It’s almost becoming crowded on Mars with yet another rover arrival, the first from China. The Zhurong rover is already sending its first images back to Earth. Meanwhile, NASA's helicopter drone Ingenuity has now completed 6 flights, just! Percy starts to rove doing real science... [Read more about Tidings from Mars ]
It looks as though lockdown restrictions are being eased as planned; so far. As we continue to take tentative steps to some form of normality, it is time to map out a likely summer Star Party events schedule. [Read more about Summer Star Party Schedule - in Brief]
"We have lift off", or so it might have been said in days gone by, but such a phrase could aptly have been coined when Ingenuity - NASA's small helicopter drone, took to the thin Martian air on April 18th - 2021...around breakfast time BST. Having located a suitable piece of Martian ground in proximity to the initial landing site, Percy dropped off its small 'cling on' companion late last month. Since then scientists have been conducting tests in readiness for the first flight. [Read more about Ingenuity Takes One small Flight]
NASA's Mars rover, Perseverance, or Percy for short, has now been on Mars for almost 40 Sols and appears to be functioning satisfactory. Attention, however will soon turn to the small 'helicopter drone'- Igenuity, attached to Percy in readiness for the first unmanned flight on another world. [Read more about Perseverance - Update ]
I guess so...for the foreseeble future. [Read more about Still the Way Ahead?]
Just a reminder that society subs for the coming year will be void.
NASA's latest Mars rover, Perseverance, has successfully landed on Mars following a nail biting descent into Jezero crater; hope you watched it. Its mission will shortly commence in earnest, but what will Perseverance discover? Will it stay the distance? Will its clingon fly? All these questions, and hopefully numerous others, are going to be answered over the coming year...or so. [Read more about Will Perseverance Pay Off?]
The roadmap to freedom has been laid out by the government, but will we be able to meet sooner ... or later. [Read more about The Way Ahead]
There will be no formal society meeting in March or April ...
[Read more about Spring Society Meetings and Observatory Open Nights. ]
You can still download Paul Money's excellent Night Scenes almanac for 2021, but on PDF or Kindle e book format only. Details are as follows..
| Sun | Rise | Set |
|---|---|---|
| Actual | 04:28 | 21:42 |
| Civil Twilight | 03:32 | 22:38 |
| Nautical Twilight | 01:30 | 00:40 |
| Astronomical Twilight |
| Moon | Rise | Set |
|---|---|---|
| 19:13 | 01:28 |
