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‘Shoot the Moon’ with EfstonScience’s NEW Urban Observing Sessions rss

June 13, 2011 at 10:33 pm

Moonrise over water

Moonrise showing atmospheric refraction. Credit: Harald Wochne, www.nachtwunder.de

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 - join us to watch the moon rise and more!

facebook_logoEfstonScience would like to share the magical experience of a true moonrise with you.  Once a month, on the night of the full moon, we will be hosting our new ‘Shoot The Moon’ lunar and urban observing sessions.

This month, on June 15th at 8pm we will gather at J.C. Saddington Park near Port Credit in Mississauga for our first ever ‘Shoot the Moon’ event! RSVP by email or Facebook, or just show up!

We’ve chosen the location due to a spit that juts out into Lake Ontario, offering a south-easterly view of the watery horizon. J.C. Saddington has a parking lot for those of you traveling with your own cars.  At about 8:45pm we will make the short hike to the spit, and watch the moon rise over the lake. The full moon will be rising at the same time the sun sets, a two-for-one deal. You are welcome to bring cameras or binoculars, or even your telescopes, but bear in mind that you will have to carry them to the spit.

If you have never had the chance to watch the moon rise over a large body of water, it is a sight to witness. We rarely take the time to watch things such as the moon rise, and even when we catch it by accident, it is usually only rising from behind some man-made structure, such as a building or a highway, and we’ve missed the actual moment of ‘true’ rising.

To watch the moon emerge from the water is very different from watching it rise over a horizon of buildings and trees. Atmospheric refraction, a phenomenon that distorts images on the horizon (think images of hot roads in the summer) will warp and redden the moon to the point that its hard to realize what that you’re looking at is indeed the moon.   I have seen it rise from the water, flat as a pancake, springing into its natural shape over the course of a few minutes.  Add to that the illusion of the moon’s apparent immense size, and you have a wonder that can be enjoyed with just your eyes.

After the moon has finished its show, we will make our way back to the parking lot, and you are welcome to set up small telescopes in said parking lot.  There are planets and deep-sky objects which can withstand the effects of light pollution, and we shall lead a brief tour of those objects that can be enjoyed even from the skies of Toronto. The tour will shutdown around 11pm, as this is the park’s closing time.

We hope you’ll make the trip; you’re sure to get a show!
View J.C. Saddington Park in a larger map

For more information, directions and schedules for EfstonScience’s Cosmic Connections and Shoot the Moon Observing Sessions visit our website or check the Facebook Event for the latest updates.

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