The Morning Sky is Alive

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz
Astronomy / Skywatching
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Jupiter, Venus, and Mars are all lining up in the morning sky. As Venus treks eastward, the planets draw closer to together throughout this month. 

Mercury is low by the horizon.

As for the last visible planet, Saturn sets in the early night's sky. So enjoy!

Source: Interactive Star Chart,  When the Curves Line Up

U of A Watches for Extrasolar Storms

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz

Meteorology / Astrophysics 
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In the article, Extrasolar Storms: How's the Weather Way Out There?, the University of Arizona describes how NASA's telescopes can combine their data to observe and catalog the weather on distant worlds:

Orbiting the Earth 353 miles above the ground, the Hubble Space Telescope silently pivots toward its new target. At the same time, flying 93 million miles away in interplanetary space, NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope receives commands to point itself at the same celestial target.

Precisely synchronized, both telescopes begin recording light at the same time from the same distant object: an exotic, purple-colored, cloudy, Jupiter-size world 24 light-years away, known as a brown dwarf. Using simultaneous observations from the two space telescopes, UA astronomers are tracking the evolution of the swirling clouds and storm systems in unprecedented detail on this brown dwarf and five others like it.

To read more of this article, visit the link below.

Source: UA News

Dawn Spacecraft Begins Approach to Dwarf Planet Ceres

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz

Dawn / NASA 
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Crazy Engineering: Ion Propulsion and the Dawn Mission

As Dawn journeys across our solar system, the spacecraft will unearth the mysteries of more asteroids and a dwarf planet:

"Orbiting both Vesta and Ceres would be truly impossible with conventional propulsion. Thanks to ion propulsion, we're about to make history as the first spaceship ever to orbit two unexplored alien worlds," said Marc Rayman, Dawn's chief engineer and mission director, based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Thanks to this new ion propulsion system, we on Earth are in for a treat as Dawn investigates the beginnings of our space home. In fact May 9, 2015 is the date of NASA's Ceres Celebration. 

For more information, pictures, and research, visit: Dawn.

Source: NASA

ISS Visibility Chart for the End of June

Staff Writer, DB Holmes
ISS / Space 
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 Do you like seeing the ISS? Here is a visibility chart for Phoenix, AZ this week.

Source: Heavens Above 

Storm Alert, Planets, Spaceweather

Staff Writer, DL Mullan
Meteorology / Heliosphere
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Storm Alert, Planets, Spaceweather

Here's what is going on in the world and sun via earthquakes, typhoons, and convergence zones.

Source: Suspicious Observers  

Cyclone Jack, Solar Analysis

Staff Writer, DL Mullan

Meteorology / Heliosphere
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Cyclone Jack, Solar Analysis 

The planets are aligning as Mercury goes behind the sun from Earth's point of view and Saturn lines up with the Earth. 

Storms around the world are in step with solar activity and a new cyclone has been named.

Interplanetary Shockwave Impact Update

EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 expected
Extension to Serial Number: 896
Valid From: 2014 Apr 20 1257 UTC
Now Valid Until: 2014 Apr 21 0600 UTC
Warning Condition: Persistence
Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 60 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
Spacecraft - Minor impact on satellite operations possible.
Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes, i.e., northern tier of the U.S. such as northern Michigan and Maine.

 Other news about the solar activity:

• Solar Flares over the last 24 hours..
• 10 solar flares were observed:
• C1.6 AR2035 00:17:00 00:25:00 00:40:00
• C2. AR2036 02:02:00 03:05:00 03:11:00
• C2.4 AR2038 04:21:00 04:27:00 04:41:00
• C1.9 AR2034 05:12:00 05:17:00 05:23:00
• C1.7 AR2034 06:07:00 06:10:00 06:13:00
• C6.4 AR2033 08:07:00 08:13:00 08:18:00
• C3.9 AR2033 08:21:00 08:24:00 08:31:00
• C1.8 AR2033 11:23:00 11:41:00 11:44:00
• C2.2 AR2035 11:53:00 12:07:00 12:12:00
• C2.8 AR2035 13:32:00 13:38:00 13:44:00

Source: Suspicious Observers 

Solar System Visualized in 3D

Staff Writer, DL Mullan  
Astronomy / Astrophysics
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This program called Solar System Scope is online and anyone can download it onto their desktop, for a fee, but onto a website is free of charge. If you would like to see the website for yourself, please visit Solar System Scope.

Actually see how the stars and constellations line up with the planets.

Great for the astronomer in all of us. Also for school lessons and amateur telescope enthusiasts, this program puts outer space into perspective. 

Note: there is music so if you do not care for the instrumental, then be sure to mute the music.

Sky View Nov 15-24, 2013

Staff Writer, DL Mullan
Environment

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A favorite activity for some VDP residents is to do a little stargazing and November 2013 will not disappoint.

In the evenings, Venus can be seen in the South, Southwestern sky as the Moon continues to get brighter until the Full Moon on November 18th and decreases through the Last Quarter on the 25th and New Moon on December 2nd.

The image above details how one can find the Comet ISON on the 24th. With a telescope or binoculars, this comet will be sure to be a crowd pleaser.

If you are up later in the evening, you will be sure to see the Seven Sisters overhead followed by Orion and then the bright Jupiter. Even with a pair of good binoculars, a viewer can see pinpricks of light shining around the aura of Jupiter, that would be his moons.

The next three mornings will show Mercury about 10 degrees above the horizon and will be at its apex on the 17th before sunrise.

So grab a sweater and your favorite apparatus... the sky is full of viewable goodies for the rest of this November.

Source:  Astronomy Magazine