Hamilton Amateur Astronomers
December 1998 Volume 6 Issue 2 A Star In The East
by Denise Kaisler [email protected]
natural sciences, but also in law, the Of course, the court astronomers had humanities, and of course theology. an ingenious way of covering up. ctober's installment of Event His goal in visiting China was not When an eclipse was of different OHorizon saw the publication only to disseminate knowledge or duration, they would say that the of "The Three Wise Men", an article learn about a foreign culture. He heavens were out of order. Deviations devoted to the accomplishments of hoped to win converts to his religion from the "true" calculations meant ancient Chinese astronomers. But just by impressing the Chinese with his that odd or evil circumstances would as the history of Western astronomy "superior" western science. follow. wasn't written in one chapter, so it is with the sky-lore of the Middle Soon after his arrival on August 7, However, Ricci had other ideas. He Kingdom. 1582, Ricci did indeed begin to noticed that the numbers that were impress the scholars of Chao Ch'ing being used at Nanch'ang had actually Another part of this history -- one Fu with his new ideas. He resided in been drawn up for the city of Beijing, which we in the west might find that southern city for a number of far to the north. He explained that the particularly exciting -- is the one in years, eventually taking on a student eclipse was "less than had been which missionaries versed in who helped him translate Euclid's foreseen" because of the difference in European astronomy first journeyed *Elements* into the Han script. latitude between the two cities. This to the far east. This period began at Eventually, the more zealous of was an admirable accomplishment, the end of the sixteenth century, a Ricci's admirers began calling Ricci (Continued on page 6) time when the celebrated Ming the world's greatest savant. Dynasty was in decline and much Chinese astronomical knowledge had However, what really made the been lost or forgotten. priest's reputation was his calculation of the solar eclipse at Father Matteo Ricci was the man who Nanch'ang in 1592. To the imperial began this exchange of ideas in court, eclipses were of the utmost earnest. This Jesuit priest was a importance. Court astronomers were contemporary of Tycho Brahe and a required to give precise times for student of Clavius. Ricci's master was these events so that the necessary known to be in change of Gregorian rituals (some of which required the calendrical reform and it's probably presence of the Emperor himself) for that reason that the Moon's largest could be scheduled. But, since they crater is named after him. lacked the accurate cosmogony, the court astronomers were often Like many educated men of his time, wrong. Astronomers make a 3D map of the Ricci was not only well-versed in the heavens by measuring the angular separations of stars.
Chair’s Report page 2 Calendar of Events page 8 inside... Constellation of the Month page 3 December Star Chart page 9 Rob’serving Report page 4 1999 Calendar page 10 Page 2 Chair's Report
he HAA general meetings are asteroid.lowell.edu/, is timely since T one of the main activities of the ecliptic is now high in the sky in our club. Many of the presentations the evening making asteroid hunting require the use of an overhead a worthwhile activity. You should projector. In the past we were able to also check out the Near Earth vent Horizon is a borrow the Hamilton Spectator’s Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Epublication of the Hamilton Amateur projector but they have a new policy home page at http://near.jhuapl. Astronomers (HAA). which now prevents us from using it. edu/. On December 20th the NEAR Since the meetings are such an spacecraft will fire its rockets in The HAA is an amateur astronomy important part of our club the council preparation for settling into an orbit club dedicated to the promotion and decided to purchase our own. Come around the asteroid Eros. enjoyment of astronomy for people of down to the Spectator building on the all ages and experience levels second Friday of most months and see Be sure to make note of the meeting the new overhead projector for dates in the yearly Calendar of The cost of the subscription is yourself. I'm sure that you will enjoy Events in this issue since some of included in the $15 individual or $20 the talks too! the General Meeting dates are not family membership fee for the year. on the 2nd Friday of the month due Event Horizon is published a In keeping with this month’s general to scheduling conflicts. minimum of 10 times a year. meeting topic of Choosing a Telescope I am recommending that Stewart Attlesey HAA Council you check out the excellent [email protected] Chair Stewart Attlesey information on the Celestron web Second Chair Doug Welch page at: http://www.celestron.com/ Secretary Marg Walton tel4ast.htm. The next web site, http:// Treasurer Barbara Wight Obs. Dir Rob Roy Editor Rosa Assalone Membership Dir. Ev Rilett HAJA Coord Rosa Assalone Editor’s Report Councillors Ann Tekatch Ray Badgerow f you have not yet renewed check out the December nights. Steve Barnes your membership, you should What better way is there to celebrate John McCloy I the holidays than to observe the do it now to avoid missing any issue Gary Sutton of This issue is the night sky with friends. But, don’t Event Horizon. last issue which will be sent out to forget to dress warmly (see Web Site members who have not renewed. November’s Rob’serving Report for helpful hints), and call one of the http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/HAA/
Be sure to remove the 1999 Calendar contacts before heading out. or Events (the last page of this issue of Event Horizon) and place it in a Rosa Assalone prominent location in your home so 540-8793 you don’t miss any of next year’s [email protected] exciting events. All the possible Binbrook observing nights are marked on the calendar, as are General meetings, star parties, and other special events.
Proposed Binbrook observing nights are also listed in the monthly calendar of events, so if you don’t want to wait until 1999 to do some observing Don’t forget to renew your membership! Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 3 Constellation of the Month - Auriga
Hippodameia, and the King set a through the heavens for a single day. challenge for all her suitors. They His father gave in to him, but Margaret Walton would have to race him in a chariot Phaethon soon realized that the race. If they won, they would marry chariot was harder to handle than he his daughter; if they lost, they had imagined. He lost control and in forfeited their lives. Oenomaus' order to bring order back to the world, he brightest star in Auriga, horses came from the god Ares and Zeus hurled a thunderbolt at T Capella, is the closest star were swifter than the North Wind, Phaethon. He died and fell into the to the pole and is visible at some time so unbeatable. The Gods river Eridanus. during the night all year at our intervened when it came to Pelops, latitude. The constellation's midnight the son of Hermes. Poseidon gave Objects culmination is in mid-December, so Pelops a gold chariot drawn by this is the best time to view this winged gold steeds. To ensure his M36 (NGC1960) - Bright, rich open constellation. There are several fine victory, Pelops plotted with cluster of magnitude 6. Can be seen open clusters in Auriga, many of them Myrtilus to replace the lynchpins through binoculars. visible in binoculars. from the axles of the king's chariot with wax. He was promised half the M37 (NGC2099) - Rich, condensed Many stories are attached to the kingdom and a night with the bride. open cluster of magnitude 5.6. constellation of Auriga. One story Pelops was victorious, but during Another binocular object. says that Auriga is a shepherd holding their celebration, Hippodameia a she-goat. The goat raised Zeus resisted the advances of Myrtilus. M38 (NGC1912) - Bright, large rich when he was an infant, saving him On the ride home, Pelops kicked open cluster of magnitude 6.4. Can from his father Cronus. Myrtilus off the chariot, killing him. also be seen through binoculars. Hermes paced Myrtilus in the stars Auriga may also represent in appreciation of his trickery. In 7X binoculars, all three of the Erichthonius, the fourth king of above clusters can be seen in the same ancient Athens, who was lame and There is yet another chariot story field. invented the chariot. Auriga is also connected with Auriga. Phaethon said to be another charioteer, was the son of the sun god Helios NGC1857 - Rich open cluster of Myrtilus, the charioteer of King and Clymene. Phaethon begged magnitude 7. Oenomaus. The king had a daughter, permission to drive the sun-chariot NGC1893 - Large rich cluster involved in large emission nebula.
NGC1907 - Rich open cluster of magnitude 8.
NGC1931 - A bright, large open cluster with nebulosity.
IC405 - Flaming Star Nebula - very large, very faint nebula. Need to use an OIII or nebula filter.
Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 4 Rob'serving Report
his month's Binbrook appears on nineteenth-century the second is the end (egress). *- only observing nights are globes and atlases. It was probably one of the shadow's ingress and egress T scheduled for Dec. 12/18/19. dropped in 1932, when the names times may be listed when the other Call Rob Roy (692-3245), Bret and boundaries of the 88 current occurs before evening twilight or after Culver (575-9492), or John McCloy modern constellations were adopted. Jupiter has set. (523-4359) at 7pm for local weather These meteors radiate from the area conditions and to confirm. Your between the Big Dipper's handle, A window of UT (Universal Times) is December Event Horizon contains the Draco's head, and the head of given below so you can search in HAA 1999 Calendar of Events. Bootes. It is sometimes called the "Sky and Telescope" and in the Remove it and put it in a prominent Bootids. "RASC Handbook" -1998 & 99 for place to check meeting and observing other events you may wish to observe. dates. Interestingly, this is the only major Events on either side of this window shower whose source is not known occur either before evening twilight If you missed the Leonids (and who for sure. It might have originated or after Jupiter has set. To get your didn't around here), December holds about 500 years ago from a defunct local EST subtract 5 hours from the prospect for another good meteor comet. Although the just-past full UT shown for each event. shower, the Geminids. For some it is Moon isn't co-operating, the best their favourite because it reliably puts time to view them is between Dec. 15 Io 22:38 ---> 00:51 (16th) on a decent show. The slow-moving, midnight and dawn of Jan. 3/4. ? 16 Europa 23:24 ---> * graceful "shooting stars" appear to ? 17 Io 17:07 ---> 19:20 emanate from near Castor, a point By the way, if you purchase only ? 24 Io 19:03 ---> 21:16 about as far as you can get from the one astromag a year, it should be the ? 27 Europa * ---> 17:55 Sun in mid-December. January "Sky and Telescope" (in my ? 31 Ganymede * ---> 18:21 humble opinion.) The January issue ? 31 Io 20:59 ---> 23:12 The Geminid meteor shower is quite includes the "Sky Gazer's different from other meteor showers Almanac". This invaluable two- Jan. 2 Io * ---> 17:41 in that it appears to get its dust and page insert contains for the entire ? 3 Io 17:55 ---> 20:32 debris not from a comet but from an year the times of rising/transit/ ? 7 Ganymede 19:25 ---> 22:23 Earth-crossing asteroid, Phaeton. setting of the planets and major stars ? 9 Io 17:24 ---> 19:37 Some astronomers argue, however, in addition to sunrise/sunset/ that Phaeton is the dead nucleus of a twilight, moonrise/moonset as well ? 10 Europa 21:32 ---> 23:08 burned-out comet that got captured in as the latter's phases. Once you a tight orbit. Apparently, the jury is learn to how to read and use it, you For other events, search the table in still out on this one. won't leave home without it. the "RASC Handbook"- 1998, page 167 and the 1999 edition, page 182 The shower lasts from Dec. 7-17, between 22:30-04:00 UT. Jupiter is Jupiter's Satellite Phenomena setting earlier each night. "Sky and peaking on the night of the 13/14th Telescope" also includes Jupiter's between 10pm and 4am. Expect to There are only a couple of months satellite phenomena in its monthly see at least 60-70 meteors per hour left for good Jupiter observing issues. against a dark sky, five days ahead of before it gets too close to
December's New Moon. If you wish conjunction with the Sun. Get out to see them from a reasonably dark and have a look. Possibilities are: a Jupiter's Red Spot site at the Binbrook Conservation TRANSIT of a satellite or its Area, give me a call around 9pm on SHADOW across the face of the (Continued on page 5) Dec. 13. planet, an OCCULTATION as it passes behind the planet, or an Another strong winter meteor shower ECLIPSE by Jupiter's shadow. is the Quandrantids. The only major shower not named after a modern Shadow transit times which occur constellation, this one emanates from between evening and morning the site of an obsolete constellation twilight are listed below. Times are known as Quadrans Muralis, which converted to Eastern Standard Time (EST). The first time is the start of the shadow crossing (ingress) and
Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 5
(Continued from page 4) Venus is too close to the Sun for observation until early Jan. 1999, You can check the list below to see when it will become an evening when the Great Red Spot is likely to phenomenon. visible on Jupiter. After each date the meridian transit time is given in EST Mars rises at about 1 am in Virgo. to the nearest hour, so you will see it Very small size- not much of a Did you know that... near but not necessarily on the telescope object, but steadily centerline of the disk at that time. increasing in apparent diameter. it is estimated that Because Jupiter's day is less than 10 upwards of 100 million hours, you often may have two Jupiter starts in Aquarius moving transits in one day (morning then into Pisces and shines brightly until "shooting stars" hit the evening) or two per night on about 11pm. You can't miss it as earth's atmosphere consecutive days (evening then the brightest object to the south at every day. morning). If you want exact transit dusk. times, "Sky and Telescope" lists them in Universal Time for each day of the Saturn is visible until about 1:30am Rob Roy month. in Pisces. Its fairly large disk and the appreciable tilt of the rings Dec. 12(12am)(8pm), 14(10p), 16 continue to make it a nice fall (11p), 17(7p), 19(9p), 21(10p), 22 object! Try to find the Cassini (6p), 24(12a)(8p), 26(5p), 28(11p), 29 Division close to the outer edge of (7p), 31(1a)(9p). the rings. The smaller satellites Rhea, Dione and Tethys are Jan. 2(10p), 3(6p), 5(8p), 7(10p), 8 challenges for small telescopes. (5p), 9(11p), 10(7p), 12(1a)(9p), 14 Enceladus is a little more difficult (10p), 15(6p). again. HAA E-mail Monthly In-Sights Neptune & Uranus are rather low in the evening sky. Checklist December 11 - Mira is at maximum brightness. Rob Roy, 13/14 - Geminid Meteor Shower- best Observing Director n Mon., Oct. 5, an e-mail after midnight.
The Planets Rob Roy
Mercury is a morning "star", Dec. 11 (1/3 crescent), Dec. 16 (1/2 lit), Dec. 20 (2/3 lit).
Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 6 A Star In The East (continued...)
(Continued from page 1) phenomena and accordingly, took within the other and free to swivel especially considering that Ricci was their astronomy very seriously. about. It was used to determine the a pre-Copernican. He still thought the altitude or azimuth of heavenly bodies Sun went around the Earth. When Ricci arrived with his gifts, and so differed greatly from the both the emperor and his court were European armillas, which were Ricci's explanation of the eclipse amazed. Clocks that ran seemingly models used to describe the universe, gained the attention of the Emperor of their own accord! Crystal prisms not to observe it. and after a few years, the Jesuit was that made rainbows out of ordinary summoned to Nanjing, the Ming light! No one had ever seen such The fourth device at Nanjing capital. Ricci carried with him many wonders. apparently did not have a proper gifts for the emperor, hoping to win English name. Ricci described it as a favour with the son of heaven. However, when Ricci was given a "compendium instrument, consisting Naturally, most of his reasons were tour of the observatory at Nanjing, it of three or four huge astrolabes in diplomatic, yet a few were science- was his turn to be astounded. In his juxtaposition, each of which having a related. memoirs he wrote that "we diameter greater than one geometrical certainly had never seen or heard of pace [one armspan]". Further, he By gaining the emperor's trust, Ricci anything in Europe like them." With described how the graduations had hoped to be allowed to calculate an something approaching reverence, been ingeniously marked by iron ephemeris -- a long table showing he proceeded to describe four great studs. Anyone familiar with the eclipses and positions of the planets. bronze instruments atop the giant device could line the instrument up He had to be sure of where he stood stone platform. with a star read off its coordinates by because in Ming China, a man could touch alone. There was no need to be beheaded if he tried to calculate an The first of these was a celestial ruin one's night vision by using a ephemeris without the permission of sphere. It had a diameter exceeding light. the imperial court. The Chinese six feet and was set into a box believed that events on earth were which hid whichever part of the Later on, Ricci travelled to Beijing, directly caused by celestial sphere was below the horizon. The the northern capital and saw other box also concealed the instruments so similar to those he had gears which drove it. seen earlier that he was convinced Around the bronze sphere both sets had been made by the same were several bamboo artisan. hoops, representing the ecliptic (the path of the Once Ricci had gotten over his awe, Sun) and the orbit of the he wrote to Europe, requesting that Moon. another missionary be sent -- one with real training in astronomy. Despite the Next was also a large good impression he had made, Ricci gnomon mounted on a felt as if he was out of his depth. marble slab. Father Ricci described with delight how So, although it was years later, Ricci's a groove had been cut into request allowed Fathers Ferdinand the base. The groove could Verbiest and Adolf Schall to journey be filled with water, to China and have their own allowing for very precise adventures -- some of which, as we'll levelling of the instrument. see next month, put them in fear of With this giant bronze their lives. finger, court astronomers could observe to a high degree of precision the time of a solstice or equinox.
Also present was an armillary sphere, a double This star globe in modern-day Beijing is similar to the set of rings mounted one one seen by Ricci.
Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 7 More T-shirts and Sweatshirts! Magazine Discounts for ood news! The technical HAA Members problems we had with G Doug Welch's graphic t- shirt design have been resolved and we are now accepting orders for s a member of the shirts with the "To infinity and Hamilton Amateur beyond!" design. Astronomers you are eligible for Asubscription discounts for the Prices have been tentatively set at following magazines: $28 each for the sweatshirt and $14 each for a t-shirt. Sky and Telescope: $37 U.S. funds per year (12 issues) The shirts are oatmeal in colour with a large scenic design on the Mail Orders to: front. (I will try and have a copy of Ann Tekatch the graphic at the November and 19 Pheasant Place, December meetings.) Hamilton, ON L9A 4Y4. Before we can go ahead, we need 20 confirmed orders. If you are NAME: interested in getting one of these beautiful shirts, fill out the order form below and either mail it or PHONE: hand it to me. Make your cheque payable to Hamilton Amateur Astronomers. EMAIL ADDRESS:
Ann Tekatch Astronomy Magazine:$35 U.S. funds 575-5433 SWEATSHIRT per year (12 issues) SIZE: SMALL LARGE MEDIUM X-LARGE The regular rates for Canadian subscriptions are: T-SHIRT Astronomy Magazine: $50 US SIZE: SMALL LARGE Sky and Telescope: $ 46.95 US MEDIUM X-LARGE
That’s a savings of $10-15 US or $15.50-23.25 CDN!!
If you are interested in subscribing to either of these magazines or wish to renew an existing subscription at club rates, please contact Ann Tekatch at 575-5433. You need to fill our your RASC Calendars subscription form with either an enclosed US money order, or with and Observer’s Handbooks your VISA number filled in. All orders must be given to Ann, who will The Observer’s Handbooks and RASC calendars have been ordered and will be send them on to the appropriate available at the November and December meetings. Handbooks will cost $14 and magazine. calendars $8. At these prices, they won’t last long! Buy yours early!
Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers Page 8 1998 Leonids Meteor Shower
The following image shows the 1998 Leonids meteor shower. he image was obtained at the Astronomical T Observatory Modra (Astronomical Institute of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Comenius University Bratislava ) through Zeiss Distagon (fish-eye) objective 3.5/30 mm.
This equipment is used in Slovak part of the European Fireball Network which is coordinated by the Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic .
Exposure in the guided mode begun on November 16th 23:33:00 UT and lasted more than 4 hours till November 17th 3:37:10 UT. About 150 bolides brighter than -2 mag can be seen. The brightest fireball is about -8 mag. Zenithal hourly rate of the shower estimated from visual observations was about 400.
http://www.uniba.sk/~ago_modra/
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
· December 12, 18, 19, 8:00pm BINBROOK OBSERVING NIGHTS - For confirmation or directions call Rob Roy at 692-3245 or Bret Culver 575-9492 or John McCloy 523-4359. · Friday, December 18, 7:30pm HAA COUNCIL MEETING - At the home of Rosa Assalone. · Thursday, January 14, 7:30pm HAA GENERAL MEETING - At the Spectator Building auditorium · January 15, 16, 22, 23, 8:00pm BINBROOK OBSERVING NIGHTS - For confirmation or directions call Rob Roy at 692-3245 or Bret Culver 575-9492 or John McCloy 523- 4359. · Tuesday, January 17, 7:00pm HAJA MEETING - McMaster Burke Science Building, room B148.
Event Horizon - Hamilton Amateur Astronomers