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December 2020 the vol. 47 no. 12 Skyscraper December 2020 AMATEUR ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF RHODE ISLAND 47 PEEPTOAD ROAD NORTH SCITUATE, RHODE ISLAND 02857 WWW.THESKYSCRAPERS.ORG In This Issue: A Guide to Collecting Meteorites 2 New Problems for Radio A Presentation by Gregory Shanos Astronomy: The Rise of Starlink and the Loss of Arecibo Saturday, December 5, 7:0opm EST via Zoom 3 The Geminid Meteor Shower Contact Steve Hubbard ([email protected]) for and the Great Conjunction of Zoom Meeting link and information. Jupiter & Saturn 5 Planetary Nebula in Perseus: Greg Shanos is a pharmacist by profes- Messier 76 sion and amateur astronomer by passion. It all began with the apparition of Halley’s Upcoming 6 NASA Night Sky Notes: Visitors Comet in 1985-1986 when Greg became a Presentations to Both Jupiter and Saturn member of Skyscrapers and subscribed to Sky & Telescope/Astronomy magazines. Saturday, January 2 7 The Sun, Moon & There he found an ad for Robert Haag Me- Mike Wenz: A Behind The Planets in December teorites. After receiving the catalog, Greg Scenes Look At The Hubble purchased three iron meteorites, and Telescope 8 Star Party Update from that point on his passion for these 9 Astrophoto Gallery extraterrestrial gems was ignited. Over Saturday, February 6 thirty years later, Greg continues to col- John Briggs: A Walking Tour 14 Starry Scoop lect, lecture, and educate about the won- of Optical History - Artifacts ders of these rocks from space. Greg has and Anecdotes from the also published over 35 review articles in Astronomical Lyceum Meteorite & Meteorite-Times magazines regarding organic compounds in meteor- Saturday, March 6 Seagrave Observatory is ites. Tonight’s presentation is entitled: A Mike Wenz: A Behind the Scenes closed until further notice. Guide to Collecting Meteorites. Look at Sky & Telescope Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, Seagrave Memo- rial Observatory will remain closed to the public until further notice. Phases of the Moon Last Quarter Moon December 8 00:37 New Moon December 14 16:17 First Quarter Moon December 21 23:41 Full Cold Moon December 30 03:28 New Problems for Radio Astronomy: The Rise of Starlink and the Loss of Arecibo by Francine Jackson It appears as if technology is hitting as- painted them darker, and added “visors” James Bond forgettable Goldeneye. Puerto tronomy in two directions: Many who enjoy to lower reflection. Of course, besides our Rico’s 1,000 foot (305 meter) Arecibo Ob- imaging the sky are finding more streaks own observing and photographic efforts, servatory, which up until just recently was brought on by what is becoming an untold professional observatories are worried, in- the largest radio dish in the world, had a number of “Starlink” satellites that streak cluding Chile’s Vera C. Rubin Observatory. 100-foot hole torn in its dish by an auxiliary through what should be a pristine view of In addition to optical problems brought cable in August; and, then, just a few weeks the celestial sphere. Originally, when the on by these tiny orbiters, they are also ago, one of its main steel cables snapped. Motorola series of satellite flares would creating havoc with the radio spectrum. This led the National Science Foundation occur, we used to alert the public on the Most notably, by sending radio signals to believe that, even if the damage were re- brightness in a specific area, which would downward, they would interfere with the paired, the structure in the long term could last just a few seconds, then disappear; now, work being done by the Square Kilome- still be unstable, and possibly compromise however, with the launch of these Starlink tre Array (SKA) in South Africa, which is the safety of the workers. satellites, the “streaks” won’t disappear. planned to be completed later this decade. It is unfortunate that a facility such as SpaceX has already sent up hundreds of The United Nations Office for Outer Space this, which has been important, not only as these satellites, and will continue to do so. Affairs is looking into this double problem a research tool, but a teaching platform for Most of these satellites, normally just a of astronomers within the Electromagnetic many astronomy graduate students, should few inches on a side, have an ultimate goal Spectrum, not only for science but also for be rendered unsafe, after withstanding hur- to provide internet service to remote areas. the general public and wildlife concerns. If ricanes, earthquakes and intense humidity It does appear that SpaceX has decided to nothing is done, the SKA could lose 70% of for 57 years; however, the research done help the brightness issue, as it continues its sensitivity; more of these satellites could there, such as pulsars, gravitational waves, to launch more of these; at present, there potentially render this, and other radio ob- and neutral hydrogen searches, will never are about 700 of the 1440 already set, and servatories, basically silent in certain fre- be forgotten. it apparently has been approved for 12,000 quencies. more (Daniel Cleary, Satellite Swarm In another, related note: It appears we Francine Jackson is a NASA Solar Threatens Radio Array, Science, 16 October have to say good-bye to a workhorse of a System Ambassador, writes the 2020, https://science.sciencemag.org/con- radio telescope that many of us know, not weekly newsletter for Ladd tent/370/6514/274). SpaceX has changed only for its decades of service, but its pres- Observatory See more at http://theskyscrap- the orientation of them in their orbits, ence in movies such as Contact and the ers.org/francine-jackson The Skyscraper is published President Outreach Chairperson monthly by Skyscrapers, Inc. Steve Siok Linda Bergemann Meetings are held monthly, usually on the first or second 1st Vice President Observatory Committee Chairperson Friday or Saturday of the month. Steve Hubbard Jim Crawford Seagrave Memorial Observatory is open every Saturday night, 2nd Vice President New Member Steward weather permitting. Ian Dell'Antonio Tracy Prell Directions Secretary Librarian Directions to Seagrave Memorial Observatory are Sue Hubbard Dave Huestis located on the back page of this newsletter. Treasurer Assistant Librarian Submissions Submissions to The Skyscraper are always welcome. Kathy Siok Weston Ambrose Please submit items for the newsletter no later than December 15 to Jim Hendrickson, 1 Sunflower Cir- Members at Large Historian cle, North Providence, RI 02911 or e-mail to jim@ Francine Jackson Dave Huestis distantgalaxy.com. Laura Landen Editor Matt Ouellette E-mail subscriptions Jim Hendrickson To receive The Skyscraper by e-mail, send e-mail Trustees with your name and address to jim@distantgalaxy. Astronomical League Correspondent (ALCor) com. Note that you will no longer receive the news- Jim Crawford Jeff Padell letter by postal mail. Bob Janus 2 The Skyscraper December 2020 The Geminid Meteor Shower and the Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn by Dave Huestis 2020 has been disastrous for the lo- serving as many meteors as possible. shower is one shooting star display that can cal observatories. Seagrave and Ladd If the weather cooperates, the dark be observed before the midnight hour. In have been closed since mid-March due to moonless night will permit stargazers well fact, earlier in the evening of the 13th, you Covid-19, thereby preventing stargazers away from interfering light pollution to ob- might spot a few Geminid earth grazers from enjoying splendid views of the heav- serve 60+ meteors per hour at peak some- as they skim tangentially across the top of ens from these great facilities. In addition, time between 10 p.m. and dawn’s early light. Earth’s atmosphere and parallel to the hori- for me the pandemic forced my retirement While the Geminids appear to radiate from zon. This scenario provides for much lon- from teaching astronomy labs at Bryant Gemini near its brightest stars, Castor and ger streaks, often looking like a stone skip- University after a great ten-year run of en- Pollux, scan around the sky as much as pos- ping across a pond. lightening students about basic astronomi- sible. As the night progresses and Gemini Good luck and remember to stay warm. cal concepts. Although I hate to hasten the moves across the sky towards the west, your It doesn’t seem possible that winter is passage of time any quicker than it appears scan should move as well. At around 2:30 nearly upon us in the northern hemisphere. to be running at present, I for one will be a.m. Gemini will be on your north/south On the 21st the Winter Solstice occurs at glad to see 2020 in the rearview mirror. meridian, just south of zenith. The num- 5:02 a.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time). Regrettably, I believe it will be at least ber of meteors per hour should increase Notice how far south along the eastern mid-year 2021 before we will be able to throughout your observing session. You’ll horizon the Sun rises. Then observe how gather safely as a group to explore the heav- know you’ve seen a Geminid if you can far south along the western horizon the Sun ens as we did BC (Before Covid). Until that trace the origin of the meteor’s trail back to sets. The apparent shift of the Sun’s position time I will continue to provide you with the radiant point. in the sky throughout the year is the result news of astronomical events that can be ob- The Geminids are fairly bright and of the Earth’s fixed axial tilt of 23.5 degrees served either with your naked-eye or with moderate in speed, hitting our atmosphere as our planet orbits the Sun.
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