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FY08 Technical Papers by GSMTPO Staff
AURA/NOAO ANNUAL REPORT FY 2008 Submitted to the National Science Foundation July 23, 2008 Revised as Complete and Submitted December 23, 2008 NGC 660, ~13 Mpc from the Earth, is a peculiar, polar ring galaxy that resulted from two galaxies colliding. It consists of a nearly edge-on disk and a strongly warped outer disk. Image Credit: T.A. Rector/University of Alaska, Anchorage NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY NOAO ANNUAL REPORT FY 2008 Submitted to the National Science Foundation December 23, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES AND FINDINGS ..................................................................................... 2 1.1 Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory...................................................................................... 2 The Once and Future Supernova η Carinae...................................................................................................... 2 A Stellar Merger and a Missing White Dwarf.................................................................................................. 3 Imaging the COSMOS...................................................................................................................................... 3 The Hubble Constant from a Gravitational Lens.............................................................................................. 4 A New Dwarf Nova in the Period Gap............................................................................................................ -
Wildcard Innovations Argo Navis: So Just How Does It Stack up to the Sky Commander? Tom Trusock – 11/2004
Copyright © 2004 CloudyNights Telescope Reviews WildCard Innovations Argo Navis: So just how does it stack up to the Sky Commander? Tom Trusock – 11/2004 Reviewed: Argo Navis Ok – so I’m lazy. Features: • Digital Telescope Well – maybe that’s not quite true. There are Computer some nights I just don’t believe in excess work. • 2 serial interfaces I’m basically a visual observer, and while I do • Dual CPU’s enjoy the challenge of the hunt – I often just • 2 Meg Ram want to get to the target. Years ago, I settled on • Multitude of Catalogs DSC’s as my one of my preferred methods of finding DSO’s – especially faint fuzzies. If you are new to DSC (Digital Setting Circles) you might want to start off by reading “A Digital Setting Circles Primer”. I’ve owned at least a half dozen different units, among them units from JMI, Celestron, Sky Commander and now the newest kid on the block; the Argo Navis. Coming out of Australia, the Argo makes use of modern technology and components, utilizing not one, but two Motorola 5206e ColdFire 40mhz 32bit CPU’s (the same family of CPU’s used in the popular Palm series of Personal Digital Assistants) 2mb of re-programmable flash memory, 512kb of static Ram, WildCard Innovations Argo Navis and 8kb of non-volatile Ram. It’s powered from 4 AA batteries or an 8 to 16V external source. When used with external power, the Argo offers an LCD heater function to assist in keeping the display functional and dew off. -
Naming the Extrasolar Planets
Naming the extrasolar planets W. Lyra Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K¨onigstuhl 17, 69177, Heidelberg, Germany [email protected] Abstract and OGLE-TR-182 b, which does not help educators convey the message that these planets are quite similar to Jupiter. Extrasolar planets are not named and are referred to only In stark contrast, the sentence“planet Apollo is a gas giant by their assigned scientific designation. The reason given like Jupiter” is heavily - yet invisibly - coated with Coper- by the IAU to not name the planets is that it is consid- nicanism. ered impractical as planets are expected to be common. I One reason given by the IAU for not considering naming advance some reasons as to why this logic is flawed, and sug- the extrasolar planets is that it is a task deemed impractical. gest names for the 403 extrasolar planet candidates known One source is quoted as having said “if planets are found to as of Oct 2009. The names follow a scheme of association occur very frequently in the Universe, a system of individual with the constellation that the host star pertains to, and names for planets might well rapidly be found equally im- therefore are mostly drawn from Roman-Greek mythology. practicable as it is for stars, as planet discoveries progress.” Other mythologies may also be used given that a suitable 1. This leads to a second argument. It is indeed impractical association is established. to name all stars. But some stars are named nonetheless. In fact, all other classes of astronomical bodies are named. -
FOR an ADVANCED Oaoi
.' ' ' > \ .\i I X-732-67-363 < I A COMPUTER, CONTROL SYSTEM I FOR AN ADVANCED OAOi ) I i I , 1 \ i J'OHN A. ,HRASTAR , P 1 (ACCESSION NUMBER) (THRU) I P > . -. c (PAGES) / + AUGUST 1967 - I . \ \ I, I \ / - k d - GO~DARD'SPACE FLIGHT CENTER ' GREENBELT, MARYLAND . .r A COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN ADVANCED OAO John A. Hrastar August 1967 Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland A COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN ADVANCED OAO John A. Hrastar SUMMARY The purpose of the study covered by this report was to determine the feasibility of using an on-board digital computer and strap-down inertial reference unit for attitude control of an advanced OAO space- craft. An integrated, three axis control law was assumed which had been previously proven stable in the large. The principal advantage of this type of control system is the ability to complete three axis reori- entations over large angles. This system, although apparently complex, has the effect of simplifying the overall system. This is because a re- orientation is a simple extension of a hold or point operation, i.e., mode switching may be simplified. The study indicates that a system of this type is feasible and offers many advantages over present systems. The time for a reorientation using this type of control is considerably shorter than the time required using more conventional methods. The computer and inertial reference unit usedinthe study had the characteristics of systems presently under development. Feasibility, therefore is within the present state of the art, requiring only continued development of these systems. -
(12.–11. Pr. Kr.) Posljednja Faza Osvajanja Ju@Ne Panonije
Color profile: Disabled Composite 150 lpi at 45 degrees A. DOMI] KUNI]: Posljednja faza osvajanja Ju`ne Panonije, VAMZ, 3.s., XXXIX 59–164 (2006) 59 ALKA DOMI] KUNI] Odsjek za arheologiju HAZU Ante Kova~i}a 5 HR – 10000 Zagreb E-mail: [email protected] BELLUM PANNONICUM (12.–11. PR. KR.) POSLJEDNJA FAZA OSVAJANJA JU@NE PANONIJE UDK 931/939 (36) Izvorni znanstveni rad Osim {to se bavi panonskim ratom, ovaj je rad zami{ljen i kao prilog poznavanju etni~ke slike ju`ne Panonije i pregled povijesti osvajanja Panonije. Tako }e se bolje sagledati dometi Tibe- rijeva rata, zavr{ne faze rimskog osvajanja prostora koji }e uskoro (od Klaudijeva doba) pos- tati ju`na polovica provincije Panonije. Tiberijev rat ne datira se tradicionalno (12.–9. pr. Kr.) nego u 12.–11. pr. Kr., i to na temelju pomnog ~itanja dostupnih literarnih izvora. UMJESTO UVODA Za razliku od svog prethodnika, Oktavijanova iliri~kog pohoda, Tiberijev je rat vrlo slabo zastupljen u znanstvenoj literaturi. Mo`emo se samo domi{ljati koji su razlozi »omalova`avanju« toga klju~nog doga|aja za daljnju povijest Panonije, ali i Carstva op}enito – mo`da su to prili~no oskudne vijesti iz antike, ili pak neatraktivnost u odnosu na glamurozan i razvikan pohod Okta- vijana Augusta u Ilirik dvadesetak godina prije toga. O Oktavijanovu iliri~kom ratu pisali su mnogi povjesni~ari staroga vijeka, a za njima su se poveli i brojni stru~njaci na{ega doba, primjerice, G. Zippel (Die römische Herrschaft in Illyrien bis auf Augustus, Leipzig, 1877.), G. Veith (Die Feldzuge des C. -
Exploring the Brown Dwarf Desert C
Astronomy & Astrophysics manuscript no. draft c ESO 2018 March 5, 2018 MOA-2007-BLG-197: Exploring the brown dwarf desert C. Ranc1; 35, A. Cassan1; 35, M. D. Albrow2; 35, D. Kubas1; 35, I. A. Bond3; 36, V. Batista1; 35, J.-P. Beaulieu1; 35, D. P. Bennett4; 36, M. Dominik5; 35, Subo Dong6; 37, P. Fouqué7; 8; 35, A. Gould9; 37, J. Greenhilly10; 35, U. G. Jørgensen11; 35, N. Kains12; 5; 35, J. Menzies13; 35, T. Sumi14; 36, E. Bachelet15; 35, C. Coutures1; 35, S. Dieters1; 35, D. Dominis Prester16; 35, J. Donatowicz17; 35, B. S. Gaudi9; 37, C. Han18; 37, M. Hundertmark5; 11, K. Horne5; 35, S. R. Kane19; 35, C.-U. Lee20; 37, J.-B. Marquette1; 35, B.-G. Park20; 37, K. R. Pollard2; 35, K. C. Sahu12; 35, R. Street21; 35, Y. Tsapras21; 22; 35, J. Wambsganss22; 35, A. Williams23; 24; 35, M. Zub22; 35, F. Abe25; 36, A. Fukui26; 36, Y. Itow25; 36, K. Masuda25; 36, Y. Matsubara25; 36, Y. Muraki25; 36, K. Ohnishi27; 36, N. Rattenbury28; 36, To. Saito29; 36, D. J. Sullivan30; 36, W. L. Sweatman31; 36, P. J. Tristram32; 36, P. C. M. Yock33; 36, and A. Yonehara34; 36 (Affiliations can be found after the references) Received <date> / accepted <date> ABSTRACT We present the analysis of MOA-2007-BLG-197Lb, the first brown dwarf companion to a Sun-like star detected through gravitational microlensing. The event was alerted and followed-up photometrically by a network of telescopes from the PLANET, MOA, and µFUN collaborations, and observed at high angular resolution using the NaCo instrument at the VLT. -
Stats2010 E Final.Pdf
Imprint Publisher: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik Editors and Layout: W. Collmar und J. Zanker-Smith Personnel 1 PERSONNEL 2010 Directors Min. Dir. J. Meyer, Section Head, Federal Ministry of Prof. Dr. R. Bender, Optical and Interpretative Astronomy, Economics and Technology also Professorship for Astronomy/Astrophysics at the Prof. Dr. E. Rohkamm, Thyssen Krupp AG, Düsseldorf Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Prof. Dr. R. Genzel, Infrared- and Submillimeter- Scientifi c Advisory Board Astronomy, also Prof. of Physics, University of California, Prof. Dr. R. Davies, Oxford University (UK) Berkeley (USA) (Managing Director) Prof. Dr. R. Ellis, CALTECH (USA) Prof. Dr. Kirpal Nandra, High-Energy Astrophysics Dr. N. Gehrels, NASA/GSFC (USA) Prof. Dr. G. Morfi ll, Theory, Non-linear Dynamics, Complex Prof. Dr. F. Harrison, CALTECH (USA) Plasmas Prof. Dr. O. Havnes, University of Tromsø (Norway) Prof. Dr. G. Haerendel (emeritus) Prof. Dr. P. Léna, Université Paris VII (France) Prof. Dr. R. Lüst (emeritus) Prof. Dr. R. McCray, University of Colorado (USA), Prof. Dr. K. Pinkau (emeritus) Chair of Board Prof. Dr. J. Trümper (emeritus) Prof. Dr. M. Salvati, Osservatorio Astrofi sico di Arcetri (Italy) Junior Research Groups and Minerva Fellows Dr. N.M. Förster Schreiber Humboldt Awardee Dr. S. Khochfar Prof. Dr. P. Henry, University of Hawaii (USA) Prof. Dr. H. Netzer, Tel Aviv University (Israel) MPG Fellow Prof. Dr. V. Tsytovich, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Dr. A. Burkert (LMU) Moscow (Russia) Manager’s Assistant Prof. S. Veilleux, University of Maryland (USA) Dr. H. Scheingraber A. v. Humboldt Fellows Scientifi c Secretary Prof. Dr. D. Jaffe, University of Texas (USA) Dr. -
A Blast Wave from the 1843 Eruption of Eta Carinae
1 A Blast Wave from the 1843 Eruption of Eta Carinae Nathan Smith* *Astronomy Department, University of California, 601 Campbell Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 Very massive stars shed much of their mass in violent precursor eruptions [1] as luminous blue variables (LBVs) [2] before reaching their most likely end as supernovae, but the cause of LBV eruptions is unknown. The 19th century eruption of Eta Carinae, the prototype of these events [3], ejected about 12 solar masses at speeds of 650 km/s, with a kinetic energy of almost 1050ergs[4]. Some faster material with speeds up to 1000-2000 km/s had previously been reported [5,6,7,8] but its full distribution was unknown. Here I report observations of much faster material with speeds up to 3500-6000 km/s, reaching farther from the star than the fastest material in earlier reports [5]. This fast material roughly doubles the kinetic energy of the 19th century event, and suggests that it released a blast wave now propagating ahead of the massive ejecta. Thus, Eta Carinae’s outer shell now mimics a low-energy supernova remnant. The eruption has usually been discussed in terms of an extreme wind driven by the star’s luminosity [2,3,9,10], but fast material reported here suggests that it was powered by a deep-seated explosion rivalling a supernova, perhaps triggered by the pulsational pair instability[11]. This may alter interpretations of similar events seen in other galaxies. Eta Carinae [3] is the most luminous and the best studied among LBVs [1,2]. -
SAS-2019 the Symposium on Telescope Science
Proceedings for the 38th Annual Conference of the Society for Astronomical Sciences SAS-2019 The Symposium on Telescope Science Joint Meeting with the Center for Backyard Astrophysics Editors: Robert K. Buchheim Robert M. Gill Wayne Green John C. Martin John Menke Robert Stephens May, 2019 Ontario, CA i Disclaimer The acceptance of a paper for the SAS Proceedings does not imply nor should it be inferred as an endorsement by the Society for Astronomical Sciences of any product, service, method, or results mentioned in the paper. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and may not reflect those of the Society for Astronomical Sciences, its members, or symposium Sponsors Published by the Society for Astronomical Sciences, Inc. Rancho Cucamonga, CA First printing: May 2019 Photo Credits: Front Cover: NGC 2024 (Flame Nebula) and B33 (Horsehead Nebula) Alson Wong, Center for Solar System Studies Back Cover: SA-200 Grism spectrum of Wolf-Rayet star HD214419 Forrest Sims, Desert Celestial Observatory ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE v SYMPOSIUM SPONSORS vi SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE viii PRESENTATION PAPERS Robert D. Stephens, Brian D. Warner THE SEARCH FOR VERY WIDE BINARY ASTEROIDS 1 Tom Polakis LESSONS LEARNED DURING THREE YEARS OF ASTEROID PHOTOMETRY 7 David Boyd SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE ORBITAL PERIOD OF HS 2325+8205 15 Tom Kaye EXOPLANET DETECTION USING BRUTE FORCE TECHNIQUES 21 Joe Patterson, et al FORTY YEARS OF AM CANUM VENATICORIUM 25 Robert Denny ASCOM – NOT JUST FOR WINDOWS ANY MORE 31 Kalee Tock HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOONING 33 William Rust MINIMIZING DISTORTION IN TIME EXPOSED CELESTIAL IMAGES 43 James Synge PROJECT PANOPTES 49 Steve Conard, et al THE USE OF FIXED OBSERVATORIES FOR FAINT HIGH VALUE OCCULTATIONS 51 John Martin, Logan Kimball UPDATE ON THE M31 AND M33 LUMINOUS STARS SURVEY 53 John Morris CURRENT STATUS OF “VISUAL” COMET PHOTOMETRY 55 Joe Patterson, et al ASASSN-18EY = MAXIJ1820+070 = “MAXIE”: KING OF THE BLACK HOLE 61 SUPERHUMPS Richard Berry IMAGING THE MOON AT THERMAL INFRARED WAVELENGTHS 67 iii Jerrold L. -
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Astronomy & Solar Physics Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Astronomy & Solar Physics Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771 The following report covers the period from Septem- istrator announced the cancellation of the next servicing ber 2003 through September 2004. mission (SM4) to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), citing safety concerns about sending the Shuttle into an 1 INTRODUCTION orbit that did not have a “safe haven” (namely, the Inter- The Laboratory for Astronomy & Solar Physics national Space Station). Subsequently, the Administra- (LASP) is a Division of the Space Sciences Directorate tor authorized GSFC to begin study of a robotic repair at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Mem- of HST, which would add new batteries, gyroscopes, and bers of LASP conduct a broad program of observational install both of the new instruments intended for installa- and theoretical scientific research. Observations are car- tion on SM4 – the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) ried out from space-based observatories, balloons, and and the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). An intensive ground-based telescopes at wavelengths extending from engineering effort in the HST Project at Goddard is cur- the EUV to the sub-millimeter. Research projects cover rently underway to determine if this robotic repair is the fields of solar and stellar astrophysics, extrasolar technically possible within the allowed time-fame (be- planets, the interstellar and intergalactic medium, ac- fore the HST batteries die). WFC3 has completed a tive galactic nuclei, and the evolution of structure in the successful initial thermal vacuum test at Goddard under universe. the leadership of Instrument Scientist Randy Kimble. Studies of the sun are carried out in the gamma- However, on a decidedly sad note for LASP, the Space ray, x-ray, EUV/UV and visible portions of the spec- Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS; Woodgate, PI), trum from space and the ground. -
THE CONSTELLATION MUSCA, the FLY Musca Australis (Latin: Southern Fly) Is a Small Constellation in the Deep Southern Sky
THE CONSTELLATION MUSCA, THE FLY Musca Australis (Latin: Southern Fly) is a small constellation in the deep southern sky. It was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman and it first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 in Amsterdam by Plancius and Jodocus Hondius. The first depiction of this constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603. It was also known as Apis (Latin: bee) for two hundred years. Musca remains below the horizon for most Northern Hemisphere observers. Also known as the Southern or Indian Fly, the French Mouche Australe ou Indienne, the German Südliche Fliege, and the Italian Mosca Australe, it lies partly in the Milky Way, south of Crux and east of the Chamaeleon. De Houtman included it in his southern star catalogue in 1598 under the Dutch name De Vlieghe, ‘The Fly’ This title generally is supposed to have been substituted by La Caille, about 1752, for Bayer's Apis, the Bee; but Halley, in 1679, had called it Musca Apis; and even previous to him, Riccioli catalogued it as Apis seu Musca. Even in our day the idea of a Bee prevails, for Stieler's Planisphere of 1872 has Biene, and an alternative title in France is Abeille. When the Northern Fly was merged with Aries by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1929, Musca Australis was given its modern shortened name Musca. It is the only official constellation depicting an insect. Julius Schiller, who redrew and named all the 88 constellations united Musca with the Bird of Paradise and the Chamaeleon as mother Eve. -