Volume 75 Nos 7 & 8 August 2016 Volume 75 Nos 7 & 8 August 2016 CONTENTS News Note: “First light” image from MeerKAT ......................................................................... 145 News Note: 2016 Astronomy Town Meeting ............................................................................ 147 News Note: New Newsletter from SKA SA ............................................................................... 148 News Note: Herschel-Darwin Commemoration Dinner ............................................................. 150 News Note: History of Astronomy Steering Meeting 15 August 2016 ........................................ 156 News Note: A Lack of young stars in the inner part of the Galactic Disk .................................... 164 News Note: Breakthrough in mirror control at SALT ................................................................. 166 Keeping the 74-inch in business ............................................................................................... 167 True Scale Model of the Solar System in Hermanus .................................................................. 174 Colloquia and Seminars ........................................................................................................... 180 On the Bookshelf ..................................................................................................................... 184 Sky Delights: Cupid’s Arrow ..................................................................................................... 186 Meerkat First Light – see article on p 145 In this issue MeerKAT, Astronomy Town Meeting, SKA Newsletter, Herschel-Darwin Commemoration, History of Astronomy Steering Meeting, Lack of Young Stars in Inner Galactic Disc, SALT Mirror Control, Keeping the 74-inch in Business, Scale Model of Solar System in Hermanus, Colloquia and Seminars, Sky Delights in Sagitta. MNASSA VOL 75 NOS 7 & 8 145 The Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA) was formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the Cape Astronomical Association (founded 1912) and the Johannesburg Astronomical Association EDITORIAL Mr Case Rijsdijk (Editor, MNASSA ) (founded 1918). It is a body consisting of both amateur and professional astronomers. BOARD Mr Auke Slotegraaf (Editor, Sky Guide Africa South ) Publications : The Society publishes its electronic journal, the Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (MNASSA) bi-monthly as well as the annual Sky Guide Africa South. Mr Christian Hettlage (Webmaster) Membership : Membership of the Society is open to all. Potential members should consult the Prof M.W. Feast (Member, University of Cape Town) Society’s web page assa.saao.org.za for details. Joining is possible via one of the local Centres or as Prof B. Warner (Member, University of Cape Town) a Country Member. Local Centres: Local Centres of the Society exist at Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Harare, MNASSA Mr Case Rijsdijk (Editor, MNASSA ) Hermanus, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Sedgefield district (Garden Route Centre). Membership of PRODUCTION Dr Ian Glass (Assistant Editor) any of these Centres automatically confers membership of the Society. Vacant (Book Review Editor) Sky & Telescope: Members may subscribe to Sky & Telescope at a significant discount (proof of membership is required). Please contact the Membership Secretary for details. Willie Koorts (Consultant) Internet contact details: email: [email protected] Home Page: http://assa.saao.ac.za EDITORIAL MNASSA, PO Box 9, Observatory 7935, South Africa ADDRESSES Email: [email protected] Council (2014 -2015) President Dr Pierre de Villiers [email protected] Web page: http://mnassa.saao.ac.za Vice-President Prof Matie Hoffman [email protected] MNASSA Download Page: www.mnassa.org.za Vice-President Case Rijsdijk [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS MNASSA is available for free download on the Internet Membership Secretary B. Olivier [email protected] ADVERTISING Advertisements may be placed in MNASSA at the Hon. Treasurer Adv A J Nel [email protected] Hon. Secretary Lerika Cross [email protected] following rates per insertion: full page R400, half page Scholarships Dr Claire Flanagan [email protected] R200, quarter page R100. Small advertisements R2 per Members C Stewart [email protected] word. Enquiries should be sent to the editor at Dr Ian Glass [email protected] [email protected] Centre Chairs Johan Smit (Pretoria) [email protected] Eddy Nijeboer (Cape) [email protected] CONTRIBUTIONS MNASSA mainly serves the Southern African P Dormehl (Durban) [email protected] astronomical community. Articles may be submitted J Jooste (Johannesburg) [email protected] by members of this community or by those with strong Dr Pierre de Villiers (Hermanus) [email protected] connections. Else they should deal with matters of C Rijsdijk (Gdn Route) [email protected] Hon Auditor R G Glass (Horwath Zeller Karro) [email protected] direct interest to the community . MNASSA is published Section Directors on the first day of every second month and articles are Shallow Sky Dave Blane [email protected] due one month before the publication date. Deep Sky A Slotegraaf [email protected] RECOGNITION Articles from MNASSA appear in the NASA/ADS data Photometry, Spectroscopy Jerome Jooste [email protected] Cosmology Astrophysics Frikkie de Bruyn [email protected] system. History C hrisde Coning [email protected] Dark Sky Johan Smit [email protected] Astrophotography Allen Versveld [email protected] Instrumentation Chris Stewart [email protected] Observing Director K Coronaios [email protected] MNASSA VOL 75 NOS 7 & 8 145 mnassa Vol 75 Nos 7 & 8 August 2016 News Note: “First light” image from MeerKAT The MeerKAT First Light image of the sky, released 16 July by the Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, shows unambiguously that MeerKAT is already the best radio telescope of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Array Release 1 (AR1) provides 16 of an eventual 64 dishes integrated into a working telescope array. It is the first significant scientific milestone achieved by MeerKAT, the radio telescope under construction in the Karoo that will eventually be integrated into the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). In a small patch of sky covering less than 0.01 percent of the entire celestial sphere, the MeerKAT First Light image shows more than 1300 galaxies in the distant Universe, compared to 70 known in this location prior to MeerKAT. “Based on the results being shown today, we are confident that after all 64 dishes are in place, MeerKAT will be the world’s leading telescope of its kind until the advent of SKA,” according to Professor Justin Jonas, SKA South Africa Chief Technologist. MeerKAT will consist of 64 receptors, each comprising a 13.5-metre diameter dish antenna, cryogenic coolers, receivers, digitiser, and other electronics. The commissioning of MeerKAT is done in phases to allow for verification of the system, early resolution of any technical issues, and initial science exploitation. Early science can be done with parts of the array as they are commissioned, even as construction continues. AR1 consists of 16 receptors, AR2 of 32 and AR3 of 64, expected to be in place by late 2017. MNASSA VOL 75 NOS 7 & 8 145 Dr Rob Adam, Project Director of SKA South Africa, says: “The launch of MeerKAT AR1 and its first results is a significant milestone for South Africa. Through MeerKAT, South Africa is playing a key role in the design and development of technology for the SKA. The South African team of more than 200 young scientists, engineers and technicians, in collaboration with industry, local and foreign universities and institutions, has developed the technologies and systems for MeerKAT. These include cutting edge telescope antennas and receivers, signal processing, timing, telescope management, computing and data storage systems, and algorithms for data processing.” In May 2016, more than 150 researchers and students, two-thirds from South Africa, met in Stellenbosch to discuss and update the MeerKAT science programme. This will consist of already approved “large survey projects”, plus “open time” available for new projects. An engineering test image, produced with only 4 dishes, was made available just before that meeting. “The scientists gathered at the May meeting were impressed to see what four MeerKAT dishes could do,” says Dr Fernando Camilo, SKA South Africa Chief Scientist. “They will be astonished at today’s exceptionally beautiful images, which demonstrate that MeerKAT has joined the big league of world radio astronomy”. Minister Pandor says: “South Africa has already demonstrated its excellent science and engineering skills by designing and building MeerKAT. This telescope, which is predominantly a locally designed and built instrument, shows the world that South Africa can compete in international research, engineering, technology and science. Government is proud of our scientists and engineers for pioneering a radio telescope that will lead to groundbreaking research. 146 AUGUST 2016 at magnitude 10, a pale white colour. The colours of the two stars could News Note: 2016 Astronomy Town Meeting explain the possibly only illusory green tint of the planetary nebula. This effect has been described by a good number of amateurs in this object. A meeting of the professional astronomical community was held 2-3 July 2016 at the University of