SpaceWatchtower: September 2015

Sunday, September 27, 2015

TONIGHT: 'Blood / Super' & Harvest Moon Tetrad Eclipse w/ Web-Casts

Animation September 28 2015 lunar eclipse appearance.gif

This simulation shows the approximate appearance of the Moon passing through Earth's shadow for tonight's Total Eclipse of the Moon. The Moon's brightness is exaggerated within the umbral shadow. The northern portion of the Moon was closest to the center of the shadow, making it darkest, and most red in appearance. (Image Source: Wikipedia.org )

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

TONIGHT, the fourth and final Total Eclipse of the Moon, of the current Tetrad of total lunar eclipses will be visible throughout America, WEATHER-PERMITTING. The eastern half of America will see the entire eclipse, while the western half of America will see the eclipse in-progress, as the Moon rises in their area.

For areas where the weather is not cooperating, there will be Internet web-casts available for anyone to watch. Internet links to these web-casts are at the end of this blog post.

The eclipse event actually begins on Sunday evening at 8:11:46 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT) / Monday at 0:11:46 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) as the Moon enters the dim penumbral shadow of the Earth. This will result in a slight dimming of the light coming from the Moon, which not everyone will be able to notice. Everyone watching will be able to see the Moon entering the Earth's umbral shadow, at 9:07:12 p.m. EDT (Sept. 27) / 1:07:12 UTC (Sept. 28), as the Partial Lunar Eclipse phase begins.

A Lunar Eclipse or Eclipse of the Moon is when the orbit of the Moon brings our natural satellite into the Earth's shadow, always near the time, and including the time, of a Full Moon. Hence, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are in such a near-perfect alignment, it is known as a syzygy. As the Moon's orbit .around the Earth is slightly tilted, with respect to the Earth's orbit around the Sun, such an alignment does not occur most of the time, when the Moon passes above or below the Earth's shadow.

An Eclipse of the Moon or Lunar Eclipse is the type of eclipse that is safe to watch, directly, with the naked-eye, binoculars, or a telescope. Of course, visibility is dependent on local weather conditions. For areas where sky conditions are poor, as well as in areas where the eclipse will not be visible at all, Internet web-casts of the event will be available (links to these web-casts are listed near the end of this blog post).

This will be the fourth and final Total Lunar Eclipse, in a Tetrad of four successive total eclipses of the Moon, within a span of two years, with no partial lunar eclipses occurring within those two years. The dates of the other three Total Lunar Eclipses of the current Tetrad are 2014 April 15, 2014 October 8, and 2015 April 4.

Lunar Eclipse Tetrads are sporadic and usually rare. There were no such Tetrads during the 300-year period of 1600 to 1900. However, this is the first of eight Tetrads in the 21st Century! The next Tetrad will begin in April of 2032.

Some Christian ministers have proposed that this particular Tetrad may fulfill a "Blood Moon” prophecy of the end-times, while others including Mike Moore, the then-General Secretary of Christian Witness to Israel (in January of 2014), discount such a prophecy.

Tonight's Tetrad Total Lunar Eclipse is a so-called “Super Moon,” a perigee Full Moon caused by the closest approach of the Moon to the Earth in 2015: 356,877 kilometers. Hence, tonight's Full Moon will look a little bit larger than any other Full Moon this year, particularly near the horizon during Moon rise and Moon set (actually, the Moon always looks a little bigger during Moon rise and Moon set, as a person's vision then compares the size of the Moon to other objects near the horizon). . And, as with many such perigee full moons, very large tides are predicted along ocean coastlines for about a 24-hour period.

The Full Moon of tonight's Tetrad Total Lunar Eclipse is also the Harvest Moon for 2015. The Harvest Moon is the Full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox, the official beginning of Autumn or Fall, which occurred on September 23. As hours of sunlight become shorter, and temperatures became cooler, farmers would be rushing to harvest all of their crops. The days around the Harvest Moon would give them, and their workers, additional light in the evening to finish harvesting their crops.

The Harvest Moon, in general, can occur from two weeks before the Autumnal Equinox to two weeks after the beginning of Fall. When the October Full Moon occurs early in the month, it is then sometimes considered the Harvest Moon. The October Full Moon, which is usually the first Full Moon after the Harvest Moon, is usually considered the Hunter's Moon, providing hunters with additional light to hunt game after sunset. When the October Full Moon is considered the Harvest Moon, some still consider it the Hunter's Moon as well, while others then consider the November Full Moon the Hunter's Moon. The Harvest Moon has the same characteristics in the Southern Hemisphere, when it occurs in March or April.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the September Full Moon is also known as the Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, Wild Rice Moon, and Red Plum Moon.

The September Full Moon has been given several names in the Southern Hemisphere: Worm Moon, Lenten Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon, and Sap Moon.

Here are the major stages of the eclipse --- Sunday Evening to Monday Morning, 2015 September 27 to 28 (EDT: Eastern Daylight Saving Time / UTC: Coordinated Universal Time) ---

September 27 / September 28

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Begins – ECLIPSE BEGINS 8:11:46 p.m. EDT / 0:11:46 UTC

Partial Lunar Eclipse Begins 9:07:12 p.m. EDT / 1:07:12 UTC

Lunar Perigee (356,877 kilometers) 10:00 p.m. EDT / 2:00 UTC

Total Lunar Eclipse Begins 10:11:11 p.m. EDT / 2:11:11 UTC

Greatest Lunar Eclipse 10:47:09.1 p.m. EDT / 2:47:09.1 UTC

Moon Phase - Full Moon 10:51 p.m. EDT / 2:51 UTC

Total Lunar Eclipse Ends 11:23:07 p.m. EDT / 3:23:07 UTC

September 28 / September 28

Partial Lunar Eclipse Ends 12:27:06 a.m. EDT / 4:27:06 UTC

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Ends – ECLIPSE ENDS 1:22:33 a.m. EDT / 5:22:33 UTC

Internet Web-Casts of the September 27 to 28 Total Eclipse of the Moon ---

NASA - Begins Sept. 27, 8:00 p.m. EDT / Sept. 28, 0:00 UTC:

Link >>> http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc

Sky & Telescope Magazine - Begins Sept. 27, 9:00 p.m. EDT / Sept. 28, 1:00 UTC:

Link >>> http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/watch-this-months-lunar-eclipse-live-090320155/

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles - Begins Sept. 27, 9:30 p.m. EDT / Sept. 28, 1:30 UTC:

Link >>> http://livestream.com/GriffithObservatoryTV/LunarEclipseSep2015

Slooh Community Observatory - Begins Sept. 27, 8:00 p.m. EDT / Sept. 28, 0:00 UTC:
Link >>> http://live.slooh.com/stadium/live/mega-harvest-moon-eclipse?utm_source=ealert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MegaMoonEclipse

NASA Science News: Total Eclipse of the Harvest Moon:
Link >>> http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2015/22sep_lunareclipse/

How to Photograph this Lunar Eclipse:
Link >>> http://news.yahoo.com/photograph-supermoon-total-lunar-eclipse-124219764.html

More on the so-called "SuperMoon": Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermoon

More on the Full Moon: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon

More on Full Moon names ---

Link 1 >>> http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names/
Link 2 >>> http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/full-moon-names
Link 3 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon#Harvest_and_hunter.27s_moons

More on the “Blood Moon” prophecy of the end-times:

Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Moon_Prophecy

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Allegheny Observatory Bus Stop Restoration Sought

The University of Pittsburgh's Allegheny Observatory, located in Riverview Park
on Pittsburgh's North Side, about three miles north of Pittsburgh's original Buhl
Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (Image Source: Friends of the Zeiss).

By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Public access to Pittsburgh's Allegheny Observatory has become a little more difficult since the closest and most logical bus stop, which serves both the Allegheny Observatory and Riverview Park, has been eliminated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) public transit system.

In their attempt to streamline the public transit system, PAT has been eliminating transit stops, for both the bus system and the Light Rail rapid transit system (only street level stops). This includes the elimination of a bus stop at Riverview Avenue, on the Route 8 Perrysville bus line. This bus stop was located one block from the entrance to Riverview Park, and the Allegheny Observatory which is located atop a hill just above this entrance.

Now, the closest bus stop to Riverview Park and the Allegheny Observatory is another block away at Venture Street [the inbound bus stop is located at a historic, stone bus shelter, built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression]. The Venture Street bus stop is also located around a bend on Perrysville Avenue, where Riverview Avenue is not even visible. For out-of-town tourists, or even other city and county residents not from the North Side's Observatory Hill neighborhood, attending tours or lectures at Allegheny Observatory, the Observatory is now more difficult to find and reach by public transit.

When the new Allegheny Observatory opened in 1912, famous astronomer and telescope-maker John Brashear had specifically constructed the Observatory not just for astronomical research, but also for public education.

In this era, scientists had started to locate astronomical observatories on mountaintops, far away from city lights and pollution. However, John Brashear sited the new Allegheny Observatory away from the center of Pittsburgh on a high hill in a new city park, just one block from a major streetcar line, for easy public access. Today, the Allegheny Observatory is the largest astronomical observatory within the city limits of a major American city.

He also arranged for the Observatory's original 13-inch Fitz-Clark refractor telescope to be in one of the Observatory's three astronomical domes and to be used primarily as an educational telescope for the general public. And, he insisted on construction of a lecture hall for educating the public in Astronomy. The Allegheny Observatory also includes an Astronomy library (including two balcony levels), which is a branch of the University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Glenn A. Walsh, former Astronomical Observatory Coordinator for Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, and a long-time public transit advocate, testified before the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Allegheny County on Friday, asking that the Riverview Avenue bus stop be restored on the Perrysville bus line:

Statement before Glenn A. Walsh

Board of Directors of P.O. Box 1041

Port Authority of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.

Allegheny County: Telephone: 412-561-7876

PAT Bus Stop Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >

Eliminations Internet Web Site: < http://www.planetarium.cc >

Space Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
2015 September 25

Good morning. I am Glenn A. Walsh, 633 Royce Avenue, Mt. Lebanon, a regular Light Rail and bus rider who has chosen not to drive a motor vehicle since 1985, to help save energy, protect the environment, and reduce city traffic congestion. I have been an active transit advocate for more than 37 years, including 3 terms (1984 to 1989) on the Allegheny County Transit Council as a Charter Member. My comments today are my own and do not reflect those of any organization.

After an Allegheny Observatory lecture on July 17, an inbound Perrysville bus passed me at the Riverview Avenue stop. Only then did I realize that there was no bus stop sign.

I was stunned, because there had been a bus stop there for decades. And, for good reason: it is the closest and most logical bus stop serving the Allegheny Observatory and Riverview Park!

In 1912, famous astronomer and telescope-maker John Brashear, specifically, located the new Allegheny Observatory close to a major streetcar line, for easy public access. Eliminating the closest and most logical bus stop to the Observatory makes public access more difficult.

Perhaps people in the neighborhood know about this bus stop elimination. What about people from other parts of the city and county, and out-of-town tourists, attending tours or lectures at the Allegheny Observatory? And, what about people attending films and other events and activities in Riverview Park?

No bus stops near any cultural institution, tourist attraction, or park should ever be eliminated! And, these Riverview Avenue bus stops should be restored!

Thank you.

gaw

More about the Allegheny Observatory:
Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/08/centennial-new-allegheny-observatory.html

More about John Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com/

More about the Port Authority of Allegheny County: Link >>> http://www.portauthority.org/

Barnes, Jonathan. "PAT and Public: An Easy Trip to See the Stars Must Be Restored." Blog Post.
Barnestormin 2015 Sept. 27.
Link >>> http://barnestormin.blogspot.com/2015/09/pat-and-public-easy-trip-to-see-stars.html

Related Blog Posts ---

"Brashear: Time Capsule Unveiled; Telescope Retired." 2015 July 9.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/07/brashear-time-capsule-unveiled.html

"Update: Historic Brashear Time Capsule." 2015 April 9.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/04/this-4-inch-refractor-telescope-was.html

"Dispute: Ownership of Brashear Time Capsule." 2015 March 26.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/03/dispute-ownership-of-brashear-time.html

"Historic Brashear Telescope Factory Time Capsule Found & Opened." 2015 March 25.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/03/brashear-telescope-factory-time-capsule.html

"Historic Brashear Telescope Factory Wall Collapses." 2015 March 18.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/03/historic-brashear-telescope-factory.html

"Brashear House & Factory: Nomination to National Register of Historic Places." 2012 Oct. 11.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/nomination-to-national-register-of.html

Historic Nomination: John Brashear House & Factory, Pittsburgh." 2012 Sept. 13.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/09/historic-nomination-john-brashear-house.html

"Centennial: New Allegheny Observatory Dedication." 2012 Aug. 28.
Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/08/centennial-new-allegheny-observatory.html

"Mystery: Brashear Telescope Donated by Frick to Pittsburgh Suburb Missing for Decades." 2012 May 7.
Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/05/mystery-brashear-telescope-donated-by.html

"Pittsburgh's Allegheny Observatory: New History Film." 2012 April 19.
Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/04/pittsburghs-allegheny-observatory-new.html

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your inbox ?
Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >..

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/ >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SpaceWatchtower Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Also see: South Hills Backyard Astronomers Blog: < http://shbastronomers.blogspot.com/ >
Barnestormin: Writing, Essays, Pgh. News, & More: < http://www.barnestormin.blogspot.com/ >
About the SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: < http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/ >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Autumn Begins Early Wed. Morning

Earth rotating during the Autumnal Equinox.
Incoming solar energy is equal in both the Northern
and Southern Hemispheres.
(Image Source: NOAA)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

The Autumnal Equinox, the beginning of the season of Autumn or Fall in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth, begins early Wednesday Morning, 2015 September 23 at 4:20 a.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT) / 8:20 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

In Earth's Southern Hemisphere, this marks the astronomical beginning of the season of Spring.

On the day of Equinox, the Sun appears directly overhead at local Noon on the Equator. At the moment of Equinox, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres of Earth are illuminated equally. And, the time of Equinox is the only time when the terminator (dividing line on Earth between daylight and darkness) is perpendicular to the Equator.

This, and the reason for seasons on Earth in the first place, is due to the fact that Earth rotates on its axis, which is tilted at an approximate 23.44-degree angle from the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. As the Earth revolves around the Sun, this axial tilt causes one hemisphere of the planet to receive more direct solar radiation during that hemisphere's season of Summer and much less direct solar radiation a half-year later during that hemisphere's season of Winter. As mentioned, during an Equinox (about half-way between Summer and Winter, and about half-way between Winter and Summer) both planetary hemispheres receive an equal amount of solar radiation.

An urban legend that has been making the rounds for decades has it that eggs can be stood on their ends only during an Equinox, whether the Vernal Equinox in the Spring or the Autumnal Equinox in the Fall. This is completely false. Depending greatly on the size and shape of the particular egg, eggs can be stood on their ends any day of the year! Astronomy has nothing to do with whether an egg can stand on its end. If an egg can stand on its end on the Equinox (and, due to the shape and size of some eggs, this is not even possible), it can stand the same way any other day of the year.

In the last few years, with the help of the Internet and Social Media, another urban legend has become prevalent. Now it is claimed that brooms can stand, on their own, on their bristles, only on an Equinox day. This is also false. Again, as with eggs, if a broom can stand on its bristles by itself (this usually only works with newer brooms, with more even bristles) on an Equinox, it can do so any day of the year!

September 23 is also designated as the 8th annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day.

More on the Autumnal Equinox:

Link >>> http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/AutumnalEquinox.html

More on the season of Autumn or Fall: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn

More on an Equinox: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox

More on Earth's Seasons: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Season

More on the tilt of a planet's axis: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_tilt

More on the urban legend of eggs and brooms standing on their own, only on an Equinox:
Link >>> http://www.snopes.com/science/equinox.asp

More on Falls Prevention Awareness Day: Link >>> http://www.ncoa.org/improve-health/center-for-healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-prevention-awareness.html

Special Thanks: Eric G. Canali, former Floor Manager of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science and Founder of the South Hills Backyard Astronomers amateur astronomy club.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Carnegie Library West End Br. Unveils Historic Plaque

http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/friends/clpgh/westend/phlf/plaque/plaque.jpg

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Saturday Afternoon (2015 September 19) at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT) / 17:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), a historic plaque will be officially unveiled on the facade of the West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 47 Wabash Street at Neptune Street, in Pittsburgh's West End Valley. This honor has been conferred to the Library, and the plaque provided, by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.

The West End Branch of Carnegie Library, which was dedicated on the evening of 1899 January 31 and opened to the general public the next day, is the second neighborhood branch library to open as part of what was originally known as The Carnegie Free Libraries of the City of Pittsburgh. The first neighborhood library branch opened in Lawrenceville a year earlier, and the Main Branch Library in the city's Oakland Civic Center opened in 1895.

The only older library branch in the city of Pittsburgh was the Allegheny Regional Branch on Pittsburgh's North Side, which was located across the street from Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science. It was originally the main library for the independent city of Allegheny City (where industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie grew-up), and was originally called the Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny which opened in 1890. After damage occurred to the historic building in 2006, due to a lightning strike on the Library's historic clock-tower, the library moved to a new building a few blocks away. However, the historic library building was repaired and may soon be reused by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh (which is currently operated in other nearby historic buildings of the Old Allegheny Post Office and The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science).

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh was the first multi-library system founded by Andrew Carnegie, who started his steel empire in Pittsburgh. At that time, only New York City and Baltimore had small multi-library systems.

Andrew Carnegie was particularly interested in the erection of neighborhood branch libraries, which he felt would more easily reach the citizens in their neighborhoods. In his letter to the Mayor and City Councils on 1890 February 6, Andrew Carnegie offered library buildings (including a library building in the Temperanceville section of the City, now better known as the City's West End Valley) to the City and said, “All of these should be thoroughly fireproof, monumental in character and creditable to the city.” Andrew Carnegie provided these wonderful buildings to be monuments of literacy and learning for each of these neighborhoods, each to be recognized by the people as a special place where a person can improve their lot in life.

The West End Branch Library was the second library, anywhere, to house a specifically-designed and constructed Library Children's Room. The first was in Lawrenceville. Soon afterward, other libraries such as the Main Library and the Carnegie Library of Homestead converted an existing room into a Library Children's Room. The Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, opened the first specifically-designed and constructed, suburban, library Children's Room in 1901.

The West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is most notable as home of the world's first library story-time for children. Shortly after the West End Library opened, Children's Librarian Charlotte Keith was looking for a way to have children become more interested in reading. At this time, an educational movement to start kindergartens was underway, and kindergarten teachers would read stories to the young children. Miss Keith decided to do the same thing at the West End Library.

The library story-time was a success, and soon many other libraries started library story-times. This included several other Pittsburgh libraries and the Buffalo Public Library that same year, followed by libraries in Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Cleveland. Today, nearly every library has a story-time for children, and it all began at the West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

To further interest children in reading the classics, in 1959 Ulysses Theodore "Ted" Hamiel, a West End Library custodian and security guard, painted pictures of children's literature fictional characters on the doors to several cabinets in the Library's Lower Level meeting room.

The West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh was designated a City-Designated Historic Structure by the City of Pittsburgh, by a unanimous vote of Pittsburgh City Council on 2004 July 14. This Library had been nominated for this designation by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. The West End Library was one of five branch libraries (also including branch library buildings in Hazelwood, Homewood, Lawrenceville, and Mount Washington) the History and Landmarks Foundation found was eligible, and thus nominated, for this designation. The Main Library, Allegheny Regional Branch, and South Side Branch had already received this designation.

On 2014 May 17, the West End Library reopened after being closed for several months for a major rehabilitation of the historic building. The $1.7 million renovation included a new slate roof, an elevator, air-conditioning, and refurbished windows.

More about the historic West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh:
Link >>> http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/cfl.html#westend

Application form for the West End Library's historic plaque:
Link >>> http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/friends/clpgh/westend/PlaqueapplicCLPWEnd.html

Public Statement of Glenn A. Walsh, before Pittsburgh City Council, in support of the West End Branch of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh receiving historic designation:
Link >>> http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/clpgh/ST-DesgWestEnd.htm

"West End Library Historic Landmark Plaque Dedication." Electronic Newsletter.
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Newsletter 2015 Sept. 30.
Link >>> http://phlf.org/2015/09/30/west-end-library-historic-landmark-plaque-dedication/

"Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Honors CLP-West End Library."
Green Tree Times 2015 October:13.
The Friends of the Library were instrumental in applying for the plaque from the Foundation, especially Library Friend, Glenn Walsh, whose research and diligence paid off in the form of this very special recognition.
Link >>> http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/clpgh/west_end/phlfplaque.html

Related Blog Posts ---

"Celebration Sat.: West End Carnegie Library Renovations Completed." 2015 May 15.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/05/celebration-sat-west-end-carnegie.html

"Historic Plaque Sought: West End Branch, Carnegie Library." 2012 Oct. 25.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/historic-plaque-sought-west-end-branch.html

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Partial Solar Eclipse 'Way Down-Under' w/ Web-Cast

Illustration image — *A partial solar eclipse seen in Novosibirsk, Russia in 2006.*

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Early Sunday morning a Partial Eclipse of the Sun occurs in Antarctica, southern Africa, and a large part of the Indian Ocean. The last solar eclipse of 2015 occurs a couple weeks before the last Total Eclipse of the Moon of the current Tetrad of total lunar eclipses, what some people call the fourth and final “Blood Moon” Eclipse.

A Solar Eclipse or Eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Moon, in its orbit around the Earth, partially or totally blocks light from the Sun from shining on part of the Earth. A Partial Solar Eclipse differs from a Total Solar Eclipse as the Moon does not completely block-out light coming from the Sun. So, viewing such an eclipse can be dangerous, as there is always sunlight in view during the entire eclipse event. An Internet Web-Cast will be available to view this solar eclipse safely.

This Partial Eclipse of the Sun can be viewed safely on the Internet via the Slooh Community Observatory web site. This web site will offer free-of-charge viewing of the event on Sunday, 2015 September 13 beginning at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT) / 4:30 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), at this Internet link:

Link >>> http://live.slooh.com/stadium/live/partial-solar-eclipse

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER look directly at the Sun or any type of solar eclipse with a telescope, binoculars, or any optical device, unless you have the proper instruments and the proper training to do so safely. To do otherwise could cause major eye damage and very possibly, permanent blindness instantly. Even looking at the Sun or a solar eclipse with the naked eyes could cause major eye damage. Such eye damage could occur without your knowledge, as there are no nerve cells in the eyes to allow you to feel such damage occurring or any pain at all.

If you do not have the proper equipment and proper training to watch a solar eclipse safely, you should check to see if there is a public viewing of the eclipse in your area. Often local planetarium and / or astronomical observatory institutions, science museums, college science departments, or amateur astronomy clubs have public viewing sessions of solar eclipses, where properly-trained astronomers will show the solar eclipse safely to the public.

Another way to safely view a solar eclipse is by making a Solar Pinhole Viewing Box, with a pinhole at one end and a white piece of paper (where the solar eclipse will be projected upon) at the other end. You would place your head inside the Solar Pinhole Viewing Box and look at the eclipse on the white piece of paper projection screen (it is NOT safe to look at the Sun through the pinhole !!!). Such a Solar Pinhole Viewing Box would look like this:

Link >>> http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/SolarEclipseSafetyCanali.GIF

(Graphic by Eric G. Canali, former Floor Manager of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science and Founder of the South Hills Backyard Astronomers amateur astronomy club)

A third way to safely observe a solar eclipse is to obtain special “eclipse viewing glasses,” which look like sunglasses but are much darker to protect the eyes. Regular sunglasses are NOT safe enough to view a solar eclipse, nor is smoked glass.

Made of aluminized mylar usually in a cardboard frame, such eclipse viewing glasses should be checked before each time they are used, to ensure they are still safe. Point the solar eclipse glasses at a lighted light bulb. If you see any tiny holes of light coming through the solar eclipse glasses, then that pair of solar eclipse glasses is not safe and should be cut-up and discarded. If such a pair of defective eclipse glasses would be used to view the Sun or a solar eclipse, the dangerous solar energy would go through the tiny holes and could damage your eyes.

Such solar eclipse glasses only cost a couple of dollars. So, it is better to buy a new pair than to use a defective pair of eclipse glasses, that could damage your eyes. But, always check any new pair of eclipse glasses, with a lighted light bulb, to be sure the new pair is safe to use.

Here are the times of this Partial Solar Eclipse event on Sunday, 2015 September 13:

Partial Solar Eclipse Begins --- 4:4140.2 UTC / 12:4140.2 a.m. EDT

Phase of Moon: New Moon – Lunation # 1147 --- 6:41 UTC / 2:41 a.m. EDT

Time of Greatest Eclipse (79 percent of solar disc obscured) --- 6:54:11.6 UTC / 2:54:11.6 a.m. EDT

Partial Solar Eclipse Ends --- 9:06:25.3 UTC / 5:06:25.3 a.m. EDT

Safe Way to View Solar Eclipse or Eclipse of the Sun:
Link >>> http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com/solflyer2.htm

More on a Solar Eclipse: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse

Special Thanks: Eric G. Canali, former Floor Manager of Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science and Founder of the South Hills Backyard Astronomers amateur astronomy club.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Video: Daytime Meteor Explodes Over Bangkok

From Newsweek -

At 8:45 a.m. local time on Monday, a meteor exploded over Bangkok, Thailand. Thanks to the proliferation of dashboard cameras, the event was caught by a number of drivers from different angles, as can be seen in the video below.

The event led to fears of “an asteroid apocalypse that has been predicted by conspiracy theorists,” according to The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia).

But no more asteroids followed, and Thailand's Astronomical Society confirmed it was a phenomenon called a "bolide" or exploding meteor. "This is a natural, normal phenomenon," Society president Prapee Wiraporn told the Herald.

Perhaps surprisingly, no pieces of the meteor landed, and there was no damage, according to reports.

More with Video:
Link >>> http://www.newsweek.com/video-shows-meteorite-exploding-over-bangkok-369875

More from The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia):
Link >>> http://www.smh.com.au/world/bangkok-meteor-sparks-fears-of-asteroid-apocalypse-20150908-gjhgd3.html

More on Bolides: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolide

Source: Newsweek Magazine.

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Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >..

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/ >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SpaceWatchtower Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Also see: South Hills Backyard Astronomers Blog: < http://shbastronomers.blogspot.com/ >
Barnestormin: Writing, Essays, Pgh. News, & More: < http://www.barnestormin.blogspot.com/ >
About the SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: < http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/ >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Deadline to Add Name to NASA Mars Lander: Tuesday Night

InSight Mars Lander, scheduled to be launched by NASA in
March of 2016. (Image Source: NASA)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

InSight Mars is a robotic, stationary lander, which NASA plans to launch to Mars in March. The deadline for Mars and space enthusiasts to add their name to a computer chip which will be on the lander is Tuesday night (2015 September 8) at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT) / Wednesday at 3:59 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

An Internet link, for members of the general public to add their name to this spacecraft lander, is at the end of this blog post.

InSight, which is an acronym for Interior Exploration for Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport, will launch on an Atlas V 401 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on March 4. It is scheduled to land in Mars' Elysium Planitia (Plain of Ideal Happiness) on 2016 September 20. Once on Mars, the mission is designed to last two years.

The mission of InSight Mars is to study the early geological evolution of Mars, and by extension, have information that could help understand the early geological evolution of all of the terrestrial planets, and some of the moons, of our Solar System, as the inner, rocky planets have a shared ancestry. The InSight Mars lander includes a seismometer and a heat transfer probe. Some of this technology has already been used on NASA's Phoenix lander, which landed on Mars in 2008.

The spacecraft will include two cameras and a sensor which will track the planet's wobble, as it is pulled by the Sun. It will also include wind and temperature sensors, as well as a magnetometer to measure magnetic disturbances caused by the Martian ionosphere.

The InSight Mars scientific team is led by W. Bruce Banerdt of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. U.S. and international co-investigators on this mission include French and German space agencies (which are contributing instruments to the spacecraft), as well as others from universities, industry, and government.

The InSight Mars lander will be accompanied to Martian orbit by two “cubesats.” These two miniature satellites will help provide communications relay between the lander and Earth, during the landing phase. Other satellites in orbit of Mars will not be in the right position to provide such a communications link.

Internet Link to Add Name to Computer Chip on InSight Mars Spacecraft:
Link >>> http://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/insight/

More on the InSight Mars Spacecraft and Mission:
Link 1 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InSight
Link 2 >>> http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/insight.htm

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your inbox ?
Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >..

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/ >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SpaceWatchtower Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Also see: South Hills Backyard Astronomers Blog: < http://shbastronomers.blogspot.com/ >
Barnestormin: Writing, Essays, Pgh. News, & More: < http://www.barnestormin.blogspot.com/ >
About the SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: < http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/ >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Astronomical Calendar: 2015 September

The USS LST (Landing-Ship-Tank) 325, which saw extensive service in the European Theater of World War II including on D-Day, will be available for public tours in Pittsburgh Sept. 2 through 8, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This last operational LST will be docked on the North Shore of the Ohio River, near the Pittsburgh Steelers' Heinz Field and just up-river from the World War II-era USS Requin Submarine, which was brought to Pittsburgh 25 years ago this month by Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science and is now operated by The Carnegie Science Center. Although this particular LST was built in Philadelphia, many LSTs were constructed in the Pittsburgh region.
(Image Source: lstmemorial.org )

Astronomical Calendar for 2015 September:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/astrocalendar/2015.html#sep

Source: Friends of the Zeiss.

Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your inbox ?
Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >..

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/ >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SpaceWatchtower Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Also see: South Hills Backyard Astronomers Blog: < http://shbastronomers.blogspot.com/ >
Barnestormin: Writing, Essays, Pgh. News, & More: < http://www.barnestormin.blogspot.com/ >
About the SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: < http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/ >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Twitter: < https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower >
Facebook: < http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpaceWatchtower/238017839577841?sk=wall >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.cc >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.com >
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Related Blog Posts ---

"Early Sat. Morning Lunar Eclipse w/ Web-Casts." 2015 April 4.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/04/early-sat-morning-lunar-eclipse-w-web.html

"Colorful, Early Wed. Morning Lunar Eclipse w/ Web-Casts." 2014 Oct. 8.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/10/colorful-early-wed-morning-lunar-eclipse.html

Total Lunar Eclipse Early Tue. Morning w/ Web-Cast." 2014 April 14.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/04/total-lunar-eclipse-early-tue-morning.html

U.S. to See 4 Total Lunar Eclipses in Year & A-Half." 2014 March 29.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/03/us-to-see-4-total-lunar-eclipses-in.html

Saturday, September 26, 2015

"Brashear: Time Capsule Unveiled; Telescope Retired." 2015 July 9.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/07/brashear-time-capsule-unveiled.html

"Update: Historic Brashear Time Capsule." 2015 April 9.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/04/this-4-inch-refractor-telescope-was.html

"Dispute: Ownership of Brashear Time Capsule." 2015 March 26.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/03/dispute-ownership-of-brashear-time.html

"Historic Brashear Telescope Factory Time Capsule Found & Opened." 2015 March 25.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/03/brashear-telescope-factory-time-capsule.html

"Historic Brashear Telescope Factory Wall Collapses." 2015 March 18.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2015/03/historic-brashear-telescope-factory.html

"Brashear House & Factory: Nomination to National Register of Historic Places." 2012 Oct. 11.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/nomination-to-national-register-of.html

Historic Nomination: John Brashear House & Factory, Pittsburgh." 2012 Sept. 13.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/09/historic-nomination-john-brashear-house.html

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Friday, September 18, 2015

"Celebration Sat.: West End Carnegie Library Renovations Completed." 2015 May 15.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2014/05/celebration-sat-west-end-carnegie.html

"Historic Plaque Sought: West End Branch, Carnegie Library." 2012 Oct. 25.

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2012/10/historic-plaque-sought-west-end-branch.html

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Tuesday, September 1, 2015