NBAC NEWS LETTER
FEBRUARY ISSUE 049
rd
Meetings at SILVER BIRCHES PUBLIC SCHOOL 65 Marshall Ave. E, North Bay every 3 Wednesday from
September to June. Full details and directions are posted on our web page, www.gatewaytotheuniverse.org
Welcome!! To any newcomers enjoy our great astronomy of
space news and views!!
We have Public Viewing (Friday or Saturdays)
Join us at The Old Chief Commanda down at the Waterfront. Viewing Friday
night, weather permits, if not Friday then Saturday night, weather permitting.
Check our Website or Facebook Group for updates for Viewing.
Venus
In these past weeks, many have noticed Venus and been amazed at its brilliance in the west
after sunset. Venus and Mars remain fairly close together on the sky’s dome throughout February 2017. But
brilliant Venus is brightening whereas modestly-bright Mars is dimming. By mid-month, Venus will outshine
Mars by over 200 times.
Mars will linger in our sky for several more months. Keep in mind, however, that Earth is traveling away
from Mars as we speak – moving far ahead of this planet in the endless race around the sun .
Saturn lights up predawn sky. In both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, Saturn is easy to view in
the predawn hours throughout February 2017. From mid-northern latitudes, Saturn rises in the east about
three hours before the sun in early February, and by the month’s end, Saturn comes up four hours before
sunrise.
Mercury remains in the morning sky all month long, though it also sinks closer to the glare of sunrise
daily. From either the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere, your best chance of catching
Mercury is during the early part of the month, when Mercury rises a maximum time before sunrise.
Jupiter Jupiter’s prominence as the “morning star” will be hard to overlook. Seek out the brightest
starlike object in the predawn sky or the morning twilight and that’ll be the king planet Jupiter! If you stay up
till late evening, you might even catch Jupiter rising above your eastern horizon before your bedtime.
Don’t forget to pick up your local Community Voices.


Lynn Chetwynd explains astronomy in a fun and entertaining way.
Check out our WEBSITE at www.gatewaytotheuniverse.org
Also check out our new Facebook Group as our up-to-date source for info.
CONGRATS,
To our January’s 50/50 winner Ooops! tba next month …………..…,woohoo!!
Ongoing Business
The club’s 16” LX200 now has a home at the Ecology Centre and had a
successful season of public observing thanks to the joint efforts of the NBAC and CEC.
Moon Phases, January 2017
Last Quarter – Feb 18 2:33 pm
New Moon – Feb 26 9:58 am
Moon Phases, February 2017
First Quarter – Mar 5 6:32 am
Full Moon – Mar 12 10:53 am
NBAC NEWS LETTER
page 2
FEBRUARY ISSUE 049
Question of the month
How many rings does Uranus have?
Answer in next month’s issue
Answer to last month’s question.
How hot does Venus get?
ANSWER:
Venus is the hottest world in the solar system. Although Venus is not the planet
closest to the sun, its dense atmosphere traps heat in a runaway version of the greenhouse effect
that warms Earth. As a result, temperatures on Venus reach 870 degrees Fahrenheit (465 degrees
Celsius), more than hot enough to melt lead.
Word of the Month: SUN SPOTS
Sunspots are darker, cooler areas on the surface of the sun in a region called the photosphere. The
photosphere has a temperature of 5,800 degrees Kelvin. Sunspots have temperatures of about 3,800
degrees K. They look dark only in comparison with the brighter and hotter regions of the photosphere
around them. Sunspots are caused by the Sun's magnetic field welling up to the photosphere, the Sun's
visible "surface". The powerful magnetic fields around sunspots produce active regions on the Sun, which
often lead to solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).
LINDA PULLIAH has logged 34 of the 110 objects from the Finest NGC’s List
RANDY CURRIE has logged 9 of the 110 objects from the Finest NGC’s List
Congrats to everyone taking part in your beginners certificate or messier list or other list.
I encourage more people to take part in these activity for certificates and lists and give purpose to
stargazing and to enjoy the star-lit skies.
On-going Progress with Certs and Lists
E-mail me your progress, let me know how you’re doing, I’ll print it in the NBAC News Letter.
For any inquiries or to update me with your progress my e-mail is: [email protected]
Special Note:
People visiting Sudbury or planning a road trip or would like to take part in the sudbury astronomy meetings can
do so at the Doran Planetarium (Fraser Building). The Sudbury Astronomy Club meetings are every second Friday
of each month at 7:30pm-9:30pm. For full details go to www.sudburyastronomyclub.com
STAR PARTIES 2017
Harold Healy Frozen Banana SP May25-28, 2017
Mew Lake Campground Reserve December 25, 2016
New Moon in June June 22-25, 2017
Grundy Lake Provincial Park Reserve Jan 22, 2017
Gateway to the Universe July 20-23, 2017
Marten River Provincial Park Reservations not required
The August Star Party August 10-13, 2017
Marten River Provincial Park Reservations not required
Half the Night SP August 24-27, 2017
Halfway Lake Provincial Park Reserve March 25, 2016
Last Chance Star Party September 14-17, 2017
Restoule Prov. Park or Granite Ridge
THE SKIES ARE YOURS TO DISCOVER
stargazingran NBAC