Another nice ISS pass - not as high as Wednesday night, but still!
Signed, Jane Mojo and Gary in Yosemite!
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: SpotTheStation
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:57:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: HQ-spotthestation(a)mail.nasa.gov
To: United-States-California-Monrovia-PM(a)lists.hq.nasa.gov
Time: Fri Aug 21 8:41 PM, Visible: 3 min, Max Height: 47 degrees, Appears: W, Disappears: SSE
Jane, Mojo and Gary are heading to our annual Glacier Point star party
Friday and Saturday nights. If you can't make it don't despair, it
happens every summer - with different astronomy clubs each weekend
during the summer (except full moon weekend)
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/programs.htm These are the free
programs at Glacier Point.
Meanwhile back in Monrovia, our intrepid team of sidewalk astronomers
will be holding down the fort from sunset (a little before 8:00 p.m.
until about 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. depending on the crowd Saturday night.
Last night many of you got to see the International Space Station fly
over southern California (including some of us at the Hollywood Bowl).
If I don't remind you, or I forget, just sign up here and you will get
an email alert in plenty of time to tell all your local friends and
family when to look up and wave at the astronauts.
http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/
What's Up August covers the Perseids (It was awesome from a dark sky
where I went) and the chance to see all the planets (and planets that
have been demoted like Pluto, Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno this month.
It has really pretty graphics for the armchair astronomer, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-R1tk775PI
Oh and a note from my work. I work on the InSight Mission, launching to
Mars in March 2016 (from Vandenberg AFB, just 4 hours north of LA!!) and
we just announced our Send your Name to Mars campaign, where your name
will be embedded on a micro "Plaque" and affixed to the instrument deck
of our spacecraft. So your name will be on Mars! Here's the info:
http://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/insight/
Jane
--
Jane Houston Jones
@jhjones @NASAInSight
WhatÕs Up for August? Perseids + 12 planets
http://go.nasa.gov/1hcjVbZ
Nice ISS pass tonite, LosAngelenos!
-------- Original Message --------
From: HQ-spotthestation(a)mail.nasa.gov
Sent: August 19, 2015 8:57:06 AM PDT
To: United-States-California-Monrovia-PM(a)lists.hq.nasa.gov
Subject: SpotTheStation
Time: Wed Aug 19 8:51 PM, Visible: 3 min, Max Height: 58 degrees, Appears: NW, Disappears: E
--
Jane Houston Jones
(Mobile)
Tonight is the peak of the famous Perseid Meteor shower, but the shower
puts on a nice show from late September through August 24th, so don't
despair if you can't be at a dark sight on a Wednesday night!
If you want to see the most, get away from city lights, but if you can't
get away tonight, just find the darkest place in your own yard or
nearby, and face toward the darkest sky (or overhead).
Time - the peak is 2 hours on either side of 1 a.m. Pacific - so from 11
p.m. - 3 a. m. is primo, but you should see some before 11, too.
The radiant - Perseus, is in the NE sky beginning to rise after sunset,
but it is not necessary to look NE - in fact if you look that way, you
see meteors coming straight at you - meaning short streaks of light.
Instead, look 90 degrees away and you'll see more meteors passing
sideways -- with longer streaks -- flying past you instead of straight
at you. (don't worry, by the time you see the streak of light, the
meteoroid has burned up so nothing is really coming "at" you).
Best Astronomy location in LA
http://www.kcet.org/living/travel/socal_wanderer/night-sky/stargazing/8-pla…
Next Sidewalk Astronomy is August 22 in Monrovia and August 21 and 22 in
Glacier Point, Yosemite. Find out more about upcoming events on our
website http://www.otastro.org/
Next Mojave Star Party is October 17th - details on the website above.
My What's Up video about the Perseids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-R1tk775PI
Follow observers worldwide as they report their Perseid counts to the
International Meteor Organization. That's what I'm going to be doing
tonight! http://www.imo.net/live/perseids2015/
Where in the world are Perseid observers reporting from:
http://www.imo.net/live/perseids2015/#observers
Jane
--
Jane Houston Jones
@jhjones @NASAInSight
WhatÕs Up for August? Perseids + 12 planets
http://go.nasa.gov/1hcjVbZ
Hi everyone - would you guess that we have over 550 of you on our email
list? That tops our former Sidewalk Astronomy list from the SF days by
over a hundred . :-)
Tonight, for those of us in the Los Angeles region, we have an
outstanding ISS pass. The International Space Station makes a long high
pass, visible with your unaided eyes. Sat Aug 01 8:37 PM, Visible: 6
min, Max Height: 81 degrees, Appears: SW, Disappears: NE Nearly overhead!
Also, Here's my 98th What's Up video on the JPL website
-http://go.nasa.gov/1hcjVbZ <http://go.nasa.gov/1hcjVbZ> This month, I
talk about the Perseids and all 12 planets - (including former planets
Pluto, Juno, Ceres, Vesta and Pallas -- which are all visible this
month) You will need binoculars, luck, telescopes and an experienced
planet hunter to see some of them, and it may be possible to see all
twelve in one night -- a fun project for us amateur astronomers with
telescopes. <http://go.nasa.gov/1hcjVbZ>Here's my last attempt - ten
planets!!! http://jane.whiteoaks.com/2010/06/14/a-ten-planet-night/
August's Sidewalk Astronomy in Monrovia will be missing a few of us
because Gary, Mojo and I will be bringing our telescopes to Yosemite's
Glacier Point where we will participate in the annual free star party
with the San Jose Astronomical Association on August 22nd. (Also August
21st). If you plan a Yosemite trip this month, Each weekend (except
full moon) brings a different Northern California Astronomy club to
Glacier Point. Here's the remaining programs for this year and the
website with all the Free Astronomy programs
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/programs.htm
August 7-8: Santa Cruz Astronomy Club (SCAC)
August 14-15: Peninsula Astronomical Society
August 21-22: San Jose Astronomical Association
September 4-5: Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society (SVAS)
Hope you see the ISS, Perseids and plenty of planets this month!! Jane
--
Jane Houston Jones
@jhjones @NASAInsight
What's Up? August - my 98th podcast! Perseids+12 planets
http://go.nasa.gov/1hcjVbZ