Monday 21 June 2021

Solar lecture, Davagh DSP open, Solstice, Solstice event, AOP re-opening, EAS meeting, Asteroid Day, Sky video, NLCs, ISS, Teasers update more

Hi all,

 

(NB, all times are summer time when in force, for convenience)

 

1. IAA LECTURE by ZOOM; Wed 23 June, 7.30 pm: "The Diverse Future of Solar Physics", by Dr Samuel Grant, Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB.

Synopsis

We are at the advent of an exciting era in the study of our nearest star, thanks to the emerging signs of a new solar cycle, alongside a varied fleet of cutting-edge observing suites set to begin operations in the next decade. In this talk, the implications of entering a new solar cycle will be discussed, including the current conjecture on how this cycle will develop. There will also be discussion of the space and ground-based observatories being developed world wide that will provide an unprecedented insight into the dynamic physics of the Sun. Finally, I will present some of the earthly applications of our developments in solar physics, focusing on our bio-medical science collaboration here at QUB.

Biography:

Dr Grant is an STFC post-doctoral research fellow employed in the Solar Physics group at Queen's University Belfast, with a focus on wave activity and energy transport in the lower solar atmosphere. I attained my PhD from Queen's in 2017 under Dr. David Jess, after my undergraduate studies at Glasgow University, and until September 2020 was employed as a lead researcher on the industrial collaboration to advance bio-medical science through the application of astronomical techniques at QUB/Randox Laboratories.   

 

2. Davagh Dark Sky Park and Observatory now open, with pre-booking, and some restrictions.

 See https://www.midulstercouncil.org/visitor/things-to-do/star-gazing/davagh-dark-sky-observatory , and https://www.facebook.com/omdarksky/ I'll post any updates here. Or phone 03000 132 132 for changing Covid-19 advice.

 

3. Summer Solstice. The Sun will reach its greatest Northerly declination on June 21 at 03.31, so Sunrise that morning will be very near the maximum Northerly direction on your horizon. That will be the longest day, and thereafter they will start to shorten again.

 

4. Summer Solstice Event: Solstice Seminar: How radio astronomy is changing the way we think about big data

Join I-LOFAR and stream BIRR to celebrate the Summer Solstice with a dive into Big Data from astronomy to business. https://lofar.ie/summersolstice2021/

  I-LOFAR are delighted to be partnering with stream BIRR for our 2021 Summer Solstice event where we will be joined by special guest Prof Anna Scaife (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics & Alan Turing Institute) to discuss her work on the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope, exploring big data in astronomy and applications for business, industry and more.
  Prof Anna Scaife will also be joined for a panel discussion with Dr Caitriona Jackman (Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies) and Joe Hogan (Openet), chaired by Prof Peter Gallagher (Head of I-LOFAR). The panel will discuss applications of big data and analyses techniques at the crossovers of astrophysics and business.
  We will also hear from Caitriona Montgomery, Business Development Manager at stream BIRR, about their model of bringing research and business together for mutual benefit in the Irish Midlands.
  This free event will be run online via Zoom and includes an opportunity for attendees to participate in a Q&A session with with Anna and the other panelists.
  Please notify Áine Flood at info@lofar.ie of any accessibility requirements you may have.
Details:  Monday 21st June 2021; 19:00 – 20:00 Irish Time (UTC+1)   Tickets free but limited, REGISTER NOW on Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/summer-solstice-with-i-lofar-and-stream-birr-astronomically-big-data-registration-157213906025)

Contact info@lofar.ie with any queries.

 

 

5. Armagh Planetarium will be re-opening on 26 June.

Ticketsolve - Armagh Observatory Planetarium

 

6. European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting
Location: Virtual
Date: 28 June–2 July 2021
Website: 
https://eas.unige.ch/EAS_meeting/

 

7. Asteroid Day, 30 June.

Learn more here: https://asteroidday.org/

 

8. Paul Evans has produced his latest excellent sky guide for June

https://youtu.be/LBWtTz4Nwco

 

9. NLCs

Noctilucent (or 'night-shining') clouds are the highest clouds in our atmosphere, at over 80 km altitude. In the N. Hemisphere they can be seen above the northern skyline between the end of May and roughly mid-July from Ireland/UK. They are so hight that they remain illuminated by the Sun from below the local horizon, while lower clouds are in darkness.

    They form when water vapour crystallizes around specks of meteoric dust in the mesosphere when the temperature is really low. NASA scientists scientists are predicting low temperatures in the mesosphere, and so hopefully a good NLC season.

 

10. ISS. The ISS will start a new series of morning passes on 3 July, which will gradually transition to evening passes in mid-month. Details at www.heavens-above.com

 

11. NI Science Festival, astrophotography workshop, Ballintoy, 3 July.

NI Science Festival: Capturing the Night Sky at Ballintoy Harbour

This may be of interest, although I don't think that there will be anything that hasn't already been well covered by our own IAA and other local astrophotographers.

    Also, note that it won't get dark enough for proper night sky photography at Ballintoy at all on the night of 3 July! And at 11 p.m., when the event finishes, the Sun will be only 5 degrees 34' below the horizon – still in civil twilight! Even at local midnight, at 01 31 BST, it will be less than 12 degrees below the horizon – still in Nautical Twilight.  The only possible targets under those conditions would be noctilucent clouds, and they only occur well about a dozen times each summer, and you'd have to wait until after 12.00 to get a reasonable view.

   You won't even have the Moon, as it's a waning crescent, and doesn't rise until 02.00!

 

12. SPACE and ASTRONOMY WEBINAR – starting again on July 6

NB: Note platform change. Since most people have been watching on YouTube, we are ceasing the presentation via Zoom, and it will now be streamed live on both YouTube and Facebook. This will also give us lots of added features in the presentation.

    Presented by me and the amazing Nick Howes, they are approximately 45 minutes long, every second Tuesday, at 7.30 p.m., covering whatever is topical in space and astronomy. The date of the next one will be announced asap: youtube.com/spacestorelive

NB – So, from now on it will be Live streamed to YouTube SpaceStore Live! Channel and Live streamed to Facebook Live. I'll post any last minute news via Twitter.

 

13.  New Astronomy Message Board – wrong link.

   Unfortunately there was a typo in what I received. The correct link is

https://eireastro.boards.net ) 

Frank Ryan Jr has started a new message forum, on the lines of Cloudy Nights, and Stargazers Lounge, and would be delighted to have contributions and comments.

Have a look, and even better, join in.

 

14. A: Clue for Easy Teaser  No suggestions for this yet, so here's a clue The last three gave their name to something used in astronomy.

What's the connection between – A type of singing, a Keeper of the Mint, a German musician, and a Buddhist monk?

"Rules for Easy Teasers: you're barred from entering if you (A) have already submitted a correct answer to any of the previous teasers, and/or (B) if you've been a member of any astronomy clubs or societies for 15 years or more. Obviously I have to trust your honesty on that latter point, but remember, if you're correct your name will be published here, and other members of your club will see it!"

 

14. B: New Difficult Teaser. I've had a few requests for a new one for the experts, so here you are:

What happened unusually in Mar 1918 and April 1920, and again in March 1997 and April 1999?

   Please send all answers to me at my aol address terrymosel@aol.com

                                                                                                     

15. On the Moon Again! Returns in 16-18 July 2021
  
On the Moon Again! returns for 2021. Join the world in enjoying the Moon from 16-18 July 2021 by taking a telescope out to safely help others observe Earth's natural satellite or stay inside to watch a 24-hour live show all about the Moon with experts from around the world.
   Learn more here: 
https://www.onthemoonagain.org/

 

16. 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

Dark matter is slowing the spin of the Milky Way's galactic bar -- ScienceDaily

Black holes help with star birth: The cosmic mass monsters clear the way for the formation of new suns in satellite galaxies -- ScienceDaily

'Giant arc' stretching 1.3 billion light-years across the cosmos shouldn't exist | Live Science

Mysterious Fast Radio Bursts Come in Two Distinct Flavors - Scientific American

Astronomers discover largest known spinning structures in the universe | Space

Astronomers spot a 'blinking giant' near the center of the Galaxy -- ScienceDaily

https://www.universetoday.com/151435/supernova-observed-by-astronomers-in-1181-could-have-been-a-rare-type-1ax-that-leaves-behind-a-zombie-star-remnant/

Star Formation Begins When Clouds of Gas Crash Into Each Other - Universe Today 

Scientist sees deep meaning in black holes after Event Horizon Telescope's triumph - Universe Today

Astronomers discover a 'changing-look' blazar -- ScienceDaily

CHIME telescope detects more than 500 mysterious fast radio bursts in its first year of operation: Observations quadruple the number of known radio bursts and reveal two types: One-offs and repeaters -- ScienceDaily

An unprecedented survey of the 'nurseries' where stars are born: Study of nearby galaxies gives new insights into star formation -- ScienceDaily

Hubble data confirms galaxies lacking dark matter -- ScienceDaily

Study of young chaotic star system reveals planet formation secrets -- ScienceDaily

White Dwarf Measured Before it Exploded as a Supernova - Universe Today

How a supermassive black hole originates: Study points to a seed black hole produced by a dark matter halo collapse -- ScienceDaily

The give and take of mega-flares from stars -- ScienceDaily

Mystery solved: Dust cloud led to Betelgeuse's 'Great Dimming' -- ScienceDaily

ALMA discovers earliest gigantic black hole storm -- ScienceDaily

Space scientists solve a decades-long gamma-ray burst puzzle -- ScienceDaily

Cosmic cartographers map nearby universe revealing the diversity of star-forming galaxies: Study reveals that the makeup and life cycle of star-forming clouds is dependent on location -- ScienceDaily

Finding quasars: Rare extragalactic objects are now easier to spot -- ScienceDaily

Discovery of a dying supermassive black hole via a 3,000-year-long light echo -- ScienceDaily

The origin of the first structures formed in galaxies like the Milky Way identified -- ScienceDaily

 

COSMOLOGY.

It anti-matters! https://www.facebook.com/100001020122113/posts/4186225821421381/?sfnsn=mo

 

EARTH & MOON

Lightning impacts edge of space in ways not previously observed -- ScienceDaily

Dramatic climate domino effects could be unleashed after less than 2 degrees of warming, a new study reveals | Live Science

Dramatic images capture rapid slide of Antarctic glacier | Live Science

Climate change has been altering Earth's axis for at least 30 years | Live Science

Huge meteorite did not play a part in demise of dinosaurs, study says | Daily Mail Online

Earth's meteorite impacts over past 500 million years tracked -- ScienceDaily

Physicists report definitive evidence how auroras are created -- ScienceDaily

 

EXOPLANETS

"Rogue planet" exomoons could potentially harbor water and life (newatlas.com)

After billions of years in harmony, distant star system will end in chaos (newatlas.com) and Star's death will play a mean pinball with rhythmic planets -- ScienceDaily

Scientists discover new exoplanet with an atmosphere ripe for study -- ScienceDaily

 

EXOLIFE

If we ever encounter aliens, they will resemble AI and not little green martians (msn.com)

Mushrooms on Mars? 5 unproven claims that alien life exists | Space

 

IMAGES

These NASA photos of the sunrise solar eclipse of 2021 are just jaw-dropping | Space

'Ring of fire' solar eclipse of 2021 thrills stargazers with sunrise spectacle | Space

Spectacular video of eclipse double sunrise https://www.facebook.com/523978961/posts/10158728254133962/ Look for the Green Flash as the second horn rises

 

SOLAR SYSTEM

Perseverance rover begins first science mission in Mars' Jezero Crater (newatlas.com)

Jupiter's Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, looks amazing in these 1st photos from NASA's epic Juno flyby | Space

Mystery of the gigantic Oort cloud from deep space explained - Big Think

Ganymede Looks Glorious in New Images from NASA's Juno Mission - Scientific American

ESA selects EnVision orbiter to uncover mysteries of Venus (newatlas.com)

Scientist map the boundary of interstellar space for the first time (newatlas.com)

NASA has just rejected missions to moons of Jupiter and Neptune. Here's what we would have found out. | Space

Finally! New Pictures of Ganymede, Thanks to Juno - Universe Today

Asteroid 16 Psyche might not be what scientists expected -- ScienceDaily

China's Mars rover Zhurong spotted from space by NASA orbiter (photos) | Space

https://www.facebook.com/groups/421163751426836/permalink/1689947954548403/?sfnsn=scwspmo

 

SPACE

First passenger seat on Blue Origin's New Shepard sells for $28 million (newatlas.com) that makes Virgin Galactic at about $200k seem exceptionally good value!

NASA finishes assembling $18 billion Space Launch System megarocket (msn.com)

China launches commercial asteroid hunter and 3 other satellites into space | Space

Clever Trick Used to Clean off InSight's Solar Panels and Boost its Power - Universe Today

China's Mars rover Zhurong spotted from space by NASA orbiter (photos) | Space

NASA's Perseverance rover begins 1st science campaign on Mars | Space

Space travel weakens our immune systems: Now scientists may know why -- ScienceDaily

Peggy Whitson is back! The record-breaking astronaut reveals why she chose to command a private space mission after leaving NASA. | Space

Brazil makes history in signing the Artemis Accords for moon exploration | Space

The world needs space junk standards, G7 nations agree | Space

Chinese astronauts enter Tiangong space station for first time – Spaceflight Now

ESA is Joining NASA With Their own Mission to Venus - Universe Today

Challenger crew likely SURVIVED first seconds after explosion before capsule crashed into ocean | Daily Mail Online

https://www.facebook.com/17610706465/posts/10158013413701466/?sfnsn=scwspmo
New Deputy Administrator at NASA https://www.facebook.com/17610706465/posts/10158013413701466/?sfnsn=scwspmo

Jeff Bezos will join passengers launching into space on Blue Origin's 1st crewed flight | Space

 

SUN

The next solar cycle may be a big one The Termination Event | Spaceweather.com (spaceweatherarchive.com)

Scientist map the boundary of interstellar space for the first time (newatlas.com)

The sun's clock: All cycles fit the picture: New calculations support and expand planetary hypothesis -- ScienceDaily Total Solar Eclipses Shine a Light on the Solar Wind | NASA

 

TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES

The flying telescope that's shedding new light on the origins of life on earth (msn.com)

Researchers Simulate the Formation of the Oort Cloud - Universe Today

Physicists achieve significant improvement in spotting neutrinos in a cosmic haystack -- ScienceDaily

New Radioactivity Measurement Could Boost Precision of Dark Matter Experiments - Scientific American

Hubble Space Telescope sidelined by issue with its 1980s computer | Space

NASA has Approved a Space Telescope That Will Scan the Skies for Dangerous Near-Earth Asteroids - Universe Today

What Mission Could Detect Oceans at Uranus' Moons? - Universe Today =

 

17.  JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION. This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://documents.irishastro.org.uk/iaamembership.doc
If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the 'gift-aid' box, as that enables us to reclaim the standard rate of tax on your subscription, at no cost to you.
You can also make a donation via Paypal if you wish: just click on the 'Donate' button. See also https://irishastro.org/  

 

The Irish Astronomical Association is registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC 105858

 

DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed herein are mine, and do not necessarily represent those of the IAA.

Clear skies,

Terry Moseley


Tuesday 8 June 2021

Eclipse on 10 June, OM/Davagh DSP opens, Mars webinars, AOP reopens 26 June, Video sky guide, NLCs, Dark Energy, ISS, Space webinars to resume, New astronomy Message Board, Teasers, more


Hi all,

 

(NB, all times are summer time when in force, for convenience)

 

1. Partial Solar Eclipse, 10 June.

This will be the first good partial solar eclipse visible from Ireland since March 2015

Times are in summer time. It's an annular eclipse in high Northern latitudes of Canada, Greenland and Siberia. The greatest eclipse in Ireland will be seen in the far NW of Mayo and Donegal. The W end of Tory Island will get 46%, but it's hardly worth the trip for the extra few tenths of a percent!

The Magnitude is the % of the solar diameter which is covered by the Moon at maximum. This is the traditional way of describing a solar eclipse: some other sources give the % of the area of the Sun which is covered – this gives a smaller figure.

 

Place

Start

Time of max

Max

Magnitude

Alt, in deg at Max

Eclipse ends

Belfast

10.03

11.11

42.7

42.5º

12.25

L/derry

10.02

11.10

44.6

42.4º

12.25

Dublin

10.01

11.08

40.6

42.8º

12.21

Cork

09.56

11.03

39.8

42.0º

12.15

Galway

09.57

11.05

42.9

41.2º

12.18

Clifden

09.56

11.04

44.1

41.2º

12.18

Belmullet

09.58

11.06

45.4

41.1º

12.20

Bloody Foreland

10.00

11.11

45.6

41.0

12.24

Tullamore

09.59

11.07

41.5

42.5º

12.20

Waterford

08.58

10.05

39.3

42.6º

12.17

DO NOT attempt to view the eclipse without proper eye protection, and ABSOLUTELY do not attempt to view it with any sort of optical device unless properly filtered, or by projection.

Specifically, do NOT use

         Tinted Sunglasses

         Polaroid Sunglasses

         ANY Sunglasses!

         CDs

         Exposed photographic film

         Photographic filters

         Any sort of plastic film

         Pinholes to look through directly

         Your crossed fingers

 

You can safely view the image projected THROUGH a telescope onto a piece of white card held behind the eyepiece.

There are also many ways of viewing the image PROJECTED BY a small pinhole – a Google search will give you lots of options. Remember, if in doubt, play safe. Good Luck!

   See also 'Ring of fire' eclipse 2021: When, where and how to see the annular solar eclipse on June 10 | Space

 

2. Davagh Dark Sky Park and Observatory now open, with pre-booking, and some restrictions.

 See https://www.midulstercouncil.org/visitor/things-to-do/star-gazing/davagh-dark-sky-observatory , and https://www.facebook.com/omdarksky/ I'll post any updates here. Or phone 03000 132 132 for changing Covid-19 advice.

 

3. June 8-11: Institutions of Extraterrestrial Liberty, hosted by U of Edinburgh. 4 days of webinars on Human Exploration of Mars.

 

4. Armagh Planetarium re-opening on 26 June.

Ticketsolve - Armagh Observatory Planetarium

 

5. Paul Evans has produced his latest excellent sky guide for June

https://youtu.be/LBWtTz4Nwco

 

6. NLCs

Noctilucent (or 'night-shining') clouds are the highest clouds in our atmosphere, at over 80 km altitude. In the N. Hemisphere they can be seen above the northern skyline between the end of May and roughly mid-July from Ireland/UK. They are so hight that they remain illuminated by the Sun from below the local horizon, while lower clouds are in darkness.

    They form when water vapour crystallizes around specks of meteoric dust in the mesosphere when the temperature is really low. NASA scientists scientists are predicting low temperatures in the mesosphere, and so hopefully a good NLC season.

 

7. Dark Energy – all you ever wanted to know.

Dark energy: The eerie force accelerating the expansion of the universe (newatlas.com) .

Vacuum energy puzzles me. I can understand the concept of quantum fluctuations making virtual particles appear out of nothing and then annihilating each other in a burst of energy - but what's the energy source for the spontaneous appearance of the particles? We can't just say 'vacuum energy',  because this process, which amounts to three quarters of the entire matter/energy in the universe, would be constantly depleting the amount of vacuum energy. So the expansion rate should be slowing down, not speeding up.

    And if the quantum fluctuations are entirely random, there should also be an equal number of cases where energy becomes these virtual particles, so the net effect should be zero.

 

8. ISS. The ISS will start a new series of morning passes on 3 July, which will gradually transition to evening passes in mid-month. Details at www.heavens-above.com

 

9  SPACE and ASTRONOMY WEBINAR – starting again on July 6

NB: Note platform change. Since most people have been watching on YouTube, we are ceasing the presentation via Zoom, and it will now be streamed live on both YouTube and Facebook. This will also give us lots of added features in the presentation.

After a year of presentations, we're taking a break for April, and we'll be back on  'Star Wars Day' – May the Fourth be with you!

    Presented by me and the amazing Nick Howes, they are approximately 45 minutes long, every second Tuesday, at 7.30 p.m., covering whatever is topical in space and astronomy. The date of the next one will be announced asap: youtube.com/spacestorelive

NB – So, from now on it will be Live streamed to YouTube SpaceStore Live! Channel and Live streamed to Facebook Live. I'll post any last minute news via Twitter.

 

10.  New Astronomy Message Board.

Frank Ryan Jr has started a new message forum, on the lines of Cloudy Nights, and Stargazers Lounge, and would be delighted to have contributions and comments. See https://eireastroboards.net  Have a look, and even better, join in.

 

11. TEASERS

Easy Teaser – Answers:

Q. Of the 12 official zodiacal constellations, what record is held by Scorpius? The answer was that Scorpius has the shortest length of the ecliptic passing through it, and therefore the Sun spends less time in Scorpius than in any other Zodiacal Constellation.

Two 'experts' answered it (Brian Beesley and Peter Millar), but the first correct answer from an eligible candidate was from Ross Currie, at his first attempt! Well done Ross!

OOPS – Sorry – I also got a correct answer from Colin Parkes – apologies to Collin!

 

HARD TEASER – Answered at last!

The question was - What connects – the Queen's Fiancetto, The Ark, Oscar, Lancaster, a singular lens, and an old British coin?

First correct answer came from CONN BUCKLEY, and a day later, regular winner PETER MILLAR also got it right. The answer is 'Sir Patrick Moore'. Well done to both.

   Patrick was an excellent chess player (he taught me, on cloudy nights in his study in Armagh), and his standard opening move was the Queen's Fiancetto; The Ark was the nickname he gave to his ancient upright Ford Prefect (in which I drove him from Armagh to Birr to meet Lord Rosse, and set in train the restoration of the Leviathan); Oscar was his nickname for his then favourite telescope, a 12.5" Newtonian; Lancaster was the type of bomber in which he flew as a Navigator for the RAF; a 'singular lens' was the monocle which he often wore; and an 'old British coin' was the clue for "Farthings", the name of the house he bought in Selsey when he left Armagh, and where he lived for the rest of his life (and where I visited many times, and observed with his latest telescope, a lovely wooden-tubed long-focus equatorial 15" Newtonian).

New Easy Teaser

What's the connection between – A type of singing, a Keeper of the Mint, a German musician, and a Buddhist monk?

"Rules for Easy Teasers: you're barred from entering if you (A) have already submitted a correct answer to any of the previous teasers, and/or (B) if you've been a member of any astronomy clubs or societies for 15 years or more. Obviously I have to trust your honesty on that latter point, but remember, if you're correct your name will be published here, and other members of your club will see it!"

    Please send all answers to me at my aol address terrymosel@aol.com

                                                                                                     

12. European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting
Location: Virtual
Date: 28 June–2 July 2021
Website: 
https://eas.unige.ch/EAS_meeting/

 

13. Asteroid Day, 30 June. More details later.

 

14. NI Science Festival, astrophotography workshop, Ballintoy, 3 July.

NI Science Festival: Capturing the Night Sky at Ballintoy Harbour

This may be of interest, although I don't think that there will be anything that hasn't already been well covered by our own IAA and other local astrophotographers.

    Also, note that it won't get dark enough for proper night sky photography at Ballintoy at all on the night of 3 July! And at 11 p.m., when the event finishes, the Sun will be only 5 degrees 34' below the horizon – still in civil twilight! Even at local midnight, at 01 31 BST, it will be less than 12 degrees below the horizon – still in Nautical Twilight.  The only possible targets under those conditions would be noctilucent clouds, and they only occur well about a dozen times each summer, and you'd have to wait until after 12.00 to get a reasonable view.

   You won't even have the Moon, as it's a waning crescent, and doesn't rise until 02.00!

 

 

15. 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

Gravitational wave search no hum drum hunt -- ScienceDaily

Astronomer reveals never-before-seen detail of the center of our galaxy: New image made using NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory hints at previously unknown interstellar energy source at the Milky Way center -- ScienceDaily

Fluffy ball of darkinos could be lurking at the center of the Milky Way | Live Science but if there's that amount of matter there, in such a small volume, why ISN'T it a Black Hole, even if it's a Darkino Black Hole?

It Could be Possible to see Gravitational Wave Lenses - Universe Today

Milky Way formed slowly and quietly and NOT as a result of a violent collision | Daily Mail Online

'Unicorn' spotted just 1,500 light-years from Earth makes it the closest black hole to our planet | Daily Mail Online

Monster black hole discovered that defies explanation (newatlas.com)

A dozen ultra-high-energy particle accelerators discovered in the Milky Way (msn.com)

Here's the most complete picture of the Milky Way's center ever created | Live Science

Weird nearby gamma-ray burst defies expectations | Space

Astronomers discover a massive star cluster, of intermediate age, in the constellation Scutum -- ScienceDaily

Front-row view reveals exceptional cosmic explosion: Observation challenges established theory of gamma-ray bursts in the universe -- ScienceDaily Good to see Dublin's Felix Aharonian as one of the authors.

Jets from massive protostars might be very different from lower-mass systems: VLA reveals new details of protostellar jet -- ScienceDaily

A new dimension in the quest to understand dark matter: Dark matter research program targets assumptions about particle physics -- ScienceDaily

Turbulence in interstellar gas clouds reveals multi-fractal structures -- ScienceDaily

Measuring the skin on a neutron star  https://www.facebook.com/100045998303732/posts/337983387744935/?sfnsn=scwspmo
Similar states of activity identified in supermassive and stellar mass black holes -- ScienceDaily
Dark matter map reveals hidden bridges between galaxies -- ScienceDaily 
New energetic pulsar discovered in the Small Magellanic Cloud (phys.org) 
Indian astronomers investigate magnetar CXOU J010043.1−721134 https://phys.org/news/2021-05-indian-astronomers-magnetar-cxou-j0100431721134.html
Probing deeper into origins of cosmic rays: Simulation model provides first step in developing algorithms to enhance detection methods. -- ScienceDaily 
Does the Milky Way move like a spinning top? -- ScienceDaily
Milky Way not unusual, astronomers find: Detailed cross-section of another galaxy reveals surprising similarities to our home -- ScienceDaily 
36 dwarf galaxies had simultaneous 'baby boom' of new stars: Surprising finding challenges current theories on how galaxies grow -- ScienceDaily 

 

COSMOLOGY.

Large Hadron Collider provides more detail on what happened in microsecond after Big Bang (msn.com)

Unravelling the mystery of the first MICROSECOND of the Big Bang | . But perhaps simpler and simplerDaily Mail Online  

Largest ever dark matter map suggests Einstein theory may have been wrong (msn.com)

Dark energy survey releases most precise look at the universe's evolution: First three years of survey data uses observations of 226 million galaxies over 1/8 of the sky -- ScienceDaily

Spacetime crystals proposed by placing space and time on an equal footing -- ScienceDaily Curioser and curioser, said Alice. But perhaps simpler and simpler?

Unravelling the mystery of the first MICROSECOND of the Big Bang | Daily Mail Online

Dark energy: The eerie force accelerating the expansion of the universe (newatlas.com)

Dark matter: Extra-dimensional 'dark force' could crack universe's biggest mystery - study (msn.com)

Is the Hubble constant not…Constant? - Universe Today

The earliest state of matter was a perfect liquid https://www.sciencealert.com/our-universe-s-earliest-state-of-matter-was-like-an-ocean-of-perfect-liquid

 

EARTH & MOON

Will the Next Space-Weather Season Be Stormy or Fair? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Are We Doing Enough to Protect Earth from Asteroids? - Scientific American

Miss the Super Flower Blood Moon this week? Here's when to see the next total lunar eclipse. | Space

Did heat from impacts on asteroids provide the ingredients for life on Earth? -- ScienceDaily

Which way does the solar wind blow? Using supercomputers, researchers develop new software for improved space weather prediction -- ScienceDaily

Understanding of invisible but mighty particles in Earth's radiation belts -- ScienceDaily

Solar storms are back, threatening life as we know it on Earth https://phys.org/news/2021-05-solar-storms-threatening-life-earth.html

 

EXOPLANETS

Astronomers watch as "exoplanet" vanishes before Hubble's eyes (newatlas.com)

Deep oceans dissolve the rocky shell of water-ice planets -- ScienceDaily

 

EXOLIFE

Seafloor volcanoes may be supporting life on icy Europa (newatlas.com)

https://www.universetoday.com/151382/what-would-it-take-to-see-artificial-lights-at-proxima-centauri-b/

 

IMAGES

Galactic glamor shots abound in annual Milky Way photo competition (newatlas.com)

Nasa releases spectacular new picture showing heart of the Milky Way (msn.com)

Views of Wednesday Morning's Amazing Total Lunar Eclipse from Around the World (universetoday.com)

SpaceX's most-flown Falcon 9 rocket is a sooty veteran after 10 launches and landings (photos) | Space

 

SOLAR SYSTEM

NASA's Curiosity rover has captured amazing images of clouds on Mars (msn.com)

NASA's Curiosity rover is on the cusp of discovering salts on Mars | Daily Mail Online

Nasa announces two new missions to Venus, the first in more than 30 years (msn.com)

There Might be Volcanoes at the Bottom of Europa's sub-ice Oceans - Universe Today and

Europa's interior may be hot enough to fuel seafloor volcanoes https://phys.org/news/2021-05-europa-interior-hot-fuel-seafloor.html

 

SPACE

SpaceX: Satellite operator calls for a halt to Starlink launches pending an environmental review | Daily Mail Online

Lockheed Martin and GM are building an electric Moon buggy that greatly differs from the Apollo-era  | Daily Mail Online

Nasa Ingenuity helicopter suffers major malfunction on Mars after 'phantom errors' (msn.com)

Rookie NASA astronaut Kayla Barron to fly on SpaceX's Crew-3 mission to space station | Space

Elon Musk reveals Starship progress ahead of first orbital flight of Mars-bound craft (msn.com)

Protests, trolling and more: Drama swirls around NASA's next moon lander for astronauts | Space

Lockheed Martin and GM partner up to build next-gen lunar rover (newatlas.com)

Virgin Galactic Reaches the Space Frontier Over New Mexico for the First Time - Universe Today

Record-setting astronaut Peggy Whitson will command private space mission (universetoday.com)

Astronauts on the ISS are helping NASA learn about how space impacts the spine | Daily Mail Online

First-time astronaut Kaya Barron named final member crew SpaceX NASA crew who will fly to ISS | Daily Mail Online

Blue Origin: Bids to take ride on Jeff Bezos spacecraft pass $2M as more still flood in  | Daily Mail Online I'm going to have to raid both my piggy banks!

China's Zhurong rover drives on the surface of Mars for the first time | Daily Mail Online

NASA announces $433.5million mission to send a rover to the MOON in 2023 | Daily Mail Online

European Space Agency reveals ambitious plans to build sat-nav around the moon | Daily Mail Online

ExoMars mission takes a step closer to launching after parachute tests | Daily Mail Online

Space station robotic arm hit by orbital debris in 'lucky strike' (video) (msn.com) That could have been nasty: if it had hit an astronaut working outside it could well have been fatal.

Elon Musk says Mars-bound Starship will launch from 'ocean spaceport' next year (msn.com)

JAXA to send tiny transforming robot to the lunar surface (newatlas.com)

Virgin Galactic to launch science communicator and researcher to space (msn.com)

The challenges that await the first visitors to Mars (msn.com)

Zhurong is Rolling on Mars - Universe Today

Self-Driving Lunar Rovers for Astronaut Road Trips on the Moon - Universe Today

1st commercial astronomy spacecraft Twinkle set for launch in 2024 | Space

NASA will launch 2 new missions to Venus by 2030 to return to Earth's hellish twin | Space

Jeff Bezos will go on Blue Origin's first human flight next month. Here's how his space plans compare to Elon Musk's and Richard Branson's (msn.com) – Money where the mouth is! – Although I don't suppose he'll be paying the full price for a ticket!

A new water treatment technology could also help Mars explorers: A catalyst that destroys perchlorate in water could clean Martian soil -- ScienceDaily

https://www.facebook.com/100001931893679/posts/5621643021243372/?sfnsn=scwspmo

Space station robotic arm hit by orbital debris in 'lucky strike' (video) | Space

 

SUN

Will the Next Space-Weather Season Be Stormy or Fair? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Is our sun going into hibernation? (msn.com)  - Very interesting article.

Which way does the solar wind blow? Using supercomputers, researchers develop new software for improved space weather prediction -- ScienceDaily

 

TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES

Dark Energy Survey is out. 29 Papers Covering 226 Million Galaxies Across 7 Billion Light-Years of Space - Universe Today

Another Delay for Webb, But This Time it's Because of the Rocket, Not the Telescope - Universe Today

Candid cosmos: eROSITA cameras set benchmark for astronomical imaging: An overview and performance assessment of the seven cameras of eROSITA, a space x-ray telescope launched in 2019 -- ScienceDaily

 

16.  JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION. This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://documents.irishastro.org.uk/iaamembership.doc
If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the 'gift-aid' box, as that enables us to reclaim the standard rate of tax on your subscription, at no cost to you.
You can also make a donation via Paypal if you wish: just click on the 'Donate' button. See also https://irishastro.org/  

 

The Irish Astronomical Association is registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC 105858

 

DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed herein are mine, and do not necessarily represent those of the IAA.

Clear skies,

Terry Moseley