The March Meeting with Dr. Timothy Barker

the vol. 39 no. 3 March Skyscraper 2012 Amateur Astronomical Society of Rhode Island  47 Peeptoad Road  North Scituate, Rhode Island 02857  www.theSkyscrapers.org

March Meeting with Dr. Timothy Barker Friday, March 2, 7:30pm North Scituate Community Center Samples from the Moon

The Apollo lunar missions were a "giant leap for mankind" in many ways. The scien- tific dividends were huge, and we now realize that the Moon has had a unique role in the evolution of life on Earth. Wheaton College has on-loan from NASA actual lunar samples brought back by the astronauts, which we will view in a plexiglass disk and through a polar- izing microscope. Tim Barker received his Ph.D. in Astrophysics at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1974 and has been at Wheaton ever since. He has taught a variety of courses, includ- ing "The Universe," "The Solar System," "Extraterrestrial Life," "Observational Astronomy," "Ancient Astronomies, and "Frontiers of Astronomy." He have published articles on plan- etary nebulae, supernova searches, and active galaxies and is currently doing asteroid research and searching for Transient Lunar Phenomena.

Phases Crescent Moon by Bob Horton of the Moon In this issue… 8 14 22 30 2 President’s Message Other notable events: Mars is at opposition on the 3rd. Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation on the 5th. The Moon is near mars on the 7th. The Moon is near Saturn and 3 Marvelous Mars Spica on the 10th. Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter on the 13, with the 2 planets close to each other in the evening sky several days before and after. Mars passes through the Leo Trio 4 Mars History Highlights (M95, M96 & M105) on the 15th - 18th. Equinox is on the 20th. Mercury is at inferior 5 Help Protect the Dark conjunction on the 21st. Uranus is in conjunction with the Sun on the 24th. The Moon is Skies of Charlestown and near Jupiter on the 25 and near Venus on the 26th. Venus is at greatest eastern elongation Frosty Drew Observatory on the 27th. Watch Venus is it approaches the Pleiades at the end of the month. 6 R Leonis 6 The Full Moon in March 7 A Planet Pair Viewed Seagrave Memorial Observatory in a Scope Atop a Trash Container is open to the public weather permitting 9 The Hidden Power of March 3 & 10: 7:00-9:00 pm Sea Salt, Revealed Beginning March 17: 8:00-10:00 pm 2 The Skyscraper  March 2012

President’s presented at our March Meeting as well. Skyscrapers is a great organization that continues to evolve with time. As Message we continue to grow, so does the way our Tom Thibault society operates. The foundation of our or- ganization is our Constitution and Bylaws. The Skyscraper is published monthly by Skyscrapers, Inc. Meetings are usually held Dear Skyscrapers Members, Serving as your President under the direc- on the first Friday of the month. Public ob- Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his tion of our society’s documents has brought serving is usually held every Saturday night burrow and gazed upon his shadow, thus to light some areas of inconsistent content. at Seagrave Memorial Observatory, weather signaling we have 6 more weeks of winter. The lack of the Family Membership category permitting. Well, if it continues being as mild as the in our Constitution, while existing on our President season has been so far, I’m sure we will not membership form is an example. Tom Thibault [email protected] mind. We have yet to close Seagrave for For this reason, I appointed a commit- Public Viewing due to snow, and chances are tee to review all our founding documents. It 1st Vice President we may not need to. is my intention to present the committee’s John Briggs [email protected] To my disappointment, I was unable to findings and recommendations during the 2nd Vice President attend our February Meeting. Numerous business portion of the March Meeting. Kathy Siok [email protected] individuals have told me that Gerry Dyck’s This is a busy time of the year for presentation of “Astronomical Poetry” Skyscrapers. As the world prepares for the Secretary through the ages was excellent and enter- arrival of Spring, we prepare for another Ed Haskel [email protected] taining. Gerry, I’m sorry I missed it, espe- year in our history. Our upcoming elec- Treasurer cially with all the rave reviews I’ve heard. tions will fill five vacancies on our Executive Jim Crawford [email protected] Professor Tim Barker is returning in Committee and one on our Board of March as our featured speaker. Professor Trustees. Our 2012/13 operating budget Members at Large Barker’s last engaging presentation was a will be presented for consideration. Future Gene Kusmierz [email protected] crowd pleaser and I suspect March’s will be approval will allow our organization to Jim Hendrickson [email protected] also. Professor Barker will discuss the Apollo continue our mission. I encourage all our Trustees Missions and display some of NASA’s lunar members to participate in the process, so John Leonelli [email protected] samples. The lunar samples are on loan to come join us at our upcoming meetings. Pat Landers [email protected] Wheaton College and will be available for Our Observing Committee will continue Steve Siok [email protected] our viewing pleasure. to share the night sky with the public and Star Party Coordinators Skyscrapers elections are upon us and welcome all interested in participating. Conrad Cardano [email protected] our Nomination Committee’s selections will Feel free to approach any member of our Bob Forgiel [email protected] be announced during our March Meeting. Executive Committee, Trustees, Observatory Nomination Committee Chairman Dave Committee, and Outreach Coordinators Librarian Huestis will also being accepting nomina- if you have an interest in becoming more Amber Lesperance [email protected] tions from the floor at that time. It’s also involved in the organizations activities. I Historian time for begin the process of determining look forward to seeing all of you at our Dave Huestis [email protected] our society's operating budget. The work March Meeting. has begun and our 2012/13 Budget and will Clear Skies Editor Jim Hendrickson [email protected]

Directions Directions to Seagrave Memorial Observatory are located on the back page of this newsletter. Submissions Submissions to The Skyscraper are always welcome. Please submit items for the newsletter no later than March 23 to Jim Hendrickson, 1 Sunflower Circle, North Providence, RI 02911 or e-mail to jim@ distantgalaxy.com. E-mail subscriptions To receive The Skyscraper by e-mail, send e-mail with your name and address to jim@ distantgalaxy.com. Note that you will no Jupiter image by Steve Hubbard. longer receive the newsletter by postal mail. February 19, seeing was fair, 15 sec avi, processed thru registax. twitter.com/SkyscrapersInc

www.theSkyscrapers.org The Skyscraper  March 2012 3 Marvelous Mars Dave Huestis

What immediately pops into your head will be at their closest distance from each will be just over half a million miles apart. A when I mention Mars? If you had asked other: 62,652,214 miles. Unfortunately week later it will be an additional 1.5 million me back in the sixth grade (1964-65), I not all Mars close encounters are favorable miles. So don’t procrastinate. You’ll observe would have answered H.G. Wells’ War of the ones. That fact is due to the eccentricity of more detail if you start your Mars observing Worlds, for it was then that I first read that Mars’ elliptical orbit and its distance from program right away. great science fiction novel about Martians the Sun. And just to put that distance into First you will need to locate Mars in the invading our world. From then until the some perspective, back on August 27, 2003, sky. Just after sunset on March 1, Mars will early 70’s I was aware the United States had Earth and Mars were a mere 34,646,418 be the red object about ten degrees (a fist sent several unmanned spacecraft (Mariner miles apart. held at arm’s length gives this measurement) series) to explore our desert neighbor. Then For some Mars observers it might be a above the eastern horizon. You should wait came the Viking landers in 1976. And now challenge to observe much detail considering for it to climb higher into the sky and out I think about the surviving Mars rover how small the disk of the planet will appear of any horizon haze and turbulence. By 9:00 Opportunity who, like the Energizer Bunny, even at its closest approach. However, don’t pm Mars will be almost 40 degrees above the keeps “going and going.” I’m also looking let Mars’ small image size deter you from horizon and awaiting your scrutiny. It would forward to the landing of a small car-sized gazing at this planet that has stimulated our be hard not to notice Mars, for its pumpkin rover in August called Curiosity. collective imagination for over a century. orange color is very distinct. When I’m able to show a young child This brief Mars observing guide will help By that time the sky will also be com- a great view of Mars through Seagrave you to discern and appreciate the planetary pletely dark, and you’ll be able to see it in Observatory’s 8-inch Alvan Clark refractor detail a telescope may show you of this relation to the background stars. During telescope or Ladd Observatory’s 12-inch neighboring world. While this 2012 appari- this Mars observing season it will remain Brashear refractor, I often wonder if that tion is not one of the closer ones, medium- within the constellation of Leo, the lion. It young person may be the first earthly sized backyard telescopes should still coax currently resides below the hind quarters of explorer to set foot upon its rusty soil. He or some detail out of the small image. And of this sky picture. Mars will move westward she may get to visit the crash or landing sites course the local observatories will be able to in the sky towards the bright star Regulus, of our earlier unmanned explorations and share even more Martian detail when steady which anchors the backwards question mark get to see firsthand the magnificent “geologi- seeing allows them to “crank up” the mag- pattern called the Sickle and represents cal” structures explored by the rovers. This nification. the lion’s heart. Mars won’t reach Regulus, adventurer will be able to step up to a rock because in mid-April the planet will move outcropping and pick away at the formation eastward in the sky. hoping to discover evidence of past life. Once you focus in on Mars with a tele- (Much like I imagined doing as I watched scope, the first detail you will notice will be the fantastic images transmitted to Earth the color. It’s not quite red, but not quite from the Mars rovers.) orange. Perhaps Crayola has a hue that For this article I am not going to recount best describes what we can see. How would the history of Mars observations or space- you describe it? The second detail that will craft explorations other than to say the catch your eye will be the North Polar Cap initial accounts of possible “canals” on Mars (NPC). It’s definitely a bright white feature at the end of the 19th century captured our that can be seen because Mars’ north pole imagination and most assuredly hastened is currently tilted towards the Earth. It is our spacecraft exploration of this desolate late spring in Mars’ northern hemisphere, so world. If you would like some historical the NPC has had some time to melt. Mars’ background, visit Skyscrapers web site at Image of Mars taken on February 24 by Dave Summer Solstice occurs on March 30, so as http://www.theskyscrapers.org/ and look for Huestis using one of Project Slooh's robotic more time passes, an observer should be able an article titled “Mars History Highlights telescopes in the Canary Islands. Raw image, to notice the NPC shrinking and breaking 2012.” unprocessed. up. Mars’ image will be fairly small, so one It’s been over two years since I’ve written should wait for steady seeing conditions about our planetary neighbor Mars. Why? If you haven’t begun to observe Mars to observe as much detail as possible. The As it is with most things astronomical, events on your own prior to reading this column, NPC will continue to shrink as the Martian in our solar system occur in a cyclic manner. the next clear night would be a good time summer progresses, while the Earth/Mars Earth and Mars have a close encounter every to drag your telescopes out and have them distance will be increasing and the image 26 months. During the last few months the collect the light of all the heavenly bodies, size will be decreasing. Earth has been catching up to Mars in our instead of collecting dust in storage. After we While the NPC should be rather respective orbits, since the Earth orbits the and Mars are closest on March 5, the Earth apparent, the rest of the planet will appear Sun (one year) in less time than Mars does effectively laps our neighbor due to our as a rust-colored beach ball. As you more (1.88 years). On March 5 these two planets greater orbital speed. After just one week we carefully scan this alien world, you should

www.theSkyscrapers.org 4 The Skyscraper  March 2012

begin to notice several dark features on the the planet, therefore preventing any of its small to see much detail) plan on visiting Martian surface. These features are the un- surface features from being observed, it is Seagrave Observatory (http:/www.thesky- derlying rock exposed by the shifting sands unlikely that will happen during this op- scrapers.org/) on Peeptoad Road in North during intense dust storms. The relatively position. Those storms are active when Scituate on any clear Saturday night. Or small image will make it somewhat of a chal- Mars is at perihelion (closest to the Sun), visit Ladd Observatory (http://www.brown. lenge to identify much detail, and the dark and that won’t happen until January 2013. edu/Departments/Physics/Ladd/) located surface features may be fleeting. Despite this During Mars’ current orbit about the Sun, on Hope Street on Providence’s East Side handicap, a keen-eyed observer should be its aphelion (farthest distance from the Sun) on any clear Tuesday night. Also consider able to catch a few glimpses of a dark area was on February 15. Major dust storms are visiting Frosty Drew Observatory (http:// like Syrtis Major or a bright one like Hellas unlikely, so take your time observing and www.frostydrew.org/) in Charlestown. Basin. You may be able to identify some of note as much detail as your telescope and Frosty Drew observing begins at 6:00 p.m. Mars’ dark and bright surface features by uti- local weather conditions allow. with no set end time. lizing a utility called Mars Profiler provided In conclusion, be patient when observing Dress warmly and take advantage of the online by Sky and Telescope magazine (http:// Mars. The planet’s disk will be small. Wait views these larger telescopes can provide. www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ for steady seeing conditions. Don’t try ob- Please check the above websites for any can- objects/javascript/mars), serving Mars if the stars are twinkling. Take cellation notices before venturing out for a Also please keep in mind that Mars a knowledgeable glimpse of an alien world visit, since snow and ice at the facilities can rotates once in 24 hours and 38 minutes. that inspired generations of astronomers and force closures even when the skies are clear. That means if you observe a feature ata science fiction writers alike to ponder the Don’t forget, we switch to Daylight specific location at a specific time on a given existence of Martian life-forms. Saving Time on Sunday, March 11, at 2:00 night, you’ll have to wait an additional 38 Drag out those telescopes and expose am, so during mid-March be sure to double minutes each successive night for it to be at them to the light of the universe. One day check the above web sites for opening time the same spot, since the Earth rotates once your children or your grandchildren may set changes. every 24 hours. foot upon this exciting landscape. Keep your eyes to the skies. Though Mars is noted for producing If you don’t own your own telescope (or dust storms that can globally enshroud the view through the one you do own is too

Mars History Highlights builders. Dave Huestis At the turn of the 20th century, United States astronomer Percival Lowell began “No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this a study of Mars. With the guidance of the world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s and yet Harvard College Observatory, an observato- ry was erected on a hill in Flagstaff, Arizona, as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they where the seeing was quite good. It is still were scrutinized and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope a working observatory today, named Lowell might scrutinize the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Observatory in his honor. With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, Lowell also observed these peculiar serene in their assurance of their empire over matter.... No one gave a thought to the markings that supposedly criss-crossed the other worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss planet. He conjectured that the Martians had an impressive irrigation system to carry the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable. It is curious to recall some of water from the frozen polar caps to the arid the mental habits of those departed days. At most, terrestrial men fancied there might desert regions near the planet’s equator. be other men upon Mars, perhaps inferior to themselves and ready to welcome a mis- Lowell wrote, “Irrigation, and upon as vast sionary enterprise. Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are a scale as possible, must be the all-engrossing to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded Martian pursuit.’ But alas, there are no this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. And canals on Mars, or any Martians either, as far as we know. So what really did Schiaparelli early in the twentieth century came the great disillusionment.” and Lowell see? So begins The War of the Worlds, the intelligent beings residing on Mars? I’m No one knows! Some astronomers have 1898 classic by H.G. Wells. This book was afraid the credit is not due him. Wells relied speculated that under ideal observing con- the first science fiction novel I ever read. I upon astronomical studies of his day for the ditions these two astronomers may have remember reading it nonstop from cover premise. It all began in 1877 when Italian detected craters on the Martian surface. to cover because I was so fascinated with astronomer Schiaparelli reported observing It could have also been subtle difference the possibility of life on other worlds. Too “canali” on Mars. Canali means channels. between bright and dark areas. Their brains bad most literary and movie extraterrestrial However, when the word was translated may have played connect-the-dots with life-forms almost always seem determined to into English they were simply called canals. these features to produce the “canals.” Only exterminate us! Canals implied intelligent construction, and with today’s modern telescopes and elec- Did Mr. Wells dream up the idea of thus began the speculation on the Martian tronic equipment are craters and volcanoes

www.theSkyscrapers.org The Skyscraper  March 2012 5 visible. So it appears the old observations the Earth and posted to the web for all to year. may always remain a mystery. see. Prior to 1976 faint hope still persisted (I visited Lowell Observatory in 1981 Unfortunately none has yet to confirm that Mars supported some form of life. I’m and had the opportunity to observe Saturn Lowell’s observations. Mars is a bleak, sure that belief drove the research teams through the magnificent 24-inch refractor. desert-like planet that is also very heavily who oversaw the two Viking landers that It was an awe-inspiring image I will never cratered. There are huge volcanoes, global successfully touched down on the Martian forget. My only regret is that Mars was not dust storms, and great sand dune fields. surface in July 1976. Among other experi- the object of our attention that evening. I In addition, what look like dry river beds ments, the Viking landers tested the soil sur- can only imagine what views this great re- abound on the planet. Could Schiaparelli rounding the space craft for microscopic life. fractor provided to Lowell in the clear and and Lowell have seen these? Not from Earth The results proved negative, though some stable air of Flagstaff. Would I have suc- they couldn’t! Even the craters don’t match biologists and chemists say “inconclusive.” cumbed to the Lowellian Syndrome as well?) up to any of the drawings Lowell made of A television camera on board scanned the Since Lowell’s time, many spacecraft have round regions he called oases, where “canals” immediate area. No Martian, large or small, orbited the red planet. Currently there are appeared to merge. sauntered past the lander. I think many re- three spacecraft orbiting Mars and taking Besides, Mars has been dry for a long, searchers would have indeed been shocked detailed images: the Mars Reconnaissance long time. It seems the planet once had an if the camera had revealed a curious creature Orbiter, Mars Express, and Odyssey. And of abundant supply of flowing water on its peering into the lens. Our outlook on life in course we can’t forget the ground explora- surface. Somehow much of it was lost to the universe, as well as our place in it, would tion of rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Spirit space, whereas the remainder may still be have dramatically changed. has ceased functioning, but Opportunity is trapped beneath the surface as permafrost. What continues to draw us to Mars? Is continuing its mission, eight years after it The polar caps also contain much water it because we still believe life may once have landed. ice, though it is mixed with a lot of carbon flourished upon or beneath its now lifeless Soon this little rover will be joined by a dioxide. There is no liquid water on the terrain? Spacecraft images and sensors may much bigger brother. In August of this year, Martian surface due to the low atmospheric provide a wealth of data, but nothing can Curiosity, a small car-sized rover, will land pressure. However, more recent observations compare to the experience of seeing first- on the Martian surface to begin a new era in from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have hand even a fleeting image of some Martian planetary exploration. And like the previous detected possible salty water (brine) flows surface features through the telescopes at rover missions, we’ll be able to share in the emerging from steeply sloping walls during the local observatories or even through one’s excitement as images are transmitted back to the warmest periods of the Martian 687 day personal backyard telescope.

Help Protect the Dark Skies of Charlestown and Frosty Drew Observatory Francine Jackson

For all of you who have ever spent a night Charlestown, where we are, does not have a at Frosty Drew Observatory, you might lighting ordinance. There is one proposed, have noticed that its skies are quite good; in to be voted Monday, March 12th, but all fact, we do advertise ourselves as having the signs seem to point to its being opposed darkest skies in our state. However, to keep by the town council, who are hearing from this designation, observatory staff, as well as members of the public who believe it would the entire board of Frosty Drew, have spent be detrimental to their lifestyle. What is not years fighting to protect our skies, so far generally known is that the ordinance as rather successfully. But, now there seems to written has no effect on town residences. be even more push to make Ninigret Park, If any of you have been down to the the observatory’s home, into more of a day/ Frosty Drew Observatory, or have spent time night destination by increasing the lighting observing elsewhere in the Park, please think in the Park. The present push involves the of sending a note advocating the lighting Park Department’s proposed construction ordinance for the town. You can read the of a football field just a few hundred feet proposal on the Town’s website, and, if you to our west. The proposal includes lighting, have time, find the email addresses of the up to 75 feet above the field, for night use. council members. All of us at Frosty Drew As the observatory is nowhere near that welcome any help you can give us. height above the ground, this would create Thanks, a horrible addition to lighting that is already Francine Jackson threatening our skies. Some of you might also be surprised that

www.theSkyscrapers.org 6 The Skyscraper  March 2012 R Leonis The Full Moon Glenn Chaple's Sky Object of the Month in March On the evening of March 1, 1918, a young Francine Jackson Ohio farm boy trained a small refracting telescope towards the variable star R Leonis. As we’re preparing for the new season, He estimated its brightness, later forwarding which, this year we’ve so far hardly noticed the information to the American Association wintertime, we also are reminded by our full of Variable Star Observers. It was the first of moon that this is a sacred time for many. The over 132.000 variable star observations the Full Moon of March is called the Lenten legendary Leslie Peltier would submit to the telescope throughout its 312-day cycle. Moon, a tribute to the 40 days of sacrifice AAVSO. The magnitude range and period at- begun this year in mid February. Because this Since Peltier’s time, R Leo has introduced tributed to R Leonis are typical of a class of month’s Full Moon is earlier than the first day dozens of amateur astronomers to the re- variable stars known as Mira-type, or Long- of spring, our vernal equinox, we have to wait warding pastime of variable star observing. Period Variables (LPVs). Like its kindred for the end of Lent, the celebration of Easter, R Leo is tailor-made for the novice for two LPVs, R Leonis is a cool red giant – a dying to happen next month. reasons – it’s easy to find and easy to observe. star whose brightness changes result from To prepare for the new season, March’s full You’ll find R Leo by directing your telescope internal pulsations. Moon has many reminders of the awakening slightly north of a spot one-third of the way Based on recent observations, R Leonis of the Earth. The ground is slowly soften- from omicron (ο) Leonis to Regulus (the has a magnitude in the mid-8 area and is ing, allowing the earthworms to begin their circled area on the accompanying map of rising to a predicted maximum later this upward movement. This Worm Moon is a Leo). An expanded view of that circle shows month. The time is ripe for you to jump in reminder to watch for worm eaters, including R Leonis and the magnitudes of nearby com- and become acquainted with the variable the return of the robin, for whom earthworms parison stars, decimals omitted. R Leonis is star that launched Leslie Peltier’s stellar are among their favorite breakfast. As for bright enough (its average magnitude range career. other birds, the northern American Indians at is 5.8 to 10.0) to be seen in binoculars when this time started to hear a regular cacophony near maximum and with a small-aperture of cawing crows, their signal that winter had officially passed; therefore, they paid tribute to them by designating the Full Crow Moon. And, of course, for us New Englanders, what is a major sign of our part of the U.S., maple syrup, is begun to be collected at this time of year. Most of the maple trees are now clad with a bucket collecting as much of the pre-syrup as the trees are willing to give us, resulting in our looking up at the Full Sap Moon. In today’s culture, we might think of adding a new name to the March 8th Full Moon. It is arriving just a couple days before the new, earlier time in the year to change our clocks. Three days later, the morning of Sunday, March 11th, don’t forget to “spring ahead” all your time pieces. Perhaps we could begin calling the Full Moon before this weekend as the “Time Change” Moon.

Show Us Your Backyard Observatory We are planning to publish a series of features on backyard observatories. Do you have a backyard observatory that you would like to feature in an upcoming issue of The Skyscraper? Please send your stories and photos to [email protected].

Please send any observing reports and photos to [email protected]. Tom Thibault's Heaven's View Observatory

www.theSkyscrapers.org The Skyscraper  March 2012 7

so I turned it over to my friend Tim Dube of East Douglas, Mass. a few months back so he A Planet Pair Viewed in a could work his usual magic. Tim can colli- Scope Atop a Trash Container mate almost anything, and has done so many Craig Cortis times over the years. The result was a scope in better condition than at any time since I’ve owned it, and I was eager to use it for such Yes, you read it correctly. I thought my perfect you’ll still have to accept some coma, a special occasion. By now you’re wondering long title would make for an engaging in- after all.) I’m not bothered by these various about the trash container, I expect. If you’re troduction to an anecdote about the recent features, though. using a scope that doesn’t have a Dobsonian close conjunction of Venus and Uranus. Perhaps 12 or more years back, I bought base or tripod arrangement for mounting, Back on the evening of Thursday, February an Astroscan from Bob Horton at a you obviously need some sort of stable, solid, 9, these two worlds were drawing ever closer Skyscrapers function. Ladd Observatory has horizontal surface on which to set its base. A in apparent separation to a projected gap of a few in its equipment inventory; I usually small table, level car hood, etc. works fine, just 18 arc-minutes – less than one-third of use one during Tuesday public nights out but what if you can’t easily manage such a an angular degree – at 8:00 p.m. Actually, on the deck to show wide-field views of setup in a given location on your observing it’s more accurate to say that Venus was things that simply can’t be seen well in site? Many years ago I came up with the “approaching” the position of Uranus on more restricted fields of view. The Pleiades notion of using our wheeled plastic trash bin the sky as the brilliant, much nearer planet are a perfect example of just how pleasing a as a portable platform of just the right height moved swiftly eastward along the ecliptic. view can be obtained on large angular size for supporting my Astroscan. These trash As of 7:00 p.m. on that evening, the planets objects like this; nothing else compares, containers are fairly heavy and sufficiently were a little over 2 degrees of angle to the except a binocular. One thing an Astroscan stable once placed upon pavement or hard east-northeast of the Vernal Equinox point. ground, even on grass. The Astroscan’s ultra- The sky was nicely clear and no wind arose stable mounting design and very low mag- when I went outside to have a look at about nification possibilities easily adapt it to such 6:15. Although they would set at 8:42 a support. I put the base down directly on from my location in Oxford, Mass., the top of the hinged cover of my bin and it planets were sufficiently high for easy works fine, or you could pivot the top viewing. down and just lay a couple of boards Some of you might recall past across the top edges to make a tem- articles I’ve written having refer- porary table top to support a small ences to my strong inclinations scope base. You can wheel the bin to casual, low-tech observing, to any desired location and have particularly with respect to a support for a small scope that compact, easily managed “grab- places it at an ideal height by n’-go” scopes that can be set which you can avoid stooping or up and made ready to use in crouching. Not stable enough for 5 minutes or so. The Edmund your liking? Just add weight at the Scientifics Astroscan telescope has bottom of the bin. If boards laying long been my favorite in this regard, across the top are not steady, just use because it often takes just a minute Simulated view of Venus and Uranus small wedges where needed to stabilize to set up. All you need is a fairly stable, through an Astroscan using a 26mm them evenly atop the rim. small surface on which to place the little Plössl eyepiece; 17x at 3° field of view. On the night mentioned, I saw that base that accepts the spherical base end of I’d have to place my scope in a certain the scope – just plunk the thing down and position so as to take advantage of an un- set the Astroscan down on it, and you’re obstructed sightline through a gap between ready to view. Nothing could be simpler, is notorious for is the fact that nobody other trees. Wheeling the trash bin 50 feet from provided you don’t mind being limited to the than factory techs or those experienced in its usual spot put me in a good location for low magnifications yielded in an instrument collimating their optics can actually do so, viewing Venus and Uranus together. A 26 having a focal length of just 445 millimeters because, basically, there is no adjustment millimeter Plössl eyepiece gave me a magni- (17.5 inches) and aperture of 105 millimeters provision inherent in this scope that permits fication of only 17x in the Astroscan, which (4.125 inches), which might seem puny in external adjusting of the primary or diagonal is about perfect for much of the observing this day and age of so many larger telescopes mirrors! It’s a completely enclosed optical I do. As usual, no problems with vibration in common use. Also, the Astroscan’s “fast” system with a window set in the front end. or unsteadiness were experienced. (Very low focal ratio of 4.24 makes for obvious coma Partial disassembly must be done to clean powers can be quite forgiving when you on star images seen near the edge of the or tweak the optics, and the narrow tube don’t have a rock-solid mounting, after all.) I field and necessitates a level of collimation diameter makes it difficult to manage this – knew how Uranus would appear with respect that’s very tough to achieve if your particular the scope has a solid, unibody form. to a number of field stars, having studied scope has gotten “out of whack” for some My own Astroscan had been badly in need its position on a chart in Uranometria, my reason. (Even if the collimation is nearly of both cleaning and recollimating for years, favorite star atlas for detailed star-hopping.

www.theSkyscrapers.org 8 The Skyscraper  March 2012

Uranus, at only 3.4” in apparent diameter, nitudes brighter, or a ratio of 10,000 times together. When you view things only in two and seen at such low power, looked like a brighter! dimensions and can have no visual impres- background star with no appreciable color to In apparent diameter, Venus was about sion of their true, greatly disparate distances distinguish it, due in part to the washing-out 16” and 4.7 times bigger than the perceived and physical sizes, it’s all too easy to rack up effect that the glare from Venus imparted to size of Uranus. This was strange to consider, an observation so you can say you’ve done the surrounding area in the image. At mag- because Uranus is approximately 4.22 times it without making the mental effort to truly nitude 5.9, Uranus happened to be brighter the actual size of Venus, but was nearly appreciate the significance of such a pairing. than any of the field stars I used to locate 19.88 times further from Earth than was Our dazzling neighbor planet was just over it, which was fortunate. After a couple of Venus on February 9. I wanted to make sure one astronomical unit of distance from minutes, I was satisfied beyond question that I didn’t just see these two vastly differ- Earth, but the reflected sunlight coming that I’d positively identified the planet and ent worlds – so far apart from each other from Uranus took 2.88 hours to reach my could then concentrate on appreciating how in actual distance – as an attractive close eyes. Did I succeed in my efforts along these close it looked to Venus, which shone at pairing of note, something to quickly see as lines? Maybe not quite fully, I must admit. magnitude -4.1 and therefore was 10 mag- a “snapshot” just so I could say I’d seen them Still, I’m glad I gave it a try.

The Hidden Power of Sea Salt, Revealed By Dr. Dauna Coulter

Last year, when NASA launched the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite carrying the first sensor for measuring sea salt from space, Aquarius produced this map of global ocean salinity. It is a composite of the first two and a half scientists expected the measurements to weeks of data. Yellow and red represent areas of higher salinity, with blues and purples indicat- have unparalleled sensitivity. Yet the fine ing areas of lower salinity. details it’s revealing about ocean saltiness are surprising even the Aquarius team. tion and evaporation, and fresh water from historical record from ships and buoys. “We have just four months of data, but river outflow and melt ice determine salinity. “By this time next year, we’ll have met we’re already seeing very rich detail in surface It’s an intricately connected cycle.” two of our goals: a new global map of salinity patterns,” says principal investigator The atmosphere is the ocean’s partner. annual average salinity and a better under- Gary Lagerloef of Earth & Space Research The freshwater exchange between the at- standing of the seasonal cycles that deter- in Seattle. “We’re finding that Aquarius can mosphere and the ocean dominates the mine climate.” monitor even small scale changes such as global water cycle. Seventy-eight percent of Stay tuned for the salty results. Read more specific river outflow and its influence on global rainfall occurs over the ocean, and about the Aquarius mission at aquarius.nasa. the ocean.” 85 percent of global evaporation is from the gov. Using one of the most sensitive micro- ocean. An accurate picture of the ocean’s Other NASA oceanography missions are wave radiometers ever built, Aquarius can salinity will help scientists better understand Jason-1 (studying ocean surface topogra- sense as little as 0.2 parts salt to 1,000 parts the profound ocean/atmosphere coupling phy), Jason-2 (follow-on to Jason-1), Jason-3 water. That’s about like a dash of salt in a that determines climate variability. (follow-on to Jason-2, planned for launch gallon jug of water. “Ocean salinity has been changing,” says in 2014), and Seawinds on the QuikSCAT “You wouldn’t even taste it,” says Lagerloef. “Decades of data from ships and satellite (measures wind speeds over the Lagerloef. “Yet Aquarius can detect that buoys tell us so. Some ocean regions are entire ocean). The GRACE mission (Gravity amount from 408 miles above the Earth. seeing an increase in salinity, which means Recovery and Climate Experiment), among And it’s working even better than expected.” more fresh water is being lost through evap- its other gravitational field studies, monitors Salinity is critical because it changes the oration. Other areas are getting more rainfall fresh water supplies underground. All these density of surface seawater, and density and therefore lower salinity. We don’t know missions, including Aquarius, are sponsors controls the ocean currents that move heat why. We just know something fundamental of a fun and educational ocean game for around our planet. A good example is the is going on in the water cycle.” kids called “Go with the Flow” at space- Gulf Stream, which carries heat to higher With Aquarius’s comprehensive look at place.nasa.gov/ocean-currents. latitudes and moderates the climate. global salinity, scientists will have more clues This article was provided by the Jet “When variations in density divert ocean to put it all together. Aquarius has collected Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of currents, weather patterns like temperature as many sea surface salinity measurements in Technology, under a contract with the National and rainfall are affected. In turn, precipita- the first few months as the entire 125-year Aeronautics and Space Administration.

www.theSkyscrapers.org The Skyscraper  March 2012 9 February Report Ed Haskell, Secretary

Skyscrapers, Inc Meeting of February 3, 2012 Minutes

The meeting was called to order by Second Vice President Kathy Siok at 7:30 pm. Skyscraper member Gerry Dyck, deliv- ered a quite exceptional two-part presenta- tion on poetry and astronomy. In the first part, entitled The Poet and the Sky, he per- formed interpretive readings of numerous anniversary of the AAVSO. sessions have been canceled due to weather examples of poetry with astronomical While the membership has grown ac- and it is hoped this trend will continue themes – from ancient Egypt, medieval customed to fine presentations by Gerry, it through the remainder of Winter. Their Persia, the King James Bible, to major is safe to say that all expectations for this policy now is that temperatures below English-speaking poets such as Shakespeare, program were exceeded many times over. twenty degrees will cause the observatory to Milton, Tennyson, Whitman and Frost, There were no amendments to the be closed. Also quoted were lesser-known poets such Secretary’s Report and Treasurer’s Report. Comments for the Good of the as Alfred Noyes, a part of whose epic poem The First Vice-President reports that Organization were: Watchers of the Sky was recited at the First Dr. Timothy Barker, of Wheaton College, It was noted that the blinds on the Light Ceremony of the 100-inch Hooker will be the featured speaker for the March anteroom windows were left open. Members telescope on Mt. Wilson. meeting. must be ever vigilant to closing up the facili- The presentation concluded with a cycle The Second Vice-President announced ties to ensure security of the premises. of original poetry and music, composed and that AstroAssembly will be held on October Meeting adjourned at 9:25pm performed by Gerry, called The Ancient 12 and 13, 2012. Respectfully submitted, Face of Night, a new arrangement of music, The Observing Chairman reviewed dates Ed Haskell, Secretary words and images originally composed for for upcoming star parties. the visit of Clyde Tombaugh and the 75th The Trustees reported that few observing

Galaxy M64 image by Steve Hubbard. 3 minutes using Mallincam on 12" Meade SCT.

www.theSkyscrapers.org Directions to Seagrave Memorial Observatory From the Providence area: Take Rt. 6 West to Interstate 295 in Johnston and proceed west on Rt. 6 to Scituate. In Scituate bear right off Rt. 6 onto Rt. 101. Turn right onto Rt. 116 North. Peeptoad Road is the first left off Rt. 116. From Coventry/West Warwick area: Take Rt. 116 North. Peeptoad Road is the first left after crossing Rt. 101. From Southern Rhode Island: Take Interstate 95 North. Exit onto Interstate 295 North in Warwick (left exit.) Exit to Rt. 6 West in Johnston. Bear right off Rt. 6 onto Rt. 101. Turn right on Rt. 116. Peeptoad Road is the first left off Rt. 116. From Northern Rhode Island: Take Rt. 116 South. Follow Rt. 116 thru Greenville. Turn left at Knight’s Farm intersection (Rt. 116 turns left) and follow Rt. 116. Watch for Peeptoad Road on the right. From Connecticut: • Take Rt. 44 East to Greenville and turn right on Rt. 116 South. Turn left at Knight’s Farm intersection (Rt. 116 turn left) and follow Rt. 116. Watch for Peeptoad Road on the right. • Take Rt. 6 East toward Rhode Island; bear left on Rt. 101 East and continue to intersection with Rt. 116. Turn left; Peeptoad Road is the first left off Rt. 116. From Massachusetts: Take Interstate 295 South (off Interstate 95 in Attleboro). Exit onto Rt. 6 West in Johnston. Bear right off Rt. 6 onto Rt. 101. Turn right on Rt. 116. Peeptoad Road is the first left off Rt. 116.

47 Peeptoad Road North Scituate, Rhode Island 02857