What's Up? The Space Place

Hey Space Placers! To follow up on yesterday's Mars blog, read the latest about Mars Rover Curiosity . Sky Guy in Still Cloudy VA

Hey Space Placers! The Red Planet is getting brighter and brighter in the Southeast sky as it now rises at 11 p.m. You have to be careful to not confuse Mars with the reddish colored star Antares which is dimmer and below Mars. Antares means "rival of Mars" and you can see why - Mars can appear very similar to Mars when it is at the same brightness as the star. Mars is also keeping company with the planet Saturn, a yellowish colored "star" to the lower left of Mars. To top it off both of these planets are near the gorgeous summer Milky Way. All in all it will be a glorious sight to see in the coming months. Mars will be at its brightest around May 22 when it is directly opposite the Sun. Make sure you get out and see this celestial spectacle..... Here is what the sky looks like here in VA at 4 a.m. VA Sky at 4 a.m. 4/29/16 by Sky Safari Plus Once the clouds clear here in VA I will get some photographs to share with you. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Get the latest update on James Webb Space Telescope. Sky Guy Back in Cloudy VA

Hey Space Placers! Happy Earth Day tomorrow.  Read all about it here . I'll be off the grid starting tomorrow for two weeks. I hope to have some pictures to share with you upon coming back. Enjoy brightening Mars in the SE around 11 pm local.....it is going to get even brighter these next few weeks into late May. Sky Guy Departing VA

Hey Space Placers! I got the 'scope out last night and looked at the Moon and Jupiter. I took this pic as it shows the 4 main moons of Jupiter. From L-R: Io, Europa, Callisto, Ganymede. I swear I can see some color on Callisto which would be a first for me. The atmosphere was pretty steady last night so maybe those really are true surface disks I captured. I know the focus was spot on but the atmosphere is always dancing around.  Jupiter is overexposed in the lower left so that the moons could be photographed. You can see these four main moons just like Galileo did in 1610 using a good pair of binoculars or any size telescope. There will be times when all four are not there as they are passing in front of or behind Jupiter. In a good telescope you can see these transits (in front of) and occultations (passing behind) in your 'scope as the involved moon disappearing and casting its shadow onto Jupiter's cloud tops.....so cool to see in real time. Jupiter remains...

Hey Space Placers! Been a busy couple days with clear skies in the mountains of VA. Gave two talks and had great star gazing sessions with folks as well. Here is a very informative article by Alan Stern, the Principal Investigator (PI) on the New Horizons mission. He gives us an update on published papers, the ongoing Pluto flyby data download and extended mission status. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Check out this latest finding from the Cassini spacecraft at Saturn. Pretty cool..... CREDIT NASA/ESA Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! NASA's Kepler spacecraft has returned to a stable state after being found recently in emergency mode. This plucky spacecraft has discovered thousands of exoplanet candidates and observed the 1st ever optical flashes from exploding massive stars - supernovae . Let's hope for a complete return to science operations

Hey Space Placers! Here is an UNREAL view of Comet 67/P from the Rosetta spacecraft: Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA Be sure to click on the image to see the expanded view. You have to remember that this comet is very dark and not bright as we see it here due to processing. Rosetta has given us views of this comet that are truly amazing. Browse the archive at the link above to see some of them. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Read this article about SpaceX   making history. I was amazed at how the Falcon 9 1st stage could remain upright on the landing ship in the white capped Atlantic! Then look at this photograph of SpaceX - on the left - and Orbital ATK -with the circular solar cells - resupply spacecraft being at the International Space Station ISS) together for 1st time ever. That makes SIX spacecraft currently at the ISS! Image by NASA TV The SpaceX Dragon joined ISS today at 9:57 a.m. EDT and is carrying 7,000 pounds of cargo including the inflatable Bigelow module . A good day in space! Here is what Mercury looks like in the West after it starts to get dark...be sure to look for the planet closest to the Sun as it is bright and easy. Mercury 4-9-16 Greg Redfern Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Well, when the wild weather we have been experiencing this early spring gives way to clear skies we have some wonderful sky sights awaiting us. Tonight if it is clear the one day old crescent Moon and the planet Mercury will adorn the western sky as soon as it starts to get dark. You will need a clear view of the western horizon to see them. If you have binoculars please use them as they will really enhance your view. You will also be able to see the ‘dark of the Moon’ - the portion of the Moon that isn’t illuminated by the Sun. We call this ‘Earthshine’   http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/04oct_leonardo/         and it is caused by the reflection of sunlight off our planet’s oceans and clouds which illuminates the lunar surface.  Earthshine Moon Greg Redfern Tonight’s Earthshine should be particularly noticeable as the Moon was at perigee, or closest to the Earth for the month yesterday. In fact...

Hey Space Placers! Check out the scoop on NASA's 15 year Mars Odyssey mission . At 11:02 a.m. EDT on April 7, 2001, crowds watch a Boeing Delta II rocket lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, carrying NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft into space on its seven-month journey to Mars. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University Mars is getting brighter each week as it get closest to Earth next month. I hope to get some pics of it soon. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! In the spirit of Global Astronomy Month GAM - see my previous blog - I will be starting my third season of “Let’s Talk About Space at Shenandoah National Park” tonight  http://www.goshenandoah.com/activities-events/astronomy   and hope to see you there during the season.  This week the National Academies   http://www.nationalacademies.org   Science Division   held its annual Space Science Week   http://sites.nationalacademies.org/ssb/ssb_170495       at its D.C. headquarters. Luminaries from across the country in space science met in the following committees: • Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA) • Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space (CESAS) • Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS) • Committee on Solar and Space Physics (CSSP) • Committee on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space (CBPSS) Each year during Space...

Hey Space Placers! Enjoy this item from Space.com ;-) Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Today marks the start of Astronomers Without Borders GLOBAL ASTRONOMY MONTH . As described in their press release: Global Astronomy Month 2016 (#GAM2016) fills the entire month of April again with exciting programs for astronomy enthusiasts worldwide. Whether it’s stargazing, sharing with the public, or the cosmos in art, there is something for everyone in GAM 2016. "Global Astronomy Month (GAM,  http://www.gam-awb.org ), organized each April by Astronomers Without Borders, is the world’s largest annual global celebration of astronomy. Each GAM brings new ideas and new opportunities, and GAM 2016 is no exception, once again bringing enthusiasts together worldwide to celebrate Astronomers Without Borders’ motto One People, One Sky." Check it out to see if there is an event in your area. Look at the night sky this month as part of the celebration. Sky Guy in VA