Once again we’re facing a weekend celestial event whose local viewing potential will possibly be affected by clouds and rain.  Keep your fingers crossed tomorrow night as our May full moon will occur at 10:35pm and will be also be the biggest and brightest lunar event in more than a year.  A storm system from the west will be approaching the area, producing some scattered showers and thunderstorms in the region, so our viewing of the full moon will be limited and possibly impossible unfortunately, but it’ll certainly be worth a look anyway just in case.  Here’s an article from space.com.  The video attached to that story is especially interesting.

Skywatcher Tim McCord of Entiat, Washington caught this amazing view of the March 19, 2011 full moon – called a supermoon because the moon was at perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit – using a camera-equipped telescope. CREDIT: Tim McCord

UPDATE: For the latest on Saturday’s “supermoon” and meteor shower, read our latest story here: ‘Supermoon’ Science: Why Saturday’s Full Moon is Biggest of 2012

Skywatchers take note: The biggest full moon of the year is due to arrive this weekend.

The moon will officially become full Saturday (May 5) at 11:35 p.m. EDT. And because this month’s full moon coincides with the moon’s perigee — its closest approach to Earth — it will also be the year’s biggest.

The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon.

 

And not only does the moon’s perigee coincide with full moon this month, but this perigee will be the nearest to Earth of any this year, as the distance of the moon’s close approach varies by about 3 percent, according to meteorologist Joe Rao, SPACE.com’s skywatching columnist. This happens because the moon’s orbit is not perfectly circular.

 

 

This month’s full moon is due to be about 16 percent brighter than average. In contrast, later this year on Nov. 28, the full moon will coincide with apogee, the moon’s farthest approach, offering a particularly small and dim full moon.

Though the unusual appearance of this month’s full moon may be surprising to some, there’s no reason for alarm, scientists warn. The slight distance difference isn’t enough to cause any earthquakes or extreme tidal effects, experts say.

However, the normal tides around the world will be particularly high and low. At perigee, the moon will exert about 42 percent more tidal force than it will during its next apogee two weeks later, Rao said.

The last supermoon occurred in March 2011.

To view this weekend’s supermoon to best effect, look for it just after it rises or before it sets, when it is close to the horizon. There, you can catch a view of the moon behind buildings or trees, an effect which produces an optical illusion, making the moon seem even larger than it really is.

Editor’s note: If you’d like to share your supermoon photos for a possible story or gallery, send images and comments to SPACE.com managing editor Tariq Malik: tmalik@space.com.

Video Link: http://www.space.com/15037-super-moon-return-2012-video.html

Posted under Astronomy

A newly launched satellite has meteorologists pretty excited as it’s expected to vastly improve forecasting capabilities and allow us to keep track of all sorts of weather phenomena.  This morning NASA launched NPP (NASA’s NPOESS Preparatory Project), a polar orbiting satellite that will improve severe weather warnings, track catastrophic conditions, measure ocean temperatures, and improve computer forecast modeling.  Here’s a more in depth article:

Posted under weather

*DISCLAIMER: I’ve read conflicting reports on the actual time you should be able to view the shuttle. I’ve read anywhere from 4:30am to 7:30am. So, take the time I list below as part of this disclaimer. End disclaimer.*

The space shuttle Discovery will try again tomorrow (Tuesday) to land at the Kennedy Space Center. For us on earth, if all goes to plan, it’ll be a good viewing opportunity!

If you’re up for waking up in the early morning, it appears the best time to look for the shuttle will be around 6:10am-6:20am. Ken Fiscus, a science teacher in Albert Lea, emailed us tonight and said “6:13 am” is when the shuttle is expected to be visible. According to NASA, it’ll be fairly low in the sky (about 15° or so) and should be visible for about a minute. Look for a bright spot in the sky, possibly resembling a shooting star.

This is a fairly big deal – according to Fiscus, the shuttle has never been over our area before. Also, from Space.com:

It is only the second time since NASA’s tragic 2003 loss of the shuttle Columbia than returning shuttle will fly over the continental United States, and is also expected to be the last time, according to entry flight director Bryan Lunney.

NASA’s three remaining shuttle missions after Discovery’s are in the summer, when NASA tends to avoid this specific landing profile – called a “descending node” – in order prevent a shuttle from flying through high-altitude noctilucent clouds, which are common in the summer months, he said. The shuttles usually approach Florida from the southwest, flying over Central America on the way.

If you live near Albert Lea and want to go check it out, there’s a public viewing party in the Albert Lea High School parking lot starting at 6 AM, according to Fiscus! If all goes to plan, we should see it – we’ll only have some thin cirrus clouds.

If you see it, let us know!

Posted under Astronomy

Starting Saturday morning we’ll be able to see the ISS even brighter in our sky now that it’s docked with Space Shuttle Discovery. Check this Satellite Fly-By page for scheduled times that you’ll be able to see the duo.

Posted under Astronomy

Here’s more information on the event last night. It’s pretty rare – hope you saw it!

http://www.earthsky.org/radioshows/52786/moon-venus-jupiter-on-december-1

also: http://stargazing.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_night_sky_for_december_2008

It’s not a bird, nor a plane, nor Superman…it’s a cool show the moon and two planets are putting on during this cold December night.

Take a look outside – the southwest sky, and you’ll see the waxing crescent moon, along with Jupiter and Venus. Skies are crystal clear, and they’re all bright – easy to see with the naked eye.

Check it out if you get a chance!

Posted under Astronomy, KTTC, weather

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera acquired this image of Phoenix hanging from its parachute as it descended to the Martian surface. Shown here is a 10 kilometer (6 mile) diameter crater informally called “Heimdall,” and an improved full-resolution image of the parachute and lander. Although it appears that Phoenix is descending into the crater, it is actually about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) in front of the crater. (source)

The Phoenix Lander had a successful landing on Mars this past Sunday, May 25th.

Launched in August 2007, the Phoenix Mars Mission is the first in NASA’s Scout Program. Phoenix is designed to study the history of water and habitability potential in the Martian arctic’s ice-rich soil.

On board the Phoenix lander, there is a Canadian Weather Station.

The instruments are measuring pressure and temperature, assessing local climate patterns as well as dust, clouds, and fog in the lower atmosphere.

Looks like the high temperature on day 1 for Phoenix was -22° and the low was -112°. Martians everywhere are wondering when it’s going to feel like summer.

Posted under Astronomy, Space Weather