[Launch Alert] October Events

Sun, 29 Sep 2002 12:11:34 -0700

 	     ASTRONOMY/SPACE ALERT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

 			 Brian Webb, KD6NRP
 		     Ventura County, California
 		    E-mail: [email protected]
 	      Web Site: http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp

					    2002 September 29 (Sunday) 12:05 PDT
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			CONTACTING THE EDITOR

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		SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
			  for 2002 October

Here's a listing of astronomy- and space-related events for tailored
for southern California. Of special interest are some of the TV
programs set to air on the History Channel. These deal with missile
defense, cruise missiles, and the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.

Please let me know if you want me to continue including this listing
in future issues of this newsletter.

All dates and times are Pacific Time.

OCT 1
09:00-10:00
TV program
The History Channel's Time Machine series will air "Anti-Missile
Defenses", a history of U.S. missile defense programs.
http://www.historychannel.com/ontv/index.html

OCT 1
16:00-16:00
TV program
The History Channel's Time Machine series will air "Anti-Missile
Defenses", a history of U.S. missile defense programs.
http://www.historychannel.com/ontv/index.html

OCT 3
09:00-10:00
TV program The History Channel's Time Machine series will air "Cruise
Missiles", a history cruise missiles.
http://www.historychannel.com/ontv/index.html

OCT 3
15:00-16:00
TV program
The History Channel's Time Machine series will air "Cruise Missiles",
a history cruise missiles.
http://www.historychannel.com/ontv/index.html

OCT 5-6
Dark Sky Weekend Moon not visible. Sky is at its darkest

OCT 6
04:18
New Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

OCT 10
20:12*
Moon occults star Moon occults +3.3 magnitude star Theta Ophiuchi.
The star reappears at 20:12 PDT*. The reappearance is not visible.
Sky and Telescope, 2002 JAN, p.109

OCT 12
22:33
First Quarter Moon http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

OCT 12-13
All Arizona Star Party
Event will be held in Arizona City, Arizona.
Contact: Martin [email protected]

OCT 13
01:00
Mercury Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury attains its greatest angular separation (18�) from the Sun.
Look for the planet low in the east at dawn

OCT 13
22:00-23:00
TV program
The History Channel's History Undercover series will air "October
Fury", a program about the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
http://www.historychannel.com/ontv/index.html

OCT 14
02:00-03:00
TV program
The History Channel's History Undercover series will air "October
Fury", a program about the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
http://www.historychannel.com/ontv/index.html

OCT 16
21:02-22:26*
Moon occults star
The Moon occults the +4.0 magnitude star Tau Aquarii. The star
disappears at 21:02 and reappears at 22:26 PDT*.
http://www.planetkc.com/bobgraze 2002d.zip

OCT 17
02:37-02:42
Jovian Moon Eclipse Jupiter's moon Europa partially eclipses Io

OCT 17
17:00
Mercury Greatest Illuminated Extent
The greatest area of the planet's disk is sunlit for the current
apparition. Courtesy of Mark Gingrich

OCT 19
20:00-22:00
TV program
The History Channel's Time Machine series will air "The Cuban Missile
Crisis Declassified", a program about the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
http://www.historychannel.com/ontv/index.html

OCT 20
00:00-02:00
TV program
The History Channel's Time Machine series will air "The Cuban Missile
Crisis Declassified", a program about the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
http://www.historychannel.com/ontv/index.html

OCT 21
00:20
Full Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

OCT 24
04:57-05:03
Jovian Moon Eclipse
Jupiter's moon Europa parially eclipses Io

OCT 25
22:27*
Moon occults star
The Moon occults the +5.0 magnitude star 132 Tauri. The disappearance
is not visible. In Los Angeles the star reappears at 22:27 PDT*.
http://www.planetkc.com/bobgraze 2002d.zip

OCT 26
22:11*
Moon occults star
The Moon occults the +3.1 magnitude star Epsilon Geminorum. The
disappearance is not visible. The star reappears at 22:11 PDT*.
http://www.planetkc.com/bobgraze 2002d.zip

OCT 27
22:37*
Moon occults star
Moon occults +3.3 magnitude star Kappa Geminorum. The disappearance is
not visible. The star reappears at 22:37 PST*.
Sky and Telescope, 2002 JAN, p.109

OCT 28
21:28 Last Quarter Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

OCT 31
04:00
Venus Inferior Conjunction

*Unless otherwise noted, the times given for moonset, lunar
occulations, the start of astronomical twilight, etc., are computed
for downtown Los Angeles. This location is assumed to be at latitude
34� 05' north, longitude 118� 22' west.

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The following is a recent news release from NASA headquarters.

	NASA REJECTS CLAIMS IT PLANS MIND READING CAPABILITY

NASA managers today said published media reports suggesting the agency
plans to read the minds of potential terrorists go too far and ignore
the facts and science behind the research.

The articles were based on a NASA presentation, which served as
talking points for a meeting with Northwest Airlines in December 2001.
The presentation was in response to the call from the Federal
Government for all agencies to look inward and find what could be done
to help in the war on terrorism.

"NASA does not have the capability to read minds, nor are we
suggesting that would be done," said Robert Pearce, Director, NASA's
Strategy and Analysis Division in the Office of Aerospace Technology
in Washington. "Our scientists were asked to think outside the box
with regards to ideas that could aid the nation in the war on
terrorism and that's what they are doing. We have not approved any
research in this area and because of the sensitivity of such research,
we will seek independent review before we do."

The information contained in the presentation identified research and
development challenges that NASA is currently aware of in the
information technology arena, and the agency offered some limited
thoughts and proposed possible solutions in this field. Some of the
ideas will take several years of effort to establish, if there is a
practical application.