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FOOTBALL-SHAPED PLANET:
The International Astronomical Union (IAU)
has just named the solar system's fifth dwarf planet, Haumea,
after the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth and fertility. Located
just beyond Pluto, Haumea spins so rapidly that it has been elongated
like a football approximately 2200 km long. The strange planet has
two moons, Hi'iaka and Namaka: IAU
press release.
SIGHTINGS: The
International Space Station (ISS) is so bright, you can see it through
trees. Don Bradbury took
this picture on Sept. 19th among the pines of Weaverville, California:
"As I shot the ISS using my Canon
30D, I also caught another satellite traveling perpendicular
to it--a cool duo by accident!" says Bradbury. "This
photo demonstrates just how bright the ISS can be in relation
to ordinary satellites orbiting our planet."
The space station is flying over many US towns and
forests this weekend. Its amazingly easy to see. Check the Satellite
Tracker for viewing times.
more images: from
Matthew Cook of Ann Arbor, Michigan; from
Phillip Chee of South Monaghan, Ontario, Canada; from
Joe Ricci of Rochester, New York; from
Bill Gucfa of Rehoboth, Massachusetts; from
David McKune of Lansing, Kansas;
SOLAR SOMERSAULT:
Your mouse is a powerful tool. It can cause
a billion tons of solar hydrogen to do a somersault just by clicking
on the image below:
Click
to view a 7 MB movie.
That was a polar
crown prominence photographed on Sept. 10th by NASA's Stereo-A
spacecraft. The somersaulting motion executed midway through the
movie is typical of the
gymnastics now thought to be a key part of most solar eruptions.
Unwinding solar magnetic fields provide energy for explosions packing
the punch of a hundred million hydrogen bombs--and they make great
movies, too.
Sept.
2008 Aurora Gallery
[Aurora Alerts] [Night
Sky Cameras]
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