Planet Earth looks like a perfect sphere from outer space, but that can be deceiving. As a rotating sphere of gas it has flattening at the poles, which you might assume would be the case with our sun, but that flattening is no where near as pronounced as predicted. So, when we see other stars are they more elliptical? When we look at a star like ours we should use it as a model to predict how other stars behave. What’s the latest with Rover Curiosity? For the first time since it was launched it has had an opportunity to stretch its science arm, but even more exciting is that it has used its laser spectrometer to zap a rock and find out its composition. The rover’s next destination is about 400 yards away and will take a month to arrive since it moves across the surface so slowly. Another notable spacecraft is now the longest operating space probe in our fleet, Voyager 2, which is about 9 Billion miles out. Its companion, Voyager 1, is now 11 Billion miles away from Earth. The two have not crossed the outer boundaries of the solar system yet, but are feeling their way there and are expected to cross that boundary in the next couple of years. Also, don’t miss what’s in the night sky this week. All this and more on this week’s Sky Talk.

ISS astronauts are hard at work as they perform experiments in microgravity and find out more about what it’s like for humans to be in space. Two sets of astronauts are going out to ISS to do some repairs, two from Russia and also a pair from the Japanese Space Agency who will be erecting a shield for micro meteoroids. How has space walk technology changed over the years? Not a whole lot. The bulky standard is still there to protect against the harsh environment of space, but now engineers have created tasks that can be done with bigger tools and bulky gloves. Also, the latest with Curiosity? It will take another week for Curiosity to take its first steps on the surface. We are getting wonderful hi-resolution pictures back so all things considered we are doing well. And don’t miss what’s in the night sky this week. All this and more on this week’s Sky Talk.

Mars Rover Curiosity had a successful landing on the surface of Mars last week so what’s next for the craft? Engineers are powering up all the different systems on the craft and making sure everything is working as it should and most importantly making sure they can get images back to Earth. There are 17 different cameras on the rover and The quality of these images will increase as time goes on. The primary mission duration is two years, but can last as long as 10 years. There is already a low res movie available of Curiosity landing on the surface. You can follow along with almost every aspect of the life of Curiosity on the NASA website. Also, don’t miss what’s in the night sky this week including the tail end of the Perseid meteor shower. All this and more on this week’s Sky Talk.

Mars Rover Curiosity landed successfully at Gale Crater on Mars early this morning. This was a real nail biter since everyone involved was not sure how this was going to work out considering many of the processes used had never been attempted before. So what happens now? Before any real work can begin the rover will acclimatize itself, upgrade its software to drive and it has to accurately locate itself on the surface of the planet. This will take a week or more for it to get acclimated. As compared to past rovers, Curiosity has at least ten years on the planet, which is plenty of time to explore new environments. Back home on Earth the Perseid meteor showers can be seen later this week. Saturday into Sunday is when the annual meteor shower will peak. You should keep an eye out from midnight until sunrise Sunday morning, but if you can’t stay up late you might be able to catch the display earlier Saturday night. The Perseid’s used to rank as number one meteor shower of the year, but it has to bow to the Geminids now since that shower has more meteors per hour. Also, don’t miss what else can be seen in the night sky this week. All this and more on this week’s Sky Talk.

NASA Rover Curiosity will be on the red surface by Monday, August 6th at precisely 1:31 am daylight savings time. It’s an ambitious attempt to land a spacecraft on the surface of Mars, but engineers are extremely confident it will go without a hitch. Unlike other missions, Curiosity is very heavy weighing about a ton, so engineers are going to use retro rockets to bring the whole craft down to 25 meters above the surface before reeling the object down to to the ground. This process has never been attempted before. You can get a sense of what this will really be like with 7 minutes of Terror, a  video created by NASA. If all goes well it will land at Gale Crater with the purpose of chasing water and potentially finding evidence that there was life on Mars at one time.  Follow along with the latest developments at the NASA website — or download the app called Mission Clock. All this and more on this week's Sky Talk.

Why is it so hot? Well it’s not because we are closer to the sun. It’s really not the proximity of the Earth to the sun, but the solar radiation that heats the ocean and the land, which in turn heats the air. If you turn to the sky you might have the chance to see some Aurora Borealis or more accurately Aurora Australis, which are Southern lights and easier to see for us here in the North East. This phenomenon is particularly beautiful and becomes more frequent with the appearance of X-class solar flares. Check it out at spaceweather.com. Also, don’t miss what’s in the night sky this week. All this and more on this week’s Sky Talk.

Today marks the anniversary of the first manned mission to the moon. Forty-three years ago today Saturn 5 launch vehicle carried three very famous men up into space, who succeeded in landing on the moon on July 20th. Strangely they landed a little after 4pm and stayed in the Lunar Lander for 6 hours before they went out on the surface where they spent only 2.5 hours before heading back to Earth. The American flag is still visible to spacecraft orbiting the moon, as well as, tracks from the vehicles and footprints, which will be preserved for a very long time. The moon has effected us for centuries giving meaning to many of our holidays as they are tied to a lunar calendar. One such holiday is Ramadan and the month long observance will begin on July 20th. Also, we are making great strides forward in counting how many planets we are finding in our solar system. A telescope being used is the 200-Inch Hail reflector in Mt Palomar, CA near San Diego. An oldie, but goody that has been helping scientists for decades. And don’t miss what’s in the night sky this week including a challenge to see the Hercules Cluster directly over head at 10 pm, which you can see with a pair of binoculars. All this and more on this week’s Sky Talk.

There is a lot to be seen in the pre-dawn sky right now. If you're up just a little before sunrise the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, will continue to play around together. Something to watch for is how the thin crescent moon steps ever closer to the two planets finally settling in between the planets on Sunday morning. If your already up at that time you might also take a look at the fall constellations that are available and notice that we are heading on almost to the winter constellations. Derrick explains what this has to do with the age old expression “the dog days of summer”. Also, the sun is especially active as it works its way toward the peak of the sunspot cycle. The number of sun spots have been pretty steady and they are getting bigger and more intense. Just recently there were reports of X-class flares which are the most intense. Do to all this activity if your out somewhere where it is clear and dark you can take a look toward the northern sky and maybe spy the Northern Lights. For lots of great sky viewing don’t miss Night Skies in the Observatory programs on Thursdays at the Franklin Institute. All this and more on this week's Sky Talk.

The Earth revolves around the sun, which is some 93 Million miles away, but oddly when we are at the most distant point from the sun is when it seems the hottest. However, it is really the tilt of the Earth that makes this possible, rather than the distance from the sun. This week we will reach the most distant point from the sun, called Aphelion, on July 4th. We are also at the halfway point in our orbit around the sun and as we move past the halfway point, we can see the beginnings of the coming Autumn. You may start to notice that we are losing daylight on both ends of the day. Also, there are many things to look for in the night sky this week including tricky Mercury, which you can catch just after sunset between 9 and 9:30 pm. That’s the golden window of opportunity to see this elusive planet. But if this proves too daunting, by 10 pm you have an array of constellations to choose from. All this and more on this week’s Sky Talk.

Scientists have some idea of the magnetic and electro magnetic boundaries of our solar system, but want to learn more. They have some idea of what that structure is, but they need to know how far out the boundaries are and how closely we are approaching those boundaries with Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Astrophysicists are essentially feeling around in the dark to see where these boundaries are. Right now Voyager 1 is 11 Billion miles out. To give some perspective on how far that really is Earth is only 90 Million miles away from the Sun and the most distant planet is 3.6 Billion miles out. Given that great distance, Voyager 1 is still amazingly in our solar system and we are getting info back at a 16 hour delay. Launched in 1977, they will continue on their path as long as their path is not interrupted. Also, China is advancing their space goals. The Chinese space station has been flying over Philadelphia at least 5 times a day. This is China’s first solid step at the creation of an operating space station. And don’t miss what’s in the night sky this week. All this and more on this week’s Sky Talk.