Rochester Writers

Clouds aren't the only reason why we don't see a lot of stars in Rochester.  Light pollution makes it tough to see the stars under the best conditions.  If you're wondering about the darkness of the night sky where you live, you might be interested in joining the  Globe at Night project.  Starting tomorrow night, observers around the world will follow the instructions at that site and report their observations.  Since it is March in Rochester, the amazingly accurate Clear Sky Clock will help you decide whether you'll see stars or clouds.

On Saturday night, the moon will occult (cover) some of the bright stars in the Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the Seven Sisters. This event will be visible from Rochester, starting at sundown.  If we aren't clouded out,  I predict that women will faint, babies will cry inconsolably, grown men will wail and gnash their teeth, animals will run wild in the streets, and some will be forced to question our very place in the uniiverse.

Well, not really.  Though this may seem like no big deal, it is actually quite rare that the Moon occults a bright star, and tomorrow night at least four stars that are going to be occulted, which is rarer still.   If you're interested in natural phenomena, then you might want to see at least one of these in your lifetime.

With Summer warm weather almost here, it's time to start hearing about e coli counts at Charlotte Beach.   Kids, grab your swimsuits, let's get out and jump into some shit!