Skywatchers

Was anybody lucky enough to catch the 5 planets in alignment this evening? Well, you know I didn’t, but of course, I sense their movement and presence from my vantage point.
Mom could not see a thing due to cloud cover. Good luck, all who have clear skies!

Some of you may have been reading about the “green” comet headed our way. It’s a once in a lifetime event, so hopefully some of you can see it, and mom is really hoping to see it! It’s due to pass “near” earth around the 1st of February.

January’s full Moon is a “Micromoon” this year. Think of this term as the opposite of a “Supermoon.” It simply means that the full Moon is at its farthest point from Earth (not the nearest point). In astronomical terms, we call this “apogee.” Specifically, January’s Micro full Moon is about 252,600 miles from Earth.

Hope some of you can join Teddy in the wee hours to observe this special phenomenon! A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align so that the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon falls within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra. When the Moon is within the umbra, it will tur…[Read more]

Blood Moon coming………..Better catch the moon’s disappearing act Tuesday — there won’t be another like it for three years. The total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout North America in the predawn hours — the farther west, the better — and across Asia, Australia and the rest of the Pacific after sunset. As an extra treat, Uranus wi…[Read more]

More mind-blowing images from JWST. I won’t bother trying to explain what these are. If you’d like to find out more, just look up the Star or Galaxy name/number. If this telescope is finding out so much now, imagine what the next one will do, and so on and on and on. Very humbling, indeed.

Star WR140 is actually 2 stars which rotate around…[Read more]

I love this guy! He selflessly retired from NASA the year before the famour Moon Launch. He just believed in public service, and not in personal aggrandizement. The new JWST is fittingly named after him.

James Edwin Webb was an American government official who served as the second appointed administrator of NASA during the 1960s. From 1961 to 1968, he ran the fledgling space agency and was largely responsible for its approach to the Apollo program and its success.

Paying tribute to Webb, NASA said his initial probe launches led to “more than 75 s…[Read more]

The James Webb Space Telescope continues to amaze. Today it transmitted pix of our farthest planet, Neptune. It also has a ring system!

The JWST has discovered the farthest star in the universe. This star, known as “Earendel,” is said to be 28 billion light years away.
Earendel’s light has traveled 12.9 billion years to get to the optics of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Earendel, translated to “morning star” or “rising light,” is located on what is now known as the “Sunris…[Read more]

Two enhanced views of Jupiter from the James Webb Space Telescope.

The Sky’s the Limit cocktail!! Ingredients: Irish Rhubarb Infused Havana 3, Blue Curacao, Homemade Orgeat and Egg White. Orgeat syrup is a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar, and rose water or orange flower water. It was originally made with a barley-almond blend.

Thought it time to investigate who really invented the telescope…Hans Lipperhey (circa 1570 – buried 29 September 1619), also known as Johann Lippershey or Lippershey, was a German-Dutch spectacle-maker. He is commonly associated with the invention of the telescope, because he was the first one who tried to obtain a patent for it. It is u…[Read more]

Well, Cat made me curious, so: What are SpaceX satellites used for?
Here’s everything we know about Starlink, SpaceX’s growing constellation of orbital satellites. A division within Elon Musk’s spaceflight company, the satellite internet venture aims to bring internet access to people around the world currently living without access to…[Read more]

Last night mom, dad and their friends saw the space x satellite launch traveling through the sky.

I don’t get this, but apparently the JWST can “look” into the past and catch glimpses of stars while they were being born. It’s just too mind-blowing for me.

Back to more posts from the James Webb Space Telescope. (I wonder if even it saw the Perseids?!)

NASA calls this a “barred” galaxy. No idea why, but doesn’t it look like some giant crustacean?

Was pretty bummed last night, but then mom found this from a twitter friend. Greek celestial globe, silver, 2nd-3rd c. bc

No luck again…sky is overcast.

Kudos to our Denmaster and Scout Andy for getting a glimpse!