Hi all,
Please note: send all correspondence to me only at: terrymosel@aol.com
1. IAA Lecture, Wed 16 October, 7.30 p.m., Larmor Lecture Theatre, Physics building, QUB: "Big Science with Small Telescopes" by Professor Lorraine Hanlon, UJCD
Synopsis
With the successful launch of EIRSAT-1, Ireland became a space-faring nation. This 2kg CubeSat packs a lot into its small volume. Using technology originally developed by an Irish company for use in PET scanners, a miniaturized gamma-ray detector on-board is designed to pick up short-lived bursts of high-energy radiation from dying stars. The spacecraft also contains a magnetic attitude control testbed, a heat resistant surface treatment experiment, and a deployable antenna.
Turning EIRSAT-1 from an idea to reality required 6 years hard work and dedication over by a core team of physics, engineering, maths and computer science students, supported by the European Space Agency's 'Fly Your Satellite' programme and UCD staff.
Space is a harsh and unforgiving environment. To ensure that instruments can survive launch, and operate successfully in space, they must withstand strenuous testing on the ground. All the experiments developed in-house had to go through rigorous 'shake 'n bake' test campaigns to ensure their suitability for the space environment.
As well as building scientific and technology demonstration payloads for space, another goal of the mission is to inspire the next generation of space scientists, engineers, designers, dreamers & creators. A poem that was co-created by school students and creative writers is etched on the spacecraft.
After its launch from California on December 1st 2023, there were some tense moments until a 2-way communication link was established. In a Sun Synchronous orbit at an altitude of ~507km, EIRSAT-1 has an expected lifetime of 2-3 years, after which time it will burn up as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere.
Lorraine will give an update on the mission, its goals and latest results.
See this for background: CubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system | Space
Bio
LORRAINE HANLON is Full Professor of Astronomy at UCD and Director of UCD's Centre for Space Research. She did her undergraduate (BSc) and graduate (MSc and PhD) degrees in Experimental Physics and was a research fellow at the European Space and Technology Research Centre. She was Head of the UCD School of Physics between 2008 and 2011.
Her main research interests are in high-energy astrophysics, gamma-ray bursts, multi-messenger astronomy, robotic telescopes, and space instrumentation.
Lorraine was Chair of ESA's Astronomy Working Group and a member of the ESA Space Science Advisory Committee between 2019 and 2023. She has served as science advisor to the Irish delegation to the ESA Science Programme Committee since 2011 and is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the European Southern Observatory. She is a former Chair of the INTEGRAL Users' Group.
She is the Endorsing Professor for EIRSAT-1, Ireland's first satellite.
Admission free, including light refreshments, all are welcome.
2. IAA Annual Subscriptions. Subscriptions were due on 1 September. See https://irishastro.org/join-the-iaa/
Membership of the IAA costs £20 (€25) per year for Individual Membership or £25 (€30) per year for Family Membership (all members of a family at one address) from September to August and entitles members to attend all IAA events including our regular speaker programme. Also, there are four issues of the IAA magazine "Stardust" produced annually and these will be delivered to your home address.
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 http://www.irishastro.org/ https://irishastro.org/
3. BRIGHT COMET?
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) has now been seen widely from Ireland, with lots of great photos. At uits best it was about mag 2, but low in the twilight. Photos show a tail at least 5 degrees long, some show up to 15 degrees.
It's now getting higher out of the evening western twilight, but fading as it moves away from both Sun and Earth.
This chart prepared by Nick James of the British Astronomical Association shows how the comet's height above the horizon depends on latitude.
And Will Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Shine Brighter Than Expected? - Universe Today
Our best chance to see it will be between now and 30 October, in the West just after sunset. See a video explainer about the comet.
4. And Another Bright Comet?
Newly Discovered Sungrazer Comet A11bP7I Could Soon Be Brighter Than Venus | IFLScience
A newly discovered comet should be visible later this month, possibly outshining Venus.
On September 27, the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on Mauna Loa in Hawai'i spotted the new comet, which has now been designated C/2024 S1 (ATLAS). It will be visible from the southern hemisphere as it approaches perihelion on October 28, and if it survives that, then we may get to see it before it fades.
The comet appears to be a Kreutz sungrazer, which means that it passes extremely close to the Sun at perihelion. As it heats up, it will outgas, losing gas and dust, forming the distinctive tail and coma. Sungrazers are especially bright, but obviously close to the Sun in the sky.
Perihelion will be on October 28, and for Northern observers it could shine brighter than Venus in the morning sky, or even be visible during daylight, although that's not guaranteed.
"Kreutz sungrazers get to within about 50,000 km of the surface, just passing through the lower regions of the solar atmosphere (the corona)," the European Space Agency explains. "Most simply evaporate in the hot solar atmosphere."
5. Saturn still well placed .
Saturn is still well placed for observing, rising in Aquarius in the SE as the sky darkens, and is highest up around local midnight, although it's still fairly low in our skies. It's mag 0.9, with a disc diameter of 17".
Notice how narrow the rings are now! The angle is only 4 degrees They will gradually get narrower as Saturn approaches its 'equinox' next March, in other words its equator and ring plane will be edge on to the Sun, and therefore almost edge on to the Earth. Observe it for as long as possible to see just how narrow they get!
Also look out for some of its many moons, Titan (8m.3) is easy to see in any telescope, Rhea is also fairly easy at 9m.7. Tethys (10m.2) and Dione (10m.8) are also fairly easy in a reasonable telescope. Enceladus (11m.7) and especially Mimas (12m.9) are challenging, but getting easier to see as the rings narrow and become less bright; they will be even easier to see next year as the rings narrow almost to invisibility.
6. Jupiter is well placed and brilliant!
It's now really bright in Taurus as it heads towards its opposition on 7 December. It's mag -2.4, with the disc diameter an impressive 43"
Even a 75mm telescope will show the Great Red Spot when it's on the or near the meridian. Binoculars will show the 4 big Galilean Moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, and a moderate telescope will show at least the start and end of their transits across the disc. That's because the edge of the planet is darker than the middle due to 'limb darkening', so the bright satellite shows up against the dark background. But when the satellite is near the middle of the disc, the contrast with the brighter background is much less, and it takes a big telescope and steady seeing to reveal the satellite.
However, the much darker shadows of the satellites are easy to see the whole way across the disc. Also interesting to watch, and easier to see, are the satellites entering and leaving eclipse in Jupiter's shadow, except very near opposition when this happens very close to the disc itself.
At the moment, the outer Moon, Callisto, does not undergo any of these phenomena, because of the orbital tilt at present, so it always passes just above or just below the disc of Jupiter each orbit.
7. DARK SKIES IRELAND WEBINAR, October 16, 13.00 – 14.00, by Georgia MacMillan
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8. Dark Skies & Light Pollution CPD TRAINING, 19 October For Leave No Trace Accredited Trainers,
In association with Leave No Trace Ireland, Dark Sky Ireland and the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve Team!
Location: Derrynane House, Caherdaniel, Co. Kerry, V23 FX65
Date: Saturday, 19th October 2024
Learn all about how to adopt Leave No Trace Principles at night, how light pollution effects all living things and how we can protect and restore Ireland's Dark Skies. We will be treated to an astro-art workshop and travel between Derrynane House and Caherdaniel to join a special event hosted by the Kerry International Dark Sky Team to finish off the evening.
Great opportunity to network and knowledge-share with Leave No Trace Trainers. Register via the link below and we can't wait to see you there!
More information in the latest Dark Sky Ireland Newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/f88c1224cb83/summer-2024-newsletter. And see www.darksky.ie
9. Recurrent Nova T Corona Borealis – We are still waiting!
I hate to have to say – "I told you so." OK, that's not true – everyone likes to know that they've been right, when they've gone out on a limb!
There were some reports on social media in early March that T CrB was due to explode again in the next week or two, i.e. in late March: I stuck my neck out, and said that we couldn't predict the next outburst with that degree of accuracy. That period has now well passed, so I was right.
There have now been several more articles, saying much the same thing, and it still hasn't happened. The position remains the same - It could explode tomorrow – or not for another year or more! It's normally around magnitude 10 but in 1946 it faded to about 11 just before the outburst, but at outburst it reaches mag 2.0 or 2.5.
The first outburst was discovered by Irish astronomer John Birmingham in Tuam, Co Galway, in May 1866. Earlier archive observations indicate a possible previous outburst in 1217, 1787, as well as 1866 & 1946. The eruptions in 1787, 1866 and 1946, indicated an approximate 80 year period. BUT you can't assume a period from only 2 intervals ! However, in the year before the 1946 outburst, it dimmed to magnitude 12.3, and this has happened again recently, suggesting a possible outburst is imminent. BUT, once again, you can't predict from a single event!
Incidentally, the gap from 1217 to 1787, assuming some eruptions that were not observed, gives a
period of 81.4 years if there were 7 outbursts, so that's fairly constant!
LATEST:
The prediction from the AAVSO was for the explosion to occur on 2024.4, +/- 0.3. Well, we're now well past 2024.7, so the score is
AAVSO – 0, Terry Moseley -1!
As I've said many times, while there are records of several previous explosions, we only have a sample of one set of detailed observations of the pre-explosion stage – in 1946. And it's always dangerous to extrapolate from one set of observations!
So, keep an eye on it - comparison charts can be found on the websites of the BAA Variable Star Section, or the AAVSO. The current magnitude is around 10, so you'll need a good telescope to see it now.
(BTW, don't confuse it with the other nearby famous variable star, R CrB, which does the opposite – it stays normally around 6th magnitude, but occasionally dims to as faint as magnitude 14 or 15!)
(And for comparison, the other not quite so well-known recurrent nova, RS Oph, was seen to, or is thought to have, erupted 9 times since 1898 – with intervals of approximately 9, 26, 12, 13, 9, 18, 21 and 18 years; so its period is by no means constant.)
Anyway, do keep an eye out – T CrB lies just outside the East side of the circle of the 'Crown', about a degree from Epsilon CrB, but you really do need charts to observe it properly. It's moderately high in the SW as the bright twilight ends, about 25 degrees to the left of Arcturus.
It's at Declination: 25° 55′ 12.613″; R.A.: 15h 59m 30.1622s
See also https://www.facebook.com/share/39XnUDPUGgsnmMDG/
And now this! Talk about a misleading headline!?! Much-awaited star explosion is finally here. How to watch it and where to look https://www.wionews.com/science/much-awaited-star-explosion-is-finally-here-how-to-watch-it-and-where-to-look-762377
10. Naked-Eye Comet(s) and Recurrent Nova visible simultaneously?
Wouldn't that be nice! So if T CrB happens to explode between now and October 25, there's a chance of a cosmic double! Or even a Treble, if both comets were visible to the unaided eye.
11. ISS. The ISS will start a new series of morning passes on 18 October. See www.heavens_above.com for details
13. Mayo Dark Sky Festival, Newport, 2-3 November.
This is always a great event, with lots of activities in several centres.
14. Irish Astronomy Week 2025; March 1st to 8th.
Ronan Newman launched this event, which was a great success last year, but due to personal circumstances he won't be so involved in the next one. So it will be up to individual clubs to organise their own events,
15. INSAP, QUB, 9-12 June, and at AOP, 13 June.
16. Solar Eclipse Conference, 13 – 15 June, 2025.
University of Leuven, Belgium
17. EAS 2025 meeting in Cork 23-27 June 2025
18. ALAN 2025, 28 – 30 October 2025, Westport.
Preparations are under way for the 9th Scientific Conference on Artificial Light At Night, ALAN2025, from October 28-30, 2025, in Westport, Ireland. Our host will be Dark Sky Ireland. The invited speakers will be revealed soon, but we can already promise you interesting talks about science, governance, dark sky outreach, and lighting design.
The conference offers a platform for interdisciplinary networking and exchange on the topics Biology & Ecology, Governance & Regulations, Health, Measurements & Modelling, Social Sciences & Humanities, Technology & Design.
We welcome researchers, lighting professionals, policy makers, light pollution activists, and everybody who is interested in the effects of artificial light at night. The conference aims to present new findings, exchange experiences and ideas, network, and discuss hoe artificial light can be used with less negative impacts.
I'm on the organising committee for this event, so I'll keep you posted regarding the programme.
For more information check out our website at artificiallightatnight.org .
19. NEW DIFFICULT TEASER
What's the connection between a moon of one planet and a mission to explore a different planet? No correct answers yet, so here's a clue: The second planet is one of the outer solar system planets.
20. New Easy Teaser :
What does the number 12.368265923 represent? (It's only because I'm an absolute nerd that I give the figure to that degree of accuracy! If you take 12.368 it will be close enough!)
ANSWERED – BUT NOT ANSWERED! Jim Verner got it right, but as a previous winner, he's not eligible to answer the Easy ones anymore. So, it's still open.
Clue. It relates to time.
Remember, only send answers to me at my aol address: terrymosel@aol.com.
21. 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:
QUB's Matt Nicholl led the team reporting this! Monster black hole is a 'cosmic Michael Myers' killing a star and brutally attacking another | Space
Primordial Holes Could be Hiding in Planets, Asteroids, and Here on Earth - Universe Today
Hubble reveals stunning new details of galaxy IC 4709's black hole (msn.com)
Webb Telescope Reveals Early Universe Galaxy's Unexpected Growth (msn.com)
The Milky Way Might be Part of an Even Larger Structure than Laniakea - Universe Today
12-billion-year-old body of water discovered floating in space (msn.com)
The new map which has changed our galaxy 'forever' (msn.com)
NASA's exoplanet hunter TESS spots a record-breaking 3-star system | Space
COSMOLOGY:Euclid telescope reveals first 'stunning' piece of its map of the universe (msn.com)Scientists discovered 'secret life' of the universe before the Big Bang (msn.com) Cosmic rays have surprising amounts of antimatter. Is dark matter responsible? (msn.com) EARTH & MOONScience's favourite theory about the Moon may be totally wrong (msn.com) Radiation from Elon Musk's Starlink satellites is 'blinding' scientists from seeing the universe (msn.com)What causes aurora colours: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/u6UNhzoU9G3Aa39B/Closest FM of the year The biggest supermoon of the year is about to rise: When to see the 'Hunter's Moon' at its best and brightest | Live Science. The contrast with a furthest apogee Moon is misleading. More relevant is that it will appear 15% brighter and 7.5% bigger than an average FM.
ESA Earth Observation on X: "The arrival of a new season as seen from space! On 22 September the equinox marked the beginning of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. This animation shows how the terminator line moved from December 2023 to 20 September 2024. 📸 https://t.co/GSxjRmlOHp" / X (twitter.com) (NB That link should refer to September 2023, not December 2023, but changing it would destroy the link!()
AndWatch: a year-long time lapse of Earth's twilight zone (newatlas.com)
Andhttps://youtu.be/Aa4mm_OGL34
EXOLIFE:Why haven't we found intelligent alien civilizations? There may be a 'universal limit to technological development' (msn.com) EXOPLANETS New nearby SuperEarth NASA Finds Super-Earth Planet Just Around the Corner (youtube.com)
The steaming exoplanet https://www.facebook.com/share/p/p9rMyqgveaazhvaV/
32 alien planets that really exist (msn.com)
Hints of volcanic moon around alien planet may be 1st-of-its-kind discovery (video) (msn.com)
IMAGES:
Space photo of the week: See the gorgeous Rosette Nebula — before it destroys itself (msn.com) Euclid telescope reveals first 'stunning' piece of its map of the universe (msn.com) Beautiful photo of Comet 2023 A3 https://www.facebook.com/share/VadXC5H3dnS4hRv8/
James Webb unveils dazzling depths of star supercluster Westerlund 1 (msn.com)
James Webb Space Telescope delivers amazing Horsehead Nebula imagery - See in 4K | Watch (msn.com) Amazing! Look at all the galaxies in the background!
LIGHT & Radio sky pollution:China's secretive new 'Thousands Sails' satellites are an astronomer's nightmare, 1st observations reveal (msn.com)
Radiation from Elon Musk's Starlink satellites is 'blinding' scientists from seeing the universe (msn.com) SOLAR SYSTEM SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches NASA's Europa Clipper probe to explore icy Jupiter ocean moon (video) | Space I'm surprised that they are not going to finally crash it into Jupiter, as they did with Cassini, crashing it into Saturn. Life on Ganymede might be unlikely, but it's not impossible.
Spacecraft begins six year mission to hunt for life on solar system's biggest planet (msn.com)
Watch: Hera asteroid defense mission lifts off (newatlas.com)
New NASA images reveal giant hole in Curiosity rover's wheel after 12 years of 'abuse' on Mars | Live Science I hope that the MOT / NCT tests on Mars are not too strict!
Hubble Telescope and New Horizons Pluto probe team up to image Uranus (msn.com) SPACE SpaceX launched a huge NASA spacecraft. It's headed to an ocean world. | Mashable and
NASA's Europa Clipper Spacecraft Aims for Jupiter's Most Intriguing Moon | Scientific American
Watch: Hera asteroid defense mission lifts off (newatlas.com)
TELESCOPES, EQUIPMENT & TECHNIQUESCubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system | Space
FINAL WORD:
"The treasures hidden in the heavens are so rich that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment." - Johannes Kepler
22. 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 http://www.irishastro.org/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
