Space lovers look forward to the big spaceships “appointment» of 2015: Four eclipses and distant explorations of Pluto, the asteroid Demeter and new adventures in 67P.
Undoubtedly, the great astronomical event of the new year is the total eclipse of the sun, which coincides with the coming of spring, in the morning of 20 March. The shadow of the Moon is expected to gradually cover the Sun over the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Circle.
For a few minutes the day will be night, while the impressive natural phenomenon will be partly visible from Europe, North Africa and Western Russia. The second solar eclipse, this time, comes in the second half of this year, 13 September, and is expected to be visible in South Africa, the southern part of the Indian Ocean and Antarctica.
But the eclipses do not stop here. And the Moon will have two eclipses, as it is expected to pass twice through the shadow of the Earth. A total lunar eclipse is expected on April 4, around 12 noon, which will be visible if the weather is favorable over the Pacific Ocean, East Asia and Northwest America. The phase of total eclipse will last about twelve minutes, during which the Moon will no longer be visible from Earth. The second partial lunar eclipse for 2015 is expected on September 28. The bronze color of the Moon will be visible from Europe, Africa, South America and Northwest America.
Planetary meeting Zeus-Aphrodite
But the interesting planetary phenomena do not stop at the eclipses. On February 6, 2015, Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, will be visible from Earth with great clarity, while during the night it will be the brightest star in the sky. Aphrodite will also appear in the starry sky between January and July and will be visible from both the northern and southern hemispheres.
In June, Venus is expected to approach Jupiter, presenting a unique spectacle even with the naked eye, since the two planets are about to meet each other. The two distant planets will renew their interplanetary appointment for October 26. At this time, the eastern side of Mars will be visible.
Earth visits to distant planets
In 2015, the exploration of space will also have its "honorary". Pluto is expected to attract the attention of experts, since the first research results of NASA's "New Horizons" mission, which has been in space since 2006, will send crucial data for the identity of the distant planet. The material που αναμένεται να συλλέξει το «New Horizons» θεωρείται ότι θα διαφωτίσει σημαντικά τη study the morphology of the planet but also the composition of its surface.
Finally, with great interest, scientists await the findings of two other ground-breaking space missions: the "Rosetta" mission with the robotic boat "Philae", which has already landed on the distant comet 67P or Churiomov-Gerasimenko - or "Churi" -, but also of the "Dawn" mission, which is expected to approach in March 2015 the asteroid Demeter. In these two missions, in which German research involvement is intense, space experts are putting forward many hopes for substantial progress in studying the beginnings of our solar system and its evolution.
Source: Skai.gr
