Lunar Occultations for Year 2020
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The Astronomical Garden of Venus and Mars-NG915: the Pivotal Role Of
The astronomical garden of Venus and Mars - NG915 : the pivotal role of Astronomy in dating and deciphering Botticelli’s masterpiece Mariateresa Crosta Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF- OATo), Via Osservatorio 20, Pino Torinese -10025, TO, Italy e-mail: [email protected] Abstract This essay demonstrates the key role of Astronomy in the Botticelli Venus and Mars-NG915 painting, to date only very partially understood. Worthwhile coin- cidences among the principles of the Ficinian philosophy, the historical characters involved and the compositional elements of the painting, show how the astronomi- cal knowledge of that time strongly influenced this masterpiece. First, Astronomy provides its precise dating since the artist used the astronomical ephemerides of his time, albeit preserving a mythological meaning, and a clue for Botticelli’s signature. Second, it allows the correlation among Botticelli’s creative intention, the historical facts and the astronomical phenomena such as the heliacal rising of the planet Venus in conjunction with the Aquarius constellation dating back to the earliest represen- tations of Venus in Mesopotamian culture. This work not only bears a significant value for the history of science and art, but, in the current era of three-dimensional mapping of billion stars about to be delivered by Gaia, states the role of astro- nomical heritage in Western culture. Finally, following the same method, a precise astronomical dating for the famous Primavera painting is suggested. Keywords: History of Astronomy, Science and Philosophy, Renaissance Art, Educa- tion. Introduction Since its acquisition by London’s National Gallery on June 1874, the painting Venus and Mars by Botticelli, cataloged as NG915, has remained a mystery to be interpreted [1]1. -
Ann Merchant Boesgaard Publications Merchant, A. E., Bodenheimer, P., and Wallerstein, G
Ann Merchant Boesgaard Publications Merchant, A. E., Bodenheimer, P., and Wallerstein, G. (1965). “The Lithium Isotope Ratio in Two Hyades F Stars.” Ap. J., 142, 790. Merchant, A. E. (1966). “Beryllium in F- and G-Type Dwarfs.” Ap. J., 143, 336. Hodge, P. W., and Merchant, A. E. (1966). “Photometry of SO Galaxies II. The Peculiar Galaxy NGC 128.” Ap. J., 144, 875. Merchant, A. E. (1967). “The Abundance of Lithium in Early M-Type Stars.” Ap. J., 147, 587. Merchant, A. E. (1967). “Measured Equivalent Widths in Early M-Type Stars.” Lick Obs. Bull. No. 595 (Univ. of California Press). Boesgaard, A. M. (1968). “Isotopes of Magnesium in Stellar Atmosphere.” Ap. J., 154, 185. Boesgaard, A. M. (1968). “Observations of Beryllium in Stars.” Highlights of Astron- omy, ed. L. Perek (Dordrecht: D. Reidel), p. 237. Boesgaard, A. M. (1969). “Intensity Variation in Ca Emission in an MS Star.” Pub. A. S. P., 81, 283. Boesgaard, A. M. (1969). “Observational Clues to the Evolution of M Giant Stars.” Pub. A. S. P., 81, 365. Boesgaard, A. M. (1970). “The Lithium Isotope Ratio in δ Sagittae.” Ap. J., 159, 727. Boesgaard, A. M. (1970). “The Ratio of Titanium to Zirconium in Late-Type Stars.” Ap. J., 161, 163. Boesgaard, A. M. (1970). “On the Lithium Content in Late-Type Giants.” Ap. Letters, 5, 145. Boesgaard, A. M. (1970). “Lithium in Heavy-Metal Red Giants.” Ap. J., 161, 1003. Boesgaard, A. M. (1971). “The Lithium Content of Capella.” Ap. J., 167, 511. Boesgaard, A. M. (1973). “Iron Emission Lines in a Orionis.” In Stellar Chromospheres, eds. -
THE STAR FORMATION NEWSLETTER an Electronic Publication Dedicated to Early Stellar Evolution and Molecular Clouds
THE STAR FORMATION NEWSLETTER An electronic publication dedicated to early stellar evolution and molecular clouds No. 90 — 27 March 2000 Editor: Bo Reipurth ([email protected]) Abstracts of recently accepted papers The Formation and Fragmentation of Primordial Molecular Clouds Tom Abel1, Greg L. Bryan2 and Michael L. Norman3,4 1 Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, MA, 02138 Cambridge, USA 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, 02139 Cambridge, USA 3 LCA, NCSA, University of Illinois, 61801 Urbana/Champaign, USA 4 Astronomy Department, University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, USA E-mail contact: [email protected] Many questions in physical cosmology regarding the thermal history of the intergalactic medium, chemical enrichment, reionization, etc. are thought to be intimately related to the nature and evolution of pregalactic structure. In particular the efficiency of primordial star formation and the primordial IMF are of special interest. We present results from high resolution three–dimensional adaptive mesh refinement simulations that follow the collapse of primordial molecular clouds and their subsequent fragmentation within a cosmologically representative volume. Comoving scales from 128 kpc down to 1 pc are followed accurately. Dark matter dynamics, hydrodynamics and all relevant chemical and radiative processes (cooling) are followed self-consistently for a cluster normalized CDM structure formation model. Primordial molecular clouds with ∼ 105 solar masses are assembled by mergers of multiple objects that have formed −4 hydrogen molecules in the gas phase with a fractional abundance of ∼< 10 . As the subclumps merge cooling lowers the temperature to ∼ 200 K in a “cold pocket” at the center of the halo. Within this cold pocket, a quasi–hydrostatically > 5 −3 contracting core with mass ∼ 200M and number densities ∼ 10 cm is found. -
Where Are the Distant Worlds? Star Maps
W here Are the Distant Worlds? Star Maps Abo ut the Activity Whe re are the distant worlds in the night sky? Use a star map to find constellations and to identify stars with extrasolar planets. (Northern Hemisphere only, naked eye) Topics Covered • How to find Constellations • Where we have found planets around other stars Participants Adults, teens, families with children 8 years and up If a school/youth group, 10 years and older 1 to 4 participants per map Materials Needed Location and Timing • Current month's Star Map for the Use this activity at a star party on a public (included) dark, clear night. Timing depends only • At least one set Planetary on how long you want to observe. Postcards with Key (included) • A small (red) flashlight • (Optional) Print list of Visible Stars with Planets (included) Included in This Packet Page Detailed Activity Description 2 Helpful Hints 4 Background Information 5 Planetary Postcards 7 Key Planetary Postcards 9 Star Maps 20 Visible Stars With Planets 33 © 2008 Astronomical Society of the Pacific www.astrosociety.org Copies for educational purposes are permitted. Additional astronomy activities can be found here: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov Detailed Activity Description Leader’s Role Participants’ Roles (Anticipated) Introduction: To Ask: Who has heard that scientists have found planets around stars other than our own Sun? How many of these stars might you think have been found? Anyone ever see a star that has planets around it? (our own Sun, some may know of other stars) We can’t see the planets around other stars, but we can see the star. -
C a L E N D a R F O R 2019
Small Astronomy Calendar for Amateur Astronomers Year III 2021 Let’s welcome our 2021 Small Astronomy Calendar Edition made by our Intergalactic Astronomy Educators Fellowship (IGAEF)’s team. In 2021, many amateur astronomers asked for calculations for more specific geographical locations. This year we added new useful calculated positions and coordinates for everyone in the world to use. You should check this calendar every month, specifically the lunar occultations pages for your observation point. There are many interesting and unique events that might not happen every year, because of the different parameters of the Moon orbit. Our hope is to fulfill your expectations. We would like to receive suggestions and feedback. You can find the editor’s email in the last page of the calendar. We appreciate your support and we are looking forward to having a good observational year, and a better and more complete calendar for this first year of a new decade. Index 3 - Calendar for 2021 4 – What is the Intergalactic Astronomy Educators Fellowship (IGAEF) 5 - Time Zones and Universal Time 6 - Phases of the Moon 2021 7 – Physical Ephemeris for the Moon 2021 10 - Local Time (EST) of MOONRISE 2021 11 - Local Time (EST) of MOONSET 2021 12 - Local time (EST) of planets rise and set 2021 15 - Diary of Astronomical Phenomena 2021 21 - Lunar eclipses 23 - Solar Eclipses 25 - Meteor Showers for 2021 26 – 2021 UPCOMING COMETS 27 - Satellites of Jupiter 2021 36 – Mutual Events of Jupiter Satellites 2021 39 - Julian Day Number, Apparent Sidereal Time, Obliquity -
Naming the Extrasolar Planets
Naming the extrasolar planets W. Lyra Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, K¨onigstuhl 17, 69177, Heidelberg, Germany [email protected] Abstract and OGLE-TR-182 b, which does not help educators convey the message that these planets are quite similar to Jupiter. Extrasolar planets are not named and are referred to only In stark contrast, the sentence“planet Apollo is a gas giant by their assigned scientific designation. The reason given like Jupiter” is heavily - yet invisibly - coated with Coper- by the IAU to not name the planets is that it is consid- nicanism. ered impractical as planets are expected to be common. I One reason given by the IAU for not considering naming advance some reasons as to why this logic is flawed, and sug- the extrasolar planets is that it is a task deemed impractical. gest names for the 403 extrasolar planet candidates known One source is quoted as having said “if planets are found to as of Oct 2009. The names follow a scheme of association occur very frequently in the Universe, a system of individual with the constellation that the host star pertains to, and names for planets might well rapidly be found equally im- therefore are mostly drawn from Roman-Greek mythology. practicable as it is for stars, as planet discoveries progress.” Other mythologies may also be used given that a suitable 1. This leads to a second argument. It is indeed impractical association is established. to name all stars. But some stars are named nonetheless. In fact, all other classes of astronomical bodies are named. -
METEOR CSILLAGÁSZATI ÉVKÖNYV 2019 Meteor Csillagászati Évkönyv 2019
METEOR CSILLAGÁSZATI ÉVKÖNYV 2019 meteor csillagászati évkönyv 2019 Szerkesztette: Benkő József Mizser Attila Magyar Csillagászati Egyesület www.mcse.hu Budapest, 2018 Az évkönyv kalendárium részének összeállításában közreműködött: Tartalom Bagó Balázs Görgei Zoltán Kaposvári Zoltán Kiss Áron Keve Kovács József Bevezető ....................................................................................................... 7 Molnár Péter Sánta Gábor Kalendárium .............................................................................................. 13 Sárneczky Krisztián Szabadi Péter Cikkek Szabó Sándor Szőllősi Attila Zsoldos Endre: 100 éves a Nemzetközi Csillagászati Unió ........................191 Zsoldos Endre Maria Lugaro – Kereszturi Ákos: Elemkeletkezés a csillagokban.............. 203 Szabó Róbert: Az OGLE égboltfelmérés 25 éve ........................................218 A kalendárium csillagtérképei az Ursa Minor szoftverrel készültek. www.ursaminor.hu Beszámolók Mizser Attila: A Magyar Csillagászati Egyesület Szakmailag ellenőrizte: 2017. évi tevékenysége .........................................................................242 Szabados László Kiss László – Szabó Róbert: Az MTA CSFK Csillagászati Intézetének 2017. évi tevékenysége .........................................................................248 Petrovay Kristóf: Az ELTE Csillagászati Tanszékének működése 2017-ben ............................................................................ 262 Szabó M. Gyula: Az ELTE Gothard Asztrofi zikai Obszervatórium -
A Basic Requirement for Studying the Heavens Is Determining Where In
Abasic requirement for studying the heavens is determining where in the sky things are. To specify sky positions, astronomers have developed several coordinate systems. Each uses a coordinate grid projected on to the celestial sphere, in analogy to the geographic coordinate system used on the surface of the Earth. The coordinate systems differ only in their choice of the fundamental plane, which divides the sky into two equal hemispheres along a great circle (the fundamental plane of the geographic system is the Earth's equator) . Each coordinate system is named for its choice of fundamental plane. The equatorial coordinate system is probably the most widely used celestial coordinate system. It is also the one most closely related to the geographic coordinate system, because they use the same fun damental plane and the same poles. The projection of the Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere is called the celestial equator. Similarly, projecting the geographic poles on to the celest ial sphere defines the north and south celestial poles. However, there is an important difference between the equatorial and geographic coordinate systems: the geographic system is fixed to the Earth; it rotates as the Earth does . The equatorial system is fixed to the stars, so it appears to rotate across the sky with the stars, but of course it's really the Earth rotating under the fixed sky. The latitudinal (latitude-like) angle of the equatorial system is called declination (Dec for short) . It measures the angle of an object above or below the celestial equator. The longitud inal angle is called the right ascension (RA for short). -
The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun-Earth Connection
The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun-Earth Connection (Front illustration: the Sun without spots, July 27, 1954) By Willie Wei-Hock Soon and Steven H. Yaskell To Soon Gim-Chuan, Chua Chiew-See, Pham Than (Lien+Van’s mother) and Ulla and Anna In Memory of Miriam Fuchs (baba Gil’s mother)---W.H.S. In Memory of Andrew Hoff---S.H.Y. To interrupt His Yellow Plan The Sun does not allow Caprices of the Atmosphere – And even when the Snow Heaves Balls of Specks, like Vicious Boy Directly in His Eye – Does not so much as turn His Head Busy with Majesty – ‘Tis His to stimulate the Earth And magnetize the Sea - And bind Astronomy, in place, Yet Any passing by Would deem Ourselves – the busier As the Minutest Bee That rides – emits a Thunder – A Bomb – to justify Emily Dickinson (poem 224. c. 1862) Since people are by nature poorly equipped to register any but short-term changes, it is not surprising that we fail to notice slower changes in either climate or the sun. John A. Eddy, The New Solar Physics (1977-78) Foreword By E. N. Parker In this time of global warming we are impelled by both the anticipated dire consequences and by scientific curiosity to investigate the factors that drive the climate. Climate has fluctuated strongly and abruptly in the past, with ice ages and interglacial warming as the long term extremes. Historical research in the last decades has shown short term climatic transients to be a frequent occurrence, often imposing disastrous hardship on the afflicted human populations. -
Chemical Composition of the RS Cvn-Type Star 33 Piscium
Baltic Astronomy, vol. 20, 53–63, 2011 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE RS CVn-TYPE STAR 33 PISCIUM G. Bariseviˇcius1, G. Tautvaiˇsien˙e1, S. Berdyugina2, Y. Chorniy1 and I. Ilyin3 1 Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, Vilnius University, Goˇstauto 12, Vilnius, LT-01108, Lithuania 2 Kiepenheuer Institut f¨ur Sonnenphysik, Sch¨oneckstr. 6, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany 3 Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, An der Sternwarte 16, Potsdam D-14482, Germany Received: 2011 March 7; accepted 2011 March 25 Abstract. Abundances of 22 chemical elements, including the key elements and isotopes such as 12C, 13C, N and O, are investigated in the spectrum of 33 Psc, a single-lined RS CVn-type binary of low magnetic activity. The high resolution spectra were observed on the Nordic Optical Telescope and analyzed with the MARCS model atmospheres. The following main parameters have been determined: Teff = 4750 K, log g = 2.8, [Fe/H] = –0.09, [C/Fe] = –0.04, [N/Fe] = 0.23, [O/Fe] = 0.05, C/N = 2.14, 12C/13C = 30, which show the first-dredge-up mixing signatures and no extra-mixing. Key words: stars: RS CVn binaries, abundances – stars: individual (33 Psc = HD 28)) 1. INTRODUCTION This is the third paper in a series dedicated to a detailed study of photospheric abundances in RS CVn stars (Tautvaiˇsien˙eet al. 2010; Bariseviˇcius et al. 2010, hereafter Papers I and II) with the main aim to get the carbon isotope 12C/13C and C/N ratios in these chromospherically active stars. We plan to investigate correlations between the abundance alterations of chemical elements in the atmo- spheres of these stars and their physical macro parameters, such as the speed of rotation and the magnetic field. -
September 2020 BRAS Newsletter
A Neowise Comet 2020, photo by Ralf Rohner of Skypointer Photography Monthly Meeting September 14th at 7:00 PM, via Jitsi (Monthly meetings are on 2nd Mondays at Highland Road Park Observatory, temporarily during quarantine at meet.jit.si/BRASMeets). GUEST SPEAKER: NASA Michoud Assembly Facility Director, Robert Champion What's In This Issue? President’s Message Secretary's Summary Business Meeting Minutes Outreach Report Asteroid and Comet News Light Pollution Committee Report Globe at Night Member’s Corner –My Quest For A Dark Place, by Chris Carlton Astro-Photos by BRAS Members Messages from the HRPO REMOTE DISCUSSION Solar Viewing Plus Night Mercurian Elongation Spooky Sensation Great Martian Opposition Observing Notes: Aquila – The Eagle Like this newsletter? See PAST ISSUES online back to 2009 Visit us on Facebook – Baton Rouge Astronomical Society Baton Rouge Astronomical Society Newsletter, Night Visions Page 2 of 27 September 2020 President’s Message Welcome to September. You may have noticed that this newsletter is showing up a little bit later than usual, and it’s for good reason: release of the newsletter will now happen after the monthly business meeting so that we can have a chance to keep everybody up to date on the latest information. Sometimes, this will mean the newsletter shows up a couple of days late. But, the upshot is that you’ll now be able to see what we discussed at the recent business meeting and have time to digest it before our general meeting in case you want to give some feedback. Now that we’re on the new format, business meetings (and the oft neglected Light Pollution Committee Meeting), are going to start being open to all members of the club again by simply joining up in the respective chat rooms the Wednesday before the first Monday of the month—which I encourage people to do, especially if you have some ideas you want to see the club put into action. -
Astronomy with Small Telescopes
Astronomy With Small Telescopes Bohdan Paczy´nski Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, NJ 08544 [email protected] ABSTRACT The All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) is monitoring all sky to about 14 mag with a cadence of about 1 day; it has discovered about 105 variable stars, most of them new. The instrument used for the survey had aperture of 7 cm. A search for planetary transits has lead to the discovery of about a dozen confirmed planets, so called ’hot Jupiters’, providing the information of planetary masses and radii. Most discoveries were done with telescopes with aperture of 10 cm. We propose a search for optical transients covering all sky with a cadence of 10 - 30 minutes and the limit of 12 - 14 mag, with an instant verification of all candidate events. The search will be made with a large number of 10 cm instruments, and the verification will be done with 30 cm instruments. We also propose a system to be located at the L1 point of the Earth - Sun system to detect ’killer asteroids’. With a limiting magnitude of about 18 mag it could detect 10 m boulders several hours prior to their impact, provide warning against Tunguska-like events, as well as to provide news about spectacular but harmless more modest impacts. Subject headings: techniques: photometric — surveys — celestial mechanics — mete- oroids — stars: variable — gamma rays: bursts arXiv:astro-ph/0609161v3 7 Nov 2006 1. Introduction The goal of this paper is to point out that there are many tasks for which small and even very small telescopes are not only useful, but even indispensable.