In April 2021, LEGO released this awesome new model of NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery.

LEGO has teamed up with NASA to make this superb model for the 40th Anniversary of the space shuttle era of human spaceflight, which began in April 1981.
 
The first shuttle to take flight at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida was the Space Shuttle Colombia on the 12th April 1981 an amazing 40 years ago!  To read all about this momentous occasion please go to:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/retired-astronaut-bob-crippen-on-the-40th-anniversary-of-sts-1-and-the-beginning-of
 
This stunning model that is made up of 2354 pieces was released on the 1st April 2021, it also includes a fantastic model of the Hubble Space Telescope, which is such a wonderful bonus!
 
This model is absolutely awesome and looks just so authentic in detail and will go with my other models that LEGO has brought out over the last two years…WooHoo!
https://www.lego.com/en-au/product/nasa-space-shuttle-discovery-10283
 
Women of NASA (LEGO set number 21312)
http://www.mystardustobservatory.com/astro-blog/women-of-nasa-lego-set-it-was-a-lot-of-fun-to-do
NASA Apollo Saturn V (LEGO set number 21309)
NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander (LEGO set number 10266)
International Space Station (LEGO set number 21321)
 
Way to go LEGO, how remarkable would it be if you could make a model of the Mars Rovers Curiosity or Perseverance or better still, a model of the incredible Ingenuity helicopter that’s currently in flight on the red planet :-)
https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/

I’m not sure if I’m going to make any of these models up as yet, or leave them on display in there packets…but to see the Shuttle being make up please go to the YouTube videos below.

Over the Easter school holidays from the 6th to 16th April, I gave three very exciting and fun presentations on Astronomy and Space for the Gold Coast Libraries ‘Out of this World’ space event for children aged 7 to 12 years.
 
All the children who attended had lots of fun learning about space, and I’m sure they’ll be going outside in there gardens to discover the night sky and catching up with what NASA’s Mars Rover Perseverance and its amazing Mars helicopter are getting up to on the red planet :-)
 
The Gold Coast library’s advertising team made up these large space rockets, for display in all their libraries, where everybody enjoyed taking lots of pictures of themselves...even I had fun taking a photo ;-)
(Please find below some images taken from each library event)

~ Destination planet Mars ~
​
Runaway Bay Library
Tuesday, 6 April 2021, 3 – 3.45pm
 
Humans have been fascinated by the red planet Mars since the beginning of time, right now many robotic spacecraft have landed and are orbiting the planet in preparations for humans to visit, come and hear all about this amazing journey of exploration to Mars.

~ Our Amazing Moon ~
 
Nerang Library
Tuesday, 13 April 2021, 3 – 3.45pm
 
The Moon is Earth's constant companion in the night sky that shows us different phases night after night. The Moon also is the only celestial object in the solar system where humans have walked upon its surface and now we are going back to build a Moon base…Wow!

~ Starry Starry Night - How to learn the night sky ~
 
Elanora Library
Friday, 16 April 2021, 3 – 3.45pm
 
Have you ever wanted to learn the night sky? Noeleen will show you how easy it is to find the constellations, planets and other beautiful celestial objects in the night sky in your own garden and how to use binoculars or a telescope to explore the heavens.

All talks Presented by Noeleen Lowndes.
Suitable for children 7 - 12 years
 
Noeleen Lowndes is a member of the Southern Astronomical Society on the Gold Coast. She has been actively involved with astronomy and space education for over 25 years and is a member of NASA’s Saturn Observation Campaign.

~ Launch into Gold Coast Libraries these school holidays ~

For all things ‘Out Of This World’
6th to 16th April 2021
 
There are FREE space events and activities being held over these school holidays at Gold Coast Libraries for kids from 2 years to 12 years old.
 
As part of this exciting space event, presenter Noeleen Lowndes will deliver an astronomy experience for kids aged 7 years to 12 years.

​Noeleen is NASA’s SOC educator in Australia and a member of the Southern Astronomical Society on the Gold Coast.
 
Please go to the Gold Coast Libraries ‘What’s-on’ link below, as bookings to all events are essential:
​ https://new.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/libraries/Whats-on
 
Go deep into space with at-home resources and activities at:
https://new.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/libraries/Explore/Kids#panel-1-4
 
Astronomy & Space events for 7 -12 years
 
Destination to the planet Mars
Tuesday 6th April at Runaway Bay Library from 3.00pm to 3.45pm.
 
Our Amazing Moon
Tuesday 13th April at Nerang Library from 3.00pm to 3.45pm.
 
Starry Starry Night - How to learn the Night Sky
Friday 16th April at Elanora Library from 3.00pm to 3.45pm.
​

The eastern sky cleared long enough for the beautiful full Moon to be seen lighting up a moonlight trail on the water, just like a stairway to the Moon…just awesome!
 
This lunar phase is the closest full Moon to the Autumnal Equinox (21st March) so Easter occurs after this Full Moon making the 4th April Easter Sunday for 2021.
 
My Image was taken on the 29th March 2021 with a Canon 70D camera and a Tamron 18-400mm lens set at 40mm attached to a camera tripod, exposure time was 1.3 seconds and ISO 200 at F4.

While coming back on the sea ferry across Moreton Bay, I looked up into the sky and saw this pretty Sun halo around the Sun and just as I took the picture a couple of welcome swallows flew by in the sea breeze :-) 
 
A solar halo is a very interesting optical phenomenon that’s caused by the Suns light interacting with ice crystals in very high cirrus type clouds. You can also see the same phenomenon when you have a full Moon in the night-time sky. Another interesting fact is this ring around the Sun or Moon is exactly 22 degrees!
 
You can find out more about the science of solar and lunar halos at:
https://www.atoptics.co.uk/halosim.htm
 
My image was taken on Sunday the 28th March 2021 with a Canon G7X camera Mark 11 camera; the exposure time was 1/400th second with ISO200 using manual focus.

~ Conjunction of Mars with Pleiades Star Cluster ~
In Taurus (The Bull) 
(On the 5th March 2021)

We finally had a clear evening at last to see the conjunction of Mars with the Pleiades star cluster, which is in the constellation of Taurus (The Bull).
 
I had to take my pictures here at home through a very light polluted sky…but at least I’ve captured the event, car headlights going up and down the street lit up the trees :-)
 
My images were taken with a Canon 70D camera and an 18-400mm lens on a tripod. Both images were exposures of 5 seconds with ISO 2500 with five images captured and stacked in DSS to help with the urban light conditions.

What are some skywatching highlights in March 2021?
 
Look for Mars close to the Pleiades in the first couple of weeks of March. Then wake up early to observe the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn, which return as morning planets this month.

After an early morning rain shower I raced outside to see if there was a rainbow in the sky…and to my utter delight there in the western sky was a stunning double rainbow with a supernumerary bow under the primary.
 
You have to be very quick to capture these brilliant coloured rainbows because the clouds move quickly and the Sun comes out and it all vanishes just like that!
 
Supernumeraries are formed because two rays of light may follow slightly different paths within a raindrop but still emerge in the same direction.
 
This gives rise to interference between the two rays and produces the alternating bright and dark bands in the supernumerary bows. The intensity of the colours gives an indication of the size of the raindrops.
 
To read more about rainbows and explore the science behind Atmospheric Optics please go to Les Cowley’s excellent website at: https://www.atoptics.co.uk
 
This image was taken with a Canon 70D camera and a Sigma 10-20mm lens @12mm, ISO 200 and exposure time was 1/250th second. 

This is the first 360-degree panorama taken by Mastcam-Z, a zoomable pair of cameras aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. The panorama was stitched together on Earth from 142 individual images taken on Sol 3, the third Martian day of the mission (Feb. 21, 2021).
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/ASU

​To read the story please go to:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-perseverance-rover-gives-high-definition-panoramic-view-of-landing-site

For more information about Perseverance
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/

NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance mission captured thrilling footage of its rover landing in Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.
 
The real footage in this video was captured by several cameras that are part of the rover's entry, descent, and landing suite.
 
The views include a camera looking down from the spacecraft's descent stage (a kind of rocket-powered jet pack that helps fly the rover to its landing site), a camera on the rover looking up at the descent stage, a camera on the top of the aeroshell (a capsule protecting the rover) looking up at that parachute, and a camera on the bottom of the rover looking down at the Martian surface.
 
The audio embedded in the video comes from the mission control call-outs during entry, descent, and landing.

​For more information about Perseverance, visit
​https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ 

​Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech