Observing Archives

February 13, 2009December 24, 2015 by Tammy Plotner

Weekend SkyWatcher’s Forecast – February 13-15, 2009

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! With the Moon gone from the early evening skies and the weather beginning to warm for northern climes, isn’t it about time you at least took a pair of binoculars out and scanned the skies with me? Some of mankind’s greatest astronomers were born over the next three days, included J.L.E. Dreyer, Fritz Zwicky, William Pickering and Galileo Galilei! Although our weekend targets are simple and you’ve probably already seen them before – how long has it been since you’ve last looked? Or tried with alternative sized optics? Ah… Yes. You begin to see the light! Come on. Dust those old binoculars off and head out into the back yard. I’ll be waiting…

Friday, February 13, 2009 – A bad luck day? Not hardly. It was rather fortunate, because Johan Ludvig Emil Dreyer, was born on this date in 1852. At age 30, Danish astronomer Dreyer became director of the Armagh Observatory—not a grand honor, considering the observatory was so broke it couldn’t afford to replace its equipment. Like all good directors, Dreyer somehow managed to get a new 10″ refractor but no funds for an assistant to practice traditional astronomy. However, J.L.E. was dedicated and within 6 years had compiled all observations known to him into one unified work called the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars (NGC). Originally containing 7,840 objects, and supplemented in 1895 and 1908 with another 5,386 designations, the NGC remains the standard reference catalog. Although Dreyer’s personal observations included such nebulous descriptions as ‘‘a vault of stars,’’ modern astronomers continue to use his abbreviations as a kind of shorthand.

Honor Dreyer tonight by discovering one of his catalog objects suited for all optics – NGC2287.

Located about two finger-widths south of Alpha Canis Majoris (RA 06 46 00 Dec -20 46 00), only an open cluster this bright could stand up against brilliant Sirius. From a dark-sky location, your unaided eye can even spot this magnitude 4.5 “star vault” as a hazy patch. Aristotle saw it as early as 325 BC! Officially discovered by Hodierna, we know it best by the designation Messier Object 41. Even from 2,300 light-years away, the cluster’s brightest star, an orange giant, stands out clearly from the stellar nest. With large aperture, you’ll notice other K-type stars, all very similar to Sol. Although small scopes and binoculars won’t reveal too much color, you might pick up on the blue signature of young, hot stars. NGC 2287 could be anywhere from 190 to 240 million years old, but its stars shine as brightly now as they did in Aristotle’s day. . .and Dreyer’s!

Saturday, February 14, 2009 – Happy Valentine’s Day! On this date in 1747, astronomer James Bradley presented his evidence of Earth’s wobble, called nutation. The study took 19 years, but won Bradley the Copley Medal! In 1827, George Clark was born. The name might not ring a bell, but it was indeed a bell—melted down—that he used to create his first brass telescope. George’s family went on to produce the finest—and largest—telescopes of their time.

In 1898 crabby astronomer Fritz Zwicky came along, his name synonymous with the theory of supernovae. The Swiss-born Caltech professor was also a salty character, often intimidating his colleague Walter Baade and referring to others as ‘‘spherical bastards.’’ Although Zwicky was difficult to work with, he was also brilliant—predicting the phenomenon of gravitational lensing.

Tonight we’ll look at a supernova remnant as we venture to the Crab Nebula. Finding M1 is easy: it can be seen with as little as 7X magnification. Locate Zeta Tauri (about halfway between Orion’s ‘‘head’’ and the southernmost bright star in Auriga) and aim about 1 degree northwest (RA 05 34 31 Dec -22 00 52).

Viewing M1 with small optics helps to understand why Charles Messier decided to compile his famous catalog. Unaware of its earlier discovery, Messier located a fuzzy object near the ecliptic and assumed it was the return of Halley’s Comet. Considering his primitive telescope, we can’t fault his observation. But Chuck was a good astronomer. When he realized the object wasn’t in motion, he began compiling a log of things not to be confused with comets—the famous Messier objects. Enjoy looking at this spectacular deep-sky jewel, and we’ll study it in depth another time. Of course, Zwicky would have cursed me for saying that observing without science is an ‘‘empty brain exercise and therefore a waste of time.’’ But on the date of his birth, I took his advice. . . ‘‘Give me a topic and I’ll give you an idea!’’

Sunday, February 15, 2009 – Are you ready to do a little IYA 2009 outreach? Then start now. This date’s astronomical births begin in 1564 with Galileo Galilei—pioneer of physics and astronomy—who didn’t invent the telescope but certainly perfected it. Arrested for heresy, Galileo entreated fellow scientists to discover the universal truths for themselves. His cry was ignored. To his friend, Johannes, he wrote: ‘‘I wish, my dear Kepler, that we could have a good laugh together at the extraordinary stupidity of the mob. What do you think of the foremost philosophers of this University? In spite of my oft-repeated efforts and invitations, they have refused, with the obstinacy of a glutted adder, to look at the planets or Moon or my telescope.’’

The birth of lunar and planetary observer William Pickering followed in 1858. During Pickering’s professional years at Harvard, he noted that the entire constellation of Orion is encased in faint nebulosity. Later verified by E.E. Barnard, this nebula is now known as Barnard’s Loop.

With a very dark sky and excellent transparency, you can trace the ‘‘Loop’’ with binoculars. The area is so large and it’s pointless to provide coordinates, but the brightest portion extends eastward between Alpha and Kappa. Because the Orion complex contains so many rapidly evolving stars, it stands to reason a supernova has occurred there. Barnard’s Loop is probably the ancient shell leftover from such a cataclysmic event. If taken as a whole, it would encompass 10 degrees of sky! More difficult for Northern Hemisphere viewers is IC 2118, a huge reflection nebula west of Rigel known as the ‘‘Witch Head.’’ Once photographed by Pickering, IC 2118 is more sensitive to film than to the eye,
but that doesn’t mean you can’t see it. Sky conditions are the decisive factor, so look closely around the eastern edge where the fueling stars are brightest. You just might surprise yourself!

Until next week? Dreams really do come true when you keep on reaching for the stars!

This week’s awesome photos are: J.L.E. Dreyer (historical image), NGC 2287: M41 (credit—Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech), Fritz Zwicky (historical image), Messier Object 1 (credit—Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech), Galileo (historical image) and Eastern edge of IC 2118 (credit—Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech).

February 6, 2009December 24, 2015 by Tammy Plotner

Weekend SkyWatcher’s Forecast – February 6-8, 2009

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! For some parts of the world, baby? It’s cold outside… But those -23C temperatures haven’t kept some of us from chasing Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin and just knowing a few bright stars and having a pair of binoculars is all it takes for you to spot it, too! Or maybe you’d just like to spot the ISS? If skies are clear, why not spot the Moon and where SMART-1 did some imaging? Better yet, how about spotting a bright star to learn about – or a fantastic lunar impact crater? If you’re ready to see some “spots”, then grab your observing equipment and meet me outside…

Friday, February 6, 2009 – This date marks the 1991 fiery return of the Soviet space station Salyut 7. Launched in 1982, electrical and maneuvering problems plagued the mission, but cosmonauts were able to stay on board for as long as 8 months before returning. Abandoned in 1986, equipment and supplies were transferred to the orbiting Mir. If you’d like to spot a space station like the ISS, check Heavens Above on how to get information for your area.

Return to the Moon tonight and explore the outstanding ring of crater Gassendi on the north shore of Mare Humorum. It’s over 3.6 billion years old, and about the size of the state of Arkansas! Roughly 110 kilometers in diameter and 2,010 meters deep, this ancient crater contains a central triple mountain peak and forms one of the most ‘‘perfect circles’’ on the Moon. Lava flows have eroded Gassendi’s south wall, and its floor is covered with ridges and rilles. Look for small crater Gassendi A on the northern rim. The northwestern section of the crater wall is slightly higher, saving it from the lava that formed Mare Humorum. Look carefully at the lower southern rim to find the gap where lava spilled over the walls. It’s only 200 meters above the surface, while other areas rise as much as 2,500 meters. The fact that some parts of the rim escaped the lava is what makes this an interesting area for science!

On January 13, 2006, the Advanced Moon Imaging Experiment (AMIE) on board ESA’s SMART-1 spacecraft imaged Gassendi from about 1,220 kilometers above the surface. Previous spectroscopic studies had shown that the central peaks might have experienced their own volcanic period – earlier than the event that filled the lower floors. These ancient highland rocks may one day give us significant insight into the thermal history of the Mare Humorum impact basin and the processes that formed Gassendi. Enjoy this ancient beauty!

Saturday, February 7, 2009 – On this date in 1889, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific was born. In 1926 celebrated cosmonaut Konstantin Feoktistov, who flew Voskhod 1 and helped design Salyut and Mir, was born. Yet most noteworthy today is the 1824 birth of amateur astronomer William Huggins. By age 30, he’d built his own private observatory and through his studies made important contributions to astronomy. According to scientists Kirchoff and Bunsen, the chemical composition of minerals could be determined from their spectral signatures. The inquisitive Huggins began comparing mineral samples to the spectra of celestial objects. Although his experimental methods were crude by today’s standards, his calculations were perfect. Huggins proved the spectrum of the Orion Nebula was like that of a pure gaseous emission, while the spectrum of the Andromeda Nebula was similar to that of starlight—and this long before confirmation of its galactic nature! Huggins was also the first amateur to measure the radial velocities of stars from their spectral shifts. Although most people assume only professional scientists can make such measurements, many of today’s amateurs (unpaid, but not unskilled!) have measured spectra.

Tonight let’s look at a star whose radial velocity has been studied both professionally and personally – Kappa Orionis (RA 05 47 45 Dec -09 40 10). Named Saiph, it’s the often-overlooked eastern ‘‘foot’’ of Orion. According to spectral analysis, this 722 light-year distant blue supergiant is moving away from us at 21 kilometers per second.

Roughly the same type, size, and distance as Rigel, it looks far fainter. But why? Oddly enough, Saiph has an extremely high temperature, burning more than 1,500 K hotter. Near the point where helium fusion replaces hydrogen fusion, the majority of its variable light output is in the ultraviolet band. And as Huggins once said: ‘‘It is remarkable that the elements diffused through the host of stars are some of the most closely connected with the living organisms of our globe.’’

Sunday, February 8, 2009 – On this date in 2001, the Sayh al Uhaymir 094 Mars Meteorite was discovered. Some space-born debris from Martian impact craters is eventually captured by Earth’s gravity. The surviving meteorites can be identified by their mineral composition, as well as from tiny gas deposits matching Viking lander samples of Mars’s atmosphere.

Tonight, aim your optics toward the Moon and study an impact crater large enough to have blasted lunar material back to Earth. Its name is Tycho… Take one glance at the lunar Southern Hemisphere, and you can’t miss the dazzling display of 85-kilometer-wide Tycho, and its brilliant splash ray pattern. Perhaps 100 million years ago a comet, an asteroid, or a large meteorite impacted the Moon, flinging debris far and wide. One of Tycho’s ejecta paths (rays) crosses the Apollo 17 landing site almost 2,000 kilometers away, where it caused a landslide, revealing deeper materials. Shining like a beacon in Tycho’s center is a mountain peak originating from below the surface crust. The crater floor is lumpy and the rim broken by the force of the impact.

Could a collision like Tycho’s create Earth-bound meteoroids? Indeed, you may have walked on one unaware! The first confirmed lunar meteorite was found in 1979 in Antarctica, but it was many years before its true identity was known. Confirmation required comparison of its chemical composition to that of Apollo lunar samples. To date, only around 40 confirmed lunar meteorites are known, but as many as one in every thousand may have originated from our nearest neighbor. Noble gas measurements show some of these materials may have left the lunar surface up to 20 million years ago, but most are around 100,000 years old. They might resemble terrestrial rocks, but ones with their chemical composition are found only on the Moon. Have a look at Tycho and imagine the power that sculpted this mighty crater!

C2007 N3 Lulin Imaged on February 5 - Joe Brimacombe

For those who don’t mind getting up early, be sure to keep your eye on the mighty Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin! If you have trouble reading star charts – don’t worry. It’s a whole lot easier to find in binoculars than you might think. All you need to do is just know how to identify a few bright stars! If you live in the northern hemisphere, about an hour (even two if you have a clear skyline) go out and identify Scorpius rising to the southeast – or Virgo high in the south, if you prefer. (For other locations, simply follow the ecliptic plane.) Between the two constellations you’ll see bright optical double star Alpha Librae – Zubenelgenubi. You’ll know if you have the right star because it will appear as two close stars in your binoculars. As of the morning of February 6th, Comet Lulin appeared in the 2 o’clock position with Zubenelgenubi in the field and it’s slowly headed towards Spica – Alpha Virginis. Remember as each successive day passes to start at Zubenelgenubi (it’s about a hand span east-southeast of Spica) and move the binoculars slowly towards Spica until you spot it. It will appear as a small, faint fuzzy in 5X30 binoculars and elongated in 16X60s. Even with telescopes as small as 114mm in aperture, it’s easy to make out that signature tail! Don’t wait too long to capture it, though… Because it won’t be long until the Moon is going to interfere and make this 7th magnitude comet far more difficult to spot.

Until next week? Ask for the Moon, but keep on reaching for the stars! You could just catch a comet…

This week’s awesome images are: Salyut (historical image-NASA), Gassendi (credit-Wes Higgins), William Huggins (historical image), Kappa Orionis: Saiph (credit-Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech), Mars meteorite (historical image), Tycho (credit-Roger Warner) and Comet Lulin (credit-Joe Brimacombe). Thank you for sharing!

February 1, 2009December 24, 2015 by Tammy Plotner

Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin – A Twist In The Tail

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When Chi-Sheng Lin of Taiwan’s Institute of Astronomy captured three images on July 11, 2007 with something strange in them, it was first believed he’d picked up just another asteroid. But, by July 17 astronomers in Table Mountain Observatory, California were noticing a coma 2-3″ across, with a bright central core. That’s not an asteroid… That’s a comet! And now it’s a comet that’s doing something very strange…

By the end of 2008, Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin had steadily began to brighten and now is within easy reach of binoculars for all observers. How bright is it? At last estimate it is between magnitude 6 and 7. That means just a little too faint to be seen unaided, but bright enough to be spotted easily with just the slightest of visual aids. Our own Nancy A. did an article on this not long ago!

But there’s something going on with N3 Lulin, right now… Something very different. There’s a twist in the tail! Check this out…

Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin (negative luminance) - J. Brimacombe

While imaging N3 Lulin for UT Readers, Dr. Joe Brimacombe used a negative luminance frame to take a closer look at what’s going on and discovered something quite out of the ordinary. First off, you’ll notice an anti-tail – quite rare in itself – but if you take a look about halfway down the ion/dust tail, you’ll see a very definite twist in the structure. It it rotating? Exactly what’s causing it? Torsional stress? Is it possible that the kink in the tail is an instability resulting from currents flowing along the tail axis? Right now there’s absolutely no information available about what’s going on in the tail – because what you’re seeing is perhaps one of the most current pictures of the comet that can be found!

If you’re interested in viewing Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin for yourself and would like some help locating it, there’s a wonderful resource that’s easy to use. Just go to Chris Peet’s Heaven’s Above website and make use of the tools there. It will give you easy to follow charts and all you need is just a pair of binoculars to spot this comet for yourself. Don’t sit inside… Do it!

My sincere thanks to Dr. Joseph Brimacombe of Northern Galactic for not only his superb imaging – but his sublime sense of curiosity which caught this anomaly!

February 1, 2009December 24, 2015 by Tammy Plotner

R Coronae Borealis At Faintest

R Coronae Borealis Field - J. Brimacombe

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For those of you who like observing curiosities, it’s time to take a look at R Coronae Borealis. As you may have guessed from the single letter designation, R is a variable star, but it’s not just any old variable – it’s the prototype of its class. What exactly is an R CorBor star, what does it do and why is taking the time to check it out now so important? Then step inside and find out…

R Coronae Borealis stars (RCB) type stars are one of the oldest known classes of variable star. In just a period of a few weeks, they can drop in brightness by factors of thousands and what they do is totally unpredictable. Within months, they recover again to their maximum brightness… But why? While astronomers don’t fully understand the evolutionary origin and the physical mechanism behind what drives R CorBor types, they do know the stars pulsate – generating a sort of sooty dust cloud just above the surface. Like an old-fashioned oil lamp with its wick turned up too high, when R Cororonae Borealis stars burn their fuel, they smoke up their exterior – just like the lamp smokes its glass chimney and dims the light. What remains on the glass? That’s right. Carbon. And the surfaces of RCB stars are unusually poor in hydrogen, and rich in carbon and nitrogen. Chances are very good that R CorBor stars are actually the remnants of more fully evolved stars.

Just a few days ago, M. Templeton of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) released Special Notice #145:

“R Coronae Borealis, the prototype of the R CrB class, is apparently at or near historic minimum; a number of observers have put this star below m(vis)=14.0 since early November 2008, and both visual and instrumental measures are now indicating R CrB is near or below V=14.5. R CrB began its current fading episode around JD 2454288 (2007 July 6 +/- 1 day), and faded from m(vis) ~ 6.0 to below m(vis) ~ 12.0 by JD 2454325 (2007 August 12). The star has continued to fade for the past 17 months. Current visual observations by a number of AAVSO visual observers estimate the star to be around m(vis) 14.3-14.5, and V-band CCD observations suggest the star may be at or near V=15.0. BAAVSS observer J. Toone also visually estimated the star is at m(vis) ~ 14.9 (via baavss-alert). Both visual estimates and instrumental photometry of R CrB are strongly encouraged at this time.

The duration of the current episode and its depth are similar to that observed during the previous extreme fading episode which began circa JD 2438200 (June 1963) and continued with only one brief interruption until circa JD 2439100 (December 1965). During the 1963-1965 event, a few AAVSO observers estimated that R CrB reached m(vis) around 14.9-15.0, although the average visual estimate remained around 14.2-14.3 at minimum. The current episode seems to have reached the same depth; there is no way to tell whether the fade will continue, although the light curve has been flat or trending weakly downward for several months. As J. Toone pointed out, the current magnitude is very close to if not fainter than the historic minimum for this star.”

Of course, nearing magnitude 15 isn’t within the territory of binoculars or small telescopes – but it is within the grasp of many of our amateur astronomer UT readers with larger equipment, clear skies and the willingness to seize the opportunity to record this historic astronomical event. (I dislike the term “amateur” – it only means you don’t get paid for it, folks… Not that you’re any less serious or talented!) One such astronomer is Dr. Joseph Brimacombe, who took up the gauntlet immediately. Although Joe hails from Australia where R Coronae Borealis isn’t visible, today’s astronomy world is far different than it used to be. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, he immediately set about the task of capturing the star on January 30, 2009 via a robotic telescope located in New Mexico and shared his results with us.

R Coronae Borealis True Color - J. Brimacombe

For those wishing to also participate in the quest for R Coronae Borealis, you’ll find it located at the following (J2000) coordinates: RA: 15 48 34.40 , Dec: +28 09 24.0 and you may use this field chart provided by the AAVSO to further refine your observations. If R is too faint for your equipment now? Don’t worry. It’s a variable star and within a few months it will return to its easily spotted magnitude 6 self – and a very delightful red star in binoculars. As always, be kind to science and contribute! Please promptly submit all observations to the AAVSO using the name “R CRB” and take part in astronomy history!

My many thanks to Joe Brimacombe of Northern Galactic for his superb talents and to the AAVSO for keeping us on alert!

January 30, 2009December 24, 2015 by Tammy Plotner

In Depth Observing – M81 and M82

Are you interested in taking a more in-depth look at observing? Then why not wait until the Moon sets this weekend and have a look at two splendid galaxies for any size optics – Messier 81 and Messier 82. If you’ve ever been curious about exactly what can be seen in a particular sized telescope, what else is in the area and what the story is behind these two, then come on in…

Welcome, Traveller. Our celestial journey resumes to the north, in the realms of Ursa Major: the Great Bear. “Let my lamp at midnight hour, Be seen in some high, lonely tower. Where I may oft outwatch the Bear.” Our sojourn will take us to a place of intrigue. A realm where two galaxies hold each other in cosmic grip. A place where a single gem of spiral perfection is mounted against a setting of broken interaction. Here we continue our observing quest in exploration of Bode’s Galaxies – twin jewels of the circumpolar north sky – M81 and M82…

Discovered in December, 1774 by JE Bode at Berlin, these two deep sky favourites hold secrets between themselves. Photographed as early as March, 1899, this pair is central to a group of galaxies encompassing the northern circumpolar constellations of Ursa Major and Camelopardalis. Modern photos (such as at the above taken by Karel Teuwen), show the superb spiral structure of the M81. At some 36,000 light years in diameter, it is one of the densest known galaxies. One third of the mass is concentrated at the core. Its glow is the combined luminosity of twenty billion suns…

Often mistaken in the small telescope for an edge-on spiral, M81’s neighbor – M82 – shows no sign of “swirling”. As a true space “oddity”, the light from M82 journeying back to our eyes is polarized. This galaxy probably contains a super-massive magnetic field. Not only is M82 polarized visually, it is also a powerful radio source. Within its broken structure lay huge masses of dust accompanied by the radiance of stars possessing unusual spectral qualities. These facts lead scientists to believe that a violent outburst may have occurred within the galaxy as recently as 1.5 million years ago… About the time when our own adventurous ancestral species began seeking patterns in the night sky!

It is estimated M82’s defining event released the energy equivalent of several million exploding suns. “Shock waves” emanating from the galaxy greatly resemble synchrotron radiation. This phenomenon was first discovered in association with planetary nebula M1 – but within the M82, on an enormous scale. Can you image a super nova remnant the size of an entire galactic core region?

Roughly every one hundred million years, M81 and M82 make a “pass” at one another. Immensely powerful gravitation arms reach out and intertwine to produce a spectacular embrace. It is theorized that during the last go-round, M82 raised rippling density waves which circulated throughout M81. The result? Possibly the most perfectly formed spiral galaxy in all of space!

M81 is among the nearest and brightest spiral galaxies, visible even with binoculars at dark sites. It is also is one of the nearest to our Local Galaxy Group, being only some 12 million light-years from our own celestial backyard. As with almost all spiral-structured galaxies, star formation is continuing to take place inside this grand galaxy along the arms. When shown in specific wavelengths of light (like the above photo take by Dietmar Hager, F.R.A.S.) it can be evidenced as pink areas of light where the HII regions exist – while the blue areas are home to countless new stars. It is this incredible energy that makes Messier 81 such a breath-taking spectacle…

But M81’s influence left M82 a broken galaxy. Filled with exploded stars and colliding gas, a galaxy so violent it emits X-rays. Reactions induced by colliding dust and gas caused the birth of these numerous brilliant stars. Stars capable of creating extremely dense atoms… Some of which are now excited by the kind of extreme motion that induces immense magnetic fields.

The end may already be envisioned. Scientists speculate within a few billion years, out of the two, there shall be one… Indistinguishable but for the welter of radiation only such an embrace can create. It is known this same fate awaits our own galaxy. Billions of years from now, our own galaxy and its’ largest neighbor – the Great Spiral in Andromeda – will perform this same duet.

Let’s not talk about just this fascinating galactic duet, however. For the M81 and M82 also have some very unusual playmates! Neighboring galaxy NGC3077 displays some of the same “peculiarities” as its larger companion, M82. At 6,000 light years in diameter, NGC3077 is little more than a third the size of its prototype. Southwest of Spiral M81, is yet another “odd ball”. Like NGC3077, NGC2976 is a dwarf. At less than 1/5th the size of M81, NGC2976 is some 7,000 light years across. A value only three times the distance between our own Sun and the nearby, spectacular Great Nebula in Orion!

Three faint, irregular galaxies are also associated with our galactic pair. The NGC2366 jumps the border into Camelopardalis. IC2574 is found just a bit southeast of the M81 and is a real “toughie” for most telescopes. A smaller system known as Ho II was discovered in 1950 by astronomer E. Holmberg. Even farther into Camelopardis is the large spiral NGC2403, also thought to be a member of the M81/82 “family” of galaxies. As one of the two galaxy groups closest to our own Milky Way system (the other lies in Sculptor), this region presents a fascinating opportunity for study by the backyard astronomer. Why, the main pair can even be seen through 6x35mm binoculars!

So, while we have a relatively dark skies left for a few days, let us turn our telescopes toward study. Drawing an imaginary line between Phecda and Dubhe, we extend that just one step further into space… And Galaxy Quest continues!

Some Basic Information:

Like many galaxies seen at right angles to the Milky Way’s galactic plane, M81/M82 Galaxy Group members are best observed during Spring just after skydark. Of course, these galaxies may be observed year-round from the temperate northern hemisphere, but best views are had when found in the middle third of the sky. Despite the brightness and susceptibility of the main pair, amateurs take it as a source of some pride to readily locate the pair in what amounts to a rather nondescript region of sky.

M81 Ursa Majoris, Type: Spiral Galaxy, Magnitude: 7.0, Apparent Size: 26×14′ RA: 09 55.6, Dec:69 04, Optimal Scope Size: 150mm.

M82 Ursa Majoris, Type: Irregular Galaxy, Magnitude: 8.4, Apparent Size: 11×5′ RA: 09 55.8, Dec:69 41, Optimal Scope Size: 150mm.

NGC2976 Ursa Majoris, Type: Irregular Galaxy, Magnitude: 10.2, Apparent Size: 5×2′ RA: 09 47, Dec:67 54, Optimal Scope Size: 250mm.

NGC3077 Ursa Majoris, Type: Elliptical Galaxy, Magnitude: 9.9, Apparent Size: 5×4′ RA: 09 59, Dec:68 58, Optimal Scope Size: 250mm.

IC2574 Ursa Major, Type: Irregular Galaxy, Magnitude: 10.6, Apparent Size: 13×5′ RA: 10 28, Dec:68 25, Optimal Scope Size: 400mm.

NGC2366 Camelopardalis, Type: Irregular Galaxy, Magnitude: 10.9, Apparent Size: 8×3′ RA: 07 29, Dec:69 13, Optimal Scope Size: 325mm.

NGC2403 Camelopardalis, Type: Spiral Galaxy, Magnitude: 8.4, Apparent Size: 18×9′ RA: 07 36.9, Dec:65 36, Optimal Scope Size: 200mm.

Our Telescopes:

80mm Orion ShortTube Refractor mounted on an Orion Skyview Deluxe Equatorial Mount. Eyepieces include 35/25/15/10mm Orion Ultrascopics, 3x Apochromatic and 2x Shorty Barlow Lenses. This scope is capable of revealing stars to magnitude 12.0 with direct vision. It cleanly resolves matched double stars to 1.5 arc seconds of apparent separation. Under optimal seeing conditions, it can reveal all deepsky studies found in the Messier catalogue. (Optimal seeing is defined as unaided and direct perception of stars to magnitude 5.5 overhead and clean resolution of matched double stars at Dawes limit.)

Celestron 114 Newtonian Reflector with CG3 Equatorial Mount. 10 and 25mm, Celestron SMA, 17mm Orion Sirius Plossl, 9 and 26mm Meade Series 4000 eyepieces plus 2X Orion “Shorty” Barlow. This scopes performance is comparable to the 80mm achromat in double star resolution but is able to go half a magnitude deeper in stellar reach.

150mm Orion Argonaut Maksutov-Cassegrain mounted on an Orion Skyview Deluxe Equatorial Mount. Eyepieces include 35/25/15/10mm Orion Ultrascopics, 3x Apochromatic and 2x Shorty Barlow Lenses. This scope is capable of revealing stars to magnitude 13.4 with direct vision. It cleanly resolves matched double stars to .8 arc seconds in apparent separation. Under optimal conditions, almost all studies described by William Herschel may be found in the night sky.

Meade 318mm Starfinder Newtonian Reflector on Altazimuth Dobsonian Mount. 2 inch 32mm Televue plus 17mm Orion Sirius Plossl, 9 and 26mm Meade Series 4000 eyepieces and 2X Orion “Shorty” Barlow. This “lightbucket” actually resolves matched double stars to .5 arc seconds. Stars to magnitude 15.0 may be held direct under good conditions. It is capable of revealing virtually all members of Dreyer’s New General Catalog plus a number of Index catalog (IC) studies as well!

At the Eyepiece:

M81 & M82:

So Traveller, shall we start with the 80mm? Here we find the M81 shows an obvious starlike core, with bright and extended core region blending into the beginnings of faint spiral arms. Although this showpiece galaxy flares to all directions on eye movement (which basically doubles any scope aperture), it appears somewhat “flattened”, showing a better defined frontier to the west. On nights of superb transparency (and at low magnification – 40x), the broad extensions of the galaxy’s spiral arms may be seen clearly with strongly averted vision. And surprisingly, some five arc minutes north of the galaxy’s core, a faint condensation may be detected. But the limits of small aperture leave the observer wanting more…

So, let’s increase to 114mm… At 53X, we find M81 as a lovely, soft “disc” with an intense core. By increasing the power to 90X, its true spiral form begins to show. Meanwhile, the central portion of the galaxy takes on a very concentrated appearance, and the outer frontiers fade gently away. Still, no “definitive” view of this superfine study, however.

Time to check out the view in the 150mm…

At 52x, spiral galaxy M81 sports a very bright, star-like central core. It’s core is large, elongated, and displays a considerable luminosity gradient from core-central to faint spiral arms. At this magnification, extended spiral arms require but the slightest aversion of the sight. As large as M81 is, it’s still helpful to bump up the magnification. At 70x, averted vision reveals a certain subtle “spiral-sweep” about the core region. The core itself orients more or less north-south and extends perhaps 5 by 10 arc-minutes in apparent size. This sweep of the core region is larger than many galaxies. A pair of 12th magnitude stars lie just off axis to the southwest. Careful inspection shows that the galaxy as a whole orients toward the more westerly of these two field stars. Under less than optimal conditions, less than half of M81 is susceptible to direct vision. But under optimal conditions, we are rewarded with fine views of large faint splotches of outlying luminosity. Through a six inch instrument, this grand galaxy needs to be doted over to be truly appreciated. While the core is easy, M81’s spiral arms are quite faint and need a good night of seeing to reveal themselves as something more than vague “mounds of luminosity”.

Increasing the aperture again to 310mm, let’s go to the eyepiece…

At minimum magnification (60X), the M81 does indeed remind one of a miniature “Andromeda” galaxy. The intense core, the sense of spiral arms folding round, all say “Grand Spiral”. But let’s head to a “higher power” (170X) and rock out structure. At this magnification, indications of dark dustlanes begin to exist at the outer edges. The central formation of the galaxy itself is impenetrable. More than two-thirds of its’ structure holds even concentration and makes the core area intense. It is toward the elongated edges that our attention is drawn with direct vision. Here are the classic “spiral arms” we’ve been looking for! At the highest of magnifications (312x), they fold themselves very close to the body of the M81, with each “tip” extending both above and below the central structure evenly. At the outermost fringes of these arms, averted vision reveals the mottling of distant clusters, and a sense of “trailing away” that give this well-endowed spiral real “class”!

Now, let’s go back to the 80mm and examine the M82…

On shifting the field to the more northern M82, we immediately catch the dark vertical break that splits this edge on west of the galaxy’s irregular core. Direct inspection of the galaxy fails to show more than where the break occurs – since little of luminosity can be seen further west of the discontinuity. Both the northern and southern frontiers are well defined and quite linear – even under marginal conditions. Aversion of the sight shows a bit of an extended halo outside the bounds of the flanking frontiers. We also note that the eastern extension shows a well defined “daggerlike” blade and tip.

At 114mm, that first view at low power (36X) screams “edge-on”! But, with patience and practice, delicate detail with averted vision begins to form, and the dark break becomes perceivable. Increasing the magnification to 90X makes this division more apparent, and causes the M82 to appear “spindle-shaped”… much like a child’s dirty kite string wrapped round a stick. Very little in the way of structure is seen, other than the fact than it’s lumpy.

Let’s move to 150mm…

M82 stretches out perhaps 10 arc-minutes east and west like a knife splitting the sky. It’s core is not of the luminous star-like variety… A gradual brightening is seen from one end of the galaxy to the center and back again to the opposite extreme. Unlike M81, the change is very gradual. A curious kneadiness or mottling is apparent – especially to the west. This edge-on irregular galaxy is broken by a dark lane along its southern frontier. The lane is not visible – only the sharpness by which it truncates the galaxy. In addition, a more obvious cleft of darkish matter divides the trailing half of the core. Overall, the visible part of the galaxy covers a region perhaps 2 by 8 arc-minutes in apparent size. A pair of 11th magnitude stars are visible west-southwest. In many ways M82 is more interesting than M81. It’s beauty lies in subtle variations of surface brightness which defy notions of pattern and verbal description.

Shall we seek in the 310mm? Then let’s find some answers…

At moderate magnifications (90X), M82 begins revealing structure to direct vision. The dark “break” one third of the way across its’ breadth is fully apparent, and the thickening portions along the body of the galaxy itself warrant closer investigation. Moving now to higher magnification (170X), we get the structure we were looking for… The galaxy no longer can be called “edge-on”, and clotted appearance of what must be thousands upon thousands of clusters make this one truly fine. The central portion bears no nucleus… pardon the descriptor, but it looks like cottage cheese! Toward one end, the dark division holds the lump of galactic mass in a gravity “lock”, and bleeds away into what almost appears with averted vision to be several open clusters. At the other end of the M82, all thoughts of resolution stop. Here the galactic matter appears to be “smeared”… as if the inner concentration of stars might perhaps be calmer, somehow. A very fine galaxy… It has earned its’ classification as irregular.

NGC2976:

Continuing with our study, we break away from this splendid galactic pair, and move onward toward yet another… This galaxy “lives” within a large house of 10th and 11th magnitude stars south-southwest of M81. The peaked-roof of the house lies to the east. And its’ name? NGC2976…

Starting with our 80mm refractor, this galaxy is difficult, but positively located within the same “house-shape” of stars. The sense of large apparent size remains present. Quite diffuse overall with slight condensation, it requires extreme aversion. Despite a dearth of structure, the galaxy hints at north-south orientation with a possibly better defined frontier to east.

Moving now to the 114mm newtonian reflector, we find it is detectable at 114mm in aperture… but that is all it is. A soft, elongated smudge that requires averted vision just to make out form.

Through 150mm at 52x and under 5.0 ULM conditions, NGC2976 appears large and diffuse. Maybe 3×5 arc minutes of the galaxy is possible with a southeast to northwest orientation. It displays a large, but dim core region. This gives it a sense of structure.

On eye movement, the galaxy flares to all directions, but less so to the southwest. It’s core region appears quite large, football shaped and diffuse. Bumping the magnification to 70x gives the core a somewhat edge-on appearance. At 120x the low surface brightness of this large galaxy causes it to completely dissolve.

At 310mm in aperture, the NGC2976 does not rock out detail in an expected fashion either, Now we are talking about being able to hold this galaxy direct, which means averted should bring out structure… What structure?! A tear drop, grainy-looking patch on the night with a bright star at the edge, tapering off into a chain of stars… That’s it. No sense of a nucleus…. no apparent fading at frontiers.

Time to move on? You bet! Let’s head off to capture another…

NGC3077:

Going to the 80mm, we find this galaxy easily located but lacking structure under direct perception. NGC3077 is small and diffuse, with faint extensions north and south. Sense of vague truncation (flattening) to east along with a soft, but perceptible degree of central condensation. Extreme aversion of the eye is needed to make out any of these details.

Now, moving on to the 114mm we find the NGC3077 is also detectable… as a very dim glow of galactic light with extreme averted vision, and one pinpoint star nearby.

Shifting our view points to 150mm we find at 52x and a 5.0 sky, this vaguely football-shaped galaxy is easily located but lacks obvious structure. There is a subtle sense of east-west orientation. Perceptible flaring appears on eye movement to all directions -except north. This lack of northern flaring hints at a dark lane that direction. A very faint star-like point can occasionally be seen near the center of the nebulosity. A slight amount of central condensation is possible but the lack of a defined core region means a very loose and diffuse appearance.

At 70x, the faint starlike-nucleus occasionally seen at 52x becomes a bit more consistent. The beginnings of a core region also emerges. At 120x a roundish blue core region with a soft, “unstarlike” nucleus can be seen, but the bulk of the galaxy is lost to sight for lack of photons…

Going to the 310mm dobsonian at differing ranges of magnification changes the picture just slightly. The most pleasing view is at 180X. Here we see an egg-shaped elliptical… evenly lighted, but there is a certain amount of degeneration at the edges… a sense that the light is being eroded away. Several field stars are also visible. A chain of three varying magnitudes to one side, and an elongated rectangular structure to the other.

Ready to rock on? Then let’s head toward a particularly difficult study…

IC2574:

IC2574 is next. Welcome only to large aperture telescopes! Once again, a faint, elongated, lumpy bar of light. This one shows “lobes” of concentration at either end of it’s structure. Not only does this one appear as “lumpy”… but there are a great many field stars that accompany it… like very precise open clusters! They are vague… and when the dob presents you with vague light in the presence of pinpoint stars, we would venture to say that this galaxy is accompanied by some nebulosity.

Right? Wrong? It’s a study… and we’re not through yet. So let’s head on back to our galaxy hunt, and see what else we can find. Another faint member of this group stretches across the border into Camelopardis. It is also a rather difficult study… But that’s why we’ve brought along the power of aperture.

NGC2366:

Between apparent size and surface brightness, the NGC2366 is best left to the larger scope. Detectable as low as 48X as a tiny, grainy bar of light, the best view comes at 170X. At this magnification, the NGC2366 takes on structure. Several areas of light concentration are seen, making it appear as though it has three centers. Adding the barlow and increasing to 340X pulls the picture in much closer, losing hard edge clarity, but reveals at one end, a notch occurs in the galaxy… Much like a crescent wrench. Opposite of this “notch” is also what may either be a small open cluster, or perhaps a bit of wayward galactic material. Going back to 170X is much more comfortable, and the lumpy figure of the NGC2366 most definitely has earned its’ classification as an “irregular” galaxy!.

NGC2403:

On to our last study, the NGC2403… This one is definitely a “all scopes” kinda’ galaxy!

In the 80mm there is nothing diffuse about this galaxy. Orienting northwest to southeast, it displays a well-developed northwest spiral extension and surprisingly little to the southeast. (Giving NGC2403 a very “cometlike” appearance.) This baby is definitely overdeveloped. No starlike core, just a general brightening toward the center. Bright stars flanking it complicate the view. It’s not hard to be both baffled and impressed by this bright galaxy way out in the reaches of Camelopardis.

Easily found and recognizable in the 114mm at 17mm as a spiral, the little scope pulls out a stellar core and definately sense of fading toward the frontiers.

Moving up to 150mm, we find that although NGC2403 fails to rival Bode’s Galaxies in terms of brightness and structure, it makes a good run for it. The galaxy is large, conspicuous and possesses a well-defined northern frontier, starlike core and extended core region. It also presents mostly edge-on (cigar-shaped) and shows well even under marginal 5.0 ULM skies.

At 70x, two faint spiral extensions are possible, with the western extension more obvious than the east. This gives the sense of the core region being offset in that direction. At 120x, a tiny blue nucleus can just be held with slight aversion. Complicating the view of this galaxy are a series of bright 7th and 8th magnitude stars flanking it along the southern frontier.

314mm time? Oh, yeah… Now here is some superior structure! Mottling begins even with as little magnification as 60X. Adequately large enough to be studied at lower magnifications, we find the view at 90X the most pleasing. Concentrated, egg-shaped nucleus… one soft “horseshoe” of a dark dust lane, and hints of globular clusters that cry out for more. Comply? Of course. Let’s set 170X on it… We have what appears to be globular structure in a very “open” looking arm. Not only here, but several knots exist throughout the NGC2403. And yet again, we “make out” something that looks like a small, attendant open cluster. No nearby bright stars at magnification as markers, the field is nothing more than some fine chains… But who cares? Cuz’ this is one fine galaxy!!

Parting Thoughts:

And so we have journeyed eight million light-years across the night together. And still I would stay with you, Traveller. For a hundred billion more. “The Bear that sees star setting after star… In the blue brine, descends not to the deep.” The stars, the night, and the far flung universes awaits you …

My many thanks to Karel Teuwen and Deitmar Hager, F.R.A.S. of Northern Galactic for their outstanding images and I would like to gratefully acknowledge Jeff Barbour for being a major contributor to both the studies and writing that went into this article. It’s nice to be able share the view through an 80mm refractor and 150mm SCT from 3,000 miles away!

January 30, 2009December 24, 2015 by Tammy Plotner

Weekend SkyWatcher’s Forecast: January 30 – February 1, 2009

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! The Moon is back again, but what a terrific target for winter studies. Why not get out your binoculars and telescopes as we take a look at strange and unusual places like the Serpent Sea, the Marsh of Sleep and the Lakes of Time, Death and Dreams? If you haven’t wished upon a star lately, then there’s a serious reason to take a look at Sirius this weekend! Step outside in the dark with me where we’ll explore a little history, a little mystery, and just plain have us some fun…

Friday, January 30, 2009 – Tonight’s early evening Moon is high enough to warrant study. During the last lunar cycle, we reviewed maria large enough to be seen unaided, but many more can be revealed telescopically. Magnify the Crisium region and let’s look around. Along the eastern side near the lunar limb is Mare Marginis, whose position between the nearside and farside will never allow us to see more than a thin gray line. Thanks to the lunar orbiters, we know it has an irregular border and shallow lava fill, which lead scientists to believe Marginus wasn’t created from an impact. Located southeast is Mare Undarum , the ‘‘Sea of Waves.’’ This highly elevated part of the Crisium basin is about the size of Massachusetts, and it probably filled with lava around the time of the Imbrium impact. Northeast, and separated by a mountain range, is Mare Anguis, or the ‘‘Serpent Sea.’’ This Vermont-sized area of lunar landscape formed differently and may be home to a vast number of lava tubes.

Now look to Crisium’s northwest for a new feature, Lacus Bonitatis , or the ‘‘Lake of Goodness.’’ With features similar to those of maria, this small, irregularly shaped area has as much ‘‘coastline’’ as the Black Sea! Further south is Palus Somni, the ‘‘Marsh of Sleep.’’ This curious feature is an upland area. Relatively flat—but very uneven—its high albedo (surface reflectivity) makes it a rewarding study. Last on tonight’s tour is Sinus Concordiae , the ‘‘Bay of Harmony.’’ Essentially part of the maria that spawned it, this inlet leads toward higher ground. Concordiae’s small bay is roughly the size of Pedro Bank in Jamaica. Like its earthly counterpart, it may have mountain peaks that are just barely covered – but by lava flow, not seawater. Be sure to list your evening’s observations in your lunar notes. We’ll return in the months ahead here for more!

‘‘Everything has a natural explanation. The moon is not a god, but a great rock.’’ — Anaxagoras (475 BC)

Saturday, January 31, 2009 – What a busy date in astronomy history! In 1958 the United States. launched its first satellite – Explorer 1 – which discovered the bands of radiation now referred to as the Van Allen Belts . In 1961 the Mercury-Redstone 2 launched, carrying Ham the chimpanzee to fame. Cabin pressure failed during the suborbital flight, but inside his pressure suit, Ham remained safe and performed his tasks with a reaction time only a half second slower than on the ground, proving primates could function in space! (And a few years later, astronauts started drinking and shooting at each other, proving that humans could function like primates.) Ham lived for another 17 years, and the celebrated chimp gave many performances – even guest starring in movies!

Luna 9 was launched in 1962 and 72 hours after its launch became the first craft to successfully touch down on the Moon and broadcast television from Oceanus Procellarum . Even Apollo 14 was Luna-bound today in 1971! Alvan Graham Clark , Jr, made history at the eyepiece on this date in 1862. While watching Sirius and testing an 18″ refractor his family built, Clark uncovered the intense star’s faint companion – Sirius B. Friedrich Bessel had proposed its existence back in 1844, but this was the first visual confirmation.

Try your own hand at the ‘‘Scorching One.’’ Alpha Canis Majoris has an amazing magnitude of -1.42. Next to Alpha Centauri , 8.7 light-year distant Sirius is the closest visual star, but it’s not standing still. Part of the Ursa Major moving stream, Sirius has changed position by one and half times the apparent width of the Moon in just 2,000 years! Telescopically, this main-sequence gem is dazzling white, tinged with blue and diffracts a rainbow of colors. For many of us, beautiful iridescence is all we’ll ever see, but a small telescope (114-150mm) under perfectly steady skies will reveal the secretive companion. In 20 years it will reach maximum separation of 11.500, so keep watching to Sirius’ southeast when you observe – perhaps you’ll spot B!

Sunday, February 1, 2009 – On this day we celebrate the 1905 birth of Lloyd Berkner, the first person to measure Earth’s ionosphere. His work with radar led to an understanding of radio wave propagation. He also served as administrator at Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory. For his achievements in space science, NASA awarded Berkner the Distinguished Public Service Medal.

The broad crescent Moon dominates the early evening sky. Tonight we’ll explore new features as we start in the lunar north with Mare Humboldtianum spanning 350 kilometers, this inconspicuous multi-ringed feature depends on libration for best views.

Further south along the limb is Lacus Spei (the Lake of Hope), a diminutive feature so small it could be crossed at walking speed in 10 hours! West of Humboldtianum and Spei is a pair of lighter areas devoid of features— Lacus Temporis (the Lake of Time). These two small overlapping basins were filled by the same lava flow, thus forming this small mare. How long to walk across Temporis? Twice as much ‘‘Time’’ as ‘‘Hope’’!

Relocate Mare Frigoris (the Cold Sea) and look south along the terminator for Lacus Mortis (the Lake of Death) and its counterpart Lacus Somniorum (the Lake of Dreams). Is there a connection here? You betcha! These two basin areas were filled from a basaltic flow, which might have united them, but a small mountain range kept them apart.

‘‘There is something haunting in the light of the Moon; it has all the dispassionateness of a disembodied soul, and something of its inconceivable mystery.’’ –Joseph Conrad

By the way, we believe Werner Heisenberg died on this day in 1976, but no one is certain.

Until next week? Ask for the Moon… But keep on reaching for the stars!

This week’s awesome images are: The Crisium Region (credit—Greg Konkel), Ham
the Chimpanzee (credit—NASA), Sirius (credit—John Chumack), Lloyd Berkner (public image) and Hope, Time, Death, and Dreams (credit—Greg Konkel). We thank you so much for sharing your splendid talents with us!

January 23, 2009December 24, 2015 by Tammy Plotner

Weekend SkyWatcher’s Forecast – January 23-25, 2009

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Are you ready for a dark sky weekend? Then let’s get out the telescope and do some super sleuthing as we investigate some nebulae – both familiar and unfamiliar. While it’s always fun to pick the biggest and brightest out of the sky, there’s lots of wonderful little mysteries to be explored if you just know where to look! It’s all about what you can do and what you can learn – and why being just “a backyard astronomer” can be so very important! I’ll see you out there…

Friday, January 23, 2009 – Tonight travel a finger-width northeast of Zeta Orionis for a delightful area of bright nebulosity called M78 (RA 05 46 47 Dec +00 00 50). Discovered by Mechain in 1789, the 1,600 light-year distant M78 is part of the vast complex of nebulae and star birth comprising the Orion region. Fueled by twin stars, it resembles a ‘‘double comet’’ to binoculars, but telescopic observers will note two lobes ( NGC 2067 north and NGC 2064 south) separated by a band of dark dust. Surrounded by a region of absorption, M78’s borders appear almost starless. Young T Tauri-type stars reflect against a cloud of interstellar dust, the brightest of which is HD 38563A. As of 1999, 17 Herbig-Haro objects (newly forming stars that are expelling jets of matter) have been associated with M78.

On January 23, 2004, a young backyard astronomer named Jay McNeil was taking some long exposure photos of M78 with his new telescope and was about to make a huge discovery. When he developed his photographs, there was a nebulous patch with no designation! After reporting his findings to professionals, Jay realized he had stumbled onto something unique, a variable accretion disk around a newborn star—IRAS 05436-0007. Although McNeil’s Nebula may not be bright enough tonight to be seen (just south of M78), remember it is a variable, so circumstances play a big role in any observation of it.

Before you assume that being ‘‘just’’ a backyard astronomer has no real importance to science, remember this teenager in a Kentucky backyard with an ordinary telescope… catching what professionals had missed!

Saturday, January 24, 2009 – Today honor the 1882 birth of Harold Babcock , discoverer of the sunspot cycle, differential rotation, and the solar magnetic field. While you should NEVER look directly at the Sun, you can use binoculars or telescopes to see sunspots by using the ‘‘projection method’’—just as Gassendi did to observe the Mercury transit. Cover additional optics such as a finderscope or one binocular tube, and use the shadow to aim the circle of light onto a makeshift screen, focusing until the image is sharp and details appear. It takes practice, but it’s safe and fun!

Tonight, journey two finger-widths northwest of Aldebaran (RA 04 21 57 Dec +19 32 07). In 1852, J.R. Hind reported observing nebulosity, but noted no catalog position. His observation included an uncharted star, which he surmised was variable. On each count, Hind was right. The pair was studied for several years until they faded in 1861, and then disappeared altogether in 1868. In 1890, E.E. Barnard and S.W. Burnham re-discovered them, only to see them vanish 5 years later—not to return until the 20th century.

Our mystery guests are Hind’s Variable Nebula ( NGC 1555), and its associated star— T Tauri —a prototype of a particular class of variables and totally unpredictable. For weeks its magnitude could fluctuate between 9 and 13—or remain constant for months. Although equal to Sol in temperature, mass, and spectral chromosphere signature, it is in the initial stages of birth! T Tauri types are pre-main sequence proto-stars, continuously contracting and expanding and shedding their mantle of gas and dust in jets. This is caught by the star’s rotation and spun into an accretion, or proto-planetary, disk. When the jets subside, gravity pulls the material back to the star. The proto-star has then cooled enough to reach the main sequence, and the pressure may even allow planetoids to form from the accreted material.

How cool is that?!

Sunday, January 25, 2009 – On this date we celebrate the 1736 birth of Joseph Lagrange, a mathematician who made a very important contribution to celestial mechanics. No, we aren’t talking about wrenches in space! He calculated five locations where the combined gravity of Earth and the Sun would balance the orbital motion of an object positioned there. A spacecraft located at one of these spots—the one about a hundredth of the distance from Earth to the Sun—requires little correction to maintain orbit and keep pace with Earth’s rotation. Known as the Lagrange Point 1, it’s a position currently occupied by the most prolific solar ‘‘observer’’ to date… the SOHO satellite!

How often do we look at something and not see what is really there simply because we don’t know what to look for? Tonight, look north of Aldebaran for a small cluster of stars, and focus your attention toward the northernmost star, Nu Tauri. Surrounding this rather ordinary star is an overlooked nebula—Ce 34.

In 1964, an industrious astronomer—Stefan Cederblad—began studying bright, diffuse galactic nebulae and their distribution. Chances are you may have seen a Cederblad catalog object at one time or another and not even have noticed it! In this circumstance, Ce 34 is illuminated by 72 Tauri, which looks like an apparent double for Nu. At first glance, you might think you were seeing diffraction or illumination from the Nu/72 pair, but Stefan was a true astronomer and repeated his observation until he was sure he had discovered nebulosity.

Take time to study Ce 34 yourself. You might find catching it depends not so much on the size of your optics but rather you and your observing conditions! Just like the Merope Nebula , the art is not so much in the finding as it is in the seeing.

Until next week, remember… Dreams really do come true when you keep on reaching for the stars!

This week’s awesome images are: M78 (credit—Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech), ’’McNeil’s Nebula’’ (credit—Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF), NGC 1555: Hind’s Variable Nebula (credit—Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech), Harold Babcock (historical image), Lagrange points (credit—NASA) and Cederblad 34 (credit—Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech). We thank you so much!

January 19, 2009April 26, 2016 by Ian O'Neill

Russia Proposes Mission to Search for Evidence of Astroengineering

An artistic rendering of Larry Niven's Ringworld

[/caption]It is probably the most seductive urge for mankind: search for extraterrestrial life. There are many ways to look for life; from digging into the Martian dirt with robotic landers looking for pre-biotic compounds, to building vast radio antennae to “listen” out for distant communications either leaked or transmitted deliberately from a distant star system from a developed, intelligent civilization. However, despite our best efforts, we appear to be the only form of life for hundreds of lightyears around. It is eerily quiet out there…

Although we appear to be drawing blanks so far, it doesn’t stop us from trying to work out what we should be looking for. In the quest to find a vastly advanced alien civilization, a forthcoming Russian space telescope hopes to bridge the gap between science fiction and science fact, attempting to find evidence (or lack thereof) of observable attempts of astroengineering by an alien race…

New and exciting ways are being formulated to work out whether intelligent life does exist beyond our blue oasis. Programs such as the famous Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), Messaging to Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (METI) and the tongue-in-cheek Wait for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (WETI) are conceived to somehow interact with a sufficiently advanced alien culture (one that has the ability to communicate via radio, at least). In an engrossing entry I read in last week’s Carnival of Space Week 86, Dr Bruce Cordell (21st Century Waves) discussed the apparent paradox between UFOs and Fermi’s Paradox (in a nutshell: if aliens have visited our planet, as UFO sightings would lead us to believe, why haven’t we intercepted any kind of signal via SETI?). I was most interested with Cordell’s thoughts on optical communications that could be used by extraterrestrials to communicate with a pre-radio communication human era. Apparently, in 40 years, mankind could be generating very bright signals using 30 terrawatt optical beacons for pre-radio civilizations to see over 10 light years away, brighter than their brightest star. If there are advanced civilizations out there, why have we not seen their optical transmissions?

To summarize, we are a little confused by the lack of life in our Universe (intelligent life in any case).

So, perhaps we can find other ways to spy on our hypothetical alien neighbours. Could we build a powerful telescope to seek out structures built by alien civilizations? Possibly, according to a forthcoming Russian space-based telescope project: The Millimetron Space Telescope.

On reading an article about this subject on the Daily Galaxy, I thought I’d heard of something like this before. Sure enough, during my research on the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, IRAS (surrounding the whole Planet X controversy), I found out that work was being done to try to find the infrared signature of the hypothetical Dyson Sphere. The Dyson Sphere is a theorised example of an astroengineered structure by a significantly advanced alien race. There are many variations on this theme, including science fiction ideas of an engineered “ring” straddling a host star (as pictured top). In the case of the Dyson Sphere, this megastructure would generate infrared radiation, and analysis of IRAS data has been done to establish an upper limit on the existence of these objects. So far, no Dyson Sphere candidates have been found (within 300 light-years from Earth in any case).

To build on the IRAS survey, in 2017, Russia hopes to launch the Millimetron to observe distant stellar systems in millimeter, sub-millimeter and infrared wavelengths. This instrument has a long list of aims, but one of the extreme results that could come from this project is the detection of astroengineered megastructures.

The goal of the project is to construct space observatory operating in millimeter, sub-millimeter and infrared wavelength ranges using 12-m cryogenic telescope in a single-dish mode and as an interferometer with the space-ground and space-space baselines (the later after the launch of the second identical space telescope). The observatory will provide possibility to conduct astronomical observations with super high sensitivity (down to nanoJansky level) in a single dish mode, and observations with super high angular resolution in an interferometric mode. – The Millimetron Project.

By combining the orbiting telescope with observatories on the ground, it may be possible to create a very long baseline interferometer (VLBI) with huge baselines beyond 300,000km. This will provide unprecedented angular resolution. Alone, the large 12 metre dish will allow astronomers to probe emissions at the nano-Jansky level, where radio astronomers usually operate from <1-100 Janskys (the Jansky is a non-SI measurement of electromagnetic flux density).* With a system like this, very weakly radiating sources may be detected, possibly revealing structures such as the Dyson Sphere, or possibly sci-fi concepts like Larry Niven’s “Ringworld”.

Although I am dubious as to whether our persistent efforts to find intelligent extraterrestrial life will ever turn up positive, the search is exciting and certainly boosts the scientific process in directions we wouldn’t have necessarily examined…

Sources: The Millimetron Project, Daily Galaxy

*Thanks to Don Alexander for tightening up a couple of points in this article

January 18, 2009December 24, 2015 by Ian O'Neill

“Google Satellite” Will Have an Orbital View Over Obama’s Inauguration

Washington D.C. from orbit. The Google Satellile GeoEye-1 will spy on Obama's inauguration (Google)

[/caption]

President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration on Capitol Hill will be the place-to-be on Tuesday (January 20th). According to some news sources, tickets for the event were trading for a price exceeding 5 figures (in one case, according to CNN in November, an online vendor was asking for $20,095 for a single ticket – I hope they get a “free” bottle of Champagne with that!). It would appear that ticket demand outstripped supply, making the 44th presidential inauguration one of the hottest (and most costly) events to attend in 2009.

However, there is a far cheaper (and less crowded) alternative to view Obama and Biden getting sworn into office. A satellite called GeoEye-1 will be orbiting 423 miles above Washington D.C. looking down at the vast crowd minutes before the excitement begins…

GeoEye-1 launch on September 6th 2008 (Reuters)

In August 2008, Google signed a deal with the satellite imagery company GeoEye for exclusive use of the images produced by the company’s new GeoEye-1 satellite. GeoEye-1 was launched on board a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on September 6th 2008. The satellite is currently in a Sun-synchronous orbit, over 400 miles above the surface of Earth, imaging the surface in unprecedented detail. A US government licence actually limits the resolution of available images to 0.5 metres (the camera on GeoEye-1 can attain a resolution of 0.41 metres). GeoEye-1’s competitors can resolve objects down to 0.6 metres at the smallest. The GeoEye products are currently used by Google for several projects, such as Google Earth and Google Maps.

On Tuesday, however, it is not Google that is interested in getting the ultimate birds-eye view of the festivities at Capitol Hill; GeoEye itself is commissioning a high-resolution photography run at 11:19 EST as the satellite buzzes overhead at a speed of 17,000 mph. Usually, the presidential inauguration takes place at noon, so GeoEye-1 will be able to grab a snapshot of the growing crowds of spectators 41 minutes before the new commander-in-chief takes office.

“An image of the Inauguration has been requested by many news organizations,” a GeoEye spokesperson said. “So, if the weather cooperates, the image will be distributed to news organizations and bloggers around the world. The image will be available about three hours after it’s taken.”

I for one, will be hovering over the GeoEye website, waiting for the orbital view of Washington D.C. to appear in the comfort of my office…

Source: VentureBeat

January 16, 2009December 24, 2015 by Tammy Plotner

Weekend SkyWatcher’s Forecast – January 16-18, 2009

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Are you ready for another weekend under the stars? Then get out your telescopes and let’s go globular as we hunt down Messier Object 79. Polar weather got you down? Then let’s take a look at the pole stars both north and south and check into what Sir William Herschel was doing at this time of year. Then learn your history and I’ll meet you outside in the dark….

Friday, January 16, 2009 – In 1978 on this date, NASA named 35 candidates for space shuttle missions, including Sally Ride as the first female U.S. astronaut and Guion Bluford, Jr., as the first black. In 1973, the Lunokhod 2 mission was beginning its robotic lunar expedition, and in 1969 Soyuz 4 and 5 became the first vehicles to dock in space and exchange cosmonauts. The year 1730 saw the birth of Jean Bochart – publisher of LaPlace’s planet/ecliptic theory. Although eventually beheaded for his politics, Bochart put together Europe’s largest collection of astronomical instruments and was renowned for his calculations of cometary orbits, made jointly with long-time friend and co-observer Charles Messier.

Tonight, venture into Lepus for a faint, round, fuzzy object that might easily be mistaken for a comet in a small telescope or binoculars—Messier Object 79 (RA 05 24 10 Dec +24 31 27). The true beauty of this object is revealed in large telescopes. Behold a globular cluster, one of many densely packed balls of stars that mainly congregate near our galactic center. Discovered by Pierre Mechain and cataloged by Messier in 1780, M79 is on the opposite side of our galaxy, and about 4,200 light-years away. Spanning 118 light-years, this starry sphere may not be an original member of our galaxy at all but an import. Although we can’t see it happening, the Canis Major Dwarf galaxy is slowly being incorporated into our own system, and M79 might very well be a product of this union!

Thanks to Mechain and Messier’s careful notes, William Herschel later recovered M79 and resolved its stars. Although the practice of maintaining an astronomy diary isn’t for everyone, keeping simple records is very rewarding. Make note of the object’s appearance, equipment used, and sky conditions. Observing diaries just like those of Messier and Mechain have led countless astronomers along the road of discovery to all the deep-sky objects we know today!

Saturday, January 17, 2009 – Celebrate the 1723 birthday of Johann Tobias Mayer, the German astronomer who created the first lunar tables for determining longitudes at sea. His calculations were accurate to within a half degree! If you’re up before sunrise, look at the Moon now nearing third quarter. How many lunar seas can you still identify? Can you navigate to Spica nearby?

Turning Still- Joe Orman — Turning Still - Joe Orman

Tonight let’s go from one navigational extreme to another as viewers in the Northern Hemisphere try their hand (and eye) at 390 light-year distant Polaris . Its fame as a ‘‘fixed star’’ is a bit undeserved, because it is approaching us at 25 kilometers per second. Only its sky position closest to the north celestial pole makes Polaris appear to ‘‘stand still’’ while the other stars revolve around it.

Ranked the 49th brightest star, Alpha Ursa Minoris may look ordinary but is not. Polaris is a Cepheid variable, a star that expands and contracts on a regular basis, changing its brightness slightly. Modern
interferometry has revealed it as slightly irregular—an ‘‘overtone pulsator’’—and a multiple one at that. Polaris’ triple system took the resolving power of the Hubble Space Telescope to reveal its spectroscopic component, but even a small telescope can spot its gravitationally bound blue companion!

The Southern Hemisphere also has a near-pole star—Sigma Octanis—but at magnitude 5 (300 times fainter than Polaris), it doesn’t make a good guide star. Ancient navigators found better success with the constellation Crux, better known as the Southern Cross. Its two brightest stars, Gacrux and acrux, are oriented north–south and point across the pole to brilliant Archenar. Splitting the distance between Gacrux and Archenar lands you within 2 degrees of the south celestial pole. A southern double star comparable to Polaris in appearance is Lambda Centauri. The difference in magnitude between components and separation are about the same!

Sunday, January 18, 2009 – ‘‘I have looked farther into space than ever a human being did before me,’’ writes Sir William Herschel, discoverer of thousands of deep-sky objects. While 400 of these make up a popular observing list, many more deserve attention. This night in 1784, Herschel aimed his telescope toward Orion’s stars, and he found two new sky gems! Starting with binoculars, aim about 2 degrees northwest of the northernmost star in Orion’s ‘‘bow’’ (Pi1 Orionis) to view NGC 1662 (RA 04 48 24 Dec +10 56 00).

With a combined magnitude of 6, this small galactic cluster will show as a slight compression of the starfield, a challenging binocular deep-sky object. A small telescope at modest magnification will resolve NGC 1662 into a jewel-like chain of blue and gold stars. Astronomers have studied it extensively to refine its members’ proper motions, and it may have once contained more stars during its 300-million-year evolution!

Now return to M42 and go slightly north (RA 05 35 15 Dec -04 53 12) to examine NGC 1977). Also discovered on this night by Herschel, seasoned sky veterans know this area by its nickname ‘‘the Running Man’’. Consisting of three separate areas of emission and reflection nebulae that seem to be visually connected, 1,500-light-year-distant NGC 1977/1975/1973 complex would be spectacular on its own if weren’t so close to M42! The conjoining nebula is whispery soft, its dark lanes created by interstellar dust and fine needle-like shards of carbon. Illuminating the gases is its fueling source, the multiple star 42 Orionis—a prized double on many lists. Through a telescope, this lovely triangle of bright nebulae and its several enshrouded stars make a wonderful region for exploration. Can you see the Running Man within?

Until next week? Dreams really do come true… When you keep on reaching for the stars!

This week’s awesome images are: M79: Credit—Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech, Sally Ride: Credit—NASA, ‘‘Turning Still’’: Credit—Joe Orman, Tobias Mayer (historical image), NGC 1662 and NGC 1977: Credit—Palomar Observatory, courtesy of Caltech. Thank you so much!