Southern California Desert Video Astronomers
Our Mission.............................
To educate & promote astronomy in order to preserve the dark skies of the California Desert and everywhere for future generations.
Clear Sky Chart for The Joshua Tree Astronomy Arts Theater
Moon Phases for February 2012
august moon September moon October moon November moon December moon January moon February moon march moon April moon may moon June moon July moon
"Ask not what dark skies can do for you, rather,
ask what you can do for dark skies."
Inspired by a quote from JFK
WELCOME! FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD! Let's explore our wonderful Universe together!  WHAT'S NEW! SCDVA Deep Space Imaging |
| What's Happening Join SCDVA at the Saturday Feb. 18th from 6pm -10pm. For a star party, In Celebration If you have a telescope bring it, but not needed to enjoy the dark night skies of Joshua Tree. As usual, this is a bring your own everything to make yourself comfortable. Chairs, blankets, food, drink. We will bring the universe closer.
Since this is a holiday weekend,
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IS THERE HOPE FOR DARK SKIES?
As we wind down another busy year of astronomy activity, we’re looking back at the many events we shared in 2011. A Lot has happened and it has been very rewarding. One of the areas continuing to add to the wider scope of SCDVA involvement is the work we do to make our night sky darker.
There has been a movement going on. Creaking and groaning in the background and not just in our neighborhood, either. Around the world and all around our country, dark sky awareness has been clambering for attention. In our area, the counties of Riverside, Kern, and San Bernardino have been submitting new legislation aimed at updating and improving ordinances related to night lighting and light trespass.
We, at SCDVA, are very proud to say that the effort is working! Great strides have made firm footholds in how people are looking up at the Milky Way in a new and positive way. The understanding of what is good about these thoughts is getting a long awaited push forward that amateur astronomers hope for. Unknowingly, the general wellbeing of society is winning, as well.
For us, personally, the San Bernardino County night sky ordinance is under construction and a draft is near completion. Known as the Morongo Basin Dark Skies Alliance, MBDSA has been meeting monthly as the effort establishes a well thought out initiative. Kern County, and more recently, Riverside County, have been busy as well. With the aid of the International Dark Sky Association, these counties have new legislation, underway.
So, with this, we are pleased to provide the following links to some of the latest sources of information that will add insight into the work that is going on.
1. Here is information that is contained on “Cloudy Nights” website. This international group is composed of amateur astronomy enthusiasts has many other resources, as well…
Cloudy Nights Board - Pollution
2. For info about what SCDVA is involved with, this link goes to the MBDSA website…..
Morongo Basin Dark Skies Alliance
3. For info about the Kern County effort, go to…..
4. The Riverside County ordinance is very good in dealing with several difficult issues including how to amortize the old lighting and replace it with compliant lighting…..
http://rivcocob.com/agenda/2011/10_25_11/03.02.pdf
5. Here is a short article about Riverside’s effort and IDA involvement.
http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/10/26/29572/riverside-county-leaders-give-tentative-ok-light-p/
6. For info on dark skies and the international group working on the effort go to . . . .
http://www.darksky.org/
SCDVA is an active member of MBDSA. We continue to provide astronomy outreach activities aimed at education and support of a healthy and natural dark sky. Please join us and make the future better for the Earth and our natural environment.
Team SCDVA.org
| Morongo Basin DARK Skies Alliance Click Here for Latest News December 21st meeting report now posted |
Moving the Line
For information on how you can help to keep our
dark night skies.
click on the link below
IDA International Dark Sky Association
An early morning Circumhorizontal Arc, also known as a Cloud Iridescence, welcomes the first day of February.
It looks like a rainbow that's been set on fire, but this phenomenon is as cold as ice.
According to National Geographic News, Known in the weather world as a circumhorizontal arc, is some what a rare sight.
The arc isn't a rainbow in the traditional sense—it is caused by light passing through wispy, high-altitude cirrus clouds. The sight occurs only when the sun is very high in the sky (more than 58° above the horizon). What's more, the hexagonal ice crystals that make up cirrus clouds must be shaped like thick plates with their faces parallel to the ground.
When light enters through a vertical side face of such an ice crystal and leaves from the bottom face, it refracts, or bends, in the same way that light passes through a prism. If a cirrus's crystals are aligned just right, the whole cloud lights up in a spectrum of colors.
The 3 photos above, were photographed from just outside of California's Joshua Tree National Park, the morning of February 1st 2012
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by D.O.
Venus & Jupiter are still prominent planets this month, along with brilliant Sirius becoming some of the brightest points of light in the night sky and once again, the 2 planets will have a close encounter with the Moon on Feb. 25th.
The Moon passes close to the Pleiades (the shoulder of Taurus the bull), cluster twice this month, once on February 1st and again on the 28th.
February 3rd. According to SpaceWeather.com, there is an AURORA WATCH. NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% chance of minor geomagnetic storms on Feb. 3rd in response to the expected arrival of a solar wind stream. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras. This is as result of the X 1.7 solar flare of January 31st.
Courtesy of spaceweather.com
The full moon for February occurs on the 7th. at 9:54pm GMT. The February full moon is known as the Full Snow Moon by Native Tribes because the heaviest snow usually falls during this month. Some tribes from the North & East, also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult.
By the 9th, Mars is to the left or upper left of the Moon as they climb skyward this evening, and looks like a bright orange star.
For you early birds or late go to beds, on the 12th Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, is close to the lower left of the Moon as they climb into good view in the wee hours of the morning, with the brighter planet Saturn farther to the lower left of Spica.
By the 15th Antares, the brightest star of Scorpius, huddles below the Moon at first light.
February 29th. Today is Leap Year Day, an extra day added to every fourth February to keep the calendar closely aligned with the true seasons.
WELCOME ASTRONOMY AZ
-FOR SOME OF ASTRONOMY'S LATEST NEWS-
Visit our Astro-friends from around the World!
ASTRONOMY AZ
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David's new book was released in late September.
David will be scheduling book signing events in the Morongo Basin. Go to his website Out My Windows for future events and to check out the magic of the desert that is captured by
David Jesse McChesney's photographs
$32.95 FREE SHIPPING
anywhere within the United States
Thanks to David,
A portion of the proceeds will go in support of
SCDVA
(be sure to include your ship to address)
Joshua Tree Astronomy Arts Theater
PO Box 2192
Joshua Tree, Ca. 92252
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Additional Sites of Extreme Interest
Go to Photos & Events Link
to see pictures of what we've been up to.
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Last updated February 1, 2012