April Events Astronomy Day events planned at Herrett Center 9th-15th International Dark Astronomy Day is a grass guided tour of a scale model “TBA” is at 8:15 p.m.; admis- Sky Week begins. roots movement designed to of the Solar System; astron- sion for all ages is $4.50. share the joy of astronomy omy videos; and daytime Food will be available at the 9th-10 BAS Messier Mara- with the general population - viewing of the Sun, bright ‘Cosmic Café,’ on the patio thon at Bruneau Dunes S.P. "Bringing Astronomy to the stars, and planets in the adjacent to the Herrett’s Rick People." Centennial Observatory. Allen Room. The Hoagie 10th—MVAS General Mem- The Sun has begun to Street Deli will be offering bership Meeting at 7:00 pm On Astronomy Day, thou- emerge from a two-year pe- hoagies, burgers, kielbasas, in the Herrett Center. Our sands of people who have riod of low activity, and is hot dogs, and a variety of monthly free star party be- never looked through a tele- beginning to display sun- snack items and beverages gins following the meeting at scope will have an opportu- spots and prominences (gas from 1 to 6 p.m. 8:15 pm at the Centennial nity to see first hand what eruptions). All these events Observatory. has so many amateur and are free of charge. Finally, the Centennial Ob- professional astronomers all servatory will be open from 12th—Yuri’s Night-A cele- excited. Local scouts will demon- 8:30 p.m. to midnight bration of the anniversary of strate their Lego “Mindstorm” (weather permitting) for a Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin A day and night full of events robotic kits, and visitors can free star party. Targets will and the start of the NASA have been planned for this try their hand at constructing include Venus, mars, Saturn, shuttle program. See NASA year’s International Astron- and piloting their own robotic the Moon, and more. News for details inside. omy Day at the Herrett Cen- Mars rovers. ter for Arts and Science at For more information, con- 22nd—Earth Day; 40th anni- the College of Southern The Faulkner Planetarium tact the Herrett Center at versary. Earth Day Network Idaho. will show “TBA” at 2 p.m., 732-6655 or visit the website was founded on the premise “Icy Worlds,” with “Saving at www.csi.edu/herrett that all people, regardless of The afternoon and evening the Night” and a live sky race, gender, income, or ge- of Saturday, April 24 will in- tour” at 4 p.m., and “TBA” at Please join the Magic Valley ography, have a moral right clude lots of kids’ and family 7 p.m. Admission prices for astronomical Society at the to a healthy, sustainable en- activities beginning at 1 the planetarium are $4.50 for Herrett Center. vironment. p.m., including: make and adults, $3.50 for seniors, take astronomy projects; and $2.50 for students. The 24th—International Astron- water bottle rockets; a self- music entertainment show Terry Wofford, President omy Day will be celebrated locally at the Herrett Center. Beginning at 1:00 pm. De- Welcome to the Astronomical Society tails on this page. Welcome to the club and program, class or presenta- stargazer’s deck. Star Par- hello. We hope you have a tion at these meetings, as ties are held year round, so good time, enjoy the hobby, well as good fellowship. please dress accordingly as and bring good skies with There is always something the Observatory is not you. We hold indoor meet- new to learn. Following our heated, nor air conditioned. ings each month at the Her- meetings we have a star rett Center for Arts & Science party (weather permitting) at Wishing you dark skies and College of Southern Idaho the Centennial Observatory clear nights! Membership campus in Twin Falls, ID, also at the Herrett Center . information is found on the USA . Our meetings start at Our star parties are free and last page. 7:00pm on the second Satur- you don’t have to bring your day of the month. There will own telescope. Telescopes always be a very interesting are also set up outside on the The MVAS Board PAGE 2 SNAKE RIVER SKIES APRIL 2010 April Sky Tour Venus Dominates the West & Saturn point down nearly to Polaris, the North has an unobstructed western horizon. is to the South. Star. It’s below them by three fist- Go out an hour after sunset and look to widths. Polaris marks the handle-end the west. Even though the Sun is now As the celestial sphere turns westward of the notoriously dim Little Dipper, far below the horizon, a huge dome of through the seasons, old constellations which on spring evenings extends to light marks the spot where it disap- sink into the sunset and new ones rise Polaris’s right. peared as this light fades and shrinks in the east. The rule to remember is down to the horizon, another glow will this: looking two hours later at night is Way down below Polaris is dim King be unmasked; a tall, leftward-slanting like looking one month later in the Cepheus, hard to see. Much easier is pyramid of light. It follows the path of year. Planets can be the exception. his bright wife Queen Cassiopeia to his ecliptic, running left of Aries and then Venus, for instance, has been getting left. The W-shaped pattern of Cassio- between the Hyades and Pleaides, the higher in the west each month, not peia’s five brightest stars is sometimes sky's most spectacular star clusters. lower. Now Venus blazes aloft in west- called her chair or throne complete ern twilight like nothing else in the sky. with a footrest. It's amazingly brighter — even brighter than the Milky Way — and once you've During April, Venus has some interest- The brightest star on the eastern side seen it, you'll never again have trouble ing celestial encounters. It passes of the sky is Arcturus, sometimes recognizing it. What are you seeing? lower left of the delicate little Pleiades called the Spring Star for its grand arri- The zodiacal light is the combined star cluster on the 10th to 12th. The val into good evening view at this sea- glow of countless tiny particles (debris waxing crescent Moon hangs with Ve- son. Arcturus is the leading light of from comets and asteroid collisions) nus on the April 19th just when Venus Böotes, the Herdsman, but you can that orbit the Sun. is passing upper right of Aldebaran, think of this constellation as Böotes the the brightest star in Taurus. At month’s Boot if you prefer. To me, Böotes has Image: Once considered a false dawn, end, Venus reaches the star Elnath, the shape of a low boot or slipper with this triangle of light is actually Zodiacal which links Taurus to neighboring Arcturus marking its long, pointy toe. Light, light reflected from interplanetary Auriga. dust particles. The bright reflecting tri- As night grows late and Arcturus angle is clearly visible on the right of Saturn is the other planet of April eve- climbs very high, a new spectacle ar- the above image taken from Laguna nings. Look for it shining very high up rives onstage. Bright Jupiter rises in Verde near Valparaíso, Chile in late toward the south after the sky darkens. the east-southeast around midnight or July. The band of our Milky Way Gal- Left of it is the Sickle star pattern of 1 a.m. at the beginning of April and 10 axy on the left mirrors the zodiacal Leo, with Regulus forming the bottom or 11 p.m. by month’s end (depending band. Zodiacal dust orbits the Sun pre- of the Sickle’s handle. To its immediate on where you live). Give it another dominantly in the same plane as the right is the dim constellation of Cancer, couple hours to ascend into good view planets: the ecliptic. Zodiacal light is so the Crab. Cancer’s showpiece object is in the southeast. By dawn Jupiter bright in the north this time of year be- the loose star cluster called the Bee- dominates the south. cause the dust band is oriented nearly hive, located the width of a fist at arm’s vertical at sunrise, so that the thick air length to Saturn’s right. In a dark sky Zodiacal Light in the Evening near the horizon does not block out the Beehive Cluster looks like a soft relatively bright reflecting dust. glow, but binoculars will reveal dozens Have you ever seen the zodiacal light? of individual stars. Rather far below This huge pearly pyramid is on its best Image source unknown Saturn and Regulus is Alphard, “the display in the Lonely One,” forming the fiery orange Northern Hemi- heart of Hydra, the sky’s enormously sphere on long Sea Serpent. Look for Hydra’s moonless eve- distinctive head halfway from Alphard nings from Feb- to Procyon and a little above. ruary through April. All you Nearly at its highest in the north now is need is a loca- the Big Dipper, almost overhead. Ac- tion far from cording to old farmer’s lore, it’s upside artificial lights down as if dumping April showers. The (at least 40 showers must take quite a while to miles from a reach Earth, since whenever you see small city and the Dipper the sky is obviously clear! 80 miles from a The two Pointer stars of the Big Dip- major metropo- per, forming the left end of its bowl, lis) that also APRIL 2010 SNAKE RIVER SKIES PAGE 3 April Observing Highlights Mercury will be excellent the first week of the Celestial Events by Date month in the west after sunset. It should be easy to find also since the much brighter Venus 3 Moon near Antares (morning sky) at 10h UT. will be around 3º away. Around the 8th of the 4 Mercury 3.0° WNW of Venus (19° from Sun, month will be its best appearance in 2010. evening sky) at 8h UT. Mags. -0.6 and -3.9. 8 Mercury at greatest elongation, 20° east from Sun (evening sky) at 23h UT. Mag. Venus will be climbing higher in the evening +0.1. sky at dusk all month. It will be shining very 9 Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 3h UT brightly at magnitude -3.9. Through a telescope (distance 405,002 km; angular size Venus will appear as a nearly full disk all month 29.4'). and will get higher but not much brighter. Much 11 Moon near Jupiter (morning sky) at 18h UT. dimmer Mercury will be around 3º away for the Mag. -2.1. first two weeks of the month. 16 Moon near Venus (evening sky, 23° from Sun) at 11h UT. Mag. -3.9. Favors north- Mars will be visible high in the south west sky ern hemi sphere. as it grows dark. It will dominate the area of the 17 Moon near the Pleiades (evening sky) at 4h UT. sky in which it sits but it is fading fast. It will not 17 Mars 1.1° NNE of Beehive cluster (M44) at 19h be as big and bright as it was the last few UT. Mag. +0.5. months. It will start the month at magnitude 0.2 22 Moon near Beehive cluster (M44) (evening sky) and will fade to 0.7 by the end of the month. at 3h UT. 22 Moon near Mars (evening sky) at 5h UT. Mag. Saturn reached opposition on the 21st of last +0.6. month. This month it will still be near its biggest 23 Moon near Regulus (evening sky) at 19h UT. and brightest. This makes it a great target. It 24 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 21h UT will rise at sunset and set at dawn so the best (367,141 km; 32.9'). to observe it would be around midnight when it 25 Venus 3.5° SSE of the Pleiades (25° from Sun, will sit high in the sky directly to the south. It evening sky) at 10h UT. Mag. -3.9. will be in Virgo. Saturn will peak around magni- 25 Moon near Saturn (evening sky) at 19h UT. tude 0.7 this month. Mag. +0.8. 27 Moon near Spica (evening sky) at 13h UT. Phases of the Moon 28 Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun at 17h UT. Mercury passes into the morning 6 Last Quarter Moon at 9:37 UT sky. 14 New Moon at 12:29 UT. 30 Moon near Antares (morning sky) at 22h UT. 21 First Quarter Moon at 18:20UT.

28 Full Moon at 12:18 UT. 15, 16, and 17, Mars passes the star cluster known

Lyrid Meteor Shower as the Bee- hive Clus- The Lyrid meteor shower occurs between April ter, M44. 19 and 24, with the peak of activity expected Mars shines on April 22 (Earth Day). Lyra rises in the north- at mag- nitude east a couple hours after sunset. Comet 0.2 early in Thatcher is the parent body of the Lyrid meteor the month shower. At its peak, an observer can expect and fades a about 12 meteors per hour. bit to magni- tude 0.7 by the end. Beehive Cluster (M44) or Praesepe: the open cluster Messier 44 Atlas Image obtained as part of the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. Reduced from original size.

Image right: Lyrid Meteor streaks through the Milky Way Recorded in early morning hours, this well-composed im- age looks toward the south from White Mountains of east- ern California, USA © Apr 2009 NASA/APOD. T Rowell. PAGE 4 SNAKE RIVER SKIES APRIL 2010 News from NASA space flyers will have to rely on Russia (OV-102) became the first shuttle to for space transportation until U.S. com- launch into space for the Shuttle mercial firms can build spaceships ca- Transport System (STS-1) was com- pable of carrying humans. manded by John Young a Gemini and Apollo veteran who became the ninth —President Barak Obama will be de- man to walk on the moon in 1972, and livering a speech on the future of piloted by Robert Crippen, a rookie NASA and the manned space flight astronaut. program on April 15, President Obama will visit Florida to host a White House On 1 Feb 2003 OV-102 Columbia, was Conference on the Administration’s destroyed upon re-entry and all seven new vision for America’s future in astronauts who had participated in a space. The President, along with top multi-disciplinary microgravity and officials and other space leaders, will Earth science research mission died. discuss the new course the Admini- The Columbia Hills Complex on MARS stration is charting for NASA and the is named after the seven (7) astro- future of U.S. leadership in human nauts who lost their lives aboard Co- space flight. Specifically, the confer- lumbia. The Columbia Hills Complex is ence will focus on the goals and strate- actually a part of the now designated —Space Shuttle Discovery on Mission gies in this new vision, the next steps, area known as Columbia Memorial STS-131 launches for the International and the new technologies, new jobs, Station, of which, Gusev Crater is a Space Station in the early morning and new industries it will create. Con- part. Gusev Crater is the former name hours of 5 April 2010. The shuttle is ference topics will include the implica- for the Spirit MARS Rover landing site. passing over the Cinderella Castle in tions of the new strategy for Florida, the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney the nation, and our ultimate activities in On January 27, 2004 NASA memorial- World, after it launched from nearby space. ized the crew of Apollo 1 by naming Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy three hills to the north of "Columbia Space Center in Florida, USA. During —April 2, 1915: President Woodrow Memorial Station" as the Apollo 1 Hills. Discovery’s 13-Day mission, the Wilson appointed the first 12 members seven-member crew will deliver the of the National Advisory Committee for On February 2, 2004 the astronauts on multi-purpose logistics module Leo- Aeronautics (NACA). Twenty one days Columbia's final mission were further nardo, filled with supplies, a new crew later, on April 23, the Secretary of War memorialized when NASA named a sleeping quarters and science racks called the first meeting in his office. set of hills to the east of the landing that will be transferred to the Interna- Brig. Gen. George P. Scriven, Chief site the Columbia Hills Complex, de- tional Space Station's laboratories. Signal Officer, was elected temporary noting seven peaks in that area as STS-131 also marks the first time 4 chairman, and Dr. Charles D. Walcott, "Anderson", "Brown", "Chawla", women astronauts will be in space at secretary of the Smithsonian Institu- "Clark", "Husband", "McCool", and the same time. tion, was elected first chairman of the "Ramon" seen L-R in this NASA/JPL NACA Executive Committee. NACA image below. —NASA has signed a new $335 mil- would later become NASA. lion contract with Russia to buy six ex- The Spirit Rover became stuck in soft tra seats on Soyuz spacecraft to —April 12 1961: Russian Cosmonaut soil in May 2009 and NASA has unoffi- launch American and partner astro- Yuri Gagarin became the first human cially lost contact with the rover as of nauts into space after the space shut- in space and the first to orbit the earth. this month. Spirit is now 2284 Earth tle fleet is retired, the space agency Yuri was given the title of “Hero of the days since landing. announced Tuesday. Soviet Union” after returning The new deal allows NASA to pay the home He received medals Russian Federal Space Agency for six from around the world for his round-trip rides to and from the Inter- pioneering tour in space. Yuri national Space Station in 2013 and lost his life in a MiG 15-UTI 2014. That averages to about $55.8 training accident near Star million per trip – a slight increase from City. the $50 million NASA paid for seats on the Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft —April 12 1981: On the twen- through 2012. tieth anniversary of human After NASA's three-orbiter space shut- spaceflight, the NASA Space tle fleet retires this fall, American Shuttle Orbiter Vehicle 102 APRIL 2010 SNAKE RIVER SKIES PAGE 5 Planisphere for April Late Evening

Did You Know? Astronomer Elizabeth Roemer won servatory, c. 1963. Use of image by: the 1946 Science Talent Search and Acc. 90-105 - Science Service, Re- went on to discover the asteroids cords, 1920s-1970s, Smithsonian Insti- 1930 Lucifer (discovered October 29, tution Archives. 1964) and 1983 Bok (discovered June 9, 1975). Dr. Roemer is Professor Emerita, Lunar and Planetary Labora- tory, University of Arizona. Key to the Planisphere above:

This Smithsonian Institution Archive April 1 11:00 pm photo shows Elizabeth at her desk at April 15 10:00 pm the University of California Lick Ob- April 30 9:00 pm Magic Valley Astronomical Society Membership Information P.O. Box 445 Kimberly, ID 83341 Membership is not just about per- http://www.mvastro.org/ sonal benefits. Your membership dues support the work that the Snake River Skies is the Newsletter of the Magic Valley Astronomical Society and is published electronically once a Magic Valley Astronomical Society month. Snake River Skies is copyrighted, except where noted does in the community to promote and credit is via permission of the respective author. Images the enjoyment and science of as- used are normally public domain unless otherwise noted and tronomy. Contact Treasurer Jim Tubbs for credit for use is given. Snake River Skies © 2010 by the Magic Valley Astronomical Society. dues information via e-mail: Speakers, public star parties, [email protected] or tele- classes and support for astronomy Image of Centennial Observatory on the front page is courtesy phone: 736-1989 or mail directly of Chris Anderson, Observatory Manager. The Centennial in schoolrooms, and outreach pro- Observatory is located at the Herrett Center for Arts and grams just to name a few of the to the treasurer at his home ad- Science, College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls, ID, USA. programs that your membership dress. 550 Sparks Twin Falls, ID Shoshone Falls is a major attraction to the Magic Valley and a dues support. 83301 prominent landmark on the Snake River. Falls image is under “public domain;” unknown photographer. M-51 on the front page was imaged with the Shotwell Camera with the Herrett Annual Membership dues will be: Donations to our club are always Telescope at the Centennial Observatory by club members Rick $20.00 for individuals, families, welcome. Please contact a Widmer & Ken Thomason. M-81 is a stock NASA photograph $10.00 for students. board member for details. and permission is under “public domain.” Sun Daggers in Idaho Membership Benefits

support this assertion then acceptance Sky and Telescope group rates. Sub- of the idea relies upon whether or not scriptions to this excellent periodical there are enough petroglyph sites in are available through the MVAS at a North America that such a correlation reduced price of $32.95. could occur by chance. It is helpful when petroglyphs are associated with Astronomy Magazine group rates. existing peoples. Subscriptions to this excellent periodi- cal are available through the MVAS at This petroglyph was probably placed a reduced price of $34.00 by the ancestors of the Paiute- Shoshone tribe This allows ethnoastro- For magazine info. Contact Jim Tubbs, nomers to question informants as to Treasurer the meaning of such symbols. This sun dagger is located close to the J-P de- Lending Library: Currently we have no sert near Little Blue Table (part of the books to lend. Great Basin) of Southern Idaho. MVAS Lending Telescopes, the soci- ety currently has two telescopes for Photographed by Doug Maughan, Public Rela- loan and would gladly accept others. tions director, College of Southern Idaho © 2005 by Doug Maughan. Used with permission, thank Contact Rick Widmer, Secretary for you. more information.

MVAS Purpose Receive 10% discounts on other se- Sun dagger over petroglyph of an early lected Astronomy Publications. astronomical sky event. The location of The Magic Valley Astronomical Society the dagger on the petroglyph varies was founded in 1976, the Society is a Elected Board throughout the year. At the solstices a non-profit [501(c) 3] educational and dagger can be seen either through the scientific organization dedicated to Terry Wofford, President heart of the spiral or to either side of it. bringing together people with an inter- [email protected] It is proposed that this petroglyph was est in astronomy. The society serves created to mark these events. Recent as a source of astronomical phenom- David Olsen, VP / Newsletter Ed. studies have identified many similar ena, history and lore by providing edu- [email protected] sites in the US Southwest and North- cational and observing opportunities western Mexico. It has been argued and information for its members and Jim Tubbs, Treasurer that the number of solstitial markers at the general public and promotes view- [email protected] these sites provides statistical evi- ing of celestial objects with special dence that they were intended to mark events for adults and children in south Rick Widmer, Secretary / Webmaster the solstices. If no ethnographic nor central Idaho. [email protected] historical data are found which can