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Starry Heavens Newsletter
November 2022
Playing in November at the Imaginarium
 
Friday November 4
7pm Totality
Just in time for the November 8, total Lunar eclipse visible in its entirety in Hawaii this program is all about eclipses – from lunar to total solar. We cover how they occur and what happens when they do. We look back to the proof of general relativity and look forward to upcoming eclipses and where to witness them. Our production includes a variety of wonderful styles – from spectacular space environments to humorous pop-up books. A very special part of the show relates, in a very human way, what happens when you are caught in the shadow of the Moon and the Sun is plunged into a total solar eclipse.
8:15pm Moon: Worlds of Mystery . . .
immerses you in the amazing diversity of moons and the important roles they play in shaping our solar system. Follow in the footsteps of astronauts to our silvery Moon, then venture beyond to unfamiliar and exotic worlds. Journey to the outer planets and their moons, returning home with newfound wonder about the dynamic and intricate solar system in which we all live.
Wednesday November 9 - 7pm Stargazing
Join the ever engaging and entertaining presenter/storyteller Krissie Kellogg as she takes you on a tour of the Clash of the Titans constellations and star lore in the Imaginarium
Friday November 18
7:30pm – Led Zeppelin . . .
remains one of the most popular music shows ever performed in planetariums. See your favorite songs - Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir, Stairway to Heaven, Ramblin On animated on the Imaginarium dome. An hour of enjoyment you won’t forget and a great way to kick off the weekend.
 
Saturday November 26
1pm Magic Treehouse: Space Mission
Based on the popular children's Magic Tree House® books, a mysterious “M” sends the intrepid Jack and Annie on a fun-filled journey to discover the secrets of the Sun, Moon, planets, space travel and more.
Husband and wife authors Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne collaborated to produce this planetarium based program, popular with Magic Tree House® fans of all ages.
2:15pm Perfect Little Planet
Discover our solar system through a new set of eyes – a family of insects from another star system seeking the perfect vacation spot. Fly over the surface of Pluto, our best known Dwarf Planet. Dive over the ice cliffs of Miranda. Sail through the rings of Saturn. Feel the lightning storms of Jupiter. And walk on the surface of Mars. Which destination would you choose? A solar system journey for space travelers of all ages.
A Total Lunar Eclipse November 8, 12:59a.m.
The Moon will look red during the eclipse thus, getting the name the Blood Moon. Although the entire eclipse is nearly 6 hours, the most dramatic movement occurs between 11:09p.m Nov. 7 to 2:49 a.m. Nov. 8. If you can take the time to view it, it will be worth it.
The animation shows what the eclipse approximately looks like in Honolulu. Stages and times of the eclipse are outlined below. All times are local time (HST) for Honolulu.
| Time |
Phase |
Event |
Direction |
Altitude |
| 10:02 pmMon, Nov 7 |
|
Penumbral Eclipse beginsThe Earth's penumbra start touching the Moon's face. |
94° |
59.1° |
| 11:09 pmMon, Nov 7 |
|
Partial Eclipse beginsPartial moon eclipse starts - moon is getting red. |
105° |
74.3° |
| 12:16 amTue, Nov 8 |
|
Total Eclipse beginsTotal moon eclipse starts - completely red moon. |
189° |
85.3° |
| 12:59 amTue, Nov 8 |
|
Maximum EclipseMoon is closest to the center of the shadow. |
248° |
78.4° |
| 1:41 amTue, Nov 8 |
|
Total Eclipse endsTotal moon eclipse ends. |
261° |
69.0° |
| 2:49 amTue, Nov 8 |
|
Partial Eclipse endsPartial moon eclipse ends. |
270° |
53.7° |
| 3:56 amTue, Nov 8 |
|
Penumbral Eclipse endsThe Earth's penumbra ends. |
275° |
38.5° |
And Speaking of the Moon -  - Take 2
NASA is targeting the next launch attempt of the Artemis I mission for Nov. 14 with liftoff of the Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft planned during a 69-minute launch window that opens at 7:05 p.m. Nov. 12 HST. Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test to launch SLS and send Orion around the Moon and back to Earth to thoroughly test its system before flights with astronauts.
Inspections and analyses over the previous week have confirmed minimal work is required to prepare the rocket and spacecraft to roll out to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center following the roll-back due to Hurricane Ian. Teams will perform standard maintenance to repair minor damage to the foam and cork on the thermal protection system and recharge or replace batteries on the rocket, several secondary payloads, and the flight termination system. The agency plans to roll the rocket back to the launch pad as early as Nov. 4.
NASA has requested back-up launch opportunities for Nov. 16 at 1:04 a.m. EST (8:04p.m. HST Nov. 15) and Nov. 19 at 1:45 a.m. EST (8:45p.m. HST Nov. 19), A launch on Nov. 14 would result in a mission duration of about 25-and-a-half days with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 9.
You’ve likely already heard that DART was a huge success, but it really does bear repeating. Last month’s newsletter left us in the dark as the impact occurred. It was heralded a success immediately but it took a few days to actually be able to tell the precise impact and trajectory change.
In a media briefing, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson confirmed that DART successfully changed Dimorphos' trajectory, changing the orbit around its parent asteroid, Didymos, from 11 hours and 55 minutes to 11 hours and 23 minutes.
Scientists had predicted the DART impact would shorten Dimorphos' orbital path by at least 10 minutes but would have considered a change as small as 73 seconds a success. So the actual change of more than a half hour, with a margin of uncertainty plus or minus two minutes, exceeded expectations.
Analysis of data obtained over the past two weeks by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) investigation team shows the spacecraft's kinetic impact with its target asteroid, Dimorphos, successfully altered the asteroid’s orbit. This marks humanity’s first time purposely changing the motion of a celestial object and the first full-scale demonstration of asteroid deflection technology. Images such as the below helped scientists understand the orbit change resulting from DART’s impact.
WEBB WOWZA
Located in a small region within the vast Eagle Nebula 6,500 light-years away, the Pillars of Creation look even more awe-inspiring through Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).
Semi-transparent gas and dust provide a nursery for new stars to be born, which are apparent as ruby red drops, often trimmed with eight diffraction spikes. Some brightly shining areas denote great masses within the pillars that are collapsing under their own gravity and heating up. The wavy lines along the edges of the pillars are ejections of nascent star matter, whose supersonic jets collide with dense clouds of gas and dust. Sometimes the reaction causes bow shocks, forming patterns of waves as a boat does in water. The Pillars are only a few hundred thousand years old, and will continue forming for millions of years.
No distant galaxies are visible, because a translucent layer of hydrogen atoms, molecules, and solid dust particles blankets the view. The stars in this portion of the nebula light up dust and further obscures the deeper universe.
Webb’s near-infrared cameras will help researchers get a better understanding of millions of years of star formation.
THE HOLIDAYS ARE AROUND THE CORNER –
Hokulani Imaginarium is offering for sale the “Star Story Coloring Book” featuring six star stories from Hawaii, China and Korea.These star stories are featured on the Imaginarium website as well as at the Imaginarium and make a one of a kind gift for your favorite young stargazer. Proceeds from the sale of these books, which only cost $5.00, will go to help Windward Community College meet its yearlong goal to raise one million dollars for scholarships in honor of WCC’s 50 years of service to students and the community.
 
The coloring books can make a great holiday stocking stuffer or combined with markers and crayons make a holiday gift. Email Dineene O’Connor, the Hokulani Imaginarium manager, your desired number of books. She will reserve them at the Hokulani Imaginarium ticket booth on the Windward Community College campus where you can pay for them (cash or check only) and pick them up before or after one of our regularly scheduled shows.
Her email address is: dineene@hawaii.edu
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More to see in our November Sky (All times are HST)
- November 7-8, Lunar Eclipse (10:02pm Nov. 7 - 3:56a.m. Nov. 8)
- November 10 Conjunction of Moon-Mars (2.3 degrees apart) (9:00 p.m.- 6:15 a.m.)
- November 17, Pleiades rise at sunset 5:49p.m.(first visible crescent moon after this date marks start of Makahiki
- November 24, Beginning of Makahiki at sunset with sighting of first cresent Hilo moon
- November 24, Conjunction of Mercury-Venus (1.5 degrees apart) (5:45 pm-6:00 pm)
- Check out our Celestial Events calendar for more. http://aerospace.wcc.hawaii.edu/AstroCalendar/Celestial%20Events%20for%20current%20year.pd **********************************************************
- Reservations are recommended but no longer required.
- Masks are recommended but not required.
- Proof of vaccination and a photo ID are no longer required.
- Please call 808-235-7350 for reservations.
- Better yet email dineene@hawaii.edu.
- Payment will be made on the day of the show at the ticket booth.
- No credit card payments are taken. CASH or CHECK ONLY
****************************************************************
For information about Imaginarium shows and events contact:
Manager, Dineene O‘Connor, at 808-235-7350 or dineene@hawaii.edu.
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Our admission prices are:
- $8 General admission
- $7 WCC students, military, seniors (65 years or older), with ID
- $6 Children (ages 4-12 years)
- Free for children under 4 years of age (1 per paying adult), and WCC faculty or staff with university ID
- CASH & CHECK ONLY.
Please pick up and pay for tickets at the Imaginarium Box Office at least 15 minutes prior to showtime.
* * * * *
As always, we welcome your feedback or questions, feel free to phone (808) 235-7350 or email to dineene@hawaii.edu. If you would like information regarding our Adopt-a-Show sponsorship program please click here.
Dineene O'Connor
Manager, Hōkūlani Imaginarium
Windward Community College
Hale Imiloa 135A
Office (808) 235-7350
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