A few days ago NASA put out a press release about a major announcement being made on the 14th. Well, now the announcement has been made.

Using the Chandra X-Ray Telescope, along with the NOAO Very Large Array (VLA) - which is a set of radio telescopes on the New Mexico desert - astronomers have discovered a supernova remnant in our galaxy. A relatively young one.

What makes this interesting is a few facts: where it was found, it’s distance, and it’s age.

It was found close to the center of our galaxy (from our perspective), and not by visual means. There is so much dust and gas between us and the galactic center that many things are obscured by said dust and gas. But, using previous data from the VLA, Chandra managed to image the remnant in the X-Ray portion of the spectrum. So while this was invisible to visible light telescopes, X-Ray and Radio telescopes can see it.

Two of the other facts, distance and age, go hand-in-hand. The last supernova that was observed in our galaxy was in the 1600’s. Now, astronomers have always thought that there should be supernovae more frequently than that, but there hasn’t been any found. until now. This supernova is only 140 years old.

Supernovae and their remnants are seen all the time in other galaxies, but not in our own. So this is important news for astronomers, because it goes to solving a puzzle that has intrigued scientists for decades.

Dr. Phil Plait, of “Bad Astronomy” fame, has written a much more detailed article about this news. Please head on over to his BadAstronomy.com site and check it out. You can also read the Press Release from Chandra.

NASA has scheduled a news conference on Wednesday, May 14th, in order to “announce the discovery of an object in our Galaxy astronomers have been hunting for more than 50 years.”

You can read the Press Release.

There has been much speculation amongst the astronomical community, and expectations range from huge excitement to casual interest, and how interesting it will be to the public at large.

As soon as we have the information, we will post it, along with any links that are available.

Last week and this week are the best times to spot the elusive planet Mercury, as it’s orbit brings it nearly 1/3 of the way up our western horizon in the evening sky.

The bets time is about 1/2 hour after sunset. Go out and look to the west-northwest for a small, dim starlike object in the twilight.

Last week Mercury was very near the crescent moon on the 6th, making a striking pair.

If you miss Mercury this week (or next), you will have another chance in the evening sky when September comes along.

The next episode of the amazing series The Universe continues tonight. The new episode is called “Cosmic Apocalypse.” Here’s a preview…

The Universe as we know it is condemned to death. Space, matter and even time will one day cease to exist and there’s nothing we can do about it. Harsh realities are revealed about the future of our Universe; it may collapse and burn or it might be gripped by a galactic ice age. Either of these scenarios might be a long way off. However, our Universe could suddenly be destroyed by a “random quantum fluctuation”, a bubble of destruction that can obliterate the entire cosmos in the blink of an eye. No matter how it ends, life in our Universe is doomed.

Check local listings for the time of the show.

If the skies are clear Saturday night, the James C. Veen Observatory - located south of Lowell, MI - will be open for public tours and telescopic observations, weather permitting. Here are the particulars:

Time: 9.00pm - Midnight
Admission: $3 - Adults, $2 - kids 17 and under, under 5 free

If you are not sure whether we will be open or not, there are a couple of ways to check. First, you can call 616.897.7065 after 6.30pm where a recorded message will be updated with the latest information, or you can visit the club’s website, which will be updated at that time as well.

Full information on Public Nights can be found on the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association website - graaa.org. Just click on the Public Night link in the menu.

There you will find a map showing directions to the observatory, and a FAQ about visitors’ nights. On the main page of the site, click on the OPEN sign, and you will be taken to a page with particulars about the specific night detailing what objects will be featured through the telescopes.

The main feature will be the planet Saturn. Views through the telescope will show its rings, and several of its moons. Along with Saturn, we will show off some of the finest objects of deep space as well, including nebulas and star clusters. And who knows what else. The sky’s the limit.

If you go out to the observatory, we’d love to hear your thoughts about the experience. You can leave comments here, or drop an email to graaa @ graaa.org

Back in November we reported about some amazing images released by the Japanese Kayuga spacecraft orbiting the moon, reminiscent of the famous Apollo 8 photograph of earthrise over the moon. Now, Kayuga has done it again, only presenting a stunning image of the full disc of the Earth above the lunar horizon.

If you read the press release, you will find a high resolution version where you can see more detail on the earth’s disc. Also, you can view the movies that were taken at the time.

The next episode of the amazing series The Universe continues tonight. The new episode is called “Gravity.” Here’s a preview…

Gravity is the most powerful and exacting force in the universe. It is pervasive and penetrating. Gravity binds us together, its reach hangs stars in the sky and its grip crushes light. Gravity holds planets together, and leashes them to their suns. Without gravity, stars, comets, moons, nebulae, and even the Earth itself would not exist. Explore how science and humanity discovered, overcame and utilized gravity. Learn what it takes to propel objects into the heavens, to ride a wave or to ski down a slope. Take a front row seat as an astronaut subjects himself to the weightless wonders of the specially modified aircraft used to train astronauts known as the “Vomit Comet.”

Check local listings for the time of the show.

The Full Moon for the month of April will be at 6.25am Eastern Time on Sunday, April 20th. The April moon is called the “Full Pink Moon” due to the early blossoming of “grass pink” or wild ground phlox, one of the first spring flowers. I guess you could say the moon this month is “in the pink.”

The moon will be one of the featured objects to look at during public nights at the James C. Veen Observatory this year. Please check the Public Night page on the GRAAA website for more information.

In just a little over a week, the 2008 Public Night Season will begin at the James C. Veen Observatory, located south of Lowell, Michigan. If you haven’t been there before, or it has been a while, you are in for a great experience and a fun time.

Twice a month (if the skies are clear) - beginning at the end of April and continuing through the end of October - the members of the local astronomy club (Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association, or GRAAA) open the facilities to the public for tours, A/V presentations, and the opportunity to look at some of the wonders of the night sky. Some of the objects including the Moon and the planets, and even things further out into space: galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae full of gas and dust.

Listed below are the dates of the 2008 Public Observing Sessions, along with the times the observatory will be open…

April 26 - 9:00pm until 12:00am
May 10 - 9:00pm until 12:00am
May 31 - 9:00pm until 12:00am
June 14 - 9:30pm until 12:00am
June 28 - 9:30pm until 12:00am
July 12 - 9:30pm until 12:00am
July 26 - 9:30pm until 12:00am
August 9 - 9:00pm until 12:00am
August 30 - 9:00pm until 12:00am
September 13 - 8:00pm until 11:00pm
September 27 - 8:00pm until 11:00pm
October 11 - 7:30pm until 10:30pm
October 25 - 7:30pm until 10:30pm

Although we have these dates listed as being open, we will be open if the sky is clear only. Really, you can’t see much through a telescope if it’s raining.

So if you are interested in coming out on one of these nights, your best bet is to visit the club’s website (listed on the right) on the night you wish, and see if we are open. If you’re not near a computer, you can call us at 616.897.7065 and a recorded message will tell you if we are open or not.

The Public Night page on the website has a full schedule, plus some of the featured objects for each session. You will also find detailed information on the Public Nights, plus a FAQ.

It’s a fun time for the whole family. We hope to see you at the observatory this year.

The next episode of the amazing series The Universe continues tonight. The new episode is called “Biggest Things in Space.” Here’s a preview…

Imagine a tornado so powerful, it can form a planet, or winds sweeping across a planet but blowing at 6,000 miles per hour! How about rain….made of iron? Sounds like science fiction, but this type of weather is occurring daily in our solar system. Scientists are just beginning to unlock the secrets of these planets and their atmospheres. Can this research help scientists solve long unanswered questions that we have about Earth? As our own planet churns with the effects of global warming, it’s natural to look into the heavens and wonder about the rest of the real estate.

Like the book “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy says… “Space,” it says, “is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mindboggingly big it is. I mean you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist, but that’s just peanuts to space. Listen …”

And there are big things in the big space.

Check local listings for the time of the show in your area.