Bravo Discovery! Congratulations to the capable crew of STS-119 and the successful delivery and installation of the final set of solar arrays for the International Space Station. It's an amazing milestone for those who have followed construction from the start. Alpha now has power satisfactory to a full complement of scientific research and researchers. For the moment though, far beyond in imaginative potential, the spectacular image of the freshly symmetrical "wings" of the outpost will stir the most laconic commentator once a few beauty shots get beamed down from space.
Despite her late launch off the pad, and God willing her safe return, Discovery maintains the magnificent reputation of these mighty vehicles. In addition the newly refurbished urine processing system now seems to be cooperating, though return samples must be analyzed before allowing astronauts to sample the output of their output. Also coming home are Spiderman and Elmo, the two spiders sent aloft to spin experimental webs. No reproach for an opportunity rare enough for our species, not to mention theirs.
The International Space Station is now the second brightest object in the sky, second only to the Moon. Meanwhile Venus - formerly the second brightest object in the sky - has arrived according to majestic planetary clockwork, swooping in as if to inspect the handiwork caught usurping her brilliance. (Pretty clever, those carbon units infesting Earth.) Venus is so close now that during this week it can be seen only a few degrees above the horizon at both sunrise and sunset, an evening and morning star on the same day.
I live in a city. I can't see anything that close to the horizon either at dawn or dusk. I'm lucky to see a full moon at night past the buildings or through the sky-blocking trees. Fortunately we have computers to assist the skyline-challenged. Crank up your software and check out this astronomical oddity that happens only every eight years. Why, it's barely a day's travel at one gee!
The rotation period of Venus is synchronized with its orbital period such that it always presents the same side to Earth at their closest synchronization. Much mystery remains about the fierce beauty of that world, and the steps we take today lead ineluctably to great discovery tomorrow. (Clumsy, but I had to work that in!) As below, so above, even when "below" is a palace in the sky circling at many kilometers per second. The stories told in the heavens tease a little extra meaning from our observations, and our accomplishments.