Raccoon Request

I don't often do requests - unless I am asked!

So here are some "impressions" from August 2013 in Killarney Provincial Park.

Enjoy your summer - wob

Siding Springs and Mars

It is all happening - Siding Springs, or comet C/2013 A1, will miss Mars on Oct 19, by only 132,000km, about 1/3 of the distance from Earth to Moon. There are several satellites currently orbiting Mars that will be able to observe this event.

See:  http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2014-244&utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NASAJPL&utm_content=comet20140725

The history of the discovery and its approach to Mars can be seen here:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring/

There some good animations of the orbits of the comet relative to the  Sun and planets.

Enjoy,
wob

20 Years Ago - Shoemaker-Levy 9

Actually by this date 20 years ago, Jupiter was a mess from all the impacts.

I had an inside view of radio operations "lead" by Mike Bird starting the year before to determine
the background Jupiter would have at time of impacts:

http://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/604943/observations
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103596901001

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/comet-shoemaker-levy-9-20-years-later-07162014/?et_mid=682638&rid=246716398

As a result of this comet's discovery and the enormous public interest I decided to brave the German language and try to make comets, to explore their composition and physical chemistry, and present a
demonstration of comet models at the MPIfR Open Day in August 1994 in Bonn Germany. I had been interested in comets already for 40 years! And that interest continues today.

less than 5500km to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

With the landing of Philae on this comet planned for November 11 2014, you can imagine the excitement that the pictures on this link have caused:
http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/07/24/hints-of-features/

CIA - BND: USA and Germany

The "war" on the football field appears to be over for the timebeing. And now attention turns elsewhere. The New York Times published the following in its "Opinion" column. It might be interesting for others to read.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/opinion/jochen-bittner-spies-like-us.html?emc=edit_th_20140714&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=60151572&_r=0

ISS above a map of the earth

When I am not around to help you try here:

http://www.esa.int/ger/ESA_in_your_country/Germany/Wo_ist_die_Internationale_Raumstation

I am at the moment quite round!

Ceres and Vesta finder charts

We are not yet in Killarney but for those lucky enough to be there or who have their own telescopes here is something for you:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/super-close-pairing-ceres-vesta/

Michael Khan has been busy again:


http://www.scilogs.de/go-for-launch/der-mond-an-11-naechten-in-folge/

One needs good weather, and then the time and energy, the idea, and ability!
Well done Michael.

His blog is also an inspiration for me. Michael and I first met in Feb 2004
before the launch of Rosetta.