Launch of star names into space from Spaceport America
Name A Star Live launches your star name into space, making you part of a real space mission! After the flight we e-mail you a Launch Certificate, verifying that your star name has flown among the stars.
The Centennial Flight carried into space the star names of all of our customers who named stars with us on, or before, May 22, 2013. Launch occurred on a SpaceLoft XL launch vehicle built and flown by our launch service provider for this mission, UP Aerospace.
Launch occured from Spaceport America, New Mexico – the world’s first purpose built commercial spaceport, and future home to the SpaceShip II missions of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic aerospace company. Continue reading “The Centennial Flight”
On April 25, 2013, the full Moon will be near the planet Saturn. You may also notice the bright star “Spica” in the Name A Star Live constellation Virgo.
The beautiful, ringed planet Saturn shines at its brightest for 2013 this month. That’s because on April 28 the planet will reach “opposition,” meaning at sunset that evening Saturn will appear just over the eastern horizon, on the exact opposite side of the sky as the setting Sun. But you can get a good look at Saturn and its rings throughout the month, and for the next several months, through even small telescopes. Saturn will reside in the Name A Star Live constellation Libra throughout April.
Saturn will be about 9 Astronomical Units (AU) from Earth in April. An AU is the average distance of the Earth from the Sun, or about 93 million miles. So in April, Saturn will be about 9 times farther away from Earth than the Earth is from the Sun.
If you view Saturn through a telescope, you should be able to make out some of Saturn’s large moons, especially the largest, and brightest, moon: Titan. It orbits the planets once every 16 days. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft “has revealed that Titan’s surface is shaped by rivers and lakes of liquid ethane and methane (the main component of natural gas), which forms clouds and occasionally rains from the sky as water does on Earth.”
Take A Break from Your Taxes and Look at Jupiter!
The Moon sits between the V-shaped group of stars called the “Hyades” and the beautiful group of stars called the “Pleiades” the night of April 13.
The Moon also passes by our solar system’s giant planet, Jupiter, this month. Jupiter is in the Name A Star Live constellation Taurus in April. The crescent Moon will lie near Jupiter the night of April 14. So if preparing your income tax returns is driving you crazy that night, take a break, step outside and look for the crescent Moon. Jupiter will be the brightest point of light near the Moon. If you have a telescope, look at Jupiter and see if you can view its four largest moons — the “Galilean satellites.” These four moons move very quickly: They noticeably change their position over the course of just a few hours. But those of you in the northern hemisphere of Earth (e.g., North America, Europe) will likely see all four moons that night in the following order (listed from nearest Jupiter and going out): Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
And consider viewing the Moon the preceding evening when it will lie between the “Hyades” and the “Pleiades” in the Name A Star Live constellation Taurus.
Finding your star in the night sky
Stars are located within constellations, which are just areas of the night sky. Scorpius, Aries and Taurus are examples of constellations. Your Name A Star Live Star Certificate displays the name of your constellation. You can use our online World Constellation Guide to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope. You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.
The big news for the night sky this month is the appearance of Comet PanSTARRS to residents of the Northern Hemisphere of Earth (e.g., the U.S., Europe, China). We’ve produced a separate blog article for the comet: Click here to read that article.
But you can also see the giant planet Jupiter during the evening hours in March 2013. A particularly good night for identifying Jupiter is March 17 (March 18 for those of you in the Eastern Hemisphere of Earth [e.g., Australia, Japan, China, India]). Plus, Saturn rises after midnight and is visible to you early birds toward the southwestern horizon.
Here are some beautiful space photos and videos that have been posted on the Internet recently. Enjoy!
The Whirlpool Galaxy (a.k.a. M51, NGC 5194) in the Name A Star Live constellation Canes Venatici. Image Credit: N. Scoville (Caltech), T. Rector (U. Alaska), NOAO) et al., Hubble Heritage Team, NASA
This spectacular spiral galaxy is about 30 million light-years from Earth and is about 60,000 light-years across. You can see this galaxy with a good pair of binoculars.
The star LLOri in the Orion Nebula. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team
This esthetic close-up of cosmic clouds and stellar winds features the star LL Orionis, interacting with the flow of the Orion Nebula, in the Name A Star Live constellation Orion. Adrift in Orion’s stellar nursery and still in its formative years, variable star LL Orionis produces a wind more energetic than the wind from our own middle-aged Sun. As the fast stellar wind runs into slow moving gas a shock front is formed, analogous to the bow wave of a boat moving through water or a plane traveling at supersonic speed. The small, arcing, graceful structure just above and left of center is LL Ori’s cosmic bow shock, measuring about half a light-year across. The slower gas is flowing away from the Orion Nebula‘s hot central star cluster, the Trapezium, located off the upper left corner of the picture. In three dimensions, LL Ori’s wrap-around shock front is shaped like a bowl that appears brightest when viewed along the “bottom” edge. The beautiful picture is part of a large mosaic view of the complex stellar nursery in Orion, filled with a myriad of fluidshapes associated with star formation.
This is a NASA video explaining that meteor that exploded over Russia last month.
Step outside in mid-March 2013 and you may just see a comet that has the astronomical community abuzz! It’s called comet “PanSTARRS,” named after the observatory in Hawaii that discovered the comet in 2011.
Not to worry: The comet won’t hit Earth like that asteroid did in Russia last month! At its closest approach to Earth on March 5, the comet will be about 100 million miles (161 million kilometers) away. At its closest approach to the Sun on March 10 it will be just inside the orbit of Pluto.
But that’s close enough to make for a spectacular site — assuming the comet cooperates! Comets are notoriously unpredictable: As David Levy, the famous comet discoverer, once put it, “Comets are like cats; they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.” At one extreme, the comet could release a nice display of dust resulting in a bright, beautiful tail visible to the naked eye, or at the other extreme it could break apart and fizzle out. As of this writing, most predictions are that the comet will be about as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper.
NASA image showing positions of comet PanSTARRS in March 2013 relative to the western horizon
The comet will be visible to Northern Hemisphere observers shortly after sunset. It will appear low on the western horizon. If I had to bet, I would wager we’ll see the head of the comet with our naked eyes, but will likely need a pair of binoculars to see the comet’s dusty tail.
You may want to start looking for the comet as early as March 10, and check it every evening through late March. After that, the comet will grow significantly fainter. During March the comet will appear in the Name A Star Live constellations Aquarius, Pisces and Andromeda.
There’s quite a lot happening in skies this month: A large asteroid will zip by the Earth, you can easily see the mighty planets Jupiter and Saturn, Mercury and Mars can be found next to each other right after sunset, the constellation Orion and its famous nebula are in a prime position for evening viewing … plus, there’s a comet on the way!
Record Setting Asteroid to fly by Earth
A large asteroid will fly really close by Earth February 15, near the low Earth orbits (LEO) in which our Name A Star Live satellites typically fly. The asteroid — called “2012 DA14” — is about the size of a gymnasium. It will fly approximately 18,000 miles (28,500 kilometers) from Earth’s surface. That’s really close: By comparison, geostationary satellites used to transmit television signals to people’s homes orbit the Earth at about 22,000 miles (38,000 kilometers). However, scientists assure us that there is no chance of the asteroid hitting Earth.
Name A Star Live’s Orbital Archives of star names typically fly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) — see the white dot just above the Earth image in this diagram. The asteroid (yellow dot) will fly between satellites in LEO and satellites in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), which are approximately 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above the Earth.
The asteroid will fly through the Name A Star Live constellations Virgo, Leo, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Because the asteroid will be traveling so fast and so near the Earth, it will be very difficult to view. You would need a telescope in order to see it, but due to the asteroid’s speed it will be difficult to track the asteroid with the typical amateur telescope. In other words, even if you could find the asteroid in your telescope, the odds are it would move very quickly out of your field of view. But assuming you had a telescope with above average tracking ability, then those of you living from Eastern Europe, east, to Australia would have the only significant chance of seeing the asteroid as it will fly past you during your nighttime hours. Those of us in other parts of the world (such as North America, South America and Western Europe) are out of luck as the asteroid will fly by us during daytime hours.
In March, astronomers believe we may very well get to see “Comet PanSTARRS”. Unlike this month’s asteroid, Comet PanSTARRS could be viewable with the naked eye (i.e., no telescope or binoculars required). Warning: It’s difficult to predict how bright a comet will become. But this one stands a good chance of being a standout! We’ll have more to say about this comet in next month’s blog.
Seeing the Planets
Jupiter is in the constellation Taurus throughout February: It’s easy to spot near the V-shaped group of stars in Taurus, marked by the bright, red star Aldebaran. Aldebaran comes from the Arabic, meaning “the follower” as Aldebaran appears to follow the Pleiades star cluster throughout the course of the night.
You can use the Moon to find Jupiter on the night of February 17, depicted in this image. The Moon will be in the constellation Taurus that evening. Look for the bright point of light near the Moon — that’s the planet Jupiter. Take a look at Jupiter through just about any telescope and you’ll likely see up to four of Jupiter’s large moons! Nearby are “The Pleiades” star cluster. Many people mistake this group of stars for the “Little Dipper,” which is actually in another constellation (“Ursa Minor”). You can also get a good view of the nearby constellation Orion.
February is also a good month this year to see the elusive planet Mercury. Mercury never rises very high in the night sky, but you can see it this month shortly after sunset. Be sure to look for Mercury during the first half, or so, of the month as Mercury retreats back into the sun’s glare by the end of the month.
You can use the thin, crescent Moon shortly after sunset February 11 to find the planets Mercury and Mars. All three objects will be above the western horizon.
Finding your star in the night sky
Stars are located within constellations, which are just areas of the night sky. Scorpius, Aries and Taurus are examples of constellations. Your Name A Star Live Star Certificate displays the name of your constellation. You can use our online World Constellation Guide to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope. You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.
Here are some beautiful space photos and videos that have been posted on the Internet recently. Enjoy!
The Great Manatee Nebula
This is a new view of a 20,000-year old supernova remnant called the “Great Manatee Nebula,” named after the endangered Florida Manatee that this nebula resembles. Also known as “W50,” this is one of the largest supernova remnants ever viewed by the the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). It is nearly 700 light years across and covers two degrees on the sky – that’s the span of four full Moons! Click here to see a comparison of this nebula with an actual Florida Manatee.
A supernova remnant in the Name A Star Live constellation Cassiopeia. Image Credit: X-ray – NASA, JPL-Caltech, NuSTAR; Optical – Ken Crawford (Rancho Del Sol Obs.)
The aftermath of a cosmic cataclysm, supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is a comfortable 11,000 light-years away. Light from the Cas A supernova, the death explosion of a massive star, first reached Earth just 330 years ago. Still expanding, the explosion’s debris cloud spans about 15 light-years near the center of this composite image. The scene combines color data of the starry field and fainter filaments of material at optical energies with image data from the orbiting NuSTAR X-ray telescope. Mapped to false colors, the X-ray data in blue hues trace the fragmented outer boundary of the expanding shock wave, glowing at energies up to 10,000 times the energy of the optical photons.
NASA image of an asteroid flying by Earth
On February 15 an asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth only 17,200 miles above our planet’s surface. There’s no danger of a collision, but the space rock, designated 2012 DA14, has NASA’s attention.
“This is a record-setting close approach,” says Don Yeomans of NASA’s Near Earth Object Program at JPL. “Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, we’ve never seen an object this big get so close to Earth.” Click here to see neat NASA video about this event + read more info.
Landscapes has issued another one of their beautiful videos showing images of landscapes here on Earth and the nighttime sky: Be sure to check this video out!
Here is a touching video made in honor of a young Dutch designer who passed away last year from cancer. The video is entitled “Stardust” and was directed by Mischa Rozema of Amsterdam-based media company PostPanic. The film’s subject is the interstellar probe, Voyager 1. For more information, see PostPanic’s Vimeo page.
As you’re thinking about what to get your significant other for Valentine’s Day, you might be interested in some of the Valentine’s Day messages Name A Star Live customers have included on their Star Certificates in recent weeks. Below are some of the best messages we’ve received so far. Of course, we’ve changed the names in the messages to protect the privacy of our customers. We hope these examples will give you some ideas about what to write for your loved one. Have a happy Valentine’s Day!
To my husband, BAC: I love you more than all the stars; even to Andromeda and back! Our eternal love will forever hold a place in the sky <3 Love your wife, MEC
Happy Valentine’s Day, my love! Our first together, but let this star shine as brightly as our love grows each day. Now we can say our love has traveled through space and time! I love you, my heart!
To my gorgeous boyfriend. Now you have a star named after you. Happy Valentine’s Day. Our love will last for thousands of years like a star lives. Lots and lots of love forever xxxxx
A star is an amazing thing, beautiful and breathtaking. I dedicate this star as a symbol of our love, burning hot and bright through eternity. I love you.
Once upon a time I wished upon a star for a sweet, handsome, honest, fun, loving, caring, smart, and romantic man. You’re everything I ever dreamed of. You are my prince 🙂 I love you xoxo
No matter where we are under the stars, we will always be together…
To a wonderful Husband, Father and Friend. Every time you look into the night sky, I hope you see your star! “To love another person is to see the face of God.” – Victor Hugo
Princess, I love you to the stars! This one is named for you, the most adored person in my life! Your smile lights my soul more than the brightest star. I wish I could lasso it and give it to you!
Loving you is like breathing I just can’t stop. How I wish that I could spend my whole life under the skies watching the stars with you. I Love you.
May this star prove my undying love for you. I love you my beautiful princess, forever and always.
The best meteor shower of the year occurs in mid-December when ‘shooting stars’ appear to blast out of the Name A Star Live constellation Gemini. The peak of this year’s Geminid meteor shower occurs over the night of December 13/14 when, under optimal observing conditions (e.g., FAR from city lights), you may be able to see as many as 80 to 120 shooting stars per hour. But most people generally don’t observe under perfect conditions. Still, you should see quite a show!
Also, if you’re busy the evening of December 13/14, not to worry: You can still see plenty of Geminid meteors between December 4 and 17.
This meteor shower is called “The Geminid’s” because meteors appear to shoot out from the constellation Gemini. This year the “radiant” — the central point from which the shooting stars emerge — will be near the bright star “Castor” (at “A” in the diagram above). The bright star “Pollux” is at “B.” Castor and Pollux are the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, which is outlined in this diagram. Also outlined here is the Name A Star Live constellation “Cancer” (at “C”).
The best way to enjoy a meteor shower is to lie down in a lawn chair — along with friends and family, and maybe even the family dog — and look up. That’s it! No telescopes, binoculars or apps required. If you want to locate Gemini in the night sky, consider getting our planisphere constellation finder or our Virtual Planetarium™ software. But you don’t really have to locate the constellation to enjoy seeing shooting stars: Just lie down on your back and look up. The farther away from city lights you get, the more shooting stars you will see. The best time to see the meteors will be between roughly 10 pm and 2 am. But if you can’t stay out that late Thursday night/Friday morning, there will still be plenty of Geminid meteors to see this coming weekend. Be sure to dress for the weather, and bring along some food and drink. Enjoy!
And here is a perhaps overly-dramatic video about this year’s Geminids: While the Geminid meteor shower is the best of the year, it is easy to overhype. Still, this video is nicely done: Take a look!
Best Time of the Year to See Jupiter
The mighty planet Jupiter dominates the night sky in December. It also reaches “opposition” this month, meaning that this is a point in time when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Jupiter. That in turn means that this is the best time of the year to see Jupiter since it is so bright. Look for the brightest ‘star’ you see over the eastern horizon after sunset: That will be Jupiter! The king of the planets is located in the Name A Star Live constellation Taurus throughout the last month of 2012.
The view facing east in the early evening hours during early December. Jupiter (at “A”) is in the V-shaped group of stars known as the “Hyades,” marked by the bright star Aldebaran (at “B”). You may see the pretty group of stars called the “Pleiades” (at “C”). Many people confuse the Pleiades with the Little Dipper, which is located toward the northern horizon. Depending on your location on Earth, you may see the giant constellation Orion (“D”) rising above the eastern horizon. If you live in the southern hemisphere of Earth (e.g., Australia or New Zealand), these stars will appear ‘upside down’ to you.
The Winter Solstice and the End of the World
There’s been a lot in media this year about how the ancient Maya predicted the world would come to an end around December 21, 2012, or that “Nibiru,” a supposed planet discovered by the ancient Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. These are hoaxes.
This image from NASA features, in the foreground, the famous Aztec calendar, while the background is a satellite image of the outer layers of the Sun. The Aztec calendar incorporates a mythological and calendrical system derived from earlier Mesoamerican cultures, including the Maya. The calendar, which was extremely accurate, was developed by observing the Sun’s motions in the sky over a long period of time.
In fact, we’re so confident that these are hoaxes that, should the world come to an end December 21, 2012, we will gladly issue full refunds to all our Name A Star Live customers on December 22!
But December 21, 2012 does mark the “Winter Solstice” — the point in time when winter begins in the northern hemisphere of Earth. It’s a wonderful time of the year, with snow falling, Christmas carolers singing, New Year’s revelers partying, and football fans cheering. We hope you have a very happy and safe holiday!
Finding your star in the night sky
Stars are located within constellations, which are just areas of the night sky. Scorpius, Aries and Taurus are examples of constellations. Your Name A Star Live Star Certificate displays the name of your constellation. You can use our online World Constellation Guide to determine if you can see your constellation during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). Of course, you’ll need a telescope to see your star. But you can see your constellation without the use of a telescope. You can also find your constellation by using our Virtual Planetarium™ astronomy software. A planisphere is another useful device.
