[MIham] Solar Eclipse, Pluto Eclipse

[Frank]

Space Weather News for March 16, 2007
http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR ECLIPSE:  On March 19th around 0230 UT, the Moon will pass in front of
the Sun, producing a partial solar eclipse visible from Russia, India, China
and the northern reaches of Alaska. In those places the normally-round sun
will turn into a crescent and cast strangely-curved shadows on the ground.
Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information, and check back on March
19th for photos from the eclipse zone.

PLUTO ECLIPSE:  Astronomers from Texas to California with be watching Pluto
Sunday morning, March 18th, when the dwarf planet sweeps across a red, 15th
magnitude star in the constellation Sagittarius.  Pluto's atmosphere was
discovered as a result of such an occultation in 1985.  When a star goes
behind Pluto, its light is not extinguished abruptly, as if hidden by a
sharp edge, but rather gradually--a sign that Pluto is surrounded by a fuzzy
layer of gas.

Astronomers now use stellar occultations to monitor Pluto's atmosphere.
Pluto is receding from the Sun and at some point it may become so cold that
its atmosphere freezes and falls to the ground.  NASA's New Horizons
spacecraft is rushing to catch Pluto (ETA: 2015) before that happens.  On
March 18th, we'll find out if Pluto's atmosphere is still "up in the air."

Amateur astronomers with large backyard telescopes and CCD cameras should be
able to record the occultation. Visit http://spaceweather.com for observing
tips.

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