[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule

[Brian Webb]

                             LAUNCH ALERT
 				  
                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                         kd6nrp at earthlink.net
                     http://www.spacearchive.info
		       
                                2008 November 30 (Sunday) 14:06 PDT
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                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
                        As of 2008 November 30

                    Launch
                 Time/Window
  Date            (PST/PDT)               Vehicle      Pad/Silo
---------      ---------------          ----------     --------

Early DEC       To be announced         GBI            ---
Scenario calls for the launch of a mock warhead from the Kodiak Launch
Complex, Alaska followed by a Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) from
Vandenberg AFB. The DoD will announce the launch time several hours in
advance. Operation Name: FTG-05 

JAN 15          To be announced         Taurus XL      576-E
Payload is the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) scientific satellite.
This launch date is under review. 

FEB 4           02:22-02:32             Delta II       SLC-2W
Payload is the NOAA N Prime environmental satellite 

APR 30          To be announced         Delta II       SLC-2W
Payload is the Missile Defense Agency's STSS ATRR 

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                         ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
                            2008 December
                Computed for Los Angeles, California

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

DEC 1          Dusk             Conjunction
A close grouping of the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter in the southwest

DEC 5          14:04            Mars Conjunction
Mars passes behind the Sun and is lost in the Sun's glare. 

DEC 5          14:26            First Quarter Moon
Moon rises at noon and sets at midnight 

DEC 12         08:37            Full Moon
Moon rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, and is visible all night 

DEC 12         14:00            Large Tides
Closest lunar perigee in 15 years. Large tides 

DEC 13, 14     00:00-05:20      Geminid Meteor Shower
Observers in dark locations should see several meteors per hour under
good conditions. The shower is predicted to peak on DEC 13 at 15:00
PST (DEC 13 23:00 UTC). 

DEC 19         02:29            Last Quarter Moon
Moon rises at midnight and sets at noon 

DEC 27         04:22            New Moon
Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and is invisible. Moon rises
at sunrise and sets at sunset 

DEC 27-28      ---              Dark Sky Weekend
Best time this month to observe faint objects. Amateur astronomers may
hold observing sessions at dark sites 

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