StarWatch: Moravian University Astronomy

AUGUST 2025

AUGUST STAR MAP | MOON PHASE CALENDAR | STARWATCH INDEX | NIGHT SKY NOTEBOOK

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1511 AUGUST 3, 2025: Perseids Under Moonlight: Dating back to 1964, when my cousin John and I planned for months to observe the Perseids, watching this meteor shower has become a yearly tradition if the weather permits. John lived north of Allentown near the Trojan Chemical Company that produced its share of "bangs" as batches of explosives were being tested during the manufacturing process. * For a 14-year-old, part of the fun was staying up all night and talking with my cousins, John and David. However, this first experience under the heavens probably had the most significant influence in cementing my hobby in astronomy, and eventually, my career choice as an astronomy educator! The heavens were beautiful, mysterious, spiritual, and always full of surprises, something that still intrigues me to this very day. Ironically, John has no recollection of the evening. His successful career path leaned more toward engineering. * The late afternoon of our viewing was stormy, but near sundown, the sky miraculously cleared, and we had a remarkably transparent night with plenty of meteors to keep the adrenaline flowing. I still vividly remember an early morning fireball around 3 a.m., which lit up the sky, producing a trail of ionized air that glowed for at least 10 seconds. We were yelling and screaming. * In 1969, now in college, I ventured with my friend, Mark Adams, to Pulpit Rock Astronomical Park near Hamburg, PA, owned by the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society, Inc. This Perseid night was my first scientific observation of meteors. The site was in its infancy then, with a rough and tumble dirt road that boasted a steep, 17-degree grade at its base. That part of the roadway is now macadamized. That road section was always a challenge for my rear engine, Chevy Corvair to navigate, but it was nothing compared to the unanticipated long stretch of muddy roadway encountered before the hill. I revved the engine to gain momentum, but only got about three-quarters of the way through the muck before coming to a slippery stop—tires spinning, mud flying everywhere. Trying to push my car did not seem to be a viable option; the nearest phone to call for help was at least a half-mile distant, and it was getting dark. I paused for a moment, listening to the crickets laughing at my predicament, but I also heard the sound of an approaching engine. Around the bend appeared an old pickup truck, complete with a winch, owned by the Hamburg Reservoir caretaker, Ralph Althouse. "You boys want your vehicle to be pulled towards or away from the mountain?" he queried. "Towards," I shouted exuberantly. * During the next 10 hours of observing, I saw 219 shooting stars, my record for a single night of sky watching. I also photographed my first meteors, a half-dozen in total as I recall. * This year, the morning of August 12 will produce the highest Perseid meteor counts, but unfortunately, a bright, waning gibbous moon will also be accompanying the show, reducing rates significantly. Observe mid-sky after midnight with your back towards Luna. Last year, my friend Pete Detterline and I witnessed a significant number of bright Perseid meteors under a dark sky that even a fat, waning gibbous moon could not hide. Perseid meteors will appear to track backwards toward a vanishing point near the top of the constellation of Perseus in the NE that should become obvious in a half hour or so. The moon will be located 70 degrees from the radiant, allowing observers to view Perseids with their backs to the moon. The fainter shooting stars will go unnoticed due to the moonlight. Still, an occasional fireball scorching the starry heavens will make the night one to remember and will compensate for the lower than average rates. The Perseid Meteor Shower rarely disappoints, even under moonlight. Ad Astra!

1512

AUGUST 10, 2025: Sagittarius and Scorpius at Summer's Best

It is just two weeks before the beginning of the term at Moravian University and three weeks before my least favorite holiday of the year, Labor Day. It is not that I detest work or a good challenge. I still love to teach and have been preparing all summer, but I am equally fond of the freedom from a strict routine that the summer months have always afforded. * Near the end of the traditional summer is also the best time of the year to view right after dark, Scorpius the Scorpion and Sagittarius the Archer, the best constellations that optimize the southern summer sky. Camping in the high deserts of Utah, watching Scorpius rise and cross over into the south late at night was always a great reminder to give my boots a thorough shaking in the morning before I put them on and laced them up. No surprises here... * Scorpius is related through mythology to the greatest hunter of all times, Orion, who was the mortal son of Poseidon, god of the oceans. In one mythology, Orion's boasting of his superior hunting prowess so angered Zeus' wife, Hera, that she conspired to put a scorpion next to his favorite hunting trail. The scorpion lay in ambush one day, stinging Orion in the heel, silencing him for good. Diana, who was goddess of the hunt (also the moon) and steadfast companion to Orion on numerous quests, petitioned Zeus to honor Orion by placing him in the sky as a constellation. Hera, not to be outdone, demanded that the scorpion, who had duped the greatest hunter of all time, should receive a similar tribute. Not wanting to anger or displease either woman, Zeus placed both Hunter and Scorpion opposite each other in the heavens so neither would ever see the other again. * When I was observing from Sotol Mesa in Big Bend National Park in March of 1997, I witnessed how perfectly opposite these two star patterns were. With a flawless horizon surrounding me, I watched as Orion toppled headfirst into the western horizon while the first stars of the Scorpion rose in the southeast. Ironically, that morning while observing, a real scorpion met its demise when it raced across the ground and took refuge under a clipboard that I had lying on the ground. As I recall, the clipboard did not fare so well either. * Although the Scorpion will never set eyes on Orion, the story is not quite finished. Scorpius is being hassled by Sagittarius the Archer, who was a good friend and hunting companion of Orion. Centaurs, half man, half horse, were regarded as rowdy creatures, more like beasts than humans. Sagittarius was different. He was wise and kind, an educator, creating the constellations in the heavens so that sailors could navigate the seas with more precision. In one mythology, Zeus placed Sagittarius into the sky with his arrow drawn to guard against the Scorpion ever finding its way back to Orion. * The stars of Scorpius and Sagittarius are bright enough to be seen from suburbia, but the condition of an excellent southern horizon is imperative. Even so, the Scorpion's tail nearly brushes the landscape when it is highest in the sky. Scorpius truly looks like a scorpion, complete with luminaries, Shaula and Lesath, appearing similar to a visual double star, accenting the point of his stinger. However, creating a centaur from Sagittarius is a different matter. In this case, consider forgetting about the drawn bow and arrow pointing at Scorpius, and see if making the constellation into the asterism (not an official star pattern) of a teapot is not easier. When looking above and slightly to the right of the Teapot's spout, your gaze will be directed to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, something that is a shadow of its full beauty unless a trip is made to dark locales in the Southern Hemisphere. The teapot rises with its spout pointed upward. It sets, pouring its contents across the landscape of the southwestern horizon, a reminder that late summer mornings can be a bit chilly, a precursor of what is to come. Wait until mid-week, 9:30 p.m., when the bright moon will have cleared the sky. Good observing to all. A map is here. Ad Astra!

Gary A. Becker graphics using Software Bisque's The Sky.

1513 AUGUST 17, 2025: Run with the Moon: I am sending this week's StarWatch to readers several days early because the events that will unfold begin on Saturday morning, August 16. The waning crescent moon will be traveling among the planets and other interesting objects just prior to dawn during the following week. You should set your alarm for 4:30 a.m., and if you are outside within about 15 minutes, the information discussed in this StarWatch should remain accurate for mid-latitudes. Maps are below.
Saturday, August 16: The fat, waning crescent moon is four degrees from the Pleiades star cluster. Using binoculars, the pair should provide observers with a beautiful view of Luna and the best open cluster in the heavens. About seven degrees below the moon, approximately one binocular field, lies Uranus. The distances between the moon and the Pleiades, and between the Pleiades and Uranus, form an equilateral triangle, with the trio's wide base being the distance between the moon and Uranus. Binoculars will be required to see Uranus.
Sunday, August 17: Since yesterday, Luna has traveled nine degrees beyond the Pleiades, positioned above and to the moon's right. The Seven Sisters also lie five degrees from Uranus and the star 37 Tauri, forming an equilateral triangle. Uranus and 37 Tauri form the four-degree baseline with Uranus considerably fainter than 37 Tauri. Make this observation using binoculars unless you are Superman.
Monday, August 18: The 28 percent sunlit moon is located about 1.5 degrees (three lunar diameters) below +1.65 magnitude, Beta Tauri, the last star of upper (western) horn of the Bull. Beta Tauri is slightly brighter than the brightest star of the Big Dipper, and along with the moon, will create an enjoyable view through binoculars. If the sky is clear enough, earthshine, sunlight reflected from the Earth, then reflected back to us from the unlit parts of the moon, will appear as an ashen glow. Use binoculars to enhance the view. At 2 a.m., about 75 minutes after moonrise, Beta Tauri is a mere half degree from the limb (edge) of Luna.
Tuesday, August 19: The moon, which has now become a thin crescent, is present near several extremely bright objects closer to the horizon. Observe below and slightly to the right of Luna to view the mighty Zeus (Greek) or Jupiter (Roman). Still nearer to the horizon is the Greek goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, better known by her Roman name, Venus, the third brightest object in the heavens after the sun and the moon. To the left of Jupiter and Venus, you can see the luminaries of Castor (above) and Pollux, the heads of the winter star pattern of the Gemini Twins, rising on their sides, 20 and 16 degrees above the horizon, respectively.
Wednesday, August 20: This morning at 4:45 a.m., the waning crescent moon is ten percent sunlit. If conditions are clear enough, earthshine should be readily visible to observers with the unaided eye. Luna will be 16 degrees above the ENE horizon and only three degrees from Pollux. Castor will be above Pollux, Venus, to the right and below the moon, and Jupiter to the right and above Venus. Observers will not need binoculars to see this beautiful sight. Still, a wide field optical aid always helps by flooding the eye with more light, creating observations of greater transparency, as well as adding color to the view.
Thursday, August 21: By the start of nautical twilight, 5:15 a.m., the four percent razor-thin crescent moon is ten degrees above the horizon in the ENE, a difficult observation to make unless your horizon in that direction is nearly flawless.
Saturday, August 23: The moon is new today, shrouded in invisibility because of its proximity to the sun. On September 7, a total lunar eclipse is visible, centered over Asia, followed by a partial solar eclipse on September 21, visible over the southern Pacific and the portion of northern Antarctica facing South America.
Good viewing and clear skies to all. Maps are here. Ad Astra!

1514 AUGUST 24, 2025: A Message to My Students from the Ghost of AJ Minnich: A Note from G. Becker: AJ Minnich was a gifted student of mine during the fall semester of 2023, his junior year. He was Editor-in-Chief of The Comenian, Moravian's biweekly school newspaper, having assumed that position in the spring of 2023 as a sophomore. Through his strong yet benevolent leadership, the paper flourished in terms of staff, talent, and scope. Upon graduation in 2025, AJ was a recipient of the annual English Prize. He wrote this informal reflection piece in response to a Week Zero assignment that I gave to my classes before the start of the fall semester in late August 2023. After reading it, I knew he would be successful in my class. Enjoy! Take it away, AJ.
I won't lie. I have been very stressed about PHYS 108 (astronomy)! In high school, I didn't have good experiences with math and science courses, and those occurrences have somewhat scared me away from taking any in college. I procrastinated about completing my lab science requirement for two years due to my past negative experiences. All summer I've been stressing out about this course, but doing this assignment has helped alleviate my worries. * I watched the interview with Stephen Colbert and Neil deGrasse Tyson, and it was an eye opener for me. I've been a big fan of Stephen Colbert for a long time because I really enjoy watching stand-up comedy and late-night talk shows. Colbert is among my favorites due to his smart and witty humor, as well as his thought-provoking messages. In this interview, he served as an excellent guide for me to dip my toes back into the world of science. His talking with Tyson felt like a collision of worlds that I initially thought were entirely separate. In my mind, I always thought that science was a whole lot of facts and memorizing, while stuff like English and political science were more about investigating different questions, concepts, and ideas. In retrospect, this belief was silly and woefully misinformed because it entirely wrote off schools of thought, despite them not being completely different from the ones I was already familiar with, even on a fundamental level. * I especially liked the part where Tyson tried to differentiate between someone who can memorize and someone who can adapt to new problems and questions and try to answer them. Intelligence isn't just a show of knowledge, but a skill that helps to solve problems and to interpret the world around you. After watching this, I also happened to talk with a friend who is a biology major. She said that she believes basic biology should be a requirement for all students because being equipped with knowledge and realizing how the body works can help people to understand their own bodies, and in turn, help others understand theirs as well. Having basic knowledge would, for example, help reduce the spread of vaccine misinformation because students would understand how vaccines actually work and be able to explain that information to others. Science "is a way of equipping yourself to interpret what happens in front of you," and that first requires you to inquire. * My previous train of thought was, as Tyson says, "lazy." I had past bad experiences in high school, so I stopped inquiring about a huge chunk of the world around me. Tyson states, "If you start wielding a hammer, then all of your problems look like nails," and that's precisely what happened to me. I was not equipping myself well enough to inquire about the world around me. Not every person should be a science major or an English major. Still, everyone should at least have the tools necessary to understand what is in front of them, even on a basic level. * Knowledge, no matter which form it takes, is a vanguard to protect you from the "charlatans of the world." Knowledge is something that can prevent you from falling for snake oil merchants, false prophets, Fox News, and more. That is why literacy across a variety of different fields is essential. Additionally, all the various academic fields interact with each other more than many people think or expect. * For example, I am the editor of the school newspaper, but even though our staff is composed mainly of English and communications majors, we all need to have a somewhat diverse set of knowledge skills to do our jobs. To inform and to engage our readers, we all need to understand a variety of topics. Watching this interview made me realize that I was seeing all of my problems as nails, and it was high time that I needed to shake things up. Ad Astra!

1515

AUGUST 31, 2025: Carlson's First Uranian Birthday

If you are looking for the "butt" of all astronomical jokes, then look no further than the second-last planet in the solar system, Uranus. I remember one of my students at Allen High School presenting a sketch of me standing in front of a TV mounted on a cart. The caption read, "And today, class, we are going to talk about Uranus." I laughed along with my students. I mean, even mentioning that Uranus is a gas giant evoked titters of laughter and ceiling stares, when it was disclosed that methane was one of its chief atmospheric components. Cartoons abound, like the one below by the American cartoonist, Mark Parisi, and many others that I would be hesitant to show on the pages of this prestigious column.

Here is the tamest Uranus joke that I could find on a 2023 post devoted to laughs about the seventh planet. I thought it odd that the page had 85,591 views with zero comments at the time that I accessed it.
Patient: "Doctor, am I going to be alright?"
Doctor: "I'm not too sure, Mercury is in Uranus now."
Patient: "But I don't know much about astronomy and space."
Doctor: "Neither do I, but I do know that my thermometer just snapped inside of you."

Then, and this is real in 2025, there are Dude Wipes: "See how wet Dude Wipes completely clears while dry teepee [toilet paper] smears, leaving debris on Uranus." Visit the YouTube video for the full experience, if you dare. * The commercial uses the alternate, less humorous form of pronouncing the planet, "your an us," but does spell the word Uranus in the ad. In grade school, I was taught the original version that usually produces laughter, "your anus."
Achieving your first Uranian birthday, however, is no laughing matter, and for an astronomer, it is an achievement that calls for celebration. My good friend and former astronomy professor at Kutztown University, Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss, benefactor to Moravian University's astronomy program and founder of Moravian's Chambliss Award, just achieved his first birthday on Planet Seven at the age of 84. If you would like to know your age on the eight planets in our solar system, including Pluto, you can go to San Francisco's Exploratorium, here. Carlson turned one on Uranus this past July 22, just a few days after his 84th terrestrial birthday, which he celebrated on July 17. Former colleagues, students, and friends attended Carlson's first Uranian birthday celebration on August 9. There were balloons, gifts (don't ask me to describe them), toasts to the Uranian youngster, and of course, a cake, you guessed it, in the shape and the blue-green hues of the methane, gas giant planet. I think I have said enough.

Congratulations, Carlson! Many more terrestrial birthdays are hopefully in your future. Ad Astra!

Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss' first Uranian Birthday Party held on August 9 in Douglassville, PA: Celebrants from left to right are Peter K. Detterline, Kitty Greer, Gary A. Becker, Carlson R. Chambliss, John and Janice Loomis, Valerie Reidout (inset), and Phill Reed. Not included in the image are Ken Reidout, Nancy Reed, and Susan B. Reisinger-Becker. Photography by Valerie Reidout; graphics, Peter K. Detterline...