Monthly Stargazing Calendar for January 2014
On January 5 the planet Jupiter was at Opposition. This means that the giant planet was at its closest approach to Earth and its face was fully illuminated by the Sun. The weeks preceding and following this event are the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons.
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for December 2013
Last month on Thanksgiving day comet ISON made a close approach to the Sun and unfortunately disintegrated in the process. It is possible that small pieces of the comet survived this encounter and if so, they will pass near the Earth by the end of this month.
Blue Gas Giant Discovered in Distant Solar System
Observing starlight variations, scientists confirmed HD 189733 b as a blue planet, shedding light on exoplanet properties through host star analysis.
Evolution of the Space Suit [Infographic]
Two types of pressurized suits are in use today: "escape suits" worn inside the craft during launch and landing, and full "EVA" suits worn for working in the vacuum of space. NASA escape suits are colored International Orange for easy spotting by rescuers in the event of an emergency landing.
NASA’s Messenger Mission to Mercury [Infographic]
In the 1970s, Mariner 10 photographed less than half of Mercury's surface. MESSENGER's mission is to enter orbit around the planet, complete the detailed mapping of Mercury and return data about magnetic fields and particles in the planet's vicinity.
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for May 2013
May 2013 stargazing events: There will be a meteor shower, a solar eclipse, a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, and a penumbral lunar eclipse.
US Air Force’s Secretive X-37B Space Plane [Infographic]
The X-37B is an unmanned space test vehicle for the United States Air Force, based on NASA's original X-37 design. It is a lot smaller than the Space Shuttle and is launched via an Atlas V booster. The first test flight was in April 2010, followed by a second test flight in March 2011.
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for April 2013
This month will be quite eventful and will have many interesting astronomical events. First of all, on April 14 we will witness the conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter. The Moon will appear to pass about two degrees of the giant planet Jupiter in the evening sky. The crescent moon will be at magnitude -10.6 and Jupiter at magnitude -2.1.
Moscow’s Secret Moon Plan: The N-1 Rocket [Infographic]
“Hoping to beat the Americans to the moon before 1970, Soviet rocket engineer Sergey Korolyov worked in secret to plan the mighty N-1, an equal to the American Saturn V booster. In 1966 however, the sudden death of Korolyov threw Soviet plans into disarray. After four N-1s were lost in catastrophic accidents, the Soviets destroyed the remaining hardware and denied the very existence of the program. The N-1 remained a state secret until being made public in 1990.” Taken from the infographic below: Source Space.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for February 2013
This month will be the best time to see Mercury. Usually the planet is very hard to observe because it orbits very close to the sun and it can only be seen at dawn and dusk. However on the evening of February 8, Mercury will be seen within less than 0.4 degrees of the much-fainter planet, Mars.
The International Space Station: Inside and Out [Infographic]
“Begun in 1998 with the launch of the first component from Russia, the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) is the most complex space project ever undertaken. At $100 billion it is in fact the single most expensive object ever built.” Taken from the infographic below:
NASA Releases Amazing Night View of Earth
NASA's Suomi NPP satellite captures stunning night imagery, revealing societal contrasts and aiding advanced meteorological predictions.