Hi everyone, sorry about the cancelled sidewalk astronomy night Oct 4. None of our astronomers were available that night. Mojo and I were in Hawaii, where we attended the Hawaiian Astronomical Society's monthly in-town star party, however. We observed one planet, one star and three moons (2 of Saturn's, and our own moon) in spite of heavy clouds, nearby rain, and even a flood warning over central Oahu. Tonight Tuesday the 7th, look for a 6 minute long ISS pass beginning at 7:03 p.m., reaching a height of 74 degrees, nearly overhead! It appears in the SW and disappears in the NE. That's not all! There is a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday morning. If the sky is clear, the entire event should be visible to the unaided eye from the West Coast. The particulars are as follows (all times are Pacific): partial eclipse begins 2:14 a.m., totality begins 3:25 a.m., greatest eclipse 3:55 a.m., totality ends 4:24 a.m., partial eclipse ends 5:34 a.m. All before sunrise! And that's not all either! There's a partial solar eclipse later in the month (visible in the afternoon of October 23rd). I'll send out another email with save viewing tips before the 23rd., but my monthly podcast gives some details. You all know never to look directly at the sun with special solar filters or glasses, of course. I cover all these things in my monthly What's Up podcast, plus Comet Siding Spring's close encounter with Mars on the 19th. It's unlikely that the comet will be visible, but I show where to look. If it does make an appearance and I see it, or think you can see it with binoculars, I'll be sure to let everybody know. Another exciting month of astronomy is underway! What's Up Video: http://youtu.be/uPQh0JwfEh4 or many versions here, and check out September - it is still relevant: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/whatsup-archive.cfm What's Up for October flyer, suitable for sharing http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/docs/Whats_Up_October_2014.pdf Mark your calendar for November 1. Although this should be our monthly sidewalk date, it was the only Mojave Campground opening for our twice-a-year dark sky star party. Details here http://www.mojavepreserve.org/, and although the November flyer is not on the website, the May 31 flyer has directions and RSVP info. Free campsite, Bring your own potluck, breafast on your own, RSVP is just so the park knows how many people are coming. -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @CassiniSaturn @NASAInsight What's Up For Oct? Eclipses, near misses http://youtu.be/gj9MshXoUy0