Tom Long's Saturday, Feb 28 SIX-PLANET Alignment Sky-Watching Tour - Rookery Bay

Be sure to read this fully before clicking RSVP to attend.

What: A 6-planet alignment (Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter).

• When: Best viewed roughly 30-45 minutes after sunset on Saturday, Feb. 28.
• Where: Look toward the western horizon.
• Visibility:
• Naked Eye: Jupiter will be the brightest and easiest to spot. Venus should also be visible.
• Binoculars/Telescope: Needed for Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
• Tips: Find a location with an unobstructed view of the western horizon and low light pollution

AND THAT LOCATION WILL BE ROOKERY BAY.
We will launch from the end of Shell Island Rd at 5:30, curise through the marked mangrove trail, and emerge into Rookery Bay a little before sunset. We'll be able to watch hundreds of irds returning to the main rookery island for their evening roosting. But what we really want to do is look the other way, to the West, and watch as the planets align. If you have binoculars or a small telescope, you may want to bring them, but if the water damages the equipment, that's your responsibility. And even in gentle rocking from a light breeze, it can be hard to train the magnified view of objects in space through your binocs or telescope. The planets seem to bounce around a lot. But that's okay, because it's cool just to see them with your buck nekkid eyeballs.

This won't be a bioluminescence tour, per se, but we still might be treated to some biolumes. The moon will be up and it will interfere with seing bioluminescent microbes, but if we're lucky and get adult comb jellies in the water, they can be visible, even in moonlight. We'll stay out there until we've had our fill of planets and then head back through the open water of Rookery Bay and Hall Bay, back into Henderson Creek.

This paddle does not require a great paddling skill level. But you must, YOU MUST properly wear a properly sized life jacket, or you can't go with me. There are no rental kayaks set up at Shell Island Rd, but you might be able to arrange to have boats delivered there for you from Naples Outfitters. Call them if you need a rental.

By clicking Attend in the RSVP, you acknowledge that you, alone, are fully responsible for any outcome this outing brings to you, no matter how bad it could get. But I guaranttee that you won't be eaten by comb jellyfish.

The information here says we'll be out for three hours, but it will probably be less, since this isn't a regular bioluminescence paddle.

Be there in time to launch by 5:30 PM. Bring bug spray and a water bottle, but don't mix them up. You won't need sunscreen that late in the day, but you will be pleased if you bring sunglasses. If your sunglasses are prescription, and you use a different prescription pair when you don't wear sunglasses, bring both pairs.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to call me or text me (identify yourself in a text or a VM).

Tom Long 239.963.6162