alactic Observer John J. McCarthy Observatory G Volume 10, No. 7/8 July/August 2017 Image by the Deep Space Climate Observatory's (DSCOVR) EPIC camera of a total solar eclipse on March 9, 2016. The eclipse was only visible from the South Pacific and, in this image, the Moon's shadow is moving toward the east, north of Australia. DSCOVR is located at the Sun-Earth first Lagrange point, approximately 1 million miles from Earth. The spacecraft's instruments provide real-time monitoring of the Sun's solar wind. On August 21, 2017, DSCOVR will be position to watch the Moon's shadow race across the continental United States. 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 Technical Support It is through their efforts that the McCarthy Observatory Bob Lambert has established itself as a significant educational and recreational resource within the western Connecticut Dr. Parker Moreland community. Steve Barone Jim Johnstone Colin Campbell Carly KleinStern Dennis Cartolano Bob Lambert Route Mike Chiarella Roger Moore Jeff Chodak Parker Moreland, PhD Bill Cloutier Allan Ostergren Doug Delisle Marc Polansky Cecilia Detrich Joe Privitera Dirk Feather Monty Robson Randy Fender Don Ross Louise Gagnon Gene Schilling John Gebauer Katie Shusdock Elaine Green Paul Woodell Tina Hartzell Amy Ziffer In This Issue "OUT THE WINDOW ON YOUR LEFT" ................................. 3 JUPITER AND ITS MOONS ................................................. 17 MARE CRISIUM AND THE LUNA 23 AND 24 LANDING SITES ... 3 SUNRISE AND SUNSET ...................................................... 17 LUNA 24 SPACECRAFT AND LRO VIEW OF LANDING SITE .... 3 SATURN - JEWEL OF THE SUMMER SKY ............................. 18 THE ALL-AMERICAN SOLAR ECLIPSE ................................ 4 ASTRONOMICAL AND HISTORICAL EVENTS ......................... 18 WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR AUGUST 21ST ............................. 5 COMMONLY USED TERMS ............................................... 23 ENCELADUS REVISITED .................................................... 5 REFERENCES ON DISTANCES ............................................ 23 ENDLESS RINGS .............................................................. 6 INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION/IRIDIUM SATELLITES .......... 24 JOURNEY TO THE SUN ...................................................... 6 LAGRANGE POINTS ........................................................ 24 CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THE GREAT RED SPOT ................. 6 SOLAR ACTIVITY ........................................................... 24 DEEP SPACE LIGHTHOUSES .............................................. 7 SUMMER WORKSHOP ..................................................... 17 SPACE BREAD ................................................................ 7 SECOND SATURDAY STARS ............................................... 18 NEW JOVIAN IMPACTS ..................................................... 8 JUNE GRAPHIC CALENDAR .............................................. 19 FIRST WHEELED VEHICLE ON MOON ................................ 8 SPACE SHUTTLE LEGACY ................................................ 14 LOST ORBITERS ............................................................ 14 SPACE SHUTTLE MEMORIAL ............................................ 14 PLANNING YOUR VISIT ................................................... 14 SUMMER ACTIVITIES ...................................................... 15 2 July-Aug 2017 JJMO http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org was not far from that of the failed After less than 24 hours on the “Out the Window on Luna 23 spacecraft. Images by Moon, the ascent stage, containing Your Left” NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Or- the lunar sample, lifted off from the T’S BEEN ALMOST 45 years since biter (LRO) found Luna 24 perched surface. Four days later, the sample we left the last footprint on the near the rim of a 200Mare foot Serenitatis(60 meter) returned to Earth, landing in west- Idusty lunar surface. Sadly, as a diameter crater. ern Siberia under parachute. The nation founded on exploration and Luna 24 was equipped with a age of the material collected by the conquest of new frontiers, we ap- re-designed drill. The rotary per- Luna 24 was determined to be pear to have lost our will to lead as a cussion drill had several new fea- around 300 million years. Russian space-faring nation. But, what if the tures including the ability to adjust scientists would later exchange a average citizen had the means to visit its drilling power with the density small portion of the material (3 our only natural satellite; what would of the regolith and rock. The angled grams) with material collected by they see out the window of their drill penetrated a little more than Apollo astronauts. spacecraft as they entered orbit seven feet (2.25 meters) into the Luna 24 was launched just six around the Moon? This column may surrounding regolith, collecting 6 months after the Soviet Union ounces (170.1 grams) of rock frag- cancelled their manned Moon ments and dust (three times the program after four unsuccessful amount collected by the two pre- launches of their N1 heavy-lift, vious successful missions). five stage booster. Mare Crisium and the Luna 23 and 24 Landing Sites Lunar seas of actually expansive low-lying plains formed by ancient lava flows provide some thoughts to ponder when planning your visit (if only in your imagination). The Soviet Union’s final mission to the Moon was launched on Au- gust 9, 1976. Luna 24 was the 11th (and third successful) attempt to col- lect and return a sample of lunar rock to the Earth with a robotic probe. The E8-5M spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur site in Kazakhstan aboard a Proton rocket. Nine days later, the space- craft’s main engine on the descent stage performed a braking maneu- ver, successfully touching down in the south-eastern region of Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises), approxi- mately 25 miles (40 km) from the shore and the impact basin’s moun- tainous rim. Luna 24’s landing site http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org JJMO July-Aug 2017 • 3 LRO image of Luna 24 sitting on the edge of a crater. Credit: NASA/ Luna 24 spacecraft - Credit: NPO Lavochkin Goddard/Arizona State University The All-American Solar Eclipse On August 21, residents of North America will be treated to a total so- lar eclipse as the Moon passes di- rectly between the Sun and the Earth. Within a narrow path (approximately 70 miles wide from the Oregon to South Carolina), the Moon will com- pletely cover the Sun for up to 2½ minutes (a phase called “Totality”). Outside that path, the Moon will only cover a portion of the Sun (Partial Eclipse) – how much will depend upon how far you are away from the Solar eclipses occur when the Since a fully eclipsed Sun is path’s centerline. If you are planning New Moon passes in front of the Sun only visible along a narrow to travel to view Totality, NASA’s in its orbit around the Earth. Eclipses path, it may be a hundred years Eclipse Page has maps for each only occur every six months or so, or more before such an occur- state along the path at https:/ as the Moon’s orbit is inclined about rence is visible from the exact eclipse2017.nasa.gov/. It is only 5° from the plane of the Earth’s or- same location again. On April when the Sun is completely cov- bit around the Sun. With the inclina- 8, 2024, another Total Solar ered by the Moon that its ghostly tion, the New Moon passes either Eclipse with cross the conti- atmosphere, the corona, is visible above or below the Sun in Earth’s nental United States, this time to Earth-bound observers. sky during most monthly orbits. from Texas to Maine. If you are staying in the New Milford area, the McCarthy Observatory will be open and have special- purpose solar filters (eclipse glasses) available for safely watching the eclipse (do not look directly at the Sun without the appropriate eye protection). From Connecticut approximately 69% of the Moon will be covered at mid-eclipse. The Observatory will post additional information on the event on its website www.mccarthyobservatory.org as the date approaches. Start of the Partial Eclipse at the McCarthy Observatory(EDT): 1:24 pm Maximum Eclipse (68.5% Obscuration): 2:44 pm End of Partial Eclipse at the McCarthy Observatory: 3:59 pm 4 July-Aug 2017 JJMO http://www.mccarthyobservatory.org Weather Outlook for August 21st Viewing totality (those two plus minutes when the Moon completely covers the Sun) will require the observer to be in the right location and a bit of luck with the weather. Totality begins on the west coast of Oregon at 10:16 a.m. PDT. The eclipse track will cross through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Ne- braska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina be- fore ending in South Carolina at 2:48 p.m. EDT. The maps (below) show the av- erage morning (top) and early af- ternoon (bottom) cloudiness in August based upon 17 years of sat- ellite data. Statistically, there is a greater chance of cloudy skies for the eastern half of the United Data: NASA GFSC/Reto Stockli. States, with the best weather pros- pects in the west. Enceladus Enceladus Revisited Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ Space Science Cassini researchers have found evidence that the spin axis of Institute Saturn’s ocean world Enceladus