So yeah, I don't have a life today. I spent it with the Artemis II Team/Integrity Crew as they did their Lunar Flyby. Here are the videos from them. If you go to my YouTube Channel I've included approximate time counters where certain things occur so you can go to those if you want.
This is my favorite one . . . well worth watching in my opinion.
The beginning of the Solar Eclipse.
Another great one!
If you thought our current catalogs were crowded, buckle up. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory just dropped a preliminary dataset that is absolute gold for Solar System observers. Even before the official Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) kicks off, the team has already identified over 11,000 new asteroids.
Full article with LINK to the site over at Eadsy Astronomy at this LINK.
For a long time, astronomers held a relatively simple theory: the bigger the planet, the more "oomph" it has to spin. In our own solar system, Jupiter and Saturn are the clear heavyweights and the fastest spinners, completing a full rotation in just about ten hours.
But a massive new survey—the largest of its kind—just threw a fascinating wrench into that "bigger is faster" logic. Using the W.M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, researchers looked at 32 different worlds (a mix of gas giants and brown dwarfs) and found that when it comes to planetary rotation, mass isn't the only thing that matters.
Full article with link to the paper over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK.
I’ve hinted at this in several other posts, sharing some of the craters and regions that the Integrity crew will be focusing on with their eyes during their Lunar Flyby. While the Artemis II mission is a marvel of modern engineering, NASA is leaning on a "magical instrument" that predates any computer: the human eye! As the crew prepares for their historic lunar flyby, scientists emphasize that human observation offers depth and context that even the most advanced cameras cannot yet replicate. It reminds me why I LOVE being a visual observer. I see things with my eyes that create a lasting memory for me.
For the full article head over to Eadsy Astronomy LINK
Located deep on the lunar far side, within the northern reaches of the massive Orientale Basin’s ejecta blanket, lies the crater Pierazzo. Though modest in size at about 9 kilometers in diameter, Pierazzo is a titan of scientific interest. It is one of the most remarkably "luminous" small craters on the Moon, possessing a ray system that is disproportionately large and bright for its size. What makes Pierazzo exceptional is the evidence of impact melt. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured stunning views of frozen rivers of rock that flowed down the crater's walls and pooled on its floor immediately following the impact. This is a reason why the astronauts of Integrity/Artemis II are going to observe it!
Full article over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK.
Glushko is a young, prominent impact crater located on the western limb of the Moon, at the transition between the near and far sides. Spanning approximately 43 kilometers in diameter, this feature stands out as a beacon of geological youth due to its extraordinarily bright and extensive ray system.
Full article over at Eadsy Astronomy LINK
