Fone IAAS Monthly Astronomy Newsletter

Astronomy News for the Month of March 2023

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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.)

In this Newsletter...

The Month - At-A-Glance
Moon
Planets & Dwarf Planets

Planetary Highlights
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Ceres
Pluto

Astronomical Events

Meteor Showers
Comets
Occultations
Eclipses
Asteroids
Observational Opportunities

Subscriber Gallery
Member Meteor Sightings
Planetary/Lunar Exploration Missions

JPL Latest News
James Webb Space Telescope
Juno
New Horizons
TESS

Mars Missions

JMARS
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
LASP
Maven
Mars 2020 - Perseverance
Mars Science Laboratory - Curiosity
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission
Mars Odyssey Orbiter
Journey to Mars
Mars Missions Status

Astronomy Links and Other Space News

Colorado Astronomy Links
Radio Astronomy Links
Other Astronomy Links

Astronomical Lexicon
UniverseToday
Acknowledgments and References
Subscription Information

Newsletter Archives
Items of Special Interest to Ham Radio Operators
IAAS News
Web Sites of Interest

Background screen credits: NGC5775
Imaged March 21/22, 2001
using the 16" Kitt Peak Visitors Center telescope
as part of the Kitt Peak Advanced Observing Program.

"Jupiter and Venus come close in a conjunction early this month, as they did in the sky above Honolulu in June 2015." Astronomy Magazine, March 2023, P. 28. Daniel Ramirez

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

The Moon

Phases

Full Moon occurs on the 7th.
Last Quarter Moon occurs on the 14th.
New Moon occurs on the 21st.
First Quarter Moon occurs on the 28th.

Apogee/Perigee

The Moon is at Apogee (252,207 miles from Earth) on the 3rd.
The Moon is at Perigee (225,369 miles from Earth) on the 19th.
The Moon is at Apogee (251,605 miles from Earth) on the 31st.

Moon/Planet Pairs

Venus passes 0.5° north of Jupiter on the 2nd.

The Moon passes 4° south of Saturn on the 19th.

The Moon passes 0.5° south of Jupiter on the 22nd.

The Moon passes 0.1° south of Venus on the 24th.

The Moon passes 1.5° north of Uranus on the 24th.

The Moon passes 2° north of Mars on the 28th.

Mercury passes 1.5° north of Jupiter on the 28th.

Venus passes 1.3° north of Uranus on the 31st.

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 March "March opens with a stunning pair of bright planets in conjunction in the western sky. Jupiter and Venus hang together in the evening, shining at magnitude -2.1 and -3.9, respectively. On March 1, they stand a Moon's-width apart, so it's worth getting to a location with clear skies for this conjunction. Two other conjunctions occur this month: between Venus and Uranus, and between Mercury and Jupiter. Uranus is a binocular object high in the southwest among the stars of Aries. Much brighter is Mars in neighboring Taurus, now a receding and fading object but nonetheless a stunning addition to this region. Mercury and Saturn lie in the morning sky; at first, both are too close to the Sun to be seen. Mercury transitions to the evening sky in late March." Astronomy Magazine, March 2023, P. 28.
	Mercury Is in superior conjunction on the 17th. Mercury rises at 6:12 a.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Mercury returns to the evening sky. Mercury sets at 8:14 p.m. by month's end. For northern hemisphere observers, due to the low angle of the ecliptic, Mercury is lost in the Sun's morning glow. On the 2nd, Mercury and Saturn are in conjunction, but, again, this event is lost to northern observers. However, observers south of the equator may have a better chance. Mercury moves from the constellation of Aquarius into Pisces shining at magnitude -1.2 on the 31st.
	Venus Sets at 8:23 p.m. on the 1st and about 10:34 p.m. by month's end. Venus continues to climb higher in the western sky as the month progresses. Venus is in conjunction with Jupiter on the 2nd. Look for Venus to the west soon after sunset. Venus moves from the constellation of Pisces into Aries shining at magnitude -4.0 on the 15th.
	Earth The Vernal equinox occurs at 5:24 P.M. EDT on the 20th. Daylight Saving Time begins for most of the U.S. at 2 a.m. on the 12th. Many other countries institute DST as well. Check the linked website.
	Mars Sets at 2:13 a.m. on the 1st and about 2:14 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mars in the southern sky in the evening soon after sunset. Mars moves from the constellation of Taurus into Gemini shining at magnitude 0.7 on the 15th.
	Jupiter Sets at 8:23 p.m. on the 1st and about 7:57 p.m. by month's end. Look for Jupiter in the southwest soon after sunset. Jupiter meets Venus on the 2nd and then meets Mercury on the 27th. Jupiter is rapidly approaching the western horizon, so now is a good time to get out there and take a look at Jupiter in the early evening before it returns to the morning sky. Jupiter is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude -2.1.
	Saturn Rises at 6:12 a.m. on the 1st and about 5:19 a.m. by month's end. Even though Saturn has returned to the morning sky, it will still be difficult to spot for most of the month. Saturn is in the constellation of Aquarius shining at magnitude 0.9.
	Uranus Sets at 11:13 p.m. on the 1st and about 10:17 p.m. by month's end. Look for Uranus in the southwest once the skies darken after sunset. Uranus is in conjunction with Venus on the 31st. Uranus is in the constellation of Aries shining at magnitude 5.8.
	Neptune Is in conjunction with the Sun on the 15th. Neptune sets at 6:56 p.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Neptune returns to the morning sky, rising around 6:14 a.m. by month's end. Neptune is too close to the Sun to be spotted this month as it is lost in the twilight glow of evening and morning. Neptune is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 7.8.
	Dwarf Planets
	Ceres Is at opposition on the 21st, rising as the Sun sets. Ceres rises at 7:16 p.m. on the 1st and about 5:41 p.m. by month's end. Look for Ceres to the southeast in the evening and early morning hours before sunrise. Ceres is in the constellation of Coma Berenices shining at magnitude 7.0.
	Pluto Rises at 4:49 a.m. on the 1st and about 3:50 a.m. by month's end. Pluto is is still low in the morning skies but viewing will be better by month's end. Pluto is in the constellation of Capricornus 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 There are a few minor meteor showers but none that produce rates much higher than 2-5 per hour, except the Gamma Normids that extend over the period of March 11 to 21, with the maximum occurring on March 16. The maximum rate reaches about 5-9 meteors per hour. 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 < href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteors">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 C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has dimmed to 10th magnitude as it descends toward the southern horizon, passing near the feet of Orion. Comet "ZTF displays a broad but short diffuse fan of dust spreading northward, with a sharp southern flank. Before moonrise on the evening of March 10, the comet is a mere 10' from the star-filled spiral galaxy NGC 1637." Excerpt from Astronomy Magazine, March 2023, p.34. For information, orbital elements and ephemerides on observable comets, visit the Observable Comets page from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. 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 Venus, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mars in the evening. Look for Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in the evening.
	Asteroids (From west to east) Vesta is in the constellation of Pisces. Juno is in the constellation of Cetus. Pallas is in the constellation of Monoceros. Hebe is in the constellation of Gemini. 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

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
January 2023
Isabel Streit

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
For more information on Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) please visit Isa's Comet page.

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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 February 23, 2023 Study Finds Venus' 'Squishy' Outer Shell May Be Resurfacing the Planet Full Article & Images "The research uses archival NASA data to show that Venus may be losing heat from geologic activity in regions called coronae, possibly like early tectonic activity on Earth. Earth and Venus are rocky planets of about the same size and rock chemistry, so they should be losing their internal heat to space at about the same rate. How Earth loses its heat is well known, but Venus' heat flow mechanism has been a mystery. A study that uses three-decade-old data from NASA's Magellan mission has taken a new look at how Venus cools and found that thin regions of the planet's uppermost layer may provide an answer." 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 February 16, 2023 NASA's Webb Reveals Intricate Networks of Gas and Dust in Nearby Galaxies Full Article & Images "Researchers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are getting their first look at star formation, gas, and dust in nearby galaxies with unprecedented resolution at infrared wavelengths. The data has enabled an initial collection of 21 research papers which provide new insight into how some of the smallest-scale processes in our universe — the beginnings of star formation — impact the evolution of the largest objects in our cosmos: galaxies. The largest survey of nearby galaxies in Webb's first year of science operations is being carried out by the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) collaboration, involving more than 100 researchers from around the globe. The Webb observations are led by Janice Lee, Gemini Observatory chief scientist at the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab and affiliate astronomer at the University of Arizona in Tucson." 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 January 27, 2023 NASA's Juno Team Assessing Camera After 48th Flyby of Jupiter Full Article & Images "Engineering data is being evaluated to determine why the majority of images taken by the solar-powered orbiter's JunoCam were not acquired. The JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft did not acquire all planned images during the orbiter's most recent flyby of Jupiter on Jan. 22. Data received from the spacecraft indicates that the camera experienced an issue similar to one that occurred on its previous close pass of the gas giant last month, when the team saw an anomalous temperature rise after the camera was powered on in preparation for the flyby." 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.
	New Horizons November 14, 2022 New Horizons 'MOM' Lauded for STEM Leadership Full Article & Images "Alice Bowman recalls seeking out a campus television to watch the first space shuttle launch in 1981 and, a few years later, making the few-hour trek from her Pasadena apartment to Edwards Air Force Base to see a shuttle landing. She also remembers the "horrible and unfathomable" experience of watching Challenger break apart minutes after launch in 1986. That fascination with space inspired an impressive career in space science, and recently, Bowman, from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), was honored by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) with the 2022 Resnik Challenger Medal. Founded in memory of Judith Resnik, who died in the Challenger disaster, the medal is one of SWE's most prestigious honors, awarded only as merited for visionary contributions to space programs." New Horizons gallery Find New Horizons in the iTunes App Store. For more information on the New Horizons mission - the first mission to the ninth planet - visit the New Horizons home page.
	TESS January 10, 2023 NASA's TESS Discovers Planetary System's Second Earth-Size World Full Article & Images "Using data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, scientists have identified an Earth-size world, called TOI 700 e, orbiting within the habitable zone of its star — the range of distances where liquid water could occur on a planet's surface. The world is 95% Earth's size and likely rocky. Astronomers previously discovered three planets in this system, called TOI 700 b, c, and d. Planet d also orbits in the habitable zone. But scientists needed an additional year of TESS observations to discover TOI 700 e. "This is one of only a few systems with multiple, small, habitable-zone planets that we know of," said Emily Gilbert, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California who led the work. "That makes the TOI 700 system an exciting prospect for additional follow up. Planet e is about 10% smaller than planet d, so the system also shows how additional TESS observations help us find smaller and smaller worlds." " 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 WEATHER
Mars Daily Weather Report

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 combines all aspects of space exploration through our expertise in science, engineering, mission operations, and scientific data analysis. As part of CU, LASP also works to educate and train the next generation of space scientists, engineers and mission operators by integrating undergraduate and graduate students into working teams. Our students take their unique experiences with them into government or industry, or remain in academia to continue the cycle of exploration.
LASP is an affiliate of CU-Boulder AeroSpace Ventures, a collaboration among aerospace-related departments, institutes, centers, government labs, and industry partners."

LASP
January 30, 2023
CU Boulder leads in NASA astrophysics technology grants to universities
Full Article & Images
"A new NASA report shows that the University of Colorado Boulder is the top university recipient of NASA astrophysics technology grants. The majority of this funding was granted to researchers at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA), a center affiliated with the university's Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences (APS) Department."

MAVEN
February 14, 2023
A love letter to MAVEN for Valentine's Day
Full Article & Images
"To Our Dearest MAVEN,
How can we even begin to put in words how much we adore you? You're always the romantic, carrying a ROSE (Radio Occultation Science Experiment) wherever you go. We can't stand being SEParated from your data — it truly SWEAps us off our feet!
You are always collecting data for us to understand the evolution of Mars' atmosphere, especially "the one that got away". NGIMS-us goosebumps every time we learn something new about Mars. We cannot get over your MAGnetic personality and we are always ecSTATIC to see what data you collected. You are always doing deep dips into our hearts, helping us explore the Red Planet more and more.
MAVEN, you've taught us to be patient. Years and tears, highs and lows, long nights debugging code. All worth it to watch you, our darling MAVEN, soar off the launchpad and into the history books. Most of all, you brought us together a team that loves learning, hard work, and scientific integrity to boot! Thank you, MAVEN, and Happy Valentine's Day.
Love,
The MAVEN Team"
Visit LASP and MAVEN for more information.

Mars 2020 - Perseverance
February 17, 2023
NASA's Perseverance Rover Set to Begin Third Year at Jezero Crater
Full Article & Images
"After completing the first sample depot on another world, the rover continues its hunt for Mars rocks worthy of study on Earth.
NASA's Perseverance rover will celebrate its second anniversary on the surface of Mars Saturday, Feb. 18. Since arriving at Jezero Crater in 2021, the six-wheeled, nuclear-powered rover has been examining geologic features and collecting samples of the Red Planet that are central to the first step of the NASA-ESA (European Space Agency) Mars Sample Return campaign. Scientists want to study Martian samples with powerful lab equipment on Earth to search for signs of ancient microbial life and to better understand the processes that have shaped the surface of Mars."
Learn more about the Mars 2020 (Perseverance) mission.

Mars Science Laboratory - Curiosity
February 8, 2023
NASA's Curiosity Finds Surprise Clues to Mars' Watery Past
Full Article & Images
"Among other discoveries made by the rover, rippled rock textures suggest lakes existed in a region of ancient Mars that scientists expected to be drier.
When NASA's Curiosity rover arrived at the "sulfate-bearing unit" last fall, scientists thought they'd seen the last evidence that lakes once covered this region of Mars. That's because the rock layers here formed in drier settings than regions explored earlier in the mission. The area's sulfates — salty minerals — are thought to have been left behind when water was drying to a trickle."
For information about NASA's partnership with Foursquare.
Visit the Mars Science Laboratory page.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission
June 28, 2022
Help NASA Scientists Find Clouds on Mars
Full Article & Image
"By identifying clouds in data collected by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the public can increase scientists' understanding of the Red Planet's atmosphere.
NASA scientists hope to solve a fundamental mystery about Mars' atmosphere, and you can help. They've organized a project called Cloudspotting on Mars that invites the public to identify Martian clouds using the citizen science platform Zooniverse. The information may help researchers figure out why the planet's atmosphere is just 1% as dense as Earth's even though ample evidence suggests the planet used to have a much thicker atmosphere.
The air pressure is so low that liquid water simply vaporizes from the planet's surface into the atmosphere. But billions of years ago, lakes and rivers covered Mars, suggesting the atmosphere must have been thicker then.
How did Mars lose its atmosphere over time? One theory suggests different mechanisms could be lofting water high into the atmosphere, where solar radiation breaks those water molecules down into hydrogen and oxygen (water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom). Hydrogen is light enough that it could then drift off into space."
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
December 22, 2022
NASA Explores a Winter Wonderland on Mars
Full Article and Images
"Cube-shaped snow, icy landscapes, and frost are all part of the Red Planet's coldest season.
When winter comes to Mars, the surface is transformed into a truly otherworldly holiday scene. Snow, ice, and frost accompany the season's sub-zero temperatures. Some of the coldest of these occur at the planet's poles, where it gets as low as minus 190 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 123 degrees Celsius).
Cold as it is, don't expect snow drifts worthy of the Rocky Mountains. No region of Mars gets more than a few feet of snow, most of which falls over extremely flat areas. And the Red Planet's elliptical orbit means it takes many more months for winter to come around: a single Mars year is around two Earth years."
Daily Mars Odyssey THEMIS Images
Can be found at the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) website.
The Odyssey data are available through a new online access system established by the Planetary Data System.
Visit the Mars Odyssey Mission page.

Journey to Mars - InSight - Revealing the Heart of Mars
December 21, 2022
NASA Retires InSight Mars Lander Mission After Years of Science
Full Article and Images
"The mission has concluded that the solar-powered lander has run out of energy after more than four years on the Red Planet.
NASA's InSight mission has ended after more than four years of collecting unique science on Mars.
Mission controllers at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California were unable to contact the lander after two consecutive attempts, leading them to conclude the spacecraft's solar-powered batteries have run out of energy — a state engineers refer to as "dead bus."
NASA had previously decided to declare the mission over if the lander missed two communication attempts. The agency will continue to listen for a signal from the lander, just in case, but hearing from it at this point is considered unlikely. The last time InSight communicated with Earth was Dec. 15."
Interactive selection of raw images taken by the cameras aboard InSight.
Learn more about the InSight Mission.

Mars Missions Status
New Mars missions are being planned to include several new rover and sample collection missions. Check out the Mars Missions web page and the Mars Exploration 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

Sangre Stargazers - We are a group of individuals interested in amateur astronomy most of whom live in the Wet Mountain Valley of Custer County, Colorado, where the Sangre de Cristo Mountains meet the stars on the western horizon.

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.

HighQ Software Group - Blog of Ralph Boyd, Software engineer, amateur radio operator, radio astronomer.

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

Radio Astronomy Research Posts - Radio Astronomy Research news posts and observations.

Radio Astronomy Supplies - Radio Astronomy Supplies, the International leader in research radio telescopes for universities, observatories and individual.

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.

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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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: March 01, 2023

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

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

	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 combines all aspects of space exploration through our expertise in science, engineering, mission operations, and scientific data analysis. As part of CU, LASP also works to educate and train the next generation of space scientists, engineers and mission operators by integrating undergraduate and graduate students into working teams. Our students take their unique experiences with them into government or industry, or remain in academia to continue the cycle of exploration. LASP is an affiliate of CU-Boulder AeroSpace Ventures, a collaboration among aerospace-related departments, institutes, centers, government labs, and industry partners."
	LASP January 30, 2023 CU Boulder leads in NASA astrophysics technology grants to universities Full Article & Images "A new NASA report shows that the University of Colorado Boulder is the top university recipient of NASA astrophysics technology grants. The majority of this funding was granted to researchers at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA), a center affiliated with the university's Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences (APS) Department."
	MAVEN February 14, 2023 A love letter to MAVEN for Valentine's Day Full Article & Images "To Our Dearest MAVEN, How can we even begin to put in words how much we adore you? You're always the romantic, carrying a ROSE (Radio Occultation Science Experiment) wherever you go. We can't stand being SEParated from your data — it truly SWEAps us off our feet! You are always collecting data for us to understand the evolution of Mars' atmosphere, especially "the one that got away". NGIMS-us goosebumps every time we learn something new about Mars. We cannot get over your MAGnetic personality and we are always ecSTATIC to see what data you collected. You are always doing deep dips into our hearts, helping us explore the Red Planet more and more. MAVEN, you've taught us to be patient. Years and tears, highs and lows, long nights debugging code. All worth it to watch you, our darling MAVEN, soar off the launchpad and into the history books. Most of all, you brought us together a team that loves learning, hard work, and scientific integrity to boot! Thank you, MAVEN, and Happy Valentine's Day. Love, The MAVEN Team" Visit LASP and MAVEN for more information.
	Mars 2020 - Perseverance February 17, 2023 NASA's Perseverance Rover Set to Begin Third Year at Jezero Crater Full Article & Images "After completing the first sample depot on another world, the rover continues its hunt for Mars rocks worthy of study on Earth. NASA's Perseverance rover will celebrate its second anniversary on the surface of Mars Saturday, Feb. 18. Since arriving at Jezero Crater in 2021, the six-wheeled, nuclear-powered rover has been examining geologic features and collecting samples of the Red Planet that are central to the first step of the NASA-ESA (European Space Agency) Mars Sample Return campaign. Scientists want to study Martian samples with powerful lab equipment on Earth to search for signs of ancient microbial life and to better understand the processes that have shaped the surface of Mars." Learn more about the Mars 2020 (Perseverance) mission.
	Mars Science Laboratory - Curiosity February 8, 2023 NASA's Curiosity Finds Surprise Clues to Mars' Watery Past Full Article & Images "Among other discoveries made by the rover, rippled rock textures suggest lakes existed in a region of ancient Mars that scientists expected to be drier. When NASA's Curiosity rover arrived at the "sulfate-bearing unit" last fall, scientists thought they'd seen the last evidence that lakes once covered this region of Mars. That's because the rock layers here formed in drier settings than regions explored earlier in the mission. The area's sulfates — salty minerals — are thought to have been left behind when water was drying to a trickle." For information about NASA's partnership with Foursquare. Visit the Mars Science Laboratory page.
	Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission June 28, 2022 Help NASA Scientists Find Clouds on Mars Full Article & Image "By identifying clouds in data collected by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the public can increase scientists' understanding of the Red Planet's atmosphere. NASA scientists hope to solve a fundamental mystery about Mars' atmosphere, and you can help. They've organized a project called Cloudspotting on Mars that invites the public to identify Martian clouds using the citizen science platform Zooniverse. The information may help researchers figure out why the planet's atmosphere is just 1% as dense as Earth's even though ample evidence suggests the planet used to have a much thicker atmosphere. The air pressure is so low that liquid water simply vaporizes from the planet's surface into the atmosphere. But billions of years ago, lakes and rivers covered Mars, suggesting the atmosphere must have been thicker then. How did Mars lose its atmosphere over time? One theory suggests different mechanisms could be lofting water high into the atmosphere, where solar radiation breaks those water molecules down into hydrogen and oxygen (water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom). Hydrogen is light enough that it could then drift off into space." 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 December 22, 2022 NASA Explores a Winter Wonderland on Mars Full Article and Images "Cube-shaped snow, icy landscapes, and frost are all part of the Red Planet's coldest season. When winter comes to Mars, the surface is transformed into a truly otherworldly holiday scene. Snow, ice, and frost accompany the season's sub-zero temperatures. Some of the coldest of these occur at the planet's poles, where it gets as low as minus 190 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 123 degrees Celsius). Cold as it is, don't expect snow drifts worthy of the Rocky Mountains. No region of Mars gets more than a few feet of snow, most of which falls over extremely flat areas. And the Red Planet's elliptical orbit means it takes many more months for winter to come around: a single Mars year is around two Earth years." Daily Mars Odyssey THEMIS Images Can be found at the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) website. The Odyssey data are available through a new online access system established by the Planetary Data System. Visit the Mars Odyssey Mission page.
	Journey to Mars - InSight - Revealing the Heart of Mars December 21, 2022 NASA Retires InSight Mars Lander Mission After Years of Science Full Article and Images "The mission has concluded that the solar-powered lander has run out of energy after more than four years on the Red Planet. NASA's InSight mission has ended after more than four years of collecting unique science on Mars. Mission controllers at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California were unable to contact the lander after two consecutive attempts, leading them to conclude the spacecraft's solar-powered batteries have run out of energy — a state engineers refer to as "dead bus." NASA had previously decided to declare the mission over if the lander missed two communication attempts. The agency will continue to listen for a signal from the lander, just in case, but hearing from it at this point is considered unlikely. The last time InSight communicated with Earth was Dec. 15." Interactive selection of raw images taken by the cameras aboard InSight. Learn more about the InSight Mission.
	Mars Missions Status New Mars missions are being planned to include several new rover and sample collection missions. Check out the Mars Missions web page and the Mars Exploration page.

Astronomy News for the Month of March 2023

An Open Invitation

The Colorado Astronomy Net and the IAAS are on Facebook. Please be sure to "Like" us! Donate to the IAAS! Thank you for your support!

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

Phases

Apogee/Perigee

Moon/Planet Pairs

(All times are local unless otherwise noted.)

Dwarf Planets

(From west to east)

Featured Images

(Excerpts from recent JPL mission updates)

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

Keep looking UP! 73 from KIØAR

The Colorado Astronomy Net and the IAAS are on Facebook.
Please be sure to "Like" us!

Donate to the IAAS!
Thank you for your support!

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

Keep looking UP!
73 from KIØAR