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What’s Up Jan 2008 – Feb 2008. Sa-sa-na Loft Astro Society. Mars Rover Update. Mars Rove Update NASA announces 2009 contract extension Opp – exploring interior of Victoria Crater Spirit – Racing against energy to get to its Winter Home on Mars.
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What’s Up Jan 2008 – Feb 2008 Sa-sa-na Loft Astro Society
Mars Rover Update • Mars Rove Update • NASA announces 2009 contract extension • Opp – exploring interior of Victoria Crater • Spirit – Racing against energy to get to its Winter Home on Mars. • New software added to improve efficiency getting to location • For every day of travel, a day of charging • Panels still dusty • If it doesn’t get to North facing spot, may not survive winter.
Astronomical Events • 1/21 – Mercury at Greatest Elongation • 2/6 New Moon • 2/20 – Full Moon – TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE • 1st Week of February – Sporadic Meteors • Up to 5 per hour at times.
Asteroids and Comets • 17P/Holmes • In Perseus • Comet 8P/Tutle • Crest at mag 5.5 • Last week in Dec to Jan 10 • Heading between Cetus and Pisces • Jan 26th – Closest to Sun • Comet 46P Wirtanen • Heads from Pisces to Aires • 8th Magnitude • 1st week of February • 1 Ceres Cruises through Cetus at 8.3 mag • On Jan 6th, Ceres and Tutle will lie in the same field of view. • Considered a Dwarf Planet not an asteroid. • 6 Hebe treks through Cancer • Beelines toward M44 Beehive Cluster • 9th magnitude – opposition 2/6
Comet 17P/Holmes • Heart and Soul Nebula in Cassiopeia
Solar Activity • Coronal holes are vast regions where the sun's magnetic field opens up and allows solar wind to escape. A million mile-per-hour wind stream is spewing from this coronal hole and heading toward Earth.
Favorite APODs The Milky way Galaxy M51 – Whirlpool Galaxy
My Current Target List • Andromeda Galaxy (M31, M32, M110) • NGC 404 – Ghost of Mirach • M33 - Triangulum/Pin Wheel Galaxy • NGC 672/IC 1727 – Interacting Galaxies • 17P/Comet Holmes • NGC 7662 - Blue Snowball • Mars • Orion and M42 • M41 OC and NGC 2362 Tau Cluster • Herschel h3945 – Winter Albireo • NGC 869 - Double Cluster • Stock 2 – Muscle Man Cluster Asterism • NGC 457 – Open Cluster • NGC 2264 – Christmas Tree Cluster • NGC 2261 – Hubble’s Variable Nebula • NGC 2237, 2238,2246 Rosette Nebula • NGC 2244 – Open Cluster • NGC 2329 – Eskimo Nebula • NGC 2371/2372 – Planetary in Gemini • M35 and NGC 2158 in Gemini • M50 Open Cluster • M46 Open Cluster and NGC 2438 – Planetary Nebula • IC 418 – Spiro-graph Nebula • M79 – Globular Cluster • Saturn All gold items are new and recommended by Robert Werkman, Keith’s brother! Items in bold italics will be inserted next month
Ghost of Mirach – NGC 404 • Magnitude 10 • Elliptical Galaxy • In Andromeda
Interacting Spirals – NGC 672/IC 1727 • NGC 672 • Magnitude 10.7 • Spiral Galaxy • In Triangulum • IC 1727 • Mag 11.4 • Spiral Galaxy • Interacting
The Blue Snowball (NGC 7662) • Magnitude 8.3 • Planetary Nebula • Andromeda
NGC 457 – Open Cluster • Mag 6.4 • Open Cluster • Owl Cluster • Dragonfly Cluster • ET Cluster • .5 deg across
NGC 2264 - Christmas Tree Cluster • Mag 4.1 • Open Cluster • Contains Conus Nebula • 2-3 deg across
NGC 2261 – Hubble’s Variable Nebula • Mag 30 • Nebula • Go Wide Field • OIII required
NGC 2237,2238,2246 and 2244 • Rosette Nebula and Friends • Mag 30/blue mag 4 • Nebula • Go Wide Field • OIII required
NGC 2329 – The Eskimo Nebula NGC2371/2372 • Double Bubble • Mag 11.2 • Planetary Neb. Castor • Mag 1.6 • Double Blues • Easily split • Mag 9.1 • Planetary Nebula
M50 - Open Cluster • M50 • Mag 5.9 • Open Cluster • .5 deg across
M46 - Open Cluster • M46 • Mag 6.1 • Open Cluster • .75 deg across • NGC 2438 • Mag 10.3 • Planetary Nebula • .1 deg across
Saturn and its Moons • Titan – 8.4 • Rhea – 9.8 • Dione – 10.2 • Tethis – 10.3 • Encilidus – 11.8 • Mimas – 11.3 • Hyperion – 14.5