ISS & shuttle this weekend

Updating from the last post – please note that as the Space Shuttle Endeavour has now undocked from the International Space Station, the coming days will provide opportunity to see the shuttle “chasing” the ISS.

Please check out the ISS viewing times at the link on the right, or click here. (This will give local Essex viewing times, other locations can be selected from here).

Endeavour is due to land on Monday,  bringing mission STS-126 to an end and leaving only nine planned missions remaining in the Space Shuttle programme.

The ISS Toolbox

The toolbag lost by astronauts during a spacewalk this past week (reported on here by the BBC) is currently being tracked by satellite observers. A veteran amateur observer actually managed to capture a video of the toolbag as it passed overhead. The video, taken by Kevin Fetter in Canada, can be seen here.

The object appears as a dim 8th magnitude – if you want to try and see it for yourself, here’s the link to  Space Weather’s Satellite Tracker page. It will start to be visible from Essex from Tuesday along with the ISS itself.

Yes, yet again the International Space Station will be visible over our skies. The links on the right of this page will take you to NASA’s ISS viewing times page, where you can check when and where to look.

Lost toolbag floats away from the ISS. Credit: NASA

As for the toolbag, which floated away from Endeavour astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper during the STS-126 mission’s first spacewalk on Tuesday, NASA will not be attempting to recover it. Even though it cost $100,000. It contained various tools used to fix a solar panel joint – including a grease gun which had spilt it’s contents, causing the bag to accidentally drift off.

On completion of the mission, the ISS will be capable of hosting six crew members.

The Moon Occults The Pleiades

The Moon orbits the Earth about once a month. As it does so, it sometimes passes directly in front of brighter stars and, more rarely, planets. The Moon approaches a star, getting ever closer, and then the star vanishes behind the Moon – blinking out at the lunar limb makes contact.

Sometimes, though, the Moon does itself one better and passes in front of the Pleiades (or The Seven Sisters): a cluster of hundreds of stars in the constellation of Taurus. The Pleiades are a very tight formation, and about six or seven of the brightest members can be seen to the naked eye – hence their name.

On Thursday 13th November this will happen again, starting at around 5pm, and fortunately it’s best visible in Europe!

When the Moon passes through the Pleiades, they should blink out one by one. The whole thing takes about a a couple of hours. So if the weather is clear and you can see the Moon, I suggest you take a look. Use binoculars so you can see the stars more easily. While it’s not as spectacular as an eclipse or meteor shower, it’s still an interesting event.

November Public Meeting

Image © Nik Szymanek

All are welcome to attend our public meeting on Wednesday 19th November, which will feature a talk called “Photographing the Night Sky” by reknowned astrophotographer Nik Szymanek.

Nik will give us an introduction to all the modern forms of astro imaging. Although being based in Essex, heregularly travels to the Canary Island of La Palma where he is able to take advantage of some of the best observing sites to take CCD images and widefield night sky photographs. It will also include a short film made on location at his observing sites around the world..

The meeting that will be held at the Henry Dixon Hall, Rivenhall End, Witham, CM8 3HD. The doors open at 7:30 pm with the talk getting underway at ~8pm. Entry costs £3. Tea & coffee will be available.

Les Sayer MBE DSM (1915 – 2008)

It is with great sadness that we have to report the passing of our Society president and good friend Les Sayer.

Les lived a varied and textured life. He served as a Telegraphist Air Gunner (TAG) of the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War, flying in the Fairey Swordfish. TAGs were responsible for providing Morse code communications as well as protecting the aircraft with a machine gun.

While stationed on the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious in 1941, he took part in the final , vital attack on the German battleship Bismark. His squadron were part of the first wave which crippled the famous ship with torpedo bombing. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for the part he played. This and other memoirs were featured in the book “Tag On A Stringbag” which Les co-wrote.

Upon leaving the Navy, Les spent over thirty years in a civil aviation career flying with airlines such as British European Airways (some of his journeys even took him into the realms of cold war espionage!) and he eventually became a Training Manager for BOAC.

In the 1997 New Years Honours, Les was awarded the MBE for his service to the Telegraphist Air Gunner Association – a group set up to help the surviving TAGs.

In 1990, the Society broadcast an appeal on local radio for help in setting up an astronomy observing location and it was Les and Val Sayer who answered. They were both made honourary life members and it led to the creation of our Munday-Sayer Observatory.

The Society owes much to Les. He was a fascinating, unpretentious man who will be sorely missed. Rest in peace.

Update 07/11/08 – A funeral service for Les will be held at Bures Suffolk Parish Church at 12.30pm on Friday 14th November.  Instead of flowers, donations to the Royal Navy Historic Flight are suggested.

Update 14/11/08 – links to articles in the national press about the life of Les:

- Daily Mail

- East Anglian Daily Times

- Daily Express