Friday, 1 March 2013

Fwd: Lecture, Meteorite, TV, Bright comet, IAA @ St Pat's, Scholarship, COSMOS, Web

Hi all,
 
1.  IAA LECTURE: The next IAA public lecture will be on Wednesday 6 March, at 7.30 p. m. It will be given by Professor Tom Ray, of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS)
. The title is "From Pebbles to Planets: Our changing ideas of how the Solar System formed".
    Prof Ray is a leading researcher in many areas of astronomy and astrophysics, and is Co-Principal Investigator of the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), one of the four main instruments on board the James Webb Space Telescope, the replacement for the HST.
    Tom studied at Trinity College Dublin before working at Jodrell Bank, the University of Manchester, the University of Sussex and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg. He is currently Professor of Astrophysics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, specialising in star formation.
   Tom has given several lectures to the IAA, and is an excellent and entertaining speaker, so you shouldn't miss this one.
   Admission is free, including light refreshments, and all are welcome.
This lecture will as usual be in the Bell Lecture theatre, Physics building, main QUB Campus.
 
2. Even more on the 'Russian Meteor'.
   Update from Mike Simms (slightly edited): The evidence does seem to be stacking up (that the hole in the frozen lake was due to impact from part of the meteoroid) - the hole had frozen over again a week or so later. Predictions are that what is down there is probably a few tens of kg. Biggest individual piece found so far is 1.8kg, but hundreds of small ones have been found, and a few have appeared on ebay (and sold for silly prices, such as $1336 for a 31g stone - $43/g!). First analysis, which I can't read (http://ria.ru/science/20130228/925165413.html?ria=pkqvb5h7dp1l9h1sm6fau2memqs9jakp) classified it as an LL5 but claims of 10% iron, and iron visible in some pics, suggest it may be an L chondrite.
   Finally, comments from two 'lunatics', one on either side of the Atlantic:
and
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/02/house-science-committee-questions-existence-of-meteors.html No, it's not a joke. And tomorrow is 1 March, not 1 April. Just think: this is the guy who chairs the Science, Space, and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives (Congress) in the most powerful nation on Earth. That's even scarier than the 'Russian Meteor' itself!
    Someone should fly him in a helicopter over the Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona. (No, he shouldn't then be pushed out. There's no point in polluting the crater.)
 
3.  METEOR/ITES on TV: (thanks to Peter Miller for this alert)
CHANNEL 4, 8:00 pm SUNDAY 3 MARCH Meteor Strike: Fireball from Space
Last month, a meteorite bigger than a double-decker bus crashed into Russia's Ural mountains, injuring more than 1,000 people. This documentary includes previously unseen footage of the event, as astrophysicists explain exactly what it was - and the likelihood of it happening again. Director/Producer Andrew Barron. Repeated next day at 9pm on 4seven (S)
 
BBC2 9:00 pm SUNDAY 3 MARCH: The Truth about Meteors: a Horizon Special
Earth's journey through space is continually fraught with danger, brought sharply into focus last month when a meteorite ripped across the skies into the Ural mountains in Russia. Here, Professor Iain Stewart explores the make-up of meteorites and asteroids, where they come from and the danger they pose.
Producer James Van der Pool; Executive producer Jonathan Renouf. Repeated next day, 11.50pm (S) Also on BBC HD   
 
4. NAKED-EYE COMET IN MARCH (per NASA)
   Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4) was discovered in 2011 by the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System a 1.8-m telescope in Hawaii that is used to watch for objects that might pose a danger to Earth.  In early March, the comet will pass about 90 million miles from Earth, briefly dipping inside the orbit of Mercury.
   Since it will be quite close to the Sun it may become visible to the unaided eye; maybe about as bright as the stars of the Plough.  However, the brightness of a new comet is always a bit unpredictable. When such comets occasionally fall towards the Sun we don't know how they will react to the Solar heat and light.  This Comet is probably on its first visit to the inner Solar System, so it could either disintegrate without getting too bright, but it could also throw off a lot of gas and dust and become a nice sight in our night sky.
    Because it will go close to the Sun it could be quite active, but could still be difficult to see, because when at its best it will appear very close to the Sun, only observable in twilight.
  The best dates to look may be March 12 and 13 when it appears in the western twilight not far from the crescent Moon.  A comet and the crescent Moon in the twilight glow is a rare sight.  The head of the comet may well be visible to the naked eye, but a good view of the tail may require use of binoculars or a small telescope.
 
5.  IAA at St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon, 8 March. There will be another public astronomy evening on Friday 8 March, at the school at 7.30 p.m. As well as the school's own 14" Celestron, once again we'll have a selection of our own powerful telescopes and binoculars for viewing the night sky, an exhibition, short astronomy and space films, a selection of meteorites (rocks from space) which you can actually hold, and of course the Stardome mobile planetarium just in case of bad weather. And you'll have a chance to meet our own 'Ulsternaut', Derek Heatly from Groomsport, who is booked to fly into space with Virgin Galactic.
There will be several shows (admission charge) in the Stardome during the evening, and these MUST be booked in advance by ringing the school at
 37 Killymeal Rd, Dungannon, County Tyrone BT71 6DS T. 028 8772 7400
  The highlight will be a great view of giant Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, with its four large Moons all beautifully laid out, two on either side of the planet. Observing is of course weather dependant.
 See also: www.irishastro.org These are always very popular events, so book early.

6.  Postponed: The IAA Public Astronomy Event at Glenarm Castle scheduled for 18 March has been postponed until later in the year.

7. ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM AND THE SCHOOL OF COSMIC PHYSICS, DUBLIN INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES (DIAS) Lindsay Postgraduate Research Studentship:

Applications are invited for the Lindsay Scholarship jointly funded by Armagh Observatory and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, to carry out research leading to a PhD in Astrophysics. This fixed-term postgraduate studentship position is available for suitably qualified candidates for three years starting September/October2013. Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, at least an upper second class honours degree or the equivalent in an appropriate discipline (e.g. Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy or
Astrophysics). The student will be based in Armagh Observatory but is expected to register in Trinity College Dublin and may have close research links with DIAS. Further information and the application pack are available at http://www.dias.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4043&Itemid=61&lang=en

 
8. COSMOS 2013: Advance notice: The next COSMOS star party will be held at Tullamore on 12-14 April. More details later.
 
9. INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 
   
10. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro


11. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo. Look under 'Countryfile'.
 
12. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://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.  See also www.irishastro.org. 
  
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
 

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Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Lecture, THAT 'meteor', Missed!, Galileo @ Armagh, Sir PM event, Mars in Morocco


Hi all,
 
1.  IAA LECTURE: The next IAA public lecture will be on Wednesday 20 February, at 7.30 p. m. It will be given by Dr Chris Watson, Senior Lecturer in the Astrophysics Department at QUB. The title is "Mapping the Surfaces of Stars - Giant Spots and Shadows". Dr Watson is a leading researcher in the search for Exoplanets, and will describe this technique, and what it can also tell us about other stars. Once the stuff of science fiction, finding planets around other stars is now a reality, with the total discovered now approaching 900! What does this tell us about the chances of life on other planetary systems? You'll want to hear the answer.
   Admission is free, including light refreshments, and all are welcome.
This lecture will as usual be in the Bell Lecture theatre, Physics building, main QUB Campus.
 
2. ISS. The International Space Station continues its series of evening passes over Ireland. Details as usual on the excellent and free site: www.heavens-above.com
 
3. That 'Russian Meteor'. I use that name because that's what the media called it, but of course it was much more than a meteor! Even 'Fireball' seems inadequate for such a brilliant and spectacular event. And we can't call it a 'meteorite' until recovered pieces have been confirmed as extraterrestrial in origin. There are already many such claims on the internet, but as of now I've heard no official confirmation.
   IRISH TIMES ARTICLE:  I got two t/cs from Dick Ahlstrom, Science Editor of the Irish Times, one about the 'Russian Meteor', and one about the asteroid flyby due later that day. Both interviews were then combined into the one article, on Saturday 16 Feb, in which I get a couple of mentions. See   
 
It was a very spectacular sight. Here are some weblinks you may have missed:
 
WARNING: Following the Russian fireball event, at least we all now know that if we see a brilliant light in the sky like that, we should stay away from windows etc for the next few minutes. Or if it's possible, get out of the building very quickly provided we can get well away from any potential flying glass or other debris - but see below.
   Even if the object passes directly overhead (i.e. as close as it can be), there's going to be a delay of at least a minute between the flash and the sonic boom, because the object will be at its brightest at least 12 miles above the Earth's surface, and each mile of distance causes a delay in arrival of the sound by about 5 seconds
    BUT, if the object explodes violently, there will be a shock wave, which can travel much faster than the speed of sound. However, with the size of object that is likely to be involved, and the minimum distance above us, any shock wave will probably have slowed and become just a sonic boom by the time it reaches us. It needs someone with a lot more expertise in this field than me to work it out fully, but I would guess that there would always be at least 10 seconds between the flash from an exploding meteor similar to the recent Russian one and the arrival of a shock wave (blast wave or sonic boom) which would be strong enough to break glass.
    You might ask - how do we know that the object won't explode just about half a mile above the ground? That's because the maximum dynamic pressure and heating of the object will probably (maybe not always?) occur at least 12 miles above the Earth's surface. Of course, if it's a really big one (say 1km diameter or more) then it will almost certainly punch straight through the atmosphere & hit the ground, exploding then. But in that case, staying away from windows will be the least of your concerns! Fortunately, the chances of one as big as that hitting us are VERY remote.
   Anyway, if in doubt, just don't immediately rush to the windows if you see a bright flash like that one! TM
  
4. SEE MERCURY: You can just see Mercury for another few days, but it is fading and starting to move closer to the Sun. Look low in the West about 30 minutes after Sunset, with binoculars. It will lie about 5 degrees above and right of fainter Mars.
 
5. Asteroid Very Near Miss: I just managed to spot NEO 2012 DA14 with 15 x 70 binocs, as it was moving from Virgo into Coma, but it then passed behind a bank of cloud and I never saw it again. But Andy McCrea managed to image it: "Caught it around 9.30 between Megrez and Alioth - close to 74 and 75 UMa - It was very faint and through light cloud". A McC. See photo on www.irishastro.org.
 See also:
  
6. IAA Event at Bangor, 16 February - This was a huge success, with mainly clear skies in spite of a very pessimistic weather forecast! We got great views of the 6 day old Moon, Jupiter with all 4 moons, and TWO passes of the ISS! This email says it all: "On behalf of everyone at North Down Museum we would like to thank the IAA for a very successful event indeed. Please pass our thanks onto your members who assisted with the Star Dome, Exhibition and Telescope guidance, their enthusiasm was wonderful and it really came across. This was reflected in record visitor numbers on the night and from the comments and feedback we have received."

 7. GALILEO AT ARMAGH OBSERVATORY: THE LIFE OF GALILEO", by Bertolt Brecht, Performed in the Armagh Observatory.
   The Greenwood Players and the Armagh Observatory are presenting in the Armagh Observatory from 22nd to 24th February 2013 the first performance on the island of Ireland of the play "The Life of Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht in a new version by David Hare.
   The story of the Life of Galileo and its central drama of the conflict between science, religion and authority is one that resonates today. As remarked by Ian McDonald, author and Executive Producer with the Greenwood Players, "The Life of Galileo" is a story that needs retelling every generation, especially in a 21st century when we seem to be moving away from science to an authority and belief-based worldview.
   There will be five performances of the play: two matinees at 2.00pm on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th February, and three evening performances at 7.00pm on each of 22nd, 23rd and 24th February.  Tickets, which are strictly limited, cost 12 pounds and are available from 14th January 2013 at http://galileoattheobservatory.eventbrite.co.uk/.
For more information, see: http://star.arm.ac.uk/press/2013/galileo/

8. Sir Patrick Moore: commemoration. It is now certain that the public commemoration event for PM will not be held before late April or early May. There is going to be an event at Selsey on 4th March, but that will be a Selsey village event, organised by and within Selsey, for Selsey residents only (who are very keen to celebrate the life of Patrick as a long-time Selsey resident) - so that's not intended as a 'national' event. It is still planned to have a bigger public event, probably in London, bit nothing is final yet.

There is an obituary feature in the March issue of Sky & Telescope, on p. 16 "Alas no Moore". I was interviewed for that piece, so I get a little mention. 

9. COSMOS 2013: Advance notice: The next COSMOS star party will be held at Tullamore on 12-14 April. More details later.
 
10. MARS in MOROCCO: ISSUED BY THE AUSTRIAN SPACE FORUM. Mars in Morocco: (slightly edited for space: TM) Mars has come to Morocco - at least until the 28th February.  The Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) has begun a series of experiments under simulated conditions in a Mars analogue site in the Northern Sahara. As the centrepiece of the field tests the OeWF's two analogue Mars spacesuits, Aouda.X and Aouda.S, will be deployed. A total of 23 nations are participating in the simulation.
   The MARS 2013 simulation kicked off on February 11th 2013 at 10:40 CET with Flight Director Alexander Soucek, head of the Mission Support Center in Innsbruck, giving the command: "You are GO for SIM!"
    Out in Morocco, 'Mars' astronaut Daniel Schildhammer wearing the Aouda.X experimental spacesuit said, "It is a mistake to believe that a small group of dedicated people cannot change the world. In fact, it is the only way it always happens."
  However, Mission Support back in Austria had to wait to hear this communication - a time delay is an intrinsic part of this field mission. "During MARS2013 a time delay of ten minutes is embedded in the communication between Innsbruck (Earth) and Morocco (Mars), which is decisive for a successful Mars simulation and allows us to learn a lot," explained Soucek.
   Soucek added, "Currently the Morocco Mars Simulation is the only simulation in the world that incorporates a time delay. The one-way transmission time is 10 minutes, which means, we will receive an answer to our question from the team on Mars after 20 minutes."
   The lag-time for communications simulates the delay induced by electromagnetic waves travelling the distance between Mars and Earth. Depending on the position of the planets on their orbits around the Sun,
this can vary anywhere from 4 to 22 minutes. The radio interchange between Earth and Mars is hence complicated and can lead to problems in executing procedures and commands. The Morocco Mars simulation wants to uncover these potential issues to guarantee the safety and a smooth execution of future manned-Mars missions.
  More information about the Morocco Mars Mission of the OeWF and experiments as well as current pictures of the Mars camp in Morocco can be found online: http://www.oewf.org/cms/press-media.phtml
 
11. INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 
 
12. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro


13. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo. Look under 'Countryfile'.
 
14. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://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.  See also www.irishastro.org. 
  
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
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Friday, 15 February 2013

Major Russian Fireball / Meteorite, IAA at Bangor.


Hi all,
 
1. Major Fireball + Meteorites?
 
You've probably heard of the major fireball with probable meteorites, over Russia.
 
Here are some interesting links, with amazing photos and videos.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There are reports of Russian military personnel finding meteorite fragments and impact craters, but as they are not experts in meteorites, we need to await confirmation by experts.
 
But there is no connection to the asteroid 2012 DA14 which will fly past at 17,000 miles above Earth this evening. See e.g. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/02/15/asteroid-2012-da14-astron_n_2692186.html.
 
The Russian object, and 2012 DA14, were hundreds of thousands of miles apart, and in totally different orbits, so it's just a coincidence. But it's worth remembering that while the minor damage and injuries in russia are regrettable and unfortunate, they are absolutely insignificant compared with the damage that would be done if 2012 DA14 were to hit us!
 
 
ASTEROID 23012 DA14 Flyby. See http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/scitech/display.cfm?ST_ID=2523

WATCH LIVE via GLORIA: 
IAA members had an excellent lecture earlier this month by ProfLorraine Hanlon of UCS on the new GLORIA project: This is the latest from Lorraine.
"As you know, asteroid 2012DA14 will pass close to Earth (within ~28,000km) on Friday, February 15th. A number of GLORIA telescopes (including UCD's Watcher in South Africa) plan to observe the approach and (hopefully!) retreat of the asteroid. Images will be uploaded to the website: http://live.gloria-project.eu/ every 5 minutes or so (weather permitting).
   We have also created a Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/gloriada14 and would love if you shared your own images through the group."

A final reminder:
2. "MOON, STARS AND JUPITER AT BANGOR CASTLE" 
 
The Irish Astronomical Association, in conjunction with North Down Borough Council, presents a public astronomy evening, at North Down Museum, Bangor Castle, on 16 February
 
FREE ASTRONOMY EVENING AT North Down Museum. The Irish Astronomical Association will be holding another of their very popular astronomy evenings at the Museum beside Bangor Castle, on Saturday evening, 16 February, at 6.30 p.m. Once again we'll have a selection of powerful telescopes and binoculars for viewing the night sky, an exhibition, short astronomy and space films, a selection of meteorites (rocks from space) which you can actually hold, and of course the Stardome mobile planetarium just in case of bad weather. And you'll have a chance to meet our own 'Ulsternaut', Derek Heatly from Groomsport, who is booked to fly into space with Virgin Galactic.
 
There will be free shows in the Stardome at 6.30, 7.15, 8.00 and 8.45, and these MUST be booked in advance by ringing the Museum at 028 9127 1200.
 
The highlight will be a spectacular Moon high in the sky, providing jaw-dropping views in the telescopes. In addition we will get a great view of giant Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, with its four large Moons. And as a special treat we can watch the International Space Station, the largest, brightest and heaviest object ever put into space, blazing across the sky. All those of course are weather dependant.
 
These are always very popular events, so book early with the Museum. See: www.northdownmuseum.com
 
3.  TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro


4. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo. Look under 'Countryfile'.
 
5. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://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.  See also www.irishastro.org. 
  
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
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