The STS-119 Flight Readiness Review is to continue today. In a story published last night Spaceflight Now says that the shuttle could not fly before 12Mar09 and can't fly between 13Mar09 and 7Apr09 due to the presence of the Progress craft carrying Expedition 19. NASA has decided to swap out the Discovery Hydrogen Flow Control valves for similar valves that have less flight time and have had better results in the tests performed on them. Later today they are to announce what their plan is for getting Discovery off the ground and what it will mean for other craft in the fleet.
| Observing Location | Washington Square Park, New York, NY |
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| Observational Period | 1545-1600 EST |
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| Atmospheric Conditions |
| Cloud Cover | Clear |
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| Temperature | 42° F |
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| Wind | Calm |
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| Humidity | Low |
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| Barometric Pressure | 30.40" Hg
Steady |
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| Feels Like | Cool |
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It feels like an early spring day. There are still ice puddles in the streets.
There are no clouds and the sky is light blue.
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| Instruments | Naked-eye - Charlie |
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| Observing Party | Charlie Ridgway
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| Target | Venus |
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| Constellation | Psc |
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| Category | Planet |
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Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20090225.1545 EST |
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| Comments | Venus was very faint and I wasn’t sure I was seeing it but it didn’t move in the sky when I moved my head. I even changed my location twice and was able to recover it each time.
Object
Class | Classical Planet |
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| Phase | Waning Crescent |
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| Elongation | 36.92° E |
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| % Illuminated | 21.9% |
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Distance
Light Time
(from Earth) | 0.3884111 AU
3m 13.84s |
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Distance
(from Sun) | AU |
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| Angular Size | 42.94" |
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| Magnitude | -4.6 |
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| Altitude | 53.8765° |
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| Observing Location | Bowery @ Great Jones St, New York, NY |
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| Observational Period | 1900-1915 EST |
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| Atmospheric Conditions |
| Cloud Cover | Clear (?) |
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| Temperature | 35° F |
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| Wind | Light Breeze |
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| Humidity | Moderate |
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| Barometric Pressure | 30.41" Hg
Steady |
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| Feels Like | Cool |
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I can’t be sure of it but I get the impression that there may be some light cirrus clouds or at least haze up there.
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| Instruments | Naked-eye - Charlie |
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| Observing Party | Charlie Ridgway
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| Target | Capella |
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| Constellation | Aur |
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| Category | Star |
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Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20090225.1905 EST |
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| Comments | Capella was at zenith and very bright. |
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| Target | Cassiopeia |
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| Constellation | Cas |
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| Category | Constellation |
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Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20090225.1910 EST |
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| Comments | I could only locate the α and β stars of Cas, both Mag 2.2x. |
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| Target | Iridium 3 Flare |
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| Constellation | Cam |
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| Category | Satellite |
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Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20090225.1910 EST |
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| Comments | This was the strangest Iridium flare I have ever seen. It did not appear to come from where it should have (based on my understanding of directions at this location) and didn’t really flare.
I had checked in CalSky and determined that the satellite would be moving on a S to N track and should pass through the bowl of the little dipper then flare just NE of Polaris. I observed it as it passed under Shedar and Navi in Cas appearing to come out of the WSW-W and go to the ENE-E passing above Dhube and Merak in UMa before it began to fade. Until it began to fade its brightness appeared to be constant and it was brighter than Shedar and Navi. It was more like an ISS pass than an Iridium flare.
I checked CalSky to see what other satellites would be on that track at that time of night and only came up with TRMM which went in the right direction but was farther down on the southern horizon and was fainter than Shedar and Navi.
| Alt. | 41° |
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| Az. | 14°
NNE |
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| Mag. | -1 |
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| Surface | MMA2 |
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| Target | Castor and Pollux |
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| Constellation | Gem |
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| Category | Constellation |
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Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20090225.1915 EST |
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| Comments | The only stars I could pick out in Gemini tonight were α Gem and β Gem. |
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| Target | Orion |
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| Constellation | Ori |
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| Category | Constellation |
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Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20090225.1915 EST |
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| Comments | I saw the three bright corner stars and the belt but not the sword, shield or club. |
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| Target | Taurus |
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| Constellation | Tau |
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| Category | Constellation |
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Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20090225.1915 EST |
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| Comments | I saw Aldeberan and some twinkling where the Pliades would be but I could not make out individual stars in M45. |
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| Target | Sirius |
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| Constellation | CMa |
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| Category | Star |
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Time
yyyymmdd.hhmm | 20090225.1915 EST |
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| Comments | Sirisu is low on the horizon and often hidden by buildings. It is very bright, especially for its altitude - or lack thereof - in the sky. |
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