Tag: night sky

Greene Valley Trail

As the heat abated a little bit, we decided to take a hike at the DuPage County  Greene Valley Forest Preserve in Naperville, Illinois, this past weekend.  On the east side, in the central part of the preserve, a 2.25 mile trail loops from the south parking lot to the Southern DuPage County Regional Trail and the Valley Trail.  Trails are well-marked, wide limestone paths, with plenty of room for walkers and bicycles.

We found a pleasant, open vista that was great for birdwatchers and prairie enthusiasts alike.  The Valley Trail runs alongside the east branch of the DuPage River, which makes it attractive to bird species, although there is no view of the river for hikers.  While it was an overcast day making bird identification difficult, we were able to observe those seen below: 

Birds pictured above in clockwise order: Northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, by Mshake, Getty Images; Red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, by Robert Jakubowski, Pexels; Song sparrow, Melospiza melodia, by BrianEKushner, Getty Images; Common yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas, by BrianEKushner, Getty Images; Field sparrow, Spizella pusilla, by Mr Jamsey, Getty Images Signature; Gray catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, by SKHoward, Getty Images Signature

Vegetation varies greatly, providing good protection for many of the small mammals plus lots of perches for birds.  Many plant varieties could be seen and identified without leaving the trails, including those pictured below.

  • Black raspberry, Rubus occidentalis; Edible in season
  • Climbing prairie rose, Rosa setigera; Pollinator species for bees
  • Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca; Pollinator species supporting more than 450 species of insects
  • Cup plant, Silphium perfoliatum; Leaf wraps around the stem forming a water holding cup
  • Eastern Black Walnut, Juglans nigra; It is allelopathic, releasing chemicals from its roots that may give the tree some advantage over its nearest competitors for food and nutrients
  • Elderberry, Sambucus sp.; Sambucus is Greek for an ancient wind instrument sounding as a whistle
  • Grey headed coneflower, Ratibida pinnata; Perennial attractive to Butterflies & birds
  • Hemp dogbane, Apocynum cannabinum; All parts of the plant are toxic, possibly fatal
  • Joe Pye weed, Eutrochium sp; Considered medicinal by early American cultures
  • Northern red oak, Quercus rubra; Acorns need a minimum 3-month exposure to near freezing temperatures to germinate
  • Sumac, Rhus sp.; Prized as a spice from the cashew & mango tree families
  • Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia; Flowering vine in the grape family
  • Grey poplar, Populus x canescens; Cross between white poplar and Aspen
  • Wild bergamot, Monarda fistulosa; Considered medicinal in use as a tea for colds

Scroll through pictures above using the left & right arrows

The area supported plenty of small mammals such as rabbit, shrew, deer, coyote, and both gray and fox squirrels.  We saw lots of pollinators including bees, moths, butterflies, and dragonflies.  Greene Valley Forest Preserve offers a wide range of hiking trails, a scenic overlook, camping and picnicking facilities, a model airplane field, and many events, including night sky observations throughout the year.  Consider catching some of the amazing sights in natural areas near you.

Fauna pictured above in clockwise order: Coyote, Canis latrans, by Esteban Arango, pexels; Galls on grape leaves; White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, by Stefonlinton, Getty Images Signature; White cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae, by Bejan Adrian, Pexels; Shrew by CreativeNature_nl, Getty Images; Eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus, by Brian Forsyth, Pexels

The Hunter’s Moon

The Hunter’s Moon will be appearing in the northern hemisphere on Sunday, October 9th this year.  It always follows the Harvest Moon, the full moon that appears closest to the autumnal equinox. 

Hunter’s Moon; 120 stacked shots for color and depth by Luis Argerich, Nov 2012

Full moons occur when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the Earth.  A full moon is almost 12 times brighter than a first or third quarter moon.  The Harvest Moon’s name signifies that farmers working to bring in their crops will have enough light in the evening to work a few additional hours each day.  After the harvest is complete, and fields are more open and easier to hunt in, the Hunter’s Moon will provide a few extra hours to kill enough prey to stockpile a family’s winter larder. 

Hunter’s Moon in the afternoon by Jeffery Grandy, Oct 2015

In autumn, the path of the moon, known as the ecliptic, makes a narrow angle with the horizon and  shortens the amount of time between the setting sun and the rising moon.  At this time of year, the moon rises 30 minutes later each evening instead of 50 minutes later as it does the rest of the year.  It will be particularly bright for several nights before and after the actual full moon, providing about two weeks of extra harvesting or hunting time.

The moon takes 27.3 days to orbit the Earth, but with the Earth orbiting the sun in the same direction, it actually takes 2.2 days longer for the moon to get back to the same point in the sky.  A lunar month, 29.5 days long, is the time it takes for the moon to return to the same place.  In our calendar, only February is shorter than 29.5 days, so each month typically has one full moon.  A second full moon in one month, called a blue moon, occurs every 2.7 years, and no full moon in February occurs every 19.5 years.  The next time there will be a month without a full moon will be in 2037.

Hunter’s Moon over Cleveland by Erick Drost, Oct 2019

When the moon rises, it looks huge, but this is only an illusion.  To prove this to yourself, take a small object, such as a bottle cap and with one eye closed, hold it at arm’s length in front of you, covering the moon.  Note how small or large the object is in relation to the moon.  Do this when the moon is on the horizon and later when the moon is high in the sky.  The object and moon will be the same size relative to each other at both viewing times.  A full moon covers the same area of sky at all times during the night and no one full moon is any bigger or brighter than any other. 

Hunter’s Moon while we sleep by Rebecca Suchland, Oct 2013

A full moon may have a reddish-orange tinge when it is close to the horizon.  This is due to the extra amount of atmosphere between you and the moon compared to when it is straight over your head.  The Earth’s atmosphere scatters blue light, but it lets red light waves through, giving the moon a reddish tinge.

Hunter’s Moon by ClaraDon, Oct 2008

I hope you all have a clear night sometime this week and get out to see this monthly phenomena.  For more moon names and history, take a look at  https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/full-moon-names.html