Hi all,
Please note: send all correspondence to me only at: terrymosel@aol.com
1. Opening meeting of the IAA's New Season, Wed 18 September, 7.30 p.m., Larmor Lecture Theatre, P:hysics building, QUB: "The power of Integral-Field Spectroscopy in Astronomy"
by Dr Marc Sarzi of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium.
(This lecture will be aimed at a general audience, so don't be put off by the title!)
Synopsis
"ntegral-field spectroscopy (IFS) allows Astronomer to obtain optical spectral across the entire field of view of their telescopes. It was pioneered in the late 1990s and has now become a mainstream and incredibly powerful observing technique. Indeed, IFS observations allow to map the stellar and gaseous properties of extended objects such as galaxies, stellar clusters or galactic nebulae, providing key insights on their formation and evolution. In my talk I will provide several glaring examples from my own research at AOP showcasing the scientific power of IFS observations.
Biography:
Dr Marc Sarzi is Head of Research at the Armagh Observatory & Planetarium. He did his PhD between Padua and Heidelberg while working on supermassive black holes using the Hubble Space Telescope before moving to Durham and Oxford where he was part of the SAURON survey that pioneered the use of integral-field spectroscopy (IFS) in extra-galactic astronomy. He has since then continued to play a major role in several IFS studies, including ones based on the MUSE instrument on the ESO Very Large Telescope. His interests span all aspects of galaxy formation and evolution, which he studies mostly from an astro-archeological perspective through the details study of relatively nearby galaxies.
2. IAA Annual Subscriptions. Subscriptions were due on 1 September. See https://irishastro.org/join-the-iaa/
Membership of the IAA costs £20 (€25) per year for Individual Membership or £25 (€30) per year for Family Membership (all members of a family at one address) from September to August and entitles members to attend all IAA events including our regular speaker programme. Also, there are four issues of the IAA magazine "Stardust" produced annually and these will be delivered to your home address.
If you are a UK taxpayer, please select 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 http://www.irishastro.org/ https://irishastro.org/
3. Saturn reaches Opposition .
Saturn has just passed opposition, and is at its best for observing during the current season. It is rising in Aquarius in the SE as the sky darkens, and is highest up around local midnight, although it's still fairly low in our skies. It's mag 0.7, with a disc diameter of 19".
Notice how narrow the rings are now! The angle is only 4 degrees They will gradually get narrower as Saturn approaches its 'equinox' next March, in other words its equator and ring plane will be edge on to the Sun, and therefore almost edge on to the Earth. Observe it for as long as possible to see just how narrow they get!
Also look out for some of its many moons, Titan (8m.3) is easy to see in any telescope, Rhea is also fairly easy at 9m.7. Tethys (10m.2) and Dione (10m.8) are also fairly easy in a reasonable telescope. Enceladus (11m.7) and especially Mimas (12m.9) are challenging, but getting easier to see as the rings narrow and become less bright; they will be even easier to see next year as the rings narrow almost to invisibility.
Iapetus is always much brighter when at Western Elongation, when it reaches mag 10.0, and it's much further out from the planet than even Titan at its maximum: that next occurs on October 12.
4. Jupiter is well placed and brilliant!
It's now really bright in Taurus as it heads towards its opposition on 7 December. It's mag -2.2, with the disc diameter an impressive 42"
Even a 75mm telescope will show the Great Red Spot when it's on the or near the meridian. Binoculars will show the 4 big Galilean Moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, and a moderate telescope will show at least the start and end of their transits across the disc. That's because the edge of the planet is darker than the middle due to 'limb darkening', so the bright satellite shows up against the dark background. But when the satellite is near the middle of the disc, the contrast with the brighter background is much less, and it takes a big telescope and steady seeing to reveal the satellite.
However, the much darker shadows of the satellites are easy to see the whole way across the disc. Also interesting to watch, and easier to see, are the satellites entering and leaving eclipse in Jupiter's shadow, except very near opposition when this happens very close to the disc itself.
At the moment, the outer Moon, Callisto, does not undergo any of these phenomena, because of the orbital tilt at present, so it always passes just above or just below the disc of Jupiter each orbit.
5. AUTUMN EQUINOX, 22 September. The Sun will cross the equator southwards at 13.44 BST/IST, marking the start of Autumn.
There has been some recent dispute about the official dates of the seasons. But it's quite clear:
They start and end at the solstices and equinoxes.
Sources (among others)
Collins Dictionary of Astronomy
Essential of Astronomy, by Motz & Duveen
Macmillan Dictionary of Astronomy
6. ASTROPHOTOGRPHER OF THE YEAR WINNER
And the Winner is.... Astronomy Photographers of the Year 2024 Announced - Universe Today
See also: Astronomy Photographer of the Year | Royal Museums Greenwich (rmg.co.uk)
7. NEWS FROM ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM:
New Dome Show: Our Night Sky, 2pm Tues - Sun
Have you ever looked up into the night sky and wondered 'what is that star called?' or 'how many constellations are there?' Created and produced by Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, this interactive show will showcase the best of our night sky! It will showcase all our seasonal skies offer and let you ask all your stargazing questions.
Our World From Space
One Saturday a Month
Embark on a captivating journey through the wonders of our home planet, as seen from space, at our family Our World from Space Club.
Learn together with your child (perfect for KS2 children) in this fun and interesting club at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium!
Each session will involve learning in our digital theatre, an indoor activity and an outdoor activity.
8. ISS. The ISS is just starting a new series of good evening passes, which will continue until 30 September. See www.heavens_above.com for details
9. IAA/NDBWC Event,Crawfordsburn Country Park, 28 Sep
This new event is being run in conjunction with North Down Bird Watching Club at CrawfordsburnCountry Park, near Bangor. It will be in the 'Meadow Suite' at the Visitors Centre.
We will have the mobile planetarium / stardome, and will be running 4 star shows, at: 11am, 12noon, 1pm and 2pm. We will also be doing solar observing if its clear, and will have some telescopes and binoculars on display.
It will be too bright to see Aquila, Cygnus, or Corvus; Grus will be very low, and Columba, Pavo and Tucana will be below the horizon, but we may be able to spot a few other avians thanks to the bird watchers!
10. BRIGHT COMET?
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is not currently visible as it's too close to the Sun, but should become visible from the S. Hemisphere about 23 September, when we'll get an idea of its magnitude. It will be late September before we get a reasonable chance to see it from here. It may become as bright as first magnitude in late September and early October. But as we all know, predicting comet magnitudes is notoriously difficult!
11. Recurrent Nova T Corona Borealis – We are still waiting! .
There were some reports on social media in early March that T CrB was due to explode again in the next week or two: I stuck my neck out, and said that we couldn't predict the next outburst with that degree of accuracy. That period has now passed, so I was right.
There have now been several more articles, saying much the same thing, and it still hasn't happened. The position remains the same - It could explode tomorrow – or not for another year or more! It's normally around magnitude 10 but in 1946 it faded to about 11 just before the outburst, but at outburst it reaches mag 2.0 or 2.5.
The first outburst was discovered by Irish astronomer John Birmingham in Tuam, Co Galway, in May 1866. Earlier archive observations indicate a possible previous outburst in 1217, 1787, 1866, as well as 1946. The eruptions in 1866 and February 1946, indicated an approximate 80 year period. BUT you can't assume a period from only 2 intervals ! However, in the year before the 1946 outburst, it dimmed to magnitude 12.3, and this has happened again recently, suggesting a possible outburst is imminent. BUT, once again, you can't predict from a single event!
Incidentally, the gap from 1217 to 1787, assuming some eruptions that were not observed, gives a
period of 95 years!
LATEST:
The prediction from the AAVSO was for the explosion to occur on 2024.4, +/- 0.3. Well, we're now past 2024.7, so the score is
AAVSO – 0, Terry Moseley -1!
As I've said many times, while there are records of several previous explosions, we only have a sample of one set of detailed observations of the pre-explosion stage – in 1946. And it's always dangerous to extrapolate from one set of observations!
So, keep an eye on it - comparison charts can be found on the websites of the BAA Variable Star Section, or the AAVSO. The current magnitude is around 10, so you'll need a good telescope to see it now.
(BTW, don't confuse it with the other nearby famous variable star, R CrB, which does the opposite – it stays normally around 6th magnitude, but occasionally dims to as faint as magnitude 14 or 15!)
(And for comparison, the other not quite so well-known recurrent nova, RS Oph, was seen to, or is thought to have, erupted 9 times since 1898 – with intervals of approximately 9, 26, 12, 13, 9, 18, 21 and 18 years; so its period is by no means constant.)
Anyway, do keep an eye out – T CrB lies just outside the East side of the circle of the 'Crown', about a degree from Epsilon CrB, but you really do need charts to observe it properly. It's high in the SW as the bright twilight ends, about 25 degrees to the left of Arcturus.
It's at Declination: 25° 55′ 12.613″; R.A.: 15h 59m 30.1622s
See also https://www.facebook.com/share/39XnUDPUGgsnmMDG/
12. World Space Week: 4 – 10 October:
Events will be announced next bulletin
13. Mayo Dark Sky Festival, Newport, 2-3 November.
This is always a great event, with lots of activities in several centres.
14. ALAN 2025, 28 – 30 October 2025, Westport.
Preparations are under way for the 9th Scientific Conference on Artificial Light At Night, ALAN2025, from October 28-30, 2025, in Westport, Ireland. Our host will be Dark Sky Ireland. The invited speakers will be revealed soon, but we can already promise you interesting talks about science, governance, dark sky outreach, and lighting design.
The conference offers a platform for interdisciplinary networking and exchange on the topics Biology & Ecology, Governance & Regulations, Health, Measurements & Modelling, Social Sciences & Humanities, Technology & Design.
We welcome researchers, lighting professionals, policy makers, light pollution activists, and everybody who is interested in the effects of artificial light at night. The conference aims to present new findings, exchange experiences and ideas, network, and discuss hoe artificial light can be used with less negative impacts.
I'm on the organising committee for this event, so I'll keep you posted regarding the programme.
For more information check out our website at artificiallightatnight.org .
15. NEW DIFFICULT TEASER
What's next in this sequence: 81, 770, 4200, …?
No correct answers yet, so I'll give a clue: It's astronomical rather than mathematical.
Another clue – it's a ratio.
And another clue – the first figure, a ratio, is fairly well known – so take it from there!
And another – the first ratio is 1:81
And another: it's the ratio of an aspect of one body to another.
Another clue – they are Solar System bodies
16. New Easy Teaser :
What does the number 12.368265923 represent? (It's only because I'm an absolute nerd that I give the figure to that degree of accuracy! If you take 12.368 it will be close enough!)
Remember, only send 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:
Watch: Nearby star blows bubbles the size of 75 Suns (newatlas.com)
Space photo of the week: Milky Way's galactic twin captured by Dark Energy Camera (msn.com)
Astronomers discover new 'odd radio circle' near the center of our galaxy (msn.com)
Supercharged 'cocoon of energy' may power the brightest supernovas in the universe (msn.com)
James Webb Space Telescope captures never-before-seen star behavior | Watch (msn.com)
Gravitational waves hint at a 'supercool' secret about the Big Bang | Space
James Webb Space Telescope delivers amazing Horsehead Nebula imagery - See in 4K | Watch (msn.com)
Massive black hole has 'awakened' in galaxy SDSS1335+0728 | Watch (msn.com)
COSMOLOGY:Cosmology may lead to new physics Cosmology is at a tipping point – we may be on the verge of discovering new physics (theconversation.com)
The problems with the universe https://www.facebook.com/share/72AZd8eeRaHg9C93/
AI uncovers the universe's 'settings' with unprecedented precision, and it could help to resolve the Hubble tension (msn.com)
The universe had a secret life before the Big Bang, new study hints (msn.com)
Gravitational waves offer new insights into the universe's origins (msn.com)
Gravitational waves hint at a 'supercool' secret about the Big Bang | Space
Heaviest antimatter particle ever discovered could hold secrets to our universe's origins (msn.com)
EARTH & MOONFantastic aurora video from Norway https://www.facebook.com/share/r/4CpRXAdCdTcYfqmC/
Artemis III Landing Sites Identified Using Mapping and Algorithm Techniques - Universe Today
Asteroid 'near-miss' (well, not really near!) 'Potentially hazardous' asteroid the size of a skyscraper to skim past Earth on Tuesday | Live Science
Astronomers discover oldest known eclipse reference in 6,000-year-old Hindu text | Space It's possible. However, all references to ancient eclipses must be treated with caution, as we do not know the value of Delta T with any accuracy that far back. Delta T is an adjustment for the varying rotation period of the Earth, and once we go back more than a few thousand years, the value gets increasingly imprecise. The effect is that the area where a total eclipse was visible may shift considerably either East or West around the globe. So those eclipses may or may not have been visible as totals in that area, or alternatively, a different eclipse on a different date might have been visible there.
'Everything we found shattered our expectations': Archaeologists discover 1st astronomical observatory from ancient Egypt (msn.com)
Nasa makes discovery 'as important as gravity' about Earth (msn.com)
Ancient grains of dust from space can be found on Earth − and provide clues about the life cycle of stars (msn.com)
Europe's JUICE probe snaps hi-res pics of Earth and the moon on its way to Jupiter (photos) (msn.com)
Sudden streak in South African sky revealed to be asteroid impact (msn.com)
The moon was once covered by an ocean of molten rock, data from India's space mission suggests (msn.com)
Scientists discover 'wonder material' in lunar samples that hint at Moon's true origins (msn.com)
EXOPLANETSAstronomers Detect 'Powerful Iron Winds' on Ultrahot World - Newsweek
James Webb Space Telescope finds 6 wandering 'rogue' planets that formed just like stars (msn.com) and
James Webb captures stunning new image of planets that've 'gone rogue' (msn.com)
Giant exoplanet the size of 2 Jupiters has a hidden companion disturbing its orbit (msn.com)
IMAGES:
Fantastic aurora video from Norway https://www.facebook.com/share/r/4CpRXAdCdTcYfqmC/
Rocket size comparison https://youtu.be/SSNh5UGEETw
James Webb Space Telescope spies interacting galaxies in amazing 2nd anniversary image | Watch (msn.com)
See SpaceX fire up Starship's flight 4 Super Heavy booster in real-time and slow motion | Watch (msn.com)
See the Milky Way's Sagittarius A* black hole in an amazing polarized Event Horizon Telescope image | Watch (msn.com)
Europe's JUICE probe snaps hi-res pics of Earth and the moon on its way to Jupiter (photos) (msn.com)
James Webb Space Telescope delivers amazing Horsehead Nebula imagery - See in 4K | Watch (msn.com)
JWST's incredible view of Crab Nebula James Webb Space Telescope's stunning view of the Crab Nebula - See in 4K | Watch (msn.com)
SOLAR SYSTEM Very interesting. You need to watch the video several times to take everything in Alien star could have side-swiped our solar system closer than Voyager (newatlas.com)
Mass concentrations under Martian volcanoes https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2024-730.
'Giant Impact' 20x Size of Dino Killer Shifted Solar System's Largest Moon - Newsweek
NASA Europa Clipper Cleared to Explore Life on Jupiter Moon - Newsweek
https://www.europlanet-society.org/epsc2024-junocam-spots-new-volcano-on-active-io/
Thruster issues delay BepiColombo probe's Mercury arrival until November 2026 (msn.com)
Shelved NASA spacecraft could spy on asteroid Apophis before 2029 Earth flyby (msn.com)
Europe's JUICE probe snaps hi-res pics of Earth and the moon on its way to Jupiter (photos) (msn.com)
Space mining startup AstroForge aims to launch historic asteroid-landing mission in 2025 | Space
Curiosity rover finds unexpected pure sulphur crystals on Mars (msn.com)
SPACE Watch: World's first private spacewalk (newatlas.com)
Japan's ispace will launch its 2nd lunar lander to the moon in December (msn.com)
Polaris Dawn crew flies higher than 1966 Gemini 11 orbital record | Space
Crew of SpaceX's Polaris Dawn complete first commercial spacewalk (msn.com)
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/spacex-will-start-launching-starships-to-mars-in-2026-elon-musk-says/ar-AA1qcpEH?ocid=socialshare&pc=DCTS&cvid=46b70664182c4355b5f386bca89f3711&ei=120 And what are the crew going to do? An 8-month trip to get there, and a minimum of 2 years from their landing until another starship can arrive? How and where are they going to survive on Mars for at least two years? Food, water, oxygen for two years? Plus enough heat to survive the bitter Martian nights? In fact, except for the equatorial region, near noon, and when Mars is near perihelion, they will ALWAYS need heat! He'll need to also send in advance at least one, maybe two, extra uncrewed starships with a habitation module, extra supplies, and probably a substantial nuclear powered heating system. Even then, the crew will be at risk from solar and cosmic radiation, and meteor impacts.
Virgin Galactic's Delta spaceship is 'start of a spaceline' - See the design | Watch (msn.com)
See NASA's future Gateway space station in this amazing animation | Watch (msn.com)
Hard blow: spacecraft to return without its astronauts (msn.com)
SUN
Sunspots surge to 23-year high as solar maximum continues to intensify far beyond initial expectations | Live Science As I said many times, it was both foolish and premature to predict that the current solar max would be much lower even than the last one, and predictions of the onset of another Maunder Minimum were just ridiculous.
TELESCOPES, EQUIPMENT & TECHNIQUES
Work starts on machine to solve one of science's biggest mysteries – UKRI
Interesting and informative. How the last 25 years led to the rise of mega-telescopes (msn.com)
FINAL WORD:
"The treasures hidden in the heavens are so rich that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment." - Johannes Kepler
18. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION. This link gives options to join the IAA.
https://irishastro.org/join-the-iaa/ If you are a UK taxpayer, please select 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 http://www.irishastro.org/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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