Texas

September Astronomy: What's in the North Texas sky this month?

Published

4 days ago

September 3, 2024

September Astronomy: What's in the North Texas sky this month?

What’s happening in the skies over North Texas this month? September holds some spectacular sights in the night and morning sky. Check out the list below.

THE SUNSET PLANET, VENUS

Venus is visible in the western sky for up to an hour after sunset. On Sept. 4, a waxing crescent moon is less than 5° west of Venus. On Sept. 5, they switch places, now 7° apart with the moon southeast of Venus. The pair is still 5° high 30 minutes after sunset.

By mid-September, Venus remains quite low after sunset. Venus during the last few days of September, stands 7° high in the western sky, 30 minutes after sunset and remains visible for nearly another hour.

Venus’s distance from the Earth varies from 24 million miles to 162 million miles. Mars averages a distance from the Earth of 140 million miles. The closest recorded distance to Mars from Earth was recorded in August 2003 when the two were 34.8 million miles apart. According to NASA, the two will not be that close again until the year 2237.

MORNING PLANETARY DELIGHT

The pre-dawn hours will feature six planets. Keep an eye on Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn in the hours before sunrise. The planets always appear lying along the ecliptic, which is the plane of our solar system.

Mercury is 48 million miles away from Earth when they are at their closest. The maximum distance between the two when they are on opposite ends of their orbits is 137 million miles.

Mars averages a distance from the Earth of 140 million miles. The closest recorded distance to Mars from Earth was recorded in August 2003 when the two were 34.8 million miles apart. According to NASA, the two will not be that close again until the year 2237.

Jupiter’s distance from the Earth varies from 336 million miles to 600 million miles.

Saturn’s distance varies from the Earth. When the two are closest, they lie approximately 746 million miles apart, or eight times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

At their most distant, when they lie on opposite sides of the Sun from one another, they are just over a billion miles apart, or 11 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

When Neptune and the Earth line up on the same side of the Sun, at their closest, they are only 2.7 billion miles apart. But when the planets are on opposite sides of the Sun, they can put as many as 2.9 billion miles between them.

FOLLOW THE ZODIACAL LIGHT

During the September pre-dawn, a glow caused by millions of tiny dust particles filling our inner solar system can be observed on clear moonless nights from very dark locations. The zodiacal light is a faint cone-shaped glow. This zodiacal light shines with similar or a bit fainter brilliance than the Milky Way and is located along the ecliptic, which is angled steeply to the horizon this month, improving your chances of seeing it.

The first two weeks of September are the most favorable time this month to view this phenomenon. Any glow from the urban lights of Dallas-Fort Worth will limit the view.

PEAK OF THE ε-PERSEID METEOR SHOWER

September is not known for its meteor showers. From Sept. 5 through Sept. 2, the ε-Perseids meteor shower runs. Despite their name, these meteors are not caused by the same comet, Swift-Tuttle, as the August Perseids. They simply appear to radiate from the same point in the night sky –which is how meteor showers get their names.

At their maximum, you can look for roughly five ε-Perseids per hour, coming from the general area of the constellation Perseus high in the southwest sky.

The ε-Perseids can be seen from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. You are more likely to see them if you have an unobstructed view with clear skies in a very dark place far from any urban light sources.

WHEN DOES THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLY OVER NORTH TEXAS?

The International Space Station will make flybys across the North Texas sky this month. The ISS appears as a fast-moving star across the night sky.

The ISS rotates around the Earth at a speed of 17,500 mph. The ISS rotates about its center of mass at a rate of about four degrees per minute so that it will complete a full rotation once per orbit. This allows it to keep its belly towards the Earth. One revolution around the planet takes about 90 minutes (16 per day).

Also, the ISS sits at an altitude of 250 miles above the Earth. By the way, that is 1.32 million feet. Most commercial airplanes fly between 33,000 to 42,000 feet.

A SEPTEMBER FULL MOON

On Sept. 17, there is a full moon.

This full moon is called the “Corn Moon.” It gets its name after the time of year that corn is harvested.

It is also called the “Harvest Moon.” This is given to the full moon closest to the fall equinox. The reason why the Harvest Moon varies is that the lunar month doesn’t line up with the equinox. Usually, the closest full moon occurs in September, but every three years or so, it falls in October. When the October full moon is not a Harvest Moon, it is known as the Hunter’s Moon.

Other names refer to the “Autumn Moon”, “Child Moon”, “Falling Leaves Moon”, “Yellow Leaf Moon” and “Mating Moon.”

MOON PHASES

Also, check out other phases of the moon this month.

On Sept. 18 at 8:23 a.m. CDT., the moon will be at perigee, it is closest to the Earth for this orbit at 222,007 miles.

On Sept. 5 at 9:53 a.m. CDT., the moon will be at apogee, its farthest from the Earth for this orbit at 252,408 miles.

THE SEPTEMBER EQUINOX

On Sept. 22 the seasons officially change. The September Equinox is also called the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Vernal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

It signals the point where the Earth experiences roughly equal lengths of day and night. Also, this will mark the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

With the passing of the September Equinox, the Earth has traveled 438 million miles around the Sun. The Earth is moving at an orbital speed of 66,616 mph. This speed is fast enough to cover the planet’s diameter in 7 minutes and the distance to the Moon in 4 hours.

THE TRANSIT OF A JUPITER MOON

Ganymede, Jupiter and the solar system’s largest moon will transit across the planet this month.

The moon’s huge shadow crosses Jupiter’s polar region from about 1:45 a.m. to 3:40 a.m. CDT. on Sept. 28.

Please enjoy these events happening in the night sky this month. Until then…Texans, keep looking up!

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Tyler Chapel Hill lights-out in 4A Texas high school football clash with Gilmer: 4 takeaways

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

Tyler Chapel Hill lights-out in 4A Texas high school football clash with Gilmer: 4 takeaways

TYLER, TEXAS – Friday Night Lights took on a whole different meaning in an anticipated early-season clash between two Texas high school football state 4A title contenders.

Or should it be Friday Night Lights Out to the fans of Tyler Chapel Hill?

• LIVE TEXAS HS FOOTBALL SCORES | TEXAS TOP 25

In a wild, back-and-forth game between the defending 4A Division I state runner-up Bulldogs and defending 4A DII champion Gilmer, the Bulldogs survived both a power outage in the final seconds and a Buckeye game-winning opportunity to prevail, 33-29, at Bulldog Stadium on Friday.

Here, now, are four takeaways from Chapel Hill’s wild win.

Long As I Can See the Light

Trailing by four with the game hanging in the balance, Gilmer got the ball back with more than two minutes after a bad snap on a Chapel Hill field goal attempt.

The Buckeyes proceeded to convert three fourth down chances, the last coming on a scramble from quarterback Brady McCown to the Bulldog 28-yard line with less than 15 seconds out.

Then all of a sudden, just as Gilmer snapped the ball on the next play from scrimmage, the lights went out in Bulldog Stadium.

But somehow, McCown was still able to find a receiver downfield, and the player made the catch inside the 10, with the light from Chapel Hill’s videoboard behind the end zone still providing some visibility.

The lights came back on after a minute, but there was a lengthy delay as officials huddled trying to determine whether the play still counted. They decided the play stood, and with six seconds left, Gilmer had the ball at the Chapel Hill 6.

But the Bulldogs were able to survive, as on the game’s final play, McCown threw a pass toward the left side of the end zone. Chapel Hill senior defensive back Demetrius Brisbon, also the team’s quarterback, leaped high in the air to grab the ball and ran down his team’s sideline celebrating.

“We knew what they were doing; I knew what they were doing and I just read it and then picked it. … I had to make up for my last possessions that I really didn’t do the right things on, so I had to correct myself,” Brisbon said.

“The last few minutes got crazy; the lights went off and they had caught the ball down to the 6-yard line. But you know, we just kept our head in the game and we didn’t let that distract us.”

Overcoming Adversity and Deficits

The lights went out in the final seconds of the Gilmer-Tyler Chapel Hill game on Sept. 6, 2024. / Buck Ringgold

The Bulldogs had to overcome three second-half deficits against Gilmer. The latter two came off turnovers; the first a pick-six by Gilmer defender Geramiah Noble that put the Buckeyes up 22-19.

Chapel Hill responded seconds later with a TD to regain the lead; then forced Gilmer to punt. But the return attempt was muffed, and Gilmer recovered, setting up a TD pass from McCown to Brendan Webb on the first play of the fourth quarter as the Buckeyes went back in front, 29-26.

On the ensuing possession, the Bulldogs advanced deep in Gilmer territory and faced a fourth-and-long from the Gilmer 29. Brisbon threw a deep pass toward the end zone, which was tipped by a Gilmer player. But Chapel Hill receiver Trevor Brooks read the ball and made a juggling catch right before the ball hit the turf for the TD with 9:08 left, giving the Bulldogs the lead for good.

“It’s just all about our o-line giving me time to run around and throw the rock,” Brisbon said. “Our coach made a great play call right there, I was just a little bit late on my read so that’s really why the ball just didn’t get there on time; (Brooks) had to juggle and catch it, but I knew my boy was going to make the catch so I just trusted in him.”

It was the third TD hookup on the night between Brisbon and Brooks, who is also a standout linebacker on defense.

“I was happy, I’m not going to lie,” Chapel Hill senior tailback Rickey Stewart said. “That was an unbelievable catch. … But I’m not surprised because that’s Trevor, he’s been doing that.”

Brisbon ended up with four TD passes, including a short pass to Stewart in the first half, with Stewart turning on the jets and outracing the Gilmer secondary for an 88-yard score.

“I already knew they were blitzing, so when I caught it, I just spun and took it (all the way),” Stewart said.

Moving Forward

Chapel Hill’s dream season last year ended with the Bulldogs being shut out by Anna in the 4A DI title game.

Using that loss as motivation all offseason, the Bulldogs are off to a strong 2-0 start, beginning with a decisive road win against a good Jasper team and then returning home to knock off a defending state champion Friday.

“All we’ve got to do is just play harder and come together as a family more, read the offense, read the defense and be smart and be football players, just go out there and do what you do,” said Stewart, who also had a rushing TD in the second half.

Brisbon, one of the top quarterbacks in Texas, added the team wanted to use its own playoff experience to find a way to win Friday.

“Really, we just tried to make the least mistakes because both teams have been far in the playoffs, both teams have played probably over 40 games (over the last two seasons), so we just put our experience in the door and just executed,” Brisbon said. “We tried to stay past the sticks, so that’s what got us running.”

Gilmer, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2 after having lost its season opener at home last week to Pine Tree.

‘Still Solid’

Brisbon and Stewart are two of the top recruits in the state, and both have committed to major Division I schools; Stewart to the University of Texas and Brisbon to Baylor University.

Both remarked after Friday’s game that they are still very much locked in to their respective schools.

“Man, Texas is a special place,” Stewart said. “Hopefully, I’ll get some shine there.”

“I just really like how the team is and how the bond there is; it’s not just about football, it’s about everything. Family, faith and they love each other.”

Stewart added he wasn’t able to go to the Longhorns’ season-opening win last week at home against Colorado State because Chapel Hill returned from its game at Jasper in the early morning hours. But he plans to be in Austin next weekend when Texas – which played at Michigan on Saturday – returns home to face UTSA.

As for Brisbon, he’s being looked by Baylor to play on both sides of the ball.

“They just want me to work both sides,” he said. “They’re just trying to get me the ball because they know I’m an athlete and they know I’m going to make plays with the ball in my hand, so they’re just trying to get me the ball and spread me out a little bit.”

Brisbon went on to say he plans to catch several Baylor home games later this season, including Big 12 games against BYU and TCU.

“I’m planning on having a big season and looking forward to going up there to Baylor. … I think my recruitment’s shot down, it’s solid to Baylor, the Baylor Bears,” he said.

“Still solid on the Bears.”

—

More Texas high school football coverage:

—

SBLIVE SPORTS LAUNCHES HIGH SCHOOL ON SI

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before.For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

— Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX

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What time, TV channel is Texas vs Michigan football game on today? Free live stream, odds

Published

9 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

What time, TV channel is Texas vs Michigan football game on today? Free live stream, odds

The No. 4 ranked Texas Longhorns face the No. 9 Michigan Wolverines in what will likely be the most-watched game in Week 2 of the 2024 college football season. This game kicks off at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. CT) on Saturday, September 7 with a live broadcast on FOX, and streaming live on demand.

• WATCH: Michigan vs. Texas live for free with Fubo (free trial) or with Sling (cheapest streaming plans, $25 off your first month) or see more streaming options below.

What TV channel is the Texas vs. Michigan football game on today?

When: Kickoff takes place at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. CT) on Saturday, September 7.

Where: The Big House at Michigan Stadium | Ann Arbor, Michigan

TV Channel: FOX

How to watch live stream online: If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or with DirecTV Stream (free trial). If you are out of free trials, the cheapest and best way to watch this game and more football this month is by signing up for Sling (promotional offers, cheapest streaming plans), which costs around $31 for the first month if you add the “Sports Extra” package that includes Big Ten Network and a few other sports channels. If you already have a cable or satellite subscription already, you can watch the game on FOX Sports Live by signing in with your provider information.

You can find out more about which channel FOX is on in your area by using the channel finders here: Comcast Xfinity, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice.

Texas vs. Michigan spread, latest betting odds

Moneyline: TEX: -270 | MICH: +220

Point spread: TEX: -7 | MICH: +7

Over/Under: 42

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Cool morning temperatures make a return to North Texas

Published

16 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Press Room

Cool morning temperatures make a return to North Texas

Beautiful weekend in store for North Texas

02:52

NORTH TEXAS — Enjoy the cooler temps and drier air for a brief few days.

Feels like temps will be even a touch lower the next several mornings, getting progressively better through early next week.

The Gulf

The National Hurrican Center upped the formation odds for the Bay of Campeche disturbance to 50% through 7 days. This one warrants our close attention.

First, it could keep deeper tropical moisture in the southern plains and increase rain chances through late next week.

Secondly, some global ensembles and deterministic model runs have shown this moving up over southeast and east Texas through late next week, staying mainly along and east of the i35 corridor. Regardless of maturation/organization, any swath of “spinning,” deeper tropical moisture could open us up to greater rain chances late in the week, and perhaps the possibility of heavier rainfall at times.

We’ll continue to monitor this disturbance’s progress as it moves over extremely warm Gulf waters and eventually gets caught up in the larger jet stream pattern over the lower 48.

A tropical depression or storm could form as early as Tuesday or Wednesday. From there, there’s no telling what could or would happen. We’ll know more after a tighter circulation or more symmetry emerges.

These Gulf sea surface temperatures are a problem.

During the daytime, some buoys have reported temps near or above 92-93F, which is abnormally warm. Generally, 80-83F is considered necessary for greater tropical genesis and evolution. Temperatures running this warm would allow for rapid intensification.