Enceladus in Winter

A gorgeous photo of a special moon over Saturn's rings.

NASA's Cassini Mission to Saturn

November 30 · 

Water World: Saturn's moon Enceladus and the rings. Although both Enceladus and the ring particles are made up largely of water ice, they are very different. The small ring particles are too tiny to retain internal heat and have no way to get warm, so they are frozen and geologically dead. Enceladus, on the other hand, is subject to forces that heat its interior to this very day. This results in its famous south polar water jets--which are just visible here above the moon’s dark, southern limb--along with a sub-surface ocean. Details:http://go.nasa.gov/1l2KDpF

Looks a little like our world right now.

Zennnnnnnnnnnnn....

In case you still think you are the center of the universe.....

Here is Earth from 900 million miles away, from the vantage point of the rings of Saturn.

Image via the Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting Saturn since 2004.

This image was acquired by Cassini on July 19, 2013. From Earthsky.

Perseids Peak Tonight

Tonight's the night to get out and look up. I'll be taking in the view from the lake.

The radiant point for the Perseid meteor shower is in the

constellation Perseus. But you don’t have to find

a shower’s radiant point to see meteors. Instead,

the meteors will be flying in all parts of the sky.

(Photo and illustration from Earthsky.)

Hello, Pluto

Image by NASA from the New Horizon spacecraft, taken on July 14, 2015,

from 7,750 miles above the surface of Pluto. From Earthsky.

Very cool. Never thought I would know what Pluto really looked like.

Heads Up: Venus, Mars, and Crescent Moon

This is why I'd rather live in this universe than any other. Venus and Mars have been spectacular the past few evenings. And now the newborn crescent moon will join them.

This is a bona fide phenomenon. Hope you can check it out where you live. I'm planning to be at Rocky Ford Creek on the evening of the 20th, and there's a good chance it will be clear. If it is, I'll be soaking it all in.

Earthsky has this to say about this celestial event:

The planets Mars and Venus are about to be at their closest in our sky since 2008. They won’t be closer until 2017! Their nearest point is Saturday, but tonight – February 19, 2015 – you’ll find these two planets in the west after sunset, nearly as close as they will be then. Venus is the much brighter one. What’s more, the young moon is now returning to the west after sunset. And that means we’re about to have some incredible scenes in the western, twilight sky. Friday night’s sky scene will be especially grand.

Although the new moon fell yesterday, February 18, we still expect some observant people in the Northern Hemisphere – especially in North America – to catch the whisker-thin young crescent moon after sunset Thursday evening. Look westward, beneath Venus – the brightest planet and bright evening “star” – and near the horizon, starting an hour or less after sunset. Binoculars may be helpful!

It’ll be harder, though not impossible, to catch an even thinner lunar crescent from northerly latitudes in Europe – and harder yet at northerly latitudes in Asia. We expect few, if any, observers at temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere to spot the young moon after sunset February 19. We tell you why later.

Whatever you do, just start watching the western twilight sky. Set a reminder on your phone if need be. The planets and moon won’t be up for long after sunset. And the views will be spectacular from now through Saturday night!

Why We Fish

Wanderers - a short film by Erik Wernquist from Erik Wernquist on Vimeo.

"Choose Something Like a Star" by Robert Frost

Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.

Mini-WASP array image captured by Greg Parker,

New Forest Observatory.

O Star (the fairest one in sight),

We grant your loftiness the right

To some obscurity of cloud—

It will not do to say of night,

Since dark is what brings out your light.

Some mystery becomes the proud.

But to be wholly taciturn

In your reserve is not allowed.

Say something to us we can learn

By heart and when alone repeat.

Say something! And it says, 'I burn.'

But say with what degree of heat.

Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade.

Use language we can comprehend.

Tell us what elements you blend.

It gives us strangely little aid,

But does tell something in the end.

And steadfast as Keats' Eremite,

Not even stooping from its sphere,

It asks a little of us here.

It asks of us a certain height,

So when at times the mob is swayed

To carry praise or blame too far,

We may choose something like a star

To stay our minds on and be staid.

"Choose Something Like a Star" by Robert Frost, from Collected Poems, Prose & Plays. © The Library of America, 1995. 

Heads Up: Brand New Meteor Shower!

For the first time ever the earth will pass through the debris field of the newly discovered Comet LINEAR.

The result: a brand new meteor shower for sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere. Already being called the "May Camelopardalids," the meteor shower will reach its peak Friday night and into Saturday morning. Best times will be between 2 and 4 AM EDT.

The latest viewing prediction based on local weather:

And the location of the Camelopardalis constellation from which the meteors will appear to radiate.

EarthSky says that it could be the best meteor shower of the year, but it also stresses that, since this has never occurred before, it's all hypothetical until we see the actual meteors. (Go to the link for much more information.)

So head out, look up, and maybe see the birth of a new heavenly wonder.

Found Beauty: Venus' South Pole Vortex

From Earthsky.