On Christmas Eve, I was able to take some interesting photos of Grey Mountain with a very distinct layer of fog/cloud stretching across the valley in front of the mountains. Above was taken at 2 p.m. from Mt. Sima Road Below was taken at 2:30 p.m. from the McCrae subdivision Camera: Nikon Coolpix B500 [box] …
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon life. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on to [email protected] I captured some photos of these eerie, Mordor-looking clouds sweeping down Grey Mountain, one morning, this October.
Hello Everybody, We invite you to share your photos of Yukon wildlife. Email your high-resolution images with a description of what’s going on and what camera equipment you used to [email protected] Living with Wildlife by Matt Cook I took photos of this porcupine hanging around at the Grey Mountain Cemetery. Camera: I used my iPhone 7
It can be intimidating starting a new sport, especially one that is generally about riding downhill, on unpaved mountains, with perilous things like rocks and trees that don’t seem to move out of your way.
In a city renowned for its trails, Whitehorse has several informal walking groups to help us connect socially – and stay fit mentally and physically – all year-round. Most Sundays and sometimes Wednesdays, Peter Long and his partner, Wynne Krangle, plan “Blue Moon” hikes with a group of friends and “anyone willing to join us.” …
Stargazing has long been part of the human psyche. For thousands of years, we – and our ancestors before us – have turned our eyes upward and wondered. With myths and legends, we have explained the sky’s magic with demons, heroes, gods and goddesses. Ancient Greek astronomers observed the heavens and began to explain the …
Yukon Astronomical Society wants to make Whitehorse the Science-Centre of the North Read More »
Control over heart rate and breath is an integral part of biathlon. It sucks learning technical aspects of shooting in the freezing cold.
Astronomy and a love for the night sky travels with a person no matter where you go or what you do. In our younger years of life, we have all the time and energy to explore the great cosmos. As a young adult, the real world of responsibilities (careers and children and all that stuff) …
Welcome to 2009, the International Year of Astronomy. This event celebrates Galileo’s first look at the night sky with a telescope, over 400 years ago. Imagine the rush of excitement and discovery he must have experienced seeing, for the first time, the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter and an endless bounty of lunar …
So how was the Yukon Night Skies Star Party, you ask? The plan was to go Friday and Saturday evening, if the weather co-operated – and it did not. I decided to go anyway, just in case the weather cleared or in case someone showed up because they did not receive the astro-alert e-mail. We …
The month of March and the Yukon Night Skies Star Party at Grey Mountain: these are exciting events that reminds us that spring is on the distant horizon. A star party is a great place to meet people who share a passion for the night skies and all of the celestial treasures that reside in …
Star Party, Yukon Style (Formal Attire Optional) Read More »
As March begins, there is excitement in the Yukon Night Sky. It is time for the Messier Marathon. This is an event that most amateur astronomers anxiously await, and the time is just about upon us. So what is a Messier Marathon and what is all this curious excitement about? you ask. Here is a …
The constellation of Leo the Lion definitely seems to be where all the Yukon Night Sky action is. Starting with Ceres, the smallest dwarf planet (formerly called the largest asteroid), will be making a close pass to Earth, a mere 250 million kilometres. This is as close as this little dwarf planet will be for …
Springtime night skies offer an endless bounty of galaxies, nebula and star clusters, waiting to be explored. Whether you prefer binoculars or a telescope, there is no other time of year when the night sky is so plentiful with deep-sky objects to observe. The problem, as always, is to have the weather co-operate with your …
The second Yukon Night Skies Star Party was fun and eventful. The skies cleared for a short time to give us some good viewing. As spring moves forward, our observing time becomes later and later each evening. The night sky is now only starting to get dark at 10 p.m. Better to be safe than …
Springtime is finally here and, along with it, unstable weather. Our last outing to Grey Mountain was a washout due to clouds and strong wind. This was to be expected because my mirror set has recently arrived from being tested, re-configured and with a fresh mirror coating. It is a well-known amateur-astronomy rule that if …
Finally, the weekend has arrived; hopefully, the weather will be clear. All the weather-information sources, including Whitehorse Clear Sky Clock and others, seem to agree that Saturday night should be great. Quickly, we send an astro-alert e-mail to let everyone know we are heading up to Grey Mountain Lookout point after 9 p.m. It is …
While we were waiting for Comet PanSTARRS to arrive in our skies, we had a chance to get up to the Grey Mountain lookout point. We have not been out to this observation site yet this year, so I was a little apprehensive about the road. But the road is reasonably well ploughed, and was …
For Yukon amateur astronomers, time for viewing those amazing night skies will soon vanish, temporarily that is. At this time of year, as soon as it starts to get dark, dawn approaches shortly after. This means you have to be ready and have a list of targets to explore for the evening observing sessions. Being …
As winter sets in, the planets are making a spectacular showing. In the morning hours, the planet Venus is clearly visible even at 7 a.m. While waiting to take the bus to work in the morning, I happen to look to the eastern horizon and, much to my surprise, resting high above the horizon, brilliant …
As December begins, we reflect on the “High Lights” of November. Unsettled weather, with cloudy nights, high winds and snow flurries, offered few good opportunities for observing. From the observer’s log … After being “closed down” for five Saturdays in a row, due to nasty weather, I headed out. The temperature was a balmy minus-eight …
It is Friday night, and everyone is waiting for a great northern light show. The night skies are clear, and we are ready. After several hours, we are left disappointed; we have not seen even a single green spear of light, let alone a full display of aurora. Heading down the hallway, my wife looks …
Where are the Northern Lights? The answer as far as I can tell is two-fold. First, we have been pummelled with atrocious weather and, second, most of the Northern Light activity seems to be taking place in the High Arctic. One of my favourite websites (www.spaceweather.com) has an aurora map and alert system for aurora …
The Yukon Night Skies are coming alive with winter constellations like Orion, Taurus, and Gemini. Using a pair of humble binoculars, star clusters, galaxies, and nebula can all be easily seen. The Yukon Night Skies also holds an easily-seen comet, and several planets. So what did I see on my last observing session up on …
The biggest problems experienced by amateur astronomers, who live in the Yukon and the northern limits of civilization, is the cold. The cold is brutal on the human element, and is capable of wreaking all kinds of havoc on astronomy gear — from poorly made eyepieces and telescope mounts, to laptop computers. One would think …
Where were you on Saturday March 19, when the Super Moon occurred? Sounds kind of ominous doesn’t it? So, what is a super moon? As the moon orbits Earth, its path is not a perfect circle, but more elliptical in nature. When the moon is at its closest point to Earth (called the perigee) it …
Astronomy, the Yukon night skies, and non-stop springtime action go hand in hand. After having cloudy skies and the odd snowstorm dropping by to visit, we are finally getting a long deserved break. It all started on a frosty Tuesday evening, with the temperature hovering around -30 degrees Celsius, and a brisk north wind at …
With the oncoming of spring, the nights are shorter and temperatures are struggling to rise. The Yukon night skies are also in a state of celestial change. The constellations Leo the Lion and Virgo the Virgin are now clearing the eastern horizon well before midnight. This is a marvellous time for any deep sky observer, …
Astronomy as a hobby can be challenging. You are always at the mercy of unpredictable weather, the local wildlife, and, especially, the bugs. Two weeks ago I caught that nasty cold that was going around and was laid up for a few days. One night I was heading to bed around 2:30 in the morning, …
The month of May brings warm weather observing – parka not required – a pleasant change of pace. It still gets frosty, though. Last weekend at the observing site (Grey Mountain Lookout Point) the temperature dropped to minus 6 Celsius. It was supposed to clear off later in the morning hours, so I decided to …
This is the busiest time of the year for northern sky watchers. I like to refer to it as the changing of the guard. Winter constellations are sliding lower into the horizon earlier each evening, soon to disappear for another year. The springtime constellations are up nice and high all night for excellent viewing, and …
Our Yukon night skies are hosting some special cosmic interlopers for the next couple of months, including Comet Garradd. This little fuzz ball of a comet can be found to the left of the keystone shape of the constellation Hercules. It is easily seen in November and December in the evening sky, and in January …
Winter has arrived and the weather is starting to stabilize. With clear skies and reasonably warm temperatures, it is time to grab your parka and head outside to explore those amazing Yukon night skies. So what is there to see, you ask? Let’s start with the planets. Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, will …
Amazing weather has made the last couple of weeks an absolute dream for observing, with clear skies, warm temperatures and no pesky insects. The northern lights have been putting on quite a show lately as well. It makes you wonder, if the solar maximum is 2012 to 2013, can you imagine how impressive the aurora …
For most northern astronomers, summer is either solar observing, or waiting for the return of the autumn night skies. The other option is to head to a star party in the southern part of the country. This year we went to one of our favourite star parties at Mount Kobau, right outside Osoyoos in B.C. …
Wondrous views await the cosmic tourist in the month of April. The end of March and the first two weeks of April are sometimes referred to as, the Changing of the Guard. This means the winter constellations are slowly sinking lower into the horizon, while springtime constellations are rising higher each evening into the night …
As spring approaches, the Yukon night skies sizzle with cosmic happenings. The weather has offered us a few nights of reprieve with well above normal temperatures and clear skies. Comets, planets aplenty, northern lights and deep sky objects are all waiting to be seen, from sundown to sunup. With the Moon high in the evening …
Here comes another year with plenty of amazing sights for the cosmic tourist in this great northern land of ice and snow. Now if the weather would cooperate, we would be rocking! January appears to be an action-packed month of viewing, including some old familiar sights. For example, Venus is making a comeback and can …
After a rather busy weekend down at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Center for the Erik’s Main Event consumer electronics show, [what day are we on here?] we were unloading a large truck and as we looked up, there were the northern lights. While there are many avid aurora-watchers in the Yukon, I still find it …
