Wednesday 4 December 2019

Planetary nebulae talk, Geminids, ISS, Starlink, Help Hera, Santa at AOP, Interstellar comet closest to Earth.

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. GEMINIDS The Geminids are the year's richest meteor shower, with a ZHR of 120, with peak activity 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.
Activity begins about 7 Dec, and builds up to the date of maximum, so it's worth looking on the few nights before maximum as well. The radiant is near Castor.
The Geminids are unusual in that the parent body, Phaethon, is classed as an asteroid, not a comet!
   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.
 
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. Starlink satellite trains Some of the Starlink satellites launched in a long 'string' are visible to the naked eye in the morning skies. There are scores of them (far too many!), so check site www.heavens-above.com for details. They are going to be a real problem for astronomers.
 
5. Alan Fitzsimmons says ESA wants our help re HERA Mission . .
 
6. Mission Santa, Christmas experience, AOP, every Saturday 30 Nov – 22 Dec. For kids, of course. Booking at www.armagh.space
 
7. 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
 
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 details 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
MWA/GLEAM finds remanant of dead stars in MW centre. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191120070717.htm
Missing neutron star from 1987A supernova explosion found at last https://newatlas.com/space/neutron-star-found-supernova-explosion/
  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
 
COSMOLOGY
   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/
 Space data could really help emergency response times   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191122112807.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.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
TESS is keeping exoplanet astronomers busy https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191119161449.htm
 
 
LIGHT POLLUTION 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191118162938.htm they seem to think that this is new thinking!
 
SOLAR SYSTEM
 
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?
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.
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 !
 
SUN
QUB's Dr David Jess leads team solving solar mystery https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191202135718.htm Dr Jess has lectured to us in Belfast before, and we hope to have him again soon!
   Solar wind slows further away from Sun  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191202102033.htm
 
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

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