Next week's night sky won't disappoint stargazers, as the new moon phase aligns on Sept. 21, offering a clear view of the stunning summer Milky Way.
The upcoming week presents an optimal time for stargazers to witness the breathtaking spectacle of the summer Milky Way. This celestial event, which can be seen as a wide glowing arch of variety and beauty, stretching across the sky from the northeast to southwest, is a sight not to be missed.
On a particularly dark and starry night in 1975, the Milky Way appeared so bright that it cast faint shadows, an observation made by the late Glenn, a renowned eclipse chaser and astronomer. Unfortunately, Glenn, who served as the project instrument scientist for the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) installed on the Hubble Space Telescope, and an astronomer and principal investigator at the University of Arizona, never had the chance to repeat this observation since that night.
The Milky Way's brilliance is often overshadowed in most major metropolitan areas due to light pollution over the past 50 years. This artificial illumination, including LED streetlights, adds a significant amount of dazzling light that makes it difficult to see stars. However, for those fortunate enough to live in areas with a "Class 1" sky, as defined by the Bortle scale, the Milky Way is capable of casting obvious diffuse shadows on the ground.
The Bortle scale, developed by John Bortle, a long-time friend of Glenn, allows a person to judge how dark (or bright) their local sky is. A "Class 1" sky, the ultimate in skywatching, offers the darkest conditions, allowing for the most stunning celestial displays.
To observe the Milky Way, one can sweep with binoculars from the Scorpius constellation, through the Summer Triangle, and then down to Cassiopeia and Perseus. For those in New York City, the Hayden Planetarium, located within the American Museum of Natural History at Central Park West & 79th Street, offers guided tours and lectures on stargazing. Joe Rao, an instructor and guest lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium, writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope, and other publications.
As the moon enters its new phase on September 21, this week will offer an especially dark sky for stargazers to marvel at the Milky Way. Next week, the moon will reappear as a slender sliver of light in the early evening skies, making it more challenging to observe the Milky Way. So, take this opportunity to step outside and witness the beauty of the summer Milky Way while it's still visible.
Remembering Glenn, a passionate advocate for astronomy, we encourage everyone to appreciate the wonders of the universe and the opportunity to witness the Milky Way in all its grandeur.
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