Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine October 2017
Welcome to Caribbean Compass, the most widely-read boating publication in the Caribbean! THE MOST NEWS YOU CAN USE - feature articles on cruising destinations, regattas, environment, events...
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— Continued from previous page<br />
Thursday, November 9th<br />
The Andromedids meteor shower peaks tonight and is active from September<br />
25th to December 6th. Earth passes through the debris left behind from a<br />
comet that was first seen in March 1772. The shower produced thousands of<br />
meteors per hour in 1872 and 1885. The number of meteors produced each<br />
year is variable. Observations in <strong>2017</strong> and 2018 will help refine predictions<br />
for the future. From what is now known, the 2023 event might yield as many<br />
as 200 meteors an hour.<br />
Sunday, November 12th<br />
Watch closely for the Taurid meteors streaking across the sky. There may<br />
not be a great number of shooting stars from this shower but the size of each<br />
meteor can be quite large. The meteors enter the atmosphere at 65,000 miles<br />
per hour or approximately 105,000 kilometers per hour. Some may be as<br />
bright as or brighter than the Full Moon leaving long trails. The radiant of<br />
this shower will be near the Pleiades. The shower is active <strong>October</strong> 20th to<br />
December 10th.<br />
Monday, November 13th<br />
There is a conjunction between Jupiter and Venus this morning. They<br />
will be less than one degree apart and visible for less than one hour before<br />
sunrise. Both objects are fully illuminated so might appear as one very<br />
bright body.<br />
Wednesday, November 15th<br />
There will a number of major celestial objects in the eastern sky before<br />
sunrise. Over the last couple of days Jupiter continues to slide away from<br />
Venus. The ancient Roman goddess of love and beauty will continue its progression<br />
towards the Sun, returning to the evening sky. Right above that<br />
pairing is a fine sliver Moon positioned east and slightly north of Mars. As<br />
these bodies are situated in the constellation Virgo they both will be near the<br />
double star Spica. Another double star, named Arcturus, will be located<br />
north in the constellation Bootes.<br />
In the News<br />
In the 1920s, Venus was considered a twin planet to the Earth in size and<br />
mass. That is where the comparison stopped. The lack of oxygen and high<br />
levels of carbon dioxide in the thick Venusian atmosphere led astronomer<br />
Rupert Wildt in the 1930s to postulate a “greenhouse effect”, with temperatures<br />
above the terrestrial boiling point of water. <strong>October</strong> 18th, 1967 marks<br />
the 50th Anniversary of Russia’s Venera 4 landing on Venus. On <strong>October</strong><br />
19th, 1967, NASA’s Mariner 5 made its flyby of Venus. Multiple missions<br />
have determined that Venus has an average surface temperature of 864<br />
degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius), crushing atmospheric pressures<br />
of 75 to 100 Earth atmospheres and clouds of sulfuric acid. Electronic computers<br />
quickly failed in this environment. The NASA Innovative Advanced<br />
Concepts (NIAC) Program is considering a mechanical computer design that<br />
would survive hostile environments such as that found on Venus. The<br />
Automaton Rover for Extreme Environments (AREE) is funded for the<br />
phase-two study. Communications with the rover could be transmitted<br />
using Morse code.<br />
“As different as Venus is, data returned from this bizarre planet — as well<br />
as from other planets — may well help us understand our own atmosphere.”<br />
— NASA<br />
All times are given as Atlantic Standard Time (AST) unless otherwise noted. The<br />
times are based on a viewing position in Grenada and may vary by only a few<br />
minutes in different <strong>Caribbean</strong> locations.<br />
Jim Ulik of S/V Merengue is a photographer and cruiser.<br />
Figure 3: A solar eruptive prominence as seen in extreme UV light on March<br />
30th, 2010, with Earth superimposed for a sense of scale<br />
Figure 4: The Moon, Saturn and Mercury orbit near the ecliptic,<br />
or the path of the Sun<br />
FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4<br />
NASA / SDO JAMES ULIK<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong> CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 35<br />
PICK UP!<br />
Ahoy, <strong>Compass</strong> Readers!<br />
When on the US East Coast, pick up your free<br />
monthly copy of the <strong>Caribbean</strong> <strong>Compass</strong><br />
at Fawcett Boat Supplies in Annapolis, Maryland.<br />
Marina<br />
Zar-Par<br />
Dominican Republic<br />
18.25.50N<br />
69.36.67W<br />
THE FOCAL POINT FOR CRUISING YACHTSMEN<br />
Boat Show Special <strong>October</strong> 5th through 9th <strong>2017</strong>:<br />
You can also pick up a free copy of <strong>Compass</strong><br />
at the SSCA booth at the <strong>2017</strong> United States<br />
Sailboat Show!<br />
• High Quality Sheltered Moorings<br />
• Slips to 120’ with depth 10’<br />
• 70 Ton Travelift (30' beam)<br />
• ABYC certified machanics<br />
• Shore power 30, 50 and 100 amps<br />
• All slips with fingers<br />
• Showers, Laundry, Restaurant, 24 hr security<br />
• Immigration office in the marina for clearance<br />
• Free WIFI and Free Internet<br />
• Dinghy Dock<br />
• 12 miles East of Santo Domingo<br />
& 7 miles East of International Airport<br />
Visit: marinazarpar.com email: info@marinazarpar.com<br />
Tel: 809 523 5858 VHF Channel 5
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