July 2020

Hello, fellow Skyscrapers.

I hope many of you are taking advantage of our new features. First, the virtual Skyscraper monthly meetings seem to be well received. Both Stella and Kelly gave great talks. And we have a great lineup for Summer and Fall. Big thank you to Steve Hubbard. Also I hope you have delved into Night Sky Network and its events calendar. I have been listening to talks from Lowell Observatory and Fred Whipple Observatory. Check them out, especially Cosmic Coffee!

Happy Summer Solstice to everyone. And with it we have some bad and some good. First, the bad. Twilight does not end until after 9:00PM limiting our observing time. And don’t forget; do not set your scope up when it can get sunlight before dusk. And do not leave it in a hot car. Do not want to have to wait to have the mirror stabilize around midnight! And we have to contend with biting mosquitoes and smelly bug spray. But there are a lot more positives. No gloves, no ski caps, no heavy parkas. So observing is a lot more comfortable. And the observing is great. There is the Summer Triangle to help us find our way. And the entire Summer Milky Way to show us its delights. Open clusters and globular clusters galore. Pretty double and multiple stars to delight. Lie on the ground and watch meteors as they streak across the sky. It’s that time of year to go to a dark site and just take in the Sagittarius, Scorpius and Scutum star clouds. Jupiter and Saturn are well placed for observing. So get out there with your scopes or binoculars. And just enjoy the summer sky. And remember, you do not need sunscreen at night, even in the summer.

Stay safe and keep looking up.