It starts at 5:29 pm and maximum is at 6:39 MST.

A partial solar eclipse will be visible across Western states on Sunday – and Saguaro National Park west of Tucson is one good place to catch the sun’s disappearing act.

The event is what’s known as an annular solar eclipse  and its full glory should be visible from much of Asia, the Pacific region and some of western North America, weather permitting. At its peak, the eclipse will block about 94 percent of the sun’s light.

The safest way to view the Sun’s disk is by indirect projection. This can be done by projecting an image of the disk onto a white piece of paper or card using a pair of binoculars (with one of the lenses covered), a telescope, or another piece of cardboard with a small hole in it (about 1 mm diameter), often called a pinhole camera. The projected image of the Sun can then be safely viewed; this technique can be used to observe sunspots, as well as eclipses. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that no one looks through the projector (telescope, pinhole, etc.) directly. Viewing the Sun’s disk on a video display screen (provided by a video camera or digital camera) is safe, although the camera itself may be damaged by direct exposure to the Sun. The optical viewfinders provided with some video and digital cameras are not safe

Ultraviolet line spectrum measurements are used to discern the chemical composition, densities, and temperatures of the interstellar medium, and the temperature and composition of hot young stars. UV observations can also provide essential information about the evolution of galaxies. More about Ultraviolet astronomy here

Gamma-rays are created by celestial events such as supernova explosions, destruction of positrons, creation of black holes and even the decay of radioactive material (gamma decay) in space. For example, supernova SN 1987A emitted an “afterglow” of gamma-ray photons from the decay of newly-made radioactive cobalt-56 ejected into space in a cloud, by the explosion. Most astronomical gamma-rays are thought to be produced not from radioactive decay, however, but from the same type of accelerations of electrons, and electron-photon interactions, that produce X-rays in astronomy (but occurring at a higher energy in the production of gamma-rays). Astronomical literature tends to hyphenate “gamma-ray” by analogy with the term “X-ray.”
More about Gamma-ray astronomy here

The discovery comes from detailed photos taken of the Saturn system by NASA’s Cassini orbiter. In these images, researchers spotted strange objects about a half-mile (kilometer) wide tearing through Saturn’s F ring, the thin outermost discrete ring around the planet.

As they pass through the ring, these interlopers drag glittering ice particles out with them, creating visible trails of debris scientists are calling “mini jets.”

“I think the F ring is Saturn’s weirdest ring, and these latest Cassini results go to show how the F ring is even more dynamic than we ever thought,” Carl Murray, a Cassini imaging team member based at London’s Queen Mary University, said in a statement. “These findings show us that the F ring region is like a bustling zoo of objects from a half mile in size to moons like Prometheus a hundred miles in size, creating a spectacular show.”

A newfound planet only 22 light-years away represents the best candidate yet for hosting liquid water on its surface, according to a team of astronomers announcing the find Thursday.

The planet has 4.5 times Earth’s mass and orbits in the heart of its star’s habitable zone – the region where water could remain stable on an orbiting planet’s surface. Liquid water is a necessary ingredient for organic life.

For now, however, too little is known about the planet’s composition and the makeup of any atmosphere – if it has one – to say with confidence that water is likely to be there, researchers say. Location alone does not make for a habitable planet. Some scientists suggest that the newfound planet could be caught with one hemisphere permanently facing its star, lessening any prospects for life.

Still, the researchers note the planet’s position well within the habitable zone is an encouraging first sign.

This is not the first so-called super Earth astronomers have detected in a star’s habitable zone. In December, scientists with NASA’s Kepler mission announced the discovery of a super Earth orbiting within its host star’s habitable zone. That planet was orbiting a sun-like star, marking an important step along the path toward meeting the mission’s goal of uncovering Earth-size planets orbiting within the habitable zone of sun-like stars.

But the new planet, GJ 667Cc, orbits a red dwarf – a type of star that is much smaller, fainter, and far more common in the galaxy than sun-like stars. Given red dwarfs’ prevalence, the finding suggests that the galaxy should be brimming with super Earths in habitable zones, the research team says.

Read the entire article:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0202/Planet-found-at-perfect-spot-for-life-in-solar-system-with-three-suns

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight from April 21 to April 22, with the best observing coming between midnight and dawn on the 22nd local time, experts say. The moon will be new at this time, so the Lyrids’ bright flashes won’t be drowned out by the glare of Earth’s nearest neighbor.

The Lyrids will be visible all over the world. NASA officials estimate a maximum meteor rate of about 15 per hour, but the number could be higher or lower than this. The Lyrids are quite unpredictable, with maximum rates ranging from 10 to 100 meteors per hour over the years.

Meteor showers are generated when Earth plows through streams of debris shed by periodic comets on their path around the sun. The chunks of debris die a fiery death in our planet’s atmosphere, leaving bright streaks in the sky to commemorate their passing.

The debris trails that spawn the Lyrids were sloughed by a comet known as C/1861 G1 Thatcher. The Lyrids, so named because they appear to originate from the constellation Lyra (The Lyre), have been observed in the night sky during mid-April for at least 2,500 years, NASA scientists say.

Source: Space.com

Previous images in visible light have hinted at a complex inner structure in Centaurus A, a giant elliptical galaxy found about 12 million light-years from Earth. The new views — captured in infrared and X-ray wavelengths by the European Space Agency’s Herschel and XMM-Newton space observatories, respectively — map out that structure in greater detail and strengthen theories about its violent origins, researchers said.

Herschel was able to peer through Centaurus A’s central band of obscuring dust. The telescope’s images reveal the flattened inner disk of a spiral galaxy whose shape is probably due to a merger with an elliptical galaxy long ago, researchers said.

Herschel’s data also uncover evidence for rapid star birth toward the center of Centaurus A (which is also known as NGC 5128), along with two jets emanating from the galaxy’s core, one of which is about 15,000 light-years long.

Source: Space.com

Blue Twinstar Firststar 3 Reflector Telescope

Here is an ideal first reflector telescope for the novice astronomer or young child (6 or 7 with adult supervision, otherwise 8 And up). With a large 76mm (3 inch) primary mirror, this reflector telescope is ideal for backyard astronomy and is a great introductory telescope for learning all about astronomy. With this three inch telescope, you can see tremendous detail when viewing the moon. With planets you can see the Rings of Saturn and the Moons of Jupiter. In dark skies you can see distant nebulae and galaxies as well. This telescope comes with 3 eyepieces with storage containers, and a Barlow 2x lens. That gives you six different magnification options. With the Barlow, you can achieve up to 350x magnification of distant objects. Plus, this telescope is compatible with two sizes of eyepieces — the .965 diameter eyepieces that are included and the larger 1.25 eyepieces (so you can upgrade your view when you’re ready!) Your telescope also comes with a dust-free cleaning cloth, a great map of the surface of the moon and a moon filter designed for reducing moon glare and making surface details more clear, and a poster of the solar system. The aluminum tripod is fully adjustable and allows even taller people to observe the stars without having to crouch down in an uncomfortable position. A handy accessory tray on the tripod makes it easy to keep track of extra eyepieces. With the altazimuth mounting, the telescope is designed for beginners and children. There is nothing to it. This is a true point-and-shoot telescope. The mount makes it simple to aim and move the telescope, you don’t need to learn about complex Polar Alignment or stellar coordinates — just aim the telescope at what you want to see and have a look.

Barska Starwatcher Ae10100 Telescope, W/ Case & Tripod

300 Power, 40070 Starwatcher Compact Refractor, Silver w/ Table Top Tripod & Carrying Case Solid refractor telescopes, glass coated optics for enhanced image brightness, interchangeable eyepieces with a 3x Barlow lens to increase viewing power, Engineered with smooth functioning mounts, Sturdy adjustable tripod Excellent for astronomy enthusiasts and professionals, Inlcudes Barska’s Deepsky Astronomy Software and soft carrying case

The journey to stars and planets begins with BARSKA. BARSKA’s Starwatcher telescopes are ideal entry-level telescopes for the aspiring amateur astronomer. The refractor and reflector telescope models are easy to set up and include everything necessary to begin the adventure for a lifetime including telescope, finderscope, eyepieces, mount and tripod. Also includes our new Beginner’s version of the highly popular Deepsky Astronomy Software. It’s packed with many features that novice users as well as experienced users will appreciate and includes a searchable database of over 10,000+ objects including, nebulae, star clusters, double stars, variable stars, and other types. Simply load it on to your PC and begin your journey to the stars and planets. # Shipping lead time: 2 – 4 business days