Published by the Astronomical League Vol. 72, No. 1 December 2019

EXOPLANET NEWS AN ASTRONOMICAL VOYAGE TO CHILE GRAVITATIONAL LENSES Contents 2020 Calendar

Amateur Shrine to the Get Off the Beaten Path Fast Facts Stellafane t, a quiet revolution A century ago in Springfield, Vermon in astronomy took place. Led by Russell W. Porter, a STELLAFANE IS BORN ered a class in small group of hobbyists refined and promoted amateur In 1920, Russell Porter (above left) off n Springfield, telescope making into a worldwide phenomenon. Those telescope making to a group of 16 peopleer was idetermined Vermont. Primarily self-taught, Port first Springfield Telescope Makers held a convention arned so others could build their STELLAFANE CONVENTION to share what he had le n commercial ones were rare at their hilltop clubhouse, Stellafane (“Shrine to the zed by: Springfield Telescope own telescopes at a time whe Organi rticipants ground their own Stars”). The annual Stellafane convention Makers and prohibitively expensive. Pa ...... constructed mounts. The has become the oldest amateur 4 President’s Corner Location: Breezy Hill, Springfield, VT mirrors, built their tubes, and 1926 to meet, eventually becoming First Convention: July 3-4, group grew and continued astronomy gathering 1926: ~ 30; 2019: ~900 elescope Makers. They built a clubhouse in the world. Attendance: the Springfield T donated by Porter, cope Competition: ot of land Amateur Teles on Breezy Hill on a small pl ht) in 1926. Today, various optical and st convention (above rig ~20 awards in and held their fir making, but ies celebrates amateur telescope mechanical categor Stellafane still onomy is Website: Stellafane.org anyone with an interest in telescopes and astr August 13-16 2020 Convention Date: encouraged to attend. Join a Astronomy Tour 4 ...... From the New Editor vv

A DIFFERENT KIND OF ATM 5 ...... Dues Notice Stellafane After nearly a century, the heart and soul of escope makers (ATMs) is still the creativity and skill of amateur tel nd mechanical handiwork and compete each THE ONLY THING CONSTANT... who display their optical a mpling of the variety of ident than on the for awards in numerous categories. Here is a sa dmired by throngs of Stellafaners. Nowhere are Stellafane’s traditions more pink ev clubhouse and the telescopes built by innovative ATMs and a pmann medial refractor; summit of Breezy Hill, where the iconic ed, for close Clockwise from top right: a 6-inch f/12-inch Schu f/15 Alvan Clark refractor replica; Porter Turret Telescope have stood, nearly unchangtage point a 12.5-inch f/4.5 Newtonian-Dobsonian; a 6 . These views, taken from the same van f/4.7 Newtonian-Dobsonian shaped like to a century 13), illustrate a fully-machined Catadioptric; a 10-inch nch f/12 but separated in time by six decades (1954 and 20 a Tardis; a 12.5-inch f/2.8 Newtonian Dobsonian; an 8-i 5 ...... RTMC Astro Expo Closes Shop the timeless appeal of amateur telescope making. Newtonian on a hybrid equatorial mount.

September 2020 S M T W T F S In 1989, the original 1 2 3 4 5 12 July 2020 6 7 8 9 10 11 Stellafane site at 19 Join astronomer Stephen James ...IS CHANGE 13 14 15 16 17 18 W T F S S M T the summit of Breezy 24 25 26 African Stargazing Safari 1 2 3 4 20 21 22 23 Stellafane is linked to the past, but not 11 28 29 30 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hill was designated 27 18 chained to it. In the 1980s, 40 acres 12 13 14 15 16 17 afane East,” a 25 a National Historic ...... Save 25% 19 20 21 22 23 24 were purchased for “Stell August 2020 5 31 New AL Secretary 27 28 29 30 Landmark. short walk from the clubhouse. There, 26 Saturday the McGregor observatory (above left) Thursday Friday housing a 13” Schupmann refractor, Wednesday Jupiter 1.5° north of Moon n 2006, a 10” Tuesday ide was dedicated in 1995. I Sunday Monday August Sky Gu 1 ’s glare most of this month. • Mercury is lost in the O’Meara in wildlife-rich Botswana Cassegrain telescope was added to in the southeastern sky as • Jupiter and Saturn can be seen midnight. The sible in the south around nd the Breuning Observatory there (above night falls, and are vi st/2 . y n the evening of the 1 middle). In 2016, the Simoni Observator Moon is below Jupiter o h at is visible high in the sout July 17–23, 2020 nd midnight and th • Mars rises arou . and its spectrohelioscope were dedicated se by on the morning of the 9 dawn. The Moon is clo born ky before sunrise. Look 1818: Maria Mitchell near the clubhouse (above right). the eastern s Lunar Orbiter V launched • Venus is easy to see in on the morning 1967: nds 1968: Saturn V production e $ for a beautiful pairing with a crescent Moon B lifting body glide test 1973: First X-24 14.95 of the 15th, just to the left of the bright stars of . RUSSELL W. PORTER Neptune 4° north of Moon 8 ...... 7 6 6 Call for Officer Nominations Born in 9 AM ET Full Moon 11:5 5 Springfield, Mercury 7° south of Pollux 4 for evening stargazing and daytime o 1.1° north of Moon Plut 3 Vermont in Saturn 2° north of Moon 2 1877, Russell W. Porter was enus 2 launched 1978: Pioneer-V nched an artist, Hipparcos observatory lau PAGE 8 ed; first full- 1989: aunch nched a launched architect, 1961: Vostok 2 l tov 1959: Explorer 6 lau 1989: STS-28 Columbi ace mission; Gherman Ti 7 launched acecraft launched human sp 1969: Zond ration 2001: Genesis sp engineer, polar 1930: Neil Armstrong born eep in space Viking 1 orbiter ceases ope Endeavour launched es sixth astronaut test first person to sl oratory rover 1980: ched 2007: STS-118 explorer, 1967: NASA announc 1966: Final M2-F1 glide 2012: Mars Science Lab 1997: STS-85 Discovery laun or less iner 7 flies by Mars lands on Mars ed class 1969: Mar Curiosity and amateur : MESSENGER spacecraft launch First Ariane 3 launched o spacecraft launched Venus 4° south of Moon Falcon 2004 1984: aunched 2011: Jun nary mer. 1971: Apollo 15 lunar module to Mercury 2007: Phoenix Mars Lander l Uranus statio astrono first televised lunar liftoff e shuttle repair Perseid meteor shower 15 leaves Moon in 2005: First in-flight spac t elongation In 1923, he STS-43 Atlantis launched Venus greates 14 1991: t Qtr Moon 12:45 PM ET W) oon Las (46° 13 founded the Uranus 4° north of M Perseid meteor shower 12 Springfield Mars 0.8° north of Moon 11 Moon at apogee 10 safari drives at three luxury field Telescope Makers, the first club 9 dedicated to mateura telescope lped popularize the on making, and he Hall discovers Deimos, mo hobby worldwide. In the 1930s, 1877: Asaph ...... of Mars ed 6 played an instrumental role 1960: Echo 1 satellite launch Full STEAM Ahead Porter nched 1962: Vostok 4 lau in the optical and mechanical 1977: HEAO-1 launched le Enterprise’s first glide test Hale Telescope ecomes first 1977: Shutt design of the 200” Discoverer 13 capsule b Mars Recon. Orbiter launched ied in nched 1960: 2005: unched on Mount Palomar. Porter d 1966: Lunar Orbiter I lau object recovered from orbit 2018: Parker Solar Probe la enters orbit around Venus aunched Moon at perigee Pasadena, California in 1949. B stage 1990: Magellan ed 1962: Vostok 3 l 1965: First static test of SIV- 2001: STS-105 Discovery launch 22 launched 21 1976: Luna 24 41 PM ET ction New Moon 10: 20 Mercury in super ior conjun 18 19 camps. Only 16 spaces available! 16 17

r a X-15 sets world altitude record fo The Year in clipse leads to discovery 1963: eet) 1868: Total solar e winged craft (354,000 f of helium First Redstone rocket launched ini V launched turns soil samples from vers Phobos, moon orn 1953: 1965: Gem 1976: Luna 24 re 1877: Asaph Hall disco 1646: John Flamsteed b 1960: Sputnik 5 launched 1972: OAO-3 launched Moon Humason born ed rocket launched of Mars first 1891: Milton 1975: Viking 1 launch 2002: First Atlas V Discoverer XIV launched; unched; Svetlana ger 2 launched d 1960: tellite 1982: Soyuz T-7 la space 1977: Voya f Moon 1966: Pioneer 7 launche successful U.S. photo recon sa Savitskaya is second woman in Pluto 1.2° north o hed ht es at opposition f Moon glide 1970: Venera 7 launc 1993: First DC-X flig Cer Saturn 2° north o g body makes first ger 1 is 100 AU from Earth Jupiter 1.4° north of Moon 29 1963: M2-F1 liftin y a C-47 2006: Voya flight after being towed aloft b 28 7 ...... First Qtr Moon 1:58 PM ET 26 27 Night Sky Network 25 Optional extension to Victoria Falls. 23 24 1966: Lunar Orbiter I returns first image of Earth from Moon William Herschel discovers nson approves full- 1789: 1965: President Joh 1962: Mariner 2 launched Enceladus, moon of Saturn pment of MOL e program flies by asteroid Ida scale develo d 1984: Teacher In Spac 1993: Galileo probe 31 Apollo-Saturn 202 launche Discovery launched 30 1966: ast Saturn announced 2009: STS-128 1981: Voyager 2 flies p 1985: STS-51I Discovery launched ger 2 flies past Neptune launched 1989: Voya 1983: STS-8 Challenger 2003: Spitzer Space Telescope launched ret Telescope, 1984: STS-41D Discovery launched The optics of the odd-looking Porter-designed Tur Year In Space Fun Fact: the rotating dome, allowing mounted on a boom outside located in front of the clubhouse, are ce inside the building, sheltered from the cold. users to view through a stationary eyepie KEEPING BUSY ON BREEZY HILL Follow @YearInSpace on social media ...... ockwise from above left: early morning swap tables can 7 Activities new and old abound at Stellafane. Cl International Dark-Sky Association gear; under the dark rural Vermont night skies, stargazerss, Sign up for a FREE weekly newsletter at YearInSpace.com/free expensive astronomy s talks by scientist help you find in allenging objects; numerou compete in “Observing Olympics” to seend others ch entertain and inform the crowd. skyandtelescope.com/botswana2020 SPACEaccomplished amateur astronomers, a 2020 8 ...... Wanderers in the Neighborhood Wall Calendar 9 ...... Deep-Sky Objects

10 ...... Call for Award Nominations S&T’s 2020 solar eclipse cruise offers 2 2020 Eclipse Cruise: Chile, Argentina, PAGE 14 Enjoy this award-winning, large-format minutes, 7 seconds of totality off the and Antarctica 11 ...... All Things Astronomical space calendar all year long! coast of Argentina and much more: Nov. 27–Dec. 19, 2020 13 ...... ALCon 2020 Announcement • Over 120 space images Chilean fjords and glaciers, the • Sky events, space history, & more! legendary Drake Passage, and four days 14 ...... Gallery • Group discounts available amid Antarctica’s waters and icebergs. 18 ...... Chile: Connecting to the Cosmos See more at YearInSpace.com skyandtelescope.com/chile2020 22 ...... Gravitational Lenses

27 ...... Coming Events

28 ...... Observing Awards Total Solar Eclipse in Patagonia PAGE 18 29 ...... Sketching and Astronomy Day Awards December 9–18, 2020 Come along with Sky & Telescope to view this celestial Cover image: Bill Neubert (Astronomical Society of spectacle in the lakes region of southern Argentina. Eastern Missouri) captured this this image of Sharpless 101 Experience breathtaking vistas of the lush landscape from the Buford Mountain Conservation Area using a Stel- by day — and the southern sky’s incomparable stars by larvue SV80 with reducer (f/4.8 – 384mm) with a night. Optional visit to the world-famous Iguazú Falls. QSI 683wsg-8 camera. skyandtelescope.com/argentina2020

Astronomy Across Italy May, 2021 The Astronomical League Magazine As you travel in comfort from Rome to Florence, Pisa, and Pad- Vol. 72, No. 1 • ISSN: 0034-2963 • December 2019 ua, visit some of the country’s great astronomical sites: the Vat- A FEDERATION OF ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETIES ican Observatory, the Galileo Museum, Arcetri Observatory, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION and lots more. Enjoy fine food, hotels, and other classic Italian To promote the science of astronomy treats. Extensions in Rome and Venice available.Moved to May 2021 — • By fostering astronomical education, skyandtelescope.com/italy2020 new dates coming soon! • by providing incentives for astronomical observation and research, and See all S&T tours at skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-travel • By assisting communication among amateur astronomical societies. Astronomical League National Office: 9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64114

THE ASTRONOMICAL L EAGUE 3 zine, created by hard-working volunteers within Programs: Messier, Binocular Messier, Binocular become apparent that hosting further Astronomy the League. We can always use new material, and Double , Binocular , Outreach, and Expos is no longer feasible. We are heartened by President’s Corner remember, you get the bragging rights. Meteor. I therefore consider myself a dedicated the fact that both the 50th and 51st (2018 —Ron Kramer, AL President pro-am and will be bringing both sides of my and 2019) were well received and enjoyed by all QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE eptember and October have been rather busy. brain to my new role as Reflector editor. those who attended. Issued by the Astronomical League in March, June, September, and First, I spent several days at Okie-Tex, a n an effort to fulfill our commitment to you, We wish to thank all the past board mem- December, Reflector (ISSN: 0034-2963) is sent directly, either by S Smart Planning for Imaging postal mail or via a digital link, to each individual member of its great star party in western Oklahoma, just across our valued members and readers, to pro- bers and the many volunteers who helped put affiliate societies and to members-at-large as a benefit of League I From the People don't usually plan their imaging beyond membership. Individual copies of Reflector are available at the the New Mexico border. Several of the evenings duce a high-quality, engaging, and informative on this event for 51 amazing years. To the many following subscription rates, payable to the League’s national office. finding objects that pass high in the sky. This is were windy, but the skies were beautiful, the food magazine in a timely fashion, we are taking the vendors, who’ve come to share their products, to because they don't have enough information. PAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS: bountiful, and the people friendly. I even won a New Editor Every camera and telescope combination is perhaps radical step of streamlining our process the thousands of attendees, and to all our various USA & possessions: $3.00 each or $10.00 per year (4 issues) different. Every object in the sky is different. Canada: $5.00 each or $16.00 per year pair of Celestron 15x70 binoculars as a door prize. and working with a smaller rather than larger sponsors, thank you for supporting us through the Mexico: $6.00 each or $22.00 per year Basic questions arise that have no clear answers. Other countries: $7.00 each or $25.00 per year Next, in October we had the AAVSO 108th team. I will also be making changes behind the years. Thank you to all the speakers and present- How long to expose to get a nice image? What DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: annual convention in Las Cruces, where I live. scenes that should greatly help us keep to our ers we’ve had through the years for sharing your sub exposure time to use? What order to All countries, possessions, and territories: $10.00 per year observe the filters in? How much moonlight is Assistant editor of the Reflector, Kristine Larsen, timeline. The Reflector is your magazine, and we wonderful knowledge. Thank you to YMCA Camp allowed for a narrow band filter to still get a REFLECTOR AND CLUB ROSTER DEADLINES was given the AAVSO Director’s Award for her truly value your input. Please let us know what Oakes for hosting our event for over 40 years in good result? March issue January 1 June issue April 1 outstanding work in astronomy. Congratulations, we are doing well, what we need to do better, the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains. Large professional observatories have special September issue July 1 purpose software that can answer these December issue October 1 Kristine! Very well deserved. and what you would like to see in the future (for We’ve made many memories, friends, and dis- questions. Now, you too can have the answers Written and graphic material from this publication may be reprinted only example, new columns or topics). If you have ever for non-profit benefit of interested parties, provided specific credit is given John Martin has accepted the position of coveries along the way. We will cherish them all. using SkyTools 4 Imaging. Now there is a tool to the writer(s), Reflector, and the Astronomical League. Any other use of considered submitting an article to be considered League IT manager, and is now responsible for Again, thank you so much for your support that can search every known object for the ones material, including graphics and photographs, is subject to express for publication, now is the time! I look forward to that are suitable for your imaging system, permission from the Editor and the Astronomical League. our website, web security, and other important and patronage through the years. We wish you all hearing from you and continuing the process of calculate the optimum filter order, and tell you NATIONAL OFFICERS aspects of information technology. He will be clear, dark skies, and bright futures! the right sub exposure times to use. Not only making the Reflector het very best astronomical that, but it can create mosaics graphically, President building his staff as we move forward. Also, —The Board of RTMC, Inc. Ron Kramer magazine it can be. organize your projects, track your progress, and 9520 Dragonfly Avenue • Las Cruces, NM 88012 Kristine Larsen has taken on the position of create a searchable archive of your images. 520-500-7295 • [email protected] Reflector editor, replacing John Martin. Please —Kristine Larsen, Reflector Editor Vice President What would you do with a tool like that? Carroll Iorg send all future submissions to Kristine at editor@ 9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100 • Kansas City, MO 64114; New Astronomical SkyTools 4 Imaging astroleague.org. 816-444-4878 • [email protected] (CCSU photo) Secretary Elections for League president and vice Skyhound.com Chuck Allen o start, I’d like to thank John Martin for his Important Notice 4005 St. Germaine Ct., Louisville, KY 40207 president will be held in 2020. If you are interest- League Secretary 502-693-5504 [email protected] hard work in this position. I am very pleased ed in either of these important positions, please T Treasurer that he is remaining a valued part of the Astro- CLUB TREASURERS AND ALCORS: Bill Dillon submit your photo and a 250-word résumé to 2020 Calendar 190 Settlers Road • Fincastle, VA 24090 nomical League team in the role of IT guru and John Goss at [email protected]. These will f your club has not yet paid its 2019–2020 703-674-8484 • [email protected] webmaster. Second, I would like to very publicly Executive Secretary be presented in a future issue of the Reflector. Astronomical League dues, please contact Big, Bright, and Burning Fast thank my partners in this endeavor, assistant I Wolf-Rayet Stars Fast Facts Maynard Pittendreigh In 1867, French astronomers Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet discovered three stars whose spectra displayed strong, the National Office at leagueoffice@astroleague. broad emission lines and few absorption lines—an 3208 Little Oak Way • Orlando, FL 32812 Remember, this is your League, and we need indication that they were markedly different from “typical” stars like our Sun. Wolf-Rayet stars, as they are now known, are massive stars that editor Kevin Jones, whom I have had the pleasure WOLF-RAYET 22 (WR 22) 770-237-2071 • [email protected] burn through their fuel at prodigious rates and at energy levels strong enough to shed their Location: Carina outer layers (the equival : 6.4 org as soon as possible. We are concerned that we ent of one Sun Distance: ~8,300 light-years volunteers to support it. every 100,000 years!), exposing deeper regions Type: Eclipsing binary where even higher energy fusion is taking Primary Star: Wolf-Rayet type WN7h Secondary Star: O-class star place. Often surrounded by nebulae such : 80.3 days National Office of working with these past six years, and Michael as NGC 2359 shown here, Wolf-Rayet WR Mass: 78 times the Sun’s mass WR Radius: 24 times the Sun’s radius stars are destined to live short lives that WR (total power ouput across all wavelengths): end in violent explosions. 2,000,000 haven’t heard from you, as the dues were payable times the Sun’s luminosity Mike Stoakes, Office Coordinator We are also still looking for someone with Patterson, who does the vital role of turning all WR Temperature: 44,700° Astronomical League National Headquarters five months ago. We know you want to continue 9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100 • Kansas City, MO 64114 successful grant-writing experience to help the A PACK OF WOLF-RAYETS the disparate pieces of the Reflector into a cohe- The intense radiation from Wolf-Rayet stars often interacts w surrounding interstellar medium as well as previously ejectedith the 816-DEEP-SKY material to create bubble- or crescent-shaped nebulae. From t SIZE MATTERS stellar Wolf-Rayet stars are among the most massive right: The crescent-shaped of NGC 3199 was first observop left to receiving AL benefits, including the Reflector, stars known, typically possessing at least 20 true nature as the bow shock surrounding a Wolf-Rayet star (W ed in 1826, but its times the mass of the Sun. Massive stars live the nebula AB7 in the Small Magellanic Cloud is the result of inten R 18) was not known until decades later; out their lives at an accelerated pace, burning and a massive O-type companion shaping the interst League obtain grants to support our activities. se radiation from a Wolf-Rayet star through their fuel more quickly than their smaller National office: [email protected] star is one of the hottest WR stars known, with a surfellar medium, and scientists suspect this particular counterparts. While a typical yellow dwarf star surrounding WR31a is estimated to have formed 20 ace temperature over 120,000°; the delicate bubble like our Sun may burn for 10 billion years, a Wolf- sive and attractive whole. km/h (13,670 mph); NGC 6888, also known as the,000 Crescen years ago and is expanding at a rate of 22,000 Rayet star may exhaust its fuel in perhaps a few constellation and the Wolf-Rayet star responsib t Nebula, is located 5,000 light-years away in the h u n d r e d th o u s a n d y e a r s . T h is im a g e c o m p a r e s Wolf-Rayet star WR 124 in the constellation Sagitta is sule for its creation some 250,000 years ago is known as WR 136; Society rosters: [email protected] the sizes of a typical star, a yellow rrounded by a nebula of expelled material known as M1-67, an without interruption – and we certainly don’t one of the fastest “runaway” stars in our , d dwarf (like our Sun), a blue of d the star is isplaying a of 200 km/s (125 mi/sec). eight solar , and the most massive star known, a Wolf-Rayet named R136A1 League sales: [email protected] If you have the qualifications, or know someone that has the mass of 300 . For those of you who don’t know me, I am a September 2020 S M T W T F S want to lose your club as an Astronomical League 1 2 3 4 5 6 November 2020 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 S M T W T F S 20 21 22 23 24 25 1 26 2 3 4 5 6 7 27 28 29 who can do this, please contact me at president@ 30 8 9 10 11 National Observing Program Coordinators October 2020 12 13 14 15 Save16 17 18 19 20 21 25% 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 DOUBLE (AND TRIPLE) TROUBLE 29 30 Sunday Monday long-time member of the Springfield Telescope Most Wolf-Rayets exist with another star in Tuesday Wednesday Cliff Mygatt Aaron B. Clevenson a binary system. The companion star may WR stars with millions Thursday Friday member! eventually have its mass stripped away, October Sky Guide Saturday of times the Sun’s energy • Mercury is lost in the Sun’s glare this Mercury greatest e longation (26° E) Venus 0.09° so uth of Regulus making the larger Wolf-Rayet even more month. Moon at apoge may not appear visually • Jupiter and Saturn are prominent in the south at nightfall. Full Moon 5:05 P M ET Mars 0.7° north of Moon e energetic. At least one system, however, Jupiter, on the right, is brighter. The Moon passes below the 1 2 brighter, because much of pair on the 22nd 3 astroleague.org. contains three stars: two Wolf-Rayets and a . • Mars reaches op the energy is in position this month on the 13th [email protected] [email protected] hot supergiant rapidly orbiting each other, around sunset and be visible most of the night., Theso it Moon will rise will be near it on the 28th or X-ray wavelengths. and 29th. 1897: creating a unique pinwheel nebula. Named Yerkes 40-inch refractor dedicated$ • Venus is in the predawn eastern sky all month. The waning 1958: NASA founded 1935: Charlie Duke born 1942: Apep, for the Egyptian god of chaos, the crescent Moon passes by on the 1 1962: 300-foot radio telescope at Green First V2 rocket launched 3th and 14th Bank goes into operation 1962: Sigma 7 launched Pluto stationary . 2010: 1967: X-15A-2 flies at Mach system is expected to generate a powerful Chang’e-2 spacecraft launched 14.95 6.7 Makers and have completed an 8-inch mirror and Uranus 3° north of Moon to Moon 1985: STS-51J Atlantis launched Mars closest ap proach 2018: MASCOT lander de gamma-ray burst at some point. 4 asteroid Ryugu ployed to 5 Draconid meteor s hower 6 Last Qtr Moon 8:39 P M ET 7 8 Draconid meteo r shower 9 10 MARGARET HUGGINS 1957: Astronomical League Historian Sputnik 1 launched; first artificial Earth satellite; Space Age begins 1882: Robert Goddard bo Born in 1848 in rn 1990: 1885: 1959: Luna 3 launched 1923: E. Hubble finds Cepheids in M-31 STS-41 Discovery launched Niels Bohr born Dublin, Margaret 2004: SpaceShipOne win 1962: European Southern Ob 1992: NASA and RASA 1959: Luna 3 returns first images of the s X Prize servatory sign Human lunar far side lans for ALCon2020, to be held in Albu- Huggins followed World Space Week begins founded Spaceflight Agreement to share 1984: STS-41G Challenger astronauts and cosmonauts 2002: STS-112 Atlantis launched or less a path that was launched 2008: MESSENGER s 2010: Soyuz TMA-01M l econd Mercury flyby aunched carrying 1846: unconventional ISS Expedition 25/26 crew William Lassell discovers Triton 1873: Ejnar Hertzsp 1604: Kepler’s Supernov 1980: Very Large Array dedicated Mars at oppo sition rung born 2009: a observed 1983: telescope. My 12.5-inch mirror is in the figuring for a woman Mercury stationary LCROSS detects water on the Moon Venera 15 orbits Venus 11 Venus 4° south of Moon 2007: ISS Expedition 1 of her time. 12 6 crew launched Mike Stewart 913-240-1238 13 New Moon 3:31 PM ET • [email protected] She was a 14 Moon at perigee Mercury 7° south of Moon self-taught 15 astronomer who 16 17 1968: Apollo 7 launched built her own 1964: 1969: Soyuz 6, 7 and 8 inspace at once Voskhod 1 launched; first three- spectroscope 1994: Magellan mission ends person space flight 1977: while studying 2000: STS-92 Discovery launched Shuttle Enterprise’s first glide test the works of the leading 2005: Shenzhou 6 launched without aerodynamic tailcone 1773: Charles Messier obs 2008: 1933: erves M-51 2018: Soyuz MS-10 launched carrying ISS ISS Expedition 18 launched British Interplanetary Society astronomers of the time, including Exp 57/58, launch abo Thanksgiving Day (Canada) founded 1947: World’s first supersonic flight rt Columbus Day 1968: Apollo 7 live TV b 1957: USAF announces 1829: Asaph Hall born William Huggins, whom she married roadcast 1983: Dyna-Soar 1997: querque, New Mexico, from July 16 to 18, 2004: Expedition 10 crew launched Venera 16 arrives in orbit around Cassini-Huygens launched in 1875. During her career, she Venus 2003: Shenzhou 5 launched; Yang Liwei and her husband worked as a team, becomes first Chinese astronaut 1956: Mae Jemison born becoming pioneers in the field 18 Orionid meteor show er 2016: Shenzhou-11 launc stage, and I already have a tube assembly ready 19 Ceres station ary hed of photographic spectroscopy, 20 Orionid mete or shower Saturn 3° north of Moon studying the spectra of many 21 Jupiter 2° north of M oon 22 First Qtr Moon 9: 23 AM ET P objects including Wolf-Rayet 23 stars. She died in 1915. 24 The1910: Subrahmanyan Ch Year in andrasekhar born 1967: 1967: Venera 4 makes first irectd studies of Mariner 5 flies past Venus Venus’s atmosphere 2005: Final Titan IV rocket launched 1989: STS-34 Atlantis 2016: ExoMars arrives at Mar 1923: First public planetarium launched 2016: s Deutsches Museu show, 1993: STS-58 Columbia launched Soyuz MS-02 launched carrying ISS m in Munich LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 2003: ISS Expedition E Expedition 49/50 1998: Hubble Heritage P 2136 BCE: First record of sola 1851: William Lassell discovers Uranus ight launched crew launched roject website 1905: r eclipse 1968: First powered flight of moons Umbriel & Ari 2018: BepiColombo spacecraft launched 1970: Zond 8 launched Karl Jansky born HL-10 lifting el 1995: STS-73 2008: Chandrayaan-1 lunar 1966: Luna 12 launched body 1946: First photo of Earth Mercury in inferior c Columbia launched probe 2007: 1968: taken from space onjunction launched 1975: Venera 9 orbits Venus STS-120 Discovery launched 199th and final X-15 flight are coming together. In addition to the usual 1992: STS-52 Columbia 2012: Soyuz TMA-06M laun 1998: Deep Space 1 launc Neptune 4° north of Moon launched ched carrying 2001: hed Noted with ISS Expedition 33/34 crew Mars Odyssey arrives at Mars 25 2007: Chang’e-1 spacecraft lau 26 Mars 3° north of M oon nched 27 Moon at apogee to house it once completed. I have served two 28 Uranus 3° north of Moo n 29 Full Moon 9:49 AM ET Send to [email protected] with subject line “letter to editor” 30 Uranus at oppositio n 31 1671: Giovanni Cassini discovers Iapetus, a moon of Saturn 1977: 1877: Henry Norris Russell born Fifth and final glide test of space 1975: Venera 10 lands on Venus shuttle Enterprise 2006: STEREO space 2004: Cassini spacec 1961: SA-1 launched; first Sat 1964: First LLRV flight craft launched raft completes first urn rocket 1971: 1987: 1981: Venera 13 launc 2005: NASA announces di flyby of Titan 2003: ISS Expedition Seven crew returns Britain launches its first satellite Cosmos 1894 becomes 2,000th hed scovery of to Earth after 184 days in orbit 1974: Luna 23 launched satellite 1985: STS-61A Challenger Pluto’s second and third moons 1991: 1997: launched 2006: NASA announces fi 2009: Ares I-X test flight Galileo flies past Gaspra First Ariane 5 rocket launched fth and final 1998: STS-95 Discovery 2005: Soyuz TMA-7 launc Hubble servicing mission launched Expedition 12 crew hed carrying ISS 2014: SpaceShipTwo c meetings and presentations, an ALCon Jr. will be Halloween rash kills one pilot IN SEARCH OF WOLF-RAYETS Because of their short lifespans, Wolf-Rayet stars Year In Space Fun Fact: The Gamma Velorum quadruple star system, just over 1,000 l years on the STM board of trustees, and since our galaxy. Identifying Wolf-Rayets in other galaxiesare rare, is there with only about 600 known in years away and visible to the naked eye, contains the closes ight- because their spectra are so faint. Nonetheless, ma fore important, but it is difficult with a mass equal to 36 Suns, but now is onlyt Wolf-Rayet 9 times a star; it began its life identified in “starburst” like SBS 1415+437ny extra-galactic(left) and Wolf-Rayets have been s m a s s iv e a s th e S u n . NGC 300 (right) shown here. Follow @YearInSpace on social media REFLECTOR STAFF held at the same time, offering students the op- 2012 have been the co-coordinator of program- Sadness SPACEO rd e r y o u r 2 0 2 1 c a le n d a r n o w a t Y e a rI n S p a c e .c o m huck Allen, a past League president (1998– 2020 Managing Editor Design/Production portunity to build a 6-inch Newtonian telescope ming for the annual Stellafane Convention (which Wall Calendar Ron Kramer Michael Patterson 2002), is now secretary of the Astronomi- Mobile: 520-500-7295 [email protected] on a Dobsonian mount. The ready-to-use mirrors I hope you read about in the previous issue of the C [email protected] RTMC ASTRONOMY EXPO ENDS cal League. He has served on council for 17 years, Advertising Representative and pre-cut plywood mount material come from Reflector). My “day” job is astronomy professor Editor Carla Johns e, the current Board of RTMC, Inc., have is a former Great Lakes chair, and currently serves Kristine Larsen 970-567-8878 Rob Teeter, who will join us at the event. Peggy at Central Connecticut State University, a position [email protected] [email protected] made the difficult decision that 2019 was as Great Lakes treasurer. Enjoy this award-winning, large-format Walker is organizing the event in conjunction with I have held for 30 years. I am also deeply involved W space calendar all year long! Assistant Editor Coming Events Editor the last year that the Astronomy Expo will be held. Kevin Jones John Wagoner the Albuquerque Astronomical Society (TAAS) and with the American Association of Variable Star Ob- Chuck founded the League’s 27-year-old Na- • Over 120 space images [email protected] [email protected] it promises to be a major event. More information servers, having served as its president from 2015 Many contributing factors have led us to this tional Young Astronomer Award in 1991, chairing • Sky events, space history, & more! Photo Editor • Group discounts available Dan Crowson can be found this this issue. to 2018. I am currently co–section leader of the difficult and disappointing decision. We have the program until 1998. He received the League’s [email protected] tried to navigate these challenges while exper- G.R. Wright Award for service in 1998, holds the Finally, consider writing an article or submit- AAVSO Solar Section and secretary of the board of See more at YearInSpace.com ting a photo for the Reflector. This is your maga- directors. I have completed several AL Observing imenting with many new ideas. However, it has League’s Master Outreach Award with over 900

4 REFLECTOR ✶ DECEMBER 2 0 1 9 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 5 hours logged, and is also a League Master Observ- This workshop will be led by a man who Conference to be held June 12–14, 2020 in Okla- women in astronomy. Looking at Saturn in the the Pacific. There are new workshops announced er, completing his Master – Silver level in 2019. designed and built a scope in high school and homa. She will be staffing the youth conference telescope? We might want to mention Carolyn every quarter! The IAU has created inclusive- Full STEAM Ahead displayed it at a Stellafane convention. Did I men- that will run parallel to the adults’ conference. Porco, the “Queen of the Rings,” who led the astronomy.org, a fantastic resource for those huck served as president of the Louisville C Astronomical Society from 1991 to 1994 tion he won an award for that back in 1998? This Abby is science to math and all points in between imaging team on the Cassini mission! Or when looking to help support underrepresented groups and took over as program director for the Evans- “GIVE THE SCOPES TO THE KIDS – event would later spark the business of Teeter’s – she fully embodies STEAM. talking about the Juno mission to Jupiter, mention in astronomy. Outreach folks may find the ville Astronomical Society in 2019. In 1992, he THEY’LL KNOW WHAT TO DO” Telescopes. If anybody follows Rob Teeter’s —Peggy Walker that it was Charlene Valerio who orchestrated inclusive outreach event planning page especially Facebook page, you will see an artist and artisan its orbit around the gas giant. These are small handy (bit.ly/eventsforall). co-founded the 28-year-old Stars-at-the-Beach had a revelation a couple of months ago: a long- at work, using beautiful wood stains and finishes moments that encourage girls and women to see event at Patoka Lake in Indiana. He is also a past time “outreacher” told me that “STEAM is not a We’re always learning! Share any techniques I with metallic and colorful tubes with etched or themselves as part of science. judge and judge leader in Earth and Space Science thing anymore. The kids are bored with it all. They that work well for making your club more inclusive for the Intel International Science and Engi- laser-cut metal pieces. Rob posts videos of how Night Sky Network by sending your story to nightskyinfo are no longer interested.” e sure to take a look at ways we may unin- neering Fair, and a past director of the Louisville he uses a software-driven computer numerical @astrosociety.org. “I come up with my own activities,” I replied, tentionally be biased in our outreach. Are Regional Science Fair. control (CNC) machine to cut the bases. By pairing oes your astronomy club membership reflect B and was told, so did they – “It’s on its way out.” carefully selected stains and finishes to the color our astronaut examples always men? Do we Chuck graduated from Duke University (BA) in your community? Does it skew older and The next day I met a man with his junior high of the metal and tubes, we could say Rob was D expect that all children are going to be equally 1970, served as a United States Air Force officer whiter and more male? Your club is not alone! But school–aged son. The man told me that his wife as excited about space or do we assume differ- International Dark- STEAMing it long before it became a thing. from 1970 to 1974, and graduated from the Uni- there are clubs that do reflect the diversity of the had made him take their son to a star party. I ences in their interest before you talk to them? A versity of Kentucky College of Law (JD) in 1977. communities they serve. Find out what they do asked why. He said, “Our son is too addicted simple way to dispel any preconceived notions is differently and how your club can become more Sky Association He practiced law as a partner with Kentucky’s to technology and his mom wanted him to go to ask questions of the people approaching your largest law firm for 27 years. inclusive and welcoming to all of your community. outdoors and do some science.” And there it is telescope; even something as simple as, “Have An amateur astronomer since age 7, Chuck folks. The reality is that astronomy is competing Let’s start at the beginning. What is inclusivi- you ever looked through a telescope before?” will JOURNAL OF DARK SKY STUDIES began giving public programs at age 12, received with technology, iPhones, gaming, virtual reality ty? Inclusivity means just what it sounds like: the start a conversation and give you more informa- he University of Utah has just launched the the League’s Advanced Junior Certificate in 1965, glasses, robotics, and 3-D printing. Seems STEAM practice of including as many people as possible tion about where to meet your visitors. She may Tonline Journal of Dark Sky Studies (JDSS). and attended his first ALCon in 1965. has become TEM. We need to fight for astron- by being welcoming to people from various back- turn out to have a telescope at home and help you The journal is housed at the University of Utah’s omy’s “S” – science – and in doing so, it needs grounds, ages, races, genders, and abilities. There point out ! Consortium for Dark Sky Studies, and is dedicated to become hands-on and fun at some level. As are no magic buttons that will make your club If we keep doing the same outreach, we will to light pollution research, important impact Call for I continue to conduct outreach, I have kids who more inclusive; it’s a practice that we get better at continue to have clubs that look like they do now. stories, and the culture of the night sky. JDSS want to use our scopes, and some of them just over time. As a society, we have a lot of ingrained Having conversations, not simply talking at our debuted at the 68th United Nations Civil Society automatically look through the Telrad and point practices, speech patterns, and learned behaviors Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 26-28, Nominations that benefit some people and exclude others. 2019, and coincided with the start of the first the scope. John Dobson was right – the kids do know what to do. Rob Teeter These practices are generally not intentional, but class in dark sky studies at the Consortium. they still exist, and can still be harmful regardless he two-year terms of the offices of president elescope making has been around for Daniel Mendoza is the editor of the journal. lso joining the ATM workshop at ALCon Jr. of intent. Tand vice president end on August 31, 2020. If centuries, and at one time, doing it yourself 2020 is a student from Oklahoma named He is the co-director of the Consortium and one T A We can work towards practicing more wel- you are interested in using your talents to serve was the only way to get a telescope. Back in the Abby Bollenbach, AL’s 2018 Horkheimer/Smith of the core faculty members in dark sky studies. coming outreach, keeping in mind our diverse in either one of these two important positions, we 1960s, amateur telescope making (ATM) became Award winner. Abby is not only an active astron- He also holds joint appointments in the Depart- audiences. Let’s look at some concrete examples. would like to hear from you. Please volunteer! more popular due to John Dobson (of course), as omer, she also plays the piano, dances ballet, ment of Atmospheric Sciences and the Division of Do some younger folks come to your talks and For specific information regarding the duties well as the televised lunar landings and active works in a biology lab, and is pursuing an astro- Pulmonary Medicine. According to Mendoza, “the seem absorbed by their phone while the speaker and responsibilities of the president and vice NASA programs. Amateur telescope making is be- physics career. She has personally supported the journal will appeal both to people who have no is presenting? What can appear offensive to some president, please refer to the League’s bylaws, coming a dying art; many great folks have passed ATM workshop by selling an impressive number of idea what dark sky studies are and to people who might actually be that person sharing details which can be accessed on the League website on, and the relevant skillsets are no longer as calendars in her area. Abby also is an Internation- actively research and advocate for dark skies.” about the event with others. Instead of chastising at astroleague.org. popular as they once were. My mission is to bring al Mars Generation Ambassador, and an Explore The JDDS boasts a distinguished editorial board, them, after the lecture say “hi” and ask them what Candidates should send to Nominating ATM back into the culture of our hobby and make Alliance Ambassador for Explore Scientific. Abby including IDA’s John Barentine. they thought about the talk. You could even find Committee co-chair John Goss, goss.john@gmail. it relevant to students, families, and all those who is a co–vice chair for the Mid-States Regional The journal will be published twice a year in out what topics they’re interested in hearing more com, a background statement explaining why they love the amateur astronomical adventure. the spring around the time of the International about. You may have even found your club’s new are interested along with a photo of themselves With this in mind, I continue to encourage Dark Sky Week and in the fall around the time social media manager or publicist! of IDA’s general meeting. According to the IDA for publication in the Reflector. Please limit you, the Astronomical League’s membership, Photo: Girl Scouts of Northern California all statements to approximately 250 words. All 16,000 to 18,000 strong, to support ALCon Jr.’s e know that the world treats girls and website, “each issue [of the journal] will consist visitors, is the biggest first step. Ask questions nomination materials must be submitted by amateur telescope making workshop in 2020. Wboys differently. Try to find a telescope of three sections regulated by the editorial board. and find out their interests. You’ll be amazed at March 15, 2020, so they can be announced in the By buying calendars or making donations, you in your local toy store, for example, and you One section is a curated creative space for art and how much of a difference even a few small chang- June Reflector. can help us be able to purchase the supplies to might see who they are targeting. While details the cultural side of dark skies, such as writing es can make with your audiences! build 6-inch, f/8 telescopes. Calendars can be like these might seem small, over a lifetime they pieces and visual media. A second section will purchased in bulk from store.astroleague.org. add up to many girls feeling that science “isn’t The Night Sky Network website has a handy feature conservation efforts around the world to Watch the AL website for Our goal is to offset the cost of half a scope, in for them.” The great news is that studies show list of resources to help learn more about engag- serve as examples for others to use and to help a call for new Observing order to include as many students and families as that you can break that narrative in as little as 20 ing with diverse audiences at bit.ly/astroall. This communities who feel isolated in their preser- possible. Refer to the “Full STEAM Ahead” article minutes with a positive science experience - and page also includes information about upcoming vation efforts to feel supported and find useful Program Coordinators! in the September issue of the Reflector for more it’s simpler than we think. workshops on working with girls and the new Girl resources. The final section will include standard, information. Abby Bollenbach For example, you can tell more stories of Scout badges from the Astronomical Society of peer-reviewed articles selected by the journal’s

6 REFLECTOR ✶ DECEMBER 2 0 1 9 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 7 editorial board on the impacts of artificial lighting gen emissions at a wavelength of 21 centimeters around the flare. The electrons are forced to spiral on our world from across a range of disciplines, (8.3 inches), television at around 40 inches, AM along the lines of force, which requires them to 2020 from ecology to human health.” radio at around one thousand feet, and finally to be accelerated continuously by the magnetic Calendar The W.M. Keck Foundation awarded $250,000 very low frequency waves like WWVB time signals field to create the spiral. Accelerating an electron with a wavelength of over three miles. causes it to emit radio energy by a process called

in January 2019 to the University of Utah to de- 50 ˚ velop an undergraduate minor in dark sky studies. The loudest radio source in the Solar System synchrotron emission. ˚ It is housed in the College of Architecture and is the Sun. Early attempts to receive medi- solar flare will usually emit a radio burst that Planning, but students from across campus are lasts for seconds, while the wavelength um-wavelength radio signals from the Sun were A 0 eligible to take classes in the minor. This mirrors shifts from short to long as the solar plasma

unsuccessful. On Earth, radio stations in this Jovigraphic Latitude the interdisciplinary philosophy of the Consor- wavelength band can be heard at a great distance oscillates at the beginning of the flare. As the -50 ˚ tium for Dark Sky Studies. To see more details because the ionosphere reflects the radio signals rising plasma from the flare strikes the gas above 100˚ 0˚ 260˚ about the new journal, the Consortium for Dark it, a shock wave forms, emitting even more radio System III Longitude Sky Studies, and the minor in dark sky studies, signals. After the flare dies down, there will Jupiter imaged in radio at a wavelength of 0.78 inches. This image took six hours of data to produce. visit the University of Utah website at frequently be a residual signal from the gas above The features are smeared in longitude by Jupiter’s rapid rotation. The resulting image had the contribution unews.utah.edu/journal-of-dark-sky-studies. the flare for hours or days. from a 150 Kelvin oblate spheroid with limb darkening of the size and distance of Jupiter subtracted to bring Save 25% out the hotter features on the cloud tops. Data for this image was taken with the Very Large Array in New $ t my advanced age, I am thrilled that dark sky The second brightest radio source in the Mexico on January 25, 1996, by Imke de Pater (UC Berkeley), and were further reduced and imaged by 14.95 A studies are beginning to get the respect Solar System is the planet Jupiter. It emits radio Chermelle Engel (University of Melbourne) and Bob Sault (ATNF). or less they deserve. This represents the cumulative ef- energy across a wide range of wavelengths. The forts of those working on dark skies for at least the shortest wavelengths, around fifty inches, are travelling much slower than light as they spiral RadioSources/jupiter.html), and Jon Wallace and Enjoy this award-winning, 136-page past 50 years. They are too numerous to mention thermal radiation from Jupiter’s atmosphere. This around Jupiter’s magnetic lines of force. Richard Flagg (www.radio-astronomy.org/pdf/ space calendar all year long! here, and many are unsung heroes deserving more is similar to the thermal observations of Venus, qex/radio-jove-proof.pdf). • 53 weekly space images Jupiter’s radio signals were first discovered in • Hundreds of sky events recognition. Are dark skies now getting the respect just at a longer wavelength than the thermal 1955 by astronomers Bernard Burke and Kenneth While we just see the sky in visible light, our • Dates in space history they deserve? No, but it is certainly a good start. radiation from Venus, since Jupiter is cooler. Using Franklin, who had set up a 96-acre antenna array instruments can detect the myriad sources of ra- • Daily Moon phases —Tim Hunter the Very Large Array in New Mexico, it is possible in a rural field twenty miles northwest of Wash- • Long-range planning calendars dio and other electromagnetic radiation reaching • Group discounts available Co-founder, IDA to map the temperatures of the clouds and bands ington, D.C. They detected bursts of radio noise us from objects from across the cosmos. • Money-back guarantee A radio image of the Sun at a wavelength of 8.4 inches taken of Jupiter. that returned four minutes earlier every night. on September 26, 1981. The radiation from the bright regions —Berton Stevens originates in the corona near sunspots. The rapidly varying or wavelengths between six inches and This showed that the bursts were coming from a See more at YearInSpace.com magnetic field generates the radio-bright areas through twenty-five feet, the radio signals come from celestial object, and Burke and Franklin eventu- Wanderers in the synchrotron radiation. Courtesy (NRAO/AUI) F synchrotron radiation similar to that produced ally identified Jupiter as the source. This was the Deep-Sky Objects in solar flares. For wavelengths longer than first discovery of radio signals from a planet other Neighborhood back toward the Earth, which reflects them back than Earth. twenty-five feet, the radio signal comes from toward the ionosphere, and so on. The iono- cyclotron-maser radiation, which is similar to Similar radio signals come from Saturn and A BRIGHT NEBULA IN sphere, unfortunately, also reflects astronomical PLANETS ON THE RADIO synchrotron radiation, but the electrons are its rings. The signals are fainter and harder to he Milky Way galaxy is filled with myriad radio signals back into space. Even though the record than Jupiter’s. Uranus and its rings can also large clouds of gas. A majority of the gas, e have all seen the planets in visible Sun was broadcasting, its radio signals bounced T be observed from Earth with powerful modern perhaps 90 percent, consists of ionized or neutral Wlight, from red Mars, through the belts off the ionosphere. and zones of Jupiter, and on to Saturn’s rings. But radio telescopes like the Atacama Large Millime- hydrogen. If a cloud (or nebula) absorbs a lot of our Solar System also teems with electromag- s electronic engineering advanced, shorter ter-submillimeter Array. Neptune’s radio signal ultraviolet light from stars embedded in it or near netic waves of a lower frequency: radio signals. A and shorter wavelengths could be received, has only been detected by the Voyager spacecraft it, the gases heat up to very high temperature. They reveal secrets about planets not obvious in eventually including those short enough to as it flew past the planet. Collisions among the high-temperature atoms visible-light images. penetrate the ionosphere. The Sun then became upiter’s cyclotron-maser radiation can be cause them to jump to higher energy states. As Electromagnetic waves propagate by an visible in radio wavelengths shorter than 33 feet. J observed by an amateur astronomer with a the atoms cascade back to their ground state, they electric field inducing a magnetic field, which in The Sun, having a surface temperature of 10,000 simple radio telescope. Project Jove is a NASA emit light at specific wavelengths. turn induces another electric field. The distance degrees Fahrenheit, has a peak energy output in educational citizen-scientist project to observe The brightest visible light from hydrogen gas between the peaks of these waves is called the the visible part of the spectrum, so little of its the radio emissions from Jupiter, the Sun, and is a red wavelength at 656 nanometers (nm). We wavelength. The shortest waves, gamma rays, energy ends up in the long radio wavelengths. galactic sources. call this hydrogen alpha. The next brightest is Between three and thirty-three feet, the galactic have a wavelength of 0.000000000003 inches, Project Jove provides plans, kits, and informa- hydrogen beta, an aqua-colored emission at 486 background radiation is stronger than the Sun’s smaller than a molecule. The red light we see has tion about putting the amateur radio telescope nm, followed by hydrogen gamma, blue light at radiation, while at wavelengths shorter than three a wavelength of around 0.0000257 inches, around together. If you are interested in getting involved, 434 nm, and hydrogen delta, violet light at 410 feet, the Sun dominates. the size of a bacterium. As the wavelength gets Two images of Jupiter at wavelengths of 5 and 8.6 inches you can visit the Project Jove site at radiojove. nm. Nebulae that emit mostly hydrogen-alpha taken between July 12 and July 26, 1995, with the Australia light appear red in photographs. Those that also longer, the radiation moves into the infrared and The Sun is not a constant source of radio Telescope Compact Array radio telescope. The upper (5-inch) gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html. Other sources for then into the radio parts of the spectrum. waves – its intensity varies with the amount of image has a large contribution from thermal radiation making amateur radio telescopes that can observe Jupiter emit large quantities of hydrogen-beta, -gamma the disc itself bright. This radiation is greatly diminished and -delta light appear pink. Other gases account The radio spectrum starts with microwaves, solar activity. A solar flare not only emits a flash at 8.6 inches. The radiation in the two lobes on either side include the Thrush Observatory (thrushobservato- with a wavelength of around 0.04 inches, about of visible light, but a burst of radio energy as of the disc are due to synchrotron radiation from relativistic ry.org/radio.htm), Radio-Sky Publishing (www. for emissions of other colors. electrons trapped in Jupiter’s magnetic field. These the size of the period at the end of this sentence. well. Electrons traveling near the speed of light observations were made by G. A. Dulk, Y. Leblanc, radiosky.com/rjcentral.html), the British Astro- At the eyepiece, the colors are not so ap- As wavelength increases, we pass through hydro- are trapped by the rapidly varying magnetic field R. Sault, and R. W. Hunstead. nomical Association (www.britastro.org/radio/ parent. This is due to the human eye not being

8 REFLECTOR ✶ DECEMBER 2 0 1 9 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 9 capable of detecting colors from faint objects. The accompanying image of NGC 1491 was these younger members from your club. awards/awards.html. This program is made surface can be used to infer the internal structure have expanded well beyond the current planetary But that doesn’t detract from the thrill of spying taken with a 10-inch Newtonian telescope using Remember, they are the future of astronomy. possible by the generosity and vision of Astro- and composition of a star. orbit during the red-giant phase of evolution. great glows such as the (M42), the an SBIG ST-2000XCM CCD camera (the image ASTRONOMY DAY nomics, astronomics.com. The deadline is March Using asteroseismic data from NASA’s Based upon extensive numerical simulations (M8), or the Ring Nebula (M57), is shown here cropped). The exposure was 70 31, 2020. stronomy Day presents an opportunity to Transiting Survey Satellite (TESS), performed by Dr. Dimitri Veras from the Universi- to name a few! minutes. In the image, north is up and east to —Carroll Iorg increase science awareness in your local an international teamled by the Instituto de ty of Warwick’s Department of Physics, the team the left. The brightest portions of the nebula A The constellation Perseus is high overhead community. This can be the spark that motivates Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço studied the red thinks that star–planet tides might have migrated surround the 11.2-magnitude star and approx- during winter evenings in mid-northern lati- people both young and older to take a look at the giant stars HD 212771 and HD 203949. These are the planet inward from its original, larger orbit, imate what can be seen in amateur telescopes. tudes. The Milky Way blazes across Perseus, lit- offerings of your society, all simply by person- All Things the first detections of oscillations in previously placing it where we see it today. The aforementioned 10th-magnitude star lies tering it with splendid star clusters, double stars, ally introducing people to the wonders encoun- known exoplanet-host stars by TESS. The result near the top center of the image. Near the bottom Dr. Veras said, “We determined how this and nebulae. Perhaps the best-known nebula tered in amateur astronomy. Look on the AL was published in an article in The Astrophysical right corner of the image lies an optical double Astronomical planet could have reached its current location, in Perseus is the . This nebula Journal, available at dx.doi.org/10.3847/ website, www.astroleague.org, for these helpful and to do so whether or not the planet had to spans nearly three degrees and has an integrated star. The brighter of the pair is magnitude 9.9 and 1538-4357/ab44a8. Astronomy Day materials: the Astronomy Day survive engulfment within the stellar envelope magnitude of 5. But the nebula is so spread out the fainter is magnitude 11.2. Handbook and outreach downloads. Astronomy REVEALED: EXOPLANET’S ead author Tiago Campante (Universidade do of the star. The work sheds new light it cannot be seen with the unaided eye or taken The faint nebulosity trailing off to the south Day will be held on May 2 and September 26, “IMPROBABLE” SURVIVAL L Porto) explains that detecting these oscilla- on the survivability of planets when their parent in entirely at the eyepiece. So while panning and east of NGC 1491 in the image is part of a 2020. Showcase your group’s special AD activities sing asteroseismology, a team including an tions was only possible because “TESS observa- stars begin to die, and might even reveal new across this nebula with a telescope, at best, the much larger nebular region catalogued as LBN and apply for the awards by contacting Gary U astronomer from the University of Warwick tions are precise enough to allow measuring the aspects of tidal physics.” space between the stars will appear brighter than 705 and 706. LBN stands for Lynds Bright Nebula, Tomlinson at [email protected]. revised the parameters for two red giant stars gentle pulsations at the surfaces of stars. These the dark background between stars elsewhere in a catalog of nebulae compiled by astronomer o-author Vardan Adibekyan (Universi- MABEL STERNS AWARD known to host , and discovered that two fairly evolved stars also host planets, provid- Perseus away from the nebula. Beverly Lynds in the 1960s. one of these planets simply should not exist in its ing the ideal testbed for studies of the evolution C dade do Porto) comments, ”This study he newsletter editor performs the primary A more interesting telescopic nebula in Perseus is not just a constellation in which to current location based on our current theories. of planetary systems.” is a perfect demonstration of how stellar and function of informing astronomy club mem- Perseus is NGC 1491 (also called LBN 704). NGC explore fabulous star clusters. With the proper T exoplanetary astrophysics are linked together. bers about what is happening in their club. Often Asteroseismology is the study of stellar Having determined the physical properties 1491 lies about one degree north-northwest of equipment, some pretty fascinating nebulae can Stellar analysis seems to suggest that the star is the editor is forced to become quite creative in interiors by measuring seismic oscillations at of both stars (such as their mass, size, and age) the 4.3-magnitude star Lambda Persei. It also also be spied. too evolved to still host a planet at such a ‘short’ filling the allotted space for each issue when the the star’s surface. In seismology, the different through asteroseismology, the authors then lies 1.25 degrees northeast of the 5.3-magnitude —Dr. James R. Dire orbital distance, while from the exoplanet analy- call for articles does not quite fill up the publica- vibration modes from an earthquake can be used focused their attention on the evolutionary state star 43 Persei. These two stars and the nebula Kauai Educational Association sis we know that the planet is there!” tion. In acknowledgement of the important role to study the Earth’s interior, in order to get data of HD 203949. Their aim was to understand how form a right triangle with the nebula at the for Science and Astronomy Adibekyan adds ”The solution to this scien- of the newsletter editor, the Astronomical League from the composition and depth of its different its planet could have avoided being engulfed, right-angle corner. There is a 10th-magnitude tific dilemma is hidden in the ‘simple fact’ that established the Mabel Sterns Newsletter Award layers. In a similar fashion, oscillations at a star’s since the outer atmosphere of the star would star nine arcminutes north of the nebula and an in 1988 to recognize these essential people. 11.2-magnitude star embedded in the center Call for Award of the nebula. The latter star is responsible for The award is named in honor of the first exciting the hydrogen gas within the nebula, newsletter editor of the League, Mabel Sterns, Nominations who served in that capacity from 1948 to1952. giving it the red glow so common in emission nebulae photographs. To qualify, club presidents should email a copy YOUTH AWARDS of the designated issue of the club’s newsletter as a PDF file to sternsnewsletter@astroleague. t’s time to start thinking about who might be org, along with a cover letter of recommendation ̃nominated for several youth-based awards: I (also as a PDF) that includes the postal address the 2020 National Young Astronomer Award, of the nominee. In addition, a photo of the the Horkheimer/Smith and Horkheimer/D’Auria newsletter editor, preferably in an astronomical Youth Service Awards, the Horkheimer/ Parker setting, should be sent electronically in JPEG Youth Imaging Awards, and Horkheimer/O’Meara format to the same email address. All items are Journalism Awards. due by March 31, 2020. The names of both the If you know of a young person who has been newsletter editor and the nominating club officer involved in an astronomy-related research must appear on the general membership roster of JULY 16–18 • EMBASSY SUITES HOTEL project or a club service activity or who would the League. The deadline is March 31, 2020. like to write about astronomy, now is an excellent 1000 WOODWARD PLACE N.E. ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO 87102 opportunity to apply. Or perhaps they have ASTRONOMICS SKETCHING AWARD done imaging. There are plenty of programs to e are happy to say that the art of sketch- https://alcon2020.astroleague.org/ GC 1491 is irregular in shape and roughly nominate that young person for. See our website Wing seems to be creating more interest N three arcminutes in size. The nebula is awards page, astroleague.org/al/awards/ in astronomy. Sketching the impression of a (website available by January 1, 2020) easily captured in 11- to 14-inch telescopes awards.html, for details. celestial scene allows an observer to see more detail and to better enjoy our amazing avocation. from dark-sky sites. Those using 8-inch tele- The deadline for the National Young Astron- Hosted by: scopes will more readily see the nebula using an omer Award and the Horkheimer awards is March The League’s Astronomics Sketching Award ultra-high contrast (UHC) filter or oxygen (O) 31, 2020. So, encourage your candidates to com- provides cash awards for first place ($250), second The Albuquerque Astronomical Society III filter. These filters will help bring out the fan plete their projects now and find the application place ($125), and third place ($75). Spectific www.TAAS.org shape of the nebula seen in photographs. on the AL website. Club officers, please nominate details can be found at astroleague.org/al/

10 REFLECTOR ✶ DECEMBER 2 0 1 9 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 11 stars and their planets not only form but also solar magnetic flux transport – the movement of evolve together. In this particular case, the planet magnetic fields around, through and emanating managed to avoid engulfment.” from the surface of the Sun – to a wide range of ALCon 2020 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE In the past decade, asteroseismology has had stars with different levels of magnetic activity. a significant impact on the study of solar-type The model is then used to create a simulation of LCon 2020 will be hosted by the PATAGONIA/ARGENTINA and red giant stars, which exhibit convec- the interplanetary magnetic field surrounding A Albuquerque Astronomical Society, July tion-driven, solar-like oscillations. These studies these simulated stars. In this way they were able 16-18, 2020. Accommodations will be at the DECEMBER 2020 to hypothesize the potential environment expe- Embassy Suites Hotel, $129/night, single or have advanced considerably thanks to space- • 6 Day/5 Night Tour based observatories like CoRoT (CNES/ESA) and rienced by such “popular” exoplanet systems as double. All rooms are two-room suites with com- Kepler (NASA), and are set to continue in the next Ross 128, Proxima Centauri and TRAPPIST 1, all plimentary Wi-Fi, a complimentary cook-to-order • “Glamping” at the observation site decade with TESS and PLATO (ESA). dwarf stars with known exoplanets. breakfast, and a complimentary evening recep- the night before the eclipse tion. The AL council will meet July 15, conference —University of Warwick Press Release No star is ever still. The plasma at its surface • 2 Nights in Buenos Aires is constantly churning, creating disturbances days will be July 16 and 17, and a tour of the • 2 Nights in San Carlos de Baraloche EVEN ‘GOLDILOCKS’ EXOPLANETS Very Large Array is scheduled for July 19. that send strong magnetic fields (like those • Best weather prospects along eclipse path NEED A WELL-BEHAVED STAR embedded in the Sun’s solar wind) far into space. • Price includes hotels, ~ ½ meals, ground and n exoplanet may seem like the perfect spot Earth’s own magnetosphere helps make it a safe air transportation, technical support Ąto set up housekeeping, but before you go harbor for life, but whether that is the case for there, take a closer look at its star. Rice Univer- any exoplanet remains to be determined. • Nearly 2 minutes of totality sity astrophysicists are doing just that, building “To most people, a ‘habitable zone’ planet • Nighttime sky observing before eclipse day a computer model to help judge how a star’s own traditionally means it has just the right tempera- • Optional extension to the Patagonian ice field, atmosphere impacts its planets, for better or ture for liquid water,” Farrish said. “But in these Glacier National Park, Moreno Glacier worse. By narrowing the conditions for habitabil- specific systems, the planets are so close to ity, they hope to refine the search for potentially their stars that there are other considerations. In • 35 years experience/16 eclipse tours habitable planets. Astronomers now suspect that particular, the magnetic interaction becomes very /90%+ success rate most of the billions of stars in the sky have at important.” For more information, please go to: least one planet. To date, Earth-bound observers www.twilighttours.net have spotted nearly 4,000 of them. hese “Goldilocks” planets may enjoy tem- peratures and atmospheric pressures that Lead author and Rice graduate student Alison T A stellar flux transport simulation, top, shows positive allow life-giving water to exist, but likely orbit Farrish and her research adviser, solar physicist (white) and negative (black) magnetic polarity on the too close to their stars to escape the effects of David Alexander, led their group’s first study to surface of a star. At bottom, associated coronal magnetic field lines show outward (magenta) and inward (green) the star’s strong magnetic fields and the associ- 2020 Calendar characterize the “space weather” environment lines that extend into interplanetary space, forming the ated radiation. of stars other than our own to see how it would magnetic field of the inner asterosphere, while those in black represent closed lines with ends rooted in the stellar affect the magnetic activity around an exoplanet. photosphere. Researchers at Rice University used the “Depending on where it is within the extend- It’s the first step in a National Science Foun- models to help determine that some exoplanets may not ed magnetic field of the star, it is estimated that be habitable despite having orbits in the so-called “Gold- some of these habitable zone exoplanets could dation-funded project to explore the magnetic ilocks” zones around their stars. (Credit: Alexander Group/ fields around the planets themselves. Rice University) lose their atmospheres in as little as 100 million years,” Alexander said. “That is a really short time “It’s impossible with current technology to extension of the with which in astronomical terms. The planet may have the determine whether an exoplanet has a protective the exoplanet would interact.” right temperature and pressure conditions for magnetic field or not, so this paper focuses on n the study published in The Astrophysical habitability, and some simple lifeforms might what is known as the asterospheric magnetic Journal, the researchers expand a magnetic form, but that’s as far as they’re going to go. The field,” Farrish said. “This is the interplanetary I field model that combines what is known about atmosphere would be stripped and the radiation on the surface would be pretty intense. Save 25% “When you don’t have an atmosphere, you $14.95 now have all the ultraviolet and X-ray emission or less from the star on top of the particle emission,” he said. “We want to understand this interaction Enjoy this award-winning, 136-page better and be able to compare it with observa- space calendar all year long! tions in the future. And the ability to direct and • 53 weekly space images • Hundreds of sky events define the nature of these future observations • Dates in space history will be really helpful.” • Daily Moon phases Read the abstract at iopscience.iop.org/ • Long-range planning calendars • Group discounts available article/10.3847/1538-4357/ab4652. • Money-back guarantee

—Rice University Press Release See more at YearInSpace.com

12 REFLECTOR ✶ DECEMBER 2 0 1 9 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 13

MEMBER ASTROPHOTOGRAPHS GALLERY All photos © 2019 by their respective creators.

(Left) Frederick Steiling (Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri) captured this lunar ISS transit on September 11, 2019, from Broemmelsiek Park using ASEM’s Celestron C14 (f/11 at 3910 mm) with a ZWO ASI174MM camera.

(Below) Gregg Ruppel (Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association) captured this image of vdB 107 from his remote observatory at DSNM in Animas, New Mexico, with an ASA 10N f/3.8 Astrograph with a SBIG STL-11000M CCD camera.

(Opposite Page) Jim Thommes (San Diego Astronomy Association) captured this image of the Main Serpens Cloud star-forming region (LBN 583) from his DAA Observatory using a Takahashi FSQ- 106N at f/5 with an ATIK 383L camera. GALLERY

Terry Hancock (Western Colorado Astronomy Club) captured this fantastic image of M31 from the Grand Mesa Observatory using a Takahashi FSQ-130 with a QHY367C color CMOS camera. its northern twin on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. These telescopes watch the sky in the optical and infrared wavelengths, and have produced tremendous amounts of data over twenty Chile: Connecting to the Cosmos years of operation. Additionally, they have the capacity to observe time-critical events by Carla Johns with only a few minutes of warning. One of the newer instruments on South the climatic diversity of Chile, envision flip- Research in Astronomy (AURA), National Opti- is the Gemini Planet Imager, which uses ping the state of California on its head. In the cal Astronomy Observatory, and Gemini South extreme adaptive optics to find exoplanets central region, the temperate Mediterranean Observatory to give amateur astronomers, and protoplanetary disks around stars. Both climate prevails. The southern areas of Chile observatory and planetarium professionals, twin telescopes can be remotely operated are moist, forested coastal landscapes – much K–16 teachers, and informal astronomy from base facilities in La Serena, Chile, and like northern California – with mountains and educators an opportunity to visit U.S.-funded Hilo, Hawaii, thus reducing the environmental glaciers that give way to tundra and to the facilities in Chile. Members of our cohort impact of these remote facilities. grassy plains of Patagonia. Northern Chile received a firsthand look at the extensive ot far from the silver dome of Gem- mirrors southeastern California’s dry desert astronomy infrastructure in place, as well as N ini South sits the NOAO’s Southern landscapes; however, the extreme elevations the new facilities under construction. Astrophysical Research Telescope, known as in this region produce the highest, driest As one would expect, the skies of the dry The exquisite southern sky above Cerro Tololo. Photo by R. Pettengill (ACEAP/NSF) SOAR. This 4.1-meter scope works from 320 desert plateau in the world, the Atacama climate of the northern Andes are exquisite. nm to the near infrared. Upon entering the Desert. Sandwiched between the Chilean As a result, many observatorios turisticos lfa Aldea Centro Astronómico sits in the ʔʔ and passionate soul. Oftentimes, the UV radia- observatory, the flags of SOAR’s international Coastal Range to the west and the Andes to (tourist observatories) welcome people from AElqui Valley of the Coquimbo Region, not tion index used to forecast the strength of the partners are proudly displayed around the the east, this exceptionally arid region is host across the globe and serve as educational far from La Serena. Astrotourism rises to the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation hits 11+, indicating pier. When SOAR utilizes its adaptive optics to a virtually constant temperature inversion. hubs for local schools and communities. Ob- next level here with a vineyard, brewery, an extreme risk of harm from unprotected module, it can achieve images of 0.25-arcsec- Average rainfall is typically less than half an servatorio Astronómico Andino (OAA), lodging, dining facilities, telescopes, and a exposure. Further to the north in the Ata- ond resolution, rivaling the image quality of inch per year, and some areas have never a short drive from Santiago, offers tourists spectacular view of the mountains where Cerro cama Desert, readings as high as 25 are not the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. recorded any rain. Pachón majestically rises with the Gemini uncommon due to the towering elevation, the opportunity to view the night sky. Also perched on the mountain is the South Observatory, SOAR telescope, and the high altitude of the Sun in tropical regions, raveling throughout Chile as a part of the They also provide businesses with a unique NSF-funded Large Synoptic Survey Telescope The 2019 ACEAP cohort stands in awe in front of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope in view. and low ozone levels. Victor Blanco Observatory, Cerro Tololo. TAstronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors setting to hold workshops. Local graduate (LSST), soon to see first light. This telescope Photo by L. Sparks (ACEAP/NSF) Program (ACEAP) was a gift beyond measure. students share their research and expand Alfa Aldea welcomes tourists and provides The extreme nature of this region is will produce the deepest, widest images of Supported by the National Science Foundation public outreach in the area. With multiple educational opportunities to the local commu- exactly why astronomy flourishes. The summit our universe with an 8.4-meter mirror and a orthern Hemisphere amateur astro- (NSF), Associated Universities (AUI) collab- telescopes and inviting decor, OAA reminded nity and schools. In an effort to expand their of Cerro Pachón has some truly exquisite 3,200-megapixel camera – the world’s largest nomers dream of experiencing the N orates with the National Radio Astronomy me of the Colorado Plateau and southwestern reach and streamline their programs, they astronomical facilities. AURA’s Gemini South digital camera. They anticipate collecting 15 skies in the Southern Hemisphere. The South- Observatory, Association of Universities for United States. partnered with the talented team from AURA. Observatory has an 8.1-meter telescope, with to 30 terabytes of data every night! The tele- ern Cross, Omega Centauri, Alpha Centauri, Leonor Opazo, AURA’s outreach manager, Eta Carinae, the Jewel Box cluster – the The “mushroom farm,” dormitory, and casino cafeteria at CTIO. Photo by C. Johns (ACEAP/NSF) provides guidance on implementing new edu- observing list is vast and virtually endless. cational initiatives and activities to enhance The eclipse chasers amongst us flock to South public outreach efforts and educational devel- America in droves to see the Moon block the opment across the region. Sun for a precious few minutes. Chile was especially lucky to fall in the path of totality Within the Coquimbo Region and just an in 2019 and again on December 14, 2020. As hour south of Alfa Aldea, the mountains of Chile continues to roll out its red carpet to the Cerro Pachón and Cerro Tololo rise above the world, many people are unaware of the sig- valley. Both were identified as prime spots to nificant commitment the Chilean government, build observatories in the early 1960s. Cerro research community, and science educators means hill in Spanish, but these sites are so have made to increase everyone’s chance to much more. The flora is sparse and the fauna connect with the universe. far between. Except for an inquisitive Andean Chile’s geography has made it one of the fox, rare puma sighting, and difficult-to-iden- most attractive places in the world in which to tify birds in the one blossoming cherry tree, build observatories. A long, narrow country, geology dominates the landscape. Resourceful Chile would stretch from California to the engineers crushed the light-colored volcanic Atlantic seaboard if tilted horizontally. Chile rock and placed it around the bases of the is bordered on the west by the vast Pacific observatories to regulate their temperatures. Ocean and on the east by the Andes, the lon- Working in these remote locations and The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope takes shape to the right on Cerro Pachón as the Gemini South Observatory, gest mountain range on Earth. To understand harsh environments requires a resilient spirit to the left, watches its soon-to-be neighbor. Photo by C. Johns (ACEAP/NSF)

18 REFLECTOR ✶ DECEMBER 2 0 1 9 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 19 millimeter Array. The 16-kilometer array sits suppresses unwanted noise. These 100-ton the world. It was officially named the Gabriela on the Chanjnantor Plateau – which means antennas are moved into different configu- Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary, honoring the “place of flight” in the Kunza language – at rations by two transporters named Otto and famous Chilean poet and first Latin American an elevation of almost 16,500 feet above sea Lore, weighing 130 tons each. To observe author to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature. level. This spectacular Mars-like region is sur- large-scale features, the antennas are moved Dr. Luis Chavarría, director of the Astron- rounded by volcanoes and is home to vicuñas close together, and the highest resolution is omy Program at the National Commission for (small camelids), donkeys, vizcachas (small achieved when they are arranged far apart. Scientific and Technological Research within rabbits) and Milu the dog, the official greeter When an antenna needs to be repaired, it Chile’s Science, Technology, Knowledge, and at the first checkpoint below the plateau. slowly descends the plateau to the Operations Innovation Ministry, was excited to share with As we drove towards the high-altitude site Support Facility aboard a transporter moving us that by 2022, seventy percent of the optical to see the array in action, Valeria Foncea, edu- less than 7 miles per hour. and infrared telescopic collecting power in the cation and public outreach officer for ALMA, Dr. Paulo Cortes searches for our cosmic world will be located in Chile. Ten percent of shared her love of the land and excitement origins with ALMA by investigating pre-biotic the time on the observatories will continue to about the research being conducted. As we molecules in solar-type protostars. Addition- be allotted to Chilean astronomers. Nothing but Andes as far as the eye can see from Cerro Tololo at sunset. Photo by C. Johns (ACEAP/NSF) climbed higher onto the plateau, the ev- ally, he has an insatiable curiosity about the nterest in science, technology, engineering, scope mount assembly, which will support the famous 4-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope, In addition, the Las Cumbres Observatory er-deepening blue sky was the only reminder formation of molecular clouds, interacting gal- I and math (STEM) careers, and astronomy mirrors, cameras, and subsystems, arrived in completed in 1976 and managed by NOAO; it Telescope Network, 2MASS, S-MAPS, and that we were still on Earth and not Mars. At axies, and galactic evolution. Originally, Paulo in particular, continues to grow. Currently, September 2019. When the telescope comes was the largest optical telescope in the south- additional research projects are all located at the top, the plateau is surrounded by peaks had planned on a career as a truck driver, but fifteen universities have astronomy programs online in fall 2022, the most pressing ques- ern hemisphere until 1998. Now equipped Cerro Tololo. and volcanoes (some of which are dormant), a physics teacher mentored him after school and countless more offer STEM-related degree and the UV radiation is off the charts. and he became a software engineer. He now tions of our time will be addressed, including with the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), n addition to the in-depth tours of the programs that are critical to Chile’s research studies the universe and shares his findings a deeper understanding of dark matter and the Blanco continues to be a workhorse, observatories of CTIO, we were treated to he array consists of sixty-six antennas, effort and infrastructure. Astronomy and I with unrivaled excitement. Everyone has dark energy, identifying potentially hazard- investigating large-scale structures and the two nights of observing with Juan Seguel from fifty-four 12-meter dishes and twelve physics are taught at an early age at private, T an unusual path to ALMA, which acts very ous asteroids in our neighborhood, and an expansion of the universe. Dr. Kathy Vivas, the outreach team. He generously showed 7-meter antennas, which all work in unison subsidized, and municipal schools. Students much like a magnet, drawing talented minds extensive investigation into the structure and an associate astronomer at CTIO, is studying us the wonders of the southern sky with his and collect radio waves from the cold, distant also have many informal learning opportuni- together and propelling research forward in formation of the Milky Way. Plus, the power- the Sagittarius stream and the Milky Way’s telescope. After being completely gobsmacked, universe. ALMA is a partnership between ties through which to discover the world and leaps and bounds. house imaging capability will reveal answers interaction with small and large galaxies I finally lied down on the concrete between the Republic of Chile, the European South- the cosmos around them during the national to questions now unknown by imaging “the with DECam. By studying RR Lyrae stars and the large domes and stared into the night. ern Observatory, the (U.S.) National Science here is much more to see in Chile, in- Día de las Ciencias. Chile has a clear picture entire visible sky every few nights” according dwarf Cepheid stars, she investigates the The view of the Milky Way overhead with Foundation, and the National Institutes of Tcluding the La Silla Observatory, Paranal of its future, and astronomy is a key compo- to lsst.org. Truly amazing! halo surrounding our galaxy. Pulling back the Jupiter and Saturn at the zenith, the LMC Natural Sciences of Japan, with additional Observatory, Las Campanas Observatory, and nent to its continued economic growth. bout five miles as the crow flies from curtain to our galaxy’s formation, her work is and SMC circling the southern pole, Crux to partners in Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea. many more observatorios turisticos. Astron- Until the universe affords me another A Cerro Pachón is the Cerro Tololo giving us new insights into the universe. the south, and the False Cross on the horizon Despite four different antenna designs from omy is thriving in Chile through the govern- trip to Chile and a double-dip into my bucket Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a huge The 4-meter Blanco is one of almost twen- were all burned into my retinas and reappear North America, Europe, and East Asia, all met ment’s continued commitment to the research list, my reminisces of the people, landscapes, complex of telescopes that made me swoon ty observatories on the mountain. One area is whenever I close my eyes. To awaken after a the required specifications and work together community. Recently, Chilean president observatories, and magnificent skies of Chile every time I gazed upon the mountaintop affectionately known as the “mushroom farm” night of observing atop Cerro Tololo is to truly perfectly. Each antenna was crafted with such Sebastián Piñera signed a decree to limit light will be eternally intertwined with the lyrics adorned with domes. Our cohort was thrilled due to the many domes clustered together. be alive. precision that its parabolic surface remains pollution across the entire country. The Inter- of “Southern Cross” by Crosby, Stills & Nash. to spend almost three days at CTIO and live These include the Small and Moderate Aper- At this point during the expedition, one uniform over its entire surface to better than national Dark Sky Association had previously “When you see the Southern Cross for the with the dedicated team of hyper-focused staff ture Research Telescope System (SMARTS) would think it couldn’t get better, but it did! 12 microns (a fraction of the width of a hu- (in 2015) designated the AURA site, which first time, you understand now why you members and visiting researchers. consortium, which operates the 1.5-meter, Our cohort visited the highly acclaimed man hair). Each antenna’s receiver is chilled includes Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachón, as came this way.” Have you added Chile to The largest telescope at CTIO is the 1.3-meter, 1-meter, and 0.9-meter telescopes. ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub- to a few degrees above absolute zero, which the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in your bucket list yet? ê

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at 16,500 feet above sea level with penitentes in the foreground and the Atacama Compact Array to the right. Photo by C. Johns (ACEAP/NSF) Bank 966 Mhz radio survey by using optical was able to see its six components and telescopes to identify and study their sources. lensing galaxies (magnitudes 21 to 22) as only With images and data from the 2.1-meter one unsplit, nonstellar, and slightly irregularly telescope at Kitt Peak, he and his team noted shaped group in my 32-inch in 2014 and 2016. two in that were not only n the mid-2000s, Sloan produced two dis- Gravitational very close in position, but whose spectra and I coveries of objects in rapid succession that were nearly identical. In their 1979 eclipsed the lensing separation record held Nature article they offered “the possibility by the Twin Quasar for a quarter century. that they are two images of the same object Reported by Naohisa Inada and colleagues in formed by a .” What they 2003, SDSS J1004+4112 is a multiply lensed called B0957+561 A and B would later be quasar with a split of 14.62 arcseconds be- Lenses christened the Twin Quasar. A surrounding tween its widest components, more than twice By Dave Tosteson was found on deeper optical the previous record of separation. Hubble’s images, whose gravity caused the lensing. “Einstein’s Cross.” Credit: NASA /Hubble tremendous color rendering quickly became I have a bent for bent light. research at the total solar eclipse of 1919. understanding would take decades. Several In 1992 I attended the Texas Star Party, my favorite deep-sky image. The four stellar, and significant excitement among some million light-years away in southern Pegasus, slightly asymmetrically patterned quasar Light can be redirected in several ways after According to Jürgen Renn of the Max Planck other physicists and astronomers, including observers attracted my attention. Stephen the lensing spiral is nicknamed Huchra’s images ( of 1.734), with a fifth later it leaves its source and before it reaches us. Institute for the History of Science, some of Eddington, published papers about gravita- O’Meara had brought a finding chart and in- Lens after the late John Huchra of the Har- discovered hovering just outside the lensing Diffusion, reflection, refraction and reradia- Einstein’s notes suggest he was considering tional lensing in the years after the general formation about the Twin Quasar, and he and vard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. galaxy’s core, framed the elongated elliptical tion are a few. Rainbows, Earthshine, haloes, the separate lensing effect of gravity as early theory was out but, according to Sauer, “all Ed Boutwell had just visually split the object The quasar’s four components of 17th to 18th and its faint, stringy jet. They sat within a sun pillars, and the green flash display the as 1912, but it was not until 1936 that he authors agreed that the phenomena would not in Ed’s 25-inch reflector. Though I had been magnitude at the very core of the tilted galaxy dense and richly varied galaxy cluster at red- variety of forms light can take toward our published an article in Science outlining his be observable – that there was no chance for observing for several years, this category of are in a nearly square arrangement only 1.6 shift 0.68. Infrared arcs circumferentially ex- eyes. At night, if we look very carefully, we thoughts. Tilman Sauer, senior editor of the a terrestrial astronomer to find a gravitation- astrophysical significance eclipsed anything arcseconds across. I have observed it multiple tending from the outer quasar images confirm can glimpse a unique type of redirection: Collected Papers of , provides al lens in the sky.” I had previously seen, and it sparked both times in my 32-inch reflector, and excellent the source quasar is part of a galaxy. Presum- light whose path has been altered by the very a concise history of the events surrounding ince quasars figure so prominently in aperture fever and an enduring interest in seeing is needed to split the images. I have ably, a “naked” quasar such as HE 0450-2958, fabric of . these ideas. A geometric lens, where an the history of gravitational lenses, the S pursuing arcane targets. Looking back, that seen two of the images several times, and like- the jettisoned core of an interacting galaxy intervening mass diverts light onto a different discovery of the first one bears repeating. single observation likely bent my observing ly saw three once. I have never done what my pair, would lack such arcs. At the 2005 Texas instein was the first to imagine, recognize, path, creates the effect of a distant point Radio sources had been published since the path more than any other. For amateurs, friend Jimi Lowrey accomplished with his 48- Star Party, I used my 25-inch f/5 reflector E and formalize how matter affects light. source apparently being split into two or early 1950s, but in 1959 Maarten Schmidt this 16.7-magnitude object with a separation inch reflector: see all four components simul- to spot the A and C components, magnitudes The gravity of massive objects like stars and more components. Einstein seems to have of Caltech pondered one particular object in just under 6 arcseconds should be visible in taneously. PG 1115+080 near Leo’s back foot 18.5 and 19.4 respectively, though I saw none galaxies alters the path of light rays skimming considered such an effect unobservable given Virgo with unrecognizable spectral features. excellent conditions using 15-inch scopes at is similar to Einstein’s Cross, but in a tighter of the cluster’s galaxies. In the future I hope their edges in an amount measurable from the limited understanding at that time of was apparently unlike anything he or higher power. In 2009 I was able to split a and less symmetric configuration, reflecting to spy all four quasar components together Earth under the right conditions. He attained potential light sources and their distances, his colleagues had seen, and it took a feat of similar lens called HE 1104-1805 only half as the differences in geometry and gravitational in my 32-inch, though the central cD galaxy’s overnight fame after his 1915 general theory which may explain his reluctance to pub- remarkable insight, a spectral paradigm shift wide (3 arcseconds) using my 32-inch scope power between the systems. I have observed 6.3-billion-year-old light is likely too faint. of relativity’s prediction about this alteration lish it. Recall that the discovery of quasars if you will, to interpret its lines as normal at 363x in fair conditions. The difference in it once each in my 25- and 32-inch reflectors, was confirmed by Sir Arthur Eddington’s was half a century away, and that a mature features moved far into the red end of the n late 2006, Inada and colleagues reported brightness between the magnitude 16.7 and but I have not split the components. spectrum. Such a redshift for what appeared I the discovery of another lensed quasar 18.6 components increased the challenge. as but now could not have been a star had If the 1990s offered a trickle at what lay with a separation of 22.5 arcseconds. This not been understood before Schmidt’s eureka cientists distinguish two main types of hidden in the Universe of gravitational guises, was the widest known at the time, and is a moment, and his Nature article landed him on S ̃lensing of light: strong and weak. Strong then the first decade of the new millennium record maintained in over 130 lensed quasars the cover of Time magazine. This redshift of lensing produces split images, as in the Twin would deliver a deluge of new lenses. Many catalogued as of 2015. It was named SDSS 0.158 meant the object was 2.4 billion light- Quasar or the arcs seen within Abell galaxy of these came from a single source called J1029+2623 after its Sloan coordinates in years away and had to be producing light and clusters. Weak lensing is more subtle. The the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, or SDSS. Its northern Leo, and carried a redshift of 2.197, energy at an unprecedented level to be 13th mysterious dark matter that dominates the relatively small 2.4-meter reflector at Apache implying about 10 billion years of light travel magnitude. The idea of a central black hole mass of the Universe changes the shape and Point, New Mexico, scanned a quarter of the time. The lensing galaxy cluster showed accumulating material into an accretion disk observed projection angles of background sky away from the plane of our galaxy in five multiple areas of substructure and was at a and emitting tremendous amounts of energy galaxies, as the galaxies’ light passes through wavelengths, and produced an order of mag- redshift of 0.55, or about half the distance of as an evolved from this a galaxy cluster’s density variations. Once nitude improvement in data over the best pre- the quasar. Its two main components, A and research. astronomers knew what to look for, the vious survey (Palomar in the 1950s, updated B, have similar magnitudes of about 18.75 door was open to finding more examples of during the 1990s). One of its new lenses was in the red, and show a time delay separation English astronomer Dennis Walsh’s PhD lensing, and amateurs were beneficiaries of found by Håkon Dahle and colleagues in 2012: of 744 days. In May 2015, I brought SDSS work at the University of Manchester’s Jodrell this research. One of the most famous lensing SDSS J2222+2745, a sextuply imaged quasar J1029+2623 as one of my offerings to attempt Bank Observatory would become an import- examples visible in amateur telescopes is the with a redshift of 2.82 and a maximum image in Jimi Lowrey’s 48-inch telescope. I was ant part of the history of discovery in grav- object called Einstein’s Cross, or Q2237+030. separation of 15.1 arcseconds. Found in the reasonably certain I could see the quasar com- itational lensing. His early association with This quasar is situated eight billion light-years Sloan’s Giant Arcs Survey, this was only the ponents in my 32-inch, so my ulterior reason that group in the mid-1950s would help him, away and sits directly behind the 15th-mag- third case found where a quasar was appar- to offer this to Jimi was to spot the interven- two decades later, to follow up the Jodrell Gravitational Lensing. Illustration credit: NASA, ESA & L. Calçada nitude galaxy CGCG 378-15. Located 400 ently split by the gravity of a galaxy cluster. I ing lensing galaxy cluster. I had been unable

22 REFLECTOR ✶ DECEMBER 2 0 1 9 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 23 to see similar lensing galaxies for SDSS individual massive galaxies, and that the in many of the Hubble Space Telescope’s ters, particularly those of George Abell. His cals and six to eight other galaxies within the cal. If there were no way to test a theory, he J1004+4112 in my 25-inch scope in 2005, but critical limit needed for lensing is not attained (HST) galaxy cluster images. PG 1115+080 eponymic, acronymic AGCs such as 1689 in cluster were all seen, the arc itself remained felt it had little use. His theories far outpaced I felt the larger light grasp of the 48-inch may in most of them. The largest separation they was the second lensed quasar discovered, central Virgo or 2218 halfway between the elusive. I had had a very good view in excel- the observational capabilities of his time, so it spy the cluster of SDSS J1029+2623. The found was 4.56 arcseconds in B2108+213, with a source split into four bright, point-like Little Dipper’s bowl and the head of Draco dis- lent conditions at a southerly site and came is ironic that this relative lack of imagination night of the 16th was far from optimum, with and though it was within a galaxy group, the components, along with a much fainter ring played tantalizingly beautiful offerings for an up empty. The two peaks of the arc’s visual led him to predict the phenomenon was not seeing only a 3 or 4 out of 10, and transpar- inner mass profile was dominated by a single, from the host galaxy that connects these dots amateur interested in spotting such wraiths. intensity at the ends of my retinal sensitivity observable, in the face of the great variety ency waxing and waning around 5 out of 10. very massive galaxy. into a circle. This combination of points and Hundreds of narrow, blue arcs can be seen in did not cross the threshold of perception. I of ways we can see it today. Amateurs are Visual conditions were changing every few The bending of light has been extensively dim arcs can be seen in a number of split Hubble’s updated 2013 image of AGC 1689. I was beginning to think there would be no arc fortunate to ride the curved coattails of these minutes. modeled to help researchers understand and quasars on very deep images, most notably use the Palomar Sky Survey (POSS) images as found to be visible in amateur equipment, an noble, insightful pursuits to view for ourselves e started with a 10 mm eyepiece predict astronomical phenomena. Objects that SDSS J1004+4112. a guide to determining visibility in my 32-inch, opinion shared by Wilson and others who had the bows of gravity’s reign. ê giving 488x magnification. Both com- act as point sources, mainly quasars, can be The strongly lensed arcs that grace so and careful inspection in the last half of the all tried for over a decade. W Data: ponents of the quasar were seen with some split into multiple images, usually two or four. many of Hubble’s galaxy cluster images were 1990s and first half of the 2000s of all its o sat the situation in the spring of 2007 AGC 370: effort and could be held with direct vision. At The relative placement and geometry of the called “the Holy Grail of visual observing” galaxy clusters I could find with arcs did not when NASA released an HST image of S 02h 39m 48s, –01d 45m 35s. the increased power of 697x using a 7 mm lensing body, usually a galaxy, will determine by Barbara Wilson. She and Larry Mitchell reveal any visible candidates for observing. a dense galaxy cluster in northern Sculptor, Takahashi eyepiece, the seeing prevented how the images are arranged. For a perfect have been an integral part of the Texas Star Exotic names such as the Lynx arc and the 1.5 degrees southeast of the point where that AGC 2667: more detail from being extracted. Though it alignment between a point source, lens, and Party since the mid-1980s, and their pursuit 8 o’clock arc caught my attention, but these constellation border meets that between the 23h 51m 48s, –26d 00m 00s. was moderately windy, we decided to push to observer, a ring could be produced, but that is of arcane and obscure targets fueled my gravitational mirages could not be seen. The Cetacean and Water Bearer. The website drew Einstein’s Cross (Q2237+030): a 6 mm Zeiss Abbe Ortho. It had a narrower rarely seen. Since quasars are almost always imagination early in my observing career. arcs were just too faint. Sloan found complete attention not to the arc of my interest, but to 22h 40m 30.3s, +03d 21m 31s. and mostly complete rings of background field of view, but compensated with increased associated with a host galaxy, it is their Once the HST was repaired, observers quickly what they called the Comet Galaxy. The mo- HE 1104-1805: light, shaped by the near perfect alignment of clarity and light transmission. The slight, extended surrounding body that can be lensed started to use it to find thin, curved, and tion of this starbursting spiral was carrying 11h 06m 33.4s, –18d 21m 23.8s. occasional shaking from the wind acted as into longer, drawn out arcs and rings, as seen drawn-out arcs within many galaxy clus- each observational syzygy. The object called a it through the dense intracluster medium, PG 1115+080: a scope jiggler, a technique that an observer perfect , SDSS J1627-0053, was compressing and igniting its gas into new 11h 18m 16.9s, +07d 45m 58.2s. can use to move an object around the field of discovered in 2005, and four years later I saw star-forming regions. The ram pressure of this view of the observer’s retina, searching for its central lensing galaxy, but not the outer journey produced a tail of debris following the SDSS J0946+1006: the retina’s most sensitive area and taking ring. In 2007, Raphaël Gavazzi and his team galaxy, reminiscent of a comet and bestowing 09h 46m 56.7s, +10d 06m 52.8s. advantage of the brain–eye motion detection released a study of a double Einstein ring, its nickname. When I saw the image, I was SDSS J1004+4112: 1 capability. Our diligence was rewarded when SDSS J0946+1006, where a 3 billion light- immediately drawn to its thick multicolored 0h 04m 34.8s, +41d 12m 39.0s. we were able to spot the cluster’s two bright- year distant galaxy lensed two more distant arc on the western side that curved around SDSS J1029+2623 (Component A): est galaxies, G1 and G2, as one mass at the galaxies 6 and 11 billion light-years away. As its central elliptical, itself interesting for its 10h 29m 13.94s, +26d 23m 17.9s. in the other cases, the brighter central galaxy higher power of 813x in the Zeiss, just a few similarity to NGC 1275 in Perseus. When I SDSS J2222+2745: (magnitude 17.1) could be seen, but its lensed arcseconds west of the quasar images. Unlike checked the POSS, that brightest portion was 22h 22m 08.70s, +27d 45m 33s. the quasar components, the lensing galaxies outer arcs/rings at radii of 1.4 and 2.0 arcsec- clearly visible on the blue plate for the north- Twin Quasar (Q0957+561): were not point sources, and their extended onds could not. western part of this cluster’s arc! This was 10h 01m 20.9s, +55d 53m 56.5s. size gave them a lower surface brightness. As n 2005, I found a Hubble image of AGC 370 the first such arc I had studied to be so, and we were driving home through Oklahoma the I located at a reasonable in north- I put this on my observing list to view from References: next night, Jimi texted that that sky’s clarity ern Cetus, just 1.7 degrees south-southeast of Okie-Tex, as its –26-degree declination would Dahle et al. 2013: ApJ 773(2), 146, and stability improved and views of individual M77. This excited me because its brightest arc not allow adequate observing from Minnesota. doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/773/2/146. galaxies in the lensing cluster were better In September 2008, I had my first chance was not deep blue, as almost all the others Einstein 1936: Science 84(2188), 506, defined. to observe Abell 2667 at that southern star had been. The arc that is south of the central doi.org/10.1126/science.84.2188.506. The search for widely lensed quasars was pair of cD ellipticals can be seen to show the party, and I spent three nights for 30 minutes Gavazzi et al. 2008: ApJ 677(2), 1046, fueled in part from a desire to determine if nucleus of the lensed galaxy as a bluer por- each atop my ladder using the 32-inch doi.org/10.1086/529541. galactic cluster halo masses, and not just tion on its western end, but the center of the reflector, hand guiding at 929x. I can tell I am those from individual galaxies, could act as extended arc was reddish, derived from the close to seeing something if I can successfully Inada et al. 2003: Nature 426(6968), 810, lenses. The hope was that the larger mass center of the background galaxy. The bluer observe stars and objects in the field that are doi.org/10.1038/nature02153. concentrations within clusters would produce outer layers of the arc represent the distorted a magnitude or so brighter. After that amount Inada et al. 2006: ApJ 653(2), L97, more widely separated lenses. What was image of its galaxy’s distal portions. Its red of prolonged viewing I was certain I saw the doi.org/10.1086/510671. arc several times, and felt a great sense of found with the two largest radio surveys and blue components offered a chance its Renn et al. 1997: Science 275(5297), 184, joy and relief. Interestingly, I have tried for it (Jodrell Bank’s JVAS and the Cosmic Lens peak luminosity would be closer to the middle, doi.org/10.1126/science.275.5297.184. All-Sky Survey, CLASS) consisting of about or most sensitive part, of our visual spectrum. several times since then from the same site Sauer 2010: Einstein Online 4, 1005, 15,000 sources studied by the VLA, were 22 The next year I took my charts to the 2006 with the same equipment and have not seen einstein-online.info/spotlights/grav_ objects with separations between 0.3 and Okie-Tex Star Party, where the cluster would it again. lensing_history.1.html. 6 arcseconds. On follow up research, none rise to a greater height in the sky and in- lbert Einstein first imagined a Universe of their 13 potential lenses with 6- to crease my chance of observing its arc. I spent à where light could be bent by the gravity Schmidt 1963: Nature 197(4872), 1040, 15-arcsecond separations were confirmed. several 30- to 60-minute sessions carefully of massive objects. He considered but never doi.org/10.1038/1971040a0. The conclusions were that groups and clusters A portion of the Hubble image of AGC 1689 showing many strongly lensed arcs. We have applied unsharp masking to the image inspecting this field as it reached culmination formalized strong lensing of background Walsh et al. 1979: Nature 279, 381, to help ensure that the delicate arcs make it through our printing process. To see the full image at much higher resolution, have flatter mass distribution profiles than download it at hubblesite.org/image/3238/gallery. Photo credit: NASA, ESA, B. Siana, and A. Alavi but, though the two 19th-magnitude cD ellipti- objects, partly because he thought it impracti- doi.org/10.1038/279381a0.

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THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 27 Riley, Astronomical Society of Kansas City; Variable Stars, Silver; No. 1, Michael Hotka, Comet Observing Program Nasset, Minnesota Astronomical Society; Crowson, Astronomical Society of Eastern Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association; Rhodora Robinson, Member-at-Large; Susan Longmont Astronomical Society, Meteors; No. 44, Paul Harrington, Gold, Member- No. 1072B, Bradley Nasset, Minnesota Missouri; Tom Doyle, Member-at-Large; No. 1136-M, Catherine S. Anderson, Tucson Observing Rose, Amateur Observers’ Society of New No. 1, Michael Hotka, Meteors, Longmont at-Large; No. 45, Tim Tomljanovich, Gold, Astronomical Society; No., 1073, Raymond Franke Dunne, Member-at-Large; Tony Amateur Astronomy Association; No. 1137-M, 2019 York; James Smith, Barnard Astronomical Astronomical Society, Variable Stars, Silver; Northwest Suburban Astronomers; No. 110, L. Bradley, Roanoke Valley Astronomical Edwards, Island County Astronomical Society; Paul W. Anderson, Tucson Amateur Astronomy Society; Shirley Smith, Barnard Astronomical No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur Glenn Wolford, Silver, Member-at-Large Association; No. 1074, David Decker, San Charles R. Ferguson, Astronomical Society Association; No. 1138-O, Chelsea Neckel, Society; Steven Tilley, Baton Rouge Astronomers, Milky Way, Gold Class 13; No. Diego Astronomy Association; No. 1075, of Southeast Texas; Vincent Giovannone, Flint River Astronomy Club; No. 1139-M, Awards Constellation Hunter Observing Astronomy Astronomical Society; Tracy Berlin Trapuzzano, 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur Lonnie Mosley, Astronomical Society of Member-at-Large; Amelia Goldberg, Houston Pranvera Hyseni, Member-at-Large; No. Program (Northern Skies) Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers; Dena Astronomers, Moon Zoo, Gold Class 32; No. Southeast Texas; No. 1076, Jim Michnowicz, Astronomical Society; Carlos Gramajo, 1140-S, J. Lopez-Incandela, Northeast Vettor, Astronomical Society of Las Cruces; 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur No. 228, Peter Detterline, Member-at-Large; Raleigh Astronomical Association North Houston Astronomy Club; Abhi Milind Florida Astronomical Society; No. 1141-O, ALCon Binocular Observing Challenge No. 229, Edgar G. Fischer, Albuquerque Day Winners John Zimitsch, Minnesota Astronomical Cynthia Wagner, Brevard Astronomical Astronomers, Ice Hunters, Gold Class 101; Lunar II Observing Program Gudipati, Fort Bend Astronomy Club; David Jeffrey Moorhouse, Gold, La Crosse Area Society; Gary Wood, Richland Astronomical No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomical Society; No. 230, Jeffrey S. Haviland, Fort Bend Astronomy Club; Blake Society; No. 1142-O, Jim Michnowicz, Astronomical Society; Jason Cousins, Silver, Moorehouse, LaCrosse Area Astronomical No. 100, Terry Trees, Amateur Astronomers Society; Patricia Wood, Richland Astronomical Astronomers, Andromeda Project, Gold S. Hurlburt, San Antonio Astronomical Raleigh Astronomy Club; No. 1143-O, David Once again in 2019, we received Amateur Observers’ Society of New York; Society; No. 231, Jenny Stein, Houston Association of Pittsburgh; No. 101, Roger D. Society; Susan Whitehead, Miami Valley Class 4; No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Association; Joe Khalaf, Houston Astronomical Prosper, Eastbay Astronomical Society; No. tremendous submissions for the Astronomy Dawn Davies, Silver, Austin Astronomical Astronomical Society Joyner, Greensboro Astronomy Club Astronomical Society; Dennis Wilde, Amateur Amateur Astronomers, Space Warps, Gold Society; Mike Keefe, Raleigh Astronomy 960-S, Moises Ramirez, Fort Bend Astronomy Day Awards. Thanks to Sky & Telescope and Society; Derek Demeter, Silver, Central Observers’ Society of New York; Edward Class 138; No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Dark Sky Advocate Program Observer Award Club; Brian Kelly, Member-at-Large; Lorna Club; No. 1144-O, Prakash Shet, Fort Bend the American Astronomical Society for their Florida Astronomical Society; James Dire, Zapadka, Amateur Astronomers Association Amateur Astronomers, Sunspotter, Gold No. 15, David Whalen, Atlanta Astronomy Club Michael Blase, Olympic Astronomical Society; Kelly, Member-at-Large; Craig W. Lamison, Astronomy Club; No. 1145-O, Jai Shet, Fort longtime support of this most valuable Silver, Kaua‘i Educational Association for of Pittsburgh Class 2; No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Peter K. Detterline, Member-at-Large; Houston Astronomical Society; Al Lamperti, Bend Astronomy Club; No. 1146-O, Neil outreach program. This year, the winner in the Science and Astronomy; James Ketchum, Deep Sky Binocular Observing Program Amateur Astronomers, Planet Four Ridges, Edgar G. Fischer, Albuquerque Astronomical Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers; Doug Shet, Fort Bend Astronomy Club; No. 1147-O, Large Metropolitan Area category was the Girl Silver, Astronomical Society of Kansas Arp Peculiar Galaxies Gold Class 53; No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware No. 408, Janean L. Shane, Omaha Society; Rob Ratkowski, Haleakala Amateur Lively, Raleigh Astronomy Club; Grant Martin, Preeti Shet, Fort Bend Astronomy Club; No. Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital. This was City; Brian Lippincott, Silver, Austin Northern Observing Program Valley Amateur Astronomers, Planet Four Astronomical Society; No. 409, Rich Krahling, Astronomers; Robert J. Olsen, Member- Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri; 1148-O, Howard Persky, Fort Bend Astronomy the first submission we’ve received from a Astronomical Society; Kathleen Machin, No. 93-V, Michael Overacker, Star City Terrains, Gold Class 10; No. 1, Al Lamperti, Richland Astronomical Society at-Large; Jonathan Poppele, Minnesota Renee Mettle, St. Louis Astronomical Society; Club; No. 1149-O, Zachary Leutwyler, Girl Scout Council. Silver, Astronomical Society of Kansas City; Astronomy Network; No. 94-V, Stephen L. Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers, Double Star Observing Program Astronomical Society Jim Michmowicz, Raleigh Astronomy Club; Fort Bend Astronomy Club; No. 1150-O, The Children’s Museum at the Travelers David Prosper, Silver, Member-at-Large; Snider, Albuquerque Astronomical Society Local Group Cluster Search, Gold Class 12; Jeff Moorhouse, La Crosse Area Astronomical Srinivas Gudipati, Fort Bend Astronomy Science Dome in West Hartford, Connecticut, George J. Robinson, Silver, Member-at-Large; No. 632, Jonathan Cross, Seattle Astronomical Master Observer Award Arp Peculiar Galaxies No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur Society; Faith Newsome, Raleigh Astronomy Club; No. 1151-O, Durgamba Gudipati, Fort was the winner in 2019’s Small Metropolitan James Small, Silver, St. Louis Astronomical Society; No. 633, Bob Nolen, Shreveport- No. 226, Rakhal Kincaid, Haleakala Amateur Southern Observing Program Astronomers, Radio Galaxy Zoo, Gold Class 6; Club; Bonnie Orlando, Member-at-Large; Bend Astronomy Club; No. 1152-O, Abhi Area category. This group is a repeat winner Society; Gary Trapuzzano, Silver, Delaware Bossier Astronomical Society; No. 634, Keith Astronomers No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur Loyd Overcash, North Houston Astronomy Gudipati, Fort Bend Astronomy Club; No. from previous years. Valley Amateur Astronomers; David Whalen, No. 18-I, Marie Lott, Atlanta Astronomy Club Lawrence, Vermont Astronomical Society; No. Astronomers, Galaxy Zoo, Gold Class 2; No. Advanced Observer Award Club; W. Maynard Pittendreigh, Brevard 1153-O, Debra Wagner, Member-at-Large; The Roanoke Valley (Virginia) Astronomical Silver, Atlanta Astronomy Club; Albert 635, Steven Powell, Houston Astronomical Observing Program 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomical Society; Bruce Pollard, North No. 1154-S, Kenneth R. Magar, Indiana Society was a return winner in the 2019 Ansorge, Member-at-Large; Laurie Ansorge, Society; No. 636, Jeffrey S. Moorhouse, La Rob Ratkowski, Haleakala Amateur No. 51, Russell F. Pinizzotto, Southern Maine Astronomers, Galaxy Zoo 3D, Gold Class 16; Houston Astronomy Club; Susan Pollard, Astronomical Society; No. 1155-O, Dave competition. The society won the Medium Member-at-Large; John Bajtelsmit, Delaware Crosse Area Astronomical Society; No. 637, Astronomers Astronomers Club No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur North Houston Astronomy Club; Krista Reed, Eberle, Spokane Astronomical Society; No. Metropolitan Area category award and the Valley Amateur Astronomers; Jacqueline Mike Reitmajer, Rose City Astronomers Master Observer Award – Gold Astronomers, Galaxy Zoo, Clump Scout, Gold Baton Rouge Astronomical Society; Greg 1156-O, Kia Hurtley, Prescott Astronomy Best New Idea award for a virtual reality Beucher, Astronomical Society of Kansas City; Asteroid Observing Program Class 1; No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Earth Orbiting Satellite Mark Simonson, Everett Astronomical Society; Rigelman, St. Louis Astronomical Society; Club; No. 1157-S, John McLaren, Seattle planetarium. Isaac Broudy, Member-at-Large; Thomas Observing Program No. 62, Mark Bailey, Gold, Member-at-Large Amateur Astronomers, Variable Star Zoo, David Whalen, Atlanta Astronomy Club Ramiro Rodriguez, Raleigh Astronomy Club; Astronomical Society; No. 1158-O, Alex Holt, May 2, 2020, is the date for Astronomy Broudy, Member-at-Large; Debra Chapman, Beyond Polaris Silver; No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley No. 37, Rob Ratkowski, Haleakala Amateur Mark Simonson, Everett Astronomical Society; Popular Astronomy Club; No. 1159-O, Mary Day next year. It is not too early to start Astronomy Club of Tulsa; Steven Chapman, Messier Observing Program Amateur Astronomers, Galaxy Bars, Silver; Astronomers John Strebeck, St. Louis Astronomical Society; Holt, Popular Astronomy Club; No. 1160-O, making your plans to participate in this Astronomy Club of Tulsa; Aaron Clevenson, No. 32, Sharon Rigsby, Astronomical Society No. 2811, Tom Nelson, Honorary, Tucson No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur Kathleen Strebeck, St. Louis Astronomical Mike Danielson, Pontchartain Astronomy nationwide event and submit an entry for the North Houston Astronomy Club; Elizabeth of Southeast Texas; No. 33, Laurie Ansorge, Flat Galaxy Observing Program Amateur Astronomy Association; No. Astronomers, Supernova Sighting, Silver; Society; Jo Ellen Sutter, Fort Bend Astronomy Society; No. 1161-O, Mark Pershing, Popular Astronomy Day program. Davidson, Rochester Astronomy Club; William Member-at-Large; No. 34, Michael Grabner, No. 28, Kevin Mayock, Honorary, Rose City 2814, Aaron Roman, Honorary, Kalamazoo No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Amateur Club; Joana Tan, North Houston Astronomy Astronomy Club; No. 1162-O, Michael For more information, contact Astronomy Davidson, Rochester Astronomy Club; Andy Rose City Astronomers Astronomers Astronomical Society; No. 2815, Kevin Astronomers, Radio Galaxy Zoo Gems, Club; Robert Togni, Central Arkansas R. Martin, Roanoke Valley Astronomical Day Headquarters: Gary Tomlinson, Flowers, Tallahassee Astronomical Society; Hartnett, Honorary, Goddard Astronomy Binocular Double Star Bronze; No. 1, Al Lamperti, Delaware Valley Herschel 400 Observing Program Astronomical Society; Benjamin Toman, Baton Society; No. 1163-O, Rick Gering, Naperville Astronomy Day coordinator, can be reached at David Godman, Greensboro Astronomy Club; Observing Program Club; No. 2816, Michael Nameika, Honorary, Amateur Astronomers, Galaxy Zoo Mergers, No. 609, Bernard Venasse, Member-at-Large; Rouge Astronomical Society; Anastasia Vail, Astronomical Association [email protected]. Diane Godman, Greensboro Astronomy Club; Colorado Springs Astronomical Society; No. No. 36, Charles E. Allen, Evansville Bronze; No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern No. 610, Rakhal Kincaid, Haleakala Amateur Raleigh Astronomy Club; Bernard Venasse, John Holtz, Amateur Astronomers Association 2817, Jonathan Cross, Honorary, Seattle Observing Program Astronomical Society; No. 37, W. Maynard Houston Astronomy Club, Galaxy Zoo, Bronze; Astronomers; No. 611, Keith Lawrence, Member-at -Large; Willem Weber, Member- of Pittsburgh; Katherine Holtz, Amateur Astronomical Society; No. 2818, Brad Bird, No. 77, Doug McCormick, Advanced Manual, Pittendreigh, Brevard Astronomical Society No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Houston Vermont Astronomical Society; No. 612, Larry at-Large; Willow Weber, Member-at-Large; Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh; Angie Regular, Astronomical Society of Kansas Houston Astronomical Society; No. 78, Astronomy Club, Radio Meteor Zoo, Bronze; Farrington, Mt. Shasta Stargazers; No. 613, Nick Wightman, Member-at-Large; Brad Binocular Messier Observing Program City; No. 2819, Sharon Flemings, Regular, David Cooper, Advanced, The Astronomy Sketching Hutchison, Richmond Astronomical Society; No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Houston Mike Reitmajer, Rose City Astronomers Young, Astronomy Club of Tulsa Tyler Hutchison, Richmond Astronomical No. 1166, Michael Nameika, Colorado Springs Astronomy Club, Muon Hunters, Bronze; Ancient City Astronomy Club; No. 2820, David Connection; No. 79, Bill Hennessey, Neville Society; Betty Iorg, Astronomical Society Astronomical Society; No. 1167, Bruce No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Houston Herschel Society Wickholm, Regular, San Antonio Astronomical Observing Program Public Museum Astronomical Society of Kansas City; Carroll Iorg, Astronomical Scodova, Richland Astronomical Society; No. 8, Jim Ketchum, Silver, Astronomical Association; No. 2821, Jeffrey S. Moorhouse, No. 88, David Whalen, Advanced, Atlanta Award Astronomy Club, Gravity Spy, Bronze; No. Sketching Observing Program Society of Kansas City; Charles Jagow, No. 1168, David Wickholm, San Antonio 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Houston Society of Kansas Honorary, La Crosse Area Astronomical Astronomy Club Back Bay Amateur Astronomers; Amy Lynn Astronomical Association; No. 1169, Michael Society No. 37, Vincent Giovannone, Member-at- Gerry Kocken was presented with his Astronomy Club, Zwicky’s Quirky Transits, Local Galaxy Group & Galactic Johns, Amateur Astronomers Association Phelps, Atlanta Astronomy Club; No. 1170, Outreach Observing Award Large first-place Sketching Award at the October 3, Bronze; No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Neighborhood Observing Program Meteor Observing Program Jim McLaughlin, Auburn Astronomical Society; 2019, meeting of the Neville Public Museum of Pittsburgh; Frances Kaplan, Brevard Houston Astronomy Club, Protect Our Planet No. 76, Steven Sauerwein, 18 hours, Member- No. 113-M, Jim Dixon, Central Arkansas Solar System Observing Program No. 1171, Jeffrey Moorhouse, La Crosse Area No. 40-DA, Rodney R. Rynearson, St. Louis Astronomical Society. Astronomical Society; James Knoll, Tucson From Solar Storms, Bronze; No. 1, Aaron at-Large; No. 112, Debra Wagner, Honorary, Astronomical Society; No. 822-M, Terzah Astronomical Society; No. 1172, Michael Astronomical Society; No. 41-DA, Roy Troxel, No. 143, Jonathan Poppele, Minnesota Amateur Astronomy Association; Susan Knoll, Clevenson, Northern Houston Astronomy Member-at-Large; No. 189, David Whalen, 18 Horton, Fort Bend Astronomy Club; No. Keefe, Raleigh Astronomy Club; No. 1173, Member-at-Large; No. 42, Charles E. Allen, Astronomical Society; No. 144, Russell F. Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association; Club, Variable Star Zoo, Bronze; No. 1, Aaron hours, Atlanta Astronomy Club; No. 193, Kiefer 828-M, James Wooten, Fort Bend Astronomy John Zimitsch, Minnesota Astronomical Evansville Astronomical Society Pinizzotto, Southern Maine Astronomers; No. Ron Kramer, Astronomical Society of Las Clevenson, Northern Houston Astronomy Iacaruso, 12 hours, Youth Member-at-Large; Club; No. 918-M, Marilyn Perry, Member- Society; No. 1174, Stephen Hildenbrandt, 145-B, Russell F. Pinizzotto, Southern Maine Cruces; Albert Lamperti, Delaware Valley Club, SuperWASP Variable Stars, Bronze; Lunar Observing Program No. 194, Paul Jones, Honorary, Ancient City at-Large; No. 926-M, Aneesa Haq, Fort Bend Miami Valley Astronomical Society; No. Astronomers; No. 146-B, Aaron Clevenson, Amateur Astronomers; Marie Lott, Atlanta No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Houston No. 911B, Walter Jablonski, New Hampshire Astronomy Club; No. 195, Andrea L McCann, Astronomy Club; No. 963-S, John Carter, 1175, Keith Lawrence, Vermont Astronomical North Houston Astronomy Club Astronomy Club; Cynthia Lynch, Member- Astronomy Club, Planet Hunters TESS, Bronze; Astronomical Society; No. 1063, Jeff Willson, 24 hours, Member-at-Large; No. 196, Glenn Prescott Astronomy Club; No. 1017-M, Society; No. 1176, Jason Brant Dodson, NASA at-Large; Barbara Madera, North Houston No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Houston Rose City Astronomers; No. 1064, Eddie Wolford, 6 hours, Member-at-Large Stephen L. Snider, Albuquerque Astronomical Two in the View Observing Program Langley Exchange Skywatchers; No. 1177, Astronomy Club; Ashini Modi, Shreveport- Astronomy Club, Local Group Cluster Search, Trevino, Astronomical Society of Southeast Society; No. 1027-S, Teresa Bippert-Plymate, No. 37, Charles E. Allen III, Evansville John McLaren, Seattle Astronomical Society; NASA Observing Challenge – Bossier Astronomical Society; Ashish Modi, Bronze; No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Texas; No. 1065, Cat Trevino, Astronomical Big Bear Valley Astronomical Society; Astronomical Society; No. 38, W. Maynard No. 1178, Raymond David Whatley, Northeast Apollo 50th Anniversary Shreveport-Bossier Astronomical Society; Houston Astronomy Club, Astronomy Rewind, Society of Southeast Texas; No. 1066, Tom No.1028-S, Claude Plymate, Big Bear Valley Pittendreigh, Brevard Astronomical Society Kalgi Modi, Shreveport-Bossier Astronomical Florida Astronomical Society Bronze; No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Gazzillo, Chesmont Astronomical Association; Jim Barbasso, North Houston Astronomy Astronomical Society; No. 1060-S, Peter K. Society; Morni Modi, Shreveport-Bossier Caldwell Observing Program Houston Astronomy Club, Backyard Worlds, No. 1067, Robert A. Mayer, Magic Valley Club; Jeff Barney, North Houston Astronomy Detterline, Member-at-Large; No. 1110-S, Urban Observing Program Astronomical Society; Jean Moorhouse, Club; Mary Barteau, St. Louis Astronomical Jeffrey Padell, Skyscrapers; No. 1119-S, SILVER AWARDS Bronze; No. 1, Aaron Clevenson, Northern Astronomical Society; No. 1068, Mark L. No. 197, Jonathan Cross, Seattle Astronomical La Crosse Area Astronomical Society; Society; Steve Boerner, Member-at-Large; Christopher Leake, Astronomical Society of Society; No. 198, Jeffrey Moorhouse, La No. 261, Bernard Venasse, Member-at- Houston Astronomy Club, Planet Hunters Mitchell, Delaware Astronomical Society; No. Kevin O’Neill, Asheville Astronomy Club; Dwain R. Bostick, San Antonio Astronomical Kansas City; No. 1124-O, Gisela Esteva, Fort Crosse Area Astronomical Society Large; No. 262, Bill Hennessy, Neville Public TESS, Silver; No. 1, Douglas Smith, Tucson 1069, Don Martin, Von Braun Astronomical Vadim Paley, Amateur Observers’ Society Amateur Astronomy Association, Variable Society; No. 1070, David Wickholm, San Association; Scott Cadwallader, Baton Rouge Bend Astronomy Club; No. 1131-S, Sam Pitts, Museum Astronomical Society Variable Star Observing Program of New York; W. Maynard Pittendreigh, Stars, Gold Class 1; No. 1, W. Maynard Antonio Astronomical Association; No. Astronomical Society; Aaron Clevenson, Temecula Valley Astronomers; No. 1135-O, Brevard Astronomical Society; Judith Riley, Citizen Science Program Pittendreigh, Brevard Astronomical Society; 1071, Jeffrey Moorhouse, La Crosse Area North Houston Astronomy Club; Heather Pat Bledsoe, Prescott Astronomy Club; No. No. 34, Marilyn Perry, Member-at-Large; No. Astronomical Society of Kansas City; Ryan No. 1, Steve Boerner, Member-at-Large, Variable Stars, Silver Astronomical Society; No. 1072, Bradley Martha Cook, Member-at-Large; Dan 1136-S, Catherine S. Anderson, 35, James Pryal, Seattle Astronomical Society

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