[Astronews] IAAS Monthly Astronomy Newsletter

Wed May 1 23:20:07 EDT 2013

IAAS Monthly Astronomy Newsletter
May 2013

The International Association for Astronomical Studies provides this newsletter as a service for interested persons worldwide.

This newsletter is published on the World Wide Web at http://www.ki0ar.com/astro.html - The Home of KI0AR - and is received nationally and internationally. A PDF formatted downloadable version of the newsletter is at http://www.ki0ar.com/current_nl.pdf.

An Open Invitation - For amateur radio operators and scanner enthusiasts, when in the Denver metro area, please join the Colorado Astronomy Net on the Rocky Mountain Radio League's (http://rmrl.hamradios.com/) 146.94 MHz repeater on Tuesday nights at 7 P.M. local time.

Special Notice to Denver, CO area residents and visitors to the area: The Plains Conservation Center in Aurora hosts Full Moon Walks every month, weather permitting, on or near the night of the full Moon. Visit http://www.plainsconservationcenter.org for more information and directions.

Excerpts from JPL mission updates are provided as a public service as part of the JPL Solar System Ambassador / NASA Outreach program. http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/index.html

In This Newsletter...

The Month At-A-Glance	3

The Moon	3

The Planets & Dwarf Planets	4

Astronomical Events	6

Planetary/Lunar Exploration Missions	8

Mars Missions	15

Links and Other Space News	20

Acknowledgments and References	23

Subscription Information	23

Keep looking UP!	23

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

The Moon

Phases:
* Last Quarter Moon occurs on the 2nd.
* New Moon occurs on the 9th.
* First Quarter Moon occurs on the 18th.
* Full Moon occurs on the 25th.
* Last Quarter Moon occurs on the 31st.

The Moon is at Apogee on the 13th, 252,168 miles from Earth.
* The Moon is at Perigee on the 25th, 222,685 miles from Earth.

Moon/Planet Pairs:
* The Moon passes 6° north of Neptune on the 4th.
* The Moon passes 4° north of Uranus on the 6th.
* The Moon passes 2° south of Jupiter on the 12th.
* Venus passes 6° north of Aldebaran on the 18th.
* The Moon passes 0.005° north of Spica on the 22nd.
* The Moon passes 4° south of Saturn on the 23rd.
* Mercury passes 1.4° north of Venus on the 24th.
* Mercury passes 2° north of Jupiter on the 27th.
* Venus passes 1.0° north of Jupiter on the 28th.
* The Moon passes 6° north of Neptune on the 31st.

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

The Planets & Dwarf Planets
Planetary Reports are generated by "TheSky" software. (http://www.ki0ar.com/planrpts.html) These reports provide predicted data for the planets on 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 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 May
 - Mercury and Venus will join Jupiter in the evening sky this month. These three planets will all join one another for a spectacular conjunction during the last week of May. Saturn remains visible all evening and night having just passed opposition last month. Uranus and Neptune have returned to the morning sky as well but observers will need binoculars or a small telescope to spot them. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks at the end of the first week of May. Comet PANSTARRS dims beyond naked eye observability this month but remains an attractive sight through binoculars or small telescopes.

* Mercury
 - Is in superior conjunction on the 11th. Mercury is visible during the last week of May low on the western horizon. Mercury sets about 7:28 p.m. by month's end. Mercury moves from the constellation of Pisces into Gemini shining at magnitude -0.5 on the 31st.

* Venus
 - Also returns to the evening sky this month having been gone from the skies for several months. Venus sets about 9:43 p.m. by month's end. Venus moves from the constellation of Aries into Taurus shining at magnitude -3.9 on the 31st.

* Earth
 - N/A.

* Mars
 - Is not visible this month having reached conjunction last month. Mars will return to the morning sky in June. Mars moves from the constellation of Aries into Taurus this month. 

* Jupiter
 - Still shines brightly in the early evening sky. Jupiter sets at 10:49 p.m. on the 1st and about 9:18 p.m. by month's end. On the evening of May 27th, look for Jupiter, Venus and Mercury in conjunction low in the western sky soon after sunset. Jupiter is in the constellation of Taurus shining at magnitude -1.9.

Saturn
- Is still near its best for the year having just passed opposition. Saturn rises at 7:21 p.m. on the 1st and about 5:09 p.m. by month's end. Look to the east to spot Saturn in the evening. Saturn is visible nearly all night.  The view through a telescope reveals the ring system tilted 18° to our line of site, making the view of the ringed planet quite spectacular. Saturn moves from the constellation of Libra into Virgo shining at magnitude 0.2.

Uranus
- Rises at 4:46 a.m. on the 1st and about 2:48 a.m. by month's end. Uranus is visible in the early morning sky before the Sun rises with binoculars or a small telescope. Uranus is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 5.9.

Neptune
- Leads Uranus by a little over an hour all month. Neptune is visible in the morning sky with a small telescope this month rising at 3:22 a.m. on the first and about 1:21 a.m. by month's end. Neptune is in the constellation of Aquarius shining at magnitude 7.9. 

Dwarf Planets
Ceres
- Ceres sets at 1:55 a.m. on the 1st and about 12:39 a.m. by month's end. Ceres is in the constellation of Gemini shining at magnitude 8.8.

Pluto
- Is visible in the morning sky after midnight rising at 12:16 a.m. on the 1st and about 10:08 p.m. by month's end. Pluto is in the constellation of Sagittarius shining at magnitude 14.1.

As always, good luck at spotting these two, a large telescope and dark skies will be needed.

Astronomical Events

Meteor Showers

* The Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower - This shower is visible during the period of April 21 to May 12. It reaches maximum on May 5. During the period of greatest activity hourly rates usually reach 20 for observers in the northern hemisphere and 50 for observers in the southern hemisphere. This is one of only 2 meteor showers this year that the Moon will not interfere.

* For more information about Meteor Showers, visit Gary Kronk's Meteor Showers Online web page at http://meteorshowersonline.com/.

Comets

* Comet C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS is still visible this month, in fact since it is passing through Cepheus and Ursa Minor, it won't set all month for northern observers. It passes near the star Polaris, also known as the North Star, during the last week of May. Comet PANSTARRS should be fairly easy to spot through binoculars or a small telescope, shining around 7th magnitude early in the month then fades as it heads out towards the Oort Cloud on its continuous journey.

* For information, orbital elements and ephemerides on observable comets visit the Observable Comets page from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/index.html).

* For more information about Comets, visit Gary Kronk's Cometography.com web page at http://cometography.com/.

Eclipses
* An annular solar eclipse occurs at 8:28 p.m. EDT on the 9th (00:28 UTC May 10th). Observers in Northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the South Pacific will see a ring of sunlight around the Moon as it eclipses the Sun. Observers along the southern coast of the Big Island of Hawaii will see a 50% partial eclipse around 3:52 p.m. HST on May 9th.

* A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs on the 24/25th but will be practically invisible. Only 1.6% of the Moon passes through the outer shadow of Earth beginning at 11:53 p.m. EDT for 34 minutes.

Observational Opportunities
* Catch Jupiter in the early evening sky all month.
* Watch Saturn all evening and night as it travels through the night sky.
Comet PANSTARRS is visible all night in the northern sky.
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on the 5th.
An annular eclipse occurs south of the equator from northern Australia through the South Pacific on the 9th/10th.
Jupiter, Mercury and Venus are in conjunction on the 27th.

Asteroids
(From west to east)
Vesta is in the constellation of Gemini.
Iris is in the constellation of Leo.
Hebe is at opposition on the 23rd in the constellation of Ophiuchus.

* Information about the Minor Planets can be found at http://www.minorplanetobserver.com the Minor Planet Observer web site.

Occultations
* Information on various occultations can be found at http://lunar-occultations.com/iota/iotandx.htm , the International Occultation Timing Association's (IOTA) web site.
Planetary/Lunar Exploration Missions
(Excerpts from recent mission updates)

* Cassini - April 29, 2013
Cassini Gets Close-up Views of Large Hurricane on Saturn

"PASADENA, Calif. – NASA's Cassini spacecraft has provided scientists the first close-up, visible-light views of a behemoth hurricane swirling around Saturn's north pole.

In high-resolution pictures and video, scientists see the hurricane's eye is about 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) wide, 20 times larger than the average hurricane eye on Earth. Thin, bright clouds at the outer edge of the hurricane are traveling 330 mph (150 meters per second). The hurricane swirls inside a large, mysterious, six-sided weather pattern known as the hexagon.

Narrated video about a hurricane-like storm seen at Saturn's north pole by Cassini.

"We did a double take when we saw this vortex because it looks so much like a hurricane on Earth," said Andrew Ingersoll, a Cassini imaging team member at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "But there it is at Saturn, on a much larger scale, and it is somehow getting by on the small amounts of water vapor in Saturn's hydrogen atmosphere."

Scientists will be studying the hurricane to gain insight into hurricanes on Earth, which feed off warm ocean water. Although there is no body of water close to these clouds high in Saturn's atmosphere, learning how these Saturnian storms use water vapor could tell scientists more about how terrestrial hurricanes are generated and sustained.

Both a terrestrial hurricane and Saturn's north polar vortex have a central eye with no clouds or very low clouds. Other similar features include high clouds forming an eye wall, other high clouds spiraling around the eye, and a counter-clockwise spin in the northern hemisphere.

Click to watch the video

A major difference between the hurricanes is that the one on Saturn is much bigger than its counterparts on Earth and spins surprisingly fast. At Saturn, the wind in the eye wall blows more than four times faster than hurricane-force winds on Earth. Unlike terrestrial hurricanes, which tend to move, the Saturnian hurricane is locked onto the planet's north pole. On Earth, hurricanes tend to drift northward because of the forces acting on the fast swirls of wind as the planet rotates. The one on Saturn does not drift and is already as far north as it can be.

"The polar hurricane has nowhere else to go, and that's likely why it's stuck at the pole," said Kunio Sayanagi, a Cassini imaging team associate at Hampton University in Hampton, Va.

Scientists believe the massive storm has been churning for years. When Cassini arrived in the Saturn system in 2004, Saturn's north pole was dark because the planet was in the middle of its north polar winter. During that time, the Cassini spacecraft's composite infrared spectrometer and visual and infrared mapping spectrometer detected a great vortex, but a visible-light view had to wait for the passing of the equinox in August 2009. Only then did sunlight begin flooding Saturn's northern hemisphere. The view required a change in the angle of Cassini's orbits around Saturn so the spacecraft could see the poles.

                                                                                  A color image of the north pole of Saturn.

"Such a stunning and mesmerizing view of the hurricane-like storm at the north pole is only possible because Cassini is on a sportier course, with orbits tilted to loop the spacecraft above and below Saturn's equatorial plane," said Scott Edgington, Cassini deputy project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "You cannot see the polar regions very well from an equatorial orbit. Observing the planet from different vantage points reveals more about the cloud layers that cover the entirety of the planet."

Cassini changes its orbital inclination for such an observing campaign only once every few years. Because the spacecraft uses flybys of Saturn's moon Titan to change the angle of its orbit, the inclined trajectories require attentive oversight from navigators. The path requires careful planning years in advance and sticking very precisely to the planned itinerary to ensure enough propellant is available for the spacecraft to reach future planned orbits and encounters."

This false-color image highlights the
storms at Saturn's north pole.

Raw images are available at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/raw/index.cfm.

Cassini Imaging Team's website - http://ciclops.org.

For the latest mission status reports, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm. The speed and location of the spacecraft can be viewed on the "Present Position" web page.

* New Horizons - February 28, 2013
Pluto Moons: The Votes Are In

"The public has spoken, choosing candidate names for Pluto's newest and smallest moons. "Vulcan" and "Cerberus" topped the list after more than 450,000 total votes were cast.
Read More."

Find New Horizons in the iTunes App Store here. (http://itunes.com/apps/newhorizonsanasavoyagetopluto)

New Horizons gallery http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/.

For more information on the New Horizons mission - the first mission to the ninth planet - visit the New Horizons home page: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/.

* Dawn - March 25, 2013
NASA Scientists Find Moon and Asteroids Share Cosmic History

Full image and caption

"NASA and international researchers have discovered that Earth's moon has more in common than previously thought with large asteroids roaming our solar system.

Scientists from NASA's Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), Moffett Field, Calif., discovered that the same population of high-speed projectiles that impacted our lunar neighbor four billion years ago, also hit the asteroid Vesta and perhaps other large asteroids. 

The research unveils an unexpected link between Vesta and the moon, and provides new means for studying the early bombardment history of terrestrial planets. The findings are published in the March issue of Nature Geoscience.

"It's always intriguing when interdisciplinary research changes the way we understand the history of our solar system," said Yvonne Pendleton, NLSI director. "Although the moon is located far from Vesta, which is in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, they seem to share some of the same bombardment history."

The findings support the theory that the repositioning of gas giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn from their original orbits to their current location destabilized portions of the asteroid belt and triggered a solar system-wide bombardment of asteroids billions of years ago called the lunar cataclysm. 

The research provides new constraints on the start and duration of the lunar cataclysm, and demonstrates that the cataclysm was an event that affected not only the inner solar system planets, but the asteroid belt as well. 

The moon rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts have long been used to study the bombardment history of the moon. Now the ages derived from meteorite samples have been used to study the collisional history of main belt asteroids. In particular, howardite and eucrite meteorites, which are common species found on Earth, have been used to study asteroid Vesta, their parent body. With the aid of computer simulations, researchers determined that meteorites from Vesta recorded high-speed impacts which are now long gone. 

Researchers have linked these two datasets, and found that the same population of projectiles responsible for making craters and basins on the moon were also hitting Vesta at very high velocities, enough to leave behind a number of telltale impact-related ages.

The team's interpretation of the howardites and eucrites was augmented by recent close-in observations of Vesta's surface by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. In addition, the team used the latest dynamical models of early main belt evolution to discover the likely source of these high velocity impactors. The team determined that the population of projectiles that hit Vesta had orbits that also enabled some objects to strike the moon at high speeds.

"It appears that the asteroidal meteorites show signs of the asteroid belt losing a lot of mass four billion years ago, with the escaped mass beating up on both the surviving main belt asteroids and the moon at high speeds" says lead author Simone Marchi, who has a joint appointment between two of NASA's Lunar Science Institutes, one at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, and another at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. "Our research not only supports the current theory, but it takes it to the next level of understanding."

Dawn's Virtual Flight over Vesta

A gallery of images can be found online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/multimedia/gallery-index.html.

For more information on the Dawn mission, visit the Dawn home page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html.

* MESSENGER - March 26, 2013
Newly Named Mercury Craters Honor Hawaiian Guitarist, Beloved Young Adult Author

"The International Astronomical Union (IAU) — the arbiter of planetary and satellite nomenclature since its inception in 1919 — recently approved a proposal from the MESSENGER Science Team to assign names to nine impact craters on Mercury. In keeping with the established naming theme for craters on Mercury, all of the newly designated features are named after famous deceased artists, musicians, or authors or other contributors to the humanities. The newly named craters are

Alver, for Betti Alver (1906-1989), an Estonian writer who rose to prominence in the 1930s, toward the end of Estonian independence and on the eve of World War II. She published her first novel, Mistress in the Wind, in 1927. She also wrote several short stories, poetry, and translations.

Donelaitis, for Kristijonas Donelaitis (1714-1780), a Lutheran pastor who was considered one of the greatest Lithuanian poets. He is best known for The Seasons, considered the first classic Lithuanian poem. It depicts the everyday life of Lithuanian peasants. His other works include six fables and a tale in verse.

Flaiano, for Ennio Flaiano (1910-1972), an Italian screenwriter, playwright, novelist, journalist, and drama critic especially noted for his social satires. He became a leading figure of the Italian motion-picture industry after World War II, collaborating with writer Tullio Pinelli on the early films of writer and director Federico Fellini.

Hurley, for James Francis "Frank" Hurley (1885-1962), an Australian photographer and adventurer. He participated in several expeditions to Antarctica and served as an official photographer with Australian Imperial Forces during both world wars. The troops called him "the mad photographer," because he took considerable risks to obtain photographs.

L'Engle, for Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007), an American writer best known for young-adult fiction, particularly the award-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels: A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. Her works reflect both her Christian faith and her strong interest in modern science.

Lovecraft, for Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937), an American author of horror, fantasy, and science fiction regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century. He popularized "cosmic horror," the notion that some concepts, entities, or experiences are barely comprehensible to human minds, and those who delve into such topics risk their sanity.

Petofi, for Sandor Petofi (1823-1849), a Hungarian poet and liberal revolutionary. He wrote the Nemzeti dal (National Poem), which is said to have inspired the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 that grew into a war for independence from the Austrian Empire.

Pahinui, for Charles Phillip Kahahawai "Gabby" Pahinui, (1921-1980), a Hawaiian guitar player considered to be one of the most influential slack-key guitar players in the world. His music was a key part of the "Hawaiian Renaissance," a resurgence of interest in traditional Hawaiian culture during the 1970s.

Roerich, for Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947), a Russian painter and philosopher who initiated the modern movement for the defense of cultural objects. His most notable achievement was the Roerich Pact of 1935, an international treaty signed by India, the Baltic states, and 22 nations of the Americas (including the United States), affirming that monuments, museums, scientific, artistic, educational, and cultural institutions and their personnel are to be considered neutral in times of war unless put to military use.

Ray Espiritu, a mission operations engineer on the MESSENGER team, submitted Pahinui's name for consideration. "I wanted to honor the place where I grew up and still call home even after many years away," he says. "The Pahinui crater contains a possible volcanic vent, and its name may inspire other scientists as they investigate the volcanic processes that helped to create Mercury, just as investigation of Hawaiian volcanoes helps us understand the volcanic processes that shape the Earth we know today."

These nine newly named craters join 95 other craters named since the MESSENGER spacecraft's first Mercury flyby in January 2008."

The MESSENGER app is available for download on iTunes.

For more information on the MESSENGER mission, visit the MESSENGER home page: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/.

* Pack Your Backpack
Calling all explorers! Tour JPL with our new Virtual Field Trip site. Stops include Mission Control and the Rover Lab. Your guided tour starts when you select a "face" that will be yours throughout the visit. Cool space images and souvenirs are all included in your visit.
+ http://virtualfieldtrip.jpl.nasa.gov/ 
* Past, Present, Future and Proposed JPL Missions - http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions.

* For special JPL programs and presentations in your area visit the JPL Solar System Ambassador web site at http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/index.html.
Mars Missions

Be A Martian

* JMARS - https://jmars.mars.asu.edu/
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.

* Mars Science Laboratory - Curiosity - April 25, 2013
Curiosity Wins National Air and Space Museum Trophy

"The team in charge of successfully landing NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., received the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's highest group honor at a dinner in Washington on Wednesday night, April 24. The 2013 Trophy for Current Achievement honors outstanding achievements in the fields of aerospace science and technology.

The Mars Science Laboratory Project built and operates the rover Curiosity, which has been investigating past and current environments in Gale Crater on the Red Planet since its dramatic sky-crane landing in August 2012. The rover has 10 science instruments to investigate whether an area within Gale Crater ever has offered an environment favorable for microbial life."

To follow the Mars Curiosity rover and NASA on Foursquare, visit: http://www.foursquare.com/MarsCuriosity and http://www.foursquare.com/NASA

For information about NASA's partnership with Foursquare, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/connect/foursquare.html."

Mars Rover Landing - Free for the Xbox (requires Kinect)

Visit the Mars Science Laboratory page at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.

* Mars Exploration Rover Mission (Spirit and Opportunity) - April 26, 2013

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Remains Silent at Troy - sols 2621-2627, May 18-24, 2011:

"No communication has been received from Spirit since Sol 2210 (March 22, 2010).

More than 1,300 commands were radiated to Spirit as part of the recovery effort in an attempt to elicit a response from the rover. No communication has been received from Spirit since Sol 2210 (March 22, 2010). The project concluded the Spirit recovery efforts on May 25, 2011. The remaining, pre-sequenced ultra-high frequency (UHF) relay passes scheduled for Spirit on board the Odyssey orbiter will complete on June 8, 2011.

Total odometry is unchanged at 7,730.50 meters (4.80 miles)."

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Rover Telemetry Expected Today - sols 3279-3290, Apr. 14, 2013-Apr. 26, 2013:

"Opportunity is stationary for solar conjunction at 'Cape York' on the rim of Endeavour Crater. 

Solar conjunction is when the Sun comes between Earth and Mars, which occurs about once every 26 months. During this time there will be diminished communications to Opportunity. 

As of writing this report (April 26, 2013), the last telemetry received was before conjunction on Sol 3278 (April 13, 2013), and indicated a healthy rover at that time. 

Rover telemetry is expected to resume later today.

Total odometry is unchanged at 22.15 miles (35.65 kilometers)."

Landing sites link - http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/landingsites/ 

Visit the Mars Exploration Rover page at
 http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html.

* Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission - April 17, 2013
NASA Mars Orbiters Have New Project Managers

"PASADENA, Calif. -- Two NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars, both working long past their original prime missions, have new project managers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

Dan Johnston is the new project manager for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and David Lehman is now project manager for NASA's Mars Odyssey.

Johnston has worked on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission from its inception in 2000, through launch in 2005 and during operations in Mars orbit since 2006. He was the mission's design manager during development. Later roles have included mission manager and, since 2010, deputy project manager.

Johnston, a Louisiana native, earned a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas, Austin, worked in private-industry support of NASA space shuttle mission operations, and joined JPL in 1989. He lives in La Crescenta, Calif.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has returned more data than all other Mars missions combined, observing Mars' surface, subsurface and atmosphere in unprecedented detail and radically expanding our knowledge of the Red Planet.

"The project's major challenge is to balance the science that the mission is continuing with the needs for serving as a communication relay for rovers," Johnston said. "Keeping the orbiter in service is our number-one priority."

Lehman managed NASA's twin-spacecraft Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Project from its inception in 2006 through the 2012 completion of its work orbiting Earth's moon.

Lehman's career has taken him from undersea to deep space. Before joining JPL in 1980, he was a U.S. Navy submarine officer. At JPL, his accomplishments have included managing NASA's Deep Space 1 Project, which tested 12 innovative technologies, such as ion propulsion and autonomous navigation, on its way to an asteroid flyby. Lehman holds a master's degree in electrical engineering from Colorado State University, Fort Collins. The New Mexico native now lives in Pasadena, Calif.

Mars Odyssey has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2001, began systematic science observations there in early 2002, and broke the previous record for longest-working Mars spacecraft in December 2010. The mission's longevity enables continued science, including the monitoring of seasonal changes on Mars from year to year, in addition to communication-relay service for Mars rovers.

Lehman said, "Odyssey is a major asset for NASA's Mars Program both for its science and as a relay. There is a lot of work being done by a lean team to keep it running smoothly."

MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER HIRISE IMAGES

All of the HiRISE images are archived here: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/.

More information about the MRO mission is available online at http://www.nasa.gov/mro.

* Mars Odyssey Orbiter - March 20, 2013
Sun in the Way Will Affect Mars Missions in April

"PASADENA, Calif. - The positions of the planets next month will mean diminished communications between Earth and NASA's spacecraft at Mars.

Mars will be passing almost directly behind the sun, from Earth's perspective. The sun can easily disrupt radio transmissions between the two planets during that near-alignment. To prevent an impaired command from reaching an orbiter or rover, mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., are preparing to suspend sending any commands to spacecraft at Mars for weeks in April. Transmissions from Mars to Earth will also be reduced.

The travels of Earth and Mars around the sun set up this arrangement, called a Mars solar conjunction, about once every 26 months.

"This is our sixth conjunction for Odyssey," said Chris Potts of JPL, mission manager for NASA's Mars Odyssey, which has been orbiting Mars since 2001. "We have plenty of useful experience dealing with them, though each conjunction is a little different."

The Mars solar conjunctions that occur once about every 26 months are not identical to each other. They can differ in exactly how close to directly behind the sun Mars gets, and they can differ in how active the sun is. The sun's activity, in terms of sunspots and solar flares, varies on a 22-year cycle."

Global Martian Map: http://www.mars.asu.edu/maps/?layer=thm_dayir_100m_v11.

"A simulated fly-through using the newly assembled imagery is available online at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/missions/odyssey/20060313.html.

The fly-through plus tools for wandering across and zooming into the large image are at http://themis.asu.edu/."

DAILY MARS ODYSSEY THEMIS IMAGES
Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) web site: (http://themis.asu.edu/gallery)

The Odyssey data are available through a new online access system established by the Planetary Data System at: http://starbrite.jpl.nasa.gov/pds/ 

Visit the Mars Odyssey Mission page at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/index.html.

* 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: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/ and the Mars Exploration page: http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/.

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

* A Kid's Guide to Astronomy - http://www.jmacsupply.com/astronomy-guide-for-kids-a/316.htm - A great site with other links to learn about stars and astronomy for kids of all ages.

* "TheSky" Software - http://www.bisque.com - Astronomy software by Software Bisque.

* A Short Guide to Celestial Navigation - http://www.celnav.de/ - 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.

* Astrogirl Homepage - http://www.astrogirl.org - Family friendly educational astronomy website.

* Astronomical Lexicon - http://www.ki0ar.com/astrolex.html - Many of the astronomical terms used in this newsletter are defined here.

* Astronomy Picture of the Day - http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html - A different picture of the cosmos every day.

* Astronomy 2009 - http://www.surveillance-video.com/astronomy-sept-2009.html - This site has some good links a young, interested student wishes to share.

* Black Hole Encyclopedia - http://blackholes.stardate.org/ - Excellent site from StarDate - University of Texas McDonald Observatory (http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/)

* Celestron Telescopes - http://www.celestron.com/ - Celestron telescopes.

* Clear Skies Observing Guides - http://www.clearskies.eu - 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.

* Cloudbait Observatory, Guffey Colorado - http://www.cloudbait.com - Submit your fireball reports here. Interesting, knowledgeable site.

* Colorado Springs Astronomical Society - http://csastro.org

* The Constellations and Their Stars - http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations.html - Good site for finding out more about the 88 constellations and their associated stars.

* Denver Astronomical Society - http://www.denverastrosociety.org - 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.

* Distant Suns - http://www.distantsuns.com/ - Desktop Astronomy package for PCs.

* EarthSky - http://earthsky.org - Astronomy news.

* Green Laser - http://www.greenlaser.com - If you're looking for a reasonably priced laser pointer that is great for astronomy work, visit this site.

* Groovy Adventures - http://www.groovyadventures.com - Unique adventures and vacations including astronomy related vacations.

* Heavens Above - http://www.heavens-above.com - As the name implies - What's up in the heavens, particularly satellite passes.

* The International Dark-Sky Association - http://www.darksky.org - To preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies.

* iTelescope.net - http://www.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 - http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/front.html - "Volunteers Bringing the Solar System to the Public"

* JPL Solar System - http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/solar_system/ - Jet Propulsion Laboratory information on our solar system.

* Kids Space Center - Telescopes and Astronomy -  http://www.orlandofuntickets.com/kids-space-center-telescopes-and-astronomy/ - Another site suggested by a young student - Great info about telescopes.

* Meade Advanced Products Users Group - http://www.mapug-astronomy.net/ - 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.

* My Stars Live - http://www.mystarslive.com/ - Interactive Star Chart

* NASA Science News - http://science.nasa.gov/ - NASA missions, updates, astronomy news, excellent resource.

* Northern Colorado Astronomical Society - http://ncastro.org/ - The purpose of our organization is to encourage the understanding & interest in the science & hobby of astronomy.

* Rocky Mountain Star Stare - http://www.rmss.org - The Premier Star Part in The Rocky Mountains

* Sangre Stargazers - http://sangrestargazers.skymtn.com/ - New astronomy club in the Wet Mountain Valley of Custer County (about 45 miles due west of Pueblo, CO).

* Skymaps.com - http://www.skymaps.com - Free sky maps each month.

* Skywatch Sightings from NASA - http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ - This site gives you the best times to watch the ISS pass over or near your location.

* Southern Colorado Astronomical Society - http://www.scasastronomy.info/ - Site under construction.

* Space.com - http://space.com - Interesting space and astronomy articles.

* Spaceflight Now - http://spaceflightnow.com/ - Launches and satellite news.

* SpaceLinks/Space Careers - http://www.spacelinks.com/SpaceCareers/ - 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" - http://www.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 - http://www.spaceweather.com - Check out what the Sun is doing as seen from space.

* Stellarium - http://www.stellarium.org - Free, downloadable planetarium/astronomy software.

* Universe Today - http://www.universetoday.com - Short, interesting articles about space and related topics.

* Wikisky - http://www.wikisky.org - WIKISKY is a non-commercial project. The main purpose of WIKISKY is to consolidate astronomical, astrophysical and other information about different space objects and astrophysical facts.

Acknowledgments and References

Much of the information in this newsletter is from "Astronomy Magazine" (Kalmbach Publishing), JPL mission status reports, "Meteor Showers - A Descriptive Catalog" by Gary W. Kronk and other astronomical sources that I have stashed on my book shelves.

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!

Subscription Information

- Email Newsletter archives -
 http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/ 

- Full documentation of the online administration system is available at http://ki0ar.com/mailman/listinfo/astronews_ki0ar.com.

- The latest version of the newsletter is accessible from http://www.ki0ar.com/astro.html.

Keep looking UP!
73 from KI0AR

Created by Burness F. Ansell, III
ki0ar at ki0ar.com

COO, Director of Aerospace Technologies, IAAS
JPL Solar System Ambassador, Colorado
Last modified: May 01, 2013

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 34554 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_1.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 83663 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0001.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0002.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_2.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 38222 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0002.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0003.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_3.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 28671 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0003.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0004.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_4.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 39853 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0004.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0005.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_5.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 58665 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0005.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0006.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_6.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 44236 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0006.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0007.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_7.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 18023 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0007.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0008.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_8.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 19988 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0008.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0009.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_9.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 703020 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0009.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0010.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_10.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 118234 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0010.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0011.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_11.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 79545 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0011.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0012.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_12.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 103376 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0012.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0013.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_13.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 113419 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0013.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0014.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_14.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 36365 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0014.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0015.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_15.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 37703 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0015.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0016.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_16.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 34194 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0016.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0017.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_17.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 20400 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0017.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0018.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_18.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 49190 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0018.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0019.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_19.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 21383 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0019.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0020.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_20.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 22134 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0020.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0021.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_21.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 14215 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0021.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0022.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_22.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 20738 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0022.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0023.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_23.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 30853 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0023.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0024.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: pastedGraphic_24.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 26529 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0024.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ki0ar.com/pipermail/astronews_ki0ar.com/attachments/20130501/3bac6372/attachment-0025.htm>