Saturday 30 November 2019

Planetary Nebulae, Astrophoto comp, ISS, Help HERA, Interstellar comet closest, Geminids

Hi all,

 

1. IAA Public Lecture, Wednesday December 04, 7.30 p.m. "The shaping of planetary nebulae ", by Dr Matt Redman, NUIG

Summary: Planetary nebulae often exhibit stunning shapes and intricate features, but it is a long-standing puzzle as to how such a wide range of shapes can arise because the stars from which they form are spherical. Binary companions offer one way to break the symmetry, but there are not enough of them in close orbits to account for the numbers of non-spherical planetary nebulae. Instead, we examine whether exoplanets, engulfed at the end of the stars life, can be responsible for the shaping. The talk will be illustrated with many examples of planetary nebulae, including the intriguing Boomerang Nebula, which is currently the coldest object ever observed in space.  

Biography: Dr Matt Redman is Director of the Centre for Astronomy NUI Galway, and is Chair of the Astronomical Sciences Group of Ireland, the professional association for astronomers in Ireland. His research interests are in star formation and star destruction processes. Matt uses radio and millimetre telescope data to look inside star forming molecular clouds, and optical and millimetre data for studying planetary nebulae, novae and supernova remnants. He works at the observational and theory interface, simulating data from telescopes using state of the art computer codes. His work has been supported by SFI and IRC grants, an equipment grant for I-LOFAR, and through telescope time awards. 

Details; 7.30 p.m., Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building , QUB. Admission free, including light refreshments. See www.irishastro.org.

                                                                                                                        

2. Show off your Science! International science photography competition back for 2019

The international science photography competition, Wiki Science, returns to Ireland again this year. Wiki Science will take place from 1st November to 15th December, organised locally by Wikimedia Community Ireland. This competition aims to raise awareness of science, scientists and their research in Ireland by creating a store of quality images taken by members of the public that are free to use in education and outreach.

Photographers of all skill levels are encouraged to explore the six categories and then upload their photos to Wikimedia Commons. The seven categories are people in science, microscopy images, non-photographic media, image sets, wildlife and nature, a general category, and a special prize for an image depicting Women in STEM. The entries will be judged by a panel of Irish judges, with the seven winners being announced in early December. These images will then be submitted to the international competition.

For full details of the competition see www.wikimedia.ie and for updates see @wikimediaIE and Wikimedia Community Ireland's Facebook page. You can see the winning images from the 2017 and 2018 competitions here and here, for some inspiration! The competition is supported by the SCI:COM conference.

 

3. ISS The International Space Station continues a series of evening passes over Ireland until 12 December. Full details for your location, and lots of other astronomy information, on the excellent free site www.heavens-above.com

 

4. Alan Fitzsimmons says ESA wants our help re HERA Mission. .

https://newatlas.com/space/esa-enlists-amateur-astronomers-plan-hera-asteroid-mission/?utm_source=New+Atlas+Subscribers&utm_campaign=46ad5d7014-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_27_06_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-46ad5d7014-92786061

 

5. Mission Santa, Christmas experience, AOP, every Saturday 30 Nov – 22 Dec. For kids, of course. Booking at www.armagh.space

 

6. Comet 2I Borisov closest to Earth, 8 December.   The "2I" designation means that it's the 2nd Interstellar object we've detected. Unfortunately it will be too faint for imaging except by the best amateur equipment and astronomers

 

7. Geminid Meteors, Dec 13-14, Geminids are the year's richest shower, with a peak rate of 120 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. Peak activity will be on the nights of Dec 13/14 and 14/15. However the Moon will be just past Full, so it will spoil the view considerably! But Geminids are generally slow meteors, with some bright fireballs, so it's worth having a look even in the Moonlight, by hiding the Moon behind something like a building or tree, and looking in the opposite direction. The Geminids are unusual in that the parent body, Phaethon, is classed as an asteroid, not a comet!

 

8. IAA New Year Party, January 4. More details in next bulletin.

 

9. Galway Astronomy Festival

The Galway Astronomy Festival takes place on Saturday January 25th  2020.

The festival will take place in the Harbour Hotel, overlooking Galway Bay

 

10. Vesta occults naked eye star, 11 February. More detasil;s of this rare event, visible from the N of the island, will be in the January edition of STARDUST, and in later bulletins.

 

11. 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

Galaxy spin orientation depends on their size https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191115101058.htm

   Most energetic GRB ever https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191120131334.htm  and also observed by MeerKAT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191120131300.htm

MWA/GLEAM finds remanant of dead stars in MW centre. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191120070717.htm

MeerKAT also spies stellar binary flare https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191120070723.htm

Missing neutron star from 1987A supernova explosion found at last https://newatlas.com/space/neutron-star-found-supernova-explosion/

  https://www.livescience.com/black-holes-can-grow-hair-temporarily.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10283&utm_content=20191120_LS_Essentials_Newsletter+-+adhoc+&utm_term=3473357&m_i=3Gh2L1w6%2BDCSxAhpw6QAJWYJDIEDsRJKtS2Bh9Jtt2xYtx53o8DWWZBO1CZ0Akmzh1GDIUkLQELhoelCYoJWzljRKXgQR76t3E

  Galaxy contains THREE SMBHs, showing a triple galaxy merger https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191121121726.htm

   Getting closer to the first signal from Cosmic dawn https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191126121134.htm

   How Black Holes and Neutron Stars shine so bright https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191127161255.htm

A new way to measure gravity. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6466/745

 

COSMOLOGY

https://www.livescience.com/is-space-time-smooth-chunky.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10283&utm_content=20191120_LS_Essentials_Newsletter+-+adhoc+&utm_term=3473357&m_i=rEIqmRY0j2oOgLRJ6farQdcOp1ZeS%2BqyjtMJmOaeJKQRnQppejmOEgLja_eKm1A3IdoM0NHM5GOPxIlKp7nANeF%2BzTpKxkYbrS

Signs of a Fifth force of Nature https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/techandscience/have-scientists-discovered-a-fifth-force-of-nature/ar-BBXeVJh?ocid=spartandhp

   Quantum reality.  This is way, way, outside my comfort zone, but I include it here because of the connection to QUB physicist John Bell, after who the lecture theatre is named. Don't blame me if it makes your brain hurt too! https://www.livescience.com/objective-reality-not-exist-quantum-physicists.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10421&utm_content=20191124_LS_Essentials_Newsletter+-+adhoc+&utm_term=3473357&m_i=Ji6fzEfc8H6v78Y2d3YuIBo2D08bCgxATiNAckmwi5204T1fdvBvPuXg8es5uR1KWgV7KBGC18MXOu_ItMzwO_8cN5_KweJgJy I also wonder what would be the state of affairs if there were NO observers, i.e. if we had never discovered quantum physics….

 

EARTH & MOON

Yet another way we're contributing to climate change https://newatlas.com/environment/agriculture-nitrous-oxide-greenhouse-gas/

   Did our RNA come from space? https://www.livescience.com/space-sugar-rode-rna-metoers.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10421&utm_content=20191124_LS_Essentials_Newsletter+-+adhoc+&utm_term=3473357&m_i=lq4EGEDpbsxTNIZXeTwPDg6ZUYTWlCB37O6gLJe2Oq4V7T9E0q3utAEsFLkEwvucEE7bY3PWO0heBouP_Ia8AtdM53en8i07lF

   https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/scientists-discover-ice-fossils-in-a-46-billion-year-old-meteorite-shard/ar-BBXlfB6?ocid=spartandhp

 Space data could really help emergency response times   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191122112807.htm

   Bio-essential sugars in meteorites https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191121095004.htm

   Impacts may have triggered plate tectonic movements https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191126091313.htm

   Wolfe Creek crater is much younger than thought, and Barringer crater is also younger https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191121121811.htm

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/dead-satellites-pose-very-big-danger-to-earth/ar-BBXpfN2?ocid=spartandhp

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7733649/Planet-reached-climate-change-tipping-points.html And that doesn't even include methane, nor the effects of deforestation!

 

EXOPLANETS

Planets could orbit SMBHs https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191125100415.htm

TESS is keeping exoplanet astronomers busy https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191119161449.htm

 

EXOLIFE https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/daring-mars-mission-to-send-rocks-back-to-earth-in-hunt-for-past-life/ar-BBXllo6?ocid=spartandhp

 

LIGHT POLLUTION 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191118162938.htm they seem to think that this is new thinking!

 

SOLAR SYSTEM

https://newatlas.com/space/global-map-titan-oceans-plains-dunes-mountains/

   https://newatlas.com/space/water-vapor-jupiter-moon-europa-confirmed/

https://newatlas.com/space/nasa-test-aqua-rover-robot-antarctica/

   https://earthsky.org/space/oxygen-methane-mystery-mars-curiosity-rover?utm_source=EarthSky+News&utm_campaign=1d71e68da7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c643945d79-1d71e68da7-394571661

   Water geysers on Europa? https://earthsky.org/space/europa-water-vapor-geysers-goddard?utm_source=EarthSky+News&utm_campaign=725cbceca7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c643945d79-725cbceca7-394571661

  Great Red Spot may not be dying after all https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/science/jupiter-great-red-spot.html?utm_source=EarthSky+News&utm_campaign=719baa93fe-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c643945d79-719baa93fe-394571661

   https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/scientists-discover-ice-fossils-in-a-46-billion-year-old-meteorite-shard/ar-BBXlfB6?ocid=spartandhp

   https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/daring-mars-mission-to-send-rocks-back-to-earth-in-hunt-for-past-life/ar-BBXllo6?ocid=spartandhp

Dust towers may have dried out ancient Mars https://newatlas.com/space/dust-towers-dry-ancient-mars/?utm_source=New+Atlas+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e8dc0fa6d8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_28_10_00&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-e8dc0fa6d8-92786061

 

SPACE

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7702611/Spaceflight-halt-reverse-blood-flow-astronauts-upper-bodies.html Why don't they produce artificial gravity using a rotating space station such as in 2001 A Space Odyssey? It could have a zero-G core for experiments requiring that condition. It's just so obvious. Such low-g would not prevent muscle wastage and calcium loss, but it would prevent vestibular effects, and would at least keep blood flowing normally! Exercise machines would address the other problems. Clarke and Kubrick, where are you when we need you?

   https://earthsky.org/human-world/esa-study-human-hibernation-trip-to-mars?utm_source=EarthSky+News&utm_campaign=57731d4864-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c643945d79-57731d4864-394571661

But if they hibernate they get no exercise so they lose muscle mass, bone calcium, cardiac function and probably suffer reduced vestibular function. They'd arrive at Mars as weak cripples. NB see item immediately above.

   Starship 1 undergoes pressure test https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/spacexs-full-size-starship-prototype-takes-its-1st-breath/ar-BBX0vZ2?ocid=spartandhp

   https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/8-cool-destinations-that-future-mars-tourists-could-explore/ss-BBX2BEY?ocid=spartandhp  

https://newatlas.com/space/esa-studies-hibernating-astronauts-space-missions/ I don't know why they say there would be no bone or muscle loss? There have been no experiments to demonstrate that. Hibernating mammals on Earth may not experience such effects, but they always remain in full Earth gravity. Further, they have adapted to such hibernation over periods of at least thousands of years, if not longer. There would also probably be effects on their vestibular system.

   https://eu.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2019/11/14/kennedy-space-center-spacex-launchpads-risk-flooding-due-climate-change/4021804002/ It's a serious problem OK. We spent 2 weeks in S Florida earlier this year, from KSC to Miami and across to the Gulf coast and South to the Keys, and the highest point we reached in that whole area was a flyover in Miami!

   https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/nasa-unveils-lunar-lander-as-it-aims-to-put-astronauts-on-the-moon-by-2024/ar-BBXno9E?ocid=spartandhp

   Space makes your gut leaky https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191126140354.htm

   JAXA sets up 2-way streaming on ISS  https://newatlas.com/space/jaxa-two-way-streaming-studio-iss/?utm_source=New+Atlas+Subscribers&utm_campaign=46ad5d7014-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_27_06_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-46ad5d7014-92786061

 

TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES

Highly sensitive camera detects single photons to search for exolife https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191119105507.htm

 

12. 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


Tuesday 19 November 2019

Lecture on TNOs, TofM success, Meteor outburst expected, death of John Brown, photo comp, Fastest star inthe galaxy, more


Hi all,

 

1. IAA Public Lecture, Wednesday November 20, 7.30 p.m. "New Perspectives Big and Small of the Trans-Neptunian Region", by Dr Meg Schwamb, QUB  )

SYNOPSIS Pluto resides beyond Neptune orbiting in a sea of small icy bodies in the Trans-Neptunian Region. These distant objects are truly the fossils relics left over after our Solar System's formation. Digging into the orbits, dynamics, and physical properties of these bodies provide new insights and windows into the origins and past history of the outer Solar System. This includes hints of a possibly unseen planet or an event long-since erased from the rest of the Solar System. In this talk, I'll explore the changing views of the outer Solar System from the discoveries of ground-based surveys to the New Horizons fly-bys of the Pluto system and Arrokoth.

   Dr Meg Schwamb is a lecturer at Queen's University Belfast. Meg's research focuses on how planets and their building blocks form and evolve, applying ground-based surveys to probe our Solar System's small body reservoirs. She is also involved in the Planet Four citizen science projects, which enlists the public to help study the seasonal processes of the Martian south pole and map the distribution of ridges on the Martian mid-latitudes. Meg also serves as co-chair of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope's Solar System Science Collaboration. Meg was awarded the 2017 Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science from the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Science.

Details; 7.30 p.m., Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building , QUB. Admission free, including light refreshments. See www.irishastro.org. more details inn next bulletin

                                                                                                                        

2. Transit of Mercury, 11 November.

Well, the weather wasn't very convivial on Divis, but it did clear twice long enough for us to get telescopic views and some good images. Others also observed from their homes or other locations. Photos on the website, and at our next meeting.

 

3. Nov 21/22 - Brief but intense meteor outburst

This Thursday night (November 21-22) we have a good chance of witnessing a brief but rich outburst of the Alpha Monocerotids. This shower is normally weak, but this year it has a high possibility of a brief intense outburst. Astronomers Esko Lyytinen and Peter Jenniskens say that the circumstances this year are nearly identical to 1995, when an outburst did occur, sending the rate up to 400 meteors per hour (5-6 meteors per minute) under optimum conditions. If an outburst takes place it is likely to be centered around 04:50 on November 22, with a duration of 15 to 40 minutes maximum.

The radiant will be just below the bright star Procyon (Alpha CMi), which will be about 40 degrees up in the South at 04.20, which is when you should start observing to be safe. Don't expect many meteors at that time, but you'll need time for your eyes to dark-adapt, and you can watch the build-up to maximum. The meteors will appear all over the sky, so where's best to look? The general rule is to look about 40 degrees on either side of the radiant, and about 40-50 degrees above the horizon. That would give you the choice of the Leo area, or the region of N Orion to Taurus.

These outbursts are caused by the dust trail of an unknown long-period comet. Dust was released during the previous orbit of the comet, when it was last near the sun. Only when that dust trail wanders into Earth's path just as Earth is passing the stream do we see an outburst. Rates will be highest (5-6 per minute) when the radiant is overhead. In Ireland/UK, peak rates will be a bit less because the radiant will be lower in the sky.

Most will not be very bright, say the brightness of Polaris up to that of Vega, and many will be fainter, so choose a dark site with a clear view, particularly towards the South.

 

4. Untimely death of Prof John Bown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland. It's with great sorrow that I have to inform you of the sudden death of Prof John Brown on Saturday 16 November. John was a good friend, and gave several lectures to the IAA over the years. He also accompanied us on our very successful trip to Turkey for the Total Solar Eclipse in 2006. Our condolences to his widow Margaret and the rest of the family circle.

 

5. Show off your Science! International science photography competition back for 2019

The international science photography competition, Wiki Science, returns to Ireland again this year. Wiki Science will take place from 1st November to 15th December, organised locally by Wikimedia Community Ireland. This competition aims to raise awareness of science, scientists and their research in Ireland by creating a store of quality images taken by members of the public that are free to use in education and outreach.

Photographers of all skill levels are encouraged to explore the six categories and then upload their photos to Wikimedia Commons. The seven categories are people in science, microscopy images, non-photographic media, image sets, wildlife and nature, a general category, and a special prize for an image depicting Women in STEM. The entries will be judged by a panel of Irish judges, with the seven winners being announced in early December. These images will then be submitted to the international competition.

For full details of the competition see www.wikimedia.ie and for updates see @wikimediaIE and Wikimedia Community Ireland's Facebook page. You can see the winning images from the 2017 and 2018 competitions here and here, for some inspiration! The competition is supported by the SCI:COM conference.

 

6. The fastest star in the Galaxy?

Astronomers have spotted an ultrafast star, travelling at a blistering 6 million km/h, ejected by the supermassive black hole at the heart at the Milky Way five million years ago. The discovery is described in a new paper in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

    The discovery of the star, known as S5-HVS1, was made by Sergey Koposov from Carnegie Mellon University as part of the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S5). Located in the constellation of Grus – the Crane – S5-HVS1 was found to be moving ten times faster than most stars in the Milky Way.  To put that in perspective, that's from here to the Sun in just over 1 day!

 

7. Space Careers Roadshow at National University Of Ireland Galway, 22 November. For Science Week 2019 and the Galway Science & Technology Festival , National University of Ireland Galway will host a Space Career Roadshow in conjunction with Science Foundation Ireland, ESERO Ireland and CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory. These roadshows will provide students with an excellent opportunity to engage with space industry professionals, and third level institutions, so that they can get a taste of the exciting opportunities that a STEM career in Space has to offer.

Date: Friday 22nd November 2019, Time: 10 am – 2.15 pm. Audience: Transition Year to Leaving Cert. Admission: Free. Further details here: https://www.bco.ie/events/space-careers-roadshow-at-nuig/

 

8. Armagh Observatory and Planetarium: Robinson Lecture, "Collisions and Catastrophes" with Stargazing and Dome show "Asteroid: Mission Extreme", 27 November. 6.30pm: Doors Open

7pm Talk , "Collisions and Catastrophes"  Delivered by Professor Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University. Best known for her work on meteorites and with the ESA Rosetta spacecraft project, the Philae lander and its Ptolemy instrument. Asteroid 4731 was named Monica Grady in her honour.

SYNOPSIS: Monica Grady will explore the hazards of cosmic collisions, and explain why it is important and fascinating to study the material that arrives uninvited on our planet every day.

8pm Dome show: Asteroid Mission Extreme

Stargazing (weather permitting) from 7pm-9pm

 

9. Mission Santa, Christmas experience, AOP, every Saturday 30 Nov – 22 Dec. For kids, of course. Booking at www.armagh.space

 

10. Conjunction of Venus, Moon and Jupiter, 28 November.

This will be difficult to observe, very low down in the SW: You'll need a clear view to the horizon, and a clear sky to the horizon there too. You could start looking with binoculars about 16.45, trying to pick up the very thin crescent Moon, only 5.2% illuminated. Also look 1.75 degrees to the left of the Moon for Venus, which will be next brightest at mag -3.9. Jupiter will lie almost 3 degrees on the other side of the Moon, much fainter at mag -1.8. but you should spot it in good binoculars or a small telescope if the sky is clear enough. They will set about half an hour after they first become visible, so you won't have long. The further South you are in Ireland, the higher up they will appear, so the better your chances.

   Saturn will be about 15 degrees to their upper left, but much fainter at mag 0.6.

 

11. 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

Ancient gas cloud shows universe's first stars formed quickly https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191108155444.htm

How massive spinning Black Holes form https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191108155440.htm

HST sees distant galaxy gravitationally lensed into 12 arcs! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191107160027.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29

   Peacock clouds in the Magellanic Clouds https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191114115856.htm

   The science of interstellar Bucky Balls https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191113170322.htm

   Black hole mergers only visible in the presence of gas https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191113153135.htm

   How the universe became transparent https://www.livescience.com/ionizing-photons-escape-galaxies-small-channels.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10059&utm_content=20191114_LS_Essentials_Newsletter+-+adhoc+&utm_term=3473357&m_i=dStK2srnf4o4iXwP3wnJmiJULYLrB3QOm8mef1PLlwqnOyvOBrEYqJZc1xRhXMNxhjEL7bi9%2BrTaNHx1l8KrbYynf%2B6VB097dR

 

COSMOLOGY

New measure of the Hubble Constant is at the lower end of the existing range. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191108132158.htm

 

EARTH & MOON

https://newatlas.com/environment/climate-emergency-six-step-plan/.  I've been arguing for these for years! And there's one other that they haven't mentioned – a shortage of water, both for irrigation, and for drinking, in certain high-population areas, particularly the Indian Subcontinent, which is supplied mainly by Himalayan glaciers, which are shrinking at an alarming rate. This also applies to certain areas in the Middle East supplied by rivers rising in the high mountains of E Turkey and the Caucasus, and certain communities fed by glaciers in the Andes, and to some areas on the W coast of the USA depending on run-off from the Sierras and the Rockies.

  Thawing permafrost coastlines release huge amounts of CO2 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191108162559.htm

   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7678071/The-oldest-thickest-sea-ice-melting-TWICE-fast-Arctic-Ocean.html  Frightening

 

EXOPLANETS

Many multiple stars have exoplanets https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191113103726.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29

  Refining the search for habitable exoplanets https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191114075536.htm

 

SOLAR SYSTEM

Ultima Thule / MU69 gets an official name: Arrokoth https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/snowman-shaped-target-of-nasas-new-horizons-mission-gets-a-brand-new-name/ar-BBWGBv0?ocid=spartandhp

   https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/in-depth/mysterious-oxygen-spike-seen-on-mars-puzzles-scientists/ar-BBWXdNd?ocid=spartandhp

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191114103546.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29

  The weird dance of Neptune's moons https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191114140020.htm

 

SPACE

https://newatlas.com/space/boeing-unveils-fewest-steps-lunar-lander-plan/

  https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/vulnerable-satellites-the-emerging-arms-race-in-space/ar-BBWG1w6?ocid=spartandhp

   Mars 2020 knows where to look for microfossils https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191114103546.htm

  Advanced Electric Propulsion System for Lunar Gateway passes test https://newatlas.com/space/advanced-electric-propulsion-system-aeps-full-power-test/

   Apollo 12 remembered: surviving 2 lightning strikes to carry out an elaborate mission https://newatlas.com/space/apollo-12-moon-mission-50th-anniversary/ 

 

12. 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


Saturday 9 November 2019

Transit of Mercury special

Hi all,

 

1. Transit of Mercury, 11 November.

The closest planet to the Sun, little rocky Mercury, transits the Sun as seen from Earth much more frequently than its bigger neighbour Venus. On average, there are 13 transits per century.  Because it's both smaller and further away from the Earth than Venus, you definitely need optical aid to see it. This transit will begin at 12.35 and end after local sunset, so the Sun will set with the transit still in progress

   The transit lasts from 12.35 – 18.04 UT, but the Sun sets before then throughout Ireland.

Local details for Belfast

1st C (when the edge of Mercury first appears to ingress on the Sun) = 12h 35m 18s*,

2nd C (when the whole disc of Mercury first appears totally silhouetted on the Sun)  = 12h 36m 58s*.

Mid transit = 15h 20m 57s,

Transit ends = 18h 03m 50s (not vis).

In practice, first contact is essentially invisible, and it's only about halfway through ingress when it becomes readily visible.

First contact will appear at a Position Angle of 110 degrees

The Sun sets at 16h.35m in Dublin, and at 16h 27m in Belfast. The Sun's altitude at mid transit will be 07º 9' at Belfast, and 08º 11' in Dublin.

NB: This will be the most central transit until 2190 Nov 12!

OBSERVING ALTITUDE and DIRECTION

In order for you to plan your observing location to get the best possible view, here are the positions of the Sun at critical stages, and intermediate hourly intervals, for Belfast, and for Portmagee in SW Kerry.

You can interpolate from these to get a fairly accurate indication for your own location. Basically, the further South you are, the higher up the Sun will be at any given stage, and the further West you are, the later the Sun will set, and thus you'll see a bit more of the transit.

                                    BELFAST                                                        PORTMAGEE

                                    Alt.º  '               Az º                                         Alt.º '                Az.º

1st contact, 12.35        17  44              187                                          20  43              182

13.00                           17  07              193                                          20  20              189

14.00                           14  06              208                                          17  44              204

15.00                           09 13               221                                          13  00              218

Mid transit, 15.20        07 16               226                                          11  03              222

16.00                           02 57               234                                          06 39               231

16.50                           below horizon                                                  00 34               241

 

   The last transit was on 9 May 2016, and the next one won't be until 2032 Nov 13, with mid transit at 08.55. Sunrise will be at 07.51 in Belfast, so most of that transit will also be visible from here.

This will be the Mercury transit with the longest duration since 1973, and the longest until 2190 Nov 12.

   SAFE VIEWING: Like anything involving observing the Sun, eye safety is paramount. You should NEVER look directly at the Sun with any sort of optical instrument, or you will seriously damage your eyes, with possible permanent blindness.

 The only safe ways to observe this event are as follows:

1. Telescope or good binoculars which you fit with a specially designed solar filter such as Baader Astrosolar, which you make to fit your own instrument using just scissors, card, and tape. If you are using binoculars you should either make a filter for each objective (front lens), or else make only one, and make sure that the front lens cap is securely fitted over the other objective. Do NOT use just an eyepiece lens cap, as the focused sunlight will quickly burn a hole through it.

   Since Mercury is quite small, you'll need fairly high-power binoculars to see it – a pair with a magnification of at least 12x.

2. Projection Method: use either an ordinary telescope, or one half of a good pair of binoculars, to project the image onto a piece of white card held about 20 – 30 cm behind the eyepiece. You'll also need to fit some sort of a screen over the eyepiece end of the telescope tube to prevent direct sunlight falling on the projection screen and spoiling the image. This method has the advantage that a number of people can observe the event simultaneously – all standing with their backs towards the un, looking at the screen. See the photo for how the projection is done.

   If you have a telescope

3. A proper Solar Telescope designed for observing the Sun. These are very expensive, and if you already have one, you'll know how to use it.

4. A special solar eyepiece, which you use with an ordinary telescope.  These are also very expensive, and if you already have one, you'll know how to use it.

   PHOTOGRAPHY: never try and photograph the Sun directly with any sort of camera: you will almost certainly damage the CCD chip. You should either photograph through a telescope fitted with a filter as above, or else photograph the projected image as in 2 above.

   Alternatively, if you have a camera with a telephoto or zoom lens which gives a magnification of at least 10 over a standard view you can make a solar filter to fit over the front of the lens as in 1 above. Note that a 'zoom range' of 10 to 1 is not enough, as that's the total range, from wide-angle to medium telephoto; such a lens might only magnify 6 or 7 times above the standard view, which will not be enough.

   * For the nerds/purists. My Skymap Pro 11, now about 15 years old, gives those times for first and second contacts for Belfast. But the IAS's "SkyHigh" for 2019 gives times for Dublin of 12h 35m 38s and 12h 37m 10s, and says that times will not differ by more than 2 seconds throughout the rest of the country. That's a difference of 20 seconds between the two predictions, so it would be interesting to see which is closer to what we see.

  For reference, the Geocentric 1st & 2nd contact times are 12h 35m 27s and 12h 37m 08s. The horizontal parallax of the Sun will be 08.9"; that of Mercury will be 13.0", a difference of only 04.1", so one's observing location anywhere in Ireland should cause very little difference.

   Also, according to Skymap Pro 10, Ingress takes a total of 1m 40s, and according to Fred Espenak it takes 1m 41s, so that's as close as makes no difference. But according to SkyHigh it takes only 1m 32s. That's one aspect that should not vary at all no matter where you are on Earth, so that's odd.

   It could be that the times quoted in SkyHigh are geocentric, whereas mine are topocentric, i.e. they allow for the fact that we're at a certain point on the surface of a rotating Earth.

   If anyone in Ireland can take high resolution video of ingress, that would be very useful, as you can then run it backwards to see just when 1st contact occurred.

 

2. Observing events for the Transit of Mercury.

The IAA will have a public observing event at the Divis Mountain Car Park, which is off the Divis road, off the B38.

The car park is at N 54.5992635; W -6.0402635.

We will be observing from the site of the Barn Café, at N. 54.6004593, W -6.0361642. If you have a tel;escope, you can bring your car up to the Barn café site, otherwise park at the car park on the road.

We will be there from about noon, and stay to sunset, or when clouds beat us. If the weatgher looks absolutely hopeless, check our website for updates on whether we'll be there or not.

 

 Blackrock Castle Observatory -Time: 12.30 pm – 4.30 pm. Audience: All welcome! Admission: Free. Further details here: https://www.bco.ie/events/transit-of-mercury-2/

Armagh Observatory will also host an event, see their website for details.

 

3. IAA Public Lecture, Wednesday November 20, 7.30 p.m. "New Perspectives Big and Small of the Trans-Neptunian Region", by Dr Meg Schwamb, QUB  )

Details; 7.30 p.m., Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building , QUB. Admission free, including light refreshments. See www.irishastro.org. more details inn next bulletin

 

4. IAU 100 Astronomy Day in Schools, 10 – 17 November
As one of IAU100's goals is to foster communication and exchange of ideas for the global astronomical community, this also includes the exchange of knowledge and ideas with the next generation of astronomers. The IAU100 has launched the Astronomy Day in Schools Global Project. This initiative hopes to instil some interest and passion for space sciences to continue the momentum of IAU throughout the next 100 years.
   Any amateur or professional astronomer is invited to participate by organising astronomy activities in schools taking place around the week 10-17 November 2019, which includes the World Science Day for Peace and Development on 10 November as well as a Mercury transit on 11 November, which offers an exciting outreach opportunity for the visiting astronomers. This project is also a special opportunity for students to directly interact and engage with astronomers in their communities. Organisers of registered events will have the opportunity to win different prizes.

 

 

5. Space Careers Roadshow at National University Of Ireland Galway, 22 November. For Science Week 2019 and the Galway Science & Technology Festival , National University of Ireland Galway will host a Space Career Roadshow in conjunction with Science Foundation Ireland, ESERO Ireland and CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory. These roadshows will provide students with an excellent opportunity to engage with space industry professionals, and third level institutions, so that they can get a taste of the exciting opportunities that a STEM career in Space has to offer.

Date: Friday 22nd November 2019, Time: 10 am – 2.15 pm. Audience: Transition Year to Leaving Cert. Admission: Free. Further details here: https://www.bco.ie/events/space-careers-roadshow-at-nuig/

 

6. Armagh Observatory and Planetarium: Robinson Lecture, "Collisions and Catastrophes" with Stargazing and Dome show "Asteroid: Mission Extreme", 27 November.

6.30pm: Doors Open

7pm Talk: Delivered by Professor Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at the Open University. Best known for her work on meteorites and with the ESA Rosetta spacecraft project, the Philae lander and its Ptolemy instrument. Asteroid 4731 was named Monica Grady in her honour.

Talk Title: Collisions and Catastrophes
Monica Grady will explore the hazards of cosmic collisions, and explain why it is important and fascinating to study the material that arrives uninvited on our planet every day.

8pm Dome show: Asteroid Mission Extreme

Stargazing (weather permitting) from 7pm-9pm

 

7. Mission Santa, Christmas experience, AOP, every Saturday 30 Nov – 22 Dec. For kids, of course. Booking at www.armagh.space

 

8. 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 ever x-ray burst from pulsar https://newatlas.com/space/nasa-nicer-brightest-x-ray-burst-pulsar/

https://earthsky.org/space/tess-captures-black-hole-shred-star-video

 

EXOPLANETS

https://www.livescience.com/nasa-tess-thousands-of-exoplanets.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9738&utm_content=20191106_LS_Essentials_Newsletter+-+adhoc+&utm_term=3473357&m_i=dStObbMdHvRlXexwd7p%2BqsGEiKRVcUtiqCpGJK5o_4VtQovwKNvJYQzQsyndfWD2L8di1h5aVXcTI2Lo0KAMom5rfXd9pBQpdA

Views of giant planet in wild orbit would be unparalleled https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191105075836.htm

 

IMAGES

https://newatlas.com/space/nasa-tess-exoplanet-hunting-satellite-image/

 

SPACE

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7659705/Boeing-says-lunar-lander-offers-fewest-steps-moon-Artemis-mission.html

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/spacex-shares-thrilling-crew-dragon-parachute-test/ar-AAJOmfE?ocid=spartandhp

 

9. 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


Saturday 2 November 2019

Astronomy isn't just for professionals, ISS, Mayo Dark Sky events start, Transit of Mercury, more

Hi all,

 

1. IAA Public Lecture, Wednesday November 6, 7.30 p.m. "Backyard Science for the Amateur Astronomer - Research isn't Just for the Professionals!", by Mike Foylan, Cherryvalley Observatory   )

. Mike Foylan became interested in Astronomy at the age of 5, receiving his first telescope from his father at age ten. Since then he has become a keen amateur astronomer establishing in 2010, Cherryvalley Observatory, in the small village of Rathmolyon in rural Co Meath. The observatory was awarded a recognised observatory code (I83) by the International Astronomical Union and Minor Planet Centre in 2011.

Its focuses on astrometry (position measuring) and photometry (light measurements) of asteroids. He is also a member of the British Astronomical Association, Meath Astronomy Group and has affiliations with Kingsland Observatory near Boyle, County Roscommon, which carries out primarily solar system studies and developing instrumented technologies for SETV research (Search for Extraterrestrial Visitation).

Cherryvalley observatory is also affiliated to NEMETODE (Network for Meteor Triangulation and Orbit Determination) which undertakes research into the nature of meteors using off-the-shelf equipment, a joint venture among amateur and professional astronomers across the UK and Ireland.

Cherryvalley observatory has a number of authored and co-authored peer reviewed papers published in the Minor Planet Bulletin, Journal of the British Astronomical Association and the WGN, the Journal of the International Meteor Organisation, in collaboration with colleagues and friends from the UK, USA, Italy and Ireland.

The Observatory's main instrument is an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, fitted with an SBIG-STL 1301E CCD Camera and Optec robotic focuser with photometric filters on a modified Celestron CG5-GT EQ mount.

In his spare time  he helps out as a volunteer citizen scientist at Dunsink Observatory Dublin, part of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, as part of their programme of meetings, workshops, and public outreach.

Abstract:

With the advent of better hardware and software technologies now available for amateur astronomers, Mike will demonstrate how the amateur astronomer can utilise such technologies to perform valuable scientific work using modest equipment from one's back garden using examples from Cherryvalley Observatory's work on Meteors and Minor Planets and how such amateur backyard work can lead to new (if accidental) discoveries!

Details; 7.30 p.m., Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building , QUB. Admission free, including light refreshments. See www.irishastro.org.

 

2. ISS. The International Space Station continues its series of morning passes until 10 Nov. Details for your own, or any, location, and lots more astronomy, on www.heavens-above.com

 

3. Mayo Dark Sky Festival, 1- 3 November. Newport, Co Mayo. Updates -

   Latest news - Astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk will speak at this year's festival, and we are delighted to confirm that Professor Mark McCaughrean will also be joining the line-up, which also includes Dr Niall Smith of CIT and Blackrock Castle Observatory, and Dr Niamh Shaw, aspiring astronaut.

   Also confirmed is DR. NORAH PATTEN is a faculty member at the International Space University and is a citizen scientist-astronaut candidate with Project PoSSUM. An award winning STEM advocate and ambassador. Norah has participated in several citizen science campaigns including microgravity research flights and spacesuit testing and evaluation. In September 2019, Norah is a children's author with the publication of her book 'Shooting for the Stars' by The O'Brien Press.

  This is a weekend of fabulous family friendly events featuring astronomy, science, culture and the environment in the communities of Newport, Mulranny & Ballycroy, Mayo.  Our festival programme is here and tickets can be purchased online (kids go free!):  https://www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie/programme

   Norah was a recipient of the Emerging Space Leaders Grant and a Next Generation Plenary panellist at the International Astronautical Congress in 2015. Through a partnership with NanoRacks, Norah initiated and managed 'The Only Way is Up' project which launched Ireland's first student experiment to the International Space Station in 2014.  Norah participated in the International Space University Space Studies Program in 2010 and holds a PhD in aeronautical engineering. She currently works as the programme manager at the Irish Composites Center (IComp)Details at www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie

It will be followed by -

 

4.  European Symposium for the Protection of the Night Sky Mulranny,  Mayo, 3 - 5 Nov.
UPDATES.
The14th European Symposium for the Protection of the Night Sky is to be held in Mulranny, County Mayo, from 3rd to 5th November 2019 (immediately following the Mayo Dark Sky Festival weekend).  Please share the dates and details on this event and would love to see you there.

   This event is offers a truly international programme, which you can view online here:  https://www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie/symposium-programme     We have speakers and representative of IDA places all over the world, including Japan, Germany, France, Austria, Spain, UK and more as well as various guest speakers (including the author of the newly published "Lonely Planet guide to Dark Skies", Valerie Stimac).  

    The European Symposium for the Protection of the Night sky runs over 3 dates, offering a platform for  research, activism and policy discussions on protecting the night sky and is licenced by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) as a sister event to their 2019 AGM and Dark Sky Conference.  

   The event is open to everyone -  academics, activists, architects, astronomers, community groups, conservationists, dark sky advocates, ecologists, engineers, lighting experts, planners, policy makers, scientists, students and more (!) to discuss the challenges and explore the solutions to light pollution and implementing best practices for dark sky friendly lighting.  

  In particularly we are looking to promote the call for abstracts and would be grateful if you can help us share this international event for Dark Sky Ireland with colleagues in environmental /astronomy & scientific/ dark sky networks.   This event will be sanctioned by the International Dark Sky Association.  
    Information is available on our website
www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie/symposium and we will be updating this with more announcements, news and updates on the event as they happen.  

 

5. IAU 100 Astronomy Day in Schools, 10 – 17 November
As one of IAU100's goals is to foster communication and exchange of ideas for the global astronomical community, this also includes the exchange of knowledge and ideas with the next generation of astronomers. The IAU100 has launched the Astronomy Day in Schools Global Project. This initiative hopes to instil some interest and passion for space sciences to continue the momentum of IAU throughout the next 100 years.
   Any amateur or professional astronomer is invited to participate by organising astronomy activities in schools taking place around the week 10-17 November 2019, which includes the World Science Day for Peace and Development on 10 November as well as a Mercury transit on 11 November, which offers an exciting outreach opportunity for the visiting astronomers. This project is also a special opportunity for students to directly interact and engage with astronomers in their communities. Organisers of registered events will have the opportunity to win different prizes.

 

6. Transit of Mercury, 11 November.

The closest planet to the Sun, little rocky Mercury, transits the Sun as seen from Earth much more frequently than its bigger neighbour Venus. On average, there are 13 transits per century.  Because it's both smaller and further away from the Earth than Venus, you definitely need optical aid to see it. This transit will begin at 12.35 and end after local sunset, so the Sun will set with the transit still in progress

   The transit lasts from 12.35 – 18.04 UT, but the Sun sets before then throughout Ireland.

Local details for Belfast

1st C (when the edge of Mercury first appears to ingress on the Sun) = 12h 35m 18s*,

2nd C (when the whole disc of Mercury first appears totally silhouetted on the Sun)  = 12h 36m 58s*.

Mid transit = 15h 20m 57s,

Transit ends = 18h 03m 50s (not vis).

In practice, first contact is essentially invisible, and it's only about halfway through ingress when it becomes readily visible.

First contact will appear at a Position Angle of 110 degrees

The Sun sets at 16h.35m in Dublin, and at 16h 27m in Belfast. The Sun's altitude at mid transit will be 07º 9' at Belfast, and 08º 11' in Dublin.

NB: This will be the most central transit until 2190 Nov 12!

OBSERVING ALTITUDE and DIRECTION

In order for you to plan your observing location to get the best possible view, here are the positions of the Sun at critical stages, and intermediate hourly intervals, for Belfast, and for Portmagee in SW Kerry.

You can interpolate from these to get a fairly accurate indication for your own location. Basically, the further South you are, the higher up the Sun will be at any given stage, and the further West you are, the later the Sun will set, and thus you'll see a bit more of the transit.

                                    BELFAST                                                        PORTMAGEE

                                    Alt.º  '               Az º                                         Alt.º '                Az.º

1st contact, 12.35        17  44              187                                          20  43              182

13.00                           17  07              193                                          20  20              189

14.00                           14  06              208                                          17  44              204

15.00                           09 13               221                                          13  00              218

Mid transit, 15.20        07 16               226                                          11  03              222

16.00                           02 57               234                                          06 39               231

16.50                           below horizon                                                  00 34               241

 

   The last transit was on 9 May 2016, and the next one won't be until 2032 Nov 13, with mid transit at 08.55. Sunrise will be at 07.51 in Belfast, so most of that transit will also be visible from here.

This will be the Mercury transit with the longest duration since 1973, and the longest until 2190 Nov 12.

   SAFE VIEWING: Like anything involving observing the Sun, eye safety is paramount. You should NEVER look directly at the Sun with any sort of optical instrument, or you will seriously damage your eyes, with possible permanent blindness.

 The only safe ways to observe this event are as follows:

1. Telescope or good binoculars which you fit with a specially designed solar filter such as Baader Astrosolar, which you make to fit your own instrument using just scissors, card, and tape. If you are using binoculars you should either make a filter for each objective (front lens), or else make only one, and make sure that the front lens cap is securely fitted over the other objective. Do NOT use just an eyepiece lens cap, as the focused sunlight will quickly burn a hole through it.

   Since Mercury is quite small, you'll need fairly high-power binoculars to see it – a pair with a magnification of at least 12x.

2. Projection Method: use either an ordinary telescope, or one half of a good pair of binoculars, to project the image onto a piece of white card held about 20 – 30 cm behind the eyepiece. You'll also need to fit some sort of a screen over the eyepiece end of the telescope tube to prevent direct sunlight falling on the projection screen and spoiling the image. This method has the advantage that a number of people can observe the event simultaneously – all standing with their backs towards the un, looking at the screen. See the photo for how the projection is done.

   If you have a telescope

3. A proper Solar Telescope designed for observing the Sun. These are very expensive, and if you already have one, you'll know how to use it.

4. A special solar eyepiece, which you use with an ordinary telescope.  These are also very expensive, and if you already have one, you'll know how to use it.

   PHOTOGRAPHY: never try and photograph the Sun directly with any sort of camera: you will almost certainly damage the CCD chip. You should either photograph through a telescope fitted with a filter as above, or else photograph the projected image as in 2 above.

   Alternatively, if you have a camera with a telephoto or zoom lens which gives a magnification of at least 10 over a standard view you can make a solar filter to fit over the front of the lens as in 1 above. Note that a 'zoom range' of 10 to 1 is not enough, as that's the total range, from wide-angle to medium telephoto; such a lens might only magnify 6 or 7 times above the standard view, which will not be enough.

   * For the nerds/purists. My Skymap Pro 11, now about 15 years old, gives those times for first and second contacts for Belfast. But the IAS's "SkyHigh" for 2019 gives times for Dublin of 12h 35m 38s and 12h 37m 10s, and says that times will not differ by more than 2 seconds throughout the rest of the country. That's a difference of 20 seconds between the two predictions, so it would be interesting to see which is closer to what we see.

  For reference, the Geocentric 1st & 2nd contact times are 12h 35m 27s and 12h 37m 08s. The horizontal parallax of the Sun will be 08.9"; that of Mercury will be 13.0", a difference of only 04.1", so one's observing location anywhere in Ireland should cause very little difference.

   Also, according to Skymap Pro 10, Ingress takes a total of 1m 40s, and according to Fred Espenak it takes 1m 41s, so that's as close as makes no difference. But according to SkyHigh it takes only 1m 32s. That's one aspect that should not vary at all no matter where you are on Earth, so that's odd.

   It could be that the times quoted in SkyHigh are geocentric, whereas mine are topocentric, i.e. they allow for the fact that we're at a certain point on the surface of a rotating Earth.

   If anyone in Ireland can take high resolution video of ingress, that would be very useful, as you can then run it backwards to see just when 1st contact occurred.

 

7. Observing events for the Transit of Mercury.

Various events are planned, including at Blackrock Castle Observatory -Time: 12.30 pm – 4.30 pm. Audience: All welcome! Admission: Free. Further details here: https://www.bco.ie/events/transit-of-mercury-2/

Armagh Observatory will also host an event, as will the IAA. More details in next bulletin.

 

8. Space Careers Roadshow at National University Of Ireland Galway, 22 November. For Science Week 2019 and the Galway Science & Technology Festival , National University of Ireland Galway will host a Space Career Roadshow in conjunction with Science Foundation Ireland, ESERO Ireland and CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory. These roadshows will provide students with an excellent opportunity to engage with space industry professionals, and third level institutions, so that they can get a taste of the exciting opportunities that a STEM career in Space has to offer.

Date: Friday 22nd November 2019, Time: 10 am – 2.15 pm. Audience: Transition Year to Leaving Cert. Admission: Free. Further details here: https://www.bco.ie/events/space-careers-roadshow-at-nuig/

 

9. Mission Santa, Christmas experience, AOP, every Saturday 30 Nov – 22 Dec. For kids, of course. Booking at www.armagh.space

 

10. 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

Detecting wormholes by star orbits near Black Holes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191023135913.htm

   First detection of heavy metal strontium from Neutron star merger https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191023132153.htm

   Monster galaxy from very early universe is 'missing link' https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191022142202.htm

Simulations confirtm giant hot jupiters in eccentric orbits  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191030132730.htm

 

COSMOLOGY

A new measure of the Hubble constant provides more headaches for cosmologists https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191023150327.htm

  https://newatlas.com/physics/higgs-boson-mass-measured/

Before the Big Bang was Inflation, but what came in between? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191025130414.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29

Is an unknown particle changing the fate of the universe? https://www.livescience.com/new-particle-changing-fate-of-universe.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9456&utm_content=20191030_LS_Essentials_Newsletter+-+adhoc+&utm_term=3473357&m_i=B6i3OBvBkL4LLhCt7oMGEbDodqHkqOkSnkw%2Bov1oysWXoYZ71Bj5GIcfgvd3QUjzZ51xsRZu8r2bbq91bPBcPh3AMMGo1eQBBB

Another piece in the Dark Matter puzzle? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191025145313.htm

 

DARK SKY SITES

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7621455/New-astro-tourism-trail-created-Welsh-mountains-links-six-locations-awarded-dark-sky-status.html

 

EARTH & MOON

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/20/nasas-resilient-van-allen-probes-shut-down/

  Another asteroid impact extinction event 13,000 years ago? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191025110314.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29

   How the Chicxulub Impact actually caused mass extinction https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/the-worst-day-in-earths-history-contains-an-ominous-warning/ar-AAJwyeR?ocid=spartandhp

   Melting of Iceland's glaciers https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7613037/Aerial-photographs-reveal-staggering-melting-Icelands-largest-glacier.html

   Robot to search for lunar ice https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7614617/NASA-announces-lunar-rover-scour-Moons-south-pole-search-water-ice-2022.html 

 

EXOLIFE

https://www.livescience.com/evolution-says-humans-only-intelligent-life.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9050&utm_content=20191022_LS_Essentials_Newsletter+-+adhoc+&utm_term=3473357&m_i=Imr0vR_dPT0_qRckuGX5o61W20SIPH%2BsR1F32%2BtFHhWVoQYF_Gr4MR7HN8OQC3zveHQCt8y5lZWswCOFMDwzx1Hnbz8xIRbII8

 

EXOPLANETS

https://earthsky.org/space/when-exoplanets-collide-bd-20-307?utm_source=EarthSky+News&utm_campaign=018211e55d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c643945d79-018211e55d-394571661

   https://earthsky.org/space/small-rocky-exoplanets-can-still-be-habitable?utm_source=EarthSky+News&utm_campaign=70f5fb7b18-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c643945d79-70f5fb7b18-394571661    Another factor is the planet's own internal heating, either from radioactive decay, or from tidal stresses, e.g. from interactions with another larger planet, or if its orbit was reasonably elliptical, although obviously not too much.

   Earthlike planets may be common in the universe https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191017141052.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29

 

IMAGES

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7613345/Bubble-Nebula-glows-deep-red-stunning-photograph-taken-garden.html

 

SETI

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7606825/NASA-joins-forces-alien-hunters-search-life-exoplanets.html

 

SOLAR SYSTEM

Landslides on Mars not proof of ice? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191024074957.htm

   Origin and composition of Titan's dunes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191018100506.htm

   Is Hygeia the smallest Dwarf Planet in the Solar System? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7622313/Giant-space-rock-actually-dwarf-PLANET-astronomers-claim.html

   A mole just popped up on the surface of Mars! https://mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-gb/DisplayMessage?ws_popup=true&ws_suite=true

 

SPACE

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7605391/Virgin-Galactic-powers-SpaceShipTwo-plane-crucial-test-commercial-space-aircraft.html

   https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/18/china-launches-mysterious-geostationary-satellite/

   https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/18/lawmakers-question-nasas-plan-for-a-2024-moon-landing/ Would it be too cynical to suggest that Trump was hoping to have this happen during his Presidency, assuming that he would get re-elected in 2020?

   https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/22/bezos-says-space-industry-stalwarts-will-help-blue-origin-build-moon-lander/

   https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/21/nasas-moon-program-winning-international-support/

No reduction in mouse fertility after stay in space https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191023093453.htm

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7622147/MIT-designd-tiny-inchworm-like-robots-build-space-settlements-Mars-homes-Earth.html

 

TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/23/german-x-ray-telescope-achieves-first-light/

 

11. 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