Hi all,
1. SATURN COMES TO OPPOSITION
Saturn will be at Opposition on August 27 in Aquarius, when it will be mag 0.4. The rings are now closing rapidly from our perspective, with an angle of only 9 degrees, which explains why it's no longer so bright when at opposition. The apparent diameter will be 18.9" equatorial, and 16.9" polar, which shows that the disc is noticeably oblate. The rings have a diameter of 43", but only 6.7" on the minor axis. Of the satellites, Titan is very easy, and Rhea is usually visible even in a small telescope. Tethys and Dione are closer in, and fainter, and may need an aperture of 150mm to be seen. Even closer in, and fainter still, are Enceladus and Mimas, which will be easier to spot next year when the rings are almost edge-on, and thus much fainter, so their light doesn't drown out the faint inner satellites.
2. Comet Nishimura could be just visible to naked eye
Comet P1 Nishimura Could Be Bright Over the Next Few Weeks - Universe Today and
Hyperbolic Comet Nishimura | Spaceweather.com (spaceweatherarchive.com) and
https://www.facebook.com/groups/100328570137468/permalink/2079212772249028/?sfnsn=mo&ref=shareHowever, it will be quite low in the morning twilight sky, so it's difficult to say how prominent it will be.
3. Light curve of (319) Leona needed urgently. On 12 December this asteroid will occult Betelgeuse along a track crossing the South of Spain. The occultation of such a bright star is very rare, and there's particular interest in Betelgeuse. Some Irish amateurs are considering going to observe the event.
The big question is whether the occultation will be total or annular, and that depends on the size of the asteroid. Observations have given two different sizes – about 52 km, and about 65 km. It's thought that this may be because the asteroid is not spherical, and the two observations saw different orientations of the asteroid. But this is not certain. If it's only 52 km the occultation would be annular, but if 65km it would be total – an important difference!
(The asteroid's rotation period is uncnfirmed – so observations over quite a long period would be needed to confirm a light curve, which would support, or not, an asymmetrical shape.)
UPDATE: Currently, the data are compatible with 1,85d and 2,17d periods which are conjugated by the observing
runs' rhythm. Or vice versa :)
This is ideal for amateurs who have accurate light-measuring equipment, so can anyone here help?
4. Invitation to join Cork Astronomy Club Eclipse trip, April 2024
Cork Astronomy Club( https://corkastronomyclub.com ) are planning a trip to Texas to see the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8 next year and have invited anyone else who might be interested to join them to contact them. Email Peter Household at peterhousehold@gmail.com for more information.
5. Ireland takes 2 of top 5 places for Dark Sky Observing in Lonely Planet Guide!
Ireland has taken not one, but two coveted spots on the Lonely Planet's guide to the top five places for stargazing in the world.
This is a huge achievement for Mayo Dark Skies at Wild Nephin National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Néifinne Fiáine and Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve
6. ASTROPHOGRAPHY COMPETITION – SHORTLIST OF 34 IMAGES. Night sky shines in 15th Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist (newatlas.com) There's one image from Ireland, by Brendan Alexander, of an aurora from Co. Donegal.
| 7. ISS. The International Space Station's started a new series of morning passes on 25 August. Details on www.heavens-above.com
8. DIAS Astronomy & Astrophysics Astrophoto Competition results: 'M51 – A Galactic Dance', 'Ghost Ship' are the winning images in the 2023 'Reach for the Stars' astrophotography competition, run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. First prize in the 'Back on Earth' category, was an image by Dublin's Adrian Hendroff of the Milky Way over the Port Láirge Shipwreck near Bannow Bay, Saltmills, Co. Wexford.. In addition to being the overall winner in the 'Back on Earth' category, Mr Hendroff also scooped the top prize in the Public Choice category receiving the most votes in the online public vote for his image 'Illuminate'. First prize in the 'Out of this World' category was taken by Sara Harvey, from Bishopstown, Co. Cork,. The winning image: 'M51 – A Galactic Dance' features the famous Whirlpool Galaxy. The winning images, along with a selection of other top-rated will be on view as part of a free outdoor exhibition, from 2nd August, at the railings of DIAS's premises at 10 Burlington Road, Dublin. |
9. STEM at Belfast Maritime Festival. The IAA will be contributing some astronomy themed events at this Festival, on 9-10 September. More details later.]
10. First Announcement: European Society for Astronomy in Culture Conference, 6-9 September
The 30th conference of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) will take place from 6-9 September 2023, in Warsaw, Poland. The theme of this SEAC conference is: Between ancient and modern astronomy. Throughout this conference, the organisers hope to commemorate two significant anniversaries related to Nicolas Copernicus: the 550th anniversary of his birth and the 480th anniversary of his death. For more information about how to contribute to this conference, see this page.
11. Mayo Dark Sky Festival, 3-5 Nov.
Launch of Mayo Dark Sky Festival Programme - news to follow, but keep the festival dates marked in your calendar: 3rd to 5th November!
12. Next McCrea Lecture, RIA, Dublin, November 14 (new date to be announced.)
More details later
13. The UK Space Conference 2023 will be hosted in Belfast at the ICC/Waterfront 21-23rd November. See https://brayleino.swoogo.com/ukspaceconference2023
14. 5th Annual Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, 29 Nov – 1 Dec.
The IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) is pleased to announce that registration, abstract submission, and speaker suggestions are open for the 5th Shaw–IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education (the deadline for all but registration is 26 August 2023). This fully virtual event will take place on 29 November – 1 December 2023 and is being organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE), with generous funding from the Shaw Prize Foundation.
15. The Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) Conference is the only large-scale international conference for astronomy communication. The next CAP conference will be held in hybrid mode from 24 – 28 June 2024, in-person at Cité de l'espace, Toulouse, France and online.
16. NEW EASY TEASER
What well-known large solar system object is almost exactly twice the diameter of another well-known large solar system object? (the difference between A and 2xB is only 2.03%). (Large = at least 1,000km diameter). No answers yet, so here's a clue: One of them is a planet.
There has been one correct answer, but from someone who is not eligible to enter for the easy ones: A reminder: Rules for Easy Teasers: 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.
Clue: they are very far apart!
17: Difficult Teaser Answered:
Well done to Lindsay Green, who I think was one of the earliest winners, way back when! There were several other interesting but incorrect answers, but Lindsay has got it spot on.
The question was:
Apart from having a captured rotation, and one dark and one bright side, in what other respect is Iapetus an almost precise twin of our Moon? + An additional clue: it's nothing to do with their names, or history; it's an actual physical parameter.
ANSWER: They both orbit at a distance of 60 times the radius of their parent planet! The exact figures are Earth-Moon = 60.27; Saturn - Iapetus = 59.36.
No other planet / major satellite combination comes close – the next closest is Saturn - Hyperion at 24.7 radii.
18. NEW DIFFICULT TEASER:
What does the quantity 1224.288 represent? I'm feeling generous, so here's a free starter clue: it relates to time. NB: not all sources will include the decimal figures, nevertheless that is the most accurate figure available.
Please send all Teaser answers to me at my aol address terrymosel@aol.com
19. INTERESTING WEBLINKS (Disclaimer – leading its nameUse 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:
Very old SMBHs https://www.facebook.com/100059420804643/posts/673135018010519/?sfnsn=scwspmoNew signals from Pulsars https://www.facebook.com/groups/612583500682198/permalink/711845407422673/?sfnsn=scwspmo&ref=sharehttps://www.facebook.com/100059401486924/posts/679833470673363/?sfnsn=scwspmo New Horizons is So Far Away, it Can Measure the True Darkness of the Universe - Universe Today
Bizarre 'failed star' the size of Jupiter is 2,000 degrees hotter than the sun | Live Science
Black hole 'seeds' discovered in the early universe for 1st time ever | Live Science
Newly discovered black hole 'speed limit' hints at new laws of physics | Live Science
Bizarre new cosmic object is the most magnetic star in the universe (msn.com)
Newly discovered black hole 'speed limit' hints at new laws of physics (msn.com)
Astronomers Find a Newly-Forming Quadruple-Star System - Universe Today
New image of Ring Nebula reveals what sun might look like as it dies (msn.com)
We still don't know what dark matter is, but here's what it's not | Space
Black hole 'seeds' discovered in the early universe for 1st time ever (msn.com)
New type of star gives clues to mysterious origin of magnetars (msn.com)
James Webb snaps best image yet of most distant star in the universe (newatlas.com)
3-million-mile-high tsunamis crash down on "heartbreak" star (newatlas.com)
You're Looking at One of the Farthest Confirmed Galaxies Found by JWST - Universe Today
Discovering dark matter: here are the first images from the Euclid Space Telescope (msn.com)
Star-size black hole is emitting radio signals that scientists can't explain | Live Science
Scientists are embarking on a desperate hunt to find the source of dark matter (msn.com) Eeee, by gum, lad, if they don't find it there….
Using supernovae to study neutrinos' strange properties (spacedaily.com)
https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a44776417/study-contradicts-newton-einstein-theory-gravity/
COSMOLOGY
DARK SKY
A 4,500-star experience: UK's best stargazing and dark sky places (msn.com) Good to see OM/Davagh getting a mention.
EARTH & MOON
No Surprise, July 2023 Was the Hottest Month on Record Since 1880 - Universe Today
Fountains of diamonds erupt from Earth's center as supercontinents break up | Live Science
Geologists will be on Artemis https://www.facebook.com/groups/752359253301282/permalink/786890486514825/?sfnsn=mo&ref=share
https://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/chinas-rover-maps-1000-feet-of-hidden-structures-deep-below-the-dark-side-of-the-moon
Close asteroid misses with Earth (2) Space.com - Last year Earth had more than 100 close encounters... | Facebook
Meteorite contains two minerals not found on Earth. https://www.facebook.com/100064843384938/posts/691460153025425/?sfnsn=scwspmoIndia's Chandrayaan-3 moon rover rolls on lunar surface for 1st time | Space
The Largest Impact Crater on Earth, 520 km Across, Might Be Hiding Under Australia - Universe Today
Now I've heard everything – an article in a technical journal (Popular Mechanics) giving the weight of the Earth in pounds! Quote "…. total mass of 13,170 billion trillion pounds". Since it is only ever given in tons or Kg, the scribe must have got out his calculator and converted it to pounds! What next – the diameter of the Earth in feet? Or even inches?
A Radical New Space Metal Could Solve Our Rare-Earth Metal Shortage (popularmechanics.com)
India's Chandrayaan-3 makes historic landing near Moon's south pole (newatlas.com)
How humans will colonise the Moon – and when it will happen (msn.com)
'This is so incredible!' - Huge meteor lights up the night sky as it falls | Watch (msn.com) That was not a meteor fireball - far too slow. It was space debris re-entering the atmosphere.
NASA Lunar Trailblazer satellite ready to hunt for water on the moon | Space
We could be 16 years into a methane-fueled 'termination' event significant enough to end an ice age | Live Science
Europe's 1st humans were likely wiped out by a sudden freeze 1.1 million years ago | Live Science
The largest asteroid impact crater on Earth is lurking beneath Australia, new evidence suggests | Live Science
July 2023 ranked hottest month on record in past 170 years (newatlas.com)
Nasa: asteroid strike accidentally unleashes boulder storm which could be 'as deadly as Hiroshima' (msn.com) Still nowhere near as dangerous as the impact from the parent body! It's unlikely that we would be hit by more than 1, and that would only be comparable to the Chelyabinsk event.
NASA to set a CADRE of autonomous rovers loose on the Moon (newatlas.com)
Bright Meteor Booms Through Atmosphere - https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/bright-meteor-booms-through-atmosphere/vi-AA1eRUwY?ocid=socialshare&pc=U531&cvid=114574ea4ee747ff8c2d9a24c2f6377a&ei=17
Huge 30-mile heat blob spotted on dark side of the moon has scientists concerned (msn.com)
EXOLIFE
Nasa scientist says alien life 'absolutely' exists – and in a surprising place (msn.com)
IMAGES, Film, Video
New view of Horsehead Nebula https://www.facebook.com/100042349297974/posts/1004826187605682/?sfnsn=scwspmo
Meteor flashes past M31 https://www.facebook.com/1251911121/posts/10230667340047791/?sfnsn=scwspmo
New image of Ring Nebula reveals what sun might look like as it dies (msn.com)
SETIThe 2nd Annual Penn State SETI Symposium and the Search for Technosignatures! - Universe Today Astronomers are expecting a message from aliens today that is 40 years in the making (msn.com) This is ridiculously anthropocentric! Do they really expect any aliens in that system to be aware of a Japanese festival date? And while we're fairly sure of the distance to Altair to an accuracy of a tenth of a light-year, which corresponds to 36.5 light-days, we certainly don't know it to an accuracy of one light-day. Nor do we know how long it might have taken them (if they exist) to decode the message, and decide whether to reply or not. I'll bet a thousand pounds they won't hear anything today, or this week, or even this year! SOLAR SYSTEM This Sure Looks Like the Movements of a Glacier Across Ancient Mars - Universe Today
Citizen science project re icy giants https://www.facebook.com/100059420804643/posts/674436231213731/?sfnsn=scwspmo
https://www.facebook.com/100059420804643/posts/675364774454210/?sfnsn=mo Mysterious 'dark spot' on Neptune seen from Earth for the first time (msn.com)
Mystery of why Neptune's clouds have disappeared finally answered (msn.com)
Surprising discovery may have cracked how Mars once supported life (msn.com)
Mars is spinning faster - scientists aren't sure why (msn.com) Post glacial rebound would only speed up the rotation if it occurred near the poles. The most likely cause is the loss of water from melting subsurface ice in crater walls, which firstly reduces the mass near the equatorial regions, and if some of that then condenses as ice at the poles, that's redistributing mass from the equatorial regions to near the spin axis, which would cause a speed-up to conserve angular momentum.
SPACE
Artemis to Gateway https://www.facebook.com/groups/752359253301282/permalink/784524796751394/?sfnsn=scwspmo&ref=shareSpaceX, NASA declare Crew-7 astronaut mission 'go' for launch | Space
How humans will colonise the Moon – and when it will happen (msn.com)
SpaceX, NASA declare Crew-7 astronaut mission 'go' for launch | Space
Russia says its Luna-25 lunar lander has crashed into the moon | Space
Russian astronomer hospitalised as moon mission ends in failure | Watch (msn.com)
BAE shoots for the stars with £4bn space deal: UK defence giant to buy America's Ball Aerospace (msn.com)
Spacecraft Could Shuttle Astronauts and Supplies to and From the Moon on a Regular Basis - Universe Today
Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft That Can Take Humans To Mars To Be Operational By 2027 | Watch (msn.com)
Elon Musk helps UK firm trying to stop space debris destroying satellites (msn.com)
First space flight for tourists lifts off | Watch (msn.com)
Virgin Galactic to launch first private astronaut mission and second commercial flight - who is on board? (msn.com)
NASA to set a CADRE of autonomous rovers loose on the Moon (newatlas.com)
Voyager 2: NASA restores contact with spacecraft (msn.com)
Longshot targets $10/kg launch costs with Nazi uber-cannon on steroids (newatlas.com)
SUN
ESA satellite finally reveals elusive source of Sun's solar winds (msn.com)
New image of Ring Nebula reveals what sun might look like as it dies (msn.com)
Highest-energy sunlight ever recorded is far beyond what scientists thought possible (msn.com)
TELESCOPES, EQUIPMENT, TECHNIQUES Etc.
Gravitational wave detectors on the moon could be more sensitive than those on Earth | Space But there would be a continuous problem of vibrations from meteorite impacts, with no atmosphere to shield the surface.
20. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION. This link gives options to join the IAA.
https://irishastro.org/join-the-iaa/ If you are a UK taxpayer, please select 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
