Astronomy News for the Month of June 2024

Excerpts from JPL mission updates are provided as a public service as part of the JPL Solar System Ambassador/NASA Outreach program. For special JPL programs and presentations in your area visit the JPL Solar System Ambassador website. (Click on the logo to link to the JPL SSA homepage.)

"The Hubble Space Telescope captured this view of Titan (top) and Mimas (just above the rings) crossing Saturn together with their shadows as the gas giant approached its last ring-plane crossing in 2009. We are now less than a year from the next crossing." Astronomy Magazine, June 2024, p. 28. - NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STSCI/AURA); Acknowledgment: M.M. Wong (STSCI/UC Berkeley) and C. Go (Philippines)

The Month At-A-Glance
A calendar displaying the daily astronomical events.

• The Moon passes 2° north of Mars on the 2nd.
• Mercury passes 0.1° south of Jupiter on the 4th.
• The Moon passes 4° north of Uranus on the 4th.
• The Moon passes 5° north of Jupiter on the 5th.
• The Moon passes 0.5° south of asteroid Juno on the 13th.
• The Moon passes 1.2° north of Spica on the 16th.
• The Moon passes 0.3° north of Antares on the 20th.
• The Moon passes 1.0° north of dwarf planet Ceres on the 23rd.
• The Moon passes 0.08° north of Saturn on the 27th.
• The Moon passes 0.3° north of Neptune on the 28th.
• Mercury passes 5° south of Pollux on the 29th.

  For reference: The Full Moon subtends an angle of ~0.5°.

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  Experts Pick the Top Stargazing Events for 2024

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  The Planets & Dwarf Planets

  Planetary Reports generated by "TheSkyX" software. These reports provide predicted data for the planets for the first of each month for the current year. The rise and set times for the Sun and the Moon for each day of the month as well as meteor shower radiants are also included in the reports. These reports have been optimized for the Denver, Colorado location, however, the times will be approximate for other locations on Earth.

  (Times are Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) unless otherwise noted. Times will vary slightly depending on your location.)

  Planetary Highlights for June "June's pre-dawn sky finds six planets strung along the ecliptic, spanning 72° on the 1st. In order of increasing elongation from the Sun, they are Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn. A 24-day-old waning crescent Moon joins the line of objects, 16° east of Saturn. It's a great time to become acquainted with many planets all in one go, and during nice weather to boot. Some of the planets switch places early in the month, while the Moon wanders across the line over the span of four days. Most are visible to the unaided eye, though Mercury is challenging as its elongation quickly diminishes in bright twilight after the 1st. Uranus and Neptune both require binoculars to spot." Astronomy Magazine, June 2024, p. 28.
  	Mercury Is in superior conjunction on the 14th. Mercury rises at 4:50 a.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Mercury returns to the evening sky, setting about 9:47 p.m. by month's end. Look for Mercury low on the eastern horizon about 30 minutes before sunrise during the first week of June and above the western horizon about 30 minutes after sunset during the last week of June. Mercury moves from the constellation of Taurus into Cancer shining at magnitude -0.7 on the 30th.
  	Venus Is in superior conjunction on the 4th. After conjunction, Venus returns to the evening sky. Venus sets about 9:04 p.m. by month's end. Look for Venus low to the west about 30 minutes after sunset during the last half of June. Venus moves from the constellation of Taurus into Gemini shining at magnitude -3.9 on the 15th.
  	Earth Summer solstice occurs at 4:51 P.M. EDT on the 20th.
  	Mars Rises at 3:19 a.m. on the 1st and about 2:19 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mars to the southeast before sunrise. Mars moves from the constellation of Pisces into Aries shining at magnitude 1.0.
  	Jupiter Rises at 5:04 a.m. on the 1st and about 3:29 a.m. by month's end. Look for Jupiter to the southeast before sunrise. Jupiter is in the constellation of Taurus shining at magnitude -2.0.
  	Saturn Is stationary on the 30th. Saturn rises at 1:58 a.m. on the 1st and about 11:58 p.m. by month's end. Look to the south to spot Saturn early in the morning before sunrise. Saturn is in the constellation of Aquarius shining at magnitude 1.0.
  	Uranus Rises at 4:38 a.m. on the 1st and about 2:45 a.m. by month's end. Look to the southeast to spot Uranus preceding Jupiter by about a half hour. Uranus is in the constellation of Taurus shining at magnitude 5.8.
  	Neptune Rises at 2:21 a.m. on the 1st and about 12:24 a.m. by the end of the month. Look for Neptune before sunrise to the south. Neptune trails Saturn by about a half hour. Neptune is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 7.8.
  	Dwarf Planets
  	Ceres Rises at 11:21 p.m. on the 1st and about 9:13 p.m. by month's end. Ceres is visible in the early morning sky to the south. Ceres is in the constellation of Sagittarius shining at magnitude 7.7.
  	Pluto Rises at 11:52 p.m. on the 1st and about 9:53 p.m. by month's end. Pluto is visible to the south before dawn. Pluto is in the constellation of Capricornus shining at magnitude 15.1. As always, good luck at spotting Neptune, Ceres and Pluto, a large telescope and dark skies will be needed. Constellation information provided by Go Astronomy.

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  Astronomical Events

  	Meteor Showers The Arietids Meteor Showers - This is the strongest daylight meteor shower of the year. The duration extends from May 22 to July 2, with maximum activity occurring on June 8. The hourly rate is near 60 at maximum. The June Lyrids - This shower is active during June 10 to 21, producing predominantly blue and white meteors at a maximum hourly rate of 8 per hour on June 15. The average magnitude of this shower is near 3, while 32% of the meteors leave trains. The Zeta Perseids - This daylight shower occurs during May 20 to July 5. Maximum occurs on June 13. Radar surveys have revealed the activity of this shower to be near 40 per hour. The June Boötids - This shower is currently active during June 27 to July 5 and possesses a maximum of activity that falls on the 28th... The shower is notable in that its meteors are primarily faint, with an average magnitude near 5; however, bright meteors do occur regularly. Meteor Shower Radiant Report For more information about Meteor Showers, visit Gary Kronk's Meteor Showers Online web page. Meteor Scatter (or Meteor burst communications) - "is a radio propagation mode that exploits the ionized trails of meteors during atmospheric entry to establish brief communications paths between radio stations up to 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi) apart." Tune your shortwave or your HF amateur radio to 54.310 MHz SSB and see if you can hear any pings. Try other frequencies as well... 6m FT8 digital - 50.313 Mhz & 50.276 Mhz, JP-65 digital mode and the carrier frequencies of the lower VHF bands for TV channels 2, 3 & 4. Meteor Rx How-To by Terry Bullett (WØASP)
  	Comets Comet 13P/Olbers passes through the constellation of Auriga and Lynx, visible about 60 minutes after local sunset shining around 8th magnitude. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) shines around 9th magnitude to the south near the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Comet C/2021 S3 (PanSTARRS) shines around 10th magnitude in the constellation of Cepheus before sunrise. For information, orbital elements and ephemerides on observable comets, visit Observable Comets. For more information about Comets, visit Gary Kronk's Cometography.com webpage.
  	Eclipses Solar Eclipses No solar eclipse activity this month. Lunar Eclipses No lunar eclipse activity this month.
  	Observational Opportunities Look for Mercury and Venus in the evening to the west. Look for Ceres, Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Mars, Uranus and Jupiter in the morning to the south and east.
  	Asteroids (From west to east) Herculina is in the constellation of Virgo. Pallas is in the constellation of Corona Borealis. Harmonia is in the constellation of Capricornus. Iris is in the constellation of Aquarius. Information about the Minor Planets can be found at the Minor Planet Observer website.
  	Ocultations Information on various occultations can be found by clicking the IOTA logo.

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  Member Meteor Sightings

  In this section I will post meteor, fireball, etc sightings that have been published on the American Meteor Society's web site. I want to make this an active section of the web pages and newsletter and would like to publish the links to member sightings. If you have any published sightings, please provide me with the links and I will post them here for all to enjoy.

  Event ID	Date/Time	Location	Observer	Link
  3871-2015	2015-11-13 01:55 MST	CO	Charles N	3871a
  3587-2015	2015-11-22 17:38 MST	CO	Kevin S	3587aw
  3829-2015	2015-12-05 18:06 MST	CO	Burness A	3829a
  986-2020	2020-02-21 22:20 MST	CO	Lukas S	986
  3716-2020	2020-07-24 23:22 MDT	CO	Lukas S	3716
  4774-2021	2021-08-13 21:57 MDT	UT	Lukas S	4774
  7044-2021	2021-10-28 20:37 MDT	CO	Burness A	249058
  6763-2022	2022-10-06 05:56 CDT	OK	Mike C	6763
  5300-2023	2023-09-11 22:04 MDT	CO	Lukas S	5300
  578-2024	2024-01-28 23:05 MST	CO	Lukas S	578

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  Subscriber Gallery

  I have created a web page containing images taken and submitted by subscribers to the email newsletter, check-ins to the Colorado Astronomy Net and readers of the online newsletter. Any one wishing to submit their own images to the gallery, please let me know. The images must be taken by the submitter and be astronomy related. Please include a description and your information so that I can give proper credit to your work.

  Featured Images

  Our Active Sun - June 3, 2024
  
  Image Courtesy of Spaceweather.com
  Taken: June 3, 2024
  

  Sunspot AR3697 has a 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic
  field harbors energy for X-class solar flares.
  Credit: SDO/HMI

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  Planetary/Lunar Exploration Missions

  (Excerpts from recent JPL mission updates)

  	JPL Latest News The Latest from Space The Origin of JPL (a Youtube video-1 Hour 29 minutes). JPL Latest News May 29, 2024 NASA to Measure Moonquakes With Help From InSight Mars Mission Full Article & Images "The technology behind the two seismometers that make up NASA's Farside Seismic Suite was used to detect more than a thousand Red Planet quakes. The most sensitive instrument ever built to measure quakes and meteor strikes on other worlds is getting closer to its journey to the mysterious far side of the Moon. It's one of two seismometers adapted for the lunar surface from instruments originally designed for NASA's InSight Mars lander, which recorded more than 1,300 marsquakes before the mission's conclusion in 2022. Part of a payload called Farside Seismic Suite (FSS) that was recently assembled at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the two seismometers are expected to arrive in 2026 at Schrödinger basin, a wide impact crater about 300 miles (500 kilometers) from the Moon's South Pole. The self-sufficient, solar-powered suite has its own computer and communications equipment, plus the ability to protect itself from the extreme heat of lunar daytime and the frigid conditions of night." Read the latest news and discoveries from JPL's dozens of active space missions exploring Earth, the solar system and worlds beyond. Past, Present, Future and Proposed JPL Missions. For special JPL programs and presentations in your area visit the JPL Solar System Ambassador web site.
  	James Webb Space Telescope May 23, 2024 Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas Full Article & Images "Researchers analyzing data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have pinpointed three galaxies that may be actively forming when the universe was only 400 to 600 million years old. Webb's data shows these galaxies are surrounded by gas that the researchers suspect to be almost purely hydrogen and helium, the earliest elements to exist in the cosmos. Webb's instruments are so sensitive that they were able to detect an unusual amount of dense gas surrounding these galaxies. This gas will likely end up fueling the formation of new stars in the galaxies." More information on the James Webb Space Telescope mission is available at The James Webb Space Telescope website. The public can follow the mission on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
  	Juno May 15, 2024 NASA's Juno Provides High-Definition Views of Europa's Icy Shell Full Article & Images "Imagery from the solar-powered spacecraft shows some intriguing features on the ice-encased Jovian moon. Images from the JunoCam visible-light camera aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft supports the theory that the icy crust at the north and south poles of Jupiter's moon Europa is not where it used to be. Another high-resolution picture of the icy moon, by the spacecraft's Stellar Reference Unit (SRU), reveals signs of possible plume activity and an area of ice shell disruption where brine may have recently bubbled to the surface." Images from NASA's JunoCam. More information on the Juno mission is available at: Juno and Mission Juno. The public can follow the Juno mission on Facebook and Twitter.
  	TESS May 23, 2024 NASA's TESS Finds Intriguing World Sized Between Earth, Venus Full Article & Images "Using observations by NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and many other facilities, two international teams of astronomers have discovered a planet between the sizes of Earth and Venus only 40 light-years away. Multiple factors make it a candidate well-suited for further study using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. TESS stares at a large swath of the sky for about a month at a time, tracking the brightness changes of tens of thousands of stars at intervals ranging from 20 seconds to 30 minutes. Capturing transits ° brief, regular dimmings of stars caused by the passage of orbiting worlds ° is one of the mission's primary goals." For more information on the TESS mission, visit the Latest Tess Stories page.
  	Past, Present, Future and Proposed JPL Missions Visit JPL's mission pages for current status.

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  Mars Missions

  Be A Martian

  

  Mars website mobile version is here!

  	Mars on the Go! NASA Be A Martian Mobile App If you want the latest news as it happens, try out the "Be A Martian" app. Download on Mobile Devices Android | iPhone | Windows Phone
  	JMARS JMARS is an acronym that stands for Java Mission-planning and Analysis for Remote Sensing. It is a geospatial information system (GIS) developed by ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility to provide mission planning and data-analysis tools to NASA's orbiters, instrument team members, students of all ages, and the general public.
  	Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics "The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) began in 1948, a decade before NASA. We are the world's only research institute to have sent instruments to all eight planets and Pluto.
  	LASP May 16, 2024 LASP designated first Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies Full Article & Images "The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) has designated the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder a COSPAR Center of Excellence for Capacity Building in CubeSat Technologies. The partnership was announced by COSPAR President Pascale Ehrenfreund at a ceremony at LASP, which was attended by University of Colorado Boulder administrators, LASP senior leadership and scientists, and representatives from industry and NASA."
  	MAVEN April 29, 2024 NASA Scientists Gear Up for Solar Storms at Mars Full Article & Images "The Sun will be at peak activity this year, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts on the Red Planet. In the months ahead, two of NASA's Mars spacecraft will have an unprecedented opportunity to study how solar flares ° giant explosions on the Sun's surface ° could affect robots and future astronauts on the Red Planet. That's because the Sun is entering a period of peak activity called solar maximum, something that occurs roughly every 11 years. During solar maximum, the Sun is especially prone to throwing fiery tantrums in a variety of forms ° including solar flares and coronal mass ejections ° that launch radiation deep into space. When a series of these solar events erupts, it's called a solar storm." Visit LASP and MAVEN for more information.
  	Mars 2020 - Perseverance April 3, 2024 Rock Sampled by NASA's Perseverance Embodies Why Rover Came to Mars Full Article & Images "The 24th sample taken by the six-wheeled scientist offers new clues about Jezero Crater and the lake it may have once held. Analysis by instruments aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover indicate that the latest rock core taken by the rover was awash in water for an extended period of time in the distant past, perhaps as part of an ancient Martian beach. Collected on March 11, the sample is the rover's 24th – a tally that includes 21 sample tubes filled with rock cores, two filled with regolith (broken rock and dust), and one with Martian atmosphere." Learn more about the Mars 2020 (Perseverance) mission.
  	Mars Science Laboratory - Curiosity April 22, 2024 Why is Methane Seeping on Mars? NASA Scientists Have New Ideas Full Article & Images "The most surprising revelation from NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover — that methane is seeping from the surface of Gale Crater — has scientists scratching their heads. Living creatures produce most of the methane on Earth. But scientists haven't found convincing signs of current or ancient life on Mars, and thus didn't expect to find methane there. Yet, the portable chemistry lab aboard Curiosity, known as SAM, or Sample Analysis at Mars, has continually sniffed out traces of the gas near the surface of Gale Crater, the only place on the surface of Mars where methane has been detected thus far. Its likely source, scientists assume, are geological mechanisms that involve water and rocks deep underground. If that were the whole story, things would be easy. However, SAM has found that methane behaves in unexpected ways in Gale Crater. It appears at night and disappears during the day. It fluctuates seasonally, and sometimes spikes to levels 40 times higher than usual. Surprisingly, the methane also isn't accumulating in the atmosphere: ESA's (the European Space Agency) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, sent to Mars specifically to study the gas in the atmosphere, has detected no methane." Visit the Mars Science Laboratory page.
  	Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission March 8, 2024 Martian Barchan Dunes Full Article & Image "On Jan. 16, 2020, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured this image of two types of sand dunes on Mars: barchan and linear dunes. The small dots are called barchan dunes, and from their shape we can tell that they are upwind. The downwind dunes are long and linear. These two types of dune each show the wind direction in different ways: the barchans have a steep slope and crescent-shaped "horns" that point downwind, while the linear dunes are stretched out along the primary wind direction. Linear dunes, however, typically indicate at least two different prevailing winds, which stretch out the sand along their average direction. Barchan and linear dunes aren't just a Martian phenomenon — we can also see them on Earth. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have snapped photos of them occurring in Brazil and Saudi Arabia." MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER HIRISE IMAGES All of the HiRISE images are archived here. More information about the MRO mission is available online.
  	Mars Odyssey Orbiter November 28, 2023 NASA Orbiter Snaps Stunning Views of Mars Horizon Full Article and Images "The Odyssey orbiter captured clouds and dust in the Red Planet's skies, along with one of its two tiny moons. Astronauts often react with awe when they see the curvature of the Earth below the International Space Station. Now Mars scientists are getting a taste of what that's like, thanks to NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter, which completed its 22nd year at the Red Planet last month. The spacecraft captured a series of panoramic images that showcases the curving Martian landscape below gauzy layers of clouds and dust. Stitched end to end, the 10 images offer not only a fresh, and stunning, view of Mars, but also one that will help scientists gain new insights into the Martian atmosphere." Daily Mars Odyssey THEMIS Images Can be found at the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) website. Visit the Mars Odyssey Mission page.
  	Mars Missions Status New Mars missions are being planned to include several new rover and sample collection missions. Check out the Mars Exploration web page.

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  Astronomy Links and Other Space News

  (If you have a link you would like to recommend to our readers, please feel free to submit it.)

  

  Colorado Astronomy Links

  • Brighton Astronomy Group - Astronomy in Brighton, Colorado (under construction).

  • Cloudbait Observatory, Guffey Colorado - Submit your fireball reports here. Interesting, knowledgeable site.

  • Colorado Springs Astronomical Society - The Colorado Springs Astronomical Society (CSAS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the enjoyment of the nighttime sky.

  • Denver Astronomical Society - The Deep Space Exploration Society is a Colorado based nonprofit organization dedicated to practical astronomy and space science education for students, the general public, and society members.

  • Deep Space Exploration Society - Promotes the enjoyment and understanding of astronomical phenomena, history and lore by providing educational and observing opportunities for our members, general public, and outreach activities at the University of Denver's historic Chamberlin Observatory, schools, and nature centers.

  • Little Thompson Observatory - Begin or sustain your interest in astronomy at LTO! The night sky is wondrous, filled with countless swirling galaxies, the planets, the moon and so much more. Many of these sights are easily visible from Earth, but few people have witnessed them personally.

    The Little Thompson Observatory can change that for you. Our mission is to help people of all ages learn about the universe by offering a first-hand experience with astronomy...

  • National Space Science & Technology Institute - NSSTI runs the Star Light—Star Bright Observatory in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

  • Northern Colorado Astronomical Society - The Northern Colorado Astronomical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the science of astronomy and to encourage and coordinate activities of amateur astronomers.

  • Rocky Mountain Star Stare - The Premier Star Party in The Rocky Mountains

  • SkyWatchers - Coal Creek Canyon Sky Watchers - Coal Creek Canyon Sky Watchers is an astronomy and space exploration group that features expert presenters on topics such as the exploration of the Moon, Mars and other planets, international space exploration missions, as well as other astronomy topics. We established Sky Watchers in 2014 and usually have about 35 attendees at our meetings.

  • Southern Colorado Astronomical Society - The Southern Colorado Astronomical Society, CSU-P and the Pueblo Nature and Raptor Center welcomes everyone to participate in the discovery of our night sky.

  • Star Cruiser Bill's Astrophotography - Great astrophotography from Aurora Colorado.

  • Star Light-Star Bright Observatory - The observatory is part of the nonprofit National Space Science & Technology Institute's education and public outreach program.

    The goal of the Star Light—Star Bright Observatory, is to put the universe within reach of primary grade students and their teachers; along with being an educational asset for the community. The observatory is an educational project that was established in 2004 to serve young and old alike and provides the only free access to viewing the universe in the Pikes Peak Region.

  Radio Astronomy Links

  • AMSAT - The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, or AMSAT, is a worldwide group of Amateur Radio Operators (Hams)... AMSAT's goal is to foster Amateur Radio's participation in space research and communication.

  • National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NRAO - Radio Astronomy news and information.

  • Radio JOVE Project - Radio JOVE students and amateur scientists observe and analyze natural radio emissions of Jupiter, the Sun, and our galaxy.

  • Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers - The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) is an international society of dedicated enthusiasts who teach, learn, trade technical information, and do their own observations of the radio sky.

  More Astronomy Links

  • "TheSky" - Astronomy Software by Software Bisque. It's where discoveries are made. Where astronomers unravel the mysteries and reveal the beauty of space. At the heart of this search lies Software Bisque and its family of precision-crafted robotic telescope mounts, astronomy software solutions and embedded systems. Tools that help quench the astronomers' thirst for scientific breakthrough and personal enrichment the world over.

  • A Sea of Stars - Voyages of a Merchant Mariner & Amateur Astronomer - I'm a retired Navy veteran, currently sailing with the US Navy's Military Sealift Command as an Operations Chief. My dominant interests are science (esp. astronomy), history and photography, and I enjoy naval and military wargaming WHEN I can find the time.

  • A Short Guide to Celestial Navigation - Celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects — sun, moon, planets, or stars.

  • The ARRL - Amateur Radio Relay League - Information about amateur radio and how to become an amateur radio operator.

  • American Meteor Society - Provides amateur observers a place to learn about and report meteor, fireball and related sightings.

  • AstroBackyard - Welcome to the AstroBackyard Backyard of the Week! This is a place where we honor the hard work and dedication put into building an astrophotography rig to capture the glorious night sky. There are many ways to tackle this hobby, with varying types of telescopes, cameras, and mounts with one thing in common — they produce results!

  • Astrogirl Homepage - Astrogirl.org exists to educate, encourage and promote the hobby of amateur astronomy to people of all ages. It is the goal of this site to provide relevant information and resources to the amateur astronomer as an aid in their enjoyment of the night sky. It is a family-friendly, educational site and has been rated as a safe site for all ages.

  • Astronomia - Online web applications that use catalogues of astronomical objects. Applications and their description are also prepared in English.

  • Astronomy Picture of the Day - Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

  • Astronomy Resources - This site has some good links a young, interested student wishes to share.

  • Beginners Guide To Astrophotography - A Quick & Easy Tutorial Of How To Take DSLR Astro Photography

  • Be an Astronomer right from your Window - At-home astronomy techniques.

  • Black Hole Encyclopedia - Excellent site from StarDate - University of Texas McDonald Observatory

  • Caelum Observatory - The LARGEST dedicated public telescope in the Southwest at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter!

  • Celestron Telescopes - Celestron telescopes.

  • Citizen Science - Citizen Science Projects - NASA's citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public.

  • Clear Skies Observing Guides - CSOG, short for Clear Skies Observing Guides is a new concept in visual amateur astronomy. It is a digital publication that will enable observers to target all deepsky objects and carbon stars within reach of their equipment.

  • The Constellations of the Night Sky - Good site for finding out more about the 88 constellations and their associated stars. Links to the constellations mentioned in the newsletter can be found on this page.

  • CosmoQuest - The place where you map other worlds, explore out universe and contribute to science.

  • Distant Suns - Desktop Astronomy package for PCs.

  • Dwarf II Smart Telescope - Introducing DWARF II - the world's most portable smart telescope controlled by the mobile app DWARFLAB.

  • EarthSky - Astronomy news.

  • Go Astronomy - Links to constellations, noted in this newsletter, as well as to promote and educate people about amateur astronomy.

  • Heavens-Above - As the name implies - What's up in the heavens, particularly satellite passes.

  • The International Dark-Sky Association - To preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies.

  • informED: 10 Teaching Tools for Educators - informED - Teacher Resources.

  • Isa's Astrophotography Atelier - Isabel Streit's exceptional astrophotography web page.

  • iTelescope.net - iTelescope.Net is the world's premier network of Internet connected telescopes, allowing members to take astronomical images of the night sky for the purposes of education, scientific research and astrophotography.

  • JPL Solar System Ambassador Program - "Volunteers Bringing the Solar System to the Public"

  • JPL Solar System - Jet Propulsion Laboratory information on our solar system.

  • K8JTK.ORG - Welcome to the home page of Jeffrey Kopcak. You will find pages and posts I wrote about my hobbies, interests, projects, and things I'm involved in.

  • Kids Space Center - Telescopes and Astronomy - Another site suggested by a young student - Great info about telescopes.

  • Mars Exploration, Mars Rovers Information, Facts, News, Photos - National Geographic - Mars Exploration - Investigating the Red Planet.

  • Meade Advanced Products Users Group - Mapug-Astronomy Topical Archive & information resource, containing a massive 335 page archive of discussions about Meade equipment, and much more: observatories, observing lists, permanent piers, equatorial wedges, remote operations, software, eyepieces, etc.

  • NASA - Lunar and Planetary Science - General information, Missions to Comets, Data, Press Releases, Meteors and Meteorites, Other topics of Interest.

  • NASA Science News - NASA missions, updates, astronomy news, excellent resource.

  • National Archives info on space exploration - Archives Library Information Center (ALIC) - Space Exploration - Information about the United States' space flight programs, including NASA missions and the astronauts who participate in the efforts to explore space.

  • Phys.org - Science News including Nanotechnology, Physics, Earth, Astronomy & Space, Technology, Chemistry, Biology and Other Sciences.

  • Predictions for Solar and Lunar Eclipses - A website dedicated to predictions and information on eclipses of the Sun and Moon.

  • Sky360 - What's in our skies? - Observational Citizen Science of Earth's Atmosphere and Beyond.

  • Skymaps.com - Free sky maps each month.

  • SKY-MAP.ORG - The main purpose of SKY-MAP is to consolidate astronomical, astrophysical and other information about different space objects and astrophysical facts.

  • Space.com - Interesting space and astronomy articles.

  • Spaceflight Now - Launches and satellite news.

  • SpaceLinks/Space Careers - SPACELINKS is a specialist staffing consultancy sourcing and supplying high caliber professionals for a wide range of world class organizations in the Space and Defense industry.

  • "SpaceRef.com" - SpaceRef's 21 news and reference web sites are designed to allow both the novice and specialist alike to explore outer space and Earth observation.

  • Space Weather - Check out what the sun is doing as seen from space.

  • Stellarium - Free, downloadable planetarium/astronomy software.

  • Sterling Images - Images both celestial and terrestrial by Sterling "Rip" Smith (K3XO).

  • Telescope Live - The New Home for Astrophotography and Remote Imaging - Online access to a global network of 10 robotic telescopes.

  • The Most Expensive & Amazing Telescopes In History - Some of the most expensive and amazing telescopes in history - From The Hub Post.

  • The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography - Looking up into the night sky with just your eyes and maybe a telescope is amazing on its own. But it can be even better when you photograph and record it for your memories.

  • Top 50 Astronomy NASA Photos of All Time - A list of the most interesting moments in the history of science - From The Hub Post.

  • Ultimate Resource Guide for Astronomy - The resources we have provided below cover everything from discussing what astronomy is all the way to social media groups that focus on this popular and interesting topic. Use this resource guide for finding some great sites on astronomy whether you are a teacher looking for lesson plan ideas, a student wanting to brush up on their knowledge, a college student looking for a career or you just love the stars and want the most from your experiences.

  • UniverseToday - Short, interesting articles about space and related topics.

  • Wildcat Astronomy - Astrophotography by James Paulson - Planetary and Deep Sky imaging at its best. Check out the Blog as well as the images for tips and tricks of astrophotography.

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  Astronomical Lexicon

  Definitions of astronomical terms. Many of the astronomical terms used in this newsletter are defined here.

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  Acknowledgments and References

  Much of the information in this newsletter is from Astronomy® Magazine (Kalmbach Publishing), JPL mission status reports, the Internet, "Meteor Showers - A descriptive Catalog" by Gary W. Kronk, Sky & Telescope web pages, and other astronomical sources that I have stashed on my bookshelves.

  The author will accept any suggestions, constructive criticisms, and corrections. Please feel free to send me any new links or articles to share as well. I will try to accommodate any reasonable requests. Please feel free to send questions, comments, criticisms, or donations to the email address listed below. Enjoy!

  More Acknowledgements and References

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  Keep looking UP!
  73 from KIØAR
  

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  IAAS - COO, Director of Aerospace Technologies
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  last modified: June 01, 2024

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