SATELLITE RE-ENTRY: The ROSAT X-ray Observatory

SATELLITE RE-ENTRY: The ROSAT X-ray observatory, launched in 1990 by NASA and managed for years by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), will return to Earth within the next two weeks. Current best estimates place the re-entry between Oct. 22nd and 24th over an unknown part of Earth. Although ROSAT is smaller and less massive than UARS, which grabbed headlines when it re-entered on Sept. 24th, more of ROSAT could reach the planet's surface. This is because the observatory is made of heat-tolerant materials.

According to a DLR study, as many as 30 individual pieces could survive the fires of re-entry. The largest single fragment would likely be the telescope's mirror, which is very heat resistant and may weigh as much as 1.7 tons.

ROSAT is coming, but it's not here yet. On Oct. 13th, Marco Langbroek photographed the observatory still in orbit over Leiden, the Netherlands:

Photo details: 5 second exposure, Canon EOS 450D, ISO 400

"I observed ROSAT this evening in deep twilight," says Langbroek. "It was bright, magnitude +1, and an easy naked-eye object zipping across the sky where the first stars just had become visible."

Update: Scott Tilley of Roberts Creek, British Columbia, made a video of ROSATon Oct. 15th: "It did get pretty bright, at least 1st magnitude, as it passed overhead after sunset."

ROSAT will become even brighter in the nights ahead as it descends toward Earth. Local flyby times may be found on the web or on your smartphone.

Also, check the German ROSAT re-entry page for updates.

The role of space weather: Solar activity has strongly affected ROSAT's decay. Only a few months ago, experts expected the satellite to re-enter in December. However, they did not anticipate the recent increase in sunspot count.

Extreme ultraviolet radiation from sunspots has heated and "puffed up" Earth's atmosphere, accelerating the rate of orbital decay. The massive observatory now has a date with its home planet in October.

NASA Mars Rover Arrives at New Site on Martian Surface

NASA Mars Rover Arrives at New Site on Martian Surface

08.10.11

West Rim of Endeavour Crater on Mars
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU
› Full image and caption

West Rim of Endeavour Crater on Mars (False Color)
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU
› Full image and caption

Arrival at 'Spirit Point' by Mars Rover Opportunity
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU
› Full image and caption

Small 'Odyssey' Crater on Rim of Huge 'Endeavour' Crater
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/ASU
› Full image and captionAfter a journey of almost three years, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has reached the Red Planet’s Endeavour crater to study rocks never seen before.

On Aug. 9, the golf cart-sized rover relayed its arrival at a location named Spirit Point on the crater’s rim. Opportunity drove approximately 13 miles (21 kilometers) after climbing out of the Victoria crater.

“NASA is continuing to write remarkable chapters in our nation’s story of exploration with discoveries on Mars and trips to an array of challenging new destinations,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. “Opportunity’s findings and data from the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory will play a key role in making possible future human missions to Mars and other places where humans have not yet been.”

Endeavour crater, which is more than 25 times wider than Victoria crater, is 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter. At Endeavour, scientists expect to see much older rocks and terrains than those examined by Opportunity during its first seven years on Mars. Endeavour became a tantalizing destination after NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter detected clay minerals that may have formed in an early warmer and wetter period.

“We're soon going to get the opportunity to sample a rock type the rovers haven't seen yet,” said Matthew Golombek, Mars Exploration Rover science team member, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. “Clay minerals form in wet conditions so we may learn about a potentially habitable environment that appears to have been very different from those responsible for the rocks comprising the plains.”

The name Spirit Point informally commemorates Opportunity’s twin rover, which stopped communicating in March 2010. Spirit's mission officially concluded in May.

“Our arrival at this destination is a reminder that these rovers have continued far beyond the original three-month mission,” said John Callas, Mars Exploration Rover project manager at JPL.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which launched Aug. 12, 2005, is searching for evidence that water persisted on the Martian surface for a long period of time. Other Mars missions have shown water flowed across the surface in the planet's history, but scientists have not determined if water remained long enough to provide a habitat for life.

NASA launched the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity in the summer of 2003. Both completed their three-month prime missions in April 2004 and continued years of extended operations. They made important discoveries about wet environments on ancient Mars that may have been favorable for supporting microbial life. 



JPL manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

Priscilla Vega/Guy Webster
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-1357/-6278
priscilla.r.vega@jpl.nasa.gov/guy.webster@jpl.nasa.gov

11-265

UFO files: RAF tornado crew spotted UFO over North Sea

Without warning the UFO - as big as a C130 Hercules plane - appeared and they had 'never seen anything like it' Photo: GETTY

6:00AM GMT 03 Mar 2011

Comment

The crew were returning from a ''low level'' mission in the UK to RAF Laarbruch in Germany when they were flying through Dutch airspace over the North Sea.

Without warning the UFO - as big as a C130 Hercules plane - appeared and they had ''never seen anything like it''.

In written answers about the incident the pilot said: ''I did not lock the UFO on radar. My navigator and I were so surprised we did not think to do so.

''Indeed, for the majority of the sighting, the UFO was out to one side of my aircraft which would have required me to manoeuvre the aircraft to place within the radar field of view.

''Of more interest, despite repeated radio calls to Dutch Military Radar, the controller insisted that he could not see the UFO.

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''After landing, our Dutch exchange officer, on my squadron, called Dutch Military to discuss the event.

''The controller insisted that no other radar contact was made at the time in the vicinity.''

The spooked pilot said the UFO looked nothing like any plane he knew was in any service.

Though he described the plane as being as big as a Hercules it had a smaller wingspan and the engine exhaust had ''a light blue afterburner-type flame which was steady but changing in intensity''.

Two other RAF fighter jets flying out from Laarbruch nearly collided head-on with the UFO and saw it at the same time, the pilot said.

''These aircraft would have been close to being head-on to the UFO, while from our Tornado, the UFO came down our right-hand side at a great speed (ie, coming from the direction of the UK).

''We were doing 0.8 Mach and it readily overtook us.''

He went on: ''This was definitely not a Russian satellite - I am 100% certain of that.

''This was a large 'aircraft' and I could see the detail of the lights and the engine area.

''I have never seen anything like it.''

UFO di Sabak Bernam?

TIGA pergerakan objek bercahaya yang berjaya dirakam di kawasan kem askar Sabak Bernam, Selangor baru-baru ini.

---

SHAH ALAM – Seorang kakitangan awam mendakwa berjaya merakam satu cahaya objek terbang yang tidak dikenali (UFO) melintas di kawasan sebuah kem askar di Sabak Bernam ketika bertugas pada Jumaat lalu.

Asri Harun Abd. Rahman, 42, yang membuat rondaan ketika itu terkejut setelah melihat sebuah objek bercahaya yang terang seperti lampu limpah menerangi langit kira-kira pukul 5.30 pagi.

Dakwanya, selama bertugas di situ sejak 11 tahun lalu, perkara seumpama itu tidak pernah berlaku dan menyifatkan ia merupakan perkara pelik pernah dialami.

“Cahaya objek itu bulat, sangat terang dan tidak bergerak ke mana-mana.

“Kebetulan, pada waktu itu tiada satu bintang kelihatan dan cahaya itu tidak berkelip-kelip seperti bintang,” katanya ketika dihubungi Kosmo! semalam.

UFO berlegar di bandar Brazil

OBJEK terbang tidak dikenali (dalam bulatan) berlegar-legar dekat bandar Agudos, Brazil.

SAO PAOLO - Seorang pengguna jalan raya berjaya merakamkan gambar sebuah objek terbang yang tidak dikenali (UFO) berlegar-legar dekat bandar Agudos, Brazil lapor lamanFox News kelmarin.

Laman itu memetik laporan stesen televisyen G1 di Brazil yang menyiarkan rakaman UFO tersebut yang berlegar dalam ketinggian yang rendah.

Namun, UFO itu hilang buat seketika di celah awan sebelum satu cahaya yang terang muncul dan hilang di tepi awan.

Dua bebola cahaya misteri kemudian muncul dan ia bergerak turun ke kawasan belukar.

Kemunculan dua bebola cahaya misteri itu hampir sama dengan satu cahaya yang berlegar-legar di atas Kubah Emas di pekarangan Masjid Al-Aqsa di Baitulmuqaddis pada Januari lalu.

Imej UFO itu boleh dilihat di laman YouTube. - Agensi

Discovery's Final Flight Carries Special Meaning for Shuttle Astronauts

HOUSTON – Amid the flurry of settling in to life onboard the International Space Station, astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery's mission have taken time to contemplate the significance of this shuttle's historic final flight.

Discovery arrived at the space station yesterday (Feb. 26) for one last visit before the shuttle is retired from service at the end of this mission. The six astronauts who are flying the orbiter on its final flight are veteran spaceflyers, including several astronauts who have completed long duration stays at the massive orbiting laboratory.

So, while Discovery's trip to space station is the orbiter's swan song, it is also something of a homecoming for some of the shuttle's astronauts.

"I spent six and a half months here in 2009, and I loved it up here – I didn't want to leave," mission specialist Michael Barratt told reporters today in a press briefing from the station. "For me, the mission has a lot of meaning. It's a return."

On its 11-day mission, Discovery is also delivering spare parts, an outdoor storage pallet, a humanoid robot assistant, and a much-needed storage module to the station. This storage module, akin to a big space closet, will be the final U.S. addition to the fully constructed station.

Milestone mission

In its 27-year spaceflying career, Discovery has docked to the space station 13 times. This stay will be its last. The significance of the milestone is not lost on the shuttle's crewmembers, but for now, they remain focused on the mission, STS-133 commander Steve Lindsey said.

"The truth is, once we get close to the launch countdown, we're not thinking about Discovery's last flight, we're thinking about doing out jobs," Lindsey said today. "But it's a real privilege to be on the last flight of Discovery. I've flown her three times now, and she's a great vehicle still."

Just before Discovery linked up with the space station, Lindsey and pilot Eric Boe maneuvered the spacecraft through a slow 360-degree back flip, 600 feet (183 meters) beneath the station. This flip is done to allow astronauts on the space station to take high-resolution pictures of the shuttle's tile-covered backside. The images are used to closely inspect the shuttle's heat shield for any damage it may have incurred during launch, ascent and the time spent in orbit.

Discovery was the first shuttle to perform this maneuver, on its STS-114 mission in 2005. NASA made the backflip a mandatory part of all shuttle missions following the 2003 loss of the shuttle Columbia and its crew due after that orbiter's heat shield was damaged, causing the shuttle to break apart upon reentering the Earth's atmosphere.

Mission managers have not yet fully analyzed the photos of Discovery's heat shield from this mission, but based on preliminary data, officials say the orbiter looks like it's in good shape. The mission timeline allows for a follow-up inspection later on during the mission to gather more photos from potential problem areas, but officials said today that another inspection would not be necessary.

Amazing views

As Discovery turned nose cap over tail for the final time yesterday, Boe reflected on the incredible views of the completed station from the windows of his spacecraft.

"You get some really good views from the space shuttle," Boe said. "It's truly a sight to see, and when you add in the effect that you have the Earth going on underneath you, it's really amazing."

At the conclusion of the STS-133 mission, NASA will retire Discovery, the agency's oldest and most-flown spacecraft. The remaining two shuttles in the fleet, Endeavour and Atlantis, are each scheduled to fly their final missions later this year – Endeavour in April, and Atlantis in June.

NASA is ending its space shuttle program to focus on exploration missions that extend farther out into the solar system, with objectives that include visiting an asteroid and eventually Mars. But, the retirement of the space shuttles will likely be a bittersweet end of an era.

"I think the unique thing about the shuttle is its ability to carry large payloads and people into space and back," Lindsey said. "It's been a workhorse for nearly 30 years now. It can do everything you can think of in space, and it lands on a runway. The class of spacecraft we'll see in the future – it'll be a long, long time before we see something that can lift and do everything the shuttle can."

You can follow SPACE.com Staff Writer Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow as she covers Discovery's final space voyage from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Visit SPACE.com for complete coverage of Discovery's final mission STS-133.

Gerhana Bulan Dan Matahari Untuk 2011 : NASA

Four partial solar and two total lunar eclipses take place in 2011. This 4:2 combination of solar and lunar eclipses in a single year is rather rare with only six cases during the 21st Century (2011, 2029, 2047, 2065, 2076 and 2094). The first and last eclipses always occur in January and December.

The dates and types of eclipses during 2011 are as follows.

2011 Jan 04: Partial Solar Eclipse

2011 Jun 01: Partial Solar Eclipse

2011 Jun 15: Total Lunar Eclipse

2011 Jul 01: Partial Solar Eclipse

2011 Nov 25: Partial Solar Eclipse

2011 Dec 10: Total Lunar Eclipse

Predictions for the eclipses are summarized in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. World maps show the regions of visibility for each eclipse. The lunar eclipse diagrams also include the path of the Moon through Earth's shadows. Contact times for each principal phase are tabulated along with the magnitudes and geocentric coordinates of the Sun and Moon at greatest eclipse.

All times and dates used in this publication are in Universal Time or UT. This astronomically derived time system is colloquially referred to as Greenwich Mean Time or GMT. To learn more about UT and how to convert UT to your own local time, see Time Zones and Universal Time.

Partial Solar Eclipse of January 04

The first solar eclipse of 2011 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in eastern Sagittarius. A partial eclipse will be visible from much of Europe, North Africa and central Asia (Figure 1).

The penumbral shadow first touches Earth's surface in northern Algeria at 06:40:11 UT. As the shadow travels east, Western Europe will be treated to a partial eclipse at sunrise. The eclipse magnitude [1] from European cities like Madrid (0.576), Paris (0.732), London (0.747), and Copenhagen (0.826) will give early morning risers an excellent opportunity to photograph the sunrise eclipse with interesting foreground scenery.

Greatest eclipse [2] occurs at 08:50:35 UT in northern Sweden where the eclipse in the horizon will have a magnitude of 0.858. At that time, the axis of the Moon's shadow will pass a mere 510 km above Earth's surface. Most of northern Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia also lie in the penumbra's path. The citizens of Cairo (0.551), Jerusalem (0.574), Istanbul (0.713), and Tehran (0.507) all witness a large magnitude partial eclipse.

A sunset eclipse will be visible from central Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and northwest China. The partial eclipse ends when the penumbra leaves Earth at 11:00:54 UT.

Local circumstances and eclipse times for a number of cities in the penumbral path are listed in Table 1. All times are in Universal Time. The Sun's altitude and azimuth, the eclipse magnitude and eclipse obscuration [3] are all given at the instant of maximum eclipse. When the eclipse is in progress at sunrise or sunset, this information is indicated by a '-'.

The NASA JavaScript Solar Eclipse Explorer is an interactive web page that can quickly calculate the local circumstances of the eclipse from any geographic location not included in Table 1:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/JSEX/JSEX-index.html

This is the 14th eclipse of Saros 151 [4] (Espenak and Meeus, 2006). The family begins with a series of 18 partial eclipses from 1776 to 2083. Complete details for the entire series of 72 eclipses (in the order: 18 partial, 6 annular, 1 hybrid, 39 total and 8 partial) spanning 1280 years can be found at:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros151.html

Partial Solar Eclipse of June 01

The next partial solar eclipse occurs at the Moon's descending node in Taurus. The event is visible from high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere (Figure 2).

The eclipse begins at sunrise in Siberia and northern China where the penumbral shadow first touches Earth at 19:25:18 UT. Two hours later, greatest eclipse occurs at 21:16:11 UT. At that time, an eclipse of magnitude 0.601 will be visible from the Arctic coast of western Siberia as the midnight Sun skirts the northern horizon. Although most of Alaska and northern Canada will witness the partial eclipse, the southern limit of the penumbra falls along a curve from south of Fairbanks to central New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Reykjavik, Iceland receives a 0.462 magnitude eclipse just before sunset. Northern most Norway, Sweden and Finland also get a midnight Sun eclipse with the event hanging above the northern horizon. The partial eclipse ends at 23:06:56 UT when the penumbra leaves Earth just north of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean.

Eclipse times and local circumstances for major cities in North America, Europe and Asia are given in Table 2. The Sun's altitude, azimuth, the eclipse magnitude and obscuration are given at the instant of maximum eclipse.

This is the 68th eclipse of Saros 118. The family began with a group of 8 partial eclipses from the years 803 to 929. The Saros ends with a small partial eclipse in 2083. Complete details for the entire series of 72 eclipses (in the order: 8 partial, 40 total, 2 hybrid, 15 annular and 7 partial) spanning 1280 years can be found at:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros118.html

Total Lunar Eclipse of June 15

The first lunar eclipse of 2011 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in southern Ophiuchus about 7° west of the Lagoon Nebula (M8). The Moon passes deeply through Earth's umbral shadow during this rather long event. The total phase itself lasts 100 minutes. The last eclipse to exceed this duration was in July 2000. The Moon's contact times with Earth's umbral and penumbral shadows are listed below.

   Penumbral Eclipse Begins:  17:24:34 UT    Partial Eclipse Begins:    18:22:56 UT    Total Eclipse Begins:      19:22:30 UT    Greatest Eclipse:          20:12:37 UT    Total Eclipse Ends:        21:02:42 UT    Partial Eclipse Ends:      22:02:15 UT    Penumbral Eclipse Ends:    23:00:45 UT  

At the instant of greatest eclipse [5] the umbral eclipse magnitude [6] will reach 1.6998 as the Moon's centre passes within 5.3 arc-minutes of the shadow axis. The Moon's southern limb will lay 54.2 arc-minutes from the edge of the umbra while the northern limb will lay 22.3 arc-minutes from the umbra's edge. Thus, the northern regions of the Moon will probably appear brighter than the southern regions that lie deeper in the shadow. Since the Moon samples a large range of umbral depths during totality, its appearance will change dramatically with time. It is difficult to predict the exact brightness distribution in the umbra so observers are encouraged to estimate the Danjon value at different times during totality (see Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness). Note that it may also be necessary to assign different Danjon values to different portions of the Moon (i.e. - north vs. south).

Nearly 30 years ago (1982 Jul 06), the author watched another total lunar eclipse with the Moon in the same part of the sky. I was amazed at how brilliantly the summer Milky Way glowed since it was all but invisible during the partial phases. Observers will have a similar opportunity during June's eclipse. In this case, the totally eclipsed Moon will lie in southern Ophiuchus just 8° northwest of the brightest Sagittarian star clouds. The summer constellations are well placed for viewing so a number of bright stars can be used for magnitude comparisons with the totally eclipsed Moon.

Antares (mv = +0.92v) is 15° to the west, Shaula (mv = +1.63) is 14° south, Epsilon Sgr (mv = +1.85) is 15° southeast, Arcturus (mv = -0.05) stands 55° to the northwest, and Altair (mv = +0.77) is 46° northeast of the Moon.

Figure 3 shows the path of the Moon through the penumbra and umbra as well as a map of Earth showing the regions of eclipse visibility. The entire event will be seen from the eastern half of Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and western Australia. Observers throughout Europe will miss the early stages of the eclipse because they occur before moonrise. Fortunately, totality will be seen throughout the continent except for northern Scotland and northern Scandinavia. Eastern Asia, eastern Australia, and New Zealand will miss the last stages of eclipse because they occur after moonset. Again, the total phase will be seen from most of these regions. Even observers in eastern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina will witness totality. However, none of the eclipse will be visible from North America. At mid-eclipse, the Moon is near the zenith for observers from Reunion and Mauritius.

Table 3 lists predicted umbral immersion and emersion times for 20 well-defined lunar craters. The timing of craters is useful in determining the atmospheric enlargement of Earth's shadow (see Crater Timings During Lunar Eclipses).

The June 15 total lunar eclipse is the 34th member of Saros 130, a series of 71 eclipses occurring in the following order: 8 penumbral, 20 partial, 14 total, 22 partial, and 7 penumbral lunar eclipses (Espenak and Meeus, 2009a) spanning 1262 years. Complete details for Saros 130 can be found at:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaros130.html

Partial Solar Eclipse of July 01

Just one lunation after the previous one, the third solar eclipse of the year takes place at the Moon's descending node in western Gemini. This Southern Hemisphere event is visible from a D-shaped region in the Antarctic Ocean south of Africa (Figure 4). Such a remote and isolated path means that it may very well turn out to be the solar eclipse that nobody sees. At greatest eclipse (08:38:23 UT), the magnitude is just 0.097.

This event is the first eclipse of Saros 156. The family will produce 8 partial eclipses, followed by 52 annular eclipses and ending with 9 more partials. Complete details for the entire series of 69 eclipses spanning the years 2011 through 3237 can be found at:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros156.html

Partial Solar Eclipse of November 25

The fourth and final solar eclipse of the year occurs at the Moon's ascending node in western Scorpius. The event is visible from high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere and includes southern South Africa, Antarctica, Tasmania and most of New Zealand (Figure 5).

At the instant of greatest eclipse (06:20:17 UT) the eclipse magnitude is 0.905, making it the largest partial eclipse of the year. At that time, the lunar shadow axis will pass just 330 km above Earth's surface near the coast of Antarctica.

This is the 53rd eclipse of Saros 123. The family began with 6 partial eclipses from the years 1074 to 1164. By the time the series ends in 2318, it will have produced 70 eclipses in the following order: 6 partial, 27 annular, 3 hybrid, 14 total, and 20 partial eclipses. Complete details for Saros 123 can be found at:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros123.html

Total Lunar Eclipse of December 10

The last eclipse of 2011 is a total lunar eclipse that takes place at the Moon's descending node in eastern Taurus, four days after apogee.

The Moon's orbital trajectory takes it through the southern half of Earth's umbral shadow. Although the eclipse is not central, the total phase still lasts 51 minutes. The Moon's path through Earth's shadows as well as a map illustrating worldwide visibility of the event are shown in Figure 6. The timings of the major eclipse phases are listed below.

   Penumbral Eclipse Begins:   11:33:32 UT    Partial Eclipse Begins:     12:45:42 UT    Total Eclipse Begins:       14:06:16 UT    Greatest Eclipse:           14:31:49 UT    Total Eclipse Ends:         14:57:24 UT    Partial Eclipse Ends:       16:17:58 UT    Penumbral Eclipse Ends:     17:30:00 UT  

At the instant of greatest eclipse (14:32 UT) the Moon lies at the zenith in the Pacific Ocean near Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The umbral eclipse magnitude peaks at 1.1061 as the Moon's centre passes 21.4 arc-minutes south of the shadow axis. The Moon's northern limb is then 6.4 arc-minutes south of the shadows axis and 33.3 arc-minutes from the umbra's edge. In contrast, the Moon's southern limb lays 36.5 arc-minutes from the shadow centre and 3.2 arc-minutes from the southern edge of the umbra. Thus, the northern half of the Moon will appear much darker than the southern half because it lies deeper in the umbra.

Since the Moon samples a large range of umbral depths during totality, its appearance will change dramatically with time. It is difficult to predict the brightness distribution in the umbra, so observers are encouraged to estimate the Danjon value at different times during totality (see Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness). Note that it may also be necessary to assign different Danjon values to different portions of the Moon (i.e., north vs. south).

During totality, the winter constellations are well placed for viewing so a number of bright stars can be used for magnitude comparisons. Aldebaran (mv = +0.87) is 9° to the southwest of the eclipsed Moon, while Betelgeuse (mv = +0.45) is 19° to the southeast, Pollux (mv = +1.16) is 37° east, and Capella (mv = +0.08) is 24° north.

The entire event is visible from Asia and Australia. For North Americans, the eclipse is in progress as the Moon sets with western observers favored by a larger fraction of the eclipse before moonset. Observers throughout Europe and Africa will miss the early eclipse phases because they occur before moonrise. None of the eclipse can be seen from South America or Antarctica. The NASAJavaScript Lunar Eclipse Explorer is an interactive web page that can quickly calculate the altitude of the Moon during each phase of the eclipse from any geographic location:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/JLEX/JLEX-index.html

Table 6 lists predicted umbral immersion and emersion times for 20 well-defined lunar craters. The timing of craters is useful in determining the atmospheric enlargement of Earth's shadow (see Crater Timings During Lunar Eclipses).

The December 10 total lunar eclipse is the 23rd member of Saros 135, a series of 71 eclipses occurring in the following order: 9 penumbral, 10 partial, 23 total, 7 partial, and 22 penumbral lunar eclipses. Complete details for Saros 135 can be found at:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaros135.html

5 Jam Gerhana Bulan Separa Pada 22 Mei 1453 Lemahkan Semangat Byzantium ?

6 April 1453 Al-Fateh memulakan kepungan ke atas Konstantinople. 18 April serangan pertama dilancarkan. 21-22 April 70 buah kapal dipindahkan melalui jalan darat. 6-12 Mei serangan seterusnya digandakan untuk menembusi dinding. 29 Mei Al-Fateh berjaya memasuki Konstantinople dari pintu Topkapi. Ini adalah angka-angka tarikh penting dari Profesor Mehmet Maksudoglu, pengkaji sejarah Usmaniah dari sumber asal Usmaniah itu sendiri (Osmanli History 1289-1922 Based on Osmanli Sources, page 72-73).

NASA pula mengesahkan 22 Mei 1453 berlakunya kejadian gerhana bulan separa. Saya menulis diread1453.blogspot.com dengan meninggalkan persoalan kepada pembaca :

"Petanda buruk dari gerhana bulan adalah suatu kepercayaan tahyul rakyat dan pemerintah Byzantium. Maharaja Konstantinople 11, Paleologos diriwayatkan pernah mengatakan bahawa Kontantinople tidak akan jatuh selagi matahari dan bulan wujud. Demikian besarnya kepercayaan nujum mereka bersandarkan fenomena alam pada bulan dan matahari tersebut.

Adakah Muhammad Al-Fateh sengaja memilih sekitar April hingga Mei 1453 - tidak tahun mahupun bulan lain - sebagai masa paling strategik kempen pengepungan Konstantinople dilancarkan ? Kita sedia maklum Usmaniah pakar dalam taktik pengepungan, mereka sangat arif mengenai kekuatan dan kelemahan mereka, tempoh masa yang mereka perlukan berdasarkan sejarah apabila sesuatu taktik pengepungan dilakukan sebagai 'tempoh bertenang' kepada musuh untuk menyerah secara aman. Kita juga sedia maklum bahawa Al-Fateh arif benar dengan segala post-mortem kegagalan percubaan ayahnya, datuk-datuknya serta pimpinan Islam sejak 11 kali percubaan dilakukan menemui kebuntuan bertubi-tubi.

Al-Fateh juga tahu benar penting aspek moral dan motivasi dalam mempengaruhi kejayaannya dan kelemahan musuh-musuhnya. Kerana moral, beliau menghadirkan pemidato dan pasukan gendang serta para ulama dalam saf para tenteranya. Sudah pasti Al-Fateh sangat pintar untuk turut sama mengenalpasti apa yang boleh meruntuhkan moral musuh-musuhnya, supaya dia mampu melemah dan menumpaskan lawan sebolehnya secara "al-fatah" yakni tanpa pertempuran dan pertumpahan darah, bak kata Sun Zu.

Adakah kejadian gerhana bulan separa telah melemahkan moral Byzantium sekaligus membenarkan mimpi buruk mereka bahawa 1100 tahun empayar mereka akan berakhir?

Adakah pemilihan tarikh kempen sekitar April-Mei 1453, kesemua ini hasil didikan kental ilmu-ilmu SUNNATULLAH khususnya ilmu FALAK, GEOGRAFI serta KAJIAN KEPERCAYAAN (AQIDAH) mengenai Byzantium oleh para ulama terbaik Usmaniah pada beliau ketika kecil ?

Adakah ini siri seterusnya kepintaran taktik, pemikiran strategik dan kegeniusan pimpinan perang yang dipuji oleh Rasulullah S.A.W ?

"There are a number of famous historical events associated with lunar eclipses. On 29 May 1453, a rising Full Moon was eclipsed over Constantinople, then under siege by the Turk army. It is reported that this created such a dip in morale that in a few days Constantinople was defeated, leading to the end of the Roman Empire of Orient after 1130 years." - European Space Agency

"At this time, the fighting morale of the defenders was of major importance. Their fighting spirit was maintained by an old prophecy that Constantinople could never fall while the moon was waxing. Then on May 22, the full moon rose in eclipse, crushing their morale. Some reports say the eclipse darkness lasted for three hours; however, this is considered impossible because the partial phase ended 75 minutes after moonrise. - Thomas Fuller

Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events for Calendar Year 2011

• January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The Quadrantids are an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks on January 3 & 4, but some meteors can be visible from January 1 - 5. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation Bootes.

• January 4 - New Moon. The Moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun and is not visible. This phase occurs at 09:03 UTC.

• January 4 - Partial Solar Eclipse. The partial eclipse will be visible in most parts of northern Africa, Europe, and Asia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

• January 19 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 21:21 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Wolf Moon because this was the time of year when hungry wolf packs howled outside their camps. This moon has also been know as the Old Moon and the Moon After Yule.

• February 3 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 02:31 UTC.

• February 18 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 08:36 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Snow Moon because the heaviest snows usually fell during this time of the year. Since hunting is difficult, this moon has also been known by some tribes as the Full Hunger Moon.

• March 4 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 20:46 UTC.

• March 19 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 18:10 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Worm Moon because this was the time of year when the ground would begin to soften and the earthworms would reappear. This moon has also been known as the Full Crow Moon, the Full Crust Moon, and the Full Sap Moon. This will also be the largest full moon of the year because it will be near perigee, its closest point to the Earth.

• March 20 - March Equinox. The March Equinox occurs at 23:21 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the southern hemisphere.

• April 3 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 14:32 UTC.

• April 3 - Saturn at Opposition. The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons.

• April 18 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 02:44 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. This year, it is also known as the Paschal Full Moon because it is the first full moon of the spring season.

• April 21, 22 - Lyrids Meteor Shower. The Lyrids are an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The shower usually peaks on April 21 & 22, although some meteors can be visible from April 16 - 25. This year, the gibbous moon will hide most of the fainter meteors in its glare. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight, and be sure to find a dark viewing location far from city lights.

• May 3 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 06:51 UTC.

• May 5, 6 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids are a light shower, usually producing about 10 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on May 5 & 6, however viewing should be good on any morning from May 4 - 7. A thin, crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what could be an good show. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight, far from city lights.

• May 7 - Astronomy Day Part 1. Astronomy Day is an annual event intended to provide a means of interaction between the general public and various astronomy enthusiasts, groups and professionals. The theme of Astronomy Day is "Bringing Astronomy to the People," and on this day astronomy and stargazing clubs and other organizations around the world will plan special events. You can find out about special local events by contacting your local astronomy club or planetarium. You can also find more about Astronomy Day by checking the Web site for theAstronomical League.

• May 11 - Conjunction of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter. The three planets will form a 2-degree long vertical line in the early morning sky. The planet Mars will also be visible nearby. Look to the east near sunrise.

• May 17 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 11:09 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Flower Moon because this was the time of year when spring flowers appeared in abundance. This moon has also been known as the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon.

• June 1 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 21:03 UTC.

• June 1 - Partial Solar Eclipse. The partial eclipse will be visible in most parts eastern Asia, Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

• June 15 - Total Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

• June 21 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 17:16 UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the southern hemisphere.

• July 1 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 08:54 UTC.

• July 1 - Partial Solar Eclipse. This partial eclipse will only be visible off the coast of Antarctica.
  (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

• July 15 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 06:40 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Buck Moon because the male buck deer would begin to grow their new antlers at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Full Thunder Moon and the Full Hay Moon.

• July 28, 29 - Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquarids can produce about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks on July 28 & 29, but some meteors can also be seen from July 18 - August 18. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. This year the thin, crescent moon will be hanging around for the show, but it shouldn’t cause too many problems. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight from a dark location.

• July 30 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 18:40 UTC.

• August 12, 13 - Perseids Meteor Shower. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower's peak usually occurs on August 13 & 14, but you may be able to see some meteors any time from July 23 - August 22. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Perseus. The full moon will definitely be a problem this year, hiding the fainter meteors with its glare. But with up to 60 meteors per hour possible, it could still be a great show. Find a location far from city lights and look to the northeast after midnight.

• August 13 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 18:57 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. This moon has also been known as the Green Corn Moon and the Grain Moon.

• August 11 - Neptune at Opposition. The blue planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view Neptune. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

• August 29 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 03:04 UTC.

• September 12 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 09:27 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Corn Moon because the corn is harvested around this time of year. This moon is also known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the September equinox each year.

• September 23 - September Equinox. The September equinox occurs at 09:05 UTC. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. This is also the first day of fall (autumnal equinox) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of spring (vernal equinox) in the southern hemisphere.

• September 25 - Uranus at Opposition. The blue-green planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view Uranus. Due to its distance, it will only appear as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

• September 27 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 11:09 UTC.

• October 1 - Astronomy Day Part 2. Astronomy Day is an annual event intended to provide a means of interaction between the general public and various astronomy enthusiasts, groups and professionals. The theme of Astronomy Day is "Bringing Astronomy to the People," and on this day astronomy and stargazing clubs and other organizations around the world will plan special events. You can find out about special local events by contacting your local astronomy club or planetarium. You can also find more about Astronomy Day by checking the Web site for theAstronomical League.

• October 12 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 02:06 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Hunters Moon because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This will also be the smallest full moon of the year because it will be near apogee, its farthest point from the Earth.

• October 21, 22 - Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids is an average shower producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This shower usually peaks on the 21st, but it is highly irregular. A good show could be experienced on any morning from October 20 - 24, and some meteors may be seen any time from October 17 - 25. The nearly last quarter moon may hide some of the faintest meteors this year. Best viewing will be to the east after midnight. Be sure to find a dark location far from city lights.

• October 26 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 19:56 UTC.

• October 29 - Jupiter at Opposition. The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. The giant planet will be a big and bright as it gets in the night sky. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet.

• November 10 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 20:16 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Beaver Moon because this was the time of year to set the beaver traps before the swamps and rivers froze. It has also been known as the Frosty Moon.

• November 17, 18 - Leonids Meteor Shower. The Leonids is one of the better meteor showers to observe, producing an average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower itself has a cyclic peak year every 33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour. The last of these occurred in 2001. The shower usually peaks on November 17 & 18, but you may see some meteors from November 13 - 20. The nearly last quarter moon may hide some of the faintest meteors this year, but this should still be an excellent show. Look for the shower radiating from the constellation Leo after midnight.

• November 25 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 06:10 UTC.

• November 25 - Partial Solar Eclipse. This partial eclipse will only be visible over Antarctica and parts of South Africa and Tasmania. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

• December 10 - Full Moon. The Moon will be directly opposite the Earth from the Sun and will be fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This phase occurs at 14:36 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark. This moon has also been known as the Moon Before Yule and the Full Long Nights Moon.

• December 10 - Total Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of Europe, eastern Africa, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and the North America. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information)

• December 13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower. Considered by many to be the best meteor shower in the heavens, the Geminids are known for producing up to 60 multicolored meteors per hour at their peak. The peak of the shower usually occurs around December 13 & 14, although some meteors should be visible from December 6 - 19. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Gemini. The gibbous moon will definitely interfere this year by hiding the faintest meteors, but with up to 60 meteors per hour possible, this should still be an excellent show. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight from a dark location.

• December 22 - December Solstice. The December solstice occurs 05:30 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the northern hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the southern hemisphere.

• December 24 - New Moon. The Moon will be directly between the Earth and the Sun and will not be visible from Earth. This phase occurs at 18:06 UTC.