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Tag Archives: Great Red Spot

In the Sky This Week – May 21, 2019

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on May 21, 2019 by Bob TrembleyMay 21, 2019
This entry is part 98 of 179 in the series In the Sky This Week

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is Unraveling! As I was writing this post, I came upon this story on SpaceWeather.com: Around the world, amateur astronomers are monitoring a strange phenomenon on the verge of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot (GRS). The giant storm appears to be unraveling. “I haven’t seen this before in my 17-or-so years of imaging Jupiter,” reports veteran observer Anthony Wesley of Australia, who photographed a streamer of gas detaching itself from the GRS on May 19th -SpaceWeather.com I realized I should probably headline this topic when I immediately stopped what I was doing, and went upstairs to tell my wife about it! Jupiter returns the the evening sky, rising in the southeastern sky around 10:30 PM. The Moon dances with Saturn and Jupiter for the next several days in the predawn sky: Mars will soon be lost on the glare of the sunset in the west-northwestern sky. Globular cluster Messier 68 The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope offers this … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Commentary, Outreach | Tagged Gravitational lensing, Great Red Spot, Jupiter, Ligo, M 68, Mars, Moon, OSIRIS REx, Saturn, Sun | Leave a reply

Across the Universe: Hidden Complications

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on July 12, 2018 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoJuly 2, 2018
This entry is part 13 of 191 in the series Across the Universe

This column first ran in The Tablet in July 2017 Following on last week’s reposting, here’s yet another Juno column! [Two years] ago, Nasa’s Juno spacecraft entered Jupiter orbit (as described in my Tablet column for July 2016). Its highly elliptical path periodically brings it close to the tops of Jupiter’s clouds, and this month one such low pass brought it right over the famous Red Spot, a hurricane-like storm some three times larger than planet Earth. The storm appears to have been raging in Jupiter’s atmosphere for at least three hundred years; Cassini first described it in 1665, though the first color depiction of it is in a painting from 1711, on display in the Vatican Museum. The internet is now full of glorious, if somewhat gaudy, images of swirls and eddies seen by the Juno camera. In fact, the camera on the Juno spacecraft was an afterthought. Since the science team was put together to probe Jupiter with … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Space Exploration | Tagged Creti, Great Red Spot, Juno, Jupiter | Leave a reply

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot from Juno

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on July 16, 2017 by Bob TrembleyJuly 16, 2017

The Juno spacecraft made its seventh close approach (perijove) to Jupiter on July 10th, flying directly over the Great Red Spot. The raw images from the mission are publicly available, and have been post-processed by several different individuals. The results are as beautiful as they are varied. This stunning image, processed by Seán Doran, was featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day on July 15, 2017: Here are some more examples of post-processing from the imaging community: This image was processed by Jason Major, who runs the fantastic Lights in the Dark website; the image was used in this post by NASA. This video was created using the NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System app shows the Juno spacecraft coming up on the Great Red Spot; I knew the storm was big, but I’ve never seen it from this perspective… it’s BIG! This video gives you a good idea of how close the Juno spacecraft gets to Jupiter during … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Science, Space Exploration | Tagged Great Red Spot, Juno, Jupiter | Leave a reply
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Recent Posts

“Cosmos: Possible Worlds”, 10-13: Goodbye to a Losing Season

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on January 16, 2021 by Christopher M. GraneyJanuary 15, 2021

When your favorite team is not so good, sometimes the end of the season can come as a relief.  That’s doubly true when the last couple games of the season go especially badly.  This Cosmos fan finds himself happy to see this season come to an end.  There is always … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, Popular Culture, Science | Tagged cosmos-possible-worlds | 1 Reply

JWST update – Hexagons in Space

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on January 15, 2021 by Deirdre KelleghanJanuary 15, 2021

My small group at Space Camp in Louisburgh. Proud of their new James Webb replica mirror and knowledge !! What an exciting week regarding the JWST announcment that the launch date is set for October 31st 2021 !!! Am shareing my previous blog about a workshop I did back in … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, Education, Science, Space Exploration | Tagged ESA, Hexagons, James Webb Space Telescope, JWST, Launch, NASA, Space | 2 Replies

ⓜ Curiosity and the Exploration of Mars, I

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on January 14, 2021 by Br. Guy ConsolmagnoJanuary 14, 2021
This entry is part 1 of 54 in the series And Then I Wrote

And then I wrote… On January 12, 2021, the NASA Mars rover Curiosity marked 3000 Martian days on the surface of Mars. In 2012 I was invited to write an article about the exploration of Mars; “Curiosity e l’esplorazione di Marte” appeared in the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica on November 17,2012. … Continue reading…

Posted in And Then I Wrote, Planet, Space Exploration | Tagged Curiosity, Mars, NASA Solar System Exploration | Leave a reply

A Platonic journey

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on January 13, 2021 by Richard HillJanuary 13, 2021
This entry is part 38 of 38 in the series Lunarcy

I always look forward to the appearance of the 104km diameter crater Plato and surrounding environs as they emerge from the lunar night. There is so much to see there I find imaging irresistible. Usually I don’t like to do this wide a field but there’s much to enjoy. Plato’s … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, Moon, Uncategorized | Tagged Craters, mare, Moon, mountains | Leave a reply

In the Sky This Week – January 12, 2021

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on January 12, 2021 by Bob TrembleyJanuary 14, 2021
This entry is part 179 of 179 in the series In the Sky This Week

Venus appears very low above the southeastern horizon before sunrise. Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury continue to form a triple conjunction in the southwestern sky at dusk – Saturn may be a bit difficult to see; Mercury appears slightly higher above the horizon each evening. Mercury appears in the southwestern sky … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, Outreach | Tagged #CountdowntoMars, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Moon, NGC 6946, Orion, Saturn, Sun, Ursa Major, Venus | 2 Replies

Specola Guestbook | June 16, 1924: Knut Lundmark and Sten Asklöf

Sacred Space Astronomy avatarPosted on January 10, 2021 by Robert MackeJanuary 4, 2021
This entry is part 76 of 76 in the series Specola Guestbook

Since its founding in 1891, many people have passed through the doors of the Vatican Observatory.  A quick perusal of our guestbook reveals several Names, including Popes, Nobel laureates, astronauts, actors, and saints. Today’s guestbook entry is from June 16, 1924, when Knut Lundmark and Sten Asklöf made a visit. Next … Continue reading…

Posted in Astronomy, History, Uncategorized | Tagged Andromeda, Asklof, galaxies, Lundmark, Specola Guestbook, Uppsala, Vatican Observatory | Leave a reply
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Recent Comments

  • Stan Sienkiewicz January 16, 2021 at 9:17 am on “Cosmos: Possible Worlds”, 10-13: Goodbye to a Losing SeasonIt is a shame that the producers of the show are not amazed by the real world and need to enhance reality with special effects. I feel you are discussing a topic that is coming up quite often about our culture: the lack of astonishment. I recently had taken a...
  • Fernando Comeron January 15, 2021 at 5:22 am on JWST update – Hexagons in SpaceIncidentally, you can see that we at the European Southern Observatory (ESO, of which Ireland is a member too) did something that bears some resemblance several years ago. We invited visitors to our headquarters near Munich on the open doors day in 2011 to put hexagons together to reproduce a...
  • Fernando Comeron January 15, 2021 at 5:07 am on JWST update – Hexagons in SpaceNice article, Deirdre -and actually hexagons in space are very common, although very tiny. Carbon hexagonal cycles are at the basis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a class of molecules that compose the cold interstellar medium. So hexagons are pretty much everywhere in the Universe!
  • Bob Trembley January 14, 2021 at 2:01 am on In the Sky This Week – January 12, 2021Thanks for keeping me honest! :) I corrected it to say "Mercury appears slightly higher above the horizon each evening." When you advance days in Stellarium at dusk, you see Jupiter and Saturn get lower each day, and Mercury getting higher. Venus gets a bit lower each morning in the...
  • Joseph O'Donnell January 12, 2021 at 10:03 am on In the Sky This Week – January 12, 2021"Mercury appears slightly higher above the horizon each morning" I believe you mean Venus or am I missing something?
  • Christopher M. Graney January 4, 2021 at 10:50 am on Carols versus Matthew on the Star of WonderVery interesting -- I had never read the "Gospel of James", or "Protoevangelium of James", until now. Below is its whole section about the star, for those not familiar with it. Remarkably, the same problem is found in it. It follows Matthew in talking about the magi. No one knows...
  • Christopher M. Graney January 4, 2021 at 10:43 am on Carols versus Matthew on the Star of WonderI should have been more clear. When I said "This sounds just like the Great Conjunction of 2020", I meant it sounds like that *kind* of thing -- something no one who was not an astronomer would have noticed it just by chance.
  • Alfred Kracher January 2, 2021 at 10:47 am on Carols versus Matthew on the Star of WonderEmbellishments of Matthew’s simple “star” into a spectacular miracle are all but irrresistible. Already in the apocryphal 2nd century Gospel of James it shines with an “incredible brilliance amidst the constellations and making them seem dim.” And over the centuries artists of all kinds have further expanded on these exaggerations,...
  • Fr. Timothy Sauppé January 2, 2021 at 5:30 am on Carols versus Matthew on the Star of WonderI thought the biggest objection to the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction being the “Star of Bethlehem” was the 800 year cycle of its occurrence viz. the timing is off. Also, I am reminded of a comment of an amateur astronomer when he went to Chile, up in the Andes. He said there...
  • Stan Sienkiewicz December 26, 2020 at 1:07 pm on The Sun Illuminates Fort AncientYes, while not quite following the astronomy it still is fascinating to see what these early N American people did to their environment. As to why they did it and your article disagreeing with the solstice explanation reminded me of the book, Motel of the Mysteries. It is a funny...
  • Joel Hopko December 24, 2020 at 1:09 pm on Bah! Humbug. Science.And a very Merry Christmas to you Professor. May your spirit and inquiring mind continue to brighten our New Year! Joel Hopko
  • Fr. Timothy Sauppé December 21, 2020 at 6:04 pm on Was Jesus Born on December 25? The Fight Between Inculturation and Radical Certitude.Just saw this Socrates In The City from 2005 with Eric Metaxas interviewing Colin Nicholl. His book and thesis is that the Star of Bethlehem was one big comet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mT-8O8S_Fw&t=1s
  • Bob Prokop December 21, 2020 at 12:08 pm on Was Jesus Born on December 25? The Fight Between Inculturation and Radical Certitude.It's interesting that Tolkien chose March 25th as the date the One Ring was cast into the fires of Mount Doom (see the appendixes to The Return of the King for the date). It can't be a coincidence that the destruction of evil in Middle Earth coincides with the Annunciation...
  • Fr. Timothy Sauppé December 21, 2020 at 10:35 am on Was Jesus Born on December 25? The Fight Between Inculturation and Radical Certitude.Here is an interesting take by Liberato De Caro, Ph.D., of the Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council in Bari, Italy, who led the research, proposes that the date of Jesus’ birth. He posits 1 BC for Jesus’ Birth. For your consideration. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/liberato-de-caro-nativity?utm_campaign=NCR%202019&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=102396683&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9xKkcgGuiy7rFyWiX8fgbgA63Wabi_9C-VcU6QmESl4QYoKUDYHXm6DrY_jGwbVptu0roDhgBz363uEIX8dd6P7oOaBQ&utm_content=102396683&utm_source=hs_email
  • Bob Prokop December 18, 2020 at 7:52 am on Pursuing the ConjunctionLooks like we're going to be clouded out here in Maryland. But I did get a good look at the two planets last night (Thursday). They were already practically on top of each other! So it has not been a total loss. By the way, your December 14th drawing is...
  • Fr. James Kurzynski December 14, 2020 at 6:42 am on Follow the Money, the Science, or the Theology? A Second Reflection on the Forthcoming Artemis Moon Mission.Thanks Ed! I so appreciate your thoughts! As a fellow "Star Trek" fan, I can appreciate you insight! :)
  • Fr. James Kurzynski December 14, 2020 at 6:38 am on Follow the Money, the Science, or the Theology? A Second Reflection on the Forthcoming Artemis Moon Mission.Absolutely! Send me a message through the "Contact US" tab!
  • Br. Guy Consolmagno December 12, 2020 at 10:09 am on ⓜ Cosmology and ExpertiseOh, yes!
  • Richard Gabrielson December 10, 2020 at 9:19 pm on ⓜ Cosmology and ExpertiseBr. Guy -- be SO GLAD those were private messages instead of questions from the audience at a big conference!
  • Ed Yepez December 10, 2020 at 4:31 pm on Follow the Money, the Science, or the Theology? A Second Reflection on the Forthcoming Artemis Moon Mission.I think I was too young to appreciate "Earth Rise", when I first saw it. Probably only after a few years of education, did I start to appreciate what the effort was to take that picture, and then the fragile beauty of the Earth (in contrast with the "Magnificent Desolation")...

Top Posts

  • “Cosmos: Possible Worlds”, 10-13: Goodbye to a Losing Season
    “Cosmos: Possible Worlds”, 10-13: Goodbye to a Losing Season
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    Looking for Wormwood
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    Biblical Signs in the Sky? September 23, 2017
  • JWST update - Hexagons in Space
    JWST update - Hexagons in Space
  • ⓜ Curiosity and the Exploration of Mars, I
    ⓜ Curiosity and the Exploration of Mars, I
  • In the Sky This Week – January 14, 2020
    In the Sky This Week – January 14, 2020
  • A Serious Sirius Business
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    Gravity in the Milky Way
  • Religious Scientists: Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller B.V.M. (1913-1985) - Computer Science
    Religious Scientists: Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller B.V.M. (1913-1985) - Computer Science
  • “Cosmos: Possible Worlds”, 7-9: The Good, the Bad, and the Quantum
    “Cosmos: Possible Worlds”, 7-9: The Good, the Bad, and the Quantum

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