June 2018 Observers Challenge
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Kinematics of Planetary Nebulae in M51's Tidal Debris
Draft version December 17, 2018 A Preprint typeset using L TEX style emulateapj v. 14/09/00 KINEMATICS OF PLANETARY NEBULAE IN M51’S TIDAL DEBRIS Patrick R. Durrell [email protected] Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 J. Christopher Mihos1, John J. Feldmeier [email protected], [email protected] Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106 George H. Jacoby [email protected] WIYN Observatory2, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson AZ 85726 and Robin Ciardullo [email protected] Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal ABSTRACT We report the results of a radial velocity survey of planetary nebulae (PNe) located in the tidal features of the well-known interacting system NGC 5194/95 (M51). We find clear kinematic evidence that M51’s northwestern tidal debris consists of two discrete structures which overlap in projection – NGC 5195’s own tidal tail, and diffuse material stripped from NGC 5194. We compare these kinematic data to a new numerical simulation of the M51 system, and show that the data are consistent with the classic “single passage” model for the encounter, with a parabolic satellite trajectory and a 2:1 mass ratio. We also comment on the spectra of two unusual objects: a high-velocity PN which may be associated with NGC 5194’s halo, and a possible interloping high-redshift galaxy. Subject headings: galaxies: individual (M51) — galaxies: interactions — galaxies: kinematics and dynamics — planetary nebulae: general 1. -
Central Coast Astronomy Virtual Star Party May 15Th 7Pm Pacific
Central Coast Astronomy Virtual Star Party May 15th 7pm Pacific Welcome to our Virtual Star Gazing session! We’ll be focusing on objects you can see with binoculars or a small telescope, so after our session, you can simply walk outside, look up, and understand what you’re looking at. CCAS President Aurora Lipper and astronomer Kent Wallace will bring you a virtual “tour of the night sky” where you can discover, learn, and ask questions as we go along! All you need is an internet connection. You can use an iPad, laptop, computer or cell phone. When 7pm on Saturday night rolls around, click the link on our website to join our class. CentralCoastAstronomy.org/stargaze Before our session starts: Step 1: Download your free map of the night sky: SkyMaps.com They have it available for Northern and Southern hemispheres. Step 2: Print out this document and use it to take notes during our time on Saturday. This document highlights the objects we will focus on in our session together. Celestial Objects: Moon: The moon 4 days after new, which is excellent for star gazing! *Image credit: all astrophotography images are courtesy of NASA & ESO unless otherwise noted. All planetarium images are courtesy of Stellarium. Central Coast Astronomy CentralCoastAstronomy.org Page 1 Main Focus for the Session: 1. Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) 2. Boötes (the Herdsman) 3. Coma Berenices (Hair of Berenice) 4. Virgo (the Virgin) Central Coast Astronomy CentralCoastAstronomy.org Page 2 Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs) Canes Venatici, The Hunting Dogs, a modern constellation created by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1687. -
Messier Objects
Messier Objects From the Stocker Astroscience Center at Florida International University Miami Florida The Messier Project Main contributors: • Daniel Puentes • Steven Revesz • Bobby Martinez Charles Messier • Gabriel Salazar • Riya Gandhi • Dr. James Webb – Director, Stocker Astroscience center • All images reduced and combined using MIRA image processing software. (Mirametrics) What are Messier Objects? • Messier objects are a list of astronomical sources compiled by Charles Messier, an 18th and early 19th century astronomer. He created a list of distracting objects to avoid while comet hunting. This list now contains over 110 objects, many of which are the most famous astronomical bodies known. The list contains planetary nebula, star clusters, and other galaxies. - Bobby Martinez The Telescope The telescope used to take these images is an Astronomical Consultants and Equipment (ACE) 24- inch (0.61-meter) Ritchey-Chretien reflecting telescope. It has a focal ratio of F6.2 and is supported on a structure independent of the building that houses it. It is equipped with a Finger Lakes 1kx1k CCD camera cooled to -30o C at the Cassegrain focus. It is equipped with dual filter wheels, the first containing UBVRI scientific filters and the second RGBL color filters. Messier 1 Found 6,500 light years away in the constellation of Taurus, the Crab Nebula (known as M1) is a supernova remnant. The original supernova that formed the crab nebula was observed by Chinese, Japanese and Arab astronomers in 1054 AD as an incredibly bright “Guest star” which was visible for over twenty-two months. The supernova that produced the Crab Nebula is thought to have been an evolved star roughly ten times more massive than the Sun. -
Star Dust National Capital Astronomers, Inc
Star Dust National Capital Astronomers, Inc. April 10, 2010 Volume 68, Issue 8 http://capitalastronomers.org Next Meeting April 2010: Dr. David J. Thompson When: Sat. Apr. 10, 2010 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Deputy Project Scientist Time: 7:30 pm Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Where: UM Observatory Highlights from the Fermi Speaker: David Thompson, Gamma-ray Space Telescope NASA Goddard Abstract: Since August, 2008, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has Table of Contents been scanning the sky, producing a full-sky image every three hours. The Preview of Apr. 2010 Talk 1 cosmic gamma-rays recorded by Fermi come from extreme astrophysical Spectacular Spiral 2 phenomena. Some key observations include: Octavia Occultation 3 (1) Gamma-rays from pulsars appear to come from a region well above Occultations 4 the surface of the neutron star; Arlington Planetarium 5 (2) Multiwavelength studies of blazars show that simple models of jet Calendar 5 emission are not always adequate to explain what is seen; (3) Gamma-ray bursts can exhibit strong emission at high energies even from Directions to Dinner/Meeting distant bursts, with implications for some models of quantum gravity; Members and guests are invited to (4) Cosmic-ray electrons at energies approaching 1 TeV seem to suggest join us for dinner at the Garden a local source for some of these particles. Restaurant located in the UMUC Inn & Conference Center, 3501 Biography: Dave Thompson University Blvd E. The meeting is received his PhD in physics held at the UM Astronomy from the University of Maryland Observatory on Metzerott Rd about in 1973 and almost immediately started a job at NASA Goddard halfway between Adelphi Rd and Space Flight Center with the University Blvd. -
Of Galaxies, Stars, Planets and People
The Cosmic Journeys of Galaxies,A Research Programme forStars, the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Planets and People This document was produced by the staff of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, in particular through discussions and contributions from the tenured astronomers, together with input from the Governors and the Management Committee. The document was edited by the Director, Michael Burton and designed by Aileen McKee. Produced in March 2017 Front Cover Images The Four Pillars of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Research Outreach The Armagh Observatory was founded in 1790 as The Armagh Planetarium was founded by Dr Eric part of Archbishop Richard Robinson’s vision to see Lindsay, the seventh director of the Observatory, as the creation of a University in the City of Armagh. part of his vision to communicate the excitement of It is the oldest scientific institution in Northern astronomy and science to the public. It opened on Ireland and the longest continuously operating the 1st of May, 1968 and is the oldest operating astronomical research institution in the UK and planetarium in the UK and Ireland. Ireland. History Heritage Dreyer's NGC – the New General Catalogue – was The Observatory has been measuring the weather published in 1888 by JLE Dreyer, fourth Director of conditions at 9am every day since 1794, a the Observatory. It has been used extensively by meteorological record covering more than 200 astronomers ever since. This is his annotated copy, years, believed to be longest standing in the British complete with all known corrections at the time. Isles. This image shows the sunshine recorder and Galaxies and nebulae are still often cited by their anemometer. -
Whirlpools and Pinwheels on the Sky
Whirlpools and pinwheels on the sky Domingos Soares Galaxies exist in many different forms and count by, at least, the hundreds of billions, according to estimations made from the observations of the Hubble Space Telescope. Among all of them, there are no doubts that the most spectacular are the so-called \spiral galaxies". Our own galaxy, the Milky Way galaxy, is a member of that family. Spiral galaxies are so named because of the distinctive aspect they present to the observer, namely, of a spiral-shaped structure similar to a whirlpool or a pinwheel. They are also called \disk galaxies" because the galactic material | stars, gas and interstellar dust | is distributed in the shape of a \thick" disk. The stars constitute the main constituents of galaxies, at least with respect to their visual appearance. They emit the major part of the visible light of a galaxy, be it a spiral or not. The typical visual aspect of spiral galaxies is due to the structures that astronomers call \spiral arms". The most bright stars of a galaxy are those that delineate the arms. These, however, contribute little to the total mass of the galaxy, but due to their extraordinary brightness they are the most noticeable on a visual inspection. The spiral galaxy disks rotate. And this is typical in those galaxies: the galactic material spins around the disk center, which is called \galactic center". But the rotation is not like the spin of a rigid disk, like, for example, a CD, in which all the points make a full turn in the same time interval. -
Night Sky Monitoring Program for the Southeast Utah Group, 2003
NIGHT SKY United States Department of MONITORING Interior National Park Service PROGRAM Southeast Utah Group SOUTHEAST UTAH GROUP Resource Management Division Arches National Park Canyonlands National Park Moab Hovenweep National Monument Utah 84532 Natural Bridges National Monument General Technical Report SEUG-001-2003 2003 January 2004 Charles Schelz / SEUG Biologist Angie Richman / SEUG Physical Science Technician EXECUTIVE SUMMARY NIGHT SKY MONITORING PROGRAM Southeast Utah Group Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Hovenweep and Natural Bridges National Monuments Project Funded by the National Park Service and Canyonlands Natural History Association This report lays the foundation for a Night Sky Monitoring Program in all the park units of the Southeast Utah Group (SEUG). Long-term monitoring of night sky light levels at the units of the SEUG of the National Park Service (NPS) was initiated in 2001 and has evolved steadily through 2003. The Resource Management Division of the Southeast Utah Group (SEUG) performs all night sky monitoring and is based at NPS headquarters in Moab, Utah. All protocols are established in conjunction with the NPS National Night Sky Monitoring Team. This SEUG Night Sky Monitoring Program report contains a detailed description of the methodology and results of night sky monitoring at the four park units of the SEUG. This report also proposes a three pronged resource protection approach to night sky light pollution issues in the SEUG and the surrounding region. Phase 1 is the establishment of methodologies and permanent night sky monitoring locations in each unit of the SEUG. Phase 2 will be a Light Pollution Management Plan for the park units of the SEUG. -
Flat Galaxy - Above 30 Deg
Flat Galaxy - Above 30 Deg. DEC A B C D E F G H I J K L 1 Const. Object ID Other ID RA Dec Size (arcmin) Mag Urano. Urano. Millennium Notes 2 RFGC NGC hh mm ss dd mm ss.s Major Minor 1st Ed. 2nd Ed. 3 CVn 2245 NGC 4244 12 17 30 +37 48 31 19.4 2.1 10.2 107 54 633 Vol II Note: 4 Com 2335 NGC 4565 12 36 21 +25 59 06 15.9 1.9 10.6 149 71 677 Vol II Note: Slightly asymmetric dust lane 5 Dra 2946 NGC 5907 15 15 52 +56 19 46 12.8 1.4 11.3 50 22 568 Vol II Note: 6 Vir 2315 NGC 4517 12 32 46 +00 06 53 11.5 1.5 11.3 238 110 773 Vol II Note: Dust spots 7 Vir 2579 NGC 5170 13 29 49 -17 57 57 9.9 1.2 11.8 285 130 842 Vol II Note: Eccentric dust lane 8 UMa 2212 NGC 4157 12 11 05 +50 29 07 7.9 1.1 12.2 47 37 592 Vol II Note: 9 Vir 2449 MCG-3-33-30 13 03 17 -17 25 23 8.0 1.1 12.5 284 130 843 Vol II Note: Four knots in the centre 10 CVn 2495 NGC 5023 13 12 12 +44 02 17 7.3 0.8 12.7 75 37 609 Vol II Note: 11 Hya 2682 IC 4351 13 57 54 -29 18 57 6.1 0.8 12.9 371 148 888 Vol II Note: Dust lane. -
Prime Focus After Sunset
Highlights of the April Sky. - - - 1st - - - Dusk: Mercury is 10º above the western horizon Prime Focus after sunset. Continues until the 15th. A Publication of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society - - - 3rd - - - Dawn: Antares is 1º below April 2010 the Moon before sunrise. - - - 6th - - - Last Quarter Moon ThisThis MonthsMonths KAS EventsEvents - - - 11th - - - Dawn: Waning Crescent Moon is 5º above Jupiter. General Meeting: Friday, April 9 @ 7:00 pm th - - - 13 - - - PM: Mars is less than 2º Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center - See Page 8 for Details from the Beehive Cluster (M44) in Cancer. Continues until the 20th. Observing Session: Saturday, April 10 @ 8:00 pm - - - 14th - - - Saturn & Orion Nebula - Kalamazoo Nature Center New Moon th Observing Session: Saturday, April 17 @ 8:00 pm - - - 15 - - - Dusk: Mercury and a very Saturn & Open Clusters - Kalamazoo Nature Center thin crescent Moon 7º to lower right of Venus. Look low on western horizon. Astronomy Day: Saturday, April 24 @ 10:00 am low on western horizon. Kalamazoo Valley Museum & Fetzer Center - See Page 3 for Details - - - 16st - - - PM: Waxing Crescent Moon is 8º above Venus. PM: Pleiades is 3.5º above the Moon/Mercury pair. InsideInside thethe Newsletter.Newsletter. .. .. - - - 21st - - - First Quarter Moon March Meeting Minutes......................... p. 2 - - - 23rd - - - PM: Venus and Pleiades fit Board Meeting Minutes......................... p. 2 within a 5º field-of-view. Astronomy Day 2010............................ p. 3 - - - 24th - - - Astronomy Day Spectacular Spiral................................... p. 4 PM: Waxing Gibbous Moon NASA Space Place.................................. p. 5 is lower right of Saturn. April Night Sky........................................ p. 6 - - - 25th - - - PM: Waxing Gibbous Moon KAS Officers & Announcements........ p. 7 is lower left of Saturn. -
AM205: Syllabus
AM205: Data fitting for imaging Comet NEOWISE In late July 2020, Comet NEOWISE was visible from Earth. From a dark sky location, the comet was easily visible to the naked eye, and there were many superb photos that were taken showing the intricate structure of its tail. Chris has been fascinated by astronomy since an early age. His homewown of Keswick in the United Kingdom has very little light pollution, and he was able to appreciate won- ders of the night sky. However, from his current home near Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts there are high levels of light pollution and the sky usually appears a dim grey with all but the brightest stars washed out. On the Bortle scale that is used to measure light pollution [1], Cambridge ranks at roughly 7–8. Chris has a Fuji XT-4 digital camera, which has excellent image quality, but typical pictures of the night sky have a bright grey background. Figure1 shows a typical raw camera image, and it is difficult to make out any detail beyond the brightest stars. Further problems like aircraft lights and brightly lit clouds are also visible. As students of AM205, we can ask ourselves if it is possible to do better. The light pollution adds a smooth, but spatially varying, background to the image. Can we use our data fitting skills to subtract this out and reveal more detail? Figure 1: An example of the difficulty of night sky imaging from an urban area. This image with a 6.5 s exposure was taken near the MIT sports fields on August 11, 2020. -
Do Normal Galaxies Host a Black Hole? the High Energy Perspective
DO NORMAL GALAXIES HOST A BLACK HOLE? THE HIGH ENERGY PERSPECTIVE 1 Y. Terashima2 Nagoya University ABSTRACT We review ASCA results on a search for low luminosity active nuclei at the center of nearby normal galaxies. More than a dozen low-luminosity AGN have been discovered with 2–10 keV − − luminosity in the range 1040 41 ergs s 1. Their X-ray properties are in some respects similar to those of luminous Seyfert galaxies, but differ in other respects. We also present estimated black hole masses in low luminosity AGNs and a drastic activity decline in the nucleus of the radio galaxy Fornax A. These results altogether suggest that relics of the past luminous AGNs lurk in nearby normal galaxies. KEYWORDS: Galaxies; Low luminosity AGNs; LINERs; Black holes 1. Introduction The number density of quasars is peaked at a redshift of z ∼ 2 and rapidly de- creases toward smaller redshifts. In the local universe, there is no AGN emitting at huge luminosity like quasars. These facts infer that quasars evolve to supermassive black holes in nearby apparently normal galaxies (e.g. Rees 1990). The growing evidence for supermassive black holes in nearby galaxies are ob- tained from recent optical and radio observations of gas/stellar kinematics around the center of galaxies (e.g. Ho 1998a; Magorrian et al. 1998; Kormendy & Rich- stone 1995). If fueling to the supermassive black hole takes place with a small arXiv:astro-ph/9905218v1 17 May 1999 mass accretion rate, they are expected to be observed as very low luminosity AGNs compared to quasars. Recent optical spectroscopic surveys have shown that low level activity is fairly common in nearby galaxies. -
Gower AONB - Dark Sky Quality Survey
Dark Sky Wales Allan Trow 28 December 2017 Gower AONB - Dark Sky Quality Survey Dark Sky Wales Training Services were commissioned in December 2017 by Swansea Council to undertake a baseline study of dark sky quality within the Gower AONB. The study was undertaken during December 2018 on clear and moonless nights. The following report highlights the findings from the study and includes recommendations for progressing Dark Sky activities in the area. !1 Introduction Light pollution through inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light makes it increasingly difficult to observe the night skies; indeed, over 90% of the UK population now lives under highly light-polluted skies. Dark skies contribute significantly to human health and wellbeing with increasing evidence showing that sleep is often disturbed by a lack of proper darkness at night with adverse impacts for health. Light pollution also impacts adversely on around 60% of wildlife, which is most active at night. In addition, sympathetic and energy-efficient lighting in communities can satisfy community needs at lower cost whilst importantly reducing carbon emissions. Dark skies are increasingly important for tourism through landscapes that offer unblemished views of the night sky. To support this aim, the AONB commissioned Dark Sky Wales in December 2017 to: • Work closely with AONB staff to identify 40 locations evenly spread across the area of interest. • Undertake study during moonless nights to ensure accurate readings are achieved without any natural influences. • Monitor weather conditions and attempt to undertake study on clear nights (some cloud cover can be worked around) • Use a minimum of two IDA1 standard SQM2 readers at each location • Take three readings from each machine to derive an average for the site.