February 17-23, 2020 / Vol 39, No 7 / Hawai`i Island, USA

Juno Making Discoveries Near Jupiter While Flagstaff Observes Finding of Pluto 

Juno passes its 25th perijove on Feb 17 and has been in Jupiter orbit since 2016. The onboard Microwave Radiometer Instrument records lightning flashes, showing them to be concentrated in the polar regions. Following the 24th close flyby of Jupiter on Dec 26, citizen scientist Kevin Gill (L) creates a color-enhanced image of a stormy region in the northern hemisphere. The Jovian Infrared Aurora Mapper instrument sees a central cyclone at the north pole and eight smaller cyclones surrounding it. The south pole has a new cyclone first observed by Juno during the 22nd flyby on Nov 3. NASA-funded research suggests that the Great Red Spot is the heat source for the upper atmosphere. Galileo moon Europa is seen as a priority place to search for life and destination of NASA Europa Clipper mission. Feb 18 is the 90th observation of Pluto’s discovery by Clyde Tombaugh (R). Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff will rededicate the Blink Comparator, a device used by Tombaugh to find Pluto from photographs. Visitors to the observatory will tour the Tombaugh office and apartment, the 13-inch Pluto Discovery Telescope, and the 24-inch Clark Telescope used to verify Pluto characteristics. The discovery will be celebrated in Flagstaff by New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern, Alden Tombaugh the son of Clyde, and Jim Christy, discoverer of Pluto moon Charon from US Naval Observatory. (Image Credits: NASA, University of Arizona)

MONDAY

Maryland, Washington Space Business Roundtables Revitalize SBR Program

Maryland Space Business Roundtable meets for monthly lunch February 18 in Greenbelt MD. NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen, a long advocate for human Moon and Mars exploration, will address the MSBR as featured guest. MSBR, has been an organizing force for the commercial space community since 2001. It provides a networking and funding framework for space entrepreneurs, academics, policymakers and enthusiasts in the Washington DC Beltway region. Meetings are usually held the first Tuesday of the month at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt. Future MSBR meetings include Mar 17 lunch featuring Douglas Loverro, NASA Associate Administrator of Human Exploration and Operations, and May 19 lunch with NASA Director of Astrophysics Division of Science Mission Directorate Paul Hertz. MSBR underwrites STEM programs including the Women in Engineering program at University of Maryland, the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering STEM Expo, and the Patriots Inc. Solar System Competition. Within the Beltway the neighboring Washington Space Business Roundtable has a luncheon Feb 28 featuring Congressman Bill Posey of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology at City Club of Washington. The Colorado Space Business Roundtable, based in Aurora and chaired by Alires Almon (L) and Kimberly Schwandt (R), hosts the Colorado Space Roundup meetings. University of Arizona sponsors the Arizona Space Business Roundtable another leadership forum for the commercial space ecosystem. (Image Credits: MSBR, WSBR, CSBR)

Feb 17 —

Feb 17 — Juno, Perijove 25 / 24th Science Flyby, Jupiter Orbit: NASA craft in 53-day orbit to come within ~3,500 km of Jupiter cloud tops during Perijove 25, its 25th close flyby of Jupiter and 24th science flyby with instruments turned on, 17:51:36 UTC.

Continued from…

Jan 2019 – Sep 2020 — New Horizons, Kuiper Belt: Full data collected from 7 instruments during KBO Arrokoth flyby to be transmitted to Earth over this time period.

Nov 2019 – Nov 2020— Hayabusa2, Earth Trajectory: JAXA Hayabusa2 with two samples collected from C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu on trajectory for Earth return.

Feb 13-23 — Northern Ireland Science Festival, Belfast, Ireland: NI Science Festival 2020; featuring talks on the Future of Space, Sun, Planets, Antarctica / South Pole Exploration, VR, much more.

Feb 16-21 — Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, et al, Hyderabad, India: Winter School on Astronomy (Astrowin 2020); at B M Birla Science Centre.

Feb 16-22 — Rencontres du Vietnam, Quy Nhon, Vietnam: 16th Rencontres du Vietnam: Magnetic Fields in the Universe 7.

Feb 16-22 — NASA, CFHT, W. M. Keck Observatory, HPA, North Hawaii STEM Alliance, Waimea Na Paniolo Robotics Team, Waimea HI: Engineers Week.