Andy’s Astronomy: Planets of Space: 1999

By ANDY KOBER
In 1975, the British science fiction series Space: 1999 aired and introduced audiences to a number of planets including Psychon, Betha, Delta, and Terra Nova.
Lasting just two seasons, Space: 1999 was based on a premise the Moon had been used for stockpiling nuclear waste. Also located on the Moon, was Moonbase Alpha research center housed in the crater Plato. Some type of magnetic radiation causes the nuclear waste to go critical which blasts the Moon out of Earth orbit and into deep space, through worm holes and other astrological phenomena.
Along their travels, the crew of Moonbase Alpha discover other civilizations which was good as without the Moon, the Earth is rendered uninhabitable with life as we know it going extinct.
Of the planets highlighted in Space: 1999, none are real or based on real planets.
Separating fact from fiction, the crater Plato does in fact exist on the Moon. With a diameter measured at about 63 miles, the crater is estimated at over 3.8 billion years old. Inside the crater can be found impact sites from other, much smaller, meteors and asteroids.
Interestingly, astronomers have reported seeing flashes of light, unusual colors patterns and hazy visibility inside Plato. It is thought this is caused by different illumination angles of sunlight.
Space:1999 can be found on some streaming services.
Switching from science fiction to science fact, on April 25, 1983, Pioneer 10 passed beyond the orbit of Pluto.
Launched in 1972, Pioneer 10 was the first space probe to traverse the asteroid belt, the first to investigate Jupiter and the first of five probes to achieve escape velocity, leaving our Solar System. Prior to leaving the solar system, instruments onboard the probe recorded and transmitted considerable information back to Earth.
As it passed through the interplanetary medium, Pioneer 10 detected helium atoms along with high-energy ions of aluminum and sodium in the solar wind, it also detected a solar shock wave.
Communications with Pioneer 10 ended on Jan. 23, 2003. At the time it was about 7.5 billion miles from Earth.
Today, Pioneer 10 is estimated to be about 13 billion miles from Earth headed in the direction of the constellation Taurus and the general direction of the star Aldebaran
Keep your eyes on the sky for passing fireballs.
Meteors can flash across the sky anytime, day or night, with extraordinarily bright meteors often referred to as fireballs — and they are spotted quite often.
On Tuesday, Apr. 14, 89 people across Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia reported seeing a fireball.
The fireball was first reported at 5:49 am by a skywatcher in Dortches, NC, who reported, “It had a bright, glowing tail”. The fireball was seen as far north as Lyndhurst, NJ, as far east as West Islip, NY, as far south as Lakeland, FL, and as far west as near Cleveland, TN. In Georgia, the fireball was spotted by skywatchers in Dawsonville, Rincon, and Royston. The fireball appeared to be travelling from south-southwest to north-northeast.
Three skywatchers reported hearing noise made by the fireball and six witnessed it fragment it smaller pieces. The fireball was captured on four videos and 31 photographs.
Anyone seeing a fireball is urged to report the sighting to https://amsmeteors.org
We will continue researching planets found in science fiction soon. In the meantime going outside and looking at the sky, especially the night sky, can be fun and educational for the entire family.
There are a number of free apps available to help identify stars and constellations, and some of the apps will show satellites.
Happy skywatching!