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Up! What’s for February

The Local Group - Astronomy Club of the Santa Clarita Valley – Feb 2015 Visit our Web Site at www.lgscv.org Volume 31 Issue 7

Friday, February 13 Please check calendar at end of newsletter. We had a great turnout at our last meeting. Each month we try to provide really thought-provoking talks about astronomy with the intention to increase involvement of our club members and to attract more public interest in astronomy. Photo courtesy Amin Resapour Our February meeting will be no exception. Lecture planned is “Remembering John Dobson” presented Many of our members were there, some were new by Glenn Basore. It will be tied with club members experiencing their first club event and www.Griffithobservatory/events/celebratingJohnDo their first experience at Vasquez Rocks. bson. Glenn may also bring his Dobsonian telescope and give a brief discussion on how to use setting Although the crowds were lighter than expected circles. (despite advertising the event) we had a good time. We cordially invite The advantage of a small crowd is one can interact members and guests to more with the stargazer. attend and expand their understanding and The weather conditions were pretty good. Clear appreciation of skies, mildly cold temperatures and no wind made astronomy and of the for a pleasant evening. There were some clouds at many people who have about 10:00 pm which eventually shut everything contributed to the down but by this time most of us were packing up. science as we know it today. Thanks to the following members who came out in support of our first event of the .

Bert and Laureen DeMello Dave Flynn Robert and Jill Hubbell Robi Mukherjee Vasquez Review John Patwell Amin Resapour January 17, 2015 Christine and Larry Schmidt By Glenn Basore Brian Shurlow Steve and Robin Silvary This was our first event of the year and what better Johan Vandersande way to start the year than to have it at Vasquez Craig Whitehead Rocks. zirconium oxide, yttrium oxide and . “These rare elements form by other heavy elements slowly capturing neutrons in or near the ’s increasingly extreme core.” It was a surprise to find the “’artificial’” element technetium in an S star’s spectra in 1952. With a half life of 4.2 million , a short period of time for a star, the technetium must have been pulled up from the core very recently. “R Gem shows an unusual amount of it even for an S star.

What a wonderful array of gems we see when we look into the night sky. Happy Heart Day!

Photo courtesy Amin Resapour Staff Meeting Sunday Jan 26, 2015

Called to order at 7:08 pm

Treasurers report: Presented by Christine Schmidt We have a $2,120.00 bank balance. Insurance has been paid. Oh yes “The Diamonds there do glitter” as I Membership is now 63. stated in the January Challenge Corner, but for Welcome new member as of November Steve and this Valentine’s Day a more affordable option Robin Silvary! could be Zircons. If you have any Zircons or Cubic Zirconia the Zirconium in those stones Next meeting lecture may be “Remembering John came from a red giant star like R Geminorum. Dobson.” May I direct you to page 51 of January Sky and The lecture may be tied in with Telescope magazine and an article written by www.Griffithobservatory/events/celebratingJohnDo Alan MacRobert about the star R Geminorum. bson. This star is between the stick figure twins of Glenn offered a talk about Setting Circles for one of and is “one of the brightest of the the future meetings. spectral type S stars” and is a variable with a one year and five day period of dim to bright and Spring Astronomy Day cannot be held at Valencia back to dim again. The star is 1,880 LY away Library this year as they have it booked for someone from us and is reaching its brightest around the else. Sierra Highway campus for COC was first of February. This is still not a naked eye star discussed for Astronomy Day. Vasquez was also and is visible in binoculars or telescopes at 07h suggested. Both places have areas to hold a lecture 07m 21.27095s Right ascension and +22deg and night viewing. Date suggested was April 18. 42’ 12.7077” beginning in Dec 2014. Our Out Reach at Vasquez and could be expanded to include Astronomy Day and April 25 but there will be a full moon then. This star being a red giant is in “its unstable late stages of life” and presents spectra showing (Staff Meeting cont) We would like to invite Aqua Dulce Astronomy It may sound incredible Club to Vasquez. There was discussion of expanding the day to an all-day event for Astronomy Day. but the Pillars of Creation There was further discussion of Boy and Girl Scout troops and their pursuit of astronomy badges. We don't exist anymore need to contact the district scout leaders for more information. We may also have one person take the BY JESUS DIAZ training to be an astronomy advisor to the scouts. JANUARY 10, 2014

The last Out Reach at Vasquez raised one issue: there were people climbing the rocks in the dark with flashlights. People need to be reminded that the park is officially closed after dark and they should stay with the telescopes in the parking area.

Tax time: Due 3-15-2015 our tax filing (no tax should be due.) Due by 4-30-2015 then every 2 years thereafter will be $20.00 for the State Corporate Statement of Information. This just reports who our board members and officers are.

Pay Pal was discussed, still in the works. Refining the Website: Our website needs new content. Putting the news letter on the web site was discussed and also a font change to make the content more reader-friendly. The new Google acct was discussed and our new login for the LGSCV site. There will be more storage for photos and archived documents.

Our logo clothing was also on the agenda. There may be printed T-shirts for $15.00 and long sleeved shirts and jackets will be embroidered for a slightly higher cost. We may be able to bring samples to the meeting. We would be able to take orders at that meeting. We discussed making the initial membership dues slightly higher and include a hat or NASA published new astonishing high definition shirt. Then the renewal for each following year images of the famous Pillars of Creation—two 4- would be less. light-year-tall columns located in the Eagle , 7,000 light years from here, first photographed in Meeting Adjourned 1995. The only problem is that the pillars don't Christine Schmidt exist—they were destroyed more than a thousand years ago.

Limited by our understanding of reality and time, we Thanks to Craig Whitehead and look at objects in space as if they were mountains or Bruce Lathrop for suggesting the the ocean. We genuinely perceive these stellar following articles of interest. landscapes as something that is up there fixed, secure, rooted in our reality, the solid foundation of our existence. Some people see the work of gods in all this seemingly immutable show, hence the mythological names of planets, , , and —or these Pillars of "Creation." Others just see scientific wonders, "a vast cosmic arena" in which the Earth is just a tiny "mote of dust suspended on a sun beam."

Our diminutive perception of time, the same that makes us think we are the center of everything, is just an illusion. At the cosmic scale, just like in our individual lives, things move constantly. The architecture of the cosmos is ever changing and scientists know—since 2007, only a few years after they were observed—that these gargantuan structures don't exist anymore.

As Paul Scowen—from the School of Earth and Space Exploration at in Tempe and one of the men who led the original 1 Hubble observations back in 1995—explains: This is a version of a story published on February 11, I'm impressed by how transitory these structures are. 2012. They are actively being ablated away before our very eyes. The ghostly bluish haze around the dense edges of the pillars is material getting heated up and evaporating away into space. We have caught these Colliding black holes pillars at a very unique and short-lived moment in their evolution. could warp space-time Rationally, I know why this happens. I know that, since the light has to travel a vast distance, it will itself arrive after the event has occurred. The further away something happens, the longer it takes to reach our By Michael Franco eyes. I know that when we look up to the sky we are looking at the past—seconds, minutes, years, centuries and millennia away. If the two black holes meet, they could release as much energy as 100 million An amazing show is coming explosions as they shatter their , a new In one thousand years there will be one hell of a study finds. show. The shockwave is already arriving to the Pillars of Creation. Just like they were created, they will be destroyed, obliterated by the force of a dead star.

The Universe is the most amazing of the time machines. We truly stand alone in the middle of this huge storm that is the Universe. http://sploid.gizmodo.com/it-sounds-incredible- but-the-pillars-of-creation-dont-e-1677857108

NASA has observed galaxies merging before, as in the case of the "Antennae Galaxies." But it's never seen the conclusion of the process -- the collision of two supermassive black holes. A team of prominent researchers (NASA, ESA, Modern astronomers have identified eight bodies in the and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)- solar system that they consider planets and two that ESA/Hubble Collaboration) has discovered what they consider dwarf planets. The planets fall into two appears to be the start of two massive black holes groups: the terrestrial (inner) planets and the Jovian (outer) ones. Saturn is the second of the Jovian planets, at the centers of their own galaxies beginning to and until astronomer William Herschel discovered collide. Uranus in 1781, astronomers considered it the outermost planet. The Romans named it after their god Such an event should come as no surprise, of farming and agriculture. considering that there are up to 200 billion galaxies in the universe (according to The Outer Planets Space.com), so two of them are bound to bump into each other from time to time. In fact, In a popular explanation for the origin of the solar astronomers have already observed the merging system, a primordial nebula collapsed under gravitation of galaxies (as seen in the image above), but to form the sun, and planetesimals circling the sun they've never before witnessed the end-stage coalesced to form the planets. Near the sun, where the forces of gravitation are stronger, the planets are rocky, process of galaxy commingling, which results but beyond the "frost line" defined by the asteroid belt, when the two central black holes smash into each they are gaseous. This is probably because other, releasing some pretty violent cosmic compounds outnumber rocks and metal in the outer fireworks that could warp space-time itself. reaches of the solar system. These compounds turned into ice in the cold temperatures and formed planetesimals. As the planetesimals grew, the increasingly strong gravitation attracted the hydrogen The Outer Planet: and helium gas that is abundant in the outer reaches of the solar system to form the Jovian planets.

Saturn Saturn's Orbit and Rotation by Chris Deziel, Demand Media Saturn completes an orbit in 29.45 Earth years, and its orbital velocity is 34,701 kilometers per hour (21,562 miles per hour), which is about one-third as fast as that of Earth. Compared to Earth, however, Saturn rotates very quickly on its axis, and a day on Saturn equals only 10.66 Earth hours. If you could stand on Saturn, you'd see the sun rising in the east, just as you do on Earth, and you would experience seasons, because the axis of rotation is tilted 26.7 degrees relative to the plane of the planet's orbit.

Rings and Moons

The distinguishing feature of Saturn is its rings, although it is not the only planet that has them. They are composed of ice, dust and rocks, forming part of a complex system that includes more than 60 moons, 53 of which have names. Many of these moons are only large rocks with diameters of only a few miles, but Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images some are almost planets in their own right. Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system and the only To medieval astronomers, Saturn was the outermost moon known to have an atmosphere. Enceladus, which planet. is about as wide as Arizona, is covered in water ice, which makes it one of the brightest objects in the solar system. Studying Saturn Space Treaty, the United Nations adopted a boundary established by Hungarian aerospace engineer Theodore The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft entered orbit around von Karman. The Karman Line occurs 100 kilometers Saturn in on July 1, 2004, and the Huygens probe (62 miles) above the earth's surface, and is the point at landed on Titan on Jan. 14, 2005. Originally intended which aeronautic principles give way to astronautic to conduct one four-year mission, Cassini began its ones. In other words, airplanes cannot fly above this second extended mission, the Solstice Mission, in boundary, and any person who travels above it is, by 2010. Targets of the mission were the moons Titan, definition, an . Enceladus, Dionne, Rhea and Mimas. Of particular interest is the water that bursts from the south pole of Origin of Space Enceladus. Measurements taken by Cassini show that this water, which is a major constituent of the E-ring, The most popular conception of the beginning of the plays a large part in the regulation of Saturn's universe among astrophysicists is the big bang theory, magnetosphere. It also contains organic compounds. which they formulated to explain the observation that the universe is expanding. According to the theory, the universe began as an ultra-compact ball of matter that What Is Outer Space? had no spatial dimensions at all. Space came into being when the ball exploded and matter began to radiate by Chris Deziel, away from the point of the explosion. As the expansion Demand Media continued, the density of matter in interstellar space decreased, and at present, the average density is about one atom per cubic centimeter.

Characteristics of Outer Space

As far as living, breathing beings are concerned, there isn't much to outer space at all. With only one atom in every cubic centimeter, interstellar space is an almost perfect vacuum, especially when compared with earth's atmosphere, which contains about 10 to the power of 19 molecules per cubic centimeter. The temperature in Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images interstellar space is 2.7 kelvins (minus 455 degrees

Fahrenheit). Scientists believe that small amounts of background radiation is left over from what has been Outer space surrounds our planet in a dubbed the Big Bang. In the space surrounding Earth, blanket of mystery. radiation from the sun can raise the temperature to 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit). The mystery of space -- the nothingness that envelops the planet and separates objects in the universe -- is a Dark Matter perennial one. One of the intriguing questions concerning that nothingness is its composition, because When scientists applied Einstein's famous equation scientists believe that nothingness may actually be equating energy to mass and the square of the speed of something. Whether it is composed of dark matter, light to find the mass of the universe, it produced only however, or it really is just nothing, outer space is no 4 percent of the expected value. They introduced the place for beings accustomed to the atmosphere and idea of dark matter to account for the rest. Dark matter moderate temperatures of Earth. is matter we can't see; it may take the form of dark galaxies or it may exist as exotic particles that permeate Where Space Begins space, and with which we can't interact. Swiss physicist Fritz Zwicky thinks that dark matter may be composed The boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer of gravitinos: hypothetical counterparts to gravitons, space wasn't established until the middle of the 20th which are, themselves, hypothetical particles century. That boundary isn't discrete, because the associated with gravitational force. atmosphere gradually thins, and vestiges of it remain thousands of miles from the planet. In the 1966 Outer Strange Facts on Cold Stars Outer Space When you think of a star, you probably envision a fiery nuclear furnace burning at unimaginable temperatures. by Milton Kazmeyer, Demand Media But the composition of a star can vary throughout its life cycle, and certain types of stars can cool to almost unbelievable temperatures. In 2011, astronomers discovered a brown dwarf star that had cooled to a surface temperature of 97 degrees Celsius (206 degrees Fahrenheit), or the approximate temperature of a fresh cup of coffee. Not long after, the identified an even cooler brown dwarf star, WISE 1828+2650, whose surface temperature approximates a warm summer day at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Water in Space

The discovery of water in space is always an exciting one, since water is one of the fundamental building blocks of life and represents a valuable resource. In 2011, however, astronomers discovered a vast reservoir Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images of water in space that dwarfs every other discovery of its kind. The quasar APM 08279+5255 contains a black The universe holds many strange wonders. hole at its center, and as the black hole consumes gas and dust, it creates a vast cloud of water vapor around Space is a vast and wondrous place, and scientists are itself. The water cloud contains more than 140 trillion constantly discovering new facts that challenge times as much water as exists in the oceans of Earth, humanity’s understanding of outer space. While and no one knows how much more water may have thoroughly explored conditions in low accumulate before the quasar collapses. Earth orbit and even ventured to the moon, far outside the boundaries of the solar system lurk strange and Alcohol Clouds unusual celestial formations. These unexplained phenomena may seem peculiar, but further study may In addition to water clouds, other vapor clouds exist yield answers about the very nature of the universe. containing more complex molecules. The Sagittarius B2 cloud near the center of the galaxy, almost 26,000 The Smell of Space light-years away, contains a vast sea of alcohol. After a radio telescope detected the unique molecular structure If you were to spend any time spacewalking outside the of methanol and ethanol, astronomers estimated that International Space Station, you would notice one of the equivalent of 10 billion billion billion liters of the strangest space phenomena ever discovered once alcohol (or a 1 with 28 zeroes after it) is present in the you returned to the airlock and took off your helmet. cloud. This vast cloud may hold clues to explain how Astronauts who have spacewalked regularly report that complex molecules, the precursors to life, form in the space has a noticeable odor, like hot metal or welding vast distances between stars. fumes. Scientists theorize that the odor comes from particles orbiting Earth above the atmosphere, since the area nearest the planet would contain slightly more particles than space further away from the planet. These particles stick to spacesuits and tools, and the odor remains noticeable for some time after the astronaut returns through the airlock.

How Far Is Space From Stratosphere Earth's Atmosphere? The stratosphere starts at about 16 kilometers (10 miles) above ground level and terminates at 50 by Samuel Markings, Demand Media kilometers (31 miles). It does not make a significant contribution to the weather and contains few clouds, but this zone is home to the ozone layer that protects the Earth from radiation. The stratosphere is the part of the atmosphere where planes fly, which is approximately 50 kilometers below the start of space.

Mesosphere

The mesosphere can be found between the altitudes of 50 kilometers (31 miles) and 85 kilometers (53 miles) above the Earth's surface. Not a great deal is known about the mesosphere since it is too high for planes and and data-collecting balloons to reach and too low for rockets or satellites to orbit in. The vast majority of meteors entering from space, located 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) above this atmospheric zone, burn up in the mesosphere.

Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images Thermosphere The atmosphere is the layer of gases that separates the Earth from space. The thermosphere starts at 85 kilometers (50 miles) above the Earth's surface and extends for another 420 The Earth's atmosphere has evolved over the eons from kilometers (260 miles). The composition of the a single layer of hydrogen and helium to a stratified thermosphere is mainly atomic hydrogen, helium and system with complex chemistry, suitable for supporting . Although the thermosphere is officially part of life. Each individual layer is distinct with differences in the Earth's atmosphere, the boundary between the Earth terms of cloud cover, temperature and pressure. The and space is usually taken to be approximately 100 thermosphere occupies the outer layer of the kilometers (62 miles). The International Space Station atmosphere and is the closest to outer space. The and many other satellites orbit within the thermosphere atmosphere continues to get thinner with altitude as it at altitudes less than 500 kilometers (310 miles). merges with space, making the exact boundary somewhat arbitrary.

Troposphere

The troposphere starts at ground-level and extends to an altitude of 10 to 16 kilometers (6.2 to 9.9 miles). The majority of the Earth's weather, including rain, hail and snow clouds, forms within the troposphere. This life- supporting zone contains 90 percent of the atmosphere's mass and is mainly composed of nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide. Although the Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images troposphere is high with respect to ground level, it is approximately 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) below the generally accepted start of space.

the tides. The Sun’s gravitational force is greatest when the Earth is at perihelion — closest to the Sun Space in early January — and least when the Earth is at aphelion — farthest from the Sun in early July. King tides are expected again on February 17, 18, 19, News according to California King Tides Project. For Neat time to see more info go also to tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov. Tide photo courtesy Stephen Wilkes Comet Lovejoy Lovejoy passed closest by Earth on January 7th at a distance of 0.47 a.u. (44 million miles; 70 million km). Although the comet is receding from us, its intrinsic brightness has increased a trace since then. That's Available because it didn't reach perihelion, its for about closest to the Sun, until January 30th $11 — at a rather distant 1.29 a.u. from the Sun. For more info, great pix and night sky location charts for Feb and March see http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronom R&R Awards y-news/observing-news/spot-comet- 23003 Soledad Canyon Rd. lovejoy-tonight-122920141/ Saugus, Calif. 91350 Phone: 661-259-5067

JPL Scores Again National Public Radio announced in January that NASA has awarded the Jet Propulsion After-Club-Meeting Social Laboratory/Cal Tech, Pasadena, $285 million over Interested in coffee or food five years to explore an icy moon of Mars, more in the ongoing quest to find signs of life and clues to after the meeting? life’s origins. Work has begun on design and equipment for a landing craft.

King Tides In the news in January coastal areas ------around the globe-- DEADLINE including California, Australia and low- FOR SUBMISSIONS TO NEXT lying island nations-- WHAT’S UP experienced “king February 26, 2015 tides.” These tides are driven by gravitational force which is greatest when the Moon is at perigee — ------closest to Earth — and least when it is at apogee — farthest from Earth — about two weeks after perigee. The Moon has a larger effect on the tides than the Sun, but the Sun’s position also has an influence on The Local Group Board of Directors

Officers

President: Dave Flynn Vice President: Glenn Basore Treasurer: Jim Van Winkle Secretary: Christine Schmidt Director: Van Webster

Committee Members

Star Parties/Field Trips: Membership: Jim Van Winkle Newsletter Editor: Ellen Brokaw Astrophoto Meetings: Paul Keen Website Monitor Dave Flynn

Board of Directors

Glenn Basore Don Cogan Dave Flynn Bert DeMello Laureen DeMello Christine Schmidt Jim VanWinkle Van Webster Will Wira

Please contact any of the above if you have any questions, or suggestions. Directions to Observing Sites Chuchupate Directions: Take Interstate-5 North beyond Castaic about 35 miles to Frazier Mountain Road exit. Go west, passing Frazier Park, until you come to a 4 way stop with a flashing red light. Continue straight ahead for several more miles until you come to an intersection with a Market/Liquor store on the corner of Lockwood Valley Road, turn left. Continue for about 3 miles until you see a small sign "Chuchupate Ranger Station", turn left. The speed limit on this road is 20 mph. Drive through the Ranger Camp, for about 1/8 mile until you see a sign "Trail Head" and make a right turn into the parking lot. Bring your own food and water. Dress for the weather — it can get cold even in the summer months. Cell phones do not work here, some are able to send and receive text messages and sometimes, you can connect to the WiFi connection which bleeds over from the ranger station. There are restrooms but no running water.

Templin Highway: Take I-5 North through Castaic. Just N of Castaic, the freeway shifts from RH-running to LH-running, and begins a 5% upgrade. When the freeway reverts to RH-running, about five miles N of Castaic, the next exit is Templin Hwy. At the foot of the exit turn right and follow the curves for approximately 1 mile. On the right (S) side of the highway is a wide turnout sometimes used for storing road fill. This is the observing site. If you reach the stop sign at the Ridge Route, you have gone too far.

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area: From the I-5 Freeway, take the 14 Freeway east about 16 miles and exit at the Agua Dulce Canyon Road off ramp. Turn left and go about 2 miles, following the signs to the park. (If you arrive after dark, the park entrance sign on your right is hard to see.) Enter, drive slowly, and follow the dirt road to the left for about 1/2 mile, over the little hill to the large open parking area. No alcoholic beverages. There are portable restrooms. If more info is needed, contact the park ranger at 661-268-0840.

Mt. Pinos Site: Take Interstate 5 North beyond Castaic about 35 miles to the Frazier Mountain Road off Ramp. Go west 21 miles on the good paved mountain road, passing Frazier Park, and follow the signs to Mt. Pinos Recreation Area. The observing site is a large paved parking area at the very end of the paved road. Bring your own food and water. Dress for the weather — it can get cold! Chains may be required during winter months. The elevation is 8300 ft. There are portable restrooms. No camping in the parking lot, but you can sleep in your vehicle. Walk ¼ mile to tent camping. For road and weather information call the Forest Service at Frazier Park, 805-245-3731 or on the Internet, you can go to www.frazmtn.com/pmcwebcam

Calendar of Events All outdoor events are weather permitting

Tuesday, February 3 Full Moon

Wednesday, February 11 Third Quarter

Second Friday 7:00 PM Barnes & Noble February 13, 2015 23630 W. Valencia Blvd General Meeting and Program Santa Clarita

Wednesday, February 18 New Moon

Saturday, February 21 Chuchupate 4PM (setup) – 12AM See directions above.

Monday, February 23 Staff Meeting

Wednesday, February 25 First Quarter

What’s Up! The Local Group - Astronomy Club of the Santa Clarita Valley P.O. Box 221296 Santa Clarita, CA 91322