News, 06 AUG 2003 Mars Reaches 23.4 Arc Seconds Today +++++ ISS Tonight (Wednesday). Friday In South ISS is due to make an excellent pass over northern Utah tonight. 9:43 rises in NW 9:47 passes overhead 9:48 sets in SE Southern Utah gets a good pass Friday night. 9:23 rises in NW 9:26 close to overhead 9:28 sets in SE +++++ The Perseids In Moonlight The Perseid meteor shower peaks at 11:00 p.m. MDT on August 12th. But light from the Moon, one day past full, will wash out many of the shower's faint meteors. Still, if you're outside that night, pause and watch for a Perseid. http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/objects/meteors/article_937_1.asp +++++ Perseid Fireball (SpaceWeather.Com) Although the peak of the 2003 Perseid meteor shower is still a week away, sky watchers are already spotting some Perseids. This one, for instance, appeared over El Paso, Texas, just last night. Recorded by one of the Sandia Meteor Detection Network's all-sky cameras, the exploding fireball was almost as bright as a full Moon. GIF: http://spaceweather.com/swpod2003/05aug03/gamble2.gif Quicktime: http://spaceweather.com/swpod2003/05aug03/Gamble1.mov +++++ Fighting For A Darker Future The astronomer is helping lead the campaign to implement a law that made this formerly communist country the world's first nation to ban light pollution _ an intrusion of the modern age that Hollan and others say disturbs wildlife, poses a menace to people and spoils the simple pleasure of stargazing. http://www.planetsave.com/ViewStory.asp?ID=4170 +++++ The VLT Measures the Shape of a Type Ia Supernova An international team of astronomers has performed new and very detailed observations of a supernova in a distant galaxy with the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). They show for the first time that a particular type of supernova, caused by the explosion of a "white dwarf", a dense star with a mass around that of the Sun, is asymmetric during the initial phases of expansion. http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2003/pr-23-03.html +++++ Hot Spots On Mars Give Hunt For Life New Target Giant hollow towers of ice formed by steaming volcanic vents on Ross Island, Antarctica are providing clues about where to hunt for life on Mars. http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_818.html +++++ SMART-1 - The Lunar Adventure Begins This is clearly Europe's time for interplanetary exploration. Having sent the first European mission to Mars, ESA is about to launch its first probe to the Moon. http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMBTIYO4HD_index_0.html +++++ Russians OK Space Wedding Its not exactly a fatherly blessing, but the Russian Space and Aviation Agency has given its assent for Sundays wedding between space station commander Yuri Malenchenko and earthbound fiancee Kat Dmitriev. http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp?0sl=-21 +++++ More Amateur Pics Mars, 06 AUG 2003 http://www.astral-imaging.com/mars1.html Cocoon Nebula http://www-ccar.colorado.edu/research/colors/cocoon_anot.jpg Moon http://www.dnacommunications.com/temp/Moon_08-04-03.jpg NGC7331 http://www.astrophoto.com/7331B&W.jpg NGC 7753 http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/n7753.html M-12 http://www.rc-astro.com/star_clusters/globular/m12.htm +++++ ************************************************** News is being sent to you because of your affiliation with an astronomy club in Utah or because you asked to be subscribed. To unsubscribe please send your request to paw@trilobyte.net. News Internet access provided by: Trilo BYTE, http://www.trilobyte.net. Check out my NASA Solar System Ambassador web site at: http://planet.state.ut.us For astronomy clubs in Utah see: http://planet.state.ut.us/utahclubs.html For the Utah Astronomy Listserve see: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy ************************************************** -- Patrick Wiggins NASA Solar System Ambassador to Utah http://planet.state.ut.us 435.882.1209 (observatory) 801.918.9092 (cell)