Technology and Prosperity Through Knowledge of the Sky
Astronomy:
Comet Holmes Continues To Shine:
After its wonderful passage near the bright star Mirfak in late November, the comet will continue to be a binocular sight. Look high in the NE after sunset, as the comet is still well within the constellation of Perseus.
A favorable window of observation exists in early December, at least till December 18th, when the Moon will brighten too much.
Another amazing fact about this comet, is that its size is larger than the diameter of the Moon!
Best views will still be had with small to larger binoculars.
The comet is described by some as a “celestial jellyfish”, as it seems to swallow up stars in its flight path.
Here are some additional links to the comet and how to find it, as well as advice on how to photograph it!
Special Note:
Comet Holmes 17P, will pass very close to the Demon Star; Algol on the nights of January 21-23. Don’t’ miss this one!
Also, another comet; Comet Tuttle 8P, will grace our late December and January skies. This comet is also in the same vicinity as Comet Holmes 17P.
Pay special attention to a rare passage of Comet Tuttle 8P, right over the galaxy M33 in the constellation of Triangulum.
Here are the fine details:
http://www.aerith.net/index.html
Here are current links to the latest with Comet Holmes 17P:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html
http://cometography.com/pcomets/017p.html
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/0017P.html
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=41491
Astronomy:
Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks:
The annual Geminid meteor shower, will peak on the night of December 13/14.
Look to the NE sky in the direction of the planet Mars.
This is the region that the meteors will radiate from. In astronomy, we call this the radiant!
This shower produces many bright meteors in the form of bright fireballs.
Another little known fact about the Geminids, that they are not from a traditional comet, as most meteor showers are; but rather from small near Earth asteroid: 3200 Phaethon.
3200 Phaethon may be the remains of a dormant comet. The story of the asteroid connection is very interesting. Learn More here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon Expect to see as many as 80 or more meteors per hour, as the radiant gets higher in the sky; this occurring well after midnight on the 13th.
This is one event which requires little in the way of equipment; just warm clothing, a clear sky and some patience.
Enjoy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_shower
http://meteorshowersonline.com/
http://meteorshowersonline.com/geminids.html
Astronomy:
Mars At Its Best In December:
The bright orange colored object is the planet Mars!
Mars will once again come close to the Earth, reaching its own opposition, on the night of December 24th.
At that time, Mars will be some 55 million miles away from the Earth.
In small telescopes, some surface detail is visible, including the polar area of Mars.
To learn more about this opposition and best to observe it, we have added this interesting links:
http://www.google.com/mars/
http://www.google.com/mars/about.html
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/~spider/spider/Mars/mars2007.html
http://seds.org/~spider/spider/Mars/marsopps.html
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/mars.html
http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html
Space:
STS 122 Set To Launch To ISS:
This 11 day mission, with a crew of seven, will be the maiden voyage of a new European space module known as; Columbus.
Columbus, will be attached to the ISS, during a series of complicated spacewalks.
This will be the 121st flight of the shuttle program, as the ISS is to near completion in 2010.
To learn more about the mission, the crew and Columbus, please visit these sites:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts122/index.html
Mission Profile:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/203212main_sts122_presskit3.pdf
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts122/columbus122preview.html
http://www.esa.int/esaHhttp://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts122/columbus122preview.htmlS/ESAAYI0VMOC_iss_0.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station
Aviation:
2007 Aviation Nation Air Show:
This was a great time for people to get to see some of the best aircraft in action!
This year was a special year indeed; as this was the 60th anniversary of the US Air Force.
Let us hope that these types of events, will continue to be available to the public, to show the pride that our US Armed Forces have in doing the jobs that they do!
This is a salute to the many proud young men and women, who are helping to keep us free!
One of the main highlights of this show, was getting to meet former Apollo 11 astronaut; Dr. Buzz Aldrin; as well as meeting Morris Jeppson; one of the last living crew members aboard the Enola Gay.
This was the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan.
To listen to a special interview that Dr.Sky conducted with Morris Jeppson; please visit this link:
http://teentalknetwork.com/sky.htm
Here are some links and photographs to remember this great air show:
http://www.aviationnation.org/
http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/shows/showdate-world.htm
Weather:
2008 Global/Regional Forecast:
With growing concern about “global warming”; here is what we think we can expect.
http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Accurate_Weather_Service_For_2008_999.html
http://www.almanac.com/weather/
http://www.rapidwx.com/
Space:
UPDATE ON COMET HOLMES (17P):
Here are a few charts to show it's predicted motion and orbital path.
Right now, the comet is some 152,000,000 miles from Earth and moving rapidly. Will the comet remain bright?, grow a tail?, or just disintigrate from the forces of the solar wind?
Stay tuned!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/Comet_Holmes_trajectory_TLR1.gif
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Comet_Holmes_orbit_2007.gif
http://cometography.com/pcomets/017p.html
COMET HOLMES UPDATE:
PHOTO'S:
What is important is that these are photo's taken of a comet in Full moonlight!
I have used my green laser from "Wicked Lasers" , to point out the comet!
The comet is bright enough to be seen in moonlight and proves the point that ANYONE with a limited budget, can capture the wonders of the sky!
A photo has been added, to show just how bright the Full Moon is!
Stay tuned, for more updates on Comet Holmes.
In my 8" scope, the comet looks amazing.... a bright yellow nucleus, surrounded by a bright yellow/green coma.
In ALL my years of observing...this is the most unusual comet, I have ever seen!
Photo's Copyright: Dr.Sky.com Inc.
NEWS FLASH!
COMET HOLMES (17P) SURGES IN BRILLIANCE!
This very faint comet was totally invisible to the naked eye, up till the morning of October 25th, as a large event has taken place at the nucleus of this periodic comet.
It may be that a large chunk of the comet has blown away, releasing an incredible surge of ice and dust, sunward!
The comet is now bight enough to be seen with the naked eye...even in the light of the Full Hunters Moon.
The comet has flared once before, back in 1892, but this may be a record for any comet of this size.
The comet looks like a "yellow star" to the naked eye and is now in the constellation of Perseus.
The great thing about this comet, is that it will be in the sky, all night for observers in the northern hemisphere.
Here are some related links and ways to find the comet!
Send you photo's to us at: drsky@cox.net
You are seeing history in front of your eye's.
More on this amazing object, later!
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/10775326.html
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/071025-comet-holmes.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17P/Holmes
Astronomy:
Orionid Meteor Shower:
We will not expect to see Halley’s comet again, till the year 2061, but the next best way to remind us about Halley, will be in the form of the annual Orionid meteor shower.
The shower will peak on the morning of October 21st.
An observer, looking high in the S sky, will get to seat least 10-25 bright reminders of Halley’s comet. All meteor debris that we see is made up of material from comets!
This year, the 9 day old moon will set around 1AM, providing us with a great view (weather permitting), of this exciting event.
The above captions, photo, show us the region of the radiant as well as a photo of the source of these meteors… the nucleus of Halley’s comet!
Peak activity will be around 5AM EDT on the 21st.
Here are some additional details regarding this shower:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/Meteor_Showers_in_nbsp_2007.html
http://www.imo.net/calendar/2007
http://www.earthsky.org/radioshows/51729/orionid-meteors-before-dawn-on-october-20-22
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid
Listen To Meteors:
http://www.roswellastronomyclub.com/radio_meteors.htm
Astronomy:
Dark Energy Debate Continues:
According to some in the business, the universe that we see, is only 5% of the total!
Dark Energy may make up 70% of the remainder and that another 25% of the universe may be made up of Dark Matter!
How little we are…… and how little we know!
This “force” of Dark Energy is one of the hottest topics in physics and cosmology today!
Recently, I had the honor of interviewing to very special scientists who study these problems, from the world of cosmology and theoretical physics.
Dr. Kip Thorne at Caltech and Dr. Alan Guth of MIT!
Both have a lot to say with regard to the evolution of this problem and the current status of cosmology.
I suggest that you visit this Dr.Sky link and search for these interviews….good stuff!
http://teentalknetwork.com/sky.htm
Here are some additional links to this most important subject:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/19419
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/mysteries_l1/dark_energy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_matter
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/dark_matter.html
http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Space:
Expedition 16 Crew Arrives At ISS:
This 3 person crew, arrived at the ISS, in mid October and will remain on the station till April of 2008.
Dr. Peggy Whitson; is the new commander on this mission. She is a veteran of the ISS, having served on Expedition 5 and will be the first female to command an ISS expedition.
To learn more about the mission and Dr.Whitson, please review these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Whitson
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition16/index.html
Space:
STS-120 Set To Launch To ISS:
STS-120 will be launched on or about October 23rd. This will be the 23rd mission to the ISS.
The major goal of this mission, is to deliver the Harmony node to the ISS.
Basically, the Harmony node will help link other international modules to the station.
Here is some basic information regarding the Harmony module and how it came to be:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/node2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_Module
Harmony is basically a ”Utility Hub” in space.
Here is additional information regarding STS-120:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/
This mission will be commanded by retired Air Force colonel Pamela Ann Melrose:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/melroy.html
For the first time in history, we have two female astronauts in command of two missions at the same time…. The ISS and the shuttle Discovery!
Aviation:
Wirefly X-Prize Cup Returns To New Mexico:
This is a MUST see for all of you that love space and the promise of private space ventures.
Here are some links to this years show and events:
http://space.xprize.org/x-prize-cup/
http://xprize.wirefly.com/blog.html
Weather:
Space Weather Update:
It is important to study the Sun, so we can learn more about how solar cycles effect the Earth and not jump to conclusions, that the events we call “Global Warming” are, the fault of mankind alone!
Here are some links to the study of Space Weather:
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/AboutUs/index.html
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SWN/
Here is a link to the new TV series with Dr.Sky; The Space Weather Report.
Astronomy:
Total Eclipse Of The Moon:
This is the night that many observers in N. America, will get to see a very deep Total Eclipse of the Moon.
The western regions of the USA, will be favored for seeing this event in it’s entirety.
Total eclipses of the Moon are safe to view and very exciting.
This eclipse of the Moon, places the Moon, deep in the shadow of the Earth.
Observers, west of the Mississippi, will have the best view.
This eclipse offers serious viewers, some exciting view of the Moon, passing into the central umbral shadow of the Earth.
The Moon will spend some 90 minutes in the umbra!
This is a great time to view and photograph the Moon in this rare celestial position.
Here are the details on this total lunar eclipse and the details regarding this phenomenon.
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2007Aug28/TLE2007Aug28.html
Animation:
http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/
http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/UpcomingEclipses.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_eclipse
Astronomy:
Mars Hoax 2007:
The internet is ripe with information!
Some of the things we read on the net are not credible and have no scientific foundation!
This applies to a hoax that has made it’s way into many e-mail boxes and science classes.
Simply stated: Mars was to appear in the sky, the size of the Full Moon and come very close to Earth on August 27th, 2007.
Sadly, this will NOT happen!
Mars was closest to Earth on this very date, back in 2003, at a distance of less than 35 million miles!
On August 27th 2007, Mars will be well over 109 million miles from the Earth and is visible in the NE sky, just after midnight.
Even though Mars will not appear like the internet said it would, you still Have an opportunity to see Mars, very close to a red star in Taurus, the Bull.
This star is known as Aldebaran, some 65 light years away from your eye.
And speaking of eye’s; Mars and Aldebaran will look like two red eyes, looking back at you, from space.
To learn more about this hoax:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050708_mars_hoax.html
http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
Mars will come close to Earth, once again in December of this year!
This opposition of Mars, requires a telescope to see any detail on the planet.
http://seds.org/~spider/spider/Mars/mars2007.html
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/mars.html
Astronomy:
TrES-4 Largest Exosolar Planet:
Dr. Georgi Mandushev and his team from the Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey, detected this strange object, using the transit method of detection.
The planet has a surface temperature of some 1,300 degrees C.
This discovery, moves the total of expolanets up to at least 250!
To learn more, please visit these links:
http://www.lowell.edu/
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070806_largest_exoplanet.html
Dr.Sky Exclusive:
Visit our radio archive, for a recent interview with Dr. Georgi Mandushev discoverer of TrES-4 and Dr.Sky:
http://teentalknetwork.com/sky.htm
Astronomy:
POSSIBLE METEOR SHOWER- September 1st. 2007:
The Earth will pass into debris shed from a comet!
The shower will peak during the early morning hours of September 1st and favor observers in the western USA.
We may get to see bright meteors with unusual colors!
To learn more about this event, please follow these links:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/08aug_aurigids.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20320625/
http://www.erasmatazz.com/Aurigid/Aurigid.html
Astronomy:
The Return of the 2007 Perseid Meteor Shower:
Get set for the 2007 Perseid shower, with clear skies and no moonlight, one may get to see, well over 100 meteors per hour!
The Perseids are a major event and this year, we hope to remind people all over the globe, to plan your observations, early!
For observers in the USA, 2007 is a great time to view this shower. Simply, look high in the NE sky, after midnight on the night of August 12. The region that the meteors originate from, is the near center of the constellation of Perseus the Hero.
Perseid meteors are debris from a comet that was discovered around 1862, by two independent astronomers, Swift and Tuttle.
Binoculars will help with your enjoyment of this shower.
Here are links to Perseus and the shower named in his honor:
Perseus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus
The 2007 Perseid Shower:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/11jul_greatperseids.htm
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/060817_meteor_shower.html
http://www.imo.net/calendar/2007
Listen To Meteors LIVE: In case your weather is poor or you just want to listen to what is going on above you. (Not always online).
http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/nasameteorradar.html
http://red.phoxes.com/red/FMRadioMeteorObservingWhatsthisallabout/tabid/62/Default.aspx
NEWS FLASH:
JOIN DR SKY ON THE DOLLY STEAM BOAT FOR OUR 2007 PERSEID DINNER CRUISE:
For more information, please visit:
http://www.drsky.com/appearances.shtml
(Book by August 8th, for best seats ). See you on the cruise!!!!
Space:
Shuttle Mission- STS-118 Set To Launch:
STS-118 is set for a night launch as the seven person crew is headed once again to the International Space Station.
The mission details are to deliver additional sections to the station as well as conduct some science experiments.
Another highlight of the mission, is the return of the Teacher in Space program.
Astronaut Barbara Morgan will be on board to conduct some experiments.
To learn all about the mission of STS-118, please review this NASA PDF file, which includes information on the entire mission.
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/182728main_STS-118_Press_Kit.pdf
To learn more about Barbara Morgan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Morgan
Teacher In Space Program:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teacher_in_Space
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbio_christa_mcauliffe.htm
Aviation:
60Th Anniversary of the US Air Force:
Many special events are taking place around the country and the world.
The culmination of the this celebration, will be the Nellis AFB Air show to be held on November 10-11, 2007.
Static aircraft as well as flying teams from around the world, will be at this major event.
Plan early, so you can attend this once in a lifetime event.
To learn more, visit:
Weather:
Find A Forecast Fast!:
Astronomy:
Dr.Sky Introduces-"Keep Pluto Alive" Website:
The August 2006 decision to remove Pluto from the main sequence of planets, has been quite a story!
The (IAU) International Astronomical Union, removed Pluto from it's planetary status and placed Pluto into a "dwarf planet" category.
This decision has been view by many as a wrong decision!
Why?
Many feel that Pluto should remain a major planet, for no other reason, than the recent definition of what a planet is!
Children love the "small" nature of Pluto as well as many scientists and adults, who will look at Pluto as a major planet…forever!
During some of my college days at New Mexico State University, I had the honor of knowing Dr. Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered this amazing planet in 1930 from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.
After years of radio interviews with him and a general feeling of disappointment with the IAU decision, I decided to put together an archive of Pluto photo's and audio interviews, on why Dr.Sky feels that Pluto should remain a planet.
The new website: www.keepplutoalive.com , is a living memorial to the life and work of Dr. Tombaugh.
You can also send an e-mail of your thoughts and protest to the IAU, to let them know, why you feel, Pluto should always be a planet, not a dwarf planet or less!
Dr. Tombaugh passed away in 1997, but he lives on forever at www.keepplutoalive.com
Enjoy!
Space:
Eta Carinae / A Star To Monitor!:
The southern constellation of Carina (The Keel), houses one of the most unusual stars in the entire heavens Eta Carinae, encased deep in the star cluster NGC 3372, forms a portion of a larger nebula, known as the Great Carina Nebula.
This is also known as the Keyhole Nebula.
The star, Eta; is a massive blue star that has had a strange history!
In 1843, Eta, started to grow brighter, making it one of the brightest stars in the sky!
Recent HST (Hubble Space Telescope) photos reveal a massive explosion moving out from the poles of the star, as well as an additional release of high energy particles from the equator of the star.
Eta, is some 7,500 light years from Earth and a star that we all should start to pay attention to.
Eta, may go supernova at any time!
If this did occur, we would have a ringside seat to one of the most massive stellar explosions in modern times!
The last major supernova in our galaxy, occurred in the year 1604.
Here are some links to learn more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_3372
http://www.etacarinae.iag.usp.br/
http://www.solstation.com/x-objects/eta-car.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_1604
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernova
Space:
Phoenix Mars Mission Set To Launch:
The next major mission to Mars is about to be placed into orbit!
The Phoenix Mars mission is in it's final checkout and set for an August 2007 launch.
This is the first major Mars mission that will be managed by a major university the University of Arizona.
The Phoenix lander will explore the northern polar regions of Mars, In search of life, deep within the water ice of the pole.
To learn more about this mission, please refer to these links:
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/future/phoenix.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(spacecraft)
Global Rocket Launch Schedule For 2007:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spaceflights_%282007%29
Space:
Zero G Flights:
Zero Gravity Corporation offers an exciting new way to experience the thrill of weightlessness!
Learn more about this amazing flight and how you can be a part of it!
Flights are scheduled during 2007 and beyond!
This is a Dr.Sky favorite!
To learn more:
http://www.gozerog.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weightlessness
Aviation:
A Tribute To The US Navy/ Blue Angels:
The Blue Angels are the US Navy’s flight demonstration team!
They are also known as the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron.
They have a proud history and are known all over the world.
This special air demonstration team has been around since 1946!
Flying the advanced F-18 fighter, the Blue Angels, suffered a major loss with the sudden death of one of it’s team members at a routine air show in South Carolina on April 21, 2007.
LCDR Kevin J “Kojak” Davis, who was flying the # 6 aircraft, died in an accident, while performing at this air show.
In Memory Of LCDR Kevin J "Kojak" Davis
We salute LCDR Davis and dedicate this column to his memory and the memory of all those who served in our armed forces.
Here are links to the Blue Angels and the accident:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Angels
http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Blue_Angels_South_Carolina_crash
Weather:
The Solar Connection To Global Warming:
Here are some additional links to the Solar connection to global warming!
It may be that the Sun is the primary cause of this phenomenon and not just greenhouse gases from human activity!
Interesting stuff!
http://www.research.noaa.gov/spotlite/archive/spot_sunclimate.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/sun_output_030320.html
Astronomy:
Sunspot Minimum Arrives?
The Sun has been “spotless” for at least the past 10 days and we may Entering the period, when the Sun produces, little in the way of these cooler regions in the solar photosphere.
During the last Solar Minimum, 1996, the Sun had NO detectable sunspots for a period of over a month.
With the worlds attention being focused on the subject of Global Warming, I feel there is no better time than now, to start educating the masses on the fact that the solar connection to our weather is NOT fully understood and that we need to place more emphasis on the study of our nearest star, so we may fully come to grips with the fact that man may not be the single source of concern in this debate!
All weather is driven by the Sun and we need more study on the cycles which produce sunspots and related solar phenomenon?
The following links, will provide a detailed explanation, regarding the Sun and its chemistry, along with links to many of the new satellites, which are providing us with data and images, of our life giving star; the Sun!
http://ircamera.as.arizona.edu/NatSci102/lectures/sun.htm
http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspots
http://www.ucar.edu/news/releases/2006/sunspot.shtml
Links To Spacecraft Observing the Sun:
The HINODE Mission Solar B:http://solarb.msfc.nasa.gov/
The SOHO Mission:http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
The RHESSI Mission:http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/hessi/
The STEREO Mission:http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/
The TRACE Mission:http://trace.lmsal.com/
The Ulysses Mission:http://ulysses.jpl.nasa.gov/
Space:
ASU Opens School of Earth and Space Exploration:
Link: http://sese.asu.edu/
I had a rare opportunity to meet with and interview, Dr. Harrison Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 17, currently, the last man to have stepped on to the Moon; the only geologist to walk on the Moon and former United States senator.
The actual audio interview can be heard, along with many of our special guests, from science, politics and the arts; at: http://teentalknetwork.com/sky.htm
Dr. Schmitt was presented with a special award; The Eugene Shoemaker Memorial Award. This award will be given by ASU annually, to a scientist, in honor of Dr. Shoemakers work on space and space geology.
It was a rare treat to be able to speak with a “Moonwalker” who did so much, to help us learn about the nature of Earth’s nearest neighbor.
Also attending the ceremony, was the widow of Dr. Shoemaker, Carolyn Shoemaker, who is also a great astronomer in her own right!
Photos of both of these historic individuals appear above!
Dr.Sky has assembled a series of great links to help you better understand the individuals that we are speaking about:
For more information about Dr. Harrison Schmitt:
http://clas.asu.edu/newsevents/newsreleases/2007/SchmittShoemaker_04042007.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo-17/apollo-17.html
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/apo17.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Schmitt
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/schmitt-hh.html
Dr. Schmitt’s new book: “Return To The Moon”
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/522/1
Information on Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker:
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/news81.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Shoemaker
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/About/People/GeneShoemaker/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_S._Shoemaker
http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/About/People/CarolynShoemaker/
Aviation:
The Legendary B-17:
The “Flying Fortress” is really a work or art in motion!
Did you know that there were well over 12,000 B-17’s made during WWII and that only a few remain in the skies today!
One such aircraft is the CAF/ Arizona Wings, B-17, known as the “Sentimental Journey”.
Dr. Sky will be flying on board this great aircraft and we will be shooting a new TV series, on aircraft of this era!
Stay tuned to learn more!
To learn more about the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force: http://www.arizonawingcaf.com/
To learn about the mighty B-17: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-17_Flying_Fortress
http://www.warbirdalley.com/b17.htm
A new website will be developed by my brother, Joe Kates, who is a world class aviation photographer!
This website will feature some of the best in military/civilian photography!
Take a sneak peek by visiting: http://www.photorecon.ifp3.com/
Weather:
Major Weather Links:
http://cirrus.sprl.umich.edu/wxnet/servers.html
Astronomy:
Update On ExoPlanets!:
At present, we know of some 212 planets that have been identified, around other star systems!
In 1995, astronomers confirmed that they had discovered the first exoplanet around the star 51 Pegasi.
Today. Lots of research is being conducted to help identify these amazing objects in other solar systems.
To learn much more, please visit these great sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrasolar_planet
http://exoplanets.org/
http://vo.obspm.fr/exoplanetes/encyclo/encycl.html
http://jumk.de/astronomie/exoplanets/index.shtml
Space:
LCROSS Mission/ To Hit The Moon:
Many scientists believe that water ice is under many of the lunar craters near the South pole of the Moon.
A new spacecraft is being developed, known as the LCROSS ( Lunar Crater and Sensing Satellite), will deploy to the Moon in 2008 and orbit the Moon to give us at least a year of high resolution images of our nearest celestial neighbor.
Then, in 2009, the craft will deploy a 2,000kg impactor, into one of the large craters surrounding the lunar South pole.
The crater that is being considered for the impact: Shackleton…named for S. Pole explorer; Ernest Shackleton, who explored, the S. Pole (1907-1909)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Shackleton
The resulting plume, should be visible to spacecraft as well as smaller telescopes on Earth.
The impact will help NASA, to build permanent structures on the Moon!
To learn more about this mission, please review these sites:
http://spacescience.arc.nasa.gov/lcross/
http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060410_lro_moon_crash.html
Aviation:
The “Phoenix Lights” 10 Years Later:
This “craft” was visible my thousands of people along it’s path of motion.
Many believe that this “object” was a classic UFO and that for the first time in many years, a real UFO case had unfolded!
Dr. Sky has been covering this story for many years and has been reporting on it ever since!
There has been much controversy surrounding this sighting!
I want to make a very clear distinction in what I feel occurred during that evening of March 13,1997!
The first sighting of an object “sailing” across the sky, occurred for viewers in Phoenix, after 8PM.
This object was described as large triangular craft, moving slowly in the sky, with marking lights on it’s leading edge!
Once again, the object was seen, by thousands and was REAL!
A second series of “lights” were seen by observers looking to the SW of Phoenix, around 9:30PM
These were seen by thousands also!
I have reviewed and interviewed many people on this subject and have come to the following conclusions!
I feel the first sighting was a real craft of some sort!
I DO NOT believe that this is an extraterrestrial craft or that it involved and alien component!
I feel that it’s origin is man made!
I also believe that the second sighting of lights, were FLARES!
What was the first object?
I feel that this craft that “sailed” over the fifth largest city in America, was a lighter than air version of a High tech UAV, or Unmanned Air Vehicle, with some type of new stealth layering technology, know as electro chromatic panels, carried aloft on a “stealth airship” platform.
The fact that it passed over, Phoenix, was well known to the military at the time and that the intentional deployment of the flares, (second) event, was to take away any credibility, as to the first sighting!
This may sound or seem strange to those that believe in mystery alien spacecraft, but I have long since discarded that hypothesis!
Will we even know what the first, object really was….I guess not!
Here are some of my links, to help make my case that this object was of man made origin and that the layers of government secrecy, still apply to this event, even 10 years later!
Technology explains the craft:
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/pages/cloak.html
http://www.rense.com/general5/wink.htm
http://www.chameleo.net/richard.html
http://www.chameleo.net/news.html
http://hometown.aol.com/norio1944/myhomepage/profile.html
http://www.dreamlandresort.com/team/norio.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stealth_Blimp
http://www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/updates/2002/aug/m06-005.shtml
http://www.nationalufocenter.com/curiousities/stealthblimp.shtml
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/black_triangle_020805.html
General Links To The “Phoenix Lights” Event:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Lights
http://www.lightsoverphoenix.com/
http://www.thephoenixlights.net/
A New Movie:
http://www.nightskiesmovie.com/
Weather:
Aurora Season Heats Up!:
Here are some sites to help you learn all about this phenomenon as well as know when and where to look!
www.spaceweather.com
http://www.spacew.com/www/aurora.php
http://www.joeorman.shutterace.com/Linksaurora.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)
Astronomy:
Comet Mc Naught / Simply Amazing!:
After some 10 days of searching the western sky, I had the opportunity to view this interesting object for the first time!
My observations were made with (20X80) binoculars and the comet was nearly naked eye visibility in Arizona on January 8th , 9th , 10th.
Still low in the SW at sunset, The comet was a beautiful sight to see!
As the world was looking at this developing spectacle, I had the rare opportunity to view the comet in broad daylight on January 14th, a mere 5 degrees from the limb of the Sun.
This dangerous act, placed the comet in my binoculars at what I estimated magnitude of –6 on the magnitude scale.
I have NEVER seen objects that close to the Sun and that bright!
Searching the SW after dark on the night of January 13th, 2007, placed the comet easily in the binoculars, as it set against the local tall buildings of Phoenix.
The next night, with local 3TV covering the event with us, the comet had moved below the horizon for Phoenix!
The comet was now going to be a real treat for observers in Australia and New Zealand!
Here are some photo’s that were sent to me by some observers in South Africa. Show just how wonderful this rare celestial visitor, actually was!
Here are some photos to share with the world, about Comet Mc Naught!
Here are some links to more information on the Great Comet of 2007!
http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught.php
http://cometography.com/lcomets/2006p1.html
http://www.nightskyhunter.com/Comets%20Visible%20Tonight.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_McNaught
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_H._McNaught
http://msowww.anu.edu.au/~rmn/C2006P1new.htm
A spiritual quote from the Revelation Of John The Divine, 12.14, regarding Comets?
“There was a sign in the Heaven and behold a great red dragon. And his tail draweth a third part of the stars in Heaven”
Space:
Phoenix Mars Lander Mission 2007:
The Phoenix Mars Lander, will be launched in August of this year and reach Mars in 2008.
The project is the first in a series of spacecraft that are part of the Mars Scout Program.
The Phoenix project is being manager by Peter Smith of the University of Arizona and you
can listen to a Dr.Sky exclusive interview with Mr. Smith at:
http://teentalknetwork.com/sky/htm
Recently, images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, suggest that the intended polar landing Area, may have too many large boulders for a safe landing.
The search continues for an alternative site.
The University of Arizona, is the first university to lead a mission to Mars!
Good luck Mr. Smith! To follow this mission, please visit these links:
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/
Aviation:
2007 Air Show Season To Open:
Get set for some real exciting air shows in 2007!
Here are some links to some special events locally and globally!
http://www.airshows.org.uk/
http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/asgcal/usjan.htm
http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/asgcal/ewjan.htm
The Paris Air Show 2007:http://www.paris-air-show.com/en/
Reno Air Races 2007:
Luke Days 2007- Luke AFB March http://www.luke.af.mil/
http://www.flyincalendar.com/event_detail.cfm?e=2818&m=3&y=2007
Aviation Nation 2007/Nellis AFB/Las Vegas/Nevada http://aviationnation.org/06/relationships/
Weather:
The Never Ending Myth Of Global Warming:
Here is one book to read to expose the media’s obsession with this topic.
May it help to make your case on this topic!
http://hornet2.conservativebookservice.com/products/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=c7022
Astronomy:
New Comet May Brighten Rapidly!:
Lucky sky watchers with a clear sky and an unobstructed view of the SW sky may get a glimpse of a rather bright comet!
Comet Mc Naught C/2006/P1, discovered by veteran comet observer, R H Mc Naught back on August 7th 2006.
The comet is racing towards the Sun and will then dart below the horizon for N Hemisphere observers.
The best time period to see this rare comet, would be from January 1st-12th 2007!
The comet will be very low against the horizon and it is possible that it may be many times brighter than
Venus, but without the benefit of a large tail.
Either way, get out those holiday gifts and start to search for this elusive comet!
Here are some links to the comet and how best to see it:
http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2006P1/2006P1.html
http://skytonight.com/observing/home/5089276.html
http://skytonight.com/observing/home/5089276.html
http://cara.uai.it/index.php
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070104_comet_mcnaught.html
Space:
New Mexico Spaceport In The Works:
The State of New Mexico is busy developing America’s first major spaceport!
New Mexico has a rich history with space and space related activity, going back to the days of WWII and the White Sands Missile Range.
Plans call for a major spaceport to be built in the vicinity of Upham, New Mexico during the next few years.
The facility, once completed, will be use to support space tourism and private space ventures.
The following is a short list of groups and corporations that will be a part of this Unique facility; Starchaser, X-Prize Cup, Rocket Racing League, Virgin Galactic, UP aerospace and many others.
To learn more about this facility, please visit this interesting website:
http://www.spaceportamerica.com/home.html
Aviation:
RedBull Mig Demonstration Team:
One of the great air show demonstration teams, has to be Bill Reesman’s Red Bull Mig!
On a recent visit to Aviation Nation in Las Vegas, Nevada, “Dr.Sky” had the opportunity to meet a most interesting man and his Mig-17F aircraft.
The Red Bull Mig is a must see for fans of air shows and aviation in general.
This classic Mig 17F performed some amazing loops and inversions and really makes any air show come to life!
Bill also puts on a very rare nighttime air show, making his Mig 17F turn into a Mig Meteor!
Dr.Sky had the opportunity to interview Bill Reesman and the audio interview can be heard here: http://teentalknetwork.com/sky.htm
Visit the Red Bull Mig at:
www.redbullmig.com
Weather:
What Are Jet Streams?:
Jet streams are narrow tubes of fast moving air at heights of about 36,000 ft above sea level!
They are thought to be the boundary between two types of air pressure and are controlled by the rotation of the Earth.
To learn more about this often talked about, but little understood weather phenomenon, please enjoy these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_stream
http://www.jracademy.com/~wotawaj/index.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vanished/jetstream.html
ASTRONOMY:
December Conjunction Of Planets:
Early December will be a great time to explore one of nature’s most impressive events!
A conjunction of planets!
Look low in the SE sky on the mornings of December 8-9-10, as the planets, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter, form a real close Conjunction in the pre dawn skies!
Best views will occur on the morning of December 10th, with the star Beta Scorpii, very close to the “planets”. All of these objects will fit within 1.1 degrees!
Here are some links to help you better understand the term conjunction as well as some additional links to get you to Understand more about the magic of the Star of Bethlehem!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
http://skytonight.com/observing/home/3304101.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_conjunction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syzygy
http://sciastro.net/portia/articles/thestar.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem
AVIATION:
X-51 Wave Rider Cruise Missile:
The Us Air Force is testing a new version of the common cruise missile, one that will have The potential of “cruising” at speeds of Mach 7!
Recent reports claim that this object will be known as “Wave Rider” as now secret propulsion System, will move the vehicle to its intended target at hypersonic speeds.
The X 51 will be deployed by fighter aircraft or by a larger B-52 bomber.
Here are some links to help you understand this great technology:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/x-51.htm
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app4/x-51.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-51
http://www.onera.fr/conferences/ramjet-scramjet-pde/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet
http://www.geocities.com/spacetransport/hypersonic.html#hsf
http://www.howstuffworks.com/hypersonic-plane.htm
Space:
Get Set For The Rocket Racing League:
Get set for the new RRL (Rocket Racing League) coming to future X-Prize events in New Mexico!
Often describes ad NASCAR for rockets, promises to be a whole new venture and in Dr.Sky’s Opinion, a great new sport for the entire family!
Here is a set of links to this amazing technology:
http://www.rocketracingleague.com
http://www.space.com/news/060119_rocket_racing.html
WEATHER:
AL Gore And “Global Warming”:
With concerns about “Global Warming” coming from many in science, what is Your opinion regarding Al Gore’s new DVD documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”?
Some claim that this is a real issue to be concerned about, while others feel that The Earth goes into periods of climate change that are just natural? To find out
More, visit these links:
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
http://www.slate.com/id/2142319/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
ASTRONOMY:
Leonid Meteor Shower Returns:
The Leonids are set to return, later this month!
Get ready for a potential “storm” of meteors, as the 2006 Leonid shower will occur during some optimal viewing conditions for most of North America.
This very website had it origins with our reporting on the 1998 Leonids!
Leonid meteors are some of the fastest known and tend to leave some bright “trains” behind them. This year, 2006, expect to see many Leonids, starting around November 9th-22nd , with rates peaking on the evening hours of November 18th. The peak of this year’s shower will occur at 11:45PM EST/8:45PM PST.
Observers can expect to see between 10-150 meteors per hour, depending on the interaction of the Earth with a narrow ribbon of material that came off Comet Temple-Tuttle in 1932. The best news for this years shower: NO Moon to interfere with your observations!
The Leonids, have a distinct period of 33 years and many of you may remember the great “storms” of 1966 and recently in 2001! Best advice, get set to observe the morning skies on the 17th –19th, by looking due east from 3AM till dawn. The radiant of the Leonids, lies in the “head” area of the Lion!
Final note: The peak of the Leonid shower will favor Europe and by the time the radiant rises in North America, rates may be back to some 10-25 meteors per hour!
Here are some important Leonid links:
http://www.arm.ac.uk/leonid/2006/info2006.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/061017_leonids_2006.html
Visibility of the 2006 Dust Trail:
http://www.arm.ac.uk/leonid/dustexpl.html
http://fas.kaicho.net/tenshow/meteor/55p2006/v01.htm
A great Leonid site to learn more about the shower and its peak:
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/blobrana/news/leonids.html
LISTEN TO THE LEONIDS:LIVE:Here is an interesting series of links to learn about radar observation of Leonids:
http://science.nasa.gov/NEWHOME/headlines/ast22dec98_1.htm
LISTEN LIVE:
http://www.roswellastronomyclub.com/radio_meteors.htm
Send your Leonid photo’s to share with the world! Send your photos to: drsky@cox.net We will publish the best and credit your photo! Good luck with the 2006 LEONIDS!!!!!
Space:
Astronaut Story Musgrave- An American Space Pioneer:
Recently, Dr.Sky had the rare opportunity of meeting former NASA astronaut, Story Musgrave.
Dr. Musgrave was in Mesa, Arizona, to deliver a special program on his career, to a very interested audience!
Strory Musgrave is a true pioneer of the US Space program with well over 1,200 hours in space as well as six shuttle missions.
He may be most remembered for his 1993 servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Notable for having flown six space shuttle missions (including the first) and for helping to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, Story Musgrave's resume spans the professions of American astronaut, pilot, professor, scientist/mathematician, and surgeon. Musgrave is also credited for helping to develop much of the spacesuits, life support systems, airlocks and manned maneuvering units that are used for space walks and other extravehicular activity on the Space Shuttle missions.
Musgrave has been awarded a number of medals for distinguished service as well as educational fellowships and other awards. Along with fellow astronaut Joe Allen, Musgrave served as a consultant for the film Mission to Mars (2000).
During his visit, I had the opportunity to interview him and will be placing a copy of a past interview on this site, in future updates.
To learn more about this fascinating man, with a world of knowledge, please visit these sites:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/musgrave.html
http://www.spacestory.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_Musgrave
http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/interview_story_musgrave.html
Story Quoted:
"Getting out of the comfortable path, that's what exploration is all about."
Space:
Get Set For STS-116:
The next shuttle mission, STS-116 is set to launch by December 7th, 2006!
This 12 day mission and the 20th mission to the ISS, will perform additional construction on the ISS and its development.
This will be the 117th mission of the US Shuttle program.
To learn more about the mission and its crew, please visit these support sites:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-116
The Official STS-116 Mission Kit:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/162182main_STS-116_Press_Kit.pdf
SPECIAL INTERVIEW:Dr.Sky had the opportunity to interview Mark Polansky, the Commander of STS-116. To hear this interview, plus many others, please visit this link:
http://teentalknetwork.com/sky.htm
Aviation:
Aviation Nation 2006:
Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada was the home of this years Aviation Nation Air show!
Dr.Sky attended this two-day event!
Stay tuned for some REAL exciting images from one of the best air shows in the nation!
Enjoy the highlights of the past few years of Aviation Nation and get set for one of the
Largest air shows in the world, the 2007 Aviation Nation/ 60th Anniversary of the US Air Force!
Here are the links:
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Nellis2004/Highlights/
http://aviationnation.org/
http://aviationnation.org/AF60/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airshow#Major_airshows
Major Air Shows 2007:
http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/asgcal/usjan.htm
http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/asgcal/ewmar.htm
Weather:
The Global Warming Debate Continues:
Do you believe that Global Warming is real?
Are we just going into an extended period of natural weather activity on Earth?
What is the latest regarding this important topic?
http://www.ucar.edu/research/sun/climate.shtml
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
Astronomy:
Get Set For The Transit Of Mercury- November 8th 2006:
A rare transit of Mercury, will take place on Wednesday, November 8th 2006!
We have not seen a transit of Mercury since 2003 and observers in North America should prepare for this exciting event.
For some observers, Mercury will take some 5 hours to cross the solar disk!
All observers that would like to see this event , need to obtain the proper solar filter for your telescope, as serious eye damage may occur for those that take this lightly.
Mercury will appear as a “black” spot on the disk of the Sun and should be an easy target , wit the lack of sunspots at this period of the solar cycle.
For more information, including times of passage, please review these links!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Mercury
http://www.nao.rl.ac.uk/nao/transit/M_2006/
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/transit06.html
http://www.vt-2004.org/mt-2003/
Space:
Anousheh Ansari- Female Space Tourist:
Anousheh Ansari has been making space history, as the first female space tourist to visit the ISS.
After many years of training, Anousheh has attained the rank of astronaut as she has been on board the ISS, since her launch on September 18th.
She is also the first Iranian in space and the First Iranian-American in space.
She is a true hero of the space program and an inspiration to all women of the world.
Learn more about Anousheh and her exciting mission to the International Space Station.
http://www.anoushehansari.com/
http://spaceblog.xprize.org/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceexplorer/
http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/ansari_anousheh.htm
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition14/exp14_advancer.htm
Aviation:
Honda Develops New Corporate Jet:
The Honda Corporation has been developing a new state of the art corporate jet that is turning a lot of heads and is near ready for production.
The new jet, is the culmination of well over 20 years of development and uses some new and interesting materials.
To learn more, please visit these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Jet
http://world.honda.com/jet/
http://www.ainonline.com/Features/newbusinessaircraft02/nba_hondajet.html
http://www.hondajets.net/index.htm
Weather:
The Old Farmers Almanac-:
The Old Farmers Almanac has been a source for more than weather since 1792.
Explore the rich history of this American icon and what it has to say about our weather in 2007and much…much more!
Astronomy:
The Solar System Is Changing!:
The Solar System as we know it is changing fast!
Recent debate as to what is a planet?, has come to the center of astronomical conversation and opinion!
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has formally decided by vote, that we will have 8 official planets in the Solar System and the object that we call Pluto, will cease to be known as a planet.
All this and more to help add a whole series of new categories as well as objects that fit into those categories.
What is a planet?
Here is a summary of what the IAU now tells us a planet is and what new objects and classifications that will help to populate the “new” Solar System:
Here's how it all shakes out. The International Astronomical Union has decided that, to be called a planet, an object must have three traits. It must orbit the sun, be massive enough that its own gravity pulls it into a nearly round shape, and be dominant enough to clear away objects in its neighborhood.
To be admitted to the dwarf planet category, an object must have only two of those traits -- it must orbit the sun and have a nearly round shape. And no, moons don't count as dwarf planets. In addition to Pluto, Ceres and 2003 UB313, the astronomical union has a dozen potential "dwarf planets" on its watchlist.
What's to become of the other objects in our solar system neighborhood, the ones that are not planets, not dwarf planets and not moons? The organization has decided that most asteroids, comets and other small objects will be called "small solar-system bodies."
Despite the establishment of these three distinct categories, there are bound to be gray areas. As technologies improve and more objects are found, the International Astronomical Union will set up a process to decide which of the three categories are most appropriate for specific objects.
Courtesy of SPACEFLIGHT NOW
The final draft of the IAU on August 24tgh reads:
The final definition, as passed on 24 August 2006 is: [32][33]
The IAU...resolves that planets and other bodies in our Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:
(1) A "planet" [1] is a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
(2) A "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape [2], (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.
(3) All other objects [3] except satellites orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small Solar System Bodies".
Footnotes:
[1] The eight planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
[2] An IAU process will be established to assign borderline objects into either "dwarf planet" and other categories.
[3] These currently include most of the Solar System asteroids, most Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), comets, and other small bodies.
We will continue to follow this debate and report on the latest changes to the Solar System!
In the meantime, here are some important links to help you understand what is going on and why!
http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0601/iau0601_release.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_redefinition_of_planet
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9818-astronomers-lean-toward-eight-planets.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-pluto25aug25,0,1238679.story?coll=la-home-nation
http://skytonight.com/news/3728231.html
http://skytonight.com/news/3707031.html
http://skytonight.com/news/3580231.html
Space:
STS-115 Set To Launch:
STS-115 (Atlantis) is set to launch by the 28th of August!
This, after some weather related delays.
This will be the 19th mission to the ISS and the crew of six, will deliver a very important truss to the station as well as conduct some important space walks, to help complete the station, by the 2010 deadline.
To learn more about this mission, please review these educational links:
NASA Press Kit on STS-115 Mission:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/154433main_sts115_press_kit3.pdf
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
Information on the next mission STS-116, set to launch December 14, 2006:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/index.html
Aviation:
Recent Aviation Disasters:
With all the recent concern centered around terrorism on aircraft, it is very important to study aviation disasters that are caused by non-terrorist activity.
While civil aviation is generally “safe” in the USA, we need only look at the track record of the world and some local events too!
These links will help us all to better understand what the “real” problems are that face the aviation industry in the 21st century:
http://www.airdisaster.com/
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/worst100.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidents_and_incidents_in_aviation
Weather:
Update On The 2006 Hurricane Season:
So far, 2006 has been a rather weak hurricane season!
Here are some links to help us better understand this years events:
http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/hurricane_guide.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Atlantic_hurricane_season
Astronomy:
Mars Myth Circulates On Internet!:
Recent activity on the Internet suggests that the planet Mars will be coming closest to the Earth in late August of this year!
Many reports also indicate that Mars will appear as large as the Full Moon in the sky!
These articles also claim that Mars will be closest to Earth than it has in well over 60,000 years!
Some of the Internet HOAX, actually uses true data from the last close passage of Mars, back in 2003!
Dr.Sky has been receiving many, many requests to qualify these Internet reports!
Here are the facts!
Mars DID come closest to Earth back in 2003!
Mars NEVER appeared as large as the Full Moon!
Mars cannot appear as large as the Full Moon…and will not in 2006, or ANY year!
Here is a link to help explain this hoax, as well as a number of other Internet hoaxes that have been circulating around this world for some time now!
http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
Here is a link that exposes some additional hoaxes and pranks, well before the age of the Internet!
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/P0/
So, sad to say, Mars will NOT be anywhere near Earth in August of 2006!! Sorry!!!!
Now on to some serious Mars news!
Both Martian Rovers, SPIRIT and OPPORTUNITY have continued to out perform their original “warranty” in terms of days or “Sols” on Mars!
We have gathered a wealth of data from these tiny rovers and will continue to explore the data that has been sent back, for many years!
Here is a page to help you better understand the results that we have gained from these mighty rovers:
http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/
It’s never too late to update your knowledge on the planet Mars!
Dr.Sky suggests this informative link, for people like you, who want the best!
http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html
Here is a listing of links to major Mars sites, updating current missions, future missions, as well as the concepts of a manned mission to Mars…enjoy!
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://marsweb.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/
http://www.marssociety.org/
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/
http://www.androidpubs.com/
http://www.geocities.com/marsterraforming/mannedmissions.html
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/primer/primer.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars
Astronomy:
Perseid Meteors Coming!:
PERSEID PEAK 2006- August 12th 7PM EDT
Once again, it’s time for one of the year’s best meteor showers!
The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak on the nights of August 12-13.
This year’s shower will be hampered by the nearly Full Moon, but observes will still be able to see some bright fireballs and regular Perseids, if you know when and where to look!
Look high in the NE sky after 1AM local time, till dawn.
This is the best time period to see Perseids.
Observes can expect to see at least 10-20 meteors per hour under clear but near Full Moon conditions.
Dr.Sky has included a series of links to help you learn much more about this
Important event!
Clear Skies!
http://www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html
http://skytour.homestead.com/met2006.html
http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy_calendar_2006.html
http://www.serve.com/wh6ef/comets/meteors/showers/perseids.html
Space:
Rocket Contrails Visible in Western USA-:
Observers in the far western United States (Arizona, New Mexico and California) have been seeing some very interesting rocket contrails in the pre dawn and early evening sky!
The rocket contrails that are seen in the eastern sky are part of an on going military project known as (THAAD) Theatre High Altitude Area Defense System.
In it’s development stages, THAAD is an anti ballistic missile defense system, that once perfected, may have the capability to defend city and military installations from foreign mid to long-range missiles.
For more information on the THAAD project, please refer to these links:
http://fas.org/spp/starwars/program/thaad.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_High_Altitude_Area_Defense
http://www.missilesandfirecontrol.com/our_products/airdefense/THAAD/product-THAAD.html
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/thaad.htm
In light of the recent missile launches from Korea and potential threats from Iran, the USA needs a system that will intercept these types of missiles.
The recent THAAD test from White Sands New Mexico, was a great success.
Here are some of the press accounts of that recent test, (July 12th), that produced a major contrail, visible in the skies of New Mexico, Arizona and California.
http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_4087369
Successful Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Intercept Flight Achieved
Air Force Lieutenant General Henry "Trey" Obering, Missile Defense Agency Director, announced that a successful test for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Element was conducted today at approximately 5:20 a.m. MDT (7:20 a.m. EDT) at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.Initial indications are that all planned flight test objectives were achieved. This was a fully-integrated flight test of all THAAD Components, including the Launcher, Radar, Fire Control and Communications, and Interceptor. The primary objective was to demonstrate interceptor seeker characterization of a ballistic missile target in the high-endoatmosphere (just inside the earth's atmosphere). A unitary (non-separating) Hera target missile was launched for the test and although it was not a primary objective, a successful intercept of the target occurred. Other objectives included verifying integrated system operations in a high-endoatmospheric engagement and demonstrating the interceptor's kill vehicle's response to in-flight communication and its ability to acquire and track an incoming ballistic missile target. The THAAD radar participated by acquiring and tracking the interceptor and target and providing in-flight target updates.
THAAD soldiers from the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade participated in this test with two soldiers conducting radar operations, two soldiers assisting contractors at the Launcher, and one soldier assisting contractors at the THAAD Fire Control and Communications. Their interaction with the complete THAAD system proved a valuable test experience for the soldiers, and provided insight into overall system performance.
While the previous two THAAD flight tests, also conducted at White Sands Missile Range, were focused on interceptor fly-out and performance, the remaining flight test program is providing verification of the integrated THAAD element at increasingly difficult levels.
THAAD uses technologies developed in earlier Missile Defense Agency programs and during the THAAD Program Development and Risk Reduction Phase. It is the first weapon system with both endo- and exoatmospheric (outside earth's atmosphere) capability developed specifically to defend against ballistic missiles. The THAAD element will provide upper-tier defense in the terminal phase segment (approximately final minute of a missile's flight) of MDA's integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The BMDS is capable of providing a layered defense for the U.S., deployed forces, friends and allies against ballistic missiles of all ranges in all phases of flight. The higher altitude and theater-wide protection offered by THAAD provides more protection of larger areas than lower-tier systems alone. THAAD is designed to defend against short, medium, and intermediate range ballistic missiles. THAAD is a highly-mobile, integrated weapon system consisting of a Radar, Fire Unit, Launchers, and Interceptors.
The THAAD Program is managed by the Missile Defense Agency in Washington, DC, and executed by the THAAD Project Office in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Corporation is the prime contractor.
There will be three opportunities to downlink video footage of todays test. The first will be from 12:30 to 3 p.m. from Galaxy 10R/24K, downlink frequency 12166.500 horizontal. The second will be from 2 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. from SBS6 TR9, downlink frequency 11921 horizontal. Additionally, video and still images will be available from www.chinfo.navy.mil/lighthouse.html Launches also occur in California at Vandenberg AFB.
These rocket contrails may be seen by a large portion of the population of S. California and the western USA.
Best time to see the contrails from these launches, would be just after sunset, local time!
Here is a great link, to help provide information on what is going on and how best to see the launches.
Information on White Sands Missile Range:
From the X-1 to the present day X-43 and more, X planes are changing the way that we look at manned flight!
The mysterious X-47:
To learn more about these flight wonders and the most recent developments, please visit these vital links:
What are some of the weather extremes and just how high and low have temperatures?
Been here on Earth, since man has been recording them!
Some of the links and data below, may surprise you!
The US Space program has not seen a manned launch in well over a year!
STS-121 and it’s crew, are scheduled to launch on July 1st at 3:49PM EDT.
Weather concerns are a big factor in the July 1st launch, as this is the time in central
Florida, that sees some heavy afternoon thunderstorms.
In spite of all this, this would be the 115th launch of a Shuttle and the 32nd launch of Discovery.
To learn all about this mission in great detail, please visit this link:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/149873main_sts121_press_kit.pdf
This seven person crew; (on launch), will help to complete the ISS (International Space Station)
As well as provide much needed supplies to the ISS.
If all goes as planned, STS-121, will be in space for some 11 days on the 18th service and support
Mission for the ISS.
Observers from the ground will have some exciting opportunities to view the shuttle and station as
They pass over our skies!
Observers in the northern hemisphere will have some of the best views as the station and shuttle
and station complex will be “flying” in the full light of the Sun, as the Earth is tipped in that direction
With summer in the northern hemisphere.
Here are some helpful links, to aid in your sighting of the ISS and shuttle:
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ga&id=99&aid=4331
Stay tuned for a photomontage of “Dr.Sky’s” recent trip to the Kennedy Space Center!
The asteroid 2004 XP 14, will pass the Earth by 268,873 miles on the morning of July
3rd, 2006.
This passage is so close, that observers with moderate sized telescopes will be able to
Track the asteroid, if they know when and where to look!
This is very similar to the 2002 passage of asteroid 2002 NY40.
For a quick review of the event, please visit this site:
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/minplan/flyby.html
This Apollo type asteroid will be a most amazing sight to see and will challenge even
The best observers.
To learn more about this object and the whole subject of asteroids, please review these
important links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5135974.stm
To learn about Asteroids and Near Earth Asteroids:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?des=2004%20XP14
Here are the coordinates to help you locate asteroid 2004 XP 14.
As a long time member of the US Air Force, Col. Joe Kittinger Jr., was one of the early
Pioneers that explored the upper reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere; in balloons!
These early manned flights never seemed to get the same publicity that the early astronauts
of the Mercury and Gemini programs, experienced.
The most amazing parachute jump of all time occurred on August 16th 1960, as Col. Joe
Kittinger, jumped from his airborne capsule at some 102,800 feet above the New Mexico desert.
His jump, set many records that have not been eclipsed, even today!
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/afp/afp200.htm
More on Project Excelsior:
Recently, “Dr.Sky” had the pleasure of meeting Col. Joe Kittinger Jr. and his wife, while on our trip
To Florida. More on the life of Col. Joe Kittinger Jr. as well as a few photo’s, in future updates!
Hitting the Earth at well over 100 times per second, lightning is a
Reminder of the power that can come from the sky!
Here are a series of links to help you learn about this phenomenon and ways
To prepare if you are near or in harms way!
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lightning/
With some 13-16 named storms, and the potential for at least four major hurricanes of “Katrina”
strength, or greater, now is the time to look into these predictions and take notice!
Here is a graph of the paths of the 2005 Atlantic hurricanes:
Weather forecasters have given us the best predictions, based on a complex series of
calculations. What is very interesting, is the call for a new class of hurricane category; the category 6
hurricane.
There are NO official category 6 hurricanes at this time!
For a hurricane to be classified as a category 6 storm, we would need to see sustained
winds in the 175mph to 180 mph area.
The Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, is based on wind speed. Here is a detailed link to the
way a hurricane is classified, under this system:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml
What is causing these intense storms? In the opinion of many, there seems to be a
trend towards more intense hurricanes and other related weather phenomenon, brought
about by the connection between the Sun and the Earth.
All weather is derived from the light and heat energy from the Sun!
Some scientists are saying that there seems to be a connection to these intense storms
from the recent high levels of solar activity.
This is a whole new area of scientific study, known as Space Weather.
In the US, there is an ongoing struggle to keep funding the group that would be responsible for
predicting solar flares and space weather forecasts:
http://www.space.com/news/space_wx_congress_031030.html
Some say that there is a connection to the recent strong hurricanes and the topic of global warming:
Here are links to sites that discuss this option/ pro or con:
http://www.pewclimate.org/specialreports/katrina.cfm
With tensions mounting over the Iranian nuclear program, this high technology platform
will be able to monitor events like this, worldwide!
The Earth Observation Resources Satellite, is able to look down from space and deliver detailed
images of the Earth and related military targets.
The EROS series of satellites are some of the worlds most sophisticated and to learn more about
the capabilities of these technology wonders, please review these links:
http://www.defense-update.com/directory/erosa1.htm
The MV-22 Osprey is a revolutionary type craft, that combines the technology
of a modern helicopter, with that of a modern transport aircraft, all in one!
Much more can be learned about the history of this aircraft and it’s early failures,
to the current operational status of this 21st century multi-use platform:
http://ipmslondon.tripod.com/referencearticles/id38.html
More on the history of VTOL aircraft:
Sadly, the names like Katrina are forever in our memory and let us hope that this
storm season will be one that passes with minimal damage, worldwide!
Here is how hurricanes and cyclones are named:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml
2006 Hurricane Names
The comet has literally broken up into at least 30 individual components, with four or five of these, being observable with mid to large sized telescopes.
The main portion of the comet, sections B and C, should pass by the Earth on or about
May 12th, as the comet will then head to a perihelion with the sun on June 7th, 2006!
None of the comet particles will come closer to Earth, than about 5.5 million miles at
best.
Observers with small sized telescopes can continue to follow the comet as it makes it’s
historic passage near Earth.
As of April 24th, component B has split in two and remains near 7th or 8th magnitude.
Component C, is near magnitude 8 and is not getting brighter at this time. Observers
should continue to follow these important links and check back with us from time to
time, as the comet gets closer to Earth.
Here is a spectacular photo taken by Hubble of the comet:
Here are some important links:
Astronomy Day is on Saturday, May 6th.
Space Day is held on Thursday, May 4th
Here are some exciting links that will help to get you in the spirit of the sky and the hope
that is alive, with the Space programs of the world!
Don’t forget to join Dr.Sky on our monthly, “Cruise to the Cosmos” on the Dolly
Steamboat on Canyon Lake. The next cruise will be held on Saturday, May 20th 2006.
For more information:
Many will find it simply amazing; that an area some 300 light years wide, is full of
lower density material, than the surrounding galactic soup!
The Sun is passing through a large cloud of interstellar gas and dust known as the
Local Interstellar Cloud: a large association of galactic gas that is coming to us from
the direction of the Scorpius-Centaurus Association. The Sun and our Solar System,
may pass through this association in the next 10,000 years.
Astronomers are not sure what the effects of this association will be on the Earth and
the Sun.
Is it possible that conditions on Earth have remained stable, as we pass into this protective layer of the Milky Way?, or are we set for some dramatic changes on Earth
in the next 10,000 years?
A further study of the Milky Way and it’s components, will help us answer these questions.
Here we see the Local Interstellar Cloud and what astronomers feel it may look like:
Photo:
Here are some important links to help you understand our place in the Milky Way:
More information on the Milky Way Galaxy:
And as if all that information was not enough, we live in a smaller section of the Milky
Way galaxy that is known as the “Local Fluff”. To learn more, please visit:
The Moon will be a very active place in the next decade and the possibility
exists, that we will see humans exploring this important world, once again!
To learn more, please visit this link:
Eclipse Aviation of Albuquerque, New Mexico is the manufacturer of one of the most amazing small jets, to hit the market!
A small state of the art aircraft ,that will be affordable to those that are looking for a fully
functional flying platform, utilizing some of the most amazing flight systems, known today!
Here is an example of the cockpit layout:
FAA certification on the Eclipse 500 series continues!
The comet broke into three pieces, back in 1995!
The comet has broken up into at least 20 individual pieces and the main component (C), is now visible in small telescopes.
The main event, will be the passage of the now main component (C), as it passes the “Ring Nebula” in Lyra, during the first part of May 2006!
Many of these nuclei are in “flareup”, meaning that some of the smaller pieces of the comet are responding to solar heating and may get brighter. How bright is any ones guess!
Here are some informative links to the current status of the comet as well as ways to track the comet with your own telescope.
“Dr.Sky” welcomes serious photos of the comet!
Please submit your observations to: drsky@cox.net
New Horizons, passed the orbit of Mars on April 7th and will encounter the planet Jupiter on February 28th 2007, then on to Pluto in July of 2015!
This is by far, one of the fastest probes that mankind has ever launched!
To stay up on the latest with the New Horizons probe, please visit these important links:
This small cargo type craft will be capable of delivering cargo to future space platforms.
This may one day be the first true military space plane.
The X-37 has the capability of carrying cargo in it’s small payload area, much like that of the current Space Shuttle.
The X-37 is apart of a series of craft known as ATV’s (Advanced Technology Vehicles)
More on the history and current status of the X-37 project, can be found here:
America’s first military space plane was the X-20 (DynaSoar):
These most amazing, yet devastating storms are currently causing much loss of life and property.
One of the most complex weather systems on Earth, tornadoes are part of a complex weather pattern, seen in many places on Earth, but probably, not as much as seen here in the USA.
Let’s learn about this most powerful weather force and how it begins, what can we do about it and how can we forecast it!:
Here is a map of where most tornadoes have hit in the USA!:
The comet has broken up by the tidal forces of the Sun and has created at least 8 separate nuclei.
The good news is that a few of the larger nuclei of the comet 73P, will be visible in small telescopes on or around May 12!
The comet will venture NO closer than some 2 million miles from the Earth and afford us a great opportunity to view these “mini” comets.
“Dr.Sky” will be providing coverage of this event, here on our website as well as conducting some exciting interviews with key scientists on this project!
To follow this breaking story, “Dr.Sky” suggests the following links:
A famous comet,Shoemaker-Levy9 (SL9) hit Jupiter in 1994. Much can be learned from this historic encounter. To learn more:
This will be a return to a 3 crew expedition. The latest crew will stay aboard the ISS, till mid August 2006.
To get the latest details on the crew, the mission and the science that will be conducted on this mission, please refer to these important links:
This is the largest collection of aircraft, both young and old, on the west coast!
The museum is open daily and has on “loan” a Concorde aircraft, for all to enjoy. To learn more, please visit the museum at: http://www.museumofflight.org/Portal.asp?Flash=True
To learn more about the CONCORDE, please visit:
Ever wonder about the extreme weather records on the Earth?
Here are links to sites that will educate and amaze you at the same time!
The images were taken in 2005 and scientists have just examined these photos to show fine surface detail as well as the "water" fountains.
Enceladus is a moon that had the attention of the Cassini imaging team for some time as this moon seems to have a complex weather system of it’s own.
Enceladus may be responsible for the generation of the elusive "E" ring of Saturn.
If this is true and the images are of real water, we may have a good candidate to place near the top of the list, as to places in the solar System, where life may exist, even in the most primitive settings.
To learn more, please visit these links:
Keep up on the latest with the Cassini spacecraft, the craft that discovered these Icy "cryo- volcano’s":
The craft will spend the next few months, perfecting it’s orbit around Mars.
Many new imaging tools will be on board this state of the art spacecraft.
The MRO will provide us with the science, to help future astronauts, better understand the planet and it’s surface.
To learn mote about the mission:
Where is the MRO, right now?
Mars for KIDS:
The Great Red Spot has been a puzzle to scientists for many centuries and now a new smaller "Red Spot" has appeared on the cloud tops of Jupiter!
The new spot was detected last month, by a observer in the Philippines and the spot looks like this:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/images/redjr/go1.jpg
The official name of the new spot is "Oval BA", but many have called the Storm, "Red Jr.", in honor of the Great Red Spot.
This storm many be visible to observers with moderate telescopes and the history of the new storm and ways to view it, our spelled out here:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/02mar_redjr.htm
Calculator for "Great Red Spot" observations:
Jupiter the "King of the Planets":
Now, people interested in collection the worlds best model airliners, need look no further than the good folks at Gemini Jets!
This is a "Dr.Sky" favorite and will be a favorite of yours too!
Recently, "Dr.Sky" visited the home office of Gemini Jets, in Las Vegas Nevada and was very impressed.
If you are a serious fan or airlines and airliners, check out the great offerings from the good folks at Gemini Jets.
Soon, "Dr.Sky" will be offering the fine products of Gemini Jets on our new website!
Stay tuned!
This may not be good news for the Earth, as the weather is related to solar activity.
The next solar cycle may produce some record breaking storms!
To follow all the latest, please refer to these informative links:
The object, Comet Pojmanski , C/2006 A1, was discovered on January 2nd, by comet observer
Grzegorz Pojmanski at the Warsaw University Astronomical Observatory, in Poland. The comet
is a faint object, but visible to observers with binoculars and telescopes, if they know just where
to look. Right now (March 1st 2006), the comet is near +5 in magnitude.
For a detailed star chart, with celestial coordinates, etc., please refer to these links:
Comets have a rich history and one that "Dr.Sky" would like to share with you!
To learn more about comets and some of the really great one’s, please refer to these links:
NASA announced plans for a series of new, advanced spacecraft under a project know as CONSTELLATION.
NASA administrator, Mike Griffin, called the CEV and CLV project, as an “Apollo spacecraft on steroids”.
NASA hopes to start building this craft in the next year or so, so that it can be ready for testing and evaluation
as the Shuttle fleet is set to be retired in 2010.
To learn more about NASA’s plans for this new and exciting spacecraft, please refer to these links:
Facts on the next Shuttle Mission: STS-121:
Here are some links to warn us and help us prepare for the worst:
http://www.ucar.edu/research/storms/hurricanes.shtml
What is the ORLAN spacesuit?
For the latest news on the STARDUST mission, please
refer here
Get set for some amazing science as a new mission will launch to the planet Pluto
and beyond!
The mission is known as New Horizons and calls for a special launch on January 11th
2006.
The Stardust mission will be in the news once again!
Mark the date of January 15th 2006 on your calendars!
For certain viewing locations just north of the trajectory line, the capsule will appear to pass by the moon (above it, or below it, depending on the viewer's location). By choosing their positions carefully, some observers will be able to see the capsule pass in front of the moon. As seen by the naked eye, the capsule will disappear in the glare of moonlight, but by looking through telescopes, observers may see a tiny dot, perhaps trailed by a dark wake of dissipating heat shield material and hot air. The trail may form a thin line behind the capsule, especially near the point of peak brightness where ablation (erosion of the heat shield and dissipation of the heat that results from the friction of the heat shield with the atmosphere) is most intense.
"If somebody could see that line, that would be fantastic, because it would tell us how much carbon is being lost by the heat shield at that moment," observed Jenniskens. "It would be better yet if several observers at different locations were to videotape the entry of the capsule appearing in front of the moon because then we could trace the ablation of the carbon along the capsule's trajectory, especially at locations between Carlin and Elko," he added. Videographers should fix the focus of their cameras at 'infinity,' because auto focus may be unreliable for nighttime recording, according to mission technicians.
Here is a map of the re-entry path
Another mission, GENESIS, sampled complex ions from the Solar wind and returned to a “crash”
landing on September 8, 2004
Get set for some amazing views of the planet Mars!
Not since 2003, have we had this good a view of Mars and these will
be the best views of Mars till at least 2018.
Here is a Mars map to help you find objects on the planet
Special Bonus: Mars Map in Great Surface Detail (PDF)
Good luck in your observations of Mars!
“Dr.Sky” is proud to help promote the growing field of Space Tourism!
Right here in Arizona, we have a most interesting company, STAR Systems Inc., that is looking
To develop a full scale series of space vehicles that will take tourists to “space”!
Over the next few month’s “Dr.Sky” will be promoting the new and exciting space vehicle “HERMES”,
in the form of a full scale mock-up!
Just when you thought that the solar cycle was declining, think again!
A major solar flare, designated as a “Mega-Flare”, blasted off the surface
of the Sun on, September 7th at 17:40 UT. This flare, detected by the GOES
Solar X-Ray Imager, was measured as at least an X-17 level flare!
This is very powerful and not very common, this late in the Solar Cycle!
This was the first of two more high powered flares, from a region on the Sun
know as sunspot group 798.
We should all take a moment to reflect on the loss of life, from hurricane Katrina!
Our hearts and prayers, go out to all, that lost loved ones, in this most intense
hurricane! You can donate or get involved with the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast by visiting
these sites:
The science of hurricanes is a most complicated area of the weather!
With the development of space satellites, we are able to view these weather phenomenon
and keep track of developments with these most amazing storms.
Apophis is the Greek name given to the Egyptian demon Apep, who was the enemy of light and order, the personification of evil and chaos,
will pass very close to the Earth on or about April 13, 2029. This is an
asteroid that has a diameter of some 1,000 feet and will pass within some
22,000 miles from the Earth. The past designation for this object was MN2004 and was recently given the name APOHIS!
This object must be tracked as it may pass very close to a key”gravity”
spot around the Earth and tug the asteroid even closer to Earth in future
passes.
Here are some important links to the story of APOPHIS!
It is amazing what people will believe when it comes to the internet!
For the past few months, a very powerful e-mail message has been blasted ALL over the
Net, telling of a great MARS encounter with Earth.
According to this e-mail, the planet Mars, will come so close to the Earth, “Mars will look
as large as the Full Moon”.
Details on the close approach of Mars in 2003:
http://home.mira.net/~reynella/skywatch/mars2003.htm
There are many exciting things going on with Mars. The first is a story about the Rovers on
Mars. Spirit has climbed a Martian hill and sent back some exciting photo’s of the surface as well
as capturing a video of a “dustdevil”:
This year, 2005, promises to be a great year to observe the Perseid meteor shower.
“Dr.Sky” suggests that you plan ahead and take note that the shower lasts at least a week on either side of the projected peak:
Here are some links to help you with viewing and enjoying this rare event. History of the Perseids:
The nation is ready to return to manned space flight, after a more than two year
review of policy and procedures.
STS-114 is standing on the launch pad, to return seven astronauts to space on
A mixed mission of science and ISS support.
The details of the mission patch above, can be explained here:
A great mission!
The “Dr.Sky” website is in the process of including some informative “live” WEBTV”
content! To learn more about the Deep Impact Mission and how to find the comet, please
go here:
Video Introduction:
http://www.worldnetbroadcasting.com/Radio
This stunning photo gives a better understanding of the impact on
the surface of the comet, Tempel 1.
The world is watching!
To get the quick facts on this amazing mission, please click here:
Animation of the Deep Impact Mission:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/animation.html
How To Find and Observe The Comet:
Those living in the western USA, may have the best opportunity to view the
“IMPACT” which will come at around 10:52PM PDT on Sunday, July 3rd.
Here are some great sites to look at to help you view this event:
The Comet On The Night Of Impact:
For those of you with a telescope, here are the coordinates for Comet Tempel 1:
Dr. Sky, working with the Henderson Radio Networks, is proud to offer a weekly update
on the topics that are presented during the popular radio feature, “The Dr.Sky Minute”,
heard on many radio stations around the world.
These informational updates are designed to get the attention of a busy public that wants
the latest information from the “Dr.Sky” realms of Astronomy, Space, Aviation and Weather.
The weekly features have generated quite a strong following and as a service to our many
listeners, we offer these in the form of a summary and links, as well as the actual radio
spots.
From the realm of space:
From the realm of astronomy:
From The Realm Of Space:
From The Realm Of Space:
May 2005 Skies (Review)
HST Celebrates 15 Years In Orbit
Jupiter – Some Observing Tips
Deep Impact Mission To A Comet
From The Realm Of Astronomy
From The Realm Of Space
From The Realm Of Astronomy
From The Realm Of Astronomy
One of the most intense blasts of cosmic energy was detected by Earth
orbiting spacecraft on December 27th 2004!
The first object of this type was discovered back on March 5,1979 from a
small galaxy orbiting our Milky, Way, the LMC (Large Magellanic Cloud). This object and source are
some 180,000 Light-years from Earth.
SGR-1806-20 was first discovered by Dr.Kevin Hurley at the University of
California (Berkeley) while doing research in 1985-86.
One of the most intense blasts of cosmic energy was detected by Earth
orbiting spacecraft on December 27th 2004!
The first object of this type was discovered back on March 5,1979 from a
small galaxy orbiting our Milky, Way, the LMC (Large Magellanic Cloud). This object and source are
some 180,000 Light-years from Earth.
SGR-1806-20 was first discovered by Dr.Kevin Hurley at the University of
California (Berkeley) while doing research in 1985-86.
What can be done?
http://www.spacepolicy.org/page_mw0900.html
Watch The Skies!!! Always Watch The Skies!!!
A huge undersea earthquake measuring (9.0) on the Richter scale is responsible for one of the greatest
natural disasters in modern times. The earthquake, centered in the sea, just off the northern tip of Sumatra
in Indonesia, is one of the greatest earthquakes of ALL time.
The force of the earthquake produced a super “tsunami” or “harbor wave”, as the force of the quake send a large
wall (30feet) high in all directions from the epicenter.
It is estimated that at this time, well over 250,000 people have been killed!
This region of the world is known to have large areas of seismic activity. To see the extent of the seismic activity,
Please refer to this image:
The following links will help you understand the physics of a “tsunami”:
The water wave is moving at a speed of at least 500 mph and crossed the vast Indian Ocean in just 2.5 hours,
before hitting areas as far away as Sri Lanka.
Finally, it is thought that “Mega Tsunamis” may occur after a large sea mount collapses into the floor of the ocean.
It is thought that one such “Mega Tsunami” that occurred some 100,000 years ago, caused a water wave at least
1,600 ft. high to hit the island of Hawaii!!!
Credit & Copyright: S. Sposetti & R. Behrend (Geneva Obs.)
NASA has upgraded to a 4 out of 10 (Yellow Alert) that a small asteroid
2004 MN4 may hit the Earth on or about April 13,2029. While this is some
24 years into the future, it seems that we are finally treating the subject with
the serious attention that it deserves!
The object, some 400 meters in diameter, was discovered on June 19th 2004
By observers from the Kitt Peak Observatory and members of the University
of Hawaii’s Asteroid Survey Team.
This object has a 2.4% chance of HITTING the Earth! This is the highest reported
percentage of any related type of object in it’s class.
We will be following this object with great interest and reporting to you, the FACTS
As we get them.
Let us see if the mainstream media totally blows the story with wild exaggeration and
hype!
“Dr.Sky” will NOT play that game, as we will report the science of this in a way that
is not only the truth (as best as we can gather it) , but creates an opportunity to learn
and explore this subject. The following links, will help:
www.noradsanta.org
A major step on the long road to Titan will begin on December 24th 2004,
As the Cassini probe will release the long awaited mission of the Huygens
Probe.
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm
Join “Dr.Sky” along with aviation legend, Maj. Lee Owens for his round the world
Flight to honor the Tuskegee Airmen. The flight, known as “On The Wings Of History”
will become an international story in 2005.
Comet Machholz is now a fine object to see in our December skies!
To learn more on how to find the comet as well as more on Don Machholz, the discover,
visit http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov
http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm
http://www.socal-skylights.org/sky_vandenberg.html
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/launch_schedule.html
http://mocc.vandenberg.af.mil/launchsched.asp?past=1
http://www.spacearchive.info/
http://www.wsmr.army.mil/pao/FactSheets/jfk.htm
http://www.wsmr.army.mil/pao/FactSheets/navy.htm
http://www.qsl.net/w2vtm/launchsites.html
Note: No launch schedule is available for the White Sands Missile Range
Aviation:
X- Planes Update:
X-planes have a rich and interesting history!
http://www.air-attack.com/MIL/_EXP/x47/x47_header.jpg
http://users.dbscorp.net/jmustain/xpmain.htm
http://www.boeing.com/phantom/xplanesdt.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-plane
Weather:
Weather Records:
This year (2006) has produced some record cold temperatures as well as record heat!
http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/extremes.html
http://www.almanac.com/weathercenter/
http://www.weathermatrix.net/weather/extreme.shtml
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record_subcategory.asp?subcategoryid=29
Space:
:Space Shuttle Launch Coming!
As July 2006 opens, the launch of the next Space Shuttle (STS-121) is getting closer!
http://www.heavens-above.com/orbitdisplay.asp?satid=25544
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station
http://www.hobbyspace.com/SatWatching/
Filled with exciting photos of the new Space exhibits and much more!
Astronomy:
Asteroid To Pass Earth/ Moon/ July 3rd 2006!
A large (600 meter) in diameter asteroid known as 2004 XP14, will pass the Earth by
just a little more than the distance of the Moon. Closest approach to Earth, will occur at
12:25AM EDT (July 3rd), 9:25PM PDT (July 2nd0 2006.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,201355,00.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2006-06-27-asteroid-encounter_x.htm?POE=TECISVA
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060626_asteroid_close.html
http://www.nineplanets.org/asteroids.html
Good luck in viewing this rare celestial event:
2004 XP14Date RA declination delta Vmag Speed* PA
=======================================================================
3 Jul 2006 3h24m01.02s N 5 46' 43.9" 0.003 12.5 22199 341.9
3 Jul 2006 1 3h16m13.33s N11 38' 13.5" 0.003 12.5 24928 341.6
3 Jul 2006 2 3h07m03.58s N18 11' 54.9" 0.003 12.3 27336 341.1
3 Jul 2006 3 2h56m10.39s N25 21' 35.6" 0.003 12.2 29037 340.0
3 Jul 2006 4 2h43m05.53s N32 54' 15.7" 0.003 11.9 29685 338.4
3 Jul 2006 5 2h27m11.72s N40 30' 45.5" 0.003 11.7 29135 336.1
3 Jul 2006 6 2h07m40.73s N47 48' 51.9" 0.003 11.5 27512 332.7
3 Jul 2006 7 1h43m33.02s N54 27' 39.7" 0.003 11.3 25148 328.0
3 Jul 2006 8 1h13m43.36s N60 10' 50.6" 0.003 11.2 22433 321.7
3 Jul 2006 9 0h37m20.04s N64 47' 51.8" 0.003 11.1 19690 313.6
3 Jul 2006 10 23h54m25.38s N68 13' 44.1" 0.004 11.1 17124 303.7
3 Jul 2006 11 23h06m46.11s N70 29' 08.0" 0.004 11.1 14836 292.6
3 Jul 2006 12 22h18m00.66s N71 41' 03.1" 0.004 11.1 12851 281.0
*Speed is arc seconds per hour
Aviation:
Aviation Legend: Col. Joe Kittinger Jr.
One of the more interesting if not amazing stories in the world of aviation, has to be that
Of US Air Force (Ret.); Col. Joe Kittinger Jr.
To learn more about this amazing man and his life story, pleas check out these exciting links:
http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/k/k073.htm
http://www.afa.org/magazine/valor/0685valor.asp
http://mlsandy.home.tsixroads.com/Corinth_MLSANDY/jk029.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excelsior
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/coldwar/pe.htm
http://www.balloonlife.com/publications/balloon_life/9510/balloonm.htm
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/Stargazer.html
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/space_flight/sf12.htm
http://groups.msn.com/SpaceCowboySaloon/intothevoidprojectmanhighstargazerampexcelsior.msnw
Weather:
Lightning: The Power in the Sky!
Lightning is one of natures most beautiful; but dangerous phenomenon!
http://www.lightningsafety.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning
http://www.noaa.gov/lightning.html
http://www.noaa.org/
Astronomy:
Space Weather Connection to Hurricane Season ???:
The 2006 hurricane season looks to be strong, with many powerful storms headed our way!
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/whurdmg.htm
http://www.spacetoday.org/SolSys/Sun/SpaceWx.html
http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics/
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=181
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0804_050804_hurricanewarming.html
http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/~tk/glob_warm_hurr.html
Space:
Israel Launches EROS B Earth Observation Satellite:
The Israeli government has launched a new and sophisticated observation satellite, known as
the EROS B.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EROS_(satellite)
http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/eros-b.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/israel/index.html
Aviation:
MV-22 OSPREY Operational:
After a long and extended development program, the MV-22 Osprey is now in service!
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/osprey/
http://www.answers.com/topic/v-22-osprey
http://www.strange-mecha.com/aircraft/VTOL/VTOL.htm
http://www.unrealaircraft.com/gravity/gravity.php
Weather:
Naming of the 2006 Hurricanes and Cyclones:
With all the attention focused on the 2006 hurricane season, it is of great interest,
to learn how hurricanes are named and what will be the names of the 2006 storms!
http://www.fema.gov/kids/hunames3.htm
http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/hurricane_guide.html
Alberto
Beryl
Chris
Debby
Ernesto
Florence
Gordon
Helene
Isaac
Joyce
Kirk
Leslie
Michael
Nadine
Oscar
Patty
Rafael
Sandy
Tony
Valerie
William
Dr. Sky Interviews Dr. Donald Yeomans of JPL
Click to Listen (.mp3 Format)
(promo) Click to Listen (.mp3 Format)
Astronomy:
Breaking News!
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 Coming:
With only weeks to go, before Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 gets close to the Earth, astronomers are excited about the possibility of observing one of the most amazing
sights in some time.
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/147624main_Comet-73P_hires.jpg
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1704_1.asp
http://bbsnews.net/article.php/20060426095151619
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news150.html
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/060414_night_sky.html
SPECIAL UPDATE:
POTENTIAL FOR METEOR SHOWER FROM COMET PASSAGE!
There is some value in reports coming in to Dr.Sky.com, which mention the fact
of a moderate to intense meteor shower being visible around the passage of comet
particles “B” and “C”. Look to the skies, after dark and before dawn, during the period
May 12-16. There may be some unusual meteor activity during this time. For additional
information on the potential on this event, please visit these links:
http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html
http://www.meteorobs.org/maillist/msg17460.html
www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/dust2005/pdf/4032.pdf (PDF)
Astronomy:
Celebrate Astronomy and Space Day 2006:
May 2006, has the distinction of hosting two very important dates for fans of “Dr.Sky”!
Astronomy Day and Space Day, all occur in early May. What better time to show support
for these two great “Dr.Sky” realms, than by joining with other students and adults, in a
celebration of history and the sky.
http://www.spaceday.org/index.html
http://www.astroleague.org/al/astroday/adactiv06.html
http://aanc-astronomy.org/AstroDay.html#history
http://www.drsky.com/appearances.shtml
Astronomy:
Living in the “Local Bubble”:
Illustration Credit & Copyright: Linda Huff
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020210.html
Illustration Credit & Copyright: Linda Huff
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/milkyway/ism.html
http://web.mit.edu/space/www/helio.review/axford.suess.html
http://www.solstation.com/x-objects/chimney.htm
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/aas202_bubble_030529.html
http://www.astro.umd.edu/education/astro/mw/mw.html
http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/q1372.html
Space:
New Moon Race?:
Mankind has not been to the surface of the Moon in well over 30 years!
If NASA and other space agency’s have their way, we will see a flotilla
of new spacecraft from China, India, Japan and the United States.
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/060426_international_moon.html
Aviation:
Eclipse Aviation- A Company on the Go!:
The aviation world is excited about a new company that is producing a new generation of
corporate/personal jets!
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/air-taxi-10.jpg
To learn much more about this great company and it’s products and goals, please refer to
this link:
http://www.eclipseaviation.com/
Weather:
Atmospheric Halos:
The sky is full of wonderful objects to see, but from time to time, the atmosphere will play tricks on us, as we get to see Solar, Lunar and other types of halos in the sky! Dr.
Sky suggests that you look deeply into the following links, some of which will help
you to understand the beautiful but complex systems that help create these very unusual
displays in our skies!
http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halosim.htm
http://www.geocities.com/bowlturner/halos.html
http://www.atoptics.co.uk/
http://www.pbase.com/pjgrossman/atmospheric_halos
Astronomy:
Update on Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3:
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 is set to put on a great show for backyard observers!
We will credit your photo, so you may share this rare comet passage with the world!
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_1704_1.asp
http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0073P/2006.html
Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 m2
2006 03 21 14 24.11 +16 39.4 0.511 1.429 140.9 26.1 12.9 17.0
2006 03 26 14 31.26 +17 54.3 0.454 1.383 141.8 26.5 12.4 16.7
2006 03 31 14 38.98 +19 17.4 0.400 1.337 142.0 27.4 11.9 16.4
2006 04 05 14 47.66 +20 49.0 0.349 1.292 141.6 28.8 11.4 16.0
2006 04 10 14 57.94 +22 29.9 0.300 1.248 140.4 30.8 10.8 15.7
2006 04 15 15 10.90 +24 22.2 0.255 1.205 138.3 33.6 10.2 15.3
2006 04 20 15 28.39 +26 29.5 0.211 1.164 135.3 37.4 9.6 15.0
2006 04 25 15 53.93 +28 55.6 0.170 1.125 131.0 42.4 8.9 14.6
2006 04 30 16 34.81 +31 37.0 0.133 1.088 124.7 49.6 8.2 14.2
2006 05 05 17 45.71 +33 41.0 0.101 1.055 114.5 60.5 7.4 13.8
2006 05 10 19 42.02 +31 07.6 0.0814 1.024 98.0 77.5 6.7 13.8
2006 05 15 21 49.81 +19 43.4 0.0818 0.998 78.5 96.9 6.5 14.5
2006 05 20 23 15.92 +07 19.2 0.102 0.976 66.5 108.0 6.9 15.5
2006 05 25 00 06.01 -00 35.4 0.134 0.958 62.4 110.5 7.4 16.2
2006 05 30 00 37.22 -05 09.8 0.170 0.946 62.2 108.6 7.8 16.6
2006 06 04 00 58.75 -07 51.5 0.209 0.940 63.5 105.0 8.2 16.8
2006 06 09 01 14.99 -09 28.6 0.248 0.940 65.5 100.7 8.6 17.0
2006 06 14 01 28.08 -10 26.8 0.286 0.945 67.7 96.0 8.9 17.1
2006 06 19 01 39.14 -11 01.0 0.324 0.956 70.1 91.3 9.3 17.2
2006 06 24 01 48.73 -11 20.7 0.360 0.972 72.7 86.6 9.6 17.3
http://cometography.com/pcomets/073p.html
Space:
Pluto Probe Passes Mars’ Orbit:
The New Horizons space probe has passed the orbit of Mars, on it’s way toward Pluto!
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html
Aviation:
Introducing the X-37:
A new and exciting space plane has been revealed by NASA!
http://www.fas.org/spp/guide/usa/launch/x-37.htm
http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/rlvs/x37_sum.shtml
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/x37.htm
http://www.aerospaceguide.net/dynasoar.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-20_Dyna-Soar
Weather:
Tornado Season Is Here:
Once again, tornado season is here in the USA!
http://www.noaa.gov/tornadoes.html
http://www.fema.gov/kids/tornado.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/2006-04-03-tornado-basics_x.htm
http://www.tornadoproject.com/
http://www.edgetech-us.com/images/Map/Gallery/INS/Tornados.gif
Astronomy:
Broken Comet To Pass Earth In May
A small comet known as Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, will pass by the Earth in May of this year.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060324_broken_comet.html
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/24mar_73p.htm?list24397
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/
http://www.seds.org/sl9/sl9.html
Space:
New Crew To The ISS
A new crew, (Expedition 13) will head to the International Space Station on or about March 29th.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition13/exp13_advancer.html
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Aviation:
The Seattle Museum Of Flight
If you are a fan of aviation, you need to look into the wonders of the Seattle Museum of Flight.
http://www.concordesst.com/
Weather:
Weather Records
Weather is all around us!
http://www.wunderground.com/
http://www.weather.com/common/home/climatology.html
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/extremes.html
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/whistory.htm
Astronomy:
Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Seen With Water Volcano’s
NASA released some new and exciting photo images of the moon Enceladus! These images show a series of what may be "water volcano’s" on this small Saturnian moon.
http://www.planetary.org/saturn/enceladus.html
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11736311/
http://www.seasky.org/solarsystem/sky3g3.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050815_enceladus.html
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1692_1.asp
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm
Astronomy:
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Arrives At Mars
Launched on August 12, 2005, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached Martian orbit on March 10th, 2006.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/mission/rightnow.html
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/funzone_flash.html
Astronomy:
New "Red Spot" Seen On Jupiter
The great "Red Spot" on Jupiter, has been a fixture on the planet, Since it’s discovery in 1664!
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060303_jupiter_spot.html
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/jupiter.htm
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1689_1.asp
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_107_1.asp
http://www.nineplanets.org/jupiter.html
Aviation:
Gemini Jets- "Made for Collectors by Collectors"-
Die Cast models have taken the world by storm!
http://www.geminijets.com/
http://www.avitop.com/
Weather:
Next Solar Cycle To Be Intense
Astronomers predict that the next Solar Cycle will be very INTENSE!
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/14033351.htm
http://www.spacew.com/swim/bigstorm.html
http://www.spacew.com/news/05Mar2005/index.php
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060306_solar_cycle.html
Astronomy:
New Comet Visible In Morning Sky
A new and exciting comet is visible for sky watchers looking to the ESE, just before dawn.
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/2006A1_1.html
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11547425/
http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2006A1/2006A1.html
(MP3 format)
(MP3 format)
http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?great_comets
http://www.io.com/~iareth/comet.html
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/comet/
Space:
NASA To Build New Crew Exploration Vehicle
NASA recently announced formal plans for the return to manned space flight, with a very aggressive
program, to place man on the moon and onward to Mars.
A series of craft will be built, the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), to place
greater payloads into space, then onward to the Moon.
(MP3 format)
(MP3 format)
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0509/19exploration/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/main/index.html
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts121/fdf/sts121quicklook1.html
Aviation:
F-22 Raptor Update
In the opinion of many, the USAF F-22 Raptor is the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world!
The F-22 has had a number of problems to overcome, to earn that very title. Here are some links
to help get you up to speed on the aircraft and the plans that the USAF has, to make this, the next
fighter in the Air Force inventory:
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/f22/
http://www.f-22raptor.com/
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=11174
Weather:
2006 Hurricane Season To Be Active
With only a few months to go..... the 2006 hurricane season promises to be another strong one!
http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/2371601.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Atlantic_hurricane_season
http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/hurricanerelated/2006hurrNme.htm
SuitSat Satellite To Launch From ISS
Get set for a most amazing space mission, deployed from one of the most amazing
space objects in the sky, the International Space Station!
On or about February 3rd, the crew of the ISS will send a special Russian Orlan space
suit, equipped with a radio and some battery power and hurl it overboard! The science
in all this, is that the space suit IS the satellite. It will tumble in orbit and send data to
Earth, via a simple VHF radio, tuned to the frequency of 145.990 Mhz. This means that
students and many others that have a “police” type radio scanner may get to hear the
special message that is on board the spacesuit.
Ham radio operators have a better chance to gain this signal, but the goal is to learn
about conditions in space and how the “suit” will perform, measuring data along the way.
Interested in learning more?
Here are some great links to help you and your students, learn about this mission:
http://www.suitsat.org/
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Follow The Latest With The STARDUST Mission
Follow the latest updates with the STARDUST mission
Link 1
Link 2
Help NASA/STARDUST Mission
Interested individuals can get in on this historic mission with STARDUST and be part of the team,
Searching for particles of Comet Wild 2.
To learn more, please visit this site
STARDUST RE-ENTRY UPDATE
DR. SKY INTERVIEWS DR. PETER JENNISKENS - CLICK TO LISTEN
New Horizons Mission To Pluto
The New Horizons spacecraft, will head to Pluto and it’s strange moon Charon and arrive
in 2015.
This spacecraft is in the shape of a large triangle, powered by a plutonium vessel that will
propel this craft to Pluto and to a few select objects that lurk in the outer Solar System, known
as Kuiper Belt Objects.
The 5 billion kilometer mission to Pluto, will take a little over 9 years to get to it’s primary target.
Clyde Tombaugh was the discover of this planet back in 1930 and he would be very proud to know
that this mission is about to embark on special science, with the 9th planet of the solar system.
To learn more about the mission and the planet Pluto, please refer to these links:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
To learn more about Pluto:
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Stardust Mission To Light Up Skies
During the early morning hours of January 16th 2006, the capsule that
contains particles of Comet Wild 2, will come streaking over the states
of California, Nevada and Utah, creating a meteor like object in the skies
that will be seen by thousands!
The arrival of the Stardust capsule, the fastest manmade object to ever enter
the atmosphere, will be a major news story in itself.
Racing across the skies at well over 28,000mph, the craft will parachute to a
gentle landing in the western deserts of Utah.
The comet particles will be captured in a special manmade substance, known
as AEROGEL, made at JPL.
AEROGEL has some amazing protective capabilities when it comes to heat:
The primary capsule should bee seen by many in the western USA, here is some
Information courtesy of NASA, regarding the actual re-entry of the craft and how best
to see it:
Watching the Stardust re-entry
The capsule will approach the landing zone from a westerly direction. The best opportunities for viewing the re-entry will be along Highway 80 between Carlin, Nev., and Elko, Nev., and further east to the Utah border, where the capsule's front side can be observed before it passes over the observer on the ground. The peak brightness will decrease further from Carlin, lessening to about the brightness of Venus (+0 magnitude) when seen from Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake City. Viewing will not be as good at sites east of Carlin where the craft will be seen from behind.
To learn more about the Stardust mission, click here
To learn more on GENESIS, click here
New Moons and Rings of Uranus
Uranus has recently been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope and a new series
of rings and new moons have been detected!
A series of new rings that are farther out than the original ring system, as well as a new
satellite named Mab, that actually helps replenish materials for this new ring.
To learn more, click here
More on Uranus
Mars At It’s Best- 2005 Opposition of Mars
Mars is easy to see with the naked eye, by looking to the ENE, just
after sunset. Mars will be at it’s best for viewing in a small telescope,
from October 28- November 7th,. November 7th, is when Mars reaches a position
known as opposition.. rising at sunset…in the sky ALL night!
NOW, is the time to get out the telescopes and begin your viewing sessions!
UPDATE!
A growing dust storm has been seen on the surface of Mars and may grow into
a global storm, wiping out our views of surface detail. To learn more:
Link
Link
Link
Link
Link
Serious observers of Mars can link here with the proper program to help
you display what side of Mars is facing Earth
Information on Martian Flares
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/mars.html
2005 Mars Opposition Information (ALPO)
Another detailed map of Mars
More Maps of MarsDr.Sky Visits New Mexico X-Prize Cup
Recently, “Dr.Sky” had the opportunity to visit with the leaders of space
tourism. The X-Prize cup was held in New Mexico, during the first weekend
of October.
The highlight of the event was held on Sunday, October 9th 2005 at the Las
Cruces New Mexico International Airport.
Here are some of the sights from the first X-Prize cup.
“Dr.Sky” will have more to say about this in future reports on Dr.Sky.com
Stay tuned!
Space Ship One- Dr.Sky and Richard Kestner- Executive Director/New Mexico Office of Space Commercialization
Golden Palace.com Space Venture
X-Prize Contestants
Dr.Sky and Dr.Peter Diamandis- X-Prize Founder and Chairman
Dr.Sky and Cheryl Stearns- STRATOQUEST
Press Pass To The X-Prize
Dr.Sky with Steve Bennett and UP Aerospace Team
Dr.Sky “Minutes” on 3 TV Phoenix
Our popular “Dr.Sky” radio minutes have now moved to TV, too!
3TV in Phoenix will be airing the “Dr.Sky” Minutes on 3TV during
the 8PM newscast, at select dates and times.
Stay tuned for a schedule of dates and times...Dr.Sky /Borders Books and Music/Telescope Winner
On October 22nd 2005 “Dr.Sky” presented a special program at the BORDERS/Books and
Music store in N. Scottsdale, Arizona.
The program, entitled “Mars-Up Close and Personal” a multimedia experience , was well
attended by many!
Many got to see the planet Mars in the MEADE LX200GPS… what a great view of Mars!
At the end of the program a few prizes were awarded to the audience. The top prize was a
MEADE ETX-70AT telescope, provided by MEADE INSTRUMENTS of California. The winners
of the MEADE ETX-70AT telescope, were Ray and Veronica Wargo, of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Congratulations… from all of us at Dr.Sky.com, Inc.
Special thanks to MEADE INSTRUMENTS for providing us with the telescope.
Our next BORDERS event will be on the evening of November 19th, 2005 at 7:30PM at the
Chandler, Arizona store...480 961-4915
Our topic will be the “Doomsday Asteroid of 2029” - APOPHISThe X-Prize Cup- Your Ticket To Space
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040625.html
The winner of the X-Prize, Scaled Composites LLC, of California, will change the way you look
at space tourism!
“Dr.Sky” salutes, Bert Rutan and his entire company, for making the dream of space travel, a
reality for the civilian world.
Now, the world celebrates the vision of the future, with a special event that will take place in
New Mexico, over the weekend of October 6-9, 2005, in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The event is listed as The X-Prize Cup and will offer something for everyone!
“Dr.Sky” will be reporting on the event and we hope to have a complete story on the highlights
of the event as well as some photo’s to share with the “web” audience.
To learn more about the event, please visit these important links:
http://www.xprize.org
http://www.nogravity.com/airplane.htm
http://www.scaled.com
http://www.xpcup.com/index.cfm?goto=education.default
http://www.xprize.org/build_a_rocket/eggs/index.php
http://www.xcor.com
http://www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home
http://www.spacefame.org
“Dr.Sky” Teams Up With- S.T.A.R. Systems of Arizona
Look for many public programs that will be conducted to help gain awareness for STAR Systems, Inc.
and the future of Space Tourism, right here in Arizona!
To lean more about this great concept and company, please visit this site:
http://www.starsystemsinc.net
New Crew And “Tourist” To ISS
The new crew and a new space tourist have arrived at the International Space Station.
A Soyuz spacecraft carried Expedition 12 Commander William McArthur and Flight
Engineer Valery Tokarev into orbit. Along with these new crew members, the third space
Tourist, Dr. Gregory Olsen, has joined the team in space.
To learn more about the mission, the crew and the research that will take place on this
Expedition, please refer to these important links:
http://www.shuttlepresskit.com/EXPEDITION12/Expd-12_presskit.pdf
http://www.spaceadventures.com/orbit/about
http://www.sensorsinc.com/bio_olsen.html
Mega Flare Erupts On Sun!
Here is a recent image of this active area:
Solar flares have a direct effect on the Earth and they can upset our communications
systems on the planet in many ways!
Here are some websites to learn more about solar flares and related solar topics:
http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/sftheory
http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/sftheory/flare.htm
http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/flareclasses.html
http://news.com.com/Images+Powerful+solar+flare+erupts/2300-7337_3-5854539.html
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html
The Science Of Hurricane Katrina
http://www.redcross.org
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/content.view/catid/68/cpid/310.htm
The traditional hurricane season in the Atlantic, runs from June 1st, to November 30th!
You can learn more about these storms by visiting the following websites:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
http://hurricane.terrapin.com
http://hurricane.terrapin.com/imagesandmaps.html.en
Here is a plot of the path of Hurricane Katrina, from tropical storm to level 5 hurricane
in a VERY short time!:
Finally, a most amazing image of this mega storm from the eye of the GOES 12 weather
satellite:
Look Out For Asteroid “Apophis” in 2029
http://www.ccastronomy.org/astro_alert_Apophis.htm
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=3434
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=17666
http://www.fair-society.org
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1458_1.asp
GREAT MARS HOAX?
And finally, “NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN”!
In the opinion of many in the business, this is just; NONSENSE!
Mars, is getting brighter and closer to Earth all during the next few months and Mars will
Be some 42 million miles away from Earth in late October and early November of 2005!
Even at that distance, Mars will not be large enough to see surface detail, in all but the
largest of telescopes.
Mars was historically close to Earth in August of 2003, at a distance of just over 34 million
miles!
Let’s explore this hoax and the details that seem to be appearing on many credible media
outlets around the globe.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
This is about as good as Mars can look from it’s historic distance in 2003:
Details on the 2005 Opposition of Mars:
http://www.tnni.net/~dustymars/2005_MARS.htm
Mars will be some 5 (seconds) of arc smaller than it was back in 2003, but Mars will also
be some 33 degrees higher in the night sky, making for better viewing sessions in the
opinion of “Dr.Sky”.
Get involved with the 2005 International Mars Watch:
http://elvis.rowan.edu/marswatch/
Here is a blank form for “drawing” the surface details on Mars, via the telescope:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050822_spirit_dustdevils.html
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050822_mars_rover_update.html
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is now on it’s way to Mars. To learn more about this
exciting mission and what lies ahead, please visit these links:
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/mro_tech_041013.html
New “Planet” Discovered?- 2003 UB313
A new and interesting discovery was announced to the world on July 29th 2005 as
astronomers from Caltech, confirmed that observations of an object designated as
2003 UB313, may be a “planet” like object some 2.5 times as far from the Sun, as
the planet Pluto is!
The team of Caltech astronomers, headed up by Mike Brown, have released information
on this interesting object, in a news conference.
The object has a very unique orbital path, taking some 560 years to orbit the sun and an
Even more interesting orbital inclination of some 45 degrees to the ecliptic, making it more
difficult to have been detected.
Here is a brief description of the object and how it was discovered:
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/
The object was first detected back on October 21st 2003 and was finally announced to the
world as a confirmed object of both size and mass.
Some preliminary reports indicate that the new “planet” may have a size like that of our own
Earth’s moon- 2,200 miles or so in diameter.
This is not the first discovery by the team of Brown and Trujillo.
Both are credited with the discovery of two similar objects in space, one known as SEDNA
and the other one, QUAOAR.
For more on them, please visit these links to this story:
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~chad/quaoar/
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~jewitt/kb.html
Beyond the orbit of the planet Neptune, we find a whole new class of asteroid like bodies that
Are described as Kuiper Belt Objects, in honor of astronomer G.Kuiper, who discovered many similar
objects.
More on the KBO’s can be found here:
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~jewitt/kb.html
A larger group of objects exists in the solar system under the name: Trans-Neptunian Objects.
Here is a brief description of these objects:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Trans-Neptunian_objects
Here is some important information on the telescope that made this important discovery:
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomarnew/sot.html
In 2003, “Dr.sky” had the honor of interviewing these present discovery team members Mike Brown and Chad Trujillo.
We will re-post that audio interview and report the latest information, as soon as it becomes available. “Dr.Sky” congratulates this team for a job well done!
Perseids 2005
The PEAK of the shower, will occur at around 10AM PDT on the morning of August 12th. The best times to view are from 11PM till sunrise on the night of the 11th, as well as the night of the 12th from 11PM till sunrise. Observers with dark skies, may get to see upwards of 60 meteors per hour!
Look to the NE sky for the constellation of Perseus!
http://skytour.homestead.com/met2005.html
http://www.amsmeteors.org/visual.html
http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/perseids.html
You can “listen” to the Perseids, if your weather is not good!:
http://www.roswellastronomyclub.com/radio_meteors.htm
Return To Space STS-114 (Discovery)
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-114/html/sts114-s-001.html
The crew of STS-114 will remain in space for at least 12 days and this mission will
support the construction and eventual completion of the ISS. To learn more about the
crew, please visit this link:
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/index.html
EXCLUSIVE:
Listen to an interesting interview that “Dr.Sky” conducted with future mission commander
Mark Polansky, STS-116, as well as some interesting guests from the realms of Astronomy,
Space, Aviation and Weather:
http://www.teentalknetwork.com/skyframe.htm
Here is a tribute to the memory and dedication of the Columbia crew of STS-107!
The interesting history of the Shuttle Columbia:
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/columbia.html
The crew and what they stood for:
http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/home/
http://www.columbiaspaceshuttle.com/
What happed to the Space Shuttle Columbia?:
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030210
Look for the Shuttle Discovery and the ISS in your skies! It might be possible for lucky
observers to see the shuttle and the ISS at the same time as the shuttle catches up
with the ISS, before docking. To learn more about how to see these objects in the sky,
please visit these links:
http://www.heavens-above.com
Here is a real time global tracking viewer that will show you ALL major satellites in orbit
around the Earth!:
http://science.nasa.gov/Realtime/jtrack/3d/jtrack3d.html
DEEP IMPACT RESULTS- Part 1
NASA and JPL, should be very proud of the first results of the mission as a wealth
of new data is being reviewed as you read this!
On a personal note: The comet, Tempel 1, was NOT an easy object to see, due to
very low surface brightness on the comet.
Our team searched with an 8” telescope for hours and looked right at the impact location,
with only a faint suspect for a comet!
After the impact, some reports came to us, which indicate that the comet brightened
by a factor of two magnitudes, visually!
The most important fact must be stated here!
The comet may still brighten up, over the next few day’s as the ejecta plume and
“jets” of gas, rise to the surface of the comet. Observers with telescopes, should try
and keep an active watch on the comet and be on the lookout for some possible
activity.
To date, here are some results of the impact:
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1541_1.asp
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/article_1540_1.asp
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050704_deepimpact_success.html
Dr.Sky Multimedia Links: Deep Impact Mission
The “Dr.Sky” team have put together some informative interviews/content, relating
to the Deep Impact Mission to Comet Tempel 1.
To listen to an informative “Dr.Sky” interview with Dr.Lucy Mc Fadden of JPL, please
go here:
http://newvoices.info/audio/steve146.mp3
The interview is some 30 minutes long!
Video on Comets and Deep Impact Mission:
http://www.worldnetbroadcasting.com/drsky
DEEP IMPACT RESULTS- Part 2
New data has been coming into the JPL science team and we are
proud to offer the following links to keep you up to speed on the latest
developments with this mission.
In summary, we are learning that the surface of comets, may be more
unusual than we thought, in that the comets may have a fine powdery
surface of material that might resemble “talcum” powder.
Here is the latest date from the Deep Impact team:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050714_flyby_future.html
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/article_1540_1.asp
Mission To A Comet - Deep Impact
Deep Impact, will make history on the night of July 3rd-4th 2005, as the space probe
Deep Impact, will arrive at Comet Tempel 1.
The impact probe, (Deep Impactor), will arrive at the Comet around 5:52 UT on the night
of July 3rd 2005 ,+/- 3 minutes. This is the time that the 820 lb. copper projectile will
slam into the surface of the comet.
The impactor, looks like this:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/tech/impactor.html
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/quickfacts.html
To learn more about the mission and what it hopes to achieve, please click here:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/wwws.html
“Dr.Sky” recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Lucy Mc Fadden of JPL/University of
Maryland.
Dr. Mc Fadden is on the Science Team for Deep Impact and she is responsible for Education
and Public outreach on the Deep Impact mission.
Her passion for the mission comes out in this 30 minute interview ,that is helpful for people of
all ages.
Listen Here: Coming soon
For more information on Dr. Lucy Mc Fadden and the entire team:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/bio-lmcfadden.html
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/bios.html
History of Comet Tempel 1:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/science/tempel1.html
“Dr.Sky” suggests that you look at these exciting links, to help you plan
an observation program around this major event!
The comet is faint and NOT an easy object to find. Those of you that have
some experience in observing comet’s will have an opportunity to view the
comet.
http://deepimpact.umd.edu/stsp/
http://deepimpact.umd.edu/amateur/
Larger image
Finding The Comet
Dr.Sky suggests that if you really want to find the comet and have dark skies, please visit
http://www.griffithobs.org/comettempel.html
2005-Jun-28 22:00 13 29 23.60 -07 36 10.5 10.3
2005-Jun-29 22:00 13 31 04.06 -07 59 55.6 10.3
2005-Jun-30 22:00 13 32 46.39 -08 23 39.9 10.3
2005-Jul-01 22:00 13 34 30.56 -08 47 23.0 10.3
2005-Jul-02 22:00 13 36 16.57 -09 11 04.4 10.4
2005-Jul-03 22:00 13 38 04.40 -09 34 43.9 10.4
2005-Jul-04 22:00 13 39 54.01 -09 58 21.0 10.4
2005-Jul-05 22:00 13 41 45.40 -10 21 55.2 10.4
2005-Jul-06 22:00 13 43 38.55 -10 45 26.3 10.4
2005-Jul-07 22:00 13 45 33.42 -11 08 53.8 10.4
Week of June 27th, 2005
Monday Audio
Tuesday Audio
Wednesday Audio
Thursday Audio
Friday Audio
Week of June 13th, 2005
Monday Audio
Tuesday Audio
Wednesday Audio
Thursday Audio
Friday Audio
Week of May 30th, 2005
From the realm of astronomy:
June 2005 Skies (Review) Audio
June is a great time to look at the sky and there are many great events
to see!
The planets will put on a most interesting show, during this month. Look
low in the WNW for the planet Venus! Venus is the brightest of all the
planets and shines bright for at least 30 minutes after sunset. Venus is
often thought to be a UFO, as it creates some interesting “flashing” as
the planet sets into the thicker atmosphere.
Saturn is located high in the NW at sunset. Saturn is located in the
constellation of Gemini, near the bright stars, Castor and Pollux.
Jupiter remains bright in the SE at sunset and Mars rises in the E
after 1AM.
To learn more about the skies of June 2005, please refer to these
links:
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/#0506
http://www.astronomy.com
http://spaceweather.com
Shuttle Launch (STS-114 Update) Audio
NASA is excited and cautious about the next launch of the Space
Shuttle Discovery! At the present time the Discovery orbiter will be
Sent back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) as a new large
External tank is applied to the launch system. The entire launch
Vehicle will be sent back to launch pad 39B for a potential launch
window from (July 13th-31st).
Other modifications are being made to the spacecraft and flight
systems. NASA is taking no chances with this launch! To learn
more, please visit these links:
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-114/mission-sts-114.html
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050505_rtf_sts114_misspc.html
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/frontiers/collins.html
http://www.agirlsworld.com/amy/pajama/wmhistory/careers/collins
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/missions/schedule.html
Mars Returns In 2005 Audio
After nearly two years, the planet Mars will be close to the Earth once
again!
In August of 2003, Mars came closest to the Earth than it has in some
50,000 years. This year (2005), Mars will come within 40,000,000 miles
of Earth.
Now, is the time to get ready for the next Mars opposition, which will
take place in November.
Dr.Sky will be offering many helpful tips on how best to view Mars and
share this event with the public.
Here are some links to get you in the spirit of “Mars Mania 2005”:
http://www.tnni.net/~dustymars/Article_2005.htm
http://www.tnni.net/~dustymars/2005_MARS.htm
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/mars.html
http://space.jpl.nasa.gov
Deep Impact Mission To A Comet Audio
NASA is on target with its Deep Impact Mission to Comet Tempel 1. The Deep Impact Probe
will reach Comet Tempel 1 during the first few days of July 2005.
If all goes well, Deep Impact will release a small impact probe that weighs some 700 lbs., and
slam it into the comet!
Follow ALL the action right here:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov
Scaled Composites (Space Tourism) Audio
Bert Rutan and Scaled Composite are making the future of space tourism a reality!
Here is an overview in links, that helps you to learn about the latest technology that
This company is offering to the world.
Get set for the the promise of space tourism, now!
http://www.scaled.com
http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone
http://www.virgingalactic.com/enWeek of May 2nd, 2005
May 2005 Events
From The Realm Of Astronomy - Audio
May is a great month to begin your journey into the wonderful world of Astronomy.
Observers have three major planets to look at. Venus, low in the W at sunset as
well as Saturn, high in the W at sunset, followed by Jupiter, bright in the SE at
sunset. These planets offer the observer a wealth of detail if you know what to look for!
Join “Dr.Sky” on the journey of a lifetime as we explore many other objects in the May
2005 skies, via these links:
http://www.astronomy.com/
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/#0505
http://spaceweather.com/
From The Realm Of Space - Audio
It’s hard to believe, but the Hubble Space Telescope has been in orbit for 15 years. In that
time it has taken well over 700,000 photos of objects in the universe. This is one spacecraft
that has made some amazing contributions to science. To take a journey to Hubble, Dr.Sky
suggests the following links:
http://hubblesite.org/
http://hubble.nasa.gov/index.php
From The Realm Of Astronomy - Audio
With Jupiter high in the SE all during May, here are some great links to help get the most out
of your observations sessions with Jupiter.
This is one planet that offers so much, if you know how to harness the power of the planet!
http://www.weasner.com/etx/buyer-newuser-tips/planets-jupiter.html
http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/jupiter.html
From The Realm Of Space - Audio
NASA is on target with its Deep Impact Mission to Comet Tempel 1. The Deep Impact Probe
will reach Comet Tempel 1 during the first few days of July 2005.
If all goes well, Deep Impact will release a small impact probe that weighs some 700 lbs., and
slam it into the comet!
Follow ALL the action right here:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/
From The Realm Of Space - AudioSpace Tourism
The topic of Space Tourism is alive and well!
Here are some interesting sites that will fill you in on the next realm of “Dr.Sky” travel
http://www.spacefuture.com/tourism/tourism.shtml
http://www.space.com/spacetourism/
Week of April 25th, 2005
April 25 Audio
April 26 Audio
April 27 Audio
April 28 Audio
April 29 Audio
Week of April 18th, 2005
April 18 Audio
April 19 Audio
April 20 Audio
April 21 Audio
April 22 Audio
Week of April 11th, 2005
April 11 Audio
April 12 Audio
April 13 Audio
April 14 Audio
April 15 Audio
Week of April 4th, 2005
April 4 Audio
April 5 Audio
April 6 Audio
April 7 Audio
April 8 Audio
Week of March 27th, 2005
From The Realm Of Astronomy
A Global Warning System For Disasters
Audio
The British government has responded to the recent Tsunami with a call for a global
warning system for these and other related disasters.
PLANS for an early warning system to protect the world against natural disasters ranging from earthquakes and tsunamis to asteroid strikes have been drawn up by the Government’s chief scientist on the orders of the Prime Minister. A panel headed by Professor Sir David King is recommending that Britain push for a global alarm network to reduce the potential devastation of events such as the Boxing Day tsunami, The Times has learnt.
The £100 million initiative, which comes as scientists predict a third major earthquake in Indonesia, is the strongest recognition yet given by a government to the risks of natural catastrophes — including space collisions and “supervolcanic” eruptions, which occur only at intervals of tens of thousands of years.
Form more information:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1546903,00.html
Jupiter Bright In The April Sky
Audio
Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, will be at it’s best during the month of April.
Jupiter reaches opposition on April 3rd rising at sunset and in the sky ALL night. Jupiter is
One of the most memorable objects to view in a telescope and you will be amazed at the
view, even in a small scope.
Here are some important links:
http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/jupiter.html
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/%7Esheppard/satellites/
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/discovery.html
New Crew To The ISS
Audio
With the hopeful launch of the Space Shuttle in May, the present crew of the ISS will be
happy to note that they will get some fresh company, even sooner!
A fresh supply ship and a crewmember will launch to the ISS on or about April 15th.
This Soyuz spacecraft will bring with it two new crew members for the next ISS mission.
To learn more:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/exp11_rtf_update_050329.html
http://www1.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_293.html
http://t2spflnasa.r3h.net/station/crew/exp11/
The present ISS crew:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp10/
Rare “Hybrid” Solar Eclipse/ April 8th 2005
Audio
A very rare type of Solar Eclipse, will take place on April 8th. This event, known as a
“hybrid eclipse” offers a luck viewer the opportunity to see an annular eclipse in one
part of the world and a “total” solar eclipse in another. To learn why this is so, please
visit these links:
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/050401_solar_eclipse.html
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/HSE2005/HSE2005.html Sign the petition for Tom Leykis
Current Sky Events for April 2005
Audio
Here are a series of links for some of the best in April 2005 sky events:
http://www.aaa.org/aaawhatsup0504.htm
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ci&id=24
MYSTERY OF MAGNETAR- SGR-1806-20
No known object has appeared as bright upon arrival!
The arrival of the blast was as bright as a Full Moon in the eyes of the
Swift spacecraft that detected it.
Though the blast was not visible to the naked eye, it is the most intense
yet detected from a new class of objects known as MAGNETARS.
A MAGNETAR is a special class of neutron star that has a very intense
magnetic field. The MAGNETAR is about the size of a small city and is one of the last
remnants of stellar evolution.
Put in a simple to understand manner, this MAGNETAR blast, came from an
object only some 12 miles in diameter, 50,000 light-years from Earth and had more energy than
the Sun generates in 100,000 years!
To learn about the nature of MAGNETARS, please visit these links:
http://solomon.as.utexas.edu/~duncan/magnetar.html
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast05mar99_1.htm
The designation "SGR", stands for Soft Gamma Repeater due to the high
amounts of Gamma radiation that comes from the core of the neutron star that is behind the
outbursts. Gamma rays are some of the most powerful energy in the universe!
To understand the relationship of Gamma rays and X-Rays on the
electromagnetic spectrum, please review these links:
http://www.flandrau.org/WEBSITE/Background.htm
http://imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/ems/ems.html
http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/scientistslinks/hurleyk_home.htm
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast05mar99_1.htm
To learn more about these objects and the groups that help track them,
please visit these links:
http://www.lanl.gov/external/
http://www.physorg.com/news3112.html
http://www.nrao.edu/
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/02/18/cosmic.blast
MYSTERY OF MAGNETAR- SGR-1806-20
No known object has appeared as bright upon arrival!
The arrival of the blast was as bright as a Full Moon in the eyes of the
Swift spacecraft that detected it.
Though the blast was not visible to the naked eye, it is the most intense
yet detected from a new class of objects known as MAGNETARS.
A MAGNETAR is a special class of neutron star that has a very intense
magnetic field. The MAGNETAR is about the size of a small city and is one of the last
remnants of stellar evolution.
Put in a simple to understand manner, this MAGNETAR blast, came from an
object only some 12 miles in diameter, 50,000 light-years from Earth and had more energy than
the Sun generates in 100,000 years!
To learn about the nature of MAGNETARS, please visit these links:
http://solomon.as.utexas.edu/~duncan/magnetar.html
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast05mar99_1.htm
The designation "SGR", stands for Soft Gamma Repeater due to the high
amounts of Gamma radiation that comes from the core of the neutron star that is behind the
outbursts. Gamma rays are some of the most powerful energy in the universe!
To understand the relationship of Gamma rays and X-Rays on the
electromagnetic spectrum, please review these links:
http://www.flandrau.org/WEBSITE/Background.htm
http://imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/ems/ems.html
http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/scientistslinks/hurleyk_home.htm
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast05mar99_1.htm
To learn more about these objects and the groups that help track them,
please visit these links:
http://www.lanl.gov/external/
http://www.physorg.com/news3112.html
http://www.nrao.edu/
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/02/18/cosmic.blast
RADAR OBSERVATIONS OF ASTEROID 2004 MN4/ RULE OUT HIT!
Recent observations from one of the largest radio telescopes in the world, rule out a direct hit
with the Earth of April 13, 2029. Observations made during the last few days of 2004 at Arecibo
Puerto Rico, indicate that 2004 MN4 will pass the Earth by a safe margin of some 23,000 miles.
This object, along with asteroids, 2004 VD 17 and 1997 XR2, have some of the highest potentials
of “close” encounters with the Earth.
NEO’s of “Near Earth Objects” fall into the following categories:
NEC’s- Near Earth Comets- q<1.3AU P< 200 years
NEA’s- Near Earth Asteroids q<1.3 AU
Atens - Earth crossing NEA’s with semi- major axes smaller than the Earth’s - a<1.0AU Q> 0.983AU
Apollos-Earth crossing NEA’s with semi-major axes larger than the Earth’s - a> 1.0AU q< 1.017AU
Amors- Earth approaching NEA’s with orbits exterior to Earth’s but interior to Mars’ – a>1.0 AU
PHA’s- Potentially Hazardous Asteroids: Asteroids whose minimum intersection distance with the
Earth is 0.05AU or less ( An AU is the mean distance of the Earth to the Sun, some 93,000,000 miles).
Here is the latest information on this 2004 MN4:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news149.html
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?sstr=2004MN4&group=all&search=Search
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo
There are at present some 670 PHA’s and millions of small objects the size of 50 meters or so!
Lucky for us, we seem to be getting better at predicting the orbits of many of these objects!
What about other close encounters?
Let’s go back to 2004!
In March of 2004, two small, but important objects grazed Earth:
While much of the world had other interests, the Earth was passed by a near record distance
of some 26,500 miles, by a small 30 meter object designated as 2004 FH. This tiny object
came too close for comfort!
To learn about asteroid 2004 FH, please review these links:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news142.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_animation_040319.html
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?sstr=2004+FH&group=all&search=Search
Then when the world thought it had heard it all, another asteroid, 2004 FU 162 a small 10 meter
in diameter object, grazed the Earth by some 4,000 MILES!
This object was discovered on it’s outward leg, AWAY from the Earth, with little or no warning!
Astronomers state that had it been on a direct course with Earth, it would have burned up in the
atmosphere.
Here is what we know about 2004 FU 162:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2004fu162.html
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=14880
http://www.astronomy.com/default.aspx?c=a&id=2411
On another note, a good friend of mine, Bob Cash of Phoenix, Arizona, is credited with discovering
another small asteroid that passed the Earth in September of 2003, known as asteroid 2003 SQ222.
Here are some of the original photo’s of this object:
http://www.birtwhi.demon.co.uk/Gallery2003SQ222.htm
http://minorplanetresearch.org/Press.asp
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?sstr=2003+sq222&search=Search
http://www.qsl.net/n8imo/n8imo_4.html
Who is searching for these Asteroids?
Some of the worlds best talent is being spent on the search for these objects, but there needs to be a
huge increase in funding for these projects.
One group SPACEWATCH, located in Tucson, Arizona is making a big effort to locate and track these
objects. Astronomer, Jim Scotti; is a personal friend and we salute the work that he, as well as many
others are doing to locate and track these important objects.
Here are links to some of the groups that are searching:
http://minorplanetresearch.org/default.asp
http://spacewatch.lpl.arizona.edu
http://www.lowell.edu/users/elgb/loneos_disc.html
http://www.ll.mit.edu/LINEAR
What if one hit?
That is the question, what could we expect? To help answer this question, let’s go to a great source, to
help answer this in REAL terms. I can think of no better person to help us with this problem, than Dr. H.
Jay Melosh of the University of Arizona.
Dr. Melosh has come up with an actual impact calculator, that you can marvel at, right on your PC on
your desk. With the vast data that exists today regarding nuclear weapons and related science, Dr.
Melosh has come up with this realistic calculator to help give us information on what an actual “strike”
might be like. Sad to say, but the results of even a small impact from space on to a large city are very
depressing indeed. See for yourself!
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/impacteffects
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_040412.html
The governments of the world, need to look at this threat as REAL and get together to form some type
of coordinated plan. This would be one of the most difficult problems to deal with, but one that MUST
be dealt with.
The following, are links to plans and groups that are keeping us informed on how to deal with this global threat.
Let’s hope that the impact of a small asteroid is not mistaken for a terrorist attack, which could unleash a man
made nuclear attack of our own creation.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/deflection_asteroids_020214.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_secrecy_030224.html
And to all, a GOOD night!
Huygens Probe Update
The results from the recent Huygens landing on Titan are streaming in, as fast as we can evaluate them.
This mission has been nearly flawless and the probe has returned many quality photos and date from
this strange world.
The surface of Titan seems to have a frost or near frozen layer of material on the surface.
To learn the latest and see some exciting photos and data, please visit these sites:
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens
http://www.astrobio.net/news/
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ap_huygens_update_050118.html
Contest To Discover A Comet
The NASA spacecraft SOHO has been gathering information about the Sun and has also been a great
tool to discover comets!
Since 1995, the SOHO spacecraft has been providing us with some spectacular images of the Sun.
Now, NASA and the folks at SOHO have created a contest, When will SOHO detect it’s 1,000th comet?
People of all ages can get in on this contest by visiting this link:
http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/comet1000/
To learn about the SOHO spacecraft:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
Solar Activity Remains High
One of the largest sunspots in recent times (Sunspot 720) was seen on the disk of the Sun during
the period from January 13-22, 2005.
We should be in a period when solar activity is on the decline!
This sunspot group, the size of the planet Jupiter had produced some very powerful X Class flares.
The material from these flares, produced large geomagnetic storms as well as created a few minor
problems with spacecraft.
To understand these recent events, please review these links:
http://www.spaceweather.com/index.cgi
http://nightskylive.net
http://www.spacew.com/www/aurora.php
http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/Curtis/aurora/aurora.html
Planet Shaking Earthquake 9.0/Causes Massive Destruction
http://www.geophys.washington.edu/tsunami/general/physics/physics.html
Download a video of a “tsunami” from the largest earthquake in modern times:
http://www.geophys.washington.edu/tsunami/general/physics/characteristics.html
Read about the May 22, 1960 Chilean earthquake and “super tsunami”:
http://www.geophys.washington.edu/tsunami/general/historic/chilean60.html
Track Earthquakes and Tsunamis:
http://wcatwc.gov
An interesting site that explains the historical “tsunamis”:
http://www.geophys.washington.edu/tsunami/general/historic/historic.html
Though this is a great tragedy, “Dr.Sky” would like to alert the visitor to the fact that an even greater problem
exists in the area of asteroid impacts on Earth. Even a small asteroid, (1/4 mile) in diameter, has the potential
to cause biblical type devastation on Earth.
To learn more:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/tsunami_asteroid_030602.htmlAsteroid 2004 MN4 Closing In On Earth?
http://2004mn4.info
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
http://space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_close_041222.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6747711
Santa Tracker 2004
“Dr.Sky” wishes each and everyone a great holiday season and one that will
extend well into the new year 2005!
As a special gift to all of our many friends around the world, we give you the
gift of Santa via “NORAD Tracks Santa 2004 Website”.
This link will bring your children closer to the spirit of Santa and the wonderful
things NORAD does, while not only keeping the “skies” safe from a potential
ICBM attack, but letting Santa deliver his gifts to kids of all ages! Enjoy!!
More on the history of NORAD: www.norad.mil
Cassini and the Huygens Probe
The Huygens probe will coast to a planned entry into the cloud tops of Titan
on or about January 15th, 2005.
This is a major space mission and “Dr.Sky” suggests that you follow the links
to all the latest with the Cassini/Huygens mission.
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens
A 3D image of the Cassini-Huygens Probe:
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31385
More on Dr. Tomasko: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/faculty/tomasko.html
or
http://www.uagrad.org/Alumnus/Fall04/saturn.html
“Dr.Sky” Teams Up With Aviator, Maj. Lee Owens
www.leeowensflight2004.org
Maj. Owens will attempt to fly round the world in his modified P-51 Mustang aircraft
to create a living memory for the nearly 1,000 Tuskegee Airmen that served this nation.
You too can get involved with this mission!
Dr.Sky, will be following this story in 2005 with great interest. Sit back and enjoy the
Links to Maj. Lee Owens and his historic flight, “On The Wings Of History”
The Tuskogee Airmen: http://tuskegeeairmen.org
C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) Is Here!!!
Listen to Dr. Sky's interview with Don Machholz
This is a near naked eye object and one that is within reach of most city dwellers.
Look to the SE sky after dark and find the constellation of Orion (The Hunter). Find
the bright star on the lower right side of Orion…. This is the star, Rigel. In a small
telescope of binoculars, sweep the region to the right of Rigel by some ten degrees.
This is the region that Comet Machholz will appear during the first few weeks of December.
The comet will get higher and brighter in the sky, during the month.
Closest to Earth by the first week of January 2005. The comet will then be some 32
million miles of Earth.
How the Comet was discovered:
http://www.geocities.com/donmachholz/FullDiscoveryStory1.doc
Where is the Comet? :
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/2004Q2_1.html
Comets in General:
http://cometography.com/current_comets.html
http://www.drdale.com/comets
http://www.nineplanets.org/comets.html
Who to contact if you discover a Comet:
http://cometography.com/current_comets.html
If
meteor showers are your thing, get set for what may be the years best shower. The
Geminid meteor shower will peak on the nights of December 13-14,2004. The Moon
will not be a major factor as it will be at new, on the 12th. To see
the Geminids, look to the NE sky after 10PM local time. Observers in “dark”
locations, may get to see well over 50 meteors per hour. Geminids can leave some
bright “trains” and are also know for some fireballs. This will be a great
year for the Geminids.
To
learn more, please visit these Dr. Sky favorite links:
http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/geminids.html
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast07dec_1.htm
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast04dec98_1.htm
http://www.skyscan.ca/geminids_2003.htm
Listen
To Meteors:
http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/meteors/audio/geminidecho.mp3
SMART1
Probe Reaches Lunar Orbit
The
ESA probe SMART 1 has finally reached lunar orbit. This is the first new lunar
probe in years and one that will help in our understanding of the Moon. Follow
the links, for more information on this exciting mission.
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=10
A
3D Model of SMART 1
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31387
Watch
ESA TV
http://television.esa.int/default.cfm
X43
Scramjet Breaks Speed Record
NASA
recently launched the X 43 Scramjet probe from a fixed wing Aircraft. The rest
is history, as the X43 probe reached speeds of Mach 10!
This
is great technology! Learn more about a scramjet engine and how this technology
works.
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/x43-main.html
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/research/vorland.html
http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/History/HistoricAircraft/X-Planes/1980/
Coming
Global Superstorms?
Are
we set for global weather changes that could effect the entire planet? To answer
this, look into this link:
http://www.fragilecologies.com/sep23_04.html
Don’t
Miss The Venus Jupiter Conjunction - November 4th,
2004
Viewers
will have a unique opportunity to see a very close conjunction of the
planets Venus and Jupiter, on the morning hours of November 4th and 5th
2004!
Observers
in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, will have a good chance
to see these two bright planets, very close together.
Venus
and Jupiter will be only 2/3 of a degree apart and this makes them look
spectacular in the pre-dawn sky!
The
two planets will “fit” into the same field of view in a telescope and appear
to
almost collide with each other.
To
learn more about conjunctions and the meaning of such events, please visit these
links:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_1364_1.asp
http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/Curtis/astro5.html
http://www.philharrington.net/planets.pdf
http://www.photoastronomique.net/galerie_us.php?id=16
http://www.bethlehemstar.net/
Total
Lunar Eclipse – October 27th 2004
Photo
Credit: Francois Du Toit
North
America will have another opportunity to see what has been a series of Total
Lunar Eclipses. This
is the last major total eclipse of the Moon that we will see, until the year
2007. During the 21st century, there will be some 230 Lunar eclipses,
of the partial and total types. This year’s eclipse, will be best seen by
observers in the Eastern and Central USA.
During
totality, the Moon will be in the umbral shadow for some 82 minutes. Don’t
miss this important event! To learn more about this event and how best to
observe it, please look into these exciting links:
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEcat/LE2001-2100.html
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/article_1340_1.asp
http://www.hermit.org/Eclipse/2004-10-28/
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/041001_lunar_eclipse.html
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/article_89_1.asp
Dr.Sky 2004 Sky Events Calendar
The new and exciting "Dr.Sky 2004 Sky Events Calendar" is now available to
purchase! The calendar makes a great gift for that "special" someone who loves
to follow along with "Dr.Sky" and learn about the wonders of the universe and
all the special things going on in the realms of Astronomy, Space, Aviation and
Weather. Check out our video presentation.
Dr.Sky,Inc. PO Box-8067
Glendale, Arizona 85312-8067
-OR-
Happy New Year 2004
"Dr.Sky's" Space 2004 Tour - Reaching The Final Frontier!
"Dr.Sky" has been asked by teachers and students in Arizona, to help tell the story of the many children and other dedicated people, who believe that we have a story to share with the world on our unique place in the cosmos, Arizona! Recently, "Dr.Sky" had the honor of interviewing one of the legends of radio and TV broadcasting, Mr. Hugh Downs. Mr. Downs has a love for the subjects of Space, Astronomy, Aviation and Weather and we are proud to say that Mr. Downs supports the efforts of "Dr.Sky" in producing a not for profit documentary on the need people of all ages, to hear the wonderful stories of people who are making a difference,
when it comes to educating the youth of Arizona, on the need to explore the space sciences. We are very proud of the people that will become
a part of our educational tour, here in Arizona and around the nation! Corporate contributions, would help this project become a
reality. If you would like to have your schools story or individual story considered for review, or book "Dr.Sky" at your school or corporate
event as a speaker, please contact our Media/Business Manager; Ms. Lynda Miller at 602 373-3077 or e-mail your request to her at: lynrae1@earthlink.net
This is a story that needs to be told and will also feature some of the high technology firms that have plans to go to
Space, right here in Arizona. Here is a recent interview with Mr. Downs on the 100th anniversary of flight!
HighNoon Saturday Part 1
HighNoon Saturday Part 2
HighNoon Saturday Part 3
Please note: These files are in MP3 format for easier, faster downloading. The files are an estimated 23MB each. In order to play these files, you will need an MP3 compatible player such as Winamp or Windows Media Player. Estimated download time with a DSL/Cable Modem connection is less than 5 mins.
Twin rovers set to explore Mars
Get set for some incredible images and science from the surface of Mars! The first of two robotic landers will set down
on opposite regions of Mars, to explore the Red Planet, like never before! The past efforts of the Pathfinder mission
will become eclipsed by the current twin rovers, expected to touchdown on Mars, on January 3rd and January 24th, as
"Spirit" and "Opportunity" make space history. This is the most amazing time to be able to witness space history. "Dr. Sky" suggests that you visit
these websites from time to time to check in on the progress of these missions.
http://www.space.com/marsrover/
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/rover_overview_030416.html http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html
Mars Express/Beagle 2 Update
The fate of the Mars surface probe known as Beagle 2, is still unclear! The probe had descended to the Martian
surface as planned, but has NOT been heard from after many attempts by orbiting spacecraft as well as large
radio telescopes. The the major theory as to why the spacecraft has not been detected, is that the probe may
have landed in a crater that is obscuring its radio signals! To follow the latest on the ESA's first major Mars
mission, please visit these links:
http://www.esa.int/marsexpress
http://www.beagle2.com
Would you like to hear the music that will be played by the Beagle 2 when it calls back to Earth? Click Here
Stardust Mission/Comet Wild 2
A mission to fly to a comet and gather dust, is about to become history! The NASA spacecraft STARDUST,
launched back in 1999, will make contact with Comet Wild 2 starting on January 2nd at 2:40am EST. The spacecraft will
sail into the comet's outer shell, known as the "coma" and will capture cometary debris in the form of small particles.
The cometary material will be returned to Earth in 2006, to help us better understand the true nature of one of the
solar systems oldest objects: Comets! Stay tuned to the mission, by visiting these links:
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/stardust.html
100th Anniversary of Flight
Wow! Manned flying machines are now 100 years old, or more specifically, the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers historic "first"! Much of what we know today came from the works of these two talented brothers, who worked out of a small bicycle shop in Ohio. The first flight of some 12 seconds, was completed on December 17, 1903 on a windy beach in North Carolina. We salute the memory of these pioneers and encourage you to review these exciting links:
http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal100/wright1903.html http://www.wrightflyer.org/ http://www.nasm.edu/nasm/aero/aircraft/wright03.htm http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/air1903.html http://www.flight100.org/learn/cl_wright.html http://www.heritagecs.com/wrightbros.htm http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/WrBr/Wrights.html http://www.wam.umd.edu/~stwright/WrBr/taleplane.html
http://sln.fi.edu/wright/
The Magic Of The Solstice And The Christmas Star
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas! The Winter Solstice will take place on December 22nd at 2:04AM EST. This is the moment that the Sun is at the lowest point on the ecliptic path and a time that is rich in history! The celebration of the Winter Solstice, has it's roots in such Nordic celebrations as Yule and the Roman festival of Saturnalia. The god Saturn played a major role in this event and Saturn is THE planet of December! This is a time of cleansing the mind and body in hopes of looking to the future light of the warm sun. Here is a series of links to keep you in the Solstice "standing still" mode.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(god)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia
http://www.prime.org/xmas3.htm
http://www.jpc-artworks.com/gallery/wintersolstice/index.html
The "Christmas Star"
Over the centuries, many tales have been told of the "great" star that led the wise men to the birthplace of the new born king- Jesus. This is one of the great unsolved mysteries of our time and one that we feel needs some attention given to it. The main theories, planetary conjunction, nova, comet and "miracle", are better explained in the vast links, below! Happy Holidays from ALL of us at Dr.Sky.com,Inc. Stay tuned to this site for new and exciting content and products, in 2004!
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02029a.htm http://www.eclipse.net/~molnar/ http://www.astronomynotes.com/history/bethlehem.star.html http://www.bethlehemstar.net/ http://www.griffithobs.org/IPSChristmasErrors.html http://www.griffithobs.org/IPSBidelman.html http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/quirinius.html
And Finally, One For The Kids!
Don't forget to track the location of Santa as he makes his way from the North Pole!
http://www.noradsanta.org/
Mars Express Set To Encounter Mars
The ESA probe, Mars Express, is scheduled to arrive at Mars on December 25th. This will be the first of a flotilla of spacecraft that will descend to the Martian surface in search for life! Follow the action, as the Mars Express makes a historic journey to Mars.
http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/ http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=9 http://esa.capcave.com/esa/marsexpress/ http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/express_photo_031203.html
Saturn: The December Planet
Saturn will be THE planet to see during the month of December. Observers should look to the NE after sunset, to see this amazing planet. Saturn will reach opposition on the 31st of the month and will be well placed in the sky for northern observers. Saturn, will have it's ring system open at it's max and we get to see the southern portion of the rings. Even observers with small telescopes, can marvel at the sight of the rings and many moons of this unique planet. To learn more, simply, visit these links: http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/saturn.html http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/jplSpotlights/20031103.cfm http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/space-audio/ http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_304_1.asp
Area 51 And The Aurora Spaceplane
The mystery continues surrounding the fastest aircraft in the world. Some claim that the US government has this craft and is flying it on a regular basis. To review the facts on this interesting subject, please review these links:
http://members.lycos.co.uk/aboutarea51/blackaircraft.html http://www.aliendave.com/Article_US_SpaceBase_UTAH.html
Sun Dogs and Light Pillars
The winter skies of the Northern Hemisphere are an excellent time to view the wonders of sun dogs and other related atmospheric phenomenon. To learn more on how and when to see these, please visit these links:
http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/halo/parhelia.htm http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/resource/indx.htm
LEONIDS 2003-
The Leonid meteor shower is here once again!
Nothing like the 2001 shower, the 2003 Leonids should still put on a good show, if you know when and where to look!
This year, we pass into two streams of this historic shower! One peak, will occur during the night of November 13th and the other, stronger peak, should occur during the morning of November 19th!
This year, the peak of the second stream will favor those viewing from the Eastern USA and possibly points, West.
To learn more about the Leonids, please visit these links:
http://celestialdelights.info/ms/leonids2003b.html
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/10oct_doubleleonids.htm
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast30nov_1.htm
http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/leonids.html
http://homepage2.nifty.com/~baron/leo03p3.htm
Solar Flare Rated Between X 28- X40
The recent (Nov 4th) Solar Flare, may have reached ALL time intensity!
To read up on this important event, please visit this link:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/xtreme_flare_031105.html
Yet Another Mega Flare!
The sun continues to pour out energy in the form of huge flares and a recent flare on November 4th, may be a most historic event! This major Mega Flare originated from the sunspot
group 10486, which was located on the extreme edge of the sun.
The Mega Flare and it's radiation, caused some temporary problems with radio communications and some satellite transmissions. This Mega Flare may be WELL above an X20
on the scale! If so, this is amazing by itself!
Will sunspot group 10486, continue to remain on the photosphere and pop out on the other side?
Stay tuned to this website, for further details.
Observers in both hemisphere's should continue to look for the aurora, in spite of bright moonlight!
Here are some links to support this story:
http://www.spaceweather.com/solarflares/topflares.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solar_flare_031104.html
Total Lunar Eclipse on November 8th/9th 2003:
Observers should get ready for a short but exciting total eclipse of the moon. This event, will take place on the night of Saturday November 8th/9th! This eclipse is strange in that totality will last only some 25 minutes and observers on the East coast will be best situated to observe theevent.Observers in the Western USA, will see little, as the moon will rise in eclipse or in totality, or the event will be only partial.
Here are some very important links, to help you observe the event, photograph it or simply learn more about the event.
These types of eclipses are VERY safe to view and are lot's of fun too!!!
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/lunar_eclipse_2_031031.html
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/lunar_eclipse_1_031010.html
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/article_1072_1.asp
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/article_89_1.asp
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/eclipses/article_80_1.asp
The next major Total Lunar Eclipse, visible from North America, will occur on October 28th, 2004.
The next major Total Solar Eclipses visible in North America are found on this graphic:
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmap/SEmapNA/TSENorAm2001.gif
Comet Encke Visible In Telescopes-
The shortest period of the periodic comets, goes to Comet Encke. This comet with a period of some 3.3 years was discovered by the French observerPierre Mechain in 1786. The comet will put on a rather decent show for observers during the month of November and December. To locate the cometand find it's position as well as information about it, please visit these links:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/0002P.html
http://cobr.kts.ru/astron/orbits/cp2.htm
http://cometography.com/pcomets/002p.html
Solar Storms Reach ALL Time High!
The second of two major solar storms has reached the Earth, high dosages of electrons and protons. These storms, have caused some trouble with HF radio communications, some spacecraft as well as ground communications, via phone.
The auroral display's in both hemisphere locations on Earth, has been outstanding!
"Dr.Sky" encourages you to look to the N in the northern hemisphere and the S in the southern hemisphere, for auroral activity. This alert is good for the ENTIRE Halloweenweekend!
The large sunspot group 486 is the powerhouse behind this most amazing series of flares and CME's.
Here is a photo taken by a noted observer, that shows the relative size of the Earth with respect to the sunspot group!
Incredible!!!
The Japanese have had problems with a small satellite and this is related to the solar storms. To learn more about this story, please visit these links:
http://www.space.com/news/kodama_down_031029.html
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solar_flare_031028.html
What is a CME?
Coronal Mass Ejections are powerful streams of gas from the sun that have threads of magnetic fields in them! Two major CME's have been seen in this
week alone. To learn more, simply, visit these links:
http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/solar/cmes.htm
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast27mar_1.htm
DR.SKY ALERT!!
Major Sunspot/Solar Flare Event Going on NOW!!
Two major sunspot events are going on now, on the surface of the sun! Sunspot groups, 484 and 486, are as large or larger than the planet Jupiter.
Over the past few day's, large CME (coronal mass ejections) and flares have been seen moving towards the Earth at great speed!
Observers around the world, should look to the skies after sunset for possible sightings of the northern and southern lights!
To learn more, please visit these links:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/sun/article_1084_1.asp
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/sun/article_162_1.asp
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solar_storm_031023.html
http://eiger.physics.uiowa.edu/~vis/images/current.gif
http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/nicky/cme-chase.html
http://www.nothnbut.net/~reo77/aurora.html
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~tomozawa/en/auroralk/auroralk.htm
LIVE AURORA VIEWER:
http://www.spacew.com/aurora/index.html
http://www.spacew.com/www/aurora.html
Shenzhou 5 Makes Chinese Space History-
The Chinese have launched the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft with astronaut Yang Liwei.
The Shenzhou 5 spacecraft remained in orbit for some 21 hours and had a dual purpose. The Chinese conducted some science as well as military applications, while in orbit.
To learn more about the mission and it's military purpose, please visit these links:
http://www.astronautix.com/articles/shefacts.htm
http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/
http://www.astronautix.com/astros/yanliwei.htm
http://www.china.org.cn/english/LP/77356.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/articles/china.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/astros/yuhgroup.htm
Orionid Meteors Peak- Oct 21-22
Get set for another good meteor shower! Look to the Eastern skies on the morning hours of October 21-22, for the annual Orionid meteor shower. With clear and near
moonless skies, observers can count on at least 40 meteors per hour, all part of debris from Comet Halley! Don't miss it! To learn more, please visit this link:
http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/orionids.html
Good Time to Find The Planet Uranus-
Of all the planets in the solar system that can be seen, Uranus is a most unusual one! The month of October, is a fine time to look skyward and try and find the next
planet outward from Saturn. Uranus is easy to find and during the next few weeks,
the planet Mars will help you in finding this greenish gas giant!
Simply, look to the SE at sunset and find Mars. Once you find Mars, look some four degrees N of Mars and you will see a tiny greenish disk. This is best done with a small telescope.
To learn more about finding Uranus, and the history of the planet, please visit these links:
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/uranus_030926.html
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/uranus.html
http://www.astronomy.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/001/309wufhx.asp
SMART 1- Europe's First Lunar Probe-
The ESA (European Space Agency) has launched it's first lunar orbiting spacecraft.
The launch on September 27th, gives the ESA an opportunity to test a complex laser
communications system as well as a new ion propulsion system. To learn the latest
regarding this mission and the future of lunar exploration, please visit these link's:
http://www.ssc.se/ssd/smart1.html
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1059_1.asp
http://www.esa.int/export/esaMI/SMART-1/
Spaceplane History Traced to Dr.Eugen Sanger-
Dr. Eugen Sanger is given credit for the first "spaceplane". This is a fascinating story
and we can all learn about the history of one of the most powerful weapons of WWII
that was not completed!
What IF the Third Reich had developed and used the Amerika Bomber? To learn more about this high tech marvel, please visit these links:
http://www.luft46.com/misc/sanger.html
http://www.astronautix.com/craftfam/usslanes.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/craftfam/ruslanes.htm
The Ozone Hole Grows-
One of the most amazing weather related topics in all of 2003, continues to be the
growing ozone hole at the South Pole.
What is it? and how will it effect the world that we live in?
Follow the Ozone Hole story, by visiting these links:
http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/
http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/
"Before" The Space Shuttle- 
It is interesting to note that before the advent of the Space Shuttle, our nation and
the Russians, helped to design a fleet of re-useable space planes. "Dr.Sky" finds it
very interesting to note that as we look for a new "Shuttle" design, we had the right idea, some 40 years ago!
Please check out this amazing link:
http://www.deepcold.com/deepcold/dyna_main.html
Mars Continues To Be A Most Impressive Sight-
Mars is now PAST it's best viewing opportunity for us, but the images and reports still keep coming in and we will be reporting on Mars and any late breaking information that can help you get the most out of this observation season. Here is a
link of some of the more impressive photo's coming in to us at Drsky.com :
http://elvis.rowan.edu
Here is a link that will help you in planning your observations of the "Red Planet" as well as what to look for:
http://www.astronomy.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/001/159hblez.asp
Galileo Spacecraft To Impact Jupiter-
Since 1989, the Galileo spacecraft has been conducting some of the most amazing
research about the planet Jupiter. That is about to end!
Galileo will be sent on a "crash" course with the big might one, Jupiter, at or around the 21st. of September. This impact will in itself be a scientific event at you can learn more about the countdown to "Galileo" by visiting these links:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Here are some exciting things that kids' can do with regard to Jupiter and the current
mission of Galileo:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo
Finally, here is a complete resource for information about the largest planet in our
known Solar System, Jupiter:
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/jupiter.html
Mars Mania August 2003- Part 2- The BIG Event-
The wait is over! Mars is now at it's best and will be the center of the world's attention during this last week of August, 2003!
The planet Mars is scheduled to be closer to the Earth on the night of August 27th,
than it has in well over 57,000 years!
To see just how fast Mars id moving towards the Earth, "Dr.Sky" suggests that you
check out or "How Close Is Mars" icon on the top right of your screen.
This interesting site will show you in "real time" just how fast the planet is closing in on Earth. In just one minute, Mars gets almost 100 miles closer to us and this will
continue until late on the night of August 27th.
What time is it on Mars? This may sound strange to you and I, because Mars has a
"day" that is 37 minutes longer than our Earth day. To find out about Mars time, please visit this great link:
http://cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov/CMEX/data/MarsCalendar/index.html
Have you ever wanted to look at a certain location on Mars and were not sure of where to go and how to get there? Your search is OVER! To look at virtually the entire planet Mars, "Dr.Sky" is proud to announce that you can let your fingers do the driving, by looking into this powerful link:
http://cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov/atlas/index.html
Now, please permit me to introduce you to some of the best of MARS 2003, in the form on these interactive Mars simulations. "Dr.Sky" is a proud JPL/NASA Solar
System Ambassador and I am always proud to help students suggestions on how to make the learning experience interactive. This link will give you some of the best that
the web has to offer with regards to Mars education in the form of movies and simulations:
http://cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov/movies/index.html
And finally, a tribute to the wonderful missions that have been sent to the Red Planet
over the past 40 years:
http://cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov/missions/index.html
We will begin a short and interesting discussion of the Mars that we all came to know during the 1950's, from the world of science fiction and movies. The first major
Mars media event has to be the "War Of The Worlds" radio broadcast that shook the nation in 1938, when Orson Wells and his talented team of actors from the famous
Mercury Theater, gave us a glimpse of what an invasion from Mars might be like. It all started in a small town, known as Grover's Mill, NJ. Here is more on that historic event:
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/science_fiction/warofworlds.html
http://www.war-of-the-worlds.org/
http://members.aol.com/jeff1070/wotw.html
There are a host of other sci-fi movies about Mars during the 1950's and beyond. In the spirit of "Mars Mania", Dr.Sky has compiled a few links that might bring back a few memories:
http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/staff/mreddy/mars-or-bust/planet/movies.htm
Did you ever want to see what the view of the solar system would be from other locations? Like what does the Earth look like from Mars? Well, the wait is now over!
You can visit this great NASA/JPL simulator that takes you where no one has gone before!
http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/
As Mars reaches opposition, large dust storms may start to generate and this has happened during many of the past oppositions of Mars. This usually occurs during the "post" perihelion phases and we suggest that you keep track of the clarity of the
Martian atmosphere. One way to do this is to check this link from time to time:
http://www.marstoday.com/viewsr.html?pid=10071
Other links to "Martian Dust Storms":
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast16jul_1.htm
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/09jul_marsdust.htm
I feel that it is important to review some of the observations that have been made of Mars during the "great" oppositions of past and look at what was seen on the planet and what we can learn from these observations. These observations were made long
before the advent of spacecraft and we can report some of the findings by these links:
http://www.brayebrookobservatory.org/
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/chap05.htm
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/chap06.htm
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/chap07.htm
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/chap08.htm
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/chap09.htm
Here is a great guide for the upcoming opposition of Mars in 2003:
http://www.marspix.com/html/mars_opposition_viewing_guide.htm
Now, let's look at some ways for children to get involved with the wonders of "Mars
Mania 2003". Dr. Sky is very passionate about the education of children and science
and one of the roles of being a NASA/JPL educator, is to help children with the wonders of science. Please look at the many people that are involved with this wonderful program and how this program may be of help to you and your school. "Dr.Sky" is interested in schools looking for help with educating children about the
many wonders of science. To book "Dr.Sky", for your school or group, please contact his media/public relations manager, Sierra Kamela at 480 585-0767. Links for education and children:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/index.html
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/profiles/Steven_Kates.htm
http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/sse_flipflop.htm
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/
http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/index.shtml
And finally, what about missions to Mars and the prospects of a manned mission to Mars in the next 20 years or so!
Let's look at what the current missions to Mars are up to and how to stay in touch with them:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/
Future manned missions to Mars:
http://www.geocities.com/marsterraforming/mannedmissions.html
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft_manned_mars.html
One of the greatest space artists of all time was Chesley Bonestell, who created some of the most amazing space art of all time. To see the works of this
artist, please check out this link of some of his historic artwork:
http://www.bonestell.com/the_chesley_bonestell_archives005.htm
http://www.skiesare.demon.co.uk/cb.html
American space artist, Robert Mc Call is also part of this historic tradition and some of his artwork is sampled here!:
http://www.underview.com/2001/mccall.html
We dedicate these Mars Mania pages to the spirit of education and the hope that some young student will be able to be inspired by the sheer magnitude of this close
approach of Mars in 2003 and may be one of the actual members of a future manned
mission to the "Red Planet".
Ad Astra!
Dr Sky.com,Inc. Proudly Announces- The "Dr.Sky" Personal Star Party and "Sky Tour"-
"Dr.Sky"- Multimedia/Star Party-
Join Steve Kates, "Dr.Sky" on a personal journey into sight and sound, with our very own Star Party for you and your friends. This multimedia experience, comes to you
at your home, business or group event.
This is a wonderful addition to your corporate meeting or a unique, keynote address.
Corporate outdoor picnic event at sunset or church event.
Dr.Sky.com, Inc. will provide ALL the equipment that is needed to make this a most
memorable event, for groups as small as 5 to 500 or more!
The multimedia event comes to you in the form of a state of the art audio/video presentation as well as "live" telescopes, that enhance your knowledge and views of the night sky!
Steve Kates, "Dr.Sky" is a well respected radio and television journalist, with well over 30 years of experience.
In addition, "Dr Sky" is a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador for education.
The unique style of "Dr.Sky" has been described as, "edutainer". Simply, education and entertainment in one package!
The "Dr.Sky" Personal Star Party is priced at an affordable $300 for a groups as small as 5 and offers you a 90 minute program of sight, sound and views of the night sky (weather permitting).
Quality MEADE telescopes are used for the viewing sessions as well as products from one of the largest telescope dealers in the nation, OPT (Oceanside Photo and
Telescope).
Rates for resorts and corporate clients start at $1,000 dollars per session and cane be made to fit your event.
For a quote of services, based on your needs, please call our business manager, Sierra Kamela at 480 585-0767 for more details, or simply send an e-mail to :
skamela@cox.net
Call for our special NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador program. This program is offered to select schools as a service at NO charge on an availability basis.
"Dr.Sky"- Sky Tour-
Join "Dr.Sky" for a memorable night under the stars, at the new Creekside Preserve/
Lodge in Mayer, Arizona. The beautiful Creekside Lodge is just an hours drive North
on I-17 and is the ONLY lodge of it's kind in Central Arizona that has it's own private
observatory. The observatory, contains a powerful MEADE 12" computer controlled telescope.
Guests, receive a traditional western welcome, along with a modern spacious room, a complete dinner, continental breakfast and a special presentation by "Dr.Sky" in the conference center on the topic of the night. This presentation is made possible
in the form of a multimedia experience! The highlight of the evening, is the visit to the
observatory (weather permitting), to view the wonders of the Arizona sky as it was meant to be seen!
These special "Dr.Sky" Sky Tours are limited to 10 individuals and will
be conducted during the following dates.
August 30th, October 4th, November 1st and December 6th.
A full schedule will be made available for dates into 2004.
Rates begin at $225 dollars per individual, or $150 dollars per individual sharing a room.
For more information regarding events, please contact Sierra Kamela at 480 585-0767 or e-mail her at: skamela@cox.net
Contact us NOW, to insure your reservation for this unique event with Dr.Sky.com.Inc. and the wonders of the night sky!
Link:
http://www.creeksidepreserve.com/index.htm
Mars Mania Items!
Space Toys .com
"Dr.Sky" suggests that you visit the link that is on the top right of our website for a
listing of some of the most interesting space related items found anywhere in the
cosmos!
You will find some very interesting Mars memorabilia, plus lot's more at one of the
worlds most interesting full service space stores. "Dr.Sky" is a proud affiliate of Space Toys.com
Dr.Sky Is Proud To Offer These Products From OPT-
During "Mars Mania 2003", Dr.Sky is proud to offer these fine products from
OPT (Oceanside Photo and Telescope). This is one of the largest telescope
and camera
dealers in the nation and they are proud supporter of the events of "Mars
Mania 2003" with Dr.Sky.com, Inc.
Please look over these great values and we look forward to your
order!
Here is a short list of products for you to order!
MEADE ETX-70 Telescope/Accesories
Great First Scope! "Dr.Sky" Suggests This One!
MARS OBSERVATION KIT- Filters/Barlow Lens
Much Needed Filter Set/Barlow Lens To See Detail On Mars
10" DOBSONIAN TELESCOPE- GREAT VALUE!
This is ONE BIG SCOPE! A "Dr.Sky" Favorite!
16" MEADE DOBSONIAN TELESCOPE- The BIGGEST SCOPE FOR THE
MONEY!
Here is one BIG scope and a great value for what it gives you!
MEADE ETX 105AT Scope-
A great value for the beginner as well as more advanced observer! "Dr.Sky"
likes this one and so will YOU!
CELESTRON 4R - 4" f/10 Refractor on CG-4 Mount-
A GREAT value for the person that wants a refractor style
telescope.
Good Choice for views of Mars- "Dr.Sky" suggests this one!
Celestron 4R - 4" f/10 Refractor on CG-4 Mount
CELESTRON Nexstar 5i Package Deal-
Another GREAT scope for the person who is starting out! "Dr.Sky" suggests
this one! LIMITED TO INVENTORY ON HAND
Meade 8X22 CaptureView Binocular/Digital Camera-
Here is a GREAT binocular/digital camera in one. "Dr.Sky" like this one! A
good item
to have when on vacation of out at the ball game!
NovaVue Visioner 12X60mm-
Here is a SUPER value in a pair of binoculars! You get a powerful 12 power
binocular system that is mounted to a 60mm objective. These are GREAT for
those
night's when you want to scan the Milky Way! You WILL be impressed not only
by the performance, but the PRICE too!
All of these great products are available from OPT's website at:
http://www.optcorp.com
Or e-mail me, at steve@drsky.com
Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks-
While the Full Moon was out in force, the Perseid meteor shower is in it's final days of activity.
Meteors from this important shower can still be seen by observers looking into the NE sky, after midnight.
Just in case you are clouded out, you can LISTEN to the sounds of meteors by going to this audio link:
http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/nasameteorradar.html
The sounds of the meteors that you are listening to are from a special radar system that is located in Roswell, New Mexico, by the US Navy.
This is a very sensitive radar that can track objects as small as a baseball, in space.
Here is a link to that site:
http://www.zilker.net/%7Ecrossley/NAVSPASUR/index.html
Mars Update-
Dr.Sky.com, will be providing you with some wonderful information regarding the upcoming "Mars Mania" 2003 events. Stay tuned for more coverage and special events and prizes that you can win, during this incredible season of Mars.
Here is a new set of links that will keep you busy, before we roll out the BIG event!
http://humbabe.arc.nasa.gov/MarsToday.html
http://elvis.rowan.edu/marswatch/images/2003-08.html
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/solar_system/planets/mars_missions.html
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/
Mars Mania (August 2003)- Part 1-
The main opening act is about to begin!
Mars is now front and center stage and will begin an amazing performance of a lifetime!
By now, many of you have been alerted to the bright point of light that rises in the SE
around 10PM. Mars now shines with a luminosity that rivals that of some of the brightest objects in the sky ( Venus and Jupiter ) and will get even brighter as the month of August continues.
If you are an observer, NOW is the time to start checking out the ever changing surface of this planet.
"Dr.Sky" suggests this link if you are looking for updated images of the planet that
have been taken by observers around the globe:
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/mars.html
Mars has become an object of great interest during the past few weeks and one that
really has a lot to offer even the most basic observer.
"Dr.Sky has observed this planet for well over thirty years, starting with the great Mars opposition of 1971.
A telescope is essential to see faint details on the planet, but some observers are
actually needed to "sketch" the planet as you view it!
Photographs or CCD images are nice, but they never seem to do justice to the planet when it comes to a detailed drawing of Mars. You can actually do this by downloading this form:
http://members.rogers.com/ggaherty/Marsobservingform.pdf
There are many Mars simulation programs, that give you the look and feel of how the planet will look in a telescope at any given time. You can see an example of this by visiting this
link:
http://www.kk-system.co.jp/Alpo/kk/Ms2003/MSmenu.htm
To get a better picture of the global effort to keep Mars under 24 hour observation, please visit this link:
http://elvis.rowan.edu/marswatch/
We will be posting a special "Mars Mania 2003" program schedule for Dr.Sky in the
Phoenix metro area, for the LAST week of August. We plan to be conducting a series of public and private observation programs, media events as well as lectures
and hands on projects for kids and adults alike.
In addition, we will be conducting a series of "live" radio and TV programs that are centered on these theme's. STAY TUNED!!!
One of the most interesting challenges for an observer during this opposition of Mars,
is the attempt to see visually the moons of Mars.
The two tiny satellites are visible in telescopes of at least 12" in diameter and have been seen in scopes of smaller diameters.
Here is some history as to the discovery of these moons, Phobos and Deimos:
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/chap14.htm
http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/phobos.html
http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/deimos.html
We will be using a 12" SCT type telescope and an 8" SCT to try and see these elusive moon's of Mars, during this current opposition. Is this really possible? And
how does one go about this project.
First, you need to have a very clear sky and observe the planet when it is at it's highest above your local horizon. In addition, you need to look at the Red Planet when the moon's will appear at one of the elongation's from the planet.
Try and see the moon's of Mars and report your sightings as well as images of the
attempts that you make to us, here at drsky.com.
Please send your e-mails to : steve@drsky.com
Here are some additional websites that will help you with this challenge:
http://www.shallowsky.com/mars.html
http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://www.rfroyce.com/marslink.htm
http://www.ufos-aliens.co.uk/cosmicmars.htm
http://www.griffithobs.org/mars2003.html
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/appends.htm#1
We will make every attempt to update this site as often as needed to provide you with the most current information about the main event of August 2003, MARS!!!
Need to know side of Mars is in view NOW?
Please open this article and link:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_997_1.asp#
Important Information-
Recently, the article "Mars Mania Continues" we made available
for download a freeware program Mars Previewer II. we have recently been
made aware that this file and copies from other sources (including the one we received
it from) are known to contain a variant of the Chernobyl virus. We no longer recommend you download and install this
program and have removed it from our site. Additionally we recommend being
extremely cautious in downloading this file from other sources.
Chernobyl is a virus that infects 32-bit Windows 95/98/NT executable files, but it only functions under Windows 95/98 and ME. Although Windows NT files can be infected, Chernobyl does not function in a Windows NT or Windows 2000 environment. If you’ve downloaded the program and are running Windows 95/98/NT, we recommend you visit the Symantec website to download a removal tool called Kill_CIH.exe (click here to download Kill_CIH.exe). Follow the directions to remove the virus from your system’s memory.
We here at DrSky.com would like to thank those members of our community that
made us aware of this problem and apologize for any inconvenience that this may
have caused.
Oldest Planet Discovery-
A planet that may well be over 12 billion years old, may actually be a part of one of the objects in the universe that we call a globular cluster. The globular clusters are some of the oldest objects in the universe and if a planet has indeed been found here, we are going to have to reevaluate our ideas as to how and when planets formed.
To learn more, please visit this link:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/oldest_planet_030710-1.html
The Moon and Mars in Rare Conjunction-
On the night of Wednesday, July 16-17, observers will get to see a very rare conjunction of the Moon and Mars. For some observers in Florida and points to the south, they will see a very rare occultation of bright Mars and the Moon.
To learn more about this, please visit this link:
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/
Do not miss this exciting event!
MARS MANIA CONTINUES-
Mars Mania 2003 continues with a fever pitch! Stay tuned to this website during the next few months to get the most out of the Mars opposition that is making history as
we report it!
The time to look at Mars, is NOW!
Start by looking at the red planet by around 11:30PM local time at the beginning of the month and by 10PM, by months end. Mars will appear as the brightest object in the SE portion of the sky. The view wit the naked eye is spectacular, but a small telescope will be needed to see the most basic of details on the planet. "Dr.Sky" is
suggesting that you start off with a telescope of NO less 4" in diameter and an observation magnification of some 200X (power). This will give even the most basic
observer a real chance of seeing detail on the planet.
The planet will grow to an all time diameter of some 25.1" (seconds of arc) by the opposition date of August 28th. This will make it appear about half the size of
Jupiter, when it is at opposition. Mars is a most interesting planet to view in the telescope and one that takes patience to view! First time observers will be overloaded with information and from
my own personal observations of some of the best oppositions, 1971, 1988 and 2001, I can tell you from experience, that it is important to learn as many surface
features as one can from maps, find a calm location (no wind) and possibly a grass field to view from. As with any planetary observations, even slight air turbulence will effect the "seeing", especially under high power observations.
Special filters will help to get you to see faint detail in the polar cap, surface deserts and clouds systems.
To learn more about how to view Mars with attention to fine details, please visit this links:
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~jkorteni/space/mars/studies/telescope.html
http://www.celestron.com/mars/events.htm
http://www.shallowsky.com/mars.html
http://www.griffithobs.org/mars2003.html
http://pdsmaps.wr.usgs.gov/PDS/public/explorer/html/marslvls.htm
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/mars.html
To learn more about Mars as a planet, "Dr.Sky" suggests that you look into this great link:
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/mars.html
Mars also has two moons that are some of the strangest satellites in the solar system and two moons that defy modern physics. It appears that these two moons, Phobos and Deimos are not only some of the smallest moons in the solar system, but when discovered in 1877, were actually predicted some 151
years earlier by Jonathan Swift in his story, "Gulliver's Travels". Swift, predicted the sizes and the orbital periods with an accuracy that is amazing, considering the fact that the telescopes of the time, probably could not have seen these tiny moons. Please look at this link to get a better understanding of this amazing
discovery:
http://www.unmuseum.org/marsmoon.htm
Please check this website in the next few weeks for some important events and dates, as "Dr.Sky" starts his Mars Mania 2003 public programs. We will be devoting the last week of
August (August 24-30), to some nonstop events with Mars and many exciting ways that you can be a part of this once in a lifetime event.
Go out and view Mars now!!
SOHO Spacecraft in Trouble-
One of the world's most important
Solar Observation satellite's is now experiencing some serious problems with it's main antenna and computer systems. To learn more about this breaking news, please visit this link:
http://www.space.com/
MARS MANIA 2003 BEGINS-
For the first time in many thousands of year's, the Earth and the planet Mars will come very close together and the start of a most amazing observation season, one
that has not occurred in quite a long time.
On the night of August 27, 2003; the planet Mars will be at a near record ALL time
minimum separation of only- 34.646 million miles from Earth. This will be one of the best times to start looking at one of our nearest neighbors. Why wait! Let's get started with our MARS MANIA 2003 programs!
"Dr.Sky" will be announcing the first in a series of major Mars events that will occur
during the week on August 24, 2003 in celebration of this one in a lifetime Mars opposition.
These events will be scheduled in the Phoenix, Arizona area and offer the public a
rare opportunity to become part of some major exhibits, events and "town hall" type
media events tied in to MARS MANIA 2003. These programs are for both children and adults!
Mars is now rising near local midnight and can be seen low in the SE. As the night
progresses, Mars will make itself known to all of us here on Earth to see. Even a small telescope will reveal the S polar cap and Mars will become a VERY bright object to view as we move forward with our MARS MANIA 2003 celebration. To help
find Mars, please look at these excellent links, that will get you ready for the BIG summer 2003 event!
Stay tuned for the exciting details!
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/18jun_approachingmars.htm
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_929_1.asp
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/mars_observing_030613.html
Mars Express Mission On It's Way to Mars-
The first in a series of spacecraft will be launched to the Red Planet in June of 2003.
The first mission, the Mars Express was launched on June 2nd, from Russia atop a
Soyuz rocket.
The ESA spacecraft will get to Mars by the end of this year and has a small payload that will be deployed on to the surface of the planet.
To learn more about this mission, please look at these informative links:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/soyuz_launch_030602.html
http://sci.esa.int/marsexpress/
http://www.planetary.org/rrgtm/missions5.html
NASA To Launch Mars Rovers-
June will be a very busy month for Mars missions, as the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, will launch not one, but TWO Martian rovers to the Red Planet. The first
launch should occur by June 8th, while the second one will occur by June 25th. This
mission, will see two robotic rovers deploy to Mars by early January 2004.
These are very exciting missions and you can stay in touch with these spacecraft,
by visiting these sites:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/mission/
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/mars_2003_05.html
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