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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Blue Moon Eclipse Dec 31

Space Weather News for Dec. 31, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

SUNSPOT SURGE: 2009 is ending with a flurry of sunspots. The month of December has had more "spotted days" than any previous month of the year by a significant margin, and all of the month's sunspot groups have been members of new Solar Cycle 24. Could this herald an end to the deepest solar minimum in nearly a century? That remains to be seen. Sunspot counts and trends are shown on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

SOMETHING NEW: Turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into a field-tested satellite tracker! Spaceweather.com presents the Satellite Flybys app: http://simpleflybys.com

BLUE MOON ECLIPSE: For the first time in almost 20 years, there's going to be a "Blue Moon" on New Year's Eve. In Europe, sky watchers will witness an even rarer event--an eclipse of a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve. What are the odds? Probabilities and observing tips may be found at http://spaceweather.com.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The following PAS events for Dec 2009 have been CANCELED!!!

Please make a note of it...

Dec 10: Telescopes Training Workshop - due to weather

Dec 11: PV park meteor shower / star party - due to weather

Dec 17: PAS Meeting of the Minds - Due to lack of topics

The Dec 12th Virtual Star Party is still undecided but most
likely will be canceled due to weather

HAVE A SUPER WEEKEND. Keep dry
and Happy Holidays!!!

Terri


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Double Flyby for Tonight - Wed Nov 25th

Space Weather News for Nov. 25, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

DOUBLE FLYBY ALERT: Space shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) this morning at 4:53 am EST. Their separation sets the stage for double flybys of many towns and cities on Wednesday evening, Nov. 25th, when Atlantis and the ISS will soar through the night sky side by side--a fantastic sight. Atlantis is not scheduled to land until Friday morning, Nov. 27th, so the double apparitions will continue on Thursday, Nov. 26th, Thanksgiving in the United States. Check the Simple Satellite Tracker for flybys: http://spaceweather.com/flybys .

ISS FLYBY ALERTS: Would you like a phone call or text message when the ISS is about to fly over your back yard? Sign up for Spaceweather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Fireballs & Meteors

Space Weather News for Nov. 18, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

FIREBALLS AND METEORS: As forecasters predicted, the Leonid meteor shower peaked during the late hours of Nov. 17th, favoring sky watchers in Asia with an outburst of 100+ meteors per hour. Just as the outburst was dying down, an even bigger event took place over the western USA. Something hit Earth's atmosphere and exploded with an energy equivalent of 0.5 to 1 kiloton of TNT. Witnesses in Colorado, Utah, Idaho and elsewhere say the fireball "turned night into day" and "shook the ground" when it exploded just after midnight Mountain Standard Time. Researchers who are analyzing infrasound recordings of the blast say the fireball was not a Leonid. It was probably a small asteroid, now scattered in fragments across the countryside. Efforts are underway to measure the trajectory of the asteroid and guide meteorite recovery efforts.

Please visit http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Fireballs & Meteors

Space Weather News for Nov. 18, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

FIREBALLS AND METEORS: As forecasters predicted, the Leonid meteor shower peaked during the late hours of Nov. 17th, favoring sky watchers in Asia with an outburst of 100+ meteors per hour. Just as the outburst was dying down, an even bigger event took place over the western USA. Something hit Earth's atmosphere and exploded with an energy equivalent of 0.5 to 1 kiloton of TNT. Witnesses in Colorado, Utah, Idaho and elsewhere say the fireball "turned night into day" and "shook the ground" when it exploded just after midnight Mountain Standard Time. Researchers who are analyzing infrasound recordings of the blast say the fireball was not a Leonid. It was probably a small asteroid, now scattered in fragments across the countryside. Efforts are underway to measure the trajectory of the asteroid and guide meteorite recovery efforts.

Please visit http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Monday, November 16, 2009

Leonid Meteor Shower Nov 17th

Space Weather News for Nov. 16, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

LEONID METEOR SHOWER: The Leonid meteor shower peaks on Tuesday, Nov. 17th, with a new Moon providing ideally-dark viewing conditions. Forecasters expect a relatively mild display (20 to 30 meteors per hour) over North America followed by a much stronger outburst (100 to 300 per hour) over Asia. No matter where you live, the best time to look is during the dark hours before sunrise on Tuesday morning.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for full coverage of the Leonids, including live audio from a meteor radar, a live chat with a NASA meteor scientist, sky maps, photos and more.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Huge Galaxy Cluster Hints at Universe's Skeleton

Received from Matt

Huge Galaxy Cluster Hints at Universe's Skeleton



A gigantic, previously unknown set of galaxies has been found in the distant universe, shedding light on the underlying skeleton of the cosmos.


"Matter is not distributed uniformly in the universe," said Masayuki Tanaka, an astronomer with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) who helped discover the galactic assemblage. "In our cosmic vicinity, stars form in galaxies and galaxies usually form groups and clusters of galaxies."


But those collections of matter are just small potatoes compared to larger structures long-theorized to exist.


"The most widely accepted cosmological theories predict that matter also clumps on a larger scale in the so-called 'cosmic web,' in which galaxies, embedded in filaments stretching between voids, create a gigantic wispy structure," Tanaka said.


These filaments are millions of light-years long and constitute the skeleton of the universe: Galaxies gather around them, and immense galaxy clusters form at their intersections, lurking like giant spiders waiting for more matter to digest.


Scientists have struggled, though, to explain how the filaments come into existence. While massive filamentary structures have often been observed at relatively small distances from us, solid proof of their existence in the more distant universe has been lacking until now.


The team led by Tanaka discovered a large structure around a distant cluster of galaxies in images they had taken earlier. They have now used two major ground-based telescopes to study this structure in greater detail, measuring the distances from Earth to more than 150 galaxies, and, hence, obtaining a three-dimensional view of the structure.


The spectroscopic observations, detailed in the Astronomy & Astrophysics Journal, were performed using the VIMOS instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile and FOCAS on the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.


With these observations, the astronomers identified several groups of galaxies surrounding the main galaxy cluster.


The researchers were able to distinguish tens of such clumps, each typically ten times as massive as our own Milky Way galaxy — and some as much as a thousand times more massive — while they estimate that the mass of the cluster amounts to at least ten thousand times the mass of the Milky Way.


Some of the clumps are feeling the fatal gravitational pull of the cluster, and will eventually fall into it, the data suggested.


This information will allow scientists to explore how galaxies were affected by their environment at a time when the universe was much younger.


The filament is located about 6.7 billion light-years away from us and extends over at least 60 million light-years. The newly uncovered structure does probably extend farther, beyond the field probed by the team, and hence future observations have already been planned to obtain a definite measurement of its size.




Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Indonesia & Sunspot update

Space Weather News for Oct. 28, 2009http://spaceweather.com

INDONESIAN ASTEROID: Earlier this month, with no warning, a ~10-meter wide asteroid hit Earth's atmosphere above Indonesia and exploded. The break-up was so powerful, it triggered nuclear test ban sensors thousands of kilometers away. A just-released analysis of infrasound data shows that the asteroid detonated with an energy equivalent of about 50 kton of TNT, similar to a small atomic bomb. This significant impact has received relatively little attention in Western press. Details are available today on http://spaceweather.com.

SUNSPOT UPDATE: Since it emerged last weekend, new-cycle sunspot 1029 has become the biggest and most active sunspot of 2009. It is crackling with B- and C-class solar flares and putting on a good show for amateur astronomers. This one sunspot does not put an end to solar minimum, but it is a remarkable break from the calm. Check htttp://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

CONNECT YOUR PHONE TO THE SKY: Would you like a call when Earth-orbiting satellites detect strong solar flares and solar wind gusts? Sign up for Spaceweather PHONE to turn your telephone into a bona fide solar activity alert system: http://spaceweatherphone.com




Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

LCross Mission Update

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/LCROSS_impact.html


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Halley's Comet info

Space Weather News for Oct. 20, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

METEORS FROM HALLEY'S COMET: Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Halley's Comet, and this is causing the annual Orionid meteor shower. If forecasters are correct, the shower will peak on Wednesday morning, Oct. 21st, with dozens of meteors per hour. The best time to look is during the dark hours before local dawn.

For the past three years, Orionid rates have been unusually high, with reports of 60 or more meteors per hour. Researchers believe this is a result of some very old and rich debris from Comet Halley drifting across Earth's orbit. Computer models of the debris suggest that it is still in the neighborhood, so the trend of "good Orionids" could continue in 2009. Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Lunar Impace Plume

Space Weather News for Oct. 17, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

LUNAR IMPACT PLUME: NASA has just released pictures of infrared flashes and a visible plume of debris produced by a Centaur booster rocket hitting the Moon on Oct. 9th. The images confirm that the LCROSS experiment was a success despite the fact that the impacts were visually unimpressive from Earth. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images of the plume and commentary from mission scientists.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Thursday, October 15, 2009

PAS INDOOR/OUTDOOR ASTRO EVENT - Tonight

YOU ARE INVITED!!!

Everyone is welcome.
See more details about the above event in the PAS Forums at http://www.pasaz.org/forums/showthread.php?t=342
RSVP is required for attendance.

Become a guest of the PAS website and sign up foremail notifications of
upcoming events.

Follow PAS on Facebook, where all the publicevents are being posted. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=245976985153&ref=ts

And sign up for the PAS Blog to get all sorts of astronomyinfo and
updates on PAS events at http://pasaz-digest.blogspot.com/

We hope to see you at many upcoming PAS events.The PAS Calendar
has more public events being planned every day. Check it out athttp://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php




Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Star Wars at Chris Town Mall Sat Oct 3 11am - 3pm

From: http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/realdealsblog/64133

Is there a Star Wars fanatic in your house? Visit Christown Spectrum Mall for the Blast Off! Celebration. Meet your favorite Star Wars character, enter to win prizes, taste astronaut ice cream and participate in other activities from Arizona State University and the Challenger Space Center. Best of all, this is a free event. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 3). 1703 W. Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, 602-249-0670.




Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Friday, October 2, 2009

Earth & Space Exploration Day at ASU Oct 24, 2009

Sat, Oct 24, 2009 9am to 3pm
Bring the whole family to ASU
Here's the flyer with info on the event.
Here's the flyer with Map and Directions to that event.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Harvest Moon & Solar Minimums

Space Weather News for Oct. 2, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

HARVEST MOON: This weekend's full Moon has a special name--the Harvest Moon. It's the full moon closest to the northern autumnal equinox (Sept. 22). In years past, farmers depended on the light of the Harvest Moon to gather ripening crops late into the night. Now we appreciate it mainly for its beauty. Go outside this weekend and enjoy the moonlight.

SOLAR MINIMUM RETURNS: Two sunspots, which appeared on the autumnal equinox to break several months of extreme solar quiet, have faded away, leaving the sun blank once again. The deepest solar minimum in nearly a hundred years appears poised to continue. NASA spacecraft are now reporting a surge in cosmic rays around Earth caused, somewhat ironically, by this low solar activity. The full story may be found at http://spaceweather.com .


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

PAS Meeting of the Minds CANCELED FOR 9/24/09

Please note, the Meeting of the Minds has been canceled
due to lack of topics for tomorrow night.
Enjoy your evening. See you at the Oct 1 PAS meeting.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Sunspots and Equinox

Space Weather News for Sept. 22, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

NEW SUNSPOTS: In a year when the sun has been utterly blank 80% of the time, the sudden emergence of two large sunspots in a single day is a noteworthy event. Today is such a day. NASA satellites and amateur astronomers are monitoring a pair of growing sunspots, both apparently members of long-overdue Solar Cycle 24. The emergence of these active regions is not enough to end the deepest solar minimum in nearly a hundred years, but they do represent a significant uptick in solar activity. Check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

SEPT. EQUINOX: Today, Sept. 22nd at 2118 UT (5:18 pm EDT), the sun crosses the celestial equator. This event marks the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere. It's also the beginning of aurora season around the poles. Happy equinox!


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Double Flyby Today

Space Weather News for Sept. 8, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

DOUBLE FLYBY ALERT: On Tuesday, Sept. 8th at 3:26 p.m. EDT, space shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station (ISS). The two spaceships are now circling Earth side by side, forming a pair of bright lights in the night sky. Check http://spaceweather.com to see if you are favored with a double flyby of your hometown before Discovery returns to Earth on Thursday.

DON'T MISS THAT FLYBY: Would you like a call when the ISS is about to fly over your area? Sign up for SpaceWeather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Public invited: Star Party PVCC Campus Sept 10th

Good afternoon,

Dave sent me a reminder to remind all of you we have a star party
scheduled for Sept 10th on the PVCC campus
by the telescope Domes.

RSVP for this event will be with Rod.
Please let us know you are attending with your telescope
by putting in your RSVP on the PAS Calendar
or by dropping an email to Rod.

Details for this event can be found in the Calendar at the above link.

Thank you so much and have a super 3 day weekend!!!

Terri, Event Coordinator


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Geomagnetic Megastorm & Vanishing Moons of Jupiter

Space Weather News for Sept. 2, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC MEGASTORM: Northern Lights swept over Cuba and Hawaii. Telegraph offices caught fire. Earth's magnetic field shook for nearly a week. That's what happened 150 years ago today when our planet experienced a shocking "geomagnetic megastorm." Could it happen again? Today's story on http://spaceweather.com explores the possibilities.

VANISHING MOONS OF JUPITER: Tonight, Sept. 2nd and 3rd, for the first time in many years, the moons of Jupiter are going to disappear. At least that's how it will seem when Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto line up in front of and behind the giant planet. A casual look through a backyard telescope will show no moons at all. The 2-hour vanishing act begins at 9:43 p.m PDT on Sept. 2nd (4:43 UT on Sept. 3rd). Check http://spaceweather.com a sky map, animations and more information.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Monday, August 31, 2009

Planetary Wonderings: September & Saturn

Planetary Wonderings
September Focus: Saturn and September

By Mary-Frances R. Bartels, NASA Solar System Ambassador

The month of September marks several significant anniversaries and events related to the planet Saturn. Let us examine a few.

The month begins with the 30th anniversary of the Pioneer 11 flyby. Pioneer 11, the second in the Pioneer program, investigated the outer solar system, and was the first spacecraft to explore Saturn and its rings up close. In addition to their scientific missions, the Pioneer craft carry a plaque with a message from mankind to whatever extraterrestrial beings may discover them.

On Sept. 4 Saturn’s rings will be edge-on as viewed from Earth. This also occurred August 11. Saturn’s rings turn edge-on every fourteen to fifteen years. While they are beautiful to observe, their “disappearance” provides an opportunity for Earth viewers to appreciate the planet’s strangely blue north pole, a new phenomenon discovered by the Cassini mission. Saturn was closest to earth in March which means, unfortunately, that it is difficult to view this time of year because it is so near the sun in the sky.

Sept. 17 is the 220th anniversary of William Herschel's discovery of Saturn’s moon Mimas. Mimas has a large impact crater named after Herschel, and coincidentally resembles the Star Wars Death Star. Though an accomplished musician, Herschel developed an interest in astronomy. His systematic survey of the sky also lead him to discover the planet Uranus, which this year just so happens to be at opposition (closest to Earth) on this day as well.

Sept. 21 is Gustav Holst’s 135th birthday. Holst is best known as the composer of “The Planets,” a seven-movement orchestral suite. His tribute to Saturn was called “The Bringer of Old Age.”

An obscure connection between Saturn and September can be found in Roman mythology and timeless traditions. Saturn was named for the Roman god of agriculture. Countless agriculture-related festivals are held during the months of September and October. One locally notable one occurs in the village near my residence. Each year during the third weekend of September the village of Centerburg , OH, puts on the Oldtime Farming Festival (www.oldtimefarmingfestival.org).

Resource of the Month: Test your knowledge of the “Lord of the Rings” with this Saturn Trivia Quiz at http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz90828a684a8.html . Some of the answers to the quiz are in this article.

Activity of the Month: Attend a Star Party. Those living near southwest Ohio might be interested in the ScopeOut Astronomy Fair in Cincinnati on the 12th. The Cincinnati Observatory will celebrate the telescope with an open house called ScopeOut. ScopeOut is an opportunity for people of all ages to look at the latest and greatest astronomical equipment. Activities include classes, educational materials, kid's space crafts, safe viewing of the Sun, tours of the observatory’s historic buildings, and plenty of door prizes. For more information see: http://www.cincinnatiobservatory.org/scopeout2009.html . Readers not in the Cincinnati area might want to look for more local star party opportunities. http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/#0909 lists some in Nevada , Maryland , Illinois , Maine , and Michigan .

Suggestions, questions, corrections, and comments about “Planetary Wonderings” are welcomed and may be directed to stargazer @ keeplookingup.net (remove spaces). Past columns may be found at www.KeepLookingUp.net (click on “Planetary Wonderings” on the right side of opening screen) and at http://www.freelists.org/archives/astronomyed/ (columns from Jan. 2007 to the present).

Remember to keep looking up!

Sources (not already mentioned in the article):
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/18mar_saturn.htm
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=7992
http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/herschel/fwhershs.html




Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Jupiter Moon Movie

Space Weather News for August 18, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

JUPITER MOON MOVIE: An amateur astronomer in the Philippines has photographed one of Jupiter's moons, Io, casting its circular shadow across another, Ganymede. The movie he made of this rare event is must-see cinema for astronomers. It's playing now on http://spaceweather.com .


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Friday, August 14, 2009

Tonight's VSP is canceled 8/14

PAS Members,

Due to the weather in Mayer, and a few other reasons, Chris has decided to cancel
tonight's Virtual Star Party. We will be setting up the next VSP soon. Watch for
an announcement of it, or check the PAS calendar or Forums for more info.

Have a super Friday and a fantastic weekend!
Terri, Event Coordinator


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Perseids Meteor Shower Peak Tonight 8/11

Space Weather News for August 11, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

The Perseid meteor shower is about to peak. The show begins after sunset on Tuesday, August 11th, and continues until the sun rises on Wednesday, August 12th. A time of particular interest is 0800-0900 GMT (1-2 a.m. PDT) on the 12th. That's when Earth is expected to pass through a denser-than-usual filament of dust from Perseid parent Comet Swift-Tuttle. Forecasters are unsure what will happen, but some have speculated that meteor rates could surge as high as 200 per hour. Bright moonlight will blot out many of those Perseids, but even a fraction of 200 is a good show.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for full coverage of the Perseids.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Meteor Shower OUTBURST!!!

Space Weather News for Aug. 4, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

POSSIBLE PERSEID METEOR OUTBURST: This year's Perseid meteor shower could be even better than usual. According to NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, a filament of comet dust has drifted across Earth's path and when Earth passes through it, sometime between 0800 and 0900 UT (1 - 2 am PDT) on August 12th, the Perseid meteor rate could surge to twice its normal value. Check http://spaceweather.com for details and observing tips.

PERSEIDS ON YOUR iPHONE: Spaceweather.com is pleased to announce a new iPhone/iPod application dedicated to the upcoming Perseid meteor shower. It features a Perseid countdown clock, news alerts, an easy-to-use sky map, and a live gallery of photos from around the world. Sky watchers of all types will find it a valuable companion when the shower peaks later this month.

Learn more: http://spaceweather.com/perseids

Download the app: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=325305245&mt=8


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Monday, August 3, 2009

Light Pollution

Planetary Wonderings
August Focus: Dark Skies

By Mary-Frances R. Bartels, NASA Solar System Ambassador

Most people are familiar with water, air and possibly noise pollution, but what about light pollution? Light pollution is any nighttime artificial light that shines where it is not needed. Is this a problem? Professionals and amateurs from numerous fields answer a resounding “yes.” Stray artificial lighting wastes electricity and money; increases the production of carbon dioxide and other pollutants; disrupts wildlife by interfering with navigation, migration, and reproduction; is a health hazard to people; decreases, rather than increases security; is a safety hazard; and degrades the view of the night sky. Despite the efforts of cities around the US and, indeed, the world, to enact laws to help limit the sky glow from artificial lighting, light pollution continues to be a problem. Information on proper lighting from economic, ecologic, and security standpoints abounds on the web. This article briefly touches on the astronomical problem.

Let us look at light pollution from an observing position. Imagine going to see the beautiful mountains of Colorado or the Grand Canyon in Arizona . You expect to see some of the most stunningly gorgeous scenery on the planet, BUT when you get there the weather is either hazy or raining, obscuring most, if not all, of what you came to see. The night sky near and in urban areas is like this. Stray light interacts with the atmosphere causing sky glow. Night vision is ruined, further reducing the number of sky objects visible. Without leaving home one should be able to experience the awe of night sky objects such as planets, comets, meteors, nebulae, and the like. However this view for most of the US , European, and eastern Asian populations is degraded by light pollution. Indeed, it is believed that 20% of the world’s population, including 67% of those in the US , cannot even see the Milky Way. What is the result of this for science? Space-based telescopes are great, but there is still much work that can be done on the ground, by amateurs and professionals alike, cheaper and without the hassles of launch and deployment. Stray artificial light presently hampers the use of Earth-based observatories. Rare astronomical events could go undiscovered. Amateur astronomers routinely discover comets, asteroids (sometimes, potentially hazardous asteroids), and monitor the brightness behaviour of thousands of stars. Less than two weeks ago an Australian amateur astronomer discovered a black spot on Jupiter indicative of a comet or asteroid impact. Days later another amateur discovered a white spot on Venus, possibly from a volcanic eruption. Increasing light pollution makes these discoveries more and more difficult, if not impossible. How might science education be effected if students cannot make simple observations of the night sky? How can children gain an appreciation for astronomy if they can barely see the Big Dipper, if at all? Light pollution jeopardizes the very future of the study of space.

The goal of preserving the wonder of the universe significantly, if not entirely, overlaps with that of conserving the planet’s ecology as a heritage to its children. So, any effort made to make or keep skies dark for astronomical observations also has the benefit of cutting greenhouse gasses, saving money, etc.

Several organizations help promote dark sky awareness. The International Dark-Sky Association (http://www.darksky.org/) distributes timely information on the subject through its Facebook page and educational resources, including steps homeowners can take to decrease extraneous light from their houses via its website. The International Year of Astronomy 2009’s Cornerstone Project has a website dedicated to dark skies awareness at http://www.darkskiesawareness.org/ where one can learn about dark sky activities and events. The Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute monitors sky brightness and stellar visibility via satellites. Maps produced from this data may be found at http://www.lightpollution.it/worldatlas/pages/fig1.htm and elsewhere on the website. Other groups concerned with dark sky awareness are listed below under “Sources.”

Resource of the Month: Though the year is more than half over EarthSky’s Meteor Shower Guide for 2009 at http://www.earthsky.org/article/earthskys-meteor-shower-guide is still useful. August is the month of the Perseid meteor shower. This guide mentions that shower as well as other showers throughout the year, including observing tips.

Activity of the Month: Though having nothing to do with astronomy, but related to dark skies, consider joining Firefly Watch, a citizen science project to help experts monitor the health of lightening bug populations. For more information check out https://www.mos.org/fireflywatch/about_firefly_watch .

When the fireflies are gone, those who want to help scientists monitor the night sky are encouraged to participate in the third annual worldwide Star Count event in October (www.StarCount.org).

Other websites mentioned in this article are chocked full of other dark sky activities and demonstrations.

Suggestions, questions, corrections, and comments about “Planetary Wonderings” are welcomed and may be directed to stargazer @ keeplookingup.net (remove spaces). Past columns may be found at www.KeepLookingUp.net (click on “Planetary Wonderings” on the right side of opening screen) and at http://www.freelists.org/archives/astronomyed/ (columns from Jan. 2007 to the present).

Remember to keep looking up!

Sources (not already mentioned in the article): http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Light_Pollution
http://www.lightpollution.it/indexen.html
http://www.darkskiesawareness.org/
http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/
http://www.lettherebenight.com/index.html
http://www.nightwise.org/




Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Collision

Space Weather News for July 21, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR ECLIPSE: The longest total eclipse of the 21st century is about to begin. It starts just hours from now at approximately 9 p.m. EDT on July 21st (0100 UT on July 22nd). The path of totality crosses many major cities in India and China, setting the stage for possibly the best-observed eclipse in history. Photos from the path of totality will be posted on http://spaceweather.com as the event unfolds. NOT VISIBLE IN USA.

COSMIC COLLISION: Evidence is mounting that something did hit Jupiter no more than a few days ago. The impact site (a dark "scar" in Jupiter's clouds) was discovered on July 19th by Australian amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley, and NASA astronomers quickly confirmed the find. Infrared photos posted on today's edition of Spaceweather.com are consistent with an asteroid or comet strike on the giant planet. The debris zone in Jupiter's clouds is itself as wide as a small planet, making it an easy target for backyard telescopes.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Monday, July 20, 2009

L.R.O.

Received this one from Don:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/apollosites.html


Enjoy!


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Possible Impact on Jupiter

Space Weather News For July 19, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

JUPITER IMPACT? On July 19th, a veteran observer of Jupiter in Australia photographed a fresh dark "scar" in Jupiter's cloudtops; the feature resembles the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts of 1994. It is possible that Jupiter has been struck anew by an asteroid or comet. Astrophotographers around the world should train their optics on Jupiter to confirm the event and monitor its progress. Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: For less than the cost of a night at the movies, you can get real time space weather alerts on your cell phone and never miss another big solar flare or geomagnetic storm. Sign up for Space Weather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Asteroid to Occult Star July 18-19

Asteroid to Occult Star July 18-19

July 15, 2009
by Tony Flanders

This message is forwarded from David Dunham of the International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA).

Around 1 a.m. CDT (2 a.m. EDT) on the night of Saturday-Sunday, July 18-19, the moderately large asteroid 790 Pretoria occults a 10th-magnitude star in Pegasus for observers in a wide swath of land from Florida through Minnesota and past Winnipeg. The 3.5-magnitude drop in brightness may last up to 16 seconds and should be visible through a 4-inch or larger telescope.

See Scott Degenhardt's page on this event, and Steve Preston's finder charts.

IOTA is campaigning to have this event well covered by observers doing accurate timings, preferably by video recording. If you want to provide scientifically valuable observations, please read the information at iota.jhuapl.edu/timng920.htm and consider downloading the free book Chasing the Shadow: The IOTA Occultation Observer's Manual.





Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Clouds go wild!

Space Weather News for July 15, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS GO WILD: An intense display of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) lit up the skies of Europe and North America last night. Bright electric-blue tendrils were visible through fireworks during Bastille Day celebrations in France, while the clouds descended as far south as Nebraska in the USA. Sky watchers should be alert for a repeat performance tonight. Observing tips and photos of the July 14th-15th display may be found at these URLs:

Europe: http://spaceweather.com/nlcs/gallery2009_page12.htm

USA: http://spaceweather.com/nlcs/gallery2009_page13.htm

Please visit http://spaceweather.com for updates.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

PAS Photos being moved to PAS Website

I've decided it was time. Chris, our webmaster, asked me to move the PAS photos over to the PAS website for storage, rather than use my photobucket account. So, as of today, and probably for the next several months, the photos will slowly be moved to the www.pasaz.org website into the Photo Gallery. Please visit and take a look! The photos I'm moving will be the same, in the same order, with hopefully the same captions, but now they will be housed on the PAS Website rather than in my personal photobucket account. As they move over, the links on this page will no longer work, and will eventually be deleted. Thank you for your understanding. This will take me a while to do, so you have time to enjoy the photos that are still here, until they are gone. Enjoy!


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Following the ISS, Blue Moon over Iran, Sunspot Update

Space Weather News for July 8, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

WHAT'S FOLLOWING THE ISS? Sky watchers are reporting a "mysterious satellite" following the International Space Station (ISS). It trails the ISS by about one minute, relatively faint, but definitely there. Mystery solved: The follower is Progress 33, a Russian supply ship. On July 12th, it will come within meters of the space station to test a new automated docking system. Check the Simple Satellite Tracker for flyby times and get two spaceships for the price of one: http://spaceweather.com/flybys

BLUE MOON OVER IRAN: Blue moons are not a myth. This week, sky watchers in Iran have seen them appear in the night sky. The full Moon is turning blue because of a major dust storm blowing across the Middle East. Today's edition of http://spaceweather.com features space-based images of the behemoth storm, the blue moons it is causing, and an explanation of the phenomenon.

SUNSPOT UPDATE: The first big sunspot of new Solar Cycle 24 is growing again. So far, sunspot 1024 poses no threat for major eruptions, but it is a big, photogenic target for backyard solar telescopes. Readers who would like instant notification of solar flares and geomagnetic storms can get them by signing up for Space Weather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com .


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Planetary Wonderings: Walking on the Moon

I got this from my contact at Astromed. She sends some really interesting things to read about, every so often. If you are interested in receiving these type of emails, please sign up at astronomyed@freelists.org. Enjoy!

Planetary Wonderings
July Focus: Did Man Really Walk on the Moon?

By Mary-Frances Bartels, NASA Solar System Ambassador

This month marks the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing by humans. The Apollo 11 mission was briefly recounted in the April Planetary Wonderings column and the lunar exploration talk I gave in March referenced in the same column. PW readers probably have no trouble believing that the United States sent men to the moon, men who actually walked on its surface. On the other hand, there are those that believe all moon missions were hoaxes. Let us briefly visit a few of their arguments as well as new discoveries that give compelling evidence that humans have, indeed, been to the moon.

One of the arguments against the landings is that photographs by the astronauts do not show stars in the sky. Though the sky on the moon is always black, similar to the Earth sky at night, the astronauts were on the moon during local morning — in the daytime. The sun made the landscape and the astronauts’ suites very bright, necessitating using camera settings that could not capture the comparatively dim starlight. Had the astronauts optimized the cameras to view the stars, everything else would be totally washed out. Readers can easily see this with photo-enhancing software. Brightening a photo enough to bring out objects in a dark shadow causes a great loss in detail in bright objects.

Another argument involves the direction of shadows in the photographs. Logic would seem to dictate that all shadows from one light source would be parallel to each other. Lunar surface photographs do not show this, so, according to those who do not believe the moon landings really happened, they were faked. The problem with this is that it fails to take perspective into account. Whereas an overhead shot WOULD show parallel shadows, ground-based pictures show shadows from closer objects appearing to diverge from those of distant objects. This is a phenomenon that can be seen on Earth early in the morning or evening when there are long shadows and objects of differing distances from the observer.

Some unbelievers hone in on the moon rover videos. Examination of these same videos reveals dust disturbed by the tires falling in parabolic arcs as would be expected in an area of little to no atmosphere. Had the rovers been filmed on Earth, where there is air resistance, the dust would have billowed and taken longer to return to the ground, even in Earth’s greater gravity. An example of this can be seen when a vehicle drives down a dirt road. There is a trail of dust behind said vehicle that lasts for minutes. No trail of dust is seen in any of the rover videos.

Probably the most recent evidence for humans landing on the moon comes not from NASA, but rather JAXA (Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency). JAXA’s SELENE (Kaguya) mission provided convincing support for the Apollo 15 landing which occurred 38 years ago this month. Kaguya imaged the halo left by the Apollo lander exhaust as it left the lunar surface. Kaguya’s 3-dimentional terrain camera was also used to produce very accurate topographic maps of the moon. Through the use of this data one may virtually “land on the moon” and “look around.” Scientists took the data and virtually “imaged” the Apollo 15 landing site as it would appear from the surface. The computer simulation matched perfectly with a photograph taken by the Apollo 15 astronauts. The technology to imagine the surface of the moon in such detail did not exist in the 20th century.

Are there further plans to find evidence of humans going to the moon? Actually, there are. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (discussed in Feb. and Nov. ’08, and April ‘09 columns), launched last month, is set to image all the Apollo landing sites. It is expected that LRO’s camera should be able to see Apollo 11’s Eagle descent stage, as well as the lunar rover tracks from other Apollo missions.

Resource of the Month: Readers old enough to personally remember Apollo 11 are invited to reminisce about the mission with videos at YouTube. Other readers may experience the same excitement by watching coverage as it happened from the above-mentioned videos. A search reveals nearly 5000 hits at YT. Some moon hoax videos are on YT as well.

Activity of the Month: Do you play Second Life, the popular multi-user virtual world? If so, you might want to check out Astronomy 2009 Island . A consortium of governmental agencies, including NASA, museums, universities, private space-related groups, and others have created the SciLands, a mini-continent of science and nature themed islands within the game. The International Year of Astronomy group formed Astronomy 2009 Island . Various “activities” take place on this “island.” Permanent “attractions” include a multi-media theater, a digital-style planetarium, a Dark Skies demonstration area, a Sidewalk Astronomy experience with a variety of small telescope models, and a unique implementation of the From Earth to the Universe astronomical imagery project. Astronomy 2009 Island recently welcomed monthly lectures from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago .

Suggestions, questions, corrections, and comments about “Planetary Wonderings” are welcomed and may be directed to stargazer @ keeplookingup.net (remove spaces). Past columns may be found at www.KeepLookingUp.net (click on “Planetary Wonderings” on the right side of opening screen) and at http://www.freelists.org/archives/astronomyed/ (columns from Jan. 2007 to the present).

Remember to keep looking up!

Sources (not already mentioned in the article): http://secondastronomy.org/
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2008/05/20080520_kaguya_e.html
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html
http://www.apollo-hoax.me.uk/strangeshadows.html
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-070109a.html
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1905344,00.html




Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Sunspot Alert

Space Weather News for July 4, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

The sun is putting on its own 4th of July fireworks show. A new sunspot is rapidly emerging in the sun's southern hemisphere and it is crackling with B-class solar flares. The magnetic polarity of sunspot 1024 identifies it as a member of new Solar Cycle 24. It appears to be the best offering yet of the young solar cycle. Check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

ALERT: For less than the cost of a night at the movies, you can get real time space weather alerts on your cell phone and never miss another big solar flare or geomagnetic storm. Sign up for Space Weather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com .


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Volcanic Sunsets

Space Weather News for June 30, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

VOLCANIC SUNSETS: The Russian volcano that erupted directly beneath the International Space Station on June 12th is now causing beautiful lavender sunsets across parts of the northern USA and Europe. A plume of ash and sulfur dioxide from the Sarychev Peak eruption is circulating through the stratosphere, and when parts of the plume pass over an area at sunset, the sky fills with delicate white ripples, sometimes-colorful streamers, and a telltale hue of purple. Check today's edition for observing tips and a photo gallery.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Phoenix Monsoon Season

Phoenix Monsoon Season
by Terri, Event Coordinator for PAS

During the summer months, from May 15 to Sept 30, the Phoenix Monsoon season is here. What this means is that in Phoenix, at a drop of a hat, the weather that is clear and sunshine in the morning, can turn to windy, possibly rainy, and all around yucky for astronomy by afternoon
and evening. So, a lot of events we have during the summer months, even though they are the better months for observing because of temperatures, get canceled. If you plan to attend our events this summer, be sure to RSVP as often as you can. If we cancel an event, we'd like you to know about it before you drive out to the site and find no one there. In the calendar on our site www.pasaz.org, you will find a place to RSVP your attendance. You can also RSVP by phone to the proper contact for that event, or by email, preferably by the day before. This will keep you in the loop as to if an event with PAS is going to happen or not due to weather. We would love to see you at our events. Most of our events are open to the public and FREE. Keep in touch with PAS to experience more of the awesome evening viewing.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Monday, June 22, 2009

Lunar Flyby Tuesday 6/23

Space Weather News for June 22, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

LUNAR FLYBY: Tomorrow morning, NASA's LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) spacecraft will fly by the Moon and send pictures back to Earth from only 9000 km above the lunar surface. The purpose of the maneuver is to put LCROSS in an elongated Earth orbit and position it for impact at the lunar south pole later this year. Live video streaming of the flyby begins at approximately 5:20 AM PDT on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. Visit http://spaceweather.com for links and updates.

NEW SUNSPOTS: Since 2007, it has been unusual to see even a single spot on the sun. Today there are two. A pair of new-cycle sunspots is emerging in the sun's southern hemisphere. This is a good opportunity for readers with solar telescopes to witness sunspot genesis in action.


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Star Observer

Received from my good friend who runs the Star Observer website. Enjoy:

Hi all,


I just posted two new observing reports on my new website, Starobserver.eu.


The first is on NGC 6910, a small and compact open cluster in Cygnus. When observing this open cluster you see bright yellow stars, that are in fact B-stars. So they should appear white. What causes the yellowish appearance is explained in this article, where I got some great help from Professor James Kaler, author of some of the best books on stars, and Dr. Franz Gruber, who sent me a few magnificent deepsky images of the Cygnus area to illustrate the high degree of nebulosity in the Cygnus area. To read the full report, follow this link:



The second is about

eta Persei is a bright double star, placed within a striking asterism. When I was writing my notes on this double, I found out the collecting the right data is sometimes much more complicated than you think. I got some help from an Austrian astro-photograpeher, Peter Wienerroither. His image of eta Persei was a great help in identifying all the components of eta Persei. To read the full report, just follow this link:



Clear skies!

Math



Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Send your name to Mars (2)

Received this from my good friend Carol:

Please enter the following link and type your name in to be sent on microchip with the Mars next rover. You can enter your children and friends also.

http://mars9.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname/index.cfm


Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

NASA's Space Place on Facebook

We have created a Facebook page for the NASA Space Place. Please encourage your fellow educators to "become a fan" of the Space Place Facebook page -- by publishing and circulating the paragraph below.

Our Facebook page contains original activities NOT on the Space Place -- as well as highlights of the new activities on our site.

Thanks for helping us get out the word on this new feature!

Colleen

_________________________________________________________________________________

For those of you with Facebook pages, we just created a page for NASA’s Space Place Web site, http://spaceplace.nasa.gov. The Space Place an extensive, content-rich Web site for upper elementary age kids, their teachers, parents, and anyone else who likes a simple, readable, fun presentation of a wide range of space and Earth science and technology topics. Most of the site is great for kids to explore on their own, with interactive games, hands-on projects, and fun facts. But it also has lots of stuff for teachers. Teachers especially appreciate the bi-monthly Space Place Newsletter for educators, which has lots of suggestions for how to use the resources of this Web site in the classroom. See the "Teacher's Corner" at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/educators.

Check out “NASA’s The Space Place” new page on Facebook, where you will also find exclusive content only for our Facebook fans! Become a fan, and we'll also let you know whenever we add a new game, animation, cartoon “talk show,” fun fact, or any other interesting stuff. It’s a great way to explore space!

_________________________________________________________________________________


Thanks much!

Colleen Barboza
Space Place Coordinator
Phone: (818) 393-5936
FAX: (818) 354-9068



Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society