Clear skies and a waning lunar phase are again in alignment... making this another ideal
weekend for deep sky observations of the wonders of the fall night sky.
Going real deep... This weekend we point our telescopes towards
the
constellation Triangulum the triangle.
Triangulum is located to the southeast of
Andromeda a constellation we visited recently. Triangulum has been
linked to Greek accomplishments in math and science and also to the island
of Sicily. Starting
things off is the only
Messier
object in this weeks report, Spiral Galaxy M33. Also known as the
Pinwheel Galaxy or the Triangulum Galaxy, this mag5.7 spiral is a
photographic beauty. But... due to its huge size, M33 suffers from low
surface brightness -- meaning that you'll need a decent sized telescope
and some pretty dark skies to view it properly. I'd recommend that you
wait till your eyes are fully dark adapted before going after this one. Of
course, there are a bunch of deep sky targets for you once you get
outside...so... make the most of the opportunity.... because... when the
weather decides to turn... and it'll be doing that shortly... you'll
definitely want to have made the most of a least a couple of recent
opportunities.
We mentioned that we're moving towards the waning lunar phases. Look for a
waning
crescent moon to rise around 2am.. Very nice if you've got any deep
sky observing plans. After that... best views of Earth's nearest celestial
neighbor will be had in the morning. With the moon setting around 2pm...
it should be very high in the sky.. perhaps overhead... at first light.
So... sleep in... grab a cup of coffee... and snag some sweet lunar views.
Some of the Moons many mountains, valleys and craters should be visible..
with especially specially views along the lunar terminator... the line
where light meets dark on the lunar surface.
Continuing through the solar system...
The
planet
Mars should still be on your list of gotta see targets. It can be found high and towards the southeast shortly after dark.
Mars has decreased to 18".. from its peak of 20". .. so its
still very near its biggest and brightest for the season. Take advantage
of its early rise to view it as often as possible. Before you know it..
it'll be gone for the season. While you're out viewing...
the planet Saturn is now rising just before 10pm. Look for the ringed
wonder a bit later... after its had a bit of time to climb into a steadier
part of the sky. Saturn's beautiful ring system is clearly visible in even
the most modest of instruments... providing visual treats rarely exceeded.
Utah Skies recently rolled out a new look across the website. Special
thanks to Don for all his hard work making this happen. Take a few minutes
to check it out... and let us know what you think.
Finally, Utah Skies would like to wish you and
yours a happy, healthy thanks giving.
Astronomy News From Around The World... and Beyond
Thursday, November 24th, 2005
Rhea Below The Rings
The planet Saturn's moon Rhea can be seen here floating below it's beautiful rings in this gorgeous shot taken by the orbiting Cassini Spacecraft. Saturn is currently rising around10pm... so... skywatchers are encourage to look for it as it climbs above the eastern horizon. Saturn's beautiful rings are any easy target for even the most modest of telescopes
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005
GP-B Data Analysis Continues
After its launch in April of 2004, and nearly 4 months of on-orbit checkout, and 10-months of data collection, Stanford University's and NASA's Gravity Probe B (GP-B) has done its part of the work intended to finally prove (or disprove) Einstein'stheory of general relativity. Scientists are now analyzing the obtained data - and will continue to do so - through the first half of 2006. Two distinct effects of general relativity sought to be measured by GP-B are the geodetic effect - the warping of space-time by the earth - and frame-dragging - the twist the earth gives to space-time as it rotates on its axis. Stay tuned to find out if GP-B's measured values of these effects agree with or contradict the theoretical values predicted by Einstein; either way, the results will be phenomenal. Check out this in-depth look at GP-B or this fact sheet for more info.
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Reaches Halfway Point
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently reached the halfway point of its 310 million mile journey to the planet Mars .As part of the flight plan, the orbiter successfully fired its six engines to make a mid-course adjustment. This maneuver went exactly as planned. Anticipating a March 2006 arrival, mission specialists have been busy calibrating the onboard cameras for the science that lies ahead. Checkout CNN.com/SPACE for more details.
Monday, November 21st, 2005
SETI Targeting Dwarf Stars
Given that 3 out of 4 stars created in our galaxy each year are dwarf stars... scientists at SETI (The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) are shifting the focus of their efforts to these types of star systems. Perhaps we should change our classification scheme as well? These stars could be classified as mass-challenged? Regardless, as more and more planets are discovered around distant stars, SETI is honing in on what works... and what doesn't. Checkout Astrobiology Magazine for all the details.
Saturday, November 19th, 2005
Don't Forget Mars
Got clear skies overhead this weekend? If so, don't forget to checkout The Planet Mars. Mars may have peaked a couple of weeks ago, but... views of the red planet are still spectacular. Mars is currently rising just after 4pm... making it an easy object to observe. It should already be well above the eastern horizon by the time the sun sets... and climbing into a steadier part of the sky by the time it gets really dark... currently around 6pm. So... set your scope outside before the sun sets... so it'll have cooled properly before observing with it... then... point your scope towards the sky... and see where it takes you.
The sun is a fascinating subject; it's appearance changes from day to day. In fact, it is the only star in the sky that we can see any details on at all! This week, however, the sun is quiet; there are no large sunspots visible.
Mercury remains visible in the western sky, low on the horizon after sunset. Having reached its greatest eastern elongation on the 20th of June, it is falling back into the sun's glare and it's inferior conjunction on July 18th.
Because of its proximity to the Sun, Mercury is never really viewed against a dark background. Rather, it always struggles to be seen over the light of the setting or rising Sun. Patience (and clear skies) will reward you with some beautiful evening views of this planet.
In the accompanying image, Mercury is seen following the sun toward the western horizon of southern Utah with a slender crescent moon close behind.
Still in the morning sky near sunrise, Venus marks a beginning of the "early-bird's" day. Having attained its greatest western elongation earlier in the year, Venus is continuing its inexorable journey appearing to fall into the sun towards its superior conjunction at the end of October.
If you have a telescope handy, take a peek at the love goddess' name sake; the crescent of Venus is lovely indeed. Venus was beautiful along side the Pleiades on the June 23rd , and look forward to the first of July when Venus rises with Aldebaran, the 14th of July when Venus and the Crab Nebula dance together, and the 26th and 27th of August when Venus and Saturn rise together less than a degree apart!
The ESA's Venus Express spacecraft is now in its mission phase. The ESA reports "On 3 June at 13:42 UT, after 207 days of flight, 43 orbits around Venus and many test activities, Venus Express has formally completed its commissioning phase and has entered the routine science phase...The nominal mission is scheduled to last till the end of October 2007." Venus Express will study the planet in great detail, in particular the Venusian atmosphere and clouds.
While we train our optics skyward nightly, there are visual treasures and marvels to behold earthward. Pictured here is a collection of richly colored rock in the Uinta Mountains, a massive range in Northern Utah carved by glaciers from an immense uplift of Precambrian rock. Some of this rock is exposed as colorful quartzite and shales. The main crest of the Uinta Mountains runs west to east for more than 60 miles, rising over 6,000 feet above the Wyoming and Uinta Basins to the north and south. The highest point in Utah is Kings Peak at 13,528 feet.
The Moon will be new on the 25th, and begin waxing crescent until first quarter on July 3rd, when it will wax gibbous approaching full on July 11th. Those observers that consider the moon "light pollution" look forward to this time of the synodic cycle as the moon travels with the sun, keeping the night sky dark, favoring views of distant, elusive, and faint fuzzies - galaxies, nebulae, and clusters.
Remember, as the moon waxes and wanes, you can look forward to those phases where Moon observations are most fascinating. Features appear - mountains, craters, rilles - as the sunlight casts long, defining shadows. Look along the portion of the Moon separating light from dark, known as the terminator, for the greatest contrasts.
The Red Planet is found high in the western sky at sunset as it moves to it's superior conjunction opposite the Sun later in the year. Look at this sweet shot taken by Utah Skies member Brian Jolley last year when Mars was at its closest. He took this through the historic Clark refractor at Lowell Observatory.
Even without a telescope the view of and around Mars is interesting. Having moved through the constellation Gemini, Mars is approaching a conjunction with Saturn around June 17th. On its way, it will pass through M44!
Planet Jupiter | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
Jupiter is currently rising late in the afternoon, placing it favorably for those wanting views of the Sun's largest planet before heading off to bed.
This image is an example of what Jupiter has to offer viewers: interesting detail in the equatorial bands and, if conditions are right, swirls and festoons. Much beautiful structure can be seen through a typical telescope, but results vary depending on telescope aperture and sky conditions. Too, the Great Red Spot has some company: another storm has grow in proportion near the GRS, and has come to be known as Spot Jr!
If you have binoculars, point these towards Jupiter. While you won't be able to see any details on the planets surface, binoculars will clearly show you several of Jupiter's brightest moons, and regular observations will show them jockey for position as they orbit the giant planet. The movement is quite apparent, sometimes even in the span of a few hours.
This sweet shot of Jupiter nicely shows its great red spot and some of the incredible details just waiting your observation. Additionally, you can see one of Jupiter's moons eclipsing the giant planet. The round "ink spot" on the planet's surface is the shadow cast by its moon. Watching Jupiter's moons as they orbit and occasionally transit the giant planet is a very interesting part of observing Jupiter.
Saturn is now rising mid-morning and reaching the highest point in its path across the sky in the late afternoon; the spectacular views of the ringed planet will soon come to an end as it moves behind the sun with the passing weeks. Some truely great views of the ringed planet and its satellites are available on the Cassini Huygens pages. This sweet shot was taken by Don Brown of Utah Skies.
Uranus is currently rising in the early morning, about an hour after Neptune.. The Earth and Uranus have ostensibly achieved their greatest separation, and will soon begin to draw nearer again.
This fascinating image was taken from a ground-based telescope in the European Southern Observatory.
Planet Neptune | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
The planet Neptune, is currently rising several hours before the sun, leaving you precious little time to view the 8th rock. To speed up your acquisition of the planet, look just east of south before first light. Find Deneb Ageldi; Neptune is just about 4.5° west and north of "the water goat's tail". At just a touch brighter than mag 8, Neptune should be visible as a faint star-like object in binoculars or as a bluish object in a telescope. Once you've found it, higher powers will clearly reveal the disk of the planet .
This beautiful image of Neptune and its moon, Triton, was taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft from a perspective that will never be had from Earth. Interesting to note is the gray hue of the planet in this image. The atmosphere of the planet preferentially scatters the light forward from this vantage and so removes the bluish tinge, and reddens the color.
Planet Pluto | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
Pluto is rising before midnight, giving you the time you'll need to seek this faintest of planets. To know you've seen Pluto is going to require observations over several nights, carefully noting star patterns until you see one point of light move relative to the others: that's Pluto!!! But don't try this at home kids, unless you have some serious aperture, because at mag 15+, you're gonna need it!
This image of Pluto and its moon Charon was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the improved performance of a space-based observational platform over ground-based telescopes.
The Hubble Space Telescope has distinguished itself as a premier source of astronomical images. Amazing HST images have graced the covers of major magazines and newspapers worldwide. In recognition of the amazing advances in astronomy and physics which have come from Hubble discoveries, we'd like to devote a section of this report to some of these incredible images, and share some of them with you. Our latest comes directly from the Hubble Heritage Team.
A Dying Star in Globular
Cluster M15
The globular cluster Messier 15 is shown in
this color image obtained with the NASA Hubble Space Telescope's
Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2). Lying some 40,000
light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation
Pegasus, M15 is one of nearly 150 known globular clusters that
form a vast halo surrounding our Milky Way galaxy. Each of these
clusters is a spherical association of hundreds of thousands of
ancient stars.
The image, prepared by the Hubble
Heritage team, attempts to show the stars in M15 in their true
colors. The brightest cluster stars are red giants, with an orange
color due to surface temperatures lower than our Sun's. Most of
the fainter stars are hotter, giving them a bluish-white color. If
we lived in the core of M15, our sky would blaze with tens of
thousands of brilliant stars both day and night!
Nestled among the myriads of stars
visible in the Hubble image is an astronomical oddity. The pinkish
object to the upper left of the cluster's core is a gas cloud
surrounding a dying star. Known as Kuestner 648, this was the
first planetary nebula to be identified in a globular cluster. In
1928, F. G. Pease, working at the 100-inch telescope of
California's Mount Wilson Observatory, photographed the spectrum
of K 648 and discovered the telltale bright emission of a nebular
gas cloud rather than a normal star. In the ensuing 70 years, only
three more planetary nebulae have been discovered in globular
clusters.
The stars in M15 and other globular
clusters are estimated to be about 12 billion years old. They were
among the first generations of stars to form in the Milky Way. Our
Sun, by comparison, is a youthful 4.6 billion years old. As a star
like the Sun ages, it exhausts the hydrogen that fuels its nuclear
fusion, and increases in size to become a red giant. Then it
ejects its outer layers into space, producing a planetary nebula.
The remnant star at the center of the nebula gradually dies away
as a white dwarf.
Planetary nebulae are so named because
their shapes reminded 18th-century astronomers with small
telescopes of the round disks of planets. They are actually huge
clouds of gas, glowing because of ultraviolet light emitted by the
stars in their centers. The surface temperature of the central
star of K 648 is about 70,000 degrees Fahrenheit (40,000 degrees
Celsius), and analysis of the Hubble data indicates that the
star's remaining mass is only 60 percent that of our Sun. The
star's outer layers were ejected some 4,000 years ago.
The most massive stars use up their
hydrogen first, and then less-massive stars in turn run out of
fuel, become red giants, and fade away. For stars less massive
than the Sun, some astronomers believe the evolutionary process to
be so gradual that a visible planetary nebula will not form. At
the present time, the most massive stars remaining in M15 have
about 80 percent of the mass of our Sun, a fact that makes the
existence of a planetary nebula like K 648 something of a mystery.
The Hubble images used to make this image were taken to test the
idea that the progenitor of K 648 may have "borrowed" some mass
from a nearby stellar companion. No such companion was revealed by
Hubble, so the mystery remains unsolved. One possibility is that
the progenitor of K 648 was two stars, which then merged together
to become the single star now seen at the center of the nebula.
The Hubble data on K 648 were obtained
and analyzed by a team of Space Telescope Science Institute
astronomers, including H. E. Bond, D. R. Alves, and M. Livio, who
are interested in the origin and evolution of planetary nebulae
and their central stars.
Our Constellation report is an easy way for people to
become familiar with the nighttime sky. We’ll discuss myths associated
with the various constellations as well as describing the numerous deep
sky objects residing in the area. No equipment is required to view the
constellations, though a star chart can be quite helpful. This ease of
observing makes constellations a natural place to begin your journey to
the stars.
This weekend we move on to the constellation
Triangulum
the Triangle. Triangulum is located to the southeast of Andromeda.
Triangulum has been linked to Greek accomplishments in math and science
and also to the island of Sicily.
Ok, let's start things off the only Messier object in this weeks report, Spiral Galaxy M33. Also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy or the Triangulum Galaxy, this mag5.7 galaxy is a photographic beauty. Due to its huge size, M33 suffers from low surface brightness -- meaning that you'll need a decent sized telescope and dark skies to view it properly.
M33's distance is estimated at about 2.3 million light years. It can be found a little over 3°west-northwest of Alpha Trianguli. This is an object for which you'll want to use low power.
Next
stop is Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC672(mag10.76) This tiny galaxy (6.5'x2.5')
won't provide you with a world of detail. Located slightly more than 2° to
the southwest of Metallah... the mag3.4 alpha star in Triangulum
Moving
on, we come to another Barred Spiral Galaxy, NGC925(mag10). This object
looks considerably better in photos than in the eyepiece. That said, you
shouldn't have too tough a time finding this object. Located about 2° east
of Gamma Triangulum, this object can be found by putting the edge of your
Telrad against the star. You do have a Telrad by now, don't you :)
Our final stop in Triangulum leads us to this weeks Utah Skies Challenge Object, Irregular Galaxy NGC978(mag14). At mag 14, this is one of the dimmest objects we've ever thrown at you. This is also a small galaxy -- less than 2' long. This, however, might be what helps you find it. Due to its small size, it has a fairly high surface brightness. Don't expect to see a whole bunch of detail... Just be happy you found it. The key to finding it? Dark skies... and aperture. Also, you'll want to search for this object at medium power as you might not even notice it at low powers. Once you've found it, crank up the magnification.
Good Luck!
If you are able to find all of these objects, you may be one of the few, the proud, the Deep Sky Obsessed.
E-mail your findings to DeepSkyObservations@UtahSkies.org.
Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting
Big news: A groundbreaking book on the impact of artificial night
lighting. It's entitled, "Ecological
Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting"... and is due to be released
sometime in November. Published by
Island
Press, this book is sure to shed some light (pun intended) on the very
important, if somewhat mis-understood, topic of
light pollution.
While certain ecological problems associated with artificial night lighting are
widely known-for instance, the disorientation of
sea turtle hatchlings by beachfront lighting-the vast range of influences on
all types of animals and plants is only beginning to be recognized. From nest
choice and breeding success of birds to behavioral and physiological changes in
salamanders, many organisms are seriously affected by human alterations in
natural patterns of light and dark.
Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting is the first book to
consider the environmental effects of the intentional illumination of the night.
It brings together leading scientists from around the world to review the state
of knowledge on the subject and to describe specific effects that have been
observed across a full range of taxonomic groups, including mammals, birds,
reptiles and amphibians, fishes, invertebrates, and plants.
Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting provides a scientific basis
to begin addressing the challenge of conserving the nighttime environment. It
cogently demonstrates the vital importance of this until-now neglected topic and
is an essential new work for conservation planners, researchers, and anyone
concerned with human impacts on the natural world.
Starry Night Lights
This weeks Light Pollution Update is brought to you by the folks at Starry Night Lights... The First & Only Night Sky Friendly Outdoor Lighting Store. Checkout their wide selection of ordinance compliant, night sky friendlyoutdoor lighting products such as this
Dark Sky Friendly Outdoor Light called The GlareBuster.
Here's the latest addition to Starry Night
Lights growing collection of night sky friendly
outdoor lights.
Manufactured by
the Minka
Group, the
MIN-8101-138 is an elegant fixture that's as good looking as it is
night sky friendly. Sporting a nice full cutoff design, this fixture
puts the light on the ground, where its needed... and no place else.
What a concept, huh?
As you'd expect, you can find
this gorgeous, dark sky friendly outdoor light in the
metallic wall
mount section of your favorite outdoor lighting retailer, Starry Night Lights!
Stay up to date on astronomical happenings by regularly checking the Utah Skies website at http://www.UtahSkies.org
The sun is a fascinating subject; it's appearance changes from day to day. In fact, it is the only star in the sky that we can see any details on at all! This week, however, the sun is quiet; there are no large sunspots visible.
Ok, let's start things off the only Messier object in this weeks report, Spiral Galaxy M33. Also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy or the Triangulum Galaxy, this mag5.7 galaxy is a photographic beauty. Due to its huge size, M33 suffers from low surface brightness -- meaning that you'll need a decent sized telescope and dark skies to view it properly.
Next
stop is Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC672(mag10.76) This tiny galaxy (6.5'x2.5')
won't provide you with a world of detail. Located slightly more than 2° to
the southwest of Metallah... the mag3.4 alpha star in Triangulum
Our final stop in Triangulum leads us to this weeks Utah Skies Challenge Object, Irregular Galaxy NGC978(mag14). At mag 14, this is one of the dimmest objects we've ever thrown at you. This is also a small galaxy -- less than 2' long. This, however, might be what helps you find it. Due to its small size, it has a fairly high surface brightness. Don't expect to see a whole bunch of detail... Just be happy you found it. The key to finding it? Dark skies... and aperture. Also, you'll want to search for this object at medium power as you might not even notice it at low powers. Once you've found it, crank up the magnification.
