-4- C

was not observed until four days later and since then no osprey activity has been recorded. Apparently the family vacated the nest and joined in the southward

migration. Come next May, however, we will have another spot to observe osprey activity.

- Earle Hickey Jr. llh Prince Street Charlottetown, P.E.|.

Astronomical Calendar - Fall I975

The second planet from the sun, Venus, which decorated the western evening sky during the first half of the year has caught up to and passed the third planet, Earth. If you wish to see brilliant Venus, you will have to crawl out of bed before dawn for

it is now the morning “star”. It dominates the eastern sky for two or three hours before sunrise.

Mars, being the fourth planet from the Sun, cannot keep up to our rocky sphere, the third planet. In September and early October, Mars comes into view in the eastern sky around midnight; however, it will appear earlier in the evening and become brighter as we catch up to it on our inside track. In mid-December, we will silently glide past Mars and leave it behind. As we pass by a mere 85 million kilometers away, Mars will come into view at supper hour and hang like a bright red Christmas tree ornament in the Yuletide nights. As you gaze at Mars this winter, also remember that somewhere out there in the space that yawns between are two sophisticated crea- tions of man on a mission of great significance to mankind. These are the Viking spaceprobes which are designed to land on Mars next year and perform three separate experiments in our first attempt to detect signs of life on another planet.

You may have already noticed the bright, slightly yellowish, steady, star-like object that appears in the eastern sky shortly after sunset. This is Jupiter, named after the king of the gods and the only planet of significant size in the solar system. However, despite being over 300 times more massive than our little planet, Jupiter

is the fifth planet from the Sun and hence, it must revolve even more slowly than Mars about the central star. During October we will zip ahead of this giant

who will gaze balefully down on all of us through the night.

Our Moon flits around Earth about once a month casting its spell on lovers and tides. When opposite the Sun we view its illuminated half face-on and we say in our quaint way that “the Moon is full“. However, on Tuesday, November l8, on its regular

swing behind Earth, the Moon passes directly through Earth's shadow (usually it passes nOrth or south of it). When we swing into view about “:45 p.m. that evening, the Moon will be already partly in the shadow. It will be completely eclipsed from 6:03 p.m. to 6:4h p.m. If it is clear that supper hour, put down your fork and

grab your binoculars for it will be several years before this sublime sight will grace our skies again.

- Adapted from Blomidon Naturalists Society Newsletter Vol. 2 (3). 1975