The stars in the sky shine bright (Jersey Shore, Wyoming: homes, college)

[Chefkey]

I have thought to mention before as I always seems to notice the stars here in NEPA. Everytime I take doggie out I look around and when I look I up I notice how clear the stars are here.

When I lived on the Jersey Shore and then Philly I could see very clear in winter but my view still seemed limited. In the Summer you could see nothing at all. Tonight I noticed how the big dipper is right above as I have seen it in about four different positions all winter now. I was never able to clearly track these changes elsewhere.

I want to see if the valley smog affects the view at night this summer.

I do know at this point that stargazers have an advantage here in the winter over many other areas.

Happy viewing

[SteelCityRising]

I live right along I-81, and I can confirm that the summer smog will indeed dim the evening nighttime sky. Enjoy it while it lasts!

[JimmyLane]

Originally Posted by Chefkey

I have thought to mention before as I always seems to notice the stars here in NEPA. Everytime I take doggie out I look around and when I look I up I notice how clear the stars are here.

When I lived on the Jersey Shore and then Philly I could see very clear in winter but my view still seemed limited. In the Summer you could see nothing at all. Tonight I noticed how the big dipper is right above as I have seen it in about four different positions all winter now. I was never able to clearly track these changes elsewhere.

I want to see if the valley smog affects the view at night this summer.

I do know at this point that stargazers have an advantage here in the winter over many other areas.

Happy viewing

Hello Chefkey---I agree, the NEPA night sky is the best I've seen, and I had been hoping it would remain the same in summer.

The NJ night sky reminds me of the Passaic River.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by JimmyLane

Hello Chefkey---I agree, the NEPA night sky is the best I've seen, and I had been hoping it would remain the same in summer.

The NJ night sky reminds me of the Passaic River.

Well up in Montrose you're so isolated in relation to the city that you'll probably be able to enjoy those gorgeous nighttime vistas year-round. Considering 150,000 vehicles pass by my home daily on I-81, I-476, and Highway 315, the exhaust fumes can just be too much I suppose. I hear there's supposed to be some sort of killer observatory though---perhaps at Keystone College? It might be awesome to scope out.

[JimmyLane]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Well up in Montrose you're so isolated in relation to the city that you'll probably be able to enjoy those gorgeous nighttime vistas year-round. Considering 150,000 vehicles pass by my home daily on I-81, I-476, and Highway 315, the exhaust fumes can just be too much I suppose. I hear there's supposed to be some sort of killer observatory though---perhaps at Keystone College? It might be awesome to scope out.

Ahhh, you made my night---so they'll be something for me to look up at in awe and admiration on summer nights after all. Very cool. Thanks.

[NEPA-x-pat]

Well, I just had to perk up when I read the title to this post...I mean it hits home (in more ways than one). Some of you know that I am the a planetarium director here in VA, but grew up in NEPA. Well there are many great things to see in the skies above NEPA (and VA) at this time of year.

As Chefkey mentioned the Big Dipper or Big Bear as the case may be is now standing on its tail (didn't you know bears have long tails? That is another sky story) and is coming out of the cave (Corona Borealis - The Northern Crown - a faint ring of stars below the handle of the dipper). Google the mythology of the bear - great story from Indians of the hunting party of birds following the bear - explains why the dipper looks to be at different angles at different times of the year along with why the trees turn red in the fall.

You can still see Orion (look for the belt stars) low in the southeast around 9:30 in the evening. Notice the red supergiant star Betelgeuse making up Orion's right shoulder. In Arabic the name means armpit of the giant. With a pair of binoculars scan down the belt to find Orions sword. About half way down notice a fuzzy patch. This is the Orion nebula, birthplace of new stars.

The bright red dot above your head is not a star, but the planet Mars. You will notice that with binoculars it looks like a disk of light rather than a point.
The two bright stars right above Mars are Pollux and Castor - The Twins or Geminni.

Scan across the sky towards the east (lake scranton for you Paul) Notice a backward question mark? This it the head of the lion known as Leo. The two bright points (punctation point to the right) are Regulus a star, and the planet Saturn. Saturn is the britgher of the two points.

Ok, went on too long but you get the idea, spring nights are wonderful for seeing the transitioning of the constellations towards the hazy constellations of summer. Enjoy

[Chefkey]

NEPA-x-pat,

Thanks for the detailed information. I going to have to look more closely for other stars before the valley smog ruins my view.

[CHS89]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I live right along I-81, and I can confirm that the summer smog will indeed dim the evening nighttime sky. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Has a lot more to do with the lights from the surrounding area and the cars than the "smog".

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by CHS89

Has a lot more to do with the lights from the surrounding area and the cars than the "smog".

Well air quality in our area certainly isn't as bad as Atlanta or Los Angeles, but on some hot summer days when the air is stagnant the air outside our homes just smells awful! There have been two occasions in which I've coughed so hard after my runs that I've thrown up my Propel all over the pavement. I'm by no means a member of the EPA, but I wouldn't be surprised if we have several Code Orange days per year in parts of the area. There are days when there is a thick haze visible over the Wyoming Valley. I can recall seeing it thick one day last summer when my grandmother was in the hospital on East Mountain in Plains, and occasionally you can see it as you drive on the Cross Valley from I-81 into the valley.

[CHS89]

A haze from humidity is not necessarily smog, though. Light also doesn't reflect off of smell. It's really just the lights of your surrounding area, the businesses and traffic from the highway, that makes a full night sky so difficult to see. Just go to a dark field nearby. Doesn't even have to be that far away. The view of the sky (as far as teh number of visible stars increasing) will be much better the darker your surroundings are. Such a relatively short distance will have no impact on overall air quality. Reflected light is blocking your view more than any sort of smog or haze.