Space Weather News for May 3, 2007 SpaceWeather.com
HALLEY'S METEORS: Earth is entering a stream of dust from Halley's Comet,
and this will produce a meteor shower (the "eta Aquarids") peaking on
May 6th. Unfortunately, moonlight will interfere with the display, wiping out all
but the brightest meteors. People who wake up before dawn on Sunday and look east
might nevertheless catch a few specks of Halley's Comet disintegrating in Earth's
atmosphere.
SPARKLING SUNSPOT: Sunspot 953, which emerged one week ago, has proven to be one
of the most photogenic sunspots in years. For one thing, it is crackling with micro
solar flares (sometimes called "Ellerman Bombs"); this makes the sunspot
appear to sparkle when viewed through the eye piece of a backyard solar telescope.
There's also an active magnetic filament winding outward from the sunspot's
dark core. So far, no major solar flares have issued from this active region, but
it's still a great show. Check SpaceWeather.com for the latest pictures
and movies.
Showing posts with label Spaceweather.com. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spaceweather.com. Show all posts
May 3, 2007
Apr 20, 2007
3D photos of the Sun and Comet Thatcher
Get out your 3D specs, m'peops!
Space Weather News for April 20, 2007:
3D SUN: On Monday, April 23rd, NASA will release for the first time 3-dimensional photos of the sun taken by a pair of spacecraft named STEREO. Magnetic loops, prominences and plumes will practically leap out of your computer screen. These images will be displayed on big screens at many museums and science centers around the USA and posted on the internet. You can get ready this weekend by buying or building some 3D glasses.
Visit SpaceWeather.com for instructions--and stay tuned for Monday!
WEEKEND METEORS: Earth is entering the dusty tail of Comet Thatcher, and this will cause a mild meteor shower this weekend. It's called the Lyrid meteor shower because the bits of incandescent comet dust appear to come from the constellation Lyra. The best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Sunday, April 22nd, and Monday, April 23rd, when you can expect to see a shooting star overhead every 5 minutes or so.
Space Weather News for April 20, 2007:
3D SUN: On Monday, April 23rd, NASA will release for the first time 3-dimensional photos of the sun taken by a pair of spacecraft named STEREO. Magnetic loops, prominences and plumes will practically leap out of your computer screen. These images will be displayed on big screens at many museums and science centers around the USA and posted on the internet. You can get ready this weekend by buying or building some 3D glasses.
Visit SpaceWeather.com for instructions--and stay tuned for Monday!
WEEKEND METEORS: Earth is entering the dusty tail of Comet Thatcher, and this will cause a mild meteor shower this weekend. It's called the Lyrid meteor shower because the bits of incandescent comet dust appear to come from the constellation Lyra. The best time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Sunday, April 22nd, and Monday, April 23rd, when you can expect to see a shooting star overhead every 5 minutes or so.
Mar 28, 2007
Cassini sees Hexagon on Saturn
Space Weather News for March 28, 2007
http://spaceweather.com
A HEXAGON ON SATURN: The Cassini spacecraft has photographed a bizarre geometrical figure encircling Saturn's north pole: a hexagon. NASA scientists say they've never seen anything like it on any other planet. Images are posted on http://spaceweather.com.
The formation of the giant hexagon is a mystery you can ponder tonight under the stars. After sunset on March 28th, Saturn rises in the east beautifully close to the Moon. This makes Saturn easy to find and enjoy. Even a small telescope will reveal the planet's broad rings and largest moons. Take a look!
ASTEROID FLYBY: Asteroid 2006 VV2 is due to fly past Earth on March 30th and 31st. The 2 km-wide space rock will streak through the constellation Leo only 2 million miles away glowing like a 9th-to-10th magnitude star. Backyard telescopes equipped with CCD cameras should have no trouble filming the asteroid in flight. Visit http://spaceweather.com for ephemerides and more information.#
http://spaceweather.com
A HEXAGON ON SATURN: The Cassini spacecraft has photographed a bizarre geometrical figure encircling Saturn's north pole: a hexagon. NASA scientists say they've never seen anything like it on any other planet. Images are posted on http://spaceweather.com.
The formation of the giant hexagon is a mystery you can ponder tonight under the stars. After sunset on March 28th, Saturn rises in the east beautifully close to the Moon. This makes Saturn easy to find and enjoy. Even a small telescope will reveal the planet's broad rings and largest moons. Take a look!
ASTEROID FLYBY: Asteroid 2006 VV2 is due to fly past Earth on March 30th and 31st. The 2 km-wide space rock will streak through the constellation Leo only 2 million miles away glowing like a 9th-to-10th magnitude star. Backyard telescopes equipped with CCD cameras should have no trouble filming the asteroid in flight. Visit http://spaceweather.com for ephemerides and more information.#
Mar 20, 2007
Green Comet!
Space Weather News for March 20, 2007
GREEN COMET: There's a new comet in the southern hemisphere: Comet Lovejoy (C/2007 E2). Terry Lovejoy of Australia discovered it on March 15th using, remarkably, not a telescope but only an off-the-shelf digital camera. The green comet is too dim to see with the naked eye, but it is a nice target for backyard telescopes. After five days of monitoring, the comet's orbit is now known with some accuracy and it is possible to make predictions about Comet Lovejoy's future movements and brightness.
Visit SpaceWeather.com for details.
BONUS--VENUS AND THE MOON: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look west. You'll see Venus and the slender crescent Moon beaming together through the glow of sunset. If you miss the pair on March 20th, try again on the 21st. They will be beautifully close together on both nights.#
GREEN COMET: There's a new comet in the southern hemisphere: Comet Lovejoy (C/2007 E2). Terry Lovejoy of Australia discovered it on March 15th using, remarkably, not a telescope but only an off-the-shelf digital camera. The green comet is too dim to see with the naked eye, but it is a nice target for backyard telescopes. After five days of monitoring, the comet's orbit is now known with some accuracy and it is possible to make predictions about Comet Lovejoy's future movements and brightness.
Visit SpaceWeather.com for details.
BONUS--VENUS AND THE MOON: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look west. You'll see Venus and the slender crescent Moon beaming together through the glow of sunset. If you miss the pair on March 20th, try again on the 21st. They will be beautifully close together on both nights.#
Feb 21, 2007
Debris Cloud over Australia
Space Weather News for Feb. 21, 2007
from SpaceWeather.com:
On February 19th, late-night sky watchers across Australia witnessed a bright explosion followed by a debris cloud that hung in the sky for nearly an hour. At first a mystery, the source of the blast is now understood. It was a Russian Briz-M rocket booster misplaced in orbit last year by the failed launch of an Arabsat communications satellite. The fuel tanks of the Briz-M ruptured on Feb. 19th, producing a vivid naked-eye display and more than 1000 pieces of debris. Experts are calling this a "major breakup event," comparable to or even worse than last month's Chinese anti-sat test.
Visit SpaceWeather.com for more information and pictures of the Briz-M breakup.
from SpaceWeather.com:
On February 19th, late-night sky watchers across Australia witnessed a bright explosion followed by a debris cloud that hung in the sky for nearly an hour. At first a mystery, the source of the blast is now understood. It was a Russian Briz-M rocket booster misplaced in orbit last year by the failed launch of an Arabsat communications satellite. The fuel tanks of the Briz-M ruptured on Feb. 19th, producing a vivid naked-eye display and more than 1000 pieces of debris. Experts are calling this a "major breakup event," comparable to or even worse than last month's Chinese anti-sat test.
Visit SpaceWeather.com for more information and pictures of the Briz-M breakup.
Feb 10, 2007
bright Saturn and Venus Pillars
Here's a to-do from Friday which I to-didn't until now:
Space Weather News for Feb. 9, 2007:
SATURN AT ITS BEST: This weekend Saturn will be at its closest to Earth for all of 2007. The planet rises in the east at sunset and soars nearly overhead at midnight. To the naked eye, Saturn resembles a bright yellow star. Through a backyard telescope, it materializes as a spectacular ring world. Even small telescopes yield pleasing views. Take a look!
VENUS PILLARS: While Saturn rises in the east, Venus sets in the west. If you watch Venus sink toward the horizon on a cold night, you might see it sprout vertical columns of light known as Venus pillars. Today's edition of Spaceweather.com features rare photos of these pillars and explains what they are.
Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and more information.
Space Weather News for Feb. 9, 2007:
SATURN AT ITS BEST: This weekend Saturn will be at its closest to Earth for all of 2007. The planet rises in the east at sunset and soars nearly overhead at midnight. To the naked eye, Saturn resembles a bright yellow star. Through a backyard telescope, it materializes as a spectacular ring world. Even small telescopes yield pleasing views. Take a look!
VENUS PILLARS: While Saturn rises in the east, Venus sets in the west. If you watch Venus sink toward the horizon on a cold night, you might see it sprout vertical columns of light known as Venus pillars. Today's edition of Spaceweather.com features rare photos of these pillars and explains what they are.
Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and more information.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)