Space Weather News for June 14, 2006

http://spaceweather.com

CONVERGING PLANETS: Mars and Saturn aren't super-bright, but they will catch
your eye after dark because they are so close together. The two planets are
converging, forming a tight pair in the western sky. Look for them just after
sunset on the evenings of June 15th through 17th. The view is best on June
17th, when Saturn and Mars are closest together, but it's also fun watching them
converge on the two nights before.

PHOTO-OP: June 15th is special because, en route to Saturn, Mars will glide in
front of the Beehive star cluster. Using binoculars or a small telescope you can
easily see the ensemble: it will look like a red supernova (Mars) has gone off
among the stars of the Beehive. Astrophotographers, prepare your cameras!

SPACE STATION SIGHTINGS: At this time of year, near the June solstice, the
International Space Station (ISS) is orbiting in almost continuous sunlight.
It's a great time to see the ISS flying brightly-lit through the night sky.
Would you like to be alerted when the ISS is about to fly over your backyard?
Sign up for SpaceWeather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com .

For sky maps and more information about these events, please visit
http://spaceweather.com .