Mon Oct 5, 2026 ROBERT GODDARD
Robert Goddard was born on October 5th, 1882. When he suggested that rockets could take us to the moon, the New York Times announced that he was wrong, because everyone knew that rockets couldn’t work in outer space because there was no air for them to push against. But Goddard understood that a rocket’s exhaust did not push against the air; the action of the combustion in the rocket created the reaction of the exhaust pushing against the rocket itself (Newton’s Third Law). In 1926 he launched the first liquid-fueled rocket which replaced gunpowder-like solid fuel.) The advantage here is that, unlike solid fuel rockets which go until they run out, you can throttle up and throttle back liquid fuel engines and obtain a great deal more control over the speed and flight path of the rocket.
Tue Oct 6, 2026 SATURN’S TILT
Today’s Skywatch was written by planetarium assistant Vela De la Mare. Just two days ago our Earth passed the planet Saturn, and now it appears after sunset in the eastern sky among the stars of the constellation Pisces. Saturn takes about 29 and a half Earth years to make it once around the sun. The ringed planet also experiences four seasons. Of course, Saturn’s seasons last for more than 7 years each, but we still have the opportunity to watch them go by. As the planet’s axis is tilted, its magnificent rings tip toward and away from us, changing their appearance. When Saturn’s northern hemisphere reaches its autumn equinox, the rings face edge-on to us, looking paper thin, almost like they’ve disappeared. This just happened in 2025, and now the rings are steadily turning towards us once again. They can be easily seen tonight with about 50 power magnification, and will continue to open up until Saturn’s winter solstice in 2032, when they’ll appear at maximum.
Wed Oct 7, 2026 METEORITE – METEORWRONG
People bring me rocks from time to time, wanting to know if they might have found a meteorite. Before you decide to bring it in for me to look at, here are a few simple observations you can make to figure out if what you’ve got is a meteorite – or a meteorwrong. First, is the rock unusually
heavy for its size? If not, then it’s probably not a meteorite. Now if it is heavy, get a magnet and see if it sticks to the rock. If not, then again, not a meteorite. Are there little holes in it, called vesicles? If
yes, then it’s not a meteorite – those vesicles are usually caused by gas escaping from molten rock as it rapidly cools, and meteorites cool too slowly for that to happen. If it passes those tests, bring it in and I’ll try to help you find out if it truly is a rock from space. E-mail me at jbell@irsc.edu.
Thu Oct 8, 2026 THE END OF THE WORLD
The astronomer Harlow Shapley once suggested two possible ways that the world could end. In one scenario, the earth loses its forward momentum, and the sun’s gravity pulls our planet inward to a fiery destruction. Another theory supposed the opposite might happen, that the earth might drift outward and suffer a frozen death like Mars. Of course, both “fire and ice,” may be our ultimate fate. Five billion years from now, when the sun runs out of fuel, gravity will take over and collapse it. This will heat it up, and the sun will expand to become a red giant star, engulfing the inner solar system, including earth. Then, when the last bit of helium fuel is exhausted, the sun will collapse again, and eventually cool down to a cold, dark ember. So, let’s make it a point, five billion years from now, to get off the planet!
Fri Oct 9, 2026 WITCH’S BROOM NEBULA
Today’s Skywatch was written by planetarium assistant Vela De la Mare. There’s a witch riding her broom across the top of the sky tonight. At least, that’s one way of interpreting the beautiful Veil Nebula. It’s large and bright enough to be seen with a good pair of binoculars under clear, dark sky conditions, though its wispy colors truly shine over longer exposures. To find it, look for the constellation Cygnus, directly overhead at sunset. Trace a line from the bright star Deneb, in his tail,
through the next one, Sadr, and a little past Aljanah in the Southern wing. There you should find this striking supernova remnant, stretching over 110 light years, or 660 thousand miles wide. This long, thin shape granted it the nickname the “Bat” Nebula, and is so massive it’s even broken up into smaller structures, such as the “Witch’s Broom,” seen on the Western arm.
