Newsletter WELLINGTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

February 2011, Volume 41, Number 1, ISSN 01147706, www.was.org.nz

THIS MONTH’S MEETING FEATURES: Palomar: The building of the Observatory 1hr 26min - movie In this issue:

Wednesday, 2nd of February, Presidents Report for February Newsletter 2 7:30 PM at Carter Observatory How I got hooked on Occultations 3 COUNCIL OF THE WELLINGTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY INC. 3 December Crossword answers 4 Research Astronomy Group 4 OBSERVING AT THOMAS KING  4 OBSERVING AT PAUATAHANUI 4 Binocular hunt through  5 The Evening Sky in January 2011 7 02-2011 Cross Word with Murray Forbes 8 Presidents Report for February Newsletter

I would like to start 2011 by The amount of weeding we did made the heat of the day but no good wishing everyone a Happy and a pile a meter high. After the weeding for observing as there would be no Prosperous New Year. we sprayed the area with weed killer Southern sky. The grounds have been as grass had grown over the Plastic hired out to a local farmer who has run Matting that we laid a couple of cattle in the grounds and unfortunately I would like to thank all those months ago and sprayed around the the grounds are a mess with hundreds volunteers who have come along to concrete slab that we often setup on. of holes made by cattle hooves. Accommodation at the school room Carter on Saturday evenings and I checked out the site the other day would be Marae style although they assisted Ross Powell in Running the and the grass was all dead but there have quite good showers and toilets. 9.75” Cooke Refractor. still needs to be some cleaning up. The There is also a river that runs nearby. I have been assured by Carter that the dome is starting to look very patchy other groups who use Carter now have and is in need of painting. Although We still intend to have an Astro Camp to step up and assist Ross on Saturdays. I think Chris has this in hand. With this summer and at this stage we are So we will not have to supply volunteers all the heavy rain and strong winds still considering Tatum Park just South all of the time in future. we have been experiencing there had of Levin. been no leaks or any damage to the The next observing at Pauatahanui will Carter is considering having another observatory. observing evening when daylight saving be on Feb 5th starting at 9.30pm. finishes and therefore having two This year we have added an extra evenings per week instead of just one. Apparently there was a Lunar Eclipse Saturday to the observing at Carter is also considering hiring out on Tuesday 21st December but I Pautahanui each month so if one is the Thomas King Observatory for watched the clouds up till midnight clouded or rained out we will have the Children’s Birthday Parties but this from my place and never saw a glimpse following Saturday to fall back on. of the Moon. I gave up. will only happen in the summer. Observing at the Thomas King They may open up the Thomas King In my last report I mentioned the SBig Observatory is every Friday evening Telescope for Solar Observing during ST7E CCD camera, which belongs but ring Ross Powell first. the day at these birthday parties. to the society, which I am currently The WAS Dobsonian telescopes are all trying to use. I have now been able I hope we have clearer weather for out on hire at present. Anyone wanting to fix the Filter wheel along with my observing this year whereas last year to hire one of the societies Dobsonians focal reducer to the camera and so now was not good with only three observing should call Chris Monigatti. evenings which were clear. it can be used for CCD Photometry using the Photometric Filters. The society has invested in a new Even the December barbecue and Finder for one of the Dobsonians as If only the weather would clear and observing evening set down for one had gone missing. Saturday December 11th was canceled give us a good sky to do some real because of low cloud and drizzle. photometry. Although it did clear about 11pm. The WAS Research Group was approached by the Gifford Observatory Prior to the barbecue evening Chris Over the summer break I checked out Trust to see if any of our members Mongatti and me when out to the Tawa College Country Classroom would be interested in using the Pauatahanui Observatory and did with Chris Mongatti in the Wairarapa Observatory all be it with a different some much needed weeding and to see if it would be suitable for a telescope installed which would generally tidying up. We removed all weekend astro camp. Unfortunately it possibility be a C14 with a CCD the Thistles and the Long Spiky grass is not suitable as there is only one room camera attached. This proposal is still that was growing along the roadway. and not very big also there are several under discussion. We checked out the Telescope to see huge Pine trees and Gum trees shading if it was running properly and it was. the place, which may be alright during

Page 2 ISSN 01147706, NUMBER 1, VOLUME 41, WAS NEWSLETTER Next months talk will be by Hari I soon realised that I would have to Mogosanu ,crew member at the Mars go to video recording and bought COUNCIL OF THE Desert Research Station located in the one of the batch that Graham Blow WELLINGTON plateau country near Hanksville,Utah, imported. That had two effects, the ASTRONOMICAL USA. This station is run by the Mars field of view on the TV screen was SOCIETY INC. Society http://www.marssociety.org/ much smaller making it harder to find to solve as many problems as possible the field and the star, but on the plus before mankind actually colonises side it gave a definite record that gave President: Mars... much improved certainty of being Gordon Hudson sure that something had happened. We also have a DVD by National [email protected] The first event I tried to observe with Geographic ‘Martian Robots’ which Ph 04 236 5125 the video was a Lunar Graze of ZC35 runs for 47 minutes. on 2005-Nov-12 which had the graze Vice-President: Roger Butland [email protected] How I got line within 1 km of my site. I could see lots of blinks but translating the Ph 04 478 0419 hooked on video events to audio times proved a Secretary: Ross Powell Occultations challenge and my data ended up in bin [email protected] 13. When I was at Auckland University Ph 04 389 9765 The next step was to get a KIWI-OSD back in about 1961-62 I started Treasurer: GPS time inserter. The first event with John Talbot making a 6 inch f6 mirror. I got it to [email protected] that was a D of Antares behind the the almost polished stage before life Ph 04 293 4620 and work got in my way and it still sits moon on 2006-Sep-28 at 09:20:37.42 in my workshop cupboard waiting to and I am confident it was accurate and be finished. real. Newsletter Editor: For my 60th birthday my family Also in 2006 Graham twisted my arm to take on the Minor Planet reporting Haritina Mogosanu bought me a 6 inch telescope with [email protected] simplemanual RA mount. After role of RASNZ Occsec and I have having looked at a few things like the been doing that job since. Moon and Orion Nebula I felt the In 2008-09 I built a cheap 10 inch Committee need to do some "real" observations. scope and have observed a lot of Lunar, Frank Andrews I joined WAS and was inspired by Asteroid (none positive) and Jupiter [email protected] Graham Blow's talk on Occultations moon events. Most of the lunar and Chris Mongatti to have a go. Jupiter events would have been feasible [email protected] Mob o21 890 222 My first attempt at an Asteroidal with the 6 inch. John Homes Occultation was on 2005-May-28 So if you have a telescope of any sort [email protected] when Itried to visually observe 436 have a go at observing a lunar event Aline Homes Patricia occult TYC 7292-01766-1 during the next first quarter of the [email protected] using the 6inch telescope and using moon when it is easy to see on the shortwave radio tuned to WWV and evening sky and you can still get a Positions Outside Council recorded on a cassette tape recorder. good night's sleep. Predictions for Email newsletter I found the star and recorded a Wellington area for the next month are Murray Forbes Miss. But I had got the bug and on posted on our web site at http://was. [email protected] 2005-Aug-03 I observed a positive org.nz/01Occs.html . All the events for 1071 Brita occulting TYC 6856- there should be visible with a 6 inch 01519-1. That was my first, and so far telescope. only, positive MP event despite many www.was.org.nz tries since! John Talbot

WAS NEWSLETTER VOLUME 41, NUMBER 1, ISSN 01147706 Page 3 The WAS sub group has now been December Research meeting for about 6 months and it Crossword answers Astronomy Group is clear that we have a core group of The main areas we have decided to focus about 10 to 12 people who are at most Across: 1. DEWCAP‚ – used to prevent moisture meetings. condensing on a telescope; 7. VEGA‚ – alpha Lyr; on are Variable Stars and Occultations. 9. DESDEMONA‚ – A satellite of Uranus, a character Many of the group already observe one Please be assured that any other in Othello; 14. ANTARES‚ – heart of the scorpion; or both. members who might be interested in 16. ION‚ – an arrested atom; 17. MASS‚ – I weight coming along at 6:30 pm on normal Murray Forbes is leading the Variables 6 times less on the Moon, but still have the same ???; meeting evenings are most welcome. 18. CANOPUS‚ – Autahi; 21. PARALLAX‚ – group and set us home work to map and The two main areas that have emerged apparent shift of an object against a distant background due locate a known eclipsing binary variable for now are measuring Occultations to the observer’s movement; 22. VIRGO‚ – Constellation star RS Cha (Chameleon) also known s (of all sorts) and Variable Stars. Again with Spica; 23. LOKI‚ – volcano on Io; 26. GIOTTO‚ Tycho 9403-1987-1 at RA 8:43:12, Dec this should not hinder anyone else who – Name of ESA spacecraft that intercepted Halley’s comet; -79:04. This should be visible above 0 28. MESSIER‚ – a catalogue; 30. SOHO‚ – satellite would like to raise other topics. deg altitude year round so is not season observatory studying the Sun; 32. DENEB‚ – alpha Cygnus; 34. ICE‚ – frozen liquid; 36. BAR‚ – some spiral galaxies dependant. Some of you may feel that you need a lot of equipment but be very aware have one; 37. SEYFERT‚ – type of galaxy with unusally John Talbot is leading the Occultation that you can start simple and gradually bright nucleus; 38. CLUSTER‚ – An open or globular ...; group and is publishing predictions for the 40. SHEPHERD‚ – astronaut; 45. NOON‚ – mid- get more "stuff". Some bright star Wellington area on our web site at http:// day; 46. ZODIAC‚ – also a small inflated rubber boat; occultations and many variables can was.org.nz/01Occs.html. 47. NORTH‚ – thorn (anagram); 48. SCHMIDT‚ – type be observed with nothing more than of telescope; 49. FUSION‚ – process that powers stars; These include both Lunar events that binoculars and the stop watch in your 52. BINARY‚ – a double star; 53. LEO‚ – A lion circling should be visible in a 6 inch telescope and cell phone. the Earth; 54. HELIUM‚ – second most common element; Minor Planet events that may be a bit 55. ECLIPTIC‚ – plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun; If these areas of research are not for you dimmer but which have high probability then please consider some of the many of being seen. Even if you do not have Down 1. DAY‚ – 24 hours; 2. APOGEE‚ – When other topics in Astronomy where you recording equipment it can be fun in the the Moon is furthest from the Earth; 3. TAURUS‚ – You can provide real input to the science. evening to observe a star disappearing don’t want this constellation in a China shop; 4. HST‚ – an Come to the meeting and discuss orbiting telescope; 5. VENUS‚ – a very cloudy planet; behind the dark edge of the moon during them. The following web sites may give 6. HOUR‚ – unit of time; 8. EQUINOX‚ – 23rd the first half. Or if you like getting up you some inspiration. September; 10. ATOM‚ – smallest indivisible piece of a real early and want a harder challenge try element; 11. GAS‚ – solid, liquid or ...; 12. NADIR‚ for some bright reappearances during the The Association of Lunar and Planetary – opposite to zenith; 13. POLARIS‚ – The North Star; second half of the cycle. Observers 15. ALGOL‚ – Demon star; 19. PERIGEE‚ – When the Moon is closest to the Earth; 20. DINOSAURS‚ – an The Research group meets each month at http://alpo-astronomy.org/index.htm asteroid may have done them in; 21. PELE‚ – volcano on Io; 6:30pm before the main meeting. 24. CEPHEID‚ – A type of pulsating variable star, often Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link used for distance measurements; 25. NUTATION‚ – Causes Please feel free to come along and join in if http://www.minorplanetobserver.com/ small changes in RA and Dec coordinates; 27. PHOBOS‚ – you are interested. This is also a good time astlc/default.htm A Moon of Mars; 29. SMC‚ – satellite galaxy to the Milky to bring along that telescope or observing John Talbot Way; 31. PROCYON‚ – brightest star in Canis Minor; problem you may have for discussion. 33. EARTH‚ – Tellus; 35. REDDWARF‚ – Main Sequence stars cooler & smaller then the Sun, also the name of a cult sci fi/comedy series; 39. AZIMUTH‚ – horizontal OBSERVING AT OBSERVING AT angle around the sky; 41. HYADES‚ – an open cluster in Taurus; 42. RUTHCRISP‚ – Carter Observatory’s public THOMAS KING PAUATAHANUI telescope; 43. ECLIPSE‚ – to block light from another object; 44. HALO‚ – angels and galaxies both have one; All public observing evenings The next observing evening at 47. NOVA‚ – a new star; 50. UFO‚ – flying saucer; will be held at the Thomas King Pauatahanui is on February 5th 51. IO‚ – One of the Galilean satellites; 53. LMC‚ – could be mistaken for a cloud; Observatory run by our Observatory starting at 9.30pm. If the weather is Director Ross Powell. from 8:30. looking doubtful we have a backup Ring Ross on 389 9765 to check evening the following Saturday 12th if there are public observing evenings February. If doubtful please ring on most FRIDAYS, starting as soon as Chris Mongatti on his mobile021 it gets dark depending on the weather 890 222 to see if the session is and Ross’s availability. going ahead.

Page 4 ISSN 01147706, NUMBER 1, VOLUME 41, WAS NEWSLETTER Binocular hunt through Carina

Carina, the Keel, was once part of hazy “star” Theta Carinae. Binoculars Nearby to the Eta Carina nebula is the the great constellation of Argo. This reveal the star is in fact a cluster with open cluster NGC 3532, known as the constellation was broken up into the Theta Carinae the brightest a magnitude “Whishing Well Cluster” with the stars smaller constellations of Vela, the sails, of 2.74, all the other stars in the cluster representing the silver dollars in the Puppis, the stern, Pyxis, the compass are 5th magnitude or fainter. The cluster bottom of the whishing well. Consisting and the largest section Carina. This resembles the Pleiades and is commonly of approximately 150 stars of magnitude constellation sits along the Milky Way and known as the “Southern Pleiades”. 7th or greater, this cluster was the first contains a large number of objects visible target of the Hubble Space Telescope in Nearby to the Southern Pleiades is the in binoculars or small telescopes. 1990. The cluster is about 1300 light years globular cluster NGC 2808 appearing as distant and has an apparent brightness of A good starting point is Alpha Carinae a bright fuzzy star. This one of the most magnitude 3. (Canopus), the second brightest star in massive globular clusters in our galaxy and the night sky. Until recently, estimates of has an apparent magnitude of 7.8. Also close to Eta Carina is NGC 3293, the the distance of this star ranged from 76 Gem Cluster, consisting of more than 50 Slightly lower to the horizon is the Eta to 1200 light years from our Solar System. stars, brightest of which is a red giant at Carina nebula appearing as large haze The Hipparcos Satellite has measured the 6.5, amongst many blue bright stars. With in your binoculars. Dark lanes and stars distance of this star as 310 light years with an estimated age of only 10 million years, abound in this region. Eta Carina appears a visual magnitude of -0.7 and an absolute NGC 3293 is a very young cluster. as a bright orange in this region. The star magnitude of -5.53. has been slowly brightening over the last Variable star l Carina is yellow super-giant Head to Beta Carinae the brightest star 10 years and now is visible to the unaided star approximately 1600 light years away in the of the “Diamond Cross” eye a magnitude 5.5 and may continue to and varies in brightness from 4.2 to 3.3 shining at magnitude 1.68. Move to the brighten over the next few years. every 36 days. It is a prime target for visual other end of the Diamond Cross is the variable star observers.

WAS NEWSLETTER VOLUME 41, NUMBER 1, ISSN 01147706 Page 5 Page 6 ISSN 01147706, NUMBER 1, VOLUME 41, WAS NEWSLETTER The Evening Sky in January 2011

Jupiter is the first ‘star’ to appear at red-giant star, cooler than the sun but Saturn (not shown on the chart) rises in dusk, low in the western sky. Soon much bigger and 9 000 times brighter. the east around 11 pm, looking like a after, Sirius is seen north of overhead. It is 400 light years from us. moderately bright star. To its right and Below it, and a bit to the left, are Rigel higher in the sky is Spica, the brightest The handle of “The Pot”, or Orion’s and Betelgeuse, the brightest stars star in Virgo, similar in brightness to sword, has the Orion Nebula at its in Orion. Between them is a line of Saturn. Saturn’s rings appear quite centre; a glowing gas cloud many light- three stars: Orion’s belt. To southern thin; nearly edge-on to us. It is 1300 hemisphere star watchers, the line of years across and around 1300 light million km away in February. three makes the bottom of ‘The Pot’. years away. Orion’s belt points down and left to a The V-shaped group pattern making V-shaped pattern of stars making the the face of Taurus the bull is called Brilliant Venus (not shown) rises in face of Taurus the Bull. Left again, the Hyades cluster. It is 130 light years the south-east after 3 a.m. It is bright toward the northwest and lower, is away. Orange Aldebaran, Arabic for enough to cast shadows in dark the Pleiades or Matariki star cluster, ‘the eye of the bull’, is not a member locations. In a telescope it looks like the also known as the Seven Sisters and of the cluster but merely on the line moon between full and last quarter. It is leaving us behind and moving away Subaru. From northern New Zealand of sight, half the cluster’s distance. to the far side of the sun. At mid- the bright star Capella is on the north The Pleiades cluster, impressive in month it is 140 million km away. skyline. The sixth brightest star, binoculars, is 400 light years from us. Capella is 190 times brighter than the Its stars formed around 100 million Mercury rises in the southeast after 5 sun and 42 light years* away. years ago. a.m. at the beginning of the month but falls lower and fades into the dawn Jupiter is low in the western sky at dusk, , the Southern Cross, is in the twilight by mid February. setting around 10 pm NZDT. Because southeast. Below it are Beta and Alpha we are looking at it through a lot of Centauri, often called ‘The Pointers’. It is 200 million km away on the far air it appears blurry and distorted in Alpha Centauri is the closest naked- side of the sun. a telescope. Its four big moons should eye star, 4.3 light years away. Beta still be visible, looking like small stars Centauri, like most of the stars in lined up on each side of it. Jupiter is Crux, is a blue-giant star hundreds on the far side of the sun from us now, *A light year (l.y.) is the distance that light travels of light years away. Canopus is also 13 around 840 million km away. in one year: nearly 10 million million km or 10 a very luminous distant star; 13 000 km. Sunlight takes eight minutes to get here; Sirius, ‘the Dog Star’, marks the head times brighter than the sun and 300 moonlight about one second. Sunlight reaches of Canis Major the big dog. A group light years away. Neptune, the outermost major planet, in four of stars above and right of it make hours. It takes four years to reach the nearest star, the dog’s hindquarters and tail. Sirius The Milky Way is brightest in the Alpha Centauri. is the brightest star in the sky both southeast toward Crux. It can be because it is relatively close, nine light traced up the sky, fading where it is nearly overhead. It becomes very faint Notes by Alan Gilmore, University of years away, and 23 times brighter than Canterbury’s Mt John Observatory, P.O. Box the sun. Procyon, in the northeast east or right of Orion. The Milky Way 56, Lake Tekapo 7945, New Zealand. below Sirius, marks the smaller of the is our edgewise view of the galaxy, the www.canterbury.ac.nz, 100826 two dogs following Orion the hunter pancake of billions of stars of which across the sky. the sun is just one. The Clouds of Magellan, LMC and SMC are high in the south sky, easily Rigel, directly above Orion’s belt, is a seen by eye on a dark moonless night. bluish supergiant star, 40 000 times They are two small galaxies about 160 brighter than the sun and much hotter. 000 and 200 000 light years away. It is 800 light years away. Orange Betelgeuse, below the line of three, is a WAS NEWSLETTER VOLUME 41, NUMBER 1, ISSN 01147706 Page 7 Cross Word with Murray Forbes

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EclipseCrossword.comAcross 1. Autahi; 6. A Moon of Mars; 11. one phial (anagram); 14. spectral classes; 17. Down 2. Causes small changes in RA and Dec coordinates; 3. flying saucer; 4. New Zealander; satellite observatory studying the Sun; 18. When the Moon is furthest from the Earth; 20. 5. One of the Galilean satellites; 7. type of telescope; 8. 24 hours; 9. a new star; 10. An open or volcano on Io; 22. A type of pulsating variable star, often used for distance measurements; globular ...; 12. mid-day; 13. The Peacock constellation; 15. solid, liquid or ...; 16. volcano on 23. a very cloudy planet; 24. frozen liquid; 27. Tellus; 31. a shepherd satellite of Saturn’s Io; 17. star time; 19. A type of star whose core hydrogen has been used up.; 20. A lion circling F ring, also the first women in Greek mythology; 32. a phase of the Moon; 33. I weight 6 the Earth; 21. The SI unit of mass; 25. Once in a ...; 26. thorn (anagram); 28. type of telescope; times less on the Moon, but still have the same ???; 34. smallest indivisible piece of a element; 29. A satellite of Uranus, a character in Othello; 30. used to prevent moisture condensing on 35. an open cluster in Taurus; 36. alpha Lyr; 39. angels and galaxies both have one; 40. a telescope; 37. Carter Observatory’s public telescope; 38. brightest star in Canis Minor; 41. to alpha Cygnus; 42. Constellation with Spica; 43. an orbiting telescope; 44. Main Sequence block light from another object; 45. proposed theory of evolution; 46. process that powers stars; stars cooler & smaller then the Sun, also the name of a cult sci fi/comedy series; 47. could 51. an arrested atom; 53. satellite galaxy to the Milky Way; be mistaken for a cloud; 48. plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun; 49. constellation with a sting; 50. Name of ESA spacecraft that intercepted Halley’s comet; 52. One of the Moons of Mars; 54. second most common element; 55. 23rd September;

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