NOVAC Event Calendar

Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details.

Part of the Moon will appear darker as the full Moon passes through the faint outer edge (penumbra) of the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of eastern South America, eastern Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Africa, and western Asia

Strong, gusty winds will make conditions unsuitable for astronomy with portable equipment this evening according to the weather forecasts.  We don’t want to disappoint the public with shaky views where they will see little if anything of interest.

Weather forecasts agree that thunderstorms will be gone and the skies clear by or shortly after sundown.  Transparency is likely to be excellent according to the clear sky chart forecast.  Seeing is forecast to be bad, improving to poor later in the evening.  Winds on the knoll where telescopes are set up are the problem.

Winds will slowly diminish and conditions for Sunday evening should be good.  I hope than many will join the group at Great Meadows for the public night tomorrow.

Clear skies (and less wind),

R J ‘Tree’ Greenwood

Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details.

Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details. Details will be updated for the Messier Marathon too!

Most forecasts predict cloudy skies with a 10 to 20 percent likelihood of light rain or drizzle. Conditions won’t be suitable for astronomy.

Even though the Clear Sky Chart currently predicts only 10% cloud cover <http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/CrckttPrkVAkey.html>, most of the other

weather-guessers say that the evening will be cloudy with a significant chance of precipitation

<https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/22728:4:US>

<http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/midland-va/22728/hourly-weather-forecast/2111280?hour=19>.

Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details.

Cloudy skies and a 10-20% chance of precipitation this evening means that the Crockett Park Public Night is again canceled.

Although the Clear Sky Chart[1] predicts only 10% cloud cover at 21:00 local time, most forecasts [2][3][4] show mostly cloudy skies with a significant chance of precipitation through this evening. Transparency prediction ranges from POOR to TOO CLOUDY TO FORECAST. Not a good night for star gazing.

Hoping for clear skies soon,

Tree Greenwood
Crockett Park Coordinator

Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details.

Don’t miss out on this, make some travel plans!

A total eclipse of the sun will runs smack through the middle of the USA on August 21, 2017. Plan a car trip, bus ride, or plane trip to the narrow strip of Earth stretching from Salem, OR through to Nashville, TN in which the sun will *completely disappear* for two minutes. (Not many large cities are in the path of the totality, so make your reservations early if you want to observe it from the comfort of civilization.)

If you’ve already got plans, the next total eclipse passing through the USA is on April 8, 2024…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017

Weather forecasts force cancellation of our Public Night again.  The Clear Sky chart[1] predicts transparency and seeing mostly as “Too cloudy to forecast”.  As of 11:00 local time, all the other forecasts [2][3][4] predict mostly cloudy to overcast skies with a 15 to 50 percent chance of a thunderstorm or rain.  Conditions won’t be suitable for astronomical observations.

Hoping for clear skies for the eclipse and our next public night,

R. J. ‘Tree’ Greenwood
Site Coordinator

Please read the C.M. Crockett Page for park details.

A portion of the Moon will be fully darkened by Earth’s umbra (shadow). The eclipse will be visible throughout most of eastern Africa, central Asia, the Indian Ocean, and Australia.