[meteorite-list] Space Plane Flares; Saturn at Opposition

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 18:08:21 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201104040108.p3418L2D023362_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

Space Weather News for April 1, 2011
http://spaceweather.com

SPACE PLANE FLARES: The US Air Force X-37B space plane is
circling Earth on a classified mission. Although its orbit
is officially unpublished, amateur sky watchers have spotted
it and are monitoring its progress. This week, a veteran
observer witnessed a spectacular flare from the X-37B,
exceeding the brightness of Venus. Details may be found on
today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

Bonus: You can turn your cell phone into a space plane tracker
by downloading our field-tested Simple Flybys app:
http://simpleflybys.com.

SATURN'S RINGS SURGE IN BRIGHTNESS: This weekend, Saturn will
be at opposition--that is, opposite the sun in the skies of Earth.
Whenever this happens, Saturn's rings surge in brightness due to
backscattering of sunlight. Even a small telescope will show
the effect. Visit http://spaceweather.com for observing tips and a sky map.
Received on Sun 03 Apr 2011 09:08:21 PM PDT