Hi all,
(NB, all times are summer time when in force, for convenience)
1. IAA Public Lecture, Wed 15 September, 7. 30 p.m., by Zoom.
"The Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observer and Cataclysmic Variables", by Christopher Duffy, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
SYNOPSIS: "Following the observation of the first binary neutron star merger in 2017 a new frontier in multi-messenger astronomy has opened up, combining Gravitational Wave and optical astronomy. The Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observatory (GOTO) is a robotic observatory designed with this kind of astronomy at its heart, designed to make use of large instantaneous sky coverage and an automatic scheduler to rapidly followup on detected Gravitational Waves events. This talk will outline the need for observatories such as GOTO, its design and operation and what can be achieved using GOTO. It will further go into detail on one of the leading secondary science goals of GOTO, Cataclysmic Variables, their often varied behaviour and why they are of great interest to us."
Speaker Biography: Chris is a third year PhD student at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium and Warwick University. Originally from Scotland Chris studied for his undergraduate and masters degrees at Glasgow University. His PhD is focused on studying transient objects in the night sky; mainly outbursts from Cataclysmic Variables, using wide field survey telescopes. As part of this work Chris is a member of both the GOTO and NGTS (Next Generation Transit Survey) consortia."
2. IAA AGM, Report.
At the recent AGM, there were a few changes: after many years stalwart service, Brian Beesley has stood down as membership secretary, and Mary Kirwan Mackey has taken on that role. Similarly, Tony Kempston has given up the post of Secretary after many years great service, and has been replaced by Gerry Davidson. Also, following the earlier retirement of Adan Jeffers and Hannah Kempston, we're delighted to welcome new members John McClintock and Eve Kempston, Hannah's younger sister, and our youngest ever Council member! Congrats to her for that record.
3. PAYMENT OF ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: Subscriptions were due on September 1. We're glad to be able to keep the amount unchanged for yet another year: £20 for individual membership, £25 for family membership (only one copy of STARDUST per family).
NB: We are experiencing difficulties with our PayPal account, which is taking some time to resolve.. Could members please send their subscriptions by cheque or cash to our Membership Secretary, Mary Kirwan-Mackey, 89 Old Gransha Rd, Bangor, Co. Down, BT19 7HA. Anyone wishing to pay by bank transfer should contact the Treasurer, Pat O'Neill (pb.oneill@ntlworld.com ) for our bank details.
4. Paul Evans's latest excellent sky guide video, for September
5. Perseid Meteor Outburst
Perseid Meteor Outburst | Spaceweather.com (spaceweatherarchive.com)
From: Spaceweather.com.
On Aug. 14, 2021, night skies over North America filled with meteors. P. Martin of Ottawa, Canada, reported "multiple Perseids per minute with many bursts, sometimes 3-4 in a second." In San Diego, Robert Lunsford of the International Meteor Organization also witnessed rapidfire streaks, 2 to 3 at a time. "It made me realize something unusual was going on," Lunsford says, "especially so far from the predicted maximum."
To say that astronomers were surprised would be an understatement. The Perseid's annual peak had occurred the night before. Most observers had already given up watching. Fortunately, a network of automated cameras operated by the Cedar Amateur Astronomers in Iowa captured the display. Overnight they recorded almost 3000 meteors.
Above: Meteor rates during the 2021 outburst. More.
Peter Jenniskens, an astronomer at the SETI Institute and NASA/Ames, believes it may have been the Perseid Filament. "I think so," he says. "The width of the outburst is similar to that of past Perseid Filament returns."
The Perseid Filament is a ribbon of dust inside the broader Perseid debris zone. Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle supplies the raw material. The comet loops around the sun every 133 years, shedding dust as it goes. Over time, much of Swift-Tuttle's dust is perturbed by the gravity of Jupiter, helping scatter it into the diffuse cloud that we experience every year as the Perseid meteor shower. But there is a part of the comet's orbit in a "mean motion resonance" with Jupiter where dust can accumulate instead of dispersing. This is the Perseid Filament.
Forecasters still can't predict when the Perseid Filament will return. It came for many years in a row around 1993, and it may have grazed Earth again, slightly, in 2018, 2019 and 2020. No one predicted a direct hit in 2021.
This uncertainty naturally raises the question: Was it really the Filament? The jury's still out. Observers may have stumbled upon an entirely new ribbon of Perseid dust. Either way, researchers are looking forward to next year to see if it comes back again. And they probably won't stop watching when the peak is "done."
6. ARMAGH PLANETARIUM's New September Programme.
See their website for details, including telescope tours
7. Saturn and Jupiter are still well placed
SATURN: is still near its closest and brightest for the year, but it's very low from our latitude, so viewing conditions are not great. It's now mag 0.2, in Capricorn, with an apparent diameter of 18.2".
The angle of the ring system to Earth has been steadily decreasing recently, so the rings no longer extend beyond the poles. Aesthetically, I think this angle, and down to an angle of about 10 degrees, is the most beautiful.
Of the satellites, Titan is visible in any telescope, and Rhea is not too difficult. With the low altitude, it may be harder to see fainter Dione and Tethys, especially as they are closer to the planet. Big telescopes and good seeing are required for Enceladus and Mimas. Iapetus is easiest to see when it's at Western elongation; that next occurs around 18 – 22 September.
I've seen them all, using the 10-inch refractor at Armagh Observatory, and my own 37cm Newtonian, but when Saturn was a lot higher up, and in much less light-polluted skies!
Jupiter is also still readily visible from Ireland, after its Opposition on August 20. It's in Capricorn, mag -2.8, some 20 degrees E of Saturn, and with an apparent diameter of 48". It's a bit higher up than Saturn, and that will gradually increase over the next few years.
The four big Galilean moons are visible in even a modest telescope. This year, the Sun and Earth are almost exactly in the plane of Jupiter's equator, so the moons pass backwards and forwards almost exactly in the same plane. This means that sometimes they are so close together that they will appear as one, unless you use high magnification.
And very rarely one moon will actually pass in front of, or occult, another Moon, and sometimes one Moon will pass into the shadow of another Moon, and be eclipsed by it. I'll post details of any of these events which may be visible from Ireland in these email bulletins.
8. ISS. The ISS continues its series of morning passes until 11 September; and a new series of evening passes will commence on 17 September. Details at www.heavens-above.com
9. Night Sky Network Survey to the Amateur Astronomy Community
Every 5-10 years, the Night Sky Network releases a survey to the amateur astronomy community, specifically looking at how our community engages the public, but also covering topics such as interests, where they get their information, and how clubs are organizing.
Fill in the form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GSMBFT9
And share your experiences in amateur astronomy including club changes, outreach needs, and your areas of interest.
We want to thank Vivian White for sharing the news.
10. Capture the Dark 2021 Winners
Photography is one of the most powerful tools in dark sky advocacy. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) recently hosted the second annual Capture the Dark Photography Contest receiving 1 122 entries from 66 countries. The awarded photos were recognized by their technical skill, composition, connection to the category theme, and 'wow' factor.
Read more:
https://www.darksky.org/2021-capture-the-dark-winners/
11. Davagh Dark Sky Park and Observatory now open, with pre-booking, and some restrictions.
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.
12. Series of astronomy lectures by Gresham College.
A. Monday 20 September: Mars Missions 2021: Early Discoveries (gresham.ac.uk)
B. A series of 6 from 29 September to June 2022, at 6 p.m.. See: Cosmic Revolutions (gresham.ac.uk)
13. 100 Hours of Astronomy, 1-4 October.
From 1-4 October 2021, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach will continue the legacy of celebrating 100 Hours of Astronomy. This year's event will be themed "Together Under One Sky" drawing inspiration from how our community has come together during a time where physical contact wasn't - and in many places still isn't - possible. We encourage our global community to host or participate in events over these 100 hours. There are numerous creative possibilities for activities during 100 Hours of Astronomy! Be safe, be inclusive and share your event in our IAU Global Outreach Event Calendar!
We welcome astronomy projects involving everyone from young children to senior citizens! We encourage you to include professional-amateur astronomers meet-ups; activities instigating critical thinking, citizenship and global collaborations; dark and quiet skies awareness through virtual tours; astronomy talks; sky observations, lectures, art projects and more!
The 10 activities that best connect communities will win a telescope kindly donated by our SSVI & Leiden University partners, in a special edition of the Telescopes for All programme.
The first 100 events registered for 100 Hours of Astronomy will receive IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach goodies, including printed versions of Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal.
For your event to be eligible, you need to register it in our IAU Global Outreach Event Calendar and implement it during the 100 Hours of Astronomy from 1 to 4 October 2021.
To help provide ideas for your event we invite you to check our list of online global resources. If you wish to become more inclusive in your engagement initiatives go to our IAU Inclusive Outreach page.
Read more: https://www.iau.org/public/oao/100-hours-of-astronomy/
Stay tuned to our networks and channels as we release more information in the upcoming weeks. 100 Hours of Astronomy | IAU
14. Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society Workshop II, 3-7 October
Location: Virtual / La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
Date: 3-7 October 2021
Website: http://research.iac.es/congreso/quietdarksky2021/pages/home.php
15. World Space Week, 4 – 11 October
More details soon.
16. International Observe the Moon Night, October 16
On October 16, everyone on Earth is invited to learn about lunar science and exploration, take part in celestial observations, and honour cultural and personal connections to the Moon. Attend or host a virtual or in-person event, or join in from wherever you are as an individual observer. Registration is now open.
Read more: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/
With the Moon as a very large gibbous phase, this is an odd date to choose. I have no idea why that date was picked, but there we are.
17. A: Clue for Easy Teaser No answers for this one yet, so here's a clue - The last three gave their name to something used in astronomy, and the first one has a similar connection.
Q. What's the connection between – A type of singing, a Keeper of the Mint, a German musician, and a Buddhist monk?
"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. 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!"
UPDATE: someone has almost got this right, so put your grey matter to work quickly if you want to be first!
18. New Difficult Teaser – a clue
What have 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22 & 23 got in common?
There have been no correct guesses on this one yet either, so here's a clue – The highest number which could possibly be on that list (but isn't) is 24.
Still no correct answers, so here's another clue – it's connected with nomenclature.
Please send all answers to me at my aol address terrymosel@aol.com
19. 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
Bizarre repeating radio signal near galactic center may be brand new object (newatlas.com)
Hubble captures gorgeous image of 'Einstein ring' from warped quasar light | Space
Unravelling the mystery of brown dwarfs -- ScienceDaily
How disorderly young galaxies grow up and mature -- ScienceDaily
Never-before-detected gravitational waves hint at dark matter (newatlas.com)
Cosmic rays may be key to understanding galactic dynamics -- ScienceDaily
Unveiling a century-old mystery: Where the Milky Way's cosmic rays come from -- ScienceDaily
If the First Black Holes Collapsed Directly, Could we Detect Radio Signals From Those Moments? - Universe Today
Is dark matter made of 'Fermi balls' forged in the Big Bang? | Live Science
Strange brown dwarf 'The Accident' hints at possible treasure trove of cosmic anomalies | Space
Star-smash supernova? New type of stellar explosion possibly seen | Space
Dead stars crashing into live stars may trigger a new type of supernova | Live Science
Twin quasars https://www.facebook.com/218709991857439/posts/1391222747939485/?sfnsn=scwspmoAnatomy of the impact of a protostellar jet in the Orion Nebula -- ScienceDaily
Hydrogen-burning white dwarfs enjoy slow aging -- ScienceDaily
Astronomers explain origin of elusive ultradiffuse galaxies: How very faint dwarf galaxies are born -- ScienceDaily
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1484296/black-hole-supermassive-milky-way-earth-swallow-space-science-newsStellar collision triggers supernova explosion -- ScienceDaily
EARTH & MOON
Extreme sea levels could soon become annual events - Climate News Network
Once-in-a-century solar superstorm could plunge the world into 'internet apocalypse', study says http://a.msn.com/01/en-ie/AAObfI1?ocid=se
Risk from solar flares to planes is real but not worth costly mitigation -- ScienceDaily
Moon lasers https://www.facebook.com/100045998303732/posts/401773324699274/?sfnsn=scwspmo
EXOLIFE
Alien life could thrive on big 'Hycean' exoplanets | Space
We are effectively alone in the universe (bigthink.com)
Viruses may exist 'elsewhere in the universe', warns scientist (msn.com)
EXOPLANETS
Alien life could thrive on big 'Hycean' exoplanets | Space and
Say hi to Hycean worlds, a new class of exoplanet that could host life (newatlas.com) and
One-third of Sun-like stars may have eaten their planets | Science | AAAS If they based their study on binary stars, it's not going to be very representative, as the gravitational perturbations would be more likely to sling planets into their parent star than in single star systems.
Multiple Exoplanet system imaged directly! https://www.facebook.com/100010991197963/posts/1441850426191317/?sfnsn=scwspmo
IMAGES
Check out this quirky image from the HST. Can you explain it before reading the text? https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442958012638876/permalink/3083564271911567/?sfnsn=scwspmo&ref=share
Fantastic image of Jupiter at opposition by Damian Peach https://www.facebook.com/606900933/posts/10160047995910934/?sfnsn=scwspmo
Ingenuity Sees Perseverance From Above - Universe Today
Amazing Hubble telescope photo shows space 'sword' piercing huge celestial 'heart' | Live Science
Watch a supermassive black hole feast in mesmerizing new simulation (video) | Live Science
SOLAR SYSTEM
Fastest orbiting asteroid in our SS discovered Fastest-orbiting asteroid in solar system discovered | Space
Why Comet Atlas fizzled out The Comet ATLAS was a cosmic flop last year and scientists may finally know why | Space
The five most impressive geological structures in the solar system | Space
Venus and a newly discovered comet will cross paths in December. Will sparks fly? | Live Science
Is it raining helium on Jupiter? (bigthink.com)
Saturn has a surprisingly large—and sloshy—core | Science | AAAS (sciencemag.org)
Interstellar comets like Borisov may not be all that rare -- ScienceDaily Take anything from Avi Loeb on 'exo-objects' with a substantial helping of Sodium chloride
Japan's Mission to Phobos Will Also Bring a Sample Home by 2029 - Universe Today
China's Mars rover Zhurong completes primary mission, gets life extension | Space
Sodium 'fizz' gives big asteroid Phaethon its weird comet-like appearance | Space
Nasa's newest Mars rover successfully collects first rock sample (msn.com)
Zhurong Mars rover returns panorama ahead of planetary blackout | Space
https://www.space.com/giant-comet-bernardinelli-bernstein-discovery-size-activity
Latest from Perseverance on Mars https://www.facebook.com/551070831/posts/10160185466020832/?sfnsn=scwspmo
It's Time to Send a Lander to Mercury - Universe Today Mars rover Curiosity reaches intriguing transition zone on Red Planet (video) | Space
SPACE
Blue Origin launches New Shepard to test moon landing tech and more in suborbital flight | Space
New cracks found on International Space Station | Live Science
Can you Last a Year on Mars? NASA is Recruiting Crew for a Year-Long Analog Mission - Universe Today
Musk Says That Refueling Starship for Lunar Landings Will Take 8 Launches (Maybe 4) - Universe Today
Chinese astronauts complete second spacewalk at new space station | Space
ELSA-d spacecraft captures "space debris" in orbit for the first time (newatlas.com)
Space-junk sail to help deorbit its own launch vehicle (newatlas.com)
Why NASA's Annoyed About Elon Musk's Giant Rocket | Space
Nasa's newest Mars rover successfully collects first rock sample (msn.com) and
NASA's Perseverance rover drills 1st Mars rock sample for an (eventual) return to Earth | Space
China Wants to Build a Mega Spaceship That's Nearly a Mile Long - Scientific American and
China wants to build a mega spaceship that's nearly a mile long | Space
Video tour of Chinese Space Station https://www.facebook.com/100006565414017/posts/3093782224183928/?sfnsn=scwspmoFirefly rocket explodes in flight https://www.facebook.com/100045998303732/posts/400498598160080/?sfnsn=scwspmo It looks as if it went out of control and was destroyed by a sign al from the ground.
Virgin Galactic announces crew for next launch to suborbital space | Space
SpaceX shows off its huge dome window on Dragon for private Inspiration4 spaceflight | Space
SpaceX's newest drone ship returns to port after its 1st rocket landing at sea (photos, videos) | Space
SpaceX, NASA targeting April 15 for launch of Crew-4 mission to space station | Space
https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-rocket-tourist-launchpadELSA-d spacecraft captures "space debris" in orbit for the first time (newatlas.com)
Australia's space plans https://www.facebook.com/551070831/posts/10160189355180832/?sfnsn=scwspmo
SUN
Once-in-a-century solar superstorm could plunge the world into 'internet apocalypse', study says http://a.msn.com/01/en-ie/AAObfI1?ocid=se
TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES
QUB's ARC takes leading role in processing data from the Vera C Rubin Telescope UK project to process photos of celestial phenomena – UKRI
James Webb Space Telescope completes its final testing phase (newatlas.com)
https://www.inverse.com/science/webb-telescope-panama-canal Quantum crystal could reveal the identity of dark matter | Live Science
New antimatter trap could help explain why cosmos didn't self-destruct (newatlas.com)
Never-before-detected gravitational waves hint at dark matter (newatlas.com)
Fate of giant telescopes in the balance as U.S. astronomers debate priorities | Science | AAAS While the ELT will indeed be in the S. Hemisphere, it's not so far South (24 degrees S) that it can't access most of the objects of interest in the N sky. But demand for observing time on it will be so great that we do need at least one other, and ideally two other, telescopes of a size much greater than today's biggest ones.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launch delayed to December | Space and
NASA sets launch date for James Webb Space Telescope this year (newatlas.com)
https://www.facebook.com/551070831/posts/10160191371800832/?sfnsn=scwspmo Astronomers hunting asteroids with radar surpass 1,000th space rock detection | Space
20. 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
