Hi all,
(NB, all times are summer time when in force, for convenience)
1. IAA lecture via Zoom & YouTube, Wednesday 31 March, 7.30 p.m.: "China: Moon, Mars and Space Station", by well-known author Brian Harvey.
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Brian Harvey is an acknowledged expert on the Chinese Space Programme, with "China in Space", the latest of his many books on space which deals with that very topic. He has given us fascinating and very well-informed lectures on other space programmes in the past, and with China becoming a serious rival to both NASA and ERSA in space exploration, this will be a timely and informative presentation.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86243362542?pwd=NW1PbjdLb3B1Qm4vSnBtTldBNmJ2Zz09
Meeting ID: 862 4336 2542
Passcode: 391881
The room will open around 19:15 to allow for a prompt start
This talk will also be Simulcast on our YouTube Channel=
https://www.youtube.com/user/irishastronomy/videos
2. Nova in Cassiopeia
A nova has been reported very close to the Cass-Cepheus boundary (https://www.aavso.org/aavso-alert-notice-735). It's currently around 8th magnitude, so it's below naked-eye visibility.
3. The ISS continues its series of evening passes until 3 April.
Details of each pass for your own location, and lots more astronomy and space information, on www.heavens-above.com
4. International Dark Sky Week: various online events: April 5 – 12
Learn more here: www.darksky.org
More details in next bulletin.
5. SPACE and ASTRONOMY WEBINAR – Next is May 4
NB: Note platform change. Since most people have been watching on YouTube, we are ceasing the presentation via Zoom, and it will now be streamed live on both YouTube and Facebook. This will also give us lots of added features in the presentation.
After a year of presentations, we're taking a break for April, and we'll be back on 'Star Wars Day' – May the Fourth be with you!
Presented by me and the amazing Nick Howes, they are approximately 45 minutes long, every second Tuesday, at 7.30 p.m., covering whatever is topical in space and astronomy. The next one will be on Tuesday 4 May: youtube.com/spacestorelive
NB – So, from now on it will be Live streamed to YouTube SpaceStore Live! Channel and Live streamed to Facebook Live. I'll post any last minute news via Twitter.
6. STAR TRACKER ONLINE, hosted by AOP, 31 Mar.
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium hosts "Armagh StarTracker Online", a star show where we take you on a tour of the night sky using a virtual planetarium followed by live viewing the stars using telescopes in the Canary Islands. We will be using Slooh's online robotic telescopes to view the celestial objects. There will be a chance throughout the sessions to ask questions to the Director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, Professor Michael Burton.
Each session will focus on different objects and stars that are visible in the night sky.
Tickets are free (donations are welcome) and the zoom details will be emailed in advance.
*Please note you only need to book one ticket for one household.*
Date: 31st March, Time: 8pm
Admission: Free (donations welcome)
7. Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition, run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and the Irish Times jointly with the support of the IAS - John Flannery will be one of the judges. Details available at this site: For info: the images can be taken anywhere on the whole island of Ireland, up until 31 March 2021.
https://www.dias.ie/ga/2020/12/16/reach-for-the-stars-diass-astrophotography-competition/ or see
We're sponsoring a new DIAS astrophotography competition! - Alice PR & Events
Or else, just go to dias.ie, the host website, and you should see it flagged in the announcements.
8. Space for Art Foundation Requesting Space Art from Children, deadline 1 May
The Space for Art Foundation invites children from anywhere in the world to contribute artwork to their next project: a space suit called BEYOND. Submissions can be emailed to the foundation or posted to the foundation's Facebook page. Entries should be submitted by 1 May 2021.
Learn more here: https://www.spaceforartfoundation.org/projects
9. Easy Teaser – A clue!: Of the 12 official zodiacal constellations, what record is held by Scorpius?
I forgot to repeat the rules for that, but they are:
"Rules: you're barred from entering if you (A) have already submitted a correct answer to any of the previous teasers, and/or (B) if you've been a member of any astronomy clubs or societies for 15 years or more. Obviously I have to trust your honesty on that latter point, but remember, if you're correct your name will be published here, and other members of your club will see it!"
There has only been one correct answer so far, but that was from someone who is not eligible under the rules above.
So here's a clue: Look at the constellation on a star atlas, either paper, or digital, and compare it with other zodiacal constellations.
Please send all answers to me at my aol address terrymosel@aol.com
10. ESA seeks new astronauts: apply March 31 to May 28
European Space Agency on the hunt for new astronauts (msn.com)
11. June 8-11: Institutions of Extraterrestrial Liberty, hosted by U of Edinburgh. 4 days of webinars on Human Exploration of Mars.
12. Davagh Dark Sky Park and Observatory closed until further notice
See https://www.midulstercouncil.org/visitor/things-to-do/star-gazing/davagh-dark-sky-observatory , and https://www.facebook.com/omdarksky/ I'll post any updates here. Or phone 03000 132 132 for changing Covid-19 advice.
13. Europlanet Society press release
A pocket guide to Mars
A pocket atlas of Mars has been published that uses geographic techniques developed for terrestrial maps to reveal a wealth of information about the surface of the Red Planet, as well as its climate and cloud cover. The atlas is being presented this week at the 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
The 84-page atlas is currently available in English, Hungarian and Czech, and will be available in a digital format later this year. The atlas, which has been developed for use in astronomy clubs and schools, was funded by the Europlanet Society through its Central European Hub.
The main part of the atlas consists of a series of double spreads showing each of the 30 cartographic quadrangles into which the surface of Mars has been divided by the US Geological Survey. The landforms created by lava, wind, water, and ice are shown separately on a topographic base map, highlighting features such as dune fields, mountain peaks, volcanic calderas, caves, ancient dried-up lakes and deltas, and fault lines.
For the first time in a published Mars atlas, climate maps are included, which show 13 climatic zones with boundaries defined by combining seasonal temperature and frost data. A series of climate diagrams show the variation in temperature through the martian year for each of the zones. In addition, a weather map shows the temperature at ground level across the western hemisphere of Mars at the two annual solstices.
The atlas also includes an albedo map, derived from data from Mars Express and Mars Global Surveyor, which shows the amount of sunlight reflected from the surface, the frequently cloudy regions and the maximum area covered by the seasonal caps of frozen carbon dioxide and water ice at the martian poles.
The map editor, Henrik Hargitai of the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest and former chair of the Commission on Planetary Cartography of the International Cartographic Association, said: "The maps in the atlas are manually edited, using accurate data from missions and models. Thematic maps that reveal patterns in physical geography have been used for decades for in terrestrial atlases, but this is the first time that they are available in an atlas for Mars. The publication of this edition is a culmination of mapping efforts over the last two decades. The atlas also includes a one-page calendar for Mars year 36, covering the period from February 2021 to December 2022, which explains the milestones in the seasonal changes on Mars."
Future plans for the atlas include the addition of themed maps that show regions of interest in detail, and atlas-based activities for educators. As well as being a tool for outreach and education, this type of multi-themed map could be valuable for the scientific community in interpreting the geologic evolution of Mars, estimating whether an area might ever have hosted life, or identifying in-situ resources to support future human exploration missions.
Images
Double spread of thematic map of Tharsis region of Mars (Mars Chart 09) from the Pocket Atlas of Mars 36. The scale of the map is 1cm=107 km. Credit: NASA/JPL/GSFC/ESA/DLR/FU/H. Hargitai.https://www.europlanet-society.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/31-40-3.jpg
The atlas is available at: https://www.etsy.com/listing/955444239/mars-36-pocket-atlas
14. INTERESTING WEBLINKS (Disclaimer - Use of material herein from various sources does not imply approval or otherwise of the opinions, political or otherwise, of those sources). NB: If the title in the weblink does not indicate the subject matter, I give a brief simple intro before the link. I may also comment about the link afterwards.
ASTROPHYSICS
Early Universe explosion sheds light on elusive black hole -- ScienceDaily
Stellar eggs near galactic center hatching into baby stars -- ScienceDaily
A mission to Uranus and Neptune could act as massive gravitational-wave detector | Space
COSMOLOGY
EARTH & MOON
Light pollution from satellites 'poses threat' to astronomy (msn.com) and
Satellites contribute significant light pollution to night skies -- ScienceDaily
A remnant of a protoplanet may be hiding inside Earth | Live Science
Half a billion people may face heat of 56°C by 2100 | Climate News Network
EXOPLANETS
How can some planets be hotter than stars? We've started to unravel the mystery. | Space
SOLAR SYSTEM
Armagh astronomer reveals fascinating facts about interstellar comet Borisov Scientists reveal major new details about first ever comet from another solar system (msn.com) and
Interstellar comet Borisov took a remarkably long and lonely trip, scientists say (msn.com)
Mars is leaking water into space during dust storms and warmer seasons | Space
Saturn's summer season ends as Hubble telescope watches (photos) | Space
NASA's new batch of wild space tech ideas includes Titan sample-return concept and more | Space
SPACE
SpaceX's Starlink: Could a flood of satellites create a space-junk nightmare? (msn.com) – YES!
SpaceX commercial space flight: First civilian crew to be sent to space announced (msn.com)
NASA Perseverance rover slowly releasing Ingenuity Mars helicopter (msn.com)
Science teacher and data engineer win multimillion dollar tickets on space flight (msn.com)
SpaceX launch: Elon Musk confirms Starship SN11 exploded and jokes about 'crater' (msn.com) and
Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic unveils new Spaceship III (msn.com)
Long-term space travelers will need high-intensity exercise to protect heart health -- ScienceDaily
A mission to Uranus and Neptune could act as massive gravitational-wave detector | Space
NASA wants to help private space stations get off the ground | Space
Newly discovered bacteria on space station could help astronauts grow plants on Mars | Space
NASA's new batch of wild space tech ideas includes Titan sample-return concept and more | Space
TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES
Legacy of shattered alien-seeking Arecibo telescope will live on for millions of years | Space
15. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION. This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://documents.irishastro.org.uk/iaamembership.doc
If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the 'gift-aid' box, as that enables us to reclaim the standard rate of tax on your subscription, at no cost to you. You can also make a donation via Paypal if you wish: just click on the 'Donate' button. See also https://irishastro.org/
The Irish Astronomical Association is registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC 105858
DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed herein are mine, and do not necessarily represent those of the IAA.
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
