Night Sky
Dear Neighbors,
A little piece of heaven! We bet you love living in the Capitol/Snowmass Creek Valleys
as much as we do! The Snowmass-Capitol Creek Caucus is an elected volunteer board of
Snowmass residents that has been working to preserve the natural beauty of our valley for
nearly 50 years. If you live or own property in our Caucus area, you are a member of the
Caucus. You can get involved in your neighborhood, and help us achieve our goals…one
of which is to preserve our dark skies.
We care very deeply about our dark starry night skies.
We are so lucky to be able to observe the Milky Way, planets, eclipses, comets, and phases of
the moon. More importantly, dark skies are needed for the proper functioning of natural ecosystems, including migration of birds, and safe passage of deer, elk, and other wildlife between pasture
and stream. Thus, in our Master Plan to guide the development in our valleys, we strongly
encourage minimal use of low-impact outdoor lighting. Lights that shine in all directions, the upward
lighting of trees, driveway lighting, and extended holiday lights are incompatible with Pitkin County’s
lighting code, as well as the Caucus Master Plan.
There are easy ways to achieve low-impact lighting. Please, take a moment to learn about the importance
of dark skies by visiting darksky.org. Also, please study Pitkin County’s lighting guidelines at: https://pitkincounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/28816/chapter-07 (County Code Chapter 7, Development Standards, 7-20-140, starting on page 101).
Turn off your lights, let your eyes adjust to the darkness, and enjoy the wondrous night skies of Snowmass!
Thank you! Your neighbors, The Snowmass-Capitol Creek Caucus Board
Our Spectacular Night Sky
By Judith Frey
Throughout human history until the last 100 years, the spectacular night sky was part of everyone's experience. We are fortunate that the Snowmass-Capitol Creek valley has some of the darkest skies in Colorado. In the Denver area, I encountered school children who had never seen the stars!
Successful stargazing depends on acclimating one's eyes to total darkness so that very faint objects can be seen with the naked eye. Ambient light prevents one's eyes from adjusting to the dark. It is my hope that all homeowners will shield outside lights so that they shine downward, where the light is needed, and not upward or in all directions. These first-hand experiences of the universe that we have in this valley are increasingly rare in our age.
Exterior Lighting
The Pitkin County Land Use Code LUC 7.20.140 provides specific guidance on exterior lighting:
"Briefly, exterior lights must be shielded and/or directed so that the bulb is not visible from the property line."
I would also add that it is not necessary--or advisable from a stargazer's perspective--to illuminate the night sky! The Land Use Code goes into more detail and provides excellent examples of shielded lighting.
The Night Sky Through the Seasons
On New Year's Eve at midnight, the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, reaches its highest point in the heavens. Called the star's midnight culmination, this event happens once every year. Sirius is the bright star below and to the left of the constellation Orion.
Welcome back, Orion--the large constellation dominating the high southern sky in the winter months. The middle "star" in Orion's "sword" appears fuzzy to the naked eye. This is actually the Orion Nebula, an interstellar cloud of gas that is a major star-forming region--the closest one to the earth at 1,270 light-years away. With a small telescope you can see four newly-formed stars that are blowing the gas away from them into space. It's amazing what lies just beyond our sight in the night sky!
The Milky Way--our own galaxy--stretches across the night sky in summer. In winter, it is very much fainter because we are looking outward through the ends of the spiral arms where the stars are fewer and farther between. In summer, we are looking inward toward the center of the galaxy where the arms are much closer together and the stars are denser. To the left of the constellation Scorpius, very low in the southern summer sky, about halfway above the curving tail, is the rotational center of our galaxy.
In August and September, with dark enough skies, you can see the Andromeda Galaxy fairly low in the eastern sky. Just 2.5 million light-years away, it is our closest galactic neighbor (except for the dwarf galaxies that orbit our own Milky Way--most notably the Magellanic Clouds, visible to the naked eye in the southern hemisphere). The Andromeda Galaxy is fainter than individual stars--you need at least 15 minutes in total darkness for your eyes to adjust enough to see it. So—you are straining to make out a faint blob of light that you can barely see, ho-hum! But when you realize what you're looking at--a completely different star system, larger than the Milky Way, that you can view with your own eyes--then it becomes thrilling. With binoculars or even a small telescope, you can make out the spiral arms of the galaxy.
The Andromeda Galaxy, visible to the right of the Milky Way
Photo credits: earthsky.org - Many thanks to this fascinating website.
2023 Yearly Solar Events
January
The latest sunrise of the year occurs on January 4 at 7:21 a.m. The days have been lengthening almost imperceptibly since the solstice on December 21, but from now on the daylight is increasing in the morning as well as the evening. Interestingly, January is also the day of perihelion, which is when the earth is closest to the sun at 9:17 a.m.
FEBRUARY
The year’s latest solar noon happens on February 11. Solar noon is not a time event, but is a natural event. Solar noon – aka midday – refers to that passing instant when the sun reaches its highest point for the day, midway between sunrise and sunset.
March
The spring (vernal) equinox is March 20 at 3:24 p.m. The sun is directly over the equator at noon, and it rises due east and sets due west. The length of the day has been increasing more and more rapidly since the winter solstice, to a rate of change of about 5 minutes per day.
May
Total Lunar Eclipse - on May 15, the earth's penumbra (the outer part of the earth's shadow) starts to move across the moon at 7:32 p.m.--although the moon will be below the horizon until 7:57 p.m.--and partial eclipse begins at 8:27 p.m. The eclipse will last five hours and 19 minutes, with totality occurring between 10:11 p.m. and 10:58 p.m.
Note: an eclipse of the moon is the only time you can see the actual movement of the earth in its orbit around the sun. The shadow that the earth casts on the moon moves from left to right, because of the counterclockwise motion of the earth in its orbit. In contrast, the apparent rising and setting of the sun (and stars) is due to the rotation of the earth on its axis.
June
June 21 is the summer solstice, or longest day of the year. At about 8:57 a.m. the north pole is tilted closest to the sun. The sun's angle relative to the equator changes so gradulaly around the solstice that the difference is almost imperceptable for almost 10 days. The word solstice is derived from the latin word solstitium, a combination of "sol" and "sistere" which means to to make stand, stand still."
June 27 is the latest sunset of the year at 8:32 p.m., afterwards the twilight begins to shorten very very gradually.
July
On July 6, the earth reaches its aphelion, the farthest point from the sun, at 2:06 p.m. At that point, the sun and earth are separated by some 94.5 million miles--while the average distance is around 94 million miles. Perihelion--the earth's minimum distance from the sun at 91.3 million miles--occurs in January.
September
The fall (autumnal) equinox is September 23 at 12:50 a.m. Now the days and nights are nearly equal in length. The rate of change is very rapid now; the days are getting shorter faster and the light is dimming noticeably.
December
The year’s earliest sunset is on Dec. 7, at 4:35 p.m. Every year I raise a glass and offer a toast to the setting sun, for soon there will be more light in the early evening!
Winter solstice December 21 at 8:27 p.m.
The first day of winter in the northern hemisphere. The south pole is tilted closest to the sun. This night is the longest of the year and the day is the shortest, with about 9 hours and 24 minutes of daylight in Colorado.
Yearly Highlights
Jan 3/4: Quadrantids Meteors
The first major meteor shower of 2023, the Quadrantids, peaks on the night of January 3.
Jan 4: Earth's Perihelion
At 16:17 UTC, the Earth will reach its perihelion—the point on its orbit closest to the Sun.
Jan 6: Wolf Micromoon
The first Full Moon of the year is colloquially known as Wolf Moon in many northern cultures. In 2023, it’s also a Micromoon.
Jan 21: Super New Moon
The Moon will come between the Sun and the Earth, and the illuminated side of the Moon will face away from the Earth. This New Moon takes place close to its perigee, when it's closest to the Earth, making it a Super Moon.
This is the Closest New Moon Since the Middle Ages- in 1337 years!
By Graham Jones. Published 17-Jan-2023
This Saturday’s New Moon will be the closest New Moon to Earth in a period of 1337 years.
Jan 22: Conjunction of Venus and Saturn
Venus will pass close to Saturn in the evening sky. At their closest point to each other, the planets will be separated by 0.34 degrees.
Jan 30: Mercury at Greatest Elongation West
This might be a good time to try and spot Mercury: the planet appears at its farthest distance from the Sun in the morning sky.
Feb 5: Snow Micromoon
February's Full Moon is also known as Snow Moon in many Northern Hemisphere cultures. For the second month in a row, this is a Micromoon.
Feb 20: Super New Moon
Take advantage of the New Moon to check out the night sky, weather permitting, of course. As in January, this month’s New Moon is a Supermoon.
March 7: Worm Moon
The Full Moon in March is traditionally called Worm Moon, after earthworms that tend to appear around this time in many locations in the Northern Hemisphere.
March 20: March Equinox
The March equinox is the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of fall in the Southern Hemisphere, by astronomical definitions.
Solstice & equinox times worldwide
March 21: New Moon
Dark nights a few days before and after the Moon reaches its New Moon phase at 17:23 UTC on March 21 are the best nights to do some night sky watching.
April 1: Global Astronomy Month
Led by Astronomers Without Borders, a non-profit organization, the month-long event encourages people to share the sky.
April 6: Pink Moon
April's Full Moon is traditionally known as the Pink Full Moon.
Apr 11: Mercury at Greatest Elongation East
This might be a good time to try and spot Mercury: the planet appears at its farthest distance from the Sun in the evening sky.
Find Mercury with our Interactive Night Sky Map
April 20: Total Solar Eclipse
The first eclipse of 2022 is a total solar eclipse visible from a remote penisula in Australia, and parts of East Timor and Indonesia.
Protect your eyes. Never look directly at the Sun!
April 20: New Moon
Take advantage of a dark night sky to see the planets.
April 22/23: Lyrid Meteor Shower
The Lyrid meteor shower is expected to peak around April 22 and 23, depending on your location.
April 23/24: Earthshine Nights
The Waxing and Waning Crescent Moon phases in April and May are the best time to see earthshine, where the unlit part of the Moon becomes visible. It is also known as Da Vinci glow.
May 5/6: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
This penumbral lunar eclipse of the Flower Moon will be visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.May 5: Flower Moon
May's Full Moon is known as the Flower Moon after all the flowers that bloom around this time in the Northern Hemisphere.
May 6/7: Eta Aquarid Meteors
Use our handy Interactive Meteor Shower Sky Map to increase your chances of seeing shooting stars from the Eta Aquarids.
May 15/16: Earthshine Mornings
The Waxing and Waning Crescent Moon phases in April and May are the best time to see earthshine, where the unlit part of the Moon becomes visible. It is also known as Da Vinci glow.
May 19: Black New Moon
The third New Moon in a season with four New Moons, making this a Black Moon.
May 29: Mercury at Greatest Elongation West
This might be a good time to try and spot Mercury: the planet appears at its farthest distance from the Sun in the morning sky.
June 4: Strawberry Moon
June's Full Moon is often called the Strawberry Full Moon, after the berries that grow in the Northern Hemisphere around this time of the year.
June 18: New Moon
June 21: Summer Solstice
This solstice is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the longest day of the year.
In the Southern Hemisphere, it's the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year.
July 3 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 11:40 UTC. The Buck Moon because the male buck deer would begin to grow back their new antlers. AKA Thunder Moon and the Hay Moon. This is also the first of four supermoons for 2023.
July 17 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 18:33 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
July 28, 29 - Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by comets Marsden and Kracht. The shower runs annually from July 12 to August 23. It peaks this year on the night of July 28 and morning of July 29. The nearly full moon will block most of the fainter meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
August 1 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 18:33 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon. This is also the second of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
August 10 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 27.4 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.
August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13. The crescent moon should not be too much of a problem this year. Skies should still be dark enough for a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
August 16 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 09:39 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
August 27 - Saturn at Opposition. The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn's rings and a few of its brightest moons.
August 31 - Full Moon, Supermoon, Blue Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 01:37 UTC. This is also the third of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual. Since this is the second full moon in the same month, it is sometimes referred to as a blue moon.
September 15 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 01:41 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
September 19 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
September 22 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 17.9 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
September 23 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 06:43 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the Southern Hemisphere.
September 29 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 09:59 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Corn Moon because the corn is harvested around this time of year. This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year. This is also the last of four supermoons for 2023. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.
October 7 - Draconids Meteor Shower. The Draconids is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was first discovered in 1900. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the 7th. The second quarter moon will dark skies in the early evening for what should be a good show. Best viewing will be in the early evening from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 14 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 17:56 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
October 14 - Annular Solar Eclipse. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun. This results in a ring of light around the darkened Moon. The Sun's corona is not visible during an annular eclipse. The eclipse path will begin in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern Canada and move across the southwestern United States and Central America, Columbia, and Brazil. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout much of North and South America. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information) (NASA Interactive Google Map)
October 21, 22 - Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower producing up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley, which has been known and observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. It peaks this year on the night of October 21 and the morning of October 22. The first quarter moon may block some of the dim meteors in the evening, but it will set shortly after midnight. This will leave dark skies for what could be a good morning show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 23 - Venus at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation of 46.4 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the bright planet in the eastern sky before sunrise.
October 28 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 20:25 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon.
October 28 - Partial Lunar Eclipse. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra, and only a portion of it passes through the darkest shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse a part of the Moon will darken as it moves through the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will be visible throughout all of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and western Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)
November 3 - Jupiter at Opposition. The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet.
November 4, 5 - Taurids Meteor Shower. The Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is unusual in that it consists of two separate streams. The first is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The second stream is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. The shower runs annually from September 7 to December 10. It peaks this year on the the night of November 4 and the morning of the 5th. The second quarter moon will block most of the dim meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
November 13 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 09:28 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
November 13 - Uranus at Opposition. The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
November 17, 18 - Leonids Meteor Shower. The Leonids is an average shower, producing up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. This shower is unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen. That last of these occurred in 2001. The Leonids is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865. The shower runs annually from November 6-30. It peaks this year on the night of the 17th and morning of the 18th. The crescent moon will set before midnight leaving dark skies for what should be a great early morning show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
November 27 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 09:17 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Beaver Moon because this was the time of year to set the beaver traps before the swamps and rivers froze. It has also been known as the Frosty Moon and the Dark Moon.
December 4 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 21.3 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.
December 12 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 23:33 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
December 13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower. The Geminids is the king of the meteor showers. It is considered by many to be the best shower in the heavens, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. This should be an great year for the Geminids. The nearly new moon means dark skies for what should be an excellent show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
December 21, 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower. The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The shower runs annually from December 17-25. It peaks this year on the the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. The waxing gibbous moon will block out most of the faintest meteors this year. But if you are patient, you should still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
December 22 - December Solstice. The December solstice occurs at 03:21 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere. December 27 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 00:34 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark. This moon has also been known as the Long Nights Moon and the Moon Before Yule.
Information thanks to timeanddate.com, seasky.org, and earthsky.org