Athena Community Astronomy Club

"Look again at that [sliver]. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives".*
- Carl Sagan

* Except for the 4 people in the Orion spacecraft and the 7 on the ISS, of course.

Back to the moon!

Today, March 29, the astronauts of Artemis II will speak to the media as the countdown to launch continues.

🕚 11:30 a.m. – The NASA Artemis II astronauts will answer questions from journalists while in quarantine at Kennedy Space Center.
🕑 2:00 p.m. – A news conference will provide the latest update on the launch status of Artemis II.

Both events will be streamed live on YouTube, giving space fans around the world a chance to follow the mission closely.

The countdown to humanity’s return toward the Moon continues!

Tomorrow, if the skies remain clear and our curiosity remains sharp, we are invited to witness a silent, ancient clockwork: a Total Lunar Eclipse in some parts of the world, and a partial lunar eclipse in others.

The chart below reveals the timing for the event from across the country.
From Saint John and surrounding area:

4:44am AT - Penumbral Eclipse begins
The Moon will be slightly dimmer than normal

5:50am AT - Partial Eclipse begins
This is when you'll begin to really notice the eclipse happening, as Earth's shadow "takes a bite" out of the Moon.

6:57am AT - Maximum Eclipse
The time when we will experience the maximum amount of the Moon bathed in the darker part of Earth's shadow.

7:00am AT - Moonset. We will not experience a total lunar eclipse here.

With this eclipse, the farther West you are, the more of the complete cycle of the eclipse you will see.

Why is it called the "Blood Moon"
As sunlight passes through the thin, fragile envelope of the Earth's atmosphere, the shorter blue wavelengths are scattered away. Only the longer, redder wavelengths survive the journey, bending around the curvature of our globe to illuminate the lunar surface.
It's like having the light of all of the Sunrise and Sunsets at that time on Earth bathing the Moon.

If you decide to venture out, a few tips for you:

Dress warm and bring along a hot beverage - tomorrow's temps are expected to be quite chilly.
Bring along binoculars if you have them, although not required.
Try and find a location with an unobstructed view of the Western horizon. That will help you get the view for longest time.
In Saint Jon, Sunrise is 2 minutes before Moonset. That will take away some contrast for the view.

I will most likely be having a watch party, as I have interviews that morning, so check here if you want the complete view.

This will be the last Total Lunar Eclipse on the planet until 2028. Our next Partial Lunar Eclipse is in August.

Wishing all an enjoyable experience under clear skies :)

Homepage | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center The inaugural use of SWPC’s Space Weather Prediction Testbed took place in spring 2025 during a multi-agency exercise preparing for NASA’s Artemis II mission.

Add a potential Auroral show over the next few nights too!

We have a rare opportunity to see not one, but two comets, in addition to an ongoing meteor shower all on the same nights!

Here's the breakdown with info you need to know:

Comet C/2025 A6 LEMMON is naked eye visible. You should look on the western horizon about 30-60 minutes after sunset for best viewing. View it NOW through about October 24th.

The Orionids Meteor shower peaks on the evening of October 20th / morning of the 21st. You can see between 10-20 meteors per hour. There is no one set direction to look, but we recommend laying down and letting your eyes adjust to the night sky for 20 minutes to maximize viewing potential.

Comet C/2025 R2 SWAN is not naked eye visible. You will need a telescope or a pair of binoculars to see it. Look on the west-southwest horizon about 30-60 minutes after sunset for best viewing potential.

Best night(s) to view all three will be October 19th, 20th, and 21st!

A comet you can see with binos, or maybe even naked-eye, from a dark location.

COMET ALERT! Discovered earlier this year, Comet Lemmon is rapidly brightening & is now teetering on naked eye visibility. The next week ahead should feature further brightening, allowing for even better viewing as it climbs higher in the northwest sky. So how do you see it? Head out after sunset & get away from city lights. The Big Dipper is conveniently nearby, so use that as your guide. Lemmon will appear under & to the left of the Big Dipper. Happy hunting!

Hello fellow ACACers,

There will be a open celebration of life for Michael Wednesday evening from 7PM to 9PM at the Bedeque United Church, 1230 Callbeck Street, Bedeque, PE.

All are invited to share their memories and wish Michael well on his next adventures.

Clear Skies,
JohnN

Send a message to learn more

JUST missed it: Sun disappeared as the blue band rose.

Horizon Fall, 05h45, 10-06-2025, Central Bedeque, P.E.I.
Orange to bed. Orange to rise. Forest fire smoke makes the Sun a prize.

OH, what a glorious, Florida orange Sun, as the horizon approached!
And the penultimate moon, on t'other side of the sky, appeared to be on the Earthbound side of the sky, nicely white, like it had stayed out of the sun... until more forest fire smoke blew in and the orb took on a yellowish-ocre tint. Such an inspiration; too late for the Sun, but the Moon is more than manageable.