Southern California Desert Video Astronomers
Our Mission.............................
" To share our abilities with astronomy in order to preserve dark starry night skies and a vibrant healthy environment in the California Desert and everywhere else on our Planet for future generations! "
SCDVA, moving the line for dark skies and environmental awareness.
The World's First & Only Live Astronomy Theater.
New Horizons Event....
Sunday Feb. 17th 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm
HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
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Clear Sky Chart for The Joshua Tree Astronomy Arts Theater
January moon, February moon, March moon, April moon, May moon, June moon, July moon, August moon, September moon, October moon, November moon, December Moon
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SCDVA, Official IDA Chapter Serving The High Desert Region
San Bernardino County
IDA International Dark Sky Association
Ask what you can do for dark skies."
Inspired by a quote from JFK
Click the above image to see amazing live views of our earth
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JTAATinfo@gmail.com ________ |
FEBRUARY SKIES
Venus is visible as a morning object, having recently passed greatest elongation west. From Joshua Tree, it is visible in the dawn sky, rising at 03:40 (PST). 3 hours and 5 minutes before the Sun and reaching an altitude of 25° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 06:28.
Mars is currently an early evening object, now receding into evening twilight. From Joshua Tree, it will become visible at around 05:47 pm (PST) as the dusk sky fades, 57° above your southwestern horizon. It will then sink towards the horizon, setting 5 hours and 34 minutes after the Sun at 10:44 pm.
Uranus can be seen through binoculars or telescope below Mars.
On February 12th Mars and Uranus, located in the constellation Aries, will make a close approach, passing within 0°58' of each other.
From Joshua Tree, the pair will become visible at around 06:02 pm. (PST) as the dusk sky fades, 54° above your Southwestern horizon. They will then sink towards the horizon, setting 5 hours and 10 minutes after the Sun at 10:35 pm.
The pair will be a little too widely separated to fit comfortably within the field of view of a telescope, but will be visible through a pair of binoculars.
There's nothing like the crispy, clear, dark winter night skies in the desert. Between the Eastern and South Eastern sky, shortly after sunset, the constellation, Orion the Hunter shines bright. Two of the brightest stars in the evening sky lie at opposite corners of the rectangle just above Orion's belt. There is the bright orange-red Betelgeuse at the northeastern corner and even brighter Rigel at the southwest.
Bellatrix is located at the right shoulder of Orion. Harry Potter fans will also familiar with the name Bellatrix as he is Sirius Black's cousin, and sister to Narcissa Malfoy and Andromeda Tonks, making her Nymphadora Tonks' aunt.
Bellatrix was sorted into Slytherin House at Hogwarts.
At the feet of Orion lies the constellation Lepus the rabbit. Its brightest star is Arneb, from the Arabic name that means “the hare.”
Orion's myth has two different versions, depending on the identity of his parents. The first, identifies the sea-god Neptune as Orion's father and the the great huntress Queen Euryale of the Amazons as his mother. Orion inherited her talent, and became the greatest hunter in the world. Unfortunately for him, with his immense strength came an immense ego, and he boasted that he could best any animal on earth. In response to his vanity, a single small scorpion stung him and killed him.
Another version of the Orion myth states that he had no mother but was a gift to a pious peasant from Jupiter, Neptune, and Mercury. "Orion supposedly was able to walk on water and had greater strength and stature than any other mortal. A skilled blacksmith, he fabricated a subterranean palace for Vulcan. He also walled in the coasts of Sicily against the encroaching sea and built a temple to the gods there"
Orion fell in love with Merope, daughter of Oenopion and princess of Chios. Her father the king, however, would not consent his daughter's hand in marriage to Orion, even after the hunter rid their island of wild beasts. So angry, Orion attempted to gain possession of Merope with violence. Merope's father became infuriated at this conduct, made Orion drunk, deprived him of his sight and cast him out on the seashore. The blinded hero followed the sound of a Cyclops' hammer till he reached Lemnos, and came to the forge of Vulcan, who, taking pity on him, gave him Kedalion, one of his men, to be his guide to the abode of the sun. Placing Kedalion on his shoulders, Orion proceeded to the east, and there meeting the sun-god, was restored to sight by his beam.
After this he dwelt as a hunter with Diana, with whom he was a favorite, and it is even said she was about to marry him. Her brother,Apollo, was extremely displeased and admonished her (she was, a virgin huntress). One day, seeing Orion wading through the ocean with his head just above the water, Apollo pointed it out to his sister and maintained that she could not hit that black thing on the sea. The archer-goddess released her arrow with fatal aim. The surf rolled the body of Orion to the land, and bewailing her fatal error with many tears, Diana placed him among the stars.
It is also stated in some versions that Apollo, worried for Diana's chastity, sent a scorpion to kill Orion.
According to the versions of the myth which have him killed by Scorpius, the two were placed on the opposite sides of the sky from each other so that they are never visible at the same time.
Who would have thought that a Ground Hog could be a meteorologist. According to AccuWeather, the groundhog is a better than average predictor, with an 80 percent accuracy rate.
February 4th. The New Moon
A great night to go outside in a dark sky area and check out the Milky Way as it stretches across the sky above from the Southeast to the Northwest at dark.
February 14th Happy Valentines Day
The Heart Nebula. IC 1805 lies some 7500 light years away, in the Perseus arm of the Galaxy. The loose open cluster Melotte 15 lies at the center of IC 1805. The nebula's gorgeous red color is driven by the radiation emanating Melotte 15. Only 1.5 million years old, this cluster contains a few bright stars nearly 50 times the Sun's mass, and many more containing only a fraction of a solar mass.
The "Heart and Soul" nebulae, IC 1805 and IC 1848.
The very brightest part of the Heart nebula is separately classified as NGC 896, and was the first part of this nebula to be discovered.
February 19 - Full Moon, Supermoon.
The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated.
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Joshua Tree Astronomy Arts Theater
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for further & future details
on
Upcoming Events
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Please Help Support our efforts. To contribute, click the link below.
Or mail your Contributions to
JTAAT
P.O. Box 425
Joshua
Thank you for your support
Note: non tax deductible
Last updated February 1, 2019