Today - SpaceWeather.com
also Earth & Sky | Tonight & 365 Days of Astronomy
This Week - SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance
also Jack Horkheimer - Star Gazer, Current Scripts
This Month - SkyandTelescope.com - Sky Tour Podcasts
also HubbleSite - Tonight's Sky: Your guide to constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and events
& International Year of Astronomy Monthly Discovery Guides
Visible Satellites:
Simplest - Satellite Flybys by SpaceweatherPhone.com
More satellites and more info - Heavens-Above.com
Launches - Spaceflight Now - Worldwide Launch Schedule
Reentries - Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies - Upcoming & Recent Reentries
All events described below can be viewed with your naked eye. Occasionally simple binoculars will improve the view and that will be noted. Scroll down for future dates, farther down for past dates.
Dawn, April 19-21 southeastern sky image from SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance.
Meteor Shower
WU Photo: Searching for Shooting Stars by johnlanoue Monday October 8, 2007
Early Morning April 22
The Lyrid meteor shower has a usual rate of about 18 per hour visible from ideal locations. It is a variable shower and has produced an outburst of 90 per hour.
Best areas for watching are north of the Equator and highest numbers will be visible before the break of dawn while the sky is still at its darkest.
Source and more information at
IMO Meteor Shower Calendar 2009 | International Meteor Organization - Lyrids.
Also see
Viewing Activity from the 2009 Lyrid Meteor Shower,
Astronomy.com - Sky-event preview: The 2009 Lyrid meteor shower and
NASA - Venus Disappears during Meteor Shower.
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 could be a 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.
The two primary sources of most of what you'll read about meteor showers are
The American Meteor Society and
The International Meteor Organinzation.
Thin Crescent Moon, Venus & Mars
Before Sunrise April 22
A thin crescent moon will stand very close to the brilliant planet Venus low in the east before sunrise. For western North America the Moon will even cover Venus!
Use binoculars to find the reddish planet Mars below the Moon and Venus.
Also see
SkyandTelescope.com - Observing Highlights - A Daring Pairing of Moon and Venus and
NASA - Venus Disappears during Meteor Shower.
Dawn, April 22-23 eastern sky image from SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance.
Meteor Shower
Early Evening April 23
The π (Pi) Puppid meteor shower has had occasional outbursts of 40 per hour visible from ideal locations and this is a good year to watch for some.
Best areas for watching are south of the Equator and highest numbers would be visible in the first hours of darkness after dusk.
Source and more information at
IMO Meteor Shower Calendar 2009 | International Meteor Organization - π-Puppids.
● Dark Moon (a.k.a. astronomical new moon)
Exact at
April 25
0323 GMT
April 24
11:23pm EDT
8:23pm PDT.
Lower and thinner morning crescent moons the week before. Higher and thicker evening crescent moons the week after.
The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun are aligned resulting in stronger tides - higher highs, lower lows and faster flows (see SPRING-TIDES). (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.)
) Thinnest Evening Crescent Moon (the original meaning of "new moon")
WunderPhoto: One day old Moon by LaddObservatory Friday June 15, 2007
April 25 or 26
Low in the western sky soon after sunset.
On April 25 a very thin new moon should be easy to spot from North America. It may be possible to spot an extremely thin new moon from western Europe.
For areas and dates of visibility see Moonsighting.com.
Dusk, April 25-27 west-northwestern sky image from SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance.
Moon, Mercury & the Pleiades
April 26
After sunset low in the western sky a very thin crescent Moon stands above the planet Mercury. Between them is the Pleiades star cluster visible in binoculars as the sky darkens.
Summaries of Sky Events for the Year
2009
SkyandTelescope.com - Observing Highlights - Eclipses in 2009
SkyandTelescope.com - Observing Highlights - Meteor Showers in 2009
***** Past Dates *****
Shuttle Discovery
Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder
Mission: STS-119
Spacecraft & Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
Launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida
March 15
2343 GMT (23:43:46 ±5 minutes)
7:43pm EDT (local time)
4:43pm PDT.
Docking with the ISS
March 17
2113 GMT
5:13pm EDT
2:13pm PDT.
Undocking from the ISS
March 25
1347 GMT
9:47am EDT
6:47am PDT.
1953 GMT
3:53pm EDT
12:53pm PDT.
Landing at Kennedy Space Center
March 28
1742 GMT
1:42pm EDT (local time)
10:42am PDT.
1743 GMT
1:43pm EDT (local time)
10:43am PDT.
1738 GMT
1:38pm EDT (local time)
10:38am PDT.
1739 GMT
1:39pm EDT (local time)
10:39am PDT.
1914 GMT
3:14pm EDT (local time)
12:14pm PDT.
(Find later landing options at NASA - Launch and Landing
and the landing paths at NASA - STS-119 Landing Ground Tracks.)
Launch status updates at
Spaceflight Now | Tracking Station | Worldwide launch schedule.
You can follow the progress of the Space Shuttle mission online at
Spaceflight Now | STS-119 Shuttle Report | Mission Status Center
and NASA - Space Shuttle.
There are links in the "WATCH NASA TV NOW" section of the NASA page where you can watch video (sometimes live).
You can dig for more info at
Spaceflight Now - Index of /shuttle/sts119 and
CBS News Space Place - STS-119 Status Report.
Live online coverage of the launch on NASA TV starts one hour or more before launch - see the NASA TV Schedule.
◑ Last Quarter Moon
Exact at
March 18
1747 GMT
1:47pm EDT
10:47pm PDT.
Rises near midnight and sets near noon. Morning crescent moons for a week after. Each one thinner and closer to the horizon.
The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun are at right angles resulting in weaker tides - lower highs, higher lows and slower flows (see NEAP-TIDES). (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.)
Equinox Day
March 20
1144 GMT
7:44am EDT
4:44am PDT.
The Sun crosses the equator on its way to the Northern Hemisphere marking the beginning of spring there. It marks the beginning of autumn for the Southern Hemisphere.
Satellite OutagesOne effect of equinoctial periods is the temporary disruption of communications satellites. For all geostationary satellites, there are a few days near the equinox when the sun goes directly behind the satellite relative to Earth (ie, within the beamwidth of the groundstation antenna) for a short period each day. The Sun's immense power and broad radiation spectrum overload the Earth station's reception circuits with noise and, depending on antenna size and other factors, temporarily disrupt or degrade the circuit. The duration of those effects varies but can range from a few minutes to an hour. (For a given frequency band, a larger antenna has a narrower beamwidth, hence experience shorter duration "Sun outage" windows).
Cultural aspects of the Equinox
Jupiter, Mars & Crescent Moon before Sunrise
March 22-24
Jupiter and the Crescent Moon can help you find Mars in the eastern dawn sky.
March 22-24 Eastern Sky Image from SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance.
Cape Canaveral Delta II Launch
Photo credit: Patrick AFB
Satellite: Global Positioning System 49 (Navstar-2RM 7 [ex Navstar-2R 20])
Launch Vehicle: Delta II 7925
Launch from Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida
March 24
0834-0849 GMT
4:34-4:49am EDT (local time)
1:34-1:49am PDT.
Launch status updates are at
Spaceflight Now | Tracking Station | Worldwide launch schedule
with more details on the launch blog at
Spaceflight Now | Delta Launch Report | Mission Status Center.
In addition to its various navigational and timing uses the Global Positioning System carries nuclear detonation detectors.
You might find more information and a link to a live webcast of the launch at
United Launch Alliance as the launch date grows closer.
Launch of ISS Expedition 19 Crew
Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Mission: Expedition 19 to the International Space Station (ISS)
Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA-14
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz FG
Launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
March 26
4:49pm AQTT (Aqtobe Time, local time)
1149 GMT
7:49am EDT
4:49am PDT.
Docking with ISS
March 28
4:15pm MSK (Moscow Standard Time)
1315 GMT
9:15am EDT
6:15am PDT.
Updates at
Spaceflight Now | Tracking Station | Worldwide launch schedule.
You can follow the progress of the mission at NASA - Expedition 19.
Live coverage of the launch and docking will appear on NASA TV - see the NASA TV Schedule.
● Dark Moon (a.k.a. astronomical new moon)
Exact at
March 26
1606 GMT
12:06pm EDT
9:06am PDT.
Lower and thinner morning crescent moons the week before. Higher and thicker evening crescent moons the week after.
The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun are aligned resulting in stronger tides - higher highs, lower lows and faster flows (see SPRING-TIDES). (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.)
) Thinnest Evening Crescent Moon (the original meaning of "new moon")
WunderPhoto: One day old Moon by LaddObservatory Friday June 15, 2007
March 27 or 28
Low in the western sky soon after sunset.
For areas and dates of visibility see Moonsighting.com.
Turn off your lights 8:30-9:30pm!
March 28
Earth Hour
Sky Darkness Survey
From: The World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness
Image credit: P. Cinzano, F. Falchi (University of Padova), C. D. Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder). Copyright Royal Astronomical Society. Reproduced from the Monthly Notices of the RAS by permission of Blackwell Science. The night sky in the World.
From: Visible Earth: Earth's City Lights
Image credit: Data courtesy Marc Imhoff of NASA GSFC and Christopher Elvidge of NOAA NGDC. Image by Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC.
March 16-28
Participation in GLOBE at Night is open to anyone who lives or works in one of the 110 GLOBE countries and can get outside and look skyward during 16-28 March. You can enter your observations on the GLOBE at Night Report web page from 16 March - 7 April.
Binocular Star Clusters
March 29 & 30
A couple of fine binocular star clusters will be easy to find these evenings. On the 29th the crescent Moon is below the Pleiades. On the 30th the crescent Moon is above the Pleiades and to the right of the Hyades. At the same time each night the moon will continue to step eastward while the starts remain in nearly the same location.
March 29 & 30 western sky image from SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance.
◐ First Quarter Moon
Exact at
April 2
1434 GMT
10:34am EDT
7:34am PDT.
Rises near noon and sets near midnight. Evening crescent moons for a week before. Each one thicker and higher above the horizon.
The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun are at right angles resulting in weaker tides - lower highs, higher lows and slower flows (see NEAP-TIDES). (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.)
Moon Near the Twins
April 2
This night the Moon shines below the two stars that mark the heads of Castor & Pollux in the constellation Gemini. Pollux is farther south, closer to the Moon and slightly brighter than Castor.
Cape Canaveral Atlas V Launch
Photo credit: Lockheed Martin
Satellite: Wideband Global SATCOM 2 (WGS-2)
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 421
Launch from Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida
March 18
0124-0200 GMT
March 17
9:24-10:00pm EDT (local time)
6:24-7:00pm PST.
To Be Determined
April 1
?April 4
0031-0133 GMT
March 31
April 3
8:31-9:33pm EDT (local time)
5:31-6:33pm PST.
Launch status updates are at
Spaceflight Now | Tracking Station | Worldwide launch schedule
with more details on the launch blog at
Spaceflight Now | Delta Launch Report | Mission Status Center
as the launch approaches.
You can find more information and a link to a live webcast of the launch at
United Launch Alliance. Coverage is scheduled to begin at 9:05 EDT, 6:05 PDT. 8:12 EDT, 5:12 PDT.
100 Hours of Astronomy for the Public
April 2-5
Clickable World Map for Events Near You!
Welcome to 100 Hours of AstronomyThe 100 Hours of Astronomy Cornerstone Project is a worldwide event consisting of a wide range of public outreach activities, live science center, research observatory webcasts and sidewalk astronomy events.One of the key goals of 100 Hours of Astronomy is to have as many people as possible look through a telescope as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago. ....
Moon Near Regulus
April 5
This evening the Moon is near the star Regulus, the heart of and the brightest star in the constellation Leo. Regulus is the "dot" on a backward question mark pattern that marks the mane and chest of the Lion.
April 4-6 Eastern Sky Image from SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance.
Moon Near Saturn
April 6
This evening the Moon is near the planet Saturn. Saturn is the farthest planet visible to the naked eye. It has an orbit of about 30 years and so moves very slowly against the background of stars. A year from now it will only be about hand's width farther from its current position near Regulus.
○ Full Moon
WunderPhoto: Rising Moon by StarDancer Tuesday March 10, 2009
Exact at
April 9
1456 GMT
10:56am EDT
7:56am PDT.
Rises near sunset and sets near sunrise.
The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun are aligned resulting in stronger tides - higher highs, lower lows and faster flows (see SPRING-TIDES). (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.)
Moon Near Spica
April 9
This evening the Moon is near the star Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. Spica is the spike of wheat in the Virgin's hand. Spica is one of the bluest stars in the sky. If it doesn't seem blue to your naked eye try looking through binoculars and unfocusing them to make Spica appear as a disk instead of a point of light.
Moon Near Antares
Early Morning April 13
After midnight the Moon can be seen near the star Antares, the heart of and the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius. The Scorpion is one of the most recognizable constellations with his long curving tail. Antares is a reddish star close the the pathway of the planets and is sometimes a rival (Ant-) of the red planet Mars (-ares).
Jupiter, Venus & Mars
Before Sunrise April 13
The very bright planet Jupiter is in the southeast. The brilliant planet Venus is beginning its appearance in the east as "The Morning Star". The red planet Mars is about a hand's width to the right of Venus (use binoculars) and will remain in close proximity to Venus for three more months.
◑ Last Quarter Moon
Exact at
April 17
1336 GMT
9:36am EDT
6:36am PDT.
Rises near midnight and sets near noon. Morning crescent moons for a week after. Each one thinner and closer to the horizon.
The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun are at right angles resulting in weaker tides - lower highs, higher lows and slower flows (see NEAP-TIDES). (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.)
Moon Near Jupiter
Before Sunrise April 19
This morning the Moon is near the very bright planet Jupiter in the southeast.
Create your own visitor map!
Waning Crescent Moon (
Ralfo)
10% Full Moon, at 5:29 A.M. 3/23/09 before the Sunrise.
I happen to awake in the night & went out to catch this launch at 4:43am..
0948 GMT (5:48 a.m. EDT)
"Congratulations to the Air Force and all of our mission partners on today's successful GPS satellite launch," said Jim Sponnick, United Launch Alliance's vice president of the Delta Product Line. "One third of the 140 successful Delta 2 launches have been dedicated to GPS satellites. The ULA Delta team is extremely proud of the role we've played in launching this incredible satellite constellation. During the past two decades, GPS has changed how people navigate around their neighborhoods and around the globe. GPS has also greatly improved military operations as well as numerous maritime, aircraft and business operations worldwide."
Tonight from my house here in Lomita, CA, I observed and imaged a phenomenon known as an Iridium Flare (IF). IFs are are caused by the Sun glinting off the panels of the Iridium Satellites. Tonight's flare was caused by satellite Iridium 96. It was at magnitude -7 from my house. From other locations it was dimmer, brighter, or not visible at all. By comparison, Venus in the western sky these days is at -4. It was north of the North Star which is also in the image. To learn more about IFs and see one from your location, go to www.heavens-above.com.
Jupiter With Waning Crescent Moon (
Ralfo)
Jupiter with 10% Full Moon 5:44 A.M. Just before Sunrise,
Light winds helped make the evening not to cold for sky watching
Early enough in the evening that the northern sky still has a blue cast to it, which contrasts nicely with the bright aurora colors.
Open Closter M 41, Takahashi telescope 820mm.
Exposure 1 X 380 sec. Iso 800
Finally after almost two months, I am done with this GIF. I am going to submit it before I think of something else to change. To all my fans, thank you for your patience. I really wish I could have had this submitted almost a month ago but it was simply too big of a jump to go from the Waxing Crescent to the First Quarter. The last picture taking was tonight of the 34% Moon. Enjoy!
The 8:12pm fly-over of Palm Springs on April 1, 2009 - No Foolin'!
Moon tonight, Takahashi telescope 820 mm.
Barlow lens
ISS with Moon passing by Gemini
A few days spent in Yosemite National Park took care of a bad case of Spring Fever.
Aurora display that has the shape of a jelly fish.
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I hear you, bro! That's why a computerized "go-to" scope was a good choice on your part.
It's hard to capture the action and beauty of the entire sky with a limited field of view. I really liked that section with Venus in the dawn lit clouds and sky above the palm trees. :^)
Yea like I said it was a sight to see!! I am not sure why Jupiter did not show up there as well? It was bright enough thats for sure...
JUST STOP BY TO SAY --------------
\\\\ COME BY AND SEE ME SOME TIME ////
Ares Motor on the Move
Posted on Apr 17, 2009 11:10:31 AM | Constellation
The first of five segments for the Ares I development motor (DM-1) was moved April 16 from ATK Space System's production facility in Promontory, Utah, to the nearby test stand, in preparation for the first ground test, targeted for August. This next generation of solid rocket motor will be used to launch humans on future missions to the International Space Station, the moon, Mars and beyond.
True that. Anyone who doesn't believe it should take a look for themselves. ;^)
ronni9 I envy your stars...
"I LIVE AT 6535 Ft. ELEVATION ON TOP OF PARADISE MOUNTAIN IN WEST TEXAS"
... the ones in your sky. ;^)
Pat Thanks for the update. You were right about the timeline. They've narrowed it down from summer to August now. I'm feeling some of the same excitement as I did when our space program first started. :^)
Image credit: International Meteor Organization (IMO)
Nice Sim ..check out the SRB sep first, and then the Roll to Heads up at the 4min mark.
Hey Cal,
Check this out. It was in the local paper last week. Hmmmm I DO have a diving license.. ;)
You probably already know but, click the photo down in the right hand corner & the pic enlarges so you can read it clearly..
.
DID YOU VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY ?
THANKS FOR COMING BY. HOPE YOU ENJOY MORE OF MY BLOG.
I TRYING TO KEEP IT LESS POLITICAL AND MORE UPBEAT
I UPDATE IT EACH WEEKEND SO PLEASE COME AGAIN
R9
Fsh Time and progress... In late May that part of the first generation of our space effort will be sleeping with the fishes. Then this August the third generation will take flight for the first time. Hope you can enjoy a trip to the underwater museum.
R9 I did take a look at your gallery. That is some beautiful country you live in. If you get out after dark those are some beautiful skies you live under too.
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