San Diego Astronomy Association Celebrating Over 40 Years of Astronomical Outreach

Office (619) 645-8940 October 2009 Observatory (619) 766-9118 http://www.sdaa.org Tour of Palomar Observatory for SDAA A Non-Profit Educational Association Members on Saturday, October 10 P.O. Box 23215, San Diego, CA 92193-3215 by Michael Vander Vorst If you would like to see Palomar Observatory up close, mark your calendar for SDAA Business Meeting Saturday, October 10. There will be two tours just for SDAA members and friends. Next meeting will be held at: The first at 11 am and another at 1pm. The tours are limited in attendance, so please 3838 Camino del Rio North contact Michael Vander Vorst at [email protected] or at 858.755.5846 to re- Suite 300 serve your place or have any questions. Also let Michael know if you need a ride or if San Diego, CA 92108 you can take someone. October 13th at 7 pm The tour will begin at the back of the dome and come in the back door so you Next Program Meeting can see the structure and foundation of the telescope. We will go onto the observing floor where you will learn how the telescope moves and how the mirror was made. October 21, 2009 Then we will go up onto the inside catwalk where you will see things you may not Mission Trails Regional Park have seen on previous tours and we will end up on the outside catwalk of the dome. Visitor and Interpretive Center 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail Spitzer, the Sequel CONTENTS NASA’s Space Place October 2009, Vol XLVII, Issue 10 The is getting a second chance at life. Published Monthly by the The liquid helium “lifeblood” that flows through the telescope has finally run out, San Diego Astronomy Association bringing Spitzer’s primary mission to an end. But a new phase of this infrared tele- 75¢ /$8.00 year scope’s exploration of the universe is just beginning. Incorporated in California in 1963 Even without liquid helium, which cooled the telescope to about 2 degrees above Tour Palomar Observatory...... 1 absolute zero (-271°C), Spitzer will continue to do important research—some of Spitzer, The Sequel...... 1 which couldn’t easily be done during its primary mission. For example, scientists will The 2nd Annual Julian Starfest...... 2 use Spitzer’s “second life” to explore the rate of expansion of the universe, study Program Meeting - The LCROSS Mission.....2 variable , and search for near-Earth asteroids that could pose a threat to our In Search of Dark Asteroids...... 3 planet. Julian Starfest-Were you There?...... 4 “We always knew that a ‘warm phase’ of the mission was a possibility, but it be- Sky Watch...... 6 came ever more exciting scientifically as we started to plan for it seriously,” says JPL’s September Minutes...... 7 Michael Werner, Project Scientist for Spitzer. “Spitzer is just going on and on like the October Calendar...... 8 Energizer bunny.” November Calendar ...... 9 Launched in August 2003 as the last of NASA’s four Great Observatories, Spitzer SDAA Contacts...... 10 specializes in observing infrared light, which is invisible to normal, optical telescopes. Almanac...... 11 That gives Spitzer the power to see relatively dark, cool objects such as planet- Water Molecules on the Moon...... 12 forming discs or nearby asteroids. These objects are too cold to emit light at visible Expected Depts to Ice on Mars...... 14 wavelengths, but they’re still warm enough to emit infrared light. CAP Astronomy Night...... 13 In fact, all warm objects “glow” with infrared light—even telescopes. That’s why TDS - What’s Been Happening...... 15 Spitzer had to be cooled with liquid helium to such a low temperature. Otherwise, it SDAA in the Community...... 16 would be blinded by its own infrared glow. AISIG Gallery...... 19 As the helium expires, Spitzer will warm to about 30 degrees above absolute zero The Back Page...... 20 (–243°C). At that temperature, the telescope will begin emitting long-wavelength infrared light, but two of its short-wavelength sensors will still work perfectly. And with more telescope time available for the remaining sensors, mission manag- ers can more easily schedule new research proposals designed for those sensors. For Continued on Page 2 San Diego Astronomy Association

event were lecturers Paul Etzel and Dennis Mammanna. From my experience on Saturday, the weather that day and that night was very pleasant. It was not too warm during the day (80 degrees?) and not too cool during the night (60?). After the clouds cleared out around 5pm, the sky that night was great for observing. I was told that Friday was not as hospitable with overcast skies, relatively hot during the day (85?), and it rained on and off that night (65?); Regarding astronomy, at the public observing area, one woman brought a 28-inch Dobsonian telescope. Needless to say, there was a long line of people who wanted to observe objects in it such as Jupiter and the An- dromeda . There were several vendors again at this year’s event. Some The “warm mission” of the Spitzer Space Telescope will still be able to use two of them were Meade, OPT, Vixen, and Woodland Hills. Similar sensors in its Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) to continue its observations of the to the RTMC events, some or all of them were selling items at infrared universe. discounted prices and without sales tax. (I believe that OPT Continued from Page 1 was also including the standard 10% discount for SDAA mem- example, scientists have recently realized how to use infrared bers.) And there was the standard raffle. Prizes included items observations to improve our measurements of the rate of such as eyepieces, pies, and telescopes (a Meade ETX-LS and a expansion of the universe. And interest in tracking near-Earth Celestron NexStar 8se). (Someone pointed out that one of the objects has grown in recent years—a task for which Spitzer is winners of a pie should share it with Scott Baker. Great idea!) well suited. Speaking of Scott Baker, many thanks should be sent his way “Science has progressed, and people always have new ideas,” and to whoever else helped to organize the event. Speaking of Werner says. In its second life, Spitzer will help turn those ideas that, Scott informed a SDAA member that the amount of work into new discoveries. to prepare for the event was overwhelming. He said that he For kids, The Space Place Web site has a fun typing game would like to get help from the SDAA next year in order have using Spitzer and infrared astronomy words. Check it out at the event again. There will probably be a future article asking spaceplace..gov/en/kids/spitzer/signs. people to assist in various ways to organize the 3rd Annual This article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Julian Starfest. California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the In closing, this year I wanted to spend all 4 days at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. event after hearing people talk about how much fun they had last year. Unfortunately, my schedule prevented it. But after attending the event this year, I’m going to find out when next year’s event will occur (tentatively scheduled for August 5th-8th, The 2nd Annual Julian Starfest 2010) and keep that Thursday through Sunday open. And I’ll by Craig Ewing be saving up more money in order to buy more low-cost items. Wow, it’s great to have such an event being held so close to San Diego! Alice (Harvey) was correct when she wrote in last year’s article about the inaugural event that “we can look for- ward to doing it again next year”. Like last year, it was held at “NASA’s LCROSS Mission - the Menghini Winery. Someone estimated that there were ap- The Search for Water on the Moon” proximately 1,400 participants. Of those, several SDAA mem- bers did return to this year’s event. Some of them included, by Jerry Hilburn by Michael Vander Vorst in last name alphabetical order, Bill Armstrong, Cindy Car- NASA/JPL Ambassador, Jerry Hilburn, will present penter, Peter DeBaan, Scott Dixon, Jean Naugle, John Restivo, “NASA’s LCROSS Mission - The Search for Water on the George Sarabia and his friend Elena, Jim Traweek, and Steve Moon” at the October 21st Program Meeting. The mission of and Bernice (new members, I don’t remember their last name). the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) (Wow, did Jim and, especially, Jean expend significant effort! is to search for water on the moon. Early in the morning of Please extend a big “Ata Boy!” (Jim will love it.) and “Ata girl!” October 9th, NASA is sending a rocket crashing into the moon the next time that you see them.) Other notable people at the Page 2 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 San Diego Astronomy Association

In Search of Dark Asteroids (and Other Sneaky Things) by Patrick Barry Science@NASA Ninjas knew how to be stealthy: Be dark. Emit very little light. Move in the shadows between bright places. In modern warfare, though, ninjas would be sitting ducks. Their black clothes may be hard to see at night with the naked eye, but their warm bodies would be clearly visible to a soldier wearing infrared goggles. To hunt for the “ninjas” of the cosmos — dim objects that lurk in the vast dark spaces between planets and stars — sci- entists are building by far the most sensitive set of wide-angle infrared goggles ever, a space telescope called the Widefield and creating a crater by throwing tons of debris, and potentially Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). water ice and vapor, above the lunar surface. These materials WISE will scan the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, will be analyzed for the presence of hydrated minerals which creating the most comprehensive catalog yet of dark and dim will tell researchers whether water is there or not. For more objects in the cosmos: vast dust clouds, brown dwarf stars, as- information on LCROSS, please visit http://lcross.arc.nasa. teroids — even large, nearby asteroids that might pose a threat gov/mission.htm. to Earth. Jerry Hilburn is an active member in the San Diego As- Surveys of nearby asteroids based on visible-light telescopes tronomy Association. His interests include tracking PHA’s, could be skewed toward asteroids with more-reflective surfaces. Exosolar data collection, and teaching newcomers to the field “If there’s a significant population of asteroids nearby that are of Astronomy. Jerry has created a Web site to show the work very dark, they will have been missed by these previous sur- of fellow imagers at the San Diego Astronomy Association, veys,” says Edward Wright, principal investigator for WISE and which can be seen at http://aisig.sdaa.org. As a parent of two, a physicist at the University of California in Los Angeles. budding scientist Jerry feels that the most important message The full-sky infrared map produced by WISE will reveal we can send to children is that there is great opportunity in the even these darker asteroids, mapping the locations and sizes of future of space exploration, and that they must prepare now roughly 200,000 asteroids and giving scientists a clearer idea of for that future by learning, questioning, and exploring the space how many large and potentially dangerous asteroids are nearby. sciences. To learn more about Jerry, please visit http://www2. WISE will also help answer questions about the formation of jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/profiles/Jerry_Hilburn.htm. Please stars and the evolution and structure of , including our check http://www.sdaa.org/Program-Meeting for more in- own Milky Way. formation on the program meeting, including door prizes and And the discoveries won’t likely stop there. upcoming speakers. Also feel free to contact Michael Vander “When you look at the sky with new sensitivity and a new Vorst at [email protected], or at 858.755.5846 if you wavelength band, like WISE is going to do, you’re going to find have any comments or suggestions on the program meeting. new things that you didn’t know were out there,” Wright says. San Diego Astronomy Association (SDAA) sponsors speak- Stars emit visible light in part because they’re so hot. But ers on a wide range of astronomy topics on the third Wednes- cooler objects like asteroids emit light too, just at longer, infra- day of every month at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitors red wavelengths that are invisible to the unaided eye. In fact, Center. The program meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Each attend- any object warmer than absolute zero will emit at least some ee receives one free door prize ticket. After announcements infrared light. and a small amount of business, the audience is treated to the Unfortunately, this fact makes building an infrared telescope featured presentation. At the close of the meeting the door rather difficult. Without a coolant, the telescope itself would prizes are presented. The event is open to the public. The Mis- glow in infrared light just like all other warm objects do. It sion Trails Regional Park Visitors Center is at One Fr. Junipero would be like building a normal, visible-light telescope out of Serra Trail, San Diego CA 92119. Call the park at 619-668- Times Square billboard lights: The telescope would be blinded 3281 for more information or visit http://www.mtrp.org. by its own glow. Continued on Page 11

SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 Page 3 San Diego Astronomy Association

Julian Starfest - Were you there? Did you find the time to make it to the Julian Starfest this year? Take a look at what you missed and start marking your calen- dar for next year’s event now.

Below (clockwise from top left): The SDAA Contingent. Scopes set up in a viewing field. The IDA booth. Camping at - fest.

Page 5 (clockwise from top left): Need a Telescope? More camping areas. Raffle Time! Good crowds at the presentations. More scopes. Vendor Row.

Photos courtesy of Craig Ewing and John Restivo.

Page 4 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 San Diego Astronomy Association

SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 Page 5 San Diego Astronomy Association

SkyWatch for October, 2009 by John Mood

[ Times PDT ] [ * = 1 star = EZ ] [ ** = 2 stars = Moderate ] [ *** = 3 stars = Difficult ] 2 degrees = Index finger held at arm’s length.

Sat., 3 Oct. ----FULL MOON, 11:10 p.m. Sat., 10 Oct. ---- PUBLIC STAR PARTY @ Tierra del Sol; when the Moon rises, one can see mountains, craters & rills at the terminator (where dark changes to light). Sat., 17 Oct. ---- NEW MOON, 10:33 p.m. ---- MEMBERS STAR PARTY @ Tierra del Sol. Wed., 21 Oct. ---- ORIONID METEOR SHOWER before dawn; no Moon; 2nd fastest meteors; 30 per hour; remnants of Comet 1/P Halley. Mon., 2 Nov. ---- FULL MOON, 11:24 a.m.

PLANETS (“The solar system gives us wisdom” ---- Beach Boys) EVENING:---- Large-appearing JUPITER [ * ] is at it best in eastern Capricornus the Goat. Greenish NEPTUNE [ ** ] is close by in western Aquarius the Water Bearer; a star map is needed to find this elusive planet. Pale blue URANUS [ *½ ] is below the eastern fish of Pisces the Fishes (what some call “the Circlet”) & at 5.7 mag is naked eye for you young ‘uns! MORNING:---- Reddish MARS [ * ] is brightening as it heads into Cancer the Crab. Early in the month, just before dawn breaks, one can spot bright white VENUS [ * ] racing from Leo the Lion into Virgo the Virgin, passing SATURN [ * ] by less than a degree on the 13th. Meanwhile, MERCURY [ * ½ ] is dropping fast, almost kissing Saturn by a third of a degree on the morning of the 8th. {Pluto is no longer a planet. See my “SkyWatch for September, 2005” for why.}

OBSERVING HIGHLIGHTS: The thrilling sights of summer are going going gone. In their places are the lovely dim “water” Pisces the Fishes, Aquarius the Water Bearer & Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish, which looks exactly like a child’s drawing of a fish. Especially noteworthy in Piscis Austrinus is the bright star Fomalhaut in the fish’s mouth. A gorgeous sight.

TIERRA DEL SOL: LAT = 32º 36’ 48” N ( ± 0.l” ), LONG = 116º 19’ 55” W ( ± 0.1” ), ELEV = 3710’ ( ± 5’ ), at the bathroom, as determined from USGS 7.5 min 1/24000 map. (See my essay on GPS at www.sdaa.org/tds. If you’re already online, go to home page & click on “MORE…” under “Tierra del Sol.”)

Send comments & questions to me by phone (619/225-9639), USPS (4538 Long Branch Av., San Diego, CA 92107) or my e-mail address ([email protected]).

¡HAPPY VIEWING!

Newsletter Deadline The deadline to submit articles for publication is the Page 6 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY15th of each ASSOCIATION month. NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 San Diego Astronomy Association

San Diego Astronomy Association Board of Directors Meeting Minutes September 8, 2009 - Unapproved and Subject to Revision

1. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 7:02 P.M. with the following board members in attendance: Bob Aus- tin, President; Michael Vander Vorst, Vice President; Jose Magsaysay, Treasurer; Edward Rumsey, Recording Secretary; Kin Searcy, Correspondence Secretary; Bill Carlson, Director; Brian McFarland, Director; and David Petit, Director. Associate Brian Staples was in attendance.

2. Approval of Last Meeting Minutes. The minutes of the August 11, 2009, board meeting were reviewed and approved (6:0).

3. Priority / Member Business. None

4. Treasurer’s Report. August report approved (7:0) as presented.

5. Membership Report. No change in membership total of 548 members.

6. Site Maintenance Report. Sunday August 30th, Restored Electrical power to pad 34. October 17th is the date we will repair the shade cover.

7. Observatory Report. Jim will be giving a class at 6 PM at the BBQ.

8. Private Pad Report. No pad offerings were made this month.

9. Star Party/Outreach Report. East County Star Party Coordinator position remains vacant – will continue to seek a re- placement. School star parties are near full swing. Members are urged to monitor the Yahoo calendar and support.

10. Library Report. Nothing to report.

11. Education Report. Large amount of outreach materials donated by Steele Hill. Will be reserved for Astronomy Day and Science Day or other similar venue.

12. Program Report. Scheduled speakers at program meetings are (Month, Speaker, Affiliation, & Presentation Title): Sep- tember – Scott Kardel, Palomar Observatory; October – Jerry Hilburn, NASA Ambassador; November – Gadget Night.

13. NASA Robotic Observatory. The photometric filters (Astrodon) are on the way. Scope is working. CCD Commander to be reviewed as an alternative software package.

14. AISIG Report. September’s program is on observatory control – CCD Commander. Speaker Terry Arnold.

15. Newsletter Report. Nothing to report.

16. Website Report. Nothing to report.

17. Banquet Committee Report. Nothing to report.

Continued on Page 13 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 Page 7 San Diego Astronomy Association

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SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 Page 9 San Diego Astronomy Association

SDAA Contacts Club Officers and Directors President Bob Austin [email protected] (760) 787-1174 Vice-President Michael [email protected] (858) 755-5846 Vander Vorst Recording Secretary Ed Rumsey [email protected] (858) 722-3846 Treasurer Jose Magsaysay [email protected] (858) 279-7802 Corresponding Secretary Kin Searcy [email protected] (858) 586-0974 Director Alpha Bill Carlson [email protected] (425) 736-8485 Director Beta Mark Lane [email protected] (951) 679-4060 Director Gamma Brian McFarland [email protected] (619) 462-4483 Director Delta David Petit [email protected] (858) 395-9593 Committees Site Maintenance Bill Quackenbush [email protected] (858) 395-1007 Observatory Director Jim Traweek [email protected] (619) 477-7279 Private Pads Alice Harvey [email protected] (858) 622-1481 Library Jean Naugle [email protected] (858) 273-4088 Education Mark Lane [email protected] (951) 679-4060 N. County Star Parties Bob Nanz [email protected] (760) 751-3992 S. County Star Parties Joshua Johnson [email protected] (619) 741-1058 E. County Star Parties Rich Strobel [email protected] (619) 479-3937 Central Area Star Parties Kin Searcy [email protected] (858) 586-0974 Camp with the Stars Mike Dietz [email protected] Newsletter Mark Smith [email protected] (858) 484-0540 Membership Bill Carlson [email protected] (425) 736-8485 New Member Mentor Bill Carlson (425) 736-8485 Webmaster Bob Austin [email protected] (760) 787-1174 AISIG Kin Searcy [email protected] (858) 586-0974 Site Acquisition Jerry Hilburn [email protected] (858) 565-4059 Field Trips Mark Lane [email protected] (951) 506-1429 Grants/Fund Raising Jerry Hilburn [email protected] (858) 565-4059 Merchandising Mike Brindell [email protected] (619) 644-5420 Publicity Jerry Hilburn [email protected] (858) 565-4059 Roboscope Director Kent Richardson [email protected] (858) 268-9943 Governing Documents Mark Smith [email protected] (858) 484-0540 TDS Network Bill Carlson [email protected] (425) 736-8485 Amateur Telescope Making Peter DeBaan [email protected] (760) 745-0925

SDAA Editorial Staff Have a great new piece of gear? Read an astronomy-related book that you think Editor - Mark Smith others should know about? How about a photograph of an SDAA Member in [email protected] action? Or are you simply tired of seeing these Boxes in the Newsletter rather Assistant Editor: Craig Ewing than something, well, interesting? Contributing Writers Alice Harvey John Mood Join the campaign to rid the Newsletter of little boxes by sharing them with the Kin Searcy Patrick Barry membership. In return for your efforts, you will get your very own by line or pho- Craig Ewing Dr. Tony Phillips tograph credit in addition to the undying gratitude of the Newsletter Editor. Just Michael Vander Vorst send your article or picture to [email protected] or [email protected].

Page 10 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 San Diego Astronomy Association

Continued from Page 3 To solve this problem, WISE will cool its components to about 15°C above absolute zero (or -258°C) using a block of solid hydrogen. Mission scientists chose solid hydrogen over liquid helium, which is often used in research for cooling materials to near absolute zero, because a smaller volume of solid hydrogen can do the job. “The cooling power is much higher for hydrogen than for helium,” Wright explains. When launching a telescope into space, being smaller and lighter saves money. Previous space telescopes such as the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) have mapped the sky at infrared wavelengths before, but WISE will be hundreds of times more sensitive. While other missions could only see diffuse sources of infrared light such as large dust clouds, WISE will be able to see aster- oids and other point sources. After it launches into orbit as early as this December, WISE will spend 6 months mapping the sky, during which it will The WISE 2-stage solid hydrogen dewar resembles R2D2 from Star Wars. Continued on Page 12

SUNRISE/SUNSET AND MOONRISE/MOONSET ALMANAC Date Sun Rise Sun Set Moon Rise Moon Set Date Sun Rise Sun Set Moon Rise Moon Set Oct 1, 2009 6:39 18:29 17:02 4:14 Nov 1, 2009 – DST Ends Oct 2, 2009 – Fri 6:40 18:28 17:29 5:10 6:03 16:54 16:01 4:56 Oct 3, 2009 – (Full) 6:40 18:26 17:58 6:08 Nov 2, 2009 - (Full) 6:03 16:53 16:40 6:00 Oct 4, 2009 6:41 18:25 18:29 7:08 Nov 3, 2009 6:04 16:52 17:26 7:07 Oct 5, 2009 6:42 18:24 19:04 8:10 Nov 4, 2009 6:05 16:51 18:20 8:14 Oct 6, 2009 6:43 18:23 19:44 9:15 Nov 5, 2009 6:06 16:50 19:21 9:18 Oct 7, 2009 6:43 18:21 20:32 10:21 Nov 6, 2009 – Fri 6:07 16:50 20:28 10:16 Oct 8, 2009 6:44 18:20 21:27 11:26 Nov 7, 2009 – Sat 6:08 16:49 21:38 11:07 Oct 9, 2009 – Fri 6:45 18:19 22:29 12:26 Nov 8, 2009 6:09 16:48 22:47 11:50 Oct 10, 2009 – Sat 6:45 18:18 23:36 13:21 Nov 9, 2009 – (3rd) 6:10 16:47 23:54 12:28 Oct 11, 2009 – (3rd) 6:46 18:16 14:09 Nov 10, 2009 6:10 16:47 13:02 Oct 12, 2009 – Columbus Day Nov 11, 2009 – Veterans Day 6:47 18:15 0:45 14:50 6:11 16:46 0:59 13:33 Oct 13, 2009 6:48 18:14 1:54 15:27 Nov 12, 2009 6:12 16:46 2:03 14:05 Oct 14, 2009 6:48 18:13 3:02 16:00 Nov 13, 2009 – Fri 6:13 16:45 3:07 14:36 Oct 15, 2009 6:49 18:12 4:08 16:32 Nov 14, 2009 – Sat 6:14 16:44 4:10 15:11 Oct 16, 2009 – Fri 6:50 18:10 5:13 17:04 Nov 15, 2009 6:15 16:44 5:14 15:49 Oct 17, 2009 – (New) 6:51 18:09 6:19 17:38 Nov 16, 2009 – (New) 6:16 16:43 6:17 16:31 Oct 18, 2009 6:51 18:08 7:24 18:14 Nov 17, 2009 – Leonids Peak Oct 19, 2009 6:52 18:07 8:28 18:54 6:17 16:43 7:18 17:18 Oct 20, 2009 6:53 18:06 9:31 19:38 Nov 18, 2009 6:18 16:42 8:14 18:10 Oct 21, 2009 – Orionids Peak Nov 19, 2009 6:19 16:42 9:05 19:06 6:54 18:05 10:31 20:28 Nov 20, 2009 – Fri 6:19 16:41 9:50 20:02 Oct 22, 2009 6:54 18:04 11:25 21:21 Nov 21, 2009 – Sat 6:20 16:41 10:28 20:59 Oct 23, 2009 – Fri 6:55 18:03 12:13 22:17 Nov 22, 2009 6:21 16:41 11:02 21:56 Oct 24, 2009 – Sat 6:56 18:02 12:55 23:14 Nov 23, 2009 6:22 16:40 11:33 22:51 Oct 25, 2009 – (1st) 6:57 18:01 13:32 Nov 24, 2009 – (1st) 6:23 16:40 12:01 23:46 Oct 26, 2009 6:58 18:00 14:04 0:10 Nov 25, 2009 6:24 16:40 12:28 Oct 27, 2009 6:58 17:59 14:34 1:07 Nov 26, 2009 – Thanksgiving Oct 28, 2009 6:59 17:58 15:02 2:02 6:25 16:40 12:55 0:42 Oct 29, 2009 7:00 17:57 15:29 2:58 Nov 27, 2009 – Fri 6:26 16:39 13:24 1:39 Oct 30, 2009 – Fri 7:01 17:56 15:57 3:55 Nov 28, 2009 – Sat 6:27 16:39 13:56 2:38 Oct 31, 2009 – Sat 7:02 17:55 16:27 4:54 Nov 29, 2009 6:27 16:39 14:32 3:41 Nov 30, 2009 6:28 16:39 15:15 4:47 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 Page 11 San Diego Astronomy Association

Colliding spiral galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163. Image credit: .

Continued from Page 11 entists make once WISE puts the spotlight on stealthy denizens download its data to ground stations 4 times each day. Analyz- of the dark. ing that data should give scientists some new insights into the cosmos. For example, one theory posits that most of the stars in the Universe were formed in the press of colliding galaxies. When Water Molecules Found on the Moon galaxies collide, interstellar clouds of gas and dust smash to- By Dr. Tony Phillips gether, compressing the clouds and starting a self-perpetuating Science@NASA cycle of gravitational collapse. The result is a flurry of star- NASA scientists have discovered water molecules in the polar birth. Newborn stars are usually concealed by the dusty clouds regions of the Moon. Instruments aboard three separate space- they are born in. Ordinary light cannot escape, but infrared craft revealed water molecules in amounts that are greater than light can. predicted, but still relatively small. Hydroxyl, a molecule consist- WISE will be able to detect infrared emissions from the ing of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom, also was found most active star-forming regions. This will help scientists in the lunar soil. The findings were published in Thursday’s know how rapidly stars are formed during galactic collisions, edition of the journal Science. which could indicate how many of the universe’s stars were The observations were made by NASA’s Moon Mineralogy formed this way. Mapper, or M3 (“M-cubed”), aboard the Indian Space Research WISE will also target dim “failed stars” called brown dwarfs Organization’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. NASA’s Cassini space- that outnumber ordinary stars by a wide margin. Mapping craft and NASA’s Epoxi spacecraft have confirmed the find. brown dwarfs in the Milky Way may reveal much about the “Water ice on the Moon has been something of a holy grail structure and evolution of our own galaxy. for lunar scientists for a very long time,” said Jim Green, director And this could be just the beginning of the discoveries sci- of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in

Page 12 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 San Diego Astronomy Association

Continued from Page 7 18. Site Master Plan Committee Report. Four alternatives will be further honed. Report prepared and a special meeting scheduled for associate input to the process.

19. Publicity Committee Report. Jerry is going to run with the LCROSS Lunar Impact on Oct 9th and make it a public event like the “Deep Impact” event several years ago. Jerry will be contacting several media agencies, newspapers and TV Stations, about the event and is planning to bring a group of Clairmont HS astronomy club students out to TDS for the event. Several other people have posted on the Yahoo group of some involvement for the event.

20. Old Business. Reviewed the Poll action plan.

21. New Business. Board will schedule a meeting with Scott Baker at soonest opportunity to review taking a leadership role in managing the Julian Starfest.

22. Adjournment. There was no further business, and the meeting was adjourned (8-0) at 8:58 PM.

A very young lunar crater as viewed by NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper. On the right, the distribution of water-rich minerals is shown in false-color blue. Data from NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper. The image on the left shows albedo, or the sunlight reflected from the surface of the Moon. The image on the right shows Washington. “This surprising finding has come about through where infrared light is absorbed by water and hydroxyl molecules. The water signature the ingenuity, perseverance and international cooperation be- is strongest at cool, high latitudes near the poles. The blue arrow indicates Goldschmidt tween NASA and the India Space Research Organization.” crater, a large feldspar-rich region with a higher water and hydroxyl signature. Image From its perch in lunar orbit, M3’s state-of-the-art spectrom- credit: ISRO/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Brown Univ. eter measured light reflecting off the Moon’s surface at infrared wavelengths, splitting the spectral colors of the lunar surface “Water on the Moon means molecules of water and hydroxyl into small enough bits to reveal a new level of detail in surface that interact with molecules of rock and dust specifically in the composition. When the M3 science team analyzed data from top millimeters of the Moon’s surface. the instrument, they found the wavelengths of light being ab- The M3 team found water molecules and hydroxyl at diverse sorbed were consistent with the absorption patterns for water areas of the sunlit region of the Moon’s surface, but the water molecules and hydroxyl. signature appeared stronger at the Moon’s higher latitudes. Water “When we say ‘water on the Moon,’ we are not talking about molecules and hydroxyl previously were suspected in data from lakes, oceans or even puddles,” explained Carle Pieters, M3’s a Cassini flyby of the Moon in 1999, but the findings were not principal investigator from Brown University, Providence, R.I. published until now. Continued on Page 14 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 Page 13 San Diego Astronomy Association

Continued from Page 13 “The data from Cassini’s VIMS instrument and M3 closely “With our extended spectral range and views over the north pole, agree,” said Roger Clark, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist in we were able to explore the distribution of both water and hydroxyl Denver and member of both the VIMS and M3 teams. “We see as a function of temperature, latitude, composition, and time of both water and hydroxyl. While the abundances are not precisely day,” said Jessica Sunshine of the University of Maryland. Sunshine known, as much as 1,000 water molecule parts-per-million could is Epoxi’s deputy principal investigator and a scientist on the M3 be in the lunar soil. To put that into perspective, if you harvested team. “Our analysis unequivocally confirms the presence of these one ton of the top layer of the Moon’s surface, you could get as molecules on the Moon’s surface and reveals that the entire surface much as 32 ounces of water.” appears to be hydrated during at least some portion of the lunar For additional confirmation, scientists turned to the Epoxi day.” mission while it was flying past the Moon in June 2009 on its The discovery of water molecules and hydroxyl on the Moon way to a November 2010 encounter with comet Hartley 2. The raises new questions about the origin of “Moon water” and its ef- spacecraft not only confirmed the VIMS and M3 findings, but fect on lunar mineralogy. Answers to these questions will be studied also expanded on them. and debated for years to come.

Expected Depths to Ice, Mid-Latitude Northern Mars MRO Science Release This map shows five locations where fresh impact cratering has excavated water ice from just beneath the surface of Mars (sites 1 through 5) and the Viking Lander 2 landing site (VL2), in the context of color coding to indicate estimated depth to ice. The map covers an area from 40 to 60 degrees north latitude and from 130 to 190 degrees east longitude. Estimates of the depth to water-ice come from a computer model and observations of the brightness and temperature of the surface. The model matches the ice- exposing crater observations by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and data from the neutron spectrometer on NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Analysis of the observations of ice-exposing fresh craters at sites 1 through 5, reported by Byrne et al. in a Sept. 25, 2009, paper in the journal Science, leads the paper’s authors to calculate that if NASA’s Viking Lander 2 had been able to dig slightly deeper than the 10-to-15- centimeter deep (4-to-6-inch deep) trench that it excavated in 1976, it would have hit water ice. The color coding indicates depths to the top of a water-ice-containing layer, ranging from 1 centimeter (about half an inch) in dark-blue coded locations to 10 meters (33 feet) in red-coded locations. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona Page 14 SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 San Diego Astronomy Association

Under the Stars TDS – WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING The weekend of September 5th was Labor Day, and just past by Alice Harvey Full Moon. Nonetheless, there were a few of us out at TDS on The weekend of August 22nd was the Julian Starfest, but Friday night. Again, in spite of the Moon, it was a very pleasant David Petit gamely hosted the club telescope at TDS on Sat- evening, and not too hot early the next morning. urday night. David reported that the clouds looked ominous September 12th brought ANOTHER great night – and this time on the way there but by dark the sky was totally clear and the no moon until 12:45 am and then less than 1st quarter. The seeing was quite good. There was little or no wind most of public pads were busy, and we had a lot of guests out. I opened the night and the temperature was ideal. All that was needed up the club scope and had visitors pretty much all evening was a few more members - there were only 3 other members up until about 11:30pm. We had great views of a number of on the public pads and no one at all on the private pads and Messier objects, and the Veil was beautiful as well. Seeing was observatories. Many, of course, were at Julian enjoying similar very steady and it was a great night. conditions. (I never made it out, making the more intelligent This is being submitted on September 15th, so a report choice – for once – to simply go home and rest after 10 hours on the BBQ will have to wait for next month’s edition. The of work!) forecast is for clear, but hot, weather. Hopefully the day won’t August 29th brought a large moon and small turnout at be overwhelming, and the evening will be another beautiful TDS, but it was a beautiful night. Bill Quackenbush and as- one. If you haven’t been coming out to TDS this summer, you sistant Noah came out to do some electrical work on the TDS have missed some beautiful nights – granted they start late and grid. I did some work and just enjoyed the night sky. Hot if you’re not staying over can be short if you want to leave by during the day makes for an early night sometimes. But the midnight. But we’ve been fairly lucky this summer with wonder- morning was nice and didn’t get too hot right away, so a little ful weather. Hopefully the fall will continue the great viewing more work got done. nights out in the East County. Hope to see you out at TDS soon!

Standing outside the dome of the 200” telescope at Mt. Palomar. Were you there?

SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 Page 15 San Diego Astronomy Association

SDAA in the Community - Lightning Brewery by Mark Smith Every year, the SDAA participates in Lighting Brewery’s event that showcases local beers. We provide volunteers, and tele- scopes of course, and Lightning donates a portion of the proceeds to the SDAA and other non-profit groups. The pictures on the next two pages showcase the event, and the SDAA’s participation in it. Photos are courtesy of Brian Mc- Farland, Mark Lane, Jerry Hilburn, and others.

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SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION NEWS AND NOTES, OCTOBER 2009 Page 17 San Diego Astronomy Association

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AISIG Gallery Narrowband imaging utilizes filters in very narrow frequency bands specific to astronomical objects, such as Hydrogen alpha, Oxygen III, and Silicon, rather than the usual red, green, and blue (RGB) filters. These frequencies can show exceptional structural detail in the objects and the narrowband frequencies allow imaging in light polluted areas. Of course, this means that more data capture is required. Terry Arnold captured this narrowband image of M42, the Great in Orion (below), from downtown San Diego. He used an SBIG-ST-10 CCD camera on a Takashi FSQ-106EDX refractor, all on a Losmandy G-11 mount. There is a total of 44 hours of data capture in this image, exposed in the Ha, OIII, and SII bands. He also captured a section of IC-443, the Jellyfish Nebula in Gemini (page 18). This object is thought to be the remains of a that occurred 3,000 - 30,000 years ago. Terry framed this to capture the thin tendril leading up upper right center. He used the same camera and telescope as above, incorporating 16 hours of data that he culled from well over 40 hours of data that he acquired.

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