TONIGHT! 3/25- Triple Spaceship Flyby Alert

If you click on the Satellite Flybys Tool you enter your zip code but if you look WSW around 9 you should be able to see the Jules Verne (9:05PM) the shuttle and then the ISS (9:09PM) but watch the NASA Channel because the order could be wrong, the shuttle could be after the ISS and in a different orbit as they have undocked and are on the way home. If you get Direct TV Channel 283 is the NASA Channel and it you are geeky like our family you have it on all the time when the shuttle is up or basically just all the time so if you watch you will see the orbital telemetry map and you can see where they are in the world before you get to see them in the sky. Have fun homeschooling! If you get a chance check out the new Dexter robot on the ISS itself oh man is that cool and the new Japanese module makes it so cool! And if you are interested here is the info on the Jules Verne and what exactly it is http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095012.htm kind of cool that it is an automated transfer vehicle (ATV) and the astronauts at the ISS can use it to escape if needs be and they plan on using it take things to the ISS when the space shuttle is retired in 2010 and as a resupply ship when we go to Mars. Oh the joy of space stuff! lol--Tabbi
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Space Weather News for March 24, 2008
http://spaceweather.com

TRIPLE FLYBY ALERT: Space shuttle Endeavour has undocked from the International Space Station and the two spaceships are now orbiting Earth in tandem. This sets the stage for a series of rare *triple* flybys, which many sky watchers will be able to observe on Tuesday, March 25th. It's a triple because three spacecraft are involved. First to appear is the European Space Agency's Jules Verne cargo carrier flying 2000 kilometers ahead of the ISS-Endeavour combo. Jules Verne is about as bright as a 1st magnitude star. Four minutes later, and even brighter, the space shuttle and space station follow Jules Verne across the starry sky--a spectacular sight!

US and Canadian readers can find out when to look using our new Simple Satellite Flybys tool: http://spaceweather.com/flybys. (Note: We haven't forgotten about the rest of the world. Work is underway to expand our simple flyby predictions beyond North America to all parts of the globe. Stay tuned.)

SOLAR ACTIVITY: Who says the sun is quiet? Two new sunspots are growing rapidly near the sun's equator. Just yesterday they were almost invisible; now the active regions are several times larger than Earth and are putting on a good show for anyone with a backyard solar telescope. Visit http://spaceweather.com for movies, photos and updates.