Hi all,
(NB, all times are summer time when in force, for convenience)
1. IAA LECTURE by ZOOM; Wed 21 July, 7.30 pm: "A multiwavelength view of galaxies" by Dr Maritza Lara-Lopez of AOP.
SYNOPSIS
The formation and evolution of galaxies is intimately dependent on the conversion of gas into stars, the production of heavy elements, recycling of this material into the interstellar medium, and repetitions of this cycle. A detailed understanding of the interplay between gas mass, star formation rate, and heavy elements is clearly important to understand the galaxy evolution process. In this talk I will provide a general overview of all the different telescopes, wavelengths, and the information they provide. From the hot gas, through to the cold gas, through to star formation and back again.
Biography
Maritza obtained her PhD in 2011 from the Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands (IAC) in Tenerife, Spain. Later, she moved to a research fellowship at the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO) in Sydney, Australia, followed by a 3 year ARC Super Science Fellowship at AAO. She then moved for 2 years to Mexico for a research position at the Institute of Astronomy at UNAM. From 2017- 2020 she was a DARK-Carlsberg foundation fellow at the DARK Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
From August 2020 she is a STFC postdoc at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, UK.
Her PhD thesis won a national prize in Mexico and an institutional prize at IAC/ULL, Spain for the best thesis. In 2016 she won the L'Oreal-UNESCO prize for women in science of Mexico. She has 84 refereed publications in international journals (first author of 11), with more than 2900 citations.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83567701337?pwd=U1F6QXIwUFBVL0E4Wkh1eUpIZTJ6QT09
Meeting ID: 835 6770 1337
Passcode: 030251
The room will open around 19:15 to allow for a prompt start
This talk will also be Simulcast on our YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/irishastronomy/videos
2. SPACE and ASTRONOMY WEBINARS – next one on July 20, 7.30 p.m.
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. 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.
Go to - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqE7vDD80WM
3. IDA "Capture the Night" Astrophotography Contest
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) welcomes submissions to their "Capture the Night" Astrophotography contest. Photos can be submitted for free through 23 July 2021.
Learn more here: https://www.darksky.org/capturethedark/
4. ISS. The ISS continues its series of evening passes until the end of the month. Details at www.heavens-above.com
5. 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.
6. Öpik Fellowship at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP) invites applications for the newly established Öpik Fellowship, named in honor of former AOP director Ernst Öpik (1893 -1985) and his pioneering work from the study of asteroids to that of galaxies. AOP is seeking to appoint an individual on an upward career trajectory and with an outstanding research record, who is looking to establish a unique research area that would contribute to, or complement, the ongoing research at AOP. This is a unique opportunity to carry out independent research in one of the longest continuously operating astronomical research institutes in the world and one of the world's most advanced planetarium.
For more information, see https://www.armagh.space/opportunity/opik-research-fellowship.
Closing date for applications is 16.00 on Friday 6th August 2021.
AND
We have a PhD position available in Jonathan Mackey's group at DIAS with a fairly
wide-ranging specification, anything from data analysis of high-energy
observations to MHD simulations, as long as it is related to massive
stars. See advertisement (or link below) for more details.
Advertisement: https://jobregister.aas.org/ad/3a752804
Application deadline: 11th July 2021
Start date: Before end of 2021
Requirements: Bachelor or Masters degree in related topic
Duration: 4 years
7. NLCs
There have been some great displays of 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 up to the 3d week of 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.
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8. FESTIVAL of CURIOSITY, Rocket- making and Launching, Sat 24 July. See Make your own Rocket! - The Festival of Curiosity
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9. A: Clue for Easy Teaser No answers for this one yet, so here's a clue - The last three gave their name to something used in astronomy, and the first one has a similar connection.
Q. 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!"
10. NEW (Moderately) Difficult Teaser - What's next in this sequence? A, M, A, M, P, M, ?
Please send all answers to me at my aol address terrymosel@aol.com
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
Dark stars: The first stars in the universe | Space
Galactic fireworks: New ESO images reveal stunning features of nearby galaxies -- ScienceDaily
The Milky Way's Central bar Spin-Rate is Slowing Down Thanks to Dark Matter - Universe Today
A Nearby White Dwarf Might be About to Collapse Into a Neutron Star - Universe Today
The Sun Hammered Earth With Megaflares in its Youth - Universe Today
Exploding Material From a Gamma-ray Burst Scrambled Nearby Magnetic Fields - Universe Today
From the way These Stars Look, a Supernova is Inevitable - Universe Today
Exploding stars may have assaulted ancient Earth | Science | AAAS (sciencemag.org)
How the universe is reflected near black holes -- ScienceDaily
COSMOLOGY.
How many atoms are in the observable universe? | Live Science How do they know that Dark Matter is not made up of atoms? They could be a totally different sort of atom, that does not interact with 'our' matter. I supposer it depends on how you define an atom.
EARTH & MOON
18.6 year variation in lunar orbit may increase tides in the next decade https://www.facebook.com/2040389646059913/posts/3968417206590471/?sfnsn=scwspmoAnd A 'wobble' in the moon's orbit could result in record flooding in the 2030s, new study finds | Live Science
City-sized asteroids smacked ancient Earth 10 times more often than thought | Space Of course they did – just look at our nearest neighbour, the Moon: there's no way that the Earth could have escaped the same level of bombardment.
Solar radio signals could be used to monitor melting ice sheets -- ScienceDaily
Exploding stars may have assaulted ancient Earth | Science | AAAS (sciencemag.org)
China wants to launch asteroid-deflecting rockets to save Earth from Armageddon | Live Science
EXOLIFE
New Approach Could Boost the Search for Life in Otherworldly Oceans - Scientific American
EXOPLANETS
Dozens of starless 'rogue' alien planets possibly spotted | Space
Haziness of exoplanet atmospheres depends on properties of aerosol particles -- ScienceDaily
IMAGES
Cruise by Jupiter and its giant moon Ganymede in this gorgeous Juno flyby video | Space
SOLAR SYSTEM
Strange chemical on Venus may come from volcanoes, not life | Space
Astronomers spot first activity on giant megacomet beyond Saturn | Space
'Alien burp' may have been detected by NASA's Curiosity rover | Live Science
Venus' Surface Tectonics is More Like Pack ice on Earth - Universe Today
Using Saturn's Rings to Figure out What's Inside the Planet - Universe Today
The Sun Hammered Earth With Megaflares in its Youth - Universe Today
Ingenuity is now Mapping the Terrain Around Perseverance - Universe Today
Trace gas phosphine points to volcanic activity on Venus, scientists say -- ScienceDaily
SPACE
Blue Origin donates $19 million to space nonprofits ahead of Jeff Bezos' launch | Space
What are the chances that Jeff Bezos won't survive his flight on New Shepard? | Live Science
18-year-old physics student to fly to edge of space with Bezos | Live Science
Richard Branson and Friends Reach the Edge of Space, and Lived to Tell About it! - Universe Today and
Amazing Virgin Galactic video shows Richard Branson's Unity 22 crew soaring into space | Space
According to Elon, Starship Could Chomp up Space Junk - Universe Today
Here's SpaceX's new Drone Ship: "A Shortfall of Gravitas" - Universe Today
Don't Be Surprised if EmDrive Experiments Never Work - Universe Today
China's Mars rover Zhurong just found its parachute and backshell (video) | Space
Elon Musk will fly to space with Virgin Galactic: reports | Space
Startup behind 2019 crash landing moves ahead with new lunar mission (newatlas.com)
China wants to launch asteroid-deflecting rockets to save Earth from Armageddon | Live Science
TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES
NASA may finally know what caused the Hubble Space Telescope's major computer glitch | Space
New Approach Could Boost the Search for Life in Otherworldly Oceans - Scientific American
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 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
