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#924789 11/30/17 02:06 AM
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Watch this space! There won't be any windows to open or hidden chocolates, but starting tomorrow there will be a link to follow for each day to a picture relating to a significant event or stunning astro image. Finishing with one on Christmas Day.

I like advent calendars, so I've chosen this as my holiday theme. But I'm reaching out to everyone who is celebrating a winter holiday. Yes, and the Bah! Humbug! folk too.

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 12/03/17 05:35 AM.
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On December 1, 2013 China launched Chang'e-3 to the Moon carrying the rover Yutu.

The spacecraft landed two weeks later and the rover was deployed.

Chang'e was a Chinese goddess who flew to the Moon, and Yutu was her rabbit companion. In 1969 during the Apollo 11 moon landing, Houston told the astronauts of this Chinese legend. Buzz Aldrin said, “Okay. We’ll keep a close eye out for the bunny girl.”

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On December 2, 1995 the NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) was launched.

A montage of SOHO images shows its view of the Sun at different ultraviolet wavelengths.

The images correspond to solar material at a range of temperatures. From left to right, the brightest material in each image corresponds to temperatures of 60 000–80 000ºC, 1 million, 1.5 million and 2 million degrees respectively. The higher the temperature, the higher you are looking in the solar atmosphere. The hottest areas appear brighter, while the darker regions are relatively cooler.

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On December 3rd the full Cold Moon will appear as what's commonly called a “supermoon”.

Here is such a moon over Paris in 2012. (photo: VegaStar Carpentier)

The Moon's orbit isn't a perfect circle, so there's a time when the Moon is at its closest (perigee) and another when it's at its most distant (apogee). A supermoon is a full moon at perigee. It appears somewhat larger and brighter than the average full moon. However, for all the fuss, you'd be very unlikely to notice the difference. You're more likely to see the Moon low in the sky look larger than usual – this is a well known illusion. The moon in the photograph rising behind the Eiffel Tower doesn't look enormous because it's a supermoon. Photographers create this illusion by increasing their distance to the foreground object.

You can find out more in What Is a Supermoon?

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It looked like a full moon last night but not very large from where I was sitting. Does one day make a difference or is it in just a few places?

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The time of a full moon is predictable and precise. However just looking at up, the Moon can look full for a day either side. A so-called supermoon doesn't actually look any larger than the usual full moons. If you put photographs of a "supermoon" (perigee Moon, i.e., closest to Earth) and a "minimoon" (apogee Moon, i.e., farthest from Earth) side by side, you can see a difference. If you just look up in the sky, you can only see what's there at that time.

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On December 4, 1639, Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree were the first people ever to observe a transit of Venus.

Here is a dramatic photo of the Sun with transiting Venus rising over the Black Sea in the transit of June 6, 2012. (Image credit & copyright: Emil Ivanov)

You can find out more about the first transit in Transit of Venus .

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 12/22/17 01:03 AM.
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One of the most magnificent sights of winter in the far north (or south) is an aurora.

Here is a prize-winning photo of the northern lights above the village of Reine in the Lofoten Islands, Norway. (Image credit & copyright: Alex Conu) It was the winner of The World at Night's 2016 International Earth and Sky Photo Contest.

You can find out more about aurorae here.

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On December 6, 1998 the Unity and Zarya modules were connected to form the core of the International Space Station (ISS).

From that has grown the amazing amazing ISS we have today.

If you want to find out more about life on the space station, here is a video in which NASA astronaut Sunita Williams gives a guided tour.

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On December 7, 1676 a report of Danish astronomer Ole Rømer's presentation to the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris on the speed of light was published. (ISS).

Here is an animated cartoon celebrating Rømer's work. At the time, the speed of light was assumed to be infinite, but Rømer used his timings of the eclipses of Jupiter's moon Io to show otherwise.

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 12/11/17 02:19 PM.
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