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Club & Local News Vol. 11, Issue No. 2 February 2013 alp ha Francisco Lao, Jr. Astronomical League of the Philippines’ HerAld Editor-in-Chief © 2013, Astronomical League of the Philippines e-mail at: <[email protected] > b Visit our website at www.astroleaguephils.org National Museum Planetarium curator Bel Pabunan* 2:00 pm Introduction to Comets & Asteroids: Film Showing: Asteroids, Meteors & Impact First Lecture on PANSTARRS & ISON by: • Norman Marigza – The Physics of Comets • Dr. Jett Aguilar – Observation & Photography of Comets 15 (20) minute break 3:20 pm or 3:30 pm Second Lecture on Astrobioloby by Dr. Armando Lee 4:15 pm Product presentation of Celestron Prodigy Telescopes by Cutting Edge 4:30 pm Awarding of the Fr. Victor Badillo Astronomy Service Award Posthumously to Dante Ambrosio 4:45 pm or 4:50 pm Awarding of Certificates and Honorarium 6:00 – 6:30 to 10 pm Free Public Viewing at Rajah Sulayman Park Comet C/2012 K5 LINEAR quickly burst into the scene and then February 20, 2013: NAW – PAC 2013 Mid-week Free Public Viewing faded away in early January, but Comet PANSTARRs is something to 3 – 9 pm AstroCamp Observatory in SM Mall of Asia, San Miguel look forward to in mid-March. Comet LINEAR image © John Nassr By the Bay, Pasay City CLUB & LOCAL NEWS February 23, 2013: NAW – PAC 2013 Closing Ceremony January Meeting Venue: Rizal Technological University Last January 6, members of the Astronomical League of the Philippines (ALP) held their monthly meeting at the Manila 12:00 pm Registration Planetarium. Members who attended were ALP President James 1:00 pm (1:30pm): Philippine National Anthem Kevin Ty and son Kendrick Cole (KC); Secretary Christopher Louie Lu; Prayer/Liturgy VP Jett Aguilar; PRO Armando Lee, wife Mia and son Jason; directors Opening remarks by Christopher Lu ALP and RTU Christopher Lee & Peter Benedict Tubalinal; Ma. Belen Pabunan; Liza President Dr. Jesus R. Torres* Quitlong; Nel Lagda; ALPha editor Francisco “Jun” Lao, Jr; Mike 2:00 pm First Seminar/Lecture: Philippine Space Agency Bill Enage; Ronald Sison; Norman Marigza; Per Edman; and newest HB6725 by Dr. Deocaris member, Eugene Yap. 2:45 pm Second Seminar/Lecture: Search for Exoplanets by Bamm Gabriana The meeting proper started at around 3 p.m. with ALP Secretary and 15 (20) minute break NAW 2013 chairman Christopher Louie Lu discussing updates on 3:45 pm Third Seminar/lecture: Surviving the Messier ALP’s planned NAW activities: Marathon by Peter Tubalinal 4:30 pm Product Presentation on Celestron Prodigy Telescopes by Cutting Edge 5:00 pm Open forum & Awarding of Honorarium Closing Remarks by ALP President James Kevin Ty 6:00 – 6:30 to 10 pm Free Public Viewing, RTU Quadrangle *Subject to change February 17, 2012: NAW – PAC 2013 Opening Ceremony Venue: National Museum Planetarium 12:00 pm: Registration 1:00 pm (1:30 pm): Philippine National Anthem Prayer/Liturgy Opening remarks by Astronomical League of the Philippines President James Kevin Ty Page 18 alp ha Febr uary 201 3 The result is a stunning view of the outer What the naked eye perceives as a single regions of the Orion nebula. Each cosmic star is actually a binary star system bullet is about 10 times the size of Pluto's consisting of a white main-sequence star, orbit around the sun. Pluto is about 49 times Sirius A, and a faint white dwarf companion, farther from the sun than the Earth, which is Sirius B, also affectionately called the "Pup." only 150 million kilometers away. Sirius appears bright because of both its Astronomers think the cosmic bullets were intrinsic luminosity and its proximity to Earth. ejected from deep within the nebula, likely At a distance of 8.48 light years, Sirius is one propelled by strong winds expelling gas at of earth's near neighbors. – Gary and Steinar supersonic speeds from a region of massive Andreassen Lastly, ALP President James Kevin Ty star formation outside, and below, this discussed the January 12, 2013 (weather image's field-of-view. The gas clumps leave Conjunctions permitting) Caliraya stargazing, as well as behind tubular wakes as much as one-fifth Jan. 21 . It was quite cold this night, and it the ALP 10 th year anniversary yearbook of a light-year in length, which are the result was likely because the skies were clear. The project to the members and asked members of molecular hydrogen gas being heated up night started out clear with the Moon near to help out to make the project a successful in the nebula. Jupiter, then the skies clouded over, then one. cleared again, when I took this image At 1,500 light-years away, the Orion nebula between 11 and 11:45 p.m., when the pair is Earth's closest known star factory. were at their closest (Jupiter arrowed ). Scientists suspect the sun was born in a similar environment about 4.5 billion years ago. The Orion nebula’s bullets were first spotted in a visible-light image in 1983, and followed up by infrared observations in 1992. – Space.com The meeting ended at around 6:00 p.m. with a group shot of those who attended the meeting together with US-based ALPha Reports editor Francisco “Jun” Lao, Jr. - by James Kevin Ty & Christopher Louie Lu Sirius and the Winter Milky Way Star Shooting at Trece Martirez. It was a really good night. The skies were clear and Breaking News Mrs. Michelle Campos' carbonara was just We had gusty winds and it was really cold at awesome. Arnel Campos also got a chance 10 o below 0 C, with wind chill making it feel Cosmic 'Bullets' Slam Orion Nebula to take his new rig out for a spin around the like -20 C. It was hard to focus with the Astronomers have unveiled a spectacular block. Moon high in the sky, with the gusty winds, new photo of cosmic "bullets" slicing through thick gas clouds at supersonic speeds in the famed Orion nebula. The so-called Orion bullets are actually enormous clumps of gas packed with iron atoms. They appear as distinctive blue features in the new image captured by the Gemini South Observatory in Chile. Sirius (above ) is the brightest star in the and freezing temps, yet seeing Jupiter just a The new image was obtained on the night of night sky with a visual apparent magnitude moon's width away was worth it. Imaged with Dec. 28 using a new adaptive optics system of -1.46. Its name is derived from the a Nikon D7000 and an Opteka 800 mm f/8 at the Gemini Observatory South telescope ancient Greek "Seirios" which means mirror lens at 1/1000 sec at ISO 3200. - Jun in Chile. The system is equipped with five "glowing" or "scorcher." Lao, Mason, Ohio laser guide stars and three deformable mirrors to correct image distortions from the It is also known as the Dog Star, reflecting its Jan. 22 . Moon, Jupiter & Aldebaran Earth's atmosphere in real time. prominence in its constellation, Canis Major, Conjunction. I had to image through haze- or Greater Dog. filled skies ( p. 19). alp ha Febr uary 201 3 Page 19 8-day old waxing Moon with 55% illumination. Jan. 30 . 18-day old waning gibbous Moon Looking at the Moon floating in the darkened with 88% illumination, 1/90 sec at ISO 100. void was just so 'magical', yet in the back of my mind I kept reminding myself that it was just Newton's Law of Gravity at work. Jan. 29 . 17-day old waning gibbous Moon with 94% illumination. - Christopher Louie Lu Moon Jan. 16 . 5-day old waxing Moon with 24.5% illumination. Imaged with a Celestron Powerseeker 80EQ on CG-2 mount, 80 mm f/11, 1/30 sec on ISO 200. - Christopher Louie Lu Jan. 5 . Morning Moon Jan. 15 Jan. 19 . ( p. 20) Page 20 alp ha Febr uary 201 3 Jan. 23 . Moon imaged via Logitech C615 HD Jan. 8 . Webcam, tracked using Polarie with 800 mm lens at prime focus. AR1654 imaged with a Canon 600D with 1300 mm at prime focus. Jan. 15 . Jan. 29 . Shot using a Logitech C615 webcam mounted on a 500 mm f/6.5 mirror Lens Jan. 14 . Solar imaging through office window. - Raymund Sarmiento Sun Jan. 17 . Today's Sun (cropped) using 1000 Jan. 5 . mm + 20 mm eyepiece projection. Lots of spots on the Sun’s disk. Jan. 13 . Very huge Sunspot group. Imaged with a Canon EOS 450d + 60mm Meade refractor with T-adapter + Baader solar filter. - Mark Ian Singson alp ha Febr uary 201 3 Page 21 Jan. 29 . Sunset with sunspots touching ground, shot using a Canon 600D and a 800 mm f/8 mirror-lens – ISO 200, 1/100 sec - Raymund Sarmiento Jan. 13 . Imaged with a Canon 450d on Celestron Solar activity had gone low with only 3 visible Powerseeker 80EQ with Baader solar filter, sunspot groups. AR1652 was decaying as it density 3.8, on CG-2 mount, 80 mm f/11, set on the northwest limb. AR1654 and 1/4000 sec at ISO 100. AR1658 had remained stable but quiet. Jan. 30 . Skies this morning was less than 'ideal' - cloud cover was about 56% - 69%, seeing was 1.5" - 2", transparency was 0.5 - Imaged with a Canon EOS 1100D Rebel T3 at 0.6. prime focus on a Celestron C6N f/5 Newtonian, 1/4000 sec at ISO 100. Jan. 15 . AR1659 was about to set on the western limb. AR1650 was following behind, while giving off C-class flares.
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