Science photos Nov 20, 2009
Click through scenes of Saturn and its rings, captured by the Cassini orbiter during the planet's first equinox in nearly 15 years. Click through a gallery of pictures sent back from the Hubble Space Telescope since its final servicing mission. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Saturn's Equinox Leaves Rings in Long, Cold Night Nov 4, 2009
The equinox observations can help astronomers better understand the structure and evolution of , as well as the origin of the solar system ... But during equinox, that night lasts for four whole days and affects the entire ring system ... Like Earth, Saturn experiences two equinoxes per orbit. (Fox News)
Two-wheeled light for days of darkness Nov 3, 2009
We're inexorably plunging toward five dim hours of winter equinox light, losing more than five minutes of sunshine per day. Story tools. (Anchorage Daily News)
Saturns equinox brings longnight Nov 3, 2009
Saturns equinox leaves rings in long, cold night - Space ... Saturns equinox leaves rings in long, cold night ... Click through scenes of Saturn and its rings, captured by the Cassini orbiter during the planet's first equinox in nearly 15 years. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Looking Up: Answer the quiz, you might win a free star chart Nov 2, 2009
Because the Earth is tilted on its axis of rotation, which gives us the seasons, the celestial equator and ecliptic are not one and the same; they cross each other in two places on the sky, called the autumnal equinox and spring equinox ... The spring equinox is in the constellation Pisces, which lies just left of Aquarius. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Bizarre cruise amenities Oct 31, 2009
Coming soon to a cruise ship near youCelebrity Equinox: If youve ever wandered around a cruise ship and found yourself thinking, boy, I could really go for a glass-blowing demonstration right about now, Equinox is for you. Launched in August, the 2,850-passenger ship has its very own hot shop, staffed by artists from the Corning Museum of Glass. (MSNBC -- Travel)
In praise of the veil (part the second) Oct 26, 2009
I have a list here of, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Chinese religious holy days and new years, every one is on a full, new or crescent Moon or after a Solar equinox or solstice or the following Sunday, this is what children should be taught about religion at school, not fiction about creationist talking snakes and a 4000 year old planet Earth nonsense. Why don't you do a story on the fact that all religion is pagan astrothologic Sun and Zodiac worship. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Long Night Falls Over Saturn's Rings Oct 24, 2009
This happens during Saturn's equinox, when the sun is directly over Saturn's equator ... During equinox, light from the sun hits the ring particles at very low angles, accenting their topography and giving us a three-dimensional view of the rings ... "The equinox is a very special geometry, where the sun is turned off as far as the rings themselves are concerned, and all energy comes from Saturn," said Dr. Michael Flasar of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. (Science Daily)
The egg and the broom Oct 16, 2009
or why there is nothing unusual about the equinoxes ... Published: Thursday, October 15, 2009 12:13 PM CDT There was much excitement last Friday about a certain superstition that occurs twice per year, during the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, gravity is different somehow or stronger, and one can stand an egg or a broom on its end to demonstrate it ... I even received a phone call from a delighted mother who informed me breathlessly how her son s teacher had balanced a broom on its end and told... (Paragould Daily Press, AR)
LOOKING UP: Autumns stars are in view Sep 30, 2009
Autumnal Equinox was this past week, when at long last, we start having more night than daytime ... Thanks to the Precession of the Equinoxes, millennia ago, whole other regions of the night sky took turns as autumn s stars ... Autumn and Spring Equinox occur when the Sun, on its apparent path around the sky- the path known as the ecliptic- intersects with the celestial equator. (Medfield Press, MA)
New ring quirks revealed during Saturn equinox Sep 25, 2009
A slate of new images taken during Saturn's equinox season reveal the finer detail of ruffles, kinks, dust clouds and even impact events occurring within the giant planet's rings ... Seen from our planet, the view of Saturn's rings during equinox is extremely foreshortened and limited, but in orbit around Saturn, Cassini had no such problems ... From 20 degrees above the ring plane, Cassini's wide angle camera shot 75 exposures in succession for this mosaic showing Saturn, its rings, and a few... (Astronomy Now Online)
Cheryl Miller: Poem for autumn Sep 23, 2009
Today is the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere of our planet. The preferred designation is September equinox, since it applies to the entire orb, rather than just one hemisphere; but since I am writing about autumn in the North, I m going to use the former ... The equinox is the point at which the axis of the Earth is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Autumnal Equinox: A Day to Fall For Sep 23, 2009
Autumnal Equinox: Fall 2009 in Northern Hemisphere - ABC News ... Autumn Begins at 5:18 p.m. EDT; The Equinox is Steeped in Science and Myth ... The harvest moon is the full moon that appears nearest to the Autumnal Equinox. (ABC News)
Huge Peaks Discovered in Saturn's Rings Sep 23, 2009
Cassini recorded the new images of Saturn in the week surrounding the planet's Aug. 11 equinox, a time when its bright bands of rings are edge on to the sun and nearly invisible as seen from Earth ... Earth also has two equinoxes a year (vernal and autumnal), with the autumnal equinox to occur Tuesday ... The unique lighting conditions brought on by Saturn's equinox and the sun illuminated the odd ripples and bumps among the planet's rings, which Cassini spied with its camera eyes. (Fox News)
This Week's Sky at a Glance Sep 22, 2009
Autumn begins in the Northern Hemisphere at the equinox, at 5:19 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. This is when the Sun crosses the equator heading south for the year. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Local salon takes advantage of equinox for balancing broom act Sep 20, 2009
It s the equinox, you know, the sun and the moon, owner Pat Wolfe told her customer, Carol Seaba, on Friday morning ... He said people are referring to the approach of the autumnal equinox, which will occur Tuesday, Sept. 22, marking the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere ... There are old wives tales that, at the equinox, eggs will stand on end it just can t happen. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
The Planets Are Aligned Sep 19, 2009
As the strong spiritual energies of the fall equinox kick up, you'll feel inspired to start something new in your life. If you've been single, you'll finally be ready to start dating again. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
• COLUMN: Celebrate the autumnal equinox Tuesday, theequilux next Saturday Sep 17, 2009
COLUMN: Celebrate the autumnal equinox Tuesday, theequilux next Saturday Skywatch By Chris Anderson At 3: 19 p.m. Tuesday, the line formed by the intersection of the earth's equatorial and orbital planes will point directly at the sun ... That makes Tuesday the autumnal equinox, when an observer on the equator will see the sun pass directly overhead at midday ... The word "equinox" derives from the Latin words for "equal night" (implying day and night of equal length). (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Ground broken for Sun Circle; Sept. 22 equinox eyed for completion Sep 13, 2009
Autumnal equinox to be observed. The sculpture will be set in place just in time for the observation of the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22 ... Marblehead astronomy teacher Jim Keating will attend to explain the equinox phenomenon. (Marblehead Reporter, MA)
Tour September's Sky — By Ear and Eye! Sep 11, 2009
Sky cope's downloadable guided tour of the night sky (SkyAndTelescope.com)
• COLUMN: Calling all star watchers: Help solve the mystery of this star's peculiar eclipses Sep 10, 2009
Next week: The equinox versus the equilux. Chris Anderson manages the College of Southern Idaho's Centennial Observatory in Twin Falls. (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Full moon Friday: What you can see Sep 5, 2009
Harvest moon is defined as the full moon closest to the fall equinox. This year the fall equinox occurs on Sept. 22, and the nearest full moon to that date is on October 4. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Attack of the mega-cruise ships Aug 26, 2009
Coming soon to a cruise ship near youCelebrity Equinox: If youve ever wandered around a cruise ship and found yourself thinking, boy, I could really go for a glass-blowing demonstration right about now, Equinox is for you. Launched two weeks ago, the 2,850-passenger ship has its very own hot shop, staffed by artists from the Corning Museum of Glass. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Saturns rings still puzzle scientists Aug 25, 2009
Of occultation and equinoxScientists have gotten several breaks over the past years in better understanding Saturn's rings ... Another rare event this August allowed Cassini to examine the vertical depth of the rings during the Saturn Equinox, an event that only takes place every 15 years ... "Whenever equinox occurs on Saturn, sunlight will hit Saturn's thin rings, the ring plane, edge-on," Spilker noted. (MSNBC -- Technology)
"Lights, Camera, Cue the Moons!" Aug 22, 2009
But right now we're enjoying a long sequence of such because Jupiter passed through an equinox on June 22nd, which makes the orbits of the Galilean satellites appear edge-on from the Sun's perspective ... Coincidentally, the geometric conditions are much the same on Saturn, which had its "spring equinox" on August 12th. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Structures leap from Saturn's rings Aug 15, 2009
A new moonlet and strange vertical structures are among the treasure trove of goodies revealed by the Cassini spacecraft as Saturn nears equinox. A new moonlet has been detected in the B ring as Saturn approaches its 11 August equinox ... Equinox is a twice-yearly event when the Sun lies directly above a planet's equator. (Astronomy Now Online)
US probe captures Saturn equinox Aug 15, 2009
At equinox, the rings turn edge-on to the Sun, reflecting almost no sunlight. Raw images of the moment Saturn reached its equinox have been beamed to Earth by the US Cassini spacecraft ... Equinox is the moment when the Sun crosses a planet's equator, making day and night the same length. (BBC News -- Science)
Good Times at ALCON 2009 Aug 12, 2009
Other lectures included a discussion on features in Mars's North Polar Cap by Roger Venable, the upcoming equinox on Saturn, and outer-planet observations. Young students created these drawings of "Deadly Moons" during the ALCON children's art/astronomy workshop, which was run by Irish astronomer Deirdre Kelleghan, who was assisted by AOS activities director Linda Prince. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
SATURN EQUINOX PICTURE: Mystery Object Pierces a Ring Aug 12, 2009
The puncture, which Cassini snapped on June 11, is among the many marvels that have been revealed in the weeks leading up to Saturn's equinox, which happens today ... Equinoxes occur at the point in a planet's orbit when the sun shines directly on the planet's equator ... Earth has two equinoxes each year, one in spring and another in autumn. (National Geographic)
Mysterious Object Rips Through One of Saturn's Rings Aug 11, 2009
Such a photo opportunity only became possible because of tomorrow's approaching Saturn equinox, when the planet turns edge-on toward the sun and effectively makes its rings vanish from Earth's view in the absence of reflected sunlight, as SPACE.com explains. The event only takes place every 15 years. (Fox News)
Saturn's rings to disappear Tuesday Aug 11, 2009
Scientists call it an equinox, and this one marks the arrival of spring to the giant planet's northern hemisphere. (On Earth, equinoxes occur in March and September ... "Whenever equinox occurs on Saturn, sunlight will hit Saturn's thin rings, the ring plane, edge-on," Spilker said. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Equinox to reveal Saturn secrets Aug 11, 2009
Planetary scientists are keenly observing an equinox on Saturn on 11 August, in a bid to learn more about the gas giant's ring system. A planet's equinox comes twice a year when the Sun crosses its equator, making day and night the same length ... It takes Saturn nearly 30 Earth years to orbit the Sun, so this is the first equinox since 1994. (BBC News -- Science)
Congress Races to Save "Cash for Clunkers" Aug 3, 2009
I traded in my old Chevy Blazer for the new 2010 Equinox. It get's 32 mpg and I am very happy with it. (CBS News)
Fulfill your need for speed Aug 3, 2009
Featuring an obstacle course and instruction tailored to interests and experience, the Land Rover Experience is held at top resorts (with value-packed accommodations and driving packages), including Equinox Resort, Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, Quail Lodge and Biltmore (with packages starting at $1,895 that include a night at the swank Swag Inn nearby, gourmet meals, and on- and off-road driving). On the racing side of the track, programs range from no-frills ride-along introductions to... (MSNBC -- Travel)
New ship offersthe perfect balance of style Aug 1, 2009
Celebrity Equinox: the perfect balance of style - Cruising- msnbc ... Celebrity Equinox: the perfect balance of style ... Courtesy Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Equinox features 1,426 staterooms, 10 restaurants, a vast variety of lounges and bars and much more. (MSNBC -- Travel)
• Invisible lines crisscross the sky Jul 16, 2009
Last, there's the Vernal Equinox, the "zero" of celestial longitude. Early risers will find it on the meridian around 5 a.m., about half-way up from the horizon, although no bright star or planet marks it. (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Tech & science Jun 23, 2009
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: The moonshadows on Saturns rings are leapin' and hoppin' as the planet nears its equinox ... Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: The moonshadows on Saturns rings are leapin' and hoppin' as the planet nears its equinox. (MSNBC -- Health)
A Question for the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11: Apollo 11's "Giant Leap" or Apollo 8's "Genesis" Reading? Jun 23, 2009
Find Your Next Equinox For Less At Brooks Biddle Chevrolet. Fast Easy Weight Loss Breakthrough. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Saturn's Moon Titan: Clouds Hang On To Summer Jun 4, 2009
As summer changes to fall at the equinox in August 2009, Titan's clouds are expected to disappear altogether. But, circulation models of Titan's weather and climate predict that clouds at the southern latitudes don't wait for the equinox and should have already faded out since 2005. (Science Daily)
Christian group claims progress on a common Easter May 30, 2009
Christianity's leading authorities first sought to establish a common date in 325 at the Council of Nicaea, determining it as the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox. The problem before the advent of modern astronomy was calculating the equinox ... The council said theologians from the Vatican and various Orthodox and Protestant churches endorsed a compromise on May 15 that Easter should be held for all Christians using an equinox based on accurate astronomical data. (North County Times)
Going vegan for a month May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009. Mention to a few friends that you are going vegan. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Mars Spacecraft Teams On Alert For Dust-Storm Season Apr 17, 2009
One month later, the planet's equinox will mark the start of summer in Mars' southern hemisphere. This atmospheric-warming combination makes the coming weeks the most likely time of the Martian year for dust storms severe enough to minimize activities of the rovers. (Science Daily)
California's new power source a solar farm Apr 15, 2009
The Solaren project would experience constant sunlight except for brief interruptions during the spring and fall equinox periods. Obviously, land wouldn't be an issue. (San Francisco Chronicle)
New Circumpolar Comet Yi-SWAN Apr 13, 2009
The ephemeris below, from Marsden's orbital elements, gives the comet's right ascension and declination (equinox 2000. 0) at 0 hours Universal Time on selected dates, along with its elongation angle from the Sun, predicted visual magnitude, and the constellation in which it lies. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Jews bless sun in once-in-a-generation event Apr 10, 2009
They speculated that the sun was created during the spring equinox, during the first watch of the previous night. Because a solar year is 365 and one-quarter days, it takes 28 years for the sun to be in the exact same position around the time of the equinox ... So the Birkat Hachammah has drifted from the actual vernal equinox - which was March 20 this year. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Sun blessing Apr 9, 2009
"Its period," it later explains, recurs every 28 years on the vernal equinox, the date when the Sun crosses the equator ... But only once every 28 years does this happen both on the vernal equinox (as calculated by Jewish tradition) and on a Wednesday - just as Jews believe it did when the universe was created. (BBC News -- Africa)
Rational historical view shows Easters truth Apr 4, 2009
Pril wrote on Apr 2, 2009 6:59 AM:" I had a great spring equinox. You have a nice Easter. ". Kevin wrote on Apr 2, 2009 5:25 AM:" I don't for one minute doubt that this man walked the earth.The origins of easter are, however not based upon him, but adapted to him. Easter is an adaptation of the spring celebration Ostara, which may be spelled a variety of ways.This celebration was in the name of ostre, a pagan godess of the Anglo-Saxons. It is from the name ostre that many modern words... (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)
Science views: Southwest star stories Mar 28, 2009
" She still loved the bird/bunny. "You can lay eggs on one day each year, the Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox (the first day of spring). " What day is that? Who is the bunny? Clear skies. Paul W. Mailloux is a retired teacher in charge of the Dunn Planetarium at Danvers High School, where the public is invited to learn more about the galaxies on Friday nights at 7 p.m. Tickets are $2.50. For more information, see the Internet, dunnplan@danvers.org. Loading commenting... (Danvers Herald, MA)
BEHIND OUR STONEWALLS: Changing the course of history Mar 27, 2009
Today it is spring, the spring equinox anyway, the time the spring season begins. At last. (Bolton Common, MA)
Be a part of Earth Hour this Saturday Mar 26, 2009
Earth Hour will take place one week after the vernal equinox- when night and day are the same duration in both hemispheres. This ensures that it will be nighttime for all peopleregardless of where they are at 8:30 in the evening. (Catoosa County News, GA)
Daylight-Saving Time? Bah, Humbug! Mar 23, 2009
Enacting DST as an energy saver is the ultimate act of futility; enacting DST so that it covers the period between the autumnal equinox and the spring equinox ignores the fact that there are more hours of darkness than daylight during those months ... Enacting DST as an energy saver is the ultimate act of futility; enacting DST so that it covers the period between the autumnal equinox and the spring equinox ignores the fact that there are more hours of darkness than daylight during those months.... (SkyAndTelescope.com)
LOOKING UP: What the Sun, geese and Florida snow birds share Mar 21, 2009
These are the points of the first day of Spring (the vernal equinox ) and the first day of Autumn (the autumnal equinox) ... Through the millennia, where the ecliptic intersects that line changes, giving new dates for both equinoxes ... As another blow to the pseudo-science of astrology, the constellation where the Sun is found during an equinox eventually switches. (Medfield Press, MA)
Vernal Equinox 2009: Facts on the First Day of Spring Mar 20, 2009
In the Northern Hemisphere spring officially begins at 7:44 a.m. ET on Friday, March 20, 2009 the vernal equinox, or spring equinox. But don't be fooled by the old rumor that on the vernal equinox the length of day is exactly equal to the length of night ... The true days of day-night equality always fall before the vernal equinox and after the autumnal, or fall, equinox, according to Geoff Chester, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.. (National Geographic)
• As stars go, the sun is below the median but above the mean Mar 19, 2009
Other data: Vernal equinox Friday, 5:44 a.m.. Copyright. (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
> read more Mar 13, 2009
The equinox occurs at 7:44 a.m. EDT, marking the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere (fall in the Southern Hemisphere). This is when the Sun crosses the equator heading north for the year. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
How do spacecraft orient themselves in the absence of magnetic poles? Mar 7, 2009
One common frame currently used in deep space is called the Earth Mean Equator and Equinox of Epoch J2000, abbreviated as EME2000. Its name is so involved because it captures the many elements required to define a three-dimensional coordinate system: a reference body (Earth); a reference plane (the mean equator, an idealized equator that does not include the small nodding motion, or nutation, of Earth's axis); a reference direction (the vernal equinox, a line from Earth to the sun on the first... (Scientific American)
Tiny moon discovered orbiting Saturn Mar 5, 2009
The Cassini Equinox mission, an extension of the original four-year mission, is expected to continue until fall 2010. If the craft continues to function properly, the mission could be extended up to two more years. (CNN -- Tech)
Newfound Moon: Source Of Outer Saturn Ring? Mar 4, 2009
The Cassini Equinox mission, an extension of the original four-year mission, is expected to continue until fall of 2010. The finding is being announced March 3 in an International Astronomical Union circular. (Science Daily)
March skywatch: Sirius and Venus. Feb 28, 2009
The vernal equinox, now generally called the March equinox, marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere ... Many people believe that you can stand an egg on end during the equinox. (AZCentral -- Travel)
Obituary: Wayne C. Taft Feb 19, 2009
In subsequent years this allowed him to play a significant communications role in the annual Mt. Equinox hill climb by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America. He enjoyed a wide range of interests including roller-skating and playing the piano and organ. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
