JUICE Flyby Successful

The JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) mission successfully completed an Earth flyby on September 28, 2026, passing about 5,369 miles (8,640 km) above the Indian Ocean. The maneuver served as a gravity assist, increasing the spacecraft's speed and refining its trajectory on its long journey to Jupiter. During the flyby, JUICE captured striking new images of Earth, Madagascar, and the Moon while providing engineers an opportunity to calibrate and test its scientific instruments in space.

The JUICE mission captured this view of Earth during its flyby on September 28, 2026
 Image via ESA/ Juice/ NavCam

Read the complete article at EarthSky.

Moon to Occult Jupiter - early morning October 6

Early Tuesday morning, October 6, is a rare astronomical event in which the waning crescent Moon passes directly in front of Jupiter. Known as an occultation, this event will be visible across much of the eastern and central United States and parts of southern Canada before dawn. Observers will see Jupiter disappear behind the Moon's bright sunlit edge and then reappear about an hour later from the Moon's dark limb. This is the best Jupiter occultation visible from North America since 2004 and offers an especially favorable viewing opportunity because it occurs in a dark sky well before sunrise.

Simulation of Jupiter's occultation by the Moon
Stellarium software

Binoculars or a telescope will provide the best views, particularly when Jupiter disappears against the Moon's bright crescent. Jupiter's reemergence should be easily visible and especially dramatic. Skywatchers may also witness the occultations of Jupiter's four Galilean moons: Europa, Io, Ganymede, and Callisto, as they disappear and reappear around the same time. Lunar occultations of Jupiter are relatively uncommon for any given location, occurring on average only about once every 13 years under dark-sky conditions. While the event offers little scientific value, it is presented as a memorable and visually striking spectacle that astronomy enthusiasts should not miss.

Extended forecast is predicting excellent conditions for viewing this event. Event timings for the eastern US (Baltimore MD) are shown below:

Event times - Baltimore, MD

See the Astronomy Magazine article for the complete details. 

The JUICE mission to fly by Earth

The European Space Agency's JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) spacecraft, launched in April 2023, is on its way to Jupiter, but it is taking a long, energy-efficient route that uses gravity assists from planets. On Monday, September 28, JUICE will make a close flyby of Earth, using Earth's gravity to boost its speed and adjust its trajectory toward Jupiter. This is the third of four planned gravity assists.

The first flyby was on August 19 and 20, 2024, when JUICE swung past both the moon and then Earth. The second was on August 31, 2025, when it flew by Venus.

See the complete story at EarthSky.

First image from Night Sky Observatory

On September 14, 2026, I completed the majority of the build of my POD-S and installed most of the equipment. The first imaging run in the new obsy was the northern sky object NGC 7822, the Question Mark Nebula.

NGC 7822 - September 14-15, 2026
GT102/ASI1600mm SHORGB - 6h 47m integration time

NGC 7822 is a vast star-forming complex in the constellation Cepheus, containing dense clouds of gas and dust sculpted by the intense radiation of young, massive stars. Bright emission nebulae and dark dust lanes weave together across this region, creating a dramatic landscape that reveals the ongoing cycle of stellar birth.

This image was captured with a William Optics GT102 refractor using a relatively short total integration time. This was not intended to be a ‘showcase’ image, but more of a test of operating my new observatory in manual mode. Yet I was surprised that even with limited exposure the rich hydrogen emission and intricate structure of the nebula are evident, showcasing the impressive sensitivity of modern imaging equipment. If I had planned the FOV better I could have captured most of the ‘question mark’ in this Question Mark Nebula ☺️.

This image was taken in the SHO, Hubble Palette, NB (NarrowBand). For comparison, the image below is the standard RGB image (what you might see with the naked eye if the nebula was brighter). Since stars in the NB palette have distorted colors, I replace the NB stars with stars from the RGB image.   

Although I have completed the build of my SkyShed POD-S, the automated control system hasn’t been installed yet (hopefully in the next couple of months) and so imaging runs require me to manually rotate the dome during the night. I picked this object since it has a high declination value and as it was located just east of north the apparent motion was essentially up with little movement expected in azimuth. That should have enabled up to two hours without having to rotate the dome. However, since I have the GT102 piggyback on top of my Edge, and I was using a guide scope on top of the GT102, the offset from the mount meant that the guide scope view was obscured prior to the telescope view. Can’t wait to get the electronics added so that complete automation/autonomous imaging will be possible.

Day 17 and 18 - Obsy Build and Setup

Last week I completed the installation of the telescope(s) on the pier and routed the power and signal (USB) cables through the mount. I still have a little bit of cable management to accomplish, but the basic runs are fully functional. 

EdgeHD11 with ASI2600mm
William Optics GT102 APO with ASI1600mm on top

DC power is supplied via two Pyramid 30Amp 13.v volt power supplies (under the computer desk). One is dedicated to the AP1100 mount.

West Mountain Radio RIGrunner 4008
Kendrick Dew Heater Controller
MeLe Quieter 4C NUC

USB Hub

Last evening, I powered up the system and verified that all cables were properly connected and of the correct length. Since I have not yet hired an electrician to run the AC power and network cabling, I encountered a minor issue communicating with the AP1100 control box.

I first tried connecting via Wi-Fi but was unable to get it working. I then decided to try something unconventional: I connected the mount to the NUC using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter through the USB hub. To my surprise, it worked exceptionally well. In fact, I ran the setup continuously for four hours without a single dropout or error.

With clouds moving in, I was unable to do any imaging, but I was able to complete a polar alignment. The mount is now carrying the EdgeHD 11 with a WO GT102 mounted piggyback.

Earlier today, I applied Vulkem 116 polyurethane sealant around the observatory walls to help prevent water intrusion. Tonight, I plan to attempt a full imaging session to thoroughly exercise and validate the system.

Martians?

A photo from NASA's Curiosity rover has sparked attention because a cluster of rocks appears to resemble a tiny alien walking down a hallway.

Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ MSSS

What people are seeing is a classic example of pareidolia, the brain's tendency to recognize familiar shapes, faces, or figures in random patterns.

Mars imagery has inspired similar interpretations before, including the famous "Face on Mars" and a rock formation that looked like a doorway. In each case, the features are understood to be naturally occurring geological formations rather than evidence of extraterrestrial life.

See the complete article at: EarthSky

Day 16 - Night Sky Observatory

Today marks a milestone in the Night Sky Observatory build - the completed observatory (in manual mode)!

In the next few days I will be starting the move of telescopes and equipment into the building. A desk and computer system has already been placed in one of the bays. 

The Celestron EdgeHD11 is being cleaned and prepped for new cable runs. The clear coat on the scope has weathered badly and is flaking off, so I decided to remove it completely and apply thermal covering to the OTA tube. That will be accomplished tomorrow. 

I have yet to contract an electrician to run the AC and network cables so I will be using a long extension cord for power and either WiFi or another long CAT5 cable run for connectivity as a temporary solution to get things up and running. 

I'm still not sure exactly how the cables will be routed so I'll be experimenting with that as well in the next couple of months. My desire is to get basic functionality by end of this month (or sooner).

Saturn has a Decagon Cloud

Astronomers have confirmed a remarkable new feature at Saturn’s south pole: a giant 10-sided atmospheric wave, known as a decagon. The structure was first hinted at in Hubble Space Telescope images from 2023 and became increasingly clear in observations through 2025. Researchers announced the discovery in 2026 after confirming that the pattern forms a distinct, large-scale geometric shape encircling the pole.

The area around Saturn’s south pole. This photo shows a pattern of clouds,
now confirmed as a 10-sided figure known as the Saturn decagon.
Image via NASA/ ESA/ A. Sánchez-Lavega/ EHU/ AP.

The discovery is especially intriguing because Saturn is already famous for the long-lived hexagon at its north pole. While the new southern decagon appears similar, scientists believe it may represent a different atmospheric phenomenon. The decagon is embedded within a powerful jet stream and extends through multiple layers of Saturn’s atmosphere, suggesting it is more than just a cloud pattern. Researchers are now monitoring it to determine whether it will become a stable feature like the northern hexagon or continue to evolve, offering a rare opportunity to observe the formation of a major planetary weather system in real time.

See the full article at: EarthSky

Night Sky Observatory Build - Day 14 and 15

Day 14, August 29th, the dome assembly was completed - stainless steel track plates were screwed to the bottom flange of the dome to provide support and a running surface for the wheels on top of the building. I needed to climb in there on my back and screw-in the plates - good thing it was cool that day.

Today (day 15) marks a milestone in the build - the dome was lifted unto the walls! Six guys from my church, including my pastor, Quint Merson of Crosslife Bible Church, who scheduled the team to come over early this morning, lifted the dome safely onto the building walls. Just a few more tasks to complete on the inside of the dome and she will be ready for manual mode.

Lifting the dome - most of the guys are behind the building!

Lift team - Dennis, John Mark, Josh, Randy, Vance and Pastor Quint
(I'm in the background)
And, of course, always present are Luna, Echo (on the deck) and Ayla

Nancy Grace Roman - the New Kid on the Block

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is expected to transform astronomy by combining Hubble-like image quality with an enormously wider field of view. Roman can survey the sky more than 1,000 times faster than Hubble at similar resolution, generating an unprecedented amount of data and allowing scientists to study vast regions of the universe rather than isolated targets. The mission is designed to investigate some of astronomy’s biggest questions, including the nature of dark matter, dark energy, galaxy evolution, and the distribution of planets throughout the Milky Way.

One of Roman’s major goals is to discover and characterize exoplanets using a technique called gravitational microlensing. By continuously monitoring hundreds of millions of stars near the center of the Milky Way, the telescope is expected to detect a huge variety of planets, including worlds that are difficult or impossible to find with other methods. Scientists expect Roman to greatly expand the known census of planets and provide new insights into how planetary systems form and evolve across different parts of our galaxy.

Roman will also tackle some of the biggest mysteries in cosmology. Through large-scale surveys of distant galaxies and thousands of Type Ia supernovae, it will create detailed maps of the universe across billions of years of cosmic history. These observations will help researchers measure how the universe has expanded over time and test current theories about dark energy and the standard cosmological model. The telescope’s surveys are expected to reveal billions of galaxies and capture many transient events such as supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and other rare phenomena.

Another key feature is Roman’s advanced coronagraph, a technology demonstration that blocks starlight to directly observe faint objects nearby, such as exoplanets and debris disks. The instrument is intended to pave the way for future missions capable of imaging Earth-like worlds. The article also highlights Roman’s commitment to open science: its data will become publicly available within hours of processing, and cloud-based tools will make the enormous dataset accessible to researchers around the world. The mission’s scientists expect Roman not only to answer existing questions but also to uncover entirely unexpected discoveries. 

See the full article at How Roman will unlock the universe (Astronomy.com)

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Telescope launches to space

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched on August 30, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center after more than a decade of development. The observatory is headed to the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, about a million miles beyond Earth, where it will have a stable view of the universe while remaining in constant contact with mission controllers. NASA officials reported that the launch and initial spacecraft systems appeared to be operating normally, with instrument calibration and commissioning scheduled over the coming weeks.

From SpaceX Live Feed - Sunday, August 30, 2026

Roman’s mission is expected to complement the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes by conducting enormous sky surveys and investigating some of astronomy’s biggest mysteries. Its primary goals include studying dark matter and dark energy, creating a vast census of exoplanets, and mapping stars and galaxies on an unprecedented scale. The telescope also carries a powerful coronagraph designed to directly observe planets around other stars by blocking starlight, potentially allowing scientists to study the atmospheres of distant worlds. NASA officials said Roman could dramatically increase the number of known exoplanets and help answer fundamental questions about whether habitable Earth-like planets exist elsewhere in the universe. The mission’s initial science phase is expected to last five years, with the first images anticipated after commissioning is completed.

Watch the complete launch at: SpaceX - Roman Space Telescope Mission