The Week in SpaceOctober 12-18, 2009
A Very Select Club The only person to have discovered all the moons of one planet was Asaph Hall, an American astronomer born 180 years ago this week. During the Mars opposition of 1877, when Mars came unusually close to Earth, Hall undertook a search for a Martian moon. Frustrated and on the verge of giving up, Hall was urged on by his wife, Angeline. The following evening he discovered Deimos, and six nights later, Phobos. Deimos and Phobos (Greek for “terror” and “fear”) are still the only known moons of Mars. When Phobos was finally imaged up close in 1971, its largest feature, a six-mile-wide crater, was named Stickney, Angeline’s maiden name. In this Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter 2008 image of Phobos, Stickney is the huge crater on the right, covering nearly half the surface of the Phobos. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Arizona Weekly CalendarOctober 12-18, 2009Holidays - Sky Events - Space History
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I buy these calendars because I am able to record information on each date such as weather conditions or rainfall, birthdays and special events. The most important fact is that these calendars contain some fantastic pictures of our universe and our exploration of it. They make great Christmas gifts also. Thanks for the many years of photos that have been shared.--James E., Rose Hill, KS
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