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Árbol del Sol
Thought for the Month By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere. - Billy Crystal The SunTree Traveler
This past month, the local papers have had a number of articles on area hot springs. The information in these articles should inspire the SunTree planning administrators to work up a hot springs camping experience in the near future. We are still also considering two different houseboat ventures in late summer and autumn. Suggestions and information. are certainly welcome.
Post-Mother’s Day Weekend at Mira Vista RESORT in Marana, AZ SunTree is planning a post-Mother’s Day visit to Mira Vista RESORT in Marana, AZ. on the weekend of 16 – 17 May. Our visits to Mira Vista normally do not require much preparation since they have a nice restaurant, lounge and several swimming/soaking venues. We will probably want to plan an informal get-together during the weekend under the Ramada or on the patio of one of our guest-lodgings. Mira Vista RESORT is planning on a disc jockey in the lounge on the evening of 16 May, so put on your SunTree-style dancing uniform (which is similar to the Mira Vista dancing uniform). A midnight soak in the conversation pool will probably follow.
A Guided Tour of The Bright Guys in the Evening Sky I will start off this month with a snapshot of the evening sky to let you get to know some of the brightest lights. Of course the illuminators of the dome of the sky keep moving all night. I will pick a night at random, say 15 May for this tour. The positions will be in about the same location at 11 PM early in May and at post-sunset late in May. Make your own plans. If you face south from your dark (street light-less) viewing platform, about a third of the way up from the horizon, there is a somewhat bright spot which is the star Spica. Above Spica and a little to the east, a brighter spot is the star Arcturus. Keep your feet pointing south and look further in that same direction, you can see a very bright spot in the northeastern sky. That is Vega. Now, back to the south view again, find your first star, Spica again. If you are really in a dark place, you might be able to see a chain of dimmer stars arching off to the west ending at a very bright spot. That spot is the planet Saturn (the dim chain is actually part of the constellation Virgo). In the same pathway, just beyond Saturn is the star Regulus. I will quit the tour for this month and go back to the planets (cue the music, Gustof Holtz). Evening Sky: Mercury is no longer as bright as it was last month. It is shining at magnitude 1.4 in the early part of the month as it meets the Pleiades (to the immediate right) star cluster on 2 May, some 10 degrees high at 40 minutes after sunset. It will start setting earlier as the month goes on and is hard to see in the bright sky following sunset. Saturn is well up at nightfall and visible until the predawn hours. Saturn will be high in the southern sky at dusk glowing at magnitude 0.8. The rings will be at their greatest angle this month and easily seen with a telescope. After mid-month, the rings will start to close again, though. Saturn will be meeting the Moon on 3 May. Morning: Venus has moved back into the position of morning “star” and she puts on a dazzling performance at magnitude -4.7 during the first half of the month. She dims somewhat later in the month and is glowing at a “mere” -4.6 in the second half of the month. In 21 May, Venus plans to form a triangle with the waning crescent Moon and orange Mars, which has brightened to magnitude 1.2. That, of course is not really very bright, but we can thank Venus for helping us find Mars. Venus and Mars plan to hang out together for the whole month. Although Mars is the dim, orange light at the moment, he has big plans for a coming extravaganza later. He is going to spend the entire year getting steadily brighter. Stay tuned: On 4 May in the Southeast predawn sky, you might be able to see some of the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower members, complements of the Comet Halley. I put this as happening on 4 May, but some of the “experts” say that the peak will not happen until 6 May. That tells me that you should be able to see some comets each night during that first week of May. Go to your dark observation platform to make sure that you can see them.
© 2004 SunTree Travel Club - Site updated Winter 2012 |
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Hot Springs Information to Aid in Future Plans