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KEPLER NIGHT LAUNCH:
NASA mission controllers say there is a 95% chance that the Kepler
spacecraft will lift off from Cape Canaveral tonight at 10:49
p.m. EST. The spectacular night launch will propel Kepler on a mission
to find Earth-like planets around other stars. [updates]
LULIN AND THE BEEHIVE:
Tonight, March 5th, Comet Lulin is having a close encounter with
the Beehive star cluster. Astrophotographer Doug
Zubenel reports from rural Kansas: "I stepped outside around
10 p.m. and discovered to my great delight a big gap in the cirrus
clouds with the Comet Lulin right in the middle. A 90-second exposure
with my Canon
Rebel XTi revealed the star cluster as well."
Next, Zubenel pointed his hand-ground 4.25" RFT (rich field
telescope) at the gap. "Wow! What a sight it was seeing the
bright green atmosphere of Comet Lulin in the same 3.5o
field of view as the Beehive Cluster. Even in the bright moonlight,
it was a good show."
UPDATED: Comet
Lulin Photo Gallery
[Comet
Hunter Telescope] [Sky maps: March
5, 6,
7]
MOON HALO ALERT:
The Moon is brightening in the evening sky--and that means it's
time to be alert for Moon halos. Stuart
Heggie of Flesherton, Ontario, saw this one on Wednesday night,
March 4th:
"It was intense," says Heggie. "The halo curving
through the bright stars of Orion was stunning to see!"
Moon halos are formed by moonlight passing through ice crystals
in high cirrus clouds. Generally speaking, bright Moons produce
bright halos, and that's why the nights ahead are a good time to
look. The Moon is waxing gibbous, producing plenty of light for
icy March clouds to bend as
shown.
more images: from
Ken Scott of Suttons Bay, Michigan; from
Abraham Tamas of Matrei, Austria; from
Laurent Laveder of Quimper, Bretagne, France; from
Rafael Schmall of Hungary, Somogy, Kaposfo; from
Zoltan Goda of Baja, Hungary; from
Martin Popek of Nydek, Czech Republic;
March
2009 Aurora Gallery
[previous Marches: 2008,
2007, 2006,
2005, 2004,
2003, 2002]
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the Sunspot Cycle
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