Casual Astronomy, Spaceflight News and Lower California Weather

.... Before, during, and after its brief touchdown on asteroid 25143 Itokawa in November 2005, the craft suffered several crippling malfunctions — solar-cell panels damaged by a powerful flare, complete failure of its stabilization system, an internal fuel leak, loss of thruster rockets and three of its four ion-drive engines, partial battery failure — any of which might have doomed the mission.

Yet somehow the mission’s engineers have coaxed Hayabusa back to Earth’s doorstep, albeit two years later than planned. ....

) Thinnest Evening Crescent Moon (the original meaning of "new moon")

WunderPhoto: One day old Moon by LaddObservatory Friday June 15, 2007

June 13 or 14
Low in the western sky soon after sunset.

Earliest and thinnest sightings of the new moon may be possible from the western Pacific and northern and western Australia June 13. Progressively easier sightings will be possible from southern Asia, southern Europe, Africa and the Americas June 13. The rest of the world will not see the new moon until June 14.

See the visibility maps at Moonsighting.com.


Photo Op: Venus & Thin Crescent Moon

June 14, after Sunset
This evening as light fades from the western sky the brilliant white planet Venus will stand close by a very thin crescent moon.


Lunar Perigee (Greek peri, near + Greek Gaia, Earth)

Image credit: Pearson Scott Foresman

Exact at
June 15
1455 GMT
10:55am EDT
7:55am PDT.

The Moon is at its closest distance in its non circular orbit around Earth. The Moon is about 10.5% closer than at its farthest distance (apogee - Greek apo, away from + Greek Gaia, Earth) and the Moon's gravitational influence on Earth and its oceans is about 25% greater (due to the inverse square law).


Launch of ISS Expedition 24/25 Crew + Double Spacecraft Flyovers

Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Mission: Expedition 24/25 to the International Space Station (ISS)
Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA-19
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz FG
Launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
June 16
2:35am AQTT (Aqtobe Time, local time)
June 15
2135 GMT
5:35pm EDT
2:35pm PDT.

Docking with ISS
June 18
2:25am MSD (Moscow Summer Time)
June 17
2225 GMT
6:25pm EDT
3:25pm PDT.

The remaining three members of the Expedition 24 crew will join the three already aboard the International Space Station.

Updates at
Spaceflight Now | Tracking Station | Worldwide launch schedule.

You can follow the progress of the mission at NASA - Expedition 24.

Live coverage of the launch and docking will appear on NASA TV - see the NASA TV Schedule.


WunderPhoto: Endeavour and the ISS by WeatheringHeights Tuesday March 25, 2008

Between launch and docking with the ISS it may be possible to sight both craft in the sky at the same time.

Check satellite pass predictions at
Heavens-Above
or try the simpler tool at
Satellite Flybys by SpaceweatherPhone.com.


Vandenberg Minuteman III Launch

Image credit: USAF

Mission: Unarmed ballistic missile test
Target: Near the Kwajalein Atoll
Launch Vehicle: Minuteman III
Launch from Vandenberg AFB, California
June 16
time to be determined
3:01-9:01am


Moon Rides with Regulus & Mars

June 16-17
Before they set in the late evening the fat crescent moon will appear with the bright and blueish star Regulus and farther above the bright and reddish planet Mars.


Moon Rides with Saturn

June 18
This evening the Moon will appear with the bright and yellowish planet Saturn.


◐ First Quarter Moon

Exact at
June 19
0429 GMT
12:29am EDT
June 18
9:29pm PDT.

Rises near noon and sets near midnight. Evening crescent moons for a week before. Each one thicker and higher above the western horizon.




Image from: Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Renewable Energy

The gravitational pull of the Moon accounts for about 2/3 of the influence on Earth's tides with the Sun accounting for the remaining 1/3. On this date the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun are at right angles resulting in weaker tides - lower highs, higher lows and slower flows. (Due to the huge mass and volume of the ocean's water the tidal effect lags behind the phases of the Moon. The delay can be as long as three days at some times and places.)

Also see The Moon And Tides.


Moon Rides with Spica

June 20
The Moon travels tonight's sky with the bright and blueish star Spica.


Northern Solstice (Latin sol, Sun + Latin sistere, to stand still)

Image credit: Przemyslaw "Blueshade" Idzkiewicz and NASA

Exact at
June 21
1128 GMT
7:28am EDT
4:28am PDT.

Happy "Sun Stands Still" Day!

Today the Sun makes its furthest northerly rising, setting and passage across the sky. It is the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest for the Southern Hemisphere. Northern winter and Southern summer begin today.

Why "Sun Stands Still"? As the Sun reverses its apparent journey from north to south it must of course "stand still" for a moment. However the Sun also slows" before making its "turn" and in the days just before and after there is no apparent change in the position of risings and settings to the casual observer.


June Boötid Meteor Shower Outburst?

WunderPhoto: Searching for Shooting Stars by johnlanoue Monday October 8, 2007

June 22-24, Early Morning

This shower is best seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The best time to look for these meteors is after moonset (early morning) and before dawn (about one and a half hours before sunrise).

The June Boötid meteor shower is variable with some years producing virtually none but a couple of recent years have shown outbursts of 50-100 per hour.

Source and more information at
June Boötids, IMO Meteor Shower Calendar 2010 | International Meteor Organization.

For Better Viewing
Find a Dark Location
A dark country location without "security" lights is best. If that's not convenient try to find a location where you can't see any lights or lighted surfaces. A nearby park or maybe even your backyard would qualify. On a beach facing the water would be another good alternative.

Where to Look
Meteors can appear in any part of the sky. To see the most meteors face the darkest part of your sky and look at least 45° above the horizon.

Be Comfortable
A reclining chair will keep you from getting a stiff neck and tired feet. A sleeping bag will keep you warm. (Even in the summertime you can get chilly at night if you are just lying still.) Insect repellent will keep you from being distracted by those little pests.

General Meteor Shower Information
An easy to read introduction to meteors with an interesting summary of annual showers is
Astronomy - Meteors and meteor showers - Francis Reddy.

Two primary sources of information on meteor showers are
The American Meteor Society and
The International Meteor Organinzation.


Virginia Terrier-Orion Launch

Image credit: NASA

Missions: Eleven university suborbital experiments
Launch Vehicle: Terrier-Orion
Launch from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), Wallops Island, Virginia
June 24
1000-1300 GMT
6:00-9:00am EDT (local time)
3:00-6:00am PDT

Launch status updates, blog and a live webcast are at
Wallops Flight Facility.

The webcast will begin at 5:00am EDT.


Moon Rides with Antares

June 23-24
The Moon travels tonight's sky with the bright and reddish star Antares. Antares is the brightest star and beating heart of the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion.


Partial Lunar Eclipse

WunderPhoto: PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE AUG 16, 2008 by giannitumino

June 26
Dark Partial Shadowing Begins at
1017 GMT
6:17am EDT
3:17am PDT

Maximum Partial Eclipse at
1138 GMT
5:38am MDT
4:38am PDT

Dark Partial Shadowing Ends at
1300 GMT
6:00am PDT

At the time of the full moon the Sun and Moon are always on opposite sides of the Earth. For this month's full moon the Earth will be almost directly between the Sun and Moon and will cast part of its shadow on the Moon.

NASA Lunar Eclipse Map - Visibility & Times for 2010 June 26

• The eclipse begins at near morning moonset for parts of the SE US, the western Caribbean and western South America.

• Westernmost North America and southernmost South America will see virtually all of the eclipse before morning moonset.

• Most of the Pacific will see the entire eclipse.

• Parts of the western Pacific, western Asia and most of the Indian Ocean will see part of the eclipse after evening moonrise.

See also:
SPACE.com -- Partial Lunar Eclipse Coming On June 26
and
Shadow & Substance - Partial eclipse of the Moon (animated) June 26, 2010.


○ Full Moon

WunderPhoto: May Moon by SunsetSailor Thursday May 27, 2010
Exact at
June 26
1130 GMT
7:30am EST
4:30am PST.

Rises near sunset and sets near sunrise. At those times the Moon may seem huge (the Moon illusion) and unusually colored. The yellow/orange/red appearance of the Moon at the horizon is at least partly for the same reason the sky appears blue!




Image from: Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Renewable Energy

The gravitational pull of the Moon accounts for about 2/3 of the influence on Earth's tides with the Sun accounting for the remaining 1/3. On this date the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun are aligned resulting in stronger tides - higher highs, lower lows and faster flows. (Due to the huge mass and volume of the ocean's water the tidal effect lags behind the phases of the Moon. The delay can be as long as three days at some times and places.)

Also see The Moon And Tides.



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