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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2018)
Wednesday, November 2, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Stars over Sisters Sisters Country birds By Ramsey Schar By Douglas Beall Correspondent Correspondent As 2018 advances into the second-to-last month of the year, the sky orients itself in new ways, bring- ing with it spectacular starry treats. There are new things to see and discover in our dark, infinite sky. Coming up in mid- November is the annual Leonid meteor shower. Over the years this spectacle has produced some of the most appreciable displays in his- tory and is considered an incredible event to watch when this occurs. As the earth crosses the orbital path of comet Tempel-Tuttle, it inter- cepts some of the comet’s debris which is vaporized as it enters the earth’s atmo- sphere. The Leonids are bright and often deep blue in color and travel at speeds of around 44 miles per second, making them some of the fastest streakers in the sky. Every 33 to 34 years the earth passes through a particularly dense cloud of cometary rubble that lights up the sky with thousands of meteors per hour. When this happens, the event is known as a meteor storm. A display must generate at least 1,000 meteors an hour to be called a storm. The lat- est Leonid storm occurred in 2001 and many of those who witnessed it described mete- ors that fell like rain because of how many there were. The next chance for a storm won’t come again until the year 2034 or 2035. This year’s shower will produce only about 15 mete- ors per hour, best viewed at midnight on November 17 through the morning of November 18. A waxing gib- bous moon, however, will reduce this paltry rate. Autumn is an ideal time to view the beautiful Andromeda Galaxy. Also known as M31, this object is classified as a deep sky object and is located in the constellation of Andromeda. It lies between Pegasus to The high-pitched trill heard within tall Northwest conifers in spring is often the Townsend’s warbler ‘Setophaga townsendi. Arriving early, the male will sing to mark his nesting territory. When the females arrive they form monoga- mous pairs and the female builds a nest on the end of a confer branch well up in the canopy. Bark strips, grass, moss, and twigs are used for a small cup nest that is lined with feathers and hair. The female incubates 3 to 7 white-brown speckled eggs for 11-14 days and then PHOTO BY SEAN M. SABATINI Meteors “rain” over Monument Valley Utah during the Leonid meteor storm of 2001. the south and the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and can be seen without optical aid under dark skies. Look for a dim blur or hazy oval. The Andromeda Galaxy is the largest member of the Local Group of galaxies that includes it, our Milky Way Galaxy and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), another spiral galaxy. By way of compari- son, our galaxy is approxi- mately 100,000 light-years in diameter, while M31 in Andromeda is more than twice as big. The smallest member of the group is M33 at just 60,000 light-years in diameter. Lying at a distance of just 2.5 million light-years, many astronomers believe the Andromeda Galaxy and or own Milky Way will col- lide in about four billion years. The five brightest plan- ets, known as the naked-eye planets, consist of Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn. All of these can be seen without optical aid, explaining why they are called the naked-eye plan- ets. All of them are visible for most of the year but are typically not seen all in one night. The position of a planet moderately changes against the background every night, helping to dis- tinguish it from a star. Early in November, both Jupiter and Mercury hug the southwestern horizon 30 minutes after sunset. Using a pair of binoculars will greatly improve your chance of locating them. Still hang- ing out in the constellation of Sagittarius, Saturn is an easy evening find. But it’s ruddy Mars, shining brighter than a first-magni- tude star, that continues to put on the best show as it hangs in the sky until about 1 a.m. local time before setting. The first week-and-a- half of the month is a good time to plan your nighttime observing because skies will be dark. As the month pro- gresses, however, a wax- ing moon will gradually brighten the night sky, cul- minating in a Beaver Full Moon on November 22. 21 both parents feed insects to the young for 10 days who then fledge the nest. Insects, including spiders, are the majority of the Townsend’s diet, although they visit suet feeders during winter months. The Townsend’s warbler will occasionally crossbreed with the Hermit warbler when the nesting areas are close together only in our Northwest forests. Warblers are referred to as a “fall,” a “bouquet,” “a “confusion,” or a “wrench” of warblers. To view more, visit http://abirdsingsbe- causeithasasong.com/ recent-journeys. PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL Townsend’s warbler. Projects Small Or Large Start With Our Dream Team of Building Pros GOT QUESTIONS? Lumber • Paint Hardware • Tools • Siding • Doors Windows • Fencing • Decking Plumbing & Electrical Supplies FREE Local Delivery Serving Sisters Since 1976 Hours: M-F 8-5, Sat. 8-4:30, Closed Sundays 440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net We’re in Sisters! Stop by our offi ce and meet our staff, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 473 E. Hood Ave., Ste. 201 (upstairs). www.worldschildren.org This ad sponsored by The Nugget Newspaper
