StarWatch Astronomy

StarWatch 1482 for the week of January 12, 2025

The Paradox of Algol the Demon Star

There is a star in the constellation of Perseus the Hero, Algol, currently visible high in the east by 7 p.m. It was known to the Greeks and Romans as the Demon Star. In Perseus' star pattern, it became the eye of Medusa, the snake-laden head of the Gorgon Monster, lobbed off when Perseus went on his quest to slay her and rid his kingdom of the evil Polydectes, the king of Seriphos. It was a difficult feat because anyone looking into her eyes was immediately changed into stone. On his way home, Perseus used the Medusa's powers to rescue the beautiful Andromeda from the "jaws" of Cetus the Sea Monster by changing him into granite. * This star in ancient times was known to be variable, winking every 2.87 days for about 10 hours, losing 1.3 magnitudes of brightness, an intensity difference of 3.3 times when it bottomed for two hours at minimum illumination. You can track the dimming of this star by visiting the Sky and Telescope magazine link here: https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/the-minima-of-algol/ . Click Initialize to Today and the times of minimum light for Algol will appear displayed in Universal Time for nearly a month. Subtract five hours from UT to obtain Eastern Standard Time or four hours when we are on Eastern Daylight Time. * The strange story about Algol is that it is a triple star system with a luminous B8 main sequence (hydrogen-burning) star about 3.5 times more massive than the sun and 95 times more luminous in the light that the human eye can see. It is orbited every 2.87 days by a dying KIII (giant) luminary, a much cooler yellow-orange star, 4.5 times the sun's luminosity, but with 0.85 the sun's mass. In its main sequence hydrogen burning days, it seems to have been a star similar to our sun, much less massive than the B8 main component of the Algol system which it orbits. The third star plays no role in the story. * The hotter B star has a diameter of 2.9 times that of the sun, while the K giant is 3.5 times Sol's diameter. Algol fades when the larger K-giant partially eclipses the smaller, hotter B star. However, there was a problem with this eclipsing binary system that astronomers immediately realized. * The longevity of a star is a function of its mass, with higher mass luminaries like the B star living a much shorter life than the lower mass dying K giant. Put in another way, as a regular hydrogen-burning star, the K giant should have been around for 10-15 billion years or even longer, while the B star should only have less than one billion years of longevity. And that was the paradox. How could a star possibly as old as the universe itself be in orbit around a star that could not even be a billion years old? * The inconsistency was resolved when it was realized that the cooler K giant must have been originally a more massive and brighter luminary than the B star that it was now orbiting, and the higher mass star would have lived a shorter life as a hydrogen-burning luminary. When the star evolved into a giant, it became so huge that hydrogen was transferred onto the other less massive component, destined to live a much longer life. The original higher-mass star's life was drastically altered as it lost mass, and its temperature and luminosity decreased as the mass transfer continued, allowing the original less massive component to evolve into the more massive B star that we see today. * You can view the dimming of Algol by following my instructions in this blog and then going outside five hours after or before minimum light to see the Demon Star shining more brightly in the nighttime sky. Much success in seeing Algol wink. Ad Astra!

© Gary A. Becker – [email protected] or [email protected]
Moravian University Astronomy - astronomy.org;

Moravian College Astronomy The Moravian University Astronomy page contains original astronomy material, astrophotography, and well-organized astronomy links, weather, and science links.

StarWatch 1481 for the week of January 5, 2025

Full Moon to Occult Mars on the 13th

Dances are happening among the planets and the moon in the heavens, but we rarely glimpse the best moves. Their motions across the heavens and their inclinations to the plane of the solar system vary enough so that nearly every time they pass each other, one is above or below the other and too far apart to deem the occurrence astronomically significant. However occasionally, their orbital paths cross when they are both present simultaneously, creating an occultation where the moon covers a much smaller planet or star. * Even when an occultation occurs, it is far from a done deal that you can witness the event. That is because the moon is close to us, and the planets are much farther away. Occultations are limited to a relatively small geographic area and are more local events, differing greatly from a lunar eclipse, where everyone on the nighttime side of Earth can view the event. Location is critical because the Earth's 8000-mile diameter can change the moon's position by as much as two degrees. * Then, the Earth's rotation must be considered. The occultation could occur during the day, making it even more difficult or virtually impossible to observe, depending upon the phase of the moon and its location to the sun, or it could be happening on the other side of the Earth during our daytime period. * What if the occultation occurs at 3 a.m.? That's a lovely time to rise and shine from a warm, cozy bed and greet the day. What if it's cloudy, too windy, or bone-numbingly cold? There are at least a dozen excuses for the dance to go unseen, but the occultation in a week (Monday) negates many of them. * The full moon will be occulting Mars, which is currently at its brightest (Magnitude -1.4) in the early evening of January 13. The occultation occurs for Philadelphia at 9:19-13 p.m. That translates to 13 seconds after 9:19 p.m. For my location in southern Lehigh County, the moon begins encroaching upon Mars at 9:19-56 p.m., and for Harrisburg, 9:17-24 p.m. You can go to http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/planets/0114mars.htm to discover a city closer to your location for specific times. The link only worked for me if I copied and pasted it into my browser. Here ( https://www.astronomy.org/StarWatch/January/index-1-25.html #1-5-25 ) is a map for southeastern PA. * It will take about 31 seconds for the moon to occult Mars completely, so part of the enjoyment of watching this event will be witnessing Mars' slow disappearance, which will be very different from a star that winks out instantly when covered by the moon. * You will need some type of optical aid to watch Mars being occulted. A monocular or binoculars will suffice, but a telescope will allow you to scrutinize Mars slowly being covered by the moon. The last time the moon and Mars tangled from the East Coast was December 7, 2022. Watching the moon approach Mars even one hour before the celestial event was challenging. A thin but decreasing cloud layer marred the scene, but when the veil finally lifted, perhaps 30 minutes before the closest approach, I could not see Mars without an optical aid. Visual acuity and the tremendous differences in brightness and contrast between the moon and Mars, over 30,000 times, overwhelmed my eyes making Mars unobservable. * While you are enjoying the moon cuddling up to Mars, Pollux and Castor, the heads of the Gemini Twins, will only be four and eight degrees above Luna, respectively. * For my location, Mars begins reappearing at 10:34-58 from Mare Smythii, a lunar sea along the equator partially visible on the easternmost limb of the moon's near side. It was named for the 19th-century British astronomer and Navy Admiral, Sir William Henry Smyth. Hoping for clear skies and much success in viewing this special event. Ad Astra!

© Gary A. Becker – [email protected] or [email protected]
Moravian University Astronomy - astronomy.org;

Occultation of a Planet International Occultation Timing Association

StarWatch 1480 for the week of December 29, 2024

January Starts Off with a BANG!

Happy Almost 2025! With only a few days before ringing in the New Year, it was time to research various calendars to survey upcoming events for 2025. Getting beyond January, however, was impossible because several interesting events need to be addressed. * There is a beautiful occultation of Mars by the full moon during the early evening hours of the 13th (next week's StarWatch) and a plethora of planets that will be visible later in the month. However, the first event of importance is the famed Quadrantid Meteor Shower scheduled to maximize its activity on January 3 around 10 a.m. for the East Coast. * Even though the Quadrantids occur in the new year, I still consider them part of the big five meteor events of the old year: the Perseids (August 12, 2025), Orionids (October 21), Leonids (November 17), Geminids (December 14), and finally the Quadrantids (January 3, 2026). After the Quadrantids, the first notable meteor spectacle is the Lyrid shower on April 22, 2025. If a bright moon occurs in the middle of the month as it did during the autumn of 2024, then the first four showers are usually affected adversely and become nonevents because of bright moonlight. However, Quadrantids meteors will then "fly" under an essentially moonless sky. Luna will be a three-day waxing crescent setting at 8 p.m. on January 2, but full in 2026 when the Quadrantids return again. The time of maximum activity is 10 a.m., surrounding a brief four-hour window when rates are the highest. That should start around 8 a.m. EST, again after sunrise. * Still, meteor predictions are often off by several hours and sometimes much more, making the period before dawn on January 3 a prime time for observations. The East Coast could very easily be at the beginning of the sweet spot of activity that could net observers rates that average between 60 to 200 meteors per hour under perfect conditions. Because we do not live in a perfect world, I would reduce those meteor rates considerably, perhaps to 20 to 40 shooting stars per hour from suburbia. The last three years have been average, with hourly rates of about 80 shooting stars each hour, but in 2020-22, the shower peak arrived early. The shower has summited at the predicted times for the last two years. * Quadrantids also have their share of bright meteors and fireballs to keep the adrenaline pumping. They rate as having one of the brightest magnitude distributions of any annual meteor event, and their entrance velocities are relatively slow, about 41 kilometers per second, which converts to just over 25 miles per second. This slower entrance speed gives observers more time to catch them as they rapidly ablate (break up) as a fiery streak across the Earth's upper atmosphere. * The biggest issue with any winter astronomical event is the possibility of bitterly cold temperatures and snow-covered ground, blustery conditions, clouds, and just getting yourself up at some ungodly hour, like 4 a.m., to begin preparing for going out-of-doors. It's not easy. In addition with meteor science, there are no sure guarantees that success awaits the prepared. My only experience with the Quadrantids was at the base of a mountain on snow-covered ground where wind gusts blew fine-grained ice crystals into my face. The temperature was in the mid-teens. My students and I lasted about two hours before packing it in and going home. * You'll find a 4 a.m. locator map of the radiant here, if you are brave enough to venture outside on the morning of the 3rd: https://www.astronomy.org/StarWatch/December/index-12-24.html #12-29-24 * One last note… Don't forget to check on the beautiful conjunction of Venus and the thin crescent moon in the southwest on the evening of January 3. The duo will be just over three degrees apart, a beautiful sight through binoculars or captured with the handheld steadying technology of a newer smartphone. Happy New Year! Ad Astra!

© Gary A. Becker – [email protected] or [email protected]
Moravian University Astronomy - astronomy.org;

Moravian College Astronomy The Moravian University Astronomy page contains original astronomy material, astrophotography, and well-organized astronomy links, weather, and science links.

StarWatch 1478 for the week of December 15, 2024

Unbearable Ursid Meteors This Week

Unbearable might be the best way to describe the Ursid Meteor Shower that emanates from the body of the constellation of the Little Bear. Very little is known about this cold weather phenomenon which occurs just before the busiest holiday of the year and the cloudiest period for most Mid-Atlantic locales. It also follows the euphoria of the most active annual meteor shower, the Geminids, just eight days earlier than when Ursid activity normally peaks. Ursid meteors also cannot be seen from the warmer Southern Hemisphere or from Northern Hemisphere locations near to the equator because the Little Bear (Little Dipper) is either too low in the sky or never rises above the horizon. * Ursid activity for 2024 is predicted from December 17 through the 26th, with the night and hour of maximum activity forecast to materialize on December 22 at 5 a.m. * This ungodly hour may seem like the worst possible timing to be outside looking for shooting stars. Still, it could not be a better moment for observers on the East Coast who will be in the prime location for witnessing Ursid dross ablating into the Earth's atmosphere. Ursid rates have been as numerous as 50 meteors per hour, but usually there are no more than a half dozen meteors seen each hour. However like most organized shooting star events, rates can vary depending upon whether the Earth passes through a thread or threads of denser meteoroid debris. Observers noted higher-than-average hourly counts in 2006 through 2008, 2014, and 2015. Much higher tallies were reported from 2016 through 2018. This year increased meteor activity due to a region of denser meteoroid particles has been predicted for the early evening hours of December 21 around 7 p.m. EST. Unfortunately, North America and Western Europe will be incorrectly placed to witness these higher counts. The situation is analogous to driving through a rainstorm and looking out the back window which will be our location when Earth enters this increased debris thread. The impacts will favor the front windshield as the car (Earth) plows into the debris, with the back window getting almost no hits. If enhanced activity materializes, India, Pakistan, western China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia may profit from seeing this thread of denser debris. * Meteor showers owe their existence to the dross released from active comets orbiting the sun or comets that have settled into retirement within the asteroid belt. The progenitor of the Ursids, Comet 8P/Tuttle, was discovered by Horace Parnell Tuttle (1837-1923) on January 5, 1858. The comet is periodic with a 13.6-year orbital cycle that last reached perihelion, its closest distance to the sun, on August 27, 2021. * Tuttle was an American astronomer who has 14 comets to his credit, either discovered for the first time, or recovered, comets that were first detected by other observers and then rediscovered by him during a subsequent passage around the sun. Horace Tuttle was also a Civil War veteran commissioned in the US Navy who served on numerous ships, including the monitor USS Catskill, an ironclad warship with a revolving turret, where he participated in the blockade of Charleston Harbor and the capture of the Confederate blockade runner, Deer, near the end of the war. * If you plan to observe the Ursids, be outside by 4:30 a.m. Meteors will appear to diverge from just above the bowl of the Little Dipper (body of the Little Bear), which will be about 40 degrees above the northern horizon. Polaris, the North Star, is located at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. Focus your attention above that area, near the zenith where the sky will be the darkest. Unlike this year's Geminids which were affected by a nearly full moon, the morning of maximum activity for the Ursids will have a last quarter moon located far from the radiant, producing only about 10 percent of a full moon's brilliance. Good Ursid (Bear) hunting to all. Go here for a sky map showing the Ursid radiant: https://www.astronomy.org/StarWatch/December/index-12-24.html #12-15-24
Ad Astra.

© Gary A. Becker – [email protected] or [email protected]
Moravian University Astronomy - astronomy.org;

Moravian College Astronomy The Moravian University Astronomy page contains original astronomy material, astrophotography, and well-organized astronomy links, weather, and science links.

StarWatch 1477 for the week of December 8, 2024

Geminid Meteors Subdued by Moonlight

Maximum rates from the Geminid Meteor Shower are expected to occur on Friday evening into Saturday morning, December 13/14. It is one of the most anticipated meteor events of the year, not only because Geminids are relatively bright and plentiful, but because hourly rates have been rising over the last century. Increasing rates have sparked interest among amateurs and professionals despite the cold and often blustery wintery conditions that can be associated with this event. * Unfortunately, a nearly full moon will also be present to dampen the normally higher totals. If you plan to view brighter Geminids, I would recommend starting to observe around midnight when the star pattern of Gemini and the location from where the meteors will appear to emerge will be high (60 degrees) in the east. The moon will be nearly at the same altitude but about 45 degrees distant in the west. By facing east, you should be able to view Castor, the star near the radiant from where the meteors will be diverging, while keeping direct moonlight from distracting your vision. There will still remain a substantial amount of sky below the radiant to view brighter Geminids. See a map here: https://www.astronomy.org/StarWatch/December/index-12-24.html #12-8-24 * The debris from three-mile wide 3200 Phaethon, now a member of the asteroid belt, supplies the bits of sand-sized grains that power the bright Geminid meteors. In a previous life, however, most likely Phaethon was a comet that largely lost its ices and was gravitationally maneuvered into the asteroid belt by Jupiter, supporting a theory that some asteroids are merely defunct comets. The debris released by Phaethon has been moving closer to the Earth's orbit over the past centuries, thus creating an ever stronger shower display. * When I first got into meteor observing as a young teen with my cousin John, the Geminids produced a display similar to the August Perseids. The hourly rates indicating the intensity of a meteor event that observers read about are determined by a mathematical formula that attempts to create zenithal (overhead) conditions for the entire sky, something that not even the darkest sites can provide. The zenith produces the best position for sky watching since observers look through the least amount of atmosphere, creating the darkest skies possible. There is no light pollution either. Sixty years ago, the zenithal hourly rates (ZHR) for the Geminids began increasing from 50 meteors per hour to the present 150-200 shooting stars each hour during the peak period of maximum night. That number will continue to increase through the very early twenty-second century. * If you are going to attempt to view the Geminids, it is imperative that you dress to beat the cold. Last year, I bought some jeans online, and one was delivered with a waist size two inches too big. I considered sending it back when I remembered that I would view the Geminids a few weeks later. I kept the Levis, stowing them in my winter gear observing box, and sure enough, they fit snugly after layering up for Geminid viewing. I watched for three hours with friend, Jesse Leayman, starting at 11 p.m., and by 2 a.m., when he had to depart, I was still feeling only slightly cool. You are more than halfway there if you can beat the cold on a crisp, clear Geminid night. Good meteor hunting this week even though a bright moon will be present. Ad Astra!

Gary A. Becker – [email protected] or [email protected]

Moravian University Astronomy – astronomy.org

Moravian College Astronomy The Moravian University Astronomy page contains original astronomy material, astrophotography, and well-organized astronomy links, weather, and science links.

StarWatch 1476 for the week of December 1, 2024

Winter's Stars Start to Sizzle

Those long-awaited snowflakes have finally fallen on my hometown, and the dry spell has been broken although a significant deficit in precipitation still remains. November is always the month of transition. We've been fortunate this autumn with above-normal temperatures and many cloud-free and temperate nights. However as December dawns, so debuts the colder and cloudier weather season. It is also the dawning of the winter sky rising in the east at a more respectable hour. Yes, summer constellations like Lyra the Harp, Cygnus the Swan, and Altair the Eagle are still visible, crowding the heavens low in the west, but by 10 p.m., only Cygnus is left standing like a diminished cross in the northwest. * [Before moving to the eastern heavens and the winter constellations on the rise, make sure to witness the planet Venus and the Moon in the southwestern sky on Wednesday, December 4, between 5-6 p.m. A thin waxing crescent moon and the goddess of love, the second and third brightest sky objects will be in conjunction (together) low in the SW. Binoculars will make your observation more spectacular.]

* While the summer constellations are disappearing and the fall star patterns are headed westward, the eastern sky by 10 p.m. sizzles with the bright patterns of the winter group, Ta**us the Bull, Auriga the Charioteer, the Gemini Twins, Orion the Hunter, and Canis Major and Canis Minor, the big and little dogs. In addition, there is brilliant Jupiter, the fourth brightest object of the night, positioned between the horns of Ta**us. Ruddy Mars is a respectable 16 degrees above the horizon in Cancer the Crab. See a map ( https://www.astronomy.org/StarWatch/December/index-12-24.html #12-1-24 ) showing the rising winter constellations at 10 p.m., and join some of the season's most luminous stars to form the famous asterism of the Heavenly "G," currently rising on its back. * Begin with Capella, of Auriga the Charioteer, to the right and slightly above Orion. A line segment stretching downward from Auriga's alpha star will intersect two bright luminaries relatively close together. You have come across the heads of the Gemini Twins, Castor (above) and Pollux. Down and to the right from Gemini will be the bright and solitary Procyon of Canis Minor, the Little Dog. Continuing right and following along the horizon will bring you to Sirius the Dog Star of Canis Major or the Big Dog. Move upward to the brightest star of the Hunter, blue supergiant Rigel (Orion's knee), and again up and towards the left to discover Aldebaran of Ta**us the Bull. You can independently confirm Aldebaran's location by rocketing skyward from the three belt stars of Orion to this yellowish, giant star. Soaring downward from the belt is Sirius. * From Aldebaran, proceed earthward to the left shoulder of Orion, finding orangey (red supergiant) Betelgeuse. This path completes one of the versions of the Heavenly "G" rising on its side, a dazzling group of bright stars unlike any other. Use binoculars which gather more light than the human eye to reveal easily the colors of these stars in the northern heavens.

* Although the Heavenly "G" is visible from the Southern Hemisphere at mid-latitudes, it is not entirely above the horizon until 1 a.m., and when seen, the "G" is upside down and backward. It's just not the same. Ad Astra!

Gary A. Becker – [email protected] or [email protected]

Moravian University Astronomy – astronomy.org

StarWatch 1475 for the week of November 24, 2024

Asterisms: Constellation Wannabes

I have had a great deal of fun asking my students the name of a constellation that includes seven well-known stars that we informally call the Big Dipper. They almost never get it correct. In reality these seven luminaries are the most visible part of the Big Bear, Ursa Major, while the Little Dipper, known officially as Ursa Minor, is composed of the same stars as the Little Bear. It surprises my learners that this iconic symbol of the heavens is not a constellation. * For Americans the Big Dipper is a nationally significant group of stars that most likely dates back to the Drinking Gourd of the pre-Civil War era; however, in different nations and ethnicities, its seven stars represent a plow (England), a steel pan (Netherlands), a wagon (Germany), a sail (Saudi Arabia), the Northern Dipper (China), Bishamon, the god of war (Japan), and Saptarishi, the Seven Sages in Hindu mythology (India). * When representatives of the International Astronomical Union agreed in 1922 on a list of 88 constellation boundaries covering the entire sky, their delegates fell back to the Greco-Roman figure of the Great Bear. Nationalism was not a factor in their decision-making. Most Native American tribes also saw a bear figure in the heavens. * When I traveled to Iceland, I brought a copy of the asterisms listed in Donald H. Menzel's A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets. It was the first astronomy book purchased with my own funds, most likely in 1965 from a bookseller (Bachman's?) on Hamilton Street in Allentown. Its $4.95 cover price resulted from the accumulation of several months of allowance payments because at that time my weekly stipend was only 50 cents. Of course in the mid-sixties, gas prices were half that amount per gallon, and you could spend all day at the movies for only a dollar. I'm assuming my parents wanted me to make prudent decisions about the money that I spent. * I still use Menzel's book today because of its copious number of tables in the back, which often spur ideas for these blogs. One of those lists encompasses constellation wannabes, or asterisms, groupings of stars not officially sanctioned by the International Astronomical Union but recognized by name through national or cultural affiliations. I thought it might be fun to illustrate Menzel's list for others to view or to find in the sky if time permits. The maps you will discover by clicking here ( https://www.astronomy.org/StarWatch/November/index-11-24.html #11-24-24) include most of the heavens currently visible at 6:00 p.m., just after dark. If the asterism is part of a constellation, it is denoted in lavender; if it is a standalone, blue. One map hypes the eastern sky, while the other concentrates on its western counterpart. I have also included some asterisms not described in Menzel's tabulations, including one of my inventions. It is identified. If you plan to hunt them down right after dark, start with the western sky because these asterisms will set before the rising asterisms in the east. If you want to see all of them, a rural, moonless sky or the use of binoculars will be necessary, but most can be spotted from suburbia if your eyes are adequately dark-adapted. Good asterism hunting, or simply check them out on the maps. Ad Astra!

Gary A. Becker – [email protected] or [email protected]

Moravian University Astronomy – astronomy.org

Moravian College Astronomy The Moravian University Astronomy page contains original astronomy material, astrophotography, and well-organized astronomy links, weather, and science links.

StarWatch 1474 for the week of November 17, 2024

"They Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot"

Peter Detterline posed a question during our trip to Iceland. "If you lived here, with the northern lights visible every clear night, would you get tired of them?" My answer was a definitive "yes." Too much of anything seems to numb the soul for more of the same. However, three great nights of aurora watching have not been nearly enough to dampen my enthusiasm for wanting to see more. * I remember teaching an Allen student who had moved to the Lehigh Valley from Alaska. He told me his mother, who enjoyed photographing the northern lights, was distraught over her decision to discard boxes of auroral photos when she chose to live in Pennsylvania. According to the student, she thought that she would simply take up her hobby in a new location. * "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot," according to "Big Yellow Taxi," a song recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell in 1970. Iceland will have several more years of active auroral displays before conditions quiet down as the sun approaches solar minimum in the early 2030s. * Aurora night two occurred during our fifth and last evening in our Arnarstapi rental home. It was less spectacular than our first encounter, yet nonetheless still captivating. I spent a good chunk of it trying to stay balanced in an 8000-year-old lava field, tamed by a thick carpet of soft, spongy moss that was an iridescent green by day. In the immediate foreground about one mile distant, was the local volcano, 1727-foot Stapafell. When the aurora brightened, cloud-draped Snaefellsjokull, the volcano Jules Verne used to transport his fictional characters to Earth's center, was visible five miles away. On this night, the display was more curtain-like, with at times, vivid green furls waving slowly back and forth like a flag in a gentle summer breeze. I also had a better look at the sky with Polaris displaced to a staggering 65-degree altitude, almost too high to maintain one's steadiness in the irregular lava field terrain. Orion rose glacially over the Atlantic around 11 p.m., its belt reaching an altitude of only 25 degrees by my 2 a.m. bedtime. * Our last full day in Iceland was spent slowly making our way to our next lodging, Bru Country Estate, near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where we had started our Icelandic journey just one week earlier. Among at least a half dozen stops for photography, we discovered Lake Apavatn with plenty of shoreline room available for late-night astrophotography. * We settled into our room and participated in a sumptuous dinner buffet that included lamb and mushroom soup, two foods I don't particularly like, but were finely prepared and consumed with enthusiasm. After dinner, we then got our gear together, suited up in warmer clothing, and drove back to the lake. * Oh my goodness, it was filled with dozens of auroral tour vans and perhaps a hundred people milling about with distracting flashlights in a muffled carnival-type atmosphere. I assembled my camera and tripod in the dark, accidentally flipping the tripod over with the camera and lens attached when I gathered the strap attached to its storage case. I can still see it happening in slow motion, falling backward to the macadamed parking lot. Somehow, the camera body survived its hard impact with minimal scars, but the lens did not. It has been repaired since my return. * I photographed the sky on night three exclusively with my fisheye lens among a decreasing number of enthusiasts during the next few hours. By midnight, Pete and I were alone, with the wavering green and red lights of the north reflecting off the choppy waters of the wind-scoured lake. * It was homeward bound the following afternoon across a cloudless Greenland, landing in Newark around 7 p.m. Iceland is certainly a country worthy of another visit. Ad Astra!

Gary A. Becker – [email protected] or [email protected]

Moravian University Astronomy –

Moravian College Astronomy The Moravian University Astronomy page contains original astronomy material, astrophotography, and well-organized astronomy links, weather, and science links.