Sorry it has been a while since I have posted on here. I guess it was a little too hard to update every week like I had planned! I will try to do more updating as I get some more time. Since we have been pretty busy at school these past few weeks, it has been hard to get the proper amount of time to work on this blog. ANYWAY, lets get right into the updates!!!
First of all...Astronomy Club, don't forget about our star watching party in a couple of weeks. If you forgot when it is, let me know and I can fill you in.
WE HAVE LIFTOFF (STS-129, Space Shuttle Atlantis)
The launch of STS-129, Space Shuttle Atlantis, to the ISS was a success! They launched last week and have been updating the ISS with three spacewalks! They are scheduled to undock from the ISS on Wednesday. They are scheduled to undock early Wednesday morning. Atlantis is slated to return back on Friday. God Speed, Atlantis! Below are two pictures from the STS-129 launch last week.
3...2...1...0...and lift off....
The above images as well as information regarding STS-129 and the ISS has been taken from NASA at http://www.nasa.gov
ISS Flybys
In school, I told some of you about the ISS flybys. Tonight's flyby was with Atlantis docked with the ISS. Unfortunately, it was way too cloudy to see it. Below are the times for Kensington for the next few days. If you are not going to be in Kensington, then you can go to the website (listed below) and type in your zip code to find your local times.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009: 6:18:11pm-6:20:32pm WNW 70 degrees (max elevation) -3.8 magnitude
Thursday, November 26, 2009: 5:05:26pm-5:07:35pm NNW 32 degrees (max elevation) -2.4 magnitude
Friday, November 27, 2009: 5:27:20pm-5:29:42pm WNW 75 degrees (max elevation) -3.9 magnitude
Those are the times/info as listed for Kensington on the Simple Satellite Tracker from Spaceweather
For this information, as well as additional information of flybys (including flybys in your area), go to the Simple Satellite Tracker Website at http://spaceweather.com/flybys/
What's that by the moon??
These past few nights, you may have seen a very bright object next to the moon. That is not a star, it is Jupiter. Jupiter will again appear close to the moon in December (Dec. 20 and 21). It will actually appear closer than this past week's viewings. So keep an eye out for that. Below is a picture taken of this beautiful conjunction.
The above picture/info was taken from Spaceweaher.com. For more images and more information, please visit Spaceweather at http://www.spaceweather.com
BE WISE AND LOOK TO THE SKIES...
NASA is preparing to launch a new object into space. The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is perched on its rocket and ready to blast off into the sky. WISE is scheduled to lift off on December 9, 2009 on a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. WISE has a very important job to do. It will be used to scan the sky in a special part of the electromagnetic spectrum (infrared). We will keep and eye on this and look at any images that WISE might find for us!! Good Luck, WISE!
Information on WISE is taken from NASA's website. For additional information on WISE and other NASA missions, visit NASA at http://www.nasa.gov
GEMINIDS!!!!
Get ready to view a spectacular light show! No, not Christmas lights...METEORS! Grab your hat, gloves, and some hot chocolate, and head outside late on Saturday, Dec. 12 or early (in the am) Sunday, Dec. 13 to view the Geminid Meteor Shower. This is one of the best meteor showers!! At the right time, and with proper viewing conditions, you could see up to 100+ meteors per hour!!! Remember a meteor is a piece of space debris (usually a rock or dust) that is burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. The friction of the object against the atmosphere releases energy in the form of heat/light, which allows us to see a streak of light across the sky. Meteors are often referred to as shooting stars, although stars are not actually falling. You do not need binoculars or any special equipment to view these meteors...maybe just a chair, and a warm blanket! The best viewing time will be about 2-3am on Sunday morning. You will want to look towards the constellation Gemini (the twins); this will be where most of the meteors appear to be originating from. Often times, the moon plays a factor in how well we are able to see meteors. Because of its brightness, it often inhibits the number of meteors we can see. However, this year we are in luck! The phase of the moon is close to the new moon phase, which means that the moon will not play a major factor in viewing meteors!!! So mark your calenders, this year's shower seems like it is going to be a great show!!! Below is a sky map (taken from www.astronomy.com)
NEW SPECIES discovered
Scientists have discovered many new species that live really deep down (below 656 feet)! They estimate that there are thousands of species which have not yet been discovered. Below are a few pictures of some new species! Keep in mind, since there is no sunlight this deep down, many organisms have to produce their own light. This is something called bioluminesence.
The above three pictures and the info about new species was taken from Yahoo! News (www.news.yahoo.com)
Don't forget, GOOGLE Earth is free to download and you can have access to Google moon, Google sky, and Google mars as well!
Ok, well I hope you are now well-informed with updates!
Have a happy, safe, and blessed Thanksgiving...see you all on Tuesday!
Keep and eye to the sky...
Ms. T
