Update: This is the second Slooh show, the first is below.
An odd pair of solar system objects will be meeting up in the night sky tonight: the full moon and distant Uranus. You've got two opportunities to watch this sweet celestial action go down during two live Slooh Space Camera shows, the first at 4 p.m. Pacific/7 p.m. Eastern and the second at 7 p.m. Pacific/10 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 29.
Uranus, discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel, is the seventh planet from the sun. The planet is an ice giant, about four times the size of Earth, with an atmosphere composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane, the last of which gives Uranus its familiar blue-green color. Uranus is a strange planet in many ways, not least of which because it orbits on its side – its "North Pole" is about where Earth's equator is – and it is host of a spectacular array of thin rings and 27 moons. Uranus has only been visited by a spacecraft from Earth once, Voyager 2, which flew by in 1986 and took spectacular images.
This weekend's full moon will be known as the Harvest Moon, since it occurs nearest to the autumn equinox. Uranus will be in opposition to Earth, meaning it will be as close and bright as it can be in the night sky, and will be nearly perfectly lined up with the moon. Amateur astronomers can get a good glimpse at Uranus by aiming just below the moon and searching for the only green star in their field of view.
The Slooh show will be hosted by Patrick Paolucci, who will be joined by Bob Berman, columnist for Astronomy magazine.
Video: Slooh Space Camera
