The Denver JULY 2017 OBSERVER These six images, showing Ultra Luminous InfraRed Galaxies, or ULIRGs, display odd shapes and smears due to the distorting effects of gravitational lensing, and in some cases, galactic collisions as well. These galaxies lie between 8 and 11.5 billion light-years from Earth, and are far more brilliant than our own Milky Way (counting the infrared spectrum). The lensing further concentrates their light, making them brighter still. (“Astro Update,” starting on p.4, has more on this—see “Ultra-Bright Galaxies Explained.”) Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Lowenthal (Smith College) JULY SKIES by Zachary Singer Sky Calendar This month, we’re heading low into the heat at that hour, telescopic views near the hori- 8 Full Moon southern sky to check out the constellation zon are likely to be especially poor. 16 Last-Quarter Moon Scorpius. Our targets include a beautiful and Venus is a brilliant morning object, sitting 23 New Moon interesting binary star, and two open clusters at least 20° up in the east by 5 AM all month. 30 First-Quarter Moon that are related to each other. First though, the Its disk spans 18” and is almost 2/3 illuminated solar system for July: as July begins, though the planet will look more like a slightly fat lemon wedge… By July’s end, In the Observer The Solar System the illuminated area will be clearly gibbous, if For most of the month, Mercury is visible slightly smaller. Astro Update 2 in the west about 30 minutes after sunset. After Mars is lost in solar glare this month, and Society Directory 2 about the first week, the planet will be at least will reappear as a morning object this fall. 6° above the horizon at that time each evening, (You might catch a glimpse of the Red Planet Schedule of Events 2 climbing to 8° mid-month and then sinking during totality of this August’s solar eclipse— DAS News 3 again. The planet’s disk spans about 5” at the Mars will then be a 2nd-magnitude dot about 10° beginning of the month, dimming slightly but northwest of the Sun.) NASA Space Place 4 growing to 8” by month’s end. Realistically, it Jupiter is viewable in the southwest sky About Denver Astronomical Society 5 should make a lovely naked-eye object, but be- this month, but it won’t last. As July begins, the cause the ground will still be radiating summer planet is still 35° up an hour after sunset. By The Observer is available in color PDF format from the DAS Continued on Page 6 website: http://www.denverastro.org/das/denver-observer/ THE DENVER OBSERVER JULY 2017 Society Directory ASTRO UPDATE by Don Lynn DAS Executive Board Selected Summaries of Space News President: Cold Nebula Explained Ron Hranac ter the Big Bang, and they should annihilate each president@denverastro org The Boomerang Nebula is called the coldest other whenever they touch, leaving no Universe. Vice President: Lindsey Shaw known object in the Universe. The nebula is so A few reactions are known with what is called vp@denverastro org cold that the Cosmic Microwave Background, at CP violation, that is, they favor either matter or Secretary: 2.7° C above absolute zero, is warming it. New antimatter, but such reactions are so rare that Jeff Tropeano observations with ALMA (radio telescope array they can’t explain our Universe. secretary@denverastro org in Chile) show how it got that cold: Apparently, New experiments at the Japanese neutrino Treasurer: Michael Nowak a small star plunged through the red giant star detector Super-Kamiokande have shown CP vio- treasurer@denverastro org at the heart of the nebula, and gravitational in- lation in neutrino oscillation. The experiments Executive Board Members: teraction from this is throwing a huge amount have not been run long enough to claim conclu- Brent Blake Zach Gilbert of gas and dust out of the red giant at very high sive identification of CP violation; this may take Julie Candia Ed Scholes Jack Eastman Sorin speed. The gas cools as it expands, and cools nine more years. And it’s probably not enough Joe Gafford Dan Wray very strongly because it is moving so fast. The violation to explain why the Universe is filled Past President, Ron Pearson red giant is also throwing out, at lower speed and with matter, but it’s a step in the right direction. President Emeritus, Larry Brooks higher temperature, a proto-planetary nebula, Hubble Constant Discrepancy Explained which is buried inside the gravitationally thrown Committees (Maybe) Van Nattan-Hansen Scholarship Fund: gas. The Boomerang is about 5,000 light-years Jeff Tropeano (Chair) away in Centaurus. The Universe’s structure consists of gigantic PO Box 100621 strands of gas and galaxy clusters, arranged in Denver, CO. 80250-0621 Universe Explained (Maybe Partly) EGK Dark Site Committee: a “cosmic web.” Between the strands lie large Darrell Dodge, Interim Chair Nearly all the reactions between subatomic voids, containing much less gas and far fewer darksite@denverastro org particles are symmetric between matter and an- stars and galaxies. A new study shows we live in IDA Representative: timatter. This brings up the questions of why the such a void, in fact the largest void known, with Dr. Robert Stencel coloida@hotmail com Universe exists, and why it contains essentially a radius of about 1 billion light-years. The study all matter and no antimatter. Both should have also states that our location in such a region Volunteers or Appointed Representatives been created in nearly equal amounts shortly af- should distort any measurements of the Hubble ALCor: Continued on Page 5 Darrell Dodge 303 932-1309 Newsletter Editor: DAS SCHEDULE Zachary Singer 303 718-4188 editor@denverastro org Newsletter Proofreaders: July 2017 Darrell Dodge, Ron Hranac 7 DAS General Meeting—DU’s Olin Hall, Rm. 105—Starts at 7:30 PM Website: Darrell Dodge 14 E-Board Meeting—At DU’s Historic Chamberlin Observatory, 7:30 PM. All members welcome. webmaster@denverastro org 15 Member In-Reach—At DU’s Historic Chamberlin Observatory, 7:30 PM. IT Coordinator: 22 Dark Sky Weekend—EGK Dark Site & Brooks Observatory Ken Sturrock itdept@denverastro org 29 DAS Picnic/Solar In-Reach—DU’s Historic Chamberlin Observatory—Starts at 4:00 PM External Outreach Coordinator: 29 Open House—DU’s Historic Chamberlin Observatory—Starts at 8:30 PM Julie Candia external@denverastro org (August 2017) Public Night Coordinator: 4 DAS General Meeting—DU’s Olin Hall, Rm. 105—Starts at 7:30 PM Hugh Davidson 303 679-0629 11 E-Board Meeting—At DU’s Historic Chamberlin Observatory, 7:30 PM. All members welcome. Librarian: Eileen Barela Telescope Loan Program: During Open House, volunteer members of the DAS Public Nights feature a presentation on astronomical Ed Scholes bring their telescopes to the Chamberlin Observa- subjects and a small-group observing session on the scopeloan@denverastro org tory’s front (south) lawn, so the public can enjoy historic 20-inch telescope (weather permitting), at Cham- views of the stars and planets, try out different berlin Observatory on Tuesday and Thursday evenings DAS Information Line: telescope designs, and get advice from DAS mem- (except holidays), beginning at the following times: (303) 871-5172 bers. The Observatory is open, too (costs listed DAS Correspondence: below), and its historic 20-inch telescope is open March 10 - September 30 at 8:30 PM Denver Astronomical Society for observing with no reservations necessary. October 1 - March 9 at 7:30 PM P.O. Box 102738 Denver, Colorado 80250 Open House costs (non-members): If the skies are clear, Public Night costs (non-members): $4/adult, president@denverastro org $2/person ($5/family), $1/person in inclement weather. $3/child and students with ID. DAS mem- DU students with ID, and DAS members free. New-Member Ambassador: bers and DU students with ID: free. Digby Kirby Members of the public (non-DAS/DU, as above), please odigby@gmail com make reservations via our website (970) 301-2287 (www denverastro org) or call (303) 871-5172. http://www denverastro org The Denver Astronomical Society One Mile Nearer the Stars Page 2 THE DENVER OBSERVER JULY 2017 DAS NEWS Volunteer Opportunities July General Meeting Wednesday, July 19, 2017, 4:00- “How to Observe 2017’s Total Solar Eclipse” 5:30 PM: Lecture about the Solar Presentation Description: On Monday, August 21st, what is ar- Eclipse at the Denver Public Library guably the most important astronomical event of 2017 will be vis- Requesting DAS table with general ible in the United States: a total solar eclipse. If you’ve never seen info. about the Society, Chamberlin, a total solar eclipse before, you might think, “Observing this year’s etc. eclipse should be pretty straightforward. Take appropriate safety Saturday, August 5, 2017, TBD: measures, sit back on a comfortable lawn chair, and enjoy.” Actual- Jeffco Planetarium, Lakewood They ly, though, a total solar eclipse is one of Mother Nature’s most spec- are deciding night observing vs. solar tacular sights, and there is a lot more to experience than you might viewing. think! Whether you’re an eclipse veteran or a beginner, join us at our Sunday, August 6, 2107, 10:00 AM- July general membership meeting for a comprehensive presentation 4:00 PM: DMNS Free Eclipse Day, by Denver Astronomical Society’s Ron Hranac on how to observe Denver. DAS table and solar viewing. August’s eclipse, with an emphasis on the experience of the event. Monday, August 7, 2017, 5:30- Bio: Ron Hranac is President of the Denver Astronomical Soci- 6:30 PM: Eloise May Library, Denver ety (www.denverastro.org), a member of its Executive Board, and has been interested in astronomy (S Parker Rd ) Solar observing and since elementary school.