The Astronomy Thread

[waltky]

possum's hair standin' on end `cause Uncle Ferd told him dats when the Voodoo Chiles come out...

Lunar eclipse Wednesday to last 100 minutes – longest in 11 years
June 13, 2011 - Skywatchers in North America will miss this lunar eclipse, but a second one this year will be visible in December, especially in western portions of the continent.

Skywatchers across much of the world are getting set for a total lunar eclipse June 15 that promises to shroud the moon in the darkest part of Earth's shadow for 100 minutes – the longest stretch of deep dimming in 11 years. This eclipse of the moon will not be visible in North America. But people across a broad swath of the planet – from Europe east and south to eastern Australia and New Zealand – will be able to catch at least the darkest phase of the eclipse, weather permitting.

The moon's brightness will take a decided dive during the height of the event, potentially providing skywatchers with good views of features in the night sky they might not otherwise be able to see. During a 1982 total eclipse that traced a path across the same part of the sky as the June 15 eclipse of the moon, "I was amazed at how brilliantly the summer Milky Way glowed, because it was all but invisible" during the portions of the eclipse when the moon was passing through lighter portions of Earth's shadow, according to Fred Espenak, an astrophysicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., in an ecplise forecast he posted on the center's web site.

Total eclipses occur when the moon passes through a dunce-cap shaped shadow Earth casts into space on its night side. The shadow has two main portions – an outer portion, or penumbra, which begins the dimming process, and the umbra, the inner, darkest part of the shadow. The eclipse is set to begin at about 1:24 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, with the total eclipse beginning two hours later. The moon will be at its darkest at about 4:12 p.m. EDT.

The total portion of the eclipse will last for 100 minutes on Wednesday night because the moon will be crossing through the shadow close to an imaginary line stretching from the peak of the dunce cap through the center of the Earth. This represents the thickest part of the umbra at any given distance from Earth. During this time, spectators will see the moon shift from its bright white before the eclipse to varying shades of orange to deep orange or even red when it passes through the umbra.

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Magnetic Bubbles Detected at Edge of Solar System
June 13, 2011 - The latest data from the twin Voyager spacecrafts suggest the outer edge of the solar system is not smooth but filled with giant magnetic bubbles. Scientists say the turbulent bubbles are the result of the interaction between the Sun’s magnetic field and material expelled from other stars in the galaxy.

If you could see the bubbles contained in the invisible magnetic field, scientists say they would look like giant sausages, approximately 160 million kilometers across. Detected by an instrument on board the Voyager space probes that measures energetic particles, scientists say the bubbles are formed when the so-called solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, trails outward to the edge of the solar system and twists as a result of the Sun’s rotation, interacting with material from stars on the other side of the divide.

Using a new computer model to analyze the data, astronomers say the solar magnetic field is broken up at the boundary with intergalactic space into the turbulent, bubble-like structures. Astronomer James Drake of the University of Maryland likened the foamy bubbles to water coming out of the jets of a Jacuzzi tub. “Those jets are very bubbly," said Drake. "Well, this thing is very bubbly. Like the most bubbly parts of your Jacuzzi. So, it’s very bubbly indeed as far as we can tell.”

But experts say the Sun’s magnetic field is very weak at the edge of the solar system and the bubbles are not so turbulent as to disrupt the Voyager spacecrafts which entered the final layer of the solar system, called the heliosphere, in 2007 and 2008. Launched in 1977, the 33-year-old space probes are now more than 14 billion kilometers from home, traveling a distance of approximately 450 million kilometers per year at different locations inside the heliosheath, the outer ring of the immense magnetic bubble in the solar system created by the Sun’s magnetic field.

NASA scientists say the twin space probes, the most distant observatories operated by the space agency, are good for at least another five years. Boston University astronomer Merav Opher says scientists are now trying to figure out what’s on the other side of the heliopause, the boundary between our solar system and intergalactic space. “This is a complete new area," said Opher. "We have never been near the heliopause before. And now it will be complicated because you have an interspace full of your bubbles and you are going towards the other side. So how this interface will be we don’t really know.” The article describing the discovery of magnetic space bubbles by the Viking spacecrafts is published this week in the Astrophysical Journal.

Source

 

[xsited1]

Sun's Fading Spots Signal Big Drop in Solar Activity | Sunspots, Solar Weather & Solar Storms | Solar Cycle | Space.com

Sunspots are temporary patches on the surface of the sun that are caused by intense magnetic activity. These structures sometimes erupt into energetic solar storms that send streams of charged particles into space.

Since powerful charged particles from solar storms can occasionally wreak havoc on Earth's magnetic field by knocking out power grids or disrupting satellites in orbit, a calmer solar cycle could have its advantages.

 

[freedombecki]

From the earliest times, people have observed the spacious skies, watched patterns of falling stars, observed visible patterns and noticed their positions at different times and seasons, and enjoyed the nights lit up with lights from the moon and stars before campfires, candles, kerosene lamps, incandescent, neon, and solar night lights came to be. Keen eyes saw mother and baby bear trampling out the north sky; Orion the hunter, and many, many more imaginings we now call Constellations. We may not know their names, but gifts from their ghosts laid the foundation for modern astronomers to map skies as seen from this terrestrial orb, planet earth.

I'm going to deliver some maps from Illinois University, and there is plenty of material--BELOW--at the NASA APOD (A Picture of the Day) website to show peculiarities of these stars, the Milky Way, and countless galaxies all around Big Bang country.

Map I: The North Polar Constellations

Image Credits
​

NASA APOD, A PICTURE OF THE DAY ARCHIVES, JUNE 16, 1995 - YESTERDAY

 

[freedombecki]

Map 2: The Constellations of Northern Autumn, Southern Spring

Credits to my husband's Alma Mater in the Great State of Illinois
​

Hmm, the Swan, a Winged Horse, Fish, a Water Bearer, what man didn't see in the alive, twinkling, magical skies of darkness' cool.

Best online location (imho) to find current info on the stars, space, space probes, etc: NASA APOD, A PICTURE OF THE DAY ARCHIVES, JUNE 16, 1995 - YESTERDAY

 

[freedombecki]

Map 3: The Constellations of Northern Winter, Southern Summer

Credits, U of I​

This time we see Perseus, Andromeda, and my personal fave, Orion on those fabulous summer evenings and early mornings.

 

[freedombecki]

Map 4: The Constellations of Northern Spring, Southern Autumn

From the University of Illinois​

This time, a Sextant, the Southern Cross, Big Bear, Big Dog, Hydra, a Virgin, and more.

 

[manifold]

[youtube]5V7KPZtcOVQ[/youtube]

 

[freedombecki]

Map 5: The Constellations of Northern Summer, Southern Winter

Credits: UofI​

Two circles of light--Borealis and Australis, Hercules, a book, a Scorpion, a Serpent, and a Centaur, as if there weren't already enough things going !bump! in the night.

 

[freedombecki]

Map 6: The South Polar Constellations

Univ of Illinois​

Hmm, Constellations Music and Gold, and I'm really enjoying some delightful night music from manifold's stellar contribution of YouTube's "Astronomy, Blue Oyster Cult" from n2nascar.

Thanks, manifold.

 

[freedombecki]

Explanation and credits

 

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd gonna get out with his binoculars an' try to see it...

Close encounter with asteroid on Monday
June 25, 2011 - NASA says a newly discovered asteroid will have a close encounter with Earth on Monday, but there's no need to worry.

The space agency's Near-Earth Object Program Office says the small space rock - dubbed 2011 MD - will pass 12,000km above Earth's surface over the southern Atlantic Ocean at about 6.30am local time (11.30pm AEST).

Though it will come close, it's not a distance record holder. Earlier this year, a tiny asteroid flew by even closer - within 5500km.

The latest asteroid is 10 metres long and was discovered this week by telescopes in New Mexico. Scientists say asteroids this size sail past Earth every six years.

The asteroid will briefly be bright enough that medium-size telescopes may be able to spot it.

Source

 

[Trajan]

I have an Ipad, and they have an app. that is boffo, astronomy lessons for the lazy so to speak.....

Its called Go Sky Watch, you enter your location and hold it up and its displays all of the constellations, planets etc. as you move it it tracks your movement and moves the display of stars etc. , names, rendering outlines of the constellations, magnitudes ambient light as to time of day etc etc... etc....

 

[freedombecki]

Uncle Ferd gonna get out with his binoculars an' try to see it...

Close encounter with asteroid on Monday
June 25, 2011 - NASA says a newly discovered asteroid will have a close encounter with Earth on Monday, but there's no need to worry.

The space agency's Near-Earth Object Program Office says the small space rock - dubbed 2011 MD - will pass 12,000km above Earth's surface over the southern Atlantic Ocean at about 6.30am local time (11.30pm AEST).

Though it will come close, it's not a distance record holder. Earlier this year, a tiny asteroid flew by even closer - within 5500km.

The latest asteroid is 10 metres long and was discovered this week by telescopes in New Mexico. Scientists say asteroids this size sail past Earth every six years.

The asteroid will briefly be bright enough that medium-size telescopes may be able to spot it.

Source

Any way you could photograph through your binoculars? And send a copy here for us to see, Walt? I'd love it.

 

[freedombecki]

I have an Ipad, and they have an app. that is boffo, astronomy lessons for the lazy so to speak.....

Its called Go Sky Watch, you enter your location and hold it up and its displays all of the constellations, planets etc. as you move it it tracks your movement and moves the display of stars etc. , names, rendering outlines of the constellations, magnitudes ambient light as to time of day etc etc... etc....

Wow, Trajan, I checked it out here. Their page is like a wonderful shockwave of viewing the night sky.

Does an "Ipad" function as a phone as well as a special internet? I've been thinking about getting a cell, but wasn't interested until seeing your post with the sky on it. That is truly amazing. Who makes "Ipad?"

 

[freedombecki]

Ipad? Oh, no, I just bought an Ipod!

 

[freedombecki]

Well, maybe it'll be okay... ipod Go Sky Watch

Does anyone know for sure? I bought a used Ipod on ebay, 5th generation. Do you think Trajan's stuff will work on such a small screen as that?

 

[American Horse]

Well, maybe it'll be okay... ipod Go Sky Watch

Does anyone know for sure? I bought a used Ipod on ebay, 5th generation. Do you think Trajan's stuff will work on such a small screen as that?

I have the astronomy APP, "Sky Safari," (by Carina Software) for I-phone and the small screen is not problem at all. Sky Safari "lite" APP was $1.98, and is the scaled back version, but it does a lot; for instance I can bring up Jupiter and more than the the Galilean moons, but not sure how far down the list I can reach. You can scroll in on Mars and locate Phobos & Deimos and determine which face is oriented to Earth observors at any given moment in time, past present or future. It accommodates all the calendar changes, so I could scroll back to the Ides of March (15) 44BC, and see what planets and phase of the moon Mercury or Venus was in the sky that night.

 

[xsited1]

Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Press Releases

NASA has ended operational planning activities for the Mars rover Spirit and transitioned the Mars Exploration Rover Project to a single-rover operation focused on Spirit's still-active twin, Opportunity.

This marks the completion of one of the most successful missions of interplanetary exploration ever launched.

The launch patch for Spirit, featuring Marvin the Martian:

Martian sunset by Spirit at Gusev crater, May 19, 2005:

Hi-res image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/MarsSunset.jpg

 

[freedombecki]

VAR!
2011 July 1
NASA, A Picture Of the Day (APOD)

Description​

In the 1920s, examining photographic plates from the Mt. Wilson Observatory's 100 inch telescope, Edwin Hubble determined the distance to the Andromeda Nebula, decisively demonstrating the existence of other galaxies far beyond the Milky Way . His notations are evident on the historic plate image inset at the lower right, shown in context with ground based and Hubble Space Telescope images of the region made nearly 90 years later. By intercomparing different plates, Hubble searched for novae, stars which underwent a sudden increase in brightness. He found several on this plate, indicating their position with lines and an "N". Later, discovering that the one near the upper right corner was actually a type of variable star known as a cepheid, he crossed out the "N" and wrote "VAR!". Thanks to the work of Harvard astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, cepheids, regularly varying pulsating stars, could be used as standard candle distance indicators. Identifying such a star allowed Hubble to show that Andromeda was not a small cluster of stars and gas within our own galaxy, but a large galaxy in its own right at a substantial distance from the Milky Way. Hubble's discovery is responsible for establishing our modern concept of a Universe filled with galaxies. Credits

This episode in the life of Edwin Hubble just caught my imagination this evening, and I wanted to share NASA's . His determination of what he was seeing (not to mention the equipment named after him) have seriously altered mankind's understanding of the space frontier.

 

[percysunshine]

VAR!
2011 July 1
NASA, A Picture Of the Day (APOD)

Description​

This episode in the life of Edwin Hubble just caught my imagination this evening, and I wanted to share NASA's . His determination of what he was seeing (not to mention the equipment named after him) have seriously altered mankind's understanding of the space frontier.

Must be hotter than hell in the center of a galaxy.