AAVSO Alert 378:
Request to monitor RE J1255+266 for HST Observations
May 5, 2008
Dr. Paula Szkody (University of Washington) and collaborators have requested our help in monitoring the cataclysmic variable RE J1255+266 for upcoming Hubble Space Telescope observations. Dr. Szkody requests nightly monitoring of this source beginning immediately, and continuing through 2008 May 15 UT.
RE J1255+266 is located … Read the rest of this article
April 2008 – The Sun, Revealed: It’s the start of a new solar cycle, and the spacecraft Ulysses faces retirement, but solar missions Stereo and SOHO are still revealing our nearest star in a new light.… Read the rest of this article
V576 CarinaeMichael Sallman brought this variable to the attention of the AAVSO during a recent Chatroom discussion (if you haven’t tried AAVSO Chat, you should. It is one of the easiest ways to talk to the Director, and there are often interesting astronomy topics). V576 Car (AUID 000-BFQ-470) is located at:
08:19:15.71 -60:10:00.6 (J2000) (proper motion … Read the rest of this article
NASA is extending the international Cassini-Huygens mission by two years. The historic spacecraft’s stunning discoveries and images have revolutionized our knowledge of Saturn and its moons.
Cassini’s mission originally had been scheduled to end in July 2008. The newly-announced two-year extension will include 60 additional orbits of Saturn and more flybys of its exotic moons. These will include 26 flybys … Read the rest of this article
March 2008 – Return to the Moon: With a new era of lunar exploration dawning as more probes are launched to try to unlock the Moon’s darkest secrets, Patrick Moore finds out about British ambitions to get there. Dr Chris Lintott travels to NASA to hear about plans to blast a crater in the lunar surface and and meets the … Read the rest of this article
By now you’ve probably heard the announcements about Google Sky – the new module in Google Earth. If not, the videos below will bring you up to speed.
It’s certainly a step in the right direction and I applaud anything that brings astronomy and an awareness of the night sky to a wider audience. But what’s presented falls short of … Read the rest of this article
February 2008 – Messenger to Mercury: Mercury is a world of extremes and enigmas – the closest one to the Sun. The spacecraft Messenger, which has just reached it after a four year journey, now offers enthralling pictures of its hidden side, which has never been seen before. Sir Patrick Moore looks at the latest images from this exciting mission, … Read the rest of this article
I recently did a spot of observing with my trusty 20x60mm binoculars. It was also an opportunity to reacquaint myself with some of the familiar celestial sights after a winter of little observational activity.
Just past the meridian, as soon as darkness falls during April evenings, is the zodiacal constellation of Cancer, the Crab. Though dim, and literally a footnote … Read the rest of this article
This month sees the first of two lunar eclipses this year. While the eclipse this month is a total eclipse, August sees only a partial eclipse. February’s eclipse details are shown below. Times are in UT. The diagram (slightly reduced in size) was created with LunarPhase Pro.
In a Total Lunar Eclipse the Full Moon passes into the shadow … 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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