Sketch by Ed Wesely (Click for larger image)

A rare planetary ‘dance’

By ED WESELY

MILANVILLE — For many of us, this week is the chance of a lifetime to observe five planets that drew the attention of ancient sky watchers—long before Galileo turned a crude telescope on them in the 17th Century.

For the last ten evenings, there have been wonderful views of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in the western sky just after dusk. On May 3, after the sky cleared, I took a pair of binoculars to the New York side of the Narrowsburg Bridge and looked west above the hills shortly after 8:00 p.m.

Venus was the brightest object in the sky. About three hand-spans up, at a position near eleven o’clock on a clock face, was Jupiter, the second-brightest object. About 8:30, as the sky darkened, I found Saturn and Mars, which formed a triangle to the left and above Venus. And finally, in a clock position close to four o’clock, below and to the right of Venus, I had the best view of Mercury I’ve ever had.

	Sketch by Ed Wesely (Click for larger image)

By 8:50 p.m., shortly before Mercury disappeared below the hills, I could see all five planets without binoculars. I’ve sketched their positions on May 5, and as they will appear on May 13. (Because of the earth’s orbit around the sun, the planets change positions nightly, especially Venus and Mars).

On Friday evening, May 10, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy will host a sky watch program, featuring the powerful telescopes of amateur astronomers Al Schultheis of Narrowsburg, NY and Norm Sullivan of Beach Lake. On that evening, Venus and Mars will almost appear to touch—Venus at 132 million miles from earth and Mars 223 million miles distant. By the 10th, Mercury will be faint and probably won’t be visible to the unaided eye.

The next opportunity to get a comparable view of the five planets will be in September, 2040! The Conservancy program will begin at 8:00 p.m., in the meadow below their Butterfly Barn Nature Center, near Milanville.

For more information call 570/729-7053.

Litterpluck is Saturday

NARROWSBURG — Narrowsburg will name its Litterpluck Champ 2001 at an awards assembly and barbecue on May 11. Additional awards will be given for most unusual single object, most recyclable object found, vintage trash and most useful trash found.

Participants can pick up an official litterpluck cleanup bag at the Tusten Town Hall and the Tusten-Cochecton Branch Library.

The contest is being sponsored by the Garden on the River, a competitor in the county-wide Sullivan Renaissance beautification initiative.

“We’re building a living eagle topiary on the banks of the Upper Delaware,” said Bobbi Alees, project coordinator.

Interested residents can sign up for the cleanup and learn more about the Garden on the River effort at the Tusten Cochecton branch library during library hours, or by meeting in front of the library at 10:00 a.m. on May 11.

For more information call 845/252-3360.

Golfing for a cause

HAWLEY — Woodoch Springs Golf Course is hosting a golf tournament to benefit the Wayne Pike Chapter of the American Red Cross on Monday, May 13, 2002.

A new car will be given away for a hole in one on hole number five and a second chance for $10,000 will be found on hole number 15. The day will also offer refreshments on the course, a cocktail reception, full dinner, awards and door prizes.

Registrations for captain and crew teams are now being accepted by calling 570/253-2310 or 570/296-5229 or online at www.redcrossonline.org.