we saw the arrival of the first full moon after the spring equinox. Known, among other names as the Egg Moon, it fittingly announces the eminent approach of Easter. As rabbits and eggs are hidden and found, the waning gibbous moon will hide from no one as it rises in the evening sky on its way to last quarter on the 21st and new on the 27th.
Coincidently, the full moon rose just south of the constellation featured in this week's report: Coma Berenices. Tycho Brahe, a Danish astronomer of the 16ht and 17th centuries, is generally credited with the definition of the constellation in his catalog in 1602, but the legend of "Berenice's Hair" dates to around 200BC. King Ptolemy III undertook a dangerous mission to avenge the murder of his sister at the hands of the Syrians. His loving wife, Queen Berenice II of Egypt, swore to the goddess Aphrodite that should her husband return unharmed, she would cut off her long hair. The king returned safely, the queen cut her hair, and placed it in the goddess' temple. But the next day, when her hair was found stolen, the furious king was met with the clever explanation of the court astronomer, Conon, as he pointed to the nights sky: "Look! Dost thou not see the clustered curls of thy queen, too beautiful for a single temple to possess, placed there by the gods for all the world to see? Look! They glitter like a woven net, as golden as they were on Berenice's head"
So that we can continue to relive the ancient lore of great peoples, please remember that inappropriate light at night can, besides blind with its glare, trespass upon neighbors property and into their windows, create a skyglow that hides the beauty of the heaven and obscures the heritage our children deserve preserved.
For more information on how to prevent light pollution, or to read more about the wonders of the night sky, visit www.utahskies.org, and while you're there, subscribe to our free, fully illustrated Weekly Report, your ticket to the stars.
Astronomy News
From Around The World, and Beyond
Conjunction: Jupiter Meets The Moon
Friday, April 14th, 2006 - Skywatchers are in for a treat tonight as the two brightest objects in the night sky are in conjunction. Look for the planet Jupiter to rise just east of an almost full Moon around 10:00pm this evening. You might want to make use of a moon filter for your lunar observations. These help to tone down the intense brightness of the moon and allow you to see some of the more subtle details on its surface. You'll want to remove the filter prior to observing Jupiter. Pay close attention to Jupiter's moons as they jockey for position around the giant planet.
Full Moon Rising
Thursday, April 13th, 2006 - The full moon rose around 8:30pm this evening.. but didn't peer over the mountain tops
until around 10:00pm this evening. The April Full Moon is known as the Pink Moon... though I didn't see
any of that tonight.
Two Astronomy Lectures This Week at the University of Utah
Tuesday, April 11th, 2006 - The European Space Agency's Venus Express spacecraft successfully entered into orbit around the planet Venus early this morning. The craft will take another 4 weeks to move into its final orbit around the 2nd rock. The craft is scheduled to perform observations of the structure, chemistry and dynamics of the atmosphere of Venus for at least two Venusian days (486 Earth days). Checkout the Venus Express website for more details.
Dramatic Solar Prominences
Tuesday, April 11th, 2006 - Solar activity seems to be picking up again as evidenced by this gorgeous solar prominence captured by Alan Friedman of Buffalo, NY. The past week has seen sporadic outbreaks of aurora in northern and not so northern skies. Checkout the Spaceweather.com Aurora Gallery for some sweet images.
Venus Amateur Observing Project To Compliment Venus Express Mission
Sunday, April 9th, 2006 - Amateur astronomers have an opportunity to capture and submit scientifically useful images and data to compliment the European Space Agency's (ESA) Venus Express mission findings. The Venus Amateur Observing Project (VAOP) is reaching out to amateurs to obtain filtered images of the Venusian atmosphere - from near ultraviolet, through visible, and to the near infrared range - to augment the data received from Venus Express. Scientists will use amateur pre- and post-mission imagery, as well as simultaneous earth-based and spacecraft observations, to extend their understanding of the dynamic atmosphere of Venus. The ESA VAOP web pages provide complete information on the program, including needed equipment, observing guidelines, how to take observations, sample images, how to submit images, observing campaigns, as well as links to useful websites. This is a fantastic opportunity for amateur astronomers, students, and hobbyists to add significantly to the body of scientific knowledge through a well organized program; have at it!
The VLT Images A Cosmic Spider
Saturday, April 8th, 2006 - The European Southern Observatory's VLT (Very Large Telescope) recently snapped this gorgeous image of one of the night skies most photogenic objects, the Tarantula Nebula. The Tarantula is located in the Large Megellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy visible from the southern hemisphere. The VLT is made up of four 8.2 meter telescopes. Yes... 8.2 meters each! Checkout the ESO Press Release for more details.
Blue, Blue, Its Ring Is Blue
Friday, April 7th, 2006 - Scientists reporting in the April 7 issue of Science have discovered that the outermost ring of Uranus, discovered just last year, is bright blue, making it only the second known blue ring in the solar system, the first being that of Saturn. Interestingly, both blue rings are associated with small moons; Enceladus orbits within Saturn's blue ring and Uranus's recently discovered Mab orbits within the seventh planet's blue ring. Another interesting fact surrounds the blue color of the rings. All other rings in the solar system - those around Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - are reddish in color primarily because the particles comprising them are large and preferentially scatter and reflect red light. The particles in the blue rings of Uranus and Saturn are sub-micron (less than a thousanth the width of a human hair) that scatter and reflect mostly blue light. Check out the UCBerkeleypress release and Dr. Imke de Pater's"One Ring, Two Ring, Red Ring, Blue Ring" web page for more fascinating information on this colorful discovery.
Ringside Seats
Friday, April 7th, 2006 - The orbiting Cassini Spacecraft recently snapped this gorgeous shot of Saturn's moons Enceladus and Dione sitting just above the outermost "F" ring. Like they say in real estate... location, location, location. The planet Saturn is currently rising around 1:30pm and transits just before 9:00pm. This has it in a perfect location for evening observation. Make the most of this easy viewing schedule to checkout one of our solar system's most impressive looking members.
Conjunction Tonight: The Moon and Saturn
Thursday, April 6th, 2006 - Skywatchers with clear skies overhead are in for a treat tonight. The ringed planet, Saturn will cross the sky next to Earth's nearest celestial neighbor, the Moon. Look for the first quarter Moon to rise in the east in the early afternoon. By sunset, it will be almost directly overhead... with the planet Saturn sitting just below it. If you have binoculars or a wide angle telescope, you can see two of the night skies most impressive objects at once. Events like this are known as conjunctions... and have been believed to be responsible for all kinds of fantastic events throughout history.
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Wednesday, April 5th, 2006 - Astronomers studying Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann back in 1995 watched in amazement as
the comet began to break in two. Unfortunately, the comet was over 150 million miles away... and even the most powerful telescopes could not get a really clear view of the event.
Things will be different this time around. In May, the cometary fragments will pass within 6 million miles (about 25x the distance to the Moon). Virtually every telescope on the planet (and above) will be imaging the comet in the later
stages of its life. The comet is currently visible to backyard astronomers at about mag 10 and will (hopefully) brighten to naked eye visibility by the end of the month. Checkout Science@NASA for more details. This beautiful shot was taken by Tristan DiLapo of Colden, New York
Mercury's Difference Explained
Tuesday, April 4th, 2006 - It has been long recognized that Mercury is strangely different than its nearest neighbors, Venus and the Earth, and now computational astronomy offers an explanation. Scientists from Bern, Switzerland developed computer simulations that modeled possibilities surrounding a massive collision between the young Mercury and an asteroid some 4.5 billion years ago. The amount of material lost by Mercury due to such a collision and its effects would explain the unusually small size and high density of the Sun's closest planet.. Look for the Swiss team to offer their findings to peers at a Royal Astronomical Society meeting in Leicester, England. More information on this study can be found in Adrianne Appel's National Gergraphic Newsarticle.
African Ethnoastronomy Raises Science Awareness
Tuesday, April 4th, 2006 - The history of ancient African peoples includes astronomy, with some facts dating back 6000 years. Thebe Medupe, 32 year old South African astronomer with a PhD in physics from the University of Cape Town, when not studying asteroseismology, is delving into the fascinating lore of indigenous cultures to understand the importance of astronomy in their lives, bringing the story to the screen in the documentary, Cosmic Africa. Read more about how Medupe hopes to bring more children into science and technology in Toni Feder's Physics Today interview.
MRO Hits The Brakes
Monday, April 3rd, 2006 - The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is about to begin a period of precision braking to put it into an optimum orbit for scientific observation. Dubbed aerobraking, the manuever involves the use of the Martian atmosphere to gradually slow the speed of the craft. Checkout the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter website for more details. The planet Mars can currently be found high and towards the west shortly after dark.
Moon To Collide With M45 Tonight!
Saturday, April 1st, 2006 - As if blinded by its recent encounter with the Sun, The Moon will collided with M45, The Pleiades Star Cluster tonight. This once in a lifetime event will occur shortly after sunset in the western sky. No one knows what damage the bodies will sustain in the collision, but it is thought that the Pleiades will end up looking like the Hercules Cluster when all the dust settles, and the Moon's Wenslydale composition will appear more like Swiss. "We're quite excited. This is the first time we've ever had a chance to record a cosmic collision of this magnitude, and we have front row seats for the event," stated Donald C. Brown of NASA's Large Object Small Telescope program.
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.
Deep Sky
NASA News
The Boldest Test Flight in History - NASA Remembers the First Shuttle Flight 25 years ago
Early on the morning of April 12, 1981, two astronauts sat strapped into their seats on the flight deck of Columbia, a radically new spacecraft known as the space shuttle.
John Young, the commander, had already flown in space four times, including a walk on the moon in 1972. Bob Crippen, the pilot, was a Navy test pilot who would go on to command three future shuttle missions. But nothing either man had done or would do was quite like this.
Image above: Columbia launches on the first space shuttle mission on April 12, 1981. Click for full resolution. Image credit: NASA.
For an entire generation, the space shuttle is NASA. We've watched a parade of firsts -- Sally Ride, Guy Bluford, Kathy Sullivan, John Glenn and others. We've seen astronauts float free, repair Hubble, and -- just last summer -- venture under a shuttle for some unprecedented repair work.
But on that spring morning -- just twenty years to the day since Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space -- all of that was yet to come. America had not launched a human into space in six years, and to that point every manned space flight had followed the same basic design: put a capsule on top of a rocket, strap in the crew, fire the engines and go. After the mission, only the crew capsule -- which wasn't reused -- would return.
"It was a nice kick in the pants." -- Pilot Bob Crippen, describing the launch
Young and Crippen were about to launch in humankind's first re-usable spacecraft. The orbiter, which many people think of as the "shuttle," would launch like a rocket and land like a plane. The two solid rocket boosters that helped push them into space would also be re-used, after being recovered in the ocean. Only the massive external fuel tank would burn up as it fell back to Earth. It was all known as the Space Transportation System; their mission, STS-1.
On a long list of firsts, one stunning fact stands out: it was the first time in history a new spacecraft was launched on its maiden voyage with a crew aboard.
"It wasn't until we got to like a minute to go," said Crippen, "that I turned to John and said, 'Hey, I think we might really do it!'"
Just seconds after 7 a.m., Columbia roared off of Launch Pad 39A and into the Florida sky above NASA's Kennedy Space Center. About eight minutes later, Young and Crippen were doing laps around the Earth at over 17,000 miles an hour.
"When the solids {solid rocket boosters} lit off, there was no doubt you were headed someplace," said Crippen. "It was a nice kick in the pants."
(+ Young and Crippen Recall the Flight)
Image left: John Young, left, and Robert Crippen, the commander and pilot of Columbia on its first mission, STS-1. Click for full resolution. Image credit: NASA.
Once in orbit, the crew tested the new craft's systems, fired rockets used for changing orbits and changing position, and opened and closed the payload bay doors. The payload bay, which would ultimately be used as a science lab, launch platform, repair shop and docking station, was empty for this mission.
After 36 orbits and almost 55-hours , Young guided the 96-ton Columbia -- the largest, heaviest craft to launch and land to date -- to a perfect touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Young and Crippen had accomplished more than 130 flight test objectives.
Crippen remembers his commander's elation: "John got out of his seat and he was bouncing around. I was ready to applaud. It was a super moment."
As former NASA Historian Roger Launius wrote on the mission's 20th anniversary, "no other nation on the face of the Earth had the technological capability to build such a sophisticated vehicle during the 1970s. Few could do so today."
The mission demonstrated a host of cutting edge technologies, from the innovative shuttle main engines, to the ceramic tiles designed to prevent overheating, to the advanced digital fly-by-wire control and computer system, adapted by many commercial airplanes. Since STS-1, the shuttle has flown more than a hundred times.
"It is unlike any other thing that we've ever built," said Crippen. "Its capabilities have carried several hundred people into space, it's carried thousands of pounds of payload into space. It gave us Hubble, it gave us Galileo, it gave us Magellan. And it's allowed us to essentially build a space station, although we've got some work still to do on that. So it is something that has been truly amazing and I'm honored to have been a part of it."
Image right: Columbia lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California on April 14, 1981. Click for full resolution. Image credit: NASA.
Tragically, Columbia and its seven STS-107 crewmembers were lost on Feb. 1, 2003, when the orbiter broke apart on re-entry. Speaking at a memorial service, Crippen eulogized the crew as well as the spacecraft he rode on its maiden voyage.
"Columbia still had a great many missions ahead of her. She along with the crew had her life snuffed out in her prime. Just as her crew has, Columbia has left use quite a legacy ... Hail Columbia. "
Now the shuttle has returned to flight, with new equipment and procedures designed to keep the shuttle and crew safer than ever. As it completes its mission, NASA engineers are drawing on its powerful propulsion elements to build the next generation of spacecraft that will return astronauts to the moon and pave the way for journeys to Mars and beyond.
Someday before the end of the next decade, astronauts will once again strap into a brand new craft, built on the best elements from the shuttle and Apollo. And once again, they will roar into the Florida sky, writing the next chapter in NASA's long history of exploration.
The Hubble Space Telescope has distinguished itself as a premier source of astronomical images and science. 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 this incredible information.Hubble Heritage Team.
Hubble Finds 'Tenth Planet' Slightly Larger Than Pluto
For the first time, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has seen distinctly the "tenth planet," currently nicknamed "Xena," and found that it's only slightly larger than Pluto.
Though previous ground-based observations suggested that Xena's diameter was about 30 percent greater than Pluto, Hubble observations taken Dec. 9 and 10, 2005, showed Xena's diameter as 1,490 miles (with an uncertainty of 60 miles).
Pluto's diameter, as measured by Hubble, is 1,422 miles.
Image above: An artist's concept of the Kuiper Belt Object nicknamed "Xena," with its moon dubbed "Gabrielle" just above. The sun can be seen in the upper left corner. Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Schaller (for STScI) + View Full Resolution Image | + View Version with Objects Labeled
"Hubble is the only telescope capable of getting a clean visible-light measurement of the actual diameter of Xena," said Mike Brown, planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif. Brown's research team discovered Xena, officially cataloged as 2003 UB313, and its results have been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal.
Only a handful of images were required to determine Xena's diameter. Located 10 billion miles from Earth with a diameter a little more than half the width of the United States, the object is 1.5 pixels across in Hubble's view. That's enough to make a precise size measurement.
Image right: Located 10 billion miles away, but with a diameter that is a little more than half the width of the United States, Xena is only 1.5 picture elements across in Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys' view. Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Brown (CalTech)
Because Xena is smaller than previously thought, but comparatively bright, it must be one of the most reflective objects in the solar system. The only object more reflective is Enceladus, a geologically active moon of Saturn whose surface is continuously recoated with highly reflective ice by active geysers.
Xena's bright reflectivity is possibly due to fresh methane frost on its surface. The object may have had an atmosphere when it was closer to the sun, but as it moved to its current location farther away this atmosphere would have "frozen out," settling on the surface as frost.
Another possibility is that Xena leaks methane gas continuously from its warmer interior. When this methane reaches the cold surface, it immediately freezes solid, covering craters and other features to make it uniformly bright to Hubble's telescopic eye.
Image left: This illustration of the largest known Kuiper Belt Objects shows Xena slightly larger than Pluto. Credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI) + View Full Resolution Image
Xena's takes about 560 years to orbit the sun, and it is now very close to aphelion (the point on its orbit that is farthest from the sun). Brown next plans to use Hubble and other telescopes to study other recently discovered Kuiper Belt objects that are almost as large as Pluto and Xena. The Kuiper Belt is a vast ring of primordial icy comets and larger bodies encircling Neptune's orbit.
Finding that the largest known Kuiper Belt object is a virtual twin to Pluto may only further complicate the debate about whether to categorize the large icy worlds that populate the belt as planets. If Pluto were considered to be the minimum size for a planet, then Xena would fulfill this criterion, too. In time, the International Astronomical Union will designate the official name.
This
section focuses on to the constellation
Coma
Berenices, The Hair of Berenice. According to an ancient story, Berenice was the wife of King Ptolemy. Ptolemy went off to do battle against the Assyrians. Berenice offered her hair as a sacrifice for his safety. Upon his return, she cut her hair and placed it upon the altar. Jupiter is reputed to have descended from heaven and taken it back with him for all to admire.
Coma Berenices made up of relatively faint stars. However, it is located between some well defined constellation. Canes Venatici is to the north, Virgo to the south, Leo on the west border and Bootes on the east border.
The focus of our efforts here will be the deep sky objects of
Coma Berenices.
Ok, let's start things off with the beautiful
Spiral Galaxy, M64(mag8.5). Also known as the Black-eye Galaxy is very cool to observe. It shows an significant amount of detail in telescope from about 4" and up.
Next we'll hit
Elliptical Galaxy M85(mag9.78). Also visible in the image is small barred spiral NGC 4394(mag10.9)
One of the hardest things you'll find in your search for the following galaxies is not finding them... the hardest task is identifying which is which. Between Denebola (the tail of Leo) and Vindemiatrix in Virgo, you'll find the largest collection of galaxies in the sky. There are hundreds and hundreds of them. Of these, almost two dozen are Messier objects...Another 1/2 dozen are Caldwell objects.
Continuing along we come to another fine
Spiral Galaxy, M88(mag9.5). This is one sweet spiral. Of course the fact that this is a
Robert Gendler shot only adds to the beauty.
Moving along, we come to a nice
Barred Spiral Galaxy, M91(mag10.2).
Next up is a
Spiral Galaxy, M98(mag10.1).
Next up is another
Spiral Galaxy, M99(mag9.8). Also known as the Pinwheel Nebula, this
beautiful shot was taken by... yup... you guessed it... Robert
Gendler. Is this guy good or what!
Finishing our Messier objects for the week is
Spiral Galaxy, M100(mag9.4). This is a beautiful, "classic" spiral galaxy. Many of the faint objects you see in the area are other, more distant galaxies. How many can you spy?
Continuing on, we come to one of my favorite galaxies of all,
Edge-On Spiral Galaxy, NGC4565(mag9.6). This galaxy is simply beautiful to observe. I've viewed this in telescopes from 6" to 25". From my home in Park City, this object has been a pretty easy find in the 6". From a campsite at 8500' through the 25" it was... well...
almost like the picture... a slender galaxy with a slight bubble toward the core. The dust lane was outstanding... clearly dividing the galaxy.
This beautiful shot was taken by Bruce Hugo, Leslie Gaul and Adam Block.
Wow! These guys do some awesome work... and why not... they have some
awesome affiliations. KPNO Visitor
Program, NOAO,
AURA,
NSF
Let's wrap things up with this weeks
Utah Skies Challenge Object, Spiral Galaxy NGC4559(mag9.85). This galaxy will be a fairly easy find in telescopes down to about 4". Given it's proximity to Gamma Comae Berenices (only 2° east of the mag4 star), you might even be tempted to search with a smaller instrument). If you've got a Telrad finder on your scope, you absolutely can't miss this object... assuming you can find the constellation :)
Anyway... by about 6-8", you ought to easily make out an elongated, oval shape. In the 8-10" range, you ought to make out some of the mottling in the core of the galaxy.
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.
All light emitting from a fixture should be directed downward.
Floodlighting and spotlighting should be accurately aimed away from roadways and adjacent property.
Lighting should be shielded so that glare is not visible from adjacent property or from the street or highway.
MODERATION OF INTENSITY
Lower lighting levels provide better vision and require less re-adaptation of the eyes.
Excessively bright light spills onto other property and can cause glare even when shielded.
Maximum brightness levels should be established and not exceeded.
ENCOURAGE ALTERNATIVES TO GLARING, EXCESSIVE LIGHTING
Motion detector-activated lighting uses less energy and provides better security than constant light.
Encourage low level lighting which works better with closed circuit television.
Encourage alarms and other security measurers -- more successful than constant lighting.
LIGHT TRESPASS
Light should not spill onto other's property unless they want it too.
Fixture design, placement, moderation of intensity, and aim can help provide needed control from light trespass.
SIGNS INCLUDING BILLBOARDS
Signs should only be lighted internally or from lights mounted on top pointed downward.
Billboards should not remained lighted overnight.
n-premise signs should not stay lighted late or overnight after a business closes.
Dark colored signs with light letters reflect less light than dark letters on light signs.
Lights that flash, pulse, rotate, move, or simulate motion can annoy and distract.
ALL-NIGHT LIGHTING
Only lighting intended for security should be on all night if the business is closed.
ROADWAY GLARE
No light should be installed such that it produces excessive glare or excessive brightness that interferes with the vision of drivers and pedestrians.
A FEW EXCEPTIONS
Sports lighting should be allowed more brightness for the playing field, but directed downward and not allowed to spill into other property.
Christmas lighting, porch lighting, and landscape lighting are usually low intensity lighting not a problem unless it creates dangerous glare or nuisance.
courtesy ICOLE - Indiana Council on Outdoor Lighting Education
This week we take a peek at a sleek bollard from the folks at
SPJ Lighting.
As you've come to expect, this is a
friendly outdoor lighting fixture. Neighbor friendly, wildlife friendly,
night sky friendly... you name it.
Pictured here is the SPJ12-07
Bollard. Sporting full cutoff optics, the
SPJ12-07 puts the
light on the ground where its needed and nowhere else. This is a perfect design
for lighting walkways. It nicely illuminates your path while throwing no light
into the night sky or onto neighboring properties. In fact, in the shorter
sizes, you'll be able to truly enjoy your nighttime environment without having
light shining into your eyes. You'll have a nicely illuminated path but no
direct light shining into your eyes to distract you as you move about.
As you'd expect, you can find
this high performance, night sky friendly outdoor light in the
Bollards section of your favorite
Good Neighbor Lighting retailer,
Starry Night Lights.
"It is odd, but on the infrequent occasions when I have been called upon in a formal place to play the bongo drums, the introducer never seems to find it necessary to mention that I also do theoretical physics." - Richard Feynman
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.
For the first time, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has seen distinctly the "tenth planet," currently nicknamed "Xena," and found that it's only slightly larger than Pluto.
Ok, let's start things off with the beautiful
Spiral Galaxy, M64(mag8.5). Also known as the Black-eye Galaxy is very cool to observe. It shows an significant amount of detail in telescope from about 4" and up.
Next we'll hit
Elliptical Galaxy M85(mag9.78). Also visible in the image is small barred spiral NGC 4394(mag10.9) 
Moving along, we come to a nice
Barred Spiral Galaxy, M91(mag10.2).
Next up is a
Spiral Galaxy, M98(mag10.1).
Next up is another
Spiral Galaxy, M99(mag9.8). Also known as the Pinwheel Nebula, this
beautiful shot was taken by... yup... you guessed it... 
Finishing our Messier objects for the week is
Spiral Galaxy, M100(mag9.4). This is a beautiful, "classic" spiral galaxy. Many of the faint objects you see in the area are other, more distant galaxies. How many can you spy?
Let's wrap things up with this weeks
Utah Skies Challenge Object, Spiral Galaxy NGC4559(mag9.85). This galaxy will be a fairly easy find in telescopes down to about 4". Given it's proximity to Gamma Comae Berenices (only 2° east of the mag4 star), you might even be tempted to search with a smaller instrument). If you've got a Telrad finder on your scope, you absolutely can't miss this object... assuming you can find the constellation :)
