APOD 2.5

In the center of this picture is M81, a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way.  This galaxy is 11.8 million light-years away from Ursa Major.  The galaxy has a bright yellow core with blue spirals branching off and paths of dust around the center.  Another feature of the galaxy is Arp's Loop.  Arp's Loop is a tidal tail of material that is being pulled by the gravity of a nearby galaxy M82.  

APOD 2.4

This picture was taken from the Mars Express and it is of Phobos, the innermost moon of Mars.  Phobos is an extremely dark color, the darkest moon in the solar system in fact.  Many believe that Phobos was a captured asteroid due to its composition of ice and dark rock and due to its irregular shape.  It is also heavily cratered as it has most likely endured many collisions over time.  Phobos orbits very close to Mars and will likely break up and crash into the Martian Surface.  

APOD 2.3

This picture shows a phenomena that has been occurring on Jupiter.  Clouds on the planet are disappearing and reappearing.  The cause is unknown but meteorologists are trying to determine what is going on.  These changes have been noted as changes in color to the Southern Equatorial Belt and it has also been noted to disappear.  Professional observations have revealed that there are light ammonia clouds that are dissipating and therefore unveiling the darker lower clouds.  This explains the belt disappearing and it also explains the changes in color.  

Observation 2.1

Date - 12/11/10

Time - 8pm 

I was at Twin Lakes Park with some friends and I looked up in the sky towards the east.  The skies were clear so I was able to observe many stars.  One star that caught my eye was a reddish star that I believed to be Betelgeuse.  The star was brighter than any in its vicinity.  Its brightness and reddish/orange tint lead me to believe it was the giant star in Orion.