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Hubble Turns 21 monthly notes of the astronomical society of southern africa ISSN 0024-8266 Vol 70 Nos 5 & 6 June 2011 News Notes History of the African Astronomical Society...................................................................................... 81 SAAO Report: 2004-2009 Phil Charles and Ian Glass.......................................................................................................... 83 monthly notes of the astronomical society of southern africa GOAD opening: Ministerial Address mnassa Naledi Pandor.............................................................................................................................. 95 Vol 70 Nos 5 & 6 June 2011 Comments for the OAD Inauguration Robert Williams............................................................................................................................ 97 Welcoming and Opening Address by the Director of the OAD Kevin Govender........................................................................................................................... 99 Minister of Science and Technology launches the IAU Global AOD.............................................. 102 Hubble turns 21.................................................................................................................................104 Willard Boyle, 1924 – 2011...............................................................................................................105 Fireball and Bolide Observations; 2009-2010 T.P. Cooper................................................................................................................................... 107 Astronomical Colloquia....................................................................................................... 113 Deep-sky Delights A Flame rises from the Altar Magda Streicher................................................................................................................ 118 Hubble turns 21 • SAAO Report: 2004 – 2009 • Willard Boyle, 1924 – 2011 • Printed by Mega Digital, Cape Town • Minister opens the IAU’s GOAD • Fireball & Bolide Report • monthly notes of the astronomical society of southern africa astronomical society of southern africa editorial board Mr Case Rijsdijk (Editor) The Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA) was formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the Cape Astronomical Association (founded 1912) and the Johannesburg Astronomical Association Dr I S Glass (Assistant Editor) (founded 1918). It is a body consisting of both amateur and professional astronomers. Mr Maciej Soltynski (Book Review Editor) Publications: The Society publishes its own electronic journal, the Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Prof MW Feast (Board Member, Univ. of Cape Town) Society of Southern Africa (MNASSA) bimonthly and an annual printed Sky Guide Africa South. Prof B Warner (Board Member, Univ. of Cape Town) Membership: Membership of the Society is open to all. Enquiries should be addressed to the Mem- Mr C Hettlage (Webmaster) bership Secretary, ASSA, PO Box 9, Observatory, 7935, South Africa or to the e-mail address below. Mr A. Slotegraaf (Editor, Sky Guide Africa South) Potential members should note that because of likely changes in the Society’s Constitution, subscrip- tion rates can only be announced, probably on the ASSA homepage, in June or July. editorial address MNASSA, PO Box 9, Observatory, 7935, South Africa Local Centres: Autonomous local Centres of the Society exist at Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, e-mail: [email protected] Harare, Hermanus, Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg (Natal Midlands Centre), Pretoria and Sedgefield webpage: http://mnassa.saao.ac.za district (Garden Route Centre). Membership of any of these Centres automatically confers Local MNASSA Download Page: www.mnassa.org.za membership of the Society. subscriptions From January 2011 MNASSA will be available free of Sky & Telescope: Both Full and Local members (proof of Centre membership required) may sub- scribe to Sky & Telescope at a significant discount. Please contact membership secretary for details. (non-members) charge on the Internet. Paid subscriptions will no longer be available. (see MNASSA, August 2010, p.113). Internet contact details: e-mail: [email protected] homepage: http://assa.saao.ac.za advertising rates Advertisements may be placed in MNASSA at the following rates per insertion: full page R400; half page R200; quar- Council (2010–2011) ter page R100; classified R2.00 per word. Enquiries and President M Poll [email protected] Vice-presidents MJH Hoffman [email protected] copy should be sent to the editor at [email protected]. IS Glass [email protected] contributions Contributions for the respective issues should reach the CL Rijsdijk [email protected] Members MG Soltynski [email protected] editorial address by the due dates below. Please include Adv.AJ Nel [email protected] the word MNASSA in the subject line of all e-mail com- C Stewart [email protected] munication. A Style guide and instructions to authors is Membership Secretary IS Glass [email protected] available from the editor on request, or from the website. Hon. Treasurer AJ Nel [email protected] Hon. Secretary L Cross [email protected] Deadlines: Business Manager vacant Vol 70 Nos 7 & 8 (Aug 2011 issue), 01 Jul 2011 Scholarships MG Soltynski [email protected] Vol 70 Nos 9 & 10 (Oct 2011 issue), 01 Sep 2011 Hon. Auditor RG Glass (Horwath Zeller Karro) [email protected] Vol 70 Nos 11 & 12 (Dec 2011 issue), 01 Nov 2011 Vol 71 Nos 1 & 2 (Feb 2012 issue), 01 Jan 2012 Directors of Sections recognition Articles in MNASSA appear in the NASA/ADS data system. Comet and Meteor Section TP Cooper Tel. 011 967 2250 [email protected] Cosmology Section JFW de Bruyn Tel. 033 396 3624 [email protected] Dark Sky Section J Smit Tel. 011 790 4443 [email protected] Deep-sky Section A Slotegraaf Tel. 074 100 7237 [email protected] Double Star Section L Ferreira Tel. 083 376 4910 [email protected] Education and Public CL Rijsdijk Tel. 044 877 1180 [email protected] Hubble turns 21 Communication Section The newly released Hubble image shows a large spiral galaxy, known as UGC Historical Section C de Coning Tel/Fax 021 423 4538 [email protected] Imaging Section O Toumilovitch Tel. 082 680 4700 [email protected] 1810, with a disk that is distorted into a rose-like shape by the gravitational Occultation Section B Fraser Tel. 016 366 0955 [email protected] tidal pull of the companion galaxy below it, known as UGC 1813. For more Solar Section vacant information, see the article on p.104. Variable Star Section C Middleton, Tel. 082 920 3107 [email protected] deep-sky delights Another 2.5 degrees further west from the cluster seems much “busier” with the asterism is the globular cluster NGC star light. James Dunlop discovered 6352, situated inside the diffuse emission this magnitude 8 globular from Wales, nebula GN 17.24.4 (General Nebula Da- Australia, and adds it as number 417 on mnassa tabank). The globular cluster appears as his list. His remarks were: “Rather faint Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa a soft round smear, unresolved and em- nebula, round figure, easily resolvable in Vol 70 Nos 5 & 6 June 2011 bedded among the faint field stars. With slight compression of stars to the centre”. averted vision it looks somewhat like The globular cluster is also known as news notes blasted sand, and with higher magnifica- Bennett 94 and is approximately 25 000 tion the identity comes to life with faint light-years distant. History of the African Astronomical pin-point stars resembling frosted glass. Society (AfAS) The twinkling stars give this globular a The stake and sacrifices have long died glitter-ball effect, with a faint hazy outer out, but the constellation Ara is a quiet The call for a Pan-African professional years. In 2008 both Peter Martinez envelope. With even higher magnifica- reminder of a practice that justified such society of astronomers goes back several (South Africa) and Pius Okeke (Nigeria) tion dark spots and thin dark lanes are phenomena. Fortunately the constella- published articles on ways to develop visible in the slightly more compact tion offers a wealth of splendid objects astronomy in Africa, the latter specifically centre, with noticeable star trails on the that will warm the heart on warm south- calling for the formation of a Pan-African outer edges. The south-western part of ern summer evenings. African Astronomical Society. Object Type RA (J2000.0) Dec Mag Size Regional professional astronomical societies had been formed in both West NGC 6167 Open Cluster 16h34m4 -49º36′ 6.7 7′ Africa and East Africa. Colleagues R Arae Eclipsing Binary 16 39 7 -57 00 6 & 6.9 - in North Africa also have organized NGC 6188 Diffuse Nebula 16 40 5 -48 47 - 20′ professional astronomy organizations, and NGC 6193 Open Cluster 16 41 3 -48 46 5.2 14′ the history of astronomy in South Africa is NGC 6204 Open Cluster 16 46 5 -47 01 8.2 5′ well documented. Hogg 22 Open Cluster 16 46 6 -47 05 6.7 2′ NGC 6215 Galaxy 16 51 1 -58 59 10.9 2.7′x2.2′ At the 2010 launch of the African Physical NGC 6215A Galaxy 16 52 8 -58 56 13.4 1.9′x0.6′ Society in Dakar a number of astronomers NGC 6221 Galaxy 16 52 8 -59 13 10.1 4.9′x3.2′ from throughout the continent and the NGC 6253 Open Cluster 16 59 1 -52 43 10.2 5′ African diaspora resolved to form the Hen-1357 Planetary Nebula 17 16 4 -59 29 - - The launch of the African Astronomical African
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