Link: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/perseid-meteor-shower-2010-100806.html

Keep an eye to the sky this week - there should be some good meteor viewing.

According to the best estimates, in 2010 the Earth is predicted to cut through the densest part of the Perseid stream sometime around 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday. The best window of opportunity to see the shower will be the late-night hours of Wednesday on through the first light of dawn on the morning of Thursday, and then again during the late-night hours of Aug. 12 into the predawn hours of Aug. 13. The Moon, whose bright light almost totally wrecked last year's shower, will have zero impact this year; unlike last year when it was just a few days past full, this year it will be new on Monday, Aug. 9, meaning that there will be absolutely no interference from it at all.

Link: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OHfigures/OH2010-Fig02.pdf

About 53% of the moons surface will be covered - the earths shadow usually adds a reddish hue that makes viewing that much more cool. If you are in the Americas, Australia, east Asia or India, you have the best viewing.

Time of occurrence is 4:38am Pacific - that's 7:38 Eastern time - so East coasters will probably be left out of the fun.

If you're in the northern hemisphere like me - Summer starts on Monday. If you're down in the southern half, well sorry mate - it's winter for you.

Wikipedia on Summer Soilstice

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7819201/Nasa-warns-solar-flares-from-huge-space-storm-will-cause-devastation.html

I don't want to create mass panic or anything but it might be a good time to start digging that bunker and stocking up on food.

National power grids could overheat and air travel severely disrupted while electronic items, navigation devices and major satellites could stop working after the Sun reaches its maximum power in a few years.

Senior space agency scientists believe the Earth will be hit with unprecedented levels of magnetic energy from solar flares after the Sun wakes “from a deep slumber” sometime around 2013, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Link: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/blackhole_note_030909.html

Too bad we can't hear it.

Astronomers have detected the deepest note ever generated in the cosmos, a B-flat flying through space like a ripple on an invisible pond. No human will actually hear the note, because it is 57 octaves below the keys in the middle of a piano.

Link: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/new-comet-mcnaught-visible-100608.html

Sky watchers - keep your eyes peeled in the morning, and if you can't see it now it's likely you will soon.

Comet McNaught is expected to pass closest to the sun (perihelion) on July 2, at a distance of 37 million miles (60 million km). This sky map shows where to look in order to spot the comet in the morning sky.

The comet is visible now for people with dark skies away from urban and suburban lighting. By mid-June it may be an easy skywatching target for most people.

Comets brighten when the get nearer to the sun, because solar radiation boils icy particles and dust off the comet's nucleus. A cloud of material called a head, or coma, and sometimes a tail form. It's all illuminated by reflected sunlight.

Link: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-05/japan-wants-moon-base-2020-built-robots-robots

Well, this is one way to get the party on the moon started....

As currently envisioned, the robots that will land on the lunar surface in 2015 will be 660-pound behemoths equipped with rolling tank-like treads, solar panels, seismographs, high-def cameras and a smattering of scientific instruments. They'll also have human-like arms for collecting rock samples that will be returned to Earth via rocket. The robots will be controlled from Earth, but they'll also be imbued with their own kind of machine intelligence, making decisions on their own and operating with a high degree of autonomy.

Go Japan!

Tonight's full moon is the first full moon of spring - and if you're not busy getting 5-6 inches of rain like we are... you just might have a chance of seeing it.

According to folklore, tonight's full Moon has a special name--the Worm Moon. It signals the coming of northern spring, a thawing of the soil, and the first stirrings of earthworms in long-dormant gardens. Step outside tonight and behold the wakening landscape. "Worm moonlight" is prettier than it sounds.

Link: http://gizmodo.com/5478787/the-most-accurate-highest-resolution-earth-view-to-date

Definite desktop wallpaper stuff here.

Link: http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Stellarium_for-Windows/1122897455/1

I've linked this before but since then it's got some updates and some of you might not have heard of it -

Stellarium renders 3D photo-realistic skies in real time with OpenGL. It displays stars, constellations, planets, nebulas and others things like ground, landscape, atmosphere, etc.

Tonight is a good night for sky-gazers - the biggest full moon of 2010 will grace the skies.

Astronomers call it a "perigee Moon," some 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons of the year.

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35017956/ns/technology_and_science-space/

If you head outside around 8 p.m. this week and face due east, you'll see a brilliant, fiery-colored, non-twinkling "star" that immediately will attract your attention. It's not a star, however, but the planet Mars.

Mars, the most Earthlike planet of all the planets, has been absent from our evening sky for well over a year. Now it's coming back.

It's large and pretty spiffy - and now you know what that new yellowish dot is. Turn a telescope towards it - or heck, just a pair of binoculars for a treat.

One of the things you'll want to see in your lifetime. National Geographic Gets us all googly eyed.

Link: http://www.theday.com/article/20100103/ENT07/301039960/-1/ENT

There's a new planet in town that you'll notice if you look up at night this month.

The red planet plays a major role in the sky during the first month of 2010. Mars rises in the east around 9 p.m. at the beginning of January and will be visible in the sky all night.

Following the ecliptic, or path of the sun, the planet will set in the west around 8 a.m. By the end of January, Mars will rise a little after 6 p.m. and set around 6 a.m.

Link: http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20091228/blue-moon-new-year-s-eve-id-1095278.html

Now before you get the camera out know that the term Blue Moon means it's a full moon of rare occurance, it is not blue in color.

It's the 13th Full Moon of the Year.

“Blue Moon” is the term used to the second full moon in a calendar month. It’s an event that occurs every two and a half years but this Thursday’s blue moon is even rarer. It’s happening right on New Year’s Eve and that’s roughly once in every two decades.

If you're in Europe or South America it will also be a partial eclipse. Cool eh?

Monday is winter solstice, meaning it's the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The event happens officially today at 12:47 pm EST. While you might be bummed out that it's the first day of winter, you'll find a bit of relief in the fact that after today days start getting longer.

We just saw a blazing bright white meteor and I almost forgot to remind ya - look to the skies this weekend...

The Geminid meteor shower peaks on This Weekend when Earth passes through a stream of debris from extinct comet 3200 Phaethon. The Geminids have been intensifying in recent years, and 2009 could be the best year yet. Forecasters expect 140+ meteors per hour under the dark skies of a new Moon.

Check it out - they're hot!

If you're outside tonight take a look at the full moon - it's quite nice.

The Full Cold Moon; or the Full Long Nights Moon - During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.

Hold on to your astronomical hats, this year might be a good one for the Geminids.....

The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Dec. 13th and 14th when Earth passes through a stream of debris from extinct comet 3200 Phaethon. The Geminids have been intensifying in recent years, and 2009 could be the best year yet. Forecasters expect 140+ meteors per hour under the dark skies of a new Moon.

I'll remind you again when they peak so you don't miss 'em.

Link: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-10397711-239.html

It's official, there's water on the moon. Can it be used for a moon base? mined for return and use on Earth? I don't know. But finding water there in any case is pretty darn interesting.

"I'm here today to tell you that indeed, yes, we found water," said Anthony Colaprete, the project scientist and principal investigator for the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite. "And we didn't find just a little bit, we found a significant amount."

Holding up water jugs to make the point, he said "if you remember, a month ago we were talking about teaspoons going into glasses over football fields. Well, now I can say today that in the 20- to 30-meter (65- to 100-foot-wide) crater LCROSS made, we found maybe about a dozen of these two-gallon buckets worth of water."

Link: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/10nov_leonids2009.htm

While not the biggest show in town, you do have the benefit of clearer skies....

This year's Leonid meteor shower peaks on Tuesday, Nov. 17th. If forecasters are correct, the shower should produce a mild but pretty sprinkling of meteors over North America followed by a more intense outburst over Asia. The phase of the Moon will be new, setting the stage for what could be one of the best Leonid showers in years.

Link: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/091101-leonid-meteor-shower-2009.html

For you star gazers out there....

Circle Nov. 17 on your calendar, for early that morning a moderate to possibly very strong showing of annual Leonid meteor shower is likely.

The very strong display will favor those living across most of central and eastern Asia. In this region, meteor rates might briefly rise to a few hundred per hour (the time frame for the most intense activity is anticipated sometime around 21:40 GMT).

A far more modest, but still potentially enjoyable display of a few dozen Leonid meteors per hour is expected to favor North America. In the United States and Canada, eastern observers will be particularly well-positioned for maximum activity, expected sometime between 3:30 and 5:30 a.m. EST, when the radiant of the Leonid shower will be well up in the dark southeastern sky.

This doesn't exactly favor us in the states but since GeeG caters to everyone.....

Link: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/10/091020-2009-orionids-meteor-shower-peak.html

Take a moment to look (or stare) at the sky tonight, we're hurtling through the tail of Halley's comet.

At its peak before sunrise Wednesday morning, the Orionids shower should produce 20 to 25 meteors an hour—a "relatively decent show," according to astronomer Anita Cochran, of the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory.

And don't worry if you miss the Wednesday peak: The Orionids are currently being created by a broad stream of debris, which means the best views should be available several nights around the peak, experts say.

Link: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0910/iss_sts128_big.jpg

Yeah, how cool are us earthlings now eh? Very cool.

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20091006/sc_space/howtowatchnasasprobesmackthemoonfriday

Get ready for a unique cosmic collision! Early this coming Friday morning (Oct. 9), NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will end its mission with a bang — literally.

Currently carrying with it the upper stage of the rocket that launched it on its way to the moon on June 18, the game plan is to send that spent rocket motor on a course to smash into the lunar surface.

The impact is scheduled to occur this Friday, Oct. 9 at 11:30 UT. That's 7:30 a.m. EDT; 4:30 a.m. PDT. To convert Universal Time to your local time, go here.

Don't have a telescope? No worries - you can watch it live on NASA TV right HERE

Link: http://www.earthsky.org/tonightpost/astronomy-essentials/harvest-moon-2

Why is the Harvest Moon special?

It’s more than just a connection to the season of harvest. In fact, nature is particularly cooperative during the months of autumn to make the Harvest Moon unique.

Here’s what happens. On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. But near the time of the autumnal equinox, the moon rises only about 30 minutes later each day. Why? The reason is that the ecliptic – or path of the sun, moon and planets – makes a narrow angle with the evening horizon during the autumn months. The narrow angle of the ecliptic in on autumn evenings results in a shorter-than-usual rising time between successive moonrises around the time of the autumn full moons.

These moonrises are what make every Harvest Moon special. Every full moon rises around the time of sunset. Around the time of this full moon in autumn, you’ll see the moon ascending in the east close to the time of sunset for several evenings in a row. There’s a short time between successive moonrises as described in the paragraph above. Because of this, it seem as if there are several full moons – for several nights in a row – around the time of the Harvest Moon.

Go outside this weekend and get a glimpse of this beauty. Worth the trip. - Course don't forget the sweatshirt, you'll probably need it.

Link: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/wtic-ufo-sighting-09-21,0,2298639.story

Apparently we had us a minor scare right here (with video) - and as usual it was explained... but it looked hella cool and I missed it.... grrrr.

btw thanks Osh !

Link: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/multimedia/ero/index.html

And this is by far my favorite image - amazing.

Link: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/apollosites.html

Like, maybe you can concentrate your energy on Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster now... It's over.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has returned its first imagery of the Apollo moon landing sites. The pictures show the Apollo missions' lunar module descent stages sitting on the moon's surface, as long shadows from a low sun angle make the modules' locations evident.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, or LROC, was able to image five of the six Apollo sites, with the remaining Apollo 12 site expected to be photographed in the coming weeks.

Oh and

A camera on board India's maiden unmanned lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 has recorded images of the landing site of US spacecraft Apollo 15

To Boot - the LROC will be returning high res images of the sites later on.

So enough, I call NASA FTW.

Oh I know, the image had nuttin to do with nuttin - but neither did those conspiracy arguments. And that's the news for today. Goodnight.

First time I've seen this -

The full Moon of September is often called the "Harvest Moon" because farmers used its light to harvest crops late into the night. But September's full Moon is not the Harvest Moon. It occurs too many days before the autumnal equinox, Sept 22nd, to have that name. Instead, the Harvest Moon of 2009 will be on Oct. 4th.

The actual full moon was last night (Thursday) but all weekend the Moon will be full, clear, and gorgeous. If you're outside or even looking out a window - don't forget to enjoy the view!

Oh, and the moons close companion is Jupiter.

- thanks to spaceweather.com

Link: http://www.earthsky.org/tonighthome/2009-08-30/andromeda-galaxy-visible-again-each-evening

You might have noticed Orion out there in the early morning too.

The Square of Pegasus is a great jumping off point for finding the famous Andromeda galaxy, also known to astronomers as M31. As seen from mid-northern latitudes, the Square of Pegasus looks like a baseball diamond whenever it resides in the eastern sky. Imagine the farthest star to the left – Alpheratz – as the third-base star. A line drawn from the first-base star through Alpheratz points in the general direction of the Andromeda galaxy.

The only negative being the full moon - which won't get in the way of your entire night...

The Perseid meteor rate is increasing as Earth plunges deeper into the debris stream of Comet Swift-Tuttle. International Meteor Organization observers are now counting 20 per hour: data. Forecasters say the rate could increase another tenfold to 200 per hour on peak night, Aug. 11th and 12th.

Enjoy the moon tonight if you can - and if you're wondering why it's called what it is...

The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

Apparently the Sturgeon is a big freakin fish - Google it

From Spaceweather.com

This year might be an extra special viewing for (IMHO) the best meteor shower of the year...

This year's Perseid meteor shower could be even better than usual. "A filament of comet dust has drifted across Earth's path and when Earth passes through it, sometime between 0800 and 0900 UT (1 - 2 am PDT) on August 12th, the Perseid meteor rate could surge to twice its normal value," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. The following profile is based on the debris stream models of veteran forecasters Jeremie Vaubaillon and Mikhail Maslov:

The filament was shed by Perseid parent comet Swift-Tuttle in the year 1610, and this is one of Earth's first encounters with it. "In addition," notes Cooke, "the main Perseid debris stream, which we run into every year, may be denser than normal due to a gravitational enhancement by Saturn. The total combination of these effects could result in as many as 200 meteors per hour (ZHR)."