Finding Long Lost Lexellʼs Comet: the Fate of the First Discovered Near-Earth Object
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Optical Astronomy Catalogues, Coordinates Visible Objects on the Sky • Stars • Planets • Comets & Asteroids • Nebulae & Galaxies
Astrophysics Content: 2+2, 2×13×90 = 2 340 minutes = 39 hours Tutor: Martin Žáček [email protected] department of Physics, room 49 On-line informations: http://fyzika.feld.cvut.cz/~zacek/ … this presentation Many years (20?) teaching astrophysics (Prof. Petr Kulhanek), many texts and other materials but mostly in Czech (for example electronic journal Aldebaran Bulletin). 2011 … first year of teaching Astrophysics in English 2012-16 … 2017 … about 6 students, lextures on Thursday 11:00 lecture and 12:45 exercise https://www.fel.cvut.cz/cz/education/bk/predmety/12/77/p12773704.html ... AE0B02ASF https://www.fel.cvut.cz/cz/education/bk/predmety/12/78/p12784304.html ... AE0M02ASF Syllabus Classes: Astronomy & astrophysics 1. Astrophysics, history and its place in context of natural sciences. 2. Foundations of astronomy, history, its methods, instruments. 3. Solar system, inner and outer planets, Astronomical coordinates. Physics of stars 4. Statistics of stars, HR diagram. The star formation and evolution. Hyashi line. 5. Final evolutionary stages. White dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes. 6. Variable stars. Cepheids. Novae and supernovae stars. Binary systems. 7. Other galactic and extragalactic objects, nebulae, star clusters, galaxies. Cosmology 8. Principle of special and general theory of relativity. Relativistic experiments. 9. Cosmology. The Universe evolution, cosmological principle. Friedman models. 10. Supernovae Ia, cosmological parameters of the Universe, dark matter and dark energy. 11. Elementary particles, fundamental forces, quantum field theory, Feynman diagrams. 12. The origin of the Universe. Quark-gluon plasma. Nucleosynthesis. Microwave background radiation. 13. Cosmology with the inflationary phase, long-scale structure of the Universe. 14. Reserve Syllabus Practices: Astronomy & astrophysics 1. -
Messier Objects
Messier Objects From the Stocker Astroscience Center at Florida International University Miami Florida The Messier Project Main contributors: • Daniel Puentes • Steven Revesz • Bobby Martinez Charles Messier • Gabriel Salazar • Riya Gandhi • Dr. James Webb – Director, Stocker Astroscience center • All images reduced and combined using MIRA image processing software. (Mirametrics) What are Messier Objects? • Messier objects are a list of astronomical sources compiled by Charles Messier, an 18th and early 19th century astronomer. He created a list of distracting objects to avoid while comet hunting. This list now contains over 110 objects, many of which are the most famous astronomical bodies known. The list contains planetary nebula, star clusters, and other galaxies. - Bobby Martinez The Telescope The telescope used to take these images is an Astronomical Consultants and Equipment (ACE) 24- inch (0.61-meter) Ritchey-Chretien reflecting telescope. It has a focal ratio of F6.2 and is supported on a structure independent of the building that houses it. It is equipped with a Finger Lakes 1kx1k CCD camera cooled to -30o C at the Cassegrain focus. It is equipped with dual filter wheels, the first containing UBVRI scientific filters and the second RGBL color filters. Messier 1 Found 6,500 light years away in the constellation of Taurus, the Crab Nebula (known as M1) is a supernova remnant. The original supernova that formed the crab nebula was observed by Chinese, Japanese and Arab astronomers in 1054 AD as an incredibly bright “Guest star” which was visible for over twenty-two months. The supernova that produced the Crab Nebula is thought to have been an evolved star roughly ten times more massive than the Sun. -
1 the Comets of Caroline Herschel (1750-1848)
Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena, INSAP7, Bath, 2010 (www.insap.org) 1 publication: Culture and Cosmos, Vol. 16, nos. 1 and 2, 2012 The Comets of Caroline Herschel (1750-1848), Sleuth of the Skies at Slough Roberta J. M. Olson1 and Jay M. Pasachoff2 1The New-York Historical Society, New York, NY, USA 2Hopkins Observatory, Williams College, Williamstown, MA, USA Abstract. In this paper, we discuss the work on comets of Caroline Herschel, the first female comet-hunter. After leaving Bath for the environs of Windsor Castle and eventually Slough, she discovered at least eight comets, five of which were reported in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. We consider her public image, astronomers' perceptions of her contributions, and the style of her astronomical drawings that changed with the technological developments in astronomical illustration. 1. General Introduction and the Herschels at Bath Building on the research of Michael Hoskini and our book on comets and meteors in British art,ii we examine the comets of Caroline Herschel (1750-1848), the first female comet-hunter and the first salaried female astronomer (Figure 1), who was more famous for her work on nebulae. She and her brother William revolutionized the conception of the universe from a Newtonian one—i.e., mechanical with God as the great clockmaker watching over its movements—to a more modern view—i.e., evolutionary. Figure 1. Silhouette of Caroline Herschel, c. 1768, MS. Gunther 36, fol. 146r © By permission of the Oxford University Museum of the History of Science Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena, INSAP7, Bath, 2010 (www.insap.org) 2 publication: Culture and Cosmos, Vol. -
Alexandre Amorim -.:: GEOCITIES.Ws
Alexandre Amorim (org) 2 3 PREFÁCIO O Boletim Observe! é uma iniciativa da Coordenação de Observação Astronômica do Núcleo de Estudo e Observação Astronômica “José Brazilício de Souza” (NEOA-JBS). Durante a reunião administrativa do NEOA-JBS em maio de 2010 foi apresentada a edição de Junho de 2010 para apreciação dos demais coordenadores do Núcleo onde houve aprovação unânime em usar o Boletim Observe! como veículo de informação das atividades e, principalmente, observações astronômicas. O Boletim Observe! é publicado mensalmente em formato eletrônico ou impresso separadamente, prezando pela simplicidade das informações e encorajando os leitores a observar, registrar e publicar os eventos astronômicos. Desde a sua primeira edição o Boletim Observe! conta com a colaboração espontânea de diversos astrônomos amadores e profissionais. Toda edição do Observe! do mês de dezembro é publicado um índice dos artigos do respectivo ano. Porém, desde aquela edição de Junho de 2010 foram publicados centenas de artigos e faz-se necessário consultar assuntos que foram tratados nas edições anteriores do Observe! e seus respectivos autores. Para isso publicaremos anualmente esse Índice de Assuntos, permitindo a consulta rápida dos temas abordados. Florianópolis, 1º de dezembro de 2018 Alexandre Amorim Coordenação de Observação Astronômica do NEOA-JBS 4 Ano I (2010) Nº 1 – Junho 2010 Eclipse da Lua em 26 de junho de 2010 Amorim, A. Júpiter sem a Banda Equatorial Sul Amorim, A. Conjunção entre Júpiter e Urano Amorim, A. Causos do Avelino Alves, A. A. Quem foi Eugênia de Bessa? Amorim, A. Nº 2 – Julho 2010 Aprendendo a dimensionar as distâncias angulares no céu Neves, M. -
OCTOBER 2011 Next Meeting
PRET ORI A CENT RE ASSA - OCT OBER 2011 PAGE 1 NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2011 Next meeting Venue: The auditorium behind the main building at Christian Brothers College (CBC), Mount Edmund, Pretoria Road, Silverton, Pretoria. Date and time: Wednesday 26 October at 19h15. Programme: • Beginner’s Corner: "Introduction to spectroscopy" by Tom Field. (See bottom of page 10 of this newsletter.) • What’s Up? by Danie Barnardo. • 10 minute break — library will be open. • Main talk: "Destination Moon" by Patricia Skelton. • Socializing over tea/coffee and biscuits. The chairperson at the meeting will be Pat Kühn. Next observing evening: Friday 21 October at the Pretoria Centre Observatory, which is also situated at CBC. Turn left immediately after entering the main gate and follow the road. Arrive from sunset onwards. CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER Chairman's report of last month’s meeting 2 Solar eclipse series 2 Last month’s observing evening 3 The Crab Nebula viewing season Is almost upon us 4 Photographing the Moon’s parallax 5 Summary of “What’s Up?” to be presented on 26 October 6 For the Pretoria ASSA Deep Sky Observers (or any observer) 7 Feature of the month: Comet Elenin 8 News items 9 Basics: The blink comparator 10 Note about “Beginner’s Corner” on 26 October 10 Arp 273 - two interacting galaxies 11 Pretoria Centre committee 11 PAGE 2 PRET ORI A CENT RE ASSA - OCT OBER 2011 Chairman's report of last month’s meeting Beginner’s corner featured a fascinating presentation which amounted to an exposition of astronomical sleuthing by James Thomas. -
Comet Section Observing Guide
Comet Section Observing Guide 1 The British Astronomical Association Comet Section www.britastro.org/comet BAA Comet Section Observing Guide Front cover image: C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) by Geoffrey Johnstone on 1997 April 10. Back cover image: C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) by Lester Barnes on 2011 December 23. © The British Astronomical Association 2018 2018 December (rev 4) 2 CONTENTS 1 Foreword .................................................................................................................................. 6 2 An introduction to comets ......................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Anatomy and origins ............................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Naming .............................................................................................................................................. 12 2.3 Comet orbits ...................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4 Orbit evolution .................................................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Magnitudes ........................................................................................................................................ 18 3 Basic visual observation ........................................................................................................ -
The Comet's Tale
THE COMET’S TALE Journal of the Comet Section of the British Astronomical Association Number 33, 2014 January Not the Comet of the Century 2013 R1 (Lovejoy) imaged by Damian Peach on 2013 December 24 using 106mm F5. STL-11k. LRGB. L: 7x2mins. RGB: 1x2mins. Today’s images of bright binocular comets rival drawings of Great Comets of the nineteenth century. Rather predictably the expected comet of the century Contents failed to materialise, however several of the other comets mentioned in the last issue, together with the Comet Section contacts 2 additional surprise shown above, put on good From the Director 2 appearances. 2011 L4 (PanSTARRS), 2012 F6 From the Secretary 3 (Lemmon), 2012 S1 (ISON) and 2013 R1 (Lovejoy) all Tales from the past 5 th became brighter than 6 magnitude and 2P/Encke, 2012 RAS meeting report 6 K5 (LINEAR), 2012 L2 (LINEAR), 2012 T5 (Bressi), Comet Section meeting report 9 2012 V2 (LINEAR), 2012 X1 (LINEAR), and 2013 V3 SPA meeting - Rob McNaught 13 (Nevski) were all binocular objects. Whether 2014 will Professional tales 14 bring such riches remains to be seen, but three comets The Legacy of Comet Hunters 16 are predicted to come within binocular range and we Project Alcock update 21 can hope for some new discoveries. We should get Review of observations 23 some spectacular close-up images of 67P/Churyumov- Prospects for 2014 44 Gerasimenko from the Rosetta spacecraft. BAA COMET SECTION NEWSLETTER 2 THE COMET’S TALE Comet Section contacts Director: Jonathan Shanklin, 11 City Road, CAMBRIDGE. CB1 1DP England. Phone: (+44) (0)1223 571250 (H) or (+44) (0)1223 221482 (W) Fax: (+44) (0)1223 221279 (W) E-Mail: [email protected] or [email protected] WWW page : http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/ Assistant Director (Observations): Guy Hurst, 16 Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, BASINGSTOKE, Hampshire. -
Comet Prospects for 2017
Comet Prospects for 2017 February could be a busy month with the possibility of three periodic comets visible in binoculars. Three comets in parabolic orbits may also become visible in binoculars. These predictions focus on comets that are likely to be within range of visual observers, though comets often do not behave as expected and can spring surprises. Members are encouraged to make visual magnitude estimates, particularly of periodic comets, as long term monitoring over many returns helps understand their evolution. Please submit your magnitude estimates in ICQ format. Guidance on visual observation and how to submit estimates is given in the BAA Observing Guide to Comets. Drawings are also useful, as the human eye can sometimes discern features that initially elude electronic devices. Theories on the structure of comets suggest that any comet could fragment at any time, so it is worth keeping an eye on some of the fainter comets, which are often ignored. They would make useful targets for those making electronic observations, especially those with time on instruments such as the Faulkes telescopes. Such observers are encouraged to report electronic visual equivalent magnitude estimates via COBS. When possible use a waveband approximating to Visual or V magnitudes. These estimates can be used to extend the visual light curves, and hence derive more accurate absolute magnitudes. Such observations of periodic comets are particularly valuable as observations over many returns allow investigation into the evolution of comets. In addition to the information in the BAA Handbook and on the Section web pages, ephemerides for the brighter observable comets are published in the Circulars, and ephemerides for new and currently observable comets are on the JPL, CBAT and Seiichi Yoshida's web pages. -
Explanatory Supplement
The Herschel Catalogue of Solar System Object Observations - Explanatory Supplement Volume I The Herschel-PACS Solar System Object Observations Comet Catalogue HERSCHEL-HSC-DOC-2200 Version: 1.0 25th July 2018 The Herschel Catalogue of Solar System Object Observations - Explanatory Supplement Volume I: Herschel-PACS Solar System Object Observations Comet Catalogue Prepared by: Cristina Romero Calvo1, 2, Mark Kidger1, Miriam Rengel1, 3, 4 and Mircea Stoica5 1. Herschel Science Centre, European Space Agency, European Space Astronomy Centre 2. Technische Universität Berlin, Germany 3. Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Germany 4. European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, Germany 5. University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, Hamburg, Germany HERSCHEL-HSC-DOC-2200, Version: 1.0, 25th July 2018 1. Abstract We present the first volume of the Herschel Catalogue of Solar System Object Observations (HCSSO). This has been prepared as a complement to the two catalogues of Herschel point source observations: The Herschel/SPIRE Point Source Catalogue (HSPSC) and the Herschel/PACS Point Source Catalogue (HPPSC), which filter and exclude moving targets. Although most of the solar system objects observed by Herschel were inactive, point sources, ten active comets were also observed, mainly at 70 and 160 μm, several of them at more than one epoch, although there were also a few observations at 100 μm. Both short period, Jupiter Family comets, mainly making close passes to Earth and non-periodic objects were observed by PACS. The resultant sample covers a variety of objects with a wide range of dynamical history and level of activity: five Jupiter family objects, and five non-periodic objects. -
PROBING the DEAD COMETS THAT CAUSE OUR METEOR SHOWERS. P. Jenniskens, SETI Insti- Tute (515 N. Whisman Road, Mountain View, CA 94043; [email protected])
Spacecraft Reconnaissance of Asteroid and Comet Interiors (2006) 3036.pdf PROBING THE DEAD COMETS THAT CAUSE OUR METEOR SHOWERS. P. Jenniskens, SETI Insti- tute (515 N. Whisman Road, Mountain View, CA 94043; [email protected]). Introduction: In recent years, a number of mi- the lack of current activity of 2003 EH1, the nor planets have been identified that are the par- stream was probably formed in a fragmentation ent bodies of meteor showers on Earth. These event about 500 years ago. Chinese observers are extinct or mostly-dormant comets. They make noticed a comet in A.D. 1490/91 (C/1490 Y1) that interesting targets for spacecraft reconnaissance, could have marked the moment that the stream because they are impact hazards to our planet. was formed. These Near-Earth Objects have the low tensile In 2005, a small minor planet 2003 WY25 was strength of comets but, due to their low activity, discovered to move in the orbit of comet D/1819 they are safer to approach and study than volatile W1 (Blanpain). This formerly lost comet was only rich active Jupiter-family comets. More over, fly- seen in 1819. A meteor outburst was observed in by missions can be complimented by studies of 1956, the meteoroids of which were traced back elemental composition and morphology of the to a fragmentation event in or shortly before 1819 dust from meteor shower observations. [3]. It was subsequently found that 2003 WY25 Meteor shower parent bodies: The first object had been weakly active when it passed perihelion of this kind was identified by Fred Whipple in [4]. -
Just What Are Those Sky Chart "M" and "NGC" Numbers? by Barry D
Just what are those Sky Chart "M" and "NGC" Numbers? By Barry D. Malpas – Special to the Williams-Grand Canyon News – 2014 November One of the pastimes for some early sky observers was to locate new comets. Charles Messier (1730-1817) was a French comet hunter during the late 1700s, and discovered 13 new comets between 1760 and 1785. His interest in astronomy, and comets in particular, was influenced by seeing the great comet of 1744, and the comet of 1759 (of which Edmond Halley had believed the comets of 1531, 1607, and 1682 were the same and had predicted the comet’s 1759 apparition which is now known as Halley's Comet.) At this time telescopes were relatively small. The understanding of supernovae, or galaxies, was not yet in the current knowledge, as such objects only appeared as blurry smudges that did not move across the sky. In order not to waste time and become frustrated with viewing fuzzy objects that resembled, but were not, comets, Messier compiled a list of 110 of these celestial blurs which we now refer to as Messier, or "M Objects." The Messier Catalog has become a very popular list of "Deep Sky Objects" among amateur astronomers around the world because it consists of most of the galaxies, nebulae and star clusters easily observable with binoculars or small telescopes in the northern skies. Now, however, the objects in the list are the source of interest, as opposed to the reason the compilation was originally intended by Messier. At large astronomical get-togethers, known as "star parties", there is often a "Messier Marathon" competition to view the most Messier Objects during one observing night. -
Perturbation of the Oort Cloud by Close Stellar Encounter with Gliese 710
Bachelor Thesis University of Groningen Kapteyn Astronomical Institute Perturbation of the Oort Cloud by Close Stellar Encounter with Gliese 710 August 5, 2019 Author: Rens Juris Tesink Supervisors: Kateryna Frantseva and Nickolas Oberg Abstract Context: Our Sun is thought to have an Oort cloud, a spherically symmetric shell of roughly 1011 comets orbiting with semi major axes between ∼ 5 × 103 AU and 1 × 105 AU. It is thought to be possible that other stars also possess comet clouds. Gliese 710 is a star expected to have a close encounter with the Sun in 1.35 Myrs. Aims: To simulate the comet clouds around the Sun and Gliese 710 and investigate the effect of the close encounter. Method: Two REBOUND N-body simulations were used with the help of Gaia DR2 data. Simulation 1 had a total integration time of 4 Myr, a time-step of 1 yr, and 10,000 comets in each comet cloud. And Simulation 2 had a total integration time of 80,000 yr, a time-step of 0.01 yr, and 100,000 comets in each comet cloud. Results: Simulation 2 revealed a 1.7% increase in the semi-major axis at time of closest approach and a population loss of 0.019% - 0.117% for the Oort cloud. There was no statistically significant net change of the inclination of the comets during this encounter and a 0.14% increase in the eccentricity at the time of closest approach. Contents 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Comets . .3 1.2 New comets and the Oort cloud . .5 1.3 Structure of the Oort cloud .