Hi all,
(NB, all times are summer time when in force, for convenience)
1. IAA Public Lecture, Wed 15 September, 7. 30 p.m., by Zoom.
"The Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observer and Cataclysmic Variables", by Christopher Duffy, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
SYNOPSIS: "Following the observation of the first binary neutron star merger in 2017 a new frontier in multi-messenger astronomy has opened up, combining Gravitational Wave and optical astronomy. The Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observatory (GOTO) is a robotic observatory designed with this kind of astronomy at its heart, designed to make use of large instantaneous sky coverage and an automatic scheduler to rapidly followup on detected Gravitational Waves events. This talk will outline the need for observatories such as GOTO, its design and operation and what can be achieved using GOTO. It will further go into detail on one of the leading secondary science goals of GOTO, Cataclysmic Variables, their often varied behaviour and why they are of great interest to us."
Speaker Biography: Chris is a third year PhD student at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium and Warwick University. Originally from Scotland Chris studied for his undergraduate and masters degrees at Glasgow University. His PhD is focused on studying transient objects in the night sky; mainly outbursts from Cataclysmic Variables, using wide field survey telescopes. As part of this work Chris is a member of both the GOTO and NGTS (Next Generation Transit Survey) consortia."
ZOOM Details. Time: Sep 15, 2021 07:15 PM London Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85979582176?pwd=cUUwZjF0QXZYaSt4MFRMckd3ZGVuZz09
Meeting ID: 859 7958 2176
Passcode: 918551
2. IAA AGM, Report.
At the recent AGM, there were a few changes: after many years stalwart service, Brian Beesley has stood down as membership secretary, and Mary Kirwan-Mackey has taken on that role. Similarly, Tony Kempston has given up the post of Secretary after many years great service, and has been replaced by Gerry Davidson. Also, following the earlier retirement of Adan Jeffers and Hannah Kempston, we're delighted to welcome new members John McClintock and Eve Kempston, Hannah's younger sister, and our youngest ever Council member! Congrats to her for that record.
3. PAYMENT OF ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: PAYPAL IS WORKING AGAIN ! Subscriptions were due on September 1. We're glad to be able to keep the amount unchanged for yet another year: £20 for individual membership, £25 for family membership (only one copy of STARDUST per family).
Anyone wishing to pay by bank transfer should contact the Treasurer, Pat O'Neill (pb.oneill@ntlworld.com, or treasurer@irishastro.org) for our bank details.
4. Paul Evans's latest excellent sky guide video, for September
5. Winners of the IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest Announced
The Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) Astrophotography Contest received nearly 700 images from 57 countries. The winning photos, are now available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 International License. This allows their free use as long as proper credits are given. These images serve as an open educational resource to benefit teachers and learners worldwide.
Read more: https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann21047/
6, Catch a Star 2022 Contest
Catch a Star 2022 Contest is now open to submissions. A large number of teams from different European countries participate in the call sharing research works carried out in their classrooms. Catch a Star 2022 will start on November 1, 2021 and the deadline to send the projects is February 28, 2022.
Read more about the contest here.
7. ARMAGH PLANETARIUM's New September Programme.
See their website for details, including telescope tours
8. Saturn and Jupiter are still well placed
SATURN: is still near its closest and brightest for the year, but it's very low from our latitude, so viewing conditions are not great. It's now mag 0.2, in Capricorn, with an apparent diameter of 18.2".
The angle of the ring system to Earth has been steadily decreasing recently, so the rings no longer extend beyond the poles. Aesthetically, I think this angle, and down to an angle of about 10 degrees, is the most beautiful.
Of the satellites, Titan is visible in any telescope, and Rhea is not too difficult. With the low altitude, it may be harder to see fainter Dione and Tethys, especially as they are closer to the planet. Big telescopes and good seeing are required for Enceladus and Mimas. Iapetus is easiest to see when it's at Western elongation; that next occurs around 18 – 22 September.
I've seen them all, using the 10-inch refractor at Armagh Observatory, and my own 37cm Newtonian, but when Saturn was a lot higher up, and in much less light-polluted skies!
Jupiter is also still readily visible from Ireland, after its Opposition on August 20. It's in Capricorn, mag -2.8, some 20 degrees E of Saturn, and with an apparent diameter of 48". It's a bit higher up than Saturn, and that will gradually increase over the next few years.
The four big Galilean moons are visible in even a modest telescope. This year, the Sun and Earth are almost exactly in the plane of Jupiter's equator, so the moons pass backwards and forwards almost exactly in the same plane. This means that sometimes they are so close together that they will appear as one, unless you use high magnification.
And very rarely one moon will actually pass in front of, or occult, another Moon, and sometimes one Moon will pass into the shadow of another Moon, and be eclipsed by it. I'll post details of any of these events which may be visible from Ireland in these email bulletins.
9. ISS. A new series of evening passes will commence on 17 September. Details at www.heavens-above.com
10. Night Sky Network Survey to the Amateur Astronomy Community
Every 5-10 years, the Night Sky Network releases a survey to the amateur astronomy community, specifically looking at how our community engages the public, but also covering topics such as interests, where they get their information, and how clubs are organizing.
Fill in the form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GSMBFT9
And share your experiences in amateur astronomy including club changes, outreach needs, and your areas of interest.
We want to thank Vivian White for sharing the news.
11. Capture the Dark 2021 Winners
Photography is one of the most powerful tools in dark sky advocacy. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) recently hosted the second annual Capture the Dark Photography Contest receiving 1 122 entries from 66 countries. The awarded photos were recognized by their technical skill, composition, connection to the category theme, and 'wow' factor.
Read more:
https://www.darksky.org/2021-capture-the-dark-winners/
12. 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.
13. Series of astronomy lectures by Gresham College.
A. Monday 20 September: Mars Missions 2021: Early Discoveries (gresham.ac.uk)
B. A series of 6 from 29 September to June 2022, at 6 p.m.. See: Cosmic Revolutions (gresham.ac.uk)
14. AUTUMN EQUINOX, Sep 22
The Sun will cross the celestial equator southwards on Sep 22 at 20h 20m, marking the start of autumn in the N. Hemisphere. In spite of the name meaning 'equal day and night', days will still be longer than nights on that date, because sunrise and sunset are defined as the moment when the upper limb of the Sun, not the centre, is on the horizon. Also, atmospheric refraction at such times makes the Sun appear about half a degree higher up than it actually is. For example, in Belfast, that day is officially 12h 12m long, and that night is officially only 11h 49 m long.
15. 100 Hours of Astronomy, 1-4 October.
From 1-4 October 2021, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach will continue the legacy of celebrating 100 Hours of Astronomy. This year's event will be themed "Together Under One Sky" drawing inspiration from how our community has come together during a time where physical contact wasn't - and in many places still isn't - possible. We encourage our global community to host or participate in events over these 100 hours. There are numerous creative possibilities for activities during 100 Hours of Astronomy! Be safe, be inclusive and share your event in our IAU Global Outreach Event Calendar!
We welcome astronomy projects involving everyone from young children to senior citizens! We encourage you to include professional-amateur astronomers meet-ups; activities instigating critical thinking, citizenship and global collaborations; dark and quiet skies awareness through virtual tours; astronomy talks; sky observations, lectures, art projects and more!
The 10 activities that best connect communities will win a telescope kindly donated by our SSVI & Leiden University partners, in a special edition of the Telescopes for All programme.
The first 100 events registered for 100 Hours of Astronomy will receive IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach goodies, including printed versions of Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal.
For your event to be eligible, you need to register it in our IAU Global Outreach Event Calendar and implement it during the 100 Hours of Astronomy from 1 to 4 October 2021.
To help provide ideas for your event we invite you to check our list of online global resources. If you wish to become more inclusive in your engagement initiatives go to our IAU Inclusive Outreach page.
Read more: https://www.iau.org/public/oao/100-hours-of-astronomy/
Stay tuned to our networks and channels as we release more information in the upcoming weeks. 100 Hours of Astronomy | IAU
16. Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society Workshop II, 3-7 October
Location: Virtual / La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
Date: 3-7 October 2021
Website: http://research.iac.es/congreso/quietdarksky2021/pages/home.php
17. World Space Week, 4 – 11 October
More details soon.
18. International Observe the Moon Night, October 16
On October 16, everyone on Earth is invited to learn about lunar science and exploration, take part in celestial observations, and honour cultural and personal connections to the Moon. Attend or host a virtual or in-person event, or join in from wherever you are as an individual observer. Registration is now open.
Read more: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/
With the Moon as a very large gibbous phase, this is an odd date to choose. I have no idea why that date was picked, but there we are.
19. Another 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. Another clue – the 'type of singing' is often referred to as a 'chant'. And another clue: The connection between the four is quite a specific one.
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!"
UPDATE: someone has almost got this right, so put your grey matter to work quickly if you want to be first!
20. Difficult Teaser Answered at last!
Congrats to Patricia Carroll (again!) who got it right on September 9. It was a slightly sneaky one, but I was getting fed up with my difficult ones getting answered so quickly! Then a day later, Peter Denman also got it right.
The Question was: What have 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22 & 23 got in common?
The clues, that it was connected with nomenclature, and the highest possible number on the list was 24, led her to the Greek Alphabet's 24 letters, which are used in naming stars – Alpha Leonis, Beta Cygni, Gamma Arietis etc. So if you look at the list of Greek letters, those letters (in numerical order) stand out from all the others – they only have one syllable (unlike, Alpha, or Beta, or Epsilon, or Omicron, or Omega, etc). They are Mu, Nu, Xi, Pi, Rho, Tau, Phi, Chi and Psi.
21. New Difficult Teaser. What have Puppis and Camelopardalis (and only them) got in common?
Please send all answers to me at my aol address terrymosel@aol.com
22. 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
Our Milky Way galaxy isn't very well mixed, study suggests | Live Science
Bizarre repeating radio signal near galactic center may be brand new object (newatlas.com)
Heavier Stars Might not Explode as Supernovae, Just Quietly Implode Into Black Holes - Universe Today
A Black Hole or Neutron Star Fell Into Another Star and Triggered a Supernova - Universe Today
White Dwarfs can Continue Burning Hydrogen, Even After They're Dead - Universe Today
Astronomers spot the same supernova three times — and predict a fourth sighting in 16 years -- ScienceDaily
Surprise: The Milky Way is not homogeneous -- ScienceDaily
EARTH & MOON
Meet the Landsat pioneer who fought to revolutionize Earth observation | Science | AAAS
NASA-funded startups will soon put a fleet of landers on the Moon | Science | AAAS
China launches hyperspectral Earth observation satellite | Space
Researchers enlist robot swarms to mine lunar resources -- ScienceDaily
IMAGES
The world turns sideways in trippy, glowing Earth photo from the International Space Station | Live Science
Vibrant globular cluster sparkles in new Hubble telescope photo | Space They say it's a globular cluster, and they also say it's a galaxy, but it looks like neither: NGC 6717. What do you think?
SOLAR SYSTEM
Weird 'dog bone' asteroid could be a pile of cosmic rubble | Live Science and
ESO captures best images yet of peculiar 'dog-bone' asteroid -- ScienceDaily
Cosmic objects with strange orbits discovered beyond Neptune | Live Science
There are Natural Features on Mars That Could Serve as Radiation Shelters - Universe Today
What Formed the Strange Troughs on Vesta? - Universe Today
https://www.facebook.com/groups/421163751426836/permalink/1783227721887092/?sfnsn=mo&ref=share
SPACE
NASA-funded startups will soon put a fleet of landers on the Moon | Science | AAAS
Astronauts prep space station for new solar array on first all-international spacewalk | Space
SpaceX test-fires rocket for Inspiration4, the 1st private orbital mission | Space and
Why SpaceX's private Inspiration4 mission to Earth orbit is so important | Space, and
Inspiration 4 Crew Gets a Sneak Peak out of Crew Dragon's Cupola - Universe Today
The Raptor engines https://thetap.net/space/spacex-super-heavy-booster-gets-lift/
There are Natural Features on Mars That Could Serve as Radiation Shelters - Universe Today NASA has too Many Spacecraft to Communicate With. Time to Build More Dishes - Universe Today NASA's lunar Gateway moon-orbiting space station explained in pictures | Space
NASA's DART Mission https://www.facebook.com/1272698526/posts/10220686552615036/?sfnsn=scwspmoResearchers enlist robot swarms to mine lunar resources -- ScienceDaily
SUN
mdi_sunspots_1024.jpg (1024×1024) (nasa.gov)
TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES
NASA has too Many Spacecraft to Communicate With. Time to Build More Dishes - Universe Today
Ground-Based Observatories Could use Starshades to see Planets too - Universe Today
Largest virtual universe free for anyone to explore -- ScienceDaily
23. 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
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