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!
Kiss me and you will see stars, love me and I’ll give them to you…
Since the day I first saw you, I knew you were special. I’ve loved you to the moon and back since that summer. And now that we are finally together, life is complete. One Love. Forever
For hearing my thoughts, understanding my dreams and being my best friend… For filling my life with joy and loving me without end…
Now we will always be together, no matter what happens. Love you always.
This star is for us, Janet. It represents everything we’ve been through and all the other things that haven’t happened yet. As long as this star shines in the night sky you will be in my heart. I love you.
Will you be mine?
There wouldn’t be a sky full of stars if we were all meant to wish on the same one. Happy Valentine’s Day!
You are my guiding star and this will serve as my compass to you. You are the love which fills my heart, nourishes my soul and guides me to being a better person, friend and partner to you.
I love you more than anything on this earth. I didn’t know how to tell you so I figured this star would remind you that you’re the brightest person in my life. Happy Valentines Day.
Now our star will forever be in the sky, and it holds my promise to you. I love you.
As you’re thinking about what to get your friends and loved ones for Christmas and/or Hanukkah, you might be interested in some of the holiday messages Name A Star Live customers have included on their Star Certificates in recent weeks. Below are just some of the many holiday messages so far from the 2011 season. (Of course, we’ve changed the names in the messages to protect the privacy of our customers.)
Merry Christmas 2011. Our love is as boundless as the stars.
Christmas comes but once a year, but now you always have this star to bring you great cheer. Whenever you look up at the sky remember this star and let it symbolize what will last forever.
Merry Christmas! Thank you for being the most amazing dad all year round. I hope every time you look up at this star you are constantly reminded of how much we love you and care for you!
The best yuletide decoration is the twinkles from above on a clear moonlit night. Merry Christmas!
God gave His greatest Gift in Baby Jesus on that first Christmas night. May the wonder and promise of Jesus always guide and light your way.
Merry Christmas Princess. Watch your star sparkle in the sky! Love you xx
Dearest Jane, We named this star after you to celebrate your first winter solstice, Chanukah, and Christmas. Your beautiful smile is as bright as a star. We love you endlessly.
Merry Christmas Alfred. Wishing you have many fun nights star gazing and dreaming
A new star named Henry will be shining bright From Christmas Day then to be seen every night
Happy Christmas May your star always be watching over you
On August 1, 2011, the Houston (Texas) Urban Debate League (HUDL), in conjunction with the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, will host a cutting-edge seminar—the Space Policy Day. Name A Star Live CEO Charles Chafer is the President-Elect of the HUDL Board of Directors. The seminar will place space industry leaders in front of 200 Houston Independent School District high-school urban debaters and will be Web cast “live” to students and members of the space and educational communities around the world. Name A Star Live will link to the Web cast from our homepage August 1. Scheduled participants include NASA Administrator Charles “Charlie” Bolden, and astronaut Nicole Stott. The program will also include a warm tribute to commercial space pioneer David Hannah, Jr.
Throughout the 2011-2012 school year, debaters across the United States will research, learn about, and debate the complex issues facing the space industry today. HUDL —the nation’s fastest growing and second largest urban debate league serving nearly 1,000 students from 28 high schools—will “launch” the discussion with this truly unique opportunity to learn from the brightest and the best minds in the space industry. Debating space policy prepares these students for careers not only in law business, but also in science, technology, engineering and math.
“Debate season” has already begun for HUDL students. In May, seminars at the University of Houston on Space Policy were led by Dr. Wendell Mendell, Chief, Office for Lunar and Planetary Exploration, Constellation Systems Program Office, NASA Johnson Space Center. Throughout the summer, research and practice are ongoing and culminate in a week-long camp at the University of Houston with some of the most successful college debate instructors in the nation. By September, HUDL debaters start the school year having already participated in over 12,000 hours of research, writing and debating.
In this time of budget cuts and decreasing options for extracurricular activities, HUDL’s well-rounded educational activities have never been more relevant. Participating in debate helps students learn to think critically and improves their overall academic performance. HUDL will begin its fourth academic year in Fall 2011. This year, HUDL will inspire young, emerging leaders who may enter a career in the space industry or advocate for space policy in the halls of Congress.
ABOUT THE HOUSTON URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE:
The Houston Urban Debate League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that builds, supports, and sustains programs in Houston’s public schools to make policy debate an educational resource available to all students. Policy debate prepares students to be effective advocates for themselves, their families, and their communities. It is also proven to improve student academic achievement, to increase college matriculation, to close the education gap, and to make learning fun. Each year, HUDL serves up to 1,000 of Houston’s most in need high-school students. To learn more about HUDL, visit www.houstonurbandebate.org.
ABOUT THE JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY:
Since its inception in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy has established itself as one of the leading nonpartisan public policy think tanks in the country. As an integral part of Rice University, one of the nation’s most distinguished institutions of higher education, the Baker Institute has a strong track record of achievement based on the work of Rice University faculty and the institute’s endowed fellows and scholars. To learn more about the Baker Institute, visit www.bakerinstitute.org.
The majestic, ringed planet Saturn continues to dominate the night sky this spring. You’ll notice it as a bright point of light in the southeastern sky during the evening hours, shortly after sunset. (For those of you who live in Australia, New Zealand and other areas of the southern hemisphere, look for Saturn in the northeastern sky after sunset.)
If you have a telescope, be sure to take a look at Saturn during the evening hours of May 22 (May 23 for those of you in Australia and other areas of the eastern hemisphere). On that evening, four of Saturn’s largest moons will appear to be lined up in a row, making for a special visual treat!
Saturn and some of its largest moons. From left to right: #1 Dione, Saturn, # 2 Tethys, # 3 Rhea, and # 4 Titan. The moon below, # 5, is Iapetus, a somewhat dimmer moon of Saturn than numbers 1-4.
You might want to prepare for the May 22 viewing by finding Saturn in the night sky earlier in the month: This way, you’ll know where to aim your telescope on May 22. On May 13 (May 14 for those of you in Australia, etc.) the Moon provides a ‘landmark’ (or, perhaps we should say, a ‘skymark’) that you can use to identify Saturn.
On the evening of May 13, Saturn will appear near the Moon and the bright star Spica. For those of you in Australia and other parts of the southern hemisphere, see the image below.The Moon, Saturn and Spica as viewed from the southern hemisphere of Earth on the evening of May 14
Saturn, with its wonderful rings, is indeed an impressive sight through any telescope. Be sure to take a look at this planetary jewel while the viewing is still good!
The Planets This Month
Saturn dominates the night sky in May: See the discussion above for information on how to find it.
Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Mercury are all ‘morning stars’ this month, barely visible over the eastern horizon at sunrise. Those of you in the southern US and the southern hemisphere will probably get a better view of these four planets this month than those of you in more northern latitudes. Look for Jupiter and Mars together, low in the eastern sky on May 1 (May 2 for those of you in Australia and the eastern hemisphere). On May 11 (May 12 for those of you in Australia and the eastern hemisphere), look for the bright planet Venus and Jupiter to appear close to one another: The elusive planet Mercury will be near Venus and Jupiter that morning as well.
Halley's Comet left a lot of dust particles in its wake: Every year, Earth flies through those dust particles, which burn up in our atmosphere as "shooting stars."
See Some Shooting Stars in Early May
The “Eta Aquarid” meteor shower peaks the evening of May 6 (May 7 for those of you in Australia and other parts of the eastern hemisphere). Although this is not one of the largest meteor showers of the year, it has the advantage of occurring when moonlight won’t interfere (moonlight ‘washes out’ a lot of dim shooting stars). Depending on where you live in the world and how far away you are from city lights, you may see as many as 70 shooting stars (metors) per hour that evening.
No telescope or binoculars are needed! Just lay down on a blanket or reclining chair, look up and enjoy!
BTW, the Eta Aquarid meteors are actually tiny dust particles left by Halley’s Comet as it flies through the solar system. As Earth orbits the sun, our planet passes through the stream of dust left by Halley’s Comet. When these dust particles enter our atmosphere at high rates of speed, they burn up, appearing as “shooting stars.”
When to go stargazing this month
Moonlight ‘drowns out’ the faint light of many stars and other celestial objects, so the best time to view the stars is when the Moon is not visible. If you’re going to stargaze between sunset and midnight, then the best time to do that this month is during the first five or six days, and during the last week of May.
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. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) 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.
Mother’s Day is May 8 this year. As you’re thinking about what to get your mother, you might be interested in some of the Mother’s Day messages Name A Star Live customers have included on their Star Certificates. Below are just some of the many Mother’s Day messages from 2010. (Of course, we’ve changed the names in the messages to protect the privacy of our customers.)
We wish we could tell you, Mom how much you mean to us…. But there are no words to say how much we admire you… how much we appreciate you… how much we thank you for everything you’ve done.
Your love for me means so very much, I treasure your warmth and gentle touch, Your mother’s kindness and advice tis so true, That I’ve named a star in heaven after you! Happy Mother’s Day!
Mom I love you with all my heart. You mean the world to me.I can’t give you the world I hope this star makes up for it. Happy Mother’s Day
In honor of grandma Smith, she will never be far from your heart.
I know this will be your 1st Mother’s Day without your mom. I wanted to do something special for you to honor her. When you are thinking of your Mom just look towards the sky and know she is with you.
Happy Mother’s Day Mum. We cannot always be together – if we look up we can see your star and know we are thinking of each other
I wish I could tell you, Mom how much you mean to me. But there are no words to say how much I admire you … how much I appreciate you … how much I thank you for everything you’ve done.
You are a wonderful person and mother. You melted my heart away with the love of your words. I hope things never change because you are perfect and so are we. I love you.
We just want you to know how much you mean to us.So we bought a star named after you to let you now that you deserve to shine and nobody tell you or make you fell any different. Love you
Artist's rendering of zodiacal light, a triangular, faint area of cosmic light extending from the ground (center, right) up, and toward the left. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
A beautiful, triangle-shaped glow of cosmic light appears in the western sky from late March through early April for those of you who live in mid-northern latitudes (e.g., most of the US, southern Europe, Japan, northern China). Called the “zodiacal light” (as the triangle of light extends from the sun along the constellations of the zodiac), this wondrous apparition can be viewed only if you are far away from city lights, beginning about 80 minutes after sunset. The zodiacal light will appear slightly dimmer than the Milky Way. Zodiacal light is caused by the reflection of sunlight off of dust particles in the solar system.
See the star Spica near the Moon
The bright star Spica — part of the Name A Star Live constellation Virgo — will be near the Moon throughout the night of March 20-21 (March 21-22 for those of you in the southern hemisphere). Spica is actually a binary star system — a pair of stars that orbit one another in space. (You can name binary stars with Name A Star Live!) Specifically, it’s an “eclipsing binary” meaning that the two stars pass in front of one another, causing the star’s brightness to vary. Although the two stars in the Spica system eclipse one another every four days, Spica’s brightness (a.k.a. its “apparent magnitude”) doesn’t fluctuate very much. Look for Spica — a first magnitude star (and the 15th brightest star in the night sky) — this month!
The planets this month
Mid-March will be the best time to see the elusive planet Mercury this year! You’ll need a clear view of the western horizon. Look for two, bright points of light (the planets Jupiter and Mercury) very close to the western horizon, shortly after sunset: If you can, try viewing the two planets from a high vantage point, like a tall building or hillside so that trees, buildings or other obstructions don’t block your view. Jupiter will be the ‘star’ on the left, and Mercury will be the ‘star’ on the right. Both planets — together with the sun — will be in the Name A Star Live constellation Pisces.
Saturn and its largest moons as viewed through a telescope at midnight EST the night of March 8/9, 2011. Titan is the largest and brightest of the moons. The unlabeled dot in this image is a star.
The beautiful, ringed planet Saturn is visible in the eastern sky during the late evening hours, and is visible the balance of the night as a bright point of light moving westward with the stars until sunrise. Even with a small telescope you should be able to see Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Saturn is in the Name A Star Live constellation Virgo now.
Saturn and its largest moons as viewed through a telescope at midnight EDT the night of March 16/17, 2011.
Venus is the ‘morning star,’ visible in the east before sunrise. However, it’s never much to look at through a telescope as Venus is perpetually shrouded in clouds. Venus is in the Name A Star Live constellation Capricorn this month.
Mars is on the other side of the Sun now, so we cannot see the Red Planet this month.
When to go stargazing this month
Moonlight ‘drowns out’ the faint light of many stars and other celestial objects, so the best time to view the stars is when the Moon is not visible. If you’re going to stargaze between sunset and midnight, then the best time to do that this month is during the first 8 or 9 days, and during the last few days of March.
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. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) 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 next two months are the best time of year to see one of the most beautiful and famous objects in the night sky — the Orion Nebula, a giant cloud of gas and dust where stars are born. You can even see this nebula without the use of a telescope!
The Orion Nebula. This cloud of dust and gas is illuminated by newly born stars. This is a combination of an infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and a visible image from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Megeath (University of Toledo)
The nebula appears as the ‘middle star’ in Orion’s sword. If you observe the nebula through a telescope, you should see an image much fainter than the one above: Through amateur telescopes the nebula looks like a beautiful, wispy, grey-green cloud.
Outline of the constellation Orion. The Orion Nebula is located in the sword of Orion.
Orion was a hunter in classical mythology. The brightest stars of Orion mark his feet, his belt (of three stars), his sword (hanging down from his belt), his shoulders, head, arms and raised club. Compare the diagram above with the 17th century illustration below. The Orion Nebula is the middle ‘star’ in Orion’s sword.
A print of the copperplate engraving for Johann Bayer's "Uranometria" (1661) showing the constellation Orion. Orion was a hunter in classical mythology. Image Credit: United States Naval Observatory Library
To give you a sense of just how large and far away the Orion Nebula is … it takes light 24 years to travel from one side of the nebula to the opposite side. Although Orion is the closest star-formation region to Earth, it takes almost 1,600 years for the light from Orion to reach us. By contrast, it takes light a little over 8 minutes to travel from the sun to Earth.
Orion is easy to spot at this time of year: Just look south during the evening hours (between sunset and midnight). You should easily recognize Orion, which will represent a large section of the night sky. (If you live in the southern hemisphere of Earth, such as in Australia or New Zealand, you’ll find Orion toward the north: The constellation will appear to be ‘upside down’ compared to the diagrams above.) The Orion Nebula is one of the prettiest and most observed objects in the night sky. So pull out your telescope over the next few months and enjoy the view!
The planets this month
Jupiter appears toward the southwest after sunset (towards the northwest, if you’re in the southern hemisphere of Earth): It’s a very bright point of light that’s easy to spot. Right now, Jupiter is located within the Name A Star Live constellation Pisces.
Venus and Saturn will be in the Name A Star Live constellations Libra and Virgo, respectively, in January. Venus will appear in the eastern sky before sunrise. Saturn will rise in the east after midnight, and will be toward the south before dawn. (For those of you in the southern hemisphere, Saturn will be toward the north before dawn.)
Mars is on the other side of the Sun now, so we cannot see the Red Planet this month.
When to go stargazing this month
Moonlight ‘drowns out’ the faint light of many stars and other celestial objects, so the best time to view the stars is when the Moon is not visible. If you’re going to stargaze between sunset and midnight, then the best time to do that this month is during the first 8 or 9 days of January, and during the last few days of January.
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. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) 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.
Mid-December is a great time to see shooting stars blasting forth from the Name A Star Live constellation Gemini! Also, a full eclipse of the Moon will be visible throughout North America the night of December 20-21.
Shooting Stars
If you’re in the northern hemisphere of Earth, and if weather permits, then over the night of December 13-14 you may get a good view of the Geminid meteor shower. (If you’re in the southern hemisphere, then you may notice some shooting stars popping up over your northern horizon over the night of December 14-15.) The annual Geminid Meteor Shower is one of the two best meteor showers of the year. The other shower — the Perseid Meteor Shower — occurs in August each year.
The night of Dec. 13-14, look for shooting stars to emanate from the constellation Gemini.
Shooting stars are very tiny meteors – basically, dust particles or small ‘pebbles’ – that burn up in a flash of light as they enter Earth’s atmosphere. These meteors are leftover bits of comets that have passed by Earth in years past: As comets pass by Earth from time to time, they leave a trail of small debris in their wake. This debris remains in the solar system. As Earth revolves around the sun each year, Earth passes through the trails of debris.
To see the shooting stars, all you need is a clear sky (away from city lights), a lawn chair, and some winter clothing if you live in the northern hemisphere of Earth.
Strictly speaking, the best time to see the meteors will be after the moon sets at around midnight in mid-December: But you should still see some meteors before midnight. Lay down on your lawn chair or on a blanket and look up. (If you’re in the southern hemisphere — such as in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina or South Africa — then look toward the northern horizon, not up!) You don’t need a telescope or binoculars. You might see several dozen shooting stars per hour! You should see more and more meteors per hour as the night progresses, until just before dawn. One caveat, though: How many meteors you can see per hour is pretty much hit-or-miss. Predicting meteor showers is sorta’ like predicting rain showers: It’s not an exact science yet! But you should see a number of shooting stars. (Don’t forget to make a wish!)
As you see the shooting stars, try to notice where they are coming from in the night sky. If you have one of our planispheres, you’ll see that the meteors come from the constellation Gemini.
Enjoy the view … and may all your wishes come true!
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Lunar Eclipse
A total eclipse of the Moon will be visible throughout all of North and Central America (local weather permitting) the night of December 20-21 … but you’ll have to stay up late to see it! A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth’s shadow covers at least part of the Moon’s surface. A total eclipse occurs when the entire Moon is covered in Earth’s shadow.
The total eclipse of the Moon, February 21, 2008. The Moon does not become completely dark during a total eclipse: Sunlight refracted through the Earth's atmosphere casts an orange glow on the lunar surface.
Observers throughout North America, the Hawaiian Islands, and Central America can see the total eclipse of the Moon from 2:41 a.m. to 3:53 a.m. EST, December 21 (11:41 pm Dec. 20 to 12:53 a.m. Dec. 21 PST). If you’re in Australia, New Zealand, or east Asia, the eclipse will already be underway at sunset December 21. Those of you in Europe, western Africa and South America may see a partial eclipse at sunrise the morning of December 21.
The mighty planet Jupiter again dominates the night sky this month. Jupiter is the bright point of light you’ll see toward the south after sunset (towards the north, if you’re in the southern hemisphere of Earth): It’s easy to spot.
Venus and Saturn will be in the Name A Star Live constellations Virgo and Libra, respectively, in December. Both planets are low on the eastern horizon around sunrise in mid-December. Look for the two planets about an hour before sunrise: Saturn will be above the planet Venus.
Mars is on the other side of the Sun now, so we cannot see the Red Planet this month.
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. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) 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.
This month take a look at the planet Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun. You can find Uranus by first finding the bright planet Jupiter, which you’ll see almost due south around 9:00 pm local time. (For those of you in the southern hemisphere of Earth — such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa — Jupiter will appear almost due north around 9:00 pm this month.) Through a pair of binoculars or a telescope, Uranus will appear as a pale green dot, up and to the left of Jupiter (down and to the right of Jupiter, if you’re in the southern hemisphere). Try observing when the Moon is not up as moonlight can drown out Uranus’ faint light. If you have particularly good eyesight and are far from city lights, you might even see Uranus with your naked eye on a clear, moonless night.
Hubble Space Telescope image of the planet Uranus, its rings and large moons. The bright moon on the lower right corner is Ariel, which has a snowy white surface. Five small moons with dark surfaces can be seen just outside the rings. Clockwise from the top, they are: Desdemona, Belinda, Portia, Cressida, and Puck. Uranus has a total of 27 moons. Credit: NASA
With a surface area approximately 16 times that of Earth, Uranus is a really large planet, not as big as mighty Jupiter, but large nevertheless! It’s also the coldest planet in the solar system: Unlike the other planets, Uranus has a cool planetary core. Uranus is the 2nd ‘lightest’ planet in the solar system: It’s composed primarily of hydrogen, helium and methane. This means that even though Uranus is much larger than Earth, if you could somehow stand on the surface of Uranus, the amount of gravity you would experience there would be only 89% of Earth’s gravity. For example, a 100 pound child on Earth would weigh only 89 pounds on Uranus.
Uranus was discovered in 1781 by the German-born British astronomer (and musician) Sir William Herschel. Herschel named the planet “George’s Star” after Britain’s King George III. The grateful king awarded Herschel a stipend. But astronomers soon referred to the planet as “Uranus,” naming this green giant after the classical god of the sky, Uranus, who was the father of Saturn, and the grandfather of Jupiter, the king of the gods in classical mythology.
Seeing planets this month
The mighty planet Jupiter again dominates the night sky this month. Jupiter is the bright point of light you’ll see toward the south after sunset (towards the north, if you’re in the southern hemisphere of Earth): It’s easy to spot.
Venus and Saturn will be in the Name A Star Live constellation Virgo in November. Both planets are low on the eastern horizon around sunrise in mid-November. Look for the two planets about an hour before sunrise: Saturn will be above the planet Venus.
Saturn and Venus in the predawn sky, mid-November 2010
Mars is on the other side of the Sun now, so we cannot see the Red Planet this month.
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. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) 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.
A pale green comet is approaching Earth in one of the closest astronomical encounters of its kind in centuries. “Comet Hartley 2” promises to be the brightest comet of 2010. If you travel far from city lights, you may be able to see the comet near the Name A Star Live constellation Cassiopeia in early October.
A pale green interloper among the stars of the Name A Star Live constellation “Cassiopeia,” Comet Hartley 2 (center of image) shines in this four-minute exposure taken on the night of Sept. 28, 2010 by NASA astronomer Bill Cooke. Still too faint to be seen with the unaided eye, the comet was 18 million miles (29 million kilometers) away from Earth at the time. Cooke took this image using a telescope located near Mayhill, New Mexico, which he controlled via the Internet from his home computer in Huntsville, Alabama. Name A Star Live customers who purchase a Deluxe or Ultimate Gift Set have the opportunity to view their stars – and other celestial objects – through an online telescope as well. Image Credit: NASA/MSFC/Bill Cooke, NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office
Comet Hartley 2, a small comet about ¾ to 1 mile (1.2 to 1.6 km) in diameter, was discovered in 1986 by Malcolm Hartley, an Australian astronomer. It orbits the sun about every 6.5 years, and on October 20 the comet will make its closest approach to Earth since its discovery. In this case, “close” means 11 million miles, or 17.7 million kilometers. However, as the Moon will be close to full at that time of the month, your best chance of viewing the comet at a convenient time of night will actually be in early October, when the Moon will not be a factor. Note that even relatively “bright” comets like this one can be difficult to see as their light is ‘spread out’ compared to the light of a star, for example. So be sure to find a really dark spot to get a good look through a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
On the night of October 8/9, the comet will appear among a beautiful double-cluster of stars in the constellation Perseus, which is next to the Name A Star Live constellation Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia resembles a big "W" in the early evening sky toward the north-northeast at this time of the year. Check out the comet with a good pair of binoculars, or with a telescope. You'll need to view the comet far from city lights. The comet’s position that evening is marked by the red “X” in this star chart.
A NASA spacecraft called “EPOXI” (formerly known as “Deep Impact”) will fly past Comet Hartley 2 in early November and take photos of the comet’s nucleus.
Seeing planets this month
The mighty planet Jupiter dominates the night sky this month. Jupiter is the bright point of light you’ll see toward the east after sunset: It’s easy to spot.
If you’re away from city lights and have a good telescope or a good pair of binoculars, you may even see the planet Uranus near Jupiter. It will appear as a pale green dot nearby, just to the east of Jupiter.
Venus and Mars are low on the western horizon around sunset in early October. Mars will be just to the north of Venus. Both of these planets will set shortly after sunset. Venus will become increasingly difficult to see as the month progresses.
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. (That’s why we include the SLOOH online telescope experience in our Deluxe, Framed and Ultimate Gift Sets!) 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.
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!
As you’re thinking about what to get your friends and loved ones for Christmas and/or Hanukkah, you might be interested in some of the holiday messages Name A Star Live customers have included on their Star Certificates in recent weeks. Below are just some of the many holiday messages so far from the 2011 season. (Of course, we’ve changed the names in the messages to protect the privacy of our customers.)
