DOCSLIB.ORG

The Midnight Sky: Familiar Notes on the Stars and Planets, Edward Durkin, July 15, 1869 a Good Way to Start – Find North

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Midnight Sky: Familiar Notes on the Stars and Planets, Edward Durkin, July 15, 1869 a Good Way to Start – Find North The expression "dog days" refers to the period from July 3 through Aug. 11 when our brightest night star, SIRIUS (aka the dog star), rises in conjunction* with the sun. Conjunction, in astronomy, is defined as the apparent meeting or passing of two celestial bodies. TAAS Fabulous Fifty A program for those new to astronomy Friday Evening, July 20, 2018, 8:00 pm All TAAS and other new and not so new astronomers are welcome. What is the TAAS Fabulous 50 Program? It is a set of 4 meetings spread across a calendar year in which a beginner to astronomy learns to locate 50 of the most prominent night sky objects visible to the naked eye. These include stars, constellations, asterisms, and Messier objects. Methodology 1. Meeting dates for each season in year 2018 Winter Jan 19 Spring Apr 20 Summer Jul 20 Fall Oct 19 2. Locate the brightest and easiest to observe stars and associated constellations 3. Add new prominent constellations for each season Tonight’s Schedule 8:00 pm – We meet inside for a slide presentation overview of the Summer sky. 8:40 pm – View night sky outside The Midnight Sky: Familiar Notes on the Stars and Planets, Edward Durkin, July 15, 1869 A Good Way to Start – Find North Polaris North Star Polaris is about the 50th brightest star. It appears isolated making it easy to identify. Circumpolar Stars Polaris Horizon Line Albuquerque -- 35° N Circumpolar Stars Capella the Goat Star AS THE WORLD TURNS The Circle of Perpetual Apparition for Albuquerque Deneb 1 URSA MINOR 2 3 2 URSA MAJOR & Vega BIG DIPPER 1 3 Draco 4 Camelopardalis 6 4 Deneb 5 CASSIOPEIA 5 6 Cepheus Capella the Goat Star 2 3 1 Draco Ursa Minor Ursa Major 6 Camelopardalis 4 Cassiopeia 5 Cepheus Clock and Calendar A single map of the stars can show the places of the stars at different hours and months of the year in consequence of the earth’s two primary movements: Daily Clock The rotation of the earth on it's own axis amounts to 360 degrees in 24 hours, or 15 degrees per hour (360/24). Monthly Calendar The earth makes a full 360 degree annual revolution around the sun in 1 year which is 30 degrees per month (350/12). The TAAS Fabulous Fifty Objects of Summer Constellations Stars Messier Objects LYRA (harp) VEGA CYGNUS (swan) DENEB ALBIREO AQUILA (eagle) ALTAIR SCORPIUS (scorpion) ANTARES M4 –Globular Cluster SAGITTARIUS (archer) NUNKI M8 – Lagoon Nebula What is a Constellation? A MODERN DAY CONSTELLATION isV one of 88 precisely delineated regions of the celestial sphere with coordinate based* boundaries approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). *right ascension -celestial longitude Image from The Astronomical Companion, Guy Ottewell, 1981 declination – celestial lattitude Cassiopeia The farthest naked eye star is 16,308 Theselight 5years stars away. range from 54 to 615 light yearsThe away.closest Distancesstar is 4.2 light shown years here away. are not proportional. The star ICARUS is 9 billion light years away. The fainter the star the higher number for magnitude. The amount of brightness decreases by a factor of about 2.5. A magnitude 6 star is 100 times fainter than a magnitude 1 star. 20 Brightest Stars 1 Sirius 2 Canopus 3 Rigil Kentaurus 4 Arcturus 5 Vega 6 Capella 7 Rigel 8 Procyon 9 Acherner 10 Betelgeuse 11 Hadar 12 Altair 13 Acrux 14 Aldebaran 15 Spica 16 Antares 17 Pollux 18 Fomalhaut 19 Deneb 20 Mimosa HISTORICAL FORM OF CONSTELLATIONS Cygnus, Lacerta, and Lyra Johann Elert Bode (1747-1826) The Constellation CYGNUS as Portrayed in the Phaenomena by Aratus translation of John Lamb, 1848 The Greek story of Leda and the Swan (aka Zeus / Jupiter) has stirred the imaginations of many famous artists including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. From ritual vase, ca 330 BC CYGNUS Al Sufi Late 1st Century AD star on the beak middle of the neck northernmost of the 3 on the tip of wing feather bright star in the tail left knee Star Locations based on Ptolemy’s original description recorded in the early 1st Century AD Modern Constellation Cygnus Modern Constellation Cygnus Cygnus What is an Asterism? An asterism is prominent pattern or group of stars, typically having a popular name but smaller than a constellation. The Big Dipper Asterism Big Dipper Asterism Vega 6th brigthest Deneb Summer 21st brightest Triangle Altair 14th brightest Vega & Lyra Vega 6th brightest Vega & Lyra Two Birds of the Summer Heavens Cygnus, Deneb, and Albireo “…perhaps the most lovely effect of colour in the heavens.“ Agnes Mary Clerke, 1889 ALBIREO DENEB 19th Brightest Albireo Showpiece Proof Wall Posters Now Available at AMAZON and WALMART! Cygnus, Deneb, & Albireo Aquila, Altair ALTAIR 14th Brightest Aquila & Altair Summer Triangle What Are the Messier Objects (M)? The Messier objects are astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771. Messier was a comet hunter, and was frustrated by objects which resembled but were not comets, He compiled a list of them to avoid wasting time on observing them 110 objects are in the catalog Are the first deep space objects (outside of our solar system) that amateur astronomers will attempt to observe after observing the moon and the planets All visible in small telescopes and many are observable in binoculars Few visible to the naked eye The Messier objects are astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771. Messier Objects Messier was a comet hunter, and was frustrated by objects which resembled but were not comets, He compiled a list of them to avoid wasting time on Galaxies observing them Globular Star Clusters 110 objects are in the catalog Open Star Clusters Are the first deep space objects (outside of our solar system) that amateur astronomers will attempt to observe after observing the moon and the planets Nebulas Double Star All visible in small telescopes and many are observable in binoculars Few visible to the naked eye Stinger in the Heavens Scorpius & Antares ANTARES 15th brightest SUN Earth ANTARES is relatively big ANTARES Scorpius & Antares Scorpius & Antares M4 Globular Cluster Messier 4 Globular Cluster Discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 First globular cluster in which individual stars were resolved Appears about the same size as the Moon in the sky Number of stars >20,000 Apparent magnitude +5.9 The Southern Teapot Asterism Sagittarius & Nunki teaspoon NUNKI Kaus Australis Sagittarius & Nunki M8 - Lagoon Nebula NUNKI Kaus Australis M8 -The Lagoon Nebula Now Let’s Advance Using Star Charts Astronomy Phone Apps are plentiful, very useful, most are free. STELLARIUM An Extraordinary Free Computer Program!!! The Evening Sky Map for the current month can be downloaded for free at Back of Map Location month time Outlines of the constellations Dates of celestial events of celestial Dates Symbols for the various objects Magnitude (brightness) of the stars General Info Visible with naked eye Observing Tips Visible with binoculars Astronomical Glossary Visible with telescope How to use the Sky Map Locate the four cardinal directions: a. South b. North c. West d. East As you observe, hold the chart so that the direction you are looking is at the bottom of the chart Finding Polaris Finding Sagittarius and Scorpius Bushnell Xtra-Wide Fixed Focus 4x30mm Binoculars Excellent for Constellation Viewing Assistance cost about $50 SUMMER FAB 50 Checklist How Do We Find Fab 50 Objects in the Night Sky? 1. Take a sky map & checklist with you to dark location 2. Look for Polaris (North Star) 1. Look from map – to – stars then stars – to – map 2. Begin with the brightest and easiest to find 3. When you get “lost”, revert to what you know and try again GO FOR IT & HAVE FUN! END Last revised 071718 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Summer Sky by Dr
    The Summer Sky by Dr. Whitney Shane, MIRA’s Charles Hitchcock Adams Fellow Fixed Stars Some years ago this column had occasion to discuss planetary nebulae, using the Ring Nebula in Lyra, everyone’s favorite, as an example. The simple morphology of the Ring Nebula makes it ideal for this purpose. It can be explained as a slightly ellipsoidal expanding shell, where the asym- metry is due to a slight anisotropy in the initial expansion velocity. Very few planetary nebulae have the simple structure of the Ring Nebula. In fact, there is a baffling variety in the shapes of these objects. Most of them, however, show symmetry about a plane, which we might identify with the equator of the central star. The expansion seems to take place mainly in the direction of the poles. This could be caused by the presence of a massive ring of material around the equator, which would direct the expansion toward the poles. This ring might have been left over from the giant phase of the star. This agreeable situa- tion came to an abrupt end when Hubble Space Telescope images of planetary nebulae, starting with the Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), showed far more com- plex structures than had been previously sus- pected. This complexity, particularly its fine detail, could not be ex- plained by the model of an equatorial ring direct- ing a general expansion toward the poles. Attempts to explain these structures seem to fall into two categories. The presence of a companion star would provide both the dy- namical perturbations and the symmetry plane (in this case the orbital plane) required by the observa- tions.
    [Show full text]
  • THUBAN the Star Thuban in the Constellation Draco (The Dragon) Was the North Pole Star Some 5,000 Years Ago, When the Egyptians Were Building the Pyramids
    STAR OF THE WEEK: THUBAN The star Thuban in the constellation Draco (the Dragon) was the North Pole Star some 5,000 years ago, when the Egyptians were building the pyramids. Thuban is not a particularly bright star. At magnitude 3.7 and known as alpha draconis it is not even the brightest star in its constellation. What is Thuban’s connection with the pyramids of Egypt? Among the many mysteries surrounding Egypt’s pyramids are the so-called “air shafts” in the Great Pyramid of Giza. These narrow passageways were once thought to serve for ventilation as the The Great Pyramid of Giza, an enduring monument of ancient pyramids were being built. In the 1960s, though, Egypt. Egyptologists believe that it was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BC the air shafts were recognized as being aligned with stars or areas of sky as the sky appeared for the pyramids’ builders 5,000 years ago. To this day, the purpose of all these passageways inside the Great Pyramid isn’t clear, although some might have been connected to rituals associated with the king’s ascension to the heavens. Whatever their purpose, the Great Pyramid of Giza reveals that its builders knew the starry skies intimately. They surely knew Thuban was their Pole Star, the point around which the heavens appeared to turn. Various sources claim that Thuban almost exactly pinpointed the position of the north celestial pole in the This diagram shows the so-called air shafts in the Great year 2787 B.C.
    [Show full text]
  • BRAS Newsletter August 2013
    www.brastro.org August 2013 Next meeting Aug 12th 7:00PM at the HRPO Dark Site Observing Dates: Primary on Aug. 3rd, Secondary on Aug. 10th Photo credit: Saturn taken on 20” OGS + Orion Starshoot - Ben Toman 1 What's in this issue: PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE....................................................................................................................3 NOTES FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT ............................................................................................4 MESSAGE FROM THE HRPO …....................................................................................................5 MONTHLY OBSERVING NOTES ....................................................................................................6 OUTREACH CHAIRPERSON’S NOTES .........................................................................................13 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION .......................................................................................................14 2 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Hi Everyone, I hope you’ve been having a great Summer so far and had luck beating the heat as much as possible. The weather sure hasn’t been cooperative for observing, though! First I have a pretty cool announcement. Thanks to the efforts of club member Walt Cooney, there are 5 newly named asteroids in the sky. (53256) Sinitiere - Named for former BRAS Treasurer Bob Sinitiere (74439) Brenden - Named for founding member Craig Brenden (85878) Guzik - Named for LSU professor T. Greg Guzik (101722) Pursell - Named for founding member Wally Pursell
    [Show full text]
  • Planet Positions: 1 Planet Positions
    Planet Positions: 1 Planet Positions As the planets orbit the Sun, they move around the celestial sphere, staying close to the plane of the ecliptic. As seen from the Earth, the angle between the Sun and a planet -- called the elongation -- constantly changes. We can identify a few special configurations of the planets -- those positions where the elongation is particularly noteworthy. The inferior planets -- those which orbit closer INFERIOR PLANETS to the Sun than Earth does -- have configurations as shown: SC At both superior conjunction (SC) and inferior conjunction (IC), the planet is in line with the Earth and Sun and has an elongation of 0°. At greatest elongation, the planet reaches its IC maximum separation from the Sun, a value GEE GWE dependent on the size of the planet's orbit. At greatest eastern elongation (GEE), the planet lies east of the Sun and trails it across the sky, while at greatest western elongation (GWE), the planet lies west of the Sun, leading it across the sky. Best viewing for inferior planets is generally at greatest elongation, when the planet is as far from SUPERIOR PLANETS the Sun as it can get and thus in the darkest sky possible. C The superior planets -- those orbiting outside of Earth's orbit -- have configurations as shown: A planet at conjunction (C) is lined up with the Sun and has an elongation of 0°, while a planet at opposition (O) lies in the opposite direction from the Sun, at an elongation of 180°. EQ WQ Planets at quadrature have elongations of 90°.
    [Show full text]
  • A Spectroscopic Atlas of Deneb (A2 Iae) $\Lambda\Lambda$3826–5212
    A&A 400, 1043–1049 (2003) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20030014 & c ESO 2003 Astrophysics A spectroscopic atlas of Deneb (A2 Iae) λλ3826–5212? B. Albayrak1,A.F.Gulliver2,??,S.J.Adelman3,??, C. Aydın1,andD.Ko¸cer4 1 Ankara University, Science Faculty, Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences, 06100, Tando˘gan, Ankara, Turkey e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] 2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada e-mail: [email protected] 3 Department of Physics, The Citadel, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409, USA e-mail: [email protected] 4 Istanbul˙ K¨ult¨ur University, Science & Art Faculty, Department of Mathematics, E5 Karayolu Uzeri,¨ 34510, S¸irinevler, Istanbul,˙ Turkey e-mail: [email protected] Received 2 December 2002 / Accepted 6 January 2003 Abstract. We present a spectroscopic atlas of Deneb (A2 Iae) obtained with the long camera of the 1.22-m telescope of the 1 Dominion Astrophysical Observatory using Reticon and CCD detectors. For λλ3826–5212 the inverse dispersion is 2.4 Å mm− with a resolution of 0.072 Å. At the continuum the mean signal-to-noise ratio is 1030. The wavelengths in the laboratory frame, the equivalent widths, and the identifications of the various spectral features are given. This atlas should provide useful guidance for studies of other stars with similar spectral types. The stellar and synthetic spectra with their corresponding line identifications can be examined at http://www.brandonu.ca/physics/gulliver/atlases.html Key words. atlases – stars: early type – stars: individual: Deneb – stars: supergiants 1.
    [Show full text]
  • KELT-14B and KELT-15B: an Independent Discovery of WASP-122B and a New Hot Jupiter
    Swarthmore College Works Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works Physics & Astronomy 5-11-2016 KELT-14b And KELT-15b: An Independent Discovery Of WASP-122b And A New Hot Jupiter J. E. Rodriguez K. D. Colón K. G. Stassun D. Wright P. A. Cargile See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-physics Part of the Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons Let us know how access to these works benefits ouy Recommended Citation J. E. Rodriguez, K. D. Colón, K. G. Stassun, D. Wright, P. A. Cargile, D. Bayliss, J. Pepper, K. A. Collins, R. B. Kuhn, M. B. Lund, R. J. Siverd, G. Zhou, B. S. Gaudi, C. G. Tinney, K. Penev, T. G. Tan, C. Stockdale, I. A. Curtis, D. James, S. Udry, D. Segransan, A. Bieryla, D. W. Latham, T. G. Beatty, J. D. Eastman, G. Myers, J. Bartz, J. Bento, Eric L.N. Jensen, T. E. Oberst, and D. J. Stevens. (2016). "KELT-14b And KELT-15b: An Independent Discovery Of WASP-122b And A New Hot Jupiter". Astronomical Journal. Volume 151, Issue 6. 138 DOI: 10.3847/0004-6256/151/6/138 https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-physics/286 This work is brought to you for free by Swarthmore College Libraries' Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works by an authorized administrator of Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Authors J. E. Rodriguez, K. D. Colón, K. G. Stassun, D. Wright, P. A. Cargile, D. Bayliss, J. Pepper, K. A. Collins, R.
    [Show full text]
  • The Evening Sky Map a DECEMBER 2018 N
    I N E D R I A C A S T N E O D I T A C L E O R N I G D S T S H A E P H M O O R C I . Z N O n i f d o P t o ) l a h O N r g i u s , o Z l t P h I C e r o N R ( I o r R r O e t p h C H p i L S t D E E a g r i . H ( B T F e O h T NORTH D R t h N e M e E s A G X O U e A H m M C T i . I n P i N d S L E E m P Z “ e E A N Dipper t e H O NORTHERN HEMISPHERE o M T R r T The Big The N Y s H h . E r o ” E K Alcor & e w ) t W S . s e . T u r T Mizar l E U p W C B e R e a N l W D k b E s T u T MAJOR W H o o The Evening Sky Map A DECEMBER 2018 n E C D O t FREE* EACH MONTH FOR YOU TO EXPLORE, LEARN & ENJOY THE NIGHT SKY URSA S e L h K h e t Y E m R d M A n o A a r Thuban S SKY MAP SHOWS HOW P Get Sky Calendar on Twitter n T 1 i n C A 3 E g R M J http://twitter.com/skymaps O Sky Calendar – December 2018 o d B THE NIGHT SKY LOOKS U M13 f n O N i D “ f L D e T DRACO A o c NE O I t I e T EARLY DEC PM T 8 m P t S i 3 Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 9h UT.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Astronomy from Darkness to Blazing Glory
    Introduction to Astronomy From Darkness to Blazing Glory Published by JAS Educational Publications Copyright Pending 2010 JAS Educational Publications All rights reserved. Including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Second Edition Author: Jeffrey Wright Scott Photographs and Diagrams: Credit NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USGS, NOAA, Aames Research Center JAS Educational Publications 2601 Oakdale Road, H2 P.O. Box 197 Modesto California 95355 1-888-586-6252 Website: http://.Introastro.com Printing by Minuteman Press, Berkley, California ISBN 978-0-9827200-0-4 1 Introduction to Astronomy From Darkness to Blazing Glory The moon Titan is in the forefront with the moon Tethys behind it. These are two of many of Saturn’s moons Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, ISS, JPL, ESA, NASA 2 Introduction to Astronomy Contents in Brief Chapter 1: Astronomy Basics: Pages 1 – 6 Workbook Pages 1 - 2 Chapter 2: Time: Pages 7 - 10 Workbook Pages 3 - 4 Chapter 3: Solar System Overview: Pages 11 - 14 Workbook Pages 5 - 8 Chapter 4: Our Sun: Pages 15 - 20 Workbook Pages 9 - 16 Chapter 5: The Terrestrial Planets: Page 21 - 39 Workbook Pages 17 - 36 Mercury: Pages 22 - 23 Venus: Pages 24 - 25 Earth: Pages 25 - 34 Mars: Pages 34 - 39 Chapter 6: Outer, Dwarf and Exoplanets Pages: 41-54 Workbook Pages 37 - 48 Jupiter: Pages 41 - 42 Saturn: Pages 42 - 44 Uranus: Pages 44 - 45 Neptune: Pages 45 - 46 Dwarf Planets, Plutoids and Exoplanets: Pages 47 -54 3 Chapter 7: The Moons: Pages: 55 - 66 Workbook Pages 49 - 56 Chapter 8: Rocks and Ice:
    [Show full text]
  • And Space-Based Photometry
    Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 000, 1–17 (2002) Printed 5 December 2018 (MN LATEX style file v2.2) Transit analysis of the CoRoT-5, CoRoT-8, CoRoT-12, CoRoT-18, CoRoT-20, and CoRoT-27 systems with combined ground- and space-based photometry St. Raetz1,2,3⋆, A. M. Heras3, M. Fern´andez4, V. Casanova4, C. Marka5 1Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics T¨ubingen (IAAT), University of T¨ubingen, Sand 1, D-72076 T¨ubingen, Germany 2Freiburg Institute of Advanced Studies (FRIAS), University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 19, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany 3Science Support Office, Directorate of Science, European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA/ESTEC), Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands 4Instituto de Astrof´ısica de Andaluc´ıa, CSIC, Apdo. 3004, 18080 Granada, Spain 5Instituto Radioastronom´ıa Milim´etrica (IRAM), Avenida Divina Pastora 7, E-18012 Granada, Spain Accepted 2018 November 8. Received: 2018 November 7; in original from 2018 April 6 ABSTRACT We have initiated a dedicated project to follow-up with ground-based photometry the transiting planets discovered by CoRoT in order to refine the orbital elements, constrain their physical parameters and search for additional bodies in the system. From 2012 September to 2016 December we carried out 16 transit observations of six CoRoT planets (CoRoT-5b, CoRoT-8b, CoRoT-12b, CoRoT-18b, CoRoT-20 b, and CoRoT-27b) at three observatories located in Germany and Spain. These observations took place between 5 and 9 yr after the planet’s discovery, which has allowed us to place stringent constraints on the planetary ephemeris. In five cases we obtained light curves with a deviation of the mid-transit time of up to ∼115 min from the predictions.
    [Show full text]
  • Winter Constellations
    Winter Constellations *Orion *Canis Major *Monoceros *Canis Minor *Gemini *Auriga *Taurus *Eradinus *Lepus *Monoceros *Cancer *Lynx *Ursa Major *Ursa Minor *Draco *Camelopardalis *Cassiopeia *Cepheus *Andromeda *Perseus *Lacerta *Pegasus *Triangulum *Aries *Pisces *Cetus *Leo (rising) *Hydra (rising) *Canes Venatici (rising) Orion--Myth: Orion, the great ​ ​ hunter. In one myth, Orion boasted he would kill all the wild animals on the earth. But, the earth goddess Gaia, who was the protector of all animals, produced a gigantic scorpion, whose body was so heavily encased that Orion was unable to pierce through the armour, and was himself stung to death. His companion Artemis was greatly saddened and arranged for Orion to be immortalised among the stars. Scorpius, the scorpion, was placed on the opposite side of the sky so that Orion would never be hurt by it again. To this day, Orion is never seen in the sky at the same time as Scorpius. DSO’s ● ***M42 “Orion Nebula” (Neb) with Trapezium A stellar ​ ​ ​ nursery where new stars are being born, perhaps a thousand stars. These are immense clouds of interstellar gas and dust collapse inward to form stars, mainly of ionized hydrogen which gives off the red glow so dominant, and also ionized greenish oxygen gas. The youngest stars may be less than 300,000 years old, even as young as 10,000 years old (compared to the Sun, 4.6 billion years old). 1300 ly. ​ ​ 1 ● *M43--(Neb) “De Marin’s Nebula” The star-forming ​ “comma-shaped” region connected to the Orion Nebula. ● *M78--(Neb) Hard to see. A star-forming region connected to the ​ Orion Nebula.
    [Show full text]
  • Naming the Extrasolar Planets
    Naming the extrasolar planets W. Lyra Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K¨onigstuhl 17, 69177, Heidelberg, Germany [email protected] Abstract and OGLE-TR-182 b, which does not help educators convey the message that these planets are quite similar to Jupiter. Extrasolar planets are not named and are referred to only In stark contrast, the sentence“planet Apollo is a gas giant by their assigned scientific designation. The reason given like Jupiter” is heavily - yet invisibly - coated with Coper- by the IAU to not name the planets is that it is consid- nicanism. ered impractical as planets are expected to be common. I One reason given by the IAU for not considering naming advance some reasons as to why this logic is flawed, and sug- the extrasolar planets is that it is a task deemed impractical. gest names for the 403 extrasolar planet candidates known One source is quoted as having said “if planets are found to as of Oct 2009. The names follow a scheme of association occur very frequently in the Universe, a system of individual with the constellation that the host star pertains to, and names for planets might well rapidly be found equally im- therefore are mostly drawn from Roman-Greek mythology. practicable as it is for stars, as planet discoveries progress.” Other mythologies may also be used given that a suitable 1. This leads to a second argument. It is indeed impractical association is established. to name all stars. But some stars are named nonetheless. In fact, all other classes of astronomical bodies are named.
    [Show full text]
  • SEPTEMBER 2014 OT H E D Ebn V E R S E R V ESEPTEMBERR 2014
    THE DENVER OBSERVER SEPTEMBER 2014 OT h e D eBn v e r S E R V ESEPTEMBERR 2014 FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT Calendar Taken on July 25th in San Luis State Park near the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, Jeff made this image of the Milky Way during an overnight camping stop on the way to Santa Fe, NM. It was taken with a Canon 2............................. First quarter moon 60D camera, an EFS 15-85 lens, using an iOptron SkyTracker. It is a single frame, with no stacking or dark/ 8.......................................... Full moon bias frames, at ISO 1600 for two minutes. Visible in this south-facing photograph is Sagittarius, and the 14............ Aldebaran 1.4˚ south of moon Dark Horse Nebula inside of the Milky Way. He processed the image in Adobe Lightroom. Image © Jeff Tropeano 15............................ Last quarter moon 22........................... Autumnal Equinox 24........................................ New moon Inside the Observer SEPTEMBER SKIES by Dennis Cochran ygnus the Swan dives onto center stage this other famous deep-sky object is the Veil Nebula, President’s Message....................... 2 C month, almost overhead. Leading the descent also known as the Cygnus Loop, a supernova rem- is the nose of the swan, the star known as nant so large that its separate arcs were known Society Directory.......................... 2 Albireo, a beautiful multi-colored double. One and named before it was found to be one wide Schedule of Events......................... 2 wonders if Albireo has any planets from which to wisp that came out of a single star. The Veil is see the pair up-close.
    [Show full text]