Asteroid to Miss Earth on 27th Jan 2012 - 9pm IST : a newly discovered Asteroid (space rock) called "Asteroid 2012 BX34" is expected to flyby Earth on 27th Jan and miss Earth by 65,000km approx.However there is no danger of collision.
What is the size of this object ?
This size of this space rock is 14 meters and will be cutting/moving across the area between earth and moon tonight at 8.55pm IST being closest traveling at speed of 9 km/sec .
To Miss Moon :This object will also miss Moon on 28th Jan at 6.15 a.m. being closest...
How much time does this object take to orbit Sun ?
This object revolves/orbits around sun every 242 days.
When was this object first observed ?
However it was first observed only on 25 Jan 2012. More Details/Latest update visit www.ournewplanets.com This info is correct as at 5.13a.m 27 Jan 2012.
Here is animation of the event as seen from object:
Here is another View of the event - Sun centered
CELESTIAL SPLENDOR ON REPUBLIC DAY 2012 - SPOT VENUS WITH JUPITER
This year on the occasion of Republic Day even the skies too have an event for people to celebrate appreciating science in true spirit of “Promoting Scientific Temperament” as enshrined in our Indian Constitution. On Jan 26th 2012 Moon people can see Planet Venus paired with Moon in the western sky after Sunset i.e. both moon and Venus appear to be near to each other as seen from earth.
This celestial event is astronomically known as Conjunction of Moon with Venus. Providing people an easy opportunity to locate planets using Moon as tool with naked eyes. See Expln. Above for what is Conjunction, How to locate Planets anytime in a year.
Where to see /time: after Sunset till 8.30 pm. If people can look towards West Direction one can see Planet Venus and Moon side by side i.e. On left side of beautiful crescent Moon one can see Venus.
Planet Jupiter: Further on 26th Jan people looking overhead at Sunset people can spot Planet Jupiter and continue to see it till midnight as it moves across the skies to set in West Direction.
Observation with Telescopes – Register & Questions: Further society likes to organize series of sky observations with telescopes across the state. Interested Schools /people can register at www.skylab2012.tk for participation.
Importantly people can also download Poster/Maps from www.skylab2012.tk for assistance and using online forms can get clarification asking questions.
This celestial event is astronomically known as Conjunction of Moon with Venus. Providing people an easy opportunity to locate planets using Moon as tool with naked eyes. See Expln. Above for what is Conjunction, How to locate Planets anytime in a year.
Where to see /time: after Sunset till 8.30 pm. If people can look towards West Direction one can see Planet Venus and Moon side by side i.e. On left side of beautiful crescent Moon one can see Venus.
Planet Jupiter: Further on 26th Jan people looking overhead at Sunset people can spot Planet Jupiter and continue to see it till midnight as it moves across the skies to set in West Direction.
Observation with Telescopes – Register & Questions: Further society likes to organize series of sky observations with telescopes across the state. Interested Schools /people can register at www.skylab2012.tk for participation.
Importantly people can also download Poster/Maps from www.skylab2012.tk for assistance and using online forms can get clarification asking questions.
SUN Blasts/Erupts - CME Hurled towards Earth - Geomagnetic Storm Jan 2012 - Biggest in 7 Years
Latest Update at 25 Jan 9.20 a.m IST: As expected, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24th at approximately 8.30 p.m. IST (1500 UTC). The impact produced a G1-class geomagnetic storm and bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. The storm is subsiding now.
On Jan. 23rd around 6.a.m. IST (0359 U)T, big sunspot 1402 erupted, producing a long-duration M9-class solar flare. The explosion's M9-ranking puts it on the threshold of being an X-flare, the most powerful kind. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the flare's extreme ultraviolet flash.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft detected a CME rapidly emerging from the blast site: movie.
Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab say the leading edge of the CME will reach Earth on Jan. 24 at 14:18UT (+/- 7 hours) i.e. 7.48 pm (+ or - 7 hours). Their animated forecast track shows that Mars is in the line of fire, too; the CME will hit the Red Planet during the late hours of Jan. 25.
This is a relatively substantial and fast-moving (2200 km/s) CME. Spacecraft in geosynchronous, polar and other orbits passing through Earth's ring current and auroral regions could be affected by the cloud's arrival. In addition, strong geomagnetic storms are possible
Further kindly click here to read FAQ'S which were prepared in 2010 .
Click here To another article prepared in 2010 August.
These were the headlines in last 24 hours which are making rounds.
INCOMING! Sun Blasts Another CME at Earth and Mars (Discovery news) Sun hurls strong geomagnetic storm toward Earth (Reuters) Sun erupts with biggest storm in seven years (msnbc)
Here is the animation compiled two years ago explains what will happen on 24 jan
Another Russian Satellite (Cosmos 2176) to Re-enter Earth - after Phobos Grunt
Latest Update of Re-Entry Various Sources (as on 07.15 p.m 17 Jan 2012): www.skylab2012.tk www.skylab2012.com www.skylab 2012 .com
After Phobos Grunt you might wonder what is in store for us ? or What is Next?
Here is another 2000kg Satellite on its way to earth in next two days.
Cosmos 2176 (also known as 21847) is a Russian (missile early warning) satellite launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome aboard a Molniya rocket. It was part of the Oko constellation of satellites and covered the plane 6 - 119 degree longitude of ascending node
Here are some fact in breif
Type: Kosmos Satellite
Int'l Designation: 1992 003A
Launched: 24 JAN 1992 @ 01:18 UTC
Mission: Cosmos 2176
Launch Vehicle: Molniya-M
Launch Site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome LC43/3, Russia
Mass: 1900.0 kg
Legend (what lines in the map indicate):
Yellow Icon - location of object at predicted reentry time
Orange Line - area of visibility at the predicted reentry time for a ground observer
Blue Line - ground track uncertainty prior to predicted reentry time (ticks at 5-minute intervals)
Yellow Line - ground track uncertainty after predicted reentry time (ticks at 5-minute intervals)
White Line - day/night divider at predicted reentry time (Sun location shown by White Icon)
Note: Possible reentry locations lie anywhere along the blue and yellow ground track.
When will it Reenter Earth ?
Joseph Remis (as per 16 Jan 21.53 update) says : the Cosmos 2176 is actually predicted to re-enter at 1:51 p.m (8.21 UTC).
This satellites is Predicted to Reenter on 17th Jan 2012 at 19.15 UTC . (00:45:00 Wednesday January 18, 2012 in Indian Standard Time) However satellite may re enter earth 15 hours before or Later due to various factors.
Where will it fall or what will happen to it ?
Not much is known about this aspect. Our efforts to trace a source in this regard for Last two days failed.
How/Can you track this Satellite live ?
Here is the Live Tracking Link Click Here
with Data
or
Here is the Live Tracking Link click here
or
This alternative link click here can make good video if you record.
COSMOS 2176 RE-ENTRY DATA
Data From Organisation
|
Actual Predicted Time
|
Least of Predicted time
|
Maximum of Predicted time
|
Indian Standard Timings
|
AEROSPACE
|
22.55 UTC on 17th
Jan
(+/- 4 Hours)
|
18.55 UTC on 17th
Jan
|
02.55 UTC on 18th
Jan
|
Actual:04:25 a.m. on
18th Jan Least
:00:25 a.m. on 18 Jan Maximum :08:25 a.m. on 18th Jan
|
Joseph Remis
|
8.21 a.m. UTC on 17th Jan
(+/- 3 Hours)
|
5.21 a.m. UTC on 17th
Jan
|
11.21 a.m. UTC on 17th
Jan
|
Actual :1:51 p.m. Least
: 10:51 a.m.
Maximum:04:51
p.m.
|
Space-Track
|
4.04 UTC on 16th Jan
(+/- 48 Hours)
|
4.04 UTC on 14th Jan
|
4.04 UTC on 18th
Jan
|
Actual : 09.34 a.m. on 16th
Least : 09.34 a.m. on
14th
Maximum : 09.34 a.m. on 18th
Jan
|
After Phobos Grunt you might wonder what is in store for us ? or What is Next?
Here is another 2000kg Satellite on its way to earth in next two days.
Cosmos 2176 (also known as 21847) is a Russian (missile early warning) satellite launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome aboard a Molniya rocket. It was part of the Oko constellation of satellites and covered the plane 6 - 119 degree longitude of ascending node
Here are some fact in breif
Type: Kosmos Satellite
Int'l Designation: 1992 003A
Launched: 24 JAN 1992 @ 01:18 UTC
Mission: Cosmos 2176
Launch Vehicle: Molniya-M
Launch Site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome LC43/3, Russia
Mass: 1900.0 kg
Here is the Latest map issued (17 Jan) by Center for Orbital and Re-Entry Studies (Click on Image to see larger view)
Legend (what lines in the map indicate):
Yellow Icon - location of object at predicted reentry time
Orange Line - area of visibility at the predicted reentry time for a ground observer
Blue Line - ground track uncertainty prior to predicted reentry time (ticks at 5-minute intervals)
Yellow Line - ground track uncertainty after predicted reentry time (ticks at 5-minute intervals)
White Line - day/night divider at predicted reentry time (Sun location shown by White Icon)
Note: Possible reentry locations lie anywhere along the blue and yellow ground track.
When will it Reenter Earth ?
As
per AEROSPACE -
Center for Orbital & Re-entry Studies ( as per 17 JAN 2012 07:43 UTC update) says : the Cosmos 2176 is
actually predicted to re-enter at 04:25 a.m. on 18th Jan (22.55 UTC on 17th
Jan ). However due to atmospheric
and other effects it may re-enter Earth between 00:25 a.m. IST on 18th Jan (18.55
UTC on 17th Jan)
to 08:25 a.m. IST
on 18th Jan (02.55 UTC on 18th Jan).
Joseph Remis (as per 16 Jan 21.53 update) says : the Cosmos 2176 is actually predicted to re-enter at 1:51 p.m (8.21 UTC).
However due to atmospheric and other effects it may re-enter Earth
between 10.51 a.m. IST (5.21 UTC) to 04:51 p.m. IST (11.21 UTC).
As
per space-track.org ( as per 15th
Jan 10.55 UTC update) says : the Cosmos 2176 is actually predicted to re-enter at 09.34
a.m. on 16th (4.04 UTC on 16 Jan ).
However due to atmospheric and
other effects it may re-enter Earth between 09.34
a.m. IST on 14th Jan IST (4.04 UTC
on 14th Jan ) to 09.34 a.m.
IST (4.04 UTC on 18th Jan ) on 18th Jan. www.skylab2012.tk
Where will it fall or what will happen to it ?
Not much is known about this aspect. Our efforts to trace a source in this regard for Last two days failed.
How/Can you track this Satellite live ?
Here is the Live Tracking Link Click Here
with Data
or
Here is the Live Tracking Link click here
or
This alternative link click here can make good video if you record.
PHOBOS GRUNT - RUSSIAN MARS PROBE TO HIT (RE-ENTER) EARTH ATMOSPHERE 15 JAN
Latest Update : As per data available to us at (5.00 p.m. ) 5th January 2012, Phobos Grunt completes one
rotation around the earth every 87.30 minutes.
Presently it is moving around earth in 125.25 km
by 142Km
It Positioned at 6.2N,120.5W (Check the Map) Re-entry is expected in 5 hours.Here is the Link to the Document with details of Timings click here
for all important links in this page click here
What is Phobos Grunt Mission ?
Phobos-Grunt
was an attempted Russian sample return
mission to Phobos (one of the moons of Mars). Phobos-Grunt also carried the
Chinese Mars orbiter Yinghuo-1 and the tiny Living Interplanetary Flight
Experiment funded by the Planetary Society..
COSPAR ID: 2011-065A is the identification number of this mission.
Here is the powerpoint presentation created by Student Vennela Krishna Click here
COSPAR ID: 2011-065A is the identification number of this mission.
Here is the powerpoint presentation created by Student Vennela Krishna Click here
What will happen on 15 or 16th
January 2012 ?
This
probe will first re-enter earth atmosphere and over 200 kgs of its parts are
expected to survive and fall on earth.
But no
one know wether it will fall in ocean or on land and where.
When was this mission launched ? And what happened ?
It was launched on 8 November 2011, 20:16 UTC
from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, but subsequent rocket burns intended to set the
craft on a course for Mars failed. Which left it stranded in low Earth orbit.
What is the weight of this probe ? Which vehicle was used to Launch ? What was the actual duration of the mission.
13,200 kg with fuel is the weight of the probe. Zenit-2SB Vehicle was used for launch
What kind of Mission was this ?
Mission type Orbiter, lander, sample return
Were there any efforts to recover
this craft ?
Attempts
continued for several weeks to try to communicate with the spacecraft in the
hope that it could be repurposed, or at least diagnostic telemetry could be
obtained, with the European Space Agency aiding the Russian Federal Space
Agency in tracking the craft.
However,
efforts to recover the craft were unsuccessful, and it is now on course to fall
back to Earth in an uncontrolled manner, probably on January 15, 2012.
The
Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on 24 November 2011 that the mission
had been pronounced a failure because the spacecraft could no longer be sent to
Mars, the final opportunity to do so having passed on 21 November.
Who is creater of Phobos Grunt ?
Funded
by the Russian space agency Roscosmos and developed by NPO Lavochkin and the
Russian Space Research Institute, Phobos-Grunt was the first Russian-led
interplanetary mission since the failed Mars 96. (The last successful Russian interplanetary
missions were Vega 2 in 1985–1986, and the partially successful Phobos 2 in
1988–1989.)
What was expected result of
Phobos Grunt mission ?
The return
vehicle, carrying up to 200 g of soil from Phobos, was to have returned to
Earth in August 2014.
Phobos-Grunt
was designed to become the first spacecraft to return a macroscopic sample from
an extraterrestrial body since Luna 24 in 1976.
Here is the Map of Phobos Grunt with estimated place of Fall (as on 4pm 15 Jan)
Who is Monitoring the Re-Entry of this Mission ?
The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee is an inter-governmental agency whose aim is to co-ordinate efforts to deal with debris in orbit around the Earth founded in 1993. Members
Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)
British National Space Centre (BNSC)
Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)
China National Space Administration (CNSA)
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
European Space Agency (ESA)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU)
Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)
Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
Here is the animation of youtube click here
Here is view from Ground of the Mission as pictured by amateur astronomers :
If you are interested to know where exactly this Probe is see these links
1. http://www.n2yo.com/?s=37872
2. http://www.satflare.com/track.html?q=phobos#MAP
3. http://www.satview.org/
4. http://www.lizard-tail.com/isana/tracking/index.html?&target=phobos_grunt
Plantary Society does not know who among these three sites is accurate.
Other questions:
Q.
What was the purpose of Phobos Grunt?
Phobos
Grunt was sent to study the atmosphere and dust storms, plasma and radiation of
Mars from orbit. Its mission also included landing on Phobos and returning a soil
sample from Phobos to Earth using a sample return vehicle.
Q.
What were the science goals set for Phobos Grunt?
There
were seven primary goals:
•Delivery
of samples of Phobos soil to Earth for scientific research
•In situ
and remote studies of Phobos
•Monitoring
the atmospheric behavior of Mars
•Studies
of the vicinity of Mars
•Study
of the origin of the Martian satellites
•Study
of the role played by asteroid impacts in the formation of terrestrial planets
•Search
for possible past or present life
Q. What
was the total budget of Phobos Grunt?
The cost
of the spacecraft was 1.5 billion rubles or $64.4 million. Project funding for
the timeframe 2009–2012, including post-launch operations is about 2.4 billion
rubles.Total cost of the mission is 5 billion rubles or $163 million.
Q.
Who were the partners?
The
Chinese Mars probe Yinghuo-1 was sent together with Fobos-Grunt.
Q.
Where will it fall?
The
reentry zone has not been predicted yet.
Q.
What risk does it pose?
There
are 7.5 tonnes of highly toxic hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide on board. This
is fuel intended for the space craft's upper stage. Scientists say that the
fuel might burn out on reentry in the atmosphere and not reach the ground at
all. www.skylab2012.tk
Four Planets in the Sky - Use Moon to Spot on 14 & 16 Jan
Upto May 2012 you can see Four Planets in Morning or Evening skies . Further next 5 days watch out for Moon as it will help us locate Mars (on 14 Jan) and Saturn (on 16 Jan) . Here is poster for your kind consideration click here
1. Jupiter can be spotted after sunset (east) till 1.30 a.m. (west)
2. Venus can be spotted after Sunset in West Direction upto 8pm
3. Mars rises around 11.30pm in East Direction and is visible till 6 a.m or Sunrise.
4. Saturn rises at 2 a.m. and visible until Sunrise in East Direction
Here is the link to my article Indian express http://goo.gl/cqBiR &
DNA INDIA http://goo.gl/nhj8g.
However there is still some more time when Mars, Saturn, Jupiter will be closest to earth this year. Right now two planets among Four are getting ready to be closest in next two months. As they days pass they will become more brighter than the previous night.
So watch out for our updates here on this blog.
1. Jupiter can be spotted after sunset (east) till 1.30 a.m. (west)
2. Venus can be spotted after Sunset in West Direction upto 8pm3. Mars rises around 11.30pm in East Direction and is visible till 6 a.m or Sunrise.
4. Saturn rises at 2 a.m. and visible until Sunrise in East Direction
Here is the link to my article Indian express http://goo.gl/cqBiR &
DNA INDIA http://goo.gl/nhj8g.
However there is still some more time when Mars, Saturn, Jupiter will be closest to earth this year. Right now two planets among Four are getting ready to be closest in next two months. As they days pass they will become more brighter than the previous night.
So watch out for our updates here on this blog.
Jupiter, Venus, Mars to be seen in the dark sky from tonight thanks for friends in PTI
N.SRI RAGHUNANDAN KUMAR GENERAL SECRETARY PLANETARY SOCIETY INDIA
www.skylab2012.tk, www.skylab2012.com , www.skylab 2012 .com
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