* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: December 2007

Blobrana · L

Joe Ulowetz, astrophotographer and member of Skokie Valley Astronomers, will be on hand to discuss opportunities for viewing Mars during its closest approach of the year at 9 p.m. Friday at Ryerson Conservation Area, Riverwoods. Topics will include Martian dust storms, photographic techniques, and other news of the Red Planet.
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Blobrana · L

Occultation of Mars by the Moon on the 24th December 2007

Image of the southern graze path

Aberdeen Scotland
Disappearance: 3:34 53 UT
Appearance: 3:49 58 UT

Occultation of Mars by the Moon.kmz
Google Earth file (1kb, kmz)

-- Edited by Blobrana at 15:59, 2008-01-12

Blobrana · L

Near Earth Objects


  Date : Miss_Distance : Relative_Velocity: Diameter :  Name  
  2007-Dec-05 : 42.9 LD : 17.39 km/s : 160 m - 360 m : (2007 VM184)
  2007-Dec-07 : 20.3 LD : 10.64 km/s : 290 m - 650 m : (2006 US216)
  2007-Dec-07 : 54.0 LD : 10.03 km/s : 16 m - 35 m : (2007 MF)
  2007-Dec-08 : 31.4 LD : 3.91 km/s : 56 m - 120 m : (2007 WU3)
  2007-Dec-09 : 7.8 LD : 6.99 km/s : 58 m - 130 m : (2007 VD184)
  2007-Dec-10 : 47.0 LD : 37.45 km/s : 3.3 km - 7.4 km : 3200 Phaethon
  2007-Dec-10 : 47.3 LD : 10.87 km/s : 26 m - 58 m : (2006 XX2)
  2007-Dec-12 : 54.7 LD : 15.00 km/s : 730 m - 1.6 km : (2006 RO36)
  2007-Dec-13 : 55.3 LD : 13.92 km/s : 230 m - 520 m : (2007 VT6)
  2007-Dec-14 : 52.0 LD : 3.80 km/s : 33 m - 75 m : (2007 CS5)
  2007-Dec-15 : 21.2 LD : 6.60 km/s : 11 m - 24 m : (2005 WX)
  2007-Dec-16 : 56.1 LD : 11.83 km/s : 25 m - 55 m : (2005 YU128)
  2007-Dec-19 : 77.0 LD : 3.05 km/s : 270 m - 600 m : (1993 TQ2)
  2007-Dec-22 : 58.0 LD : 12.61 km/s : 430 m - 960 m : (2004 RD252)
  2007-Dec-22 : 65.1 LD : 10.29 km/s : 140 m - 310 m : (2004 YG1)
  2007-Dec-25 : 57.2 LD : 11.38 km/s : 430 m - 970 m : 66407 (1999 LQ28)
  2007-Dec-28 : 37.0 LD : 2.54 km/s : 19 m - 42 m : (2007 DD)
  2007-Dec-28 : 37.0 LD : 15.04 km/s : 280 m - 620 m : (2007 WE55)
  2007-Dec-28 : 26.4 LD : 9.18 km/s : 350 m - 780 m : (2007 VY7)
  2007-Dec-31 : 22.9 LD : 9.29 km/s : 25 m - 57 m : (2005 YO3)

Blobrana · L

Mars and the star Mebsuta in Gemini.
22:30 GMT, 3rd December 2007

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Blobrana · L

Sun 03.12.07

Blobrana · L

RE: December 2007

Blobrana · L

Directly overhead this month, just north of the brilliant Pleaides cluster in Taurus, is the constellation of Perseus named after the hero who slew the Gorgon and used the dreadful spectacle of its severed head to turn his enemies to stone. This region is filled with a wealth of interesting objects. Its brightest star is Mirfak, or Alpha Persei, a star 6,000 times brighter than the Sun and 620 light-years away.
The most famous star in this constellation, at a distance of 93 light-years, is Beta, better known as Algol, the Demon Star, so called because even in ancient times its largest companion was periodically seen to blot out its face, given it the appearance of a winking devil.
In the south of Perseus is Zeta Persei, or Atik, a very powerful star at least 16,000 times more powerful than the Sun, and well over 1,000 light-years away.

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-- Edited by Blobrana at 11:45, 2007-12-03

Blobrana · L

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Blobrana · L

Dec ?? - MESSENGER, Trajectory Correction Maneuver #19 (TCM-19)
Dec ?? - MESSENGER, Trajectory Correction Maneuver #20 (TCM-20)
Dec ?? - Thuraya 3 Zenit 3SL Launch
Dec 01 - Last quarter
Dec 01 - Comet 190P/Mueller Closest Approach To Earth (1.431 AU)
Dec 01 - Asteroid 2006 KK89 Near-Earth Flyby (0.090 AU)
Dec 01 - Asteroid 9954 Brachiosaurus Closest Approach To Earth (1.444 AU)
Dec 01 - Asteroid 9661 Hohmann Closest Approach To Earth (2.752 AU)
Dec 01 - Kuiper Belt Object 19521 Chaos Closest Approach To Earth (40.857 AU)
Dec 02 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #136 (OTM-136)
Dec 02 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Telesto & Mimas
Dec 02 - Comet 179P/Jedicke Perihelion (4.087 AU)
Dec 02 - Asteroid 3354 McNair Closest Approach To Earth (1.523 AU)
Dec 02-05 - 4th Spitzer Science Center Conferenc Pasadena, California
Dec 02-08 - 1st Trr33 Winter School: Passo del Tonale, Italy
Dec 03 - Cassini, Distant Flyby of Epimetheus
Dec 03 - Asteroid 4147 Lennon Closest Approach To Earth (1.557 AU)
Dec 03-04 - Meeting: Titan - Atmosphere and Space Environment, London, UK
Dec 03-05 - UN/China Regional UN-SPIDER Workshop: Shenzhen, China
Dec 03-05 - SatCom Australia 2007 Conference, Sydney, Australia
Dec 03-05 - 1st IAA African Regional Conference: Space for Africa, Abuja, Nigeria
Dec 03-07 - Symposium: VSOP-2, Kanagawa, Japan
Dec 03-07 - 17th Workshop on General Relativity Nagoya, Japan
Dec 04-06 - 3rd International Conference: Earth From Space, Moscow, Russia
Dec 05 - Cassini, Titan Flyby
Dec 05-08 - DEense STellar Systems Meeting, Bonn/Bad Honnef, Germany
Dec 06 - Moon at apogee, 406,235 km 17 UT
Dec 06 - STS-122 Launch, Space Shuttle Atlantis
Dec 06 - Cosmo-Skymed 2 Delta 2 Launch
Dec 06 - Comet P/2007 S1 (Zhao) Perihelion (2.494 AU)
Dec 06 - Kuiper Belt Object 2004 XR190 Closest Approach To Earth (57.180 AU)
Dec 06 - Web Seminar: Are We Alone?
Dec 06 - ESA/NAFEMS Seminar: Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Dec 07 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #137 (OTM-137)
Dec 07 - Comet P/2001 CV8 (LINEAR) Closest Approach To Earth (2.144 AU)
Dec 07 - Asteroid 2006 US216 Near-Earth Flyby (0.052 AU)
Dec 07 - Asteroid 5223 McSween Closest Approach To Earth (2.093 AU)
Dec 07 - RAS Young Astronomers' Meeting, Edinburgh, Scotland
Dec 07 - 35th Anniversary (1972), Apollo 17 Launch
Dec 08 - Raduga 1-8 (Globus N18) Proton K-DM2 Launch
Dec 08 - Comet P/2007 V1 (Larson) Perihelion (2.677 AU)
Dec 08 - Asteroid 2007 VD184 Near-Earth Flyby (0.020 AU)
Dec 08 - Asteroid 2007 WU3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.081 AU)
Dec 08 - Asteroid 19383 Rolling Stones Closest Approach To Earth (1.407 AU)
Dec 08 - Asteroid 6227 Alanrubin Closest Approach To Earth (2.720 AU)
Dec 08 - 15th Anniversary (1992), Galileo, 2nd Earth Flyby
Dec 09 - New Moon, 17:40.4 UT
Dec 09 - Comet C/2006 S5 (Hill) Perihelion (2.630 AU)
Dec 09 - Asteroid 19755 (2000 EH34) Occults HIP 19171 (5.2 Magnitude Star)
Dec 09 - Asteroid 3783 Morris Closest Approach To Earth (1.447 AU)
Dec 09-12 - UN/Sudan International UN SPIDER Workshop: Khartoum, Sudan
Dec 10 - NROL-24 Atlas 5 Launch
Dec 10-12 - Symposium:Artificial Gravity, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Dec 10-13 - Workshop: Strings and Superstrings, Paris, France
Dec 10-14 - IAU Symposium 250: Massive Stars, Kauai, Hawaii
Dec 10-22 - 1st Asia Pacific School Heliophysical Year, Kodaikanal, India
Dec 11 - Asteroid 8341 Haseda Occults HIP 60813 (6.2 Magnitude Star)
Dec 11 - Asteroid 514 Armida Occults HIP 69269 (4.9 Magnitude Star)
Dec 11 - Asteroid 5066 Garradd Closest Approach To Earth (1.248 AU)
Dec 11-15 - 1st Subaru International Conference: Hayama, Japan
Dec 12 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #138 (OTM-138)
Dec 12 - Moon Occults Asteroid 4 Vesta
Dec 12 - Comet C/2007 T1 (McNaught) Perihelion (0.969 AU)
Dec 12 - Comet Shoemaker-Levy 1 Perihelion (1.464 AU)
Dec 12 - Comet P/2005 T3 (Read)Closest Approach To Earth (5.527 AU)
Dec 12 - Web Seminar: Successful Strategies for Involving Parents in Education
Dec 12 - 40th Anniversary (1967), Pioneer 8 Launch Launch
Dec 13 - Geminids Meteor Shower Peak
Dec 13 - 35 Years (1972) Since Man Has Been to the Moon (Apollo 17)
Dec 14 - Radarsat 2 Soyuz 2-1a Launch
Dec 14 - Moon Occults Neptune
Dec 14 - Meeting: Astrophysics and Particle Physics with TeV Gamma Rays: Leeds, United Kingdom
Dec 14 - 45th Anniversary (1962), Mariner 2, Venus Flyby
Dec 14 - 200th Anniversary (1807), Weston Meteorite Fall
Dec 14-16 - International Conference (ESSE 2007), Bangkok, Thailand
Dec 15 - Deadline: "Life and Work on the Moon" Student Art Contest
Dec 15 - Asteroid 2005 WX Near-Earth Flyby (0.055 AU)
Dec 16 - Moon Occults Asteroid 2 Pallas
Dec 16 - Comet 188P/LINEAR-Mueller Perihelion (2.552 AU)
Dec 16 - Asteroid 2003 FJ8 Near-Earth Flyby (0.062 AU)
Dec 16 - Asteroid 5720 Halweaver Closest Approach To Earth (0.791 AU)
Dec 16 - 10th Anniversary (1997), Galileo, Europa 12 Flyby
Dec 17 - First Quarter, 10:17.5 UT
Dec 17 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #139 (OTM-139)
Dec 17 - Comet 192P/Shoemaker-Levy 1 Perihelion (1.460 AU)
Dec 17 - Comet 110P/Hartley 3 Closest Approach To Earth (1.530 AU)
Dec 17 - Comet Lovas 1 Perihelion (1.705 AU)
Dec 17 - Asteroid 18156 Kamisaibara Occults HIP 55945 (5.0 Magnitude Star)
Dec 17 - Asteroid 4444 Escher Closest Approach To Earth (1.582 AU)
Dec 17-19 - Workshop: Science from UKIDSS , Garching, Germany
Dec 17-21 - 6th (ICGC-2007), Pune, India
Dec 18 - Horizons 2/ Rascom QAF-1 Ariane 5 Launch
Dec 18 - Asteroid 219 Thusnelda Occults HIP 38140 (6.7 Magnitude Star)
Dec 18 - Asteroid 2688 Halley Closest Approach To Earth (2.627 AU)
Dec 18 - NSTA Web Seminar: Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12
Dec 19 - Mars Closest Approach To Earth (0.589 AU)
Dec 19 - Comet P/2006 W4 (Hill) Closest Approach To Earth (3.838 AU)
Dec 19 - Asteroid 2001 XX103 Near-Venus Flyby (0.046 AU)
Dec 19 - Asteroid 149 Medusa Closest Approach To Earth (1.076 AU)
Dec 19 - Asteroid 8353 Megryan Closest Approach To Earth (2.120 AU)
Dec 20 - Cassini, Titan Flyby
Dec 20 - GPS 2RM F-5 Delta 2 Launch
Dec 20 - 5th Anniversary (2002), Nozomi, Earth Flyby
Dec 21 - Asteroid 704 Interamnia At Opposition (9.9 Magnitude)
Dec 22 - Moon at perigee, 360,813 km, 10 UT
Dec 22 - Winter Solstice, 06:08 UT
Dec 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower Peak
Dec 22 - Asteroid 1247 Wilburwright Closest Approach To Earth (2.344 AU)
Dec 23 - Progress M-62 Soyuz U Launch (ISS 27P)
Dec 23 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #140 (OTM-140)
Dec 24 - Full Moon, 1:15.6 UT
Dec 24 - Moon Occults Mars
Dec 24 - Mars At Opposition
Dec 25 - Cosmos-Glonass M12/M13/M14 Proton K-DM2 Launch
Dec 25 - Moon Occults Asteroid 15 Eunomia
Dec 25 - Asteroid 7574 (1989 WO1) Occults HIP 109786 (5.3 Magnitude Star)
Dec 25 - Asteroid 9500 Camelot Closest Approach To Earth (1.220 AU)
Dec 26 - Asteroid 1737 Severny Occults HIP 111710 (5.0 Magnitude Star)
Dec 26 - Asteroid 2005 HB4 Near-Mars Flyby (0.031 AU)
Dec 27 - Asteroid 1672 Gezelle Occults HIP 106199 (6.6 Magnitude Star)
Dec 27 - Asteroid 15000 CCD Closest Approach To Earth (1.955 AU)
Dec 28 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #141 (OTM-141)
Dec 28 - Asteroid 2007 VY7 Near-Earth Flyby (0.068 AU)
Dec 28 - Asteroid 2003 YT70 Near-Earth Flyby (0.075 AU)
Dec 28 - Asteroid 2007 DD Near-Earth Flyby (0.095 AU)
Dec 28 - Asteroid 6030 Zolensky Closest Approach To Earth (2.135 AU)
Dec 28 - Asteroid 6487 Tonyspear Closest Approach To Earth (2.187 AU)
Dec 29 - Asteroid 560 Delila Occults HIP 104963 (5.2 Magnitude Star)
Dec 29 - Asteroid 3673 Levy Closest Approach To Earth (1.030 AU)
Dec 31 - Last Quarter, 7:50.8 UT
Dec 31 - Deep Impact, Earth Flyby
Dec 31 - Comet C/2006 U7 (Gibbs) Closest Approach To Earth (3.801 AU)
Dec 31 - Asteroid 2005 YO3 Near-Earth Flyby (0.059 AU)
Dec 31 - Asteroid 25924 Douglasadams Closest Approach To Earth (1.807 AU)