The Moon appears in the eastern early morning sky all week.
Animation of the Moon in the eastern predawn sky from June 26-30, 2019. Credit: Stellarium / Bob Trembley.
Venus appears very low in the east-northeastern sky just before sunrise all week; a very thin waning crescent Moon joins Venus on the morning of July 1st.
Venus appears very low near the east-northeastern sky just before sunrise; on July 1st, the Moon appears near Venus. Credit: Stellarium / Bob Trembley.
Saturn rises shortly after sunset; Jupiter, high in the southern sky, made an exceptional observing target this last weekend at the Warren Astronomical Society's Star Party and Open House - free to the public every 4th Saturday of the month!
Saturn just rising, and Jupiter high in the southeastern sky at 11:05 PM on June 25th. Credit: Stellarium / Bob Trembley.
Early in the morning, Saturn and Jupiter are both high in the southern sky - perfect observing targets!
Saturn and Jupiter high in the southern sky at 1:00 AM on June 26th. Credit: Stellarium / Bob Trembley.
Mercury and Mars might be a wee bit of a challenge to see low in the west-northwestern sky at dusk all week.
Mercury and Mars might be hard targets to see in the west-northwestern sky just before sunset all week. Credit: Stellarium / Bob Trembley.
Jupiter's Moons
After clearly seeing Jupiter's cloud bands and moons in a very small telescope - and through the very large telescope in the Warren Astronomical Society's Stargate Observatory this last weekend, I just could not choose a different target! Go see Jupiter! Show your neighbors!
Jupiter at 11:00 PM on June 25, 2019. Moons: G=Ganymede, I=Io, e=Europa, C=Callisto. Credit: Stellarium / Bob Trembley.
Here's a pic I took of Jupiter in 2012:
Jupiter in a small telescope. Credit: Bob Trembley, Jan. 10, 2012 - 8" Dobsonian
The Moon is at last quarter on June 25th - rising around midnight, visible to the south after sunrise.
After June 25th, the Moon will be a waning crescent - visible low to the east before sunrise.
The new Moon occurs on July 2nd.
The Moon from June 25-July 1, 2019. Visualizations by Ernie Wright / NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio.
Moon News - #Apollo50th Anniversary Approaches!
We’re 26 days away from our #Apollo50th anniversary, when humans walked on another world for the first time in history! As we move forward to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon in five years, take a look back at our historic legacy: https://t.co/0FisxPhb50 pic.twitter.com/XuaFBz3sUH
— NASA (@NASA) June 24, 2019
This following video is a recreation of the flight of Apollo 11 using Kerbal Space Program - with some actual command module audio, and music from the soundtrack of the Apollo 13 movie - pretty cool! What I find impressive is the author's use of RCS thrusters and ullage motors; the author also includes a few moments of video showing how the spacecraft's orbit changes while under thrust.
XKCD's Orbital Mechanics Comic
Speaking of orbital mechanics, XKCD created this comic about KSP. *I* didn't study anything even remotely like orbital mechanics in high school or college... I also didn't have the luxury of having a job at NASA, but I sure remember the first time I saw my trajectory change from sub-orbital to orbital in KSP and saying "Oh! THAT's how that works!" Then saying that again when I preformed a Hohmann transfer to the Mun, and watching my perspective change as I entered into the Mun's Sphere of Influence (SOI). Then again when performing an interplanetary transfer, and entering into the SOI of the Sun.
Young students, even kids are playing this "game" and learning orbital mechanics! I'm... currently, *ahem* at 3386 hours in KSP...
And then there's the whole "Kerbal Space Program has RUINED several Science Fiction movies for me" - but that's a tale for another time!
There are 2 small spots on the Sun - they are members of old solar cycle 24 - I can barely make out AR2742, but they are both visible in the videos below by their coronal activity.
AR2742 and AR2743 on June 25, 2019. Images Courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams. Editing: Bob Trembley
Coronal holes continue to pepper the Sun's southern hemisphere; both poles have large coronal holes.
SpaceWeather.com says: "Earth's mesosphere is still unusually wet. The proof was in the skies of the USA on June 24th when noctilucent clouds appeared at record-low latitudes for the second time this month. Electric-blue waves rippled over Las Vegas, NV; Joshua Tree and Pollock Pines, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; and Albuquerque NM. The American display followed an equally extreme outburst over Europe on the night of the summer solstice. Noctilucent clouds aren't restricted to the Arctic anymore; everyone everywhere should be alert for the next display."
Light prominence on the Sun; if you look closely, you can spot some short-lived pillar prominences popping up and disappearing quickly.
The solar wind speed is 322.0 km/sec (↓), with a density of 4.3 protons/cm3 (↓).
Animated LASCO C2 Coronograph showing the solar corona above the Sun's limb (the white circle). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
You can create your own time-lapse movies of the Sun here: AIA/HMI Browse Data.
You can browse all the SDO images of the Sun from 2010 to the present here: Browse SDO archive.
Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
| Asteroid |
Date(UT)
|
Miss Distance
|
Velocity (km/s)
|
Diameter (m)
|
| 2019 LC1 |
2019-Jun-19
|
19.2 LD
|
9.9
|
26
|
| 2019 LB2 |
2019-Jun-20
|
6.5 LD
|
3.4
|
15
|
| 2019 LM1 |
2019-Jun-23
|
9.8 LD
|
8.7
|
25
|
| 2019 LC5 |
2019-Jun-23
|
13.6 LD
|
11.1
|
42
|
| 441987 |
2019-Jun-24
|
7.7 LD
|
12.6
|
178
|
| 2008 KV2 |
2019-Jun-27
|
17.8 LD
|
11.4
|
195
|
| 2016 NN15 |
2019-Jun-28
|
9.6 LD
|
8.4
|
16
|
| 2019 LR4 |
2019-Jun-29
|
11.3 LD
|
8.3
|
31
|
| 2019 LV1 |
2019-Jun-29
|
5.2 LD
|
6.2
|
27
|
| 2015 XC352 |
2019-Jul-01
|
11.9 LD
|
4.1
|
26
|
| 2016 OF |
2019-Jul-07
|
12.8 LD
|
8.5
|
85
|
| 2016 NO56 |
2019-Jul-07
|
3.4 LD
|
12.2
|
26
|
| 2019 KD3 |
2019-Jul-12
|
15.5 LD
|
8
|
89
|
| 2016 NJ33 |
2019-Jul-12
|
15 LD
|
4.5
|
32
|
| 2015 HM10 |
2019-Jul-24
|
12.2 LD
|
9.5
|
68
|
| 2010 PK9 |
2019-Jul-26
|
8.2 LD
|
16.5
|
155
|
| 2006 QQ23 |
2019-Aug-10
|
19.4 LD
|
4.7
|
339
|
| 454094 |
2019-Aug-12
|
17 LD
|
8.2
|
148
|
| 2018 PN22 |
2019-Aug-17
|
17.1 LD
|
2.3
|
11
|
Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. Table from SpaceWeather.com
Potentially hazardous asteroids: 1983 (last updated May 8, 2019)
Minor Planets discovered: 796,033 (+48)
5th Annual International Asteroid Day - June 30th
Watch the "Asteroids" trailer here! A short film created by the @UW that is part of #asteroidday We are just days away from our live broadcast! https://t.co/wwbGiy8nAr
— Asteroid Day ☄ (@AsteroidDay) June 25, 2019
I will be lecturing at the Cranbrook Institute of Science on June 29th as part of their AsteroidDay event.
On June 24, 2019, the NASA All Sky Fireball Network reported 24 fireballs.
(23 sporadics, 1 Northern June Aquilid)
In this diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect at a single point--Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from slow (red) to fast (blue). From: Spaceweather.com
Fireball & Meteor News:
Geostationary Lightning Mapper Satellite (GOES-16) sees 3-5 kT bolide explode near Puerto Rico!
This is the position of the planets and a couple bodies in the solar system:
-
- Position of the planets and a couple spacecraft in the inner solar system, June 25, 2019. Credit: NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley.
-
- Position of the planets and a couple spacecraft in the middle solar system, June 25, 2019. Credit: NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley.
-
- Position of the planets, dwarf planets and a couple spacecraft in the outer solar system seen from Voyager 1 -, June 25, 2019. Credit: NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley.
Solar System News
Study shows how icy outer #solarsystem satellites may have formed @tokodai_news @NatureAstronomy https://t.co/0ZRxdMgDq3
— Phys.org (@physorg_com) June 25, 2019
OSIRIS-REx
When looking at Bennu, I’m struck by the fact that the rocks in some parts are positioned so chaotically, while in others — like here — the rocks are arranged by size. Bennu’s formative processes are so intriguing... and we still have so much to learn about rubble pile asteroids. pic.twitter.com/8F1guj4f8S
— NASA's OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) June 24, 2019
NASA / SpaceX
Congratulations to @SpaceX on another successful Falcon Heavy launch! I’m excited for the four @NASA_Technology missions that will help us explore the Moon, Mars and beyond! More: https://t.co/hTU1Cnstax pic.twitter.com/rR01vavYis
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) June 25, 2019
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Celebrates 10 Years!
Omg look how cute I was on my first day at the Moon 10 years ago #OTD! I’ve learned SO much since then. Here are 10 highlights I’ve learned about @NASAMoon in my 10 years (and counting) here. #LRO10th https://t.co/6HcrAPJMDD pic.twitter.com/8a9HUhZNTr
— NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (@LRO_NASA) June 24, 2019
Climate - Lightening Lightening Everywhere!
Yesterday's #GOES16 #GLM CONUS Retrospective pic.twitter.com/A96G8lcekh
— Michael J. Peterson (@WeatherArchive) June 23, 2019
Data from the NASA Exoplanet Archive
Exoplanet Discovery Video
This is REALLY cool, and you should watch and share it!!
Exoplanet Artwork by Bob Trembley
"Syzygy." An eclipse seen from a hypothetical exomoon of a gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star Wolf 359. Credit: SpaceEngine / Bob Trembley
You can explore exoplanets on your own with NASA's Eyes on Exoplanets (beta) interactive website!
This Hubble Picture of the Week shows the spiral galaxy Messier 98, estimated to contain about a trillion of stars, and full of cosmic dust and hydrogen gas. Credit: @ESA / @Hubble_Space / @NASA , V. Rubin et al. https://t.co/driWVrMiMl pic.twitter.com/r9S8xGiIsH
— HUBBLE (@HUBBLE_space) June 24, 2019
Apps used for this post:
NASA Eyes on the Solar System: an immersive 3D solar system and space mission simulator - free for the PC /MAC. I maintain the unofficial NASA Eyes Facebook page.
Stellarium: a free open source planetarium app for PC/MAC/Linux. It's a great tool for planning observing sessions. Version 0.19.1 was released on June 22nd!
Universe Sandbox: a space simulator that merges real-time gravity, climate, collision, and material interactions to reveal the beauty of our universe and the fragility of our planet. Includes VR support.
SpaceEngine: a free 3D Universe Simulator for Windows. Steam version with VR support coming soon!
Section header image credits:
The Sky - Stellarium/ Bob Trembley
Observing Target - Turn Left at Orion / M. Skirvin
The Moon - NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Sun - NASA/JPL-Caltech
Asteroids - NASA/JPL-Caltech
Fireballs - Credited to YouTube
Comets - Comet P/Halley, March 8, 1986, W. Liller
The Solar System - NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley
Spacecraft News - NASA Eyes on the Solar System / Bob Trembley
Exoplanets - Space Engine / Bob Trembley
The Universe - Universe Today
2018 is NASA's 60th Anniversary!
July 20, 2019 is the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon.
