About the Author Michael Marett-Crosby obtained an M.A. in History and a D.Phil from Oxford University. His published books include The Conversion of England (Abbey Press 1998) and Doing Business with Benedict (Continuum 2002). He speaks and writes on astronomical subjects, and believes practical astronomy is important in building bridges between science and the liberal arts. A lifelong student of astronomy, he has been an enthusiastic amateur astronomer for most of his life, and is fortunate to be able to view the night sky from the enviable viewpoint of the UK’s southernmost outpost in Jersey. He is lead trustee of a charitable trust. This book is dedicated to Ollie, who looked into the sky one evening and saw space. M. Marett-Crosby, Twenty-Five Astronomical Observations That Changed the World: 311 And How To Make Them Yourself, The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-6800-4, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013 Index A B Abell, George Ogden (1927–1983), 257 Baade, Walter (1893–1960), 185 Adams, Douglas (1952–2001), 263 Banks, Joseph (1743–1820), 269 Adams, John Couch Barnard, E.E. (1857–1923), 94 (1819–1892), 224 Barringer Crater, Arizona, 118, 201 ALH84001, 87 Bayer, Johannes (1572–1625), 62 Amalthea, moon of Jupiter, 44 Bayeux Tapestry, 151 Apollo NASA missions Benjamin, Walter (1892–1940), 101 Apollo 8, 123 Bessel, Freidrich (1784–1846), 110 Apollo 11, 5, 121, 122 Black holes Apollo 16, 307 Cygnus X-1, 231 Apollo 17, 10, 122, 304, 309 formation, 232 Arecibo Blast, 137 and galaxies, 234–235 Argelander, Freidrich Wilhelm Sgr A*, 234, 235 (1799–1875), 153 Boscovich, Roger (1711–1787), 125 ARTEMIS, NASA mission, 307 Brahe, Tycho, 12, 77, 110, 174, 176, 192, 205, Asimov, Isaac (1920–1992), 295 207, 215, 308 2001 A Space Odyssey, 5, 235 Brown dwarf stars, 176, 181 Asteroids Burnell, Jocelyn Bell (born 1943), 212, 213 (1) Ceres, 192, 194–196 (433) Eros, 199 (951) Gaspra, 198 C near-Earth, 197, 199, 201, 203 Callisto, moon of jupiter, 41, 47 observing, 193, 195, 196, 200 Cannon, Annie Jump (1863–1941), 30 (4,179) Toutatis, 194 Cassini, Giovanni Domenico types, 199 (1625–1712), 242 (4) Vesta, 194, 196, 199 Cassini, NASA mission, 242–245, 247, 248 Aurora, 23, 26, 83, 172, 221 Castelli, Bendetto (1578–1643), 32 M. Marett-Crosby, Twenty-Five Astronomical Observations That Changed the World: 313 And How To Make Them Yourself, The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-6800-4, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013 314 Index Cepheid variables, 72, 158, 160, 162, 185, 253 NGC3729, 256 Chandrasekhar limit, 109, 208 NGC4151, 256 Chandrasekhar, Subramanyan (1910–1995), 109 NGC6229, 184 Chandrayan lunar probe (ISRO), 117 NGC7000, 230 Clairaut, Alexis (1713–1765), 149, 304 NGC7662, 70 Clarke, Arthur C. (1917–2008), 295 NGC7789, 187 Clavius, Christopher (1538–1612), 302 Veil Nebula (NGC 6960,6992,6995), 211 Clementine, NASA mission, 303, 307 Dickens, Charles (1812–1870), 177 Clusters Donnolo, Shabbetai (born 913), 37 globular, 61, 66, 179, 183–186, 263, 291 Don Quixote, ESA mission, 203 open, 62, 106, 179, 181, 183, 185, Drake Equation, 129, 137, 294, 298, 307 187–189 Drake, Frank (born 1930), 130 Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (1772–1834), 226 Draper, Henry (1837–1882), 98 Comets Dryer, John Louis Emil (1852–1926), 50 observing, 139–142 structure, 142 sungrazers, 143, 144 E types, 143, 146 Einstein, Albert (1879–1955), 275 Constellations Enceladus, moon of Saturn, 239 Canes Venatici, 233, 234 Escape velocity, 232 Cassiopeia, 70, 186, 205 Europa, moon of Jupiter, 41 Cepheus, 158, 229 Exoplanets Cetus, 162, 164, 254 direct observation, 308 Corona Borealis, 183, 207 Doppler spectroscopy detection, 289–290 Cygnus, 64, 211, 229, 234 radial velocity detection, 287 Eridanus, 129–131, 134, 136, 138 transit detection, 293 Gemini, 287, 288 Orion, 42, 53, 54, 56, 104 Perseus, 154, 188 F Sagittarius, 66, 67 Fraunhofer, Joseph (1787–1826), 17 Ursa Major, 27–29, 34 Virgo, 65, 185, 257, 258 Copernicus, Nicholas, 76 G Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), Galaxies 136, 261 Seyfert, 253, 256 Curtis, Heber Doust (1872–1942), 72 structure, 69 Galilean moons. See Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto D Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), 6 Dark Matter, 74, 253, 260, 261, 310 and the moon, 42, 43 D’Arrest, Heinrich Louis (1822–1875), 224 and moons of Jupiter, 15, 39, 43 da Vinci, Leonardo, 7 and sunspots, 20 Deep Sky Objects (not Messier) and tides, 308 Double Cluster (Caldwell 14), 187 Galileo, NASA mission, 173 Horsehead Nebula (IC434), 94 Galle, Johann Gottfried (1812–1910), 224 Hyades (Melotte 25), 181 Ganymede, moon of Jupiter, 2, 248 Melotte 20, 155, 156, 188 Genesis, NASA mission, 24 NGC1232, 134 Giotto di Bondone (c1267-1337), 151 NGC1300, 134, 135 Giotto, ESA mission, 146 NGC1528, 189 Goodricke, John (1764–1786), 156 NGC1535, 133, 134 GRAIL, NASA mission, 307 NGC2392, 289 Gregory, James (1638–1675), 110, 269 NGC3718, 256 Gruithuisen, Franz (1774–1852), 276 Index 315 H Epsilon Eridani, 131–133 Halley, Edmund (1656–1742), 148 Fomalhaut (Alpha Piscis Australis), 288 Halley’s Comet, 146 Furud (Zeta Canis Majoris), 107 Hardy, G.H. (1877–1947), 250 Garnet Star (Mu Cephei), 159 Hardy, Thomas (1840–1928), 236 Hind’s Crimson Star (R Leporis), 60 Harriot, Thomas (c1560-1621), 42 Kaus Borealis (Lambda Sagittarii), 66 Hayashi Tracks, 96 Keid (Omicron 2 Eridani, 40 Eridani), 131 Helium, 17–18, 33, 61, 66, 131, 159, 170–172, La Superba (Y Canum Venaticorum), 233 208, 209, 221, 222, 233, 234, 275, 290 Megrez (Delta Ursae Majoris), 35 Herschel, Caroline (1750–1848), 172 Mintaka (Delta Orionis), 57 Herschel, John (1792–1871), 135 Mira (Omicron Ceti), 162, 164 Herschel, William (1738–1822), 17 Mirzam (Beta Canis Majoris), 104 Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, 53–55, 96, Mizar (Zeta Ursae Majoris) and Alcor, 31 108, 186 51 Pegasi, 287, 290, 291 Hevelius, Johannes (1611–1687), 148 Pollux (Beta Geminorum), 289 Hewish, Antony (born 1924), 212 Porrima (Gamma Virginis), 258 Hornsby, Thomas (1733–1810), 269 Regulus (Alpha Leonis), 258 Hubble Constant, 175, 257 Rigel (Beta Orionis), 59 Hubble, Edwin (1889–1953), 72 Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris), 103, 104 Hubble’s Fork, 73 SN1987A, 205, 208, 209 Hubble Space telescope, 57, 65, 99, 100, 108, Trapezium stars (Orion Nebula), 97 119, 161, 164, 165, 169, 185, 195, 197, UV Ceti, 131, 133 221, 222, 246-247, 254, 257, 260, Vega (Alpha Lyrae), 183, 229 291, 292 Vindemiatrix (Eta Virginis), 259 Huygens, Christian (1629–1695), 110, 242, 245 VY Canis Major, 105, 106 Huygens, ESA lander, 243 International Space Station history, 277–279 observing, 279–280 I Io, moon of Jupiter, 41 Individual Stars Iridium flares, 277, 280 Achernar (Alpha Eridani), 136 Adhara (Epsilon Canis Majoris), 105 Alderamin (Alpha Cephei), 160 J Algol (Beta Persei), 188 Jansen, Pierre Jules (1824–1907), 18 Alioth (Epsilon Ursae Majoris), 32 Jeans, James (1877–1946), 95 Alkaid (Eta Ursae Majoris), 29 Johnson, Samuel (1709–1784), 236 Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis), 57 Jupiter Alnitak (Zeta Orionis), 57, 59 Great Red Spot, 169, 172, 173 Alpheratz (Alpha Andromedae), 68 observing, 167–170 Arcturus (Alpha Boötes), 132 and the speed of light, 167, 175, 176 Barnard’s Star, 33 structure of gas giants, 167 Beid (Omicron 1 Eridani), 130–131 Bellatrix (Gamma Orionis), 56, 59 Beta Pictoris, 292, 293 K Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), 56 Kepler, Johannes, 6, 12, 126, 173, 214 Blaze Star (T Corona Borealis), 207 Somnium, 126, 127 Caph (Beta Cassiopeiae), 186 Kepler, NASA mission, 8, 296–298 Castor (Alpha Geminorum), 289 Kirchhoff, Gustav (1824–1887), 17 Cor Caroli (Alpha Canum Venaticorum), 233 Kuiper Belt, 2, 122, 133, 145, 191, 198, 310 Cursa (Beta Eridani), 129 61 Cygni, 110, 111, 132 Delta Cephei, 158–160 L Deneb (Alpha Cygni), 111 Lacaille, Nicholas de (1713–1762), 138 Dubhe (Aha Ursae Majoris), 35 Lassell, William (1799–1880), 218 316 Index LCROSS, NASA mission, 304 M81, 36 Leavitt, Henrietta Swann (1868–1921), 72, 160 M82, 36 Le Verrier, Urbain (1811–1877), 224 M87, 185, 260 Ley, Willy (1906–1969), 277 M88, 262 Lockyer, Norman (1836–1920), 18 M91, 262 Lomonosov, Mikhail (1711–1765), 268 M92, 184 Lovecraft, Howard Philips (1890–1937), 165 M104, 65 LRO. See Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter M106, 233 (LRO) Meteor showers, 142, 143 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Micromégas, 113, 114 (LRO), 5, 121, 122 Milky Way, 42, 63–69, 71, 72, 74, 161, 166, 185, 186, 208, 213, 230, 253, 262, 263, 291, 294 M Minor Planet Center, 194, 195, 201 Maestlin, Michael, 12 Mir, Soviet / Russian space station, 282 Magellan, NASA mission, 270, 271 Mitchell, John (1724–1793), 231 Magnitude, apparent and absolute, 31, 153, Moon, in general 160, 230, 241, 250 craters, simple and complex, 301 Mariner 2, NASA mission, 23 and Earth, 1–6 Mars Earthshine, 7–8 life on, 84, 85, 87–88, 295 far side, 117, 299, 305–307 moon Phobos and Deimos, 78 librations, 306 observation, 75, 77 orbit, 6, 306 orbit, 75 origins, 125 rovers spirit and opportunity, 86 phases, 1, 6, 7 science, 87, 310 syzygy and quadrature, 308 Maskelyne, Nevil (1732–1811), 218, 227 and tides, 307–309 Maurolyco, Francisco (1495–1575), 97 water, 1, 7, 8 Maury, Antonia (1866–1952), 30 Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), 117, 303 Maxwell, James Clerk (1831–1879), 245 Moon, named features Mayr, Simon (1573–1624), 43 Altai Scarp, 299, 300 Mercury, 1–30, 33, 38, 41, 42, 60, 68, 79, 101, Bailly crater, 305 162, 191, 192, 197, 248, 265, 266, Catharina crater, 117 268–270, 272–276, 304 Clavius crater, 5, 299, 301 Messenger, NASA mission, 2, 274 Copernicus crater, 1, 10, 309 Messier, Charles (1730–1817), 36 Cyrillus crater, 117 Messier objects Eratosthenes crater, 124, 309 M1 (Crab), 210 Fracastorius crater, 120 M8, 66 Kepler crater, 9 M13, 183, 184 Mare Nectaris, 5, 119–121, 300 M24, 67 Piccolomini crater, 300 M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), 68, 253 Pictet crater, 5 M32, 69, 70 Rupes Recta, 124, 125 M34, 156, 188 South Pole Aitken Basin, 99, 302, 304 M41, 106 Theophilus crater, 116–118 M42, 93 Tycho crater, 4, 10, 301, 305 M43, 93, 94 M44 (Beehive), 78, 181–183 M45 (Pleiades), 95 N M51 (Whirlpool), 233, 234 Nebra Sky Disk, 189 M60, 259, 260 Nebula, types of, 95, 99 M77, 254–256 Neptune M79, 61 discovery, 178, 192, 217 Index 317 observing, 226 Slipher, Vesto (1875–1969), 256 Triton, moon, 198, 225 Snow, C.P.