 Hi everyone. Want to help spread the word about the 2019 Solstice Lantern Walk? Forward the attached poster. Cheers! Roy 
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Click the link below to view or download this month's newsletter.
  During the equinox, day and night are of equal length. We are halfway between the longest day, on the summer solstice, and the shortest day, on the winter solstice.
We're starting the planning process for Longview's second annual Solstice Lantern Walk Through the Solar System. We hope to see you there! Hey, why not become part of Longview's history and help us out as a sponsor or as a volunteer? And in the meanwhile, join us for Sidewalk Astronomy on October 4 (check calendar for changes and weather info) or for our next club meeting on October 16. Cheers! Roy Sky Report by Ted Gruber Evening Sky Venus (magnitude -3.9) and Mercury (magnitude -0.6) are visible in the west-southwest twilight for about 30 minutes after sunset. Both planets will be very low to the horizon, so you’ll need a clear line of sight to see them. Once you find Venus, look for fainter Mercury to the south of Venus and just slightly higher. Jupiter (magnitude -2.2) and Saturn (magnitude 0.4) are much easier to spot. Jupiter becomes visible in the south-southwest sky as darkness falls. Jupiter dims slightly over the course of the month, but it will still be the brightest object in the night sky other than the moon. Saturn becomes visible about 30° east of Jupiter once the sky darkens more. On the evening of October 3, the moon appears about 2° east of Jupiter. Orionid Meteor Shower The Orionid meteor shower is active from October 2 through November 7, peaking the night of October 21-22. The Orionids typically produce a maximum of 20 meteors/hour at the peak, but the last quarter moon will drown out the fainter meteors once it rises around 12:30am. The Orionids appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Orion and result from the debris trail left by Halley’s Comet on its countless passes through the inner solar system. Moon Phases Last (9/21), new (9/28), first (10/5), full (10/13), last (10/21), new (10/27). Messier of the Month – M30 M30 is a magnitude 7.7 globular cluster in the constellation Capricornus. The cluster contains an estimated 150,000 stars and has an estimated age of 12.9 billion years. Its estimated distance is about 27,000 light years. Through binoculars, M30 appears as a hazy patch of light, slightly elongated east-west. Smaller telescopes will resolve the brightest individual stars, while 8” or larger scopes will resolve more stars and reveal the cluster’s bright small core and larger halo.
Click the link below to view or download this month's newsletter.
 Click the link below to view or download this month's newsletter.
 Sky Report by Ted Gruber Evening Sky Jupiter (magnitude -2.5) is visible in the southern sky as darkness falls until it sets in the southwest just before 3:00am. The largest planet will be the brightest object in the night sky other than the moon. By mid-August, you’ll find Jupiter slightly more southwest and setting about two hours earlier. On the evening of August 9, the moon passes 2° north of Jupiter. Saturn (magnitude 0.1) is visible in the southeastern sky in mid-July, again as darkness falls. The ringed planet remains visible until setting in the southwest around 5:00am, and about two hours earlier by mid-August. The moon passes less than 0.1° south of Saturn around midnight on the evening of August 11-12. Morning Sky Mercury (magnitude 1.8) rises in the east-northeast about an hour before sunrise starting the last week in July. It rises a bit earlier each day through August 10, when it rises about 90 minutes before sunrise. Mercury then begins rising a bit later each day, but it is still visible each morning through the third week in August. Perseids Meteor Shower The annual Perseids meteor shower is active from July 17 through August 24, peaking the night of August 13. Unfortunately, a nearly full moon will drown out all but the brightest meteors this year. Still, a good number of Perseids can typically be seen starting about a week before the peak until a couple days after. The meteors are called Perseids because they appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus in the east-northeast sky. Moon Phases Last (7/24), new (7/31), first (8/7), full (8/15), last (8/23), new (8/30). Messier of the Month – M29 M29 is a magnitude 6.6 to 7.1 open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. The cluster contains about 50 stars and has an estimated age of 10 million years. Its estimated distance ranges from 3,700 to 7,200 light years. Through binoculars, M29 appears as a tiny group of stars that look like a small box. Any size telescope resolves the cluster’s individual stars. M29 is best viewed at lower magnifications.
Evening Sky Through the first week in July, Mercury (magnitude 0.4) and Mars (magnitude 0.8) are visible low in the west-northwest as the sky darkens after sunset. After appearing just 0.2° apart on June 17 and 18, the two planets separate a little more each night. Jupiter (magnitude -2.6) now rises in the southeast around 8:00pm, while Saturn (magnitude 0.2) follows just after 10:00pm. Both planets rise about two hours earlier by mid-July. The full moon passes 0.2° south of Saturn the night of July 15-16. Morning Sky You can also see Jupiter and Saturn in the south-southwest early morning sky. Jupiter now sets around 4:30am and Saturn remains visible until fading into the morning sunlight. By mid-July, Jupiter sets about 3:00am, while Saturn sets a bit past 5:00am. Venus (magnitude -3.9) now rises about 4:30am in the northeast, and about 30 minutes later just before sunrise by mid-July. Moon Phases Last (6/25), new (7/2), first (7/9), full (7/16), last (7/24), new (7/31). Messier of the Month – M12 (Gumball Globular) M12, also known as the Gumball Globular, is a magnitude 7.6 globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. It is about 15,700 light years distant, contains about 200,000 stars, and has an estimated age of 12 to 13 billion years. M12 appears as a fuzzy patch through binoculars and smaller telescopes. An 8-inch scope will resolve the brightest stars, while a 10-inch scope will reveal the core.
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