Space Shuttle Discovery Launches Tonight

Update@21:30 – Launch now set for 22:02.

Tune in to NASA TV tonight at approximately 20:45 to see STS-124 lift-off on it’s mission to the International Space Station.

Also note that you will be able to see both the ISS and Discovery pass over our skies during the next few days. Click here to find out when and where.

Amazing Phoenix Images!

NASA’s Phoenix Mars probe successfully landed on Monday, and only two days in to the surface mission and we have already been given some wonderful Martian imagery.

This is the first time a probe has landed so far north, in the Martian polar regions, and the first released image clearly showed features recognisable to geologists. The “cryoturbation polygons” seen in the above image are created by permafrost – something which has be observed here on Earth.

During the descent of the spacecraft, three other orbiting satellites were co-ordinated to observe the event.  The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s “HiRise” camera tracked the descent and was actually able to image Phoenix with it’s parachute:

The same orbiter has now imaged the spacecraft, it’s heatshield and parachute sitting on the surface:

More images and data will be available from the mission webpages at either http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/ or http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/

The ISS Marathon

An ISS Marathon begins this week when the International Space Station will spend around three days in almost-constant sunlight. From 21st to the 23rd May, skywatchers can see the bright spacescraft moving overhead about two to four times each night.

A simple way to find out when and where the ISS will pass overhead near you is to go use the Satellite Tracker – just select the location nearest to you and it will produce a chart of flyby times (as well as any other visible satellites you can see).

NASA Phoenix Mars lander

On the 25th May, NASA’s Phoenix robotic spacecraft will descend onto the surface of Mars.

NASA and JPL have produced an excellent video (which I found on the Bad Astronomy blog) describing the processes involved with getting the probe down safely and highlights the difficulties of doing so.

Phoenix has a massive scientific payload, including robotic arms, stereo cameras, descent imagers, various chemical analysers and climate detectors. The mission aims to study history of water on the surface and to search for of “biological paydirt” in the icy-soil layers of the surface.

Here’s the video:

May Public Meeting

At the public meeting in May, our guest speaker is James Abbott who will be giving a talk called the “Skies Over Essex about the wide range of objects, events and phenomena that can be seen, even in the often challenging skies above Essex.

Saturn – 1st May 2008

Saturn – taken using a Philips SPC900 camera (and 2x barlow) through the main observatory telescope (12″ Meade LX200). Image processing via Registax 4 and Photoshop Elements 5.

Processed image:

Raw Video:

Free Amateur Astronomy Video

Free 10 minute PBS programme about amateur astronomy…click here and you’ll be taken to to the video.