| 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. |
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SHUTTLE LAUNCH:
Space shuttle Atlantis left Earth this afternoon on an 11-day mission
to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA officials say it
was a safe and successful launch. The shuttle will deliver the 23,000-lb
Columbus science laboratory to the ISS, and the crew of Atlantis
will help install it: full
story.
SOLAR ECLIPSE:
This morning, the Moon passed in front of the sun, off-center, producing
a partial solar eclipse visible from Antarctica, New Zealand and
parts of Australia. Amateur astronomer Andy
Dodson sends the following from Huirangi, New Zealand:
"This is the view through my Coronado
PST at maximum eclipse," says Dodson. As beautiful as it
was "my neighbor's daughter enjoyed our 'tin man' even more.
We poked holes in a little man fashioned from aluminum foil and
his eyes projected two images of the eclipse in progress."
"We were lucky to have cloudless skies for the
entire two hour event."
Meanwhile at the South Pole, "the ambient temperature
was -58 degrees F with a wind chill of -90," reports Dave Feldt
who braved the elements to take these
pictures from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. "I
used my digital camera fitted with a filter homemade from two layers
of aluminized mylar."
more images: from
Graham Palmer of Taradale, New Zealand; from Troy Arkley of
Wellington, New Zealand; from
Jonathan Harris of Porirua, New Zealand; from
David of Canberra, Australia; from
Andrew Dallow of West Melton Observatory, Canterbury New Zealand
Animated
map of the Solar Eclipse
SUN PILLAR:
Breakfasting at dawn? Look up from your feed and behold the sky:
On Jan. 22nd a bright sun
pillar sprung up over the pastures of Southington, Ohio. "It
was a cold, overcast morning," says photographer Richard Pirko.
Plate-shaped ice
crystals fluttering to Earth from high clouds reflected the
rays of the rising sun and spread them into a golden column of light.
Dawn is a marvelous time to see pillars; all you need is a few clouds,
a dash of wintry ice, and a pause between mouthfuls.
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