Tag Archives: space station

Watch wild-haired ‘Einstein’ orbit the Earth this week

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The European Space Agency cargo ship ATV-4 was named after famed physicist Albert Einstein. Credit: ESA

The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-4), fondly christened “Einstein”, after the genius of relativity, is on its way to deliver tasty supplies to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Launched from a jungle spaceport in French Guiana by the European Space Agency (ESA) on June 5, the craft is chasing the space station in preparation to dock and deliver the goods.


Video of ‘Einstein’ passing between the stars of the Big Dipper last night by Giuseppe Gerbore of Italy

Before it docks on the 15th, we have a great opportunity to see it slicing across the northern sky like a dimmer version of the station. But not too dim. Einstein glows between 1st and 2nd magnitude during a typical 3-4 minute pass. That’s equal to and brighter than any star in the Big Dipper. While you’re out, you might even catch a view of the northern lights, which are in the forecast again this evening.

ATV-4 is about the size of a large bus and will deliver about 7 tons of supplies including everything from experiments to spare parts, water, oxygen and propellant for boosting the ISS’s orbit when necessary. As always, there are a few fun items packed away.

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center last November. Credit: ESA

Luca Parmitano, an Italian astronaut with the ESA, arrived at the station in late May to begin a 5-month-long stint. Parmitano picked out favorite Italian food delicacies to share with the crew. Once ‘Einstein’ arrives, aubergine parmigiana, mushroom and pesto risotto topped off with tiramisu will be on the menu.

I was hoping for pizza just so we could witness the longest distance ever traveled for pizza delivery.

You can find times and exactly where to look by going to Heavens Above and logging in. On the list of passes, simply click on the time link to see a map. Or you can check out Spaceweather’s Flybys page. Put in your zip code and you’ll get viewing times for Einstein and several bright satellites including the ISS.

I’ve included times (CDT) for the next several nights for the Duluth, Minn. region. All the passes listed will be across the northern sky. One fist held at arm’s length equals about 10 degrees. Let us know if you spot the ship.

* Tonight June 7 starting at 10:58 p.m. Max. elevation 37 degrees, magnitude 1.5 (bright). Second pass at 12:32 a.m. Max. elevation 24 degrees, mag. 2.5

* Saturday June 8 at 10:53 p.m. Max. elevation 30 degrees, mag. 2; second pass at 12:27 a.m. Max. elevation 24 degrees, mag. 2

* Sunday June 9 at 10:47 p.m. Max. elevation 26 degrees, mag. 2. Second pass at 12:21 a.m. Max. elevation 27 degrees, mag. 2

Alien auroras and other curiosities of the night

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This isolated green patch of aurora slowly brightened and faded for many minutes at nightfall last night June 3. This smooth, slow-pulsating form of aurora is uncommon. Photo: Bob King

Last the night was that perfect one hoped for by all stargazers. Calm weather, no clouds or bugs and a sky jammed with too many stars to count. Even the usual atmospheric turbulence that blurs planets and mushes out star images took a hike for the night.

Comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS on June 1. The brighter head and at least several degrees of its long tail are still visible faintly in 10×50 binoculars. Views in 10-inch or larger telescopes are amazing. PANSTARRS is currently smack dab in the middle of Little Dipper not far from Polaris (bright star at right).

I drove out to the lonely lands north of Duluth, Minn. and set up the telescope for a look at many things – comets (PANSTARRS was freaking amazing with its long, faint tail), Saturn, star clusters and nebulae. But the one thing that vied for my attention all night long was a curious species of aurora that resembled a sausage, or if you’re into extraterrestrials, an alien spaceship.

The sausage materialized during late twilight below the Little Dipper in the northern sky. Nothing above it, nothing below – just this strange, smooth, lime glow about two fists wide. For the next hour it played hide-and-seek, fading away and reappearing like breath on a mirror.

Wide angle view of the eastern sky showing the Milky Way in the Northern Cross and a second smaller patch of isolated aurora around 11:30-midnight last night. Photo: Bob King

By 11:30 it was nearly gone. That was about the time another smaller patch fired up low in the northeastern sky. This apparition took its time, morphing into a second green sausage centered under the familiar W of Cassiopeia by 1 a.m.

A second glowing patch gathers strength below the constellation Cassiopeia in the northeastern sky early this morning. Photo: Bob King

Meanwhile, the International Space Station, basking in sunlight for its entire orbit the next week, passed by twice. One the first run at 11:50, it sliced right through the aurora before disappearing over the eastern horizon.

The International Space Station (ISS) crosses the northern sky this morning at 1:23 a.m. The aurora had faded and spread into streaks by that time. Photo: Bob King

By the time of the second pass at 1:23 a.m. the patches were fading and spreading. On this pass I once again enjoyed a view of the space station and its picturesque solar panels by following it through the telescope. Giorgio Rizzarelli of Italy sent a photo that shows very well how the ISS looks through a typical telescope if you’re fast enough to grab a look.

The ISS through an 8-inch scope on May 21, 2013. Rizzarelli shares that he could just make out the solar panels in his 9-power finderscope. Credit: Giorgio Rizzarelli

At 2 a.m. it was time to head home and get some sleep. Driving out, I noticed my gas warning light go on, which usually means 3 gallons left in the tank. No problem, I thought. The total distance would come to fewer than 40 miles. That’s not how it worked out. Six miles from the front door, the car briefly lost power but then fired up again. One mile later I was out of gas.

The ISS passes over the aurora shortly before midnight last night. Since the station orbits 250 miles high, it was most likely well above this shard of northern lights. Photo: Bob King

Unlike the aurora, which kept surging back to life, my ride wasn’t going anywhere. I’m grateful for my wonderful wife, who drove out in the middle of the night to meet me with a gas can. Thank you honey.

Space station spices up short May nights

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International Space Station Commander, Chris Hadfield, performs a revised version of David Bowies Space Oddity on board the station earlier this week. This is for real – enjoy!

The early bird is back! The International Space Station is once again making passes during morning twilight, putting in regular appearances for U.S. skywatchers. And I do mean early. With the sun now rising well before most of us are up and around, you’ll need to be out between about 3 and 5 a.m. to catch a look. Either that or party all night and wag your weary head skyward at dawn before crashing.

Log in to Heavens Above for viewing times and maps or go to Spaceweather’s Satellite Flybys page and type in your zip code.

Here’s when to watch for the Duluth, Minn. region. Brightness is given as magnitude. For reference, Jupiter is -2.5 magnitude, Venus -4.5 and the brightest star Sirius about -1.5. Altitude is in degrees; one fist held at arm’s length equals about 10 degrees.

* Sat. May 18 starting at 4:45 a.m. Low pass across the south-southeast. Max. brightness -1 magnitude, max altitude 20 degrees.
* Sun. May 19 at 3:57 a.m. low in the eastern sky. Mag. -1, altitude 13 degrees.
* Mon. May 20 at 4:43 a.m. Very nice pass across the south and east. Mag. -2.6, altitude 45 degrees
* Tues. May 21 at 3:55 a.m. visible low in the south to east. Mag. -2, altitude 28 degrees
* Weds. May 22 at 4:40 a.m. straight across the top of the sky. Mag. -3.3 (brilliant!) Altitude 86 degrees
* Thurs. May 23 at 3:51 a.m. high across the south and east. Mag. -3.2 (brilliant!) Altitude 60 degrees
* Fri. May 24 at 3:03 a.m. First appears in the southeast moving east. Mag. -2.6, altitude 38 degrees. Second pass at 4:36 a.m. across the northern sky. Mag. -2.5, altitude 50 degrees
* Sat. May 25 at  3:46 p.m. high in the northern sky. Mag. -3, altitude 69 degrees

Surprise! What happens when you wring a washcloth out in space

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Two science students in Nova Scotia posed the question of what would happen if you wrung out a wet washcloth in space. Watch to find out.

When I first clicked play on this video of space station Commander Chris Hadfield wringing out a washcloth in the space station, I thought I knew what would happen. Boy, was I wrong. Take a look and you might be as surprised as I was. But it makes perfect sense.

Water is attracted to itself on a molecular level, creating such wonders as spherical droplets. It’s all because each molecule has a negative and positive side that’s attracted to a neighboring molecule with the opposite charges. Photo: Bob King

Water molecules cling together because of something called surface tension. It’s what makes drops of dew on grass spherical and enables water striders to glide over the surface of a creek as if it were smooth as ice.

You may have noticed it when pouring a glass of water right up to the edge. Try it sometime and look closely; if you’re careful you can fill the glass beyond the rim without water spilling over the side.

Molecules of water are made of two hydrogen atoms attached to either side of an oxygen atom – good old H2O.

Because of the how the electric charges are distributed over the molecule, one its hydrogen “ears” has a slightly negative charge, the other slightly positive.

A water molecule (left). At right, water molecules align according to their electrical attractions to one another. This is how surface tension is created and what made the water form a “tube” around the cloth in the video. Credit: Wikipedia / Qwerter

The positive end attracts the negative end of another water molecule floating by, and the negative end latches onto the positive of another water molecule. When billions of molecules hook up this way they create a loosely-ordered structure or film.

A water strider exploits the surface tension of water to dart rapidly from spot to spot in pursuit of food. Photo: Bob King

Molecules on the surface of liquid water are special. They’re not surrounded by their mates tugging on them equally from all sides. Instead they’re pulled toward one another and downward by molecules water just below the surface.

This makes the water surface contract or “tighten up”, creating a barrier to objects that might penetrate it. Called surface tension, it’s why you can float a paper clip in a glass of water

Careful though. The bonds connecting the molecules are easily broken. Disturb the glass or poke your finger in the water and it will spill or slosh. Had Commander Hadfield wrung the washcloth, water would have broken away from the cloth and flew across the cabin!

Progress precedes space station before fiery finale

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An unpiloted ISS Progress resupply vehicle (top) approaches the International Space Station, carrying 2,050 pounds of space station propellant, 62 pounds of oxygen, 42 pounds of air, 926 pounds of water and 2,738 pounds of spare parts, crew supplies and equipment for the astronauts. Docking occurred back on Oct. 31, 2012. Credit: NASA

Feeling like your life needs some Progress? Here’s your chance to see some. The Russian cargo ship Progress 49 undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) Monday after delivering food, water, oxygen and scientific equipment some five months ago. It will return to Earth this Sunday stuffed to the gills with trash, all of it burning to toast when the craft re-enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up over the Pacific Ocean.

Unlike the ISS, the Progress cargo ships are on the fainter side, only getting as bright as the Big Dipper stars at best. Typically, they’re around magnitude 3 to 5 and appear like a dim star crossing the sky. For the adventurous, click HERE and you’ll be taken to a special page to track the pair on the Visual SAT-Flare Tracker site. When you get there, use the Google map to pinpoint your location and then double-click it. Now scroll down to the bottom of the page and you’ll see viewing times and other information for the ISS and Progress M17-M (same as Progress 49). Clicking on the satellite name will take you straight to a map showing its track across the sky. Good luck!

Progress 49 docked to the ISS. Credit: NASA

I hope you’ll get a nice pass of Progress before it goes ka-boom! At the moment it precedes the ISS by about 10 minutes. Progress 51 is next in line to fly needed supplies to the station. It will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia on April 24.

Even if you’re not game for the fainter cargo ship, be sure to check out the space station. It’s too bright to ignore.  I’ve listed viewing times for the Duluth, Minn. region below. You can find times for your town at Heavens Above and Spaceweather’s Satellite Flyby site. 

* Tonight Apr. 16 starting at 9:46 p.m. across the northern sky. Peak brightness -2.2 magnitude (Venus = -4.4, Jupiter = -2.5 for reference)
* Weds. Apr. 17 at  8:55 p.m. across the north. Peak -2.0
*Thurs. Apr. 18 at 9:41 p.m. high in the northern sky. Fades away into Earth’s shadow to the left or north of the bright orange star Arcturus about 9:45 p.m. Peak -3.0
Fri. Apr. 19 at 8:51 p.m. high in the northern sky. Peak -2.5
Sat. Apr. 20 at 9:36 p.m. high in the south. Disappears into Earth’s shadow at 9:41 p.m. above the bright star Spica in Virgo.  Peak -3.4
* Sun. Apr. 21 at 8:46 p.m. high across the southern sky.  Slices across the Bowl of the Big Dipper about 8:49 p.m. Peak -3.2

6 guys in a flying tin can now appearing in a sky near you

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Photo from the space station showing the blast off of the Soyuz TMA-08M rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 29, 2013 carrying Expedition 35 Soyuz Commander Pavel Vinogradov, NASA Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy and Russian Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin to the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

The International Space Station (ISS) is back. You can now view it during convenient evening hours for the next few weeks from the U.S. and other locations. Watch for the station to first appear in the western sky looking like a brilliant star with a yellow hue.

Traveling toward the east at 4.8 miles per second (7.7 km/sec) it takes between 3-7 minutes to complete its circuit depending on its height above the horizon during a particular pass. Overhead passes last longest.

Since it takes only about 90 minutes for the craft to orbit Earth, if you see it on a first pass in early twilight, you’ll often get to a second pass around nightfall. During the summer months, a combination of high sun angle and brief nights allow skywatchers to spot the station on every pass or some 5 times in one evening!

This picture was taken at nearly the same time as the one above but from the ground and shows the Soyuz TMA-08M rocket launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi

The 6-man crew of the station has been busy this week with a variety of projects including determining astronaut energy requirements for long-duration stays in space and the BASS experiment. BASS - Burning And Suppression of Solids - studies how materials burn and extinguish in the microgravity of space. What the crew learns will lead to better spacecraft materials as well as new ways of putting out accidental fires in space and on Earth.

Portrait of the Expedition 35 crew currently on board the station. In the front row are Commander Chris Hadfield (right) and Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov. Back row, from left, are Flight Engineers Alexander Misurkin, Chris Cassidy, Roman Romanenko and Tom Marshburn. Credit: NASA

ISS viewing times below are for the Duluth, Minn. region, but you can always get times for your city by logging into Heavens Above and selecting your city or plunking your zip code into Spaceweather’s Satellite Flybys site. Or you can make your life easy by signing up to NASA’s Spot the Station. You’ll get an e-mail or text message in advance of easily visible flybys over your town.

For Duluth, Minn. and region:

* Tonight April 7 starting at 9:16 p.m. across the southern sky. Visible for 3 minutes. Enters Earth’s shadow at 9:19 p.m. and quickly disappears from view.

* Mon. April 8 at 8:27 p.m. in twilight. Low pass across the south and southeastern sky. Visible for 5 minutes. Second pass at 10:02 p.m. Visible for 2 1/2 minutes. Comes up in the western sky and enters Earth’s shadow at 10:05 p.m.

* Tues. April 9 at 9:12 p.m. Spectacular pass across the top of the sky. Very bright! Visible for 5 minutes.


From Night to Day to Night Again – a two-and-a-half minute video taken from the ISS of the Earth from orbit

* Weds. April 10 at 8:21 p.m. in twilight. Another brilliant pass high in the southern sky. Flys very close to Sirius, the brightest star, about 8:23 p.m. Visible for 6 minutes. Second pass across the northern sky at 9:58 p.m. Visible for 4 minutes before disappearing in Earth’s shadow.

* Thurs. April 11 at 9:08 p.m. High, bright pass in the northern sky. Visible for 6 minutes.

* Fri. April 12 at 8:17 p.m. Brilliant pass across the top of the sky. Visible for nearly 7 minutes. Second nice pass at 9:54 p.m. across the north.

* Sat. April 13 at 9:03 p.m. across the northern sky. Visible for 6 minutes.

A sharp-edged sickle moon wil be visible low in the eastern sky tomorrow morning April 8. Created with Stellarium

If you’re up early for work tomorrow and have a good view of the eastern horizon, start the day with a smile by watching for the very delicate crescent moon just 2 days from new.

Wake up to spring tomorrow and see the space station

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Harry Nynas of Duluth heaved shovels fresh snow on top of the high banks that have accumulated over the season along his sidewalk yesterday. Photo: Bob King

After shoveling another 8 inches of snow after a winter of white, the banks along my walkway are now nearly at eye level. If there’s a lawn under there, I’m gonna need a team of archaeologists to find it. No matter, that won’t stop spring.

Tomorrow morning at 6:02 a.m. (Central time) the sun quietly slips over the line into the northern half of the sky. We call this the vernal equinox or start of spring. For me it will be a matter of faith in the cyclical movement of the sun. For you, the zephyrs of the new season may already be blowing through your hair.

The tip of Earth on its axis causes the seasons. On the first day of spring or vernal equinox, we face the sun from the side and days and nights are approximately of equal length in both northern and southern hemispheres. Credit: Tao-olunga

On the first day of spring, Earth’s axis is oriented neither toward nor away from the sun. If the southern hemisphere represents the planet’s feet and northern hemisphere its head, tomorrow we’ll be showing the sun our belly or profile if you like. In winter, the northern hemisphere is tipped away from the sun with short days and a low, chilly sun. In summer, we’re tipped toward the sun with long days, a high sun and more heat than most of us need. But during the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, neither hemisphere has the solar advantage (or disadvantage) and equality rules. Days are 12 hours long, nights are 12 hours long.

The rising sun tomorrow will bring with it the start of the spring season in the northern hemisphere. Credit: Rick Klawitter

The sun also also rises due east and sets due west. If you’ve ever been puzzled by which direction is which in your neighborhood, face the sunset sun around the time of the equinoxes and stick out both your arms at your sides. Your right arm points due north, the left due south. Pretty handy, eh?

On the first day of spring the sun crosses the celestial equator, an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator onto the sky, moving north. As the sun moves north, it climbs higher and higher in the sky – with increasing daylight hours – until it’s highest on the first day of summer. Illustration: Bob King

Spring and fall are the in-between times when temperatures moderate and the sun rests for a brief moment between extremes. For folks living on the equator, tomorrow the sun will rise in the east and pass directly overhead at noon before declining in the west. Equatorial skywatchers will stand in their own shadows at local noon.

Take an imaginary flight to Earth’s south pole and tomorrow means something quite different. There the sun will hover along the horizon 24 hours straight, neither rising nor setting. Starting March 21, it won’t breach the horizon for another 6 months. What marks the start of spring for northerners means the beginning of fall for Australians and a temporary end of sunshine for itinerant Antarcticans.

As you’d expect, the situation is just the opposite at the north pole, where 6 months of daylight begins with tomorrow’s sunrise.

The sun sets due west tomorrow on the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Photo: Bob King

Our planet’s tilted axis combined with its yearly orbit makes such strange things happen here on the ground. Just think how monotonous the weather and daylight-length would be if our axis were straight up and down with no tilt. Our skewed planet is like an artist looking at the world from varied and surprising perspectives.

Spring also coincides with a series of fine morning passes of the International Space Station (ISS) for at least the U.S. and Canada. Less than an hour before spring’s start, the station will pass over northern Minnesota tomorrow morning. To find times when it’s visible from your location, log on to Heavens Above (which also provides excellent maps of its path in the sky) or key in your zip code at Spaceweather Satellite Flybys page. The ISS first appears in the western sky and moves eastward, appearing like a very bright, moving star.

Space Station times for Duluth, Minn. region:

* Tues. March 20 starting at 5:14 a.m. “Magically” appears out of Earth’s shadow high in the southern sky and moves east. Brilliant pass!
* Weds. March 21 at 5:58 p.m. across the northern sky
* Thurs. March 22 at 5:09 a.m. Exits Earth’s shadow at 5:09 a.m. above the North Star and moves eastward
* Fri. March 23 at 5:52 a.m. across the northern sky
* Sat. March 24 at 5:03 a.m. Exits Earth’s shadow just below the North Star and moves east
* Sun. March 25 at 5:46 a.m. across the northern sky

Space station and (maybe) auroras return to evening sky

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A gorgeous northern lights fills the sky over Faskrudsfjordur, Iceland earlier today Feb. 8, 2013. This image was taken by photographer Jónína Óskarsdóttir. Click the photo to see her eye-watering aurora photo gallery.

Alaskans, Norwegians and Icelanders have something in common this week beside the cold. They’ve all been watching displays of the northern lights which have bloomed over Arctic latitudes night after night since late January. I know they’d be happy to share the sight with us in the lower 48, and maybe they’ll have the chance.

Auroras might reach down into the northern U.S. sometime tonight through Sunday. There is a 35% chance for a major storm in far northern latitudes and a 10% chance for minor storming in the mid-north latitudes where much of the world lives. I interpret that to mean a glowing arc pierced by a few rays low in the northern sky.

While not exactly a big blast, it’s worth keeping an eye out for that greeny glow . Since the sun’s been very quiet lately, a solar flare is not behind the uptick in activity. Rather an enhancement in the solar wind is behind the current forecast.

Photo taken Feb. 1, 2013 from Quyta Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. Looks like it was ideal time for snow-angel-making under the aurora borealis. Credit and copyright: Yuichi Takasaka – www.blue-moon.ca

Joining the night scene will be the International Space Station. It returns to the evening sky for much of the U.S. and Canada starting tomorrow and continuing the next few weeks. Take note of the fine Valentine’s Day pass. The times below are for the Duluth, Minn. region. For times and directions to look for your town, type your zip code into Spaceweather’s Satellite Flybys page or log in to Heavens Above. You can also get free e-mail alerts via NASA’s Spot the Station.

* Sat. Feb. 9 starting at 7:20 p.m. Brief pass low in the southwestern sky
* Sun. Feb. 10 at  6:30 p.m. Travels across the southern sky below Orion
* Mon. Feb. 11 at 7:15 p.m. Brilliant pass up from the west into the southern sky. Disappears into Earth’s shadow below the planet Jupiter at 7:18 p.m.
* Tues. Feb. 12 at 6:24 p.m. Cuts across bottom of Orion’s Belt about 6:28 p.m.
* Weds. Feb. 13 at 7:10 p.m.  Brilliant pass! Just when the ISS is nearly overhead, it fades away as it enters Earth’s shadow about 7:13 p.m.
* Thurs. Valentine’s Day at 6:19 p.m. Bright pass high in the southern sky. Slides under the planet Jupiter about 6:22 p.m. Time it right, and you can give your sweetheart this celestial surprise gift during your night out on the town.

Tour the space station with Suni

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We’ve all seen photos and clips of the International Space Station (ISS), but you’ll really get to experience what living there is like when you take the video tour with astronaut Suni Williams. Williams, commander of the Expedition 33 crew that returned to Earth last November after a 4-month stint in space, worked with fellow astronaut Kevin Ford, to create the video days before her departure.

Although 25 minutes long, I got hooked after the first minute and couldn’t stop watching. She gives a great tour and explains everything in easy-to-understand language. You’ll learn about the food, exercise equipement, sleeping quarters and bathroom as you “swim” along with Suni from one node to the next inside the ISS.

This amazing image of astronauts inside the space station’s cupola (right) was captured by one of the Expedition 28 crew members. Brisbane, Australia is the bright patch of lights. You can also see green airglow and stars. Click for large version. Credit: NASA

Wait till you see Earth in the cupola’s windows. Or the exercise bike where you don’t need a seat. No seat? In zero-G, as long as your feet are locked in the toeclips, you can ride a seatless bike without falling on your butt. If you don’t care to watch the video straight through, you can view it in four separate episodes that include additional footage HERE.

Detail of a little painting or sticker on the wall in one of the bathrooms in the International Space Station. Grabbed from the video. Credit: NASA

There are still a few ISS passes in the coming days for U.S. observers. They all happen in morning twilight. If you’d like to find pass times for your town, click HERE and type in your zip code or simply have NASA drop you an e-mail with time and directions. Sign up for the free service at Spot the Station.

The times below are when the ISS will be visible across the Duluth, Minn. region. In a couple weeks, the station will return to the evening sky.

* Monday Jan.28 starting at 7:08 a.m. appearing low in the east-southeast
* Tuesday Jan. 29 at 6:18 a.m. Low pass across the south
* Wednesday Jan. 30 at 5:30 a.m. Brief appearance low in the south-southeast

Thin crescent moons and space station swings, these are a few of my favorite things

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The crescent moon greets sky watchers tonight in the western sky during twilight. Binoculars will show Mars very low above the horizon about an hour after sunset. Created with Stellarium

Two of our favorite sky objects are back. A fingernail crescent moon will scratch the sky at dusk and the space station begins another series of swing-bys  at  dawn.

Watch for the moon in the southwest during evening twilight. If you’re game for a challenge, use binoculars to find dim Mars about 7 degrees directly below the moon. Think of Curiosity up there poking around the rocks of Gale Crater in Yellowknife Bay. Can you believe it’s been there for 161 days already?

This image from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) shows the patch of rock cleaned by the first use of the rover’s Dust Removal Tool (DRT) on Jan. 6, 2013. Click to enlarge. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Last week the rover used its motorized, wire-bristle brush for the first time to dust off a rock in preparation for close-up inspection by the hand-lens imager and Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS). The APXS analyzes the elements that compose the rock by bombarding it with alpha particles (helium atoms) and X-rays and measuring what scatters back. Each element gives off its own distinctive energy fingerprint.

Expedition 34 crew members photographed an extensive blanket of stratocumulus clouds as they flew over the northwestern Pacific Ocean on Jan. 4, 2013. The cloud pattern is typical for this part of the world. The low clouds carry cold air over a warmer sea. Click to enlarge. Credit: NASA

Morning sky watchers again have the pleasure of tracking the International Space Station (ISS), now beginning a fresh series of passes before sunrise. Winter mornings make watching the space station easy compared to summer. With the sun rising so late, you can look for the station when you step out to pick up the paper or walk the dog. No getting up at 4 or 5 a.m. like you did during the summer months with its early sunrises and even earlier twilights.

The times below are for the Duluth, Minn. region. Check out times for your town at Spaceweather’s Satellite Flybys page or log in to Heavens-Above, where you can print out cool maps of the space station’s path in the sky. Look for the ISS to first appear in the west and travel east; a typical pass takes about 5 minutes.  It looks like a brilliant, steady yellow star on the move.

* Tomorrow Jan. 14 beginning at 6:55 a.m. High pass across the northern sky. Brilliant at magnitude -3.2
* Tues. Jan. 15 at 6:07 a.m. when it suddenly leaves Earth’s shadow in the western sky in Leo and travels across the top of the sky headed east. Brightest pass of the week at mag. -3.4
* Weds. Jan. 16 at 6:51 a.m. Nice pass across the northern sky
* Thurs. Jan. 17 at 6:03 a.m. Appears  suddenly out of Earth’s shadow halfway up in the northwestern sky moving east.
* Fri. Jan. 18 at 6:48 a.m. Full pass across the northern sky
* Sat. Jan. 19 at 6 a.m. First appears out of Earth’s shadow near the North Star moving east.

Closeup of the large sunspot region 1654 taken at 9 a.m. CST this morning Jan. 13, 2013 by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Solar storms or flares occur when powerful magnetic energy stored in the spots is explosively released.  Click to enlarge. Credit: NASA

The sun’s been looking pretty hot this past week. Lots of flares, including a few rated as moderately powerful M-class storms, have been popping off in the large sunspot group 1654. I see today that the Kp index, an indicator of magnetic activity around the Earth, is starting to climb again – just a little. The space weather forecast doesn’t predict any auroras minor or major in the next three days, but that could change if 1654 continues firing off flares as it rotates to face the Earth more directly.