20th
Anniversary of Vermont Space Education Program
|
|
CELESTIAL
EVENTS
Sat., 29 October 2005, 2:00pm
NO TRICK-JUST A GREAT TREAT!
This
is a special weekend, with Mars traveling closer to Earth than
will happen for another 13 years (2018). To help children and
adults easily find Mars: Look in the East just after sunset.
Mars will rise, big and bright, looking like a pumpkin-colored
star. Scientifically, the moment of closest approach happens
on Oct. 30th - but you won't notice the difference on Halloween
as you look in the sky for "the Great Pumpkin"-colored planet
that is.
TELESCOPE
ALERT
If
you have, or know someone with a telescope, Mars is also putting
on a great telescopic show for backyard astronomers, as well
as scientists, with a new dust storm that erupted. The storm
is big enough and bright enough to be seen with backyard telescopes.
On Oct. 28th the dust cloud was described as looking like a
giant octopus waving its tentacles.
|
Celestial
& Space Exploration Events
2005-2006 Academic Year |
September 2005 |
|
Sept 08-
|
Progress
M-54 Soyuz U Launch to International Space Station (Successful) |
|
Sept 08-
|
30th
Anniversary (1975), Viking 2 Launch (Mars Orbiter/Lander) |
|
Sept
12-
|
Registration
opens for NASA
Quest Mars Analog Challenge |
|
Sept
15-
|
Deadline
to Send
Your Name to Pluto |
|
Sept
22-
|
Autumnal
Equinox, 22:23 UT (Universal Time) The date (near September 22
in the northern hemisphere) when night and day are nearly of the
same length and the Sun crosses the celestial equator (i.e., declination
0) moving southward (in the northern hemisphere.) The date marks
the official first day of the autumn season. |
|
Sept
24-
|
John
Young’s 75th Birthday (1930)—He’s famous—do you know who he is
and why he is an important person? He’d be a great topic for a
biographical report about space explorers. |
|
Sept
26-
|
Cassini
studies Hyperion at a range of 1,010 kilometers (628 miles), the
closest approach ever to the tiny moon. It will be Cassini’s only
visit to the moon during the primary mission. (Are your students
aware of the current Cassini mission to Saturn?) |
|
Sept
30-
|
30th
Anniversary (1975), Charles Kowal’s Discovery of Jupiter Moon
Themisto |
|
|
|
Oct
01-
|
Soyuz
TMA-7 Soyuz FG Launch to International Space Station 11S |
|
Oct
04-10-
|
World
Space Week: The theme for World Space Week 2005 is “Discovery
and Imagination.” This theme encourages participants to focus
World Space Week 2005 programs on solar system exploration, as
well as the positive impacts of space exploration on discovery
and the human imagination. These dates were chosen to commemorate
two significant events in space history.
On October 4, 1957 Sputnik I became the first human-made satellite
to be launched into outer space. On October 10, 1967 the United
Nations Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States
in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including
the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies went into effect. Each year
World Space Week tries to encourage, educate and support space
exploration world-wide through various programs and activities
centered around a central theme |
|
Oct
06-
|
15th
Anniversary (1990), Ulysses Launch (Solar Polar Orbiter) |
|
Oct
09-
|
Draconids
Meteor Shower Peak (The radiant for the meteors will have them
coming from the Northwest, to the left and above the Big Dipper
and Polaris, the North Star—by the constellation Draco.) |
|
Oct
11-
|
Cassini
turns its instruments on Dione from a distance of 500 kilometers
(311 miles). |
|
Oct
13-
|
NASA
Quest webchat: Mars
Analog |
|
Oct
16-
|
30th
Anniversary (1975), GOES 1 Launch (1st Weather Satellite in Geosynchronous
Orbit) |
|
Oct
17-
|
Partial
Lunar Eclipse |
|
Oct
21-
|
Orionids
Meteor Shower Peak (The radiant for the meteors will have them
coming East of Orion’s belt in the constellation Orion.) |
|
Oct
30-
|
Daylight
Savings – Set Clock Back 1 Hour (Europe, North America) |
|
Oct.
31-
|
NASA
Quest Mars Analog Preliminary Designs due (experts give feedback
10/31 – 11/7) |
|
|
|
Nov
03-
|
Taurids
Meteor Shower Peak (The Northern Taurids are active from October
12 to December 2. Maximum is also of long duration and extends
over November 4-7. First discovered in 1869.) |
|
Nov
08-
|
45th
Anniversary (1960), Little Joe 5 Launch (Space History—What do
your students know about the Mercury missions?) |
|
Nov
09-
|
Carl
Sagan’s 71st Birthday (1934)—Read his book or watch the video:
Contact |
|
Nov
14-
|
36th
Anniversary (1969), Apollo 12 Launch (Human Exploration Moon Mission) |
|
Nov
12-
|
25th
Anniversary (1980), Voyager 1, Saturn Flyby |
|
Nov
17-
|
Leonids
Meteor Shower Peak (Look East for the constellation Leo.) |
|
Nov
21-
|
NASA
Quest Mars Analog—final designs due and are posted on line. |
|
Nov
26-
|
Cassini,
Rhea Flyby (Where did the name Rhea come from? How close will
Cassini be to Rhea?) |
|
Nov
29-
|
5th
Anniversary (2000), Discovery of Y000593 Meteorite (Mars Meteorite
found in Antarctica. Why is this significant?) |
|
|
|
Dec
01-
|
45th
Anniversary (1960), Sputnik 6 Launch (Carried Two Dogs: Pchelka
& Mushka)
The first men and women who traveled in space—in the 1960s—depended
on the sacrifices of other animals that gave their lives for the
advancement of human knowledge about the conditions in outer space
beyond this planet’s protective ozone layer, about the effects
of weightlessness on living organisms, and about the effects of
stress on behavior. Preparations for human space activities depended
on the ability of animals that flew during and after the 1940s
to survive and thrive. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all
these noble animals. This is a difficult subject—especially for
an avid animal lover like me—but an important ethical one to research
and discuss the pros and cons. |
|
Dec
02-
|
10th
Anniversary (1995), SOHO Launch (A joint mission project between
the European Space Agency and NASA to study our Sun.) |
|
Dec
04-
|
40th
Anniversary (1965), Gemini 7 Launch (Frank Borman & Jim Lovell)
Do your students know the importance of these Gemini missions? |
|
Dec
06-
|
NASA
Quest Mars Analog—final Webcast for the project. |
|
Dec
07-
|
Gerard
Kuiper’s 100th Birthday (1905) Do your students know who this
important person was and his significant achievements? |
|
Dec
08-
|
15th
Anniversary (1990), Galileo, 1st Earth Flyby |
|
Dec
10-
|
55th
Anniversary (1950), St. Louis Meteorite Fall (Hit Car) |
|
Dec
13-
|
MESSENGER,
Deep Space Maneuver #1 (DSM-1) A NASA orbital mission to learn
more about Mercury. |
|
Dec
13-
|
Geminids
Meteor Shower Peak (Look East by the stars Castor and Pollux;
to the left of Betelgeuse.) |
|
Dec
21-
|
Winter
Solstice, 18:35 UT |
|
Dec
22-
|
Ursids
Meteor Shower Peak (Look North, just below and to the right of
Polaris, the North Star) |
|
|
|
Jan
|
How
many of Uranus’ moons were discovered 20 years ago? (January 1986) |
|
Jan
01-
|
205th
Anniversary (1801), Guiseppe Piazzi’s Discovery of the First Asteroid
(Ceres) |
|
Jan
02-
|
Isaac
Asimov’s 86th Birthday (1920)—Read one of his MANY books. |
|
Jan
02 -
|
Leslie
Peltier’s 106th Birthday (1900)—Have students research to find
out about her. |
|
Jan
03-
|
Quadrantids
Meteor Shower Peak (Look Northeast, below the Big Dipper.) |
|
Jan
03-
|
20th
Anniversary (1986), Stephen Synnott’s Discovery of Uranus Moons
Juliet & Portia |
|
Jan
06-
|
Comet
Shoemaker-Levy 7 Closest Approach to Earth |
|
Jan
09-
|
6th
Anniversary (1990), STS-32 Columbia Launch (LDEF Satellite)—Tomato
Seeds flew into space; what else was on LDEF? How long was LDEF
in orbit? What happened to LDEF? Plant some of the Tomato Seeds
from Space. |
|
Jan
10-
|
Robert
Wilson’s 70th Birthday (1936) Why is this significant? |
|
Jan
15-
|
Stardust,
Capsule Return to Earth (This is exciting! If this is a successful
return and retrieval, then what more will we learn from the comet
samples?) |
|
Jan
19-
|
166th
Anniversary (1840), Discovery of Antarctica (Learn about Mars
meteorites found here—or explorations, including the use of sled
dog teams. Have Atii Sled Dogs come visit your students.) |
|
Jan
20-
|
Buzz
Aldrin’s 76th Birthday (1930)—Do your students know who he is? |
|
Jan
24-
|
20th
Anniversary (1986), Voyager 2, Uranus Flyby |
|
Jan
28-
|
20th
Anniversary (1986), Space Shuttle Challenger Tragedy. Barbara
R. Morgan, the back up space flight teacher participant for Christa
McAuliffe (both from NASA’s Teacher in Space Program), is now
a fully trained astronaut and official member of NASA’s Astronaut
Corps. Morgan has numerous assignments and is training for her
flight to the International Space Station—hopefully during 2006
or 2007. |
|
Jan
29-
|
Chinese
New Year—Do your students know the connection and history of fireworks
and rockets? |
|
Jan
31-
|
35th
Anniversary (1971), Apollo 13 Launch (3rd Manned Moon Landing) |
|
Jan
31-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), Luna 9 Launch (USSR Moon Lander) |
|
Jan
31-
|
45th
Anniversary (1961), Mercury-Redstone 2 Launch (Ham the Chimpanzee) |
|
|
|
Feb
03-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), Luna 9 Landing on the Moon (1st Moon Landing) |
|
Feb
04-
|
Clyde
Tombaugh’s 100th Birthday (1906) Discovered Pluto—among many other
important contributions to astronomy. |
|
Feb
06-
|
15th
Anniversary (1991), Salyut-7 Planned burn up in Earth’s Atmosphere
(Soviet Union Space Station) |
|
Feb
11-
|
10th
Anniversary (1996), Saturn Ring Plane Crossing (3 of 3) During
a ring plane crossing when the rings appear “edge-on” to Earth,
the glare from the rings is reduced considerably, and faint objects
near Saturn are easier to see. Many of Saturn’s moons have been
discovered during ring plane crossing events. |
|
Feb
20-
|
20th
Anniversary (1986), Mir Space Station Launch |
|
Feb
22-
|
Progress
M-56 Soyuz FG Launch (International Space Station 21P) Progress
will bring supplies to the ISS orbiting crew members. |
|
Feb
22-
|
45th
Anniversary (1966), Kosmos 110 Launch (Carried Two Dogs: Veterok
& Ugolvok) |
|
Feb
27-
|
Cassini,
Titan Flyby |
|
|
|
Mar
06-
|
20th
Anniversary (1986), Vega 1, Comet Halley Flyby |
|
Mar
09-
|
45th
Anniversary (1961), Sputnik 9 Launch (Carried Dog Named Chernushka) |
|
Mar
10-
|
Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Orbit Insertions |
|
Mar
13-
|
225th
Anniversary (1781), William Herschel’s Discovery of Uranus |
|
Mar
14-
|
Penumbral
Lunar Eclipse |
|
Mar
16-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), Gemini 9 Launch (Neil Armstrong & David Scott) |
|
Mar
16-
|
80th
Anniversary (1926), 1st Liquid Fuel Rocket Launch by Robert Goddard |
|
Mar
18-
|
41st
Anniversary (1965), 1st Spacewalk, Leonov on Voskhod 2 |
|
Mar
19-
|
Cassini,
Titan Flyby |
|
Mar
20-
|
Vernal
Equinox, 18:26 UT |
|
Mar
22-
|
Soyuz
TMA-8 Soyuz FG Launch (International Space Station 12S) |
|
Mar
25-
|
10th
Anniversary (1996), Comet Hyakutake Near-Earth Flyby |
|
Mar
25-
|
45th
Anniversary (1961), Sputnik 10 Launch (Carried Dog Named Zyezdochka) |
|
|
|
Apr
02-
|
Daylight
Saving- "move clocks ahead one hour" |
|
Apr
05-
|
15th
Anniversary (1991), Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Launch |
|
Apr
11-
|
36th
Anniversary (1970), Apollo 13 Launch (Have students read the book
by astronaut Jim Lovell—or pull out the Tom Hank’s video. Have
the students do some hands on problem solving just like the crew
did. “Failure is not an option.”) |
|
Apr
12-
|
25th
Anniversary (1981), 1st Space Shuttle Launch (Robert Crippen &
John Young) |
|
Apr
12-
|
45th
Anniversary (1961), 1st Person in Space, Yuri Gagarin (USSR) |
|
Apr
17-
|
30th
Anniversary (1976), Closest Ever Flyby of the Sun by Spacecraft
(Helios 2) |
|
Apr
19-
|
35th
Anniversary (1971), Salyut 1 Launch (1st Space Station) |
|
Apr
22-
|
Lyrids
Meteor Shower Peak. Look towards the Northeast, in the constellation
Lyra, above and to the right of Cygnus the Swan (the Northern
Cross.) |
|
Apr
24-
|
16th
Anniversary (1990), Hubble Space Telescope Launch (STS-31) |
|
Apr
30-
|
Cassini,
Titan Flyby |
|
|
|
May
??-
|
STS-115
Launch, Space Shuttle Atlantis, MEPSI 3A & 3B, (International
Space Station 12A) |
|
May
1-7-
|
International
Astronomy Week |
|
May
05-
|
Eta
Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak (Look between the East and Southeast
portion of the sky below Altair.) |
|
May
05-
|
45th
Anniversary (1961), Freedom 7 Launch (Alan Shepard, 1st US Man
(and person) in Space) |
|
May
6-
|
International
Astronomy Day |
|
May
20-
|
Cassini,
Titan Flyby |
|
May
25-
|
5th
Anniversary (2001), Galileo, Callisto 30 Flyby |
|
May
25-
|
45th
Anniversary (1961), John F. Kennedy’s Moon Goal Speech (Have your
students heard this historic, motivational, inspirational speech?) |
|
May
30-
|
35th
Anniversary (1971), Mariner 9 Launch (USA Mars Orbiter) |
|
May
30-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), Surveyor 1 Launch (USA Moon Lander) |
|
|
|
Jun
??-
|
Lunar
Trail Blazer Dnepr 1 Launch (Commerical Moon Orbiter—US private
company and Russian private space company agreement for first
commercial moon orbiter mission) |
|
Jun
03-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), Gemini 9 Launch (Thomas Stafford & Eugene
Cernan) |
|
Jun
03-
|
41st
Anniversary (1965), Gemini 4 Launch, USA’s First Spacewalk (Ed
White) |
|
Jun
21-
|
Summer
Solstice, 12:26 UT |
|
Jun
22-
|
30th
Anniversary (1976), Salyut 5 Launch (USSR Space Station) |
|
Jun
27-
|
10th
Anniversary (1996), Galileo, Ganymede 1 Flyby |
|
Jun
30-
|
35th
Anniversary (1971), Death of 3 Cosmonauts in Soyuz 11 |
|
|
|
Jul
01-
|
Smithsonian
National Air & Space Museum’s 30th Birthday (1976) (This is a
great place to visit!) |
|
Jul
13-
|
??
STS-117 Launch, Space Shuttle Endeavour, International Space Station
13A |
|
Jul
18-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), Gemini 10 Launch (John Young & Michael Collins) |
|
Jul
20-
|
30th
Anniversary (1976), Viking 1, Mars Landing |
|
Jul
21-
|
45th
Anniversary (1961), Mercury 4 Launch (Gus Grissom, Liberty Bell
7) |
|
Jul
26-
|
35th
Anniversary (1971), Apollo 15 Launch (4th Human Exploration Moon
Landing) |
|
Jul
29-
|
South
Delta-Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak (Look up between the Southeast
and South part of the sky.) |
|
Jul
30-
|
5th
Anniversary (2001), MAP, Moon Flyby |
|
|
|
Aug
??-
|
STS-116
Launch, Space Shuttle Discovery (International Space Station 12A.1) |
|
Aug
05 -
|
Neil
Armstrong’s 76th Birthday (1930) Do your students know who he
is? |
|
Aug
06-
|
Southern
Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak |
|
Aug
07-
|
10th
Anniversary (1996), Announcement of Possible Microfossils Found
in ALH84001 Martian Meteorite |
|
Aug
10-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), Lunar Orbiter 1 Launch |
|
Aug
12-
|
Perseids
Meteor Shower Peak (Face the Northeast and look above and to the
left of the Pleiades constellation.) |
|
Aug
16-
|
Mars
Solstice (Beginning of Northern Winter) |
|
Aug
17-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966) Pioneer 7 Launch |
|
Aug
19-
|
Orville
Wright’s 135th Birthday (1871) |
|
Aug
25 -
|
Northern
Iota Aquarids Meteor Shower Peak |
|
Aug
26-
|
25th
Anniversary (1981), Voyager 2, Saturn Flyby |
|
|
|
Sept
03-
|
30th
Anniversary (1976), Viking 2, Mars Landing |
|
Sept
07 -
|
Partial
Lunar Eclipse |
|
Sept
08-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), 1st Star Trek Episode on TV (A great time
to begin the new school year with a unit contrasting science fiction
and science fact through literature.) |
|
Sept
12-
|
40th
Anniversary (1966), Gemini 11 Launch (Charles Conrad and Richard
Gordon) |
|
Sept
15-
|
15th
Anniversary (1991), UARS Launch from Space Shuttle Discovery (Have
students learn about the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite and
its modern day equivalent. Research global warming studies, related
changes in weather patterns, and more.) |
|
Sept
22-
|
Annular
Solar Eclipse |
|
Sept
22-
|
Autumnal
Equinox, 04:03 UT |
|
Sept
23-
|
160th
Anniversary (1846), Johann Galle’s Discovery of Neptune |
