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Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 3 min read
Sols 4302-4303: West Side of Upper Gediz Vallis, From Tungsten Hills to the Next Rocky Waypoint
This photo taken by NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity of ‘Balloon Dome’ covers a low dome-like structure formed by the light-toned slab-like rocks. This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera aboard Curiosity on Sol 4301 — Martian day 4,301 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — on Sept. 11, 2024, at 09:14:42 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024
The rover is on its way from the Tungsten Hills site to the next priority site for Gediz Vallis channel exploration, in which we plan to get in close enough for arm science to one of the numerous large dark-toned “float” blocks in the channel and also to one of the light-toned slabs. We have seen some dark blocks in the channel that seem to be related to the Stimson formation material that the rover encountered earlier in the mission, but some seem like they could be something different. We don’t think any of them originated in the channel so they have to come from somewhere higher up that the rover hasn’t been, and we’re interested in how they were transported down into the channel.
We aren’t there yet, but the 4302-4303 plan’s activities include some important longer-range characterization of the dark-toned and light-toned materials via imaging. Context for the future close-up science on the dark-toned blocks will be provided by the Mastcam mosaics named “Bakeoven Meadow” and “Balloon Dome.” The broad Balloon Dome mosaic also covers a low dome-like structure formed by the light-toned slab-like rocks (pictured). Smaller mosaics will cover a pair of targets that include contacts where other types of light-toned and dark-toned material occur next to each other in the same block: “Rattlesnake Creek” which appears to be in place, and “Casa Diablo Hot Springs,” which is a float.
The rover’s arm workspace provided an opportunity for present-day aeolian science on the sandy-looking ripple, Sandy Meadow. Mastcam stereo imaging will document the shape of the ripple, while a suite of high-resolution MAHLI images will tell us something about the particle size of the grains in it. The modern environment will also be monitored via a suprahorizon observation, a dust devil survey, and imaging of the rover deck to look for dust movement.
The workspace included small examples of the dark float blocks, so the composition of one of them will be measured by both APXS and ChemCam LIBS as targets “Lucy’s Foot Pass” and “Colt Lake” respectively.
In the meantime, the Mastcam Boneyard Meadow mosaic will provide a look back at the Tungsten Hills dark rippled block along its bedding plane to try to narrow down the origin of the ripples and the potential roles of water vs. wind in their formation.
Communication remains a challenge for the rover in this location. During planning, the rover’s drive was shifted from the second sol to the first sol in order to increase the downlink data volume available for the post-drive imaging, thereby enabling better planning at the science waypoint we expect to reach in the weekend plan. However, maintaining communications will require the rover to end its drive in a narrow range of orientations, which could make approaching our next science target a bit tricky. We’ll find out on Friday!
Written by: Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Edited by: Abigail Fraeman, Planetary Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Last Updated Sep 13, 2024 Related Terms
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A laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) 3D printer at RPM Innovations’ facility additively manufactures a large-scale aerospike rocket engine nozzle from one of Elementum 3D’s specialized, 3D-printable aluminum alloys.RPM Innovations Inc. In the fall of 2023, NASA hot fire tested an aluminum 3D printed rocket engine nozzle. Aluminum is not typically used for 3D printing because the process causes it to crack, and its low melting point makes it a challenging material for rocket engines. Yet the test was a success.
Printing aluminum engine parts could save significant time, money, and weight for future spacecraft. Elementum 3D Inc., a partner on the project, is now making those benefits available to the commercial space industry and beyond.
The hot fire test was the culmination of a relationship between NASA and Elementum that began shortly after the company was founded in 2014 to make more materials available for 3D printing. Based in Erie, Colorado, the company infuses metal alloys with particles of other materials to alter their properties and make them amenable to additive manufacturing. This became the basis of Elementum’s Reactive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) process.
A rocket engine nozzle 3D printed from Elementum 3D’s A6061 RAM2 aluminum alloy undergoes hot fire testing at Marshall Space Flight Center. Credit: NASA NASA adopted the technology, qualifying the RAM version of a common aluminum alloy for 3D printing. The agency then awarded funding to Elementum 3D and another company to print the experimental Broadsword rocket engine, demonstrating the concept’s viability.
Meanwhile, a team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, was working to adapt an emerging technology to print larger engines. In 2021, Marshall awarded an Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity to Elementum 3D to modify an aluminum alloy for printing in what became the Reactive Additive Manufacturing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution project.
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Skywatching Skywatching Home Eclipses What’s Up Explore the Night Sky Night Sky Network More Tips and Guides FAQ 23 Min Read The Next Full Moon is a Partial Lunar Eclipse; a Supermoon; the Corn Moon; and the Harvest Moon
The Next Full Moon is a Partial Lunar Eclipse; a SuperMoon; the Corn Moon; the Harvest Moon; the Fruit or Barley Moon; the end of Ganesh Chaturthi and the start of Pitru Paksha; Madhu Purnima; the Mid-Autumn, Mooncake, or Reunion Festival Moon; Chuseok; and Imomeigetsu or the Potato Harvest Moon.
The full Moon will be Tuesday night, September 17, 2024, at 10:35 PM EDT. This will be on Wednesday from Newfoundland and Greenland Time eastward across Eurasia, Africa, and Australia to the International Date Line. Most commercial calendars will show this full Moon on Wednesday based on Greenwich or Universal Time. The Moon will appear full for about three days, from Monday evening through Thursday morning.
This will be a partial lunar eclipse. The Moon will start entering the Earth’s partial shadow at 8:41 PM EDT. The slight dimming of the Moon will be difficult to notice until the top edge of the Moon starts entering the full shadow at 10:13 PM. The peak of the eclipse will be at 10:44 PM with only the top 8 percent of the Moon in full shadow. The Moon will finish exiting the full shadow at 11:16 PM and the partial shadow on Wednesday morning at 12:47 AM.
The phases of the Moon for September 2024. NASA/JPL-Caltech This will be a supermoon. The term “supermoon” was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979 as either a new or full Moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of its closest to Earth. Since we can’t see new Moons, what has the public’s attention are full supermoons, the biggest and brightest Moons of the year. Although different publications use different thresholds for deciding which full Moons qualify, most agree this will be the second of four consecutive supermoons (effectively tied with the full Moon in October for the closest of the year).
The Maine Farmer’s Almanac first published “Indian” names for the full Moons in the 1930s and these names have become widely known and used. According to this almanac, as the full Moon in September the Algonquin tribes in what is now the northeastern USA called this the Corn Moon, as this was the time for gathering their main staple crops of corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice.
As the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox, this is the Harvest Moon. The first known written use of this name in the English language (per the Oxford English Dictionary) was in 1706. During the fall harvest season farmers sometimes need to work late into the night by moonlight. On average moonrise is about 50 minutes later each night. Around the Harvest Moon this time is shorter, about 25 minutes for the latitude of Washington, DC, and only 10 to 20 minutes farther north in Canada and Europe.
Other European names for this full Moon are the Fruit Moon, as a number of fruits ripen as the end of summer approaches, and the Barley Moon, from the harvesting and threshing of barley.
For Hindus, this full Moon marks the end of Ganesh Chaturthi and the start of Pitru Paksha. Ganesh Chaturthi (also called Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi) is a 10 or 11 day festival honoring the god Ganesha that ends with this full Moon. Ganesha is easily recognized by his elephant head and is worshiped as the god of beginnings, wisdom, arts and sciences, and as the remover of obstacles. Throughout the festival celebrants offer food, sweets, and prayers to clay statues of Ganesha at home and on public stages. Traditions include chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts, prayers, and fasting. On the last day (near the full Moon), people carry the statues to a nearby river or ocean and immerse them. As the clay dissolves, Ganesha is believed to return to his parents, the god Shiva and goddess Parvati, on Mount Kailash.
Pitru Paksha (fortnight of the ancestors) is a 15 days long festival that ends with the new Moon. During this time, Hindus honor their ancestors (pitrs) with rituals, food offerings, and scripture reading. Pitru Paksha is also known by a number of other names.
For some Buddhists in Bangladesh and Thailand this full Moon is Madhu Purnima, the Honey Full Moon Festival or the Honey-offering Festival. The legend is that when the Buddha was trying to bring peace between two factions in a forest, an elephant and a monkey fed him, with the elephant offering fruit and the monkey offering a honeycomb.
In China, Vietnam, and some other Asian countries, this full Moon corresponds with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional harvest festival. In China, other names for this festival include the Moon Festival, the Mooncake Festival, and the Reunion Festival (with wives visiting their parents then returning to celebrate with their husbands and his parents). Part of the festival includes offerings to the Moon Goddess Chang’e (the name the China National Space Agency gives their lunar missions).
In Korea, this full Moon corresponds with the harvest festival Chuseok, during which Koreans return to their traditional hometowns to pay respect to the spirits of their ancestors.
This full Moon corresponds with the first of two Japanese Tsukimi or “Moon-Viewing” festivals, also called Imomeigetsu (which translates as “potato harvest Moon”) because of the tradition of offering sweet potatoes to the Moon. These festivities have become so popular that they are often extended for several days after the full Moon.
In many traditional Moon-based calendars the full Moons fall on or near the middle of each month. This full Moon is near the middle of the eighth month of the Chinese year of the Dragon and Rabi’ al-Awwal in the Islamic calendar, the month in which many Muslims celebrate Mawlid, the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. This full Moon is near the middle of Elul in the Hebrew calendar. Elul is a time of preparation for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Customs include granting and asking others for forgiveness as well as beginning or ending all letters with the wish that the recipient will have a good year.
As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon. Go out and observe the Moon, enjoy this harvest season (including corn, fruit, and sweet potatoes, and honey), remember your ancestors, stay in touch with your parents, and forgive and ask forgiveness. Here’s wishing you a good year!
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
Pay attention to the news about Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)! There are a number of “ifs” so we don’t like to raise expectations. Similar visitors from the Oort Cloud have broken apart and fizzled out as they passed close to the Sun. If this comet survives its passage by the Sun (closest approach on September 27, 2024) and if the amount of gas and dust it gives off does not decrease significantly, this might be one of the best comets in a long time. If it strongly scatters sunlight towards the Earth it might even be visible in the glow of dusk just after its closest approach to Earth on October 12.
From the Washington, DC area and similar latitudes, this comet will be above the horizon before morning twilight begins from September 22 through October 4, with the current brightness curve predicting a steady increase in brightness from about visual magnitude 4 to near 3 (the smaller the number, the brighter the object). As it brightens it may be visible under dark sky conditions and even more impressive through binoculars or a telescope, although towards the start and end of this period it may be too low on the horizon to see when the sky is completely dark.
Between about October 4 and October 11 the Sun’s glare will mask visibility from the Northern Hemisphere. Check your local news or web sites for viewing information for your latitude. For example, Sky and Telescope reports that Southern Hemisphere skywatchers should fare better.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be at its closest to Earth on October 12 at 11:10 AM EDT. Around closest approach the comet’s brightness is predicted to peak at about visual magnitude 3 (similar to many stars). Forward scattering might increase the brightness significantly, possibly as high as -1 (brighter than every star except Sirius). How bright the comet actually appears will depend upon how much gas and dust it is giving off, which can change quickly. Also, brightness comparisons between comets and stars can be misleading as the light of the comet is spread out making it less distinct than a star with the same brightness.
The best time to look should be the evenings on and shortly after October 12 with the comet above the western horizon after sunset. The evening of October 12 the comet will be 4 degrees above the western horizon as evening twilight ends, similar in altitude and to the right of Venus. The comet is expected to dim as it moves away from the Earth, but will appear higher in a darker sky and set later each evening, which could make it easier to see. As evening twilight ends on October 13 it will be 10 degrees above the western horizon, 12 degrees on October 14, 16 degrees on October 15, etc. The brightness will decrease to about magnitude 6 by the end of October.
Meteor Showers
During this lunar cycle four minor meteors showers are predicted to peak at 5 or fewer visible meteors per hour (under ideal viewing conditions), making them basically not visible from our light-polluted urban areas.
Evening Sky Highlights
On the evening of Tuesday, September 17 (the evening of the full Moon), as twilight ends (at 8:10 PM EDT), the rising Moon will be 11 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon with Saturn to the upper right at 14 degrees above the horizon. Later in the evening the partial shadow of the Earth will cover a small upper part of the Moon. Bright Venus will be 2 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon with the star Spica on the horizon to the lower left. The bright star closest to overhead will be Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra the lyre, at 87 degrees above the western horizon. Vega is part of the Summer Triangle along with Deneb and Altair. It is the 5th brightest star in our night sky, about 25 light-years from Earth, has twice the mass of our Sun, and shines 40 times brighter than our Sun.
As this lunar cycle progresses, Saturn and the background of stars will appear to shift westward each evening (as the Earth moves around the Sun). Bright Venus will shift to the left along the west-southwestern horizon, appearing slightly higher each evening. The waxing Moon will pass by Venus on October 5, Antares on October 7, and Saturn on October 14. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be at its closest to Earth on October 12 at 11:10 AM. Assuming it survives its pass by the Sun on September 27 and depending upon how much gas and dust it gives off, it could be a good show in the evenings on and after October 12. See the comet summary above and keep an eye on the news for updates on this comet.
By the evening of Thursday, October 17 (the evening of the full Moon after next), as twilight ends (at 7:24 PM EDT), the rising Moon will be 9 degrees above the eastern horizon. Saturn will be 27 degrees above the southeastern horizon. Bright Venus will be 6 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be 22 degrees above the western horizon. The bright star closest to overhead will be Deneb at 80 degrees above the northeastern horizon. Deneb is the 19th brightest star in our night sky and is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus the swan. Deneb is one of the three bright stars of the “Summer Triangle” (along with Vega and Altair). Deneb is about 20 times more massive than our Sun but has used up its hydrogen, becoming a blue-white supergiant about 200 times the diameter of the Sun. If Deneb were where our Sun is, it would extend to about the orbit of the Earth. Deneb is about 2,600 light years from us.
Morning Sky Highlights
On the morning of Wednesday, September 18 (the morning of the night of the full Moon), as twilight begins (at 5:55 AM EDT), the setting full Moon will be 15 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter at 71 degrees above the south-south eastern horizon. Near Jupiter will be Mars at 61 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon. Saturn will be below the Moon at 1 degree above the western horizon. The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Capella, the brightest star in the constellation Auriga the charioteer, at 80 degrees above the northeastern horizon. Although we see Capella as a single star (the 6th brightest in our night sky), it is actually four stars (two pairs of stars orbiting each other). Capella is about 43 lightyears from us.
As this lunar cycle progresses, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, and the background of stars will appear to shift westward each evening. After September 19 Saturn set before morning twilight begins. The waning Moon will pass by the Pleiades star cluster on September 22, Mars on September 25, Pollux on September 26, and Regulus on September 29. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be above the horizon before morning twilight begins from September 22 through October 4. Comets are notoriously difficult to predict, but if the amount of gas and dust it gives off remains constant it should increase in brightness each morning. See the comet summary above and keep an eye on the news for updates on this comet.
By the morning of Thursday, October 17 (the morning of the full Moon after next), as twilight begins (at 6:22 AM EDT), the setting full Moon will be 11 degrees above the western horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter at 63 degrees above the west-southwestern horizon. Mars will be at 72 degrees above the south-southeastern horizon. The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Pollux, the 17th brightest star in our night sky and the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini, at 75 degrees above the southeastern horizon. Pollux is an orange tinted star about 34 lightyears from Earth. It is not quite twice the mass of our Sun but about 9 times the diameter and 33 times the brightness.
Detailed Daily Guide
Here for your reference is a day-by-day listing of celestial events between now and the full Moon on October 17, 2024. The times and angles are based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, and some of these details may differ for where you are (I use parentheses to indicate times specific to the DC area). If your latitude is significantly different than 39 degrees north (and especially for my Southern Hemisphere readers), I recommend using an astronomy app or a star-watching guide from a local observatory, news outlet, or astronomy club.
Saturday night, September 14, is International Observe the Moon Night! See https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/about/overview/ for more information.
Our 24 hour clock is based on the average length of the solar day. Solar noon on Sunday, September 15 to solar noon on Monday, September 16, will be the shortest solar day of the year, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 38.6 seconds long.
Monday night into Tuesday morning, September 16 to 17, Saturn will appear near the full Moon. As evening twilight ends (at 8:12 PM EDT) Saturn will be 6 degrees to the left of the Moon. When the Moon reaches its highest for the night (at 12:17 AM) Saturn will be 4 degrees to the upper left. By the time morning twilight begins (at 5:54 AM) the Moon will be 1 degree above the west-southwestern horizon with Saturn 1 degree above the Moon. For parts of western North America and across the Pacific Ocean towards Australia the Moon will pass in front of Saturn. See http://lunar-occultations.com/iota/planets/0917saturn.htm for a map and information on the areas that will see this occultation.
Tuesday morning, September 17, will be the last morning that Mercury will be above the horizon as morning twilight begins (at 5:54 AM EDT).
As mentioned above, the full Moon will be Tuesday night, September 17, at 10:35 PM EDT. This will be on Wednesday from Newfoundland and Greenland Time eastward across Eurasia, Africa, and Australia to the International Date Line. Most commercial calendars are based on Greenwich or Universal Time and will show this full Moon on Wednesday. The Moon will appear full for about three days from Monday evening through Thursday morning.
This will be a partial lunar eclipse. The Moon will start entering the partial shadow of the Earth at 8:41 PM EDT. The slight dimming of the Moon will be difficult to notice until the top edge of the Moon starts entering the full shadow at 10:13 PM. The peak of the eclipse will be at 10:44 PM with just the top 8.4% of the Moon in full shadow. The Moon will finish exiting the full shadow at 11:16 PM and the partial shadow on Wednesday morning at 12:47 AM.
This will be the second of four consecutive supermoons, appearing larger than last month’s supermoon and effectively tied with the full Moon in October for the closest full Moon of the year.
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, September 17 and 18, the star Spica will appear a little over 2 degrees from the bright planet Venus. On Tuesday evening as evening twilight ends (at 8:10 PM EDT) Spica will be to the lower left of Venus and on the verge of setting on the west-southwestern horizon. Wednesday evening Spica will be a few hundredths of a degree closer and will appear below Venus, but will set about 2 minutes before evening twilight ends.
Wednesday morning September 18, at 9:29 AM EDT, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.
Thursday morning, September 19, will be the last morning the planet Saturn will be above the western horizon as morning twilight begins.
If you are interested in spotting the planet Neptune through a telescope, Friday evening, September 20, will be when it will be at its closest and brightest for the year. Neptune will reach its highest in the sky early Saturday morning (at 1:02 AM EDT).
Saturday night into Sunday morning, September 21 to 22, the Pleiades star cluster will appear near the waning gibbous Moon. The Pleiades will be 5 degrees to the lower left as they rise on the east-northeastern horizon (at 9:23 PM EDT), 1.5 degrees to the upper left by the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night (at 4:44 AM), and less than 1 degree to the upper left as morning twilight begins (at 5:59 AM). The Moon will actually pass through the Pleiades (at about 8 AM) when daylight will mask these stars from view.
Sunday morning, September 22, will be the first morning Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be above the horizon before morning twilight begins, with the current brightness curve predicting it at visual magnitude 4. Unless it breaks apart, this comet is likely to brighten each morning until October 4 (after which it will no longer be above the horizon before twilight begins).
Sunday morning, September 22, at 8:44 AM EDT, will be the autumnal equinox, the astronomical end of summer and start of fall.
Monday night into Tuesday morning, September 23 to 24, the bright planet Jupiter will appear to the lower right of the waning half-full Moon. Jupiter will be 6 degrees to the lower right as it rises on the east-northeastern horizon (at 10:54 PM EDT). Jupiter will shift slightly clockwise as it moves away from the Moon.
Thursday afternoon, September 24, the waning Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 2:50 PM EDT (when we can’t see it).
Wednesday morning, September 25, the planet Mars will appear below the waning crescent Moon. Mars will be 6 degrees below the Moon as it rises on the east-northeastern horizon (at 12:16 AM EDT). Mars will be 5 degrees to the lower right as morning twilight begins (at 6:01 AM).
Thursday morning, September 26, the star Pollux (the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini the twins) will appear near the waning crescent Moon. Pollux will be 3 degrees to the lower left as it rises on the northeastern horizon (at 12:47 AM EDT) and will be 2 degrees to the upper left by the time morning twilight begins (at 6:02 AM).
Friday afternoon, September 27, at around 2 PM EDT, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be at its closest to the Sun. This comet has an inbound orbital period of millions of years and may gain enough energy from this flyby of the Sun to leave the solar system forever.
Sunday morning, September 29, the star Regulus will appear near the waning crescent Moon. As Regulus rises on the east-northeastern horizon (at 4:01 AM EDT) it will be 2.5 degrees to the lower right of the Moon. Morning twilight will begin 2 hours later (at 6:05 AM) with Regulus 3 degrees to the right.
Monday afternoon, September 30, the planet Mercury will be passing on the far side of the Sun as seen from the Earth, called superior conjunction. Because Mercury orbits inside of the orbit of Earth, it will be shifting from the morning sky to the evening sky and will begin emerging from the glow of twilight on the west-southwestern horizon towards the end of October (depending upon viewing conditions).
Wednesday, October 2, at 2:46 PM EDT, will be the new Moon, when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and is usually not visible. For much of the Pacific Ocean as well as the southern part of South America, part of Antarctica, and a thin slice of the southwestern Atlantic, the Moon will block some of the Sun in a partial eclipse. For a narrow strip from the Pacific south of the Hawaiian Islands across the Pacific, part of Chile and Argentina, and into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, the Moon will actually pass in front of the Sun, blocking most of it from view in an annular solar eclipse. Because the Moon will be at apogee (its farthest from the Earth) just 70 minutes later (at 3:56 PM) it will not block the entire Sun from view and this will not be a total solar eclipse.
The day of or the day after the New Moon marks the start of the new month for most lunisolar calendars. Sundown on Wednesday, October 2, will be the start of Rosh Hashanah (the Head of the Year), the two-day Jewish New Year celebration that will end at sundown on Friday, October 4. Rosh Hashanah is the first of a series of holidays in Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. The tenth day of Tishrei is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The 10 days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, called the Days of Awe, are a time to reflect on the mistakes of the past year and make resolutions for the new year. The fifteenth day of Tishrei (close to the full Moon after next) is the start of the 7-day Sukkot holiday.
The ninth month of the Chinese year of the Dragon starts on Thursday, October 3.
In the Islamic calendar the months traditionally start with the first sighting of the waxing crescent Moon. Many Muslim communities now follow the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia, which uses astronomical calculations to start months in a more predictable way. Using this calendar, sundown on Thursday evening, October 3, will probably mark the beginning of Rabiʽ al-Thani, also known as Rabi’ al-Akhirah.
Friday, October 4, will be the last morning Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be above the horizon before morning twilight begins, with the current brightness curve predicting a visual magnitude near 3, similar in brightness to many visible stars. It may be visible to the naked eye under dark sky conditions and even more impressive through binoculars or a telescope.
Saturday evening, October 5, you may be able to see the thin waxing crescent Moon 4.5 degrees to the lower left of the bright planet Venus. As evening twilight ends (at 7:41 PM EDT) the Moon will be a degree above the west-southwestern horizon. The Moon will set first 14 minutes later (at 7:55 PM).
Monday evening, October 7, the bright star Antares will appear 2 degrees to the right of the waxing crescent Moon. As evening twilight ends (at 7:38 PM EDT) the Moon will be 11 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Antares will set first about 20 minutes later (at 9 PM).
Thursday afternoon, October 10, the Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its first quarter at 2:55 PM EDT.
Saturday morning, October 12, at 11:10 AM, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be at its closest to Earth. If it survives its pass by the Sun this will likely be when it will be near its brightest. Although it will be on the horizon as evening twilight ends on Friday, our first chance to see it above the horizon as it emerges from the glow of dusk likely will be Saturday evening, when the comet will be 4 degrees above the western horizon as evening twilight ends (at 7:31 PM EDT), similar in altitude and to the right of Venus. Over the next few nights the comet will likely dim as it moves away from the Earth, but also appear higher in the sky and set later each evening, giving us more time and darker skies to look for this comet. As evening twilight ends on October 13 it will be 10 degrees above the western horizon, 12 degrees on October 14, 16 degrees on October 15, etc. Current brightness curves predict it will dim quickly and will be below magnitude 6 by the end of October. How bright the comet will be and how quickly it actually dims will depend upon the gas and dust it is giving off, which can vary quickly and unpredictably, but it could be a good show in the evenings after October 12.
Monday evening, October 14, the planet Saturn will appear near the waxing gibbous Moon. As evening twilight ends (at 7:28 PM EDT) Saturn will be 4 degrees to the upper right. The Moon will reach its highest for the night about 3.5 hours later (at 10:53 PM) with Saturn 5 degrees to the lower right. The pair will continue to separate, with Saturn setting first 5 hours after that (at 4:09 AM). For parts of Southern Asia and Africa the Moon will block Saturn from view, see http://lunar-occultations.com/iota/planets/1014saturn.htm for a map and information on the areas that will acually see this occultation.
Wednesday evening, October 16, at 8:57 PM EDT, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to the Earth for this orbit.
The full Moon after next will be Thursday morning, October 17, 2024, at 7:26 AM EDT. This will be late Wednesday night in the International Date Line West time zone and early Friday morning from New Zealand Time eastwards to the International Date Line. This will be the third of four consecutive supermoons (and the brightest by a tiny margin). The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from Tuesday evening through Friday morning.
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By NASA
On Aug. 30, 1984, space shuttle Discovery lifted off on the STS-41D mission, joining NASA’s fleet as the third space qualified orbiter. The newest shuttle incorporated newer technologies making it significantly lighter than its two predecessors. Discovery lofted the heaviest payload up to that time in shuttle history. The six-person crew included five NASA astronauts and the first commercial payload specialist. During the six-day mission, the crew deployed a then-record three commercial satellites, tested an experimental solar array, and ran a commercial biotechnology experiment. The astronauts recorded many of the activities using a large format film camera, the scenes later incorporated into a motion picture for public engagement. The mission marked the first of Discovery’s 39 trips to space, the most of any orbiter.
Left: Space shuttle Discovery rolls out of Rockwell’s Palmdale, California, facility. Middle: Discovery atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft during the cross-country ferry flight. Right: Discovery arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Space shuttle Discovery, the third space-qualified orbiter in NASA’s fleet and named after several historical ships of exploration, incorporated manufacturing lessons learned from the first orbiters. In addition, through the use of more advanced materials, the new vehicle weighed nearly 8,000 pounds less than its sister ship Columbia and 700 pounds less than Challenger. Discovery rolled out of Rockwell International’s plant in Palmdale, California, on Oct. 16, 1983. Five of the six crew members assigned to its first flight attended the ceremony. Workers trucked Discovery overland from Palmdale to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), where they mounted it atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747, for the transcontinental ferry flight to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Discovery arrived at KSC on Nov. 9 following a two-day stopover at Vandenberg Air Force, now Space Force Base, in California.
Left: STS-41D crew patch. Middle: Official photograph of the STS-41D crew of R. Michael “Mike” Mullane, front row left, Steven A. Hawley, Henry “Hank” W. Hartsfield, and Michael L. Coats; Charles D. Walker, back row left, and Judith A. Resnik. Right: Payloads installed in Discovery’s payload bay for the STS-41D mission include OAST-1, top, SBS-4, Telstar 3C, and Leasat-2.
To fly Discovery’s first flight, originally designated STS-12 and later renamed STS-41D, in February 1983 NASA assigned Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, a veteran of STS-4, and first-time flyers Pilot Michael L. Coats, and Mission Specialists R. Michael Mullane, Steven A. Hawley, and Judith A. Resnik, all from the 1978 class of astronauts and making their first spaceflights. In May 1983, NASA announced the addition of Charles D. Walker, an employee of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, to the crew, flying as the first commercial payload specialist. He would operate the company’s Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) experiment. The mission’s primary payloads included the Leasat-1 (formerly known as Syncom IV-1) commercial communications satellite and OAST-1, three experiments from NASA’s Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, including the Solar Array Experiment, a 105-foot long lightweight deployable and retractable solar array. Following the June 1984 launch abort, NASA canceled the STS-41F mission, combining its payloads with STS-41D’s, resulting in three communications satellites – SBS-4 for Small Business Systems, Telstar 3C for AT&T, and Leasat 2 (Syncom IV-2) for the U.S. Navy – launching on the flight. The combined cargo weighed 41,184 pounds, the heaviest of the shuttle program up to that time. A large format IMAX® camera, making its second trip into space aboard the shuttle, flew in the middeck to film scenes inside the orbiter and out the windows.
Left: First rollout of Discovery from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Right: The June 26 launch abort.
The day after its arrival at KSC, workers towed Discovery to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to begin preparing it for its first space flight. They towed it to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on May 12, 1984, for mating with its External Tank (ET) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The completed stack rolled out to Launch Pad 39A a week later. On June 2, engineers successfully completed an 18-second Flight Readiness Firing of Discovery’s main engines. Post test inspections revealed a debonding of a thermal shield in main engine number 1’s combustion chamber, requiring its replacement at the pad. The work pushed the planned launch date back three days to June 25. The failure of the shuttle’s backup General Purpose Computer (GPC) delayed the launch by one day. The June 26 launch attempt ended just four seconds before liftoff, after two of the main engines had already ignited. The GPC detected that the third engine had not started and shut all three down. It marked the first time a human spaceflight launch experienced an abort after the start of its engines since Gemini VI in October 1965. The abort necessitated a rollback to the VAB on July 14 where workers demated Discovery from the ET and SRBs. Engineers replaced the faulty engine, and Discovery rolled back out to the launch pad on Aug. 9 for another launch attempt. The six-person crew participated in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, essentially a dress rehearsal for the actual countdown to launch, on Aug. 15. A software issue delayed the first launch attempt on Aug. 29 by one day.
Left: The STS-41D crew pose at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Right: Liftoff of Discovery on the STS-41D mission.
Finally, on Aug. 30, 1984, Discovery roared off its launch pad on a pillar of flame and within 8 and a half minutes entered orbit around the Earth. The crew got down to work and on the first day Mullane and Hawley deployed the SBS-4 satellite. On the second day in space, they deployed Leasat, the first satellite designed specifically to be launched from the shuttle. On the third day, they deployed the Telstar satellite, completing the satellite delivery objectives of the mission. Resnik deployed the OAST-1 solar array to 70% of its length to conduct dynamic tests on the structure. On the fourth day, she deployed the solar array to its full length and successfully retracted it, completing all objectives for that experiment.
The deployment of the SBS-4, left, Leasat-2, and Telstar 3C satellites during STS-41D.
Walker remained busy with the CFES, operating the unit for about 100 hours, and although the experiment experienced two unexpected shutdowns, he processed about 85% of the planned samples. Hartsfield and Coats exposed two magazines and six rolls of IMAX® film, recording OAST-1 and satellite deployments as well as in-cabin crew activities. Clips from the mission appear in the 1985 IMAX® film “The Dream is Alive.” On the mission’s fifth day, concern arose over the formation of ice on the orbiter’s waste dump nozzle. The next day, Hartsfield used the shuttle’s robotic arm to dislodge the large chunk of ice.
Left: Payload Specialist Charles D. Walker in front of the Continuous Flow Experiment System. Middle: Henry “Hank” W. Hartsfield loading film into the IMAX® camera. Right: The OAST-1 Solar Array Experiment extended from Discovery’s payload bay.
On Sep. 5, the astronauts closed Discovery’s payload bay doors in preparation for reentry. They fired the shuttle’s Orbital Maneuvering System engines to slow their velocity and begin their descent back to Earth. Hartsfield guided Discovery to a smooth landing at Edwards AFB in California, completing a flight of 6 days and 56 minutes. The crew had traveled 2.5 million miles and orbited the Earth 97 times.
Left: The STS-41D crew pose in Discovery’s middeck. Right: Space shuttle Discovery makes a perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end the STS-41D mission.
By Sept. 10, workers had returned Discovery to KSC to prepare it for its next mission, STS-51A, in November 1984. During its lifetime, Discovery flew a fleet leading 39 missions, making its final trip to space in February 2011. It flew both return to flight missions, STS-26 in 1988 and STS-114 in 2005. It launched the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990 and flew two of the missions to service the facility. Discovery flew two mission to Mir, docking once. It completed the first docking to the International Space Station in 1999 and flew a total of 13 assembly and resupply missions to the orbiting lab. By its last mission, Discovery had traveled 149 million miles, completed 5,830 orbits of the Earth, and spent a cumulative 365 days in space in the span of 27 years. The public can view Discovery on display at the National Air and Space Museum’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
Read recollections of the STS-41D mission by Hartsfield, Coats, Mullane, Hawley, and Walker in their oral histories with the JSC History Office. Enjoy the crew’s narration of a video about the STS-41D mission.
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
In a series of baseline flights beginning on June 24, 2024, the G-IV aircraft flew over the Antelope Valley to analyze aircraft performance. To accommodate a new radar instrument developed by JPL, NASA’s Airborne Science Program has selected the Gulfstream-IV aircraft to be modified and operated by Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California and will accommodate new instrumentation on board in support of the agency’s science mission directorate. Baseline flights began at NASA Armstrong in June 2024NASA/Carla Thomas In June 2024, a new tail number swept the sky above NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Pilots conducted flights of a Gulfstream IV (G-IV) to evaluate its handling characteristics and to familiarize pilots with it before it begins structural modifications. The research plane is joining the center’s fleet serving NASA’s Airborne Science program.
The G-IV will carry the Next Generation Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR-NG), which sends and receives microwave signals to collect information about Earth’s topographic features and how they change over time. The goal for the team at NASA Armstrong is to modify the G-IV to accommodate three radars simultaneously.
“The AIRSAR-NG will be composed of three different Synthetic Aperture Radar antennas in one instrument to provide new insight into Earth’s surface more efficiently,” said Yunling Lou, principal investigator for the instrument at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “The capabilities of this new instrument will facilitate new techniques, such as three-dimensional imaging, that will be useful for future space-borne missions.”
With those and other modifications being made, the G-IV will also be able to accommodate an increased load of science instruments, which could enable NASA to support more dynamic airborne science missions.
“This aircraft will aid Armstrong in continuing our long history of supporting airborne science for the agency and maintain the expertise in conducting successful science missions for years to come,” said Franzeska Becker, the G-IV project manager at NASA Armstrong.
Transferred in February from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, the G-IV will undergo additional modifications overseen by NASA Armstrong’s team. Their goal is to enrich the agency’s airborne science program by outfitting the aircraft to function as a more capable and versatile research platform.
The knowledge and expertise of professionals at NASA centers like Armstrong (G-IV, ER-2, C-20) and Langley (777, G-III) will help enable the agency to produce a well-defined and airworthy platform for science instruments and airborne science missions.
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Last Updated Aug 29, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactErica HeimLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms
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