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.
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Good afternoon,
If you haven't already done so, please help yourself to the May Newsletter at
www.pasaz.org. It is posted and ready to be enjoyed by you.
We'd like to invite everyone to the May PAS meeting, this
Thursday 5/7 7pm at the PVCC Library. See site for details.
We have an awesome speaker lined up, as well as voting on several items
and snacks to enjoy! See you there!
Posted by Terri at 1:17 PM
Space Weather News for May 6, 2009
http://spaceweather.com
NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft is monitoring an active region hidden behind the sun's eastern limb. On May 5th, it produced an impressive coronal mass ejection (CME) and a burst of radio emissions signalling the passage of a shock wave through the sun's outer atmosphere. Activity has continued apace today, May 6th, with at least two more eruptions. The blast site is not yet visible from Earth, but the sun is turning the region toward us for a better view. Is a new-cycle sunspot in the offing? Readers with solar telescopes could see it emerge as early as May 7th or 8th. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images, movies and updates.
Posted by Terri at 1:17 PM
Space Weather News for May 4, 2009
http://spaceweather.com
METEOR SHOWER: Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Halley's Comet, the source of the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Wednesday, May 6th, with as many as 85 meteors per hour over the southern hemisphere. Rates in the northern hemisphere will be less, 20 to 30 per hour. The best time to look is during the dark hour before local sunrise on Wednesday morning. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and details.
Posted by Terri at 10:49 AM
Space Weather News for April 21, 2009
http://spaceweather.com
MORNING METEORS: Earth is entering a stream of debris from Comet Thatcher, the source of the annual Lyrid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Wednesday, April 22nd, with a display of 10 to 20 meteors per hour over the northern hemisphere. Occasionally, Earth passes through a dense region of the comet's tail and rates surge five- to ten-fold. In 1982, for instance, observers were surprised by an outburst of 90 Lyrids per hour. Because Thatcher's tail has never been mapped in detail, the outbursts are unpredictable and could happen again at any time. The best time to look, no matter where you live, is during the dark hours before dawn on Wednesday morning April 22nd. Visit http://spaceweather.com for full coverage.
LUNAR OCCULTATION OF VENUS: Even if the Lyrids fizzle, there is still something wonderful to see on Wednesday morning, April 22nd. The crescent Moon and Venus are going to have a close encounter of jaw-dropping beauty. Look low and to the east just before sunrise. Observers in western parts of North America will see a lunar occultation: Venus will disappear behind the Moon's limb just after 5 am PDT and reappear again an hour or so later. Details may be found in this Science@NASA story: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/17apr_lyrids.htm
Posted by Terri at 1:26 PM
Posted by Terri at 9:21 AM
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/42919767.html
Posted by Terri at 9:19 AM
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/04/12/one-giant-leap-for-space-song-91466-23367637/
Posted by Terri at 11:27 AM
Space Weather News for April 13, 2009
http://spaceweather.com
RADIO STORMS ON JUPITER: On April 11th, an amateur radio astronomer in New Mexico heard loud pops and crackles coming from the loudspeaker of his shortwave receiver. The sounds resembled terrestrial lightning, but the source was not on Earth. It was a radio storm on Jupiter. You can listen to the sounds on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com .
Astronomers have long known that Jupiter produces strong shortwave radio bursts detectable from Earth; the fact of Jupiter's "radio activity" is not news. However, now may be the best time in decades to listen to the giant planet. The sun is in the pits of a century-level solar minimum. Low solar activity increases the transparency of Earth's atmosphere to shortwave radio waves, allowing signals from Jupiter to more easily and clearly reach the ground. At the same time, terrestrial radio interference subsides (another side-effect of solar minimum), so Jupiter bursts are easier to identify.
2009 is going to be a good year for Jupiter. The planet is moving away from the sun and may now be seen shining brightly in the eastern sky before dawn. Students, teachers and amateur scientists who wish to try listening as well as watching should consider building their own radio telescope. Kits are available from NASA's Radio JOVE program: http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Posted by Terri at 11:22 AM
Space Weather News for April 7, 2009
http://spaceweather.com
NASA's GREATEST MISSION? The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has reached the final round of NASA's Mission Madness tournament where it is competing against upstart SPB, the Super Pressure Balloon, for the title "NASA's Greatest Mission." We endorse SOHO. Since the observatory was launched more than 13 years ago, it has revolutionized solar physics and the art of space weather forecasting--and the plucky spacecraft is still going strong. Vote now and help propel a spaceweather favorite to the championship: http://mission-madness.nasa.gov/
VOLCANIC CLOUD UPDATE: Sulfur dioxide emissions from Alaska's Mt. Redoubt volcano are spreading. A doughnut-shaped cloud about 600 miles wide is now swirling through the stratosphere off the coast of California. Sulfur dioxide and associated aerosols have been known to produce sunsets of exceptional beauty. Check spaceweather.com for the latest sulfur dioxide maps to see if you should be looking for volcanic colors this evening: http://spaceweather.com.
Posted by Terri at 1:31 PM
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/resources/proamcollab/astroalert/42672257.html
Posted by Terri at 1:07 PM
