Space Shuttle Sky Show

Source: - Space Weather News for April 3, 2010: http://spaceweather.com

SPACE SHUTTLE SKY SHOW: On Monday morning, April 5th, thousands of people gathered in Florida to witness the launch of space shuttle Discovery may get more than they bargained for. Just fifteen minutes before the shuttle takes off, the International Space Station (ISS) will fly over the launch site. The station's path across the dawn sky takes it right past the gibbous Moon--a beautiful close encounter! Photographers should be prepared for the ISS at 6:06 am EDT followed by Discovery's launch at 6:21 am EDT. Sky watchers with iPhones can prepare themselves by downloading our Simple Satellite Tracker (http://simpleflybys.com); it will guide you to the ISS and count down to the flyby so you can't miss it.

SUNSET PLANETS: This is for everyone. Venus and Mercury are having a close encounter on April 3rd and 4th. Look west at sunset to see the two bright planets beaming through the twilight only 3 degrees apart. Sky maps, pictures and more information may be found at http://spaceweather.com