Today’s focus was two-fold:  discuss and preview upcoming important astronomical events and to complete construction of the phases of the moon flip book.

We started by looking at some images of the space station as it passed overhead on Friday.  Several students reported seeing it high in the sky on Friday at the scheduled time (6:48pm) and the entire boys’ basketball team was even able to get outside for a view of it following their Friday game - way to go guys!

Next on the list was the lunar eclipse for tomorrow night.  We reviewed the physics of an eclipse and also viewed images of what tomorrow evening’s eclipse should look like and when it will occur (7:45pm-11pm).  For much more detailed look at the upcoming eclipse, check out the NASA Lunar Eclipse page.

Also on the list of upcoming astronomy events is the planned shoot-down of a US spy satellite.  As the satellite continues to fall toward earth after its main computer failed shortly after liftoff in 2006, its orbit will eventually take it back into the earth’s atmosphere.  Before that occurs, the US plans to fire on the satellite with a missle in hopes of shattering the school-bus-sized satellite into thousands of pieces that would burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere on re-entry.  The shoot-down may happen as early as Wednesday Evening:  Navy waits for satellite kill shot. 

Homework:  Prep for the Phases of the Moon quiz on Wednesday (tomorrow).