A Darker View

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser published a very nice article responding to the Sierra Club's Nelson Ho. The letter points out how Ho ignores and denigrates the efforts of those in the community that choose to work towards common ground in the management and preservation of Mauna Kea.

A perfect horizon visible from a vantage point at 13,600ft looking out over the islands of Maui and Lanai. Just what I needed to make an attempt at seeing comet C/2009 R1 McNaught in the evening sky. The plan was quite simple, I was working on the summit for the day, just stay after work for the couple hours until sunset. Thus I packed a telescope and a good camera in anticipation of a short evening observing session.

I was joined outside by Don Holdener, a laser technician here at Keck, and Joe Gargiulo, a night attendant who was currently on duty outside as a laser safety spotter. Together we enjoyed the sunset and made the attempt to spot the comet. Conditions were downright pleasant for the summit, no wind and temperatures that were cold, but not bitter. As we awaited full dark, we used the 'scope to pick out other features on the horizon, the observatories atop Haleakala, lights of Lanai City and the beacon at Lanai Airport.

Over the next two months we will be treated to a spectacular planetary conjunction. This dance will occur in the glow of sunset and will involve four bright planets and on a few nights, the Moon as well. Even now the dancers are orbiting towards their rendezvous. The diva of this show will be the bright planet Venus, she will be accompanied by the leading man, Saturn. Mars and Mercury round out the planetary cast, the only bright planet conspicuously absent will be Jupiter.

If you get out to take a look tonight, you may spy Mercury just beginning to escape the Sun's glare, low on the horizon in the fading glow. The other planets form a line along the ecliptic 75° east of the Sun which sets at 7pm. This line will contract as the dancers assume their places and the show begins.

A particularly nice sequence of days will start July 12, when a razor thin crescent Moon will join for a pass through the group. on the 12th it will be quite low, just 5° south of Mercury. Two days later a thicker but still beautiful Moon will be paired with Venus. The next day the Moon will be closer to Saturn and Mars.

The dance climaxes on the evening of August 12th when a beautiful crescent Moon joins the show. This evening will feature five naked eye solar system objects within 22° of each other. This is the night you find an appropriately scenic western horizon, maybe with a palm tree or observatory dome, and take the perfect photograph. The night is also the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower, making for a great night to get out and observe.

Towards the end of August Mercury will exit stage east, leaving only three planets on the platform. As September progresses there will still be a few more nice trios and pairs occurring, but the main show will be over.

Any evening through the next two months will provide a show as these planets gather in the sunset. Keep your browser or RSS reader pointed to Darker View for a step by step guide to the Great Planetary Conjunction of 2010.