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by Jane Houston Jones

Hello intrepid stargazers! You might have noticed our weird weather lately . Well, I can"t really explain the weather, but I can talk about the sun a little bit. Here is my monthly NASA podcast. My idea is to share the sun with you. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/whatsup/whatsup20080630/ Jane -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

17 years, 9 months

Full moon rise tonight - well worth a look

by Jane H Jones

Hi everyone! Step outside tonight to see the full moon rise in the East after sunset. Sunset is at about 8:00 p.m. and moon rise is at about 8:30 p.m. so depending on your horizons it may take you a little while to see the moon rise after 8:30 at your location. Often when you observe the full moon rising, it "looks" bigger than it really is. It's an optical illusion that is easy to test and interesting to see. "The full Moon of June 18th is a "solstice moon", coming only two days before the beginning of northern summer. This is significant because the sun and full Moon are like kids on a see-saw; when one is high, the other is low. This week's high solstice sun gives us a low, horizon-hugging Moon and a strong Moon Illusion. Sky watchers have known for thousands of years that low-hanging moons look unnaturally big. At first, astronomers thought the atmosphere must be magnifying the Moon near the horizon, but cameras showed that is not the case. Moons on film are the same size regardless of elevation: example. Apparently, only human beings see giant moons. A fun activity: Look at the Moon directly and then through a narrow opening of some kind. For example, 'pinch' the moon between your thumb and forefinger or view it through a cardboard tube, which hides the foreground terrain. Can you make the optical illusion vanish?" The above excerpted from the excellent Science@NASA's feature all about the moon illusion: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/16jun_moonillusion.htm Here is another good article about the moon illusion. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25212851/ Both of these articles have some excellent graphics for you teachers (and students) out there. And there is a full moon every month for you to practice this activity with your friends and family. Since you're out looking at the moon, swing your head around to the West for a look at Mars and Saturn. You'll see they are appearing closer and closer to each other. On July 10 they'll fit in the same binocular view. Jane -- Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Cassini SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html

17 years, 9 months

Monrovia Tonight, sidewalk astronomy

by Morris Jones

We had a great night in Old Town Pasadena last night, with about 260 visitors getting great views of the moon and Saturn. One thing we realized is that 7:00 is a little too early this time of year, with the sun not setting before about 8:00. So a more realistic start time for us is really 7:30. To see Saturn, you'll need to wait 'til about 8:30. Clear skies! Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

17 years, 9 months

Sidewalk Astronomy this weekend

by Morris Jones

It looks like a perfect weekend for Sidewalk Astronomy. We should have a lovely gibbous moon and views of Saturn. Tonight (Friday) in Old Town Pasadena, 7:00 'til 10:00. Come after about 8:30 to see Saturn. We'll be on the north side of Colorado Blvd. near DeLacey, somewhere between Fair Oaks and Pasadena Ave. Saturday night in Monrovia at the corner of Myrtle and Lime, in Library Park, 7:00 'til 10:00. And this new page on the Old Town Astronomers site introduces you to the fine people who join us on the sidewalk to show you the moon and planets: http://www.otastro.org/astronomers/ Best regards, Mojo -- Morris Jones http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers http://www.otastro.org http://twitter.com/mojo_la

17 years, 9 months

See the space station tonight

by Morris Jones

There is an excellent pass of the International Space Station tonight visible from the Los Angeles area. The station will first be visible low in the northwest (to the right of where the sun set) at about 8:44 p.m. By 8:46 it will reach its maximum visible altitude of 58 degrees, and will fly past Mars, Saturn, and the first quarter moon, in that order. By 8:50 it will disappear in the southeast entering earth's shadow. The station is so bright now with its added modules and solar arrays, it will be the brightest thing in the sky besides the moon. Space shuttle Discovery is currently docked to the station, and it's fun to keep in mind that there are ten astronauts on that bright moving star as it passes overhead. For predictions based on your own location, visit http://www.heavens-above.com The station has no lighting of its own. The brightness is sunlight reflected off the station. If you're following an object with red or blinking lights, that's not the space station. Cheers, Mojo -- Morris Jones http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers http://www.otastro.org http://twitter.com/mojo_la

17 years, 10 months

Crescent moon - watch it this weekend!

by Jane H Jones

This weekend the moon glides past several planetary way points, including Saturn. All you'll need to enjoy this show is a clear evening sky . On Friday, June 6th - that's tonight - the slender crescent is below Mars and might be difficult to see, but give it a try. You'll be looking low in the western sky after sunset. On Saturday June 7th you'll spot the crescent moon just a little below Mars. On the 8th, take another look! The moon is now closer to Saturn, forming a little triangle with Leo' bright star, Regulus! And on the 9th, the much larger crescent will be higher still above Saturn, tracing an imaginary line along the ecliptic plane. There's a different bright planet coming into view a little later in the evening, too. Jupiter! You'll have to wait until about 11 p.m. or later to see Jupiter. Look low in the east for a view of the king of the planets. Over the next few weeks Mars and Saturn draw closer together. On July 10 and 11 both planets will be visible in the same telescope field-of view. Next week - June 13 and 14 will be our sidewalk astronomy nights. See you then! Jane and Mojo -- Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Cassini SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html

17 years, 10 months

NASA'S Phoenix Spacecraft Reports Good Health After Mars Landing

by Jane Houston Jones

PASADENA, Calif. NASAs Phoenix spacecraft landed in the northern polar region of Mars today to begin three months of examining a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the landers robotic arm. It also sent pictures showing itself in good condition after making the first successful landing in a polar region of Mars. The images from NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander also provided a glimpse of the flat valley floor expected to have water-rich permafrost within reach of the lander's robotic arm. The landing ends a 422-million-mile journey from Earth and begins a three-month mission that will use instruments to taste and sniff the northern polar site's soil and ice. "We see the lack of rocks that we expected, we see the polygons that we saw from space, we don't see ice on the surface, but we think we will see it beneath the surface. It looks great to me," said Peter Smith of the University of Arizona , Tucson , principal investigator for the Phoenix mission. Radio signals received at 4:53:44 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53:44 p.m. Eastern Time) confirmed the Phoenix Mars Lander had survived its difficult final descent and touchdown 15 minutes earlier. The signals took that long to travel from Mars to Earth at the speed of light. The signal confirming that Phoenix had survived touchdown was relayed via MarsOdyssey and received on Earth at the Goldstone, Calif., antenna station of NASAs Deep Space Network. You can read more, see first images, follow the blogs and more on the JPL website: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm Next press conference - the post-landing briefing, occurs on NASA TV 11 a.m. Monday morning: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ I know you all join me in congratulating the Phoenix team on a successful soft landing on Mars! It was great fun to be at JPL today and tonight supporting the landing! <http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov> - Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

17 years, 10 months

Watch Mars buzz past a swarm of stars

by Jane Houston Jones

Hello local stargazers and space enthusiasts! NASA's Mars Phoenix touches down on the Red Planet's north polar plain tomorrow, Sunday May 25th a little before 5 p.m. If you'd like to follow the landing, on the internet or television here's a one stop link: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm. From here you can click on NASA TV, view the landing schedule and news briefing schedule, blogs and more. Here is a list of museums with Mars Phoenix programming in case you'd like to participate in a group event. http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/events/Mars_Events.html Follow Phoenix on Twitter and Facebook http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix/release.php?ArticleID=1700 If the clouds clear tonight or Sunday night, why not step outside and look up! Mars is easy to see in the early evening sky right now. With binoculars or telescopes on Sunday night, you'll spot Mars near the edge of the Beehive cluster, Messier 44. Tonight, Mars will appear to be a red star against the fainter stars of the cluster. Here's a little Mars-gazing feature I wrote yesterday: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/scitech/display.cfm?ST_ID=2109 Jane - who will be supporting the Phoenix landing tomorrow at JPL - let's all send Phoenix a big good luck for a soft landing tomorrow! -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

17 years, 10 months

Weekend sidewalk astronomy

by Morris Jones

Jane and I find ourselves being out of town this weekend, so we're canceling the Friday night telescope viewing on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena. But our gang will be in Monrovia Saturday, if the May Gray fog clears, to see the first quarter moon and Saturn, 7:00 - 9:30 or so at the corner of Myrtle & Lime. Cheers, Mojo -- Morris Jones Monrovia, CA http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

17 years, 11 months

May "What's Up" up

by Jane Houston Jones

My May What's Up podcast is up on the JPL website. To me it's special because Mojo took the amateur images used in the podcast. Look for the constellation (the big dipper) and galaxy images (M81, M82 and M51) which were taken by Mojo on a recent night out under the desert skies. http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html Here it is on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHO2uRxOsQM Jane -- Jane Houston Jones Monrovia, CA 34.2048N 118.1732W, 637.0 feet http://www.whiteoaks.com Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

17 years, 11 months

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