[Launch Alert] Vandenberg AFB Launch Schedule
Launch Alert
launch-alert at mailman.qth.net
Thu Sep 15 23:29:39 EDT 2011
LAUNCH ALERT
Brian Webb
Ventura County, California
launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
www.spacearchive.info
2011 September 15 (Thursday) 20:19 PDT
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VANDENBERG AFB LAUNCH SCHEDULE
As of 2011 September 15
Launch
Time/Window
Date (PST/PDT) Vehicle Pad/Silo
---------- ----------------- ------------- --------
SEP 21 To be announced Minuteman III ---
The vehicle will probably send an unarmed warhead on a ballistic
trajectory to the central Pacific. The Defense Department will release
the launch window and other details a few days in advance.
NET OCT 25 02:48:01-02:57:11 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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VIEWING TO FEATURE E.T. STAR CLUSTER
Westmont College Press Release
2011 September 13
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Stargazers will enjoy seeing globular
clusters, planetary nebulae and open clusters on Friday, Sept. 16,
during Westmont's free monthly viewing of the stars. The college's
powerful Keck Telescope, a 24-inch reflector, is housed in the
observatory between the soccer and baseball fields. The viewing, held
in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, begins about
7:30 p.m. and lasts several hours, weather permitting. In case of
inclement weather, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805)
565-6272 and check the Westmont website to see if the viewing has been
cancelled.
The moon will rise at 9:15 p.m. and will be 85 percent illuminated,
drowning out some celestial objects with its glow. But Tom Whittemore,
Westmont physics instructor, says we'll have a chance to see a number
of objects before then, including the Owl Cluster, NGC 457.
"Surprisingly bright at 9,900 light-years and in the Perseus arm of our
galaxy, it looks like an owl with its wings outstretched," he says.
"The owl has two bright eyes, with one that shines with a warm, golden
glow. Some people see E.T. in this cluster of 80 to 100 stars, so it's
also known as the E.T. Cluster."
Two globular clusters will be near the top of the sky, including the
Great Globular Cluster, M13, and the often overlooked globular
cluster, M92. "It's illustrative to show these two globular clusters,
one after the other, to the public because of the closer concentration
of stars in M92 as compared to M13," Whittemore says. "They each lie
about 26,000 light-years away."
Members of the public may also be able to spy planetary nebulae, such
as the Ring Nebula, M57, and the Blinking Planetary, NGC 6826. "The
Blinking Nebula is so named because when viewed through a small
telescope it appears to blink or disappear as the observer scans the
eyepiece," Whittemore says. "This is because the nebula is faint
compared to the inner relatively bright, white dwarf star. When viewed
directly the star is easily visible through the cones of the eyes,
while the faint, outer nebula is seen with peripheral vision using the
more sensitive rods of the eye. I showed this one to a small group of
folks at the August viewing, and they really liked it."
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Astronomy Talk at Altadena Library Saturday Sept. 24...
Don Nicholson to Speak on "Mount Wilson Astronomers I Have Known;
Some of Whom Have Known Me"
Mount Wilson Observatory Association Press Release
2011 September 13
The public is invited to attend an astronomy lecture at the Altadena
Public Library, Saturday, Sept. 24, at 2:30 p.m. Don Nicholson will
speak on "Mount Wilson Astronomers I Have Known; Some of Whom Have
Known Me." This lecture is free of charge, and all are welcome.
There will be light refreshments beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Don Nicholson is Associate Deputy Director for External Affairs of
the Mount Wilson Institute, which operates Mount Wilson Observatory.
The son of Dr. Seth B. Nicholson of the Mount Wilson Observatory, he
has had a lifelong association with that Observatory. His present
interests are the history of astronomy in the 20th century and the
encouragement of public interest and participation in astronomy.
Don spent much of his youth at the Observatory and met many of the
legendary figures who worked there. He graduated from Pomona College
with a major in physics and received a Masters Degree in meteorology
from Caltech. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Force, he worked for
Technicolor, Northrop, and The Aerospace Corporation, where he led
the Optical Systems Department. Since retiring, he has been active in
public outreach for astronomical organizations.
In 2007, Don was presented a Commendation by the Pasadena City Council
for his many years of service to the community, after which Mayor
William Bogaard commented that Don might be the only person still
alive who has actually met George Ellery Hale!
The Altadena Public Library is located at 600 E. Mariposa Street in
Altadena, two stop signs west of Lake Avenue at the corner of Mariposa
and Santa Rosa Avenue ("Christmas Tree Lane"). Exit the 210 freeway at
Lake Avenue in Pasadena and go about 2.5 miles north to Mariposa
Street in Altadena. Turn left on Mariposa, go to the second stop sign,
turn left on Santa Rosa, and turn into the parking lot at the first
driveway on your right. The lecture is in the library's Community
Room.
This talk is sponsored by the Mount Wilson Institute. For more
information, including how to become a member of Friends of Mount
Wilson Observatory (FOMWO), see the Observatory's website
www.mtwilson.edu or contact lecture coordinator Bob Eklund,
beklund at sprynet.com, (310) 216-5947.
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