The Week in Space

  March 23-29, 2009

Just Passing Through  In early 2007, skygazers worldwide enjoyed a celestial show unsurpassed in decades. Comet McNaught, discovered in August 2006 by Scottish-Australian astronomer Robert McNaught, grew steadily and predictably in brightness through the end of the year and then brightened at a furious rate. By mid-January 2007, it could be seen in broad daylight by observers who blocked the Sun with their hand. After its close passage to the Sun, McNaught moved into the southern skies and developed an immense tail that spanned upwards of thirty-five degrees. This image by Lisa Crause was taken on 21 January 2007 and shows Comet McNaught as seen from Hout Bay in Cape Town, South Africa. Comet McNaught’s orbit is so elongated that it won’t pass this way again for 100,000 years.

Image credit: Lisa Crause

Weekly Calendar

March 23-29, 2009

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 23

Neptune 2° south of Moon

1840: John William Draper takes first photograph of Moon
1912: Wernher von Braun born
1965: Gemini III launched
2001: Mir space station reenters atmosphere

Tuesday 24

Mars 4° south of Moon

1893: Walter Baade born
1992: STS-45 Atlantis launched

Wednesday 25

Thursday 26

New Moon 12:06 pm

2009: First three-member crew of ISS Expedition 19 launched

Friday 27

1969: Mariner 7 launched
1972: Venera 8 launched
1989: Contact lost with Phobos 2
1999: First Sea Launch mission

Saturday 28

Sunday 29

1807: Heinrich Olbers discovers Vesta
1974: Mariner 10 first Mercury flyby
1989: Starfire 1 launched
2006: ISS Expedition 13 crew launched

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