Alice's AstroInfo

A cloudy night sky. You can see two trees.

Yes, there are auroras, (NOT in this picture) but also it is pretty cloudy here and getting cloudier. Please kindly request that the clouds move.
alicesastroinfo.com/2015/09/auro...

Lowman Beach?

People stand talking on a pathway at Solstice Park as the sun sets behind them.

September Equinox Sunset Watch 2025! Today, Monday September 22: 6:30-7:30pm

Solstice Park, uphill from the tennis courts by Lincoln Park, Seattle

Sunset anticipated around 6:55±, (official sunset 7:06pm). Solstice moment: 11:19am.

More details: alicesastroinfo.com/2021/09/seas...

A map of Interstate 5 in Seattle. Marked by red arrows and lines is the full closure of the northbound I-5 mainline between I-90 and Northeast 45th Street in Seattle. Handwritten text on the screen notes the interstate is closed in the northbound directions from July 18th to 21st. Cute animals with WSDOT hard hats occupy various spaces on the screen. Text boxes near them say we're here to soften the blow and is it working?

The time has come to Revive I-5. NB I-5 in Seattle between I-90 & NE 45th St will CLOSE starting at 11:59p on Friday, July 18, through 5a Monday, July 21.
The express lanes will be NB ALL WEEKEND & beyond. WB I-90 exit to NB I-5 will close.
More info: bit.ly/ReviveI5Clos...
@seattledot.bsky.social

Envy

People stand talking on a pathway at Solstice Park as the sun sets behind them. There is a lens flare from the Sun that seems to shine down the side of the pathway.

June Solstice Sunset Watch 2025! Friday, June 20: 8:30-9:30pm

Solstice Park, uphill from the tennis courts by Lincoln Park, Seattle

Sunset anticipated around 8:55±, official sunset 9:11pm. Solstice moment: 7:42pm.

More details: alicesastroinfo.com/2021/09/seas...

The northern auroral oval for tonight shows spectacular prescriptions for viewability overhead in Seattle. The viewline goes through southern Oregon.

Cloud forecast tonight for Washington, Oregon, and most of Idaho is under 10%, with under 3% over Seattle.

Aurora viewline forecast & cloudcover (3%!!) both from NOAA

www.spaceweather.gov/products/aur...

graphical.weather.gov/sectors/sect...

(My quote about Kp: Kp over 5 means possible aurora for Seattle, but the higher the better. If it hits 6 go outside. 7 I go somewhere local. 8 I go somewhere dark and farther away. 9 I turn my life upside down and you should too.)

Aurora predictions look interesting for tonight. The current official forecast has it getting good around midnight (can be off by hours). I am already getting pings from my alerts that the kp numbers are climbing, early indicators show us at kp7 now.

Info: alicesastroinfo.com/2015/09/auro...

Incredibly high aurora alerts (7+, 8+) beginning now. It is cloudy here, but could be worth staying up for clearer skies or traveling. This may be another long storm per swpc, but we'll see.
This could be amazing but not quite as big as last May.
alicesastroinfo.com/2015/09/auro...

Yes! Science Zone is, of course, the best!

2015?! It can't have been that long ago ... 👵🏼

Even if you're not in the PNW, this is the best con. It is welcoming, kind, and comfortable. All ages, all genders!

(It's the only con I've been to that didn't feel gatekept to me.) @noisyastronomer.com did you go one year?

I'm on my way!

Tonight! 6:30!

A photo showing the earthworks pathways during the sunset at Solstice Park during the 2024 spring equinox. There is orange sunset light on the trees and a curve made up of a few short rock walls in the foreground.

The equinox is almost here! My equinox sunset watch will be this FRIDAY (not Thursday) 6:30pm-7:30pm at Solstice Park! See you there!

(The equinox is Thursday, it's just my event that's the next day instead).

alicesastroinfo.com/2021/09/seas...

Almost full...

The full Moon, missing the bottom quarter due to the shadow of the Earth! It's the beginning of a lunar eclipse!

Go look at the Moon, Seattle!

If you would like to interpret this diagram for yourself, convert the "UT" (UTC) times into Pacific Time using a tool like dateful.com/time-zone-co....

The diagram is from the amazing Mr. Eclipse:
www.eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprim...
Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, www.EclipseWise.com

This is a diagram of the upcoming lunar eclipse, showing when the Moon passes into the lighter shadow and then the darker umbral shadow where it turns red. All the data on this diagram is in tables at https://www.eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/2001-2100/LE2025Mar14Tprime.html

There's a total lunar eclipse coming up on Thursday night/Friday early morning (3/13-3/14). It peaks at midnight for us in Seattle.
What you need to know is that for Seattle:
starts at 8:57pm,
gets interesting at 10:10pm,
peaks at 11:58pm,
becomes less visible at 1:48am and
finishes at 3:00am.

The night sky with a few bright stars.

Annotated night sky image: Mars, Gemini, Auriga, Taurus, Jupiter, Hyades, Pleiades, Orion.

Tonight is one of those beautiful clear winter nights we get in Seattle. We get very few, but they're amazing. If you look West and think "I've never seen a star THAT bright!" you're correct! That's the planet Venus. Next to it is Saturn. And then overhead:

Unique ways Seattleites mark the shortest day of the year From annual community events to unique, personal rituals, here are some of the ways local residents celebrate winter solstice.

Today's event was also part of an article about local solstice traditions in @theseattletimes.bsky.social
www.seattletimes.com/life/culture...

WEAR RAIN GEAR....

A large gold ball sits at the top of a Christmas tree. It has gold pipe cleaners arcing out from it as coronal loops, and there are dark spots (sunspots) on the surface of the ball.

Come join me THIS afternoon for the solstice sunset watch at 3:45-4:45pm!
Saturday, December 21, 2024
alicesastroinfo.com/2021/09/seas...
I'll be at Solstice Park, here in West Seattle.

We'll celebrate the return of the Sun!
(Why yes, that is a Sun atop my tree—it's the best star after all!)

Come join me TOMORROW afternoon for the solstice sunset watch at 3:45-4:45pm!
Saturday, December 21, 2024
alicesastroinfo.com/2021/09/seas...
I'll be at Solstice Park, here in West Seattle.

Prompted by this and a need for distraction I Did Some Math. Turns out most extrasolar planets are quite cauliflower-compatible. A thread, with citations. And laboratory astrophysics. And footnotes.

I only bake. We joke that "in the oven" is my job, "on the stove (or grill, etc)" is his job.

🤞🏼 I'm hoping for a rerun of the limited edition shirts you did with @startorialist.bsky.social ... I need an updated size, and my kids are terribly jealous that they don't have their own.
(I get great comments whenever I wear it: I even wore it on Nov 6 to keep myself & my students distracted ...)

This is what y'all wanted so I'm here to deliver 🙃

Pillars of Googly Eyes is now available as 1000 piece puzzle 🧩

🔗 sciencesocks.co/pages/puzzle...

Will you help this go viral again? Please like and share! 🔭🐡🧪

Let's see if we can't get at least another 14 years out of this one!