Astronomy News for the Month of September 2023

	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.)

"Saturn holds court over a plethora of moons. Visible here are Dione (far left) Enceladus (near the rings' left edge), Mimas (in the shadow of the rings on the planet's left limb), Rhea (transiting near the north pole), Tethys (right of the rings), and Titan (lower right)." Astronomy Magazine, September 2023, P. 28. - NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

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

• The Moon passes 1.4° south of Neptune on the 1st.
• The Moon passes 3° north of Jupiter on the 4th.
• The Moon passes 3° north of Uranus on the 5th.
• The Moon passes 11° north of Venus on the 11th.
• The Moon passes 0.7° north of Mars on the 16th.
• The Moon passes 0.9° north of Antares on the 21st.
• The Moon passes 3° south of Saturn on the 26th.
• The Moon passes 1.4° south of Neptune on the 28th.

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

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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.

  (All times are local unless otherwise noted.)

  Planetary Highlights for SSeptember "Saturn continues to stun...Peak viewing season for the giant planets continues. Saturn is visible all night, at its best in the late evening. Jupiter rises later and dominates the early morning. Neptune reaches opposition near a 5th-magnitude star — grab binoculars to catch the best view of 2023. Uranus hovers between the Pleiades and Jupiter, offering good opportunities to catch this distant giant. Venus grows to greatest brilliancy before dawn — you can't miss it — and Mercury comes up to join it later in September." Astronomy Magazine, September 2023, P. 28.
  	Mercury Is in inferior conjunction on the 6th. Mercury is stationary on the 14th. Mercury is at greatest western elongation (18°) on the 22nd. Mercury sets at 7:30 p.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Mercury returns to the morning sky. Mercury rises about 5:44 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mercury in the morning sky after mid-month. Mercury moves from the constellation of Leo into Virgo shining at magnitude -1.0 on the 30th.
  	Venus Is stationary on the 2nd. Venus is at greatest brilliancy (magnitude -4.8) on the 19th. Venus rises at 4:33 a.m. on the 1st and about 3:22 a.m. by month's end. Look for Venus low to the east before sunrise. Venus moves from the constellation of Cancer into Leo shining at magnitude -4.8 on the 15th.
  	Earth Autumnal equinox occurs at 2:50 a.m. EDT on the 23rd.
  	Mars Sets at 8:30 p.m. on the 1st and about 7:18 p.m. by month's end. Look for Mars, low, on the western horizon in the evening soon after sunset. Mars is in the constellation of Virgo shining at magnitude 1.7 on the 15th.
  	Jupiter Is stationary on the 4th. Jupiter rises at 10:15 p.m. on the 1st and about 8:13 p.m. by month's end. Look for Jupiter in the evening to the southeast and morning to the south before sunrise. Jupiter is in the constellation of Aries shining at magnitude -2.7.
  	Saturn Rises at 7:17 p.m. on the 1st and about 5:15 p.m. by month's end. Saturn is still at its best viewing for the year. By the time the Sun sets, Saturn is high enough in the east to enjoy all evening and night as it traverses the heavens. Saturn is in the constellation of Aquarius shining at magnitude 0.5.
  	Uranus Rises at 10:32 p.m. on the 1st and about 8:32 p.m. by month's end. Uranus follows just about 15 minutes behind Jupiter. Uranus is in the constellation of Aries shining at magnitude 5.7.
  	Neptune Is at opposition on the 19th, rising as the Sun sets. Neptune rises at 8:11 p.m. on the 1st and about 6:11 p.m. by month's end. Neptune is at it's best viewing this month. Look for Neptune following Saturn by about an hour. Neptune is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 7.7.
  	Dwarf Planets
  	Ceres Sets at 9:43 p.m. on the 1st and about 8:12 p.m. by month's end. Look for Ceres to the southwest in the evening after sunset. Ceres moves from the constellation of Virgo into Libra shining at magnitude 9.0.
  	Pluto Sets at 3:01 a.m. on the 1st and about 1:01 a.m. by month's end. Look for Pluto in the south in the late evening when it is highest in the sky. Pluto is in the constellation of Sagittarius shining at magnitude 15.2. 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 Alpha Aurigids - This shower's duration seems to persist from August 25 to September 6. Maximum occurs on September 1. The annual maximum hourly rate may be as high as 9, but outbursts of over 30 occurred in 1935, 1986, and 1994, and observers recorded up to 130 meteors per hour in 2007. The Epsilon Perseids meteor shower is a relatively new meteor shower which can be observed from September 4 to September 14. The Epsilon Perseids peaks on the night of September 9, morning of September 10. Observers may expect to see up to 5 or 6 meteors per hour during the peak. 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 103P/Hartley 2 is passing through the constellation of Perseus this month. Comet Hartley 2 may brighten to about 8th magnitude this month. A 4-inch telescope or larger as well as dark skies will be needed to spot the comet. 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 Mars, Ceres and Pluto in the evening. Look for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in the evening and morning. Look for Venus in the morning.
  	Asteroids (From west to east) Eunomia is in the constellation of Sagittarius. Flora is in the constellation of Capricornus. Amphitrite is in the constellation of a Pisces. Melpomene is in the constellation of Cetus. Vesta is in the constellation of Orion. 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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  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 Sun
  July 30, 2023
  Image Courtesy of V. Parker Lessig (KØVL) & Cline Lessig
  

  Date:	July 30, 2023
  Telescope:	Lunt 60mm H-Alpha Solar Telescope
  Camera:	ZWO 178MM
  Gain:	102
  Exposure:	1.5 ms
  Frames:	500 stacked (2000 taken)
  Capture Software:	SharpCap
  Stacking Software:	AutoStakkert
  Processing Software:	IMPPG (primarily curves)

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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

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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 August 16, 2023 NASA's Lunar Trailblazer Gets Final Payload for Moon Water Hunt Full Article & Images "The spacecraft's Lunar Thermal Mapper science instrument will work with an imaging spectrometer to help researchers understand the nature of water on the Moon's surface. NASA's Lunar Trailblazer is nearing completion now that its second and final cutting-edge science instrument has been added to the small spacecraft. Built by the University of Oxford in England and contributed by the UK Space Agency, the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) joins the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3), which was integrated with the spacecraft late last year. Together, the instruments will enable scientists to determine the abundance, location, and form of the Moon's water." 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 August 31, 2023 Webb Reveals New Structures Within Iconic Supernova Full Article & Images "NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has begun the study of one of the most renowned supernovae, SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). Located 168,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, SN 1987A has been a target of intense observations at wavelengths ranging from gamma rays to radio for nearly 40 years, since its discovery in February of 1987. New observations by Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) provide a crucial clue to our understanding of how a supernova develops over time to shape its remnant." 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 July 26, 2023 NASA's Juno Is Getting Ever Closer to Jupiter's Moon Io Full Article & Images "The spinning, solar-powered spacecraft will take another look of the fiery Jovian moon on July 30. When NASA's Juno mission flies by Jupiter's fiery moon Io on Sunday, July 30, the spacecraft will be making its closest approach yet, coming within 13,700 miles (22,000 kilometers) of it. Data collected by the Italian-built JIRAM (Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper) and other science instruments is expected to provide a wealth of information on the hundreds of erupting volcanoes pouring out molten lava and sulfurous gases all over the volcano-festooned moon." 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 30, 2023 Astronomers Discover Planets in NASA Kepler's Final Days of Observations Full Article & Images "A team of astrophysicists and citizen scientists have identified what may be some of the last planets NASA's retired Kepler space telescope observed during its nearly decade-long mission. The trio of exoplanets — worlds beyond our solar system — are all between the size of Earth and Neptune and closely orbit their stars." 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 August 7, 2023 2023 Boulder Solar Alliance students shine Full Article & Images "Last week the Boulder Solar Alliance Research Experience for Undergraduates (https://lasp.colorado.edu/reu/) (BSA REU) program concluded its sixteenth summer session. Seventeen students from across the nation spent 10 weeks in Boulder, Colorado conducting professional research on a wide variety of solar and space physics topics. These ranged from characterizing active regions on the Sun (and their relevance to space weather forecasting), to engineering wire harnesses for a future CubeSat mission, to exploring the effects of a young Sun on the clouds of Venus."
  	MAVEN June 22, 2023 NASA's MAVEN Spacecraft Stuns with Ultraviolet Views of Red Planet Full Article & Images "NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission acquired stunning views of Mars in two ultraviolet images taken at different points along our neighboring planet's orbit around the Sun. By viewing the planet in ultraviolet wavelengths, scientists can gain insight into the Martian atmosphere and view surface features in remarkable ways. MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument obtained these global views of Mars in 2022 and 2023 when the planet was near opposite ends of its elliptical orbit." Visit LASP and MAVEN for more information.
  	Mars 2020 - Perseverance August 7, 2023 NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Flies Again After Unscheduled Landing Full Article & Images "The helicopter performed a short hop to help the team better understand why its previous flight was interrupted. NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter successfully completed its 54th flight on August 3, the first flight since the helicopter cut its July 22 flight short. The 25-second up-and-down hop provided data that could help the Ingenuity team determine why its 53rd flight ended early. Flight 53 was planned as a 136-second scouting flight dedicated to collecting imagery of the planet's surface for the Perseverance Mars rover science team. The complicated flight profile included flying north 666 feet (203 meters) at an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) and a speed of 5.6 mph (2.5 meters per second), then descending vertically to 8 feet (2.5 meters), where it would hover and obtain imagery of a rocky outcrop. Ingenuity would then climb straight up to 33 feet (10 meters) to allow its hazard divert system to initiate before descending vertically to touch down." Learn more about the Mars 2020 (Perseverance) mission.
  	Mars Science Laboratory - Curiosity August 29, 2023 Sols 3930-3931: Wrapping up at the Ridge Full Article & Images "Earth planning date: Friday, August 25, 2023 In the next 2 sols we are wrapping up our mini campaign at the upper Gediz Vallis Ridge (uGVR) that has been documented in previous blogs over the last week or so. Before we leave however, we want to collect as much data as we can! Next, Curiosity will be driving back to the nominal Mount Sharp Ascent Route (MSAR). We diverted from the MSAR back in June in order to navigate some tricky terrain, and then again briefly here at the uGVR." For information about NASA's partnership with Foursquare. Visit the Mars Science Laboratory page.
  	Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission April 25, 2023 NASA Retires Mineral Mapping Instrument on Mars Orbiter Full Article & Image "One of six instruments aboard the agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, CRISM produced global maps of minerals on the Red Planet's surface NASA switched off one of its oldest instruments studying Mars on April 3, a step that's been planned since last year. Riding aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, CRISM, or the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, revealed minerals such as clays, hematite (otherwise known as iron oxide), and sulfates across the Red Planet's surface for 17 years." 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 March 15, 2023 Engineers Keep an Eye on Fuel Supply of NASA's Oldest Mars Orbiter Full Article and Images "Measuring the fuel supply on Odyssey, a decades-old spacecraft without a fuel gauge, is no easy task. Since NASA launched the 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter to the Red Planet almost 22 years ago, the spacecraft has looped around Mars more than 94,000 times. That's about the equivalent of 1.37 billion miles (2.21 billion kilometers), a distance that has required extremely careful management of the spacecraft's fuel supply. This feat is all the more impressive given that Odyssey has no fuel gauge; engineers have had to rely on math instead." 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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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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  Read the Universe Today Newsletter by clicking on the logo.

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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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  Subscription Information

  • To subscribe: visit Astronews subscription page.

  • Email Newsletter archives

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  Keep looking UP!
  73 from KIØAR
  

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  Home of KIØAR
  created by Burness F. Ansell, III,
  Email me
  IAAS - COO, Director of Aerospace Technologies
  JPL Solar System Ambassador, Colorado
  last modified: September 01, 2023

  URL:http://www.ki0ar.com/astro.html