January Astronomy News
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CONSTELLATION TRIANGULUM, the TRIANGLE Triangulum Is a Small Constellation in the Northern Sky
CONSTELLATION TRIANGULUM, THE TRIANGLE Triangulum is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for "triangle", derived from its three brightest stars, which form a long and narrow triangle. Known to the ancient Babylonians and Greeks, Triangulum was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. The celestial cartographers Johann Bayer and John Flamsteed catalogued the constellation's stars, giving six of them Bayer designations. The white stars Beta and Gamma Trianguli, of apparent magnitudes 3.00 and 4.00, respectively, form the base of the triangle and the yellow-white Alpha Trianguli, of magnitude 3.41, the apex. Iota Trianguli is a notable double star system, and there are three star systems with planets located in Triangulum. The constellation contains several galaxies, the brightest and nearest of which is the Triangulum Galaxy or Messier 33—a member of the Local Group. The first quasar ever observed, 3C 48, also lies within Triangulum's boundaries. HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY In the Babylonian star catalogues, Triangulum, together with Gamma Andromedae, formed the constellation known as MULAPIN "The Plough". It is notable as the first constellation presented on (and giving its name to) a pair of tablets containing canonical star lists that were compiled around 1000 BC, the MUL.APIN. The Plough was the first constellation of the "Way of Enlil"—that is, the northernmost quarter of the Sun's path, which corresponds to the 45 days on either side of summer solstice. Its first appearance in the pre-dawn sky (heliacal rising) in February marked the time to begin spring ploughing in Mesopotamia. -
Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory a Autumn Observing Notes
Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory A Autumn Observing Notes Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory PUBLIC OBSERVING – Autumn Tour of the Sky with the Naked Eye CASSIOPEIA Look for the ‘W’ 4 shape 3 Polaris URSA MINOR Notice how the constellations swing around Polaris during the night Pherkad Kochab Is Kochab orange compared 2 to Polaris? Pointers Is Dubhe Dubhe yellowish compared to Merak? 1 Merak THE PLOUGH Figure 1: Sketch of the northern sky in autumn. © Rob Peeling, CaDAS, 2007 version 1.2 Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory PUBLIC OBSERVING – Autumn North 1. On leaving the planetarium, turn around and look northwards over the roof of the building. Close to the horizon is a group of stars like the outline of a saucepan with the handle stretching to your left. This is the Plough (also called the Big Dipper) and is part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The two right-hand stars are called the Pointers. Can you tell that the higher of the two, Dubhe is slightly yellowish compared to the lower, Merak? Check with binoculars. Not all stars are white. The colour shows that Dubhe is cooler than Merak in the same way that red-hot is cooler than white- hot. 2. Use the Pointers to guide you upwards to the next bright star. This is Polaris, the Pole (or North) Star. Note that it is not the brightest star in the sky, a common misconception. Below and to the left are two prominent but fainter stars. These are Kochab and Pherkad, the Guardians of the Pole. Look carefully and you will notice that Kochab is slightly orange when compared to Polaris. -
Winter Observing Notes
Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory Winter Observing Notes Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory PUBLIC OBSERVING – Winter Tour of the Sky with the Naked Eye NGC 457 CASSIOPEIA eta Cas Look for Notice how the constellations 5 the ‘W’ swing around Polaris during shape the night Is Dubhe yellowish compared 2 Polaris to Merak? Dubhe 3 Merak URSA MINOR Kochab 1 Is Kochab orange Pherkad compared to Polaris? THE PLOUGH 4 Mizar Alcor Figure 1: Sketch of the northern sky in winter. North 1. On leaving the planetarium, turn around and look northwards over the roof of the building. To your right is a group of stars like the outline of a saucepan standing up on it’s handle. This is the Plough (also called the Big Dipper) and is part of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The top two stars are called the Pointers. Check with binoculars. Not all stars are white. The colour shows that Dubhe is cooler than Merak in the same way that red-hot is cooler than white-hot. 2. Use the Pointers to guide you to the left, to the next bright star. This is Polaris, the Pole (or North) Star. Note that it is not the brightest star in the sky, a common misconception. Below and to the right are two prominent but fainter stars. These are Kochab and Pherkad, the Guardians of the Pole. Look carefully and you will notice that Kochab is slightly orange when compared to Polaris. Check with binoculars. © Rob Peeling, CaDAS, 2007 version 2.0 Wynyard Planetarium & Observatory PUBLIC OBSERVING – Winter Polaris, Kochab and Pherkad mark the constellation Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. -
List of Easy Double Stars for Winter and Spring = Easy = Not Too Difficult = Difficult but Possible
List of Easy Double Stars for Winter and Spring = easy = not too difficult = difficult but possible 1. Sigma Cassiopeiae (STF 3049). 23 hr 59.0 min +55 deg 45 min This system is tight but very beautiful. Use a high magnification (150x or more). Primary: 5.2, yellow or white Seconary: 7.2 (3.0″), blue 2. Eta Cassiopeiae (Achird, STF 60). 00 hr 49.1 min +57 deg 49 min This is a multiple system with many stars, but I will restrict myself to the brightest one here. Primary: 3.5, yellow. Secondary: 7.4 (13.2″), purple or brown 3. 65 Piscium (STF 61). 00 hr 49.9 min +27 deg 43 min Primary: 6.3, yellow Secondary: 6.3 (4.1″), yellow 4. Psi-1 Piscium (STF 88). 01 hr 05.7 min +21 deg 28 min This double forms a T-shaped asterism with Psi-2, Psi-3 and Chi Piscium. Psi-1 is the uppermost of the four. Primary: 5.3, yellow or white Secondary: 5.5 (29.7), yellow or white 5. Zeta Piscium (STF 100). 01 hr 13.7 min +07 deg 35 min Primary: 5.2, white or yellow Secondary: 6.3, white or lilac (or blue) 6. Gamma Arietis (Mesarthim, STF 180). 01 hr 53.5 min +19 deg 18 min “The Ram’s Eyes” Primary: 4.5, white Secondary: 4.6 (7.5″), white 7. Lambda Arietis (H 5 12). 01 hr 57.9 min +23 deg 36 min Primary: 4.8, white or yellow Secondary: 6.7 (37.1″), silver-white or blue 8. -
GTO Keypad Manual, V5.001
ASTRO-PHYSICS GTO KEYPAD Version v5.xxx Please read the manual even if you are familiar with previous keypad versions Flash RAM Updates Keypad Java updates can be accomplished through the Internet. Check our web site www.astro-physics.com/software-updates/ November 11, 2020 ASTRO-PHYSICS KEYPAD MANUAL FOR MACH2GTO Version 5.xxx November 11, 2020 ABOUT THIS MANUAL 4 REQUIREMENTS 5 What Mount Control Box Do I Need? 5 Can I Upgrade My Present Keypad? 5 GTO KEYPAD 6 Layout and Buttons of the Keypad 6 Vacuum Fluorescent Display 6 N-S-E-W Directional Buttons 6 STOP Button 6 <PREV and NEXT> Buttons 7 Number Buttons 7 GOTO Button 7 ± Button 7 MENU / ESC Button 7 RECAL and NEXT> Buttons Pressed Simultaneously 7 ENT Button 7 Retractable Hanger 7 Keypad Protector 8 Keypad Care and Warranty 8 Warranty 8 Keypad Battery for 512K Memory Boards 8 Cleaning Red Keypad Display 8 Temperature Ratings 8 Environmental Recommendation 8 GETTING STARTED – DO THIS AT HOME, IF POSSIBLE 9 Set Up your Mount and Cable Connections 9 Gather Basic Information 9 Enter Your Location, Time and Date 9 Set Up Your Mount in the Field 10 Polar Alignment 10 Mach2GTO Daytime Alignment Routine 10 KEYPAD START UP SEQUENCE FOR NEW SETUPS OR SETUP IN NEW LOCATION 11 Assemble Your Mount 11 Startup Sequence 11 Location 11 Select Existing Location 11 Set Up New Location 11 Date and Time 12 Additional Information 12 KEYPAD START UP SEQUENCE FOR MOUNTS USED AT THE SAME LOCATION WITHOUT A COMPUTER 13 KEYPAD START UP SEQUENCE FOR COMPUTER CONTROLLED MOUNTS 14 1 OBJECTS MENU – HAVE SOME FUN! -
Observing List
day month year Epoch 2000 local clock time: 2.00 Observing List for 24 7 2019 RA DEC alt az Constellation object mag A mag B Separation description hr min deg min 39 64 Andromeda Gamma Andromedae (*266) 2.3 5.5 9.8 yellow & blue green double star 2 3.9 42 19 51 85 Andromeda Pi Andromedae 4.4 8.6 35.9 bright white & faint blue 0 36.9 33 43 51 66 Andromeda STF 79 (Struve) 6 7 7.8 bluish pair 1 0.1 44 42 36 67 Andromeda 59 Andromedae 6.5 7 16.6 neat pair, both greenish blue 2 10.9 39 2 67 77 Andromeda NGC 7662 (The Blue Snowball) planetary nebula, fairly bright & slightly elongated 23 25.9 42 32.1 53 73 Andromeda M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) large sprial arm galaxy like the Milky Way 0 42.7 41 16 53 74 Andromeda M32 satellite galaxy of Andromeda Galaxy 0 42.7 40 52 53 72 Andromeda M110 (NGC205) satellite galaxy of Andromeda Galaxy 0 40.4 41 41 38 70 Andromeda NGC752 large open cluster of 60 stars 1 57.8 37 41 36 62 Andromeda NGC891 edge on galaxy, needle-like in appearance 2 22.6 42 21 67 81 Andromeda NGC7640 elongated galaxy with mottled halo 23 22.1 40 51 66 60 Andromeda NGC7686 open cluster of 20 stars 23 30.2 49 8 46 155 Aquarius 55 Aquarii, Zeta 4.3 4.5 2.1 close, elegant pair of yellow stars 22 28.8 0 -1 29 147 Aquarius 94 Aquarii 5.3 7.3 12.7 pale rose & emerald 23 19.1 -13 28 21 143 Aquarius 107 Aquarii 5.7 6.7 6.6 yellow-white & bluish-white 23 46 -18 41 36 188 Aquarius M72 globular cluster 20 53.5 -12 32 36 187 Aquarius M73 Y-shaped asterism of 4 stars 20 59 -12 38 33 145 Aquarius NGC7606 Galaxy 23 19.1 -8 29 37 185 Aquarius NGC7009 -
December 2014 BRAS Newsletter
December, 2014 Next Meeting: December 8th at 7PM at the HRPO Artist rendition of the Philae lander from the ESA's Rosetta mission. Click on the picture to go see the latest info. What's In This Issue? Astro Short- Mercury: Snow Globe Dynamo? Secretary's Summary Message From HRPO Globe At Night Recent Forum Entries Orion Exploration Test Flight Event International Year of Light 20/20 Vision Campaign Observing Notes by John Nagle Mercury: Snow Globe Dynamo? We already knew Mercury was bizarre. A planet of extremes, during its day facing the sun, its surface temperature tops 800°F —hot enough to melt lead—but during the night, the temperature plunges to -270°F, way colder than dry ice. Frozen water may exist at its poles. And its day (from sunrise to sunrise) is twice as long as its year. Now add more weirdness measured by NASA’s recent MESSENGER spacecraft: Mercury’s magnetic field in its northern hemisphere is triple its strength in the southern hemisphere. Numerical models run by postdoctoral researcher Hao Cao, working in the lab of Christopher T. Russell at UC Los Angeles, offer an explanation: inside Mercury’s molten iron core it is “snowing,” and the resultant convection is so powerful it causes the planet’s magnetic dynamo to break symmetry and concentrate in one hemisphere. “Snowing” inside Mercury With a diameter only 40 percent greater than the Moon’s, Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system (now that Pluto was demoted). But its gravitational field is more than double the Moon’s. -
Aquarius, the Watering Can Man by Magda Streicher [email protected]
deepsky delights Aquarius, the Watering Can Man by Magda Streicher [email protected] Aquarius is by no means just another constellation – it’s quite simply something exceptional in its own right. Aquarius the Image source: Stellarium water-bearer spreads out its lanky image just north of Capricornus the sea-goat. Other ier, the French astronomer. Averted vision well-known water constellations are Piscis yields the best view, which sees the object Austrinus the southern fish, Cetus the whale, brightening relatively quickly to a core that Delphinus the dolphin and Hydra the water appears slightly more square than round and snake. The water-bearer was so named due less concentrated than most globulars. Not to the Sun’s entry into the constellation dur- at all easy to resolve, although I can pick up ing the Babylonian monsoon season. The a grainy tangerine skin impression, which image portrays a man pouring water from a makes me suspect partial resolution. pitcher he’s holding in his right hand. Little sprays of brighter stars look like numerous Just 1.2 degrees to the east, arguably one of drops of water and stand out well against the most interesting documented clusters or the fainter background star-field. When star asterisms can be seen. NGC 6994, bet- Aquarius is about appear in the east, Albali, ter known as Messier 73, consists of a cluster or Epsilon Aquarii, at magnitude 3.7, pops of only four stars, which the University of up as the western-most star in the constella- Padua in Italy places at different distances as tion, as if to say “Here I am!” field stars. -
Basic Astronomy Labs
Astronomy Laboratory Exercise 31 The Magnitude Scale On a dark, clear night far from city lights, the unaided human eye can see on the order of five thousand stars. Some stars are bright, others are barely visible, and still others fall somewhere in between. A telescope reveals hundreds of thousands of stars that are too dim for the unaided eye to see. Most stars appear white to the unaided eye, whose cells for detecting color require more light. But the telescope reveals that stars come in a wide palette of colors. This lab explores the modern magnitude scale as a means of describing the brightness, the distance, and the color of a star. The earliest recorded brightness scale was developed by Hipparchus, a natural philosopher of the second century BCE. He ranked stars into six magnitudes according to brightness. The brightest stars were first magnitude, the second brightest stars were second magnitude, and so on until the dimmest stars he could see, which were sixth magnitude. Modern measurements show that the difference between first and sixth magnitude represents a brightness ratio of 100. That is, a first magnitude star is about 100 times brighter than a sixth magnitude star. Thus, each magnitude is 100115 (or about 2. 512) times brighter than the next larger, integral magnitude. Hipparchus' scale only allows integral magnitudes and does not allow for stars outside this range. With the invention of the telescope, it became obvious that a scale was needed to describe dimmer stars. Also, the scale should be able to describe brighter objects, such as some planets, the Moon, and the Sun. -
The Age of Aquarius Is an Astrological Term Denoting Either the Current Or Upcoming Astrological Age, Depending on the Method of Calculation
The Age of Aquarius is an astrological term denoting either the current or upcoming astrological age, depending on the method of calculation. Astrologers maintain that an astrological age is a product of the earth's slow precessional rotation and lasts for 2,150 years, on average. In popular culture in the United States, the Age of Aquarius refers to the advent of the New Age movement in the 1960s and 1970s. There are various methods of calculating the length of an astrological age. In sun- sign astrology, the first sign is Aries, followed by Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, whereupon the cycle returns to Aries and through the zodiacal signs again. Astrological ages, however, proceed in the opposite direction ("retrograde" in astronomy). Therefore, the Age of Aquarius follows the Age of Pisces. Mythology of the constellation Aquarius This is the eleventh zodiacal sign and one which has always been connected with water. To the Babylonians it represented an overflowing urn, and they associated this with the heavy rains which fell in their eleventh month, whilst the Egyptians saw the constellation as Hapi, the god of the Nile. Greek legend, however, tells of Ganymede, an exceptionally handsome, young prince of Troy. He was spotted by Zeus, who immediately decided that he would make a perfect cup-bearer. The story then differs - one version telling how Zeus sent his pet eagle, Aquila, to carry Ganymede to Olympus, another that it was Zeus, himself, disguised as an eagle, who swept up the youth and carried him to the home of the gods. -
Earth and Space Science. a Guide for Secondary Teachers. INSTITUTION Pennsylvania State Dept
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 094 956 SE 016 611 AUTHOR Bolles, William H.; And Others TITLE Earth and Space Science. A Guide for Secondary Teachers. INSTITUTION Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg. Bureau of Curriculum Services. PUB DATE 73 NOTE 200p. EDRS PRICE MF-$O.75 HC-$9.00 PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS Aerospace Education; *Astronomy; *Curriculum Guides; *Earth Science; Geology; Laboratory Experiments; Oceanology; Science Activities; Science Education; *Secondary School Science IDENTIFIERS Pennsylvania ABSTRACT Designed for use in Pennsylvania secondary school science classes, this guide is intended to provide fundamental information in each of the various disciplines of the earth sciences. Some of the material contained in the guide is intended as background material for teachers. Five units are presented: The Earth, The Oceans, The Space Environment, The Atmosphere, and The Exploration of Space. The course is organized so that students proceed from the familiar, everyday world to the atmosphere and the space environment. Teaching geology in the fall takes advantage of weather conditions which permit field study. The purpose of the Earth and Space Science course is to encourage student behaviors which will be indicative of a broad understanding of man1s physical environment of earth and space as well as an awareness of the consequences which could result from changes which man may effect.(PEB) BEST COPY AVAILABLE U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 6 Fe elz+C EDUCATION Try,' DOCUMENT FIRSBEEN REPRO -
Aerodynamic Phenomena in Stellar Atmospheres, a Bibliography
- PB 151389 knical rlote 91c. 30 Moulder laboratories AERODYNAMIC PHENOMENA STELLAR ATMOSPHERES -A BIBLIOGRAPHY U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS ^M THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS Functions and Activities The functions of the National Bureau of Standards are set forth in the Act of Congress, March 3, 1901, as amended by Congress in Public Law 619, 1950. These include the development and maintenance of the national standards of measurement and the provision of means and methods for making measurements consistent with these standards; the determination of physical constants and properties of materials; the development of methods and instruments for testing materials, devices, and structures; advisory services to government agencies on scientific and technical problems; in- vention and development of devices to serve special needs of the Government; and the development of standard practices, codes, and specifications. The work includes basic and applied research, development, engineering, instrumentation, testing, evaluation, calibration services, and various consultation and information services. Research projects are also performed for other government agencies when the work relates to and supplements the basic program of the Bureau or when the Bureau's unique competence is required. The scope of activities is suggested by the listing of divisions and sections on the inside of the back cover. Publications The results of the Bureau's work take the form of either actual equipment and devices or pub- lished papers.