Spring Equinox - The First Day of Spring!

Seasons 2011 2012 dates: spring equinox, summer solstice, fall equinox, winter solstice
The spring equinox occurs at 6:21 pm, CDT, March 20, so March 21 is the first day of spring!

Quake Interactive

Japan Earthquake: Major Tsunami Damage - FoxNews.com
This interactive page gives you the latest news, information about how nuclear reactors work, forces of nature like earthquakes and tsunamis, and historic earthquakes. I especially like the animation that shows the nuclear reactor under "Nuclear Concerns".
A word of correction: If you look at the "strongest earthquakes", the graphic mislabels the 1960 Chile earthquake (9.5) and the 1964 Alaska earthquake (9.2). They're switched. Remember your geography. You know where Chile and Alaska are.

Spring Break Skies! March 11-19

SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance
There"s a lot to watch for in the night sky this week:

• Mercury is low in the west at twilight all week, near brighter Jupiter.

• Watch a star disappear! On Sunday night as the sun sets, the dark part of the moon covers an orange-red star high in the south. Exact times for this event are a little unclear. It may not even be visible in Austin after sunset... But even if it's not, with binoculars you get a great view of the crescent moon and you can look for the planet Mercury!
  

Here' what Sky & Telescope recommends:
Set up at least 15 minutes before the predicted time, and more if you're
planning to use a telescope. Locate the Moon high in the south, and
look for the star just to its left. Binoculars are always a big help. If
you're observing this event in very bright twilight or daylight, you
will need a telescope — and very clear air — to spot Mu Geminorum. Then
watch carefully as the Moon's dark leading edge creeps up on the star.
Make sure you don't blink at the wrong moment, or you'll miss the
disappearance!

Maps of the Japan Earthquake

USGS Earthquake Hazards Program: Earthquake Location: NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
These maps from the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) show where the earthquake happened.

Try to follow this link for a great animation of the spread of the tsunami. It may be slow to load on your computer.
http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/honshu20110311/20110311Houshu.mov

A Huge Earthquake Hit Japan

Japan tsunami causes major damage after 8.9 earthquake - CSMonitor.com
Early Friday morning a magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit about 125 km (80 miles) off the coast of Japan. A 7.4 magnitude quake struck about half an hour later. The earthquakes sent a tsunami that flooded much of the coast of Japan, washing away buildings, cars, and roads. Hundreds of people were killed. The tsunami sped across the Pacific ocean at a speed of about 500 miles per hour, so it struck Hawaii about 6 hours later, and the west coast of the U.S. mainland in about 12 hours. There was some damage, but there was enough warning to give people time to prepare.

Read this article and explore the links to learn more!

This Week's Sky - March 5-12

SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance - This Week's Sky at a Glance
Look west, right after sunset for Jupiter, a thin waxing crescent moon, and maybe a glimpse of the planet Mercury!
And remember... Daylight savings time starts Sunday morning, March 12, at 2 am! Spring ahead: Set your clocks ahead an hour when you go to bed on Saturday.

Venus & Moon in the Morning!

Venus And Moon Perform Weekend Sky Show | Space.com
Look in the eastern sky, before sunrise on Saturday. Venus and a waning crescent moon will be less than a hand-width apart.

January Solar Eclipse and Meteor Shower

SPACE.com -- Solar Eclipse and Meteor Shower to Launch 2011 Skywatching Season

We couldn't see today's solar eclipse from Austin, but if the skies are clear we might get a glimpse of some meteors tonight. It could be a really spectacular show in the sky if you can get out of town.

Milwaukee Public Museum - Online

Virtual Exhibit - Featured Collections - Exhibitions - Milwaukee Public Museum

The Milwaukee Public Museum is one of the oldest in the U.S., and is a great place to visit. Here you can browse some of the artifacts in their collections online!

Lunar Eclipse Slide Show

FoxNews.com - Stunning Pictures of Total Lunar Eclipse

Did you miss the lunar eclipse in the early hours of December 21? Me, too! Here's a great slide show of what we missed.

The Electronics Revolution: Today, 1947

Dec. 23, 1947: Transistor Opens Door to Digital Future | This Day In Tech | Wired.com

Our modern electronic age, with cell phones, mp3 players, computers, digital watches, and all the rest began with the invention of the transistor 64 years ago today. What will we see 64 years from now??

 

Winter Solstice & Lunar Eclipse!

SkyandTelescope.com - Homepage Observing - Solstice Eclipse

We missed the eclipse because of a snowstorm in Wisconsin, and it looks like it was cloudy in Austin, too.

But today, December 21, is also the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

 

Coal-Powered Power Plant is in the News

Is power plant to blame for poor pecan crop?
Austin gets much of its electricity from the Fayette Power Plant, southeast of Austin. It burns coal, so it produces sulfur dioxide, a polluting gas. The amount of pollution it produces is under legal limits, but some people think it still is enough to harm crops in the area. Experts disagree, and this shows how it takes a lot of scientific study to come to find out the truth. There aren't any easy answers.

See Venus at dusk; Jupiter at night; Can you find a comet?

SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance

Venus sets just after the sun and just ahead of the moon on Saturday night. You'll need to find a place with a clear western horizon: Bedichek might be a good spot. Let's see!

The really bright "star" in the sky once it gets dark is the planet Jupiter, not a star at all.

There's a comet up in the sky, but you'll need a dark sky and binoculars. It will probably be too bright in south Austin, but it's worth a try. Follow the directions in "This Week's Sky" from Sky and Telescope.

Watch for the planets at sunset!

SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance - This Week's Sky at a Glance
Now that the skies have cleared, we get a beautiful waxing crescent moon accompanied by bright Venus, and fainter Mars and Saturn. You'll have to look low in the west, just above the housetops and just at sundown, to spot Saturn!

Cloudy Weather...

Looks like clouds and rain are going to get in the way of watching the Perseids tonight (Wednesday), but the forecast is for clear skies tomorrow night. Still, the clouds may break in the early morning hours, so set the alarm and coffee pot for three, just in case...

Watch for Shooting Stars on Wednesday & Thursday Nights!

SPACE.com -- Excellent Perseid Meteor Shower Expected Aug. 11-13
"Shooting Stars" aren't really stars at all, of course. They're chunks of rock out in space that hit Earth, falling through our atmosphere so fast they burn up. The burning rocks are called meteors. Every August, Earth travels in its orbit through a swarm of these rocks. The result is a meteor shower, called the Perseid Meteor Shower because they seem to fly out of the constellation Perseus.

Watch on Wednesday and Thursday nights. The BEST time is actually from about 2:00 am to dawn. Your best view will be out of town. City lights really get in the way. But if you're stuck in town, go out anyway and see what you can see. Be patient, and enjoy the other stars you can see.

Especially, watch for the three planets, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars in the western sky after sunset,

Watch the planets and the moon!

SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance

In the middle of July, watch as the moon parades past a different planet each night: On Wednesday, Venus is above and to the right; Thursday, Mars; Friday, Saturn.
Want to see Jupiter? Get up before sunrise and look to the south. It's the brightest "star" in the sky.

Oil Leak Stopped...

BP caps well; oil stops gushing into Gulf
It's been a while since my last blog entry. Summer's been busy!
Oil has been spilling into the Gulf for about three months now, and the well has finally been capped. We'll be watching over the next two days to see if the cap will hold.

The Night Sky, June 4-12

SkyandTelescope.com - This Week's Sky at a Glance - This Week's Sky at a Glance
Look for Mars near Regulus on June 5 & 6, Jupiter right under the moon on June 6
Venus is the "evening star" in the west just after sunset.