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Martian Ice How One Neutrino Changed Astrophysics Remembering Two Former League Presidents

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Published by the Astronomical League Vol. 71, No. 3 June 2019 MARTIAN ICE HOW ONE NEUTRINO 7.20.69 CHANGED ASTROPHYSICS 5YEARS REMEMBERING TWO APOLLO 11 FORMER LEAGUE PRESIDENTS ONOMY T STR O T A H G E N P I E G O Contents N P I L R E B 4 . President’s Corner ASTRONOMY DAY Join a Tour This Year! 4 . All Things Astronomical 6 . Full Steam Ahead OCTOBER 5, From 37,000 feet above the Pacific Total Eclipse Flight: Chile 7 . Night Sky Network 2019 Ocean, you’ll be high above any clouds, July 2, 2019 For a FREE 76-page Astronomy seeing up to 3¼ minutes of totality in a PAGE 4 9 . Wanderers in the Neighborhood dark sky that makes the Sun’s corona look Day Handbook full of ideas and incredibly dramatic. Our flight will de- 10 . Deep Sky Objects suggestions, go to: part from and return to Santiago, Chile. skyandtelescope.com/2019eclipseflight www.astroleague.org Click 12 . International Dark-Sky Association on "Astronomy Day” Scroll 14 . Fire & Ice: How One Neutrino down to "Free Astronomy Day African Stargazing Safari Join astronomer Stephen James ̃̃̃Changed a Field Handbook" O’Meara in wildlife-rich Botswana July 29–August 4, 2019 for evening stargazing and daytime PAGE 14 18 . Remembering Two Former For more information, contact: safari drives at three luxury field ̃̃̃Astronomical League Presidents Gary Tomlinson camps. Only 16 spaces available! Astronomy Day Coordinator Optional extension to Victoria Falls. 21 . Coming Events [email protected] skyandtelescope.com/botswana2019 22 . Gallery—Moon Shots 25 . Observing Awards Iceland Aurorae September 26–October 2, 2019 26 . National Young Astronomer Award Winners—Where Are They Now? This is our 6th year running this popular PAGE 22 tour of Iceland. Visit historic sites, gey- sers, and towering waterfalls with a guide; Cover image: Terry Hancock (Western Colorado at night, seek the fabled northern lights. Fine restaurants and hotels await you. Astronomy Club) took this fantastic image of NGC 7822 from his Grand Mesa Observatory using a skyandtelescope.com/iceland2019 Takahashi FSQ-130 with a QHY color CMOS camera. The image is shown rotated 90° from its original Australian Observatories Travel Down Under to tour top presentation and cropped to fit our cover format. October 1–9, 2019 observatories, including Siding Spring and “The Dish” at Parkes. Go wine-tasting, hike in nature re- serves, and explore eclectic Sydney The Astronomical League Magazine and Australia’s capital, Canberra. Vol. 71, No. 3 • ISSN: 0034-2963 • June 2019 Plus: Stargaze under Southern skies. Options to Great Barrier A FEDERATION OF ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETIES A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION Reef and Uluru, or Ayers Rock. To promote the science of astronomy skyandtelescope.com/australia2019 • By fostering astronomical education, Uluru & Sydney Opera House: Tourism Australia; observatory: Winton Gibson • 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 LEAGUE 3 presentations (Night Sky Network and a discus- The overall system presents the unusual sight Ferris wheel with the carousel at the center. We used to think other solar systems sion by Al Lamperti on a 3-D tour of the Universe) of a thick hoop of gas and dust circling at right would form just like ours, with the planets President’s Corner and panel discussions (How to Gain and Keep angles to the binary star orbit. Until now this set- Dr. Kennedy added: all orbiting in the same direction around Members, Improving Diversification with the up only existed in theorists’ minds, but the ALMA Perhaps the most exciting thing about this a single sun. But with the new images we QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE see a swirling disc of gas and dust orbiting cannot remember the last time I attended the League and Clubs). We leave CocoCay at 5 p.m., observation proves that polar discs of this type discovery is that the disc shows some of ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE the same signatures that we attribute to around two stars. It was quite surprising Issued by the Astronomical League in March, June, September, and I Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), but it must with dinner and presentations by National Young exist, and may even be relatively common. December, Reflector (ISSN: 0034-2963) is sent directly, either by dust growth in discs around single stars. to also find that that disc orbits at right postal mail or via a digital link, to each individual member of its have been at least 25 years ago. Having lived Astronomer Award winners. The ship returns to The new research was published on January We take this to mean planet formation angles to the orbit of the two stars. affiliate societies and to members-at-large as a benefit of League outside the United States for most of the years Port Canaveral on Monday morning, signaling the membership. Individual copies of Reflector are available at the can at least get started in these polar Incredibly, two more stars were seen following subscription rates, payable to the League’s national office. between 1974 and 2000, there were few oppor- end of ALCon 2019. circumbinary discs. If the rest of the orbiting that disc. So if planets were born PAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS: tunities to attend the conference, and frankly, on We then continue the planning for ALCon USA & possessions: $3.00 each or $10.00 per year (4 issues) planet formation process can happen, here there would be four suns in the sky! Canada: $5.00 each or $16.00 per year most of my travels back to the USA, the focus was 2020, scheduled for Albuquerque, plus a new there might be a whole population of ALMA is just a fantastic telescope, it is Mexico: $6.00 each or $22.00 per year on my job with Royal Dutch Philips, the European Other countries: $7.00 each or $25.00 per year ALCon Jr. STEAM Conference event aimed at the misaligned circumbinary planets that we teaching us so much about how planets in DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: electronics conglomerate. There was very little younger astronomers. More news to follow. have yet to discover, and things like weird other solar systems are born. All countries, possessions, and territories: $10.00 per year time for side trips. seasonal variations to consider. HELP WANTED he research is supported by the Monash REFLECTOR AND CLUB ROSTER DEADLINES Finally, this past April, the spell was broken. f there were a planet or planetoid present at the March issue January 1 e still need to fill a few volunteer posi- T̨Warwick Alliance, established by the June issue April 1 NEAF was an event that can truly be classified as ̨inner edge of the dust ring, the ring itself September issue July 1 tions. First, our webmaster has decided I University of Warwick in England and Monash amazing. With more than 100 vendors, a great W December issue October 1 to retire (to get back to observing) and we need would appear from the surface as a broad band University in Australia in 2012. The full research Written and graphic material from this publication may be reprinted only group of speakers, and tons of “astrobuffs” rising almost perpendicularly from the horizon. for non-profit benefit of interested parties, provided specific credit is given a replacement, or several replacements. There is team for this paper were lead author Dr. Grant M. to the writer(s), Reflector, and the Astronomical League. Any other use of looking for the latest and greatest “astrogizmos,” The polar configuration means that the stars material, including graphics and photographs, is subject to express an immediate opening for his position. If you wish Kennedy; Luca Matrà and David J. Wilner of the I doubt that too many were disappointed. permission from the Editor and the Astronomical League. to support your League, contact me at president@ would appear to move in and out of the disc plane, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; For me, it was also a time to reconnect with giving objects two shadows at times. Seasons on NATIONAL OFFICERS astroleague.org. Stefano Facchini of the Max-Planck-Institut President old friends. Having lived in Brooklyn until 1968, planets in such systems would also be different. Second, we are looking for a volunteer who für Extraterrestrische Physik; Julien Milli of the Ron Kramer I remembered many people. Whether or not they On Earth they vary throughout the year as we orbit 9520 Dragonfly Avenue • Las Cruces, NM 88012 has experience in securing grants to work on European Southern Observatory; Olja Pani´c of 520-500-7295 • [email protected] remembered me was another story altogether. the Sun. A polar circumbinary planet would have funding additional programs within the League. the School of Physics and Astronomy, University Vice President There was some disappointment. The only old seasons that also vary as different latitudes Carroll Iorg This program is not yet finalized, but we are of Leeds; Daniel Price of Monash University’s 9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100 • Kansas City, MO 64114; colleague I ran into was John Pazmino, and after 14 by Royal Society University Research Fellow Dr. receive more or less illumination throughout the 816-444-4878 • [email protected] already looking for someone with successful Centre for Astrophysics and School of Physics Grant M. Kennedy of the University of Warwick’s binary orbit. Secretary a short talk, we determined we had not seen each and Astronomy; and Mark C. Wyatt and Ben M. Bryan Tobias experience in grant writing at the local, regional, Department of Physics and Centre for Exoplanets other for more than 50 years! We hoped to spend Co-author Dr.
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