Monday, 26 November 2018

Kilonova lecture, photos sale Insight landing tonight, ISS, Win a zeo-G flight, Exhibition, Xmas Star, Film, Portballintrae, N&M solstice events, Comet Wirtanen, Geminids,

Hi all,
 
1. IAA Public Lecture: " Kilonovae and the birth of multi-messenger astronomy"  28 November, By Prof Stephen Smartt.
   Prof Smartt, who has given us several excellent lectures in the past, is an acknowledged expert in the field of supernovae, and now the new phenomena of kilonovae, which are an order of magnitude more powerful even than supernovae!
SYNOPSIS
  "The talk will describe the remarkable discovery of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave source. The merging neutron star source GW170817 coincided with a short gamma ray burst and several teams located a transient optical source within the region indicated by the LIGO-Virgo Gravitational Wave skymap within 12 hours. A world wide observational campaign on telescopes from x-ray to radio immediately started showing that this electromagnetic transient was unlike any other observed to date. The UV to near-infrared emission showed that high velocity, low mass material was ejected and powered by the radioactive decay of heavy r-process elements. 
The talk will show how the electromagnetic radiation is consistent with models describing what we expect to see when two neutron stars merge."
   Stephen is Professor in the School of Maths and Physics at QUB, and has just recently stepped down as Head of School. He previously worked at the University of Cambridge and at the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes on La Palma.  He was awarded the George Darwin Lecture of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2018, and previously held two major European awards: an ERC Advanced Grant, and European Young Investigator award. 
   A paper by Stephen in Nature is one of the sources quoted in Wikipedia on the subject –
Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB, 7.30pm
All welcome. Free admission, including light refreshments.
 
1A. Stop Press – Heavens Above Photos for sale at 28 November meeting!
We are going to sell the remaining prints from our very successful Heavens Above photo exhibition, which was a major success, being very well received when exhibited in many venues around the province. The prices are still to be agreed, but they will be excellent value. Update available soon. Bring cash or a chequebook for a chance to get a bargain of some superb exhibition quality photos!

2. Mars Insight to land on Monday
 
3. Nominate a scientist to feature on the new Bof E £50 note. The person nominated must be British and deceased, which rules out local superstar Jocelyn Bell Burnell, but QUB is supporting the nomination of John Bell, after whom the lecture theatre in which the IAA holds its meetings is named  You can vote, within the next 5 weeks, at https://app.keysurvey.co.uk/f/1348443/10fc/
 
4. Win A Zero-G Flight
Inspire Space (fronted by among others, Dr Laura Keogh who gave us a great lecture last year, and Dr Norah Patten, who will be talking to us next spring) are promoting an amazing raffle. Unfortunaterly it's only open to residents of ROI for legal reasons.
   Fly like a superhero and float like an astronaut! All you have to do is buy a raffle ticket! Only 999 raffle tickets will be sold so be quick – a perfect Christmas present for anyone interested in space, weightlessness or flying! **Closing date to buy tickets is 29 January 2019 and the draw will take place on 31 January 2019**
5. ISS. The ISS will commence a new series of evening passes on 26 November. Details for your own location, and lots more info on space and astronomy, on www.heavens-above.com
 
6. Images of Starlight Exhibition opens in Dublin
The second IAS Images of Starlight exhibition is being held in the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin, for 3 weeks from November 11th:  More details at www.irishastrosoc.org where you'll also find other events listed.
 
7. Space and Astronomy films in Dublin. The last of the four films being shown weekly in November as part of Christ Church Cathedral's candle-list film series will be: Nov 26th: "The Farthest". All take place in The Music Room at Christ Church, start at 6:30pm, and admission is free.  
 
8. Winter Solstice events in Newry & Mourne
Newry Mourne and Down District Council and the Ring of Gullion Partnership as part of their Winter Solstice Festival is hosting a lecture on the major events which have shaped the landscape and culture of the area over the years.
  Join Dr. Kirstin Lemon from Geological Survey of N. Ireland on the 27th November at 7.30pm in the Flagstaff Lodge. Dr Lemon will be speaking about Rock Legends: myth busting in Mourne Gullion and Strangford. The talk will have a look at some of the myths around unique geology of the area. Dr. Lemon is an animated speaker who explains this complex subject in easy to understand language.
   Check out the Ring of Gullion website for more details, and book your spaces early!  www.ringofgullion.org or call into the office in Crossmaglen Community Centre, O'Fiaich Square, Crossmaglen, BT35 9AA Tel:-(028) 3082 8590.
 
9. Armagh Planetarium: "Mystery of the Christmas Star" Dome Show Returns, Sat 24 Nov.
Join Armagh Planetarium this Christmas as we journey back more than 2000 years to Bethlehem, and seek to discover an explanation for the star the Wise Men followed to find the baby Jesus in "Mystery of the Christmas Star".  
   The Star of Bethlehem is an iconic astronomical event whose true origin remains unknown even today, in spite of years of speculation and research. The show will guide the viewer through some of these investigations and the most likely causes of this interesting cosmological object which was remarkable enough to make the wise men travel across the desert from Babylon to Bethlehem to see the newborn baby.  You will also explore possible dates for the birth of Christ and look at the historical records of significant astronomical events which occurred at this time.  This modern retelling of the Christmas story in our digital theatre will charm and captivate audiences.
The show opens on Saturday 24th Nov 2018 until Saturday 5th January 2019.
Show Times:
Tuesday – Friday at 2pm
Saturday/School Holidays at 2pm and 4pm
 
10. IAA ASTRO EVENT, Portballintrae, 7 December.
More details next time.
 
11. Comet Wirtanen approaches. This comet, which may become visible to the unaided eye, will be at its best in mid-December, when closest to Earth. It will be at perihelion (closest to the Sun) on 12 December, and soon after that it will pass only 11.6 million km from Earth. That means it will appear quite large, but with a low surface brightness, so a wide-field low power eyepiece or good big binoculars will give the best view. On the night of 15-16 December it will pass just 3º East of the Pleiades. The Moon will then be just past First Quarter, but if you wait until just after midnight it won't intrude.
 You could start looking for it from about 9 December. More details in next bulletin.
 
12. Geminid Meteors peak 13-14 December.
Maximum is predicted for 08h on the night of 13-14 December, so late on the night, especially in the hours leading up to dawn, should give good rates in a clear sky. The ZHR should be around 120, so this is a really good chance to catch quite a few meteors, especially after the 35% crescent moon sets around 10 p.m. The radiant is fairly well up by about 7 p.m., so you can start looking around then. As always for meteors, choose as dark a location as possible, and allow time for your eyes to dark adapt.
 The radiant lies a bit above Castor in Gemini, but the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Look about 40-50 degrees away from the radiant, and about 50 degrees above the horizon, in the clearest darkest part of your sky, to see the most Geminids.
   The Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) is the rate which would be seen by an experienced observer, in a VERY dark sky, and with the radiant in the zenith: actual observed rates very rarely reach the nominal ZHR for various reasons.
 
13. APOLLO 8 remembered. This is an excellent video tribute, just coming up to the 50th anniversary in December.   This flight will be the subject of our lecture on December 12.
 
14. IAA New Year Party, 5 January.
The astrosocial event of the year will be held once again at McBrides in Comber, folloqwed by a film and team quiz in the Tudor Private cinema nearby. More details soon.
 
15. Participate in the 100 Hours of Astronomy Global Project, Jan 10 - 13.
In 2019, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will celebrate its 100th anniversary (IAU100) and to commemorate, we will organise a year-long celebration to increase awareness of a century of astronomical discoveries as well as to support and improve the use of astronomy as a tool for education, development and diplomacy.
   The 100 Hours of Astronomy will be the kick-off worldwide event of IAU100 and will be composed of a broad range of activities aimed at involving the public. 100 Hours of Astronomy will take place over four days and nights, from 10-13 January 2019, with amateur and professional astronomers, astronomy enthusiasts and the general public invited to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for the Universe. Hundreds of local events are being planned by science facilities and astronomy enthusiasts around the world, including telescope observing sessions, exhibitions, lectures, art projects, classroom projects, field trips, special shows and more. In many countries, there will be public lectures by specially selected speakers, experts in astronomy, keen to participate in this planet-wide venture.
   It is only a few months before the yearlong centennial celebration of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will take place. As a big kick-off event, the global project 100 Hours of Astronomy is organised to take place 10-13 January 2019. Everyone around the globe can participate in this joint effort to bring astronomy to the general public.
   Find more: https://www.iau-100.org/participate-100-hours-of-astronomy 
 
16 The Galway Astronomy Festival takes place on Saturday January 26th, 2019. The festival will take place in our new venue, The Harbour Hotel, New Docks Road, Galway.
 We were very happy with last year's festival and hopefully this coming year's festival will be equally successful.
 
17. Centenary of IAU in 2019:  IAU100: Uniting our World to Explore the Universe
In 2019, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will celebrate its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, the IAU will organize a year-long celebration to expand awareness of a century of astronomical discoveries as well as to support and improve the use of astronomy as a tool for education, development, and diplomacy under the central theme "Uniting our World to Explore the Universe". The celebrations will stimulate worldwide interest in astronomy and science and will reach out to the global astronomical community, national science organizations and societies, policy-makers, students and families, and the general public.
NEW  IAU100 Celebrations around the World  for details for your own country, check the link below.
With Astronomy events of all kinds, including national and cultural events, the IAU100 is engaging with different communities worldwide. Meet the IAU100 National Committees and learn more about the people who are here to support you during the 2019 celebrations.  For the UK, it's Prof Robert Walsh, originally from Belfast, but now at U of Central Lancs (who gave a great talk to the IAA in Belfast some years ago); and for ROI it's the indefatigable Clair McSweeney from BCO in Cork.
Read more: https://www.iau-100.org/national-committees 
 
18. Starmus V — Star-studded Lineup for 2019  
Created by Garik Israelian, a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), the Starmus Festival is a combination of science, art and music that has featured presentations from astronauts, cosmonauts, Nobel Prize winners and other prominent figures from science, culture, the arts and music. Now celebrating its fifth year, and timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, Starmus V will take place in Bern, Switzerland, from 24 to 29 June 2019. The IAU is a partner organisation of Starmus and among the confirmed speakers will be IAU Secretary General, Piero Benvenuti, and IAU President-elect, Ewine van Dishoeck.  IAU announcement: https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann18007/ 
 
19. Festival of Curiosity, Dublin. July 18 – 21
 
20. 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
Brightest galaxy known is devouring 3 neighbours https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181115144858.htm
   Giant relic of disrupted tadpole galaxy. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181119160011.htm
  trans-galactic streamers feed most luminous galaxy in universe. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181115144858.htm
 
EARTH & MOON
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/massive-crater-under-greenland-s-ice-points-climate-altering-impact-time-humans?utm_campaign=news_daily_2018-11-14&et_rid=415711678&et_cid=2488544 How can a crater be 'massive'? It's like asking how much earth is in a hole 20cm x 30cm x 40 cm: the answer of course is none!
   Earth's magnetosphere measured at 90km up using artificial stars https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181114104048.htm
 
EXOLIFE
 
EXOPLANETS
   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6410809/Does-sun-identical-twin-Scientists-claim-long-lost-CLONE-star.html There's an equally good chance that life started on the other planet and was transferred to Earth during the other planet's Late Heavy Bombardment. Or indeed that life started independently on both.
   Climate of Trappist 1's seven worlds   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181121142444.htm
New ways to search for exoplanets
   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6422103/Astronomers-detect-water-atmosphere-planet-179-light-years-away.html That acronym for Near-InfraRed Cryogenic Echelle Spectrograph should actually be NIRCES! They may be confusing it with NIRSpec = Near InfraRed Spectrograph which is planned for the JWST)
 
 
IMAGES
 
SOLAR SYSTEM
   What caused the grooves on Phobos
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181120125808.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29  Surely an impact violent enough to cause such a large crater would throw the ejected rocks away in elliptical orbits, not just roll them along the surface? And if the dead spot was caused by the rolling rocks 'hopping over' a depression, how come there are tracks across the depression of Stickney? And although the gravity is very low, the rocks still had to displace all that surface material to make the grooves, which in some cases go right round the moon – if they had enough initial velocity to do that, they would have left the surface altogether. Finally, why don't we see these rocks at the end of each groove? Doesn't make sense.
   How small bodies keep their ring systems https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181119155959.htm
 
SPACE
   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6376505/NZ-firm-launches-commercial-rocket.html This is quite a good location for a spaceport, as it's only 39 degrees from the equator, and faces east over the ocean.
  https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/an-ai-developer-is-building-a-hal-9000-inspired-system-for-space-stations/ar-BBQ0TF3?ocid=spartandhp Just don't make it too clever! But how does CASE stand for Cognitive Architecture for Space Agents? That would be CASA.
   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6411201/NASAs-Mars-simulator-Hawaii-convert-mock-moonbase-agency-suspends-program.html A bit like booking a holiday to Australia and then finding that you're only going to the Isle of Man!
   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6410649/Elon-Musk-says-BFR-called-Starship-claims-later-versions-fly-star-systems.html The BFR had already been renamed to stand for Big Falcon Rocket. Puerile people still referred to it by its original expletive-based moniker.
   Microbes on ISS threat to astronauts https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181123134958.htm
NASA video on return to the Moon, and on to Mars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeA7edXsU40
 
TELESCOPES, EQUIPMENT, Etc
Metasurface corrects chromatic aberration over all lens surfaces https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181120151836.htm
 
21. IAA subscriptions for the coming year were due on 1 September. If you haven't renewed, you'll not get the next issue of Stardust, due next month.
 
22. 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 www.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

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