THE ISSUE 114 FALL 2018 LOWELL OBSERVER THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF LOWELL OBSERVATORY HOME OF PLUTO Most of the Senegal team members are shown here with the President of Senegal (center, in white), the US Ambassador (next to the President on the right), Marc Buie (SWRI, director of the project, next to the President on the left), Adrianna Ocampo (NASA representative, next to the Ambassador), Larry Wasserman (four rows back, fourth from the right). IN THIS ISSUE 2 Director’s Update 2 Trustee’s Update 2 Cool Stars Conference 3 C-Span Cities Tour Visits Flagstaff Chasing Shadows in Senegal By Larry Wasserman, Astronomer On January 1, 2019 the New Horizons possible event. The candidate ground spacecraft will fly by a small Kuiper belt track crossed Colombia, Venezuela, object (KBO) provisionally named 2014 the Atlantic Ocean, Senegal, Mali, MU69. This object was discovered using Mauritania, and Libya on the night of the Hubble Space Telescope during an August 3, 2018. NASA and the New intensive search for objects that New Horizons team decided to attempt this 3 GODO Progress Horizons could reach after its flyby event and put Marc Buie in charge. 4 CubeSat Telescope to of Pluto in July of 2015. Last year I Marc is currently at SWRI but spent participated in two expeditions to observe many years at Lowell. He has a long Explore Nearby Stars occultations of stars by this object. The history with Pluto, KBOs, and New 5 Dispatches from first one of these expeditions, which Horizons. This time, NASA wanted, in the Youniverse involved sending about 25 telescopes— part, to use the occultation process in each with two observers to Argentina and reverse. If you know the position of the 6-7 Lawrence Lowell (Pluto South Africa—was unsuccessful because star extremely accurately (which you do Discovery) Telescope the predicted location was slightly in error. from the GAIA catalog), then you can The second, which involved sending all use the observation of an occultation 8 The Forgotten Legacy the telescopes and observers to Comodoro to refine the position of the occulting of Clyde Tombaugh Rivadavia in southern Argentina, was object and help target the spacecraft. successful. We determined that 2014 continued on page 11 9 Michael & MU69 either has a very elongated shape Karen Kitt or is possibly a binary object. It is about 10-15 miles across. Satellite-based Telescope 9 Flagstaff’s This year NASA again asked us Lunar legacy to look for potential occultations by to Explore Nearby Stars this object. I did a search for such In 2021, a spacecraft approximately the 10 Meet Joe events in the European Space Agency’s size of a cereal box will carry a small Wagner GAIA star catalog—a catalog of about a telescope into Earth orbit. billion stars each with extremely accurate 11 Research Observing See page 4 for more! positions—and turned up only one on Mars Hill THE ISSUE 114 FALL 2018 enervating, but at the our “other side”, the belief by same time, by Friday I Percival that research is even felt incredibly excited and more effective if we can share energized. The vision for it with others in a way that the outreach side of our excites them and makes them DIRECTOR’S UPDATE strategic plan is to be “the TRUSTEE’S UPDATE “co-discoverers”. This message By Jeffrey Hall finest astronomy education By W. Lowell Putnam and approach is clearly destination in the Americas.” resonating with people. The groundbreaking of We are sparing no expense The number of people the Giovale Open Deck to meet that lofty target; as I am just back from coming up Mars Hill to visit Observatory, described by just one example, the GODO the groundbreaking of has grown by 50% in the Trustee Lowell Putnam in his telescope suite is so high- the Giovale Open Deck past 4 years. The GODO is adjacent column, came at the quality that it has attracted Observatory (GODO). In the first step in a series of end of a full week of planning interest from both professional my remarks at that event expansions of the campus and review meetings with our and advanced amateur I spoke of the gathering to to allow us to provide “co- consultants and with many astronomers for research use celebrate the re-opening the discovery” experiences to our members of our staff. We did after regular public hours. of Lawrence Lowell (“Pluto”) general public guests with the a thorough review of pretty I, Mr. Putnam, the Telescope in early June. The best facilities for astronomical much everything: our campus assembled staff, and our June event celebrated the viewing. The goal in all of master plan, the GODO, consultants all wrapped up 110 years of science research this is to allow our educators the planned Astronomy the week feeling that if we and discoveries that have to be even more effective Discovery Center and its get this right, we will have advanced our understanding in engaging with folks and marquee elements (a rooftop created something that of Pluto and the outer sharing the joy of astronomy. amphitheater, an ultra- will literally (and I’m not Solar System. There are few We continue to invest wide-screen indoor theater, misusing that word) be a institutions in the world that in our scientists and the and innovative exhibits), a world-renowned beacon of have that long term view, infrastructure they need, campus-wide dark-sky lighting astronomy education and and support, of science, as you will read in this plan, and a proactive effort science appreciation. That is but Percival believed in that issue. With the GODO to ensure our new facilities something singularly exciting approach, and established groundbreaking of the go “above and beyond” for to be part of. a culture of support that GODO we are working to guests with disabilities. We will keep all of you continues to this day. make Lowell Observatory A full week of all-day posted as things move along! The GODO the finest astronomical meetings is always a bit groundbreaking represents destination in the world. Cool Stars Conference in Boston My name is Catherine Clark, and I am a second year PhD student in astronomy and planetary science at Northern Arizona University. I also work as a graduate research assistant at Lowell Observatory under the supervision of Dr. Gerard van Belle. In my opinion, one of the best parts of being in academia is being able to attend conferences, and recently I was able to attend my first conference as a graduate student. Drs. Jeffrey Hall, Gerard van Belle, Joe Llama, and I traveled to Boston for the Cool Stars meeting, a conference covering low-mass stars, solar physics, and exoplanets. At the conference, Dr. van Belle and I presented our poster, titled “The POKEMON Speckle Survey of Nearby M-Dwarfs”, and described how we are utilizing speckle imaging to refine the M dwarf multiplicity rate. In general, it was a terrific opportunity to learn more about low-mass stars, to meet prominent scientists in the field, and to introduce my science to a number of astronomers. Jeff Hall, Gerard van Belle, Joe Llama, I can’t wait to attend other conferences during my time as a and Catherine Clark represented Lowell graduate student! Observatory at Cool Stars 20. 2 THE ISSUEISSUE 104 114 SUMMER FALL 20182015 Screenshot of Kevin Schindler talking about Flagstaff’s lunar heritage, including the use of the 24-inch Clark Telescope to create Moon maps. New Visiting Scientists Program By Michael West, Deputy Director for Science The observatory has implemented a new Visiting Scientists Program with the goal of creating a vibrant scientific atmosphere on Mars Hill, enhancing the observatory’s connection to the wider astronomical community and stimulating new scientific C-Span Cities Tour Visits Flagstaff collaborations as well as strengthening existing ones. Cable television network C-Span produces writers to create several stories that aired The Visiting Scientists Program a show, Cities Tours, that features historic in September. Lowell’s Kevin Schindler complements the existing and literary sites in select communities. and astronomy historian Bill Sheehan colloquium series by providing This past July, Flagstaff was showcased spoke about early Pluto research while support for longer visits. The and Lowell Observatory hosted a live Schindler also discussed Flagstaff’s role Observatory welcomes visits by event at which Flagstaff Mayor Coral in preparing for the Apollo missions PhD scientists whose expertise and Evans, Lowell’s Michael West, and other to the Moon. These stories may be research excellence in astronomy, community leaders spoke. Film crews viewed at https://www.c-span.org/ astrophysics, planetary science, then interviewed local historians and series/?citiesTour&city=198 or related fields will enrich the scientific environment here. Visit lengths can vary from a minimum GODO Construction Progress of two weeks to a maximum of three months. Currently, the By David Sawyer, Technical Project Manager observatory has resources to host the equivalent of one Visiting Summer was a flurry of construction activity as we prepared for Scientist per month on average. building the Giovale Open Deck Observatory (GODO) and adjacent More information can be found wash house this fall. Much of the work completed this summer at https://lowell.edu/research/ involved the underground utilities for distribution of water pipes, research-resources/visiting- electrical service, network conduits, and gas lines—all needed to scientists-program/ support the new facilities. The new driveway to access the trustee’s residence is graded and ready for pavement. The relocated water tank and pump house, which are also accessible via the new driveway, have been erected and are undergoing testing and certification.