April, 2003

Friday, April 25th, 2003

Weekend Aurora Watch

Earth is entering a high speed solar wind which has sparked aurora at high northern latitudes. Combining this with the CME's launched on Wednesday... and expected to hit this weekend could trigger widespread auroral activity especially at higher latitudes. Skywatchers should remain alert for aurora... especially around local midnight

Wednesday , April 23rd, 2003

Twin Solar Blasts

A pair of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) were detected leaving the Sun today. While not directly Earth-directed, they could deliver glancing blows by Friday or Saturday night and trigger the northern lights. Stay tuned.

Monday, April 21st, 2003

Mars and The Moon

The Moon and Mars
Early morning skywatchers on Wednesday April 23rd will get a treat when the last quarter moon poses next to the Red Planet in the eastern sky. Click here for more cool shots!

Sunday, April 20th, 2003

Lyrid Meteor Shower

A Leonid Meteor streaks thru the sky
The annual Lyrid Meteor Shower is under way... with the peak occurring on Tuesday night, April 22nd. Skywatchers can expect to see as many as 20 meteors per hour. Checkout our Meteor Page for more information.

Friday, April 18th, 2003

The ISS and the Moon

The International Space Station passes the Moon
On April 11th, Tom Laskowski captured the International Space Station transiting the Moon. On that night, the ISS flew directly between the Moon and his location in South Bend, Indiana. Nice!

Tuesday, April 15th, 2003

Chalk one up for Saturn

Saturn as imaged by Don Brown of Utah Skies
Astronomers announced the discovery of another moon orbiting the planet Saturn. The discovery brings the total to 31 moons orbiting the ringed planet. Saturn sits firmly in second place behind solar system leading Jupiter with 58 moons.
Checkout Space.com for more info.

Sunday, April 13th, 2003

Mercury in Evening Sky 

Mercury on the horizon as imaged by Juan Carlos Casado
The planet Mercury has now moved into the evening sky. It will be visible about 18° above the western horizon shortly after sunset. Mercury, being the inner most planet, never ventures far from the Sun. Consequently, it is usually a tough object to spot. Clear skies, and an unobstructed horizon are what you’ll need to find the first rock. This beautiful sequence was taken by Juan Carlos Casado of Spain. Click here for a finder chart.

Saturday, April 12th, 2003

Solar Prominence 

A huge solar flare arcs off the surface of the sun
This huge solar prominence was imaged by the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on Friday, April 11th. The immense arc spans roughly 35 Earth diameters. This image clearly shows the dynamic nature of our star. 
For the latest solar information, checkout Spaceweather.com

Tuesday, April 8th, 2003

Earthshine

Earthshine as imaged by Wojciech Rychlik of Cascade, Colorado
This beautiful example of Earthshine (sunlight reflected off of the Earth back onto the Moon) was taken by Wojciech Rychlik of Cascade, Colorado on Thursday night 4/3. The spring is the best time to view Earthshine.

Monday, April 7th, 2003

6 More Jovian Moons

Jupiter as imaged by Don Brown of Utah Skies
Astronomers announced the discovery of 6 more moons orbiting the planet Jupiter. The discovery brings the total now to 58 moons orbiting the giant planet.
Checkout CNN.com/SPACE for more info.

Aurora Watch

Earth will enter yet another high-speed solar wind on April 8-10. Keep an eye on the northern horizon for the northern lights.

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2003

Are Hubble Images Too Sharp?

The famous Hubble Deep Field
The amazing clarity of Hubble Space Telescope images is causing astronomers to rethink some long held beliefs. Put simply, the images are just too clear. If you find this confusing, you should checkout this Space.com news article