[Launch Alert] Astronomical Events

[Brian Webb]

		ASTRONOMY/SPACE ALERT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

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

						 2003 March 1 (Saturday) 18:27 PST
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		   Southern California Astronomical Events
					March 2003

			   Time*
Date			 (PST/PDT)			   Event
-------		-----------		------------------------

MAR 1-2		    ---		Dark Sky Weekend
Weekend closest to new moon

MAR 2			   18:35		New Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

MAR 2			22:45-22:50		Jovian Moon Occultation
Jupiter's moon Io partially occults Europa
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/2002-3_Occults.txt

MAR 4			03:31-03:42		Jovian Moon Occultation
Jupiter's moon Europa occults Ganymede
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/2002-3_Occults.txt

MAR 10		00:46-00:50		Jovian Moon Occultation
Jupiter's moon Io partially occults Europa
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/2002-3_Occults.txt

MAR 10		   23:15		First Quarter Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

MAR 11		   04:00		Moon-Jupiter Appulse
The Moon passes 4� north of Jupiter.

MAR 17		02:48-02:53		Jovian Moon Occultation
Jupiter's moon Io partially occults Europa
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/2002-3_Occults.txt

MAR 17		19:30-20:33		Lunar Occultation
The Moon occults (passes in front of) the star nu Virginis. Star
disappears at 19:30 and reappears at 20:33.
http://www.planetkc.com/bobgraze/2003d.zip

MAR 18		   02:34		Full Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

MAR 21		   00:00		Mercury Superior Conjunction
Mercury is on the far side of the Sun

MAR 24		   17:51		Last Quarter Moon
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.html

MAR 25		03:32-04:53		Lunar Occultation
The Moon occults (passes in front of) the star phi Sagittarii. Star
disappears at 03:32 and reappears at 04:53.
http://www.planetkc.com/bobgraze/2003d.zip

MAR 27		17:55-17:59	Jovian Moon Occultation
Jupiter's moon Io partially occults Europa
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/2002-3_Occults.txt

MAR 29-30	   ---		Dark Sky Weekend
Weekend closest to new moon

*All times are computed for downtown Los Angeles

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	The following is a news release from Vandenberg AFB


				March 1, 2003
				Release Number 03-0301

	STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION TREATY INSPECTORS ARRIVE

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Officials from the 30th Space Wing
will meet an inspection team from the Commonwealth of Independent
States today at 4 p.m. They will conduct an on-site verification for
compliance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

The United States sends similar teams to inspect former Soviet
strategic weapon facilities. The reciprocal inspections are an element
of the START I accord, which was signed in 1991 and went into force in
1994.