Space and astronomy news
Greetings fellow Skywatchers! With early dark skies this week, now would be a great opportunity to work on some serious galactic studies in the well-placed constellations of Crater and Corvus. The Moon will make a splendid close pass at Mars, occulting it for some viewers and we’ll have two meteor showers to enjoy. It’s time to get out the telescopes, because…
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NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has obtained the most detailed images ever taken of Saturn’s rings, including new details about its B ring, of which little was known previously. Cassini went behind Saturn’s rings on May 3, 2005, and this gave scientists on Earth a chance to probe the ringst. Cassini sent a series of radio signals as it traveled behind the rings; the weaker the signal, the more dense the material in the rings. This allowed scientists to determine the thickness and size of particles at each point in the rings.
Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! The week might begin with a full Moon, but we’ll have plenty to explore as we learn about the anti-twilight arch and the “Belt of Venus”. We’ll watch as the Moon occults Antares, locate globular clusters, visit the planets and pinpoint asteroids. The weekend brings early dark skies along with challenges for all observers, so get ready to grab a comet by the tail, because…
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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! “Lunacy” has returned again – and with it familiar features and new ways of looking at them. On Thursday, the Moon will occult Jupiter for a portion of the Earth and make a dazzling close pass for the rest. There will be bright stars, double stars and even an asteroid to explore – so keep those binoculars and telescopes handy, because…
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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! We’ll begin the week with a challenging unaided eye observation and head out to deep space as we venture toward NGC 2903 and the “Sunflower” Galaxy. The Moon will soon join the scene and we’ll explore some of its nightly features, but not before we’ve had a chance to catch two comets! There will be occultations, jovian activity and a new double star to delight the eye, so head out under dark skies because…
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Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers.This week’s early dark skies will promote plenty of deep space action as we view the M51, M94, M53, and M64. Mid-week will provide some excitement as the reliable children of Comet Halley streak across our atmosphere during the peak of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. In two months, Deep Impact will have reached Comet Tempel 1 – but why wait until then to view it? You can see it now! The call goes out to observers to help in scientific study and the week ends with a special treat. So grab your binoculars and telescopes and head out under dark skies…
Because here’s what’s up!
Now that it’s completed flybys past several of Saturn’s moons, Cassini will spend the next five months analyzing the planet’s great system of rings. It’ll view the rings from a position inclined 24-degrees, and orbit the planet 7 times, from now until September. This perspective will allow Cassini to analyze the rings in various wavelengths of light, from infrared to visible to ultraviolet. Cassini will also be in the perfect position to watch several occultations, where the rings pass in front of stars, and help scientists precisely measure their thickness and opacity.
Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! This week we’ll learn how to observe the Hubble Space telescope, locate and study the M3, and be on hand for three minor meteor showers. There will be plenty of deep sky to explore as we locate the M101, M67, and the Large Magellanic Cloud. Mercury and Venus both return this week, and Mars leads the way to Neptune. The Moon provides some excitement as it occults Antares for Europe – as well as two bright stars for other observers – and tilts its north our way for some extreme craters. Had enough yet? Good. There’s history to learn and I’m not about to let you go before you’ve located comet 9P/Temple 1. So grab those telescopes and binoculars, and head out under the dark skies…
Because here’s what’s up!
It’s back. Yes, the Moon will figure prominently in this week’s night sky, but it will put on a grand show as we have several occultations and a grazing event in store. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to view new lunar features and catch a “shooting star” as we enter a very unusual meteoroid stream. So grab your telescopes and binoculars, because…
Here’s what’s up!
Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! With a full Moon this week, it will be hard to find things to do under the stars – or will it? We begin the week with morning observations of Comet LINEAR and move on towards meteor showers, variable and double stars and a Jupiter/Moon conjunction with an occultation for southern Australia. We’ll explore lunar features and rudimentary astrophotography as well as just have some fun. So take out those telescopes and binoculars, because…
Here’s what’s up!