Tuesday 19 October 2021

Fwd: Lectures, Webinar, Subs due, Mercury, Saturn & Jupiter, Halloween at AOP, ISS, Teaser clues, weblinks, more

Lectures, Webinar, Subs due, Mercury, Saturn & Jupiter, Halloween at AOP, ISS, Teaser clues, weblinks, more

Hi all,

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

1. IAA Lecture, Wed 27 October, 19.30. Dr Morgan Fraser, UCD: "Gravitational waves and the hunt for merging neutron stars"

Details – more in next bulletin

2. WEBINAR, TONIGHT, Tuesday 19 October, 19.30. Nick Howes and myself on the latest news in space and astronomy.

YouTube live stream here - https://youtu.be/3jjCw2NFfkU

3. STFC Event

Upcoming event

25 October, 19:00
Online astronomy: in pursuit of darkness.
The elements that affect astronomical viewing and their impact on the selection of sites to build modern telescopes.
Online. Free to attend. Click here to book.

4. 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.

5. Series of astronomy lectures by Gresham College.

A series of lectures from now to June 2022, at 6 p.m.. See: Cosmic Revolutions (gresham.ac.uk)

6. PAYMENT OF IAA 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.

7. PLANETS.
Mercury is visible low in the East in the morning twilight. Start looking about 45 minutes before local sunrise. It will brighten over the next 10 days or so.

Catch Saturn and Jupiter while they are still well placed

SATURN: is still fairly close and bright, 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.

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 UK & Ireland, after its Opposition on August 20. It's in Capricorn, mag -2.6, 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.

8. Halloween Events at Armagh Planetarium Pre-booking essential, at  www.armagh.space

9. ISS: The ISS will start a new series of morning passes on 23 October. Full details for your location on www.heavens-above.com

10. New 'Easy' Teaser.

In a telescope without a drive, which First Magnitude star would move quickest through the field of view of any eyepiece?

A CLUE – no suggestions for this one yet, so here's a clue. Think about this - Conversely, which bright star (about 2^nd mag), would move most slowly in the field of view of a telescope without a drive?

11. New Difficult Teaser: OK, No more Mr Nice Guy (Who said: Were you ever?!). From now on it's war with all you Smart Alecs (and Alices) out there!

Q: What's the connection between: a novena, a tax, and the last?

CLUE: No correct answers yet, although one 'new entrant' has got one of the 3 elements correct. So here's a clue (I'm too soft, I know….) - It involves a Solar System object.

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

12. 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

Immense set of mysterious fast radio bursts -- ScienceDaily

Did a black hole eating a star generate a neutrino? Unlikely, new study shows: New calculations show that a black hole slurping down a star may not have generated enough energy to launch a neutrino -- ScienceDaily

Challenging the Big Bang puzzle of heavy elements: Rather than being created solely during supernova explosions, chemical elements could also be produced deep within the Earth's lower mantle -- ScienceDaily

Professor uncovers surprising results from nuclear reactions inside stars: Preliminary data shows unexpected effects of magnetic fields on neutron stars -- ScienceDaily

Stellar 'fossils' in meteorites point to distant stars -- ScienceDaily

Strange radio waves emerge from the direction of the galactic center: A variable signal aligned to the heart of the Milky Way is tantalising scientists -- ScienceDaily

Radio signals from distant stars suggest hidden planets -- ScienceDaily

The antimatter enigma: What is it and why didn't it destroy the universe? (newatlas.com)

Strange radio waves emerge from the direction of the galactic center: A variable signal aligned to the heart of the Milky Way is tantalising scientists -- ScienceDaily

COSMOLOGY

The antimatter enigma: What is it and why didn't it destroy the universe? (newatlas.com)

EARTH & MOON

Stellar 'fossils' in meteorites point to distant stars -- ScienceDaily

The Moon was volcanically active 2 billion years ago, new space rocks reveal | Science | AAAS

Meteorite crash-lands in woman's bed in Canada | Space an d

Meteorite Crashes into Woman's Bed in Canada - Scientific American

Scientists find evidence the early solar system harbored a gap between its inner and outer regions: The cosmic boundary, perhaps caused by a young Jupiter or a wind from the solar system emerging, likely shaped the composition of infant planets. -- ScienceDaily

Interesting comparisons with Earth here Did Venus ever have oceans? -- ScienceDaily

By 2500 Earth could be alien to humans: Climate projections should not stop at year 2100 -- ScienceDaily

Twelfth century literature and space-age data help map 3,000 years of auroras -- ScienceDaily

EXOPLANETS

Scientists may have found the first known planet to orbit three stars | Science | AAAS

Radio signals from distant stars suggest hidden planets -- ScienceDaily

The planet does not fall far from the star -- ScienceDaily

Sky Light Pollution

Satellite swarms are threatening the night sky—and creating a new zone of environmental conflict | Science | AAAS

SOLAR SYSTEM

Stellar 'fossils' in meteorites point to distant stars -- ScienceDaily

Did Venus ever have oceans? -- ScienceDaily

Some of the biggest asteroids in our Solar System -- ScienceDaily and

https://www.facebook.com/100045998303732/posts/427190522157554/?sfnsn=mo

Is it an asteroid or comet? This strange solar system object is actually both. | Space

Nasa spacecraft Lucy blasts off on 12-year mission to explore asteroids (msn.com) NB, some of the dates in that first graphic are obviously wrong! And

NASA, ULA launch Lucy Mission to 'fossils' of planet formation -- ScienceDaily

"Flawless" flyby for BepiColombo turns up its first photos of Mercury (newatlas.com)

https://www.aol.com/nasas-asteroid-hunter-lucy-soars-093412156-145447981.html

Wind Speeds in Jupiter's Great Red Spot are Picking up - Universe Today Interesting. Could it be due to conservation of angular momentum? - As the GRS shrinks, it spins faster to conserve AM?

Did Venus ever have oceans? -- ScienceDaily

Titan's river maps may advise Dragonfly's 'sedimental' journey -- ScienceDaily

SPACE

Watch William Shatner gaze at Earth from space in awe during Blue Origin's launch (video) | Space It's Earth, Jim, but not as you've seen it!

Brain damage from long stays in space -- ScienceDaily

China launches Shenzhou 13 astronauts on historic mission to new space station | Space

That's a wrap! Soyuz lands with film crew after space station movie shoot | Space

Russian filmmakers land after shoot aboard space station [Video] (aol.co.uk)

Telescopes, Instruments, Techniques.

Gravitational-Wave Observatories Should be Able to Detect Primordial Black Hole Mergers, if They're out There - Universe Today

James Webb's 30 Days of Terror - Universe Today

To watch a comet form, a spacecraft could tag along for a journey toward the sun: 'Centaurs' near Jupiter could provide unique opportunity to learn about solar system -- ScienceDaily

Uncovering the secrets of ultra-low frequency gravitational waves -- ScienceDaily

13. 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 12 October 2021

Lecture on habitable exoplanets, STFC, Davagh DSP, Gresham lectures, IAA Subs due, Planets, Observe the Moon Night BH imaging, Halloween at AOP, Teasers, more

Hi all,

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

1. IAA Lecture, Wed 13 October "Habitability beyond our solar system", by Professor Chris Watson, Deputy Head of the School of Mathematics and Physics,

Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB

Synopsis:

What do we mean by 'habitability' and 'habitable'? How do we define it? Do we even know what 'habitable' looks like? What's the problems with determining whether something is habitable? Why are we looking in the places we're currently looking? Actually, are we even looking in the right places? I'll talk about the current scientific thoughts surrounding these fundamental questions, what is driving these thoughts, and why it's so difficult for an astrophysicist like myself to answer these questions.

Professor Chris Watson

Details

https://irishastro.org/2021/10/06/iaa-lecture-weds-13th-october-1930/

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85214388350?pwd=a09KU2h5Z2NmcE45QW9sK0RJbkVLUT09

Meeting ID: 852 1438 8350
Passcode: 376019

2. STFC Events

Upcoming events

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

4. Series of astronomy lectures by Gresham College.

A series of 6 lectures from now to June 2022, at 6 p.m.. See: Cosmic Revolutions (gresham.ac.uk)

5. PAYMENT OF IAA 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.

6. Catch Saturn and Jupiter while they are still well placed

SATURN: is still fairly close and bright, 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".

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 UK & 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 Moon will form a nice isosceles triangle below the pair on the evening of 14 October

7. IAA is Go for International Observe the Moon Night, October 16, at Delamont Country Park, near Killyleagh, Co Down, 7.30 p.m.

Meet in the main car park. We will provide some telescopes, but bring your own, or binoculars, if you can. We will be providing sanitising wipes for eyepieces and hand controls etc, and these will be wiped clean between users. We strongly advise that only those who are double-vaccinated, or who have had covid and recovered and with at least one vaccination, should attend.

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.

8. RAS Lecture, Tues 19 October, at 13,00. "What's in a Shadow? The past, present and future of Black Hole Imaging". By Prof Heino Falcke By Zoom, must be booked.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4696985820313589&id=100000066530698&sfnsn=scwspmo

9. Halloween Events at Armagh Planetarium Pre-booking essential, at  www.armagh.space

10. ISS: The ISS will start a new series of morning passes on 23 October. Full details for your location on www.heavens-above.com

11. New 'Easy' Teaser.

In a telescope without a drive, which First Magnitude star would move quickest through the field of view of any eyepiece?

12. New Difficult Teaser: OK, No more Mr Nice Guy (Who said: Were you ever?!). From now on it's war with all you Smart Alecs (and Alices) out there!

Q: What's the connection between: a novena, a tax, and the last?

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

13. 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

The oldest gamma-ray burst ever discovered was just a piece of space junk | Space Science at its best. (1) If you get it wrong, admit it. (2) Accept the most likely hypothesis, not the headline-grabbing most controversial or popular one. (3) Avoid selection bias.

ALMA animation of circling twin young stars -- ScienceDaily

COSMOLOGY

A better black hole laser may prove a circuitous 'Theory of Everything' -- ScienceDaily

EARTH & MOON

People have long claimed to hear the northern lights. Are the reports true? | Live Science

Melting permafrost in the Arctic could release radioactive waste and awaken sleeping viruses | Live Science

South Pole froze over in coldest winter on record | Live Science It froze over? – It's always frozen there, even in the summer!

Nasa to crash spacecraft into asteroid in 'Armageddon' test of defences (msn.com)

Chang'e-5 samples reveal key age of moon rocks: Scientists share analysis of first fresh samples from the moon in more than 40 years -- ScienceDaily

Moon rocks brought to Earth by Chinese mission fill key gaps in solar system history | Space

EXOPLANETS

It's good to see Ernst de Mooij of QUB as one of the researchers on this Extreme exoplanet even more exotic than originally thought -- ScienceDaily

Scientists discover stars blasting out radio waves (aol.co.uk)

SOLAR SYSTEM

Scientists confirm decrease in Pluto's atmospheric density -- ScienceDaily

Nasa to crash spacecraft into asteroid in 'Armageddon' test of defences (msn.com)

Perseverance rover confirms existence of ancient Mars lake and river delta | Space

NOW I know why there's no advanced life on Mars at the moment – The Martian Noah didn't get his ark built on time! NASA's Perseverance Rover Finds Signs of Epic Ancient Floods on Mars - Scientific American

Dwarf planet Vesta a window to the early solar system -- ScienceDaily Vesta is not a Dwarf Planet. It's an Asteroid, or Minor Planet.

Mars' surface shaped by fast and furious floods from overflowing craters -- ScienceDaily

Rocks on floor of Jezero Crater, Mars, show signs of sustained interactions with water -- ScienceDaily

Highly porous rocks responsible for Bennu's surprisingly craggy surface -- ScienceDaily

Dwarf planet Vesta a window to the early solar system -- ScienceDaily

SPACE

Russian actors blast off to attempt a world first: a movie in space (msn.com)

United Arab Emirates to launch bold asteroid mission in 2028 | Space

Russian Crew Arrives at Space Station for a Historic Film Shoot - Scientific American

Axiom Space Names First Private Crew to Visit Space Station - Scientific American

Space Sustainability https://www.facebook.com/551070831/posts/10160246751310832/?sfnsn=scwspmo

3 years after tiny spacecraft made Mars history, where are all their successors? | Space

Not all Mars spacecraft might need such deep cleaning, scientists find | Space

Is conflict in space inevitable? | TheHill

Telescopes, Instruments, Techniques.

Process leading to supernova explosions and cosmic radio bursts unearthed -- ScienceDaily

New measurement method promises spectacular insights into the interior of planets -- ScienceDaily

14. 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 5 October 2021

WSW, Webinar, STFC events, Sustainable space, Davagh DSP, Other talks, Planets, IOMN, Black Hole imaging, Teasers, Web Links

Hi all,

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

1. 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

2. World Space Week, 4 – 11 October. Lots of events, including -

See Space Week 2021: 4-10 October (newsweaver.com)

And Daily Astro Challenge (newsweaver.com)

And Space Week Competition! (newsweaver.com)

And Space Image Lesson Plan (newsweaver.com)

And Sustainable Space - Oct 9th (newsweaver.com)

And ESERO Space Careers Roadshow - Oct 12th (newsweaver.com)

World Space Week 2021 honors women in space: How to join the celebration online and in person | Space

3. My fortnightly webinar with Nick Howes for Space Store Live on Tue 5 October at 7.30 p.m, will feature a special section on women in space and astronomy. Watch the YouTube live stream here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDPyrYWNucQ

4. STFC Events

Upcoming events

5 October, 19:00
World Space Week: discover the James Webb Space Telescope.
Join Professor Gillian Wright and Professor Catherine Heymans to explore the mission and science of the soon-to-launch James Webb Space Telescope.
Online. Free to attend. Click here to book.

11 October, 19:00
Online astronomy: the ESA comet interceptor mission.
Launching in 2029, find out more about a mission that will meet a yet-to-be-discovered comet as it enters the inner Solar System for the first time.
Online. Free to attend. Click here to book.

5. GoSpaceWatch online lecture: The NASA Lucy Mission to the Trojan Asteroids by Dr Cathy Olkin, Wednesday 6 October 2021 at 19:30. Open to all. Everyone Welcome.. Register soon. Just £3.00 pp.

6. WSW – Lecture: The Weird and Wonderful World of Uranus - World Space Week Tickets, Fri 8 Oct 2021 at 09:00 | Eventbrite

7. Virtual Sustainable Space Event - Saturday, Oct 9th
The Rediscovery Centre's free, virtual Sustainable Space Event will be on Saturday, October 9th. The event's first half is geared towards kids and families, with multiple fun and interactive presentations, including one led by Dr. Niamh Shaw! The second half of the event is aimed at teens and adults, and the different speakers will investigate how we can guarantee the long-term sustainability of space as well as how space can help further sustainability at home on Earth.
Kids and Families
11.30-12.30: Rediscovery Centre Sensational Space Workshop
12:30-13:10: Armagh Planetarium Space Junk Talk
13:30-14:00: Dr. Niamh Shaw Interactive Space Talk
Teens and Adults
14:00-14:45: Dr. Niall Smith Head of Blackrock Castle Observatory - Q&A with Dr. Niamh Shaw at the end
15:00-15:45: ILOFAR and Dunsink Observatory Panel Discussion with Dr. Peter Gallagher of DIAS, second panellist TBD, moderated by Áine Flood
16:00-16:30: Dr. Peter Martinez Executive Director of the Secure World Foundation

You can learn more about the event and register for your free ticket on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainable-space-tickets-169456313395?keep_tld=1

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

9. Series of astronomy lectures by Gresham College.

A series of 6 lectures from now to June 2022, at 6 p.m.. See: Cosmic Revolutions (gresham.ac.uk)

10. PAYMENT OF IAA 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.

11. 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".

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!

The Moon will form a nice isosceles triangle below the pair on the evening of 14 October

12. International Observe the Moon Night, October 16

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.

13. RAS Lecture, Tues 19 October, at 13,00. "What's in a Shadow? The past, present and future of Black Hole Imaging". By Prof Heino Falcke By Zoom, must be booked.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4696985820313589&id=100000066530698&sfnsn=scwspmo

14. New 'Easy' Teaser.

In a telescope without a drive, which First Magnitude star would move quickest through the field of view of any eyepiece?

15: Difficult Teaser answered already: $*&$£&*@ ! Grrr! It's that man John O'Neill again! Next day, he emailed with the correct answer. The question was "What rare event happened in October 1862 and September 1988?" The answer is that Mars was in opposition in the constellation of Cetus then. Not only is Cetus not a zodiacal constellation, the ecliptic doesn't even run through it (unlike Ophiuchus, which is not an official Zodiacal constellation, even though the ecliptic runs through it for over 18 degrees)

16. New Difficult Teaser: OK, No more Mr Nice Guy (Who said: Were you ever?!). From now on it's war with all you Smart Alecs (and Alices) out there!

Q: What's the connection between: a novena, a tax, and the last?

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

17. 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

Exceptionally rare planet with three suns may lurk in Orion's nose | Live Science I wonder how stable such a system would be?

COSMOLOGY

Dark energy might be neither particle nor field - Big Think This is a very good summary of the biggest question in astronomy at present.

EARTH & MOON

32,000 mph fireball spotted soaring over North Carolina | Space The authors / editors of those stories are still using ridiculous illustrations of giant bodies burning up while they are still far out in space. That just does not happen.

Vanishing ice is warping Earth's crust | Live Science

Superbright aurora lights up Earth's night side in incredible image from space | Live Science

Our climate projections for 2500 show an Earth that is alien to humans (theconversation.com)

Chang'e-5 Returned an Exotic Collection of Moon Rocks - Universe Today

EXOLIFE

Baby planets marinate in a life-giving cyanide 'soup,' detailed maps show | Live Science

EXOPLANETS

Exceptionally rare planet with three suns may lurk in Orion's nose | Live Science And

Astronomers may have discovered first planet to orbit 3 stars: Potential discovery of a circumtriple planet has implications for bolstering our understanding of planet formation -- ScienceDaily I wonder how stable such a system would be?

'Planet confusion' could slow Earth-like exoplanet exploration -- ScienceDaily

IMAGES:

Hubble telescope spots celestial 'eye,' a galaxy with an incredibly active core | Space

Mercury looks stunning in this 1st flyby photo from Europe and Japan's BepiColombo mission | Space

SOLAR SYSTEM

Catastrophic floods shaped Mars more than previously thought, scientists suggest | Space

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is not only shrinking. Its winds are also speeding up. | Live Science

Future exploration of Mars by rotorcraft https://www.facebook.com/551070831/posts/10160231021170832/?sfnsn=scwspmo

Mars on the cheap: Scientists working to revolutionize access to the Red Planet | Live Science

Space mission gets first glimpse of Mercury (aol.co.uk)

After 3.5 million-year hiatus, the largest comet ever discovered is headed our way | Space Appalling journalism. It won't "strafe" the orbit of Neptune. Because of the orbital inclination, it won't get anywhere near the orbit of Neptune - not even within 100 million miles of it. And it's not 'barrelling' towards the Sun - at that distance, objects move comparatively slowly.

See also Astronomers size up biggest-known comet as it approaches solar system (newatlas.com) Yet another use of 'barrelling' – can anyone define just what it means? I presumed that it means that it is coming quickly, rotating forwards in the direction that it is approaching, like a barrel rolling downhill towards you. However, we have no idea of how, or in what plane, it is rotating. Or is it just a trendy word, like 'massive'?

Mercury looks stunning in this 1st flyby photo from Europe and Japan's BepiColombo mission | Space and

"Flawless" flyby for BepiColombo turns up its first photos of Mercury (newatlas.com)

'Mini psyches' give insights into mysterious metal-rich near-earth asteroids: New research into metal-rich asteroids reveals information about the origins and compositions of these rare bodies that could one day be mined. -- ScienceDaily

Using dunes to interpret wind on Mars -- ScienceDaily

SPACE

Chinese satellite declared lost following back-to-back launches Monday | Space

Mars helicopter Ingenuity aborted latest flight attempt because of anomaly | Space

From poo politics to rubbish disposal: 5 big questions about the International Space Station becoming a movie set (theconversation.com)

Elon Musk scorns Jeff Bezos' lawsuit on NASA moon lander | Space

FAA clears Virgin Galactic to start flying again | Space

Mars on the cheap: Scientists working to revolutionize access to the Red Planet | Live Science

Beam me up, Bezos! Star Trek's Captain Kirk rocketing into space next week [Video] (aol.co.uk) (Not even 0.0000001% of mere Impulse Drive, but sure who's complaining?

Watch live: Russian film crew to launch to the International Space Station | Space

World View to start flying passengers on stratospheric balloon rides in 2024 | Space Not space, and not even close, but 100,000 feet is much higher than even the highest flying military fighters; higher even than the U2! You could probably see the brightest stars and planets even in daytime, and if they flew it at night it would give a spectacular view – unless the windows are heavily tinted.

Chinese company aims for suborbital space tourism with familiar rocket design | Space – start saving your Yen!

Air Force's X-37B robotic space plane wings past 500 days in Earth orbit | Space

UK Space policy announced https://www.facebook.com/groups/587442468465687/permalink/1028531831023413/

Sent from the all new AOL app for Android

18. 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