Where's Saturn? Is that a UFO--or the ISS? What's the name of that star? Get the answers from mySKY--a fun new astronomy helper from Meade. FLYING MOONDUST: New research by NASA scientists shows that moondust kicked up by the jets of lunar landers can go on a fantastic journey, completely circling the Moon before settling back to the ground. This interesting phenomenon may affect the planning of lunar outposts and other activities as NASA prepares its return to the Moon: full story. MOON WRITING: What do you do with a glaring light in the night sky? Write! "I wanted to take a special photo of tonight's full Moon," explains Saied Bahrami Nezhad of Kerman, Iran. "I started with a quick flash to expose the trees. Then, with the shutter of my Canon 400D held open, I slowly moved the camera and used the Moon to write 'space weather.'" "It was hard but enjoyable," he says. A tip for other moonwriters: The entire message took 54 seconds to compose with the camera set at ISO 100. Try it! more images: from Claus Vogel of Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada; from P-M Hedén of Vallentuna, Sweden; from Eric Walker of Conon Bridge, Highlands, Scotland; from Dave Eagle of Higham Ferrers, Northants. England. 3D SOLAR MINIMUM: The solar cycle is at low ebb; now is the time of "solar minimum." But even when the sun is blank and quiet, it can still leap out at you. Put on your 3D glasses and regard the following: "In 3D, the silent sun comes alive," says Greg Piepol of Rockville, Maryland, who created the anaglyph by combining images he captured through his Coronado SolarMax90. If you don't have 3D glasses, he advises, "a pair of red and blue astronomical filters will work, too." Click here for more 3D. Comet 17P/Holmes Photo Gallery [Interactive World Map of Comet Photos] [sky map] [ephemeris] [3D orbit] [Night Sky Cameras] |