Monthly Archives: June 2011

Any way you slice ‘em, Saturn’s rings amaze

Posted on June 30, 2011 by astrobob

This recently released photo of Saturn’s rings seen edge-on slicing in front of the moon Titan got me thinking about how thin the rings really are. The main, bright rings you typically see in photographs extend from about 4,500 to … Continue reading →

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All-nighter under the summer sky

Posted on June 29, 2011 by astrobob

Seeing the morning crescent moon rise was a fine way to call it a night. Only the top horn showed at first – a claw dug into the sky holding on for the ride. Two minutes later the moon cleared … Continue reading →

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Looking forward to Comet Elenin

Posted on June 28, 2011 by astrobob

Normally I wouldn’t spend so much time on a comet that most people won’t be able to see until October, but Comet Elenin is special. There’s so much misinformation online about this rather ordinary object that I thought it time … Continue reading →

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More on the asteroid flyby plus Mars at dawn

Posted on June 27, 2011 by astrobob

Asteroid 2011 MD is still on the way. I was paying so much attention to its brightness and finding up- to-date positional information, I failed to notice that its refined orbit changed the time of closest approach to Earth from … Continue reading →

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Asteroid 2011 MD flyby update

Posted on June 26, 2011 by astrobob

Watch 2011 MD zip through the starfield in this series of exposures made this evening June 26 by Italian observers Rolando Ligustri and D. Da Rio starting at 10:16 p.m. local time. A picture was taken every 20 seconds. There’s … Continue reading →

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The Summer Triangle rides again

Posted on June 26, 2011 by astrobob

Now that we’ve finally bridged the solstice and embarked on our journey into summertime, it seems fitting to get re-acquainted with the Summer Triangle. I noticed it last night when my younger brother and I stepped out to watch the … Continue reading →

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Blinkie joins Jupiter and Mars in the greatest circus of all

Posted on June 25, 2011 by astrobob

I should have taken my camera out, but all I could do was stare at all the fireflies. The night was clear, but my attention was drawn toward the ground and trees as much as it was the sky. The … Continue reading →

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House-sized asteroid to fly extremely near Earth Monday

Posted on June 24, 2011 by astrobob

Astronomy blogs and websites are abuzz with the news that a newly-discovered asteroid named 2011 MD will cruise just 7,500 miles above the surface of Earth this coming Monday morning June 27. Nothing to worry about here. Although that’s a … Continue reading →

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Salty ocean holed up inside Saturn’s moon Enceladus

Posted on June 23, 2011 by astrobob

Enceladus (en-SELL-uh-dus), one of the most awesome moons of the solar system, just doubled in awesomeness. Several years ago, the Cassini probe revealed jets of water vapor and ice shooting from fissures nicknamed ‘tiger stripes’ in the moon’s south polar … Continue reading →

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Solar storm may spark auroras Friday

Posted on June 22, 2011 by astrobob

I hope you’re enjoying the start of summer. Today’s rain and wind make it feel more like April in my town, but the sun has done all it can to provide us with its steepest, most direct rays. Now we … Continue reading →

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