ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2020 THE LOWELL OBSERVER THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF LOWELL OBSERVATORY CELEBRATING 125 YEARS
COVID-19 STATUS
As of September 2020, Lowell Observatory entered Phase 1B of reopening, offering Premium Access to small groups with reservations. For updates see lowell.edu/welcomeback or follow us on social media.
IN THIS ISSUE
2 Director’s Update 2 Trustee’s Update 3 Lowell Wins Viola Awards 4 Meteorites From AZ Fall 5 Strange Star Cluster Lowell Observatory Solar Telescope Sees First Light 6 Dispatches from the Universe 7 Staff Highlight: Heidi Larson By Joe Llama, Astronomer 8 SBA Visits Flagstaff Businesses When day breaks in Happy Jack, observing the sized exoplanets orbiting within the habitable 9 New Photos from Old Negatives universe with the 4.3-meter Lowell Discovery zone of our nearest stellar neighbors. Telescope stops until the next evening. That An exoplanet exerts a gravitational tug on is when Lowell's newest telescope begins a its parent star that instruments like EXPRES day of observing. Unlike any other in Lowell measure to infer the presence of an orbiting Observatory's fleet of telescopes, this tiny planet. This method for detecting exoplanets 0.007-meter telescope wakes up and begins is known as the "radial velocity" method and its day of monitoring our nearest star, the was used to discover the first-ever exoplanet Sun. The Lowell Observatory Solar Telescope in 1995. For an Earth-sized planet in the (LOST) sends sunlight into the EXtreme habitable zone of a star like our Sun, the PREcision Spectrograph (EXPRES), an amplitude of that signal is ten centimeters- instrument capable of searching for Earth- per-second. EXPRES is one of the first 10 Phased Reopening Plan sized exoplanets. EXPRES was built by our instruments capable of making that incredible 12 Videos and Live Streams partner Yale University to search for Earth- measurement.
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Michael West Awarded Fulbright Scholarship
By Kevin Schindler, Historian "Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations."
So wrote the longtime United States writer, but he is also the recipient of a Senator from Arkansas, J. William Fulbright. prestigious scholarship named after Fulbright The quote seems especially appropriate in a that will finance West’s travels to Finland to story about Lowell Observatory Astronomer share ideas about communicating science. Dr. Michael West. He is not only a gifted continued on page 11 THE ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2020
valiant beast, but it’s 1980s before we got a PPP loan. The technology and now obsolete. foresight of our founder, his With EXPRES online, SSS will ultimate commitment to this retire. place and the flexibility he gave Before SSS, Wes and Brian his successors allowed us to redirect funding very quickly. performed years of observations Third, the people who of the brightness variations of work here responded quickly Sun-like stars, with Brian doing and thoughtfully. With the the meticulous work at the leadership from Jeff Hall, and old 21-inch telescope near our a focus on safely continuing DIRECTOR’S UPDATE instrument shop. TRUSTEE’S UPDATE our twofold mission, everyone worked very hard to keep By Jeffrey Hall Before that program, By W. Lowell Putnam beginning with work as early as this place running well. From 1950 by lifelong staff member our business office team who Take another look at the First my best wishes to all worked many hours to get our striking image on the cover. It’s Henry Giclas, several Lowell of you and my hope that you PPP application in quickly, to a high-resolution spectrum with astronomers searched for are well and staying safe. We our technical team who worked successive bandpasses stacked decades for solar variability are indeed, as the Chinese out ways to safely operate our one above the other. This is by observing brightness proverb/curse goes, “living in telescopes in a pandemic, our a classic feature of an echelle variations in the atmospheres interesting times”, and it is public program and marketing spectrograph like EXPRES. of Uranus and Neptune. challenging to all of us. folks who pivoted quickly to EXPRES therefore continues All institutions with public excellent online programs and Another feature of this massive programs have been challenged instrument is that we don’t a 70-year observational effort now (limited) reopening, our to respond to COVID-19. maintenance and grounds crew have to hang it on the back of to understand the behavior of Lowell Observatory has been our Sun and its stellar siblings. who improved the campus a telescope: it sits downstairs fortunate in several ways that and made it easier to stay safe, with optical fibers feeding Similar long-term programs point to the uniqueness of this everyone at Lowell focused on it with starlight from LDT are underway at Lowell in institution: ways to keep doing science and and sunlight from LOST. It other areas of astronomy and First, we were able talking with the public about begins a new era of solar-stellar planetary science. to continue our science what we are learning. observations at Lowell. Outside the Steele Visitor research with only a limited Lastly, our supporters For 25 years, my colleagues Center is a sign bearing the interruption. Many of our continued to provide critical Wes Lockwood, Brian Skiff, old Yogi Berra-ism You can astronomers have a lot of funding for operations and and Len Bright have used an observe a lot by just watching. existing data that can be for our capital projects. Even identical setup at Lowell’s 1.1- Lowell is singularly well-suited analyzed and re-analyzed. They with challenging economic were able to do this during the conditions, support for the meter telescope at Anderson for these sustained programs, period when our own facilities observatory remains high, and Mesa. The Solar-Stellar and we do them well and were shut down. we are grateful. Spectrograph (SSS) is, like with singular persistence. It’s Second, The Trust Under This is a special place and EXPRES, fed with two optical incredibly exciting to discover the Will of Percival Lowell (to my thanks to all for helping us fibers from the telescope and the Universe’s hidden patterns. give it its full name) enabled us move through this time and a solar tracker. The SSS is a We’ll keep it up. to keep all our staff on payroll keep doing great work.
Mars Hill Campus Expansion Update
By Dave Sawyer, Technical Project Manager
With the completion of the GODO pedway, the Dyer Telescope upgrades, and the Astronomy Discovery Center (ADC) road preparation work earlier this year, our campus expansion efforts are now focused exclusively on the ADC. Site plans for the ADC are currently in the City review process and are nearing the approval stage. Once those are approved, civil construction plans, which are complete, will be submitted to obtain the permits needed to Architects rendering of the Universe Theater. Credit Johnson Walzer Associates. allow us to break ground. In the meantime, the ADC building plans are moving into the detail design phase with efforts focused on building systems design (e.g. mechanical and electrical), and technology development for the Universe Theater and the Dark Sky Planetarium. We have been working with vendors that specialize in planetarium technology and illumination systems to advance our designs for the theater screens, projection systems, and production equipment to the point where the architectural elements can be finalized.
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Kevin Schindler accepts the Viola Award for Community Impact - Organization award.
Lowell Takes Home Viola Awards In addition to helping the Development Department with monthly mailings, By Madison Mooney, volunteer Sherry Nastan was Lowell’s Content Marketing Specialist first Rotunda Open House greeter. She also assisted with the Native American The Flagstaff Arts Council’s 12th Astronomy Outreach Program and helped organize and digitize Lowell annual Viola Awards were a night to Discovery Telescope documents. remember, and not just because of the food. Lowell Observatory took home not one, but two Violas: one for Excellence in Volunteer Program Placemaking, and another for creating a Hiatus Community Impact - Organization. Excellence in Placemaking was By Mary DeMuth, Retired Volunteer awarded to the Giovale Open Deck Coordinator Observatory (GODO) and accepted by Dave Sawyer, Technical Project Manager. The Covid-19 pandemic has The Community Impact - Organization affected all aspects of work and award was given to Lowell for leadership in the Flagstaff Lunar Legacy 18-month- engagement on Mars Hill. On long event, which marked the 50-year Presenter Andy Garcia, Chair of the City March 12, Director Jeff Hall anniversary of the first Apollo Moon of Flagstaff’s Beautification and Public Art announced the suspension of the landing with a celebration of Flagstaff’s Commission (back row left) stands with volunteer program, to coincide Team Lowell representatives Dave Sawyer, role in training the Apollo astronauts. This Jim Cole, Samantha Gorney, and Sarah with Lowell’s temporary closure to award was accepted by Kevin Schindler, Burcher with the Viola Award for Excellence the public beginning the following Lowell historian. in Placemaking. day. Throughout this suspension, the observatory has maintained contact with volunteers and staff Become a Catalyst for with weekly updates from Dr. Hall and an array of online offerings Astronomical Research featuring our Public Program, Science, and Marketing and The Slipher Society is several months old and Communications teams. We’re already making a difference! So far, Slipher looking forward to the day when Society members have funded five Lowell we can safely reopen, reconvene, astronomy research projects. With three levels of and once more enjoy the beautiful membership, it’s easy to become a part of Lowell’s research efforts, gain Lowell campus and in-person insider knowledge, and receive rewarding benefits. Learn more at camaraderie with fellow staff, lowell.edu/slipher-society/. volunteers, and the public!
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3D trajectory of the Dishchii’bikoh meteor over northern Arizona.
well suited to detect particles falling through the atmosphere), suggested a likely meteorite fall around 4:00 a.m. near a remote community called Cibecue on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. The prospect of fresh meteorites on the ground initiated discussions with tribal elders to obtain permission for a small group of scientists from Arizona State University to search the possible fall location. After a number of days in difficult search terrain under central Arizona June temperatures, 23 small meteorites were recovered. Based on the suggestion of White Mountain Apache Tribe members, these meteorites have been officially named Dishchii’bikoh Meteorites Collected from Arizona Fall Ts’iłsǫǫsé Tsee, which in the Apache language means, “Cibecue Star Stone” By Nick Moskovitz, Astronomer (Dishchii’bikoh = Cibecue, Ts’iłsǫǫsé Tsee = star stone). On the morning of 2 June 2016, 30 frames per second. Approximately 50 With meteorites in hand, and residents in the Phoenix area awoke to a GB of video data are recorded each night, numerous observations of the meteor, all spectacular array of tangled clouds that which are processed by software to search pieces were in place to fully characterize appeared to be contrails from an erratic, for meteors. this rare event. In a paper recently high altitude flight. Despite initial media In June of 2016 LO-CAMS consisted published in the journal Meteoritics and speculation about UFOs, these clouds were of two stations, one located on the roof Planetary Science, Jenniskens, Moskovitz and in fact the residual dust train from a large of the Slipher Building on Mars Hill and 21 co-authors described these findings with meteor, tangled up by high altitude winds. one connected to the auxiliary building extensive computational and laboratory As the morning progressed, firsthand at the Lowell Discovery Telescope. Both studies. The Dishchii’bikoh impactor is accounts were posted online of an stations detected the June 2 event, enabling now believed to have originated from the extremely bright meteor that turned night triangulation of the meteor trajectory. Flora asteroid family in the Main Belt, the into day, that fragmented as it descended This revealed that the meteoroid impacted same point of origin of the well-known through Earth's atmosphere, and in some Earth's atmosphere at a velocity of about 16 20-meter impactor that landed over the city locations produced a sonic boom. This km/s (37,000 mph) and was luminous from of Chelyabinsk, Russia in February 2013. collective set of observations suggested an altitude of 107 to 77 km (66 - 48 miles). Both Chelyabinsk and Dishchii’bikoh have that this meteoroid may have been large This trajectory additionally suggested that been classified as LL-chondrites, a relatively enough for rocks to have survived to the before impact the meteoroid was on an common meteorite type that represent ground (i.e. meteorites), which motivated orbit around the Sun that originated from about 10% of all meteorite falls, and are my collaborators and me to investigate this the inner edge of the main asteroid belt respectively only the third and fourth LL- event in more detail with data collected between Mars and Jupiter. chondrites to ever be recorded as meteors at Lowell and elsewhere. Ultimately this Analysis of these LO-CAMS data as entering the atmosphere. The impactor analysis led to new insights on the origin well as additional video from dashboard itself was likely around 80 cm (3 feet) in of so-called LL chondrite meteorites, which cameras and publicly available Doppler size before impact, which makes this a represent a common flavor of Earth- weather radar data from the National continued on next page impacting bodies. Weather Service (data that are uniquely I help to operate a network of video cameras called LO-CAMS (the Lowell Observatory Cameras for All-sky Meteor Surveillance). LO-CAMS is based on a concept originally developed by collaborator Peter Jenniskens from the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, and employs an array of 16 off- the-shelf security cameras to autonomously record a mosaic view of the night sky at Time series of still shots before, during, and after the LO-CAMS detection of the Dishchii’bikoh meteor. 4 THE ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2020
Artist’s impression of the thin stream of stars torn from the Phoenix globular cluster, wrapping around our Milky Way (left). For the study, the astronomers targeted bright Red Giant stars, to measure the chemical composition of the disrupted Phoenix globular cluster (artist’s impression on right). | Credit: James Josephides (Swinburne Astronomy Productions) and the S5 Collaboration.
first generation of stars many billions of years ago. It is within these and later stellar generations that heavier elements—such as the calcium, oxygen and phosphorous that in part make up bones—were formed. Observations of other globular clusters have found that their stars are enriched with heavier elements forged in earlier generations of stars. Current formation theories suggest that this dependence on previous stars means that no globular cluster should be found unenriched and that there is a minimum metallicity ‘floor’ Strange, Dismembered Star Cluster below which no cluster can form. But the metallicity of the Phoenix Stream at Galaxy’s Edge progenitor sits well below this minimum, Lowell Press Release posing a significant problem for ideas of globular cluster origins. An international team of astronomers, Wan, and his supervisor, Professor Geraint Kuehn, one of the founders of the S5 including Lowell Observatory’s Dr. Kyler Lewis, as part of the S5 international collaboration, remarked, "We can trace the Kuehn, has discovered the remnant of an collaboration. lineage of stars by measuring the different ancient collection of stars that was torn Using the Anglo-Australian Telescope types of chemical elements we detect in apart by our own galaxy, the Milky Way, in outback New South Wales, this them, much like we can trace a person's more than two billion years ago. The collaboration measured the speeds connection to their ancestors through extraordinary discovery of this shredded of a stream of stars in the Phoenix their DNA. The most interesting thing ‘globular cluster’ is surprising, as the stars constellation, revealing them to be about the remains of this cluster is that in this galactic archaeological find have remnants of a globular cluster that was its stars have much lower abundance of much lower quantities of heavier elements pulled apart by the gravity of the Milky these elements than any others we have seen. It's almost like finding someone with than in other such clusters. The evidence Way about two billion years ago. DNA that doesn't match any other person, strongly suggests the original structure was Wan said: “Once we knew which stars living or dead. That leads to some very the last of its kind, a globular cluster whose belonged to the stream, we measured interesting questions about the cluster’s birth and life were different from those their abundance of elements heavier history that we're missing." remaining today. than hydrogen and helium; something As yet, there is no clear explanation Our galaxy is home to about 150 astronomers refer to as metallicity. We were for the origins of the Phoenix Stream globular clusters, each a ball of a million or really surprised to find that the Phoenix progenitor cluster and where it sits in the so stars that orbit in the galaxy’s tenuous Stream has a very low metallicity, making evolution of galaxies remains unclear. stellar halo. These globular clusters are old it distinctly different to all of the other Lewis said: “There is plenty of theoretical and have witnessed the growth of the Milky globular clusters in the galaxy.” work left to do. There are now many new Way over billions of years. After the Big Bang, only hydrogen and questions for us to explore about how The study, published in Nature, was led helium existed in any substantial amount galaxies and globular clusters form, which by University of Sydney PhD student, Zhen in the Universe. These elements formed the is incredibly exciting.”
METEORITES COLLECTED FROM AZ FALL data sets that include on-sky observations, award of a prestigious National Science continued from previous page public databases, citizen reports, and Foundation CAREER grant to further relatively rare event that is only expected to laboratory analyses. Since 2016 my expand the LO-CAMS network bodes occur for an object of this size once every collaborators and I have deployed well for the future of meteor science and decade or so over the state of Arizona. additional camera stations at Embry-Riddle meteorite recovery in northern Arizona. All told the combination of data Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona collected on the Dishchii’bikoh event and Meteor Crater outside of Winslow, highlights the power of large integrated Arizona. These, coupled with the recent 5 THE ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2020
The Horsehead Nebula Credit: Massey/Neugent/ Lowell Obs./NSF
A Little Larger Than the Entire Universe
By Michael West, Deputy Director for Science
"We are sealed in our own little Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, were: "I know not what tomorrow will melancholy atmospheres, like planets," Jack we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned bring." Kerouac wrote in his diary in 1945. in the distance by an invisible piper." Nobody knows what tomorrow will Kerouac's words provide an apt Yet even in the face of fear, uncertainty, bring as the world continues to fight a new description of the strange new world we and grief, the human spirit is remarkably microscopic threat unlike any we've seen suddenly find ourselves in. Hunkered down resilient. Despite—or perhaps because of—it before. When the night is darkest, it's easy to forget that daylight will surely come in our homes to fend off a global pandemic all, the world is still a miraculous place. that has sickened and killed many, we again. But as the great naturalist, John The Portuguese poet, Fernando Pessoa, worry about the future and long for the way Muir, reminded us, "It is always sunrise said it beautifully: things were. somewhere." It's a stark reminder that our lives are All of this, inside my heart, is death and the often shaped by things beyond our control. world's sadness. Albert Einstein understood this. All of this lives, because it dies, inside my heart. Deputy Director for "Everything is determined, the beginning And my heart is a little larger than the entire Science Michael West as well as the end, by forces over which universe. we have no control," he wrote. "It is Pessoa died in 1935. His last words, determined for the insect as well as the star. written in pencil one day before his death,
Recent Science Grants
Lowell scientists continue to be successful in pursuing grant funding. Two recent examples: Dr. Jennifer Hanley, who was awarded a NASA Solar System Workings (SSW) grant to perform laboratory experiments studying trace chemicals, such as propane and ethylene, in the lakes of Saturn's moon Titan. The grant comes with $667,000 in funds over three years and will support research at Lowell and Northern Arizona University by Hanley, graduate student Anna Engle, Dr. Will Grundy, Dr. Steve Tegler, and Dr. Gerrick Lindberg.
Dr. Joe Llama was awarded two research grants from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Jennifer Hanley The proposals, titled EXPRES Search for Low Mass Planets and Observing Exoplanet Atmospheres at High Resolution, will receive $455,000 to fund research projects in collaboration with Dr. Debra Fischer of Yale, Dr. Christopher Johns-Krull at Rice University, and others.
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Member Spotlight - The Zeigler Family
By Shannon Gonzales, Membership Manager
The Zeigler family have been members of Lowell Observatory for six years. Here are some moments that make Lowell Observatory special to the Zeigler family:
"Lowell offers so many unique opportunities for education in the art of astronomy while having fun. Our children, ages seven and 14, love the camps and special events held at Lowell. We have had the opportunity to view sunspots and solar flares in the middle of the day. We have been able to view multiple planets in our solar system through the unique telescopes on the new Giovale Open Deck Observatory. We have been able to listen to beautiful, live music while viewing celestial events through Lowell's telescopes. Our 14-year-old has Heidi Larson even been able to operate the McAllister Telescope to show his favorite star cluster, Messier 18, to his family. This has all been possible for our family By Madison Mooney, Content Marketing Specialist because of Lowell Observatory. Thank you for bringing science, art, and astronomy to our family." Heidi Larson is the Instrument Support Specialist for the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI), a highly specialized telescope that represents a collaborative effort between the U.S. Naval Observatory, V.M. Slipher – Edwin the Naval Research Laboratory, and Lowell Hubble Correspondence Observatory. Heidi began work at Lowell in the Public Program as an Educator, By Lauren Amundson, Librarian/Archivist leading tours and talks around campus. She had just graduated from NAU with a BS in physics and astronomy, and like so The Lowell Observatory Archives many college graduates, she had no idea collects, preserves, and provides what her next move would be. Luckily, access to records that document she had a connection to Lowell through the institution’s 126-year history. Stephen Levine, who had taught one of her One of our most historically astronomy courses at NAU. Stephen was significant collections is a series of then the Science Lead at the newly-built Discovery Channel Telescope/DCT (now letters between Lowell Observatory known as the Lowell Discovery Telescope/ astronomer Vesto (V.M.) Slipher LDT), and recommended her for a position and Mount Wilson Observatory as a Telescope Operator. cosmologist Edwin Hubble. Between Nine years later, Heidi is an expert on 1922 and 1953, they exchanged 50 all things NPOI. She keeps the telescope’s complex instruments up and running, letters that are now preserved in the maintaining its vacuum and optical systems observatory’s new 8000-square-foot and troubleshooting any issues that might Putnam Collection Center. These arise. She keeps things running on the letters have been digitized and are outside of the telescope as well, keeping the available at http://bit.ly/2OBhDpp. grounds clear of snow and weeds. Any reproduction of the letters for Of all her contributions to Lowell In this April 11, 1930 letter, Edwin Hubble Observatory, Heidi is most proud of the public use must credit the Lowell asked V.M. Slipher to share some of his radial velocity data. fact that she was the first official Telescope Observatory Archives. / Operator at the LDT. 7 THE ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2020
Lowell Observatory's Public Program Manager Sarah Burcher (right) shows off the Giovale Open Deck Observatory to SBA's Daniel Nordberg (left) and Michael Vallante.
The GODO serves as backdrop to the glow-stone-illuminated pathway below and Comet NEOWISE above. Image While in Flagstaff Vallante and captured July 18, 2020. | Credit: Jim SBA Visits Flagstaff Nordberg toured a diverse quartet of Cole Businesses businesses, including Lowell Observatory, Aspen Veterinary Clinic, Northland-Rural By Kevin Schindler, Historian Therapy Associates, and Proper Meats Lighting the Way to and Provisions. “In Flagstaff, we were the GODO The COVID-19 era has put a financial reminded that so much good is happening strain on businesses across the country, despite the immense challenges around By Samantha Gorney, with company leaders scrambling to us,” they stated. “People are giving back Deputy Director for Education come up with funds to cover the cost of to the community. Neighbors are helping operations, including paying employees. neighbors. Companies are going the extra One major source of funding for mile.” Lowell Observatory’s Astronomy companies—including Lowell Observatory The loans proved critical to supporting Discovery Center, slated to open in and others in northern Arizona—has business operations. Funding to Lowell 2023, will have several walkways been the United States Small Business Observatory, for instance, provided 11 associated with it. Designed Administration’s (SBA) Payroll Protection weeks of payroll for all 116 employees, Program. On September 9, two SBA which enabled the observatory to retain to help visitors safely navigate officials visited Lowell and other Flagstaff everyone, even part-timers, without a the campus, they will require recipients of SBA funding to follow up single furlough. And the observatory made illumination at night. The lighting on the effectiveness and potential future the most of this. For example, with the plan developed by the master directions of the program. public program closed to the public for planning team has both pragmatic The Payroll Protection Program regular tours, this meant that educators provides loans to incentivize businesses now had the time to fulfill a longtime goal and playful components. They to keep their employees on the payroll. If of developing new virtual programming, consist of dark-sky friendly lighting certain requirements are met, these loans which includes interactive presentations fixtures installed at the required may be forgiven. Through more than five and even stargazing and telescope viewing. intervals and small, glow-in- million loans, the program has thus far Lowell Observatory Director Dr. Jeff the-dark CoreGlow “stones” supplied some $500 billion countrywide. Hall said, “This funding allowed us to More than $100 billion is still available pivot and diversify our outreach programs embedded in the concrete. The and if Congress approves further spending, in particular in response to the Covid-19 concrete pathway at the Giovale that money will be available for additional crisis. As a result, these programs will be Open Deck Observatory (GODO) businesses. Dan Nordberg, SBA’s National even stronger and better once we are fully presented the team with an Director for Rural Affairs, said. “It is not re-opened.” excellent opportunity to experiment an overstatement to say this is the most Nordberg explained how the consequential economic rescue recovery observatory’s efforts benefit people far with the stones. Along the length package that the Congress has ever done.” beyond the confines of Mars Hill. He said, of the GODO pathway, the team Mike Vallante is SBA’s Associate “Businesses and organizations like the incorporated a pattern of glowing Administrator for the Office of Field Lowell Observatory are economic engines rocks designed to resemble a Operations. He joined Nordberg on the for rural communities and often help shape Flagstaff tour of businesses. According to the cultural identity of the towns they starry night sky. More intricate a statement they released afterward, more serve.” astronomy-themed designs appear than 11,000 businesses in Arizona alone He added, “It was a privilege to visit near each entrance to the facility. have received a total of $7 billion, saving and hear how the Paycheck Protection The result is an almost dreamlike some 616,000 jobs. They stated, “These Program empowered the observatory to network of walkways, resulting in funds were pivotal to local economies, retain their staff and continue providing made sure families continued to receive cutting-edge research and resources for an even more magical GODO paychecks, and kept hometown businesses the global science community during this experience. afloat.” unique time.” 8 THE ISSUE 119 SUMMER 2020
Synthetic color photos of Jupiter prepared from E.C. Slipher's original negatives. Left, a view from 1949 showing the prominent Great Red Spot (above center) and a yellow color in the equatorial zone; right, 1950 with the white clouds of the 'Hollow' covering the Red Spot. The 1949 image was produced from red, blue, and yellow filter images; the 1950 image was produced from red, blue, and synthetic green images (the latter made from red and blue images). | Credit: Richard McKim and Emmanuel Kardasis.
and then he had to spend time to change the plate and filter. This means that the planetary features have noticeably rotated between negatives, and any color image made from them would be extremely blurred. The modern electronic solution is to make a map projection of each stacked filter image—like a Mercator map of Earth— and to combine the red, blue, and green New Planetary Photos from Old Negatives: 'maps' to cancel out the planet's rotation. The result is then turned back into a the Legacy of E.C. Slipher planetary image, this time in full color. I have been working on an analysis By Richard McKim, British Astronomical Association of the atmosphere of Jupiter in the years 1949 and ‘50, when Slipher obtained Over five decades Earl C. Slipher photography, but by combining negatives many images but published almost none of obtained tens of thousands of planetary taken through red, green, and blue color them. The color composites bring out for photographs with Lowell's 24-inch Clark filters it was possible to make a color the first time the lovely colors in Jupiter's refractor. Among those images, some print. Again this involved hours of tedious atmosphere, as shown in the example were obtained in moments of excellent darkroom work, using processes such as the from 1949 given here. Some but not all of definition, and they are the real gems of dye transfer technique. the belts have a reddish brown color, and the collection. Slipher himself published Together with my colleagues Johan the Great Red Spot is obviously orange. prints of his best work, and realized the Warell and Emmanuel Kardasis, and The planet's equatorial region is strongly value of combining a dozen or so of his with the kind cooperation of Lowell yellowish. These colors were recorded by sharpest negatives in order to improve the Observatory Archivist Lauren Amundson, contemporary visual observers but until photographic resolution, which in a single I have been using modern digital methods today had not been confirmed by the image is limited by the size of the silver for stacking Slipher's best negatives, and impartial technique of photography. My grains in the photographic emulsion. But combining them electronically to make colleagues and I hope that others will be in an old fashioned darkroom situation this color images. Had the filter images been able to perform similar work on Lowell was always a lengthy and tedious business. taken a few minutes apart, the job would Observatory's unique treasure trove, Moreover, most of the prints he made have been fairly easy. But Slipher took and so to put on record Slipher's work were in black and white. Color emulsions several dozen images over a period of about in a manner that would have been quite were not then fine enough for direct color 12 minutes on each photographic plate, impossible within his lifetime.
SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS Sponsor an Arizona Landmark! The San Francisco Peaks are the remains of a dormant volcano, Distance: 11 Miles (17.7 km) Rooftop “Horizon Markers” point to Arizona landmarks home to the highest point in the state of Arizona, Humphreys Coordinates: 35°20′N, 111°40′W Peak (Hopi: Aaloosaktukwi, Navajo: Dookʼoʼoosłííd) at 12,633 on Lowell’s new Astronomy Discovery Center (ADC). feet (3,851 m) in elevation. The peaks supply much of Flagstaff
’s water and are a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Sponsored by Five markers remain. See the list below and claim your The summit can be most easily reached by hiking the 4.8-mile JOSEPH DOMINION (7.7 km) long Humphreys Summit Trail. horizon marker at: lowell.edu/donate/horizon-markers- for-the-astronomy-discovery-center/ Grand Canyon NPOI/Anderson Mesa San Francisco Peaks Sunset Crater Mount Elden Wupatki Your donation of $5,000 will sponsor a Horizon Marker Monument Valley Canyon de Chelly and support the ADC. It can be made in multiple Meteor Crater Petrified Forest Lowell Discovery Telescope Walnut Canyon payments. Contact Rachel Edelstein at (928) 255-0229 for more information. Markers with a strikethrough are already claimed.
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Supporter Feedback
Compiled by Heather Craig, Marketing Specialist
"That was such a nice Zoom on Wednesday... There's so much to do online if I'm not careful, I could spend hours in front of the screen."
Kori Kody, via email YouTube Viewer
"This is so cool listening to all the information, I have always enjoyed astronomy."
"This was so wonderful and informative! Thank you Dr. Hall and Dr. Schleicher for putting this together!"
YouTube Viewer Facebook
"One of my favorite places on planet Earth, can't wait to go back to Lowell Observatory as soon as things are safer for those of us with pre-existing conditions."
Recent Publication
van Belle, Gerard T.; Schaefer, Gail H.; von Braun, Kaspar; Learn more at lowell.edu/welcomeback Nelan, Edmund P.; Hartman, Zachary; Boyajian, Tabetha S.; Lopez-Morales, Mercedes; Ciardi, David R. HST/FGS Estate Giving Webinars Trigonometric Parallaxes of M-dwarf Eclipsing Binaries. On August 21 and 28, the Lowell Development team and Director Dr. Jeff Publications of the Astronomical Hall presented two webinars on aspects of giving through estate plans. The Society of the Pacific, Volume 132, first dealt with bequests through wills and trusts, and the second was on Issue 1011, id.054201, 21 pp. using life insurance and retirement accounts to meet philanthropic goals. These webinars were recorded and are now available to all observatory See our website lowell.edu/ members and to the public on the Lowell Observatory Foundation website. research/recent-publications To view them, go to: foundation.lowell.edu. for more publications
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SOLAR TELESCOPE signals from orbiting exoplanets, LOST exciting results from Lowell's newest and continued from page 1 will continue the quarter-decade effort smallest telescope! at Lowell Observatory of measuring the However, one main hurdle remains in activity of the Sun and Sun-like stars. A FRONT COVER IMAGE: The first light spectrum detecting an Earth-sized planet orbiting better understanding of the full range of of the Sun taken with LOST and EXPRES. The in the habitable zone of a star like our spectrum shows the incredible wavelength grasp behavior exhibited by solar-like stars helps and resolution of EXPRES. The dark vertical Sun. The star itself can induce radial us understand the Sun's likely long-term bands are caused by atoms and molecules in the velocity jitter of several meters-per-second, behavior, lending astrophysical guidance Sun's atmosphere. | Credit: Joe Llama completely drowning the minuscule signal to natural forcing included from an orbiting planet. Understanding in terrestrial climate change this jitter has proved extremely challenging models. LOST enables us to since the majority of stellar surfaces cannot continue monitoring solar be imaged. activity into the next solar cycle That is where LOST offers an exciting and beyond. solution. The Sun is the only star Adding LOST to the astronomers can image at high-resolution telescope suite means that and at all wavelengths. By feeding sunlight science observations are into EXPRES, LOST will observe our Sun happening 24 hours a day at just like we monitor other stars at night. Lowell Observatory. Stay tuned By then combining these observations for an update on our search with data from spacecraft that are imaging for an Earth twin and other the surface of the Sun in unprecedented detail, we will revolutionize our ability to characterize the jitter induced from stellar The Lowell Observatory Solar Telescope is now fully installed next activity. to the Lowell Discovery Telescope Beyond the goal of determining the and is now routinely observing the best methods for teasing out the tiny Sun. | Credit: Michael Collins
FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP (and even photographing and drawing) design Lowell’s new Astronomy Discovery continued from page 1 practices. Center, set to open in 2023. West serves as Deputy Director for West wrote in his Fulbright application, Lowell Observatory Director Jeff Hall said, “A Fulbright award is a truly Science at Lowell and has been a prolific “Communicating science with the public is an increasingly important activity for many prestigious honor, and it’s indicative scientist for years. But he is also passionate scientists, yet few have been trained to do of Michael’s stature as a scholar that about communicating science to the public it effectively. In an age of media saturation he received one. This will be a great and has accomplished this himself by and information overload, capturing the opportunity for him to expand his work giving popular lectures, writing inspiring public’s attention requires scientists to in science communication, and I look articles for magazines and newspapers, think creatively and to embrace new ways forward to seeing the outcome of his work authoring two books, and serving on of communicating their research to diverse in Finland.” various professional committees that audiences.” The Fulbright Program is a United promote science communication. His West was awarded his Fulbright last States-based, international exchange career, in fact, traces back to a book written December and he originally planned to effort that involves more than 160 by another science communicator. The travel to Finland in 2020 and again in countries around the world. It promotes book was titled The Cosmic Connection and 2021. COVID-19 travel restrictions have collaboration and goodwill among written by none other than Carl Sagan. forced him to modify this schedule and he scholars. Senator J. William Fulbright When West read this volume in high now hopes to make both trips in 2021. wrote that the mission of the Fulbright school, he became hooked on astronomy. When not teaching, West will visit Program is “To bring a little more The Fulbright Scholarship will several science facilities to learn current knowledge, a little more reason, and a support the expansion of West’s science Finnish practices of communicating little more compassion into world affairs communications efforts. He will travel science. He said, "I'm excited to learn and thereby increase the chance that twice to Finland, during which time he will more about Finnish culture and to nations will learn at last to live in peace teach courses on Communicating Science serve as an ambassador for American and friendship.” Based on legislation with the Public at the University of Turku. culture, embracing the Fulbright spirit of introduced by Fulbright, the program was The goal is to provide scientists with the promoting cross-cultural understanding." established in 1946 and, according to its tools necessary to become better science West will supplement his classroom website, awards approximately 8,000 grants communicators. information with lessons learned on per year to scientists, university instructors Each course features eight weekly these site visits to create a guide to and administrators, journalists, artists, and classes that address different science communicating science, which will be others. communication themes, ranging from a free guide for anyone who wants to FRONT COVER IMAGE: Michael West plans to theoretical aspects such as ethics, cultural use it. West himself will use this to train spend part of 2021 in Finland for his Fulbright connections, and misconceptions, to the colleagues at Lowell and will incorporate Scholarship. nuts and bolts of best writing and speaking many of the lessons learned into helping 11 As part of Lowell Observatory’s efforts to stay connected and continue our mission of science education, we are providing video resources that include live streams, kids activities, observing tips, educational series, and much more. Visit lowell.edu/youtube for our latest videos.
Meet an Astronomer Meet some of Lowell’s astronomers, and the occasional guest astronomer, and hear about their research.
Cosmic Coffee Explores a different topic in astronomy or planetary science each week.
LOCKs Science Challenges for Kids Keep kids engaged with STEM with these at-home science challenges. Find them on the LOCKs facebook page: facebook.com/orbitsscience
Interactive Stargazing Join Lowell Observatory educators at the Giovale Open Deck Observatory for a guided, interactive observing session. Weather-dependent; see YouTube for dates and times.
Mars Hill Almanac Tune in to see what is happening in the night sky over the next month.
Sagas In The Sky Explores some of the stories behind the stars in the night sky.
Find us on Social Media! Facebook.com/LowellObservatory Twitter: @LowellObs | Instagram: @LowellObservatory YouTube: lowell.edu/youtube lowell.edu
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