What's Up? The Space Place

Hey Space Placers! My computer died so am in the throes of getting up & running again Big stories: NASA's budget at 19.285 Billion for FY 16; Space X lands its 1st stage after a rocket launch; ISS astronauts fix the robotic arm carrier. Happy Holidays & back up sometime! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Can you tell what is in the picture? Give up? It is Orion the Hunter, Taurus the Bull and the Pleiades UPSIDE DOWN! The two bright stars on the right are Sirius (top) and the 2nd brightest star in the sky Canopus below and to the right of Sirius. I took this pic on Oceania Cruises’ Nautica, which I am aboard. The latitude at the time was 28 degrees SOUTH and I have never been that far south of the equator. The stars in the Northern Hemisphere look very different down under the equator. We have started heading North so I am hoping to get some pics of southern sky gems to share with you as we go along. Sky Guy Down Under

Hey Space Placers! Check out the best meteor shower of the year - the Geminids. This weekend, especially on Sunday and Monday night, we will enjoy the peak time for what I think is the best meteor shower of the year, the Geminids. I say best because it reliably produces a large number of meteors per hour (60+) in a dark sky and many of them are bright. Plus the Geminids is the only major meteor shower where you can see a good number of meteors starting at 10 p.m. local time instead of the hours just before dawn. Sky & Telescope The predicted peak of the 2015 Geminid Meteor Shower is the night of December 13-14 but you can see Geminids from the 12th to the 16th. Each year at this time our planet encounters a debris stream of rock particles made by Asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The Geminids is the only meteor shower caused by an asteroid or what astronomers call a rock comet - all others are due to cometary debris.  As Earth moves in its orbit around the Sun it collid...

Hey Space Placers! NASA's Dawn mission might finally have an answer to the enigmatic bright spots that I have written about numerous times. Occator in False Color NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA The Dawn spacecraft has finally reached its lowest altitude - about 240 miles - above Ceres. This will allow for accumulating very detailed photographs and data as the mission enters its final phase. Ceres is quite the dwarf planet like Pluto. What an amazing solar system we live in. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Venus has a new visitor . Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! The next two predawns offer a beautiful view of the Moon and Venus PLUS a chance to see Comet Catalina. You will need binoculars to see the comet. Here is a Sky & Telescope finder chart: I'm hoping to get some pics to share with you - stay tuned. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Watch the 1st of the 18 mirror segments go into place on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in this video   by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Check out this uber cool graphic of the size of exoplanet candidates (planets to be confirmed beyond our solar system) from NASA's Kepler mission We live in a time when we know of thousands of planets beyond our solar system that are orbiting other stars - think about that..... It is quite clear that planets are a natural byproduct of stellar formation and our Milky Way probably contains BILLIONS if not TRILLIONS of planets. Oh, and each of the 200 billion plus galaxies we can see should also have planets as well. What a Universe! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! I hope all of my U.S. readers had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. NASA's next unmanned mission with the Orion spacecraft and the 1st ever flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) is called  Exploration Mission-1 . Orion and ESA Service Module NASA This will be a very important test of Orion, SLS and the European Space Agency's Service Module. It excites me to think we will be sending a manned rated spacecraft to the Moon and orbiting beyond it. EM-1 will be the test run for the first manned mission of Orion and SLS possibly in late 2021 or later. EM-1 is slated for launch in late 2018   with the first manned launch of Orion-SLS slipping from 2021 to 2023. You have to remember that NASA is building all of this hardware on a shoestring budget as there has been no significant plus up to NASA's budget. The FY16 $18.6 billion pays for the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, building the James Webb Space Telescope, spa...

Hey Space Placers! Enjoy these views of the setting Full Beaver Moon on Thanksgiving Day 2015. The first pic shows the Moon's differing minerals in the maria in the varying colors. You can also see crater rays. The video shows the International Space Station flying across the Moon. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! The James Webb Space Telescope received its 1st of 18 mirror segments today! Both NASA/Chris Gunn This is a HUGE step forward in the construction of JWST which is slated for launch in October 2018. I will be visiting NASA Goddard Space Flight Center early next year to get the latest. Happy Thanksgiving to all in the U.S. May you and yours have a SAFE and wonderful holiday. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Enjoy this article about Dark Matter and our Earth. We are surrounded by the stuff and our Universe probably couldn't have formed as we see it today if it weren't for Dark Matter. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! NASA's new Orion spacecraft is getting a new shiny look to it that is reminiscent of the Apollo Command Module: Orion New Look Both From NASA This is what Orion looked looked like after recovery from Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). You can see the back shell tiles that protected the spacecraft during the searing heat of re-entry. Orion "Old Look" NASA The new look of Orion adds an extra layer of protection to the spacecraft based upon the results of EFT-1 and the higher temperatures that will be encountered when the spacecraft returns from beyond the Moon in Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). Here is what the Apollo Command Module looked like. I took this pic at Kennedy Space Center. NASA sure got it right in building Apollo and that is carrying through as a legacy to Orion. I can hardly wait to see what Orion looks like in lunar orbit. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! The DMV will be clouded out tonight but for others take a look: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/leonids.cfm http://earthsky.org/space/everything-you-need-to-know-leonid-meteor-shower Here's to clear skies! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Check out this video on NASA's latest and final deep freeze test of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This is a CRITICAL test to make sure that JWST can withstand the rigors of deep cold in space. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Great group at Peaks of Otter last night, 60+. Had a wonderful star gazing session too. Here are some pics-enjoy! Sharp Top mountain x's 2 Beautiful sunset w/ Moon Stars in a stream - you can see the bottom of the stream too Orion with Barnard's Loop on left frames Sharp Top Mountain Had some technical issues on download of images :-(...salvaged what I could.....better next time! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Enjoy this pic and the latest update article on Pluto. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! In the US take time to pause and remember all of our Veterans throughout our history. Without them we would not enjoy the liberty and freedom we have today....the world would also be a far more dangerous place. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! IF the clouds leave us alone tomorrow morning and Saturday there will be a gorgeous lineup with the planets in the predawn sky and the waning crescent Moon - probably with Earthshine. Also the  Taurid Meteor Shower  is underway until the 10th which produces bright fireballs like we had in 2005 -  in VA there were multiple reports on Halloween night. I'll at Shenandoah National Park and will try to get some pics if it is clear. Clear Skies! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Think you have the 'Right Stuff'? NASA will be accepting applications for its next group of astronaut candidates starting December 14, 2015. Get all the details here . The last class was selected in 2013. Good luck! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Big day today, November 2, 2015 as it marks 15 continuous years crew manning aboard the ISS. Check out these stories: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/humans-have-lived-aboard-the-international-space-station-for-15-years-now_56377da5e4b063179912f1c2?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000047 http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/looking-back-international-space-station-at-the-start-of-expedition-1 http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/white-house-nasa-administrator-statements-on-15-years-of-human-habitation-aboard Here's to the next 15 years! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Here's my write up on WTOP   on now dead comet 2015 TB145. These are the pics I took EARLY this am Tune in to Slooh.com at 12:30 pm EDT today for a live view. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! My last blog gave you the scoop on Cassini's deepest flyby through the plumes of Enceladus. Here is the unprocessed pic of the plumes and the other unprocessed pics. These will get better as they are processed and there will be more as well as data in the coming weeks. This unprocessed view of Saturn's moon Enceladus was acquired by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during a close flyby of the icy moon on Oct. 28, 2015. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This unprocessed view of Saturn's moon Enceladus was acquired by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during a close flyby of the icy moon on Oct. 28, 2015. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This unprocessed view of Saturn's moon Enceladus was acquired by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during a close flyby of the icy moon on Oct. 28, 2015. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This unprocessed view of Saturn's moon ...

Hey Space Placers! Ever seen “Old Faithful” or other smaller geysers erupt at beautiful Yellowstone National Park   http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/exploreoldfaithful.htm     ? It is quite the sight. Located on a small, ice covered moon around the ringed planet Saturn there is a continuous eruption of huge Yellowstone-like geysers that an intrepid spacecraft will fly through at very close range to further discern their secrets. On Wednesday morning the Cassini spacecraft http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html     that has been exploring the Saturn system for over 11 years will perform its 21st flyby  http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2015-328     of Enceladus, the amazing ice covered moon with a global sub-surface ocean. This daring flyby will be only 30 miles above the South Pole of Enceladus   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ1KowQXc3Y     and it will be the deepest penetration ever ...

Hey Space Placers! The answer is here ! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Predawn on 10/26 Venus and Jupiter are going to be very close - a little over two Moon-widths. Go outside an hour or more before dawn to see Venus (brightest) near Jupiter with Mars just below both. If you have a clear view of the horizon Mercury might be visible just before it gets light. Sky Guy in Cloudy VA

Hey Space Placers! NASA's New Horizons spacecraft that completed its historic flyby of Pluto last July, is on its way to a billion mile voyage to a new mission - to explore for the first time ever a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO). Artist's Concept of a KBO & New Horizons Flyby Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Steve Gribben From the 10/22/15 news release: NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has carried out the first in a series of four initial targeting maneuvers designed to send it toward 2014 MU69 -- a small Kuiper Belt object about a billion miles beyond Pluto, which the spacecraft historically explored in July. The maneuver, which started at approximately 1:50 p.m. EDT on Oct. 22, used two of the spacecraft’s small hydrazine-fueled thrusters, lasted approximately 16 minutes and changed the spacecraft’s trajectory by about 10 meters per second. Spacecraft operators at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics ...

Hey Space Placers! Tonight is the predicted peak of the Orionid Meteor Shower . The best time to look for these bits of Comet Halley debris hitting our atmosphere is after midnight, especially in the hours before dawn. The Orionids are expected to produce about 20 meteors and hour. Viewing tips are here and NASA will be live to follow the Orionids at 10 pm EDT. Here's to clear skies! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! NASA has a new web site that will have daily pics of our Earth taken from a point 1 million miles distant. NASA Here's NASA's press release: NASA launched a new website Monday so the world can see images of the full, sunlit side of the Earth every day. The images are taken by a NASA camera one million miles away on the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Air Force. Once a day NASA will post at least a dozen new color images of Earth acquired from 12 to 36 hours earlier by NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC). Each daily sequence of images will show the Earth as it rotates, thus revealing the whole globe over the course of a day. The new website also features an archive of EPIC images searchable by date and continent. The primary objective of NOAA’s DSCOVR mission is to maintain the nation’s real-time solar wind monitoring cap...

Hey Space Placers! NASA's Cassini spacecraft has spent 11 years studying the ringed planet and its moons. In the past week Cassini started its final series of flybys of Enceladus. The returned pics have been amazing as can be seen in this close up of the moon's North pole . NASA JPL The closest pics are to be taken on October 28th as the spacecraft will zoom to within a mere 30 miles above the frozen and contorted surface of Enceladus. This will be Cassini's deepest penetration of the icy spray plumes that erupt out of cracks in the moon's frozen surface. Enceladus has a global ocean underneath its icy surface and is a desire future mission for NASA. The exploration of this ocean would give us our first look at such a feature beyond our own planet and who knows what we would find. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! I have been on the road with family and no computer for the past several days so no blog! Here is the  1st Scientific Paper on Pluto From New Horizons Team   that was just published yesterday, 10/16/15. It is a good read from the team that brought us the Pluto Flyby just 3 months ago. I'll have some interesting pics in the next few days of my trip to New Jersey..... Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! For the next few morning the crescent Moon will be sliding by Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Mercury in the East before sunrise. Sky & Telescope.com This is a nice morning sequence that is a warm up for the grouping of Mars, Jupiter and Venus later in the month. Clear skies and enjoy! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! The skies finally cleared and I took my 1st pic for the Fall of M-31 , the Andromeda Galaxy. M-31 is the closest large galaxy to our own Milky Way Galaxy and contains about 1 TRILLION stars - our Galaxy has several hundred billion stars. It stretches out over 260,000 light years as opposed to the Milky Way Galaxy's 100,000-150,000 light years. A light year is how far light, traveling at 186,000 miles per second travels in one year - it is about 6 trillion miles. M-31 Greg Redfern The pic was taken with a 300mm f/4 telephoto which tells you something about the size and relative closeness of M-31. In the pic you can see spiral arms, dust lanes, star clouds and M-110 to the immediate left and M-32 to the immediate right which are two large dwarf galaxies to M-31. The Andromeda Galaxy is the farthest object you can see with your unaided eye. It is 2.5 million light years away which means the light I captured in this pic left M-31 2.5 million years ago! T...

Hey Space Placers! The OTHER dwarf planet, Ceres, was in the lime light for a bit recently when NASA released a new global map of the icy world showing compositional differences. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA Ceres is an intriguing world that we will learn more about while the Dawn spacecraft continues to make observations. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! I saw Sir Ridley Scott's movie, 'The Martian'   today. In a word - OUTSTANDING. I say this NOT totally because I love all things space. I'm saying it because this is a very, very good movie. You can get the movie's basics from the IMDB link. Here's my review. While Matt Damon is the HUMAN star of the movie, make no mistake, Mars as it is depicted in the film is THE STAR of the movie with the impressive space hardware winning best supporting honors. Scott repeatedly gives us grand and visually stunning views of the Red Planet. I am sure he had access to the thousands of photographs of Mars from orbit and on the planet that NASA has acquired over the years. The huge scale of geological features and the endless sand contrast so vividly with the sky and weather. The night sky scenes took my breath away. The view of the Earth as a bright star, the transiting of the Martian moons, the famous dust devils, cirrus clouds and sunset are mesm...

Hey Space Placers! Enjoy this latest enhance color pic of Pluto's moon Charon. Besides the reddish color at the north pole of Charon the massive canyons/valleys and different terrain that goes at a diagonal across the whole moon is impressive. There are a lot of rilles (lines in the surface) that can be seen as well. Image Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI You can details on this pic here . There is much, much more to come in the next 13 months as data is returned to Earth by the New Horizons spacecraft. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Read about the space missions that were selected by NASA today for further competition. OK, I confess,  Near Earth Object Camera (NEOCam) is my favorite because: 1. It will help find asteroids that threaten Earth; 2. Dr. Amy Mainzer would be the Principal Investigator of the mission - and I know her: Greg Redfern & Dr. Amy Mainzer, NASA JPL She is passionate about asteroids and this mission. NASA would do well to select the mission to protect Earth and learn more about our solar system. Sky Guy in the possible bull's eye of Hurricane Joaquin

Hey Space Placers! As usual, Google says it all   https://g.co/doodle/m4fgh2  when there is a major space event. Scroll through the headlines and stories   to get the background and latest on NASA's 9/28/15 announcement that "a mystery on Mars had been solved". The mystery being the cause of long, dark streaks found at numerous craters and hills on Mars during certain times - read seasons - on Mars. Due to the combined work of various NASA spacecraft studying Mars, scientists were able to definitely say that these dark streaks are liquid, but briny (salty) water areas. These are not fast flowing streams but areas where the Martian soil has become wet due to the presence of liquid water. What makes this announcement so important is that we are now talking about liquid water on PRESENT DAY Mars and not in the distant or geological past. Of course the presence of liquid water is necessary for life as we know it to exist AND can provide a valuable resource for futur...

Hey Space Placers! Totality Shenandoah National Park Greg Redfern You have to watch this Sunday's (9-27) rare Harvest-Supermoon Total Lunar Eclipse. All of the details are here . We are probably going to be cloudy here on the East Coast :-( Sky Guy in VA