[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule

Mon May 2 21:38:48 EDT 2011

                             LAUNCH ALERT

                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                  launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
                        www.spacearchive.info

                                     2011 May 2 (Monday) 18:28 PDT
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                   VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
                         As of 2011 May 2

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

NET JUN 9        07:20:13-07:25:13        Delta II          SLC-2W
Vehicle will launch Argentina's SAC-D environmental satellite
carrying NASA's Aquarius instrument  

NET OCT 25       02:47:35-02:57:35        Delta II          SLC-2W
Vehicle will launch the NPP environmental satellite for NASA and NOAA  

The above schedule is a composite of unclassified information
approved for public release from government, industry, and other
sources. It represents the Editor's best effort to produce a schedule,
but may disagree with other sources. Details on military launches are
withheld until they are approved for public release. For official
information regarding Vandenberg AFB activities, go to
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil.

All launch dates and times are given in Pacific Time using a 24-hour
format similar to military time (midnight = 00:00, 1:00 p.m. = 13:00,
11:00 p.m. = 23:00, etc.). 

The dates and times in this schedule may not agree with those on other
online launch schedules, including the official Vandenberg AFB
schedule because different sources were used, the information was
interpreted differently, and the schedules were updated at different
times.

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                     Meteors from Halley's Comet
                           By Dauna Coulter
                  Reprinted from science.nasa.gov
                             2011 April 27

Looking for an adventure? Get up in the wee hours of the morning May
6th and head out into the country, far from the city lights. You won't
be alone. The birds will be up and singing about the coming dawn, and,
of course, about the eta Aquarid meteor shower. 

The eta Aquarids are best viewed from the southern hemisphere, but
there's something special about them no matter where you live: "Each
eta Aquarid meteoroid is a piece of Halley's Comet doing a kamikaze
death dive into the atmosphere," explains NASA astronomer Bill Cooke.
"Many people have never seen this famous comet, but on the morning of
May 6th they can watch bits of it leave fiery trails across the sky." 

A messenger from the dawn of the universe, Halley's Comet orbits the
sun once every 76 years. Each time it swings by the sun, intense solar
heat vaporizes about 6 meters of ice and rock from the nucleus. The
debris particles, about the size of sand grains, spread along the
comet's orbit, filling it with tiny meteoroids. 

"Although Halley's Comet is deep in the outer solar system at the
moment and won't return to Earth until 2061, it treats us to a meteor
shower twice a year as our planet passes by the debris cloud," says
Cooke. "In May we have the eta Aquarids, and in October the
Orionids." 

And there is something especially significant about the 2011 eta
Aquarids. 

"This is your one chance this year to see meteors blaze across the sky
without glaring moonlight dimming them." 

A thin crescent moon will vacate the sky in the early evening,
leaving a dark canvas for the display. Early risers are in luck, as
the best viewing is an hour or two before dawn. Lie down where you
can see as wide an expanse of sky as possible to catch more meteors
with your peripheral vision. Look up into the darkness and relax. 

The radiant for the eta Aquarids is in the constellation Aquarius:
diagram. But you don't need to look toward the radiant to see the
meteors. 

"Meteors can appear in any part of the sky," says Cooke. "In fact
their trails will tend to point back toward the radiant, so if you
look that way the meteor may appear somewhat stubby. They'll appear
much longer going by you than coming at you." 

You won't need binoculars or a telescope to observe eta Aquarid
meteors. The naked eye's field of view is usually best for seeing
meteors, which frequently streak more than 45 degrees across the sky. 

"Eta Aquarids are fast, moving at 66 km/s (148,000 mph!), and often
trace long paths across the sky, sometimes leaving glowing, persistent
trains. In the northern hemisphere, depending on your latitude [the
closer to the equator the better], you should see from 10 to 40
meteors just before dawn." 

Remember to pack a reclining chair or an old blanket to lie on, and a
thermos of hot coffee would be nice. After all, you'll be up mighty
early! The spring night air may be damp and chill, so bring along
another blanket--or better yet, a big furry dog, both for warmth and
company. Golden Retrievers work nicely. 

It's sure to be a memorable experience. A night breeze caressing your
cheek, the aroma of hot coffee in the predawn air, a gently rising
chorus of birdsong accompanying your own personal light show -- and
your greatest admirer by your side. It just doesn't get any better. 

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