Where's Saturn? Is that a UFO--or the ISS? What's the name of that star? Get the answers from mySKY--a fun new astronomy helper from Meade. | | | DON'T FORGET COMET HOLMES: Since its startling explosion in Oct. 2007, Comet 17P/Holmes has slowly faded from view--out of sight and out of the headlines. But the giant comet is still putting on a show for anyone with a backyard telescope. Consider this Feb. 24th photo taken by Michael Jäger of Stixendorf, Austria. The red cloud next to Comet Holmes is the California Nebula. "What a great photo-op," says Jack Newton of Arizona who caught the pair three nights later. Comet Holmes (and friend) is easy to find; after sunset, just point your optics straight up at the constellation Perseus. [ephemeris] GEOGRAPHY QUIZ: Suppose you look up and see this. Where on Earth are you? Scroll down for the answer. Photo details: Nikon D3, ISO 1600, 1.6 secs. Alaska! "Last night we had the best auroras of the year," reports Lance Parrish who took the picture not far from Fairbanks. They materialized when a solar wind stream hit Earth causing a storm of magnitude 5 on the 0 to 9 "K-index" scale of geomagnetic activity. "The lights were moving so fast across the sky, it was hard to keep up." Another display is possible tonight as the solar wind continues to blow; NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of geomagnetic activity. Sky watchers in Scandinavia, Canada, Alaska and northern Russia, be alert for auroras. February 2008 Aurora Gallery [Aurora Alerts] [Night Sky Cameras] LUNAR TRANSIT: This morning the International Space Station flew directly in front of the Moon. John Stetson of Gorham, Maine, captured the transit: "The sun was still 5 degrees below our horizon at the time of the transit," says Stetson. High overhead, however, the sun was "up" and shining on the space station and the Moon, which made them easy to see against the dark, pre-dawn sky of Maine. The remarkable thing about this photo is the visibility of the ISS. NASA has been working hard to expand the ISS with new solar arrays, laboratories and living quarters. The station has grown so large and reflects so much sunlight, it is now brighter than the lava seas and craters of a morning quarter Moon: ISS flyby alerts. Lunar Eclipse Photo Gallery [Interactive World Map of Eclipse Photos] |