Look Up: What's in the Sky This Week?
The biggest celestial show always waits 'til last, so be sure to look up this week for the Geminids. Unlike last month's Leonids, which were primarily seen over Asia (though folks around here who braved very late into the night may have seen a few), December's meteor shower will be visible all over the Northern Hemisphere. You may be able to see a few starting tonight, increasing in frequency all week until they hit their peak next Sunday night/Monday morning. Not only will they be appearing in our part of the sky -- originating from sky near the constellation Gemini, which rises in the East around 8 p.m. -- but we'll be helped by a nearly New Moon (no, not the one with the hair). The most visible 'shooting stars' should appear almost all night, from 10 p.m. to dawn, with the peak around 2 a.m. The Geminids are the most reliable meteor shower and should produce up to 100/hour at its max.
If you like a little apocalypse-style drama with your science, and who doesn't, check out the trailer below for "Meteorwatch 2009," a nice little riff on 2012 but with, you know, real events (I wish I could say I made it so YouTube stopped the video on "Look Up," but that's just an awesome coincidence). The Newbury Astronomical Society in England has been holding interactive events all year for the International Year of Astronomy. Earlier this summer they held a three day Moonwatch event, encouraging people all over the world to take to the sidewalks and look up at the sky, either to ask questions or share their knowledge with others. They've kept up with Moonwatch and previous meteor showers via their Twitter feed (search #moonwatch and #meteorwatch), immediately posting fantastic shots or retweeting photos that their followers captured, and this is in addition to their regular nightly updates from their amateur astronomers. It's a great way to "watch" the shower if you're not brave enough to stand out in the cold or, more likely, if it's cloudy where you are.
Around 300 people came out to the National Air and Space Museum's first observing night at the Public Observatory. They hope to keep the scopes out whenever there is a big event at the museum, so head over this Thursday night for another chance to see Jupiter, the Moon, and whatever else they can find when it gets dark enough. There is a little bad news: the main Observatory is temporarily closed for some maintenance, but that shouldn't stop you. Some of the museum's portable scopes, in addition to those brought by volunteers, will give you just as good a view of the sky. Instead of the usual 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. hours, daily (except Monday) observing hours will be 12 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 5:15 p.m. So with the extended hours this Thursday, stop by any time between 4 and 7 p.m. (come visit yours truly, who will be manning one of the scopes). Afterwards, Dr. Sara Seager will be giving a talk in the IMAX theater on "Astrobiology and the Search for Life Beyond Earth"; get free overflow tickets here.
>> The National Air and Space Museum is also having a ton of book signings this month -- sounds like a great gift for your favorite space nerd (cough, cough. p.s. I already have this one...and this one).
>> This Friday NASA will launch the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) into space. The satellite will orbit Earth for around 7 to 8 months, conducting a comprehensive imaging of the sky in the infrared wavelengths, which will allow it to find hundreds of thousands of asteroids, young galaxies, and possibly even data that will help scientists study dark matter. WISE will launch in a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 6:09 a.m. Watch at NASA TV, SpaceflightNow, or Spacevidcast.
>> Boston.com's The Big Picture, blowing us away yet again. Bookmark their Hubble Advent Calendar and check back every day.
>> If you're really into the science of space, head over to one of the University of Maryland many astronomy talks this week.
>> Have you been following the butterflies in space?