January 2019 President’s message
by Steve Hubbard
Finally! We’ve reached the end of 2018, the year we forgot what the night sky looked like and can move on with hopeful anticipation to a better 2019.
Just to start things off, we will be treated to a very favorable total eclipse of the Moon on the night of Sunday, January 20 going into the early morning hours of the 21st. Conditions are most favorable for north and south America this time with the Moon well positioned for us. The total phase will start at a relatively early 11:41pm and go for an hour or so. If you miss this one, you won’t get another chance until May 26 of 2021, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for clear weather!
Later on in the year, there will be a total eclipse of the Sun on July 2. Unfortunately it will only be visible from land in a narrow area of Chile and Argentina, but now that you know, you’ve got some time to make your plans.
Finally, there is another astronomical highlight to look forward to this year. On Monday, November 11 there is a rare Transit of the planet Mercury across the face of the Sun. The last time there was one that we could see was also on a Monday, May 9 2016. The next opportunity for us won’t be until November of 2032 so this is also a must see. Let’s hope that the skies cooperate for us!
We’ve got some great meetings planned tor the coming year and some great events to go along with that. With 2018 being one of the cloudiest, rainiest years in memory, let’s all hope that 2019 brings some welcome changes and lets us get back to doing what we all enjoy, viewing the night sky and seeing what the universe has to offer. Happy New Year to you all and thank you for being a part of The Skyscrapers.
