Piggott Times: Blog: 2009-International Year of Astronomy, Sunset Planets

2009-International Year of Astronomy, Sunset Planets

Posted Thursday, January 1, 2009, at 8:52 AM
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The United Nations and the International Astronomical Union have declared 2009 the International Year of Astronomy, as exactly 400 years ago, Galileo first used a telescope to observe the heavens. He discovered the moons of Jupiter, craters on the Moon, rings of Saturn, and the phases of Venus.

If you have a clear horizon to the West, look after sunset (about 5:30 PM) for Venus (very bright, high in the southwest). Below Venus is fainter Jupiter and right below Jupiter is a dimmer planet very few humans have seen (as it is always very close to the Sun), Mercury. After about 11 PM, Saturn rises in the East. Saturn is almost edge on, with its rings disappearing next year (as they are less than a mile think, invisible at a distance of 800 million miles).

NASA and space exploration

By Kenneth Renshaw

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Kenneth Renshaw NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador/Saturn Observation Campaign Kenneth is one of 494 volunteer educators and astronomers who donate their time to educate America's youth, and the general public, about astronomy and the U.S. space program. Organized in 1999 by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab,it focuses on spacecraft built by the JPL such as Voyager, Mars Rover, Galileo, Cassini as well as the Hubble Space Telescope. Renshaw is one of four ambassadors in Arkansas, and makes presentations to all age and experience groups from pre-school to university science level. His official NASA website it www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/profiles/Kenneth_Renshaw.htm His email address is renshaw@newwavecomm.net

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