Monthly Archives: November 2011

Breathe deeply, life’s a gas

Posted on November 30, 2011 by astrobob

The moon photographed on July 31, 2011 out the window of the space station. Seen near setting, the moon appears to hover at edge of outer space. The lowest layer of air, tinted orange by twilight, is the troposphere. A … Continue reading →

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Northern lights – now you see ‘em, now you don’t

Posted on November 29, 2011 by astrobob

Aurora smoulders in green and reds low in the northern sky around midnight last night near Duluth, Minn. Details: 24mm lens at f/2.8, ISO 1600, 25 second exposure. Photo: Bob King Why can’t we all live in northern Norway or … Continue reading →

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Meet Jupiter’s new friend plus the mystery of Vesta’s dark rays

Posted on November 28, 2011 by astrobob

Not far from Jupiter in the fall sky is a newly discovered planet with a mass nearly twice as large. Granted it’s 66 light years away, but you can look up anytime it’s clear and imagine another hitherto unknown world … Continue reading →

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Solar bling plus auroras possible tomorrow, Tuesday

Posted on November 27, 2011 by astrobob

The sun photographed in ultraviolet light late yesterday by the Solar Dynamics Observatory displays a beautiful “necklace” of sunspot regions (bright yellow patches) surrounded by loops of hot gas that trace out the powerful magnetic fields above the spots. They’re … Continue reading →

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We’re on our way to Mars!

Posted on November 26, 2011 by astrobob

Curiosity Rover is on its way to Mars! The Mars Science Laboratory mission launched successfully right on schedule this morning at 9:02 a.m. CST. The Atlas V rocket sent the probe a parking orbit around Earth; a second firing of … Continue reading →

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Alien planet family portrait

Posted on November 25, 2011 by astrobob

704 and counting. So stands the latest tally of extrasolar planet discoveries. And that’s not all. An additional 1,235 planet candidates found by NASA’s Kepler space telescope are awaiting confirmation. Soon we’ll know of more planets than the number of … Continue reading →

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Wishing you a cosmic Thanksgiving

Posted on November 24, 2011 by astrobob

Today is the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. and a time for feasting and gratitude. Here’s my own short list of things – some little and some very big – that make life a pleasure to live: * The sun … Continue reading →

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Comet Garradd still going strong; Russian Mars probe contacted!

Posted on November 23, 2011 by astrobob

Remember Comet Elenin? Hopes were high it would become the best comet of 2011, but instead it dissolved into a cloud of dust. Amateur astronomers are still tracking its fading remnants as the comet passes the Pleiades star cluster in … Continue reading →

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Stargazing with Santa Claus at the North Pole

Posted on November 22, 2011 by astrobob

With Thanksgiving and the Christmas season just around the corner, Santa and the elves have been laboring mightily at the North Pole assembling everything from X-boxes to rocking horses. Above their heads the stars twinkle in a sky that’s dark … Continue reading →

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Beauty at dawn plus tips for happier satellite watching

Posted on November 21, 2011 by astrobob

The ailing Russian Phobos probe was a no-show for me last night. You may have had the same luck. Unless satellite flyby engines are updated with the latest orbital changes, the times and paths listed aren’t always reliable. This morning … Continue reading →

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