Space Daily: Closest Encounter With Jupiter Until 2022

by Dr. Tony Phillips
Science@NASAHuntsville AL (SPX) Sep 16, 2010
Been outside at midnight lately? There's something you really need to see. Jupiter is approaching Earth for the closest encounter between the two planets in more than a decade--and it is dazzling.
The night of closest approach is Sept. 20-21st. This is also called "the night of opposition" because Jupiter will be opposite the sun, rising at sunset and soaring overhead at midnight. Among all denizens of the midnight sky, only the Moon itself will be brighter.

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Hubble Completes 100,000th Orbit, Takes Yet Another Breathtaking Photo

Hubble, without a doubt the most spectacular digital camera in the solar system, has completed its 100,000th orbit. To celebrate, scientists pointed the telescope to NGC 2074, a spectacular star birthplace 170,000 light-years away, right next to the Tarantula nebula, where Ming of Mongo is probably building a weapon of mass destruction. Like always, the image—taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2—is breathtaking, especially the high resolution version:

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Source gizmodo

Gallery: The Top 10 Telescopes of All Time

• Visit the Top 10 Telescopes of All Time
  
  
• Source: POPSCI

SOFIA Observatory Completes Open-Door Flight Tests

NASA's SOFIA observatory with a NASA F/A-18 trailing in chase soars over California City in the desert north of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on its last envelope-expansion test flight Aug. 4. The SOFIA's 2.5-meter infrared telescope and its associated telescope cavity doors are rotated open to their maximum 58-degree position in this view. (NASA photo / Carla Thomas)

Source: NASA

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• Video
  
  
• Inside NASA's 747 Flying Telescope

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010

Congratulations to Tom Lowe who wins the title Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010 with this spectacular image of ancient trees silhouetted against the bright star clouds of the Milky Way. Competition judge Marek Kukula says: ‘I think this beautiful picture perfectly captures the spirit of Astronomy Photographer of the Year, linking the awe-inspiring vista of the night sky with life here on Earth. The bristlecone pines in the foreground can live as long as five thousand years. But they are babies compared to the starlight shining behind them, some of which began its journey towards us almost 30,000 years ago. 

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Saturday is Moon day (night)

• NASA Chat: Observe the Moon!
  
  
• NASA Moon Facts
  
  
• Free software for Moon observation or survey
   (On the Astronomy Starter DVD)
  
  
• International Observe the Moon Nigh
  
  
• SEEING THE MOON... in a whole new light

Ope-aand Boyden-sterrewag, Saterdag, 18 September 2010

Plek: Boyden-sterrewag (Langs Maselspoort)

Datum: Saterdag, 18 September 2010

Tyd: 18:30

BESPREKING IS NOODSAAKLIK!

• Willie Koorts van die SAAO lewer praatjie oor Die Ingenieurswese agter Sterrekunde. Die lesing sal tweetalig wees met die skyfies in Engels.
• Hennie Maas van RSG se Sterre en Planete kom maak twee opnames vir die radioprogram "Sterre en Planete" by die sterrewag. Prof Matie Hoffman en Willie Koorts  is die twee gaste wat om die beurte met die program help. Hierdie sessie is in Afrikaans
• Waarnemings deur teleskope indien die weer dit toelaat o.a. van Jupiter, Venus en die maan.

Bel 051 401 9751 tydens kantoorure om te bespreek of stuur 'n epos aan FickY@ufs.ac.za

Toegang: R 30 per motor

Verversings en ligte etes te koop - Nuwe spyseniers!

Aangebied deur: Vriende van Boyden-sterrewag en die Amateur Sterrekunde Vereniging

More Photos: Venus and Moon Occultation 11 September 2010

 Click to enlarge image

Moon and Venus Occultation as seen from Boyden Observatory
Photo: Hannes Pieterse
Equipment: Canon 30D attached to Celestron 11 GPS (Prime focus) Tracking in Lunar mode.

ISO 400 and 1/2000 sec. Processed in Photoshop CS5

According to my computer clock and Camera exif info the moon started to move in front of Venus at 14:28:55. The exit time was give or take 15:36:39.

Foto's: Maan en Venus Okkultasie - 11 September 2010

Herman Bonnet van ASSA Bloemfontein se foto's
Canon 400D ISO 100, Skywatcher equinox 120,Eq 6
Klik op foto om te vergroot

Wesssel du Preez ASSA Bloemfontein stuur uit Senekal die
foto's wat hy met `n selfoon deur die oogstuk van `n Orion 8"dobsonion  geneem het.
Klik op foto om te vergroot

Shuttle se moer gestrip! Moer nou weg! NASA soek moer!

Discovery attachment to tank delayed by nut problem

Workers rotated Discovery upright last night for mating to the fuel
tank and boosters. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now

 Engineers attaching the shuttle Discovery to its external fuel tank ran into problems Friday when an internal nut used to attach a separation bolt to the belly of the orbiter slipped out of position. Re-positioning the mis-aligned nut will require access to the shuttle's aft engine compartment, sources said, but it was not immediately clear what might be required to provide that access with Discovery not yet firmly attached to its external tank.

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 (Ok! 'n  Bolt is `n bout! Maar moer klink beter! Dit is toe `n "nut" en nie `n "bolt" nie!)