ALERT NEWSLETTER – August 2025

Hi everyone,

I hope this finds you safe and well as we enter these midsummer days. As you bake and broil in the sun, remember that fall is just a little over a month away, and eventually the heat and humidity will retreat towards the tropical realms from whence it came and in about 6 months we will be griping and wishing we could borrow one of these days for a welcomed winter thaw.

Until then hug the air conditioner and remember to stay hydrated.

As mentioned in last month’s newsletter ALERT dues are due.

For information on where to send the dues and also for the form if you are not a member and would like to join, visit our blog at https://alert-alabama.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/Documents/alertapp.pdf

Our next ALERT meeting will be on August 12.

Hope you can attend!
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A Hitch Hiker’s Guide To The Radio Frequency Spectrum – Part 6

As we continue our Grand Tour of the radio dial, we cross 25.000 MHz, possibly hearing the experimental time and frequency signals of WWV in Fort Collins, Colorado.

From 25.010 to 25.550 MHz is the Business Radio Service, with 25.020 to 25.320 MHz being used for oil spill cleanup.

The 11 Meter Shortwave Broadcast Band stretches from 25.670 to 26.100 MHz. The 11 Meter Shortwave band is seldom used.

In the United States, this band is also shared with remote pickup units (RPUs), from 25.870 to 26.100 MHz in FM mode. RPUs are used by commercial broadcasters to send program material from remote locations to the broadcast station or network.

Being near the 11 Meter Citizens Band, pirate CB radio users have been heard operating as low as 25.615 MHz. Not all transmissions heard in this area are illegal, however, as New Zealand’s CB band begins below the US CB band at 26.330 MHz and stretches 40 channels to 26.770 MHz. While nearby Australia’s CB band mirrors the US band plan from 26.965 – 27.405 MHz.

Which brings us to the delicate subject of the Citizens Radio Service Band, Class D Citizen Band, or just plain “CB”.

CB can be very useful for mobile to mobile, mobile to base and base to base communications.

That said, operationally CB is like the Wild West of Radio, wild and wooly, sometimes annoying, but seldom boring.

There is a love-hate relationship between hams and CBers. For some it is just innocent rivalry, not unlike rival sports teams or people just saying things and swapping barbs because it is the “popular thing to do”, but there is no real hatred is involved.

Some, however, especially online, take it to a more serious, much darker level, with some CBers despising hams for pointing out the hooligan aspects of some CBers conduct and some hams despising CBers in general, though a very large percentage of hams are CBers also.

For some hams this friction is due in part to vague memories passed down of where and how CB was created in the first place.

We will explore this first.

In 1958, the FCC wishing to create a short range, non-technical communications service, created the Class D Citizens Radio Service aka Citizens Band.

Much to the chagrin of the hams of that day, the frequencies for this new service were taken from the lightly used 11 Meter Amateur Radio band, which stretched from 26.960 to 27.230 MHz.

The 11 Meter ham band, which existed for only eleven years from 1947 to 1958, (after being used by German and American tanks in World War II), was never a popular band.

This band was assigned to hams at the 1947 Atlantic City ITU conference, where other Amateur bands were trimmed, with the top 300 kHz 10 Meters being removed, which is why it stops at 29.700 MHz, along with the top 50 kHz of 20 Meters, 14.350 – 14.400 MHz. In turn they gained the 15 Meter band and as a consolation prize to make up for the 10 and 20 Meter losses, hams were granted secondary access to the 11 Meter ISM or Industrial, Scientific and Medical device band, which had been created in 1945.

This band was never popular, in part because it was not harmonically related to the other Amateur bands, such as 160, 80, 40, 20 15 or 10 Meters, with each band being based on the harmonics of the frequencies below it. For example, many radios were crystal controlled, using plug in domino like crystals. If you had a crystal with a primary frequency of, say 3.5025 MHz, it could also be used on other bands, in this case at 7.005, 14.010, 21.015 and 28.020 MHz, which are the harmonic frequencies of that crystal.

Since 11 Meters was not harmonically related to any of the other ham bands, it meant that stand alone equipment either had to be homebrewed, modified or new equipment which included that band had to be purchased, which then as today, could be a pricey proposition.

The other cause of 11 Meters unpopularity was due to chronic heavy interference from the medical diathermy machines of the primary ISM users, which created hellacious broadband interference stretching from coast to coast.

When the FCC announced that 11 meters would be reallocated to the CB service, “Save 11 Meters” contests were hurriedly organized to show the FCC that there really was life in the 11 Meter band and about 400 stations participated, which in the grand scheme of things was a light turnout, and at any rate it was too little, too late, for the FCC had already made up their minds.

It was a classic case of “use it or lose it”, which we should beware of today, as our bands are looked at with lustful eyes by business and industry.

Though 67 years have passed, the “we was robbed” sentiment has helped encourage the love/hate relationship that some hams have with CBers, and by consequence, that some CBers have with hams.

But today’s CBers aren’t responsible for Great, Great Grandpa losing 11 Meters due to lack of use. While it could be argued that WE ARE responsible for losing a third of the 220 MHz band to the Land Mobile service in 1988 for the exact same reason. And, if we are not careful, other bands may fade into memory also, as there is a thirst for our frequencies.

As to the “hooligan” or should we say, “operational deficiency” angle, originally CB operations were quite different than they are today.

The Christmas of 1966, when I was 8 years old, I was given a pair of General Electric walkie talkies. These sets operated on CB Channel 14. While being crystal controlled for transmission, they had very wide open receivers, receiving anything in or near the 11 Meter band, because they were basically junk.

My friends and I played with them for a season, talking from house to house, fencing with the 3 foot long antennas, or 3 feet long until we broke them trying to put each other’s eyes out and finally we laid these sets aside and moved on to other things.

During the brief time we used them, I only heard one other station beside ours come through the ether, some guy who called himself “the Georgia Bulldog”, which I recall thinking was an odd thing to be calling himself.

Ten years later, in 1976, I found one of these sets in the closet and out of curiosity, I plopped in a 9 volt battery and thought the receiver must have been shot, as there were dozens upon dozens of people doubling, tripling, quadrupling, cussing and screeching on top of each other.

The CB Boom was booming.

Earlier, in 1973 I had found ham radio operators handling a tornado warning on a the “VHF police band” of a multiband radio. I listened to them regularly and I wanted to become a ham and studied whatever books I could find on the subject. But, remembering that the Internet and Google did not yet exist, I had no idea where or how to be tested and licensed,

But, my brother had a CB, so I got one and soon most of my family had a CB radio. I would talk to my sister as she drove to work at night to make sure she arrived safely and I talked to many people as I ploughed through the noise with my puny, but fun station.

Everyone was required to have an FCC license. While you waited for the license to arrive, per FCC instructions, you would make your own callsign using “K”, your initials and Zip Code. So, in late 1975 or early 1976 I became KMW35224. About a month later the FCC officially dubbed me KAJD8693, which was good for five years, and which I renewed once.

Though the FCC abolished CB licensing in 1983, current FCC rule Part 95.417 states “You are encouraged to identify your CB communications by any of the following means: 1. Previously assigned CB call sign”. So, I say, the old clunky thing is still valid.

In the 1960’s through early 70’s CB was much more “legalistic” than it is today, sounding not unlike 2 Meters. On some channels there would be someone on the channel who would try to maintain some control of the radio traffic on a channel, reminding them of the rules and proper procedures. This person was called the “Channel Master”. How he got that position I don’t know. One theory being that they simply had the most powerful station on the channel. People respected this and they abided by his directions. There was no misbehaving allowed.

I lived in western Birmingham at that time and there were Channel Masters on Channels 22 and 23. We teenagers would avoid Channels 22 & 23, as they were sort of strict operating wise and short fused temper wise, and we were teenagers, and we acted like teenagers. We were doing nothing illegal, immoral or rotten, we were just kids having fun “being kids”. So, we chose to be elsewhere, usually on Channel 19, which was the unofficial calling channel. It was also the trucking channel, and the truckers seemed to like talking to us. Usually, we would call our friends and move to another channel.

Two factors worked to make the CB Boom the disaster that it proved to be. The oil shortage of the 1970’s, movies such as Smokey and The Bandit and songs by CW McCall and Red Sovine came along and it became a fad with 20 million people pouring into 23 channels, soon to be increased to 40.

The second factor was that the boom hit just as Solar Cycle 21 was heading towards its peak. So not only did you have to deal with the local free for all, but you also had a few hundred thousand intimate friends from California dumping in on you via the ionosphere as well.

Though the fad ended long ago, today, as in the late 1970’s & 80’s, it seems anything goes. Vile language, excessive power, out of band activity, various bleeps, bloops, annoying echo mics and sometimes mindless gibberish that only residents of an insane asylum could understand.

It should be remembered though, that not every CBer runs excessive power, transmits out of band or acts like a nutcase – though some certainly do. In all the years I have been on CB I’ve always kept everything legal.

I never stopped being a CBer. I just became a ham also.

That road started one fall day in 1977, when I happened upon a car in the UAB parking deck with a ham tag with the callsign WA4LVC. I took a chance and left a note on the windshield “CBer needs help becoming a ham. CW killing me. Please call Mark – 747-7424”, (not my current number, by the way).

Being then, as now, a shy introvert, I halfway hoped he would toss the note in the trash. But he did call, and directed me to Jim Bonner, K4UMD who tutored or “elmered” me and gave me my Novice test, which led to teenage Mark becoming WD4NYL on December 27, 1977, the same callsign I have today.

The Class D Citizens Band is allocated for AM and FM at 4 Watts and SSB at 12 watts, with no distance restrictions. AM and LSB are the most popular modes. The band stretches from 26.965 to 27.405 MHz. Nestled among the CB Channels are Radio Control channels, formerly referred to as Class C Citizens Band. The only shared channel being RC Channel 6 & CB Channel 23.

If you wonder “ok your mentioning Class C & D, what about Class A & B?” Created in 1948, Class A & B were UHF services in the 460 – 470 MHz range. Class A is the predecessor of today’s GMRS. Class B was similar to today’s FRS, though there’s no direct connection between the two. Class B was used mainly by farmers and the US Coast Guard and proved to be ahead of its time, being neither affordable or practical and faded into disuse. Also, a Class E CB service was proposed in 1973 that would have been created from the 220 MHz ham band, but was successfully batted down.

CB & RC Channel allocations by frequency and normal and “wishful thinking” usage are as follows:

26.965 MHz Channel 1 – AM
26.975 MHz Channel 2 – AM
26.985 MHz Channel 3 – AM
26.995 MHz Radio Control Channel 1 “Brown”
27.005 MHz Channel 4 – AM – Off-roading
27.015 MHz Channel 5 – AM
27.025 MHz Channel 6 – AM – aka the “Super Bowl”
27.035 MHz Channel 7 – AM
27.045 MHz Radio Control Channel 2 “Red”
27.055 MHz Channel 8 – AM
27.065 MHz Channel 9 – AM – Emergency Channel (sporadically monitored)
27.075 MHz Channel 10 – AM – Truckers on regional roads
27.085 MHz Channel 11 – AM
27.095 MHz Radio Control Channel 3 – “Orange”
27.105 MHz Channel 12 – AM
27.115 MHz Channel 13 – AM – Boating and recreational vehicles
27.125 MHz Channel 14 – AM – Vintage walkie-talkies
27.135 MHz Channel 15 – AM
27.145 MHz Radio Control Channel 4 – “Yellow”
27.155 MHz Channel 16 – AM – Off-roading / old LSB Calling Channel
27.165 MHz Channel 17 – AM – Truckers on west coast traveling north or south
27.175 MHz Channel 18 – AM
27.185 MHz Channel 19 – AM – Trucker Channel – Truckers on west coast traveling east or west
27.195 MHz Radio Control Channel 5 – “Green”
27.205 MHz Channel 20 – AM
27.215 MHz Channel 21 – AM
27.225 MHz Channel 22 – AM
27.235 MHz Channel 24 – AM
27.245 MHz Channel 25 – AM
27.255 MHz Channel 23 – AM
Radio Control Channel 6 – “Blue”
27.265 MHz Channel 26 – AM
27.275 MHz Channel 27 – AM
27.285 MHz Channel 28 – AM
27.295 MHz Channel 29 – AM
27.305 MHz Channel 30 – AM
27.315 MHz Channel 31 – AM – FM DX Calling Channel – suggested, but not widely accepted
27.325 MHz Channel 32 – AM
27.335 MHz Channel 33 – AM
27.345 MHz Channel 34 – AM
27.355 MHz Channel 35 – AM
27.365 MHz Channel 36 – LSB
27.375 MHz Channel 37 – LSB
27.385 MHz Channel 38 – LSB – SSB Calling Frequency
27.395 MHz Channel 39 – LSB
27.405 MHz Channel 40 – LSB

If you notice that Channel 23 is located between Channels 25 and 26, this is not a misprint. There used to be a two channel gap between Channels 22 & 23, one theory being that since Channel 23 was also used for Radio Control devices, the space was to prevent interference with Channel 22.

This theory always sounded fishy to me, since I wondered why one RC Channel would be more prone to interfering with a channel while the other embedded RC channels apparently did not.

The old 23 Channel CB’s have a blank spot on the rotary dial between Channel 22 & 23, which some enterprising ne’er-do-wells figured out how to bypass to get on the “hidden channels”. When the FCC expanded the band to 40 channels they just plopped Channel 24 and 25 in between Channels 22 & 23.

Another theory to explain the gap is that 24 position switches were cheaper to use, but since there were only 23 channels, rather than custom designing a 23 position switch, the manufacturers used the cheaper option and just left it blank. There may be some logic to this, for if you serviced CB’s “in the day” you quickly found that many units of different names were exact duplicates of each other inside. They may have said Kraco, Cobra, Regency, etc and have different meters and knob positions, but the innards we’re all the same.

That gap was useful when driving as you would locate it by ear since there was no static and just turn the dial counterclockwise four clicks to get on Channel 19 and never take your eyes off the road. Something that seemed more important in the “olden days”, as opposed to the constantly distracted driving of today.

Today, I program the NOAA weather radio frequency into my 2 Meter handie-talkies and mobile radios to serve the same purpose – as a marker so I can find where I am on the dial to either tune while driving or to quickly find the Net frequency, which is always in the next channel position.

On a sidenote, when CBs increased from 23 to 40 channels, some hesitated switching, thinking that the 40 channel radios had less power, since the power “had to be spread over a larger area”. Likewise, some hams believed they should program their radios with the frequencies in sequential order, not mixed up, as with the frequencies being mixed up “it put a strain on the circuitry, since it has to bounce back and forth up and down the band.” Which was also wrong. The also believed repeater PL tones “we’re intended to exclude operators they did not like”, which is also untrue.

Leaving the CB Band, the realm between 27.410 to 27.540 MHz is allocated to business and industry use on 27.430, 27.450, 27.470, 27.490, 27.510, and 27.530 MHz

27.540 to 28.000 MHz is allocated to the US Government and is generally considered a “military” band, and has several MARS frequencies as well as the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Within this spread – 27.410 to 28.000 MHz is the realm of illegal operators variously called “Pirates”, “Bootleggers”, “Freebanders” or “Muppets”.

In the old days operators wishing to bootleg on these frequencies would get or built a “slider” or VFO. Now they just buy ham gear and do a “MARS/CAP mod” on it to expand the transmit range below 10 Meters or buy “10 Meter Ham Radios” which are basically CB’s which transmit above and below the legal CB Band.

I don’t endorse doing so, and have never been tempted to do so, but, for completeness I will mention 27.555 MHz aka “The Triple Nickle”, which is considered the “Freeband calling frequency” & 27.805 MHz which some have been dubbed the “FM calling frequency”. Both, of course being illegal frequencies for US CBers.

To help complicate matters a little, several countries including Germany, Russia, the UK & Brazil have CB like services which in addition to 40 Channels similar to the US band plan, have 40 additional channels with varying band plans and channel spacing, stretching from 27.410 to 27.99625 MHz.

So, if you hear traffic within this frequency range it could very well be perfectly legal activity.

But, if they say they are in Phoenix or Detroit – then Book’em Danno, Bootlegging One!!!

Having given you everything you ever wanted to know about CB radio, whether you knew you wanted it or not, we will move on to the largest HF Amateur Band – 10 Meters.

10 Meters, which is one of my favorite bands, is an unusual band in that it can exhibit both HF and VHF characteristics. During the sunspot minimum, except for transequatorial propagation at noon, it is a local only band. During the sunspot maximum Europe will come pouring in during the morning, and as the afternoon arrives, South America fades in and after sunset as the band in fading the Pacific, Asia and Australia may be heard.

Occasionally signals will arrive with a flutter, letting you know it is bouncing off the aurora and with transequatoral skip, more times than not the South American station will be at the same latitude as you are, just south.

Sometimes signals will develop a “pipeline” into a specific region, with the rest of the band dead. I had a pipeline into Sydney, Nova Scotia for days. Every signal I heard was from Sydney and then later in the week it was gone.

Sometimes stations boom in, but they can’t hear your and sometimes the other station says you are booming in, but you can barely hear them.

Perhaps due to the Alligator vs Elephant theory. An “Alligator Station” has a great signal, but poor receiver – big mouth and tiny ears. Where an “Elephant Station” is the opposite. Great receiver, but a poor signal – big ears, tiny mouth.

10 is unique as it has the only HF voice band available for Novices and Technicians, 28.300 to 28.500 MHz, which is the heart of the band.

The 10 Meters Band Plan is as follows:

28.000 MHZ Begin Novice, Technician, General, Advanced & Extra CW/Data Sub band
28.000 – 28.070 MHz CW
28.074 MHz FT8
28.070 – 28.150 MHz RTTY
28.150 – 28.190 MHz CW
28.200 – 28.300 MHz Beacons
28.200 MHz NCDXF Beacons
28.300 MHz Begin Novice, Technician, General, Advanced & Extra Voice Sub band
28.400 MHz USB Calling Frequency
28.500 MHz End Novice, Technician, Voice Sub band, continue General, Advanced & Extra Voice Sub band
28.680 MHz SSTV
29.000 – 29.200 MHz AM
29.300 MHz Supposedly popular simplex frequency in Japan.
29.300 – 29.510 MHz Satellite Uplinks or Downlinks
29.400 – 29.500 MHz Supposedly popular simplex frequencies in Britian
29.520 – 29.590 MHz Repeater Inputs. 10 kHz spacing
29.600 MHz FM Simplex Calling Frequency
29.610 MHz Repeater Output
29.620 MHz Repeater Output
29.630 MHz Repeater Output
29.640 MHz Repeater Output
29.650 MHz Repeater Output
29.660 MHz Repeater Output
29.670 MHz Repeater Output
29.680 MHz Repeater Output
29.690 MHz Repeater Output
29.700 MHz End 10 Meter Amateur Band

Above the 10 Meter band 29.710 to 30.000 MHz is allocated to Business, Industry and Government use.

Reaching 30.000 MHz, the High Frequency / Shortwave Bands end and the Very High Frequency Bands begin.

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Mark’s Almanac
August was originally named “Sextilis”, the sixth Roman month. It was renamed August in honor of Caesar Augustus and lengthened to 31 days, to equal Julius Caesar’s month of July.

August is hot and humid and summer temperatures remain at or near their summer peak.

The rapid vegetation growth of spring is over, and, since conditions are now perfect for the growth of mold, fungi & germs, plants have a “used” look, which is enhanced if rainfall is scarce.

In August the choir of cicadas whine in the afternoon & towards the end of the month the big Yellow Sulphur Butterflies will begin heading to the South-Southeast, giving hints of their soon upcoming fall migration & cats will begin to hint of growing their winter coats.

Hurricane breeding grounds in August are the Atlantic, with Low Latitude “Cape Verde” storms forming off Africa crossing the Ocean and either threatening the Eastern Seaboard or striking the Leeward Islands, entering the Caribbean and then striking the Yucatan, or the Western or Northern Gulf coast. Breeding grounds also include the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

August is second only to September in the number of Tropical Storms and Hurricanes. From 1851 to 2024 there have been 407 Tropical Storms and 256 Hurricanes, 85 of which made landfall in the United States, the most notable storms being Hurricanes Camille, Katrina and Ida in 1969, 2005 and 2021, which devastated Mississippi and Louisiana and Hurricane Andrew which ravaged South Florida in 1992.

21% of a year’s Hurricanes occur in August, however, 85 to 95% of land falling Hurricanes have not occurred by August 15.

Days grow shorter as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon steadily decreases from 74.4 degrees at the beginning of the month to 65.0 degrees at the month’s end. Daylight decreases 54 minutes from 13 hours 49 minutes on August 1 to 12 hours 55 minutes on August 31.

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

August 1 Sunrise 5:59 AM Sunset 7:48 PM
August 15 Sunrise 6:09 AM Sunset 7:34 PM
August 31 Sunrise 6:20 AM Sunset 7:15 PM

Looking skyward, the Sun, magnitude -26.7 is in Leo, The Lion.

Mercury, magnitude +0.7 in Cancer, The Crab, is hidden in the glow of the Sun as the month begins.

At midmonth he becomes visible in the dawn sky, rising at 4:42 AM CDT – 1 hours and 27 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 11° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:42 AM CDT.

He will reach his widest separation from the Sun, or “Greatest Western Elongation” on August 19 and his highest point in the sky on August 20 when he reaches 17° altitude, shining brightly at
-0.2. He will then steadily recede back towards the Sun as the month progresses.
Mercury’s 88 day orbit around the Sun will carry it to its closest point to the Sun – its perihelion on August 27.

By months end he is visible in the dawn sky, rising at 5:16 AM CDT – 1 hours and 2 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 8° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:02 AM CDT.

Venus, magnitude -3.9 in Gemini, The Twins, is the brilliant “Morning Star” above the predawn western horizon.

At the first of the month, she becomes visible at around 3:04 AM CDT – 2 hours and 53 minutes before the Sun and reaching an altitude of 30° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:40 AM CDT.

At midmonth, she is visible in the predawn sky, rising at 3:20 AM CDT – 2 hours and 46 minutes before the Sun and reaching an altitude of 29° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:50 AM CDT.

At month’s end she is visible in the predawn sky, rising at 3:46 AM CDT – 2 hours and 32 minutes before the Sun – and reaching an altitude of 26° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:02 AM CDT.

Earth, magnitude -4.0 as viewed from the Sun, and her Moon is in Aquarius, The Water Bearer.

Mars, magnitude +1.5, with his Moons Phobos and Deimos is in Virgo, The Virgin, and is an early evening object low above the western horizon.

At the first of the month, he becomes visible at 8:31 PM CDT, 17° above the western horizon as dusk fades into darkness. He then descends towards the horizon setting 2 hours and 13 minutes after the Sun at 9:59 PM CDT.

At midmonth he becomes visible at 8:15 PM CDT, 13° above the western horizon as dusk fades into darkness. He then descends towards the horizon setting 1 hour and 54 minutes after the Sun at 9:26 PM CDT.

On August 18 he will disappear as he descends into the glow of the Sun and remain invisible through the end of the month.

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +9.8, is in Cetus, The Whale.

Jupiter, magnitude –1.9, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, in Gemini, The Twins is visible in the dawn sky
At the first of the month, he rises at 3:46 AM CDT, 2 hours and 11 minutes before the Sun and reaches an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:40 AM CDT.

By midmonth he rises at 3:05 AM CDT, 3 hours and 1 minute before the Sun and reaches an altitude of 32° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:50 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 2:16 AM CDT, and reaches an altitude of 44° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:02 AM CDT.

Saturn, and his 274 moons and extensive debris ring system, magnitude +0.7, in Pisces, The Fish, is a morning object.

At the first of the month he becomes visible 11:13 PM CDT, 11° above the eastern horizon. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 4:14 AM CDT, 54° above the southern horizon. He will be lost to dawn twilight around 5:22 AM CDT, 51° above the southwestern horizon.

By midmonth he becomes visible around 10:17 PM CDT at an altitude of 11° above the eastern horizon. He will reach his highest altitude of 54° above the southern horizon around 3:17 AM CDT. He fades into the dawn around 5:34 AM CDT at 42° above the southwestern horizon.

At month’s end he becomes visible around 9:11 PM CDT at an altitude of 11° above the eastern horizon. He will reach his highest altitude of 54° above the southern horizon around 2:11 AM CDT. He fades into the dawn around 5:46 AM CDT, 27° above the southwestern horizon.

Uranus, magnitude +5.7, and his 28 moons and ring, in Taurus, The Bull, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, he rises at 1:00 AM CDT, and reaches an altitude of 46° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 4:51 AM CDT.

By midmonth he rises at 12:06 AM CDT, and reaches an altitude of 59° above the eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:03 AM CDT.

At months end he rises at 11:04 PM CDT, and reaches an altitude of 73° above the southeastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 5:17 AM CDT.

Neptune, magnitude 7.7, and his 16 moons and ring, is in Pisces, The Fish, is an early morning object.

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible at 12:02 AM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 55° above the southern horizon at 4:14 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 04:51 AM CDT, 54° above the southern horizon.

By midmonth he becomes accessible at 11:07 PM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 55° above the southern horizon at 3:18 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 5:03 AM CDT, 47° above the southern horizon.

At months end he becomes accessible at 10:03 PM CDT at an altitude of 21° above the eastern horizon and reaches an altitude of 55° above the southern horizon at 2:14 AM CDT and fades into the dawn twilight around 5:17 AM CDT, 34° above the southern horizon.

Pluto, the largest Dwarf Planet, with his five moons shines at a dim 14.4 in Capricornus, The Sea Goat.

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of 17.3 in Bootes, The Herdsman.

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.2 in Coma Berenices.

Dwarf Planet 136199 Eris, the second largest Dwarf Planet, and her moon Dysnomia, originally referred to as Xena and Gabrielle, is barely visible in the most powerful telescopes at magnitude +18.7 in Cetus the Sea Monster.

At least seven additional bodies with the preliminary criteria for identifying dwarf planets, and though not “officially” declared as such, are generally called dwarf planets by astronomers as well.

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude 19.1 Between Aquarius, The Water Bearer and Aquila, The Eagle.

50000 Quaoar, and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Taurus, The Bull..

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.8 in Taurus, The Bull.

225088 Gonggong, the third largest Dwarf Planet, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 magnitude in Pisces, The Fish.

2014 UZ224 nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.0 in Eridanus, The River.

120347 Salacia, and her moon Actaea glows at magnitude 20.7 in Cancer, The Crab. Salacia is considered a “borderline” Dwarf Planet. Some astronomers saying she “most certainly is a Dwarf Planet”, while others disagreeing based on her size, saying she is too small to have compressed into a fully solid body, to have been resurfaced, or to have collapsed into “hydrostatic equilibrium”, that is to assume spherical shape like a planet.

“Dwarf Planet Candidate” 2017 OF201, magnitude 23.2 is in the constellation Triangulum, the Triangle.

Currently the most distant observable known object in the Solar System, an asteroid unofficially called Asteroid 2018 AG37, and nicknamed FarFarOut, glows at a barely detectable +25.5 magnitude in Lynx.

FarFarOut is currently 12,400,835,347.5 miles or in Light Time, 18 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds from Earth.

The most distant man-made object, Voyager 1, still operating after 47 years, 10 month and 12 days is 15,527,434,023 miles, or in Light Time, 23 hours, 09 minutes 13 Seconds from Earth as of 3:29 PM, July 17, 2025, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

Near Earth Object, asteroid 99942 Apophis, is expected to pass within 19,794 miles of the Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.

Apophis, magnitude +21.6, in Cancer, The Crab, is 189,654,827 miles or 1367 days from the Earth as of 3:35, July 17, 2025.

Asteroid 2024 YR4, which will pass though the Earth – Moon system on Wednesday, December 22, 2032, dimly glows at magnitude +29.5, in Leo, The Lion. It currently is 301,186,945 Miles or 2720 days from the Earth as of 3:39, July 17, 2025.

There are 1,455,703 known asteroids and 4,027 comets as of July 17, 2025, per NASA/JPL Solar Dynamics Website JPL Solar System Dynamics (nasa.gov).

5,933 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of July 17, 2025 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur August 1 at 7:41 AM or 13:41 UTC.

During the Quarter Moons the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on August 1, when she will be 251,136 miles from Earth.

August’s Full Moon will occur August 9 at 2:57 PM or 01:57 UTC. August’s Full Moon was called “Fruit Moon” in Cherokee Folklore, “Women’s Moon” among the Choctaw, “Sturgeon Moon” by the Algonquin because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon and at one time was called “Dog Days Moon” by the Colonial Americans.

During a Full Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -12.7.

Incidentally, do you know what the Moon smells like?

The 12 Apollo Astronauts who walked on the Moon (and yes I believe they actually did walk on the Moon, if you don’t, bless your heart, it’s ok) all agree that after they reentered and repressurized the Lunar Module, the smell of the Moon dust that lingered on their suits and on the rocks brought back into the ship, smelled like burned gunpowder.

Apollo 17 Astronaut Jack Schmitt said: “All I can say is that everyone’s instant impression of the smell was that of spent gunpowder, not that it was ‘metallic’ or ‘acrid’. Spent gunpowder smell probably was much more implanted in our memories than other comparable odors.”

Apollo 16 Astronaut Charles Duke also said it tasted like burnt gunpowder.

Why the dust and sample had this odor is unknown, as is why by the time the samples reached the Earth, all odors were gone.

Space itself seems to have an odor, as astronauts aboard the International Space Station have reported that they notice a metallic aroma, like the smell of welding fumes on the surface of their spacesuits, after spacewalks, once the airlock has repressurized and they remove their helmets, and their crewmates also notice this scent wafting in when the airlock doors are opened.

Astronaut Don Pettit who spent an accumulated 590 days in space described the smell of space saying, “The best description I can come up with is metallic: a rather pleasant sweet metallic sensation. It reminded me of my college summers where I labored for many hours with an arc welding torch repairing heavy equipment for a small logging outfit. It reminded me of pleasant, sweet smelling welding fumes. That is the smell of space.”

Other Astronauts compare the smell of space to “hot metal, burnt meat, burnt cakes, spent gunpowder and welding of metal,” according to Steve Pearce, a biochemist and CEO of Omega Ingredients, who combed through astronaut interviews to help him craft a NASA commissioned scent to help make astronaut training more realistic. The aim was to eliminate surprises astronauts might experience in orbit.

Comets, if we could directly smell them would prove stinky, as Rosetta spacecraft detected the compounds responsible for the smell of rotten eggs, bitter almonds and cat urine, boiling off from the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in May 2014.

Meteors are said to smell like hot metal, similar to a cast-iron skillet that has over-heated, or the metal heating elements when you first turn on an electric heater. Or burned gunpowder.

Speaking of meteors…

The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks on the night of August 12 & 13, with 50 to 60 meteors per hour. This shower, produce by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862, ranks as the best of the best, famous for producing bright meteors. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. It peaks this year on the night of August 12 and the morning of August 13.

The waning gibbous moon will block out all but the brightest meteors this year. But if you are patient, you may still be able to catch quite a few good ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

The moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on August 14, when she will be 229,464 miles from Earth.

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur August 16 at 12:14 AM CDT or 06:14 UTC.

During the Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

New Moon will occur at 12:06 AM CDT or 06:06 UTC on August 23. The Moon will be located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

The moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on August 29, when she will be 251,477 miles from Earth.

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur on August 31 at 1:25 AM or 07:25 UTC.

During the Quarter Moons the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

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This month’s meeting will be on August 12 at 7PM at the NWS Forecast Office in Calera.
Hope to see you there!

Mark

WD4NYL
Editor – ALERT Newsletter