Highlights of the September Sky. . .

------6th ------Dawn: 0.5º rightright of . PrimePrime FocusFocus

------7th ------A Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Full

------8th ------Dusk: Jupiter passes less September 2006 than 1º fromfrom AlphaAlpha LibraeLibrae next 8 evenings.

------11th ------This Months KAS Events Dusk: Jupiter 0.5º upperupper This Months Events right of .

th General Meeting: Friday, September 8 @ 7:00 pm ------12 ------PM: Pleiades upper right Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center of Moon

th Board Meeting: Sunday, September 10 @ 5:00 pm ------14 ------Last Quarter Moon Sunnyside Church - 2800 Gull Road - All Members Welcome

------16thth ------AM: Castor left, Pollux Observing Session: Saturday, September 16 @ 7:30 pm lowerlower leftleft ofof Moon.Moon. Kalamazoo Nature Center - Uranus & Neptune ------17th ------AM: Pollux above Moon. Field Trip: Friday, September 22 - Sunday, September 24

------19thth ------Great Lakes Gaze - River Valley RV Park - Gladwin, MI - See Page 3 Dawn: Saturn upper right, Regulus below crescent Observing Session: Saturday, September 30 @ 7:00 pm Moon. Kalamazoo Nature Center - of Autumn ------20thth ------Dawn: Regulus above crescent Moon.

------22nd ------Inside the Newsletter. . . New Moon Inside the Newsletter. . .

th ------24 ------Perseid Potluck Picnic Report...... p. 2 Dusk: Spica right, far right of crescent Moon. Observations...... p. 3

------25thth ------Great Lakes Star Gaze Trip...... p. 3 Dusk: Jupiter upper left of Spitzer Digs Up Solar Systems in Orion...... p. 4 crescent Moon. And Then There Were Eight...... p. 5 ------26thth ------Dusk: Jupiter upper right James Van Allen: U.S. Space Pioneer ...... p. 9 of crescent Moon. NASA Space Place...... p. 11 thth ------27 ------September Night Sky...... p. 12 Dusk: upper left of crescent Moon. KAS Officers & Announcements...... p. 13

------30thth ------First Quarter Moon www.kasonline.org September 2006 Page 2

PerseidPerseid PotluckPotluck PicnicPicnic

The twelfth annual Perseid Potluck Picnic was held at the Kalamazoo Nature Center on Saturday, August 19, 2006. Approximately 23 members of the KAS were in attendance. Weather for the picnic included mild temperatures in the low 70’s and partly to mostly cloudy skies. Jack and Ruth Price arrived extra early to setup a rain fly, but it wasn’t needed since all the showers from earlier in the day moved out of the area.

Some members arrived shortly before 6:00 pm, but most were fashionably late! Roger Williams setup his Coronado MaxScope 60 and attempted to observe some prominences and the large sunspots that were visible in mid-August. Roger and Philip Wareham did report a brief glimpse at the , but it was quickly covered up by the pesky clouds. Not an empty plate can be found at the picnic table occupied by (clockwise from the left) Karen Sinclair, Mike Sinclair, Jack Price, The key word of the Perseid Potluck Picnic is indeed pot- Phyllis Lubbert, Gary Lubbert, and Beverly Byle. luck and this was once again proven by the many fantastic side dishes and deserts brought by those in attendance. I’d in the KAS. The two he mentioned was our MarsWatch list them all if I could remember who brought what dish! A event on Thursday, August 27, 2003 and the Triple Feature great deal of thanks also goes to Jim and Tim Kurtz. Jim of Mars near opposition, the Total Lunar Eclipse, and provided his propane grill for the second -in-a-row and Comet Hale-Bopp near its best on Sunday, March 23, 1997. deserves much of the credit for preparing the hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers. Tim also helped with cook- Richard encouraged other members to share some of their ing while Jim was busy filling up his plate (and his stom- favorite KAS moments. Mike Sinclair has fond memories ach) and taking it easy! of the Annular Eclipse on May 10, 1994 and the large re- search project he coordinated with KAS members and his Once dinner was over and everyone had a chance to relax, students at KAMSC. Jean DeMott said her favorite mo- we held a special celebration in honor of the 70th anniver- ments were traveling to star parties around the country with sary of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. Jean DeMott fellow KAS members. made arrangements for a delicious cake to be decorated with and the words “70 of Looking Up”. Be- The public observing session scheduled right after the pic- fore cutting the cake, Richard said a few brief words and nic was officially canceled earlier in the day, but this turned shared a couple of his favorite memories of being involved out to be a HUGE mistake! The Clear Sky Clock predicted poor transparency and seeing, but this turned out not to be the case. Skies gradually got clearer right around sunset. It did cloud up again for a brief time, but eventually cleared again at about 10:20 pm with stunning transparency. Dick and Jackie Gillespie setup their 12” Dobsonian and Roger Williams brought his homemade trischiefspiegler (folded reflector) on his brand new equatorial platform he debuted during Gadget Night in July.

Owl Observatory was opened once Richard returned with warmer clothing and his eyepieces. Attendance for the session was low, but this is no doubt due to it being can- celed. In the future, Richard declared a session will only be canceled when there’s a high percentage of rain and clouds as far west as the Mississippi! One of the objects we ob- served was Comet Barnard 2, which was discovered by FLAME BROLIED was the order of the day. Our esteemed chef, Jim Kurtz, properly prepares the burgers and dogs on his propane E.E. Barnard himself in June 1889 and making its first re- grill. Them babies were WELL DONE and TASTY! Yummy! turn since its discovery. What a great night! September 2006 Page 3

Some scientists, like Lowell Observatory Director Bob Mills says that the IAU decision is bad for the future of ObservationsObservations astronomy because it’s "not exactly motivational to young planetary scientists and astronomers." That depends on By Richard S. Bell how teachers and educational institutions (like the KAS) treat the IAU decision. Sure, no more major are Poor little Pluto just can’t seem to shake the controversy likely to be added to our solar system, but what about extra- that dates back to shortly after its discovery in 1930. As solar planets? Just after Pluto was demoted, astronomers you probably already know, the International Astronomical announced the discovery of a around the bright star Union (IAU) voted to “demote” Pluto from full planetary Pollux. Over 200 extrasolar planets have been discovered status to a mere “dwarf planet”. Thus, our solar system and there are many, many more awaiting discovery. once again contains eight planets. Other dwarf planets in- There’s plenty of planets for future planetary scientists and clude Pluto’s larger sibling, UB313, and the largest asteroid, astronomers to discover and explore. Ceres. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNO) like Quaoar and Sedna will likely be added to the new category by the IAU. This whole situation is a good example of the scientific process. Science, but its nature, continually submits long- As you might have guessed, I’m pleased with the IAU’s held ideas to critical investigation and eventual revision. decision. I left the “Planet Pluto Camp” when the discov- Copernicus shattered over 1,500 years of thinking when he ery of Sedna was announced in March 2004. Like many introduced the heliocentric (Sun-centered) model of the astronomers, I knew it was just a matter of time before a solar system. Many astronomers, philosophers, and reli- TNO larger than Pluto was discovered. That finally hap- gious leaders didn’t want to abandon the long-held Ptole- pened with the announcement of UB313 in July 2005. UB313 maic (Earth-centered) model. Lastly, Pluto is no longer the (temporarily nicknamed Xena - which is a STUPID name) oddball of the planets. According to IAU Resolution 6A, is about 5% larger than Pluto, but still less than half the Pluto “is recognized as the prototype of a new category of diameter of Mercury. trans-Neptunian objects.” Pluto may not be the largest TNO, but it’s the first that was discovered WAY ahead of The full story of the new planet definition and Pluto demo- it’s time by a Kansas farm boy turned Lowell Observatory tion can be found in a special article beginning on page 5. astronomer. Pluto is now properly placed with its family. What the article doesn’t quite go into is the fall-out from the announcement. If you thought the controversy would now quietly go away, then allow me to offer you a piece of dark-sky property in downtown Kalamazoo! Perhaps, the most vocal critic of the announcement is Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of the New Horizons mission to Group Field Trip to the Fourth Annual Pluto. Dr. Stern has called the decision “embarrassing” and “sloppy science”. I’ve even seen comments from some GreatGreat LakesLakes StarStar GazeGaze planetarium directors who say they’ll continue to tell stu- nd th dents and the general public that Pluto is the ninth planet. September 22 - 24

On the other side of the argument are comments from Dr. Our group field trip to the Black Forest Star Party in Mike Brown, which you can read on his web site. Dr. Pennsylvania didn’t quite turned out as planned (more on Brown is the astronomer that discovered UB313, which is that next month), so it’s time to go to Plan B. the object that ultimately forced a new planet definition. I believe out of all the opinions on this subject, Dr. Brown’s The Sunset Astronomical Society, based in the Midland is the most valid since he had the most to lose. He almost area, has hosted the Great Lakes Star Gaze since its went down in history as the astronomer that discovered the inception in 2003. It’s held at the River Valley RV Park tenth planet from the Sun, but now he’ll be remembered as (west of Gladwin, MI) and averages about 150 attendees the person that discovered the (currently) largest dwarf (thus far). It’s described as a star party for the astronomer planet. Dr. Brown says that he supports the IAU decision who loves to observe and mingle with other astronomers. and admits that if discovered today, Pluto would never be Best of all, it’s only a 3 hour drive from Kalamazoo! considered a planet. Thus far, at least seven KAS members plan to attend this Another person with a valid opinion is Patricia Tombaugh, years event. If you’d like to attend then please download the wife of the late Clyde Tombaugh, who is the man that the information packet and registration form at this locale:

discovered Pluto in 1930. She said she’s frustrated and http://www.boonhill.net/sunset/PDFforms/GLSG4Flyer.pdf “shook up” by the decision to strip Pluto of its planet status, but added that Clyde would have understood. She also Unfortunately, the registration fee increases by $15 after commented that Clyde “knew it was on the way” and was September 1st, but it’s still a very affordable weekend resigned to the change. getaway. We’ll discuss this more at the general meeting. September 2006 Page 4

Spitzer Digs Up Troves of Possible Solar Systems in Orion

Astronomers have long scrutinized the vast and layered we want to know how many are born in the cities, how clouds of the Orion nebula, an industrious star-making fac- many in small towns, and how many out in the country- tory visible to the naked eye in the sword of the famous side." hunter . Yet, Orion is still full of secrets. A look at Orion's demographics reveals that the potential A new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope probes solar systems populate a variety of environments. Megeath deep into the clouds of dust that permeate the nebula and its and his colleagues found that about 60 percent of the disk- surrounding regions. The striking false-color picture shows sporting stars in the Orion cloud complex inhabit its bus- pinkish swirls of dust speckled with stars, some of which tling "cities," or clusters, containing hundreds of young are orbited by disks of planet-forming dust. stars. About 15 percent reside in small outer communities, and a surprising 25 percent prefer to go it alone, living in Spitzer, with its powerful infrared vision, was able to un- isolation. earth nearly 2,300 such planet-forming disks in the Orion cloud complex, a collection of turbulent star-forming Prior to the Spitzer observations, scientists thought that up clouds that includes the well-known Orion nebula. to 90 percent of young stars, both with and without disks, dwelled in cities like those of Orion. The disks – made of gas and dust that whirl around young – are too small and distant to be seen by visible-light "The Orion image shows that many stars also appear to telescopes; however, the infrared glow of their warm dust is form in isolation or in groups of just a few stars," said team easily spotted by Spitzer's infrared detectors. Each disk has member Dr. John Stauffer of NASA's Spitzer Science Cen- the potential to form planets and its own solar system. ter at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "These new data may help us to determine the type of envi- "This is the most complete census of young stars with disks ronment in which our sun formed." in the Orion cloud complex," said Dr. Thomas Megeath of the University of Toledo, Ohio, who led the research. Astronomers do not know whether our middle-aged sun "Basically, we have a census of potential solar systems, and grew up in the stellar equivalent of the city or countryside, though most favor a large city scenario. Newborn stars like the ones in Orion tend to drift away from their siblings over time, so it is hard to trace an adult star's origins.

Megeath and his colleagues estimate that about 60 to 70 percent of the stars in the Orion cloud complex have disks. "It is an interesting question why this number isn't 100 per- cent. Eventually, we may be able to understand why some stars don't have disks," said Megeath.

Spitzer's infrared vision also dug up 200 stellar embryos in the Orion cloud complex, most of which had never been seen before. Stellar embryos are still too young to have developed disks.

The Orion cloud complex is about 1,450 light-years from Earth and spans about 240 light-years of space. Spitzer's wide field of view allowed it to survey most of the com- plex, an area of the sky equivalent to 28 full . The featured image shows a slice of this survey, the equivalent of four full moons-worth of sky, and includes the Orion nebula itself.

For more Orion graphics and information, visit:

http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/spitzer/ September 2006 Page 5 AndAnd ThenThen ThereThere WereWere EightEight TheThe NewNew SolarSolar SystemSystem By Amir Alexander It has been the better part of a century since our seemingly called "dwarf planets." The solar system is now left with familiar solar system has received such a jolt. That was on only eight planets, and an indeterminate number of smaller February 18, 1930, when 24 year-old Clyde Tombaugh objects such as asteroids, comets, and KBOs, which will noticed a blinking point of light in the photographic plates now be called "Small Solar System Objects." he was examining. As Tombaugh well knew, this indicated that somewhere beyond the of Neptune, a sizable ob- In voting to scratch Pluto from the ranks of true solar plan- ject was moving through space, in orbit around the Sun. By ets the IAU rejected a proposal drawn up by special "Planet the time the public announcement was made two months Definition" committee set up by the organization. The later, the mysterious object had a name: it became Pluto, committee's proposal would have recognized 12 planets in the latest addition to the exclusive club of solar system the solar system right now, with dozens of other planets planets. likely to join the ranks in the coming years. The old nine- planet neighborhood we have grown accustomed to would As far as the general public was concerned, Tombaugh's have been replaced by a frequently changing crowd of discovery was the final word on the composition of the planetary strangers. Instead, the IAU chose to eliminate the solar system. As we all learned in school, our Sun – a me- most questionable member of the planetary club and fix the dium-sized star on an arm of the Milky Way – is number of solar planets once and for all on eight. orbited at increasing distances by nine planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and How Big and How Small? Pluto. Smaller objects such as asteroids and comets, which The demand to come up with a clear definition for the term occasionally pass near the Earth and light up our skies, "planet" has been mounting in recent years, as new discov- spice up the "nine planet" picture but in no way alter it. To eries have thrown the traditional understanding what a most people the nine-member planetary system is as famil- planet is into doubt. In the past, no term in astronomy had iar and reliable as their own neighborhood. seemed as clear cut as a "planet." There were nine, six of which had been known for several millennia, and while no But now, 76 years after Tombaugh's discovery, the mem- formal definition was available, none seemed necessary. bers of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) have Planets seemed intuitively obvious, and if more were dis- overturned what seemed to be the irrefutable judgment of covered somewhere in the universe, both professionals and history. At their general meeting in Prague on August 24, lay people confidently assumed that they will know one 2006, the IAU membership voted to strip Pluto of its plane- when they see one. tary status, making it a member of a new class of objects This seemingly well-earned confidence, however, was un- dermined in the past decade by two separate lines of re- search. One was the search for planets outside the solar system, which after decades of frustration was finally bear- ing fruit. The discovery of the first extrasolar planet orbit- ing 51 Pegasi in 1995 was quickly followed by the detec- tion of many other planets, with the count now over 200.

But in what came as a surprise to both astronomers and the general public, most of these newly found planets were real oddballs when compared with the familiar nine of our own planetary neighborhood. Instead of moving in stately around their stars, taking anywhere from months to centu- ries to complete each cycle, these newcomers seemed to orbit in the very shadow of their home star, racing along at a dizzying speed and completing each orbit in a matter of days. Even stranger was the new planets' size: they were huge. To get an idea of just how big, consider that Jupiter, Clyde Tombaugh at work on the blink comparator at the Lowell the largest planet in our solar system, is more than 300 Observatory, ca. 1938. Tombaugh discovered the now designated dwarf planet Pluto with this instrument in 1930. times the mass of the Earth. Some of the new found planets September 2006 Page 6 "official" planets, is only 2,300 kilometers (1400 miles) in diameter, one inevitably begins to wonder why it alone should have the honor of being a planet, while its obvious peers are merely "objects."

Then, in July of 2005, Brown and his colleagues made the announcement that seemed inevitable: an object was dis- covered in the far reaches of the solar system that was lar- ger than Pluto. Measurements by the Hubble Space Tele- scope later confirmed that the object, designated 2003 UB313, is around 2,400 kilometers in diameter, beating out Pluto's 2,300 kilometers by the narrowest of margins.

Now the question could no longer be avoided: If Pluto is a David Latham, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, planet, then clearly 2003 UB313 is one as well, and other discovered an object with a minimum mass of 11 Jupiters that giant KBO's such as Sedna and Quaoar should be consid- orbits the star HD114762 in 1989. This object is generally ered serious candidates. But if 2003 UB313 is only an regarded as a brown dwarf (a failed star) rather than a planet. "object," then it follows Pluto, which is in any case much smaller than the other planets, should also be demoted to had a mass dozens of time that of Jupiter, or thousands of "object" status. times the mass of the Earth. More generally, the question was the reverse of the one that Astronomers believe that the abundance of such "hot Jupi- emerged from the study of extrasolar planets: how small ters" among the extrasolar planets discovered so far is not could a planet be and still be considered a planet? necessarily an indication that they are particularly common in the universe, but rather that they are the easiest to detect An Open Society of Planets? with current methods. Nevertheless these giants are out Faced with this double edged assault on the concept of a there, and they raise the inevitable question: how large can planet, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) set out a planet be and still be considered a planet? to find a workable definition of the suddenly evasive term. For the past two years, the question had been raised and While this question was hanging in the air, an even more discussed in various IAU forums and committees in an ef- pressing challenge to the concept of a planet came from fort to reach a consensus. In the last stage, a "Planet Defi- another line of research: the search for large objects at the nition Committee," composed of historians and writers as edge of our own solar system. Back in the 1950s, astrono- well as astronomers, and chaired by Harvard astronomer mer Gerard Kuiper, studying the trajectories of short-period and historian Owen Gingerich, met in July of this year to comets, concluded that a belt of rocky debris populated the draft a new definition of what a planet is. The meeting took far reaches of the solar system around the orbit of Pluto and place at the Royal Observatory in Paris, where Jean- beyond. Finally, in 1992, the first of these "Kuiper belt Dominique Cassini, who discovered the gap in Saturn's objects" (KBO's), also known as "trans-Neptunian objects," rings, had been director under Louis XIV, and where Ur- was observed directly from Earth. The observation con- firmed what had long been suspected: Pluto, far from being the solitary planet it was thought to be at the time of its discovery, was in fact the brightest representative of a large class of KBOs.

Since the observation of the first KBO 14 years ago, many other objects have been observed in that region of space and given scientific designations. While most were signifi- cantly smaller than the acknowledged planet Pluto, they have been getting bigger. Over the past five years, a group of planetary scientists consisting of Michael Brown of Cal- tech, David Rabinowitz of Yale, and Chad Trujillo of the Gemini Observatory have registered, among other objects, "Quaoar," with a diameter of around 1,000 kilometers (600 miles), "Sedna," with an estimated diameter of 1200 to 1800 kilometers (700 to 1,100 miles), and the as yet un- named 2005 FY9, with a diameter similar to that of Sedna. If one considers that Pluto, by far the smallest of the September 2006 Page 7 bain Leverrier predicted the discovery of Neptune in 1846. In this historic setting the committee worked closely and amiably, says writer Dava Sobel who took part in the delib- erations. After two days of intense deliberations, they voted unanimously for the following definition:

"A Planet is a celestial body that (a) has sufficient mass for its self gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it as- sumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape and (b) is in orbit around a star and is neither a star nor the sat- ellite of a planet." In other words, for a celestial object to be considered a planet, it has to orbit a star, be approxi- mately spherical in shape, and be neither a star nor a moon.

The committee's formula addresses both sides of the chal- lenge to the concept of "planet." To place an upper limit on the size of a planet, the committee inserted the seemingly self-evident clause that a planet cannot be a star. As the committee explains in accompanying documents, a "star" is an object that is large enough to ignite a fusion reaction in its core. The very smallest stars, according to this defini- tion, are "brown dwarfs," whose lower mass limit is around Discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi on January 1, 1801, Ceres was 12 Jupiters. classified as a planet for a short time. Now it’s the largest asteroid in the solar system and the only dwarf planet in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The bulk of the Committee's definition, however, is aimed at answering the opposite concern: how small can a planet in orbit around already established planets, tradition alone be, and still be worthy of its name? The criterion chosen by recommends that their status be preserved and they be re- the committee is that a planet has to be massive enough to ferred to as "moons." be round. The solar system is full of small space rocks of various sizes which are clearly not "planets" by any com- All the criteria proposed in the Committee's definition mon understanding of the term. For a planet to be recog- therefore seem quite natural and in line with existing tradi- nized as such, it must therefore have sufficient mass that its tion and the common understanding of the term. But when own self-gravity will mold it into the shape of a sphere. On one applies the definition to the composition of the solar average, objects of around 1/10,000 Earth masses with radii system, the results are quite startling. Spherical Pluto, un- of around 800 kilometers (500 miles), are the smallest surprisingly, retains its planetary status, and the slightly whose own gravity produces a spherical shape, though the larger 2003 UB313 is designated a "planet" as well. But so specifics vary from case to case. This, according to the is Ceres, the largest member of the asteroid belt between Committee, is the minimum mass of a planet. Mars and Jupiter. When it was discovered in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi, Ceres was indeed considered a planet, but The choice of "roundness" as a criterion for planetary status was later designated an "asteroid" when many similar also reflects the Committee's sensitivity to the broad cul- (though smaller) objects were observed orbiting the Sun in tural significance and use of the term. After all, a "planet" the same region of the sky. Thanks to its 950-kilometer is not just a technical term used in scientific communica- (570 mile) diameter and round shape, Ceres was set to re- tions, but also a word in the spoken language, signifying a gain its former status as a fully accredited solar planet. commonly known object. It is undeniable that in common parlance and the popular imagination planets are always, Equally surprising was the possible rise of Charon to plane- always round, as anyone who has watched an episode of tary status. Since it is most commonly known as Pluto's Star Trek well knows. The committee endorsed this popu- moon, designating Charon as a planet seems to violate the lar understanding of the term and used it to scientifically second term of the Committee's definition. Charon, how- define what a planet is. ever, is not a normal moon: for all other moons in the solar system, the center of gravity of their "moon-planet" system The same sensitivity to cultural implications is also in evi- resides within the body of the planet itself. Charon, in con- dence in the Committee's requirement that a planet cannot trast, is close enough in mass to its planet, Pluto, that the be a moon of another planet. There are, after all, many center of gravity of the Pluto-Charon system is located in satellites in our solar system that look very much like plan- the empty space between them. This, according to the com- ets. Jupiter's moon Ganymede, for example, or Saturn's mittee made Pluto-Charon a "double planet," and since Titan, would be very strong candidates for planetary status Charon, like Pluto, is round and orbits the Sun, it too if they happened to be orbiting the Sun. But since they are should have been considered a planet. September 2006 Page 8

If the addition of 2003 UB313, Ceres, and Charon were ap- stantial 17º, and 2003 UB313 by as much 45º. proved, the planet count in our solar system would have stood at 12. But what about Quaoar, Sedna, 2005 FY9, and Most significantly, perhaps, the eight large planets orbit the other giant objects in the Kuiper belt? And what of Vesta, Sun alone, accompanied only by their moons. This is be- Pallas, and Hygiea, Ceres' large companions in the asteroid cause early in the history of the solar system, the planets' belt? All of these were planet candidates, whose new status massive gravitational pull sent other space rocks out into will be decided in the coming months and years. And with interstellar space, or hurtling into the Sun, leaving the plan- the ongoing pace of discovery of new objects, and better ets to travel through space in regal isolation. In contrast, and more precise measurements of known objects, there is Pluto, 2003 UB313, Sedna, and the other large trans- no doubt that the population of planets orbiting our Sun Neptunian objects, were too small to clear their neighbor- would have reached several dozen in the near future. hoods of debris left over from the formation of the solar system. As a result they are all members of the Kuiper belt Eight is Enough – a region of space filled with rocks and boulders of all The Planet Definition committee's proposal would have shapes and sizes. The same is true of Ceres, which is transformed the exclusive planetary club into an open soci- merely the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt between ety, where newcomers of different sizes and characteristics Mars and Jupiter. regularly join in. "That's how it should be," said Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of the New Horizons mission, The true planets, argue proponents of the eight-planet solar currently on its way to Pluto. "In all of science, categories system, are naturally distinguishable from the plethora of are open; we don't put a limit on the number of clouds or large and small objects at the edge of the solar system, and the number of biological species. Why do so for planets?" our definition of "planet" should reflect that. If Pluto were discovered today, they argue, no one would consider desig- But the majority of IAU members disagreed, criticizing the nating it a planet since it is obviously a rather typical large expansion of the term "planet" to include an unlimited KBO. Rather than implausibly stretch the term planet to number of objects that look nothing like traditional planets. accommodate Pluto, wouldn't it be better to correct a 76 Pluto and its neighbors, argued critics of the committee's year old mistake and exclude Pluto from the family of plan- proposal, are too small to be considered planets. Even Mer- ets? cury, the smallest of the traditional planets, has a diameter more than twice that of the largest KBO. Furthermore, the The IAU's resolution reflects this view. Similar to the orbits of Pluto, 2003 UB313, Sedna, Quaoar and their peers Planet Definition Committee's proposal, the resolution are qualitatively different from those of the eight inner states that "a planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit planets. For one thing, the "true" planets paths are only around the Sun and (b) has sufficient mass for its self- slightly elongated, and close to circular, whereas the KBO's gravity to overcome rigid-body forces so that it assumes a orbits are highly elongated and clearly elliptical. For an- hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape. But unlike the other, the traditional planets all orbit on the same plane, or original proposal the resolution adds another criterion, stat- very close to it. In contrast, Pluto deviates from it by a sub- ing that (c) a planet has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. Significantly, the IAU did not extend the definition of a planet beyond the solar system, limiting it to objects orbiting the Sun.

Even though it deprives him of the honor of being the dis- coverer of a planet, Michael Brown likes the IAU resolu- tion. If aliens came upon the solar system, he suggested on his website, "they would quickly come to the conclusion that there are 8 major bodies orbiting the Sun." Isn't it time, he argues, that we did the same?

The majority of the IAU membership seemed to think that it is: as of August 24, 2006, officially at least, the only true planets in our solar system are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Little Pluto, long a favorite among the general public and especially children, has been left out in the cold. Whether we classify it as a planet, dwarf-planet, Kuiper Belt Object, or a ham sandwich the New Horizons spacecraft is now on its way Article courtesy of The Planetary Society, the largest and to the Pluto system. It’ll flyby Pluto and its moons Charon, Nix, and most influential public space organization group on Earth. Hydra in July 2015. At least one other flyby of a Kuiper Belt Object For more information, please visit their web site: is planned before the spacecraft leaves the solar system forever - the fifth such spacecraft ever to do so. http://www.planetary.org/ September 2006 Page 9 JamesJames VanVan AllenAllen U.S.U.S. SpaceSpace PioneerPioneer

Dr. James A. Van Allen, U.S. space pioneer and Regent inspired and motivated by his complete dedication to the Distinguished Professor of Physics in the University of University of Iowa. I will miss him greatly. On behalf of Iowa (UI) College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, died on the entire University community, I extend our sympathies Wednesday, August 9 at the age of 91. to the Van Allen family.

Though he retired from active teaching in 1985, he contin- UI Provost Michael Hogan said, "James Van Allen was one ued to monitor data from Pioneer 10 throughout the space- of the university’s most influential and best-regarded schol- craft's 1972-2003 operational lifetime and serve as an inter- ars of all time. Yet he remained the most unassuming and disciplinary scientist for the Galileo spacecraft, which caring man. We will all miss him deeply." reached Jupiter on December 7, 1995. Tom Boggess, chair of the Department of Physics and As- The highlight of Van Allen's long and distinguished career tronomy, said his entire department was saddened by the was his use of UI-built instru- news of Van Allen’s death. ments carried aboard the first successful U.S. satellite, Explorer We offer our deepest sympathies 1, in 1958 to discover bands of to his family, Boggess said. For intense radiation -- later known decades, Dr. Van Allen has been as the Van Allen radiation belts -- an inspiration and a role model to surrounding the Earth. It came at our faculty, staff, and students. the height of the U.S.-Soviet His dedication to science and space race and literally put the discovery, as well as to teaching United States on the map in the and public service were un- field of space exploration. matched. In so many ways, Dr. Van Allen defined our depart- Among the other accomplish- ment. He will be sorely missed. ments of which he was most proud was his 1973 first-ever Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack also survey of the radiation belts of remembered Van Allen’s contri- Jupiter using the Pioneer 10 butions as a scientist and as a spacecraft and his 1979 discovery human being. and survey of Saturn's radiation belts using data from the Pioneer Jim Van Allen was a good friend 11 spacecraft. Ever a critic of of our family, Vilsack said. His manned space flight, Van Allen loss saddens Christie and me. the scientist described himself as His passing is a sad day for sci- "a member of the loyal opposi- ence in America and the world. tion" when it came to discussions He was a great teacher and men- of big-budget space programs, tor. His love for the University declaring that space science could be done better and more was as limitless as the universe he explored with such pas- cheaply when left to remote-controlled, unmanned space- sion and energy. He will be missed. craft. NASA's move toward cheaper, more focused un- manned spacecraft during the 1990s was, at least in part, a Born in Mount Pleasant on September 7, 1914, Van Allen result of Van Allen's advocacy. was valedictorian of his high school class in 1931, and re- ceived his bachelor's degree in physics, summa cum laude, Jim Van Allen was my friend and role model, said UI In- from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1935. While an under- terim President Gary Fethke. He represented the very im- graduate at Iowa Wesleyan, he assisted the senior scientist age of a superb faculty member. His teaching prowess was of the second Byrd Expedition (1934-35) to Antarctica in legendary, his research was defining, and his collegiality preparing seismic and magnetic experimental equipment. and service were unmatched. I will always be grateful for (In 2004, the American Polar Society commemorated his his kindness to my family and to me, and I will always be work by presenting Van Allen with its Honors of the Soci- September 2006 Page 10 ety award.) He earned his master's and doctorate from the Galileo and Cassini spacecraft. University of Iowa in 1936 and 1939, respectively. Van Allen joined the American Geophysical Union (AGU) From 1940 through 1942, he helped develop radio prox- in 1948 and served as the organization's president from imity fuzes -- detonators to increase the effectiveness of 1982 until 1984. He has received the AGU's highest hon- anti-aircraft fire -- for the defense of ships. Sponsored by ors, including the John A. Fleming Award in 1963 for emi- the National Defense Research Council, his work was con- nence in geophysics and the William Bowie Medal in 1977 ducted at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and at the for outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University. and for unselfish cooperation in research. In November 1942, he was commissioned as a naval offi- cer, and he served 16 months on various ships in the South In 1994, Van Allen received the 1994 Gerard P. Kuiper Pacific Fleet as assistant staff gunnery officer. Prize from the Division of Planetary Sciences of the Ameri- can Astronomical Society "in recognition of his many con- In 1946, Van Allen returned to the Applied Physics Labora- tributions to the field of planetary science, both through his tory where he organized and directed a team to conduct investigations of planetary magnetospheres and through his high-altitude experimental work using V2 and Aerobee advocacy of planetary exploration." Also in 1994, he was rockets, and, in 1951, he accepted a Guggenheim research presented with a lifetime achievement award by NASA on fellowship at the Brookhaven Na- the occasion of his 80th birthday and tional Laboratory. the American Geophysical Union's 75th anniversary. Later in 1951, Van Allen became professor and head of the University Van Allen's many other awards and of Iowa Department of Physics and honors include membership in the Astronomy, a position he held until National Academy of Sciences since he retired from teaching in 1985. 1959 and the National Medal of Sci- During the 1950s, he and his gradu- ence, the nation's highest honor for ate students used the UI football scientific achievement, presented in practice field to launch rockets and 1987 by President Reagan in cere- "rockoons" -- rockets carried aloft monies at the White House. In by balloons -- to conduct cosmic ray 1989, he received the Crafoord experiments above the atmosphere. Prize, awarded by the Royal Swed- A highlight of that work was the ish Academy of Sciences in Stock- 1953 discovery of electrons believed holm and presented by the King of to be the driving force behind the Sweden. The Crafoord Prize is the aurora. In 1956, he proposed the use highest award the Academy can of satellites for cosmic-ray investi- bestow for research in a number of gations and through "preparedness scientific fields and, for space explo- and good fortune," he later wrote, ration, is the equivalent of the Nobel the experiment was selected as the Prize. principal payload for the first flight of a four-stage Jupiter C rocket. Perhaps his proudest achievement as an educator was leaving his mark on 34 doctoral students, Van Allen played an important role in planning the 1957-58 47 master's degree students and, especially, the numerous International Geophysical Year (IGY) and carried out ship- undergraduates who enjoyed his classes. In a February board expeditions to Greenland and southward to the Ross 2004 interview he said, "I taught 'General Astronomy' for Sea off the coast of Antarctica in 1957. IGY culminated in 17 years, and it was my favorite course. I spent one or two the January 31, 1958 launch of Explorer 1 and its scientific hours preparing for each lecture because I had a genuine payload. Van Allen's instruments included a Geiger enthusiasm for the course. Today, I run into people all the counter, which provided information that regions of intense time who say, 'You don't remember me, but I took your radiation surround the Earth. The discovery marked the course in 1985.' Many former students tell me how much birth of the research field of magnetospheric physics, an they enjoyed the course." enterprise that grew to involve more than 1,000 investiga- tors in more than 20 countries. Van Allen is survived by his wife, Abigail Fithian Halsey II Van Allen, his five children -- Cynthia Van Allen Schaffner In 1974 People Magazine listed Van Allen as one of the top of New York City; Dr. Margot Van Allen Cairns of Van- 10 teaching college professors in the country. His former couver, British Columbia; Sarah Van Allen Trimble of graduate students list among their accomplishments experi- Washington, D.C.; Thomas Van Allen of Aspen, Colo.; and ments on NASA's Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, Peter Van Allen of Philadelphia -- and seven grandchildren. September 2006 Page 11 NASANASA SpaceSpace PlacPlacee Deadly Planets by Patrick L. Barry & Dr. Tony Phillips

About 900 light years from here, there's a rocky planet not much bigger than Earth. It goes around its star once every hundred days, a trifle fast, but not too different from a stan- dard Earth-year. At least two and possibly three other plan- ets circle the same star, forming a complete solar system.

Interested? Don't be. Going there would be the last thing you ever do.

The star is a pulsar, PSR 1257+12, the seething-hot core of a supernova that exploded millions of years ago. Its planets are bathed not in gentle, life-giving sunshine but instead a blistering torrent of X-rays and high-energy particles.

"It would be like trying to live next to Chernobyl," says Charles Beichman, a scientist at JPL and director of the Michelson Science Center at Caltech.

Our own sun emits small amounts of pulsar-like X-rays and high energy particles, but the amount of such radiation NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope may have found the solu- coming from a pulsar is "orders of magnitude more," he tion. Last year, a group of astronomers led by Deepto says. Even for a planet orbiting as far out as the Earth, this Chakrabarty of MIT pointed the infrared telescope toward radiation could blow away the planet's atmosphere, and pulsar 4U 0142+61. Data revealed a disk of gas and dust even vaporize sand right off the planet's surface. surrounding the central star, probably wreckage from the supernova. It was just the sort of disk that could coalesce Astronomer Alex Wolszczan discovered planets around to form planets! PSR 1257+12 in the 1990s using Puerto Rico’s giant Are- cibo radio telescope. At first, no one believed worlds could As deadly as pulsar planets are, they might also be haunt- form around pulsars—it was too bizarre. Supernovas were ingly beautiful. The vaporized matter rising from the plan- supposed to destroy planets, not create them. Where did ets' surfaces could be ionized by the incoming radiation, these worlds come from? creating colorful auroras across the sky. And though the pulsar would only appear as a tiny dot in the sky (the pulsar itself is only 20-40 km across), it would be enshrouded in a hazy glow of light emitted by radiation particles as they curve in the pulsar's strong magnetic field.

Wasted beauty? Maybe. Beichman points out the positive: "It's an awful place to try and form planets, but if you can do it there, you can do it anywhere."

More news and images from Spitzer can be found at http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/. In addition, The Space Place Web site features a cartoon talk show episode starring Michelle Thaller, a scientist on Spitzer. Go to http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/live/ for a great place to introduce kids to infrared and the joys of astronomy.

This article was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Artist’s concept of a pulsar and surrounding disk of rubble called a California Institute of Technology, under a contract with “fallback” disk, out of which new planets could form. the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. SeptemberSeptember NightNight Sky...... Sky......

This star map is property of the This map represents the sky at the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society. NORTH following local standard times: However you may make as many copies as you wish free-of-charge, y Late Aug. 10 pm so long as it is for non-profit y Early Sept. 9 pm educational purposes and full y Late Sept. Dusk credit is given to the KAS.

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ibra the Scales is the only was named Zuben next 8 evenings beginning at dusk on constellation of the not Eschamali, the “Northern Claw” and September 8th. Closest approach occurs represented by an animal. Alpha Librae was called Zuben El on September 11th, when Jupiter passes Greek astronomers attempted to correct Genubi, the “Southern Claw”. 0.5º to the upper right of Zuben El this oversight by turning the scales into Genubi. Binoculars will reveal Jupiter the claws of nearby the This month, giant Jupiter passes less as a small disk with the Galilean moons Scorpion. than 1º from Zuben El Genubi for the and the Southern Claw nearby. KAS OFFICERS September 2006 Page 13 PRESIDENT Richard S. Bell S&T Subscription Discount 373-8942 S&T Subscription Discount [email protected] One of the many benefits of KAS VICE PRESIDENT membership is a $10 discount on a one year Frank Severance subscription to the premiere astronomical 372-2237 magazine, Sky & Telescope. A regular one [email protected] year subscription costs $42.95; you pay only $32.95. It’s like receiving two free issues! TREASURER Rich Mather To take advantage, bring a check (made 629-5312 payable to Sky Publishing) to the next general [email protected] meeting or contact the KAS Treasurer, Rich SECRETARY/ALCOR Mather (629-5312) or Bill Nigg (665-7545) Roger Williams for more information. You must pay through 375-4867 the KAS to receive the discount. [email protected]

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GETGET OUTOUT and OBSERVE!OBSERVE! SEPTEMBER OBSERVING SCHEDULE Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave.

Saturday, September 16 @ 7:30 pm Uranus & Neptune

Saturday, September 30 @ 7:00 pm Galaxies of Autumn

with the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society General Meeting Preview ManMan--MadeMade AuroraeAurorae and Other Heavenly Delights

Presented by Dr. James Sheerin Prof. of Physics & Astronomy, EMU

It has long been known that electrons accelerated to kilovolt energies by natural processes in the Earth’s magnetosphere; beam down into the ionosphere at high latitudes inducing atomic oxygen (and molecular nitrogen) to glow with the green and red line emissions which typify the “northern lights”. High-powered ground-based HF-band radio transmitters may also accelerate ionospheric electrons to create artificial aurorae (in and around the radio beam) with intensities sufficient to be observable with the naked eye even against a background of natural aurora, and are the main subject of Dr. Sheerin’s presentation. Auroral processes also have much in common with those that occur in galactic emission and planetary nebulae producing the same green and red line emissions commonly seen in images of nebulae. While auroral observations are optimal only during the period from fall to spring; they may be supplanted in the summer months by other ionospheric lightshows including noctilucent ‘clouds’.

Friday, September 8 @ 7:00 pm Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center 600 West Vine, Suite 400 • Use Dutton St. Entrance

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society c/o KAMSC STAMP 600 West Vine, Suite 400 Kalamazoo, MI 49008

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