The Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft has arrived at the International Space Station.
The Soyuz spacecraft, carrying cosmonauts Oleg Kotov, Sergey Ryazanskiy and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, successfully docked to the space station's Poisk Module at 3:45 a.m. IST.
This comes after the trio launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan just six hours earlier at 9:58 p.m. After completing just four orbits of the Earth, the Soyuz performed a series of rendezvous maneuvers and orbital burns to set up for a docking to the station this morning.
This is only the third time a Soyuz has used this six hour launch to docking, instead of the traditional two day journey.
It wasn't long before the hatches between the Soyuz and the orbiting laboratory were opened at 5:34 a.m. The newly launched trio were welcomed aboard the ISS by station commander Fyodor Yurchikin, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, who themselves have been living aboard station since May.
The station has now been restored to its full six person capacity, with the entire Expedition 37 crew now aboard the orbiting complex. The six astronauts and cosmonauts will continue the science which is currently being investigated 250 miles above our heads in Low-Earth Orbit.
The arrival of the Soyuz TMA-10M comes less than a week ahead of the arrival of the Orbital Sciences' Cygnus spacecraft, which is making its maiden voyage to the International Space Station, and is scheduled to dock this weekend.
Expedition 37 will come to an end in November, when it will be time for Yurchikin, Parmitano and Nyberg to return to Earth. But for now, it's full steam ahead for spaceship ISS, orbiting the planet at over 17,500mph.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Expedition 36 Crew Return to Earth After 5 Months in Space
A trio of astronauts and cosmonauts who have been living and working aboard the International Space Station for the past five months, have successfully returned to Earth.
The Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft, carrying Soyuz commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin, and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, landed in the steppe of Kazakhstan at 3:29 a.m. Irish Standard Time on September 10.
Prior to their departure from the station Expedition 36 commander Vinogradov handed command of the orbiting outpost to fellow space flight veteran Fyodor Yurchikin on September 9th. Yurchikin, who now holds the reigns of the ISS for the second time in his career, paid tribute to the Expedition 36 crew, and looked forward to all the work that will be done as part of Expedition 37;
"We want to continue to do our job well" said Yurchikin.
"We would like to continue this programme. This programme is our future!"
Then the time came when the departing trio said their farewells to the rest of the astronauts who will still be living & working aboard the station; ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, and NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg; before closing the hatches between the Soyuz and the space station at 9:19 p.m.
With hatches closed, Cassidy, Vinogradov and Misurkin donned their Sokol launch and entry suits they would wear for landing.
Undocking occurred at 12:38 a.m. as the Soyuz slowly moved away from the International Space Station, marking the official beginning of Expedition 37.
A series of deorbit burns were performed at 3:05 a.m. to take the Soyuz out of Earth orbit and back into the atmosphere. The spacecraft's parachutes then opened, before a "Soft landing" of the Soyuz occurred at 3:58 a.m. southeast of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.
Vinogradov, Misurkin and Cassidy return to Earth having spent 166 days in space.
Shortly after landing, search and rescue teams surrounded the charred Soyuz, before Vinogradov, Cassidy and Misurkin were extracted one by one from the spacecraft, and were then put into their own reclining chairs, while being attended to by medical staff. After a few phone calls to loved ones and celebratory photographs were taken, the three newly-returned space farers were lifted to a nearby medical tent for some tests.
Expedition 37 will comprise of a three person crew until the end of the month. Waiting back on Earth is the Soyuz TMA-10M crew, made up of cosmonauts Oleg Kotov, Sergey Ryazanskiy, and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins. All three will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25.
The Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft, carrying Soyuz commander Pavel Vinogradov, Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin, and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, landed in the steppe of Kazakhstan at 3:29 a.m. Irish Standard Time on September 10.
 |
| Yurchikin and Vinogradov say goodbye before hatch closure |
"We want to continue to do our job well" said Yurchikin.
"We would like to continue this programme. This programme is our future!"
Then the time came when the departing trio said their farewells to the rest of the astronauts who will still be living & working aboard the station; ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, and NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg; before closing the hatches between the Soyuz and the space station at 9:19 p.m.
With hatches closed, Cassidy, Vinogradov and Misurkin donned their Sokol launch and entry suits they would wear for landing.
Undocking occurred at 12:38 a.m. as the Soyuz slowly moved away from the International Space Station, marking the official beginning of Expedition 37.
A series of deorbit burns were performed at 3:05 a.m. to take the Soyuz out of Earth orbit and back into the atmosphere. The spacecraft's parachutes then opened, before a "Soft landing" of the Soyuz occurred at 3:58 a.m. southeast of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.
 |
| The Soyuz landing |
Vinogradov, Misurkin and Cassidy return to Earth having spent 166 days in space.
Shortly after landing, search and rescue teams surrounded the charred Soyuz, before Vinogradov, Cassidy and Misurkin were extracted one by one from the spacecraft, and were then put into their own reclining chairs, while being attended to by medical staff. After a few phone calls to loved ones and celebratory photographs were taken, the three newly-returned space farers were lifted to a nearby medical tent for some tests.
Expedition 37 will comprise of a three person crew until the end of the month. Waiting back on Earth is the Soyuz TMA-10M crew, made up of cosmonauts Oleg Kotov, Sergey Ryazanskiy, and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins. All three will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
This Week's Night Sky: September 9-15
Let's hope the skies stay clear, because as always, we're in for a treat!
Sunday, September 8
This morning is the perfect time to look for Mars. The Red Planet is close to the Beehive Cluster(M44) in Cancer the Crab both today and tomorrow, and at magnitude 1.84 it shines 100 times brighter than the cluster's brightest stars. Since the pair are positioned so close together, it's best to use binoculars or a telescope with a wide field of view to see the pair. At 5 a.m. local time they lie 15° above the western horizon.
Look out for yet another conjunction in the west/southwest shortly after sunset, as a young 10% waxing crescent lies roughly 2° below bright Venus. The pair will be visible together for almost an hour after sunset, so make sure you have a clear view of the western horizon, for what should be a great sight!
Monday, September 9
Keep a look out for spectacular Venus after sunset all this week. The planet shines at a dazzling magnitude -3.57 and is easily visible to the naked eye. Make sure you have an unobstructed view of the western horizon to see how bright Venus is. A telescope will reveal its 75% illuminated disc.
Saturn is tricky to find this month, but you can use the 20% illuminated Moon to spot the ringed planet this evening. For observers in Ireland, Saturn lies 2° above the Moon, and the pair are visible for over an hour after sunset. Train your eyes towards the Moon using a small telescope and reveal its ancient mountains and craters casting shadows on the lunar surface. If you want to focus on Saturn, use a telescope to gaze at the gas planet's magnificent rings, which are tilted 18° towards our line of sight.
Tuesday, September 10
Take advantage of Moonless morning skies to see the Zodiacal light. From the Northern Hemisphere, the time around the autumnal equinox is the best for viewing this spectacle. You will need to be in a dark sky location with a clear view of the eastern horizon to observe the cone-shaped haze. Optimum viewing should be just before twilight at 5 a.m. LT.
Mars is also visible in the morning skies all month long. It rises just after 3 a.m. Local Time and appears near the Beehive Cluster in Cancer the Crab. Mars shines nearly 100 times brighter than the cluster's brightest stars, and the pair lie just a degree apart this morning. A pair of binoculars or even a small telescope is the best choice to view this spectacle.
Wednesday, September 11
Jupiter steals the show, as the biggest planet in our solar system rises this morning at around 1 a.m. Local Time, shining at a brilliant magnitude -1.64. A pair of binoculars should reveal the planet's four moons; Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Point a telescope at the planet and observe its two main cloud bands, and if the time is right and your telescope is big enough, you should be able to see Jupiter's Great Red Spot. By the end of the month Jupiter rises at around midnight, setting it up for some spectacular winter evening viewing!
Thursday, September 12
The much anticipated Comet ISON(C/2012 S1) recently came inside the orbit of Mars, marking its arrival into the inner solar system. Comet hunters need a 10-inch or larger telescope to spot the comet, which currently glows at around 13th or 14th magnitude. It lies around 3° to the north-east of Mars this week, but once again- a large telescope is key to spotting it!
A September morning sky wouldn't be the same without the Great Nebula in Orion. At magnitude 4.0, it is easily visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch in the east, but binoculars or a small telescope will reveal its true beauty!
Friday, September 13
If you find yourself away from the city lights, gaze overhead to observe the humbling Magellanic Cloud which spans its way across the sky. Dark skies reveal the haze of millions of stars scattered throughout our Milky Way galaxy. Point a pair of binoculars or a wide-view telescope towards the constellation Cygnus the Swan, to reveal it's main star cluster- M39.
If you have a clear view of the south, try and find the Lagoon Nebula, which is visible at magnitude 5.80. At 9:30 p.m. Local Time it lies just over 12° above the horizon in the constellation Sagittarius. Binoculars will reveal the nebula's oval shape, and you should be able to make out a definite core.
Saturday, September 14
The ever-present Plough/Big Dipper is visible all night long in the northern sky. Use the two stars at the front of the dipper; Merak and Dubhe to draw a line towards Polaris, the North star.
The Pleiades shine with a distinctive blue hue, rising shortly after 10 p.m. local time. Another deep sky object which really makes you think how mind boggling huge the universe really is, you should be able to see several stars packed tightly together with the eye alone- the famous "Seven Sisters" always give you a sense of perspective. A good set of binoculars are the most popular choice of equipment to observe this gem!
Sunday, September 15
The Moon reaches perigee, the closest point in its orbit around the Earth, at 5:31 p.m. Irish Standard Time. Our natural satellite rises at 5:30 p.m. Local Time, and is visible as a 70% waning gibbous until shortly after 2 a.m. A telescope will reveal its ancient craters and mountains casting shadows on the lunar surface in incredible detail.
Stay tuned to Irish Space Blog for all the latest news in the world of space exploration and astronomy! This Week's Night Sky will be published every Sunday, giving an insight into what you should be looking out for in the week ahead. We hope you like it!
Got any comments or queries about our new look? Let us know by commenting down below!
Be sure to follow Irish Space Blog on Twitter and Like us on Facebook
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, September 8
 |
| The Moon lies 2° below bright Venus after sunset |
Look out for yet another conjunction in the west/southwest shortly after sunset, as a young 10% waxing crescent lies roughly 2° below bright Venus. The pair will be visible together for almost an hour after sunset, so make sure you have a clear view of the western horizon, for what should be a great sight!
Monday, September 9
Keep a look out for spectacular Venus after sunset all this week. The planet shines at a dazzling magnitude -3.57 and is easily visible to the naked eye. Make sure you have an unobstructed view of the western horizon to see how bright Venus is. A telescope will reveal its 75% illuminated disc.
Saturn is tricky to find this month, but you can use the 20% illuminated Moon to spot the ringed planet this evening. For observers in Ireland, Saturn lies 2° above the Moon, and the pair are visible for over an hour after sunset. Train your eyes towards the Moon using a small telescope and reveal its ancient mountains and craters casting shadows on the lunar surface. If you want to focus on Saturn, use a telescope to gaze at the gas planet's magnificent rings, which are tilted 18° towards our line of sight.
Tuesday, September 10
Take advantage of Moonless morning skies to see the Zodiacal light. From the Northern Hemisphere, the time around the autumnal equinox is the best for viewing this spectacle. You will need to be in a dark sky location with a clear view of the eastern horizon to observe the cone-shaped haze. Optimum viewing should be just before twilight at 5 a.m. LT.
Mars is also visible in the morning skies all month long. It rises just after 3 a.m. Local Time and appears near the Beehive Cluster in Cancer the Crab. Mars shines nearly 100 times brighter than the cluster's brightest stars, and the pair lie just a degree apart this morning. A pair of binoculars or even a small telescope is the best choice to view this spectacle.
Wednesday, September 11
Jupiter steals the show, as the biggest planet in our solar system rises this morning at around 1 a.m. Local Time, shining at a brilliant magnitude -1.64. A pair of binoculars should reveal the planet's four moons; Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Point a telescope at the planet and observe its two main cloud bands, and if the time is right and your telescope is big enough, you should be able to see Jupiter's Great Red Spot. By the end of the month Jupiter rises at around midnight, setting it up for some spectacular winter evening viewing!
Thursday, September 12
 |
| The path of Comet ISON in September |
The much anticipated Comet ISON(C/2012 S1) recently came inside the orbit of Mars, marking its arrival into the inner solar system. Comet hunters need a 10-inch or larger telescope to spot the comet, which currently glows at around 13th or 14th magnitude. It lies around 3° to the north-east of Mars this week, but once again- a large telescope is key to spotting it!
A September morning sky wouldn't be the same without the Great Nebula in Orion. At magnitude 4.0, it is easily visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch in the east, but binoculars or a small telescope will reveal its true beauty!
Friday, September 13
If you find yourself away from the city lights, gaze overhead to observe the humbling Magellanic Cloud which spans its way across the sky. Dark skies reveal the haze of millions of stars scattered throughout our Milky Way galaxy. Point a pair of binoculars or a wide-view telescope towards the constellation Cygnus the Swan, to reveal it's main star cluster- M39.
 |
| The stunning Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius |
Saturday, September 14
The ever-present Plough/Big Dipper is visible all night long in the northern sky. Use the two stars at the front of the dipper; Merak and Dubhe to draw a line towards Polaris, the North star.
The Pleiades shine with a distinctive blue hue, rising shortly after 10 p.m. local time. Another deep sky object which really makes you think how mind boggling huge the universe really is, you should be able to see several stars packed tightly together with the eye alone- the famous "Seven Sisters" always give you a sense of perspective. A good set of binoculars are the most popular choice of equipment to observe this gem!
Sunday, September 15
The Moon reaches perigee, the closest point in its orbit around the Earth, at 5:31 p.m. Irish Standard Time. Our natural satellite rises at 5:30 p.m. Local Time, and is visible as a 70% waning gibbous until shortly after 2 a.m. A telescope will reveal its ancient craters and mountains casting shadows on the lunar surface in incredible detail.
Stay tuned to Irish Space Blog for all the latest news in the world of space exploration and astronomy! This Week's Night Sky will be published every Sunday, giving an insight into what you should be looking out for in the week ahead. We hope you like it!
Got any comments or queries about our new look? Let us know by commenting down below!
Be sure to follow Irish Space Blog on Twitter and Like us on Facebook
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
NASA's LADEE Launches on its Way to the Moon
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer(LADEE) has launched from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, marking the start of its thirty day voyage to the Moon.
LADEE, which stands for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, launched atop a U.S. Air Force Minotaur 5 rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility at 4:27 a.m. Irish Time.
After technical checkouts were conducted by teams of flight controllers in NASA Ames Research Center, there seemed to be a problem with the orbiter's reaction wheels, instruments used to position and stablilise LADEE. However, this problem has not affected the orbiter's flight to the Moon, which is explained further by Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden:
"The LADEE spacecraft is working as it was designed to under these conditions – there's no indication of anything wrong with the reaction wheels or spacecraft... The mission team has ample time to resolve this issue before the spacecraft reaches lunar orbit. We don't have to do anything in a rush."
The lunar orbiter will take 30 days to make the quarter of a million mile journey to our nearest neighbour, complete a further 30 days of system checks, before beginning the prime scientific mission, which is expected to last 100 days.
What Will LADEE study?
Even though we know the Moon is not mad of cheese, there are still mysteries to unravel!
The answer lies in the name of the mission. Using onboard scientific instruments, LADEE will attempt to discover more information about the Moon's extremely thin atmosphere, which is only around 2 cm thick. It will also find out more about conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust.
This investigation of the Moon can also be used to predict what atmospheric conditions there may be on other dry, rocky worlds like planets like Mercury, as well as other satellites in our Solar System.
Following the mission science phase, LADEE will be decommissioned, and will continue to orbit the Moon at lower and lower altitudes, before impacting the lunar service
You can keep up to date on the LADEE mission by visiting NASA's LADEE Mission page, or by following LADEE on Twitter.
Thank You for reading Irish Space Blog. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter
"The LADEE spacecraft is working as it was designed to under these conditions – there's no indication of anything wrong with the reaction wheels or spacecraft... The mission team has ample time to resolve this issue before the spacecraft reaches lunar orbit. We don't have to do anything in a rush."
The lunar orbiter will take 30 days to make the quarter of a million mile journey to our nearest neighbour, complete a further 30 days of system checks, before beginning the prime scientific mission, which is expected to last 100 days.
What Will LADEE study?
Even though we know the Moon is not mad of cheese, there are still mysteries to unravel!
The answer lies in the name of the mission. Using onboard scientific instruments, LADEE will attempt to discover more information about the Moon's extremely thin atmosphere, which is only around 2 cm thick. It will also find out more about conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust.
This investigation of the Moon can also be used to predict what atmospheric conditions there may be on other dry, rocky worlds like planets like Mercury, as well as other satellites in our Solar System.
Following the mission science phase, LADEE will be decommissioned, and will continue to orbit the Moon at lower and lower altitudes, before impacting the lunar service
You can keep up to date on the LADEE mission by visiting NASA's LADEE Mission page, or by following LADEE on Twitter.
Thank You for reading Irish Space Blog. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Sunday, September 1, 2013
This Week's Night Sky: September 2-8 2013
If the skies stay clear, it promises to be a great week for observing.
Monday, September 2
The largest planet in our solar system Jupiter rises at 1:37 a.m. Local Time, allowing pre-dawn observers a great chance to see the giant planet shining at magnitude -1.61. Telescopes will easily reveal the planets two darkest cloud belts, as well as the Jovian satellites; Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa; orbiting the planet.
The Aurigid Meteor Shower peaked on the first of this month, but keep your eyes peeled for some shooting stars. Although it won't be as spectacular as last month's Perseids, observers can expect to see up to 14 meteors per hour due to the absence of the Moon. So far it has been producing more meteors than previously expected, so you never know how many you might see!
Tuesday, September 3
September is a great month to turn your attention to the constellation of Cygnus the Swan. Try and locate the open cluster M39, just one of the many star clusters located within the constellation.
It's a sure sign that Winter is on the way when you see the constellation Orion the Hunter dominating the early-morning sky. At magnitude 4.0, the Orion Nebula is easily visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch in the east, but binoculars or a small telescope will reveal its true beauty.
Wednesday, September 4
The Pleiades shine with a distinctive blue hue, rising shortly after 10 p.m. local time. Another deep sky object which really makes you think how mind boggling huge the universe really is, you should be able to see several stars packed tightly together with the eye alone- the famous "Seven Sisters" always give you a sense of perspective. A good set of binoculars are the most popular choice of equipment to observe this gem!
Thursday, September 5
A new Moon occurs at 12:36 a.m. Irish Standard Time, as Earth's satellite crosses the sky with the Sun and is lost in our star's glare in the process.
Although Neptune reached opposition on August 26, the solar system's outermost planet is still easily visible through binoculars, provided that you know where to look. The gas giant appears due south shortly after midnight this week, and shines at a dim magnitude 7.8. To locate Neptune, find the 5th-magnitude star Sigma Aquarii, which lies near the center of the constellation Aquarius. At the moment the planet appears 2° west of this star.
Friday, September 6
Venus shines at an extremely bright magnitude -4.0 shortly after sunset this week. It stands around 10° above the horizon 30 minutes after sunset.. For observers with a clear view of the western horizon, point a telescope or a strong pair of binoculars at the planet to reveal a stunning world which appears 75% lit.
Even though Saturn looked best back in late April, the ringed planet can still be easily seen in the south-west for well over an hour after sunset. The gas-planet's spectacular rings are tilted 18° towards our line of sight, so telescopes will reveal this truly spectacular sight. If conditions are good enough, you will discover Saturn's largest moon Titan, visible through telescopes at magnitude 9.28.
Saturday, September 7
There's no sign of the Moon tonight, so take advantage of the dark skies to observe the constellations. Try and find Delphinus, the dolphin-shaped constellation can be used to spot the Nova Delphini. For stargazers in dark sky locations, it might still be visible to the naked eye. Look 5° above the diamond, and you should spot the dim eruption easily through a pair of binoculars- a telescopic view is even better! A nova is a powerful eruption from star, but is not as strong as a supernova, which is a catastrophic explosion that signals the death of a star.
The ever-present Plough/Big Dipper is visible all night long in the northern sky. Use the two stars at the front of the dipper; Merak and Dubhe to draw a line towards Polaris, the North star.
Sunday, September 8
This morning is the perfect time to look for Mars. The Red Planet is close to the Beehive Cluster(M44) in Cancer the Crab both today and tomorrow, and at magnitude 1.84 it shines 100 times brighter than the cluster's brightest stars. Since the pair are positioned so close together, it's best to use binoculars or a telescope with a wide field of view to see the pair. At 5 a.m. local time they lie 15° above the western horizon.
Look out for yet another conjunction in the west/southwest shortly after sunset, as a young 10% waxing crescent lies roughly 2° above bright Venus. The pair will be visible together for almost an hour after sunset and should be a great sight!
Stay tuned to Irish Space Blog for all the latest news in the world of space exploration & astronomy! This Week's Night Sky will be published every Sunday to let you know what to see in the sky for the week ahead. We hope you like it!
Got any comments or queries about our new look? Leave a comment down below!
Be sure to follow Irish Space Blog on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, September 2
The largest planet in our solar system Jupiter rises at 1:37 a.m. Local Time, allowing pre-dawn observers a great chance to see the giant planet shining at magnitude -1.61. Telescopes will easily reveal the planets two darkest cloud belts, as well as the Jovian satellites; Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa; orbiting the planet.
The Aurigid Meteor Shower peaked on the first of this month, but keep your eyes peeled for some shooting stars. Although it won't be as spectacular as last month's Perseids, observers can expect to see up to 14 meteors per hour due to the absence of the Moon. So far it has been producing more meteors than previously expected, so you never know how many you might see!
Tuesday, September 3
September is a great month to turn your attention to the constellation of Cygnus the Swan. Try and locate the open cluster M39, just one of the many star clusters located within the constellation.
It's a sure sign that Winter is on the way when you see the constellation Orion the Hunter dominating the early-morning sky. At magnitude 4.0, the Orion Nebula is easily visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch in the east, but binoculars or a small telescope will reveal its true beauty.
Wednesday, September 4
 |
| Find the Pleiades in the early morning sky |
Thursday, September 5
A new Moon occurs at 12:36 a.m. Irish Standard Time, as Earth's satellite crosses the sky with the Sun and is lost in our star's glare in the process.
Although Neptune reached opposition on August 26, the solar system's outermost planet is still easily visible through binoculars, provided that you know where to look. The gas giant appears due south shortly after midnight this week, and shines at a dim magnitude 7.8. To locate Neptune, find the 5th-magnitude star Sigma Aquarii, which lies near the center of the constellation Aquarius. At the moment the planet appears 2° west of this star.
Friday, September 6
Venus shines at an extremely bright magnitude -4.0 shortly after sunset this week. It stands around 10° above the horizon 30 minutes after sunset.. For observers with a clear view of the western horizon, point a telescope or a strong pair of binoculars at the planet to reveal a stunning world which appears 75% lit.
Even though Saturn looked best back in late April, the ringed planet can still be easily seen in the south-west for well over an hour after sunset. The gas-planet's spectacular rings are tilted 18° towards our line of sight, so telescopes will reveal this truly spectacular sight. If conditions are good enough, you will discover Saturn's largest moon Titan, visible through telescopes at magnitude 9.28.
Saturday, September 7
 |
| Find the Nova Delphini in the southern sky before midnight |
The ever-present Plough/Big Dipper is visible all night long in the northern sky. Use the two stars at the front of the dipper; Merak and Dubhe to draw a line towards Polaris, the North star.
Sunday, September 8
This morning is the perfect time to look for Mars. The Red Planet is close to the Beehive Cluster(M44) in Cancer the Crab both today and tomorrow, and at magnitude 1.84 it shines 100 times brighter than the cluster's brightest stars. Since the pair are positioned so close together, it's best to use binoculars or a telescope with a wide field of view to see the pair. At 5 a.m. local time they lie 15° above the western horizon.
Look out for yet another conjunction in the west/southwest shortly after sunset, as a young 10% waxing crescent lies roughly 2° above bright Venus. The pair will be visible together for almost an hour after sunset and should be a great sight!
Stay tuned to Irish Space Blog for all the latest news in the world of space exploration & astronomy! This Week's Night Sky will be published every Sunday to let you know what to see in the sky for the week ahead. We hope you like it!
Got any comments or queries about our new look? Leave a comment down below!
Be sure to follow Irish Space Blog on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Thanks for reading!
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