June, 2016 (Issue No. 143)
AlachuaAstronomyClub.org North Central Florida's Amateur Astronomy Club
Serving Alachua County since 1987
Part of the radio complex that makes up the area around the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
Member Member Astronomical League
Sgr A* (center) and light echoes produced Member by recent explosions. Courtesy Wikipedia NASA Night Sky Network
The Closest New Stars To Earth by Ethan Siegel Space Place Feature article
If you want to collect data with a variety of instruments over an entire planet as quickly as possible, there are two trade-offs you have to consider: how faraway you are from the world in question, and what orientation and direction you choose to orbit it. For a single satellite, the best of all worlds comes from a low-Earth polar orbit, which does all of the following:
orbits the Earth very quickly: once every 101minutes, is close enough at 824 km high to take incredibly high-resolution imagery, has five separate instruments each probing various weather and climate phenomena, and is capable of obtaining full-planet coverage every 12 hours.
The type of data this new satellite – the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1)-- will take will be essential to extreme weather prediction and in early warning systems, which could have severely mitigated the impact of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Each of the five instruments on board are fundamentally different and complementary to one another. They are:
1. The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS),which will measure the 3D structure of the atmosphere, water vapor and temperature in over 1,000 infrared spectral channels. This instrument is vital for weather forecasting up to seven days in advance of major weather events. 2. The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), which assists CrIS by adding 22 microwave channels to improve temperature and moisture readings down to 1 Kelvin accuracy for tropospheric layers. 3. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument, which takes visible and infrared pictures at a resolution of just 400 meters (1312 feet), enables us to track not just weather patterns but fires, sea temperatures, nighttime light pollution as well as ocean-color observations. 4. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS),which measures how the ozone concentration varies with altitude and in time over every location on Earth's surface. This instrument is a vital tool for understanding how effectively ultraviolet light penetrates the atmosphere. 5. Finally, the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant System (CERES) will help understand the effect of clouds on Earth's energy balance, presently one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate modeling.
The JPSS-1 satellite is a sophisticated weather monitoring tool, and paves the way for its’ sister satellites JPSS-2, 3 and 4. It promises to not only provide early and detailed warnings for disasters like hurricanes, volcanoes and storms, but for longer- term effects like droughts and climate changes.Emergency responders, airline pilots, cargo ships, farmers and coastal residents all rely on NOAA and the National Weather Service for informative short-and-long-term data. The JPSS constellation of satellites will extend and enhance our monitoring capabilities far into the future.
Images credit: an artist's concept of the JPSS-2 Satellite for NOAA and NASA by Orbital ATK (top); complete temperature map of the world from NOAA's National Weather Service (bottom).
Newberry Star Park by Andy Howell
The June 4 star party and outreach at Newberry Star Park was an unexpected success! Based on the Clear Sky Clock forecast, Lisa Eager issued a No-Go message to all members before noon that day.
That same morning, however, the Gainesville Sun published an announcement about the scheduled star party to be held that evening at Newberry Star Park. It said nothing about the event being "contingent on weather." Therefore, Lisa and I had no choice but to be present at Newberry Star Park to turn away visitors in case any arrived.
At sunset, the skies were 50% clear. Then there was a knock on the door of Newberry Star Park. When the door opened, I told the visitor that the event had been cancelled. Seeing the long face and hearing the disappointed voice from a person who had traveled with her family 45 minutes to be there, I quickly changed my mind. The event was on, and - totally contrary to the Clear Sky Clock forecast - viewing conditions rapidly improved!
Lisa set up the Club's 8-inch telescope, while I soon thereafter set up the Club's short-tube Stellarvue refractor. More and more visitors started arriving, including a pair of lads who brought their own 6-inch reflector. We viewed Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn. All four moons of Jupiter were visible, the rings of Saturn were gorgeous with its large moon Titan visible nearby, and Mars showed some surface features. Then Lisa turned her scope towards the giant globular cluster Omega Centauri, just 10 degrees above the southern horizon. Although she wasn't able to spot it, I quickly picked it up using the short-focus Stellarvue refractor.
Other objects we looked at were M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy), M104 (Sombrero Galaxy), M13 (giant globular cluster in Hercules), epsilon Lyrae the famous double-double in Lyra, and M4, another globular cluster close to Antares in the constellation Scorpius. Lisa may have observed some other galaxies, but I forget which ones.
Lisa explains to the first group of visitors how the 8-inch works. One of our visitors (center) was a spry 87 years young.
The observing continued well past 11 o'clock. Though Lisa and I both felt a bit worn out by the time it was all over, we both agreed it was one of our most successful star parties and outreach at Newberry Star Park.
Star parties and outreach at Newberry Star Park always surprise and amaze!
Upcoming Meetings
AAC Public Meeting Tuesday, June 14, 2016 from 7-9 p.m. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida Cultural Plaza, 3215 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL 32611-2710
Speaker
Professor Bob Wilson, Department of Physics, University of Florida
Professor Wilson's topic: Stars that orbit the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.
A supermassive black hole is located in the center of the Milky Way in the constellation Sagittarius. While optically invisible due to the thick dust in the area, radio telescopes and infrared telescopes can see through the dust. The black hole complex is comprised of three parts: Sagittarius A East, a supernova remnant; Sagittarius A West, gas and dust that fall into Sagittarius A* with the false look of a spiral galaxy; and Sagittarius A*, the true black hole. The stars orbiting Sgr A* are going much faster than any other stars in the galaxy. Multi-year observation programs have enabled the orbits of approximately 30 stars to be calculated and plotted as show in the image below:
Source: Wikipedia
New Members since April 1!
Stephanie Adkins Ward Dickens
Robert Donaghy
Elizabeth Franco
Richard Idone
Justin Long
Kaleb Manske
Bob O'Connell
Robert Roth
adam szwedziak
Tim Torometer
Maritha van der Walt
President First Light Editor Andy Howell Charlie Jarman
Our Club welcomes Charlie Hello from the new editor of the Jarman, as our new First Light First Light Newsletter. I saw newsletter! We wish you all Sputnik as a young guy which the very best in your new sparked my interest in space and endeavor. Well done this science. From that humble month! beginning I later found myself across the table from Werner Von Braun discussing my science Charlie, I've never met Wernher von plans for the future. Braun, but I received an autographed photo he signed for my science fair I was fortunate to have a neighbor who project ("Determining the Equatorial had been in the Merchant Marine that Diameter of Jupiter") in the 9th grade taught me the constellations. Andy (1964). For a little humor - OK, a lot of advised that the Star Parties Section and humor - the 2nd photo below is yours Schools and Outreach section no longer truly in that pivotal year. be included as that information is also on our Facebook page and in separate emails. I added three new sections: Background Information on the Upcoming Lecture, Recent Astronomy Headlines (which I search for daily), and Binocular Targets for June. I believe a little background information when we sit down to enjoy the speaker's lecture will make the presentation more interesting.
I would like to add information on some observation targets each month so one can have an observation plan when their telescope is ready. Not all members at star parties have large telescopes so these targets are for binoculars and small telescopes. I apologize for not having time to include information from the Astronomical League but that topic will return in the July newsletter.
Please wish me luck and feel free to comment on my first attempt.
Thanks Charlie
P.S. Check out the latest article by our Club's own world-famous space expert, Dr. Howard L. Cohen. Dr. Cohen's article is titled "660 Light Years to Earth." DOWNLOAD
P.S. Hi Charlie, we all wish you luck and much success as First Light editor! - Andy
June's Night Sky
Credit: Sea and Sky http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2016.html
June 3 - Saturn at Opposition. The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. A medium-sized or larger telescope will allow you to see Saturn's rings and a few of its brightest moons.
June 5 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 02:59 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
June 5 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 24.2 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
June 20 - Full Moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 11:02 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time of year to gather ripening fruit. It also coincides with the peak of the strawberry harvesting season. This moon has also been known as the Full Rose Moon and the Full Honey Moon.
June 20 - June Solstice. The June solstice occurs at 22:34 UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
Recent Astronomy Headlines
by Charlie Jarman
LIGO Discovery of Gravity Waves Paves the Way to Use Gravity
as a New Tool to Explore the Universe
Artist's image of two black holes in orbit. Image courtesy of American Astronomical Society (AAS).
In September, 2015, gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space time, were detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Professor Rana Adhikari, a LIGO scientist and physics professor at CALTECH, said gravitational waves are distortion of space similar to the optical distortion of space by heat we see looking down a long hot road or the horizon with a long camera lens. These optical waves are simply empty space expanding and contracting which causes light to be bent. Similarly Gravitational Waves produced by the interaction of two massive bodies, such as two black holes, are propagated throughout space but are very weak. Using gravity to explore the universe is a new tool to look further back in time than any other method. Waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, cosmic rays, and neutrinos came from much later than the Big Bang, but Gravitational Waves were created during the Big Bang. The universe is essentially transparent to Gravitational Waves, and by studying them we can eventually “hear” the rumble of the explosions of radiation produced in the first microseconds of the Big Bang with sufficiently sensitive detectors. Professor Adhikari feels that within ten years we will be able to detect so many signals that can tell us about what is in the universe, the population of those objects, if the near universe is different than the far universe, and more.
Source: Rahel Gerbreyes, Huffington Post, May 30, 2016
Hubble Images Mars
Bright, frosty polar caps, and clouds above a vivid, rust-colored landscape reveal Mars as a dynamic seasonal planet in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope view taken on May 12, 2016, when Mars was 50 million miles from Earth. The Hubble image reveals details as small as 20 to 30 miles across.
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Bell (ASU), and M. Wolff (Space Science Institute)
Source: ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 May 2016
Scientist Suggests Possible Link Between Primordial Black Holes and Dark Matter
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/A. Kashlinsky (Goddard)
After masking out all known stars, galaxies and artifacts and enhancing what's left, an irregular background glow appears. This is the cosmic infrared background (CIB); lighter colors indicate brighter areas. The CIB glow is more irregular than can be explained by distant unresolved galaxies, and this excess structure is thought to be light emitted when the universe was less than a billion years old. Scientists say it likely originated from the first luminous objects to form in the universe, which includes both the first stars and black holes.
Dark matter is a mysterious substance composing most of the material universe, now widely thought to be some form of massive exotic particle. An intriguing alternative view is that dark matter is made of black holes formed during the first second of our universe's existence, known as primordial black holes. Now a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, suggests that this interpretation aligns with our knowledge of cosmic infrared and X-ray background glows and may explain the unexpectedly high masses of merging black holes detected last year.
A. Kashlinsky. LIGO GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTION, PRIMORDIAL BLACK HOLES, AND THE NEAR-IR COSMIC INFRARED BACKGROUND ANISOTROPIES. The Astrophysical Journal, 2016; 823 (2): L25 DOI: 10.3847/2041-8205/823/2/L25T
The Number of Habitable Planets May Be Limited by Stifling Atmospheres
Rendering of a possible alien Exo-planet. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.
New research has revealed that fewer than predicted planets maybe capable of harboring life because their atmospheres keep them too hot.
When looking for planets that could harbor life, scientists look for planets in the 'habitable zones' around their stars - at the right distance from the stars to allow water to exist in liquid form. Traditionally, this search has focused on looking for planets orbiting stars like our Sun, in a similar way to Earth.
However, recent research has turned to small planets orbiting very close to stars called M dwarfs, or red dwarfs, which are much smaller and dimmer than the Sun. M dwarfs make up around 75 per cent of all the stars in our galaxy,and recent discoveries have suggested that many of them host planets, pushing the number of potentially habitable planets into the billions.
This month, both the TRAPPIST and Kepler planet-hunting telescopes have announced the discovery of multiple near-Earth-sized planets orbiting M dwarf stars, some within the habitable zones.
New research from Imperial College London and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, has revealed that although they orbit smaller and dimmer stars, many of these planets might still be too hot to be habitable.
James E. Owen, Subhanjoy Mohanty. Habitability of terrestrial-mass planets in the HZ of M Dwarfs – I. H/He- dominated atmospheres. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2016; 459
June Targets for Binoculars and Small Telescopes
10 X 50 binoculars can split double stars down to approximately 30” (arcseconds). The Binocular Limiting Magnitude is approximately magnitude 8 on a clear night. The Greek Alphabet (courtesy de Traci Regula), a list of June Constellations’ double stars (courtesy Touring the Universe through Binoculars), a sample Binocular Observation Log (courtesy Stephen Tonkin), and Constellation Maps (courtesy dibonsmith.com) are given below:
Double Star Targets for June
Name Constellation Magnitude Separation S 656 Bootes 6.8-7.3 86" 7 Leo 6.2-10.0 41" Iota Bootes 4.9-7.5 39" Alpha Leo 1.4-7.7 177" Delta Bootes 3.5-8.7 105" Tau Leo 5.1-8.0 91.1" Mu Bootes 4.3-6.5 108" SHJ 179 Libra 6.4-7.6 35" 17 Canes Venatici 6.0-6.2 84" Alpha1+2 Libra 2.8-5.2 231" 17 Coma Berenicies 5.3-6.6 145" Iota Libra 5.1-9.4 58" 32+33 Coma Berenicies 6.3-6.7 95" SHJ 195 Libra 7.1-8.1 47" Struve 1516 Draco 7.6-8.1 36.2" S 598 Ursa Major 5.5-8-10 77"-84" OSS 123 Draco 6.7-7.0 69" 65 Ursa Major 6.7-6.5 63" 16 + 17 Draco 5.4-5.5 90" Wnc 4 Ursa Major 9.0-9.3 50" Nu Draco 4.9-4.9 62" Zeta Ursa Major 2.3-4.0 709" Psi Draco 4.9-6.1 30" Struve 1831 Ursa Major 7.1-6.6 108" Struve 2278 Draco 7-8-9-10 37"-34"-201" 39 Draco 5.0-7.4 89" Omicron Draco 4.8-7.8 34"
Alpha—orange giant, binary
Lambda/Mu—blue and red
Zeta—Mizar/Alcor
Alpah (Arcturus)—golden giant, brightest star in the northern hemisphere; see Struve 1825 in same field of view, primary pale yellow, the companion whitish.
Mu—triple star
Nu—optical double, orange and white
Epsilon—triple star but 3rd star is mag 12, yellow, blue
Iota—triple star
Kappa—wide double star
Canes Venatici—Draw a line from Arcturus to the closest star in the Big Dipper’s bowl. The brightest star, about midway, is Alpha (Cor Caroli).
Alpha (Cor Caroli)—named for King Charles I, double star
Supervoid—The Giant Void (very few galaxies) discovered in 1988 that may be the largest void ever discovered.
Alpha (Diaden)— both yellow
Gamma—superimposed on the Coma Star Cluster (50 stars between mag 5 and 10)
35— yellow and white
24—, orange and blue-white
M53 Globular Cluster, mag 7.7
Mu (Alrakis)—both white
Nu—both white
Omicron—orange plus companion of Mag. 7.8
Psi—yellow-white, yellow
40, 41—orange dwarfs
Alpah (Regulus)—blue-white with yellow companion
Omicron—interesting neighbors include 7 Leonis binary
Eta—in same field see Struve 1399, yellow-whitish primary with blueish-white companion
Alpha (Zubenelgenubi)—multiple star system, two stars in binoculars alpha 1 and alpha 2, blue-white and white
Iota—complex multiple star system, optical binary with 25 Librae
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