watching references include Time and Date and Earth and Sky.

Buck Moon crosses the July sky

American Indians and farmers (among other groups) associate each full moon with animal and plant seasons. So when looking up July 23-24 think of that large orb moving westward across the sky as the Buck Moon because those deer are growing their antlers now. Or call it the Hay Moon because farmers usually load their hay in barns now away from storms.

It will look full for a few days but optimal fullness is when it is directly opposite the sun. In central part of the United States that is July 23 at 9:37 CDT.

Two good places to learn about full moon names in different cultures are NASA Solar System Exploration and The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Also EarthSky has full moon related planet information.