Spectacular Sky Scene Monday Evening

Every once in a while, something will appear in the night sky that will attract the attention of even those who normally don't bother looking up. It's likely to be that way on Monday evening, Dec. 1.

A slender crescent moon, just 15-percent illuminated, will appear in very close proximity to the two brightest planets in our sky, Venus and Jupiter.

People who are unaware or have no advance notice will almost certainly wonder, as they cast a casual glance toward the moon on that night, what those two "large silvery stars" happen to be? Sometimes, such an occasion brings with it a sudden spike of phone calls to local planetariums, weather offices and even police precincts. Not a few of these calls excitedly inquire about "the UFOs" that are hovering in the vicinity of our natural satellite.


Also on Monday evening, you may be able to see the full globe of the moon, its darkened portion glowing with a bluish-gray hue interposed between the sunlit crescent and not much darker sky. This vision is sometimes called "the old moon in the young moon's arms." Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was the first to recognize it as what we now call "earthshine."


As seen from the moon, the Earth would loom in the sky some 3.7 times larger than the moon does for us. In addition, the land masses, the oceans and clouds make the Earth a far better reflector of sunlight as compared to the moon. In fact, the Earth's reflectivity varies as clouds, which appear far more brilliant than the land and seas, cover greater or lesser parts of the visible hemisphere. The result is that the Earth shines between 45 and 100 times more brightly than the moon.








That would be intense.
I get really geeked out about space. More than what I was ever willing to admit when I was younger. I got my hands on a book of constellations when I was nine or so, it had glow in the dark pictures and descriptions of all of the signs and star patterns, stories behind them, when you could see them, where you could see them..all the good stuff. I can still point out most of them.
Orion is at a stellar prime right now.





There is a "Life on Mars" exhibit that I was made aware of. The people set up a "terrain" to show what it would be like to live on Mars and apparently everything is just covered in packaging tape with aluminum cans strewn about. I still want to see it. If it's not similar to Mars I'm assuming its close to how Fed Ex is looking through holidays.

I got pretty stoked about this planet viewing earthshine thing until I realized that Pittsburgh's weather forecast looks mostly overcast. Bummer. I'll keep an eye out for a break in the sky though.

Today I decorated my very first Christmas tree, of my own, with the five ornaments that I have.
It's not that impressive.
Maybe I'll pick up some yarn and popsicle sticks and make mass amounts of diamonds. What else? Candy canes? Popcorn strings? Paper snow flakes? About two handfuls of people I know really dislike holidays. The rest are mildly indifferent. Last year I sat in that indifferent boat. This year, I'm keeping myself distracted. I want to bake cookies AND decorate them. Make a pie. Have a soup party. Learn how to make mulling spices like my brother does. Make ornaments and keep my wallflowers full of something good smelling. At least it will make one month of winter less daunting.

As for January and the utmost dreaded February.. Perhaps I'll take up that painting class. And go make wine goblets with Jen that one weekend.