Archive for November, 2010

AAVSO Alert Notice 427
Monitoring requested of the peculiar CV FS Aur
November 30, 2010

Monitoring requested of the peculiar cataclysmic variable FS Aur

Dr. Vitaly Neustroev (U. of Oulu, Finland) requests continuous, nightly monitoring of the cataclysmic variable FS Aurigae during the current (2010-2011) observing season to clearly define …

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Venus Holds a Warning for Earth

A mysterious high-altitude layer of sulphur dioxide discovered by ESA’s Venus Express has been explained. As well as telling us more about Venus, it could be a warning against injecting our atmosphere with sulphur droplets to mitigate climate change.

Close-up on venusian cloud structures at the south pole

Venus …

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A Rival to “Clear Sky Clock”?

North American observers have had the use of the Clear Sky Clock to provide predictions of local weather in order to plan observing sessions. While it’s a great service, those who live elsewhere have not had a similar service available to them. Now they have.

While 7Timer has been around …

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AAVSO Alert Notice 427
Observing campaign on BM Ori and the Trapezium region
November 23, 2010

The AAVSO requests ground-based observations of the Trapezium region of the Orion Nebula (M42), along with surrounding regions in Orion, in conjunction with upcoming observations with the MOST Satellite. All AAVSO observers are encouraged …

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The Leonids, 2010

The annual Leonid Meteor Shower lasts from November 10 through the 23rd and peaks before dawn on November 17. Unfortunately, a Full Moon arrives on November 21, so its light will interfere with meteor watching until after midnight on preceding nights.

While it won’t compete with last year’s spectacular display, …

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The International Space Weather Initiative

Prompted by a recent increase in solar activity, more than a hundred researchers and government officials are converging on Helwan, Egypt, to discuss a matter of global importance: storms from the sun. The “First Workshop of the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI)” meets Nov. 6th through 10th and …

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Successful EPOXI Flyby of Comet Hartley 2

NASA’s EPOXI mission spacecraft successfully flew past comet Hartley 2 at 10 a.m. EDT Thursday. Scientists say initial images from the flyby provide new information about the comet’s volume and material spewing from its surface.

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on the EPOXI mission’s successful …

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Comet Hartley 2 Update

NASA’s Deep Impact (EPOXI) probe is closing in on Comet Hartley 2 for a daring flyby today (Nov. 4th).

The small but active comet is full of surprises, with spinning jets, geysers of cyanide gas, and a strangely pickle-shaped core. Mission scientists expect to reveal first images from the flyby …

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Solar Flares on the Far Side of the Sun

An active region just over the sun’s eastern horizon is crackling with solar flares and hurling material high above the stellar surface.

One of yesterday’s flares, a C4-class event, created a wave of ionization in Earth’s upper atmosphere despite the fact that the blast site was not directly visible …

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Cometary Poison Gas Geyser Suggests Surprises to Come

As NASA’s Deep Impact (EPOXI) probe approaches Comet Hartley 2 for a close encounter on Nov. 4th, mission scientists are certain of only one thing:

“We’re about to be surprised,” says principal investigator Mike A’Hearn of the University of Maryland. “This comet is unlike any we’ve visited before, and we …

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