Shuttle Endeavour STS-127

Endeavour is due to land back at Kennedy Space Centre today after a 16-day trip to the International Space Station. We were lucky enough to be in Florida for the launch which we watched from Titusville. This was my second shuttle launch, having seen Discovery take off at night in November 1989 - I can't believe it's twenty years ago.

The launch was delayed from May due to technical problems and should have taken place at 7:29 pm on July 11th. Due to bad weather it was scrubbed in the morning but we didn't find out until we arrived at the Astronaut Hall of Fame, so went to Cocoa Beach instead. We returned the following two nights when it was scrubbed each time with five minutes to go. Why? Thunderstorms were less than twenty miles from the emergency landing strip that Endeavour would use if the launch was aborted shortly after take-off.

We drove back to the hotel through one of these thunderstorms and it was absolutely torrential, bringing traffic to a standstill, so we can understand the reluctance to launch with storms nearby and approaching.

The launch eventually took place on Wednesday 15th July and was well-worth the wait. A daylight launch is not as spectacular as a night launch but it is still very impressive.

40th Anniversary of Apollo 11

The day after the launch was the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11's launch so there was a ceremony in the Apollo/Saturn V complex at Kennedy Space Centre. We were able to attend this which featured eight astronauts including Buzz Aldrin. Later in the day we met him and he signed our copy of his latest book, Magnificent Desolation.

We hadn't planned our holiday with the launch or anniversary in mind so feel we were extremely lucky to witness these memorable events.

International Space Station (ISS)

The ISS has been growing steadily and is now the brightest object in the night sky apart from the Moon. When it makes a visible pass it is easy to see and recognise as it is bright and moves across the sky in a matter of minutes. Predictions of visible passes for your location are available at www.heavens-above.com Visible passes are those where the ISS will be illuminated by the Sun against a sky that is dark enough to make it readily visible to the naked eye.

But the Heavens Above web site now offers a list of all passes for those of us who want to look for the ISS in daylight. In suitable conditions it should be possible to see it and the site gives some guidance. Why not try it for yourself? Let me know whether you are successful or not.

Jupiter is back

Jupiter rises in the early evening and is easy to see near the horizon once it gets dark. Summer apparitions are always low in the sky so not the best for detailed observation, but Jupiter is always worth looking at.

15 years after Comet Schumaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter another impact has been discovered, this time believed to be an asteroid or comet several hundred metres in diameter. It was first discovered by Anthony Wesley, an Australian amateur astronomer, who has set up a web site at http://jupiter.samba.org/jupiter-impact.html with some of his images.

Since the impact, which coincided with the Apollo 11 anniversary, many amateurs have observed the impact site which is said to be visible in 4-inch and smaller telescopes. It is quite dark but is expected to spread out and become fainter over several weeks until finally disappearing.

The energy released in the impact is estimated to be thousands of times greater than the Tunguska impact that devastated 800 square miles of forest in 1908. I guess this adds strength to the theory that Jupiter is still sweeping up debris that would otherwise hazard the Earth.

Also in the Neighbourhood...

With apologies to 'Turn Left at Orion', one of our favourite books that we often recommend to beginners with small telescopes, I've borrowed their phrase to introduce this note about Neptune which is less than two degrees from Jupiter. Its magnitude is 7.8 making it a feasible binocular target so why not see if you can find it. Use a planetarium program such as Skymap Pro to produce a finding chart so you can tell which faint dot is Neptune.

The bright Moon will make it difficult at present so you may need to wait a couple of weeks, by which time the separation will be about 3.5 degrees.

Jupiter and Neptune are both in Capricorn, one of the summer zodiac constellations we often overlook because they are low in our often murky skies. Take the opportunity of having Jupiter as a marker to identify the principle stars of Capricorn and become familiar with its shape.

And Pingu is back as well

We've just heard today that one of the best entry-level telescopes for a young person is once more available. Officially it is called the Infinity 76 but it is shaped like a penguin. It has proved immensely popular over the years and is ideal for children.

It was recalled from the market when someone decided the strap was too long and constituted a choking hazard. We have our own views on this but had to comply with the Health and Safety instruction. But now a modified Pingu is back and likely to prove as popular as ever, especially as a Christmas present.

We haven't put it back in our online cataloge yet, we're waiting for price and availability confirmation, but hopefully it will soon reappear. (Don't tell anyone we call it Pingu as we may be infringing someone's copyright.)

ETX LS

If you've read about Meade's latest telescope you may know that LS stands for 'Light Switch', the idea being that you just switch it on like a light. Sophisticated electronics and software align the telescope automatically and prepare it for use. All you have to do is wait while it observes some bright stars with its built-in camera then it's ready to go.

We think this will appeal to a lot of people who are nervous about aligning their own computer-controlled telescope, even though alignment procedures are usually quite simple.

We expect the first small batches of the LS in the next few weeks with full availability in October. We are taking orders now and a small deposit will secure your place in the queue. View the ETX LS

Next Steps for Harwell

In an earlier newsletter I mentioned the plan to set up a space centre at Harwell. A major step forward is the recent announcement by the European Space Agency (ESA) of plans to establish its first facility in the UK there.

The new facility will be part of the International Space Innovation Centre and initially will work on applying space data and images for everyday life, climate modelling and developing new technologies in the fields of power sources and robotic explorers.

Britain has a vibrant space industry and is a world-leader in many areas, but the impression often given in the media is that everything happens at NASA. Hopefully, the new centre will help to publicise ESA and Britain's contribution to space exploration and exploitation.

Cash-back from Leica

If you've been thinking about treating yourself to binoculars that the manufacturers claim are 'Simply the Best' then now would be a good time to take the plunge. Until the end of September Leica are offering £220 cash-back with every pair of full-size Ultravid HD binoculars, including 32mm models.

The offer is available from authorised dealers such as Green Witch and you are welcome to try the binoculars to see just how good they are. Call us on 01954 211288 for further details or drop in to try them. Leica Binoculars

New Products from Starlight Xpress

The talented team at Starlight Xpress continue to develop their product range which is very carefully designed to meet the needs of astrophotographers. They have recently upgraded their CCD cameras with the introduction of the SXVR series which has a lower-profile housing and set-point temperature control.

The low profile will make them more convenient to mount on many telescopes while set-point control allows the actual temperature of the CCD chip to be set. This will be useful when an observation series carries across varying ambient conditions.

They've also introduced a new USB filter wheel, a lovely product that will carry seven 1.25-inch filters or five 2-inch filters. The price is just £295 which makes it extremely good value too. Details are here in our online catalogue.

Dobsonian Telescopes with Attitude

Dobsonian Telescopes continue to be popular with anyone wanting a large aperture for deep-sky observing. Now Sky-Watcher have introduced a range that is easier to handle and store, and which has automated slewing and tracking. No longer do you need to struggle with 'nudge control' to track your object.

Take a look at them in our online catalogue - they may be just what you've been waiting for.

Now You See It - Now You Don't

You may have heard people say that a star we can see today may no longer exist because the light has been travelling so long that anything could have happened. Well, there's a small but distinct possibility that this could be the case with Betelgeuse, one of the largest stars we can see with the naked eye.

Betelgeuse is enormous, so big it would engulf the inner planets and maybe even Jupiter if it were to replace the Sun. It's also very massive so is burning its fuel at a much greater rate than the Sun and will only live for a few million years compared with the Sun's billions of years.

Now scientists have made two measurments that may indicate that Betelgeuse is approaching the end of its life. Plumes of material have been detected coming from its surface and some measuremnts indicate it may be shrinking. One conclusion is that it may only have a few thousands of years before it becomes a supernova, it may even have become one already.

If this has happened in the last 640 years we won't know about it yet, but when the news reaches us we shall have a very bright star, clearly visible in the daytime.

And Finally...

Green Witch goes to great lengths to ensure we only supply you with the best equipment. Our Scope Covers have proved very popular so you may be interested to see the one we have under test at the European Southern Observatory's site at Paranal in South America. Click on the Scope Cover then click the 'More...' button.

Clear Skies and Best Wishes

Neil

www.green-witch.com
www.arizonaskyvillage.co.uk
www.astroblast.org.uk
ranchohidalgo.green-witch.com