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Calgary Herald
11-05-2025
- General
- Calgary Herald
Weaselhead preservation group seeks nocturnal sanctuary status for Calgary's only 'delta'
An environmental preservation group wants to keep the park dark to support the birds and the bees. Article content Article content The Weaselhead Glenmore Park Preservation Society is working with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) to obtain nocturnal sanctuary status for the Weaselhead Flats, according to a local naturalist. Article content Such a designation would recognize the importance of maintaining dark skies for the variety of wildlife within in the flats, said Sara Jordan-McLachlan, a representative of the Weaselhead preservation society. Article content Article content At an event to recognize World Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, she told Postmedia the preservation society will first have to submit an application to the RASC, before the two organizations collaborate on a joint application to the city. Article content Article content 'We'll need city approval so it's about working with the city as well to make sure they're on board, because ultimately, it's their park to manage,' she said. Article content 'They would give us the approval to designate that as a nocturnal sanctuary and then we'd be in charge of managing it.' The flats are technically Calgary's only 'delta' — a geographical landform created where a river slows as it spills into a standing body of water. In the case of the Weaselhead, when the river reaches the flats, it deposits sand and gravel to create a network of bars, channels and marshes. Article content While the flats have a special protected-area status that prohibits development, the Weaselhead doesn't currently have a nocturnal sanctuary designation as part of its habitat management plan, according to Jordan-McLachlan. Article content Article content She noted there have been some rumblings about adding lighting fixtures to the cycling and walking path that cuts through the flats, which she warns would be harmful for birds and other wildlife. Article content 'That's our biggest challenge — keeping that dark,' she said. 'But otherwise, no development can happen in that area.' Article content A park in the Calgary region that currently has nocturnal sanctuary status is the Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area, located just south of city limits in Foothills County. The sprawling area received nocturnal preserve designation in 2015, according to the RASC's website. Article content There are numerous ecological benefits to keeping a natural area devoid of artificial light, said Jordan-McLachlan, who is also a representative of Bird Friendly Calgary. Article content Through her involvement with the local avian advocacy group, Jordan-McLachlan has advocated for stronger protection for birds during the spring and fall migratory seasons, such as educating residents of high-rises to turn off their lights at night to help prevent window strikes.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks May 6. Here's what to expect from the 'crumbs' of Halley's Comet
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Among the top 10 meteor showers appearing annually, one of the best will be reaching its peak on Tuesday morning (May 6). The Eta Aquarid shower ranks among the top four in terms of overall activity. Because the meteors appear to emanate from a spot on the sky (called the "radiant") in the Water Jar of the Aquarius constellation — hence the name "Aquarids" — their visibility favors prospective skywatchers south of the equator. Indeed, for those living in the Southern Hemisphere (Santiago, Johannesburg Melbourne, Auckland), the Eta Aquarid radiant climbs well up in the predawn eastern sky and it is from there that these meteors appear plentiful. In fact, many southern observers consider this shower to be the best meteor shower of the year. According to the Observer's Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the Eta Aquarids are capable of producing as many as 60 meteors per hour, while the Meteor Calendar of the International Meteor Organization (IMO) indicates rates of around 50 per hour. But from more northerly latitudes, the viewing circumstances are not so favorable. Because these meteors appear to radiate from a position low on the eastern horizon for mid-northern latitudes, even under the most favorable conditions, at best, 10 to "maybe" 20 meteors per hour might be seen. In addition, this year you'll also have to take into account a bright moon, just two days past first quarter (a waxing gibbous, 64% illuminated), and it will not set until just after 3:00 a.m. local daylight time, leaving only about an hour of reasonably dark sky for early morning observations of this shower before the increasingly bright dawn twilight becomes too restrictive. "So," you might ask, "What's the point of getting up before dawn to watch?" The answer is that you might still see something spectacular. More on that in a moment. The Eta Aquarids have a most interesting lineage. Unlike some of the other annual meteor showers whose history can be traced back for many centuries, the Eta Aquarids were not "officially" discovered until the late 19th century. In 1870, while sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, Lt. Col. G.L. Tupman sighted 15 meteors on the morning of April 30, and another 13 a few mornings later. All the meteors Tupman sighted appeared to emanate from the Aquarius constellation, the Water Carrier. Then in 1876, professor Alexander Stewart Herschel pointed out that the orbit of Halley's Comet seemed to nearly coincide with the orbit of Earth around May 4, and that if we encountered any comet debris around that time capable of producing meteors, those streaks of light would appear to dart from the vicinity of Aquarius. Herschel immediately noted that Tupman's observations were very close to his prediction. In the years that followed, increasing numbers of other astronomers and observers also noted similarities between the orbits of Comet Halley and the "shooting stars" in early May radiating from Aquarius. About every three-quarters of a century as it sweeps closest to the sun, Halley leaves a "river of rubble" in its wake along its orbit. As you read these words, the comet is 3.28 billion miles (5.29 billion km) from both the Earth and the sun. The last time Halley swept through the inner solar system was in 1986 (it's due back in the summer of 2061), but it has traveled around the sun countless numbers of times over the centuries, each time leaving behind a trail of dust and grit similar in consistency and texture to cigar ash or copier toner — debris that astronomers believe dates back nearly five billion years to the birth of the solar system; primordial material that happens to intersect the orbit of Earth about this time in early May every year. Those pieces that have flaked off its potato-shaped nucleus during previous visits to the sun flare about 62 miles (100 km) above our heads in early May producing the Eta Aquarid meteors. When our planet interacts with that rubble river, those comet bits race through Earth's atmosphere at high speeds: 41 miles (66 km) per second, to produce the shooting star effect. The material that the comet releases into space actually intersects our orbit at two places. On its inbound approach to the sun, it produces the Orionid meteor shower in late October, while the material that is released after the comet has rounded the sun and is heading back to the outer limits of the solar system produces the Eta Aquarids. The brightest Eta Aquarid meteors leave long-lasting trains. But since they are on the outbound leg of their orbits, these meteors arrive mainly in daylight; thus, the nighttime observation interval is short and occurs just before dawn. Earlier, we suggested that even though viewing circumstances for the Eta Aquarids are not the best for viewers in the Northern Hemisphere, you should still make in effort to go out and look during that short "window of opportunity" between 3 and 4 a.m. on May 6. Here's why: For most, perhaps the best hope for seeing the Eta Aquarids is if you happen to catch a glimpse of a member of this meteor swarm as it grazed our atmosphere horizontally — much the same way as a flat rock can be made to skim across the top of a lake or pond. Assiduous meteor observers refer to such meteors as "Earthgrazers," and they have a propensity to produce rather colorful and long-lasting trails. Such meteors also appear to travel across the sky on unusually long paths. RELATED STORIES: — Eta Aquarid meteor shower 2025: Where, when and how to see it — Meteor showers 2025: When, where and how to see the best 'shooting stars' of the year — Night sky for tonight: Visible planets, stars and more in this evening's sky Unfortunately, they also tend to be few and far between. But if you happen to catch sight of just one, it will make your efforts worthwhile. If skies are cloudy on Tuesday morning, be aware that the shower is active for a few days before and after the peak, though meteor rates tend to be only one-half to one-quarter of what you would see at the peak. Try lying on a long lawn chair pointing due south. Keep your eyes moving around and don't stare at any one place ... keep looking all over. If you do spot a long-trailed meteor, keep in mind that you likely will have seen an incandescent streak of light produced by material that originated from the nucleus of Halley's comet; the comet itself is still decades away but no matter. A view of an Eta Aquarid meteor will be your personal encounter with the traces of a famous visitor from the depths of space, and quite possibly the dawn of creation. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and other publications.
CBC
12-03-2025
- Science
- CBC
North America will have a blood worm moon this week. Here's how you can see it
This week, robed in twilight, a "blood worm" will pierce the night sky. As ominous as that sounds, don't think leeches — think lunar. Late Thursday night or Friday early morning, North Americans with clear skies can look up to see a full moon with a beautiful reddish hue. And while it has that eerie nickname, it's not the only one, depending on different cultures. …Blood? This event is actually two occurrences coming together: a total eclipse of the moon by the Earth at the same time as it goes through a full moon phase for March. It's not too rare for this to happen. The last March total lunar eclipse was in 1978, according to NASA — though much of North America couldn't see it. The "blood" part is from the eclipse. When the Earth passes in front of the moon, it obscures the sun's light from hitting it — but some still sneaks through. To understand why the moon turns that colour, amateur astronomer Dave Chapman says you have to imagine you're an astronaut on the moon during the eclipse. "The sun is shining on the Earth from behind. It's being backlit," explains Chapman, a fellow at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. "The Earth's face will be dark, but along the edge — where the atmosphere is — there is sunlight filtering through." But that light comes from all the parts of the world that are experiencing sunrises or sunsets. As light during those times are more red and orange, this is the hue that hits the moon and reflects back to us. However, it's not always blood red. Its variations, from totally invisible to copper, are measured in the Danjon scale. We won't know where this particular eclipse rates on that scale until after it happens. Chapman says there's another unique quality from this "side-lighting" effect from Earth: It will also change how we perceive the shape of the moon. "Normally when you look at the full moon ... it doesn't look like a sphere, it just looks like a disc," Chapman told CBC News from Dartmouth, N.S. But the eclipse lighting turns it from a flat, bright, silvery disc into more of "a sphere hanging in the sky." ...Worm? The timing of this eclipse also aligns with how different cultures around the world refer to the moon during this particular month. Experts attribute the "worm" moniker to Indigenous tribes in the southern U.S. who would see more insects and earthworms emerge during this time of year, and it stuck through its usage in the Old Farmer's Almanac as March's full moon. But other cultures didn't see those worms, instead calling it by different names. For example, "more northern tribes of the northeastern United States knew this as the crow moon, with the cawing of crows signalling the end of winter," writes NASA's Gordon Johnston. To Mi'kmaq, whose traditional territories include Eastern and Atlantic Canada, the moon around March is known as Si'ko'ku's (pronounced see-uke-ay-we-goos), or the maple or maple sugar moon, owing to this time of year when sap starts running down trees. "A lot of the time, the moons are reflective of the season and the time of year," says Hilding Neilson, an astronomer and professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. He says this contextual naming of lunar cycles is common. "For many cultures around the world, the moon is something you watch and you see things change [around you]. And so you get various names reflecting community, telling stories and how you operate," Neilson told CBC News from St. John's. That's why a "blood worm" to some could be a "scarlet crow" or even a "red maple" moon to others. So when can I see it? Seeing it in Canada will mean staying up late or waking up very early. The good news is that you won't need any special equipment to view it and light pollution won't affect visibility. The eclipse's totality will last for just over an hour, with its strongest phase in the middle. Newfoundland time: Starting at 3:56 a.m. to 5:01 a.m. on Friday, March 14 Eastern time: Starting at 2:26 a.m. to 3:31 a.m. on Friday, March 14. Central time: Starting at 1:26 a.m. to 2:31 a.m. on Friday, March 14. Mountain time: Starting at 12:26 a.m. to 1:31 a.m. on Friday, March 14. Pacific time: Starting at 11:26 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, to 12:31 a.m. on Friday, March 14.
BBC News
19-02-2025
- BBC News
Canada's remote (but accessible) dark-sky sanctuary
Spanning 11,000 sq km of protected, pristine wilderness, Jasper National Park offers a one-of-a-kind destination for stargazers. It's a balmy October evening and an overture from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Strings hushes a buzzing crowd. Dusk has fallen in Jasper National Park, and I'm snug under a blanket, gazing up at a sea of stars amidst the Milky Way's glow. Just below, snow-dusted peaks rise towards the heavens and the clear, glacial-blue waters of Lac Beauvert blend into the inky darkness. Symphony Under the Stars is one of many events at the annual Dark Sky Festival (17 October to 2 November 2025) held in Jasper National Park, one of the world's largest and most accessible dark sky preserves. Designated as a Dark Sky Preserve in 2011 by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and spanning 11,000 sq km of protected land where minimal to no light pollution is allowed, Jasper isn't just one of the best places to stargaze; it's also an ideal spot to see the Northern Lights. And as experts predict that 2025 "will mesmerise" with one of the greatest aurora displays in 20 years, there's never been a better time to explore this quiet corner of the Canadian Rockies. Unlike other Dark Sky Preserves in Canada and the US like Wood Buffalo National Park and Grasslands National Park that have little to no infrastructure or lodging, the eponymous 4,700-person town of Jasper – located within the preserve – allows travellers easy stargazing access. According to Tyler Burgardt, an astrophysicist and general manager of the Jasper Planetarium, what makes Jasper so unique is visitors can drive right in. Located roughly 3.5 hours from Edmonton and Calgary, the town's hotels and locally led stargazing tours means star-lovers don't need to rough it. "You get to see something you don't get in other [accessible] places, which is the ability to see thousands of stars, even from the middle of town," Burgardt said. His favourite tour is one offered in summer, where guests visit the planetarium and then take a twilight stroll down to a peninsula located on Lac Beauvert. Ringed by rugged peaks and hauntingly silent, the only sound you may hear is the soft ripple of wind on the water. Burgardt estimates the Northern Lights are visible here roughly every 10 days to two weeks. "It's just absolutely beautiful," he said. "It's a really cool way to truly experience the nighttime side of the Canadian Rockies." The quaint, alpine community is committed to ensuring that minimal artificial lighting is visible by installing streetlights that point downwards and have a softer glow than regular lights. As Burgardt notes, Jasper's location within the national park, and surrounded by the Unesco-designated Canadian Rocky Mountains, also provides a natural barrier from the artificial light created by nearby cities. According to the RASC, the goal of a dark sky designation in a community is to promote "low-impact lighting practices, to improve the nocturnal environment for plants and wildlife, to protect and expand dark observing sites for astronomy and to provide accessible locations for naturalists and the general public to experience the naturally dark night sky". Phillipa Gunn, public relations and communications officer for Parks Canada, said Jasper National Park initially met some of the requirements from the RASC needed to become a Dark Sky Preserve prior to its official designation, including accessible observation sites where visitors can view the sky. "Jasper National Park is an ideal location for a Dark Sky Preserve as 97% of the park is a designated wilderness area, free of light pollution," Gunn said. Parks Canada has also continued to expand its dark sky interpretation programmes, while working with the town and private partners to ensure all the street fixtures in the townsite are dark-sky compliant. As a result, when driving to Jasper at night, it's nearly impossible to tell a town is even located in the vast blackness that envelopes the area. In July 2024, a series of devastating fires ripped through Jasper, causing the "jewel of the Rockies" to close for several months. The park reopened last autumn in time for the Jasper Dark Sky Festival – albeit just on a smaller scale. But with 2025 marking the festival's 15th anniversary, Naji Khouri, director of destination development for Tourism Jasper, says this year's festival will be bigger than ever before. Plans include a drone show where 200 synchronised drones put on a light display, notable guest speakers (Bill Nye has previously attended), planetarium stargazing sessions and a portable telescope and tent at the base of the Jasper Sky Tram. "We invite space or science enthusiasts, aurora chasers and anyone that is fascinated by the dark sky and wants to learn more about it. We have unique experiences that are really of interest to a wide range of people, including families," said Khouri. And locals want people to know that Jasper isn't only open for the Dark Sky Festival, but for business as usual, with more than 80% of local businesses back open since the blaze. After hiking the Sulphur Skyline trail to experience sweeping views of the Fiddle River Valley and Utopia Mountain, paddling on the "pearl necklace" that is Maligne Lake or exploring the Pyramid Lake Overlook by day, visitors should also seek out stories of the stars from an Indigenous and cultural lens. The Indigenous people of Canada have long utilised the night sky in all aspects of daily life: the stars and constellations served as guiding lights for their ancestors and the sky was used as both a clock and calendar, indicating when to plant, hunt and work the land. The stars are also intrinsically linked to First Nations' spiritual identities and are connected to the legends of the past. Matricia Bauer of Warrior Women, an Indigenous- and women-owned business run by Bauer and her daughter, offers a fireside stargazing tour in Jasper that is based around Indigenous creation stories. Being of Cree descent, Bauer recognised the importance of decolonising her own education and that included learning about the Cree Star Chart and the Indigenous constellations that came to rest in the kisik (sky), in Cree. "[The Cree Star Chart] made sense of the world around me, it made sense of the Northern Lights," she said. "I understood who Star Woman was. I understood why we come from the stars and why we return to the stars." In Cree culture, there are different Star Beings, and Star Woman is one of them. According to Bauer, Star Woman saw the Earth – where humans lived – and she gave up her Star Being to come to "Turtle Island" (North America) . When she became pregnant with twins, this was the start of the First People. At the end of her life, she was granted three wishes and one of the wishes was that she could return to the sky. More like this:• The Indigenous tribes reclaiming travel• The only land disputed between the US and Canada• The last places on Earth to see truly dark starry nights "And so, when we see the Northern Lights, we call that the Cipayuk," said Bauer. "It means ancestors dancing, or ghosts dancing. It's reminding us that there is another realm that exists, that we get to stay in for the rest of our lives. It's when we go back to the Star World where we came from." As Bauer recants stories with songs, she also tells me about Spider Woman, the one who is weaving our fates in the dark sky that soars above us. She then recounts the story of the coyote, tricking the wolves and bears into the sky so that he could create his own constellation. A story that takes place in winter, to be told in winter, when the days are short, the nights are long and the fire becomes a place to gather. To Bauer and many First Nations residents in and around Jasper, the stars, also known as achakosak, are considered relatives: "Every constellation, every star has a beautiful song, has a beautiful story, has a beautiful place in our culture." There are many more stories that Bauer wants to tell for visitors, and many more conversations to still be had under the black cloak of Jasper's night sky. The snap, crackle and pop of the fire is an accompanying beat to the drum that she plays, and her voice dances towards the place where she knows she will one day return. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
