Finally! Live-Stream: Christmas Launch of Next Great Space Telescope

 Artist's concept of the fully-deployed James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

(Image Source: NASA)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Finally! After years of delays including launch delays this month, the next great space telescope is scheduled for launch no earlier than Christmas morning: Saturday, 2021 December 25 at 7:20 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 12:20 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, what is described by scientists as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, will be launched using an Ariane 5 launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Centre, northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, on the north Atlantic Ocean coast of South America.

NASA will provide Live-Stream coverage of the launch on NASA-TV, beginning Christmas morning at 6:00 a.m. EST / 11:00 UTC. NASA-TV will carry a post-launch news conference on Christmas morning at 9:00 a.m. EST / 14:00 UTC (assuming the launch occurs as scheduled). Internet link to NASA-TV is located near the end of this blog-post.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is much larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, is designed to seek stars and galaxies shortly after the “Big Bang”, the creation of our Universe approximately 13.8 billion years ago. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), along with most traditional terrestrial telescopes, observe using visible light. The JWST is designed to use the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to search where visible light telescopes cannot.

JWST will be the largest space telescope ever launched. With a primary mirror size of 21.3 feet / 6.5 meters, it is much larger than the HST primary mirror: 7.8 feet / 2.4 meters.

The JWST mirror is comprised of 18 gold-plated beryllium, hexagonal segments. A 5-layer Sun-shield, the size of a tennis court, protects the mirror from any heat radiated by the Sun, Earth, or Moon. Made of silicon and aluminum-coated Kapton, this Sun-shield should keep the JWST primary mirror and related instruments at a temperature no higher than 50 degrees Kelvin / -370 degrees Fahrenheit / -223 degrees Celsius. To search for the earliest galaxies and stars in the Universe, using infrared, the telescope mirror must be extremely cold and shielded from heat.

After the launch of JWST, the telescope will travel 930,000 statute miles / 1.5 million kilometers from Earth to a point in Deep Space known as L2. L2 is the second Lagrange Point of the Earth – Sun system. A Lagrange Point is a site where the gravity between two large bodies, in this case the Earth and the Sun, is relatively balanced; satellites can stay at such a point with minimum energy usage. It is a point in Deep Space where the JWST can remain, somewhat easily, in an orbit and away from the heat of the Earth and the Sun.

Why launch from French Guiana? There are several reasons:

• The Guiana Space Centre is operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French space agency (National Centre for Space Studies: CNES); along with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the ESA is part of the international collaboration with NASA on this mission. The launch site and launch vehicle are ESA contributions to the mission.

• The launch site is near the Equator, which means less energy is needed for launches, particularly to maneuver a spacecraft into equatorial, geostationary orbit. The closer to the Equator a launch occurs, the greater energy from the rotation of the Earth can be utilized in the launch; and, hence, less rocket fuel is needed. As Florida is the closest U.S. state to the Equator, this is why the Kennedy Space Center was sited in Florida.

• French Guiana has open sea to the east. As with the Kennedy Space Center, this allows lower rocket stages and other launch debris to fall harmlessly in the Atlantic Ocean, without risking life or property.

The JWST mission has four key goals:

• Search for light from the very first stars and galaxies that formed in our Universe, shortly after the Big Bang. The Universe is estimated to be about 13.8 billion years old; JWST is expected to find light from stars and galaxies approximately 13.5 billion years in the past (13.5 billion light-years from Earth).

• Study the formation and evolution of galaxies.

• Study the formation of stars and planetary systems..

• Further study planetary systems, looking for the origins of life.

The Hubble and James Webb space telescopes are different in mission duration. The Hubble Space Telescope has had the advantage of being in a close Earth orbit, where Space Shuttle astronauts have been able to service and upgrade the telescope. With the conclusion of the Space Shuttle program, the ability to service and upgrade the HST seems to have ended. As the HST is now, it is expected to last until some tine in the 2030s.

The JWST, being placed much further away from the Earth, cannot be serviced or upgraded by current space technology. To stay at the L2 orbital site, which is a somewhat unstable orbit, rocket propellant must be used. JWST has 10 years of rocket propellant on-board, to maintain the L2 configuration of the telescope. So, 10 years is the upper limit of the mission duration.

The nominal science mission is officially 5 years, with the hope that the telescope can continue to be used for research for 10 years. Once the JWST spacecraft reaches L2, there will be a 6-month commissioning phase, before the official science mission begins. The commissioning phase includes the careful, and very risky, unfolding of the huge telescope mirror, very crucial Sun-shield, and related instruments.

The JWST is named after James Webb, the second Administrator of NASA. James Webb ran NASA from February of 1961 until October of 1968, for seven years retiring just before the first manned flight of the Apollo spacecraft..He was in charge of NASA during all Mercury and Gemini flights. And, he was Administrator during the investigation of the tragic fire, which killed three astronauts, during a ground test of the Apollo 1 spacecraft on Friday, 1967 January 27.

The James Webb Space Telescope, originally designed to cost $1 billion to $3.5 billion, had many cost over-runs, throughout the many years of development and delays. With the launch of JWST, the final cost of the project will be $10 billion.

More than 30 years ago, even before the 1990 launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, planning had begun on JWST. Construction of JWST began in 2004, after having been named to honor James Webb in 2002.

In 1993, when the U.S. Congress killed the Superconducting Super Collider project for particle physics in Texas, scientists had feared the same thing would happen to JWST. But, former U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) helped to save JWST at that time.

The launch of JWST had been expected some time between 2007 and 2011. Due to continual cost over-runs, the launch kept being delayed. In 2011, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to cancel the JWST project, due to the continual cost over-runs. Scientists and space enthusiasts, including teachers and school children, successfully rallied to save the project.

As it took many years to develop and construct the JWST, planning for the next great space telescope has just begun. In November, a committee convened by the independent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has recommended that another huge space telescope should be designed and built to study exo-planets (planets orbiting stars other than our Sun) and search for signs of life. It is projected that this new telescope would be launched some time in the 2040s.

NASA-TV Live-Stream Coverage of the Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope:

Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Internet Links to Additional Information ---

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) -

Link 1 >>> https://jwst.nasa.gov/

Link 2 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/webb/main/index.html 

Link 3 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope 

Ariane 5 rocket (to launch JWST): Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariane_5 

Guiana Space Centre (launch site for JWST): Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiana_Space_Centre 

L2 - Second Lagrange Point in Earth - Sun System: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrange_point#L2

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss

                 Friday, 2021 December 24.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

           More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
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gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

* Other Walsh Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

Winter Begins at Solstice Tue.; Ursid Meteors Peak Wed.

This diagram shows the position of the Earth, in relation to the Sun, at the time of the Winter Solstice, as well as the other solstice and equinoxes of the year, in Earth's Northern Hemisphere.
[Graphic Source: ©1999, Eric G. Canali, former Floor Operations Manager of the original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center ), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991, and Founder of the South Hills Backyard Astronomers amateur astronomy club; permission granted for only non-profit use with credit to author.]

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

The season of Winter, in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth, begins at the moment of the Winter / December Solstice, late Tuesday Morning, 2021 December 21 at 10:59 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 15:59 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This moment also marks the astronomical beginning of the Summer season in the Southern Hemisphere.

This year's Winter Solstice marks the 53^rd anniversary of the launch of Apollo 8, the first human mission to the Moon. Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 1968 December 21 at 7:51 a.m. EST / 12:51 UTC, entered lunar orbit early on the morning of Christmas Eve, orbited the Moon ten times, and returned to Earth on 1968 December 27.

Almost exactly 24 hours after the Winter Solstice will mark the peak time for the annual Ursid Meteor Shower. This meteor shower peaks Wednesday Morning, 2021 December 22 at 11:00 a.m. EST / 16:00 UTC. Although, with the bright, Long-Nights Full Moon occurring just a few days (Saturday Evening, 2021 December 18 at 11:35 p.m. EST / December 19, 4:35 UTC) before the Ursids Meteor Shower peak, Ursid meteors may be more difficult to find this year.

                                                              Winter Solstice

In etymology, the word solstice comes from the Latin terms sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand-still). In ancient times, astronomers / astrologers / priests recognized that one day of the year when the Sun would appear to reach its lowest point in the sky for the entire year. The motion of the Sun's apparent path in the sky (what is known astronomically today as the Sun's declination) would cease on this day, and the Sun would appear to stand-still, before reversing direction.

With our Gregorian Calendar, this usually occurs on, or very close to, December 21. In ancient times, when people used the Julian Calendar, the Winter Solstice was on, or very close to, December 25, what we now know as Christmas Day. Mid-Winter festivals, at the time of the Winter Solstice, were common in ancient times. Instead of competing with these traditions, the early Roman Catholic Church Christianized the Winter festivals by observing the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25 (the actual birth date of Jesus was probably in late Summer or early Autumn).

Today, we know that, while the Sun does have motions, it is actually the motion of the Earth, tilted on its axis 23.44 degrees from the plane of our Solar System while revolving around the Sun, that causes the Earth's seasons. Hence, as the Earth arrives at the point in its orbit around the Sun, where the south polar axis is most directly inclined toward the Sun (thus, the Sun appears at its lowest point for the year in the Northern Hemisphere sky) around December 21, this marks the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (and the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere).

Alternately around June 21, the Summer Solstice marks the beginning of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere (and this date also marks the Winter Solstice, which is the beginning of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere) as the Earth reaches the point in its orbit where the north polar axis is most directly inclined toward the Sun.

The day of the December Solstice is the only time of the year when the Sun reaches the point of Local Solar Noon at the South Pole. Conversely, it is also the only time of the year when Local Solar Midnight occurs at the North Pole. And, of course, it is the reverse during the June Solstice: the only time the Sun reaches the point of Local Solar Noon at the North Pole and the only time when Local Solar Midnight occurs at the South Pole.

Although the Winter months in the Northern Hemisphere are known for the year's coldest weather, the Earth is actually at the point in its orbit closest to the Sun (astronomically known as the point of Perihelion) on or very near January 2. The Earth is farthest from the Sun, each year shortly after the Northern Hemisphere's Summer Solstice, on or very near July 5 (the point of Aphelion). Over a half-year's time between Earth Perihelion and Earth Aphelion, the difference in distance between the Sun and Earth varies by about 3.2 million miles.

Solar radiation, and hence heat from the Sun, to warm an Earth hemisphere depends on the length of daylight and the angle of the Sun above the horizon. Earth receives about 7 per-cent more solar radiation from the Sun during the time of Earth Perihelion in January, than at the time of Earth Aphelion in July. However, the tilt of the planet's axis toward the Sun determines the additional and more direct solar radiation received by a planet's northern or southern hemisphere, and hence, the warmer season of the respective hemisphere.

The Earth's Perihelion in January, and Aphelion in July, are due to the elliptical nature of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. Perihelion and Aphelion would not occur if the Earth's orbit was a true circle.

Since the Earth is closest to the Sun near the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere's Winter Season, the Earth, then, moves faster in its orbit around the Sun than it moves in July, making the Northern Hemisphere's Winter a shorter season than Summer. Winter will last for only 89 days, while this past-Summer lasted nearly 93 days. This is one of the observed consequences of Johannes Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, which he published at the beginning of the 17^th century.

The day of the Winter Solstice is known as the “shortest day of the year” and the “longest night of the year” as the Sun shines on the Northern Hemisphere for the shortest length of time for the entire year, on this day. For this reason, Homeless Persons' Memorial Day is commemorated on December 21.

Since the Summer Solstice in June, the number of daylight hours have slowly diminished each day, with the night-time hours progressively increasing each day. This has benefited astronomers (to view planets and stars), amateur / ham radio operators (to communicate with other ham operators around the world), and long-distance (DX) radio enthusiasts (to receive AM / medium-wave and short-wave radio stations from around the country or around the world), who need the lack of solar radiation to ply their respective craft. Once we reach the Winter Solstice, the number of daylight hours will, now, slowly increase each day, with the night-time hours declining each day--until, once again, this reverses on the Summer Solstice.

Interestingly, the climate of a locale in the Southern Hemisphere is, on average, slightly milder than a location at the same latitude in the Northern Hemisphere, because the Southern Hemisphere has significantly more ocean water and much less land. Water warms-up and cools-down more slowly than does land. The only exception is the Antarctic Continent, which is colder than the Northern Hemisphere's Arctic region, possibly because most of the Arctic region is covered with water (although, often frozen water on the surface, but liquid water beneath the ice) while Antarctica is mostly a land mass.

On the Winter Solstice, the Sun appears (from Earth's perspective) to be in the constellation Sagittarius—that is, if you could view the stars behind the Sun on the Winter Solstice, you would see the stars of Sagittarius. Previously, just a few days earlier, the Sun had appeared to be in the constellation Ophiuchus. The change, when the Sun appeared to move from Sagittarius to Ophiuchus, occurred on December 17.

However, a couple thousand years ago, the Sun would have appeared to be in the constellation Capricornus during the Winter Solstice. And, about 150 years from now, the Sun will appear to be in the constellation Ophiuchus during the Winter Solstice.

This apparent change is known as Precession of the Equinoxes or Axial Precession. This is a slow “wobble” of the Earth's axis, which causes the background stars or constellations that the Sun appears in to change over an approximately 25,771.5 year-cycle. This cycle runs through 12 traditional constellations of the zodiac, plus the constellation Ophiuchus, comprising the constellations along the ecliptic.

Precession also causes the North Star to change over the approximately 25,771.5 year-cycle. Today, Polaris is known as the North Star, which has been used for ages by navigators. However, at the time Egypt constructed the Great Pyramid, architects used Thuban, the North Star at that time, to align the pyramid. And, about 12,000 years from today, Vega will be the North Star.

Although for the year, December 21, for Earth's Northern Hemisphere, has the fewest number of daylight hours and the most night-time hours, it may be surprising to some that this date does not have the latest sunrise time nor the earliest sunset time for the year. This is also true for the June 21 solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.

Depending on a location's latitude, the latest sunrise time actually occurs a few days after the respective solstice, while the earliest sunset time occurs a few days before the day of the solstice. These time differences are due to, what scientists call, the Equation of Time (the Equation of Time is graphically displayed on most world globes as a figure “8”, known as the Analemma).

The U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington defines the Equation of Time: "the Equation of Time is the difference apparent solar time minus mean solar time". Apparent solar time, which is somewhat variable, directly tracks the motion of the Sun and can be measured using a sundial. Mean solar time measures solar motion if the Sun's motion was uniform; it is measured by an accurate clock which does .not vary in time measurement.

The Sun's motion does vary throughout the year. Hence, the latest sunrise time and the earliest sunset time do not occur on the actual day of the solstice.

                               Moon Before Yule or Long-Nights Moon

Late last night (Saturday Evening, 2021 December 18 at 11:35 p.m. EST / December 19, 4:35 UTC), was the Primary Moon Phase of Full Moon for the month of December. Each year, the December Full Moon is known as the Long-Nights Moon due to the great length of time the Full Moon is visible in the sky this time of year, compared to the much shorter time the Sun is in the sky at this time of year.

Many years, the December Full Moon is also known as the Moon Before Yule, when the Full Moon occurs before Christmas Day. Originally, Yule referred to the Winter Solstice, celebrated by Germanic peoples. Again, Yule was another mid-Winter festival which was eventually Christianized, so that today people refer to Yule as Christmas.

Of course, it can easily be understood why the Full Moon may be longer in the sky than the Sun this time of year, since the Winter Solstice marks the day with the shortest amount of daylight and longest duration of night. This means that early this week there will be about 14 and one-half hours of moon-light, with only about 9 and one-half hours of sunlight, weather-permitting.

In addition, this time of year the Moon climbs to its highest altitude in the sky for the year, what scientists call a high declination, while the Sun has the lowest declination for the year. The Sun, Moon, and planets all travel along and near a line known as the ecliptic. Near and during the season of Winter, the ecliptic arcs low across the sky in the daytime, because the Earth's North Pole is pointed away from the Sun this time of year. Alternately, the Full Moon on the other side of our planet benefits from the ecliptic arcing high across the sky during the night-time hours this time of year.

The December Full Moon is also very prominent, particularly when this high, bright Moon shines on a snowy-white field, which may justify the name Big Moon.

The December Full Moon was also known to Native Americans as the Cold Moon. Other names given to the December Full Moon have been reported by the Farmers' Almanac (Oak Moon) and The American Boy's Book of Signs, Signals and Symbols published in 1918 for use by the Boy Scouts (Wolves Moon and Big Moon).

Of course Cold Moon refers to the cold temperatures that begin with the start of the Winter season this month. And, the Moon Before Yule was used by the Christian settlers to refer to the Full Moon before Christmas Day (Yule being an early religious festival observed by Germanic peoples, later absorbed and equated with Christmas); of course, this name would not be used during years when the December Full Moon is after Christmas Day. With the longest night of the year occurring near the Winter Solstice, this justifies the term Long-Nights Moon, as the Full Moon is visible all-night long.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the December Full Moon is known as the Strawberry Moon, Honey Moon, and Rose Moon.

                                               Ursid Meteor Shower

Almost 24 hours after the Winter Solstice comes the peak of the annual Ursid Meteor Shower, which actually begins on December 17 and usually lasts about a week ending December 24, 25, or 26. The Ursids seem to comprise a narrow stream of debris originating from Comet Tuttle. Hence, it is difficult to see Ursid meteors outside of a 12-hour window before and after the peak, where possibly 12 meteors per-hour could be seen, under ideal conditions.

The Ursid Meteor Shower is so-named because most meteors appear to radiate from a point near the Star Beta Ursae Minoris (apparent meteor shower radiant) in the Constellation Ursa Minor (better known as the asterism the “Little Dipper”), which is the brightest star in the bowl of the Little Dipper. Some people call these meteors “Ursids,” in an attempt to emphasize that their apparent radiant is Ursa Minor, not Ursa Major (the asterism the “Big Dipper”).

However, you should not, necessarily, be looking only at the Little Dipper when looking for meteors in this shower. Meteors can appear in any part of the sky at any time (although a meteor's tail may tend to point back toward the radiant).

Of course meteor showers, like all celestial observations, are weather-permitting. If there are more than a few clouds in the sky, meteors will be much more difficult to find. Clear skies are not always available in the skies of late Autumn and early Winter. And, it is always best to get away from city lights, for the opportunity to see the smaller, dimmer meteors. A bright Moon in the sky will also make it more difficult to view the smaller, dimmer meteors. As always, the best time to view any meteor shower is between local midnight and local dawn, when the Earth is actually rotating into the stream of meteoric debris.

Binoculars and telescopes are not very useful for finding meteors. Meteors streak across the sky in a very short period of time, far too short to aim binoculars or a telescope. So, the best way to view a meteor shower is to lie on a blanket or beach towel on the ground, or use a reclining a chair, outdoors in an area with a good view of the entire sky (with few obstructions such as buildings, trees, or hills), and keep scanning the entire sky.

So, if you go out to see the Ursid Meteor Shower, start looking for meteors around local midnight, or perhaps a little later. Make sure you have a good site where you can see most of the sky, and that sky is relatively clear. Be sure to dress properly for the early morning temperatures, now that we are at the very beginning of Winter.

And, you want to go out ahead of time, before you actually start looking for meteors, to get your eyes accustomed to the dark sky. Dark-adapting your eyes for meteor-watching could take up to a half-hour.

Internet Links to Additional Information ---  

Winter Solstice:
Link 1 >>> http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/WinterSolstice.html
Link 2 >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter
Solstice: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice

Popular Winter Planetarium Sky Shows Shown at Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (1939 to 1991), including full scripts of each show:
The Star of Bethlehem >>> http://buhlplanetarium3.tripod.com/skyshow/bethlehem/
The Stars of Winter >>> http://buhlplanetarium3.tripod.com/skyshow/winter/

 Calendar Formats ---
       Gregorian Calendar: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar
       Julian Calendar: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar

Primary Moon Phase of Full Moon: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon

Full Moon names ---
Link 1 >>> http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/full-moon-names
Link 2 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon#Full_moon_names                                                      Link 3 >>> http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names/

Ursid Meteor Shower: Link >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UrsidsA

 Homeless Persons' Memorial Day:
Link >>> http://nationalhomeless.org/about-us/projects/memorial-day/

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss

                 Sunday, 2021 December 19.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

           More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
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        Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

                Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
                Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

* Other Walsh Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

LIVE-STREAM NASA Launch Early Tue: Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission

This is the Optical Module of the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration satellite scheduled for launch on December 7.

(image sources: NASA, Wikipedia.org, By NASA - http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/278/291/Images/LLCD-Images.html (image link), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30231720)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

UPDATE - 2021 Dec. 7:  NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission (LCRD) launch now targeted for Tuesday Morning, 2021 December 7, with a launch window of 4:04 to 6:04 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 9:04 to 11:04 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

NASA-TV Live-stream coverage of launch begins December 7 at 3:30 a.m.  EST / 8:30 UTC. Internet link to NASA-TV Live-stream coverage near end of this blog-post.

Previously scheduled launch dates had been Summer of 2021, November 22, December 4, December 5, and December 6. Recent delays in the launch of the LCRD have been due to the detection of a leak in a rocket propellant ground storage system. Weather prospects for a December 7 launch are 80 per-cent positive.

The launch of the LCRD mission is just one of several experimental satellites to be launched on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on the STP-3 mission from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the east coast of Florida. The STP-3 mission will launch several classified Department of Defense satellites, in addition to the NASA LCRD mission, at a cost of $1.14 billion.

With the LCRD launch, NASA is testing the next step in optical communications. Using infrared lasers, this test will demonstrate the technology to transfer science data between Earth and space satellites and vehicles.

For more information on the LCRD mission, see the original blog-post of November 13:

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2021/11/nasa-launch-dec-4-laser-communications.html

NASA-TV Live-stream coverage of LCRD launch: Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

                 Tuesday, 2021 December 7.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

           More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
            Link >>> https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower

        Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

                Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
                Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

* Other Walsh Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

Astro-Calendar: 2021 Dec. / Launch of 2 NASA Science Missions; Antarctic Solar Eclipse Dec.4

       

This graphic shows the coverage of a Total Solar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Sun on December 4 in Antarctica and small portions of southern Africa and southeastern tip of Australia. More information:

Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/astrocalendar/2021.html#eclipsesol2021124

NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT ANY SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN,  UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AND PROPER TRAINING TO DO SO SAFELY!

SOLAR ECLIPSE / ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: TIPS FOR SAFE VIEWING:

Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/FAQ/soleclipse/solareclipseviewingtips.html

(Graphic Sources: NASA, Wikipedia.org, By A.T. Sinclair - http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8976527)

Launch of NASA Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) satellite December 5:

Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/astrocalendar/2021.html#lcrd

Launch of NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) December 22:

Link >>>  https://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/astrocalendar/2021.html#jwst

Astronomical Calendar for 2021 December ---
Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/astrocalendar/2021.html#dec

 Related Blog Post ---

"Astro-Calendar: 2021 Nov. / Lunar Eclipse Nov. 19." Mon., 2021 Nov. 1.

Link >>> https://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2021/11/astro-calendar-2021-nov-lunar-eclipse.html

Source: Friends of the Zeiss.
            Wednesday, 2021 December 1.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

            More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
            Link >>> https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower

        Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

                Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
                Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

* Other Walsh Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

LIVE-STREAM - NASA Launch: Asteroid Redirection Test Early Wednesday

This graphic shows the original orbit of Didymos-B (satellite of asteroid Didymos; satellite also known as Dimorphos) and the new orbit of Didymos-B that is expected when NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft impacts the asteroid satellite, in a test of Earth planetary defense against asteroids which could hit our planet.

 (Graphic Sources: NASA, Wikipedia.org, By NASA/Johns Hopkins APL - https://dart.jhuapl.edu/Gallery/media/graphics/lg/DART-infographic_v4.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=108456794)

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

Earth Planetary Defense, from possible asteroid, comet, or large meteor impacts, has become increasingly vital, particularly since the large meteor explosion over Chelyabinsk, Russia on 2013 February 15. NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft, expected to launch early Wednesday morning, is designed to test a method of slightly deflecting an asteroid from an orbit that might possibly endanger the Earth in the future.

The target of the DART space probe is the double-asteroid, 65803 Didymos. Actually, the small satellite of 65803 Didymos, Didymos-B also known as Dimorphos, will be impacted during this demonstration.

The DART mission is scheduled for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, California, early on Wednesday Morning, 2021 November 24 at 1:21 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 6:21 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). NASA will begin Live-stream, Internet coverage of the launch Wednesday morning at 12:30 a.m. EST / 5:30 UTC (Internet link to the NASA Live-stream near the end of this blog-post).

The collision with Dimorphos is scheduled to occur on 2022 October 2.

65803 Didymos was discovered in 1996 by the Spacewatch Survey at Kitt Peak National Observatory, located on Kitt Peak in the Quinlan Mountains in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. The small moon of this asteroid, Dimorphos, was discovered in 2003.

Due to the binary nature of these two asteroids, they were then named “Didymos”, which is the Greek word for “twin”. The Didymos binary system has been classified a potentially hazardous asteroid and Near-Earth Object (of both the Apollo and Armor groups of Asteroids). However, at this time, the Didymos asteroid system does not cross the Earth's orbit. Hence, the deflection caused by this experiment could not cause an impact hazard with Earth.

Scientists have estimated that about 25,000 large asteroids exist in our Solar System, although only about 8,000 large asteroids have been cataloged. The Asteroid Belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, contain between 1.1 and 1.9 million asteroids; but, the majority of these asteroids are very small.

Near-Earth Objects (NEO) are estimated to number more than 27,000; again, many of these NEOs are quite small. There are also more than 100 known short-period Near-Earth Comets (NECs). And, several meteoroids, which orbited the Sun, were large enough to be tracked before hitting the Earth.

So, finding a way to detect objects which could endanger the Earth, and finding a way to deflect such objects from a collision with the Earth, are high priorities with scientists today. DART is a test to see if crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid is an effective means to change its orbit, so that a future hazardous asteroid could be deflected to miss the Earth.

DART is mostly an impactor, designed to hit and deflect Dimorphos. The only scientific instruments that will be carried aboard DART are a Sun sensor, star tracker, and a 7.9-inch / 20 centimeter aperture camera. Based on a similar camera that flew on the New Horizons mission past Pluto, this camera supports autonomous navigation; it should help to ensure that DART hits the mini-moon at its center.

DART weighs about 1,100 pounds / 500 kilograms. It is expected to impact Dimorphos at a speed of 4.1 miles-per-second / 6.6 kilometers-per-second.

The DART spacecraft uses a NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster–Commercial (NEXT-C) engine, a type of ion thruster that provides solar electric propulsion, to provide the thrust to impact Dimorphos. It will use 240-square-foot / 22-square-meter solar arrays to generate the approximately 3.5 kilowatts needed for the mission.

The DART impact is expected to produce a velocity change in Dimorphos of about 0.4 millimeter-per-second. Although this should lead to a slight trajectory change in the asteroid system, it is expected that it would lead to significant change in the path of the asteroids over a longer length of time. Eventually, the orbital period of Dimorphos could change by as much as 10 minutes. Consequently, such a change could move the orbit of an asteroid or comet from a head-on collision with Earth to a safe fly-by of our planet.

While Earth-based telescopes and radar will be used to assess the success of the DART impact, an Italian cube-sat mini-probe, which will fly on the DART spacecraft, will be used to further assess the success of the mission. Ten days before impact, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) LICIACube (Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids) will separate from DART to send images of the impact and resulting ejecta back to Earth for analysis.

Then in 2024, an European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft called Hera will be launched to confirm the results of the DART mission. Hera is expected to arrive near the Didymos system in 2027 to perform a detailed analysis of the mission results.

DART is a joint project of NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office and Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The space agencies of Europe, Italy, and Japan are also contributing to this project. Launching the DART payload on a Falcon 9 rocket is the only involvement of SpaceX with this project.

Live-stream - NASA Launch: DART Mission Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Internet Links to Additional Information ---

DART Mission:

Link 1 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/specials/pdco/index.html#dart 

Link 2 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/dart/dart-news 

Link 3 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Asteroid_Redirection_Test 

Asteroid 65803 Didymos: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/65803_Didymos 

Asteroid Satellite Dimorphos: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimorphos

Planetary Defense / Asteroid Impact Avoidance: Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_impact_avoidance

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

                 Monday, 2021 November 22.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

           More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
            Link >>> https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower

        Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

                Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
                Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

* Other Walsh Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

Early Fri. Lunar Eclipse Longest in 1,000 Years

   Latter phases of the Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon seen from Gloucestershire, United Kingdom on 2019 July 17. A Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon will be visible, weather-permitting, early on Friday Morning, 2021 November 19. November 19 also happens to be the 80th anniversary of the Astronomical Observatory of the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center - Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991).

(Image Sources: Wikipedia.org, By Caroline Grubb from United Kingdom - This file was derived from: Lunar eclipse 2019-07-17 (48303346356).jpg, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80506672) 

By Glenn A. Walsh

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

The longest Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon in 1,000 years can be seen early Friday morning, weather-permitting. Although this will technically be a Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon, it is nearly a Total eclipse.

A Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon is the only category of eclipses which is safe to view with the unaided eyes (one-power), binoculars, and a telescope.

Live-stream Web-casts of this Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon will be available for observers not in a region where the eclipse is visible in the sky, or where weather conditions make such an observation impossible (Internet links to these Live-streams near the end of this blog-post).

Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon

The last time a Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon was longer than Friday's eclipse was on 1440 February 18. The next such long, Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon will be on 2669 February 8. For a Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon, this is one of the longest such eclipses at a duration of about 6 hours and 2 minutes (including the Penumbral phases of the eclipse). When considering only the Umbral phase of the eclipse, the November 19 eclipse is the longest Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon this century.

The reason the duration of this eclipse is so long is because the eclipse occurs only 41 hours before the Moon reaches the monthly, apogee point in the lunar orbit,(farthest point away from the Earth for the month). The Moon takes longer to traverse the Earth's shadow during this eclipse, due to the fact that the Moon always moves more slowly when it is farther from the Earth.

Everyone on the night or dark side of the Earth can view at least part of any Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon, weather-permitting. For the November 19 eclipse, only people in eastern Europe, western Russia, much of southwestern Asia, most of Africa, and much of the Indian Ocean could not view any part of the eclipse in the sky; they would need to watch the eclipse on the Internet.

Here are the major stages of this Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon –--

Early Friday Morning, 2021 November 19 -

[Eastern Standard Time (EST) / Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)]

(Note that a Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon is the only type of Eclipse where the times of Eclipse are the same world-wide, when using Coordinated Universal Time. Everyone on the dark or night side of Earth can view this Eclipse in the sky, weather-permitting.)

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Begins --- 1:02:09 a.m. EST / 6:02:09 UTC

Partial Lunar Eclipse Begins --- 2:18:42 a.m. EST / 7:18:42 UTC

Primary Moon Phase: Full Moon – Beaver Moon --- 3:57 a.m. EST / 8:57 UTC

Greatest Partial Lunar Eclipse --- 4:02:53.1 a.m. EST / 9:02:53.1 UTC

Partial Lunar Eclipse Ends --- 5:47:04 a.m. EST / 10:47:04 UTC

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Ends  --- 7:03:40 a.m. EST / 12:03:40 UTC

A Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon occurs when the orbit of the Moon brings our natural satellite into the Earth's shadow (shadow caused by the Earth completely blocking light from the Sun). The Earth's shadow, extending into Outer Space from the dark or night side of Earth, is divided into two sections: the dim Penumbra or Penumbral shadow, which encircles the deeper Umbra or Umbral shadow.

The Moon's orbit is slightly tilted, so most months at the primary Moon phase of Full Moon, the Moon moves above or below the Earth's shadow, with no Eclipse occurring. At the time of Greatest Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon on November 19, the Moon will be 99 per-cent obscured by the Earth's Umbral shadow. The remaining 1 per-cent of the Moon's surface will be well within the Penumbral shadow of the Earth, making this a very deep Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon.

A Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon always occurs near the time, and including the time, of a Full Moon. Many Native Americans called the Full Moon of November the Beaver Moon, but, more on that later.

When the Earth's dim shadow, known as the Penumbra, falls on the Moon, it is called a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse / Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon. Because the Earth's shadow is dim in this case, this type of Eclipse is difficult to discern.

When the Earth's deep shadow, known as the Umbra, falls on only part of the Moon's surface, this is known as a Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon. This is more easily visible, if you are in the right location and weather conditions are acceptable.

A Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon is when the Earth's deep shadow, or Umbra, completely envelops the Moon. Usually, a Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon only occurs once every 2.5 years, approximately, as seen from someplace in the world. The last one happened on 2021 May 26. The next one will be seen in North America in about half-a-year from now on 2022 May 15 / 16.

Of course, "Totality" / Total Phase of a Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon is the most impressive part of this type of Eclipse, what most people wait to see. The Partial Phases of the Eclipse are when a piece of the Moon seems missing, as the Moon moves further into the Earth's main shadow known as the Umbra, or as the Eclipse is ending and the Moon is further moving out of the Earth's Umbra.

The Penumbral Phases of the Eclipse are difficult to see, as the Moon moves into or out of the Earth's secondary shadow or Penumbra. In this case, one would not see any chunks or bites taken out of the Moon's disk, as one would see when the Moon moves into the Umbra shadow during the Partial Phases. Instead, if your eyes are very good, you may notice a slight dimming of the light coming from the Moon, as the Moon moves further into the Penumbral shadow

Although no direct sunlight reaches the Moon during a Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon, the Earth's atmosphere refracts the sunlight around our planet allowing a portion of the sunlight to continue to be transmitted to the Moon. However, the refracted light reaching the Moon is primarily in the yellow, orange, and red portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (the Earth's atmosphere filters-out the violet, blue, and green colors), as with orange or red-tinted sunrises and sunsets (during such a Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon, a person standing on the side of the Moon facing Earth could see all Earth sunrises and sunsets simultaneously, as they viewed the Earth in a Total Solar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Sun --- but, even on the Moon, a person would need to take strong precautions to ensure their eye-sight is not damaged by such a view). Hence, it is orange or red light that is reflected from the Moon back into your eyes during a Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon.

Hence, particularly during the middle of a Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon, the Moon will not disappear from view but can be seen with an orange or reddish tint, what some call "blood red" (this is sometimes referred to as a “Blood Moon”). If the Earth had no atmosphere, likely no sunlight would reach the Moon during a Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon, and there would be no "Blood Moon;" the Moon would seem to completely disappear.

Although the November 19 eclipse is a Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon, at a maximum 99 per-cent obscuration during the time of greatest eclipse, the November 19 eclipse may show many of the characteristics of a Total Lunar Eclipse / Total Eclipse of the Moon. This includes the Blood Moon effect.

Aristotle Discovers World is Round Due, in Part, to Lunar Eclipse

Civilized society has known that the Earth is not flat, but is round, for about 2500 years. The famous Greek philosopher and academic, Aristotle who lived between 384 and 322 B.C., used a Lunar Eclipse / Eclipse of the Moon as one demonstration that the Earth is round. This was documented in a book he published around 350 B.C. As he observed the Earth's shadow pass across the face of the Moon, he noticed that the shadow is curved, which is one of three indications he found that the Earth is round. One of the other two indications were the concept that gravity required a common center for a planetary body such as Earth. He also noticed that different stars were seen from different locations on our planet, and some stars cannot be seen from certain locations.

Leonid Meteor Shower

The Leonid Meteor Shower (which peaked Wednesday, 2021 November 17 at 1:00 p.m. EST / 18:00 UTC) may still be slightly visible during this eclipse. Although Lunar Eclipses / Eclipses of the Moon are not usually the best time to see meteors (as a bright Moon often drowns-out the dimmer meteors), some meteors may still be visible, particularly during the time of greatest eclipse.

Full Moon of November

The Full Moon of November, in the Northern Hemisphere, is generally known as the Beaver Moon. This was the time when Native Americans set-out beaver traps, before creeks and swamps froze-over, to ensure a good supply of warm furs and pelts for the coming Winter. Although beavers do not hibernate, by the following month the beavers would be in their lodges for the Winter, difficult for hunters to trap.

This beaver fur was its most usable at this time of year, both waterproof and warm. The furs also provided a special oil, used as a hair protector. The beaver was revered by the Americans Indians, spiritually.

The Beaver Moon occurs this year on November 19 at 3:57 a.m. EST / 8:57 UTC.

While most people consider the Full Moon as the Beaver Moon, the Native Americans actually considered the whole Moon cycle (all four Moon phases) as the Beaver Moon (i.e. the Beaver Month for the 28.5-day lunar cycle). Other researchers believe the Beaver Moon name came from the fact that beavers, themselves, are active building water dams, preparing for Winter.

This month's Full Moon sometimes is also referred to as the Frost or Frosty Moon. And, some Indian tribes referred to the November Full Moon as the Deer-Mating Moon or the Fur-Pelts Moon.

For years when the Harvest Moon occurs in October (when the October Full Moon date is closer to the Autumnal Equinox than the September Full Moon date, which occurs about one-third of the time), the November Full Moon is then also known as the Hunter's Moon. However, this was not the case in 2021

In the Southern Hemisphere, the Full Moon of November is known as the Corn Moon, Milk Moon, Flower Moon, and Hare Moon.

80^th Anniversary of Historic Astronomical Observatory

This November 19 also marks the 80^th anniversary of the Astronomical Observatory at the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991. The Observatory's primary instrument was a rather unique 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope.

A now-renowned astronomer, who was then Director of the Harvard College Observatory, Harlow Shapley, delivered the keynote address dedicating the Observatory on Wednesday Evening, 1941 November 19. First Light through the telescope, that evening, was the ringed-planet Saturn.

A siderostat-type telescope is unique such that the telescope itself does not move, save for the movements of the Earth. A flat, first-surface mirror, which does move, reflects celestial images into the telescope. Thus, the public could look through the telescope while standing in a heated observing room, while the telescope remains in the outside elements.

The siderostat-type telescope was developed by French inventor Jean Leon Foucault, who also developed the Foucault Pendulum as a classic demonstration that the Earth rotates on its axis. Only two siderostat-type telescopes, larger than the Buhl Planetarium telescope, were ever constructed.

The first was the Great Paris Exhibition Telescope of 1900, and with a 49-inch objective lens was also the largest refracting telescope ever built. A 15-inch Siderostat-type Refracting Telescope was built around 1929 by a private astronomy enthusiast, which eventually became one of the main instruments of the Flower and Cook Observatory in suburban Philadelphia, owned by the University of Pennsylvania.

Both the Paris and Philadelphia telescopes have been dismantled. The Paris telescope is not recoverable, without the construction of an entirely new telescope tube and observatory. The future is unclear for the Philadelphia telescope, which is now in the possession of amateur astronomers in Jacksonville.

Regrettably, Buhl Planetarium's historic 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope, which is legally owned by the City of Pittsburgh, is also currently dismantled and in storage. The author (Glenn A. Walsh) served as Astronomical Observatory Coordinator for the original Buhl Planetarium Observatory from 1986 to 1991.

The 10-inch Siderostat-type Refractor Telescope in the Astronomical Observatory of the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991.

(Image Sources: Francis G. Graham, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Kent State University and Friends of the Zeiss)

Live-stream Web-casts of 2021 November 19 Partial Lunar Eclipse / Partial Eclipse of the Moon:

Link 1 (TimeandDate.com) >>> https://www.timeanddate.com/live/eclipse-lunar-2021-november-19

Link 2 (Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles) >>> https://griffithobservatory.org/event/lunar-eclipse-online-broadcast-nov-18-2021/

Link 3 (Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff) >>> https://lowell.edu/event/partial-lunar-eclipse-nov-19/

Link 4 (Virtual Telescope Project) >>> https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2021/11/05/the-19-nov-2021-partial-lunar-eclipse-online-event/ 

Link 5 (Astronomical Society of South Australia) >>> https://www.assa.org.au/events/online-star-parties/lunar-eclipse-live-stream-19-november-2021/

Internet Links to Additional Information ---

More Information - 2021 November 19 Eclipse: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium4.tripod.com/astrocalendar/2021.html#eclipselun20211119 

Leonid Meteor Shower: Link >>> https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-leonid-meteor-shower/

Historic Astronomical Observatory of the original Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science and technology museum from 1939 to 1991:

Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

                 Saturday, 2021 November 13.

                             Like This Post?  Please Share!

           More Astronomy & Science News - SpaceWatchtower Twitter Feed:
            Link >>> https://twitter.com/spacewatchtower

        Astronomy & Science Links: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#sciencelinks

                Want to receive SpaceWatchtower blog posts in your in-box ?
                Send request to < spacewatchtower@planetarium.cc >.

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

* Other Walsh Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html

UPDATE: NASA Launch Dec. 5: Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission

This is the Optical Module of the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration satellite scheduled for launch on December 4.

(image sources: NASA, Wikipedia.org, By NASA - http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/278/291/Images/LLCD-Images.html (image link), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30231720)

By Glenn A. WalshS

Reporting for SpaceWatchtower

UPDATE - 2021 Dec. 1:  NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission (LCRD) launch now targeted for Sunday Morning, 2021 December 5, with a launch window of 4:04 to 6:04 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 9:04 to 11:04 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

NASA-TV Live-stream coverage of launch begins December 5 at 3:30 a.m.  EST / 8:30 UTC. Internet link to NASA-TV Live-stream coverage near end of this blog-post.

Previously scheduled launch dates had been November 22 and December 4.

The following is the original blog-post published 2021 November 13:

NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission (LCRD) is expected to launch early on Saturday Morning, 2021 December 4, with a launch window of 4:04 to 6:04 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) / 9:04 to 11:04 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). LCRD will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

LCRD will be a payload on a Department of Defense (DoD) / U.S. Space Force satellite, STPSat-6, which is a geosynchronous satellite for the third DoD Space Test Program (STP-3) mission. A geosynchronous satellite is placed in an orbit which matches the axial rotation period of the Earth: 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.0905 seconds (one sidereal day). A satellite with a circular geosynchronous orbit has a constant elevation above the Earth of 22,236 statute miles / 35,786 kilometers.

With this launch, NASA is testing the next step in optical communications. Using infrared lasers, this test will demonstrate the technology to transfer science data between Earth and space satellites and vehicles.

Optical communications provides several advantages over traditional radio communications used today for transferring data between Earth and Outer Space. Increased benefits include a reduction in the size, weight, and power requirements of the optical communications equipment. Reduced size and weight are always helpful when launching any payload; size and weight comprise a major cost of putting any type of payload into Outer Space.

Optical communications also increase the available bandwidth 10 to 100 times beyond what is available with radio frequency systems.

The LCRD mission is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC. LCRD will use two ground-stations during the experiments: Optical Ground Station (OGS) -1 and -2, at Table Mountain, California, and Haleakala, Hawaii, respectively.

NASA-TV Live-stream coverage of LCRD launch: Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Internet Links to:Additional Information ---

 Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission:

NASA Update - 2021 Nov. 30: Link >>> https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-sets-live-launch-coverage-for-laser-communications-demonstration

Link 1 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-s-laser-communications-relay-demonstration-mission-leaves-goddard-space-flight-center 

Link 2 >>> https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms 

Link 3 >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_Communications_Relay_Demonstration

Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.

                 Saturday, 2021 November 13.

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gaw

Glenn A. Walsh, Informal Science Educator & Communicator:
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com/weblog/spacewatchtower/gaw/
Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Project Director, Friends of the Zeiss: Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/
SpaceWatchtower Editor / Author: Link >>> http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/
Formerly Astronomical Observatory Coordinator & Planetarium Lecturer, original Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science (a.k.a. Buhl Science Center), Pittsburgh's science & technology museum from 1939 to 1991.
Formerly Trustee, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Pittsburgh suburb of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: Link >>>  http://www.planetarium.cc  Buhl Observatory: Link >>>  http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2016/11/75th-anniversary-americas-5th-public.html
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: Link >>> http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear: Link >>> http://johnbrashear.tripod.com
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: Link >>> http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc

* Other Walsh Authored Blog & Web-Sites: Link >>> https://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/gawweb.html