Kepler planet hunting mission comes to a close

Posted: Nov. 25, 2018 12:01 am

Meteors

This is a month of meteor showers, but none of them really amount to much. Still, let's list them with the peak dates of the showers, and remember that there are days before peak and after that may yield a few.

Phoenicids meteors, Southern hemisphere only, Nov. 29-Dec. 9 with the peak occurring on Dec. 5-6.

Puppids occur between Nov. 17 and January with the peak occurring on Dec. 9. Maximum rate perhaps 15 per hour at the peak.

Monocerotids also occur Nov. 17 to Dec. 17, peaking Dec. 9, at a rate of 2 per hour maximum.

Sigma Hydrids last Dec. 3-15 with the peak occurring on Dec. 12, maximum of 2 per hour.

The Geminids, probably the best shower, peak on Dec. 13, with a peak as high as 60 per hour.

Coma Berencids meteors from Dec. 8 to Jan. 23 with the peak occurring on Dec. 18. Peak of 5 per hour. These can be brighter than other meteors.

Ursids from Dec. 17 to 25, peak on Dec. 22, at a rate of perhaps 10 per hour.

Comets

A few this month, 247P/LINEAR, Perihelion Dec. 2, favorable return; P2013/R3 (Catalina/PANSTARRS) Dec. 6, favorable; 60P/ Tsuchinshan Dec. 11, fair return; 46P/Wirtanen, on Dec. 12, favorable; and 137P/Shoemaker-Levy and 198P/ODAS, both on Dec. 13, both favorable.

The planets

Moon

New moon on Dec. 7, full moon on Dec. 22.

Mercury

Conjunction with Jupiter on Dec. 21.

Venus

Greatest illuminated extent on Dec. 2, within 4 degrees of the moon on Dec. 3.

Mars

Closes within .04 degrees of Neptune on Dec. 7.

Jupiter

Re-emerges in the evening twilight late in the month, conjunction with Mercury on Dec. 21, the winter solstice.

Saturn

Too close to the sun to see.

Uranus

In the evening sky near the constellations of Aries and Pisces.

Neptune

Closes within .04 degrees of Mars on Dec. 7.

Mission updates

Parker Solar Probe

Nothing of real note for now.

Hubble

What is a Blue Dwarf? Find out at this link: https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2018/hubble-spots-a-lonely-blue-dwarf.

Mars missions

The InSIght lander is expected to land on Mars on Nov. 26.

OSIRIS-Rex

Scheduled to arrive at asteroid Bennu on Dec. 3, and return a sample from that asteroid in 2023. Bennu is the asteroid known with the greatest chance to impact Earth at some point in the future. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/tagsam-testing-complete-osiris-rex-prepared-to-tag-an-asteroid.

New Horizons

Still headed toward Ultimate Thule, and a fly-by on Jan. 1, 2019. The following link lists upcoming events about this event: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-announces-media-activities-for-new-horizons-new-year-s-kuiper-belt-flyby.

Voyager

Voyagers 1 and 2 just keep going and going and going ...

Other things of interest

It was a sad time for two missions this month. NASA's Kepler Planet hunting mission came to a close, and the Dawn mission, which explored the Asteroid Vesta and then settled into orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres, closed out after running out of fuel after nearly a decade of service and becoming the first mission to orbit two different celestial bodies. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/nasa-asteroid-exploring-dawn-spacecraft-says-a-sad-goodbye/ar-BBPeRWT?li=BBnb7Kz.

One article that brought a smile to my face was about a dark matter hurricane that supposedly will collide with Earth. But there is no threat of damage, and the article I found does not specify when. A little food for thought: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-predict-a-dark-matter-hurricane-will-collide-with-the-earth/ar-BBPDOwL?li=BBnb7Kx.

One last item, if you like the subject of unidentified flying objects. A neat article about one recently that appeared near Ireland: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ufo-sighting-ireland_us_5bea5762e4b044bbb1a7bea9.

Monthly meetings

At AAA Brooklyn

Dec 7 -- AAA Lecture, American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan; Franck Marches of SETI Institute: "Another Pale Blue Dot: The SETI Institute's Search for Exoplanets"

Dec 14 -- Observing, Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn

At AAI Cranford

Dec. 7 -- Kathy Vaccari, Sperry Observatory; "What's Up: A Down to Earth Sky Guide"

Dec. 14 -- Al Witzgall, Sperry Observatory; "Apollo 8 - Christmas Around the Moon"

Dec. 21 -- Dr. Dale Gary, Roy Smith Theatre; "The Powerful Particle Accelerator at Work in Solar Flares"

Dec. 28 -- Al Witzgall, Sperry Observatory; "Highlights of the Sky for 2019"

Fridays, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., whenever weather conditions permit, the public is invited to view the night skies through the 24-inch reflector and the 10-inch refractor telescopes. Trained observers are on hand to operate this equipment and to answer your questions.

At Sheep Hill in Boonton

Dec. 21 -- Public Night

At MMAS in Morristown

Dec. 13 -- Monthly meeting, 7 p.m.

At NJAG in Montclair

Telescope nights -- Public telescope nights at Montclair State run through Dec. 13, on Thursdays, 8-9 p.m. Free stargazing with telescopes in front of the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences building at Montclair State University. The events are weather permitting; if telescope night is canceled, a message will be left at 973-594-6524 after 6 p.m. on Thursdays. Monthly meetings of the NJAG are held on the second Wednesday of the month (except August) at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. Meetings are held in the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS) building at Montclair State University.

At Lehigh Valley AA

LVAAS general meeting and holiday party, Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m., Lower Macungie Community Center. This is a pot luck afternoon meal where members are invited to share their favorite recipes. Please bring a main dish, side dish or dessert to share. LVAAS will supply coffee, soda, cups, plates, napkins and utensils. Buffet opens at 2 p.m.

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If you have any questions or wish to contact me, I can be reached at wwestura@njherald.com I will try to answer it either by response or in the column.

That's all for this month

Warren is a member of the Sheep Hill Astronomy Association, and a representative to and former trustee of the United Astronomy Clubs of New Jersey in Jenny Jump State Park. He has been fascinated by astronomy since he was old enough to look up and has navigated naval vessels by the stars when he was an active duty naval officer.

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