Downloadable version of the newsletter in PDF Format
(Right click and select "Save target as" to begin download.)
(Always check the PDF link above if the web page is not updated.
I always publish the PDF before I upload the web page.) PDF updated 1st of every month!
For amateur radio operators and scanner enthusiasts around the world, please join the Colorado Astronomy Net on the Rocky Mountain Radio League'sK1DUN repeater on 449.450 MHz or other digital and analog repeaters, Allstar nodes, Echolinks, DMR and internet links connected to the SKYHUBLINK system. The net meets on Tuesday nights at 7 P.M. Mountain Time (US) (Wednesday at 0200 GMT). Connecting to the SkyHubLink system has expanded our coverage in the U.S., Canada and internationally. All Amateur radio operators worldwide are welcome. Anyone may listen to the net. The RMRL provides a "Live Audio Feed" using Broadcastify.
Obtain your Amateur Radio (Ham) License or your General Radio Operator's License (GROL)! Visit the South Metro VE Team website for more information. The South Metro VE Team provides test sessions by appointment only. Check the website for current information. All others interested in Amateur Radio, check out the Amateur Radio Relay League website to find out more information about becoming an Amateur Radio operator.
Donate to the IAAS!
Your contributions are tax deductible.
Thank you for your support!
Excerpts from JPL mission updates are provided as a public service as part
of the JPL Solar System Ambassador/NASA Outreach program.
For special JPL programs and presentations in your area visit the JPL Solar System Ambassador website.
(Click on the logo to link to the JPL SSA homepage.)
"The planetary action moves to the morning sky this month, with several planets lining up. Here, (from bottom left) Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus stand in line in late 2015; the planetary players this May are Mercury, Mars, Neptune, and Saturn." Astronomy Magazine, May 2024, p. 28. - Alan Dyer
Planetary Reports generated by "TheSkyX" software. These reports provide predicted data for the planets for the first of each month for the current year. The rise and set times for the Sun and the Moon for each day of the month as well as meteor shower radiants are also included in the reports. These reports have been optimized for the Denver, Colorado location, however, the times will be approximate for other locations on Earth.
(Times are Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) unless otherwise noted. Times will vary slightly depending on your location.)
"The evening sky loses its last planet early in May, shifting the attention of planetary observers to the morning. Try to glimpse Jupiter before it's lost in the Sun's glow soon after sunset. Meanwhile, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune are up before sunrise. A waning crescent Moon joins the group twice during May, adding beauty to the scene." Astronomy Magazine, May 2024, p. 28.
Is at greatest western elongation (26° ) on the 9th. Mercury rises at 5:10 a.m. on the 1st and about 4:50 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mercury low on the eastern horizon about 30 minutes before sunrise. Mercury moves from the constellation of Pisces into Taurus shining at magnitude 0.3 on the 15th.
Rises at 5:42 a.m. on the 1st and about 5:33 a.m. by month's end. Look for Venus low to the east about 30 minutes before sunrise. Venus moves from the constellation of Aries into Taurus shining at magnitude -3.9 on the 15th.
Is at perihelion (128.4 million miles from the Sun) on the 8th. Mars rises at 4:25 a.m. on the 1st and about 3:19 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mars low on the eastern horizon before sunrise. Mars is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 1.1.
Is in conjunction with the Sun on the 18th. Jupiter sets at 8:53 p.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Jupiter returns to the morning sky rising about 5:04 a.m. by month's end. By the time the Sun sets, Jupiter is visible very low in the west during the first week of the month and possibly to the east before sunrise during the last week of the month. Jupiter is in the constellation of Taurus shining at magnitude -2.0.
Rises at 3:54 a.m. on the 1st and about 1:58 a.m. by month's end. Look to the southeast to spot Saturn early in the morning before sunrise. Saturn is in the constellation of Aquarius shining at magnitude 1.0.
Is in conjunction with the Sun on the 13th. Uranus sets at 8:45 p.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Uranus returns to the morning sky, rising about 4:38 a.m. by month's end. As with Jupiter, observers may be able to catch a glimpse of Uranus during the first week of May in the evening sky to the west and during the last week of May just before sunrise to the east. Uranus moves from the constellation of Aries into Taurus shining at magnitude 5.9.
Rises at 4:21 a.m. on the 1st and about 2:21 a.m. by the end of the month. Look for Neptune before sunrise to the southeast. Neptune is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 7.8.
Is stationary on the 16th. Ceres rises at 1:18 a.m. on the 1st and about 11:21 p.m. by month's end. Ceres is visible in the early morning sky to the south. Ceres is in the constellation of Sagittarius shining at magnitude 8.3.
Is stationary on the 3rd. Pluto rises at 3:55 a.m. on the 1st and about 11:52 p.m. by month's end. Pluto is visible to the south before dawn. Pluto is in the constellation of Capricornus shining at magnitude 15.2.
As always, good luck at spotting Neptune, Ceres and Pluto, a large telescope and dark skies will be needed.
Constellation information provided by Go Astronomy.
The Eta Aquariidsmeteor shower - This shower is visible during the period of April 21 to May 12. It reaches maximum on May 5. During the period of greatest activity hourly rates usually reach 20 for observers in the northern hemisphere and 50 for observers in the southern hemisphere.
"THIS IS THE YEAR to watch the Eta Aquariid meteor shower. In addition to a favorable Moon (New Moon occurs May 7), Earth passes very close to a stream of debris ejected by Halley's Comet (the shower's parent object) about 3,000 years ago.
The shower is active from April 19 through May 28 and peaks on May 5. The radiant lies near Zeta (ζ) Aquarii and rises at 2:30 A.M. local daylight time in the continental U.S., reaching an altitude of 20° two hours later. This gives most observers a fine opportunity to watch for an hour or two before morning twilight. The predicted peak zenithal hourly rate is 50 meteors per hour but since the radiant is not overhead, observed rates are normally a dozen per hour.
However, this year could see an increase in rates the morning of May 3. Material left by Halley's Comet is affected by various gravitational resonances and the threads of debris wander like a silk scarf in a breeze. On the 3rd, Earth passes through a thread left by the comet in 985 B.C.E., potentially leading to more and brighter meteors. But like predicting the number of snowflakes in a snowstorm, such calculations are difficult and reality can vary greatly. One thing is for sure: It's worth observing a few days prior to the peak. If you do see a rise in the number of meteors, you're seeing the result of a passage of Halley's Comet some 3,000 years ago. How cool would that be?" Astronomy Magazine, May 2024, p. 29.
For more information about Meteor Showers, visit Gary Kronk's
Meteor Showers Online web page.
Meteor Scatter (or Meteor burst communications) - "is a radio propagation mode that exploits the ionized trails of meteors during atmospheric entry to establish brief communications paths between radio stations up to 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi) apart." Tune your shortwave or your HF amateur radio to 54.310 MHz SSB and see if you can hear any pings. Try other frequencies as well... 6m FT8 digital - 50.313 Mhz & 50.276 Mhz, JP-65 digital mode and the carrier frequencies of the lower VHF bands for TV channels 2, 3 & 4.
Comet13P/Olbers passes through the constellation of Taurus and Auriga, visible about 60 minutes after local sunset shining around 8th magnitude.
Comet C/2021 S3 (PanSTARRS) is fading from 8th to 9th magnitude during the first half of May crossing the star fields north of Deneb in the constellation of Cygnus before sunrise.
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks may be visible with the naked-eye for a few more nights before it fades to binocular levels for observers south of the equator.
For information, orbital elements and ephemerides on observable comets, visit
Observable Comets.
For more information about Comets, visit Gary Kronk's
Cometography.com webpage.
In this section I will post meteor, fireball, etc sightings that have been published on the American Meteor Society's web site. I want to make this an active section of the web pages and newsletter and would like to publish the links to member sightings. If you have any published sightings, please provide me with the links and I will post them here for all to enjoy.
I have created a web page containing images taken and submitted by subscribers to the email newsletter, check-ins to the Colorado Astronomy Net and readers of the online newsletter. Any one wishing to submit their own images to the gallery, please let me know. The images must be taken by the submitter and be astronomy related. Please include a description and your information so that I can give proper credit to your work.
Featured Images
Total Solar Eclipse, April 8, 2024
22 Minute Movie
Image Courtesy of Burness Ansell (KIØAR) Taken: April 8, 2024 Location: Cape Girardeau, MO Camera:Dwarf II
Compilation of video clips and stills - 11 minute video of totality
(with annotations and music)
(click on the space above to activate)
If movie does not start, click link below: Total Solar Eclipse 040824
"After some inventive sleuthing, the mission team can — for the first time in five months — check the health and status of the most distant human-made object in existence.
For the first time since November, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft is returning usable data about the health and status of its onboard engineering systems. The next step is to enable the spacecraft to begin returning science data again. The probe and its twin, Voyager 2, are the only spacecraft to ever fly in interstellar space (the space between stars).
Voyager 1 stopped sending readable science and engineering data back to Earth on Nov. 14, 2023, even though mission controllers could tell the spacecraft was still receiving their commands and otherwise operating normally. In March, the Voyager engineering team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California confirmed that the issue was tied to one of the spacecraft's three onboard computers, called the flight data subsystem (FDS). The FDS is responsible for packaging the science and engineering data before it's sent to Earth."
Read the latest news and discoveries from JPL's dozens of active space missions exploring Earth, the solar system and worlds beyond.
"The mid-infrared instrument (MIRI), managed through launch by NASA-JPL, helped reveal for the first time the small-scale structures of the nebula’s edge.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured the sharpest infrared images to date of a zoomed-in portion of one of the most distinctive objects in our skies, the Horsehead Nebula. These observations show the top of the "horse’s mane," or edge of this iconic nebula, in a whole new light, capturing the region’s complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution.
Webb's new images show part of the sky in the constellation Orion ("The Hunter"), in the western side of a dense region known as the Orion B molecular cloud. Rising from turbulent waves of dust and gas is the Horsehead Nebula, otherwise known as Barnard 33, which resides roughly 1,300 light-years away."
"Imagery from the solar-powered spacecraft provides close-ups of intriguing features on the hellish Jovian moon.
Scientists on NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter have transformed data collected during two recent flybys of Io into animations that highlight two of the Jovian moon's most dramatic features: a mountain and an almost glass-smooth lake of cooling lava. Other recent science results from the solar-powered spacecraft include updates on Jupiter's polar cyclones and water abundance.
The new findings were announced Wednesday, April 16, by Juno's principal investigator Scott Bolton during a news conference at the European Geophysical Union General Assembly in Vienna."
"During a routine activity April 23, NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) entered safe mode, temporarily suspending science operations. The satellite scans the sky searching for planets beyond our solar system.
The team is working to restore the satellite to science operations while investigating the underlying cause. NASA also continues investigating the cause of a separate safe mode event that took place earlier this month, including whether the two events are connected. The spacecraft itself remains stable."
For more information on the TESS mission, visit the Latest Tess Stories page.
Mars on the Go! NASA Be A Martian Mobile App
If you want the latest news as it happens, try out the "Be A Martian" app.
Download on Mobile Devices Android | iPhone | Windows Phone
JMARS is an acronym that stands for Java Mission-planning and Analysis for Remote Sensing. It is a geospatial information system (GIS) developed by ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility to provide mission planning and data-analysis tools to NASA's orbiters, instrument team members, students of all ages, and the general public.
"Despite humans inhabiting Earth for around 300,000 years, we still have much to learn about the beautiful planet we call home. Yet only so much can be learned about Earth from the ground, prompting scientists to seek a view of Earth and its stellar neighborhood from above and beyond.
Since its founding in 1948, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder has become a leader in climate and atmospheric science, producing an array of missions and instruments whose coverage ranges from the Earth's surface to the sun's orbit.
In celebration of Earth Day, we're featuring 9 ways that LASP is advancing crucial Earth and climate research:
1. Earth's radiation budget…
2. Solar irradiance…
3. Reflected radiation…
4. Solar reference spectrum…
5. Earth's atmospheric layers…
6. Noctilucent clouds…
7. Polar vortex…
8. Hunga Tonga eruptions 2022…
9. Using Earth to study other planets… "
(Visit the link above for full details.)
"In December 2022, NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission observed the dramatic and unexpected "disappearance" of a stream of charged particles constantly emanating off the Sun, known as the solar wind. This was caused by a special type of solar event that was so powerful, it created a void in its wake as it traveled through the solar system.
Due to this event, MAVEN's measurements at Mars showed that the number of particles making up the solar wind dropped significantly. Without the pressure of the solar wind, the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere expanded by thousands of kilometers. MAVEN is the only asset currently at Mars able to simultaneously observe both the Sun's activity and the response of the Martian atmosphere to these solar influences."
"The 24th sample taken by the six-wheeled scientist offers new clues about Jezero Crater and the lake it may have once held.
Analysis by instruments aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover indicate that the latest rock core taken by the rover was awash in water for an extended period of time in the distant past, perhaps as part of an ancient Martian beach. Collected on March 11, the sample is the rover's 24th – a tally that includes 21 sample tubes filled with rock cores, two filled with regolith (broken rock and dust), and one with Martian atmosphere."
"The most surprising revelation from NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover — that methane is seeping from the surface of Gale Crater — has scientists scratching their heads.
Living creatures produce most of the methane on Earth. But scientists haven't found convincing signs of current or ancient life on Mars, and thus didn't expect to find methane there. Yet, the portable chemistry lab aboard Curiosity, known as SAM, or Sample Analysis at Mars, has continually sniffed out traces of the gas near the surface of Gale Crater, the only place on the surface of Mars where methane has been detected thus far. Its likely source, scientists assume, are geological mechanisms that involve water and rocks deep underground.
If that were the whole story, things would be easy. However, SAM has found that methane behaves in unexpected ways in Gale Crater. It appears at night and disappears during the day. It fluctuates seasonally, and sometimes spikes to levels 40 times higher than usual. Surprisingly, the methane also isn't accumulating in the atmosphere: ESA's (the European Space Agency) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, sent to Mars specifically to study the gas in the atmosphere, has detected no methane."
"On Jan. 16, 2020, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured this image of two types of sand dunes on Mars: barchan and linear dunes.
The small dots are called barchan dunes, and from their shape we can tell that they are upwind. The downwind dunes are long and linear. These two types of dune each show the wind direction in different ways: the barchans have a steep slope and crescent-shaped "horns" that point downwind, while the linear dunes are stretched out along the primary wind direction. Linear dunes, however, typically indicate at least two different prevailing winds, which stretch out the sand along their average direction.
Barchan and linear dunes aren't just a Martian phenomenon — we can also see them on Earth. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have snapped photos of them occurring in Brazil and Saudi Arabia."
"The Odyssey orbiter captured clouds and dust in the Red Planet's skies, along with one of its two tiny moons.
Astronauts often react with awe when they see the curvature of the Earth below the International Space Station. Now Mars scientists are getting a taste of what that's like, thanks to NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter, which completed its 22nd year at the Red Planet last month.
The spacecraft captured a series of panoramic images that showcases the curving Martian landscape below gauzy layers of clouds and dust. Stitched end to end, the 10 images offer not only a fresh, and stunning, view of Mars, but also one that will help scientists gain new insights into the Martian atmosphere."
Colorado Springs Astronomical Society - The Colorado Springs Astronomical Society (CSAS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the enjoyment of the nighttime sky.
Denver Astronomical Society - The Deep Space Exploration Society is a Colorado based nonprofit organization dedicated to practical astronomy and space science education for students, the general public, and society members.
Deep Space Exploration Society - Promotes the enjoyment and understanding of astronomical phenomena, history and lore by providing educational and observing opportunities for our members, general public, and outreach activities at the University of Denver's historic Chamberlin Observatory, schools, and nature centers.
Little Thompson Observatory - Begin or sustain your interest in astronomy at LTO! The night sky is wondrous, filled with countless swirling galaxies, the planets, the moon and so much more. Many of these sights are easily visible from Earth, but few people have witnessed them personally.
The Little Thompson Observatory can change that for you. Our mission is to help people of all ages learn about the universe by offering a first-hand experience with astronomy...
Northern Colorado Astronomical Society - The Northern Colorado Astronomical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the science of astronomy and to encourage and coordinate activities of amateur astronomers.
SkyWatchers - Coal Creek Canyon Sky Watchers - Coal Creek Canyon Sky Watchers is an astronomy and space exploration group that features expert presenters on topics such as the exploration of the Moon, Mars and other planets, international space exploration missions, as well as other astronomy topics. We established Sky Watchers in 2014 and usually have about 35 attendees at our meetings.
Southern Colorado Astronomical Society - The Southern Colorado Astronomical Society, CSU-P and the Pueblo Nature and Raptor Center welcomes everyone to participate in the discovery of our night sky.
Star Light-Star Bright Observatory - The observatory is part of the nonprofit National Space Science & Technology Institute's education and public outreach program.
The goal of the Star Light—Star Bright Observatory, is to put the universe within reach of primary grade students and their teachers; along with being an educational asset for the community. The observatory is an educational project that was established in 2004 to serve young and old alike and provides the only free access to viewing the universe in the Pikes Peak Region.
AMSAT - The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, or AMSAT, is a worldwide group of Amateur Radio Operators (Hams)... AMSAT's goal is to foster Amateur Radio's participation in space research and communication.
Radio JOVE Project - Radio JOVE students and amateur scientists observe and analyze natural radio emissions of Jupiter, the Sun, and our galaxy.
Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers - The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) is an international society of dedicated enthusiasts who teach, learn, trade technical information, and do their own observations of the radio sky.
"TheSky" - Astronomy Software by Software Bisque. It's where discoveries are made. Where astronomers unravel the mysteries and reveal the beauty of space. At the heart of this search lies Software Bisque and its family of precision-crafted robotic telescope mounts, astronomy software solutions and embedded systems. Tools that help quench the astronomers' thirst for scientific breakthrough and personal enrichment the world over.
A Sea of Stars - Voyages of a Merchant Mariner & Amateur Astronomer - I'm a retired Navy veteran, currently sailing with the US Navy's Military Sealift Command as an Operations Chief. My dominant interests are science (esp. astronomy), history and photography, and I enjoy naval and military wargaming WHEN I can find the time.
A Short Guide to Celestial Navigation - Celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects — sun, moon, planets, or stars.
American Meteor Society - Provides amateur observers a place to learn about and report meteor, fireball and related sightings.
AstroBackyard - Welcome to the AstroBackyard Backyard of the Week! This is a place where we honor the hard work and dedication put into building an astrophotography rig to capture the glorious night sky. There are many ways to tackle this hobby, with varying types of telescopes, cameras, and mounts with one thing in common — they produce results!
Astrogirl Homepage - Astrogirl.org exists to educate, encourage and promote the hobby of amateur astronomy to people of all ages. It is the goal of this site to provide relevant information and resources to the amateur astronomer as an aid in their enjoyment of the night sky. It is a family-friendly, educational site and has been rated as a safe site for all ages.
Astronomia - Online web applications that use catalogues of astronomical objects. Applications and their description are also prepared in English.
Astronomy Picture of the Day - Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Citizen Science - Citizen Science Projects - NASA's citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public.
Clear Skies Observing Guides - CSOG, short for Clear Skies Observing Guides is a new concept in visual amateur astronomy. It is a digital publication that will enable observers to target all deepsky objects and carbon stars within reach of their equipment.
The Constellations of the Night Sky - Good site for finding out more about the 88 constellations and their associated stars. Links to the constellations mentioned in the newsletter can be found on this page.
CosmoQuest - The place where you map other worlds, explore out universe and contribute to science.
iTelescope.net - iTelescope.Net is the world's premier network of Internet connected telescopes, allowing members to take astronomical images of the night sky for the purposes of education, scientific research and astrophotography.
JPL Solar System - Jet Propulsion Laboratory information on our solar system.
K8JTK.ORG - Welcome to the home page of Jeffrey Kopcak. You will find pages and posts I wrote about my hobbies, interests, projects, and things I'm involved in.
Meade Advanced Products Users Group - Mapug-Astronomy Topical Archive & information resource, containing a massive 335 page archive of discussions about Meade equipment, and much more: observatories, observing lists, permanent piers, equatorial wedges, remote operations, software, eyepieces, etc.
NASA - Lunar and Planetary Science - General information, Missions to Comets, Data, Press Releases, Meteors and Meteorites, Other topics of Interest.
NASA Science News - NASA missions, updates, astronomy news, excellent resource.
National Archives info on space exploration - Archives Library Information Center (ALIC) - Space Exploration - Information about the United States' space flight programs, including NASA missions and the astronauts who participate in the efforts to explore space.
Phys.org - Science News including Nanotechnology, Physics, Earth, Astronomy & Space, Technology, Chemistry, Biology and Other Sciences.
SKY-MAP.ORG - The main purpose of SKY-MAP is to consolidate astronomical, astrophysical and other information about different space objects and astrophysical facts.
Space.com - Interesting space and astronomy articles.
SpaceLinks/Space Careers - SPACELINKS is a specialist staffing consultancy sourcing and supplying high caliber professionals for a wide range of world class organizations in the Space and Defense industry.
"SpaceRef.com" - SpaceRef's 21 news and reference web sites are designed to allow both the novice and specialist alike to explore outer space and Earth observation.
Space Weather - Check out what the sun is doing as seen from space.
The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography - Looking up into the night sky with just your eyes and maybe a telescope is amazing on its own. But it can be even better when you photograph and record it for your memories.
Ultimate Resource Guide for Astronomy - The resources we have provided below cover everything from discussing what astronomy is all the way to social media groups that focus on this popular and interesting topic. Use this resource guide for finding some great sites on astronomy whether you are a teacher looking for lesson plan ideas, a student wanting to brush up on their knowledge, a college student looking for a career or you just love the stars and want the most from your experiences.
UniverseToday - Short, interesting articles about space and related topics.
Wildcat Astronomy - Astrophotography by James Paulson - Planetary and Deep Sky imaging at its best. Check out the Blog as well as the images for tips and tricks of astrophotography.
Much of the information in this newsletter is from
Astronomy® Magazine
(Kalmbach Publishing), JPL mission status reports, the Internet, "Meteor Showers - A descriptive
Catalog" by Gary W. Kronk, Sky & Telescope web pages, and other astronomical sources that I have stashed on my bookshelves.
The author will accept any suggestions, constructive criticisms, and corrections. Please feel free to send me any new links or articles to share as well. I will try to accommodate any reasonable requests. Please feel free to send questions, comments, criticisms, or donations to the email address listed below. Enjoy!
Home of KIØAR
created by Burness F. Ansell, III, Email me IAAS - COO, Director of Aerospace Technologies JPL Solar System Ambassador, Colorado last modified: May 01, 2024