astro nerds april 2015
DESCRIPTION
The April edition of Astro nerds EZine is out now, with news, a guide to the night and much moreTRANSCRIPT
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Peter JenkinsIC 1805 was taken using a William Optics FLT110 and Atik 383L+ on an NEQ6. Darks 12 x 5min and Bias frames (20 used) no flats. Scope with 0.7 x reducer flattener there-fore Focal length = 616mm 20 x 5m each through Ha, OIII and SII filters i.e. 60 x 5 minutes total 5 hours. Guided using a William Optics ZS71 with QHY5LII guide camera. Captured and processed using Nebulosity 3.0 and Photoshop CC
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ASTRO NERDS
Special Thanks:
Liam Tomos Edwards
Andrew Devey
Cover Image: David Blanchflower
Welcome to another edition of Astro Nerds E-Magazine. This is the
last edition of Astro Nerds in its current format. Some changes are
coming to the magazine. Firstly there will be a name change. We
are changing the name to Stargazing magazine, this will be in two
fromats, printed and has a download. A small charge will applied
for the downloaded version. The printed version will be available
on mail order, it can be ordered directly from our website www.
icyscience.com .
Why the change?
Icy Science is looking into starting a project. The project is have a
public observatory built in th Wolds of Yorkshire, UK. members of
the public will be ble to come and view the wonders of the cosmos.
More details coming soon on our website
Editor: Dave Bood
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CONTENTS....
6. DAWN, Mission to the dwarf planets
12. Gravitational Waves
14. The Night Sky
24. Astronomical seeing – can we do anything about it
38. Astro news
42. The Gallery
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Dawn – mission To The Dwarf Planets
Orbiting within the asteroid belt, which lies
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, are two
bodies of scientific interest. The first is the aster-
oid (protoplanet) Vesta and the other is the dwarf
planet Ceres. Like most other objects in the aster-
oid belt they are the left over’s from the forma-
tion of our solar system. Dawn is designed to study
the conditions and processes of the solar systems
earliest epoch by investigating in detail two of the
largest protoplanets remaining intact since their
formation. ~ NASA
The Dawn spacecraft was launched on 27th
September 2007 and made its way towards Vesta,
using Mars to sling shot it on its way to the aster-
oid belt. On the 16th July 2011 Dawn enters an
orbit around Vesta.
Dawn was going to do something that we have not
done before, and that was to produce a compre-
hensive map of an asteroid. The intention along
with other data collected, will help scientists
unlock some of the solar systems earliest secrets.
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Dawn used visible and infrared mapping spectrome-
ter instruments to map Vesta, the result were unex-
pected and raised questions on the asteroids forma-
tion. Observations were made of huge craters in Vesta’s
southern hemisphere and this is where the unex-
pected results occur. It was assumed that large aster-
oids formed much in the same way as the rocky planets
formed. Our planet would have started with a series
of collisions, the material clumped together and even-
tually the centre would have become hot forming the
core as more material is added and liquid flows from the
core layers are formed. So Earth’s composition consists
Dawn – mission To The Dwarf Planets
<<<<<<< Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLAMPS/DLR/IDA
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of a core, mantle and crust.
In the mantle you will find evidence of this process by the
presence of Olivine. Scientists however found no evidence in
the impact craters of Olivine where clear signatures of olivine
were found in the Vesta’s northern hemisphere. This indi-
cates a more complex evolutionary process than first thought
and models had shown. It is now thought Vesta may have had
partial melting which would create pockets of olivine instead
of a global distribution, it may also be that other material
formed and covers the olivine in the southern hemisphere to
which Dawn could not see below this layer.
Ceres- goddess of agriculture
Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt and is classified
as a dwarf planet. It is composed of rock and ice and has a
diameter of 950 Km (590 miles). In January 2014 water vapour
emissions were detected in several regions of Ceres, which is
strange as this is usually a hallmark of a comet.
Scientists currently believe that Ceres contains a rock inte-
rior with a thick ice mantle; it is also thought that if you were
to melt the ice that it would be more than all the fresh water
on earth.
The vapour given off is most likely ices that are on the dwarf
planet’s surface that melts when Ceres during its closest point
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to the sun during its orbit.
Water vapour was not really confirmed until Hershel’s far-infra-
red instrument got a clear spectral signature of water vapour.
The Dawn Space Craft
Dawn uses a combination of tried and tested technology mixed
with new inventive instruments and equipment. Knowledge
from previous missions has played a major part in the develop-
ment, design and production of the spacecraft.
Instruments
Framing Camera (FC) captures images in three colours as well
as black and white
Visible & infrared Spectrometer (VIR) maps the surface of the
intended targets; it measures the reflective light intensity in
selected wavelength bands to determine composition, temper-
ature and properties.
Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND)- produces maps of
the elements found on the surface.
Gravimetry- Uses audio tracking signal returned from the surface
of the targets to determine their respective mass, gravity, prin-
ciple axes, rotational axis and moments of inertia.
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The Ion propulsion SystemOnce the propulsion choice for science fiction, ion propul-
sion is now the choice for science fact. The Ion system makes
more efficient use of the onboard fuel and electrical power;
it enables spacecraft to travel further.
The technology is used on communication satellites and as
the main propulsion system on deep space probes.
The thrusts expel ions to create thrust, which provides higher
speeds than conventional rocket propelled systems.
Ions are simply an atom or molecule that has been electri-
cal charged. This process is done by adding or removing an
electron. Positive ions gain one or more electron and nega-
tive when they lose one or more electron.
A gas becomes ionized when some or all the atoms or mol-
ecules contained are converted into ions.
Ion engines use electric fields instead of chemical reactions,
as with conventional rockets.
You can find more information on ION propulsion here:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/fs21grc.html
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Although less powerful than traditional rocket power, the fuel efficiency means fuel can
last for years before running out.
DAWN orbit CeresAfter a long journey DAWN, NASA’s spacecraft entered orbit around Ceres on March
6th 2015. It is the first and hopefully not the last spacecraft to orbit a dwarf planet.
ALL IMAGES: NASA
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Gravitational WavesIn general relativity, gravity is explained through the curvature of
space. Massive objects bend space, and the curvature of space
tells objects how to move. It is the influence of curved space
that we call gravity. When massive objects move, the curvature
of space must change to follow their new positions. It takes time
for space to react, as information can only propagate at the speed
of light. There are therefore ripples in space, and these ripples
are called gravitational waves. These waves squeeze and stretch
objects as they propagate the space they occupy.
A potential source of gravitational waves is a binary system that
has two high mass objects (e.g. pulsars, neutron stars or black
holes) orbiting a common centre of mass. The 1993 Nobel Prize
in Physics was won for important measurements that were taken
of a binary system that contained a pulsar and a neutron star.
The measurements suggested that gravitational waves are more
than mathematical anomalies. The measured orbital period of
the binary system (called the Hulse-Taylor binary system after
its discoverers) changes with time, and this change is in exact
agreement with the prediction from general relativity, as you
can see from the graph of the orbital decay of the two stars over
time below:
Diagrame Below: Hulse-Taylor binary system
Image Credit: Credit: Weisberg & Taylor (2005)
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Gravitational WavesGravitational wave detectors work by trying to measure the differences in length across a detector produced
as a wave passes. The fractional changes in length are tiny so the effects are extremely difficult to measure, it’s
like trying to measure the distance between the Earth and the Sun to the accuracy of the size of a hydrogen
atom. Also there are factors such as noise and vibrations in the vicinity of the detectors that can mask or even
imitate gravitational wave events. Gravitational waves haven’t been directly observed, but we do have indirect
evidence to support the theory.
Scientists have measured the energy and angular momentum they carry away. This indirect evidence is an impor-
tant step forward to having hard evidence to support their existence.
Article: Liam Tomos Edwards
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14 LOOK UP IN WONDER - A GUIDE TO THE NIGHT SKY BY JOHN HARPER F.R.A.S
As April begins, the Sun is in the constellation of Pisces, but crosses the border into Aries at around 06h00 on the 19th.
The MoonThe Moon is at apogee, its furthest from the earth, on April 17th at 07h00 and again at 04h00 on the 29th, and is at perigee, its nearest to the earth, at around
04h00 on the 17th.
Full Moon is on the 4th at 12h06 and is the Paschal Full Moon, being the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox, as fixed by the Synod of Whitby in
664 A.D. The full moon may be seen rising around 19h in the ESE sky in the constellation of Virgo. It culminates in the south, just after midnight; the bright star 4°
to the lower left is Spica, (alpha Virginis), Virgo’s brightest star. (The name Spica means ‘ear of wheat’.) Try to locate it in the bright glow which may surround the
moon at this time .
April’s Full Moon undergoes a total eclipse for observers in the eastern parts of North America, Hawaii, the whole of the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand, Australia, and
parts of eastern Asia. It is not visible in the UK.
Last Quarter Moon is at 03h45 of the 12th in the eastern part of Sagittarius, and may be seen rising at around 02h00 in the SE. This is another
low LastQ. moon.
April’s New Moon is on the 18th at 18h57, in the constellation of Pisces, near to the astronomical Aries border, when the moon passes just over 2° south
of the sun at their conjunction.
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LOOK UP IN WONDER - A GUIDE TO THE NIGHT SKY BY JOHN HARPER F.R.A.S
As April begins, the Sun is in the constellation of Pisces, but crosses the border into Aries at around 06h00 on the 19th.
The MoonThe Moon is at apogee, its furthest from the earth, on April 17th at 07h00 and again at 04h00 on the 29th, and is at perigee, its nearest to the earth, at around
04h00 on the 17th.
Full Moon is on the 4th at 12h06 and is the Paschal Full Moon, being the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox, as fixed by the Synod of Whitby in
664 A.D. The full moon may be seen rising around 19h in the ESE sky in the constellation of Virgo. It culminates in the south, just after midnight; the bright star 4°
to the lower left is Spica, (alpha Virginis), Virgo’s brightest star. (The name Spica means ‘ear of wheat’.) Try to locate it in the bright glow which may surround the
moon at this time .
April’s Full Moon undergoes a total eclipse for observers in the eastern parts of North America, Hawaii, the whole of the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand, Australia, and
parts of eastern Asia. It is not visible in the UK.
Last Quarter Moon is at 03h45 of the 12th in the eastern part of Sagittarius, and may be seen rising at around 02h00 in the SE. This is another
low LastQ. moon.
April’s New Moon is on the 18th at 18h57, in the constellation of Pisces, near to the astronomical Aries border, when the moon passes just over 2° south
of the sun at their conjunction.
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On the 25th at 23h56, the moon is at First Quarter, and is one of the highest FirstQ. moons of the year. It achieves
an altitude, in Cancer, of 50° in the south at 18h00. As night falls, the very bright object you will notice, some
10° to its upper left, is Jupiter. Look for Earthshine’s faint illumination of the night hemisphere at the time of the
waxing crescent moon from the 19th to the 24th, and on the night hemisphere of the waning crescent from the
13th to the 17th.
There is a final chance to see the evening cone of the Zodiacal Light on fine evenings during the first half of the
month. Its appearance is that of a ‘cone’ of pale light, of less intensity than that of the Milky Way, rising up from
the western sky at an angle of 60° towards the south. It is caused by the sun back-lighting a disc of fine particles
surrounding the sun in the inner solar system - all that remains of the accretion disc , out of which the planets
formed 4.5 million years ago.
Jupiter & M44 Taken In March 2015
Nikon D3200 Camer, 70-300mm lens
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The Planets
Around the middle of April Mercury begins its best evening apparition of the year, and by the end of the month
sets just over two hours after the sun in the western sky. The best time to scan for the planet using binoculars is
during the last week of April, when between 20h00 and 21h00, it is within 10° of the WNW horizon. If your bin-
oculars are well-focussed and firmly fixed, at around 20h00, you may locate a much fainter object below Mercury
(assuming you have found Mercury!); this fainter object is Mars. On the 22nd Mercury and Mars are in conjunc-
tion, separated by 1° of arc (two moon widths) and again at 20h on that date may be seen together in binoculars,
5° above the WNW horizon. The one day old waxing crescent moon lies to the lower left of the two planets on
the 19th and should be looked for through binoculars, low in the WNW sky at around 19h45. This observation is
in bright twilight, hence the necessity of using of binoculars and a clear horizon in that direction.
Venus dominates the western sky during the evenings in April, setting at just after 22h at the start of the month
and just before midnight at the end. It shines resplendently as the ‘Evening Star’ (Hesperus, as it was known to
the ancients ). After Full Moon on the 4th, until the 19th, when the moon makes an appearance into the evening
sky once again, there is a good opportunity to appreciate Venus’ qualification as the third brightest natural object
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in the night sky. If you can go to a place where there is no artificial
light on a clear evening, when Venus is shining in a dark sky, hold
your finger up, between Venus and a sheet of paper; you will see
that Venus is bright enough to cast a shadow of your finger onto
the paper. The only other objects in the sky able to do this are of
course the Sun and the Moon.
A treat is in store during the evening of the 21st, when the three
day old crescent moon with earthshine illuminating its night hemi-
sphere may be seen together with Venus in the western sky. The
time to see this beautiful spectacle is around 21h, at which time
the two bodies are some 7° apart. If you look carefully you will also
see Aldebaran (alpha Tauri), the red ‘eye’ of Taurus the Bull, to the
lower right of the moon, three moon widths away. Later in the year,
this star undergoes a series of occultations by the moon.
At the beginning of the month Mars sets just two hours after the
sun. This is reduced to one hour as May begins. Apart from the
opportunities described under the entry for Mercury, it is quite diffi-
cult to spot unless you are using binoculars in the bright Spring twi-
light. Mars is of a similar magnitude during April to the star Deneb
in Cygnus the Swan.
Jupiter is visible most of the night in the constellation of Cancer
the Crab, and by the end of the month sets around 02h30. It lies
to the east of the Praesepe open star cluster M44. The planet’s
apparent retrograde motion ends on the 8th, after which it starts
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moving to the east (prograde) and towards Leo the Lion once again. On the
26th, Jupiter lies 6° to the upper right of the gibbous waxing moon produc-
ing a pleasing spectacle.
Don’t forget to look for the Galilean moons through well-focused and firmly
fixed binoculars as they change position night by night.
Saturn spends the month in the vicinity of the star Graffias (beta Scorpii)
on the astronomical border between Scorpius and Libra, and when visible,
remains no higher than 18° at the time when it culminates in the south at
around 02h towards the end of the month. The rings are open wide to such
an extent that the northern limb of the planet aligns with the edge of the ‘A’
ring (the outer visible ring) behind the planet. Saturn rises just before mid-
night on April 1st, but two hours earlier on the 30th. The gibbous waning
moon may be seen approaching Saturn on the morning of the 8th, and to
the east of Saturn on morning of the 9th, when at 02h, the moon, Saturn
and Antares (alpha Scorpii, brightest star in Scorpius), form an isosceles tri-
angle, with Antares, of the same magnitude as Saturn, forming the lower
apex of the triangle, within 10° of the southern horizon.
Uranus is in conjunction with the sun in Pisces on April 6th, and is not worth
looking for this month.
Neptune in Aquarius, is badly placed in the early morning sky due to its faint-
ness and advancing morning twilight.
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight from the 22ndto the 23rd when up
to 10 meteors an hour may be seen radiating from the vicinity of the bright
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star Vega in the constellation of Lyra. The best time to look for them is during the two hours before dawn starts to brighten the sky in the early morning on the 23rd, and stray Lyrids may be seen for several days before and after this date.
The Lyrid meteor shower is associated with Thatcher’s Comet discovered in 1861. Conditions are favourable this year as long as you are away from bright lights.
Meteor showers are naked eye events and can be seen without optical aid, but remember it can get very cold in April, so wrap up well!
Constellations visible in the south around midnight, mid-month, are as follows: The eastern part of Hydra, Corvus the Crow, Virgo, Boötes and Coma Berenices. The Plough, in the constellation of Ursa Major, is still near the zenith.
All times are GMT 1° is one finger width at arm’s length
Image Credit: Jaspal Chadha- Cigar Galaxy
Imaged from London using Altair Astro RC 250TT
ioptron CEM60 mount
QSI 690 CCD
L: 5 x 5 min
RGB 3 x 10 min
Ha 3 x 30 min
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star Vega in the constellation of Lyra. The best time to look for them is during the two hours before dawn starts to brighten the sky in the early morning on the 23rd, and stray Lyrids may be seen for several days before and after this date.
The Lyrid meteor shower is associated with Thatcher’s Comet discovered in 1861. Conditions are favourable this year as long as you are away from bright lights.
Meteor showers are naked eye events and can be seen without optical aid, but remember it can get very cold in April, so wrap up well!
Constellations visible in the south around midnight, mid-month, are as follows: The eastern part of Hydra, Corvus the Crow, Virgo, Boötes and Coma Berenices. The Plough, in the constellation of Ursa Major, is still near the zenith.
All times are GMT 1° is one finger width at arm’s length
Image Credit: Jaspal Chadha- Cigar Galaxy
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Astronomical seeing – can we do anything about it. By Andy Devey the solar explorer.
Seeing is the term that we astronomers use to describe the optical quality
of the Earth’s atmosphere. The optical quality is defined as the absence
of distortion or steadiness in the image during the period of observation.
Excellent seeing offers a motionless and optically perfect seeing where
as a rapidly changing and grossly distorted image indicates poor seeing.
Seeing affects every astronomer on the planet and is the limiting factor
that will affect any telescope that we chose to use.
Light traverses the universe in an almost pristine condition [except for
any gravitational lensing – a fairly rare phenomenon] right up to the
point where it reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, in the last nanoseconds
of its journey and this has roughly the equivalent effect on it as if looking
through about 10 m of water.
Thermal turbulence in the atmosphere is the cause of degraded or poor
seeing. It is a critical function of whether temperature differences in the
atmosphere are in motion. The mixing of air at different temperatures
such as hot air rising from a road or building causes convection currents
that appear to make the image boil. This looks similar to viewing an
object under rippling water. Further, atmospheric aerosols [dust, water
vapour, combustion products and volcanic ash] can also significantly
degrade astronomical images. Aerosols also create a diffused directional
glow from objects such as the Moon, bright planets or bright stars even
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when objects are completely outside the telescope or binoculars field of view. Aerosols also exaggerate any
effects of light pollution. This can still be a significant factor even when the sky appears to be dark. When
an object is placed in the field of view of an instrument, aerosols can contribute to image blurring and con-
trast reduction even when the amount of thermal turbulence is negligible.
Robert Hook in 1665 was the first to attribute the twinkling of a star to “small, moving regions of the atmo-
sphere having different refracting powers that act like lenses”.
A significant amount of research has been carried out since 1970 motivated by the need to improve the yield
from optical surveillance and mapping satellites to analyze the turbulence. Turbulence develops as thermal
energy increases [heat from the Sun or that rising from the Earth] breaks laminar air flows into very large
cells that pass over themselves as eddies or whorls. These air currents are very poor at dissipating energy
and the system breaks down into ever smaller whorls until the flow viscosity impedes any smaller divisions.
The end result can be a very complex texture.
Next Page >>>>>>>>>
The Komolgorov-Tatarski model represents turbulence at a single boundary between thermally different layers.
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Recent scientific papers now divide turbulence into four distinctive categories:
Instrument turbulence
This occurs inside the telescope and any structure that may shelter it, and is
most often produced by convection layers rising from the surface of reflect-
ing mirrors [mirror seeing] by currents crawling along the sides of a closed
telescope tube [telescope structure seeing] by convection currents from
the observers body [especially in cold weather], by heat rising through the
restrictive opening in an observatory dome [structural seeing] and by heat
rising from the pavement metal or masonry immediately under the tele-
scope [site seeing].
This is my recently constructed obser-vatory. Any heat from the building is behind the telescopes and I would only consider observing/imaging north once ambient temperatures had been reached. The chippings on the floor are small and do not produce heat like a concrete surface would. Image credit Andy Devey.
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Surface Turbulence
This extends from the ground up to a few hundred metres in the
landscape around the telescope. When viewing above a zenith
angle of 60º is within about 500 m of the observing site and
often represents up to 50% of all the observed optical distor-
tion. It is largely due to heat stored on the sunlit earth/struc-
tures during the day. Strong currents can rise from concrete, res-
idences, roads etc and that is why the initial choices we make
when selecting a potential observing site are so important. The
turbulence effects will vary through the full 24 hours of each day
from a minimum just after sunrise steeply rising to a peak during
early afternoon, declining to a secondary minimum shortly after
sunset and increasing to a second maximum peak around mid-
night before returning to a second minimum in the hours just
before sunrise.
As can be seen, once we have chosen a location for observing
the only way we can reduce the effects of surface turbulence is
by making conscious choices for the times to observe or image
that coincide with expected minimum surface turbulence periods.
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I have chosen a location surrounded by vegeta-tion and this helps prevent the ground getting too hot in the blazing sunshine. Image credit Andy Devey.
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Geographic turbulence
This extends from a few hundred metres to a few kilometres above the ground and when observing at a
zenith angle of 60º or more a radius of up to 7 km will affect the site. This type of turbulence typically forms
as several overlying layers of air about 100 to 200 m thick can extend for several kilometres. Above about
4 km the air is generally independent of the landscape and falls to a minimum at altitudes between 6 and
9 KM. Geographic turbulence is caused by air currents being forced upwards by mountainous terrain or by
the disposition of other large landscape features – large bodies of water, urban developments, expanses
of bare ground or large patches of snow as these affect the moisture and thermal content of the weather
bearing atmosphere.
There is very little we can do about the Geographical seeing once the observing site has been chosen except
restrict our observing to favourable low wind weather conditions!
High atmosphere turbulence
This is mainly associated with the jet stream that is normally confined to latitudes above 30º north or south
of the equator and it flows at altitudes between 10 and 15 km. The stratospheric layers above this altitude
are normally rarefied they are almost thermally homogenous and therefore have negligible effect on seeing.
The jet stream affects seeing in two ways, one directly by high velocity movement against lower atmospheric
layers and the other indirectly by bringing cold or moist air from northern latitudes and ocean surfaces. It
forms high and low pressure areas creating an energetic mixture of barometric pressure, moisture and tem-
perature. Further the jet stream his high enough that when observing at a 60º zenith angle it can cause dis-
turbances within a radius of about 25 km of the observing site.
It is now possible to see the position and predictions for the jet stream and decisions can be made as to
when to observe/image or not.
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This shows the Jet stream forecast for 12 July 2014 here is the link to the website that gives forecasts out to
16 days in an animation set at 3 hour intervals (http://www.netweather.tv).
There is no doubt that astronomical seeing plays a major part in visual and imaging astronomy. The top plan-
etary imagers for example set up in Barbados to be surrounded by the thermally stable Caribbean Sea and
close enough to the equator to image the planets at high zenith angles where the atmosphere is thinner and
there are no jet stream effects. In such conditions any equipment will perform very close to its maximum
potential.
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This is the BAA seeing scale image where P1 is ter-
rible seeing and P10 is perfect. For more visit http://
www.baalunarsection.org.uk/topography.htm –
image credit BAA.
If we chose to image through our equipment then
technology and the development of software has to
some extent come to the rescue to limit the effects
of atmospheric seeing and this will form the second
part of this paper.
Please come along and visit us in southern Spain to
enjoy the clear skies, to use some high specification
equipment with generally good to excellent seeing
conditions.
Andy Devey
http://www.thesolarexplorer.net/
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A S T R O N E R D S | A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | w w w . i c y s c i e n c e . c o m
http://www.muralswallpaper.co.uk/space-walk-mural-wallpaper
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Space Mural Wallpaper and Space Wallpaper Murals
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A S T R O N E R D S | A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | w w w . i c y s c i e n c e . c o m
Ganymede’s Deep
Ocean?
The discoveries just keep coming, with news of hydrothermal
vents on Enceladus, DAWN in orbit around Ceres and now
compelling evidence of a sub surface ocean on the King of
the Moons Ganymede.
NASA has reported that data from the Hubble telescope, which
has been studying how the aurora lights dance around the
Jovian moon.
The water under the moon’s surface is thought to be salty and
contain more water than here on earth. What is also inter-
esting is that Ganymede has a magnetic field, which interacts
with the massive magnetic field of Jupiter.
A team of scientists led by Joachim Saur of the University of
Cologne, Germany, came up with the idea of using the Hubble
telescope to peer at Ganymede.
The team determined that if water was present under
Ganymede’s surface then Jupiter’s magnetic field would create
a secondary magnetic field in the ocean which would counter
Jupiter’s magnetic field (with me so far?). The ‘magnetic fric-
tion’ caused would suppress the aurorae, which rocks from 6
degrees to 2 degrees. The 6 degree rocking would happen if
no liquid water is present.Image Source NASA
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Observations were carried out in ultra violet light, sci-
entist think that the ocean is 100km (60 miles) deep
and is buried under a 150Km (95 mile) thick ice crust.
While we hunt for exoplanet’s that are earth like,
maybe life will be found in our own back yard. And +if
like on earth life began in the seas and oceans, then
there is no reason why simple or more complex life
have not developed and evolved in one of the sub
surface oceans in one of the moons in our solar system.
Such organisms could have adapted and evolved that
are not dependant on sunlight.
Hydrothermal activity on
Enceladus?
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and mission never
fails to deliver, with valuable data about Saturn,
the hazy world of Titan or the watery world of
Enceladus. Recent studies have given scientists
a clear indication that Enceladus exhibits signs of
hydrothermal activity, this is not something from
the past, but is happening now. The activity points
to significant geologic activity. The activity could
be that similar to Earth, and like Earth life could
exist and flourish.
A paper released by NASA in the Journal Nature, relates to microscopic grains of rock detected in the Cassini Saturn
system. The results are part of a four year study that data analysis, computer simulations and laboratory experi-
ments have taken into consideration.
Scientists think the grains occurred, when hot water containing dissolved minerals is forced upwards, the hot water
meets cold water and the grains form, the interactions that produce the grains would be at about 90 Degrees
Celsius. The grains are then spewed out through the geezers into space and join the rings of Saturn.
The Cassini spacecraft using its cosmic dust analyzer, detected the grains before it entered orbit around Saturn.
The samples detected were rich in Silica, which here on earth is found in sand and quartz. Here on earth the most
common way these grains are produced is through hydrothermal activity.
Enceledus could have the right ingredients for life, the moons outer thick ice crust will protect any life forms from
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cosmic radiation, there is a source of energy,
heat generated by tidal forces from Saturn and
other moons acting on Enceledus, then there
is a liquid solution.
Other possible candidates are Europa, Possible
Titan if a liquid water is below its surface and
somewhere closer to home Ceres, the dwarf
planets in the asteroid belt.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science
Institute >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Growth spurt In Young Protostar observed
Using an array of equipment and instruments astronomers have observed a ‘growth Spurt’ from a newborn
Protostar. Data from NASA’s Spitzer space telescope and ground based telescopes, have aided the international
team of astronomers in their findings. The young protostar known as HOPS 383 is thought to be an exception-
ally young star.
Astronomers class the young protostar as a ‘Class 0’ protostar; it was formed when a cold fragmented cloud of
gas and dust began to collapse under its own gravity. When the cloud collapses the centre becomes more dense
and hotter, as this continues fusion can take place.
William Fischer a NASA Postdoctoral program Fellow at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in greenbelt,
Maryland says “HOP 383 is the first outburst we’ve ever seen from a Class 0 object, and it appears to be the
youngest protostellar eruption ever recorded.”
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The Class 0 protostar stage is quite
short lived, 150,000 years and is
considered the earliest develop-
ment stafe of a star.
HOP 383 is located near NGC 1977
(The running Man Nebula).
NGC 1977 is located ½ degree north-
east of the Orion Nebula
A paper has been published in the
Astrophysical Journal; HOPS 383: AN
OUTBURSTING CLASS 0 PROTOSTAR
IN ORION
Infrared images from instruments at Kitt Peak National Observatory (left) and NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope document the outburst of HOPS 383, a young protostar in the Orion star-forma-tion complex. Credit: E. Safron et al.; background: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Toledo
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THE GALLERY
Partical solar Eclipse From Scarborough, Taken by Geoff Adams >>>>>>>>>>>>
MARY SPICER
Lunar X & V at 6pm 27/03/15
Taken with an 8” Astrograph with focal reducer & Canon 1100D on an EQ5 Pro Mount
Shot through thin cloud
Best 35% of 150 images stacked in Autostakkert! 2 and processed in Lightroom
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Chris Dave Munday- Partial Eclipse from York
Partical solar Eclipse From Scarborough, Taken by Geoff Adams >>>>>>>>>>>>
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Andromeda Galaxy Mike Greenham>>>>>>>>>
Jupiter von heute 18.03.15
http://www.astrobin.com/full/164800/0/
Mak 150/1800
2x Zeiss Barlow und Brennweite zusätzlich verlangert auf 4800mm
Kamera Alccd5II
3200 AVI Frames davon waren gut 2000 über 80% beste.!!
LG Hotte.
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A S T R O N E R D S | A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | w w w . i c y s c i e n c e . c o m
Jupiter von heute 18.03.15
http://www.astrobin.com/full/164800/0/
Mak 150/1800
2x Zeiss Barlow und Brennweite zusätzlich verlangert auf 4800mm
Kamera Alccd5II
3200 AVI Frames davon waren gut 2000 über 80% beste.!!
LG Hotte.
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A S T R O N E R D S | A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | w w w . i c y s c i e n c e . c o m
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David BlanchflowerWaxing Gibbous Moon
It was taken at 2056UT (2156BST) on the 29th March 2015.
Equipment: Sky-Watcher Explorer 200P telescope and Canon 1200D camera.
It was taken at Prime Focus.
Cropped and enlarged using Irfanview. Wavelet processing was done using Registax 6. Some final enhancing
was performed using GIMP
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James Parker: Celestron Advanced VX8 SCT ,Nikon D3100 SLR ,1/250th second Frame
ISO 100 White light filter, processed through Photoshop 6, Photoshop Express, Snapseed.
1.5 hours of processing through software to highlight the sun in the orange colour tone.
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Jaspal Chadha-----Bubble Nebula Taken in 2013 from London UK
Espirt 100ED
EQ6 Mount
QHY8L Colour CCD
4 hours of data
www.jkobservatroy.net
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http://www.awesomeastronomy.com/
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For more information please contact us via our The solar explorer website for price list and
availabilityhttp://thesolarexplorer.net/
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A S T R O N E R D S | A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | w w w . i c y s c i e n c e . c o m
RICHARD J BARLETTON AMAZON
CLICK AMAZON ABOVE TO FOLLOW THE LINK
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A S T R O N E R D S | A p r i l 2 0 1 5 | w w w . i c y s c i e n c e . c o m
RICHARD J BARLETTON AMAZON
CLICK AMAZON ABOVE TO FOLLOW THE LINK
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