What's Up? The Space Place

Hey Space Placers! In Rostock, Germany and saw Berlin yesterday....what a city. I'll be posting about Tyco Brahe's Observatory later. Here is the latest on the so called Alien Signal  that was in the press. Sky Guy in Germany

Hey Space Placers! I am still thinking of Proxima b - see yesterday's blog. But OUR solar system keeps busy too. ESA's Rosetta spacecraft, which will be finishing its historic mission to Comet 67P next month, captured an outburst in February this year and released this GIF today. CREDIT: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA Read more about it here . I am headed for Azamara Quest for a 2 week voyage. I hope to keep in touch. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! UPDATE: Read about possible conditions and characteristics of Proxima b This is a day in the history of humanity that will be remembered because of something discovered in the field of astronomy. Competing with the headlines of a major earthquake with death and destruction in Italy, a severe tornado in Indianapolis, the torrid U.S. Presidential campaign, shameful skyrocketing of a lifesaving drug in the name of money only and not true costs, and terrorist attacks, we now have clear evidence for the closest exoplanet to Earth. Known as Proxima b, this exoplanet - a planet beyond those in our solar system -  is in an 11.2 day orbit around its parent Red Dwarf star, Proxima. Red Dwarfs are far more numerous than more massive stars, including our Sun by a very wide margin. Proxima is also part of a triple star system in the Southern Hemisphere and is located just 4.37 light years from Earth. Proxima is the closest star to Earth after our Sun. This imag...

Hey Space Placers! Tonight look to the South after sunset to see Saturn, Mars and Antares lined up in an almost straight line. Now imagine how they actually line up in space with Mars, Saturn and then the star Antares being progressively farther away. Also look to the West after sunset, using binoculars, to find Jupiter and Venus low on the horizon. You will need a clear horizon free of obstructions and a clear atmosphere to see them. Once you have spotted them make sure you watch them draw closer and closer together on subsequent nights. On the 27th the two brightest planets will be very close to one another and quite a sight for those who can see them. Get additional details here  . I am headed to sea again so I will try to stay in touch. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! One year from today, August 21, 2017,  the continental United States will witness a solar eclipse. Many cities and states lie in the path of totality, or where the Sun is completely eclipsed by the New Moon. My first and only total solar eclipse was in February 1998 onboard Holland America's Staatendam as a member of the Sky and Telescope staff. It was memorable and I look forward to being in the Moon's shadow again/ The time to start making plans for the eclipse is now. Fortunately there are a lot of resources to help. Use this link to determine where you are in relation to the eclipse.   You can determine if you want to see the eclipse from where you live or travel to where totality will take place nearest you. Here is a link that provides the best places to see the solar eclipse. You will also need to buy pairs of solar eclipse glasses, one pair of each person in your observing party. THIS IS A MUST AS YOU WILL INJURE YOUR EYES IF YOU IMPROPERLY...

Hey Space Placers! I have to put off my OSIRIS-Rex blog for a few days as I am getting ready for a cruise. In the meantime enjoy this latest on Mars Rover Curiosity . Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Just finished up with NASA's pre-launch briefing on the OSIRIS-Rex mission. I have to go through notes and will have more on this amazing asteroid sample return mission tomorrow. In the meantime, read about plans for the 1st COMMERCIAL Asteroid mission . Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! Mercury is farthest from the Sun tonight so look in the West after sunset to find it. Here is a chart to help you find not only Mercury, but Jupiter and Venus as well. Credit: EarthSky.org An unobscured view of the Western horizon is a must and binoculars will help immensely. After you have seen the three take a turn to the left, South, and see Mars and Saturn in the South to see all 5 classical naked eye planets in one session. Credit: EarthSky.org Here's to clear skies! Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! I hope you got to see the Perseids. For me it was an average shower from my location. Out of 400+ pics I got 1 decent one of a Perseid & the Milky Way Galaxy. A Perseid & the Milky Way Greg Redfern A far better view of worldwide meteors is being done on the International Space Station (ISS) for the next two years. This project will give an idea of the composition and number of meteors which enter our planet's atmosphere. The data will be very important in answering these heretofore estimates only questions. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! T he year’s best meteor shower, the Perseids, is happening now with the peak predicted to occur on the night of August 11-12. With the Moon out of the sky after 1 a.m. EDT, which is one peak prediction time, an observer with a good (read dark and unobscured) location    could see 60-100 meteors - falling stars - an hour. Last year over 1100 people went to Shenandoah National Park  http://wtop.com/the-space-place-tech/2015/08/perseids-coming-shenandoah-national-park/     to see the Perseids with 800 of them going to Big Meadows and they weren’t disappointed . A Bright 2015 Perseid At SNP Greg Redfern Observers may see more meteors at the peak this year. As stated by NASA http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/watchtheskies/perseid-meteor-shower-aug11-12.html     , “Forecasters are predicting a Perseid outburst this year with double normal rates on the night of Aug. 11-12,” said Bill Cooke with NASA’s Meteoroid...

Hey Space Placers! Enjoy these 'Jewels of the Galaxy' that I took 8/7/16: Blue-Gold Double Star Albireo The Future of Our Sun - Planetary Nebula M-27 Stellar Nursery M-8 Lagoon Nebula The Pillars of Creation Nebula M-16 The Triffid Nebula M-20 Close Up of the Pillars All were taken with a Nikon D810a DSLR through a 250mm f/9.2 CDK telescope. The Perseids are here - more details tomorrow. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! NASA's Curiosity Rover just marked its FOURTH year on Mars today, 8/6/16 . NASA has developed a free game   in which YOU get to drive a Mars Rover. You will learn what it takes to drive a rover on the Red Planet and how NASA does it for real. Here's an article on the next rover for Mars in 2020. You can see the real Mars in the South after sunset. It is fading but still distinct in the sky. Sky Guy in VA

Hey Space Placers! The Shenandoah National Park Night Sky Festival was a HUGE SUCCESS! Over 2,000 guests attended the four days and nights of activities and the sky cooperated with wonderful views of the Milky Way and planets. On Friday night we had over 400 people looking at the sky! Starting tomorrow night at sunset there will be a nice line up of the star Regulus, Mercury and Venus in the Western sky. Binoculars will help you see the trio. This view will be enhanced over the following days by the Waxing Crescent Moon as it appears in the sky. Credit: Sky & Telescope Right now you can see all 5 visible planets - Mars and Saturn are in the South as the sky gets dark. It is also THE time to get out under dark skies and see the Milky Way as it stands in the South and passes directly overhead. Summer Milky Way at Shenandoah National Park Credit: G. Redfern Enjoy! Sky Guy in VA