AD ASTRA KANSAS FOUNDATION

Volume 12, Issue 1 Spring 2013

AD ASTRA KANSAS Ad Astra Kansas Day travels from Earth to the Van Allen Belt to Curiosity to Voyager DAY 2013: Why are we studying the Van Allen high-energy particles are trapped by games and activities for all ages, Radiation Belt? Earth’s magnetic field. Space events model planes demos, space ice affect the number of particles and cream, telescopes, planetarium shows Voyager (Are we there yet?) speed. Find out how this extreme and stargazing at the Crane Observa- space weather can affect us. tory.  April 27, 2013 How did a Kansas high school get an observatory and what’s coming next? Dr. Tom Armstrong—He has been a This free event is open to the public,  Stoffer Science Hall co-investigator on Voyager for the and geared for all ages. It is put on Washburn University How do you name a spacecraft? past 35 years. He has Voyager up- through the cooperation of the Ad dates, a Voyager video and plenty of Astra Kansas Foundation, the Wash- Topeka Answering those questions at the other NASA and space information. burn University Department of Physics 2013 Ad Astra Kansas Day Space and , the Washburn Univer-  Celebration in Topeka will be: Mike Ford— He instrumental in the sity Chemistry Club, Northeast Kan- 5:30—10 p.m. start of Elk Creek Observatory, Hol- sas Amateur Astronomy League, Dr. Jerry Manweiller— He is Co- ton, the only high-school owned Children’s Discovery Center, Founda-  Fun for all ages Investigator and Science Operations observatory in Kansas. He will tell tion for Aeronautic Education, Ameri- Center Lead Engineer for the about its beginnings and expan- can Society of Civil Engineers Kansas Radiation Belt Storm Probes sion into Banner Creek Section, Space Age Publishing Com-  Free Ion Composition Experi- Observatory/Science pany, Mike Ford and Fundamental ment (RBSPICE) instru- Center, and its potential Technologies, Inc.  For more information ment on NASA’s Van for science education Allen Probes mission, in northeast Kansas. go to www.adastra- which is exploring ks.org Earth’s radiation belts. Clara Ma—She is the A physicist and soft- Kansas high school ware engineer for over student whose entry 30 years, Dr. Manweiler “Curiosity” was chosen is a co-founder of Funda- over 9,000 others nation- mental Technologies, LLC, a wide as the name for that Inside this issue: software development and data analy- diligent Mars rover. She will share sis firm in Lawrence, Kansas. Funda- what an exciting experience it has mental Technologies is currently been seeing the rover being built , participating in six NASA satellite launched and landing. missions including Van Allen Probes and Voyager I & II. In addition to all this the ever popular Stargazing at the Crane Observa- Meet our Board 2 event held at Washburn University tory is always a popular activity at Van Allen Radiation Belt is two donut- Stoffer Science Hall on April 27, from the Ad Astra Kansas Day event shaped regions encircling earth where 5:30 until 10:00 p.m., will include

KU researchers 2 featured on Kansan discovers to rival Russian one Weather Channel In September 2012, while doing ob- which is underneath the high satel- data bank, the Near Earth Object servations from his back yard obser- lites. “We’re not in any immediate Confirmation Page (NEOCP) of the Cosmic ray ob- 3 vatory south of Topeka, amateur danger. Virtual mathematics gives the Center. He takes one astronomer Gary Hug discovered an chance of a hit at 77,000 to 1, but the with an orbit that is only vaguely servatory student comparable to the meteorite chance over several centuries that known and by tracking it over the experience that would hit Russia in February something could occur is there,” says course of several nights helps refine 2013. Hug. the data and project its orbit with more accuracy. There are not a lot of peo- Where to see 3 Hug’s find is a little bigger than the The drier and clearer winter months ple worldwide working on asteroids— meteorites in Russian one, (which NASA info says are good for observing, and in Janu- a half-dozen surveys and about two was 18 meters) almost 60 feet across. ary 2013, Hug discovered asteroid dozen universities. “We can always Kansas He reported it immediately to the 2013 AS27. An educated guess is that use more help,” says Hug. Minor Planet Center (MPC) at the it is 160-340 meters across. This take- Asteroid Fast 3 Smithsonian Astrophysical Observato- out-a-country-sized asteroid is, fortu- Asteroids generally are in a belt be- ry. During the next 30 hours, dozens nately, about 5 million miles away this tween Jupiter and Mars. Over 99.9 Facts of other observatories around the time around the Sun according to percent are well-behaved, following a world confirmed the object. Hug. basically circular orbit. “A few rene- gades bump around or are affected by The rough mathematical estimate An amateur astronomer for the last 40 some gravitational influence and veer Interstellar R & D 4 gives Hug’s asteroid, name 2012 years, Hug made these discoveries off into different orbits or directions. SY49, the potential to orbit as close while doing follow-up observations on It’s these less than one percent that as 20,000 miles above the Earth— other asteroids listed on a scientific “Discovers” cont. page 3

Headline Story Inside

Page 2 Ad Astra Kansas News Spring 2013

Meet Our Board

Steve Durst is editor and publish- Mark Smith: “I am a father of Margaret Hennessey- er at Space Age Publishing Compa- four, a proud Kansan, a Marine Springe is the Director of Educa- ny in Hawai`i and California, and a Corps veteran and a graduate of tion at the Kansas Children's Dis- founder and director of its affiliated Washburn University. I earned a PhD covery Center (KCDC) in Topeka. International Lunar Observatory in experimental particle physics from She is responsible for the creation Association / Galaxy Forum, Stanford Kansas State University. Since 2009, and implementation of educational on the Moon, and Ad Astra Kansas I’ve been a faculty member at Wash- curriculum and programs at initiatives. burn University.” KCDC.

Smith has been instrumental in the Prior to her work at KCDC, Ms. Steve’s appreciation for Kansas – annual Ad Astra Kansas Day Space Hennessey Springe owned and mid-way USA, the heartland and the Celebration at Washburn since its operated “Art to Educate,” an art- breadbasket – provides support for start in 2010, contributing his time, based educational program for interstellar R&D, inspired by the Ad astronomy expertise and administra- children grades Pre‐K – 5. She has Astra Per Aspera state motto and by tive skills to this successful event. created and taught hundreds of considerations for America and multi‐disciplinary classes through- Humanity’s long-range future. out the region that utilize art to Above: Steve Durst reinforce the K‐12 Kansas Stand-

(left) with former ards. She serves on the Kansas Heather Mull assists with business Next Generation Science Standards Kansas state senator development and project documenta- (NGSS) review committee, a lead Steve Morris tion at Fundamental Technologies, state agency, to provide leadership LLC, a software development and to the writers and to other states as data analysis firm in Lawrence, Kan- they consider adoption of the sas. Prior to joining Fundamental NGSS. Technologies in 2009, she owned a successful marketing communica- tions company, taught business communications for National Semi- nars, a Division of Rockhurst Univer- sity Continuing Education Center, Inc., and was Editor-in-Chief of The Colorado Real Estate Journal.

Right: Mark Smith, Heather Mull. Far right: Margaret Hennessey-Springe

KU researchers seen on Weather Channel series “Forecasting the End”

LAWRENCE--Three KU faculty some unusual cases the radiation life on Earth is a great increase in members appeared in the March 21 goes out in narrow jets that can ultraviolet radiation brought about by episode of the new Weather Chan- cause damage to a planet thousands damage to the ozone layer resulting nel series “Forecasting the End.” The of light years away. from the radiation. episode was entitled “Gamma Ray The KU group Burst.” “One can show that the Earth should The KU group has become the world have been hit by such a jet multiple leader in the analysis of possible The researchers are Bruce Lieber- times during the geological past, damage to Earth by radiation bursts. has become the man, professor of ecology and evolu- from such a distance as to likely In a January report on possible glob- tionary biology; Adrian Melott, phys- cause mass extinction [or] the sud- al disasters, the British journal Na- ics and astronomy; and Brian Thom- den loss of a large fraction of the ture devoted one-third of its citations world leader in as, associate professor of physics species that live on Earth,”said to the KU work. and astronomy at Washburn Univer- Melott. analysis of sity and adjunct associate professor Thomas added that televising results at KU. Melott said mass extinctions have of these kinds of scientific investiga- come on average around once per tion has special value. possible The series chronicles natural disas- 25 million years. ters that occur only occasionally, but “TV is a great way to get science out cause severe problems, including The KU collaboration has advanced of the lab and into people’s homes,” damage to extinction of species. Each episode the idea that at least one mass ex- he said. “This gives them an oppor- is devoted to one kind of catastrophic tinction that occurred 445 million tunity to see scientists talking about event. years ago “and one of the worst” fits our work in our own words, support- Earth by the profile of what would be expected The KU group has focused on the from a hit by a nearby gamma-ray ed by engaging graphics and a story radiation bursts. kinds of events caused by influences burst. This involves the selective line. It’s vitally important that the from outside the Earth, particularly death of species that would be ex- public, which supports scientific bursts of radiation. The researchers posed to sunlight during part of their research through their tax dollars, said gamma-ray bursts are going off lives, a sudden glaciation, and a have an idea of what it is that we as all the time, several per day in the pattern of extinction that fits a burst scientists do.” observable universe. Such bursts that went off over the Earth’s South accompany the death of a star, but in Pole. The biggest effect damaging Volume 12, Issue 1 Page 3

Cosmic ray observatory provides hands-on experience for WSU senior

Wichita State University physics mic rays from outside our galaxy. them. As WSU designed the soft- South since better technology major Kristyn Harpool never thought ware program collecting the data, its is available. And with groups she’d be in the middle of a ranch In the first stage of this 25-year lab is the readout headquarters, and outside of Auger interested to surrounded by cacti. Never expected project, ten sealed water-filled tanks, will interpret the information when join with the new detectors we to be climbing into a water tank, 12 feet in diameter, each spaced received, to disseminate to the other want to keep the design un- sucking out water and patching with about a mile apart, are located a few collaboration members. “It makes it a fixed and hence leave off the sealer. And loving it. miles south of Lamar, Colo. These big team project rather than one word Auger. The Department of surface detector tanks detect shrink- team running it,” says Harpool. Energy has made a call for a It was this opportunity to do hands- off radiation as it hits the ground. major new project. A group of on physics work on the Pierre Auger Shrink-off radiation occurs when high “It exciting to collaborate with other about 1200 scientists are put- (pronounced oh zhay) North Obser- energy cosmic ray particles break up scientists,” says Harpool. The WSU ting in a plan for a 100 mile x vatory project in eastern Colorado as they hit the earth’s atmosphere. team has been Solomey, Dr. Holger 100 mile detector on the Colo- that drew the senior to a physics Also sensitive photomultiplier tubes Meyer and engineering student rado-Kansas-Texas-Oklahoma major two years ago—and to the will detect little blue flashes of shrink- Nathan Alexander. border.” rangeland. off light particles. This data is relayed to WSU, the data headquarters. The “Definitely don’t rule out science A graduate of Moundridge High goal is to collect information to help because you are a minority or think School, “I always kind of liked sci- explain high energy situations in the you might be ignored,” says Harpool. ence, how or why things worked. I universe--for example the high ener- “This one of the best decisions I have planned on going into medicine, then gy emitted by black holes. made. It has opened opportunities. If went to Max Planck Institute for you are willing to work, and interest- Nuclear Physics in Germany one As with all new projects, adjustments ed in learning new things, go for it. summer, and got to work with the are being made, solutions devised Everyone is willing to help you to mass spectrometer in physics,” she for concerns such as protection from learn and get better.” says. That sold her on physics. As a freezing--a problem not present at sophomore , she found out about the the companion Auger South Obser- NOTE: This project is in transition, hands-on experience available with vatory in Argentina. Hence, the according to a just-received e-mail Auger from Dr. Nick Solomey, WSU hands-on work inside the water tank. from Dr. Solomey— lead scientist on the project. Each of the six universities partici- “We are not calling [the project] This observatory is different from the pating in this project has specific Auger North any more because we are doing research now for the next usual optic one, both in appearance duties. WSU is currently redesigning Harpool repairing the inside and purpose. This one studies the the electronic data boards for trans- large cosmic ray experiment which highest energy level and rarest cos- mitting data. Michigan Tech will build might not look anything like Auger of a surface detector tank

“Discovers” cont. from page 1

we’re interested in because they may Hug, a retired machinist, built his Northeast Kansas Amateur affect us,” says Hug. Sandlot Observatory (see right) in Astronomers League, Inc. rural Scranton. The 1500 pound (NEKAAL) The main asteroid belt has about remote controlled telescope has a 6000,000 asteroids whose orbits are circle drive and a 22 inch diameter Founded 1978 known. Probably another 600,000 lens. “It’s all about diameter size in down to 100 meters wide have yet to optics,” he says. His telescope can Welcomes amateur astronomers be discovered, according to Hug. see to a 21-21.6 magnitude. ”A 6 of all expertise levels Asteroids can range from about 700 magnitude is barely visible to the miles in diameter (and are called naked eye. We go 2 1/2 times dim- Owns and runs Farpoint Obser- dwarf planets) down to a few meters. mer with each magnitude,“ says Hug. vatory, Eskridge About 70 percent are a mixed bag of silicates and carbon materials with Hug is a member of the Northeast History of discovering aster- small amounts of iron. About 25 to 30 Kansas Amateur Astronomy League oids—participated in NASA Near percent are near totally iron. Tons (NEKAAL) and was principal investi- Earth Object (NEO) Following and tons of asteroid dust or small gator for a NASA Near Earth Object Program for three years. Nearly meteorites shower the Earth daily, Following Program for three years at 5,000 NEOs turned into MPC by unseen by us. Farpoint Observatory, Eskridge. Farpoint Asteroid Search Team (FAST)

Cool item: the observatory What is the difference? Where can I see houses the 27” Clyde Tombaugh meteorites in Kansas? mirror on permanent loan from Asteroid: A small, inactive, rocky body KU orbiting the sun Kansas Meteorite Museum, Meteroid:A small particle from an Haviland—Meteorite fragments Outreach: asteroid orbiting the sun scattered thousands of years ago Presentations Meteor: A light phenomena occurring around Brenham, Kansas. First Star Parties when a meteorite burns up in discovered by settlers in the 1880s, Observatory Open Houses the Earth’s atmosphere—a well-known by the 1920s, fragments Asteroid Research shooting star are still found every year. Interested? Go to Meteorite: A meteoroid that survives its Big Well Museum, Greensburg— www.nekaal.org passage through the Earth’s atmosphere and hits the The “Space Wanderer”, a 1000 Kansas Meteorite Museum ground pound pallasite meteorite was un- owner Don Stimpson with a covered in 1949 in Kiowa County. It Source: NASA facts is on display at the museum large Brenham meteorite fragment found in 2009

Page 4 Spring 2013 INTERSTELLAR R & D Ad Astra Kansas News

This “Interstellar R&D” feature in the Ad Astra Kansas News twenty-third issue continues an enterprise to research and gather information on the most important developments preparatory to humanity’s greatest adventure—voyaging to the stars. Now, at the millennium’s turn, is an appropriate time for grand vision and forward thinking, and there are strong signs of a renaissance in interstellar travel thought and activity. This new feature and newsletter, thus, now set forth to develop a national / international / global clearing center and storehouse of knowledge and know-how for travel to the stars: Ad Astra— Published through the Ad Astra Initiative of Steve Durst, Michelle Gonella Space Age Publishing Company 480 California Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94306 Observation Communication Transportation

Optical Communications Steadily Kansas: An Interstellar Kansas, USA Exploration Center? Astronomy Resources Improve

Ad Astra State Kansans mindful of Interstellar communications is clearly There’s a spot in Lebanon, Kansas one of the key technologies required which is marked as the geographic Editor / Publisher : Steve Durst the State Motto naturally look up to the sky and to the Galaxy Stars for humans to explore and populate center of the contiguous United [email protected] beyond. deep space. The signal received from States of America; the creators of Managing Editor: Jeanette Steinert Voyager 2 – as it passed Neptune – Google Earth have chosen Law- [email protected] The ample number of Kansas astron- would have been 81 million times rence, Kansas as the center point of omy societies, observatories, univer- weaker if it had been sent from Alpha planet Earth. While these designa- Michelle Gonella, Space Age sity astrophysics centers, and astro- Centauri. Already, the Voyager tions are to some extent arbitrary, Publishing Co. related activities reflect general spacecraft’s 23-watt signal has there is no doubt that Kansas is Webmaster: Ken Moum public awareness and appreciation spread to over 1,000 times Earth’s central – both historically and geo- for the State’s inspiring, directional diameter by the time it reaches us. graphically – to the dreams, hopes motto. and aspirations of this country. “Optical”, or “Laser” Communication Astronomy clubs in Kansas that systems offer a number of benefits for The Kansas Historical Society lists feature meetings, star parties and interstellar travel. First, data could be eight major industries in Kansas, astronomy programs include Astron- transmitted as much as 100 times including aviation, mining and rail- omy Associates of Lawrence, North faster, while antennas could be re- roads. These particular industries Central Kansas Astronomical Society duced to be only 1% of their current seem to complement the State Motto of Manhattan, Salina Astronomy size. The reduction in weight alone – “Ad Aspera Per Aspera” – and Club, Heartland Astronomical Re- makes the laser systems attractive for almost form a natural framework for search Team and Northeast Kansas deep space missions. interstellar exploration to eventually Amateur Astronomers League of be the defining industry of the State Topeka, and Kansas Astronomical Laser data transmissions also offer of Kansas, especially with Wichita Observers of Wichita. enhanced security, due to the narrow- producing the most aircraft in the ly focused beam. It is this same world. Many of the clubs, colleges and narrow beam that requires additional universities own and / or operate fine tuning however, as the pointing Someday, interstellar spacecraft will astronomical facilities such as Mabee mechanism must be highly accurate. carry humans to a new frontier of Observatory at Bethel College, Earl For interstellar applications, pointing opportunity – as did the railroads – Bane Observatory at Cloud County may be based on the Sun-illuminated and mining along the frontier will Community College, Farpoint Obser- Earth or background stars. An even provide sustenance. vatory at Eskridge, Pittsburg State greater benefit may be gained from We’re on the web @ University – Astronomical Observato- deploying a FOCAL probe, which A mathematician at Kansas State ry of Greenbush, Banner Creek Www.adastra-ks.org would utilize the natural gravitational University, Dr. Louis Crane, believes Science Center / Observatory in lens of the Sun. the ability to create and control black Holton, Powell Observatory in Louis- holes may be the key to interstellar burg, Crane Observatory of Wash- Recent testing on the Moon has transportation. He wonders how one burn University in Topeka, and Lake yielded encouraging results. NASA’s might convert radiation output from a Afton Public Observatories of Wichita LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) black hole into an exhaust stream State University. recently received an image of the with useful properties. Higher and professional astronomy Mona Lisa via laser transmission. education is offered by the Physics Additional testing will be done with the Already, the first spacecraft to leave and Astronomy departments of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environ- the solar system and traverse deep University of Kansas in Lawrence, ment Explorer (LADEE) and the Laser space is being closely monitored by Washburn University in Topeka, and Communications Relay Demonstra- Kansas Professor Emeritus Tom Fort Hays State University, and tion (LCRD) is scheduled for 2017. Armstrong, who worked with Van related Aerospace education by Allen and designed one of the key Wichita State University. science instruments on Voyager, which launched in 1977. Today, his The Kansas Cosmosphere and Lawrence-based company, Funda- Space Center of Hutchinson is mental Technologies, still analyzes astounding both for its very existence Voyager’s transmissions. in the modest farm town, and for its extraordinary world class collections The 100-Year Starship Project fea- and exhibits of space transportation, tures these words on its website: “All space suits, and space-age technolo- the capabilities needed to accom- gies. plish human interstellar travel are the same ones required for successful AD ASTRA KANSAS human survival.” With the future of FOUNDATION the human race in the balance, a central repository – such as Kansas – may be the key to the future. The 100-Year Starship Project might look to Kansas as a resource and consid- er holding their next major confer- ence there.