NASA's Mars rovers entered their 3rd year of service... well beyond the
mere 90 days that were originally hoped for. The rovers continue to find
new variations of bedrock in areas they are exploring on opposite sides of
the
planet Mars. The geological information they have collected adds evidence about
ancient Martian environments that included periods of wet, possibly
habitable conditions. "The extended journeys taken by the two rovers
across the surface of Mars have allowed the science community to continue
to uncover information that will enable new investigations of the red
planet far into the future."
The Moon continued its trek across the sky... posing alongside
the planet Jupiter on Monday... and
the planet Venus
on Thursday. Jupiter is currently rising just before 1:30am... putting it
high and towards the south around first light (6:00am). Views of Jupiter
are spectacular in virtually any telescope. Even binoculars can give you
some pretty nice views... clearly revealing the giant planet's 4 largest
moons. Venus, by the way... has returned to the morning sky. Early risers
will see Venus low and towards the east around first light. Look for the
2nd rock to climb higher in the eastern sky as the weeks roll on.
The Moon will be new on Sunday morning. In the meantime, we find
ourselves under a waning crescent phase with a mere 5% of its visible
surface illuminated when it rose around 6:30am.
Wrapping up our view of
the solar system,
the ringed planet Saturn reaches opposition tomorrow night. Opposition
simply means that Saturn is opposite
the Sun
in the sky. So... as the Sun is setting in the west,
the planet Saturn is rising in the east. Saturn and its beautiful
rings are an easy target for even the most modest of telescopes. Best view
of Saturn can be had after its had a few hours to climb above the horizon.
Be sure to put your telescope outside a while before you are ready to
observe. This is because warm telescopes used in cold weather don't
perform well. They need time to come to equilibrium. Be sure to look for
Saturn the next time you find yourself under clear skies. As an added
bonus, Saturn is passing right next to
M44,
The Behive Cluster in
the constellation Cancer.
This weekend we move on to the constellation
Lepus the Hare. Lepus lies just below the feet of Orion, the
Hunter. Perhaps if he stays motionless he'll avoid being dinner? Perhaps
his speed will allow for an escape? Perhaps... perhaps not :)
The constellation Lepus is home to a diverse group of deep sky
treasures. Tops on the list is the constellations only
Messier
Object, globular star cluster
M79.
This is one sweet object to observe. In fact, were it positioned a bit
higher up in the sky it would be one of the most sought after objects up
there. Viewable in binoculars or a small telescope, the stars along the
fringe of the cluster can be resolved in an 8-10" telescope. You'll need a
16" or larger telescope to revolve the stars in the cluster's core. If you
can get your hands on such an instrument, you're in for a treat. Literally
hundreds of thousands of stars are crammed into a few arc seconds of sky.
Astronomy News
From Around The World, and Beyond
Smallest Extra-Solar Planet
Friday, January 27th, 2006 - Astronomers recently announced the discovery of the smallest extra-solar planet yet. With a mass just 5 times that of Earth, the discovery is miles away from the Jupiter sized planets that have been the mainstay of extra-solar discoveries. Don't make any vacation plans yet though.... The new planet has a huge orbit around a faint star leading astronomers to conclude that surface temperatures would be somewhere near -364F. Checkout the Hubble Site for more details.
Saturn Approaches Opposition
Thursday, January 26th, 2006 - The ringed planet Saturn reaches opposition tomorrow night. Opposition simply means that Saturn is opposite the Sun in the sky. So... as the Sun is setting in the west, the planet Saturn is rising in the east. Saturn and its beautiful rings are an easy target for even the most modest of telescopes. Best view of Saturn can be had after its had a few hours to climb above the horizon. Be sure to put your telescope outside a while before you are ready to observe. This is because warm telescopes used in cold weather don't perform well. They need time to come to equilibrium. Be sure to look for Saturn the next time you find yourself under clear skies. As an added bonus, Saturn is passing right next to M44, The Behive Cluster in the constellation Cancer. This sweet shot was taken by Alan Friedman of Buffalo, NY
NASA's Day of Remembrance
Thursday, January 26th, 2006 - (NASA) The following is a statement by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin on NASA's Day of Remembrance. The Day or Remembrance honors those who gave their lives for the cause of exploration and discovery. This includes NASA employees, the astronauts who died in Apollo 1 and on the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia. "Today we pause to remember the loss of all of our employees, including our Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia astronauts, and to honor their legacy. Nearly 50 years into the space age, spaceflight remains the pinnacle of human challenge, an endeavor just barely possible with today's technology. We at NASA are privileged to be in the business of learning how to do it, to extend the frontier of the possible, and, ultimately, to make space travel routine. It is an enormously difficult enterprise. The losses we commemorate today are a strong and poignant reminder of the sternness of the challenge." For more information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit http://www.nasa.gov/home.
90-day Mars Rover Missions Now Into 3rd Year
Wednesday, January 25th, 2006 - (NASA) NASA's Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been working overtime to help scientists better understand ancient environmental conditions on the red planet. The rovers are also generating excitement about the exploration of Mars outlined in NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. The rovers continue to find new variations of bedrock in areas they are exploring on opposite sides of Mars. The geological information they have collected adds evidence about ancient Martian environments that included periods of wet, possibly habitable conditions. "The extended journeys taken by the two rovers across the surface of Mars has allowed the science community to continue to uncover discoveries that will enable new investigations of the red planet far into the future." said Mary Cleave, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters. See the NASA press release for more information, and SpaceflightNow's article for the transcript of NASA Administrator Mike Griffin's taped address to the rover team.
Crescent Moon In Scorpius
Wednesday, January 25th, 2006 - A smallish 19% illuminated crescent Moon was found among the stars of the constellation Scorpius this morning. A bit of Earthshine was clearly evident. Earthshine is sunlight reflecting off of the Earth onto the non sun lit portion of the moon. Look for the Moon to pose alongside the planet Venus tomorrow morning when it moves into the constellation Sagittarius. Early risers can jump ahead a couple of seasons and view some of the wonders of the summer sky.
Saturn's Icy Moon Epimetheus
Tuesday, January 24th, 2006 - Saturn's icy moon Epimetheus sits just below the rings in this sweet shot taken by the
orbiting Cassini Spacecraft. The planet Saturn is currently rising
around 5:30pm and can be found high in the eastern sky shortly after dark among the stars of the constellation Cancer. Even the most modest of telescopes will
reveal its beautiful rings... though you'll need something considerably more substantial to see Saturn's moon Epimetheus.
The Moon and Jupiter in Conjunction
Monday, January 23rd, 2006 - The Moon spent the night crossing the sky with the giant planet Jupiter. Events like this are known as conjunctions... and occur to varying degrees every month. No special equipment is required to view these events... though a telescope will allow you to take a closer look at the participants separately.
X-Ray Vision
Friday, January 20th, 2006 - Under the direction of NASA and MIT, NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing
Explorer gathered
a decade's worth of data on x-ray emissions from the Milky Way. In a
fascinating
time
lapse movie,
we are able to see the brightest x-ray sources in our galaxy! The
blinking lights indicate
changing x-ray emission intensities, thought to be caused by
variations in the amount of matter being crushed into the intense
gravity from neutron stars
and black
holes. Check out
space.com's
article for more details. This incredible image sequence was taken by Cyril Cavadore
Swaner Nature Preserve/Utah Skies Snowshoeing and Star Gazing
Friday, January 20th, 2006 - Park City based non-profit Swaner Nature Preserve and Utah Skies will co-present an evening of snowshoeing and star gazing this Friday, January 20th. "Last year's trips were a lot of fun for everyone that participated, and extremely well received," said Utah Skies co-founder Don Brown. Friday night's event will include a nice mix of snowshoeing into the Preserve, informative presentations on the Preserve's nocturnal wildlife, some excellent star- and moon-gazing (Utah Skies will provide the telescopes), discussions of the wonder and importance of the night sky and light pollution reduction, moon and constellation lore, and more. This is a great activity for the entire family, and interested community members and visitors are encouraged to participate.
Check for updates on KPCW and in the Park Record, and log onto either www.swanernaturepreserve.org or www.utahskies.org.
There is no charge to participate, and snowshoes will be provided to the first 60 people that need them. Snacks and hot drinks will be served around a fire. You are encouraged to bring your own snowshoes, as well as binoculars. For more information, call Swaner Nature Preserve at 649-1767.
Scientists Confirm Comet Samples, Ecstatic with Return
Thursday, January 19th, 2006 - (NASA) Scientists said they were delighted with Stardust samples returned from the tail of a comet after an almost three-billion-mile journey. Speaking at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Peter Tsou, Stardust deputy principal investigator, said researchers were ecstatic with the collection of the cometary and solar materials from outer space. "Stardust is the realization of a 25-year dream to capture and return samples from a comet," Tsou, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Pasadena, Calif., told news media representatives at Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center and NASA Headquarters. "This exceeded all of our grandest expectations," stated Dr. Donald Brownlee, Stardust principal investigator, also astronomy professor at the University of Washington, as he described the capsule return and capture process. The material responsible for capturing the tiny particles -- Aerogel -- is a sponge-like solid made of 99 percent empty space.
Headed for Pluto!
Thursday, January 19th, 2006 - (NASA) The third time was the charm for New Horizons. Two consecutive launch attempts earlier in the week were foiled by high winds at the launch site and a power outage at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., which operates the spacecraft now that the mission is underway. Liftoff occurred at 2:00:00 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and 50 minutes after launch, the New Horizons spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle and began its journey to the edge of the solar system. New Horizons is now headed for a distant rendezvous with the mysterious planet Pluto almost a decade from now. See the NASA and Johns Hopkins University Advanced Physics Lab websites for more info.
Another Day's Delay
Wednesday, January 18th, 2006 - (NASA) New Horizons Launch Rescheduled -- Launch of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., has been postponed, pending resolution of a weather-related power outage at the spacecraft mission operations center in Maryland. Mission managers will decide later today whether to proceed toward Thursday's launch opportunity, which runs from 1:08 p.m. to 3:07 p.m. EST. Severe storms in the Baltimore-Washington area had knocked out power in several locations, including the campus of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., where the New Horizons spacecraft will be operated in flight. With primary power out the New Horizons mission operations center was on backup power, but New Horizons mission managers wanted to have sufficient backup to those systems in place before conducting critical launch and early flight operations. The New Horizons launch window extends through Feb. 14. As the first spacecraft to visit Pluto and its moon Charon, New Horizons looks to unlock one of the solar systems last, great planetary secrets. After launch aboard an Atlas V, the New Horizons spacecraft will cross the entire span of the solar system and conduct flyby studies of Pluto and its moon, Charon, in 2015. The seven science instruments on the piano-sized probe will shed light on the bodies' surface properties, geology, interior makeup and atmospheres.
Black Holes Unveiled
Wednesday, January 18th, 2006 - The Clark Planetarium unveiled its newest star show last night: Black Holes. Created by the Clark Planetarium with production expertise from Skywalker Sound and narration by John De Lancie (who also attended last night's event), the audience was treated to a state-of-the-art presentation and up-to-the minute information. The premiere was followed by a fascinating and charismatic discussion by Weber State's Dr. Stacy Palen. Take this chance to learn more about spaghettification, white holes and more!
NASA Scrubs Pluto Mission Launch: High Winds
Tuesday, January 17th, 2006 - Today's planned launch of an Atlas V carrying NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has been scrubbed due to high winds at the launch pad. The next launch date and time will be announced shortly. New Horizons is designed to help us understand worlds at the edge of our solar system by making the first reconnaissance of Pluto and Charon - a "double planet" and the last planet in our solar system to be visited by spacecraft. Then, as part of an extended mission, New Horizons would visit one or more objects in the Kuiper Belt region beyond Neptune. The first 13 months of the mission will include spacecraft and instrument checkouts, instrument calibrations and trajectory correction maneuvers. There will also be rehearsals for an encounter with Jupiter in spring 2007, in which the giant planet will provide a slingshot-like gravity boost that could save New Horizons up to three years of flight time. This encounter will be followed by an approximately 8-year interplanetary cruise to Pluto. Check out this press kit for more, detailed info on the New Horizons mission.
Black Hole Presentation Tonight!
Tuesday, January 17th, 2006 - Discover the power and awe of black holes at a special Black Holes Celebration Tonight at The Clark Planetarium. Explore this incredible phenomenon by seeing Clark Planetarium’s newest full-dome production Black Holes (narrated by film actor John De Lancie, “Q” in the newer Star Trek series), followed by a presentation of the latest Black Holes research from Dr. Stacy Palen of Weber State University. Afterwards, please join us for a reception with light refreshments.
Actor John De Lancie will make a guest appearance at the reception to greet our guests.
Tickets for the event are just $15 for Clark Planetarium members and $20 for non-members. Reserve your space now, tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets are available at the ticket counter at Clark Planetarium or with a credit card by calling 801-456-4966.
Event Schedule: Doors Open: 6:00 p.m.
Black Holes Premiere: 6:45 p.m.
Dr. Stacy Palen Lecture: 7:30 p.m.
Reception: after lecture, until 9:00 p.m
The Morning Upon A Pillar
Monday, January 16th, 2006 - Winter mornings in Park City are typically picturesque, but this morning's sunrise was particularly so as this sun pillar rose with our star, seeming to point the way for the sun's journey over the Uinta Mountains in the east. Sun pillars are the result of sunlight reflecting off the surface of millions of tiny ice crystals in the air, often reaching high above the horizon and taking on the colors of the illuminated clouds.
Star Dust Sample Return Capsule
Sunday, January 15th, 2006 - NASA's Star Dust capsule returned as planned early Sunday morning in the Utah desert. The craft, which had travelled almost 3 billion miles, fullfilled its mission objectives... the capture and return of particles from an orbiting comet. Checkout CNN.com/SPACE for more details.
The ISS In Orion
Saturday, January 14th, 2006 - The International Space Station was caught here passing through the constellation Orion last night. And, what a gorgeous night it was. Clear skies and a big bright wolf moon made for an almost magical display. The moon will be a 99% waning gibbous phase tonight, so... strap on your snowshoes and head outside to howl at the wolf moon!
Light - Cancer Link Explored
Friday, January 13th, 2006 - Researchers are currently studying the link between light at night and certain forms of cancer. The January 2006 issue of Prevention Magazine contained an article documenting several ongoing studies that had shown strong links between bright sleeping conditions and (among other things) increased risk of breast cancer. While not specifically calling out light pollution, the studies lend strong support to the cries of light pollution prevention activists who have long advocated that outdoor lights shine where they're needed and not up nor into people's bedroom windows. The editorial director of Prevention, Rosemary Ellis, was interviewed on the Today Show where she explained the study's findings and suggested that people who have street lights shining into their bedrooms ought to take measures to darken their rooms. While that might work, we feel that a more appropriate solution has responsible parties replacing the poorly aimed street lights with night sky friendly fixtures that put the light on the ground only. Click here for more information on the effects of light pollution on human health.
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.
ABSTRACT ART FOUND IN THE ORION NEBULA
Close inspection of the 2006 Hubble Space Telescope color mosaic
of the Orion Nebula (M42) reveals numerous treasures that reside
within the nearby, intense star- forming region. Southwest of the
Trapezium stars located in the center of the nebula, a stunning
Hubble Heritage portrait captures a variety of intricate objects.
Deeply contrasting areas of light and dark blend with a palette of
colors mix to form rich swirls and fluid motions that would make
even the best artists stand back and admire their work.
Visible
slightly above left center is the star LL Orionis (LL Ori),
originally release by the Hubble Heritage Project in 2002. The
delicate bow shock that surrounds LL Ori points towards the stream
of gas flowing slowly away from the center of the Orion Nebula,
near the Trapezium stars located off the image to the upper left.
Close examination of the ends of the bow shock show secondary
shocks that are formed as a two-sided jet of gas flowing away from
this forming star at high velocity strikes the stream of low
velocity gas from the center. To the right of LL Ori, a ghostly
veil of material hangs thick and dark, obscuring portions of the
nebula behind it.
The bright star toward the lower left of the
image, known as LP Orionis (LP Ori), is surrounded by a prominent
reflection nebula. Astronomers believe the star is moving within
another veil of material that lies in front of M42. The appearance
of the bright rim above LP Ori indicates that the teardrop shaped
dark region around the illuminating star must be a cavity formed
as the star moves through the veil material, rather than being a
dusty veil obscuring light behind it.
Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Acknowledgment: NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science
Institute) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project
Team
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
Lepus the Hare. Lepus lies just below the feet of Orion, the
Hunter. Perhaps if he stays motionless he'll avoid being dinner? Perhaps
his speed will allow for an escape? Perhaps... perhaps not :)
The focus of our efforts this week will be the deep sky objects of
Lepus . Lepus can be found low and to the south shortly after
dark. It sits just below or to the south of Orion which we visited a couple of
weeks ago.
Gamma Leporis is a very nice double
star to start things off. It has a nice color contrast and wide separation. At
mags 3.6 & 6.1, this is an easy target for even the smallest telescopes. I
found numerous descriptions of the star colors... from yellow and garnet to
yellow and orange. Since I've never described anything as being colored
garnet... I'd say they appeared as yellow and orange.
Ok, let's start things off with
the only Messier object in the list, Globular Star Cluster M79(mag8). This
object can be found in smaller telescopes and binoculars. At higher
powers, you'll begin to see some structure. In order to resolve the
individual stars, you'll need to increase the aperture. An 8-10"
telescope should be able to resolve stars along the fringe, while 16+" is
required to resolve the core. Check it out. I guarantee that you'll enjoy
this one. Globulars are one of my favorite observing targets... right up
there with galaxies and nebulae :)
Next we'll hit Barred
Spiral Galaxy NGC1888(mag12). This
is the northern most object in this weeks report. This should greatly
simplify your attempts to find it. Start at Rigel and move about 5°
to the southeast. This object won't knock you off your feet, but it should
be easily found in instruments in the 8" range. With anything
smaller, merely finding it should be satisfaction enough. Once you find
it, pushing the
magnification will reveal a bit of mottling through the galaxy core.
Moving on we come to Spiral Galaxy
NGC1832(mag11.4). This
galaxy is just a fraction of a degree north of 3rd magnitude Mu Lepus. You
should have no trouble finding this object in a 4-6" telescope.
Moving to the 8-10" range under dark skies will begin to show the
galaxies spiral arms. Once you've found this object pump up the magnification.
This galaxy is only 2.8'x1.9'.
Let's wrap things up with this weeks Utah
Skies Challenge Object, Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC1784(mag11.75). To
find this galaxy, follow the line down from the western star in Orion's
belt down through Betelgeuse and continue on for several degrees. The
galaxy is just about equidistant between Mu Lepus and Betelgeuse. This
galaxy is a bit larger than the previous at 4.2'x2.8'. This spreads
out the light a bit and lowers the surface brightness. Again, you should
be able to find it in a 4-6" telescope. However, you'll need at least
10" to begin to resolve the spiral arms. It'll take a larger scope
and dark skies to truly appreciate this beauty.
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.
The last several months have brought us the release of several large and ground
breaking studies on the impact that light pollution has on your health. I
thought it was about time that several of these were brought to your attention
so that we might (hopefully) get a few more folks to reconsider their
outdoor lighting practices.
Starry Night Lights has compiled a more comprehensive listing of the effects of
light pollution and human health on their website along with some valuable
light pollution
information.
Most recently
Science News
reported on a study conducted at the Bassett Research Institute in Cooperstown,
N.Y which found that "Light at night is now clearly a risk factor for breast
cancer. Breast tumors are awake during the day, and melatonin puts them to sleep
at night." Add artificial light to the night environment, and "cancer cells
become insomniacs," he says. "Sleep per se is not important for melatonin," says
Russel J. Reiter, a neuroendocrinologist at the University of Texas Health
Science Center in San Antonio. "But darkness is." Similar studies could show
whether exposure to nocturnal light poses a prostate cancer risk to men, as some
researchers suspect, or promotes other cancers previously linked to light at
night
Additionally,
Prevention Magazine did a story on the link between light and cancer in
their January 2006 issue. What they found was a bit unnerving to say the least.
Exposure to light at night reduces the bodies production of melatonin... our
premier cancer fighting agent. While not specifically tied to light pollution,
the studies showed that high levels of light at night (from any source) caused a
measurable decreases in the bodies production of melatonin. This is certainly
something to think about if you're a late night tv addict. It's also something
to think about if you've got an unshielded street light or neighborhood light
near any of your homes bedroom windows. As if to validate the study... it was
found that the blind are 50% less likely to get cancer than those of us with
sight.
Another study found that women who work the night shift are more likely to
get breast cancer because their bodies produce less melatonin. This just makes
sense... as our body produces the majority of its melatonin during the middle of
the night... generally 1-4am. If you're not sleeping then (and don't have access
to completely darkened sleeping quarters), your body will produce significantly
reduced amounts of this vital substance.
Finally, a recent study released by
the
American Association for Cancer Research was the first to show that the
tumor growth response to exposure to light during darkness is intensity
dependent and that the human nocturnal, circadian melatonin signal not only
inhibits human breast cancer growth but that this effect is extinguished by
short-term exposure to bright, white light at night.
Interested in reducing your risk of cancer? Sure you are. There are a few
simple things you can do that can make a world of difference.
Sleep in a totally dark room. This means no night lights... no bathroom
lights left on down the hall... no street lights shining in your windows. If
you have obnoxious street lights nearby... or some of your neighbors have some
pesky lights... either get these replaced... or consider investing in some
room darkening shades or blinds.
Get 9 hours of sleep each night (seriously). Folks who get 9 hours / night
are 1/3 less likely to get caner than those who get 7 or 8 hours.
Reduce the wattage of your bulbs. Dimmer lights impact the body less
extensively.
Use red lights at night (and you thought that red flashlight was only good
for astronomy). This is another biggie. Light at the red end of the spectrum
has significantly less impact on the bodies melatonin production than light at
the blue end. Fluorescents on halogens are the worst.
Get your light during the day... from the Sun. 10 to 15 minutes worth of
bright sunshine signals the body that a new day is underway. This is a key
factor in regulating the circadian rhythm. In the winter, you might need to
head outside for a quick lunchtime walk. The presence of the sun helps the
body to better differentiate man-made light from natural light.
Here's a fixture that would improve the lighting in virtually any parking
lot out there.
The AutoLux, by
Visionaire Lighting is a low profile, shoe-box styled area luminaire
providing high performance and excellent value for a wide range of outdoor
lighting applications. AutoLux features a horizontal lamp, flat lens
design and high efficiency optics with IES Full Cut-Off classification and
Dark Sky
friendly certification to eliminate light trespass and light
pollution.
Design applications include shopping centers, parking lots and auto
dealerships.
As you'd expect, you can find
this high performance, dark sky friendly parking lot light in the
Area
Lighting section of your favorite outdoor lighting retailer, Starry Night Lights!
Newsfeed
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Moon
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
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 with
the only Messier object in the list, Globular Star Cluster M79(mag8). This
object can be found in smaller telescopes and binoculars. At higher
powers, you'll begin to see some structure. In order to resolve the
individual stars, you'll need to increase the aperture. An 8-10"
telescope should be able to resolve stars along the fringe, while 16+" is
required to resolve the core. Check it out. I guarantee that you'll enjoy
this one. Globulars are one of my favorite observing targets... right up
there with galaxies and nebulae :)
Next we'll hit Barred
Spiral Galaxy NGC1888(mag12). This
is the northern most object in this weeks report. This should greatly
simplify your attempts to find it. Start at Rigel and move about 5°
to the southeast. This object won't knock you off your feet, but it should
be easily found in instruments in the 8" range. With anything
smaller, merely finding it should be satisfaction enough. Once you find
it, pushing the
magnification will reveal a bit of mottling through the galaxy core.
Moving on we come to Spiral Galaxy
NGC1832(mag11.4). This
galaxy is just a fraction of a degree north of 3rd magnitude Mu Lepus. You
should have no trouble finding this object in a 4-6" telescope.
Moving to the 8-10" range under dark skies will begin to show the
galaxies spiral arms. Once you've found this object pump up the magnification.
This galaxy is only 2.8'x1.9'.
Let's wrap things up with this weeks Utah
Skies Challenge Object, Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC1784(mag11.75). To
find this galaxy, follow the line down from the western star in Orion's
belt down through Betelgeuse and continue on for several degrees. The
galaxy is just about equidistant between Mu Lepus and Betelgeuse. This
galaxy is a bit larger than the previous at 4.2'x2.8'. This spreads
out the light a bit and lowers the surface brightness. Again, you should
be able to find it in a 4-6" telescope. However, you'll need at least
10" to begin to resolve the spiral arms. It'll take a larger scope
and dark skies to truly appreciate this beauty.
