A Fantastic Monday Morning Sky Show
- From: John Schutkeker <jschutkeker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2007 19:20:46 GMT
A Fantastic Monday Morning Sky Show
11.02.2007
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/02nov_nov5.htm
Nov. 2 , 2007: This is worth waking up for.
On Monday morning, Nov. 5th, anyone willing to step outside before dawn
will see a fantastic display of stars and planets?and maybe a couple of
spaceships, too.
The planets: Venus, Saturn and Mars.
Venus is the extravagantly luminous "star" hanging low in the east. You
can?t miss it?especially because the crescent Moon is hanging nearby.
The closely-spaced pair is as lovely as anything you will ever see in
the heavens.
Right: Venus and the crescent Moon. Photo credit: Zhen Jie of Singapore.
July 17, 2007.
If you can, tear your eyes away from Venus and the Moon. Just above them
hangs Saturn, a delicate yellow beauty that cries out for the attention
of your telescope; even small 'scopes reveal Saturn's breathtaking
rings. And above Saturn, almost directly overhead, shines Mars. It is
bright, distinctly orange, and for reasons science cannot fully explain,
a little hypnotic.
The stars: Too many to name!
You won't be the only one looking at the planets. Orion the Hunter is
there, too, outlined in the sky by an hour-glass of first and second
magnitude stars. Joining Orion is Castor, Pollux, Regulus, Aldebaran and
brightest of all, Sirius, the blue-white Dog Star: sky map This stellar
sprawl frames the planets in a scene guaranteed to spellbind?that is,
until something comes along to break the spell.
That would be the spaceships: Space shuttle Discovery and the
International Space Station (ISS).
The two orbiters are due to fly over many US towns and cities on Monday
morning. If things go according to plan, Discovery will undock from the
ISS at 5:32 am EST (updates), which means the two ships will appear as
distinct points of bright light, side-by-side, gliding together past
Mars, Sirius, Orion, Venus and the Moon. Check NASA's Skywatch web site
for spotting times.
What comes next may strain the credulity of some readers, but it is
true. In addition to the stars, planets, spaceships and lunar close
encounters, there is also an exploding comet:
Above: Comet Holmes photographed on Nov. 2nd by Tom Davis of Salisbury,
North Carolina, using a 4.5 inch refracting telescope. [More]
Comet 17P/Holmes burst into view last week when something happened to
the comet's core?a collapse, a fracture, a comet-quake? No one knows!
?causing the comet to surge in brightness almost a million-fold. It is
now visible to the unaided eye as an expanding fuzzball in the
constellation Perseus similar in brightness to the stars of the Big
Dipper. To find the comet, first face Mars and then spin around 180-
degrees: sky map. It's a must-see target for backyard telescopes.
Nov. 5th: Set your alarm!
SEND THIS STORY TO A FRIEND
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips |
Credit: Science@NASA
+ Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing
list
more information
NASA's Future: The Vision for Space Exploration
.
- Prev by Date: Re: Google: "Fascistoid big brother elements", says European protester at HQ
- Next by Date: Re: Google: "Fascistoid big brother elements", says European protester at HQ
- Previous by thread: Google: "Fascistoid big brother elements", says European protester at HQ
- Next by thread: There is no other word for a psycho taking control of a victim's life with years of hate crimes, stalking, threats, aim to destroy life than terrorism
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
