219 Mile High Club

Space Shuttle Atlantis is in the midst of its orbital mating dance with the International Space Station, having completed a series of positionings, and is now relaxing in the so-called V-bar. As it performed its orbital flip, astronauts aboard the space station snapped shots of Atlantis' heat shield, and beamed them back to NASA, where some guys get to spend the next few hours squinting at monitors, to make sure nothing untoward is lurking. Maybe I can scoop a couple off the internet somewhere before CNN resizes and crops them. Can you find Waldo?

Anybody with the boredom to cross check the post time and docking schedule will find that indeed I am awake for these festivities, and really why shouldn't you be? Two of the greatest technological feats of mankind are about to get it on!

The Clear Sky Clock

If you are an amateur astronomer, and don't know what this diagram is, then you're in for a treat. This is probably one of the single most important tools you will ever learn how to use. It tells you everything about your desired observing site, organized by the hour, with neat little swatches so you can see with a single glance if you're sunk or in business.

This diagram is a stripped-down version of the system. Click it above to view the whole 9 AU's, and find a clock near you!

Attilla Danko wrote this marvelous beast, so go check out http://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/, or click above, learn to use the system (it only takes a few minutes), and be sure to support him and his work!

The Essentials

These are some websites that should be in every amateur astronomer's bookmark bar. Its my daily toolbox, hopefully you can benefit from them as well!

Observation

• www.spaceweather.com -- We're all geeky here, but people know you're in a whole different class when you keep abreast of CME's the solar wind.
• www.cloudynights.com -- Know your 'scopes, binoculars, and whats up tonight. Also one of the best message boards in the community.
• http://www.heavens-above.com/ -- Impress your friends by pointing out an ISS flyby or Iridium flare!
• http://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/ -- Find out if tonight is the night to drag that massive lightbucket into the countryside.

News

• www.space.com -- Over the years its gotten a bit plumper and a tad slower, but still shells out some of the best coverage there is.
• http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ -- This should be the first thing you look at after waking up.

Missions

• http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/ -- Yes, its everybody's favourite rovers, still in action, still doing some major science.
• http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm -- Get the latest after its been all prettied up. If you're looking for a more hands-on experience, check out...
• http://ciclops.org/index.php -- Cassini imaging central. The newest sights, and the entire mission archived.
• http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/ -- It'll be awhile, but you'd better be ready for New Horizons!

You would think after all that that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has a monopoly on unmanned exploration, but you'd be wrong! Out of nowhere comes the ESA!

• http://www.esa.int/esaSC/index.html -- They parachute onto Titan, smash probes into the moon, and they've also got a monopoly on Venus, and one of the best orbiters at Mars. Starward, ho!

First Light

So I decided to create a blog. I'm not yet positive why, but my posting on various forums got to the point where I wished I just had a place to say my say. So here we are, my daily blog The Bow Shock. Sound interesting? We'll see.