-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