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Keep a look out for.....

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JimB:
Here is something new for the sky watchers out there to keep an eye open for. Maybe some of you have seen them and not even realized it.  quote:Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are a mystery. They hover near the edge of space, far above ordinary clouds. Some researchers believe they're seeded by space dust. Others say they're a sign of global warming. Whatever they are, they're beautiful, and last week's sightings in Europe mark the beginning of the 2005 noctilucent cloud season. Northern summer is the best time to spot them. Spaceweather.com

JimB:
Summer Moon IllusionThe lowest-hanging full moon in 18 years is going to play tricks on you this week.Step outside any evening at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant moon rising in the east. It looks like Earth's moon, round and cratered; the Man in the Moon is in his usual place. But something's wrong. This full moon is strangely inflated. It's huge!You've just experienced the Moon Illusion.Sky watchers have known this for thousands of years: moons hanging low in the sky look unnaturally big. Cameras don't see it, but our eyes do. It's a real illusion.  Full story at science.nasa.gov

JimB:
Spectacular ConjunctionMercury, Venus and Saturn are converging for a spectacular close encounter this weekend.June 22, 2005: Stick up your thumb and hold it at arm's length. It doesn't seem very big, does it? But it is, big enough to hide three planets.This weekend Mercury, Venus and Saturn are going to crowd together in a patch of sky no bigger than your thumb. Astronomers call it a "conjunction" and it's going to be spectacular.The show begins on Saturday evening, June 25th. Step outside and look west toward the glow of the setting sun. Venus appears first, a bright point of light not far above the horizon. As the sky darkens, Saturn and Mercury pop into view. The three planets form a eye-catching triangle about 1.5o long, easily hidden by your thumb. Full Story

Richard Myers:
I often wondered why the moon appears so large when rising. Now I think I know?   :)  Thanks for the note, Brother Jim. We will be watching tonight and tomorrow.  It is also interesting to note that the change in moonrise is so great each nite. I never knew this until reading the link. A lot different than than the sunrise.  :)

JimB:
If you live in the northern US or in Canada and happen to be up late at night, you might want to look north for the possibility of northern lights.  quote:Space Weather News for July 14, 2005
http://spaceweather.comSolar activity has suddenly increased with a series of strong explosions from sunspot 786, including an X-category flare this morning. Because the sunspot is near the sun's western limb, none of the blasts was squarely Earth-directed. Nevertheless, coronal mass ejections hurled into space by these explosions could deliver glancing blows to Earth's magnetic field as early as tonight (July 14-15) and continuing through the weekend, possibly sparking geomagnetic storms and auroras.

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