alactic Observer GJohn J. McCarthy Observatory Volume 9, No. 3 March 2016 GRAIL - On the Trail of the Moon's Missing Mass GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) was a NASA scientific mission in 2011/12 to map the surface of the moon and collect data on gravitational anomalies. The image here is an artist's impres- sion of the twin satellites (Ebb and Flow) orbiting in tandem above a gravitational image of the moon. See inside, page 4 for information on gravitational anomalies (mascons) or visit http://solarsystem. nasa.gov/grail. The John J. McCarthy Observatory Galactic Observer New Milford High School Editorial Committee 388 Danbury Road Managing Editor New Milford, CT 06776 Bill Cloutier Phone/Voice: (860) 210-4117 Production & Design Phone/Fax: (860) 354-1595 www.mccarthyobservatory.org Allan Ostergren Website Development JJMO Staff Marc Polansky It is through their efforts that the McCarthy Observatory Technical Support has established itself as a significant educational and Bob Lambert recreational resource within the western Connecticut Dr. Parker Moreland community. Steve Barone Jim Johnstone Colin Campbell Carly KleinStern Dennis Cartolano Bob Lambert Mike Chiarella Roger Moore Route Jeff Chodak Parker Moreland, PhD Bill Cloutier Allan Ostergren Cecilia Dietrich Marc Polansky Dirk Feather Joe Privitera Randy Fender Monty Robson Randy Finden Don Ross John Gebauer Gene Schilling Elaine Green Katie Shusdock Tina Hartzell Paul Woodell Tom Heydenburg Amy Ziffer In This Issue "OUT THE WINDOW ON YOUR LEFT" ............................... 4 SUNRISE AND SUNSET ...................................................... 13 MARE HUMBOLDTIANIUM AND THE NORTHEAST LIMB ......... 5 JUPITER AND ITS MOONS ................................................. 13 ONE YEAR IN SPACE ....................................................... 6 TRANSIT OF JUPITER'S RED SPOT ..................................... 14 TEN YEARS ON ORBIT ..................................................... 7 ASTRONOMICAL AND HISTORICAL EVENTS ......................... 14 FUELED AND READY FOR FLIGHT ...................................... 8 COMMONLY USE TERMS ................................................. 17 JUNO UPDATE ................................................................ 9 REFERENCES ON DISTANCES ............................................ 17 JUPITER AT OPPOSITION ................................................... 8 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND IRIDIUM SATELLITES .... 17 DUSTY MOON ................................................................ 9 SOLAR ACTIVITY ........................................................... 18 CHINA'S MOON EXPLORATION PROGRAM .......................... 9 COVER PHOTO .............................................................. 18 JAMES WEBB ASSEMBLY MILESTONE ............................... 10 IMAGE CREDITS ............................................................ 18 NEXT GENERATION SPACE TELESCOPE .............................. 10 CARTOON - BUCKY MILAM ............................................. 18 CASTOR AND MULTIPLE STAR SYSTEMS ............................ 10 SECOND SATURDAY STARS ............................................... 19 TWIST OF FATE ............................................................. 11 MARCH GRAPHIC CALENDAR .......................................... 20 MARCH HISTORY .......................................................... 12 MORE MARCH HISTORY ................................................ 12 ZODIACAL LIGHT ........................................................... 13 MARCH NIGHTS ............................................................ 13 2 • Mar 2016 http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org o d ( 1 w h v 3 t p i March 2016 Calendar and Space Exploration Almanac http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org Mar 2016 • 3 “Out the Window defined is over 400 miles (650 km) more than 186 miles or 300 km on Your Left” in diameter. across) rock from the Moon’s crust It’s been almost 45 years since we The formation of the impact and underlying mantle is melted at left the last footprint on the dusty basin dates to the Nectarian epoch, the point of impact. Melting in- lunar surface. Sadly, as a nation one of the Moon’s earliest geologic creases the density of the material founded on exploration and the periods. The inner ring of the and the mass slumps toward the conquest of new frontiers, we ap- basin was subsequently flooded bottom of the crater. The mass is pear to have lost our will to lead as during a prolonged period of lunar then covered by the collapse of the a space-faring nation. But, what if volcanism. Mare Humboldtianum surrounding crust. Mascons have the average citizen had the means (named after Alexander von been found in basins with and to visit our only natural satellite; Humboldt) has a diameter of ap- without an overlying layer of mare what would they see out the win- proximately 170 miles (273 km). lava. dow of their spacecraft as they en- At the center of the basin is a mas- Mare Humboldtianum is only con (mass concentration) that was one of two maria named after in- detected by the Lunar Prospector dividuals (Mare Smythii is the spacecraft. Mascons were first dis- other). Alexander von Humboldt covered in the 1960s, when their (1769 - 1859) was a Prussian ge- localized gravity fields disrupted ographer, naturalist, and explorer. the predicted path of orbiting He was one of the first to propose spacecraft. Their origin wasn’t that the South American and Afri- completely understood until the can continents were once part of a GRAIL spacecrafts provided addi- larger super continent. He is rec- tional insight into the structure of ognized for his study of new and the Moon’s interior. In the forma- previously unexplored lands on tion of an impact basin (a crater several continents. Lunar seas are actually expansive low-lying plains formed by ancient lava flows tered orbit around the Moon? This column may provide some thoughts to ponder when planning your visit (if only in your imagination). The Sun is high in the sky above the Moon’s northeastern limb this month. Details of the ancient land- scape have disappeared with the Sun overhead, with the exception of isolated dark patches of lava and the mare (a relatively flat lava plain) on the limb. Our view of the Humboldtianum impact basin is foreshortened (elongated) due to its position on the limb. The basin extends onto the far side, revealing its entire structure only when the northeast- ern limb is tipped toward the Earth. There are remnants of 4 to 6 con- centric mountain rings produced by A gravitational map of the moon's far side the impact; the largest and most Source: Caltech/MIT/GSFC 4 • Mar 2016 http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org Mare Tranquilitatis Mare Humboldtianum and the Northeast Limb http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org Mar 2016 • 5 One Year in Space NASA astronaut Scott Kelly space in October (382 days over turns to Earth, he will have com- and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail four missions). He is also the U.S. piled over 500 days living in space. Kornienko wereLunar scheduled to return record holder for consecutive days Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka to Earth on March 1st after spending in space (previously held by astro- holds the overall record with 879 almostExploration a year aboard the Interna- naut Mike Fincke). When Kelly re- cumulative days in orbit. tional Space Station (ISS). Research- ers are anticipating that their year in a weightless environment will pro- vide additional insight into the health challenges of long-duration space flight: for example, to Mars. Areas of research include: • Changes in physical perfor- mance • Behavioral health and the psy- chological effects of long-dura- tion spaceflight including con- finement • Visual impairment possibly due to pressure changes in the brain Scott Kelly and Mikhael Kornienka aboard and spinal fluid in a weightless the International Space Station environment • Changes to the immune system Ten Years on Orbit • Atherosclerosis (hardening and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance day (it has completed more than narrowing of the arteries) Orbiter (MRO) has been orbiting 40,000 orbits). At an altitude of 186 • Human factors (for example, the Red Planet for 10 years (since miles (300 km), MRO’s longevity has retention of fine motor skills its arrival on March 10, 2006). made is possible to monitor daily (and and training, decision making, Passing over the planet’s poles, the seasonal) changes on the surface as alertness and reasoning) spacecraft completes 12 orbits a well as in the Martian atmosphere. • Changes in the major organs, muscle and brain over time • Changes in the digestive system and organisms within the gas- trointestinal tract There is another, unique aspect to the experiment: Scott Kelly has an identical twin. Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut (in 2011), volun- teered to be part of the study as a control subject. Mark has been monitored on the ground through- out the mission and will continue to be after Scott returns from space. In studying the twins, researchers may be able to detect very subtle changes in an individual with the same genetic makeup after a year Seasonal flows of briny liquid in space. Image credit: NASA/JPL- Kelly set the record for U.S. Caltech/Univ. of Arizona astronauts for cumulative days in 6 • Mar 2016 http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org The image of a ridgeline (previ- designed to detect trace atmo- altitude of 76 miles (122.5 km) ous page) within Coprates Chasma spheric gases that could be mark- and at a speed of 13,000 miles per highlights