This Week's Sky at a Glance Oct 20, 2009
Look very high to Jupiter's upper right during evening this week for bright Altair. Look from Jupiter in the opposite direction for Fomalhaut on the rise ... Jupiter, by comparison, is currently 37 light-minutes from Earth. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Towards Other Earths: 32 New Exoplanets Found Oct 20, 2009
However, planets up to several Jupiter masses have been found orbiting metal-deficient stars, setting an important constraint for planet formation models. Although the first phase of the observing programme is now officially concluded, the team will pursue their effort with two ESO Large Programmes looking for super-Earths around solar-type stars and M dwarfs and some new announcements are already foreseen in the coming months, based on the last five years of measurements. (Science Daily)
32extrasolar planets found Oct 20, 2009
Astronomers announced on Monday the discovery of 32 extrasolar planets, some just five times the mass of Earth and others five times heftier than giant Jupiter ... Most of the known exoplanets found previously are very large typically many times the size of Jupiter so the newfound smaller planets bolster the known population of lower mass planets by 30 percent, said study team member Xavier Bonfils of LAOG in Grenoble, France. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Scientists Find Trawl of 32 New Planets Oct 20, 2009
The planets range in size from about five times the size of Earth to about five times the size of Jupiter, they said. More have been discovered, too, they said, promising more announcements later this year. (Newsmax)
Looking Up: Clouds come and go, but stars shine on Oct 17, 2009
This Voyager 1 photo of Jupiter shows detail as small as 100 miles across, of the turbulent cloud patterns ... Jupiter: Forever cloudy, Jupiter might not even have a solid core to stand on ... Saturn: Similar to Jupiter but colder (-290. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Interstellar Wind Probe Finds Ribbon Structure Oct 16, 2009
The twin Voyager spacecraft, launched in 1977, traveled to the outer solar system to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. In 2007, Voyager 2 followed Voyager 1 into the interstellar boundary. (Science Daily)
Asteroid Is Actually A Protoplanet, Study Of First High-resolution Images Of Pallas Confirms Oct 14, 2009
Pallas, which is named for the Greek goddess Pallas Athena, lies in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars ... 25, 2007) Analysis of the chemical make up of two asteroids in the outer asteroid belt has thrown the classification system for these small bodies, which orbit between Mars and Jupiter, into disorder. (Science Daily)
Under the setting sun Oct 13, 2009
"In the winter, at around 6:30 p.m., the sky gives rise to a rainbow of watercolor reds, oranges and purples. A warm hue illuminates million-year-old mountain ranges. They jet out from sand dunes like the spine of some prehistoric reptile. Millennia of desert winds have sculpted stones and sand formations and the colors dance in the early evening light. Jupiter beams brightly in the sky, as a patchwork of celestial stars start to sparkle.". More from ForbesTraveler. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Mars or Europa? Which could show life first? Oct 13, 2009
Red Planet and Jupiter moon offer best hopes for scientists ... A dusty red planet and an icy moon of Jupiter may hold the best hopes for scientists trying to track down extraterrestrial life, at least in this solar system ... The more distant Europa could hide a churning ocean filled with life forms beneath its icy surface, as the moon gets gravitationally squeezed by Jupiter. (MSNBC -- Technology)
2012 isn't the end of the world, is it? Oct 12, 2009
It may sound all too much like other doomsday scenarios of recent decades the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, the Jupiter Effect or "Planet X". But this one has some grains of archaeological basis. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
2nd largest asteroid in Solar System protoplanet Oct 11, 2009
Pallas, which is named for the Greek goddess Pallas Athena, lies in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. According to the planet formation theory, protoplanets are a cloud of gas, rocks and dust particles that are in the process of forming into a planet. (Xinhuanet, China)
Iridium flares light up evening sky Oct 9, 2009
If you are close to the center of the beam, the flare can reach magnitude -8, much brighter than Jupiter at magnitude -2 ... 4 magnitude means that the satellite is 144 times as bright as Jupiter, but it wont seem so extreme to our eyes ... This is more than half way up the sky, and about half again as high as Jupiter, which can be seen off to the left, almost southeast, in Capricorn. (Florida Today)
Spitzer spies giant ring around Saturn Oct 9, 2009
Until now the largest-known planetary rings were Jupiter s gossamer rings and Saturn s E ring sheets of dust that extend to about 5 10 times the radius of their respective planets. Saturn's newly discovered belt blows these records completely out of the water. (Astronomy Now Online)
Huge New Ring Spotted Around Saturn Oct 9, 2009
"The closest analogs to the Phoebe ring are the two gossamer rings associated with Jupiter's inner satellites, Thebe and Amalthea," they wrote ... Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune all have rings. (Newsmax)
Seven Hours of Celebrating the Moon Oct 9, 2009
They were also saying they could see Jupiter. As I say, it was PACKED. Wall-to-wall. (Los Angeles Downtown News, CA)
Moon of Jupiter could support life Oct 9, 2009
Natural color image of Jupiter's moon Europa ... Jupiter's moon Europa is flowing with a buried liquid water ocean that contains much more oxygen than previously thought enough to possibly support life, scientists say. (MSNBC -- Technology)
For Future Superconductors, A Little Bit Of Lithium May Do Hydrogen A Lot Of Good Oct 9, 2009
Metallic hydrogen is thought to be present in the interiors of planets like Jupiter and Saturn because of the intense gravitational forces and pressures that are found there. On Earth, researchers have tried to pry loose hydrogen's electron by squeezing it between the facets of a diamond anvil cell under pressures up to 3. (Science Daily)
Obama puts scientists, engineers in spotlight Oct 8, 2009
The event was organized under the auspices of the International Year of Astronomy, which marks the 400th anniversary of Galileos first observations of Jupiter and its moons with a telescope. OSTPTelescopes are set up in the dark for Wednesday night's White House star party. (MSNBC -- Politics)
You can watch NASA give the moon a one-two punch Oct 8, 2009
This is all happening during a peak week in a yearlong celebrations commemorating the 400th anniversary of Galileo using a telescope to see Jupiter s moons. On Wednesday evening, the White House planned a star party for middle schoolers and about two dozen telescopes. (Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, NC)
White House star-gazing party puts focus on astronomy Oct 8, 2009
And if the moon, Jupiter, stars, and the entire universe were not enough, the party also was to include the president, his family, two pioneering astronauts, and science teachers dressed up as Isaac Newton and Galileo ... This year marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo s first observations of Jupiter and its moons with a telescope, and has been designated the International Year of Astronomy ... People around the world are being encouraged to look at Jupiter and the moon this month. (Boston Globe)
Napier, Parker, Spiller each take share in Tigers offensive woes Oct 8, 2009
Disclaimer - If ad is a click thru and you are having problems please click on link to download latest version of flash player. You are not logged in. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
scientists discover hell planet Oct 7, 2009
Prof Fegley and his associate Laura Schaefer carried out the research using the modelling programme MAGMA. They had previously used the software to model the volcanoes on Jupiter s moon Io. COROT-7b was discovered by the in February, but the Washington University researchers were the first to model its atmosphere. (Harper's Magazine)
White House to throw star party Wednesday Oct 7, 2009
20 telescopes will be set up on lawn for attendees to gaze at moon, Jupiter ... Top targets on the celestial menu: The craters and mountains of Earth's moon, Jupiter and its own moons, and other stars and objects. (MSNBC -- Technology)
How to Watch NASA's Probe Smack the Moon Friday (SPACE.com) Oct 7, 2009
How to Watch NASA's Probe Smack the Moon Friday - Yahoo. Search Type Choose a search type from the items below. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Colossal dust ring detected around Saturn's moon Oct 7, 2009
Until now, the champion planetary rings in the Solar System were so-called "gossamer rings" surrounding Jupiter, the Solar System's largest planet, and Saturn's E ring. Phoebe's ring is far fainter than both, and appears to comprise dust from rocks bashed off the little moon by interplanetary debris or other particles. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
First Family to See First Light Oct 6, 2009
Jupiter will be up (a plus) and there's a whopper of an Iridium flare (magnitude -8) that night. But little else in the night sky will be obvious from our nation's light-drenched capitol. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Facelift for Scotland's 'Hubble' Oct 6, 2009
"The instrument was designed for viewing the planets and it can see as far as Neptune. The clouds on Jupiter are quite spectacular, as are Saturn's rings.". The work to restore the telescope is being carried out in Ayrshire, while companies from Glasgow and Hamilton have been involved in rebuilding the dome. (BBC News)
Water Lust: Why All the Excitement When H2O Is Found in Space? Oct 5, 2009
Observational evidence suggests that water as a solid, liquid or gas is present at the poles of Mercury, within the thick clouds of Venus, on , inside asteroids and comets, and on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Scientists also have speculated that Jupiter's moons , Ganymede and Callisto have vast subsurface oceans of liquid water ... This particular property of water may make life viable in places like Europa, Jupiter's ice-covered moon that scientists suspect holds a liquid water ocean... (Scientific American)
Strange creatures rule October skies Oct 4, 2009
On that evening, the first quarter moon will pass just 2 degrees from Jupiter in Capricornus. October is a month when there are chills and thrills in the air. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
On moonless nights, look for the not-so-bright sights among stars Oct 3, 2009
Jupiter helps to find Altair ... Jupiter, the bright king of the planets, rules the south side of the sky these chilly October evenings ... Being so bright, Jupiter makes a good jumping-off point to sky sights that aren t quite so easy to spot. (Boston Globe)
Iridium will flare tonight Oct 2, 2009
Now look on the right side of the moon for Jupiter over in the south-southeast. Jupiter is so bright that it hardly can be mistaken for anything else ... The iridium flare will occur above and a little to the right of Jupiter. (Florida Today)
Its fall and a young mans fancy turns to ... Stonehenge? Oct 2, 2009
The right brighter star is the giant planet Jupiter, good to see with binoculars. Go to http://www. (Danvers Herald, MA)
Giant Telescope Lets You See Moon, Jupiter And Venus Oct 2, 2009
As weather permits, the public can see objects in our Solar System including the moon, sun, Venus and Jupiter. to see an image of the telescope. (W-USA News, DC)
Don't miss special effects of the harvest moon Oct 2, 2009
Just as the sun is setting in the west this weekend, look to the east and see the harvest moon and Jupiter rising ... The sun is setting behind you in the west, and the moon is rising in the east, Jupiter to the southeast. (MSNBC -- Technology)
What (Maybe) Didn't Kill the Dinosaurs: Comets Oct 2, 2009
Cometary commotion: A new mechanism for how icy bodies get past Jupiter and Saturn suggests that comet showers did not play a big role in Earth s extinctions ... Comet dynamics depend heavily on Jupiter and Saturn: their huge gravitational fields tend to keep objects away from Earth ... Comets that manage to skirt Jupiter and Saturn, the conventional thinking goes, had to have originated in the outer reaches of the Oort cloud, where perturbations from outside the solar system can be felt most... (Scientific American)
Useless Knowledge: Planets align in today's quiz Oct 2, 2009
The Montana Standard. The Montana Standard. (Montana Standard, MT)
World's Most Sensitive Astronomical Camera Developed Oct 1, 2009
(July 13, 2007) Astronomers who used powerful telescopes in Arizona and Chile in a survey for planets around nearby stars have discovered that extrasolar planets more massive than Jupiter are extremely rare in other. (Feb. (Science Daily)
Pebble Rain: Exoplanet Has Bizarre Atmosphere Oct 1, 2009
But because of the limitations of the indirect means by which they are discovered, most are Hot Jupiters, chubby gas giants orbiting close to their parent stars. (More than 1,300 Earths could be packed inside Jupiter, which has 300 times the mass of Earth ... Schaefer and Fegley modified the MAGMA program in 2004 in order to study high-temperature volcanism on Io, Jupiter's innermost Galilean satellite. (Science Daily)
New moons on the horizon Sep 30, 2009
Till a decade ago only a few dozen moons were known, mostly orbiting the four gas giants - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune ... Since 2000, 47 new moons of Jupiter and 43 of Saturn have been discovered ... Candidates being explored include Enceladus, Saturn's tiny moon famous for its stripes (cracks in water ice and plumes of liquid water) and Jupiter's moon Europa that has a five-km-thick ice layer on its surface. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
LOOKING UP: Autumns stars are in view Sep 30, 2009
The planet may be as large as three times the mass of Jupiter ... This year, brilliant planet Jupiter prevails like a champion reigning in the southern sky. (Medfield Press, MA)
Groovy Ganymede: New Map Helps Reveal Origins of Mysterious Features on Solar System's Biggest Moon Sep 30, 2009
The map supports the theory that Ganymede's grooves are the result of orbital resonances among Ganymede, Europa and Io as they circle Jupiter ... ICY SATELLITE: If Ganymede revolved around the sun rather than Jupiter, it would be classified as a planet ... In the search for , Jupiter's moon Ganymede, the largest in the solar system, is no Europa. (Scientific American)
Telltale Tells Story Of Winds At Phoenix Landing Site Sep 30, 2009
29, 2009) Wind speeds and directions were measured for the first time in the Mars polar region using the Phoenix lander s Telltale instrument. Astronomers recorded Easterly winds of approximately 15-20 kilometres per hour during the martian mid-summer. (Science Daily)
A Full Moon Rising Sep 30, 2009
Jupiter is bringing you good luck. You could discover that you're getting a raise or a promotion. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
An unfamiliar neighbourhood Sep 30, 2009
Earlier, the solar system - loosely defined as the chunk of space under the sun's gravitational pull - was thought of as nine planets with an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter ... Launched in 2006, it did a flyby of Jupiter last year and got a speed shake-up for its long journey to Pluto and beyond. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
> read more Sep 26, 2009
Jupiter's moon Io crosses Jupiter's face from 8:45 to 11:02 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time tonight, followed by its tiny black shadow from 9:44 p.m. to 12:01 a.m. EDT.. Jupiter's Red Spot, meanwhile, should transit the planet's central meridian around 9:39 p.m. EDT. (For all of the Red Spot's transit times, good worldwide, use our , or print out our ... Jupiter's moon Io emerges out of eclipse from Jupiter's shadow around 9:11 p.m. EDT. A small telescope will show it swelling into view just east of... (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Mercury ready for a rare close-up Sep 26, 2009
The Cassini spacecraft swung by twice, once and then Jupiter before threading a daringly-close flyby of Saturn's rings that allowed the planet to capture it in orbit in 2004. Aerospace engineers can make such complicated stuff look easy, almost easy enough to forget this is actual "rocket science." But the mechanics of modern rockets in many ways still present daunting challenges, some 83 years after engineer Robert Goddard fired off the first liquid-fueled rocket. (USA Today -- Tech)
Twin Keck Telescopes Probe Dual Dust Disks Sep 25, 2009
If placed in our own solar system, the disk would span about four times Earth s distance from the sun, reaching nearly to Jupiter s orbit ... Much of the dust in our solar system forms inward of Jupiter's orbit, as comets crumble near the sun and asteroids of all sizes collide. (Science Daily)
Did comet crashes help spark Earth life? Sep 25, 2009
He was able to synthesize amino acids using lightning-like discharges in a reducing atmosphere of methane, ammonia and water similar to what exists on Jupiter. Since that pioneering work, researchers have come to believe that Earth's early atmosphere was in fact more oxidative, containing mostly nitrogen and carbon dioxide. (MSNBC -- Technology)
October skywatch: Meteor shower Sep 23, 2009
Just look to the southeast after sunset for the big, bright "star." That's actually the planet Jupiter, which is passing through the constellation. Jupiter, always a terrific sight through a telescope, is well positioned for evening viewing throughout October ... Its four largest moons are visible, even with binoculars; backyard telescopes will reveal several of Jupiter's atmospheric bands, which appear as faint, parallel rows of pink and cream. (AZCentral -- Travel)
This Week's Sky at a Glance Sep 22, 2009
Jupiter is passing just 1/3 ... Jupiter's Great Red Spot should cross Jupiter's central meridian (the imaginary line down the center of the planet's disk from pole to pole) around 10:31 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time ... Two mutual events occur tonight between Jupiter's moons Io and Europa. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
ESO unveils interactive 360 degree view of night sky Sep 22, 2009
As photographing extended over several months, objects from the Solar System came and went through the star fields, with bright planets such as Venus and Jupiter. A brilliant, emerald-green comet also flew by, although spotting it among a background of tens of millions of stars will be difficult (but rewarding). (Astronomy Now Online)
New Transient Radiation Belt Around Saturn Sep 21, 2009
Radiation belts, like Earth s Van Allen belts, have been discovered at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. However, to date, it has only been possible to observe the variability of their intensity at Earth and Jupiter. (Science Daily)
Ganymede Makes Big Impression On Jupiter's Auroral Lightshows Sep 20, 2009
19, 2009) Studies of features in Jupiter s spectacular and rapidly changing aurorae have given new insights into the complex electromagnetic interactions between the giant planet and two of its innermost moons ... As Ganymede and Io orbit Jupiter, they interact with regions of plasma and generate electromagnetic waves that are projected along Jupiter s magnetic field lines towards Jupiter s poles where they cause auroral bright spots ... By analysing the exact locations of these features and how... (Science Daily)
Jupiter Auroras Fed by Largest Moon's Magnetic "Bubble" Sep 18, 2009
That's one finding in new research that offers unprecedented details on interactions between Jupiter and two of its , the giant Ganymede and the volcanically active Io ... But at a distance of 483,780,000 miles (778,570,000 kilometers), Jupiter is too far away for the sun to be feeding the planet's polar light shows ... Instead, the moon Io's volcanoes eject a constant flow of particles, which create a donut-shaped ring around Jupiter. (National Geographic)
Astronomical birth event results in a multitude of 'baby' comets Sep 18, 2009
It takes Comet Holmes about six years to circle the sun, traveling between the inner edge of the asteroid belt to beyond Jupiter ... It takes Comet Holmes about six years to circle the sun, traveling between the inner edge of the asteroid belt to beyond Jupiter. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
First rocky planet found outside solar system Sep 18, 2009
"This is the first confirmed rocky planet in another system," astronomer Artie Hatzes told CNN, contrasting the solid planet with gaseous ones like Jupiter and Saturn. But "Earthlike" is a relative term. (CNN)
Largest Comet Outburst Sent "Mini Comets" Flying Sep 17, 2009
Comet Holmes is a so-called Jupiter Family comet, one with an orbit that crosses so near 's that the comet is affected by the massive planet's gravity ... For instance, comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke up in 1994 and its pieces crashed into Jupiter ... Despite the drama, the comet survived the explosion, Stevenson added, and it's now making its way back toward Jupiter. (National Geographic)
Mini-Comets Within A Comet Lit Up 17P/Holmes During Megaoutburst Sep 17, 2009
Holmes takes approximately 6 years to circle the Sun, and travels between the inner edge of the asteroid belt to beyond Jupiter. The comet is now moving away from the Sun but will return to its closest approach to the Sun in 2014, when astronomers will examine it for signs of further outbursts. (Science Daily)
• COLUMN: Celebrate the autumnal equinox Tuesday, theequilux next Saturday Sep 17, 2009
Times-News: Magicvalley. to register or to login to your Magicvalley. (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Interactive, 360-degree Panoramic View Of Entire Night Sky Sep 16, 2009
As photographing extended over several months, objects from the Solar System came and went through the star fields, with bright planets such as Venus and Jupiter ... As filming extended over several months, objects from the Solar System came and went through the star fields, with bright planets such as Venus and Jupiter. (Science Daily)
Jupiter Captured Comet For 12 Years In Mid-20th Century Sep 16, 2009
15, 2009) Comet 147P/Kushida-Muramatsu was captured as a temporary moon of Jupiter in the mid-20th century and remained trapped in an irregular orbit for about twelve years ... There are only a handful of known comets where this phenomenon of temporary satellite capture has occurred and the capture duration in the case of Kushida-Muramatsu, which orbited Jupiter between 1949 and 1961, is the third longest ... An international team led by Dr Katsuhito Ohtsuka modelled the trajectories of 18... (Science Daily)
Jupiter Turned Comet Into "Moon" for 12 Years Sep 15, 2009
"We can be fairly sure that the comet orbited Jupiter once or twice before escaping it," said team member David Asher of the U.K.'s Armagh Observatory ... Only one temporary satellite has been observed falling prey to a planet's pull: comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which broke apart and crashed into Jupiter in 1994 ... Unlike those objects, comet Kushida-Muramatsu eventually escaped Jupiter's gravity. (National Geographic)
Gotcha! Jupiter turned comet into a moon Sep 15, 2009
Jupiter turned comet into a moon - Space ... Jupiter turned comet into a moon ... Jupiter already has an abundance of moons, but from 1949 to 1961 it had another, temporary satellite in the form of a comet trapped in the gas giant's gravitational grip. (MSNBC -- Technology)
7 Thoughts That Are Bad For You Sep 14, 2009
Jupiter is seen from the refurbished Hubble telescope in The Week in Photos. Five reasons why a four-day workweek might make sense. (Yahoo News -- Technology)
Looking Up: Poetry in the night sky Sep 13, 2009
Enjoy tonight under the dark of the missing moon, the soft luminescent glow of the Milky Way Band, the splendor of Jupiter shining southeast, the bidding farewell of spring s orange Arcturus glowing to the west. Hearken to the dim but noble autumn constellations parading high in the east, the dim fuzzy oval of the Andromeda Galaxy to the right of the Cassiopeia s W-shape in the northeast. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
