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Weekend SkyWatcher's Forecast – November 20 -22, 2009

Tammy Plotner — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:04:13 +0000

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Yep. The Moon is back, but this weekend can still present some great opportunities for enjoying astronomy. If you're up early or out late? Well, hey… The Leonid meteor shower is still producing activity! Why not take a few minutes to learn about a great variable star you can follow without optical aid or study a new lunar feature? There's plenty to do for binoculars and small telescopes – and perhaps even a clever new study you haven't looked at yet! Whenever you're ready, I'll see you in the dark… (...)
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Astronomers Find Type Ia Supernova Just Waiting to Happen

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:17:09 +0000

Type Ia supernovae are a mystery because no one can predict when or where one might occur. But astronomers are hedging their bets on V445 Puppis. A so-called "vampire white dwarf" that underwent a nova outburst after gulping down part of its companion’s matter in 2000, now, it appears this double star system is a prime candidate for exploding. “Whether V445 Puppis will eventually explode as a supernova, or if the current nova outburst has pre-empted that pathway by ejecting too much matter back into space is still unclear,” said Patrick Woudt, from the University of Cape Town and lead author of the paper reporting the results. “But we have here a pretty good suspect for a future Type Ia supernova!”
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© nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | 83 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: type 1a supernova, white dwarf star

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35 Radio Observatories Link to Break Record

Nicholos Wethington — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:21 +0000

Ever wondered what the largest telescope on the Earth is? Well, this coming Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the largest telescope ever assembled here will take observations for a whole day. How big is the telescope? About the size of the whole Earth! 35 radio telescopes on 7 continents will link together for one whole day in an effort to observe distant quasars as part of an initiative to improve the reference frame that scientists use to measure positions in the sky.(...)
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New Movie Reveals Birth of Super-Suns

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:34 +0000

A two-year look at "proplyds," or protoplanetary disks in the constellation Orion has provided astronomers with a new high-resolution time-lapse movie that reveals the process of how massive star form. The birth of the largest stars has been mysterious, in part, because massive stars are rare and tend to spend their youth enshrouded by dust and gas hiding them from view. "We know how these stars die, but not how they are born," said Lincoln Greenhill, a principal investigator for team using radio images a thousand times sharper and more detailed than any previously obtained.
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Weekend SkyWatcher's Forecast – November 13-15, 2009

Tammy Plotner — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:45:15 +0000

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! It's a dark sky weekend and for many of us, the weather scene is improving greatly. Are you ready to enjoy some astronomy? Then take the chance to get out in the early morning and admire the alluring dance of the "Old Moon in the New Moon's Arms" as it silently changes planetary partners over the next few days and catch some bright and early Leonid meteors. You won't need gigantic optics to enjoy this weekend's studies as we have a look at some very impressive double stars, galaxies and open clusters. Dust off those optics! And meet me in the backyard…. (...)
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Unusual Massive White Dwarf Stars Have Oxygen Atmospheres

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:14:40 +0000

White dwarfs are strange stars, but researchers recently discovered two of the strangest yet. However, these two oddballs are a missing link of sorts, between massive stars that end their lives as supernovae and small to medium sized stars that become white dwarfs. Somehow, these two once-massive stars avoided the core collapse of a supernova, and are the only two white dwarfs known to have oxygen-rich atmospheres. These so-called massive white dwarfs have been predicted, but never before observed.
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Vatican Holds Conference on Extraterrestrial Life

Nicholos Wethington — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:31:39 +0000

Though it may seem an unlikely location to happen upon a conference on astrobiology, the Vatican recently held a "study week" of over 30 astronomers, biologists, geologists and religious leaders to discuss the question of the existence of extraterrestrials. This follows the statement made last year by the Pope's chief astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, that the existence of extraterrestrials does not preclude a belief in God, and that it's a question to be explored by the Catholic Church. The event, put on by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, took place at the Casina Pio IV on the Vatican grounds from November 6-11.(...)
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Remembering Carl Sagan

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:24:27 +0000

Today would have been Carl Sagan's 75th birthday. His life and work were monumental in astronomy and public outreach, and he had a profound influence on many people. I count myself among those who say they might not be where they are today were it not for Carl Sagan. Reading his books such as "Cosmos" and "Demon Haunted World" broadened my horizons when I needed it most. One of my favorite books of all time is "Pale Blue Dot" which really puts everything in perspective. Above is a video excerpt from the book.

If you choose, there are a few different ways you can remember Sagan and celebrate his life:
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Found: Theoretical Supernova Actually Exists

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:16:26 +0000

A new kind of supernova. Credit: Tony Piro

Astronomers have identified a type of supernova that appears to be a type predicted in theory but never actually observed before. Two years ago Lars Bildsten from UC Santa Barbara and his colleagues predicted a new type of supernova in distant galaxies which they dubbed the “.Ia” (point one a) mechanism, involving a helium detonation on a white dwarf, ejecting a small envelope of material. This theoretical explosion would be fainter than most other supernovae and its brightness would rise and fall in only a few weeks. Dovi Poznanski from Berkeley went back and looked at seven-year-old observations and found this unusual kind of supernova. Poznanski and colleagues say supernova 2002bj belongs in its own category, as its spectra suggest that it evolved extremely fast and produced an unusual combination of elements.
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High School Students Get Published in Astrophysics Journal

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:16:18 +0000

From the left: Klaus Beuermann (group leader), Jens Diese (back,teacher), and the high-school students Joshua Zachmann (front), Alexander-Maria Ploch (back), Sang Paik (front). JD, JZ, and AMP are from the Max-Planck-Gymnasium, SP is from the Felix-Klein-Gymnasium.

High school students from Germany have now done what many scientists strive for: had their research work published by a science journal. The Astronomy & Astrophysics science journal published a paper co-authored by three students who observed the light variations of the faint (19th magnitude) cataclysmic variable EK Ursae Majoris (EK UMa) over two months. Led by astronomer Klaus Beuermann from the University of Göttingen, and the students' high school physics teacher, the team made use of a remotely-controlled 1.2-meter telescope in Texas. Astronomy & Astrophysics says the team "presents an accurate, long-term ephemeris," and that "they participated in all the steps of a real research program, from initial observations to the publication process, and the result they obtained bears scientific significance."
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© nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Astronomy, astrophysics, Variable Stars

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Telescopes Open Up the Jewel Box

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:11:39 +0000

A Snapshot of the Jewel Box cluster with the ESO VLT

Nothing in my jewelry box compares to the Kappa Crucis Cluster, also known as NGC 4755 or simply the “Jewel Box.” This object is just bright enough to be seen with the unaided eye, but a combination of images taken by three exceptional telescopes, the Very Large Telescope, the 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope, has allowed the stunning Jewel Box star cluster to be seen in a whole new light. Above is the image from ESO' Very Large Telescope, which zooms in for a close look at the cluster itself. This new image is one of the best ever taken of this cluster from the ground, taken with an exposure time of just 5 seconds.
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© nancy for Universe Today, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Star Cluster, Very Large Telescope

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Supernova 2009js… Another One Bites The Dust!

Tammy Plotner — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:22:26 +0000

SN 2009 JS in NGC 918 by Joe Brimacombe

Far away in the constellation of Aries, in a 14th magnitude barred spiral galaxy designated as NGC 918… a star exploded with enough candlepower to briefly outshine its home. Discovered independently by Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS) and Koichi Itagaki (Japan) on October 11, 2009, this Type II supernova might be hiding in the intergalactic dust, but it isn't hiding from Joe Brimacombe. (...)
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Can I Have One More #Moonwatch With You?

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:03:50 +0000

Gazing at the Moon seems to be universal among humans. So why not share the experience with the rest of the world using the hottest social media tool? From Oct. 26-28 you can join in on Moonwatch on Twitter. Various Twitterers will be live-tweeting conversation and images of the Moon, planets and other astronomical objects. Moonwatch was headed up by astronomers from the Newbury Astronomical Society in the UK. Additionally, the Faulkes Telescope Network of professional telescopes will also be taking part and taking images with their 2-metre telescope situated in New South Wales, Australia.
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Answer to This Week's WITU Challenge Now Posted

Nancy Atkinson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:24:35 +0000

Need to know the answer to this week's Where In The Universe Challenge? Find out back at the original post. And check back next week for another test of your visual knowledge of the cosmos!

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The Orionid Meteor Shower – What Did You See?

Tammy Plotner — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:00:58 +0000

If you had the opportunity this morning to witness the offspring of Comet Halley, then I'm curious as to what you might have noticed about this reliable annual meteor shower. (...)
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Hot Crescent Rolls… A Bubble?

Tammy Plotner — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:27:24 +0000

The Crescent Nebula, also known as NGC 6888, is a very well renown and most intriguing object located in the constellation Cygnus in the northern hemisphere. At an apparent size of about 18 by 13 arc-minutes it is a very pale nebula. Even in a moderate amateur telescope you can't quite see this one unless you have absolute dark skies (or narrow band filters) and a decent "light bucket". So how do we get a chance to study it? Photographically, of course… (...)
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Request For Twilight Observations of U Scorpii

Tammy Plotner — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:59:23 +0000

Further to AAVSO Alert Notice 367 and Special Notices 127 and 141, the AAVSO requests twilight observations of the recurrent nova U Scorpii prior to its solar conjunction in late 2009. These observations are in support of the long-term campaign by Dr. Bradley Schaefer (LSU) to catch this very fast nova during its rise. (...)
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Amateur Astronomer is "Chasing Galileo"

Nancy Atkinson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:28:13 +0000

A collage of 21-day old Moons, sketched by Galileo, (left), an image from Jane Houston Jones' telescope, center, and Jane's sketch, right.

Amateur astronomers have different ways of documenting their observing sessions, such as taking astrophotos or keeping a logbook. Others, like Jane Houston Jones, employ an age-old method used by Galileo Galilei himself: they take pen in hand and sketch what they see through the lens of their telescope. During this International Year of Astronomy, Jones – an amateur astronomer who also happens to work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory — wanted to do something special to honor the legacy of Galileo, and decided to follow through with something she has been considering for quite a while. Jones is recreating all of Galileo’s astronomical sketches as she looks through a telescope similar in size to the one used by the father of modern observational astronomy. "Every time I look through a small telescope at these same objects that Galileo did, it just gives me chills," Jones said. "It fills me with wonder every time I think that I'm seeing the same view Galileo saw 400 years ago, and I wonder what was going through his mind as he made his observations."
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Astronomy Night at the White House

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:08:32 +0000

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Cosmic-Ray Intensity Hits 50-Year High

Brian Ventrudo — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:49:04 +0000

Planning a trip to Mars? Take plenty of shielding. According to sensors on NASA's ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer) spacecraft, galactic cosmic rays have just hit a space-age high.

"In 2009, cosmic ray intensities have increased 19% beyond anything we've seen in the past 50 years," says Richard Mewaldt of Caltech. "The increase is significant, and it could mean we need to re-think how much radiation shielding astronauts take with them on deep-space missions."

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Giga Galaxy Zoom Trilogy Now Complete

Nancy Atkinson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:32:43 +0000

"Now the circle is complete. When I left you, I was but the learner, and now…" Oh, sorry, different triology. The third image of ESO's GigaGalaxy Zoom project has just been released online, completing this eye-opening dive into a galaxy not so far away; our own Milky Way. This third installment provides another breathtaking vista of an astronomical object, this time a 370-million-pixel view of the Lagoon Nebula with the quality and depth needed by professional astronomers in their quest to understand our Universe.
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A Prototype Detector for Dark Matter in the Milky Way

Brian Ventrudo — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:36:06 +0000

The business end of a dark matter detector based on a BGO crystal (right) and a germanium disc (left)

It doesn't emit electromagnetic radiation and no one really knows what it is, but that hasn't stopped a team of European researchers from developing a device which scientists will use to detect and determine the nature of the dark matter that makes up 1/4 of the mass of our universe.

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Yes, There's Water on the Moon

Nancy Atkinson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:10:14 +0000

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Three different spacecraft have confirmed there is water on the Moon. It hasn't been found in deep dark craters or hidden underground. Data indicate that water exists diffusely across the moon as hydroxyl or water molecules — or both — adhering to the surface in low concentrations. Additionally, there may be a water cycle in which the molecules are broken down and reformulated over a two week cycle, which is the length of a lunar day. This does not constitute ice sheets or frozen lakes: the amounts of water in a given location on the Moon aren't much more than what is found in a desert here on Earth. But there's more water on the Moon than originally thought.
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Finding Buried Treasure on Mars: Radar Map Confirms Climate Cycles

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:57:17 +0000

A radar-generated map of the thickness of the layered deposits. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Rome/Southwest Research Institute/University of Arizona

A radar instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has essentially looked below the surface of the Red Planet's north-polar ice cap, and found data to confirm theoretical models of Martian climate swings during the past few million years. The new, three-dimensional map using 358 radar observations provides a cross-sectional view of the north-polar layered deposits. "The radar has been giving us spectacular results," said Jeffrey Plaut of JPL, a member of the science team for the Shallow Radar instrument. "We have mapped continuous underground layers in three dimensions across a vast area."
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High School Student Discovers Strange Pulsar-Like Object

Nancy Atkinson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:29:48 +0000

A high-school student from West Virginia has discovered a new astronomical object, a strange type of neutron star called a rotating radio transient. Lucas Bolyard, a sophomore at South Harrison High School in Clarksburg, WV, made the discovery while participating in a project in which students are trained to search through data from the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Bolyard made the discovery in March, after he already had studied more than 2,000 data plots from the GBT and found nothing.
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