SkyGuy's Blog

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Here's a great story about how one NASA scientist wants to use lunar soil to make lunar telescopes. It is pretty amazing reading and certainly seems doable.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/09jul_moons
cope.htm?list142667

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Read this story at Sky & Telescope MAgazine regarding a conference about returning to the Moon:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/wires?id=119386
263&c=y

We are getting closer every day to going back.

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Today is the 39th anniversary of Aollo 11's landing at the Sea of Tranquility. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first and second humans to set foot on another world. Several billion people watched live black and white tv to see Neil make his historic footprint in the lunar soil.

Humans are working towards a return to the Moon again - hopefully this time to stay. NASA will be launching the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) by the end of this year to act as the pathfinder for where we will land. China and Japan have active lunar missions in orbit and India is to follow later in the year.

Well done Apollo 11, well done.

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Our planetary duo of the Earth and Moon are the stars of a movie made by NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft from a distance of 31 million miles. The detail is the best that has ever been resolved of our Earth and Moon from a spacecraft.

Scientists looking for Earth-like planets will use the characteristics of our system to help in their hunto for similar systems around other stars.

It is truly amazing to look at our system from such a perspective and be reminded that all we are is contained on that blue sphere of rock, air and water. Someday humanity has to realize that we are all on this planet and in the Universe together with no where else to go.

Link to the movie:http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/e
poxi_transit.html

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows that Mars once hosted vast lakes, flowing rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support life. Read the news relase at this link:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/news/mro-2008
0716.html

SkyGuy

A color-enhanced image of the delta in Jezero Crater, which once held a lake.

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

The Japanese have put together an INCREDIBLE fly-around video of Tycho Crater - visible on the bottom half of tonight's Full Moon as a bright rayed crater. The video was put together using images from JAXA's Kaguya lunar spacecraft's Terrain Camera and a topgographical computer model of Tycho's terrain. It is as close to being there as possible. NASA's LRO will have better resolution with its' cameras, but wow, what a hard act to follow. Congratulations JAXA!

It takes a bit to download the 26MB vidoe, but man oh man is it worth it!

http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/data/jpn/tc/012/tycho_20m
bps.html

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Whadya' know....we have CLEAR skies for a few nights. Be sure to watch ISS - see my blog from yesterday - and watch the southeast sky tonight and tomorrow night. The Moon - Full tomorrow night - is joined by brilliant Jupiter both nights. Tonight the king of the planets is to the left of the Moon and tomorrow it will be to the right. This is a good way to see the motion of the Moon in the sky from night to night.

You can't miss these two....just go outside at sunset and look to the southeast. They will be beautiful in our warm July night.

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

The International Space Station has a good grouping of flybys this week. Take advantage of the clear skies and wave as they flyby.

Here's the link for Washington D.C.:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/citi
es/view.cgi?country=United_States&region=DC&city=Washin
gton

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

You GOTTA' watch this oh so cool video by NASA of the new Ares launchers and Orion and Altair spacecraft. I watched it 5, yes, Fox 5 times and still want to see it again.

Here's the link:

 http://www.space.com/php/video/player.php?video_id
=080626-constellation-rock

Way too cool!!!!

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow FOx 5'ers!

NASA has extended the deadline for  "Sending Your Name to the Moon" until July 25th. Over a million people world-side have sent their names in to be placed on a microchip that will fly to the Moon aboard Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

Here's the link to come aboard: http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/    Just click on the link and sign up.

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Saturn and Mars will be at their closest tonight for the next 14 years! Be sure to peek in the west after sunset.

Enjoy!

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

In between thunderstorms take a look tonight and tomorrow night in the southeast sky right after sunset.

The brightest "star" you see is really the planet Jupiter, largest of all solar system planets. It will be directly opposite the Sun, or at opposition on July 8th and nearest the Earth for all of 2008 on July 9th.

You can't miss it. If you are lucky enough to have dark skies, the Milky Way is in the field of view as well and forms a stunning backdrop to the king of the planets.

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Early Happy 4th of July to you. While you are out and about do not forget to check in on the alignment of Mars, Saturn Regulus and the crescent Moon this hokiday weekend.

More details are in my Planet Watch blog for 7-1 and here:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/01jul_4thof
july.htm?list142667

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Here is a GREAT website from NASA that has just about everything you would want to know about global climate change in a user friendly manner:  http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/

Make sure you check it out. Gives you a pretty sobering snapshot of what is happening to our precious planet.

SkyGuy

Hey Fellow Fox 5'ers!

Here is your July skies report.

With our long days and warm nights July is a good month to get out and watch the planets move in the sky. We have a real treat after sunset in the west involving Mars, Saturn and the bright star Regulus in the constellation of Leo the Lion. On the other side of the sky, the king of the planets, Jupiter, lays claim to his realm amongst the stars of the Milky Way.

As July begins, Saturn, Mars and Regulus are in the west right after it starts to get dark. The alignment is bright and yellow-white Saturn (the brightest of the three), then reddish Mars right next to bluish-white Regulus. Mars and Regulus are less than a finger-width apart and Saturn is several finger-widths to the left.

Watch this trio for the next several nights as the alignment will change from night to night. On the 5th and 6th the lovely crescent Moon will join the trio and make for a beautiful sight while you are enjoying the 4th of July holiday. On the 10th Mars and Saturn (brighter of the two) are now paired together less than a finger-width apart. The two planets will widen their separation and will pass ever deeper into the glow of sunset as the month progresses.

Mercury is hard to see as July begins very low in the east-northeast just before dawn. You might be able to spot it with binoculars before dawn during the first two weeks of the month.

Venus is becoming visible this month very low above the western horizon right after sunset. The view will improve in months to come.

NASA's Phoenix mission to Mars has been conducting science operations in the Martian Arctic Plain and has detected water-ice and nutrients in the Martian soil that would be hospitable to Earth plants. Read more about it

Jupiter is easy to spot in the southeast after sunset. It is the brightest "star" in that part of the sky and the Moon passes just to the right of Jupiter on the 17th. If you are lucky enough to be in dark skies when the Moon is not visible, Jupiter is very near the brightest part of the Milky Way (our home galaxy) and will be stunning to view.

New Moon is on the 2nd and the Moon is at First Quarter on the 10th and Full on the 18th. This month's Full Moon is called the "Full Hay Moon" due to the hay harvest season that occurs in July. Another, and I believe appropriate name for this month is, "Full Thunder Moon" - what with the severe thunderstorms we have been having. Last Quarter Moon is on the 25th.

Here are our down to Earth events for this month.

Open House at the Department of Astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus Observatory, will be at 8 p.m. on the 5th and the 20th. Read More About It

The National Capital Astronomers (NCA) will meet in July at 7:30 PM at the University of Maryland Observatory. The lecture and date is to be determined. Read More About It

NCA will also host a star party at Rock Creek Park on July 12th at 9 PM. Read More About It

NOVAC will meet at 7 PM at George Mason University (GMU) on Sunday, July 13th. The speaker will be determined. Read More About It.

NOVAC will also host a Crockett Public Observing Night July 12th. This is a great opportunity to get out and under the stars and look through a wide variety of telescopes. Read More About It

The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) has Monday night tours but space is limited. Read More About It

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) has several space related activities this month. Read More About It

On Saturday, July 26th, 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Sky Meadows State Park, near Paris, Virginia, join Sean O'Brien, NASM staff astronomer of the Albert Einstein Planetarium, and other local amateur astronomers for public telescopic observing under dark, star-filled skies, away from city lights. The evening begins with a short night sky orientation at dusk, followed by telescopic observing of various astronomical objects. Admission is free. Read More About It

Be sure to tune into Episode 4 of Astrocast.tv as we explore NASA's Phoenix Mission.

SkyGuy