h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

One for the BatS maybe, if it's in time.

On the 9 Oct the Centaur booster rocket, from the lunar mapping satellite LCROSS is going to be sent to impact with the Moon. It is directed at one of the permanently shaded craters at the Moon’s south pole. It is expected to throw up a plume of debris that can be sampled by the following LCROSS satellite on the same trajectory, and analysed just before it too, impacts.

The purpose is to determine, once and for all, if there is water lurking in the shadowed craters.

It’s not well placed for the UK, but the plume ‘may’ be seen from Earth with a ‘large‘ telescope.
It’s timed to occur with best viewing for the observatories on Hawaii but the Moon will be above the UK horizon at the time.

The impact is scheduled for around 11-30 UT, (12-30 BST), and the Moon will be between 5 and 13 degrees above the UK horizon. The exact time of the impact will be published before the event on the NASA LCROSS web page. The usual warnings about looking at the sky during daylight, with the Sun apply.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/A57973792

Hi Deke
Your constellation on Aquarius has no reference to extrasolar planets, but I've located the info on 5 planets, including http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980626.html which is only 15ly away. Did you omit them for a reason, or would you mind if I add them/a table of exoplanets to the entry? I'm updating all the constellations with exoplanets registered this year, and it's a hard slog (I've already discovered one error at the exoplanets official website!)

I don't mind any addition/correction you want to make.

I think the only reason I missed doing them was because it was one of the earlier ones I did. I wasn't 'into' ESP at the time. I just didn't think to put them in.

You might have alot more to do in the near future. There was something on TV about a new methodology/telescope that will be able to find Earth sized planets soon. I missed it so I didn't get the full story.

That's the reason I am trying to get all the constellations BANG up to date (today!)



It's the James Webb 'scope, looking for super Earths



(and for the permission, I know I didn't need it, but thought it respectful to ask...)

Thanks.

http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/

There you go

Ah!

2014? Not as soon as all that then. I got the impression it was going to happen shortly.

I wonder if it's this you meant: http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/TPF/tpf_index.cfm

Umm I'm not sure.

Thanks for the link as I don't think I've seen that before.

I think it might have been on the last Sky at Night. They were discussing the different arrays of space telescopes. To tell the truth, it's always on so late these days that I wait up all night for it and drop off to sleep when it's on so I only ever get to see the first half of it.

I've probably got it all wrong.

But that is interesting. It wasn't so long ago that it was reckoned impossible to 'see' an ESP.

BTW
Have you any idea where I might find the 'Telescope Blob' used in the Post's Harriot piece? A57973792

I've looked through most of the blobs lists. If it's available and isn't someones copyright, I'd like to use it in the A/Soc pages.

Just can't find it though.

I just came to tell you A30109222 was done and am asking your approval of the section before I report it as updated at the Curators forum

I'll go get you that BLOB

Do you have 30 mins to watch http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00n58mj/The_Sky_at_Night_The_Great_Observatories/

The code you need is



and there's a telescope on my Occurrences of 42 in Astronomy entry A48150830

Some archive programmes are also available via http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/skyatnight/proginfo.shtml

I'm happy for you to make any changes you see fit.

Thanks for the blob number and the other references. I'll go through them bit by bit.

I've slotted in the 'scope blob in a couple of places. I quite like that one I'll use the other one when I'm refreshing the page.

Thanks agin

A29019332 for your approval

By the way, the Orionids have started, (I think) they appear to be coming from Orion's general direction, we have seen two tonight already and I saw one last Friday when I was gazing at Jupiter. They could be strays, but as always, any clear night is a possibility

It's cold out there though, so wrap up warm if you're heading out

Aquila.
Looks good to me

I'll try to get out tonight to have a look for Orionids. That bodes well for a farely good ZHR on the 20th. Every year that I've looked for them I've never seen more than one or two but the last couple of years the rate has, apparently been improving.

Do you think the exoplanets deserve to be in with the constellations?

Yes, I don’t see why not.

They are very much part of the overview that the constellation entries give. Are you having second thoughts about including them? I think they would make a rather ‘dry’ subject as an entry of their own.

The only pity is that they are not something that you can point a telescope at to ‘see’ like planets, moons and stars. Nevertheless they have their place in the scheme of things.