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.
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Close-up on venusian cloud structures at the south pole |
Venus is blanketed in sulphuric acid clouds that block our view of … Read the rest of this article
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 since 2008, I’ve only just come across it, thanks to … Read the rest of this article
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 to participate in this project, and we are requesting observations … Read the rest of this article
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, this year’s show still promises excitement. Observers under a dark … Read the rest of this article
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 is convened by the United Nations, the National Aeronautics and … Read the rest of this article
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 flyby of comet Hartley 2:
“NASA extended its pioneering exploration … Read the rest of this article
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 during a press conference on Thursday afternoon, around 4 pm … Read the rest of this article
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 from Earth. The source of this activity appears to be old … Read the rest of this article
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 don’t know what we’re going to find.”
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The Skywatcher 80ED arrived on Friday along with the dual-mount bar for mounting two telescopes side-by-side on a telescope mount. As far as I know this scope is only available in Europe but is rebadged as the Orion SkyView Pro ED80 EQ Apo Refractor Telescope in the USA.
The 80ED arrived in a nice aluminium carry case with the extras: … Read the rest of this article
The Sun Now (Visible light)
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The Sun Now (H-Alpha light)
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Aurora Oval
(Northern Hemisphere) |
Aurora Oval
(Southern Hemisphere) |
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