Saturday Night Viewing.

Welding is underway on the Artemis III Orion! 

At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, Lockheed Martin technicians welded together 3 cone-shaped panels on Orion’s crew module for the mission that will land the first woman and next man on the Moon.

go.nasa.gov/2YjUoVK

I had a wonderful time talking to a group of kids and parents the other night. We talked about NASA, Space Science, and Women In STEM. #nasa #daisyscouts #girlscouts #solarsystemambassador https://www.instagram.com/p/CbS0W5SuIxG/?utm_medium=tumblr

A little bit history… and an exciting future. #saturnv #sls #spacelaunchsystem #nasa #nasaartemis #solarsystemambassador (at U.S. Space & Rocket Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRNrGmFDtwq/?utm_medium=tumblr

Astronaut Training Experience at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center! #nasa #orionspacecraft @rocketcenterusa @spacecampusa #space #spaceflight #stem #stemeducation #iss #internationalspacestation #astronaut #huntsvillealabama @visithuntsvilleal (at U.S. Space & Rocket Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIKVmOcjcdQ/?igshid=1pki5qwzwoc25

If Alan Shepard can take swings on the Moon, then I call dibs on Mars. I’ll have Perseverance data to keep me out of the bunkers. @nasa @nasajpl #mars #perseverance #nasaperseverance #marsrover #mars2020 #mars2020rover https://www.instagram.com/p/CDsSY85nQoj/?igshid=192a1toh0qhtm

Just having a little fun. I saw an ad for kid astronaut portraits. I thought to myself, “Who’s the biggest kid you know?”
Why, me of course!
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. #dreams #solarsystemambassador #astronaut #astroNOT 
https://www.instagram.com/p/COHIgcAjFse/?igshid=xb4lvwifhuq6

My @lucy_mission shirt arrived! LUCY has just started a 12 year mission to 8 different asteroids! Each asteroid visited will provide more clues to the beginning of our solar system. #stem #nasa #solarsystemambassador #lucyinthesky #lucy https://www.instagram.com/p/CVUHlc_sXbB/?utm_medium=tumblr

What’s Up October 2017

What’s Up For October? 

Planet Pairs, Stellar Superstars, Observe The Moon Night!!

This month, catch planet pairs, our moon near red stars, an asteroid, meteors and International Observe the Moon Night!

You can’t miss bright Venus in the predawn sky. Look for fainter Mars below Venus on the 1st, really close on the 5th, and above Venus after that.

Midmonth, the moon is visible near Regulus, the white starry heart of the constellation Leo.

In the October 8-11 predawn sky watch the moon glide near the Pleiades star cluster and pass near the red stars Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus and Betelgeuse in Orion.

After dusk in the early part of the month look for Saturn in the southwest sky above another red star: Antares in Scorpius. Later in the month, find the moon above Antares October 22 and 23.

Saturn will be above the moon on the 23rd and below it on the 24th.

Uranus reach opposition on October 19th. It’s visible all night long and its blue-green color is unmistakeable. It may be bright enough to see with your naked eye–and for sure in binoculars.

The Orionids peak on October 20–a dark, moonless night. Look near Orion’s club in the hours before dawn and you may see up to 10 to 15 meteors per hour.

Use binoculars to look for bright asteroid 7 Iris in the constellation Aries. Newbies to astronomy should be able to spot this magnitude 6.9 asteroid - even from the city. 

Look later in the month and sketch its positions a day or two apart–to see it move.

Finally, celebrate International Observe the Moon Night on October 28 with your local astronomy club, Solar System Ambassador, museum, or planetarium. The first quarter moon that night will display some great features!

Watch the full What’s Up for October Video: 

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