{"id":4904,"date":"2017-08-18T09:50:03","date_gmt":"2017-08-18T13:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/?p=4904"},"modified":"2025-08-13T18:59:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T22:59:14","slug":"4904","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/2017\/08\/18\/4904\/","title":{"rendered":"Astronomy in Aroostook County"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Hello everyone and welcome to the University of Maine at Presque Isle.\u00a0 If you are interested in astronomy, we have several treats for you in and around the Presque Isle area.\u00a0 The University Times runs this ongoing article about astronomy and the university has an astronomy club that works closely with the local Aroostook County Astronomy Club to provide educational opportunities and occasional observing nights throughout the year.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Joining the astronomy club is easy: just show up to one of our regularly scheduled meetings.\u00a0 Each meeting will have a short business meeting followed by an educational activity.\u00a0 An observing session will be held after the meeting if the weather permits.<\/p>\n<p>We encourage everyone to join our Facebook page \u201cAroostook Count Astronomy Club.\u201d\u00a0 By joining our Facebook page, you will be able to receive interesting articles about astronomy, be notified of upcoming club events, receive information about celestial events and receive notifications about possible Northern Lights.\u00a0 You should also take a look at our website at <a href=\"http:\/\/aroostookastronomy.strikingly.com\/\">http:\/\/aroostookastronomy.strikingly.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The UMPI Astronomy Club\/Aroostook Astronomy Club usually meets on campus in the Campus Center or in Folsom Hall.\u00a0 The location of the observing sessions moves throughout the county.\u00a0 Currently scheduled meetings and topic are listed below.\u00a0 Join our Facebook page or checkout our web page for locations and additional information.<\/p>\n<p>* Saturday, August 26, 2017, 7:30 p.m. \u2013 The latest information on Mars.<\/p>\n<p>* Saturday, Sept. 20, 2017, 6:30 p.m. \u2013 Jupiter, Saturn and the upcoming meteor showers (Draconids and Orionids).<\/p>\n<p>* Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, 6 p.m. \u2013 A closer look at the Moon.<\/p>\n<p>* Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, 6 p.m. \u2013 What to look for when buying a telescope.<\/p>\n<p>* Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, 6 p.m. \u2013 Looking ahead to 2018.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We also have a couple of other astronomy opportunities in the area, such as the largest to scale solar system model in the western hemisphere and the Francis Malcolm Science Center.<\/p>\n<p>The Maine Solar System Model was dedicated in 2003.\u00a0 At that time it was the largest to scale solar system model on Earth. Now it is the second largest.\u00a0 The model is built to the scale of 1 to 93 million.\u00a0 One mile is equal to 93,000,000 miles.\u00a0 At this scale, the Earth is located near Persy\u2019s Auto Sales one mile south of UMPI\u2019s campus on Route 1.\u00a0 For more information about the Maine Solar System Model, go to <a href=\"http:\/\/pages.umpi.edu\/nmms\/solar\/\">http:\/\/pages.umpi.edu\/nmms\/solar\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Francis Malcolm Science Center, located in Easton, Maine, has a planetarium and hosts occasional planetarium shows and observing nights. The science center is a great place to visit and when possible, the shows will be listed here and on the astronomy club\u2019s website and Facebook page.\u00a0 For more information about the science center go to <a href=\"http:\/\/37.60.252.244\/~franci87\/\">http:\/\/37.60.252.244\/~franci87\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>THE NIGHT SKY<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The International Space Station is visible as follows:<\/p>\n<p>Mornings\u2013August 31 through Sept. 21.<\/p>\n<p>Evenings\u2013Sept. 24 on.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For the times of other events, go to www.calsky.com.\u00a0 You will need to register at this site and load your location to be able to get exact times.\u00a0 The University of Maine at Presque Isle is located at 68d00m7.8s west longitude and 46d40m45.6s north latitude.<\/p>\n<p>To get a free sky chart, go to www.skymaps.com.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sun and Planet Visibility<\/p>\n<p>09\/05\/2017<\/p>\n<p>05:57 Sunrise.<\/p>\n<p>19:02 Sunset.<\/p>\n<p>04:48\u201305:24 Mercury.<\/p>\n<p>03:12\u201306:00 Venus.<\/p>\n<p>04:48\u201305:24 Mars.<\/p>\n<p>19:12\u201320:24 Jupiter.<\/p>\n<p>19:30\u201323:12 Saturn.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>09\/20\/2017<\/p>\n<p>06:16 Sunrise.<\/p>\n<p>18:33 Sunset.<\/p>\n<p>05:00\u201306:06 Mercury.<\/p>\n<p>03:54\u201306:18 Venus.<\/p>\n<p>04:42\u201305:48 Mars.<\/p>\n<p>18:42\u201319:30 Jupiter.<\/p>\n<p>19:00\u201322:12 Saturn.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>08\/25 \u00a019:36 \u00a0Jupiter 4.8 degrees from the Moon.<\/p>\n<p>08\/26 \u00a016:42 \u00a0Mercury in inferior conjunction\u2013between the Earth and the Sun.<\/p>\n<p>08\/29 \u00a004:13 \u00a0First Quarter Moon.<\/p>\n<p>08\/30 \u00a025th <sup>\u00a0<\/sup>anniversary of David Jewitt\u2019s and Jane Luu\u2019s discovery of the first Kuiper Belt Object (1992).<\/p>\n<p>08\/30 \u00a007:22 \u00a0Moon at apogee\u2013farthest from the Earth 404347km.<\/p>\n<p>08\/30\u00a0 19:48\u00a0 Moon 5.2 degrees from Saturn.<\/p>\n<p>08\/31\u00a0 175th anniversary of the U.S. Naval Observatory being authorized by an act of Congress (1842).<\/p>\n<p>09\/04\u00a0 05:15:01\u00a0 ISS passes 0.6 degrees from Beta Taurus (Elnath).<\/p>\n<p>09\/04\u00a0 05:15:38\u00a0 ISS passes 0.08 degrees from Alpha Gemini (Castor).<\/p>\n<p>09\/04\u00a0 20:05\u00a0 Mercury 3.2 degrees from Mars.<\/p>\n<p>09\/05\u00a0 40th anniversary of Voyager 1 Launch (1977).<\/p>\n<p>09\/05\u00a0 Neptune at oppositio \u2013directly behind the Earth and brightest 7.8 meg.<\/p>\n<p>09\/05\u00a0 04:22\u00a0 ISS passes 0.1 degrees from Alpha Orion (Betelgeuse).<\/p>\n<p>09\/06\u00a0 03:02\u00a0 Full Moon.<br \/>\n09\/12\u00a0 55th anniversary of John F. Kennedy\u2019s \u201cSend man to the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade\u201d speech (1962).<\/p>\n<p>09\/12\u00a0 25th anniversary of the first African-American Woman in Space on STS &#8211; 47 Endeavour\u2013Mae Jemison (1992).<\/p>\n<p>09\/12\u00a0 00:25 to 05:36\u00a0 Moon passes through the Hyades Star Cluster in Taurus eclipsing several stars.<\/p>\n<p>09\/12\u00a0 06:18\u00a0 Mercury at greatest western elongation (17.9 degrees) visible in the morning sky.<\/p>\n<p>09\/12\u00a0 23:42\u00a0 Mercury at half phase.<\/p>\n<p>09\/13\u00a0 02:25\u00a0 Last Quarter Moon.<\/p>\n<p>09\/13\u00a0 12:04 Moon at perigee\u2013closest to the Earth\u2013 69,823km.<\/p>\n<p>09\/15\u00a0 08:24\u00a0 Mercury at perihelion\u2013closest to the Sun\u20130.3075 AU.<\/p>\n<p>09\/16\u00a0 14:43\u00a0 Mercury 0.05 degrees from Mars.<\/p>\n<p>09\/18\u00a0 04:24\u00a0 Moon 5.0 degrees from Venus.<\/p>\n<p>09\/19\u00a0 05:30\u00a0 Moon 5.9 degrees from Mercury.<\/p>\n<p>09\/20\u00a0 01:29\u00a0 New Moon.<\/p>\n<p>09\/21\u00a0 18:48\u00a0 Moon 6.75 degrees from Jupiter.<\/p>\n<p>09\/22\u00a0 16:01\u00a0 September Equinox.<\/p>\n<p>09\/25\u00a0 18:00\u00a0 Equilux&#8211;equal length of day and night from Presque Isle.<\/p>\n<p>09\/26\u00a0 20:54\u00a0 Moon 2.7 degrees from Saturn.<\/p>\n<p>09\/27\u00a0 02:51\u00a0 Moon at Apogee\u2013Farthest from the Earth 404,387 km.<\/p>\n<p>09\/27\u00a0 19:15\u00a0 ISS passes 0.8 degrees from the Moon.<\/p>\n<p>09\/27\u00a0 22:53\u00a0 First Quarter Moon.<\/p>\n<p>09\/28\u00a0 55th anniversary of Canada\u2019s first satellite launch\u2013Alouette (1962).<\/p>\n<p>09\/30\u00a0 Fall Astronomy Day.<\/p>\n<p>10\/03\u00a0 01:42\u00a0 Venus at Perihelion\u2013closest to the Sun\u20130.7184 AU.<\/p>\n<p>10\/05\u00a0 12:53\u00a0 Venus 0.2 degrees from Mars.<\/p>\n<p>10\/05\u00a0 14:40\u00a0 Full Moon.<\/p>\n<p>10\/05\u00a0 19:00\u00a0 Draconid Meteor Shower 5 meteors\/hr.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello everyone and welcome to the University of Maine at Presque Isle.\u00a0 If you are interested in astronomy, we have several treats for you in and around the Presque Isle area.\u00a0 The University Times runs this ongoing article about astronomy and the university has an astronomy club that works closely with the local Aroostook County [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7381],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4904"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8807,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4904\/revisions\/8807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}