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Here
is my list of the most incredible "must-see" astronomical
sights, in no particular order:
1.
Total Eclipse of the Sun. Okay,
this one IS number one. It is such an incredible experience to see-- and
feel-- the sun go out in the middle of the day.
2.
Total Eclipse of the Moon. The
sight of a normally bright Full Moon transformed into a dim reddish or
orange ball is something you will never forget.
3.
A dark sky full of stars.
Preferably, some of you will get the chance to experience a
"pristine" sky-- the starry dome above and NO artificial
lights. Unfortunately, that is getting harder to find. Fortunately, some
of the darkest skies on Earth are found in some of the most scenic
locations. A sky like that has to be seen to be believed. If for some
reason, you can’t make it there, at least drive 50 miles away from the
city and look up. You’ll see so many more stars than you can from
urban areas.
4.
A strong meteor shower. (Those
of you that just saw the 2001 Leonids are probably thinking "Of
course!") Still, meteor storms like the one that just occurred are
rare. However, if the opportunity arises for one, it is worth braving
the elements to try to see it. On a more regular basis, there are meteor
displays in mid-August (11-13th) and mid-December (12-14th)
that average 60+ meteors per hour. (This assumes that there is no moon,
skies are clear, and that the observer is far away from city lights.)
That does not compare with the several hundred per hour that some people
saw from the Leonids, but these two shows frequently make fine displays!
5.
A bright comet. And this becomes a
must- see ONLY from a dark sky. The contrast provided by a dark sky
allows the comet’s tail (or tails) to become much more visible.
6.
A display of the Aurora (proper
name for the "northern lights". This becomes much more of a
"must-see" if the display is big. Unfortunately, a big display
that covers 1/3 of the sky or more is tough to predict far in advance.
You can maximize your chances by doing 2 things: 1. Look for auroral
displays around the time of solar maximum. We’re just coming out of
one now-- so you only have a few more months to look. Solar Maximum
comes about every 11 years, so plan ahead for the years 2009-2012! 2.
You can also travel to areas where Auroras are more common. Alaska,
Northern Canada, and extreme northern Europe see displays VERY often--
and those displays become much more common and more vivid around solar
maximum.
7.
A space shuttle re-entry. Yeah,
this one’s a little weird. If the space shuttle is in orbit, and it
passes over your area at the right time, you can see it drifting across
the sky like a brilliant moving star. That’s nice, but it’s not what
I’m talking about here. When it re-enters the atmosphere on its way to
landing, it can create a BRILLIANT streak above. It is well worth
seeing!
I
hope that you get the chance (or make the chance!) to witness some or
all of these events yourself. As you witness them, realize to yourself
that you’re not looking at a photograph, or reading about it in a
book. This is REAL. You’re actually seeing this. It’s a pretty cool
feeling, right? Now, go outside and enjoy the beauty of the sky……..
If you view these events
please send your observations and feelings about them to Mark
Egan or Christie Ponder. |
