Joe Rao Talk and More!

Written By DCH Graphics

73P Periodic Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3. 180 seconds September 27.41266 (9.55UT) North is down, image is ~20' long. 25cm f/4.1 Newtonian, taken from Loomberah NSW Australia. Copyright Gordon Garradd.

May is a very special month this year. Not only can we look forward to an exciting lecture by renown meteorologist, Joe Rao, but we may be viewing a new meteor shower that Joe predicted will occur at the end of the month. And there's going to be a total lunar eclipse as well!

Before getting into details about what's coming up, we'd like to say that last month's talk, “The Galileo Project: In Search for Technological Interstellar Objects,” by Dr. Avi Loeb was fascinating. If you missed it you can view the recording here

Phases of a total lunar eclipse.

As mentioned, we may be fortunate to view a prolific new meteor shower on May 30th-31st. Joe Rao predicted that shower and will tell us all about it during a free, virtual lecture on Monday, May 23rd at 7:00 PM. Click here for further information and to register.

Finally, there will be a total eclipse of the moon this month. Observers in the northeast will be able to watch the entire eclipse, which begins at 10:28 PM on May 15th and ends 1:56 AM on May 16th. Totality will be longer than usual, lasting about 1 hour, 25 minutes, starting at 11:29 PM.

For further information about both the meteor shower and the eclipse, click here to read Joe’s article.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. Meanwhile, stay safe and enjoy the universe around you!

In 1995, Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann-3 broke apart in dramatic fashion. Now a number of meteor dynamicists have confirmed what Joe Rao predicted last year: A stream of particles ejected during the comet’s disruption may yield a dramatic meteor outburst at the end of May 2022. The predictions are uncertain because no one knows for sure how fast the concentrated dust swarm left 73P’s disintegrating nucleus. But there is a chance that we could see meteors briefly fall at rates numbering in the scores or maybe even in the hundreds per hour! In this presentation, Joe will explain the reasons why late on the night of May 30th you may see more shooting stars than you’ve seen in your entire life!

For 21 years, Joe Rao was the Chief Meteorologist and Science Editor at News 12 Westchester. He was nominated for 8 Emmy Awards and, in 2015, the Associated Press voted him First among weathercasters in New York State. Since 1986, Joe has served as an associate and guest lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium. He is Contributing Editor for Sky and Telescope magazine, and writes a syndicated weekly column for the online news service, Space.com. Joe also pens a monthly astronomy column for National History magazine and provides astronomical data for The Farmer’s Almanac.

Hamptons Observatory extends its appreciation to Joe Rao for generously taking the time to share his expertise and to the South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo.org) for its kind collaboration on this program.

SAVE THESE DATES FOR OTHER VIRTUAL LECTURES:

June 21, 2PM

  • Dr. Guenther Hasinger, Science Director, European Space Agency, will discuss the ESA, its recent and future missions.

July 21, 7PM

  • Hamptons Observatory Advisory Board Member, Prof. Alan Rice, will discuss major meteor impacts in Antarctica.


If you miss any of our live presentations, you can catch them on our YouTube channel: www.bit.ly/ObservatoryVideos

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HamptonsObservatory/

PLEASE SUPPORT US!

HO has established the first astronomical observatory on the South Fork (in East Hampton), complete with Long Island's largest research-grade telescope; these facilities will soon be accessible over the internet to students, teachers, researchers and the general public but we need your support. Hamptons Observatory offers all of its programs free-of-charge so that everyone can learn about and enjoy the universe around them. To make a tax-deductible donation to support our mission, please click here.

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Thank You!

Hamptons Observatory (HO), a 501(c)(3) NYS nonprofit that relies on public support. Serving the community since 2005, its mission is to foster interest in science, particularly astronomy, through educational programs. Lectures, star parties, portable planetarium shows and other events are held, often in collaboration with other organizations.

 
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