Thursday 30 December 2010

New Year Party, TV, Quadrantids, Solar eclipse, Next IAA Meeting

Hi all,
1. IAA New Year Party, Saturday 8th January 2011
IAA NEW YEAR PARTY DEADLINE: Because of the recent bad weather, it has been decided to extend the deadline for booking seats for the IAA's New Year Party, details below: Please send application forms and payment ASAP to Josephine Magill or contact her to confirm attendance either by mobile. or e-mail as follows: Mob. 07735403866. e-mail: jo_magill@yahoo.co.uk
2. TV - STARGAZING LIVE. BBC 2 will be screening a programme called 'Stargazing Live' on three consecutive evenings, Jan. 3, 4 & 5 at 8pm. Prof. Brian Cox and Dara O'Briain co-host the programmes and various Celebrities feature each evening. Topics include using telescopes, observing the Quadrantids, visiting Jodrell Bank and observatories in Hawaii plus Prof. Cox in conversation with Astronauts on the ISS.
The programme will also feature various 'live' astronomy events, and the IAA will be participating in at least two, which we hope will be featured in the broadcast, as follows - see items 3 & 4.
3. Firstly, the IAA 'Meteor Watch' for the Quadrantid Meteors shower on the evening of Monday 3 January, at our usual observing venue at Delamont Country Park, near Killyleagh, Co Down.
4. PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, 4 JAN: Secondly, we hope to have a public observing event for the Partial Solar Eclipse which occurs at sunrise next morning. We may hold this at the car park at the Co Antrim War Memorial at Knockagh, near Greenisland. That's the big obelisk on top of the Knockagh cliffs. There's a good car park at the monument, which has fantastic views across Belfast Lough & Co Down, and would give a superb view of the sun rising in eclipse.
The Monument is at 54 deg 42' 41" N, 5 deg 52' 45" W. The Monument is accessed via Knockagh Road, off Old Carrick Road / Upper Road, Greenisland: the junction is at 54 deg 41 47" N, 5 deg 54' 56" W. Look for the signpost on the left hand side of the road as you go from New Mossley towards Greenisland. You can get to Old Carrick Road / Upper Road Greenisland either -
A: via the Shore Road, then Doagh Road, then Monkstown Road, or
B: via the Doagh Road, off the A8 from Sandyknowes Roundabout towards Larne.
Eclipse details (from STARDUST) as follows:

PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, 4 JANUARY.

We'll see quite a significant eclipse, with about 42% of the Sun's diameter still hidden by the Moon at the time when the whole Sun has risen above the horizon from the E coast.

On the E Coast, maximum eclipse, with a magnitude of 75%, occurs when the Sun is still 4.3˚ below the horizon, so the eclipse will be steadily decreasing from then until sunrise at 08h 43m (magnitude about 42%) and decreasing further until it ends at 09.29, when the Sun will be only 3.9˚ above the horizon.

The low altitude will make it quite tricky to view the eclipse – you'll need an almost perfect SE horizon, and of course no low clouds or mist to spoil the view! The Sun will start to rise at an azimuth of about 131˚.

This will be the last solar eclipse of any sort visible from Ireland until 20 March 2015. (That one will be total in the North Atlantic, including the Faeroes and Svalbard, but only 95% in NW Mayo and NW Donegal. It will reach 98% in the extreme W Hebrides, but even Rockall just misses out on totality – it will be about 99% there!)

NB! SAFETY WARNING! You can only look at the Sun, even if partially eclipsed, with proper solar filters! This applies to viewing with both the naked eye, and equipment such as telescopes and binoculars. Use only filters designed specifically for solar viewing.

However, as the Sun will be so low down during this eclipse, the full strength visual 'mylar' type filters such as Baader Astrosolar may be too dense, and you might want to try the slightly less dense photographic grade instead, especially if there is a lot of haze or mist. But the golden rule is, if in doubt, use only the densest solar filter that will show you the image.

More details on both these events, together with weather updates, will be on the IAA website www.irishastro.org.
5. FIRST IAA LECTURE MEETING of 2011. The first lecture of the second half of the Lecture Programme, and the first in 'The Tweenies', will be by Dr Kate Russo: Provisional Title "Eclipse Adventures; and Prospects for the Australia Eclipse of 2012". Kate is a seasoned eclipse chaser, with various successes under her belt, in some of the most interesting and exotic locations on Earth. She will be concentrating more on the human effects of observing eclipses rather than the astronomical details, with interesting stories of people and places. She also happens to be from Queensland, Australia, which is the only land area where it will be possible to see the next Total Solar Eclipse, in November 2012. She has already been out scouting suitable observing locations for a probable eclipse expedition to the Cairns area, which is almost on the central line of the eclipse. The benefit of her local knowledge and contacts will be invaluable for anyone considering going to this eclipse.
..................................................................................................
NEW YEAR PARTY BOOKING DETAILS:
The Irish Astronomical Association's New Year Party will be held as usual in the Tudor Cinema, Drumhirk, Comber on Saturday 8th January 2011. A buffet meal will be available in McBride's, The Square, Comber. Food will be served at 6.00pm, but it is advisable to be there at 5.30pm. After the meal, members and guests will then make their way to the nearby Tudor Cinema for the feature film IRON MAN starting at 7.30pm and followed by a prize quiz. Free light refreshments will be available at the cinema, including Terry Moseley's famous hot punch.

N.B. Due to seating capacity restrictions at the Tudor Cinema, numbers will be limited to 60, so early booking is advisable.

BOOKING FORM

Name ……………………………………………………………………………

Address …………………………………………………………………………

E-mail ……………………………………………………………………

Contact phone number …………………………………………………

Number of adults @ £12 per person …………

Number of children under 12 years @ £6 …………

Total amount submitted £……………

Payment is by sterling cheque, payable to The Irish Astronomical Association, or cash. The booking form and remittance must reach the IAA Treasurer's assistant: Mrs Josephine Magill, 5 Fairhill Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 6LY, no later than 4th January 2011.

Money will be refunded only if the event is cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. N.B. Please note that tickets will not be issued. Admission is guaranteed on receipt of this booking form and remittance.

......................................................................................................................
Finally, may I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley

Monday 20 December 2010

LONGEST NIGHT, TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE, IAA NY PARTY

Hi all,
1. THE LONGEST NIGHT? The Sun will reach its most southerly point in its track along the zodiac tonight, at 23h 38m. This is close enough to local midnight to make tonight just about the longest night it is theoretically possible to have (in N hemisphere).
2. TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE: There will be a TLE just before local sunrise tomorrow. I had intended to give specific timing & altitude details for all the main cities in Ireland, but as I'm suffering from a bad cold & chest infection, I'm just going to repeat an edited version of the Press Release I sent out a few days ago. (These details apply mainly to NI, but there won't be much variation over the whole island: generally speaking those in the N & W (Donegal, Mayo, Galway) will get a better view than those in the S & E.)
PRESS RELEASE:

There will be a total lunar eclipse on the morning of the winter solstice, Dec 21st. It is very rare for an eclipse to happen on the winter solstice (the last time was in 1638); however, it is just coincidence.

A total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon passes into the shadow of the Earth, and so it is cut off from direct sunlight. But because the Earth's atmosphere acts like a lens and bends some of the light from the Sun onto the Moon, the Moon never disappears completely. Instead, it often turns a reddish orange colour, although the colour can range from a deep red to a yellowish orange-brown. This is a result of dust and pollution high in the Earth's atmosphere, so a dark eclipse will indicate that our atmosphere is not too clean.

Because this eclipse occurs just before sunrise in Ireland, the Moon will be getting lower in the NW part of the sky as the eclipse progresses, so you'll need a good clear view to the NW to see it properly.

The moon starts to enter the umbra, or the main central part of the Earth's shadow at 06:32 when it will be 20° above the horizon in the NW. From this time onwards, the curved shadow of the Earth will creep slowly across the Moon's surface, until the moon is wholly immersed in the shadow, marking the start of 'totality'. This will start at 07:40, when the moon will be only 7° above the horizon.

Mid-Eclipse is at 08:17, but the moon will pass above the centre of the Earth's shadow so the Southern edge should appear darker than the Northern edge. It will be only 3° above the NW horizon at this time.

The Moon will have set by the time totality ends.

Since the Sun will be just about to rise at the time of the eclipse, the dawn twilight will be brightening the sky, which may make it quite hard to see the later stages of the eclipse, especially when the Moon is low down.

Viewers in the NW of Ireland will get the best view, since the Moon will be just a little higher up during the eclipse, and the sky will be a bit darker.

But the next lunar eclipse in which mid-totality will be visible from Ireland will not be until 2015, so we should make the best of this one.

NOTES:

1. We don't get an eclipse of the Moon every month because the Moon's orbit is tilted at an angle of about 5.5 degrees to that of the Earth. An eclipse of the moon happens only if Full Moon occurs at one of the two points where the two inclined orbits intersect.

2. For the same reason, we don't get an eclipse of the Sun at every New Moon, but luckily there will in fact be an eclipse of the Sun at the following New Moon, on January 4. More on that later.

3. No optical aid will be needed to see the eclipse, but binoculars will give a nice view of the earlier stages.

4. Because of the decreasing altitude of the Moon, and the ever-brightening morning twilight, the best view of totality will be just after it starts, at around 07.45.

5. Locations in the Greater Belfast Area which should give a good view of the whole eclipse would include the Craigantlet Hills, or any of the high ground to the west and north of the Divis/Black Mountain/Cave Hill range, with views over the N end of Lough Neagh.

6. In addition, there may be a chance with this eclipse to observe a phenomenon called a Selenelion. This occurs when the sun and the eclipsed moon can be observed at the same time. This can only happen just before sunset or just after sunrise, and both bodies will appear just above the horizon at nearly opposite points in the sky. This arrangement has led to the phenomenon being referred to as a horizontal eclipse.

7. More information on this and other astronomical events is on the IAA website: www.irishastro.org

NB: I don't know who was responsible for the following story on the BBC website, but please note that the 'sky will not turn red' during the eclipse! Only the moon will turn red (or orange).
3. IAA New Year Party, Saturday 8th January 2011

The Irish Astronomical Association's New Year Party will be held as usual in the Tudor Cinema, Drumhirk, Comber on Saturday 8th January 2011. A buffet meal will be available in McBride's, The Square, Comber. Food will be served at 6.00pm, but it is advisable to be there at 5.30pm. After the meal, members and guests will then make their way to the nearby Tudor Cinema for the feature film IRON MAN starting at 7.30pm and followed by a prize quiz. Free light refreshments will be available at the cinema, including Terry Moseley's famous hot punch.

N.B. Due to seating capacity restrictions at the Tudor Cinema, numbers will be limited to 60, so early booking is advisable.

BOOKING FORM

Name ……………………………………………………………………………

Address …………………………………………………………………………

E-mail ……………………………………………………………………

Contact phone number …………………………………………………

Number of adults @ £12 per person …………

Number of children under 12 years @ £6 …………

Total amount submitted £……………

Payment is by sterling cheque, payable to The Irish Astronomical Association, or cash. The booking form and remittance must reach the IAA Treasurer's assistant: Mrs Josephine Magill, 5 Fairhill Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 6LY, no later than 20th December 2010.

Money will be refunded only if the event is cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. N.B. Please note that tickets will not be issued. Admission is guaranteed on receipt of this booking form and remittance.

......................................................................................................................
Finally, may I wish you all the very best of Season's Greetings!
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley

Friday 10 December 2010

Telescope night, ISS, Geminids, A/O, Drake Eq, TLE, Prof Meurs, Shuttle, IAA NYP

Hi all,
1. The next Irish Astronomical Association Meeting will be on Wed 15 December, in the Bell Lecture Theatre, QUB. It will be a Hands-on Telescopes + Bring & Buy event" .
We will have a large variety of telescopes, binoculars, & other astronomical equipment on display for you to examine and compare, and there will be a series of short presentations on various aspects of choosing and using astronomical equipment. There may even be some bargains on sale from North Down Telescopes.
As well as that, there will be a Bring & Buy session, where you can sell or swap your surplus or unwanted gear for something else which tickles your fancy. There will also be some great bargains in astronomical & space books as well, and probably videos & DVDs too.
Note: this is not a commercial operation on behalf of the IAA, but a 'service to members and friends' to enable them to get the most suitable equipment to pursue their hobby.
Time: 7.30 p.m. Venue: Bell Lecture Theatre, main Physics Building, Queen's University, Belfast. Free parking is available on the main campus, right beside the lecture theatre, from 5.30 pm onwards. Admission free, including light refreshments: All are welcome. See www.irishastro.org for full details of the programme.

2. ISS MORNING PASSES. A series of morning passes of the ISS continues for a few more days – get detailed predictions for your location from www.heavens-above.com

3. GEMINID METEORS. The annual Geminid meteor shower, which peaks on the early morning of 14 December, is usually the best of the year, with about 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. But this year the 8 day old Moon will interfere with observing during the first part of the night of the 13th/14th, as its light will drown out the fainter meteors. It will set at about 12.30 for most observers in Ireland, before the maximum of the shower, so wrap up EXTRA well for a late session to be rewarded with a view of one of the year's best free sky shows.

The radiant lies just above Castor (Alpha Gem). Geminids are moderately slow meteors, and there's a reasonable proportion of bright meteors, making this one of the best showers for photography or video.

As for all meteor showers, you'll get best results in a really dark sky, away from all sources of light pollution. Allow about 5 minutes for your eyes to dark adapt after exposure to white light, but note that full dark adaptation takes 20 - 30 minutes! So use a red torch for setting up, checking your camera, getting a cup of coffee etc.

Aim your camera about 40 - 50 degrees from the radiant, and about 50 degrees above the horizon, to maximise your chances of recording a meteor. You'll have to experiment to see how long an exposure you can give before the image starts to 'fog' due to background sky brightness. Also beware of dew forming on the lens. And bring spare batteries - the cold temperatures will shorten the life of those in the camera; keep the spare ones warm in a pocket to get the best out of them.

(You may have seen in the news reports of a very bright fireball seen over GB from Somerset to South Scotland on Wed 11th Dec. Many astronomy commentators described it as an 'early Geminid'. Until we know the exact trajectory, that remains to be established. It's possible, although the Geminid radiant was just about on the horizon at the time of the fireball (17.38 UT). But ignore the other comments that the Geminid meteor shower will coincide with the Total Lunar Eclipse (see below), as the shower ends on Dec 16!)

4. METEOR OBSERVING AT ARMAGH OBSERVATORY
The Armagh Observatory is opening its doors at 8.00pm on Monday 13th December for an evening of meteor observing to capture the Geminid meteor shower. If you've never seen a meteor or shooting star, this is the perfect opportunity to learn what they are and, if it is clear, to see some of these celestial fireworks for yourself.
The open evening will begin at 8.00pm at the Armagh Observatory. If it is clear, there will be a short introduction to the sky and the stars and planets, and instruction on how best to observe meteors. If it is cloudy there will be short talks on astronomy and an opportunity to meet the astronomers and find answers to questions about meteors or any other aspect of astronomy. Anyone wishing to join this event is requested to telephone or send an e-mail to Mrs Aileen McKee at the Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh; Tel: 028-3752-2928; e-mail: ambn@arm.ac.uk, and to be at the Observatory shortly before 8.00pm.
For meteor observing, the main rules are always the same: find a place as far as possible from light pollution or the interfering light of the moon; wrap up well against the freezing cold; and make yourself comfortable, ready to catch the meteors when they appear.

5. DRAKE EQUATION TV SPECIAL, 14 December:

In a 1hr special, produced in partnership with the BBC, Bang Goes The Theory's Dallas Campbell goes on a world wide journey to discover how one of the most controversial formulae in science – the Drake Equation – is changing our view of life, the universe and our place within it.
In 1961 Frank Drake took everything he knew about star formation, planetary systems, the evolution of biology and the life cycle of civilisations; and from this jumble of science he formulated one of the most seminal equations in the history of science. It came to be known as the Drake Equation.
For many years, our place in the universe was the subject of theologians and philosophers, not scientists. But Drake's Equation gave scientific credibility to the possibility of extra terrestrial life.
At the time, Dr Frank Drake was one of the leading lights in the new science of Radio Astronomy when he did something that was not only revolutionary but could have cost him his career. Working at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Greenback in Virginia, he pointed one of their brand new 25mtr radio telescopes at a star called Tau Ceti 12 light years from Earth. His mission, to listen for signs of extra terrestrial intelligence – quite literally to listen for ET talking.
Examining seven key elements necessary for extra terrestrial intelligence to exist; from the formation of stars to the likely length a given intelligent civilisation may survive. When Frank and his colleagues entered the figures, the equation suggested there was a staggering 50,000 civilisations capable of communicating across the galaxy at this very moment.
But in the 50 years of listening that has followed, not one single bleep has been heard from ET. So were Drake and his followers wrong? Is there no life form out there capable of communicating? No one is really sure as the search itself is so difficult. Drake's own calculations are that we'd have to scan the entire radio spectrum of 100.00000 stars to be sure of contact.
Dr Dave Rothery, Senior Lecturer at The Open University and academic consultant for this programme, says: "What the equation and the search for life has done is focus science on some of the other questions about life in the universe – specifically biogenesis, the development of multi-cellular life and the development of intelligence itself.
"The answers to those questions are increasingly suggesting that, far from being a one off, are increasingly suggesting that, far from being a one off, life may not only be common in the universe by once started will lead inevitably towards intelligent life."
The Drake Equation is a 1hr special for BBC4 to be broadcast at 8.00pm on 14 December. (Scheduling subject to change, please check TV listings.)

6. TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE, 21 December. Don't forget to book an early morning wake-up call for the morning of the winter solstice, when there will be a Total Lunar Eclipse, visible from all over Ireland, just before dawn. I'll have all the details for the main locations all over Ireland in the next bulletin.

7. Evert Meurs retires: Professor Evert Meurs has retired from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies with effect from the first of this month. I am sure that we all wish him a happy and productive retirement and look forward to his continued involvement with astronomy in Ireland. The Governing Board of the School [of cosmic physics] is anxious that every effort be made to fill the resulting vacancy [Senior Professor of Astronomy] and to this end will be inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified individuals by the end of this year with a view to forwarding a nomination to Government as soon as possible. Full details of the application process are on the DIAS web site http://www.dias.ie/lang/en/commun/vacancy_Astro.html and an advertisement will appear in Nature this week. [From Dr Neal Trappe, ASGI].
(I hope that the appointment will also fill the now vacant post of Director of Dunsink Observatory - it would be a real shame if that position were to be closed, after a period of 225 years! T.M.)

8. SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH DELAYED AGAIN.
Continuing problems have delayed the launch until next Spring. This will be the final flight of Discovery before it is retired from service. Nasa's Shuttle mission page is at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html and the launch schedule for future missions is at http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html
9. IAA New Year Party, Saturday 8th January 2011

The Irish Astronomical Association's New Year Party will be held as usual in the Tudor Cinema, Drumhirk, Comber on Saturday 8th January 2011. A buffet meal will be available in McBride's, The Square, Comber. Food will be served at 6.00pm, but it is advisable to be there at 5.30pm. After the meal, members and guests will then make their way to the nearby Tudor Cinema for the feature film IRON MAN starting at 7.30pm and followed by a prize quiz. Free light refreshments will be available at the cinema, including Terry Moseley's famous hot punch.

N.B. Due to seating capacity restrictions at the Tudor Cinema, numbers will be limited to 60, so early booking is advisable.

BOOKING FORM

Name ……………………………………………………………………………

Address …………………………………………………………………………

E-mail ……………………………………………………………………

Contact phone number …………………………………………………

Number of adults @ £12 per person …………

Number of children under 12 years @ £6 …………

Total amount submitted £……………

Payment is by sterling cheque, payable to The Irish Astronomical Association, or cash. The booking form and remittance must reach the IAA Treasurer's assistant: Mrs Josephine Magill, 5 Fairhill Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 6LY, no later than 20th December 2010.

Money will be refunded only if the event is cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. N.B. Please note that tickets will not be issued. Admission is guaranteed on receipt of this booking form and remittance.

Clear skies,
Terry Moseley