astronomy wise august ezine
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Free Monthly online magazineTRANSCRIPT
August 2012
AW EZine
stronomy Wise stronomy Wise
Interview
Ralph Wilkins & Tom Kerss Active Astronomy Awesome Astronomy
Rouges Gallery
The Night Sky
Higgs Boson
Young Astronomer
Life & Death Of A
Star
August 2012 Edition
www.astronomy-wise.com
Astronomy Wise
Welcome to another edition of our monthly online EZine. This month we
have the return of the young astronomer feature. We also have a
young man who has a keen interest in physics, he will be talking about Higgs
Boson. The interview this month features the presenters and writers of
the new and popular Awesome
Astronomy podcast. John Harper gives us the heads up on the ‘Night Sky’ .
There is also a printable sky chart for August. Check out this months featured
book by Paul Halpern. We have details on the up coming IAC2012 (Irregular
Astro Camp). Author Felicity Lennie and her husband James Lennie talk
about stargazing in Devon and stargazy island.
NASA's next Mars rover,
Curiosity, is slated to land
on the Red Planet on Aug.
6, 2012
Contents: Halley's Comet
August Occultations
The Night Sky
Rouges Gallery
The Night Sky Assistant
Book Review P Halpern
Young Astronomer
Life & Death of A Star
Lets Talk Interview
Higgs Boson
The Michelson and Morley experiment
Neptune the Ice Giant
Stargazy Island
The 2012 Perseid Meteor Shower
“The Tears of St Lawrence”
Headlines-What’s in the News
Astronomer Profile
In the News
Images: NASA
Page 2
Check out
Astronomy Wise
News Pages
Awesome Astronomy
Credits
Editor: David Bood - @AstronomyWise
Co Editor– Jason Ives— @jasonives101 Sky Notes: Former director of the occultation
section, S.P.A, (Society for popular astronomy).
Layout: Edward Dutton— @EddDutton Interview: Ralph Wilkins & Tom Kerss
Science: Liam Edwards & Edward Dutton Young Astronomer: Awel– Medi Evans
Stargazy Island: Felicity Lennie & James Lennie
Astronomer Profile: Neil Samples (Scarborough)
Writer: James Adam (Bob the Alien)
Astronomy Wise
New this month is
Jason Ives Rouges
Gallery.
We have Science
from two young
people.
A quick look at
Neptune
Check out our Daily
News paper.
Life and Death of a
Star
And Much More…..
New Rouges Gallery
Astronomy Wise Daily News
www.astronomy-wsie.com
August 2012 Occultations by John Harper
Key to the Occultation Table The columns of the table give data specific to each of the Lunar Occultation events
listed.
From left to right they are:
1 Day of the Week 2 DATE in the format: dd-mm-yyyy
3 Universal Time of the event (add one hour when British Summer Time is in force for Local Time.
The predictions are for Scarborough, which lies midway between London and Edin-burgh, on the North Sea coast of the UK. (N54.27 deg., W00.43 deg.)
4 Occulted star’s visual magnitude 5 P = Phase tells you whether the event is a disappearance (D) or reappearance (R)
or a Graze (C).
6 L = Limb. This indicates whether the event takes place at the dark (D) or bright (B) lunar limb.
7 Al. = the Altitude of the moon at the time of the occultation event. 8 Az. = The azimuth (angular distance along the horizon, measured from the North
Point, clockwise. 9 Sun Alt = the angular distance of the sun, below the horizon at the time of the
event. 10, 11 & 12 the name or catalogue number of the star being occulted.
XZ Cat No. This is the star’s designation in the US Naval Observatory catalogue of over 32,000 stars that can be occulted by the moon.
Proper Name. This is the star’ more common name, if it has one! ZC No. The Zodiacal Catalogue of 3539 stars brighter than visual magnitude +7,
within 8 degrees of the ecliptic. Some fainter stars are included in this total as well. 13 PA = Position Angle. This is the angular position on the limb of the moon where
the reappearance or disappearance will occur it helps you look at the right part of
the moon’s limb. Position Angle is measured from Celestial North (the line of Right Ascension running through the centre of the moon’s disc. It is measured clockwise
through west, south , east and back to north, a total of 360 degrees.
John Harper Former director of the occultation section, S.P.A, (Society for Popular Astronomy).
The Night Sky August 2012
As the month begins, the Sun is passing through the stars of Cancer, until around
11h on the 10th, when it crosses the IAU boundary into Leo, where it remains for the rest of the month. Once again from the beginning of the month, truly dark
nights begin again in northern UK.
The Moon
The Moon is at perigee, its nearest to the earth, at 19h40 on the 23rd. It is at apo-gee (furthest from the earth) at 10h53 on the 10th
It may be possible to glimpse earthshine on the night hemisphere of the waning crescent moon from the 11th to the 16th, before dawn
John Harper Former director of the occultation section, S.P.A, (Society for Popular Astronomy).
There are two full moons in Au-
gust; the first Full Moon occurring at 03h28 on the 2nd on the Capri-
cornus-Aquarius border.
Last Quarter Moon is on the 9th at
18h56 in the constellation of Aries.
New Moon is on the 17th at 15h55
in the constellation of Leo, when the moon passes 5° south of the
sun.
First Quarter Moon at 13h34 on the
24th is in the constellation of Scor-pius, between the stars Graffias
and Dschubba.
The second Full Moon, the so-called
‘Blue Moon’, occurs on August 31st at 13h59 in the eastern portion of
the constellation Aquarius.
The Planets
By the end of the first week of August, Mercury reappears
low in the eastern sky before dawn. It rises mid month at 03h and reaches its greatest elongation east of the sun, an
angular distance of 8° on the 17th. Try locating it mid month in the hour or so before dawn. The planet should be
readily visible to the naked eye, very low down in the east-ern sky. The optimum time to look is 04h. August morning
twilight will be increasing, but a pair of binoculars will help you find Mercury almost straight away. At the same time
on the 15th, there are five planets and the waning crescent moon in the morning sky. They are: Mercury, the Moon,
Venus and Jupiter, all in the eastern quadrant of the sky, and the two telescopic planets Uranus and Neptune in the
SW. There is a challenging conjunction between Mercury and the thin waning crescent moon on the 16th, but you
will really need binoculars for this one as at 04h the
waning crescent lies 4° below and slightly to the right of Mercury and only 5° above the ENE horizon. At the end of
August Mercury rises at 04h, 80 mins before sunrise, and begins to move in towards the sun to superior conjunction
with it next month.
Venus is at greatest western elongation of 45° from the
sun on the 16th. Throughout the month it rises around 01h each morning. Venus, the brightest of all the planets,
dominates the morning sky and can be seen even in twilight. Indeed, as long as you have been following it and
know where it is in the sky, the planet can be seen with the naked eye after the sun rises. The waning crescent
moon may be seen approaching Venus during the morning Venus is at greatest western elongation of 45° from the
sun on the 16th. Throughout the month it rises around 01h each morning. Venus, the brightest of all the planets,
dominates the morning sky and can be seen even in twilight. Indeed, as long as you have been following it and
know where it is in the sky, the planet can be seen with the naked eye after the sun rises. The waning crescent
moon may be seen approaching Venus during the morning
the ‘diamond’ of Venus, set in the azure sky. Venus is at its greatest brightness during this month.
As Mars continues to approach Saturn in Virgo, it continues to
fade and on the evening of the 14th at around 20h, (and here binoculars will help), you will find Saturn Mars and Spica
forming a straight line in that order, top to bottom in the WSW at an altitude of just over 10°. All three are of almost the same
brightness, with Spica being marginally brighter than the two planets. Look for the colour contrast between the three –
Saturn, ivory, Mars, red dish, and Spica sparkles bluish white. By the 21st Mars has moved towards the east, so that the three
form an equilateral triangle, and on that day, the waxing cres-cent moon joins the company to lie 2° below Spica, and almost
touching the horizon. The next night at the same time around 20h, the broader waxing crescent lies 7° to the left of Mars. At
the start of the month, Mars sets two hours after the sun, re-ducing to 70 mins after the sun at the month’s end. This is
because of the low altitude of the planet in relation to the sun’s
position.
Jupiter now rises before midnight and is a splendid object in the
morning sky. Never attaining the brilliancy of Venus, it never-theless is the second brightest star-like object in the morning
sky. The planet lies in the constellation of Taurus between the horns of the bull. After midnight, look for the ever-changing
positions of the Galilean satellites in binoculars, which will also show Jupiter’s disc. The waning crescent moon, 5° below the
Pleiades (Seven Sisters), may be seen approaching Jupiter on the 11th, during the morning. There is a pretty configuration
between the waning crescent moon and Jupiter during the early morning of the 12th, when the angular distance separating the
two is some 3°, enhancing the sky as you observe the Perseid meteors.
Saturn remains at a low declination in the SW sky during the
evening as twilight fades. It sets two hours after the sun at the beginning of the month, and one hour at the end. This is per-
haps the last time until November you will be able to see the planet with its rings because it is running into sunlight, ending
its evening apparition for the year.
As last month, Uranus in Pisces, and Neptune in Aquarius, the
two remote gas giants can be seen as star like points in binoculars, but you need a good star map or computer pro-
gramme to locate these distant worlds.
One of the best shooting star showers of the year peaks overnight between the 11th
and 12th and the 12th to 13th. The maximum is predicted for 10h on the 12th.These meteors are called the Perseids, or the ‘Tears of St Lawrence’. Expect to see 75 or
more shooting stars each hour, and especially in the early morning sky. Seeing con-ditions are good this year for this rich shower of fast meteors. There is always a high
proportion of bright events which leave persistent trains. The Perseid meteors are associated with the Swift-Tuttle comet discovered in the nineteenth century.
Constellations visible in the south around midnight, mid-month, are as follows: Cap-
ricornus, Aquarius, Equuleus (the Little Horse), Delphinus (The Dolphin) and Cygnus. The Milky Way is at the zenith, and spans the sky from the NE to the SW.
All times are GMT 1° is one finger width at arm’s length.
Add one Hour for Local Time (BST)
The Night Sky– John Harper: Sky Chart
Images
Adrian Jennetta Hydrogen alpha
view of the Sun with my little
PST. About 10 images stacked
from the Nikon D80 and
processed with GIMP.
Below: Nex-Star 102SLT
with Baader solar film. Ni-
kon D80, ISO800
1/320s (10 images) all
at prime focus. Stacked and
deblurred in
GIMP using the
method I showed
the other night at
NASTRO
This months book comes from Paul Halpern ( http://phalpern.com ).
Edge of the Universe: A Voyage to the Cosmic Horizon and Beyond by Paul Halpern
(John Wiley & Sons, 2012).
Synopsis:
These are extraordinary times for humanity's quest to understand the universe. Cosmology has entered an age of
unprecedented precision. Long sought questions such as the age and shape of the universe have finally been resolved. We
now know that the time since the Big Bang is 13.75 billion years. In contrast to earlier views that space could be curved
or saddle-shaped, we now know that it is as flat as a
pancake.
Yet, despite these tremendous advances, science has come to realize that much of the universe is made of unknown
substances and influences. More than 95 percent of the universe is made of dark energy and dark matter, with less
than 5 percent constituting the familiar stuff of atoms, molecules, people, and planets. Dark energy makes itself felt
through its unseen influence on galaxies, causing them to move away from each other at a faster and faster pace. Dark
matter, on the other hand, steers the outer stars of galaxies, binding them to galactic cores. It also supplies the gravitational "glue" needed to
keep clusters of galaxies intact. Experiments have failed so far to reveal the true nature of these mysterious entities.
These are far from the only cosmological enigmas. A strange dark flow seems to be driving galaxy clusters toward an unknown destination. Scientists wonder if it could
be a sign of tugs from regions beyond the observable universe. Indeed the theory of inflation, the leading explanation for why the observable is relatively uniform, offers
the intriguing possibility that our universe is a mere drop in a vast cosmic sea called the multiverse. Researchers are examining the cosmic microwave background
searching for signs of collisions with other universes.
The cosmic microwave background offers ample conundrums. A strange alignment, called the "axis of evil," has perplexed astronomers. While other oddities, such as
Stephen Hawking's initials displayed in the radio sky, can be explained by coincidence, could the "axis of evil" represent a preferred direction in the cosmos?
Cosmic dragons, unidentified sources lurking in the gamma-ray fog, offer another intriguing puzzle.
Is time travel possible? Does the universe have unseen extra dimensions? Could an advanced civilization construct traversible wormholes to expedite interstellar travel?
What is the fate of the universe? Could there have been cycles of time before the Big Bang?
Edge of the Universe: A Voyage to the Cosmic Horizon and Beyond explores these
strange mysteries and more. It offers a passport to the frontiers of contemporary cosmology, examining the latest discoveries and debates in the scientific quest to
unravel the mysteries of the universe.
Website:
http://edgeofuniverse.com
Amazon (USA): http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Universe-Voyage-Cosmic-Horizon/dp/0470636246
Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edge-Universe-Paul-Halpern/dp/0470636246
Young Astronomer Is Back…
Due to school and college exams we postponed young astronomer for a month or two, however this month we have a young astronomer Awel-Medi Evans.
My name is Awel-Medi Evans, I'm 16 and I'm very passionate about the universe & beyond.
My passion for Astronomy & Planetary science is
immeasurable. I absolutely love to gaze at the stars and to work out the constellations. I have had a very big interest
in the subject since I was very young and throughout my
childhood my interest and passion for astronomy and planetary science has kept growing. I find it so fascinating
that the universe is so vast, our planet (Earth) is only a speck of dust in this galactic field.
I don't really know what clicked my interest in astronomy, but I do remember seeing
a comet when I was about 4 years old. I still remember its vibrant colours now. It's possible that that is the reason why I was so fascinated with space at a very young
age. I also had a slight obsession with the moon, the stars and the clouds when I was young; I used to study them all the time, in the garden, out with family. They
just kept drawing my attention.
When I was 6 years old, I made a space book and I showed it to my teachers in school, they made me show it to all the teachers in year 3 & 4 and they were very
impressed. I remember being the only one that had an interest in space in primary
school (that I know of).. I also remember when another class were playing 'the weakest link' and a question associated with space popped up, they used to come
get me from my class to answer the question for them! Oh, also I remember one day, when we got asked what we wanted to be in the future.. I answered 'an astro-
naut' many people were laughing at the time, but now I realise that it really isn't something to be laughed at. One of my idols, Cady Coleman was on board the ISS
for 159 days! What an inspiration.
My other inspirations are Dr Lucie Green, Professor Brian Cox, Professor Iain Stewart , Sir Patrick Moore and Dr Helen Czerski. They all specialise in the subjects I
love the most and I love how they engage the public with their immense passion for space, geology, physics and more.
Twitter has helped me interact with space enthusiasts around the world, it makes
me feel a part of something big. Before twitter, I genuinely thought that I was the
only one in Wales that had an interest in such a subject.. I have made many new helpful contacts via twitter, such as Jane MacArthur, Geraint Jones, Nick Howes,
Virtual Astronomer and other really inspiring people. I would like to thank all of them for there kindness and advice through out my twitter 'career'. OK moment of truth -
I made a twitter account in 2010 as a belieber - how cringe worthy - I then noticed that people that had the same enthusiasm as me for space had a twitter too, so in
2011, I suddenly 'stopped' being a belieber and I began chasing the dream I always
wanted to come true. I began to tweet NASA, and I have been fortunate enough to get some replies! I began to follow those with the same interests as me and people
then began to follow me... I changed my twitter username to @Astro_Awel because I wasn't ashamed of being so enthusiastic about space.. Also, I noticed that many
astronauts at NASA have 'astro_' before their name and that made me feel a closer to them. I had some help off my friend Glen to give me a boost with some publicity..
He gave me a shout out and I gained many followers, coincidently, many of them had an interest in space too! Recently, I have switched accounts to @AwelEvans -
Feel welcome to follow me!
In the future, I hope to be a planetary scientist or a science TV
presenter for the BBC. I want to do the same as Lucie Green; I want to engage the public with my passion for space & be-
yond. I want to draw the public's attention to the stars, to
the planets and I want them to realise how lucky we are to live on such a unique and beautiful planet. Some people
just don't realise how lucky we are and some don't have a clue about the vast complexity of the universe we belong to.
As Bill Watterson said, “If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently.”
At the moment, I don't have a very good telescope, I've has it since I was VERY
young. It doesn't have a make. I'm currently searching for a new one and I'd love a Celestron C8 telescope or a telescope that is decent for planetary and some deep
sky observing. My birthday is coming up so cross fingers that I get a telescope then!
My favourite astronomical wonders are the Helix nebula, Aurora Borealis, Saturn's magnificent rings, Io's beautiful volcanic behaviour and Enceladus. I have always
been interested in extra-terrestrial life and I believe that if we were to search for
less complex life or traces of some less complex life forms, Enceladus would be one of the best places to look.
You can follow Awel at
http://astroawel.wordpress.com/
Life and Death of A Star Life and Death of A Star Life and Death of A Star
By D BoodBy D BoodBy D Bood
The universe is a vast and complex place.
From earth we can look out and view the
splendour of stars, planets and other
astronomical objects. Technology has
enabled us to look beyond our solar
system and view the complex systems of
clouds ,gas and dust. From the ‘Big Bang’
these clouds have been the interstellar
nurseries for stars and planets alike.
Within this vastness of the universe
nature is at hard at work creating and destroying. When a massive star dies
and explodes it provides the building blocks for new stars and planets.
How does a star die? And Why?
The Orion Nebula in Infra Red
Spectroscopy
Image: NASA
Before we can look at the
process of star death we
need to look how a star is
formed, what conditions
start the process, which
then lead to nuclear
fusion.
After the big bang the early universe was filled
with cooling hydrogen, helium and degraded
radiation. There may have been some high density
objects such as black
holes. As the gas and dust
expanded, density fluctuations may have
caused early galaxies and stars to form.
The formation of a star
starts when molecular
clouds start to collapse;
this can be caused by
galaxies colliding,
supernovas or gravitational
energy from other stars.
When the cloud collapses it
becomes denser and
generates internal heat.
We could say the collapse
occurs when its
gravitational potential
energy is greater than the
internal thermal energy.
Energy cannot be created
or destroyed however it
can be transformed from
one type of energy to
another.
Birth of a Star
Molecular cloud begins to collapse slowly
Denser areas form in the cloud, these areas are where new protostars will form
As the collapse occurs protostars form, they are
cool and very red (shown in orange for this illustration). The radiated energy comes from
gravitational collapse.
Once the core becomes hot enough nuclear
fusion will begin, converting Hydrogen (H) in Helium (He).
The new star is called a protostar, however what
happens next depends on its size, if the newly formed star is too small it cannot
reach stable luminosities by thermonuclear fusion of normal hydrogen. All stars and brown dwarfs produce energy by fusion of a rare isotope called deuterium in their
first few million years, as the core contracts and gets hotter fusion of hydrogen begins. However a brown dwarf’s core may be dense enough to stop this
contraction. Slightly larger brown dwarfs above 60 masses of Jupiter do begin hydrogen fusion then stabilise and fusion stops (Britannica Encyclopaedia). The
brown dwarf will cool over billions of years and will become the same temperature
as the background
universe (universe today).
Stars such as our sun will
fuse hydrogen until the fuel source runs out. They
will then start to fuse helium. This process is
called proton – proton fusion. When hydrogen
fusion ends the core will slightly collapse, fusion of
the outer core and shell occur (helium), the star
expands into what is
called a red giant. When the red giant finishes
expanding the outer layers cool, after a few more
million years the star will become a white dwarf. It
will lose its outer layers which may become
planetary nebula.
Stars with medium to large masses will continue
to fuse hydrogen. Depending on their size
depends on the route they take for fusion.
The life span of a star
depends on how hot it
becomes, the hotter the
star the faster it fuses
hydrogen, these stars will
have a shorter life span
than a slower fusing star.
Massive stars go through
what is called a CNO cycle
(Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen)
this is a sequence of
thermonuclear reactions.
This energy provides most
of the energy radiated by
hotter stars. The process
does not work so well in
cooler stars and is only a
minor source of energy. In
much more cooler stars
this process does not work
at all. Because of the size
of these huge stars they
have enough fuel to
produce larger quantities
of carbon and oxygen. The
carbon and oxygen core
will have enough mass
that the gravitational
forces are strong enough
to collapse the core
beyond the white dwarf
stage. The carbon and
oxygen will then fuse
creating heavier elements
such as neon, sodium and
magnesium. This fusion
process emits energy,
enough to keep the star
burning. The process
eventually starts to
Image above: Proton—Proton Fusion
produce silicon and sulphur,
when these start to fuse
they form Iron. Iron is like
poison to a nuclear reaction,
once iron is produced the
star begins to die. Fusion
stops at the very centre of
the core.
With no fusion the star goes
into the death throws, the
outer layers begin to
collapse towards the centre,
the pressure becomes so
great that the iron nuclei
begin to touch. An immense
shockwave is created.
The shockwave high in
energy particles spreads throughout the outer layers fusing together particles to
create different elements; the shockwave also penetrates the core converting the
iron protons and electrons
into neutrons. The result is a
powerful explosion resulting
in a super nova which
illuminates for a time period
after the explosion. The end
result which again depends
on the core mass is a black
hole, or a neutron star.
A neutron star can be small in
size but massive in density,
they can rotate at
phenomenal speeds. Where a
star took a month to rotate
(our sun 27 days) the neutron
star can rotate one revolution
per second.
(Image credit: Demetris
Nicolaides.)
Information Sources: Wikipedia, Britannica, Cambridge University,
Windows2universe.org,NASA, Universe Today
LETS TALK……
Astronomy Wise is always on the look
out for interesting people to interview and this month is no exception. Well
this month we have gone one better because we have two people, so all the
way from the deep south (London Area) we have the chaps who write,
produce and present the Awesome Astronomy podcast.
AW: Ralph when did you first become interested in Astronomy and
Science?
Science has always been a passion of mine, whether it’s the history of the geniuses who brought us out of the darkness of ignorance or a personal exploration of the
natural world, there’s a battle going on inside every one us between the urge to explore and discover new things and the hard to suppress urge to accept the
established ‘wisdom’. I remember as a kid using a toy telescope at my bedroom window to observe the
moon – there were a lot of entries in my astronomy log book stating ‘Observations
obscured due to cloud’! I wanted to be Patrick Moore back then. But recently it’s
been moving to London, ironically, that has led to becoming more active in
astronomy and astronomy outreach in particular. And the podcast’s a wonderfully
informal and fun forum for astronomy education.
AW: When did Tom first become interested in Astronomy and Science?
I was fortunate enough to be gifted a passion for science and astronomy at a young
age by my Dad. His childhood interest in the Apollo Programme would inspire him to join the RAF as a Fighter Pilot, and from the moment I could read, he was
sharing his space books with me (Sir Patrick Moore’s ‘Moon Flight Atlas’ is a memorable favourite!)
In many ways, the Moon and Man’s exploration of it was my gateway drug to the
rest of astronomy, and I became addicted to stargazing as a hobby, quickly
collecting far too many telescopes and eyepieces! I focused my Higher Education on
Astrophysics and Space Technology, but after all of that, it is experience of being at
the eyepiece that I regard as my true calling, and, not surprisingly, my career.
AW: Can you tell us about the astronomy scene in London?
Ralph: Counter-intuitively, it’s incredible! We have some of the most light polluted
skies in the world but it has so many people to introduce to astronomy. Having the RAS, BAA, many experienced astronomers and most of the country’s media outlets
based here also helps to get the message out. Of course, the moon, Saturn and Jupiter look the same wherever you view them from and nothing sells astronomy
better than letting someone see them for themself. Tom: Over the years, I’ve been a member of several societies, having moved around
the UK quite a bit, but nothing could prepare me for London. Of course the skies are
probably the worst in Europe, but I’ve never encountered a hungrier and more
enthusiastic scene! I think the massive (and massively diverse) population yearns to
push past the soupy orange skies with a level of determination not commonly seen
in areas that enjoy much better conditions.
AW: You have several websites
can you tell us briefly about each one?
Sure, it’s all about getting the astronomy message out.
www.BakerStreetAstro.org.uk is home-base for the BSIA online, featuring
the society news, info and forums, as well as special events and spin-off
projects. The BSIA is central, both literally to the geography of London, but
also figuratively to London’s astronomical community, providing free star parties in
Regents Park each month attended by hundreds of people, and promoting
astronomy in every way it can, including
the launch for 2012 of a new UK Star Party, the Irregular AstroCamp in the
Brecon Beacons. www.Astros.org.uk is the listings, a
directory for Astronomers in the Pub - a young spin-off project from the BSIA,
which periodically hosts free talks in a pub-setting with an astronomy speaker,
and the occasional pub-quiz from Ralph, the astro quiz master!
www.AwesomeAstronomy.com is the website for a Tom & Ralph collaboration
to spread the astronomy word further through a podcast. We’ve been floored
by the positive response to (and
download figures for) this project, which shows that the astronomy community is
still on a very sound footing. www.ActiveAstronomy.org is my
(Ralph’s) website focused squarely on
providing beginner to mid-level astronomy advice and help through free
software, apps, podcasts, sky guides, citizen science projects and tutorials.
www.TomKerss.co.uk is my (Tom’s) personal website, which is an essential
tool as a freelancer. Most people who ask me to work on their projects, write or
present for them, find me through this page, where they can also find out what
I’m currently involved with. Astrophilosophy.co.uk is the site for my
(Tom’s) upcoming book, which in the
spirit of an ambitious interplanetary
mission, will probably take years to
complete! At the risk of making a bad
pun, you’ll have to watch this space for news about the release, which I very much
hope will be some time in 2013.
AW: Looking at the new Awesome Astronomy Podcast what made you
both decide to write, produce and present a podcast?
Ralph: We just love talking about astronomy and through the outreach we run, we get no shortage of questions and a good feel for what astronomy enthusiasts want
to know. I like the more sensational side of astronomy, you know, exoplanets, asteroid impacts & space missions - the popular science, if you like. Tom’s the
astrophysicist with a love of pure astronomy and has a background as an astronomy communicator on TV and radio. We discussed doing something like this
almost as soon as we met, so it was only a matter of time until it happened. Tom: I can only mirror Ralph’s sentiments here. All of astronomy, from the
staggering progress of the last 400 years, to the near daily discoveries - so
awesome, that they flirt with the science-fiction dreams of our childhoods – and
the mere fact that we can gaze out at innumerable other worlds… the whole field
just catalyses great discussions. Deep discussions, about everything in the
universe (even that yet to be discovered) and about ourselves. We relish the
conversation, as many others do, and we decided to put it on the internet, and, so
far, it seems to have been well received!
AW: How do you think social media has changed Astronomy and science?
Ralph: Oh, beyond belief! You only have to see the dynamic astronomy community
on Twitter to realize how much energy’s being created by astroimagers, curious novices and astro-news junkies. If you’re not using Twitter and Facebook as a
minimum, you’re going nowhere because it’s the greatest communication tool in the history of mankind! If you have the time and ability to do something like
Astronomy-Wise online, you’re making an even more welcome contribution. But everyone has a voice now and that’s the exciting thing – the freeflow of ideas from
Tahrir Square to the ATLAS detector at CERN – because we all have the ability to filter out the noise and concentrate on the content we’re interested in. We have
exponentially more information now and, if we want to, we can read, write or listen to astronomy stories all day with just an internet connection.
Tom: First and foremost, I think social media has raised the profile of astronomy
in the minds of young people. What has, for many years, been somewhat
stigmatised as an antiquated hobby has now regained its rightful status as a very
cool pursuit. More importantly, however, the Internet has facilitated astro-
journalism in a way that traditional media still largely fails to do. Remarkable and
awe-inspiring things are discovered, reiterated and shared every day to millions
online, most of which go unreported in the papers, or on news channels, whose
primary focus is on a wholly more depressing catalogue of human affairs. Lastly,
social networks have enabled the creation of a global astronomical community.
Societies can be born out of a handful of emails, and instantly placed on the map
for all to see and engage with. Social networks bring like-minded astronomers
closer together, and as Ralph and I
favour a social approach to astronomy,
we’ve always agreed that this is a great
thing.
AW: Apart from internet based
projects what else do you both do?
Ralph: I work in R&D, so there’s a
science link there, but travelling and skiing are my other passions – oh, and
tutting at people who don’t walk fast enough in the London underground.
Tom: I work in astro-equipment
consultancy and freelance
communication. Like Ralph I love to
travel, but I’m not so keen on skiing
(sorry mate!) I love culture, museums,
cinema and just generally spending time
with my girlfriend and my family. I’m also
keen on meditation and mindfulness.
AW: (Tom) Can you tell us something
about your recent trip to Hawaii?
It was a truly unforgettable experience.
Between hanging out with sea turtles,
flying in a doors-off heli over an active
volcano, and the last transit of Venus in
my lifetime, I’ve never been so happy to
suffer days of flying and jetlag! You can
hear all about the more astronomically
themed experiences in Episode 3 of
Awesome Astronomy, as well as reading
a little about the event hosted on Mauna
Kea in the July issue of Astronomy Now.
AW: What equipment do you both
use for viewing the wonders of the
universe?
Ralph: We’re really lucky to run the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers with the
owner of a telescope shop
(The Widescreen Centre) so I get to use
everything from small refractors to huge Newtonians but I’m currently found
imaging mostly with a 4.5” triplet refractor, which is great for mid-sized
DSO, lunar & planetary work. You’d be hard pushed to persuade me to swap the
contrast of lenses for the aperture of mirrors.
Tom: Oh boy, that’s a big question! I’m a
committed refractor man, and like Ralph
I just adore the deep contrast and rich
saturation of a small apochromat, even
over a larger mirror. In the interest of
portability, I typically use refractors from
about 4.5” down to 1” (yes, really!) or a
pair of 10x50 binoculars. I’m a bit of a
gear-freak for astronomy equipment, so
it’s best not to get me talking about it
unless you have a lot of free time!
AW: Higgs Boson what does it mean to you
(Ralph/Tom)?
Ralph: There were a few tears on the 4th July, I have to admit. It strengthens the case for the
standard model but more importantly we understand mass and gravity better now. We knew
how sub atomic particles stick together to form
matter but, until we confirmed the existence of the Higgs, we had no particle to make large scale mat-
ter clump together – eek no universe! But actually it’s the unexpected stuff that’ll come out of CERN
when they crank it up to 14TeV IN 2014 that gets me most excited. Tom: Science is awesome. Discoveries like this are awesome-er. Whilst I’m fairly
confident that the Standard Model, with its experimentally robust but ultimately
messy fleet of particles and fields, will inevitably be subsumed into more
elegant physics, there can be no denying that a “Higgs-like” confirmation is a major
stride, and will enable both new answers and new questions on the nature of mass,
one of the most mysterious properties of matter in established theory. Hearty
congratulations to all involved!
(Image top left: The Baker Street Irregulars, BBC Sky At Night )
Irregular Astro Camp Irregular Astro Camp 2012 2012 2012
Dr Watson, tell me about the Irregular Astro Camp?
Well, dear chap, the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers - who also go by the
moniker Central London’s Astronomical Society - gather each month in Regent’s
Park for a free observing evening. It’s a social gathering of likeminded folk!
For the Irregular Astro Camp, we’re adding the one thing that London can’t
offer – truly light pollution free skies. But there’ll still be the usual party
atmosphere, friendly help to get the best from the night sky, an opportunity for
some astrophotography and, for some, an opportunity to see the splendours of
the night sky for the 1st time.
And what’s more, it’s an open invitation for anyone to come along!
What if people don’t have scopes of
their own or don’t know their way
around the night sky?
Don’t worry one bit. We know that
astronomy can be daunting at first.
We’ll have plenty of scopes for you to
look through and you can learn from
others at your own pace. Astronomers
enjoy talking about astronomy so don’t
be afraid to ask anything.
I guarantee you’ll leave knowing a lot
more about astronomy and the night
sky than when you arrived!
That sounds fun. Where and when will it be?
Fun is our primary aim – we often call our gatherings ‘social occasions with
astronomy thrown in’, but the dark skies of the Brecon Beacons will allow us to fully
explore the night skies - and allow the more serious astronomers and
astrophotographers to join the Irregularities on 8th and 9th September 2012.
We’ll arrive on the Friday and stay for two nights, leaving on the Sunday.
Will it be expensive?
Heavens, no! We'll be heading over to a campsite where you can bring a
motorhome, caravan or pitch a tent for just £25 – and that’s for both nights!
Of course, if camping strikes fear into your hearts, there are a few hotels within ten
miles of the campsite. This option is just £10 - but we'd much rather you had a
sleepover with us.
Isn’t this all a bit daunting for dwellers of one of the finest cities in the world?
Not a bit of it (…well, maybe just a bit). Although we’ll be miles away from any
towns, we’ve ensured there’ll be free wifi covering the whole camp so you can leave
the city but take civilisation with you.
But this event isn’t just for members of the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers. We
welcome anyone to join us from the experienced astronomer to the 1st timer. The
Brecon Beacons are centrally(ish) located to make it easier for anyone, wherever
they live, to come along. We love making new friends and look forward to meeting
new people.
This all sounds very nocturnal. What will there be to do during the day?
Sleep! Lots of lovely sleep after a long night exploring the universe!
We’ll have safe solar observing throughout the day and we’re planning an
Astronomers in the Pub event with speakers and an astro pub quiz. If the weather
permits we’ll round off the Saturday with a free group barbeque - or starbeque, if
you’ll permit me a bon mot!
So give me the skinny: what do people need to know in a nutshell?
7th & 8th September 2012
Brecon Beacons
£25 per person (camping on site) or £10 per person (if not camping on site)
More info available from www.ActiveAstronomy.org, Twitter: @2012IAC, or
Come one, come all - the game is afoot!
Irregular Astro Camp Irregular Astro Camp 2012 2012 2012
Science Talk….
Physics 101—Liam Edwards talks about Higgs Boson
There is a little corner on the internet called YouTube. This social media outlet gives people to opportunity to create media about their chosen subject. One such
person is young Liam Edwards who as a passion for science. Liam is running a series called Physics 101, where he talks on different subjects. Episode 2 talks
about Higgs Boson. So we have all seen the main stream media take on the Higgs Boson subject. So lets look at Higgs Boson from a young enquiring mind.
Physics 101 Ep. 2
Click on Image to See Video
Hello again viewer! Welcome to
Physics 101’s second episode. In this
episode I will be talking about some-
thing that some of you probably have
never heard of and that is the Higgs
Boson. I was going to make a Higgs
Boson video but it would be a later
video, but because of a seminar that
took place at CERN in Geneva on
the 4th of July this year, I thought I
would release the video sooner than planned. So without further ado, let’s
get this video started.
Firstly, I need to tell you about something called the Standard Model of
Particle Physics. Physicists have developed a theory called The Standard
Model that explains what the world is and what holds it together. It is a
simple theory that explains all the hundreds of particles and complex
interactions between them. Imagine the Standard Model as a jig-saw where
all the particles in it are pieces that fit together. Now imagine there is one piece
missing in that jig-saw. This piece is the Higgs Boson.
The Higgs Boson is an elementary particle whose possible discovery was
announced on July 4th, 2012. It was predicted by the Standard Model. More
investigation is needed to confirm whether or not the particle exists. All the
Higgs Boson’s in the Universe combine to make something called the Higgs
Field. The Higgs Field is everywhere! And all the other particles (except
photons which are particles of light) interact with this field and therefore
acquire mass.
Here’s an analogy describing the Higgs Boson: The Higgs Field is shown here
as a room of physicists chatting among themselves.
A well-known scientist walks into the room and causes a bit of a stir - attract-
ing admirers with each step and interacting strongly with them - signing auto-
graphs and stopping to chat.
As he becomes surrounded by admiring fans, he finds it harder to move across
the room - in this analogy, he acquires mass due to the "field" of fans, with each
fan acting like a single Higgs boson.
If a less popular scientist enters the room, only a small crowd gathers, with
no-one clamouring for attention. He finds it easier to move across the room - by
analogy, his interaction with the bosons is lower, and so he has a lower mass.
As I said before, the Higgs is the particle which gives every other particle
(except photons) mass. The main place where experiments are held to try to
find the Higgs is at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider and on the 4th July 2012,
physicists at CERN have revealed that they have found a new boson, but
whether or not it is the Higgs remains to be seen.
The way particle physicists were looking for the Higgs was by colliding 2
seven-Terra electron volts (TeV) (equivalent to 110,000 Joules) proton beams.
But the LHC is shutting down at the end of this year until 2015 because they
are upgrading the power of the LHC from 7-TeV to 14-TeV which gives us the
hope of discovering new things e.g. new particles, answers to dark matter and
super symmetry.
So that’s the end of the video and I would like to thank you for watching and I
hope you have learnt something from this video. Please leave a like, favourite
the video and leave a comment telling me what physics-related topics you
would like me to cover next. Thanks.
Science Talk…. By Edward Dutton
The Michelson and Morley experiment has been classified as the one of the largest failed
experiments of the 20th Century. But was it?...
For those who are unaware of this experimentation it was initial performed by a Polish physicist named Albert Abraham Michelson and a physical chemist named Edward Williams
Morley. It involved of the construction of the interferometer which was designed to discover changes in the Ether - a theoretical body in space that could be measured
to determine Absolute Motion.
This Absolute Motion is the concept of
when there is no motion, at all, none whatsoever. This means that the real
speed of the Earth, the Sun, the Moon etc can be calculated and dis-covered. This also means that the
speed of light could be altered by its
position against this Ether.
An experiment was made to research this. Using a source of light that was
fired into a partial mirror. This was used so that there would be 2 coherent (exactly the same) light sources
could be created from one light source. The mirror was used so they went into perpendicular direc-tions, so one could be tested against the Ether. All
together, they called this contraption the Interferom-eter. With this bit of kit they manage to record
whether or not there was an Ether (using very com-
plicated techniques such as diffraction which I will not go into).
If there was light travelling against the Ether it would be slower than the light travelling perpendicular to it. If this hypothesis was correct the Ether would completely
revolutionise all of the physics laws and require a completely new slate to work with com-pletely destroying Einstein's idea of relativity. It is very important to understand This would mean that being able to
go faster than the speed of light without altering the space-
time continuum would be possible. How awesome!
Unfortunately, the experiment was a disaster. The differences in the shift were so small that the predicted error was great-
er. In conclusion this experiment has been named the biggest failed experiment of all time (Google it if you don't believe
me).
Michelson was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for hiscreation of the interferometer but
not the work with this experiment. He got something at least, 'ey?
Blackpool & District Astronomical Society (BADAS) is a growing and active society in
the North West of England and has around thirty members from novices to
experienced observers and imagers.
Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of every month, at St Kentigerns Parish Centre, Newton Drive, Blackpool.
Meetings are friendly, quite informal and beginners are especially welcome.
Joining an astronomy club can be daunting to those just starting out in the hobby.
So BADAS tries to encourage new members by advising them each month what fascinating wonders can be seen in the night sky, either with modest equipment or
none at all. BADAS also help and advise members who are considering purchasing astronomical equipment. In addition they try to engage and enthuse established
members who are trying to progress in the hobby by having regular "members' sessions" after the main speaker has finished on their meeting nights.
The society hold regular star parties and observing sessions, weather permitting, either where they meet at the club or at a rural location near Blackpool.
Membership subs are £20 per year, and unlike many other societies they meet all
year round. Visitors are welcome and your first meeting is free.
Please see the BADAS website for further details - www.blackpoolastronomy.org.uk - You can also follow their twitter account @badas_tweets.
www.blackpoolastronomy.org.uk
NEPTUNE is the eighth and farthest planet
from the Sun in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the
third largest by mass.
Ices
Ammonia Water
Ammonium Hydrosulfide Methane (possible)
Atmosphere
Hydrogen 80% +/- 3.2% Helium 19% +/- 3.2%
Methane 1.5% +/- 0.5% Hydrogen Deuteride 0.019%
Ethane 0.00015%
Neptune Compared to the Earth
How Big?
Mass 1.0243×1026 kg Volume 6.254×1013 km3
Diameter 49,500 km Mean Density 1.638 g/cm3
Orbit
A day on Neptune lasts 16 hour and 7
minutes
One year on Neptune is about 165 Earth years, or 60,265 day
Credits
Image: NASA
Facts: Universe Today & Wikipedia
Click links to view
http://stargazyisland.blogspot.co.uk/
The mysterious Stargazy Island is deserted save for an Astronomy
Complex but it is currently empty and needs equipment. Shipwrecked astronomers are invited to complete 10 questions for the Visitors Register
then nominate one piece of equipment they would donate for others to use.
Some 22 Astronomers /Scientists have now been castaways on Stargazy
Island. They represent a wide-range of backgrounds and interests that include Astro-Physics; Cosmology; Space Engineering; Art; Poetry, and
Novels but one thing we (since I am one of them) all share is a passion for Astronomy and the Allied Sciences.
How fascinating it has been to learn how each person first became inter-ested, some from childhood and some from later on in life! How exciting it
has been to learn what they feel they could bring to a deserted Island particularly one boasting an empty Astronomy and Science Complex!
No-one has chosen the same item to donate. There has always been a wide
variety in the island (particularly position-wise) chosen and a wide variety in the famous Scientist each would take as a Man Friday too.
Every story is inspiring. The answers show contagious enthusiasm, visionary ideas, forward-looking optimists and a general belief that it is
only a matter of time before Life is found outside this planet. As a child at school I was told you could not be an artist and a scientist at
the same time; that the two do not sit well together. I believe Stargazy Island proves once and for all that this is not the case. You have to be an
artistic dreamer or a visionary to postulate theories, ideas and engineering concepts. It helps too if you have the analytical, logical mind of a scientist
when writing fiction (particularly crime or sci-fi) and accurate Astro-Paintings or Astro- Poetry.
As a musician too I first heard the ‘sounds’ of the Universe at an Astro-Fair locally and think this is a new and exciting aspect of Astronomy. I would
love to play in a group that included Einstein on his violin; Feynman on his
drums; Brian May on his electric guitar and Patrick Moore on his xylophone. Bach showed mathematical genius in his Fugues.
Whether an Astronomer or Scientist or an artist who loves Science, please know there is a welcome waiting for you on Stargazy Island. Here are the
questions I posed on the Visitor’s Book Questionnaire :-
VISITORS BOOK QUESTIONNAIRE
1. How did you get inspired to take up Astronomy or Science?
2.When did you get your first piece of Astronomy or Scientific equipment and what was it ?
3.What was the first thing you identified other than the Moon? 4.What is the most exciting astronomical or scientific experience you have
had to date? 5.What object in the night-sky or experiment would you like to see that
you haven't seen yet? 6.What sort of island would you like to be shipwrecked on and where?
7. Which famous Astronomer or Scientist would you take as your Man Friday?
8. What discovery would you most like to make or wish you had made?
9. Do you think there is extra-terrestrial life in the Universe? 10.What piece of equipment would you most like to donate to the empty
Astronomy & Science Complex on the island? STARGAZY ISLAND has also an offshoot on Facebook though it is in its
infancy. There are 5 members already and I haven’t yet had time to promote it. The idea is to take that island community further with
discussion about how scientists stranded on an island would actually structure a new community from scratch. What would we build? What
priorities would we have? Could we be on an island in Space colonising? What would our priorities be then?
All these questions really interest me greatly. As a toddler I always told my parents I intended to live on a desert island
alone (well with imaginary friends as I had quite a few of them as a child). All through my life the idea has fascinated me and I have visited
many Islands (even been stranded on a deserted one).
Colonising Space interests me. I wonder how humans would fare surviving in Space. Would we create something new or just re-create
what we have on Earth? As scientists and Engineers would be key I wondered if we could create online a little experiment on Stargazy Island.
There are 5 of us there already. Do you want to join us?
I am thinking of creating a second parallel experiment for the ISLAND OF
BOOKS, a challenge to the authors to do likewise. What sort of colony would writers create? How would it differ if at all? I have been interested
in survival all my life, to be honest you have to be living on this planet. Would we create a new colony or re-create what we left behind? It’s such
an interesting thought to me. If others feel the same I hope you would take up the challenge to join me
on both islands on FB.
FELICITY LENNIE Science-wise as a child my passion was Volcanoes (after Paricutin grew from fissure I kept checking our garden for cracks) and Earthquakes
(inspired by Clark Gable/Jeanette McDonald movie 'San Francisco seen with my Gran on a wet Sunday afternoon).
I knew stars etc but from a rural background not Astronomy as such. The older members of my family could read ‘signs’ in Nature, the countryside,
the sky (weather) and particularly the night sky since ‘planting’ in the old days was geared to it. I eagerly learned from them. It has often come in
handy through my life.
Wanting to impress a boyfriend, James I sat in on Astronomy classes but my teacher, Captain Day was so totally brilliant, his infectious passion for
the subject rubbed off on me. Unfortunately he died of cancer and
Plymouth Planetarium was named after him. James & I were married within two months of his class.
Carl Sagan inspired me into Cosmology and the housewife in Monty Python into collecting Theories as a hobby. Chaos Theory is a favourite since I’m a
fan of Jeff Goldblum and being in hospital when ‘Jurassic Park’ was on, read the book instead which was filled with Chaos Theory. I love the bit
where he says ‘Life will always find a way.’ Too right!!
At High School I volunteered to be a guinea pig for Logic lessons after A Levels and found a love that has lasted my whole life. I love creating vast
complex puzzles within my brain and that is one of the reasons I like to write novels. I don’t keep notes. Everything is in my head like some
gigantic labyrinth of data. The secret is what information you give out and when; what mis-information ‘red herrings’ you can get away with. It is like
being a magician … all sleight of hand. Is the reader paying attention to
the right data or are they being distracted by the realistic quirks and vagaries of the characters. How long can I keep the reader completely in
the dark? I love writing for all these reasons and though I suspect I shall never make a living from it, I actually love it most when a reader comes to
me and says ‘I didn’t see that coming but now I look back I can see the pattern.’ Life is about patterns so are puzzles …. Codes (which I love) …
mathematics … my heroine Ada Byron understood this….. and so are novels. Like Ada I do tapestries and they help me weave my storylines.
My Books are here
http://www.felicity-lennie.com/
JAMES LENNIE
I was inspired into Astronomy through my father. His family were all
engineers and also had a business making telescopes, opera glasses, spectacles, drawtube refractors in Edinburgh since 1830. My Grand Father
was a navigating officer and he also taught me about the stars when I was 5-6 years old
My first astronomical equipment was a 1.5 inch refractor and I was 6 years
old, still remember the sense of amazement when I turned it towards the Moon. I also saw the 4 moons of Jupiter with it. After this when I was 8, I
made my own telescope, a 4 inch reflector including grinding the main mirror and building the mount and mirror cell which my father supervised
of course !
After seeing the Moon landing in 1969 I really believed colonisation of
Space would take place in my lifetime so I am quite disappointed that I am still living on this planet as I had big plans. I love my telescopes,
binoculars and camera since it is my only way to journey into Space at the moment. My wife bought me a ticket to the Moon for real but so far
nothing has come of those grand plans.
I have been an Engineer all my life and I like invention so I have been responsible for various improvements in machinery over the years
(including my own at home). My aunt worked at Woomera Rocket range as a Chemical Engineer and for some years I built amateur rockets myself
with my wife.
I am writing a large epic novel about Dinosaurs because they are another of my long-term interests and I have some theories about both their
contribution to our development and their demise. Another great hobby of
mine is Radio-Controlled Model Helicopters though lately I do not get much chance to fly as the weather has not let me.
My great ambition in life is to end it on another planet in another Star
System but not the one featured in ‘Alien’ (which with ‘Predator’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ is probably my favourite series of films.) I like to read and
watch films in the Sci-Fi and Horror genres. On the quiet though my fa-vourite character in any novel is ‘Darcy’ in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ who my
wife thinks I resemble. I also like my wife’s character ‘Edison Landrake’ as she says it is based on me. (one of the perks of having a novelist wife.)
The 2012 Perseid Meteor Shower
“The Tears of St Lawrence”
The night sky by John Harper F.R.A.S President, and founder of Scarborough & Ryedale Astronomical Society (1976) Peaking overnight between the 11th and 12th and again over the night of the 12th
and 13th, we have the maximum of perhaps the greatest ‘shower’ of shooting stars
in the whole year; ‘The Tears of St Lawrence’, known astronomically as the ‘Perseids’. The Perseid season starts in late July and continues to well past the
middle of August. Sky watchers outdoors at the right time, and for the nights just before and immediately after the night of 11th/12th may see occasional outbursts,
and almost always, long hours of gracefully streaking meteors. The alternative and poetic name “the Tears of St Lawrence” originated following
the martyrdom of that saint on August 10th in the year 258 AD, in Rome. The early Christian Church was being persecuted at the time, by order of the Emperor
Valerian, and its leaders arrested and put to death. The churches were looted for their treasures to fill the emperor’s coffers to pay his soldiers. Lawrence was a
Christian deacon in one of Rome’s churches, and was arrested. The Prefect ordered him to go back to his church for the valuables and to return with them straight
away. Lawrence however, gathered together the poor people of his ‘parish’ and brought them to the prefect saying, “These people are what the Church values
most!”. Obviously, the Prefect was not amused, and ordered that Lawrence should
be burned to death on a gridiron. After he had been martyred in this rather barbaric way, his followers saw the Perseid shooting stars during the following nights. They
believed them to be from Lawrence, who was shedding tears in Heaven for the persecution and suffering that the early Christians were undergoing at the time.
Scalby parish church is dedicated to St. Lawrence, and scenes from his life and martyrdom are depicted in the east window above the high altar.
The source of the shower is Comet Swift-Tuttle, a dirty snowball, 17 miles in diameter that crosses the Earth’s path every 133.25 years. Although this comet is
nowhere near Earth at the present moment, the debris from the comet’s wide tail does intersect Earth's orbit around now. We pass through it each year in July and
August, and tiny bits of comet dust hit Earth's atmosphere travelling at 132,000 mph. At that speed, even a tiny speck of dust makes a vivid streak of light when it
disintegrates, resulting in a bright shooting star, which we can see. The shower is most intense as Earth passes through the dustiest part of the comet’s path, and
this happens during the morning of the 12th, at 10h UT this year
Perseid meteors seem to radiate from the direction of the constellation of Perseus, named after the Greek hero who severed the fearsome head of Medusa the Gorgon,
hence their name. The best time to watch is from the late evening on Saturday 11th, and as the night progresses, shooting star numbers increase as the
constellation of Perseus climbs higher in the eastern sky. Most meteors will be seen during the hours before sunrise, when Perseus is high in the sky, between 2 a.m.
and dawn on Sunday, August 12th. Make sure you are in the darkest part of your garden, well away from streetlights. Moonlight should not interfere, as the moon is
a waning, crescent, a couple of days after Last Quarter. Rising in the early hours Given fine weather, before morning twilight gets too bright, it may be possible to
see several dozen meteors an hour before dawn. Just get the sun lounger out, lie on it, and look straight up. However, I would advise you to warn the neighbours,
otherwise they may begin to worry about the state of your health if by chance they
see you lying there at a strange hour!
Finally, a word about Comet Swift –Tuttle, the parent body of the August shooting stars
Americans, Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, working independently, discovered the comet in 1862. Three years later Giovanni Schiaparelli (of Martian "canali" fame. He
was the first man to “see” the fictitious “canals”) realized that this comet was the source of the Perseid meteors. He also realised that the comet could come quite
close to Earth, but in those days no one worried about such things. The idea that comets and asteroids might threaten our planet was not widely
accepted until the 1980s. Then astronomers began to wonder. Comet Swift-Tuttle is big, almost twice as big as the asteroid or comet that wiped out dinosaurs 65
million years ago. In 1992, when the comet made its last crossing of the earth’s orbit, new computer technology, working on observations of the comet’s path and
its movements, indicated that the very next time the comet returns, on August 14th in the year 2126, Swift-Tuttle might strike the earth or moon. Chances are
that this will not happen, due to a number of variables, but the comet will be a
spectacular object filling much of the sky. The situation in 4479 however, could be very different, when the comet is predicted to come even nearer on September 15th
in that year! So the question is; does comet Swift – Tuttle have the earth name written all over it? But for now, relax in your sun lounger, and. enjoy the
show - weather permitting, as always!.
Articels: John Harper
Graphic generated using Stellarium Software
Astronomer Profile….
This month we are
featuring Astronomer profile, this is something
we featured when we started the Astronomy
Wise newsletter. I am pleased that Neil Samples
from Scarborough has finally agreed to feature in
this months EZine.
So without further a do here is Mr Samples.
I'd had an interest in
astronomy to a degree
when i was young like most people, I remember
when i was 10 and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
landed on the moon, I also remember that as a child
in 1971 my mum collected little cards that used to
come with packets of tea, Brook Bond tea it was,
there was one set called "race into space" and it
had different rockets etc. etc. but there was a
picture of this new
futuristic looking space vehicle that could be used
time and time again which
would revolutionize space travel, from that moment I
couldn't wait for the future to get here and witness the
flight of the Space Transport System, the
Space Shuttle. Anyway on the 4th June 1983 my
radio alarm clock woke me up at the preset time of
7am the news was on and I wasn't paying too much
interest and it was only when i had got to work and
having a conversation with
someone that a thought popped into my head and
that the space was coming to England
somewhere...had I dreamed it or was it real?
Sheepishly I rang East Mid-lands airport which was my
local airport at the time and asked them if they had
heard anything about it, half expecting to be
laughed at, but no it was true and it was travelling
on the back of a 747
aircraft from the Paris airshow landing at
Stansted airport and then
back home to America. Where's Stansted
airport? I asked, It's a very little airport down in
Essex. So that was it early the next morning Tina and
i and two friends set off for this little airport in Essex
apparently along with another 200 000 to witness
this spectacle. Armed with my camera we waited the
arrival of this 747 with the Space Shuttle on it's
back.....and it didn't
disappoint either, it was jaw dropping, I nearly
forgot that i had a camera with me and was just
mesmerised by the majestic beauty that this
vehicle displayed, but I managed to take the
photographs that you see below. This one is called
ENTERPRISE and was actually named this
because of the tv show but this one never actually
made it into space, it has
flown into the upper reaches of our atmosphere
but this was a development Shuttle and not intended for space flight. My only
regret was that I never actually went to America to witness one of these taking off for a space journey but never mind, hope you enjoy the pictures. As a footnote
to this story, security wasn't as strict then as it is now. It's unthinkable how close we were allowed to get to witness this event, can you imagine how far away you
have to be in this current security climate?
A fishy Tail….
Science Daily reported on
July 25th 2012, that an Aquatic Habitat sponsored by
The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) will study microgravity
impacts on marine life on the
ISS.
Scientists will study multiple implications of the
microgravity on fish. They will look at the impacts of
radiation, bone degradation, Muscle atrophy and
development biology.
Source Science Daily
Dust Devil On Mars
Click image to see YouTube Video
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
A dust devil was photographed on the Martian surface last
month. From the shadow the dust plume was 800m high.
The image was photographed by the High Resolution
Imagining Science Experiment or HiRISE for short.
Titan……
July the Cassini space-craft flew past Titan at
a distance of 629 miles or 1012 Km. The
mission was to detect Reflected light coming
off one of Titan’s lakes
Kivu Lacus in the northern hemisphere.
Using visible and infrared spectrometer
or VIMS the spacecraft
will analyse the
reflected light.
The above image shows an Aquatic Habitat, or AQH, specimen chamber
housing Medaka fish for study. (Credit: JAXA)
NASA / JPL-Caltech
In The News from World Wide Web
Curiosity Rover
August 6th 2012 sees what
has been dubbed “7 minutes of Terror” , the
Curiosity Rover hopefully descending and landing on
the Martian surface.
Images: NASA
Curiosity Landing Site
Image Above: NASA
Click Youtube icon To see video
In The News from World Wide Web
Building My Solar Tube for A Meade ETX 70 Scope
With summer in full swing (oh dear), getting out to view the stars can mean
staying up late, which is not always easy or practical. So why not view our nearest star, the sun. Now to view the sun you need the correct equipment,
never look at the sun directly or you will cause your eyes damage or blindness.
Equipment can be expensive, however you can make a solar tube or funnel for under £10 or under a fiver.
Materials
1. Cardboard tube 2. Tracing paper
3. Black card 4. Tape or glue
Equipment 1. Hacksaw
2. Scissors 3. Tape Measure
4. Pencil 5. Drill
Firstly I had to get a tube,
so I popped to my local B&Q and asked if they
had any cardboard tubes. To my delight they gave
me two tubes approx. 1 meter in length. Each
tube had a closed plastic end, ideal for the
eyepiece. I then purchased some
black card and tracing paper.
Method Taking the tube I measured 250mm from the end and marked with a pencil. I then cut the tube with the hacksaw. For safety I made sure the tube was secure
so it could not move.
The tube I obtained had a diameter of100mm. This tube had a plastic end cap, however you
could make an end cap using thick card or plywood. I wanted to find the centre of the
end cap so I could fit the eye piece in a central position.
250mm
Fig 1.
Fig 2.
The simplest way to find the centre of a circle is to
measure the diameter then half for the radius. Mark the centre point as shown if Fig. 2
Again securing the tube drill a pilot hole in the
marked place. Depending on your eye piece drill a hole so the eyepiece fits snuggly into position. Test
your eyepiece for fitting and tidy the drilled hole as required.
Remove the eyepiece and remove any swarf form the
tube.
Next using the black card I inserted the card into the tube, I then marked off its length and diameter so the
card had a nice fit inside the tube. Once trimmed I
inserted the card into the tube and using sellotape I taped the card where the two ends joined.
Using the tracing paper I put it over the other end of
the tube, the tracing paper needs to be tight, The tracing paper is where the sun image will be
projected, so get out as many creases as possible.
Using sellotape secure the tracing paper.
For cosmetic reasons I used black card on the outer of the tube.
Observing the sun safely
Whenever you observe the sun, with any technique, you must put safety first. The key to successful solar
projection, including use of the Sun Tube, is to use the right kind of telescope – one that can tolerate
having full-strength sunlight pass through the optical train – and to use an eyepiece that doesn’t have any
plastic in it. We’ll say it again: we recommend using a refractor (a telescope with a front lens) – not a
reflector (unless you stop it down to a 1 or 2 inch aperture), and never a mirror-lens telescope – and a
decent-quality commercial eyepiece. Also, remove any finder scopes.
Disclaimer: Astronomy Wise is not responsible for
damage to equipment or persons. The article is for
reference only. Viewing the sun should only be done by a competent person.
The tube was fitted and
used on a Meade ETX 70
scope. light passes through the lens and eye-
piece, the image is then projected onto the tracing
paper. Using your focuser Adjust the image so it
becomes in focus. Sun spots can be observed
using this method.
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And Finally...