New JPL video: "What's Up"

What's Up? There's a new video feature debuting on the JPL web pages today. The new monthly feature, which I host :-), is called "What's Up". It will highlight an astronomical viewing opportunity everyone can enjoy, usually even without a telescope, and usually in the most light polluted sky. All of you on our Old Town Astronomers list know all about light polluted skies - it's where we set up telescopes every month! In April there is a fantastic viewing opportunity all of you can enjoy right from your own back (or front) yard. No telescope required! The moon rises from near Venus on April 21, (which is National Astronomy Day) through April 25, when the moon is above Saturn. Most of the images in the video came my 350+ worldwide volunteers, called the Cassini-Huygens Saturn Observation Campaign. The video is here on the JPL home page : http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ . On the JPL Education Gateway page is the video plus amateur astronomy resources: http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html Here you can download the sky chart which will show you where to find Venus, Saturn, and watch the crescent moon rise in-between the two planets later this month. You might try looking for the moon April 19 or 20 below Venus. it'll be a very thin crescent. Please forward this to your own network of friends or students if you think they'd be interested. Or link to the JPL Education's Amateur Astronomy page http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html so that your pals can use the charts, and listen to the video, and use the other great links on the page. I have one more tidbit. April 21 is National Astronomy Day. Mojo will be set up as usual in Monrovia (weather permitting), and possibly in Pasadena on April 20, but I will be in England that weekend. Here is a really nice (and free) astronomy chart for April. It usually is available only by subscription, but the Abrams Planetarium has made it available for Astronomy Day. I know a lot of you are members of other astronomy clubs or may be holding your own observing events on April 21 which is why I am sharing this link. Print it out and enjoy! You might even want to subscribe! I used this chart when I was a brand new amateur astronomer unsure what to aim at. It provided me years of enjoyment! http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/SkyCalendar/Index.html Jane -- Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Cassini Saturn Observation Campaign http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm