The Volume 126 No. 3 March 2017 Bullen Monthly newsleer of the Astronomical Society of South Australia Inc Don’t miss Dr Russell Cockman at the General Meeng, on March 1: How we dodged a doomsday event in 2012 In this issue: ♦ ASSA 125th Birthday Celebraons & Awards ♦ Review - GSO RC12 truss Ritchie-Chreen astrograph ♦ Amateur astronomer helps uncover secrets of unique pulsar binary system ♦ Planetary Nebulae in Puppis Registered by Australia Post Visit us on the web: Bullen of the ASSA Inc 1 March 2017 Print Post Approved PP 100000605 www.assa.org.au In this issue: ASSA Acvies 3-4 Details of general meengs, viewing nights etc ASSA 125th birthday & award presentaons 5-6 ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY of Member’s achievements & a celebraon SOUTH AUSTRALIA Inc Equipment Review 7-8 GPO Box 199, Adelaide SA 5001 GSO RC12 truss Ritchie-Chreen astrograph The Society (ASSA) can be contacted by post to the Astro News 9-10 address above, or by e-mail to [email protected]. Latest astronomical discoveries and reports Membership of the Society is open to all, with the only prerequisite being an interest in Astronomy. The Sky this month 11-14 Solar System, Comets, Variable Stars, Deep Sky Membership fees are: Full Member $75 ASSA Contact Informaon 15 Concessional Member $60 Subscribe e-Bullen only; discount $20 Members’ Image Gallery 16 Concession informaon and membership brochures can A gallery of members’ astrophotos be obtained from the ASSA web site at: hp://www.assa.org.au or by contacng The Secretary (see contacts page). Member Submissions Sister Society relaonships with: Submissions for inclusion in The Bullen are welcome Orange County Astronomers from all members; submissions may be held over for later edions. www.ocastronomers.org Colorado Springs Astronomical Society Wherever possible, text submissions should be sent via e- www.csastro.org mail or posted on CD-ROM in almost any word processing Central Arkansas Astronomical Society format and may sll be submied handwrien or typed. www.caasastro.org Your name may be withheld only if requested at the me Arkansas-Oklohoma Astronomical Society of subming. Images should be high resoluon and www.aoas.org uncompressed, e.g. TIFF file formats, although high Gruppo Astrofili di Piacenza (Italy) resoluon JPEGs are acceptable. Your full name and www.astrofilipc.it object designaon must be provided with each image and will be published. Equipment/exposure etc details are welcome but oponal. HAVE YOU GOT YOUR COPY YET? Adversing & Classifieds Available at the Small adverts and classifieds are free for members (space General Meengs, or by perming). Commercial adversing is available at a cost mail order of $50.00 per quarter page per issue. All enquiries and submissions should be addressed to The $25 + $4 p&h Editor and preferably sent by e-mail to: [email protected] Email: [email protected] For large files (e.g. on CD) or hardcopy items, post to: Joe Grida Editor, The Bullen PO Box 682, Cover photo: M1, Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant in Mylor SA 5153 Taurus imaged by Paul Montague. 10 x 20 minute subs with a QHY8 one shot colour camera, 8” carbon fibre Contribuons should reach the Editor no later than Ritchey Chreen scope on a Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro the 7th of each month, for publicaon in the following mount. Processed with PixInsight and Photoshop. month’s issue of The Bullen Bullen of the ASSA Inc 2 March 2017 Acvies February 2017 - the month at a glance Happy Birthday, ASSA Celebrang 125 years in 2017! General Meeng How we dodged a doomsday event Wednesday, 1 March 2017 in 2012 @ 8:00pm Kerr Grant Lecture Theatre In September 1859 the most powerful solar storm in recorded history 2nd Floor, Physics Blg wreaked havoc on our, then, fledgling technology. Known as the University of Adelaide Carrington Event, it is inevitable that a storm of similar ferocity will North Terrace, Adelaide happen again, but the consequences for our more advanced and more vulnerable technologies could be far worse. In July 2012 a Carrington- type event, that went largely unreported in the media, fortunately ASV Speaker Exchange: missed the Earth, but slammed into an orbing solar observatory. In his Dr Russell Cockman talk Dr Russell Cockman will review the circumstances of the Carrington event, the potenal cost of a similar event to our present way of life, Vice-President what was learned from the observaons collected in July 2012 and how Astronomical Society of Victoria the damaging impacts can be migated. Planning on going March 2017 Calendar observing? Day Time Acvity Wed 1 7:00pm Beginners’ Meeng, Adelaide Save yourself unnecessary travel and me. If Wed 1 8:00pm General Meeng, Adelaide the weather looks doubul where you are, Thu 2 7:30pm Whyalla Members’ Meeng check with the following people to see if the Fri 3 8:00pm Public Viewing Night, The Heights event is sll on (or see www.assa.org.au aer Fri 17 7:30pm Astro-imaging Group, Modbury 5pm). Sat 18 8:00pm Members’ Viewing Night, Stockport Stockport Observatory (DO 3-13) Fri 24 8:00pm Public & Members’ Viewing, NYP Sat 25 8:00pm Members’ Viewing Night, Tooperang Observatory 8528 2284 Sat 25 8:00pm Members’ Viewing Night, Stockport Tue 28 7:30pm ASSA Council Meeng Lyn Grida 8391 5377 Tony Beresford 8338 1231 Note: Times shown above and throughout this document are: Heights Observatory (DO 3-34) 2 Oct 2016 to 1 Apr 2017 : South Australia Summer Time (UTC+10:30) Robert Bronca 8266 7504 2 Apr 2017 to 1 Oct 2017 : South Australia Standard Time (UTC+ 9:30) Whyalla Astronomy Educaon Peter Mayfield 0405 410 895 Wednesday, 1 March 2017 @ 7:00pm Tooperang Kerr Grant Lecture Theatre Jeff Lowrey 0429 690 610 Jovian Planets Northern Yorke Peninsula Out past the main asteroid belt lies the Tony “Hendy” Henderson 0429 352 382 realm of the giant planets. Find out how the four gas planets formed and become Riverland so large. We will also look at their internal Tim Vivian 0407 800 225 structure and explore the different ring systems circling each of these worlds. Bullen of the ASSA Inc 3 March 2017 Reports and Noces Reports on recent ASSA acvies, and noces of upcoming events Have you got your Now available! Naonal Police The ASSA 125th Anniversary Check? 2017 Calendar is now available for purchase - $20 + $5 postage • New legislaon applies from 11 April 2015 Order now from [email protected] • Impacts on all ASSA members who volunteer at ASSA sanconed public events • i.e. public viewing nights, school visits, Naonal Science For free delivery from Gawler - Murray Bridge - Week, private booked nights Goolwa, contact Trish Ellin at [email protected] or (08)82613354 From the 11th April 2015, all members who aend ASSA sanconed public events MUST have a current NPC clearance cerficate, or equivalent clearance leer from their employer, and MUST have provided ASSA with these details. Non-compliance is a $10,000 fine to ASSA. Full details available here: hps://www.assa.org.au/members/policies Please note: Meeng DVD’s will no longer be available, however members will sll be able to view the meeng recordings via the ASSA website. Guest Speaker Biography Astro-Imaging Group Meeng Dr Russell Cockman Friday 17th March @ 7:30PM University Of The Third Age, Dr Russell Cockman, an 22 Golden Grove Rd, Modbury North Aussie by birth, has a PhD in Enter via Gold Court to access Car Park 1 Chemistry and has had a life- long interest in Astronomy. Monochromac (Black & White) imaging sensors He enjoys all things have the advantage of astronomical, parcularly greater sensivity and astrophotography, more control than cosmology and the Sun. their OSC (One Shot Colour) counterparts, He has travelled widely to allowing the operator view the Universe under greater flexibility in how dark skies and to photograph the image is captured by using Narrowband or RGB colour astronomical events as varied as solar eclipses, meteor filters. storms and aurorae. This month Tom Valencic will present his experiences with He is currently Vice President of the Astronomical Society of LRGB Astro Imaging. Victoria, and Director of the Solar Secon. Please bring any images that you would like to share with the group on a USB memory sck. Any quesons, contact the Group Coordinator, Jeff Lusher: [email protected] Bullen of the ASSA Inc 4 March 2017 ASSA 125th Birthday Celebraon & Awards Presentaons Members were recognised for their achievements, as we also remembered our birth 125 years ago Numerous presentaons of awards were made at the February 2017 General Meeng. Colin Hill reports: “At the Astronomy Educaon session, I was proud to present awards for the 2016 Basic Beginner’s Course in Astronomy. The award is given to those who aend nine or more sessions throughout the year”. See photo at top right. At the General Meeng, the following Service Awards were presented: Dean Davidson - For his service to ASSA over many years, namely as President (a few mes), Editor (a few mes), and as Project Manager of the Turret Replacement Project Above: The recipients of the award were (le to right) Robert Jenkins - For his service to ASSA over Robert Becker, Craig Robinson, Chris Whiall and Craig many years, namely as President, Assistant Withers (not present). Colin Hill at far right. Secretary, and fundraising for the Turret Replacement Project Paul Curnow - For his service to ASSA over many years, namely as Publicity Officer, and organising the guest speakers each month The NetCra Australia Astrophotography Award was presented to Paul Montague. He submied 6 very high quality images. The members of the ASSA Council chose the winning entry - The Corona Australis Field.