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.
SPACESHIP SIGHTINGS: Space
shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station (ISS)
this morning, and tonight the pair will fly in tandem over many
US towns and cities. The two spacecraft will appear as distinct
points of light, first the ISS followed by the shuttle. When should
you look? There are two ways to find out: Sign up for flyby alerts
from Spaceweather PHONE
or check the flyby time tables at Heavens
Above.
CORRECTION:
Earlier we reported that Atlantis would lead the ISS across the
sky. In fact, the reverse will occur: ISS comes first, followed
by Atlantis. Apologies for the mix-up.
SPACESHIP SIGHTINGS II:
Last night, just hours before undocking, ISS and Atlantis flew over
Renton, Washington. "It was my last chance to see them together
before Atlantis comes home," says amateur astronomer Tom
Gwilym who took these pictures through his hand-guided 12-inch
Meade LX200:
Tom's images show the station's new solar arrays,
which were unfurled by the crew of Atlantis during their 9-day construction
mission to the ISS. The new arrays not only add power to the ISS,
they also make the station bigger and easier to see from the ground.
If the ISS glides over your hometown tonight, try looking at it
through your backyard telescope. The view is out of this world.
DAYTIME ECLIPSE OF VENUS:
"It was a race with the clouds, and I won!" says Peter
Heinzen of Wallis, Switzerland, who yesterday snapped this picture
of Venus emerging from eclipse behind the crescent moon:
Photo details: Canon
EOS 20D, 1/500 seconds, 100 ASA
The eclipse--a.k.a. "lunar occultation"--was
visible from Europe, the Middle East and India. Even in broad daylight,
people could see it with their unaided eyes. Telescopes trained
on the Moon's limb revealed the crescent
shape of Venus in close proximity to lunar mountains and craters.
"It was a great view!"
says photographer Günther Strauch of Borken, NRW, Germany. Browse
the gallery for more:
Eclipse
of Venus Photo Gallery
Updated June 19, 2007
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