LET PAS BE YOUR TICKET TO THE STARS!
Contact me: Events@pasaz.org
Welcome to the PHOENIX ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY BLOG.
Located in Phoenix, Arizona. We welcome everyone to enjoy the night sky with us!
This is YOUR link to what's happening with PAS: PASAZ.ORG. By joining this blog, you will receive info on Astronomy plus updates on PAS events.
If the text is missing from one of the posts, please drag your mouse across it to make it appear. Thanks.
Surface of Pluto May Contain Organic Molecules
http://news.yahoo.com/surface-pluto-may-contain-organic-molecules-151008586.html
Twin probes to circle moon to study gravity field
http://news.yahoo.com/twin-probes-circle-moon-study-gravity-field-151047672.html
Upcoming Space Missions for 2012
http://news.yahoo.com/upcoming-space-missions-2012-212600401.html
Posted by Terri at 1:38 PM
Space Weather News for Dec. 15, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
SUNDIVING COMET: Comet Lovejoy is plunging toward the sun, and its ~200-meter wide core is vaporizing furiously as it approaches the hot star. So far the comet's brightness seems to be exceeding expectations. Indeed, there is a slim chance that the sundiver will brighten enough to be seen with the naked eye in broad daylight on Dec. 15th. Check http://spaceweather.com for further discussion and the latest movies from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.
Posted by Terri at 11:50 AM
Happy Sunday morning to everyone,
The December PAStimes Newsletter is ready
for download. Please enjoy!
http://www.pasaz.org/PAStimes/2011-2012/2011-12.pdf
Terri
Posted by Terri at 12:29 AM
More links from Matt:
Is the Milky Way a galaxy killer?
http://theweek.com/article/index/220656/is-the-milky-way-a-galaxy-killer
Cleaning up the trash in space
http://theweek.com/article/index/220249/cleaning-up-the-trash-in-space
Posted by Terri at 1:26 PM
Received this link from Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/spectacular-photos-monster-saturn-storm-snapped-nasa-spacecraft-165401481.html
Posted by Terri at 2:10 PM
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Phoenix-Lights--134132643.html
Received this link from Rod.
Posted by Terri at 12:43 PM
Due to weather, PAS has CANCELED the event tomorrow night, Saturday 11/19 at PV Park from 6pm to 10pm. Please visit the PAS Calendar for more upcoming astronomy events: http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php
Posted by Terri at 3:19 PM
Received this link from Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/nasa-creates-first-ever-high-resolution-moon-map-013424746.html
Posted by Terri at 12:07 PM
Received this link from Matt;
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/planet-call-home-seen-240-miles-145006199.html
Posted by Terri at 11:04 PM
Received this link from Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/mars-volcano-1320955000-slideshow/
Posted by Terri at 5:25 PM
Space Weather News for Nov. 7, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
ASTEROID FLYBY: NASA radars are monitoring 2005 YU55, an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier, as it heads for a Nov. 8th flyby of the Earth-Moon system. There is no danger to our planet. At closest approach on Tuesday at 3:28 pm PST (23:28 UT), the space rock will be 324,600 kilometers away. Nevertheless, professional astronomers are eagerly anticipating the flyby as the asteroid presents an exceptionally strong radar target. Even amateur astronomers might be able to photograph it during the hours around closest approach. Check http://spaceweather.com for observing tips and more information.
OWN YOUR OWN SPACE ROCK: They came from outer space--and you can have one. Genuine meteorites are now on sale in the Space Weather Store: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/ownameteorite.aspx
Posted by Terri at 9:58 AM
Space Weather News for Oct. 21, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
WEEKEND METEOR SHOWER: Today Earth is entering a stream of debris from Halley's comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Saturday morning, Oct. 22nd, with more than 15 meteors per hour. Check http://spaceweather.com for links to a live meteor radar, sky maps and observing tips.
MASSIVE SATELLITE NEARS RE-ENTRY: The massive ROSAT X-ray space telescope is making its final spiralling orbits around Earth. Most experts agree that re-entry will occur during the early hours of Oct. 23rd over a still-unknown region of our planet. Sky watchers report that the descending satellite can be as bright as a first magnitude star and it occasionally "flares" to even greater intensity. For last-chance sightings of ROSAT in your area, please check SpaceWeather's online satellite tracker (http://spaceweather.com/flybys) or turhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifn your smartphone into a ROSAT tracker: http://simpleflybys.com .
---
For the Orionid Meteor Shower, PAS is hosting a public star party / meteor shower viewing, at a member's home in Carefree. RSVP is with Mike if you wish to attend. RSVP by tonight 480-488-3031 for map and directions, and if you are joining us for Pizza Party at $1 / slice, email Terri Events@pasaz.org with head count and slice count. The pizza order goes in noon Saturday. More details can be found at this link: http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=701&day=2011-10-22&c=1
Posted by Terri at 11:08 AM
Received post from Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/did-massive-comet-almost-wipe-humans-1883-112600864.html
Posted by Terri at 2:46 PM
Link set to me by Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/titanium-treasure-found-moon-135109582.html
Posted by Terri at 3:00 PM
Link sent to me by Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/map-saturn-moon-titan-reveals-surprisingly-earth-features-155802921.html
Posted by Terri at 1:40 PM
Link sent to me by Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/giant-asteroid-mountain-taller-mt-everest-photographed-201403254.htmlhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Posted by Terri at 1:40 PM
Link sent to me by Matt:
http://theweek.com/article/index/220281/the-incredible-mars-video-a-three-year-journey-in-3-minutes
Posted by Terri at 1:35 PM
This meteor shower will coincide with the PAS Moon Marathon, International Observe the moon night and the public star party we are having at Mike's home in Carefree. To attend, RSVP is required. See this link for more details!
http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=678&day=2011-10-8&c=1
Space Weather News for Oct. 7, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
DRACONID METEOR SHOWER: On Saturday, October 8th, Earth will pass through a network of dusty filaments shed by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. Forecasters expect the encounter to produce anywhere from a few dozen to a thousand meteors per hour visible mainly over Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East. The meteors will stream from the northern constellation Draco--hence their name, the "Draconids." Check http://spaceweather.com for full coverage of the event including observing times and a live audio stream from a meteor radar.
Posted by Terri at 12:32 PM
Happy Tuesday to you all!
Hopefully you had a great weekend. We start out this month with a bunch of exciting astronomy activities that are open to the public and FREE! For more events, visit the PAS Calendar www.pasaz.org.
The October Newsletter is ready for download. Please help yourself to a copy. You can find the Newsletter by going to the PAS Website www.pasaz.org, then on the left side is the navigation bar. Click on the word Newsletter. That takes you to the current 2011-2012 PAS Season of Newsletters. A PAS Season runs from September to May, just like school does. Help yourself to the October issue, and if you haven't checked out the September issue, feel free to. If you are looking for past issues, a little further down on the right is the word Archive. That's where you find past issue of the PAStimes Newsletter. Normally, you can check, monthly, the Sunday prior to the next PAS meeting, for the next issue of the newsletter. Thus, that would have been this past Sunday. And yes, it was there for your enjoyment.
Let's talk about this weeks' events.
This Thursday 10/6 is the Oct PAS Meeting. Our guest speaker will be talking about Meteorites. We'd love to see you there. Bring a snack to share. PAS will provide the water. And Bring a Friend! We meet in the Library at PVCC Main Campus around 7pm for set up. 7:30 we will open the meeting with few brief announcements and then Sam will give us a mini report on the Dark Skies of Portal. Dolores, the Guest Speaker will take over about 7:45. The meeting will end & we must be out of the Library by 9:30. Please remember to use your Library voices while in the Library, before and after the meeting, when socializing. We do not want to be asked to hold our meetings in another location. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Saturday 10/8 we have the International Observe the Moon Night being held at Mike's home in Carefree. For map and directions, call Mike 480-488-3031 or drop him an email primefactory@q.com. We are also doing the MOON MARATHON, so if you want to be part of that, please sign up with me, today!!! I need to know how many participants will be at the Marathon. RSVP is REQUIRED with me to compete in the marathon. Attendees for the Marathon must have a scope to use, one scope per marathoner, no sharing scopes.
The schedule for this night - weather permitting... will be:
4pm Potluck - Bring a main dish to share, Bring a drink to share
6pm Moon Marathon begins for those competing
If you are not competing but want to start the public Star Party / Observe the Moon Night... feel free to be there at 6pm. Those in the Marathon will be set up away from those showing the night sky, so the public does not disturb those competing.
8pm General Viewing of the Moon + More.
Everyone is welcome!
Here's what's visible that night, aside from the bright, almost full moon:
Sunset is 6:05pm
Moon is visible from 6pm on
Jupiter rises at 7:25, so best viewing of Jupiter will be after 8:30.
Dark is 7pm.
You HAVE TO RSVP with Me to do the Marathon. I need to know who is attending, how many are attending. And if the weather lets us hold this event, this will be the event you will win the MOON MARATHON PLAQUE that Jerry Belcher designed. Very nice Plaque!
So, when you RSVP, please let me know your arrival time. And if you are not staying later into the evening, please park so that your headlights are away from the viewing area, meaning park so the front of your car is facing away from Mikes' house and towards the road. This way you can leave and not disturb the viewing.
Sunday 10/9
We have the Bookmans FREE Telescope Workshop. Due to a scheduling issue at Bookmans PAS was asked to hold our event 2 hours earlier than usual. Therefore we are starting at 1:30pm and going to 3:30pm. We can use your help. Watch the forums for updates on the number of Public RSVP's. Spend a couple hours with Don, William and I as we help the public learn to use their telescope. When there is no public in the room, we discuss club events, and other interesting stuff.
If you need help with your Telescope, RSVP your attendance with me, right now. When you RSVP, please tell me what type of scope we are helping you with so we can match you up with the teacher than can best assist you.
We hope to see you at these three public events! Everyone is welcome, bring a friend! Bring your family! Let's have a great Astronomy Week!
For the rest of the Month of October, here are some more Public events for you to enjoy!
Thursday Oct 13 we have another FREE Telescope Workshop. This one is held at PVCC Main Campus by the Telescope Dome and in G-147 from 7:30 to 10pm. RSVP is required, and again, when you RSVP, please tell me what type of scope you have so we may match you up to a Telescope Teacher who can assist you. Along with the Telescope Workshop, we also provide a Star Party. You may attend either, or both parts of this night's event. But for the Telescope Workshop, RSVP is required with me.
Thursday Oct 20: Indoor / Outdoor Astronomy Event. This event is named such because we have indoor activities, in G-147 on the PVCC Main Campus, as well as a star party outdoors. This event is from 7:30 to 9:30. RSVP is Requested only so we have enough handouts for the number of attendees. We'd love to have you attend. Indoors will have Mike - Meteorite Man, as well as several demos and handouts. The list of demos will be announced in the forums. Everyone is welcome - bring the whole family!
Saturday Oct 22: Orionids Meteor shower & Star Party at Mike's home in Carefree. We have made this a public viewing event. Along with the Meteor Shower, we will be doing a star party. This event is COLD. Bring a jacket, Bring your own chairs to watch the Meteors, bring your own snacks and drinks for the viewing part of this event.
Here's the viewing lineup & schedule:
6pm potluck
7:30pm public viewing
Sunset is at 5:30pm
Jupiter rises at 6:20, best viewed after 7:30pm
Dark is 6:50pm
Orion rises at 10:10pm
Mars rises at 1:20am
Moon rises at 3:10am - there will be no moon in the way of this event!
RSVP is required with Mike to attend 480-488-3031 or primefactory@q.com to get map, directions, and be approved to attend, as parking is limited. Everyone is welcome! Bring the family!
If you are attending the potluck, bring a main dish to share, big enough to feed 4+ people, plus bring a drink to share (a 6 pack of pop, or a 2 liter bottle or other drinks. Since kids will be present, please no alcohol).
Please be sure to park so your headlights are not facing Mike's home, if you plan to leave prior to midnight.
Thursday Oct 27: This is NOT a PAS event, but PAS attends to help out. ASU West Open House & Star Party is a public event. RSVP is with Paul. The "ASU West" link provided takes you to the info you need to RSVP with Paul. Paul is the teacher running this event. The event is from 7pm to 9pm on the ASU West Campus which his at 47th Ave and Thunderbird Road in Phoenix. This event is usually a large turnout of telescopes and we have some great viewing! Bring your entire family and all your friends. Awesome event! This event is held in the Fall and Spring Semesters, so if you miss this event, watch for an announcement of the next one in the Spring.
Please note: Each event above has a link to the Calendar and Forum info within the PAS Website. Please use that link to make sure an event is happening. Should weather cancel an event and you did not RSVP as requested, you could be driving to that location for an event we are not doing. So, Please RSVP where requested and check the calendar before you go there, to be sure the event hasn't been canceled. Cancelled events are posted by 4pm the day of the event. And Always read the forum thread to be sure you know what to expect. Changes to these events will be posted in the forums.
If you are doing an RSVP with me, you can reply to this email, but please let me know which event you are RSVP'ing for. Don't just reply with "RSVP for public star party." As you can see, these are all public star parties in this list, and that would mean you haven't told me the info I need to know about which event you wish to attend. Be specific and include the requested data. Thank you so much.
We hope to see you at these awesome events. Remember, all events that are outdoors are Weather Permitting. And all events I have listed in this email are Public events. I heard there was a storm coming within this week, so if you are looking at the sky, prior to going to an event, and you are not sure the event will happen due to the cloud cover, please first check the calendar and forums for updates, and if that doesn't answer your question, you can call me to be sure we are having the event 602-561-5398. Leave a message and I will call you back as soon as I can with the info. Or, drop me an email up to 4pm the day of the event.
WHAT IS A MOON MARATHON?
That is where you race to identify features on the moon. Prizes will be awarded for 1st - 10th place. RSVP is required with Terri, today.
Have a super day!
Terri, Event Coordinator for PAS
Posted by Terri at 10:29 AM
Received this link from Matt
http://www.space.com/13169-nasa-astronauts-wanted-deep-space-travelers.html
Do you have a cool astronomy link you'd like to share with the readers of this blog? Send it my way Events@pasaz.org.
Posted by Terri at 10:27 AM
Received this link from Matt:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=meteorites-delivered-earths-mineabl-11-09-08
Posted by Terri at 2:54 PM
THE meeting of the Minds is canceled for 9/29.
Have a great Thursday evening to yourself.
Got this link from Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/scientist-sky-confirms-shining-moon-behind-frankenstein-224125429.html
Posted by Terri at 1:36 PM
Received this link from Matt:
http://news.yahoo.com/neil-armstrong-calls-us-space-program-embarrassing-171150898.html
Posted by Terri at 1:10 PM
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/128836743.html
Posted by Terri at 1:06 PM
Space Weather News for Sept. 20, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
UARS, a NASA satellite the size of a small bus, will re-enter Earth's atmosphere later this week producing a brilliant fireball somewhere over our planet. Best estimates place the re-entry time during the late hours of Sept. 23rd over a still-unknown region of Earth. Observers of the rapidly-decaying satellite say it is tumbling and flashing, sometimes almost as brightly as Venus. Video images featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com show how the doomed satellite looks through a backyard telescope.
Readers who would like to catch a last glimpse of UARS streaking across the night sky should check SpaceWeather's Satellite Tracker for flyby times: http://spaceweather.com/flybys . You can also turn your smartphone into a UARS tracker by downloading our Simple Flybys app: http://simpleflybys.com
Posted by Terri at 10:42 AM
Received this link from Matt:
http://www.space.com/12893-dead-nasa-satellite-falling-space-junk.html
Posted by Terri at 1:04 PM
Space Weather News for Sept. 13, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
SUNDIVING COMET: A comet is diving into the sun today. Just discovered by comet hunters Michal Kusiak of Poland and Sergei Schmalz of Germany in data from SOHO, the icy visitor from the outer solar system is expected to brighten to first magnitude before it disintegrates on Sept. 14th. Visit http://spaceweather.com today and tomorrow to follow the comet's death plunge.
Posted by Terri at 2:12 PM
Received this link from William:
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/08/04/1420201/NASA-Sends-Lego-Figures-to-Jupiter
Posted by Terri at 3:51 PM
Received this link from Matt:
Cosmic Anomaly: The Star That Shouldn't Exist
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2092027,00.html
Received this link from my friend Dewell:
How to see a super nova from your back yard this weekend
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/09/how-to-spot-a-supernova/
Posted by Terri at 12:26 PM
Space Weather News for Sept. 7, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
STRONG SOLAR ACTIVITY: On Sept. 6th, active sunspot 1283 produced two major eruptions including an impulsive X2-class solar flare. The blasts hurled a pair of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) toward Earth, which could spark geomagnetic activity when they arrive on Sept. 8-10. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead. Check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.
DON'T MISS THE STORM: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Storm alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).
Posted by Terri at 11:09 AM
Received this link from a friend.
Enjoy!
http://news.yahoo.com/astronomers-discover-planet-made-diamond-180427124.html
Posted by Terri at 1:21 PM
Got this link from a good friend. Enjoy!
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/jaw-droppingly-gorgeous-video-captures-milky-way-earth-234619211.html
Posted by Terri at 10:29 AM
http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-warn-aliens-may-come-destroy-us-160003672.html
Link received from my friend Matt.
Posted by Terri at 1:01 PM
Received this link from my friend Matt.
Posted by Terri at 4:53 PM
Space Weather News for Aug. 12, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
METEOR SHOWER: The Perseid meteor shower is underway. International observers are now reporting more than 20 meteors per hour as Earth passes through a stream of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on the night of Aug. 12-13. The best time to look is during the hours before dawn on Saturday morning, August 13th, when the glaring Moon is relatively low and meteor rates are highest. Visit http://spaceweather.com for full coverage.
WATCH OUT FOR THE SPACE STATION, TOO: Consider it a cosmic coincidence. During the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, the International Space Station will fly over many US towns and cities. The behemoth spacecraft is easy to see if you know when to look. Check SpaceWeather.com's Simple Satellite Tracker for flyby times: http://spaceweather.com/flybys/
Posted by Terri at 11:21 AM
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/28/science/la-sci-trojan-asteroid-20110728
Posted by Terri at 12:47 PM
Please enjoy this link and have a super weekend!
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/124430479.html
Posted by Terri at 1:46 PM
Received these two articles from Matt:
Mercury's quirks revealed by NASA spacecraft
Mercury's crust contains far more sulphur than the crust of the Earth or the moon, and its magnetic field is lopsided toward the north, a NASA spacecraft has discovered.
"What we are finding is that in many cases, a lot of the original ideas about Mercury are just plain wrong," said Larry Nittler, one of four scientists affiliated with the Messenger who spoke at a NASA news conference Thursday.
The researchers presented some of the new images and scientific results gathered by Messenger since it became the first spacecraft to enter orbit around the closest planet to the sun on March 17.
Mercury is the only rocky planet in our solar system besides Earth that has a magnetic field, and one of Messenger's surprising findings so far is that Mercury's magnetic field is not a miniature version of Earth's, said Sean Solomon, principal investigator for the mission at the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
"The magnetic field in the northern hemisphere is stronger and different from that in the southern hemisphere," he added.
Mercury's magnetic equator is north of the planet's geographic equator by roughly a fifth of the planet's radius. That means its south pole is far more exposed to charged particles than its north pole, and may help explain the presence of the planet's exosphere – a tail of elements such as sodium that are kicked off the surface by charged particles from space.
Messenger has also found that Mercury's crust contains less aluminum and more silicon than the Earth, and 10 times as much sulphur than either the Earth or the moon.
"Mercury most likely formed from building blocks that were fundamentally chemically different from those that formed the Earth and moon originally," Nittler said.
He added that Mercury's high sulphur content could help illuminate the nature of volcanic activity on Mercury, since explosive volcanoes are closely linked to sulphur-containing gases on Earth.
One of Messenger's goals is to test a hypothesis proposed 20 years ago about why there appears to be water ice on a planet so close to the sun. Scientists first proposed 20 years ago that bright spots on Mercury's poles, seen by radar telescopes on Earth, might be water ice trapped in craters that kept them permanently in shadow, beyond the sun's reach.
Solomon reported that Messenger has now mapped the topography of much of Mercury's surface. The mapping shows that the parts of some craters in permanent shadow coincide with the location of the deposits that are thought to be water ice.
"The first scientific test of that hypothesis using Messenger data from orbit has passed with flying colours," Solomon said.
----------------------------------------------
Forget the moon and Mars: Pentagon spending $1 million for ideas about how to fly to a star
The research agency in the U.S. Defence Department that helped foster the Internet wants someone to dream up a way to send people to a star.
The winner will get half a million dollars for the idea. This month 150 competitors answered the federal government's initial call for private sector cosmic ideas. Officials say some big names are among those interested. The plan is to make interstellar travel possible in about a century.
The Defence Department is known for big spending and big ideas. It devised a space-based missile defence system in the 1980s known as "Star Wars." Its new trademarked 100-year Starship Study concept comes from the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency. The agency is spending a total of $1 million on the project. After presentations are made at a conference in Orlando, Florida, DARPA will decide in November who gets the money.
The grant would be "seed money" to help someone start thinking about the idea and then get it off the ground in the private sector, David Neyland, director of DARPA's tactical technology office, said in a Thursday teleconference.
This is not about going to a nearby planet, like Mars. And it is not about using robotic probes, which does not interest the Defence Department, Neyland said.
But even the nearest star beyond our sun is 25 trillion miles (40 trillion kilometres) away. The fastest rocket man has built would take more than 4,000 years to get there. This is not just about thinking about new rocket methods, Neyland said. It is also about coping with extended life in space, raising issues of medicine, agriculture, ethics and self-reliance, he said.
Among those who showed an interest in the project earlier this year is millionaire scientist Craig Venter, one of those who mapped the human genome and is now working on artificial life and alternative fuels.
"We want to capture the imagination of folks," Neyland said.
Not everyone agrees with spending money this way. Steve Ellis, vice-president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said, "When you look at the universe — pun intended — of things we have to spend money on, this has to be pretty down on the priority list."
DARPA's 100-year Starship Study: www.100yss.org
Posted by Terri at 10:49 AM
Space Weather News for June 21, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
SOLSTICE SOLAR FLARE: The first day of northern summer began with a solar flare. Magnetic fields above sunspot complex 1236 erupted during the early hours of June 21st, hurling a coronal mass ejection (CME) almost directly toward Earth. The incoming CME does not appear to be particularly potent; nevertheless, the cloud could trigger polar geomagnetic storms when it reaches Earth on or about June 23rd. Check http://spaceweather.com for movies and updates.
HANG AN EXPLOSION ON YOUR WALL: The solar super-explosion of June 7, 2011, is now available from the Space Weather Store as a unique metallic wall hanging. Take a look: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/A-Blast-on-the-Sun.aspx
Posted by Terri at 10:14 AM
Space Beer
Link Received from William
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/space-beer/17ea0be7d4ecf5320d6017ea0be7d4ecf5320d60-636602025055?cpkey=851bf8ac-b8fd-4eb1-8740-c8962908d496|Space%20Barley%20space%20beer||&q=Space%20Barley%20space%20beer&form=hphot4
Posted by Terri at 1:01 PM
Space Weather News for June 2, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
ECLIPSE OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN: A solar eclipse at midnight? It's not only possible, it actually happened last night. On June 1st, the new Moon passed in front of the midnight sun above the Arctic circle, producing a partial eclipse of exquisite beauty. Images of the event are featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com .
Posted by Terri at 10:39 AM
Space Weather News for May 27, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
SOLAR SAIL FLASHES: NASA's Nanosail-D, the first solar sail to orbit Earth, is flashing as it glides through the night sky. Observers in Europe report luminous peaks as bright as a 1st magnitude star. The irregular period of the flashes suggests that the sail might be tumbling, although no one is certain at this moment what is causing the phenomenon. Sky watchers are encouraged to check the Simple Satellite Tracker for local flyby times and watch this unique spacecraft strobe overhead: http://spaceweather.com/flybys
DON'T FORGET THE SPACE SHUTTLE: Meanwhile, space shuttle Endeavour and the ISS are putting on a show of their own. The docked spacecraft are making a series of brilliant dawn flybys over North America and Europe, providing early risers with a chance to see Endeavour one last time before it returns to Earth for retirement. Tracking them is easy; just use your cell phone: http://simpleflybys.com.
Posted by Terri at 3:21 PM
Space Weather News for May 24, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
COMET FIREBALL: Bright fireballs appear somewhere on Earth every day. Most are caused by rocky asteroids. On Friday, May 20th, however, a less common object struck. Sky watchers in the southeastern USA watched a big but fragile piece of comet break apart in Earth's atmosphere. The resulting fireball was the brightest meteor observed in nearly 3 years by NASA's all-sky network of meteor cameras. Videos and more information are featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com
HOLD A METEORITE IN YOUR HAND: Certified authentic meteorites are now available in the Space Weather Store. Details at http://www.shopspaceweather.com/meteorite-sets.aspx
--------------------------
Along the lines of holding a meteorite in your hand, you can do that at any of our events that PAS"s own Meteorite Man is attending. He has many different types of meteorites for you to hold, touch, feel, compare, and he has info to tell you about each one. He is worth checking out.. Mike is our Meteorite Man. Come to a PAS event and experience METEORITES! The experience is free, but the memories will last a lifetime!
Posted by Terri at 10:47 AM
Received this link from Matt
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110329/sc_space/nasaspacecraftsnaps1stphotoofmercuryfromorbit
Posted by Terri at 3:28 PM
Received this link from Matt.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_night_sky
Posted by Terri at 5:56 PM
Lonely Rogue Worlds Surprisingly Outnumber Planets with Suns
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110518/sc_space/lonelyrogueworldssurprisinglyoutnumberplanetswithsuns
Space Fest
http://www.spacefest.info/III/autog.html?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=PPC&utm_content=Facebook2Spacefest&utm_campaign=AdGroup&Network=Content&SiteTarget=facebook
Monster Storm Rearranges Saturn Before Our Eyes
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110519/sc_space/monsterstormrearrangessaturnbeforeoureyes
Posted by Terri at 12:36 PM
Received this article from Matt:
Why some planets spin backward
Fri, May 13 08:55 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some planets are just flipping backward.
Of the more than 500 planets detected around stars besides our Sun, the vast majority appear to spin the same way the star does, scientists reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature.
But some of these extrasolar planets spin in the opposite direction of the stars they orbit, astronomers found. These strange, backward-spinning planets are usually gassy giants called hot Jupiters, not rocky orbs like Earth.
Besides their backwards twirling, which the astronomers call flipped orbits, these big planets huddle close to their stars, unlike Jupiter, which is about 483 million miles (778 million km) from the Sun, more than five times as distant from the Sun as Earth.
"That's really weird, and it's even weirder because the planet is so close to the star," Frederic Rasio of Northwestern University said in a statement.
"How can one be spinning one way and the other orbiting exactly the other way? It's crazy. It so obviously violates our most basic picture of planet and star formation."
Astronomers have long theorized that big gas planets form further away from their stars, while Earth-like rocks are born closer in.
But just because a Jupiter-like planet forms in the planetary boondocks doesn't mean it stays there, Rasio and his colleagues reported.
When planetary systems contain more than one planet, in addition to a star, each planet has its own gravitational force, causing the planets to interact and eventually pulling the gas giants close to the star and even reversing its orbit, the scientists found.
This process is known as gravitational perturbation, or an exchange of angular momentum.
Astronomers have been detecting extrasolar planets since 1995, but have seen only a handful. The others are inferred by the gravitational pull they exert on the stars they orbit, creating a starry wobble that indicates one or more planets present but unseen in the planetary system.
The National Science Foundation supported this research.
(Editing by Todd Eastham)
Posted by Terri at 2:18 PM
Space Weather News for April 30, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field during the early hours of April 30th, sparking a G1-class geomagnetic storm. Northern Lights descended as far south as Michigan in the United States. High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras (http://spaceweatherphone.com) tonight as the solar wind continues to blow. Photos of the April 30th display are highlighted on today's edition of http://SpaceWeather.com.
TRACK THE SPACE SHUTTLE: Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center on Monday, May 2nd, on a two-week mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle and station will make many visible passes over Europe and North America during the mission--the trick is knowing when to look. You can turn your cell phone into a field tested shuttle tracker by downloading our Simple Flybys app. Details at http://simpleflybys.com
Posted by Terri at 6:15 PM
Space Weather News for March 28, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
SOLAR RADIO STORM: A profusion of emerging sunspots has kicked off a days-long radio storm on the sun. VHF receivers on Earth are picking up loud bursts that sound like waves crashing on a beach. This ongoing event continues a recent trend of increasing activity as Solar Cycle 24 heats up. Check http://spaceweather.com for audio and images of the instigating sunspots.
OUT-OF-THE-BOX SOLAR TELESCOPE: Spaceweather.com is pleased to offer an affordable solar telescope that allows you to safely observe sunspots with minimal setup or previous experience. Unlike other solar telescopes, this one works at night, too! Visit the Space Weather Store for details:
http://www.shopspaceweather.com/explore-scientific-white-light-solar-observer-system.aspx
Posted by Terri at 10:06 AM
Space Weather News for March 11, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
AURORAS IN THE USA: A coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field on March 10th. The impact set off a G1-class geomagnetic storm and sent Northern Lights rippling over the US-Canadian border into states such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Sky watchers who hadn't seen auroras in years captured beautiful photos of green and purple streamers. This is another sign that Solar Cycle 24 is heating up. Check http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.
GEOMAGNETIC STORM ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms erupt? Sign up for Space Weather PHONE (http://spaceweatherphone.com) or Space Weather TEXT (http://spaceweathertext.com) and never miss another aurora surprise.
Posted by Terri at 12:46 PM
This is your email issue of TICKET TO THE STARS,
provided to you by the Phoenix Astronomical Society
MARCH 2011 UPCOMING PAS EVENTS
March has a nice spread out line up of events for PAS Members & Guests to enjoy.
Mar 3: PAS Meeting in G-147. Guest Speaker is Dennis Young. Topic is Astro-Scenic-Photography & more. 7pm to 10pm. Special Show & Tell by Pete Morrisey & Night Sky Network Awards Ceremony. Bring a Friend!
Mar 4 & 5: Messier Marathon at 2 Trees site N. of Sedona. For more info & to attend, contact Dennis Young dennis-young@hotmail.com
Mar 5: Cuttin' Edge Observatory Star Party in Mayer. RSVP is with Chris webmaster@pasaz.org. PAS Members only. Please arrive prior to sundown at 6:15pm.
Mar 6: PAS FREE Telescope Workshop at Bookman's, in back room. RSVP is required with Terri Events@pasaz.org. Time is from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Bring scope, learn how to use it. Open to all ages.
Mar 8: Cancer Treatment Center Star Party. PAS Members only. 7:30pm to 9:30pm, RSVP is with Joe jcollins79@cox.net by day before. This is a Paid event. Be sure you are on the PAStimes Star Tours Team so you get paid for this event. PAS Volunteers welcome.
Mar 10: Indoor / Outdoor Astronomy Event & Star Party at PVCC by Telescope Dome & G-147. Come enjoy hands on activities & handouts in G-147, while a star party takes place outside. Weather Permitting. RSVP is requested with Terri Events@pasaz.org.
Mar 11: Astrophoto Meeting in G-147 at PVCC 7pm.
Mar 19: 1st Annual PAS Moon Marathon. Read about this event in the Newsletter (link provided below) on page 4. Everyone Welcome. RSVP is REQUIRED.
Mar 22: Cancer Treatment Center Star Party Back Up Date. PAS Members only. 7:30pm to 9:30pm, RSVP is with Joe jcollins79@cox.net by day before. This is a Paid event. PAS Volunteers welcome.
Mar 24: PVCC Telescope Workshop 7pm - 10pm. Meet in G-147 to learn to use your telescope by daylight, then move outdoors, and learn to use it at night. When you RSVP with Terri Events@pasaz.org, please provide the number in your party, and what scope you will bringing that night so we have a teacher available to assist you with your scope. Handouts & Meteorite Man will most likely be provided as well. This is also a PAS STAR PARTY. PAS Telescope Volunteers needed.
Mar 26: Virtual Star Party at Chris's home in Goodyear. RSVP is required with Chris Webmaster@pasaz.org. Time frame for this night's session will be 7pm to 1am. Bring a snack & Drink to share. PAS Members only.
Mar 26: Desert Botanical Garden PAID Star Party 7pm to 9pm. PAStimes Star Tours members are invited to sign up to assist at this event by day before. Sam is RSVP Insanas@aol.com.
Apr 7: PAS Meeting in PVCC Library. Guest Speaker is Richard Hill. Topic is TBA. 7pm to 10pm. Bring a Friend! ***
The March PAStimes Newsletter is ready for download and can be found at this link:
http://www.pasaz.org/PAStimes/2010-2011/2011-03.pdf
PAS Speaker Line up for rest of Spring 2011
Apr 7: Richard Hill - Topic: TBA
May 5 in G-147: Dolores Hill + Pizza Party + Elections + Moon Marathon Awards Ceremony - Topic: "Meteorites: Keys to Understanding the Solar System"
May 19 in G-147: Robert Piccioni + Party + Messier Marathon Awards Ceremony - Topic: "Einstein for Everyone"
Here are some links of interest for your enjoyment....
New Record! Telescope Finds 19 Asteroids in One Night
Received this link from Matt.
http://www.space.com/10962-asteroids-discovery-record-hawaii-telescope.html
space shuttle launch viewed from airplane
Received this link from Leah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE_USPTmYXM
Have a super day!
See you at tonight's meeting!
Posted by Terri at 12:50 PM
Space Weather News for Feb. 24, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
SPECTACULAR BLAST: A massive cloud of plasma exploded over the eastern limb of the sun this morning (Feb. 24th around 0730 UT), heralding the approach of a new active region. The spectacular blast, which produced strong radio emissions, a coronal mass ejection, and an M3-class solar flare, was not Earth-directed. Future eruptions could be, however, as the sun's rotation turns the blast site toward our planet in the days ahead. Check http://spaceweather.com for images and movies.
Posted by Terri at 12:22 PM
Received this info from Matt:
Discovery's final flight scheduled for Thursday
Weather and conditions permitting, space shuttle Discovery will lift off Thursday on its final flight, NASA announced Friday.
The six-member crew will deliver a storage module, a science rig and spare parts to the international space station during its 11-day mission.
Originally scheduled for November, Discovery's launch was delayed because of repairs to the external tank's support beams.
NASA, which is winding down the shuttle program, announced the February 24 launch a few weeks ago, but confirmed it after a meeting briefing Friday. This will be Discovery's 39th voyage.
The launch is scheduled for 4:50 p.m. at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Astronaut Steve Bowen was assigned to take the place of Tim Kopra, who was injured in a bicycle accident, NASA said.
The last scheduled launch of space shuttle Endeavour is currently on for April 19 and shuttle Atlantis is tentatively scheduled to launch during the summer.
Posted by Terri at 8:16 PM
Received these three cool links from Matt. Enjoy!
Scientists Building Largest Antimatter Trap Ever
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20110219/sc_livescience/scientistsbuildinglargestantimattertrapever
Thunderstorms on Earth Hurl Antimatter Into Space
http://www.space.com/10602-antimatter-beams-thunderstorms-nasa.html
How Much Dark Matter Do Some Galaxies Need? 300 Billion Suns
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20110220/sc_space/howmuchdarkmatterdosomegalaxiesneed300billionsuns
Posted by Terri at 9:31 PM
Happy & Wonderful Tuesday to our fellow Star Gazers!
I have 2 interesting links to share with you.
This link is very interesting. 3D images of outer space.
http://www.pbase.com/geokolb/stereo_images
Did someone say we have a 9th Planet again? Check out this link for more info. Matt sent it my way.
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/15/a-nine-planet-solar-system-once-more-nasa-telescope-may-reveal-new-planet-tyche/?xid=rss-nation-yahoo
Upcoming Events of interest in March 2011
Mar 3: PAS Meeting at PVCC inG-147 with Dennis Young. Topic: Astro-Scenic-Photography. Plus NSN Awards & a mini Show n Tell by Pete. 7pm to 10pm - Everyone welcome. More info: http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=200&day=2011-3-3&c=1
Mar 6: Bookman's Backroom - FREE Telescope Workshop 3:30pm to 5:30pm, RSVP required with Terri Events@pasaz.org by day before, please. Bring your scope & accessories & learn how to use it. More info: http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=549&day=2011-3-6&c=1
Mar 10: Indoor / Outdoor Astronomy Event at PVCC in G-147 7:30 to 9:30 with Star Party. Everyone welcome, bring a friend. RSVP is requested with Terri Events@pasaz.org by day before, please. More info:
http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=577&day=2011-3-10
Mar 19: PAS 1st Annual Moon Marathon at Mike's Home in Carefree. Directions & map to Mike's home will be provided after RSVP is received. Everyone is welcome to compete. Prizes awarded for first completion. If enough prizes have been received from donating companies, everyone may win a prize if they complete the marathon. RSVP is required by Mar 15th to participate. RSVP with Terri Events@pasaz.org. Event starts at 4pm for potluck. Marathon begins at 7pm and ends 11pm. Judges will be available to confirm you identified Feature on Moon. To enter marathon, you must have your own scope to use for marathon, no sharing will be allowed. Open to the public for marathon participants only (and their immediate family), no additional viewers. More Details: http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=568&day=2011-3-19&c=1
Mar 24: Open to the public - FREE Telescope Workshop & Star Party at PVCC by G-147 and Telescope Dome 7pm to 10pm. RSVP is required with Terri Events@pasaz.org. More details: http://www.pasaz.org/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=576&day=2011-3-24
We hope to see you at our events. Please RSVP when requested. Some events are canceled if no Public RSVP's are received.
Have a super Tuesday!
Posted by Terri at 2:05 PM
Got this link from my friend Matt,
http://mesaartscenter.com/index.php/performances/natlgeographic/ExploringMars
Posted by Terri at 12:08 PM
This was posted on line. Thought is was humorous enough to share today.
Enjoy!
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8238401/
Posted by Terri at 1:11 PM
Space Weather News for Jan. 3, 2011
http://spaceweather.com
QUADRANTID METEOR SHOWER: Sky watchers in the northern hemisphere should be alert for meteors before sunrise on Tuesday, Jan. 4th. Earth is about to pass through a narrow stream of debris from shattered comet 2003 EH1, the parent of the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. Forecasters say the encounter could produce a fast flurry of 100 meteors per hour during the early hours of Jan. 4th. Details and observing tips may be found at http://spaceweather.com .
GOT CLOUDS? No problem. You can stay inside and listen to the Quadrantids. Tune into SpaceWeather Radio for live meteor echoes from the US Air Force Space Surveillance Radar in Texas: http://spaceweatherradio.com .
PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE: After the meteor shower, observers in Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia can witness a partial eclipse of the sun. In western Europe, as much as 86% of the solar disk will be covered by the Moon at dawn, producing a fantastic crescent sunrise on Jan. 4th. Check http://spaceweather.com for details, animated maps and live webcasts.
Please note, this eclipse is NOT visible in Phoenix AZ.
Posted by Terri at 1:18 PM
