Public Stargazing

Public Stargazing

Where:
Frosty Drew Observatory
When:
Friday November 7, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
Cost:
$1 Suggested Donation per Person

Tonight's forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies and high wind gusts becoming clear and calm before midnight. Wind gusts over 15mph could keep telescopes closed or restricted to one side of the sky. The 99% waning gibbous Moon will rise at 5:30 and be with us all night. Normally, the bright Moon would have restricted our stargazing, though it may be our redeeming value tonight as it could become periodically visible in clearing skies. We plan to open the Sky Theatre and Observatory at 6:30 p.m. In the Sky Theatre we will show astro-photos of objects regularly viewed at Frosty Drew. In the Observatory we will remain on standby for clearing skies. When an opportunities arise, we will direct our telescopes toward the Moon and possibly a few binary stars. Follow us on Twitter (@FrostyDrewOBSY) or Facebook for updates from the Observatory on conditions and expectations.

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Weekly Happenings
Scott MacNeill

This has been an awesome year for the space exploration with one mission in particular really blazing the frontier of history making. That mission is the European Space Agency (ESA) Rosetta mission, which has been in orbit around Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67/P) since mid Summer. Well skip ahead a three months and history is about to be made again when ESA Rosetta will land a spacecraft, for the first time ever, on a comet.

For the past three months, Rosetta has been scouring the surface of Comet 67/P from an intimate orbit of 12 – 6 miles distant. The search effort being made is to identify a suitable landing site for the Philae lander module. Factors that needed considering include vertical sloping less than 30º; preventing Philae from toppling over on touchdown, sufficient sunlight exposure to allow for Philae to recharge, and a Pandora's box of scientific awesomeness! Well after months of searching, a primary landing site has been identified. The site, named “Agilkia”, is on the head of Comet 67/P and is as hospitable as one could expect on an outgassing comet moving at 83,885 miles per hour.

Wednesday, November 12th, will bring the historic moment we have all been waiting for. Around 3:35 a.m. ET, the Philae lander – which has been hitching a ride on the back of Rosetta, will detach from Rosetta and commence descent to the comet's surface. Shortly after detachment of the lander, Rosetta will move to an orbit with an optimal view of Philae and the landing site, maximizing visibility of the landing (YES!). The next several hours will be met with much anxiety and heightened emotions as Philae continues its descent, with an expected touchdown time around 10:30 a.m. ET.

If all goes well, Philae will be the first human spacecraft to ever land on a comet, yet another awesome milestone on the journey humans are taking to the cosmos. This will also mark the start of Philae's mission, which will include taking panoramic photos of its new home, analysis of the composition of the comet's ice and organic materials, drilling into the comet's nucleus to collect samples that will be analyzed in the on-board laboratory, and more. Once completed, Philae and Rosetta will begin collecting and monitoring chemical properties, dust, and gas as Comet 67/P makes it journey around the Sun. Rosetta and Philae will continue to transmit as long as battery life exists and all on Earth will surely be listening.

If you haven't already done so, get involved in the historic events taking place on a lonely comet millions of miles away. Visit the ESA Rosetta mission site and follow along with excitement at @ESA_Rosetta on Twitter. Amazing things are happening!

-Scott