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Hi! Thank you for all your excellent questions on Tuesday! Here are some links you may find interesting:

To visualize how big planets, stars and galaxies are (and also how small cells and atoms are) you can scroll to zoom in or out and click on objects to learn more about them: https://htwins.net/scale2/

And to learn more about the Rubin Observatory you can have a look at the website: https://rubinobservatory.org

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Scale of Universe is an interactive experience to inspire people to learn about the vast ranges of the visible and invisible world.

Click on objects to learn more.

Use the scroll bar to zoom in and out.

Start Exploring

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Scale of the Universe: Discover the vast ranges of our visible and invisible world.

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Scale of Universe is an interactive experience to inspire people to learn about the vast ranges of the visible and invisible world.

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he innovative radio show and podcast Radiolab is currently holding a contest in conjunction with the International Astronomical Union to name a quasi-moon of Earth (a quasi-moon is an asteroid that shares a similar orbit around the Sun as the Earth does, and in doing so appears from Earth to orbit us).

More than 2,700 names from 96 countries have been narrowed down to 10 finalists by a panel of astrophysicists, students, actors, a well-known science guy and more, and now everyone can vote for their favorite!

The winning name will become the official name for the celestial object currently known as 164207 (2004 GU9), which will be a quasi-moon of Earth for roughly the next 600 years.

Votes can be submitted (1 per person) at Radiolab’s website (https://radiolab.org/quasi-moon) through January 1, 2025.

This is a great opportunity to engage patrons with science in a fun way, and could be a great intro to an already scheduled science program, an excuse to hold a special pop-up science program (see below for some easy, moon-themed projects from science maven Leah Golubchick), or just a great passive program with a sign at the reference desk explaining and linking to the contest (see displayable flyer template attached).

Create Moon Story

The names for the Quasi-moon are inspired by folklore from across the world. Using this resource, children can learn about different moon stories from other cultures, then create their own.

Some other activities you can offer at your branch:

Moon Observation Journal

Moon maps to identify what you see

Build a Moon Base Camp Lego activity – using Legos to build a base camp, then adapt your base to solve “challenge cards”. This activity calls for some pretty specific bricks, but can be adapted to a regular Lego set.

Booklists:

Books about the Moon Booklist for young children.

All branches should also have a copy of Moonbear’s Shadow, which, while focused on the sun, does talk about shadows changing with the light.

And don’t forget our great Eclipse booklists from April: Adult Nonfiction reads, and Total Solar Eclipse of the Heart YA list

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HOUR OF CODE activity! Stargazers! Make a Solar System!  with NASAs Space Jama coding activity!

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HOUR OF CODE activity! Stargazers! Make a Solar System!  with NASAs Space Jama coding activity!

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Try coding a solar system!

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Note on orbits: The planets in this activity orbit clockwise. The star/planet systems your students build in Space Jam can be any possible star/planet system they like, and star/planet systems can orbit clockwise (or counterclockwise like our own solar system does when viewed from the North) depending on the molecular cloud they formed in and how the system developed.

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Win prizes!

Welcome to the 2025 Mars Innovation Challenge!

Explore Mars, Inc. is thrilled to announce the 2024/2025 Mars Innovation Challenge, open to K-12 students (ages 5-18) worldwide.

This challenge, which can be undertaken individually or in teams, centers on developing innovations that help humans thrive on Mars and emphasizes the alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which are vital for life on Mars and have significant relevance to Earth’s sustainability.

The Mars Innovation Challenge invites students to engage in cutting-edge problem-solving related to future Mars exploration, with a focus on three key areas:

1) Martian Planetary Protection,

2) Human Medicine & Genetic Modifications

3) Martian Sample Return Integrity

Participants should also incorporate exploration ethics and the 7 Generations Principle. This Native American principle urges us to consider the long-term impacts of our actions on future generations—specifically, how today’s decisions will affect people living seven generations from now.

The challenge, in collaboration with @Thrive Games and their #blockchain game Thrive on Mars, encourages participants to be creative and practical, addressing real challenges for future Mars inhabitants.

In combination with a $1500 cash award, the winning innovation will be featured in the THRIVE ON MARS game, offering an exciting opportunity for young innovators to impact both space exploration and global sustainability!

Registration and Submissions ARE NOW OPEN! The challenge CLOSES February 28, 2025!

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Learn when and where to look in the sky so you don’t miss a single stargazing event in December 2024.

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A good resource for what we can try to see on the moon (plus lots of cool moon facts and images).

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NASA’s interactive map for observing the Moon each day of the year.

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https://padlet.com/TeenZone_Librarian/10-23-science-in-the-house-meet-an-astronomer-and-physicist-ac5z6igeh4huvk6x

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RETURNING DECEMBER 3rd! for Special Stargazers Club Visit!

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RETURNING DECEMBER 3rd! for Special Stargazers Club Visit!

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Join us for a second session with Aerospace Engineer Max Fagin!

Sign up here:

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/teen-time-stargazers-host-park-slope-library-20241203-0600pm

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Nathan will be discussing "The Universe As You Have Not Seen It"

"I study the universe at its very earliest and most energetic/catastrophic using a pair of instruments at the South Pole (the South Pole Telescope and the IceCube
Neutrino Observatory) "

"What don't you see when you look at the night sky? Starting from what
you see with your eyes looking up at the sky, I will talk about things you might not have thought about (why is the sky black?) and what else
is in the sky that you cannot see, from the Big Bang to stellar explosions."

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".....The IceCube researchers knew the neutrinos came from outside the galaxy. But they didn’t know what was producing them or exactly where they were being made. If they could identify the sources of extragalactic neutrinos, it would open a new window into the cosmos. .... "

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"We're at a really interesting time because when we started, we knew the LHC would either discover the Higgs or rule it out completely," says Nellist. "Now we have many unanswered questions, and yet we don't have a direct road map saying that if we just follow these steps, we'll find something."

Ten years on from the Higgs discovery, how does she cope with the possibility that the LHC might not answer any more of these fundamental questions? "I'm very pragmatic," she says. "It's a bit frustrating, but as an experimental physicist I believe the data, and so if we do an analysis and get a null result, then we move on and look in a different place-we're just measuring what nature provides."

The LHC isn't the only big science facility hunting for answers to these existential questions. ADMX might be the garage band to LHC's stadium rockers in terms of size, funding, and personnel, but it happens to also be one of the world's best shots at uncovering the hypothetical axion particle-a leading candidate for dark matter. And unlike at the LHC, ADMX researchers have set out a clear path to finding what they seek.

Theory suggests one of the few ways to spot axions-which could be constantly showering Earth without our knowing-is with strong magnetic fields, which should change axions into photons. Once they're photons, researchers would then measure the light's frequency, which would directly relate to the axion mass.

ADMX aims to do just that. "It's really a glorified AM radio," says Gianpaolo Carosi, ADMX co-spokesperson. If axions do exist and the instrument is tuned to precisely the right wavelength, its cavity will resonate, amplifying their signal so that ultra-sensitive quantum electronic detectors can pick it up.

"Every 100 seconds or so we just sit at one frequency and get noise like that hiss that you hear on your radio when you don't have signal," says Carosi. "Then we'll move just a small amount, about a kilohertz, and we'll do another 100 seconds."

First constructed in 1995, ADMX only achieved the full sensitivity needed to probe whether the axion might be the dark matter particle in 2018. Since then, researchers have been slowly turning the dial through the frequencies. They will complete the current search around 2025.

Though work to optimize the axion hunt is unending, and random fake signals injected into the detector keep the team on their toes, Carosi needs little extra motivation to keep going-even with the very real prospect of potentially having to listen to seven years of static.

"I would love for the axion to show up, but if we find dark matter elsewhere, or the axion is ruled out as a candidate, I'm fine with that," he says. "We've already kind of drunk the Kool-Aid."

Carosi, Whitehorn, Nellist, and thousands of others working on these big science projects aren't looking for fame or glory. They aren't even particularly motivated by proving one theory over another. They just love fundamental physics and building cool instruments-and hope they're standing under the right branch of the physics tree when the next fruit falls.

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Particle Hunters Can Spend a Lifetime Searching for Answers

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In physics, experiments to answer the big questions can take decades to run-and might not produce any findings at all.

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See what conditions will be like for viewing the night sky at any day and time.

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Created by Attilla Danko, it's the astronomer's forecast. At a glance, it shows when it will be cloudy or clear for the next few days. It's a prediction of when New York City, NY, will have good weather for astronomical observing.

The data comes from a forecast model developed by Allan Rahill of the Canadian Meteorological Centre. CMC's numerical weather forecasts are unique because they are specifically designed for astronomers. But they have 1180 forecast maps. It can be a chore to find the one map that tells you if you can observe tonight.

So, Attilla Danko wrote a script to generate the images like the one above which summarizes CMC's forecast images just for New York City and the surroundings out to about 10 miles.

There are charts for 6162 locations.
Summary: In the rows labeled "Sky", find a column of blue blocks. You can probably observe then.
Details: Read the image from left to right. Each column represents a different hour. The colors of the blocks are the colors from CMC's forecast maps for that hour. The two numbers at the top of a column is the time. A digit 1 on top of a 3 means 13:00 or 1pm. It's local time, in 24hr format. (Local time for New York City is -5.0 hours from GMT.) Single blocks mean separate forecast data for each hour. Connected blocks mean one forecast calculation for several hours.
The line, labeled Cloud Cover forecasts total cloud cover. The colors are picked from what color the sky is likely to be, with Dark blue being clear. Lighter shades of blue are increasing cloudiness and white is overcast. This forecast may miss low cloud and afternoon thunderstorms. When the forecast is clear, the sky may still be hazy, if the transparency forecast is poor.
Accuracy averaged over North America for a 30 day period: when the forecast is predicting less than 12 hours into the future, mostly-clear forecasts (cloud<25%) have been right 80% of the time. Mostly-cloudy forecasts (cloud>75%) have been right 91% of the time. When the forecast is predicting 36 to 48 hours into the future, the mostly-clear accuracy is 76% and the mostly-cloudy accuracy is 89%. Accuracy beyond 48 hours in unknown.

It's always wise to click on a colored block for the hour you want to observe and see if your location is close to a cloud edge.

CMC's text page explaining this forecast is here.

Overcast

Cloud 75%

Cloud 50%

Cloud 25%

Clear Sky

This is not a CMC forecast. It's data form the "european" forecast model ECMWF. It provides a cloud cover forecast. It's here for comparison with the CMC cloud cover forecast.New data becomes available around 16:00 and 04:00 local time. Which is different than when the CMC forecasts update. This isn't an astronomy-specific forecast. So like many civil forecasts "clear sky" might still mean "some cirrus".
Accuracy Summary: The ECMWF forecast is more accurate than the CMC cloud forecast when predicting mostly clear, but less accurate when predicting mostly cloudy. The far future ECMWF cloud forecasts are still usable.

But note that the furthest out forecasts may be for 6-hour blocks. Those are shown on the charts with groups of 6 blockes linked together to remind that the time resolution is much lower.

Accuracy details: Averaged over North America for a 30 day period: when the forecast is predicting less than 12 hours into the future, mostly-clear forecasts (cloud<25%) have been right 85% of the time. Mostly-cloudy forecasts (cloud>75%) have been right 75% of the time. When the forecast is predicting from 60 to 64 hours into the future, the mostly-clear accuracy is 81% and the mostly-cloudy is to 71%. Beyond 64 hours accuracy is unknown and time resolution changes from data for each hour to data for every 6 hours.

Data from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, also known as MET Norway.

The ECMWF full forecast for near New York City is here.

Too cloudy to forecast

Poor

Below Average

Average

Above average

Transparent

The line, labeled Transparency, forecasts the transparency of the air. Here 'transparency' means just what astronomers mean by the word: the total transparency of the atmosphere from ground to space. It's calculated from the total amount of water vapor in the air. It is somewhat independant of the cloud cover forecast in that there can be isolated clouds in a transparent air mass, and poor transparency can occur when there is very little cloud.

Above average transparency is necessary for good observation of low contrast objects like galaxies and nebulae. However, open clusters and planetary nebulae are quite observable in below average transparency. Large globulars and planets can be observed in poor transparency.

A forecast color of white formally means that CMC didn't compute the transparency forecast because the cloud cover was over 30%. So it may be possible to observe during a white transparency forecast, but the real transparency is usually yucky. This forecast does not consider smoke. So see the separate smoke forecast line on this chart.

CMC's text page explaining the transparency forecast is here.

Too cloudy to forecast

Bad 1/5

Poor 2/5

Average 3/5

Good 4/5

Excellent 5/5

The line, labeled Seeing, forecasts astronomical seeing. Excellent seeing means at high magnification you will see fine detail on planets. In bad seeing, planets might look like they are under a layer of rippling water and show little detail at any magnification, but the view of galaxies is probably undiminished. Bad seeing is caused by turbulence combined with temperature differences in the atmosphere. This forecast attempts to predict turbulence and temperature differences that affect seeing for all altitudes.
Bad seeing can occur during perfectly clear weather. Often good seeing occurs during poor transparency. It's because seeing is not very related to the water vapor content of the air.

The excellent-to-bad seeing scale is calibrated for instruments in the 11 to 14 inch range. There are some more details in CMC's seeing forecast page.

No computer model forecasts convective heating well, so consider the seeing forecasts for daytime hours to be less accurate. Seeing is forecast for 3-hour blocks, so triples of seeing blocks will show the same color. Those triplet boxes for the same forecast map are showen linked as a reminder. A white block on the seeing line means that there was too much cloud (>80% cover) to calculate it.

Note also that you may observe worse seeing though your telescope than what a perfect seeing forecast would predict. That is because tube currents and ground seeing mimic true atmospheric seeing. You may also observe better seeing than predicted here when observing with an instrument smaller than 11 inches.

This video discusses the difference bettween tube currents and seeing from 24:23 to 34.06: on youtube.
The line labeled darkness is not a weather forecast. It shows when the sky will be dark, assuming no light pollution and a clear sky. Black is a dark sky. Deep blue means a partially illuminated moon or moon at low altitude. Light blue is full moon. Turquoise is twilight. Yellow is dusk and white is daylight. For those who prefer numbers, the scale is also calibrated. The numbers are the visual limiting magnitude at the zenith. (The brightness of the faintest star a standard observer can see straight up.) Mouse over a darkness block for details.
It is based on Ben Sugerman's Limiting Magnitude calculations page. It takes into account the sun's and moon's position, moon phase, solar cycle and contains a scattering model of the atmosphere. It doesn't consider light pollution, dust, clouds, snow cover or the observer's visual acuity. So your actual limiting magnitude will often be different.
This forecasts the amount of wildfire smoke. I haven't calibrated the effect on transparency. Sometimes forecast is optimistic with observers reporting smoke when this forecast reports "no smoke". However, any forecast other than "no smoke" really does mean enough smoke to affect transparency. I suggest also checking an alternative/experimental forecast at firesmoke.ca and the near-realtime smoke map produced by the NOAA. All three frequently disagree. But assume a reduction of transparency if any of them show smoke for your location.
A note about CMC's smoke forecast colors: The chart shows different colors than the corresponding CMC maps because the maps use white to mean "no smoke" but the cloud and transparency forecasts use white to mean "opaque sky". I've chosen colors for the lowest levels to suggest sky colors. But the EPA has set a limit for 24hr exposure of 35 micrograms per cubic meter. So I have colored levels with more smoke than that with red colors and the worst with brown. People should look for air quality warnings from their local health authorities if the smoke line shows red blocks. If the smoke line shows brown blocks, I'd stay indoors.

The smoke data on the chart comes from Environment Canada's Canada's Wildfire Smoke Prediction System.

>45 mph

29 to 45 mph

17 to 28 mph

12 to 16 mph

6 to 11 mph

0 to 5 mph

This forecasts wind speed at about tree-top level. The wind forecast won't determine whether or not you can observe, but it may affect your comfort and the type observing you might be limited to. In particular, long-focal length astrophotography, or observing with large dobsonians require light wind conditions. High wind may be particularly dangerous for larger truss-tube dobsonians which must be disassembled in the vertical position.This forecasts ground-level relative humidity.
Humidity variations can indicate the likelihood of optics and eyepieces dewing.

But dewing is not simply correlated to relative humidity. Dewing tends to happen when the sky is clear, the temperature is dropping and there isn't much wind. Being on a hilltop or in a small valley can make the difference between no dew and dripping telescopes. Unfortunately, the humidity forecast does not have the spatial resolution to know about small hills, valleys, or observatory walls. All of which can reduce dewing.

A sudden spike in the humidity forecast, an hour or so after the cloud forecast predicts a sudden transition from cloudy to clear, when there is no wind, means that ground fog will form.

Also, when the cloud forecast is opaque and the humidity forecast is 95%, rain is likely: a good time to cover the telescopes.

Since there are many different levels in this forecast, with similar looking colors, it's best to activate the "explain colors when you mouse over" to interpret the colors.
This forecasts temperatures near the ground. While temperature variations won't determine if you can observe, the forecast can be handy choosing clothing for cold observing conditions. (In general, dress as if it were 20 degrees F or 10 degrees C colder than the forecast.) Observers with thick primary mirrors should take note of falling temperature conditions because their mirrors may require additional cooling to reach equilibrium and so prevent tube currents.
Cold temperatures also mean reduced battery capacity, stiffer lubricants, stiffer electrical cables and slower LCD displays. Camera sensors will have reduced noise. But, in general, electronics have a lowest temperature at which they will work.

They are the same Cloud and ECMWF-cloud forecasts as for the first few days, but extended far into the future. Each block represents 3 hours. ECMWF data this far into the future is available only every 6 hours. That is shown with two linked blocks for each forecast point.

This far into the future, time resolution is lower and accuracy is unknown. But one should assume the accuracy is low. Such forecasts may offer hope for planning future observing if the Cloud Cover and ECMWF forecasts agree. Otherwise they are offered as entertainment.

To see CMC's full map for a particular hour, click on a colored block. The CMC map your browser will load will be the map closest to the hour you picked. The time on the CMC map might look odd because it's in GMT, while the blocks on the chart are in local time.

It's worth checking a few of the full maps before committing to a long drive out to an observing site.
If your website does not make money from ads, does not charge admission and does not sell anything, then yes. Use a "dumb" text editor, one that does not understand html, to insert this: <a href="https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/NYCNYkey.html"> <img src="https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/NYCNYcsk.gif?c=2113234"></a>
Or, if you would prefer a simplified thumbnail:
<a href="https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/NYCNYkey.html"> <img src="https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/NYCNYcs0.gif?1"></a>
But please don't copy other html or text from this page.

Use it. Attilla Danko intends to keep updating this image for as long people use it and as long as CMC is willing to generate the underlying maps. But there are ways that you can help:

If you find this clear sky chart, or CMC maps linked by the colored blocks, useful please send Allan Rahill of the CMC an email (and feel free to copy me). Allan created these forecasts and would appreciate hearing that they are used.

You can also help keep clear sky charts free for everyone by being a sponsor. Please feel free to tell sponsors that they're cool.

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Created by Attilla Danko, it's the astronomer's forecast. At a glance, it shows when it will be cloudy or clear for the next few days. It's a prediction of when New York City, NY, will have good weather for astronomical observing. The data comes from a forecast model developed by Allan Rahill of the Canadian Meteorological Centre.

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Planets Visible in the Night Sky in New York, New York, USA

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Planets Visible in the Night Sky in New York, New York, USA

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Check here to see what you may be able to see in our local skies!

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12 hours, 56 minutes

Wed, Oct 18 at 6:25 pm - Thu, Oct 19 at 7:21 am

Visible tonight, Oct 18 - Oct 19, 2023

Mercury:

↓ Wed 6:26 pm

↑ Thu 7:18 am

Venus:

From Thu 3:33 am

Mars:

Until Wed 6:49 pm

Jupiter:

From Wed 7:11 pm

Saturn:

Until Thu 2:52 am

Uranus:

From Wed 7:34 pm

Neptune:

Until Thu 4:56 am

Beta The Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above Washington DC on a date of your choice. Use it to locate a planet, the Moon, or the Sun and track their movements across the sky. The map also shows the phases of the Moon, and all solar and lunar eclipses. Need some help?

The animation is not supported by your device/browser.

Please use another device/browser or check out the desktop version of the Interactive Night Sky Map.

Tonight's Sky in Washington DC, Oct 18 - Oct 19, 2023 (6 planets visible)

Planets Visible in Washington DC

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Sky map showing the night sky tonight from any location. What planets are visible tonight? Where is Mars, Saturn or Venus? What is the bright star in the sky?

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Webb Image Release- Webb Space Telescope GSFC/NASA

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The Latest NASA Released Webb Image is featured on this page. The James Webb Space Telescope's revolutionary technology will study every phase of cosmic history-from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe.

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Explore the universe with us

Founded in 1927, Amateur Astronomers Association, Inc. promotes the study and public awareness of the cosmos through observing, education, outreach, astrophotography, and more. Every membership & donation helps us to provide awe-inspiring programming for all to enjoy.

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Click the PLUS sign to post your question! 

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Click the PLUS sign to post your question! 

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Share your visit, your reads, your experience!

Park Slope Library on Facebook!

#PSLTeenZone

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Welcome! to Astronomy NIghts @ Park Slope Library! Star Gazing with Telescope!

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Welcome! to Astronomy NIghts @ Park Slope Library! Star Gazing with Telescope!

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We are lucky to have recieved a telescope on loan from BPL after waiting several months on the holds list! Let's take it outside and see what we can see!