the moon becomes full on the 13th. May's full moon is sometimes called the Milk Moon, for the abundance of milk cattle produce from their grazing on the lush greens of spring. It seems fitting that May's moon appears full this Mother's Day weekend as only mothers produce that wonderful elixir we call milk. Mothers give us familiar heavenly names from ancient mythology: Maia, one of the Seven Sister - the Pleiades - is the mother of Hermes, the messenger of the gods (Mercury, in Roman mythology). The mother after which Jupiter's third largest moon is named, is Io, the mother of Zeus' daughter Ceroessa. Perhaps the greatest mythological mother was Rhea, whose children include Zeus (Jupiter), Poseidon (Neptune), and Hades (Pluto). More intriguing than mothers in mythology, however, is the consideration that the stars are our mother. Human red blood cells contain hemoglobin, the iron-rich protein responsible for the life-sustaining transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissue of the body. The beginnings of the universe created the simple elements - hydrogen and helium, the stuff of stars, and over billions of years, stars formed. Stars aged, with their fusion reactions creating heavier and heavier elements in their cores - carbon, silicon, iron. Some of these stars exploded, creating nebula containing these heavier elements. These nebula coalesced and formed solar systems such as ours, and planets took shape, like our earth. Evolution found that iron in the form of hemoglobin was an oxygen transport. Were there no stars to create the iron upon which our blood relies upon, there might well not be humans. Mankind born of ancient star mothers...
Finally, remember that Mother Earth sustains us daily, and that irresponsible nighttime lighting harms her and her children. The creatures of the earth - from bird to man - require the darkness of the nighttime environment for the health of their processes. Please use light at night wisely and responsibly. For more information on how to prevent light pollution, or to find out what's in the sky on any given night, browse to www.utahskies.org, and while you're there, be sure to subscribe to our fully illustrated Weekly Report, your ticket to the stars.
Astronomy News
From Around The World, and Beyond
Jupiter Closest Tonight
Friday, May 12th, 2006 - Those of you who got to see the Moon
and Jupiter
rise together last night (May 11, 2006) will notice that by the time
the Moon set this morning, the separation between them had greatly
increased over the night as can be seen in this photo by now-sleepy
Brian Jolley. Jupiter will continue to dim now, but the views are
still great! Get out there and take a look.
The Moon Joins Jupiter
Thursday, May 11th, 2006 - The Moon will rise alongside the planet Jupiter tonight (though you won't see Jupiter until it begins to get dark). Look for the pair to rise in the east around sunset. Events like this are referred to as conjunctions. Checkout Science@NASA for more details.
A Comet And A Ring
Monday, May 8th, 2006 - Skywatchers received a rare treat last night as one of the fragments of Comet
73P/Schwassmann Wachmann 3 cruised right in front of one of the night skies most photogenic objects, M57 - The Ring Nebula. If you missed the event, don't worry... the comet (now
60+ fragments worth) will make its closest pass by Earth this coming weekend (5/12 - 5/14). Fragment C Is now a naked-eye object under dark skies and
backyard astronomers are getting some great views with binoculars or telescopes. Checkout the Comet 73/P
page for daily updates. This gorgeous shot was taken by John Chumack of Galactic Images.
Jupiter Closest Tonight
Saturday, May 6th, 2006 - The planet Jupiter will be at the closest point in its orbit to Earth tonight... a mere 410 million miles away :-) This makes Jupiter appear bigger and brighter than usual. Look for the giant planet to rise in the east around sunset. It is so much brighter than any other star-like object that you just can miss it. At this point, it is roughly 10 times brighter than the brightest stars around it. Jupiter is simply spectacular in a typical backyard telescope... so if you have one... be sure to break it out and point it towards Jupiter. Jupiter will put on a great show throughout the spring and into the summer... so check it out each opportunity you get. Checkout Science@NASA for more details.
Saturn's Tiniest Moon?
Friday, May 5th, 2006 - Measuring only about 4 miles across, Daphnis just might be the planet Saturn's tiniest moon. It seen here as a tiny smudge at the center top of the rings in this sweet shot by the orbiting Cassini Spacecraft. It's also one of the most recently discovered, too... showing up in Cassini images taken in 2005. Checkout NASA's Planetary Photojournal for more details. Saturn is high and slightly west of overhead shortly after dark, so if you'd like to observe the ringed planet, you'd better not waste too much time. It'll be gone in just a few short months.
Comet Passes By A Gem
Thursday, May 4th, 2006 - Pieces of disintigrating comet 73P-Schwassmann-Wachmann seem to be scattering around the sky. They also seem to be getting involved with some pretty impressive night sky objects. Last night, Italian astronomers Aletti and Luca snapped this gorgeous shot of the comet passing by one of the gems of the night sky, M13 - The Hercules Star Cluster. As if that wasn't impressive enough, another piece of comet will cruise right in front of M57 - The Ring Nebula. This is the cosmic equivalent of threading a needle. Checkout this star chart to locate the pair this coming Sunday night (5/7). It was created by the folks at Spaceweather.com
Saturday is Astronomy Day 2006
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006 - Mark your calendar folks, this Saturday (5/6) is International Astronomy Day. You are hereby invited to head to Salt Lake City to take part in the event, the goal of which is to get more people interested in astronomy. Activities include solar viewing, lectures and demonstrations on telescopes, the constellations, the size of the solar system, and more. Guest speakers include former astronauts Don Lind and the Honorable Jake Garn. Children's activities, vendors, information booths, door prizes will abound -- a fun day for all ages! More information can be found online; check it out!
eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006 - The annual eta Aquarid Meteor Shower is upon us, with the peak of the event coming Saturday morning (5/6). The eta Aquarids are the remnants of the famous Halley's Comet which last graced our skies in 1996. Meteors from this shower appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius which is rising above the eastern horizon before sunrise. Northern hemisphere observers can expect a modest 5-10 meteors per hour while those in the south are expecting 20-60. Checkout Spaceweather.com for all the details.
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Monday, May 1st, 2006 - Well, maybe not so hard for this comet. Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is literally crumbling before astronomers eyes as shown in this shot by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. Astronomers are now monitoring some 33 fragments of the comet which will make a close flyby of Earth on May 12th. This is a naked eye object for those of you under dark skies... otherwise, those of you with binoculars or backyard telescopes should easily be able to find and view this incredibly rare event. It is currently cruising through the constellation Hercules in the morning sky (two great reasons to wake up early). Checkout Greg Crinklaw's Comet 73 page for daily updates... and CNN.com/SPACE for more on this breaking event.
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 is rising minutes before the sun and will attain its superior conjunction with the sun on May 18th. Then it will be opposite the earth, behind the sun from our perspective, and moving out of the sun's glare and climbing into the western sky after sunset.
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 as the summer progresses.
In the accompanying image, Mercury is seen following the sun toward the western horizon of southern Utah with a slender crescent moon close behind.
Venus remains high in the morning sky near sunrise, making for a brilliant wake-up treat over sips of coffee. If you have a telescope handy, take a peek at the love goddess' name sake; the crescent of Venus is lovely indeed. Some dates to pay attention to are May 24th when a fine crescent moon will share the dawn sky with Venus, June 23rd when the moon will again join Venus but this time along side the Pleiades, 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 orbit around the second planet and preparing for its mission. Once it's ready, the 'craft will study the planet in great detail, in particular the Venusian atmosphere and clouds.
Southern Utah in the spring is a sensual delight.. Rivers swell and rage with snowmelt, desert cacti bloom delicate, and the ancient rock fills vistas with warm hues from light brown through red to purple. This view from the banks of the Colorado River north of Moab on State 128 shows the mighty Colorado (formerly the Grand River until 1921) in the foreground, Fisher Towers farther out, and the snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the distance.
The Moon becomes full on the 12th, shortly before midnight. The near-full moon is a stunning sight to see as it rises large in the east, and as it climbs high in the night sky, offers an eerie light by which night owls soar. Remember, as the moon now wanes toward last quarter, it becomes a rich source of viewing delights. 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 into the constellation Gemini, Mars sits between the twins and the stars that define their "waists" - Castor's Mebsuta and Pollux's Wasat - closer to the latter.
Planet Jupiter | Solar System | The Utah Skies Report
Jupiter is currently rising just before 10pm, placing it more favorably for those wanting views of the Sun's largest planet without having to lose too much sleep.
This image is an example of what Jupiter has to offer viewers: exquisite details. Much of this beautiful structure can actually 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 in the late morning and reaching the highest point in its path across the sky around 7pm. This continues to provide skywatchers with some spectacular views of the ringed planet. 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 morning, sitting close to the sun. 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 about 2 hours before the sun, leaving you precious little time to view the 8th rock. To speed up your acquisition of the planet, just look towards the east around first light You should immediately see bright Venus. Neptune is just about 1.5° below Venus. 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
In the Blink of an Eye
Faster than you can blink your eye or snap your finger, the universe grew from a size smaller than an atom to approximately that of a golf ball. That's what NASA scientists believe happened in the first trillionth of a second after the universe was born nearly 14 billion years ago.
"It appears that the infant universe had the kind of growth spurt that would alarm any mom or dad," said Charles Bennett, lead scientist for NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe mission.
Image to right: WMAP has produced a new, more detailed picture of the infant universe. Different colors represent different temperatures, which in turn represent different densities of matter. The white bars show the polarization of radiation released shortly after the universe was born. Credit: NASA/WMAP Science Team
Scientists call this rapid growth "inflation." It fits in well with the big-bang theory, which says that the universe began as a tiny, dense ball of hot matter and energy that experienced a sudden reaction, and has been increasing its volume ever since. Without inflation, scientists cannot explain why matter and energy are so evenly dispersed throughout the universe. Only recently has technology made it possible to find evidence of this phenomenon.
Launched in 2001, WMAP is a satellite that looks back in time using a pair of high-powered telescopes. The telescopes scan the sky in all directions to observe the cosmic background radiation. This is the heat released shortly after the universe was born. This heat, which the telescopes see as light, is actually quite cold -- around 450 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Its temperature has dropped millions of degrees as the volume of the universe has increased over the course of billions of years.
Scientists can learn a lot about the early universe by studying the cosmic background radiation. How so?
The universe, when it was less than 400,000 years old, was a very hot place -- almost 500 million degrees Fahrenheit. It was so hot that electrons and protons within hydrogen gas moved around with so much energy that they were unable to combine and settle into neutral atoms. Particles of light, or photons, that make up the cosmic background radiation bounced off the unattached electrons in all different directions. When a photon bounces off an electron, it is said to be "scattered."
Eventually, the universe cooled to the point where electrons and protons were able to join together and form stable hydrogen and helium atoms -- the matter that went on to form stars and galaxies. This cooling ended the scattering of the cosmic background radiation, which has remained largely undisturbed ever since.
Image to left: In the present (right side of image), WMAP studies light that was created just after the universe was born nearly 14 billion years ago (left side of image). Credit: NASA/WMAP Science Team
Because the radiation is essentially unchanged since the last time it was scattered, it is really a blueprint of the matter that was doing the scattering. By studying patterns in the radiation, scientists gain insight into how the universe evolved before and after the last scattering.
The exact way in which a photon of cosmic background radiation was scattered depended on the density of the matter. While the density of matter in the early universe was mostly uniform, there were tiny differences here and there. These density differences show up as tiny fluctuations in temperature within the cosmic background radiation.
WMAP completed its first measurement of these temperature differences back in 2002. From the data, scientists created a temperature map that they called a "baby picture" of the universe. Different temperatures represented different densities of matter at the time scattering ended. The data also yielded precise estimates of the age and composition of the universe, and even showed approximately when the first stars began to shine.
The satellite continued its study of the cosmic background radiation during the following three years. Last month, scientists reported two important results. First, they had created a new temperature map, even more detailed than the original. Second, they now had the data they needed to support the theory of inflation.
How were scientists able to conclude that the universe likely went through such rapid growth, for a time expanding faster than the speed of light?
The key is the ability of WMAP's telescopes to see polarization in the cosmic background radiation. When a wave of light (remember, WMAP sees the cosmic background radiation as light) is scattered, it is often polarized as well, which is to say that the wave is twisted about. This twisting produces a glare, such as the glare you see when light reflects off of water or a road surface.
Measurements by WMAP of polarization in the cosmic background radiation helped scientists find evidence that inflation occurred. The satellite will keep studying this radiation to find more clues about how the universe has evolved from birth until now.
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 that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst
Homeowners may have to worry about floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes destroying their homes, but at least they can remove long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from their list of potential natural disasters, according to recent findings by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
Long-duration gamma-ray bursts are powerful flashes of high-energy radiation that are sometimes seen coming from certain types of supernovae (the explosions of extremely massive stars). If Earth were flashed by a nearby long-duration burst, the devastation could range from destroying the ozone in our atmosphere to triggering climate change and altering life's evolution.
Now astronomers analyzing long-duration bursts . those lasting more than one to two seconds . in several Hubble telescope surveys have concluded that the Milky Way Galaxy is an unlikely place for them to pop off. They find that blasts tend to occur in small irregular galaxies where stars are deficient in the heavier elements. The Milky Way's starry population, by contrast, is rich in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
Suspecting that knowledge of their environments might help determine what types of stars produce gamma-ray bursts, the astronomers, led by Andrew Fruchter of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., used Hubble to examine the environments of 42 long-duration bursts and 16 supernovae. They found that the small fraction of supernovae that produce the bursts live in a very different environment from the average supernova. Fruchter's results appear in the May 10 online edition of the journal Nature.
Fruchter's team found that most of the long bursts in the sample were detected in small, faint, misshapen, (irregular) galaxies, which are usually deficient in heavier elements. Only one of the bursts was spotted in a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way, suggesting that our galaxy is an unlikely host for long-duration bursts. By contrast, the hosts of supernovae were divided equally between spiral and irregular galaxies, those with greater or smaller concentrations of the heavier elements.
Fruchter's team also found that long bursts are far more concentrated in the brightest regions of their host galaxies where the most massive stars reside. Supernovae, on the other hand, occur throughout their host galaxies.
"The discovery that long-duration gamma-ray bursts lie in the brightest regions of their host galaxies suggests that they come from the most massive stars . 20 or more times as massive as our Sun," Fruchter said. "Their occurrence in small irregulars implies that only stars that lack heavy chemical elements tend to produce long-duration GRBs." This means that long bursts happened more often in the past when galaxies did not have a large supply of heavy elements. Galaxies build up a stockpile of heavier chemical elements through the ongoing evolution of successive generations of stars. Early generation stars formed before heavier elements were abundant in the universe.
Massive stars abundant in heavy elements are unlikely to trigger bursts because they may lose too much material through stellar "winds" off their surfaces before they collapse and explode. When this happens, the stars don't have enough mass left to produce the proper conditions that would trigger the phenomenon.
Astronomers think that gamma-ray bursts are produced by rotating black holes left over from stellar explosions. The energy from the collapse of a star's core escapes along a narrow jet, like a stream of water from a lawn sprinkler. The jet burns its way through the remnants of the star. The formation of directed jets, which concentrate energy along a narrow beam, would explain why the bursts are so powerful. But if a star loses too much mass, it may only leave behind a neutron star, not a black hole, and thus cannot create the jet. On the other hand, if the star loses too little mass before its collapse, the jet cannot burn its way through the dense outer layers of the star.
This means that extremely high-mass stars that puff away too much material may not be candidates for long bursts. Likewise, neither are stars that give up too little material. "It's a Goldilocks scenario," Fruchter said. "Only supernovae whose progenitor stars have lost some, but not too much, mass appear to be candidates for the formation of GRBs."
Gamma-ray bursts can be divided into two classes: short bursts, which last between milliseconds and about two seconds, and produce very high-energy radiation, and long bursts, which last between two and tens of seconds, and create less energetic gamma rays. Although long bursts are unlikely to strike in galaxies like our Milky Way, short bursts could still happen. Short bursts are believed to arise from collisions between two compact objects, such as neutron stars. However, even with their higher-energy radiation, short bursts are typically 100 to 1,000 times less powerful overall than long bursts and would pose much less of a threat to life if one were to occur in our galaxy.
For more information, contact:
Ray Villard/Donna Weaver
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
(Phone: 410-338-4514/4493)
Andrew Fruchter
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
(Phone: 410-338-5018; E-mail: fruchter@stsci.edu)
Release Date: 1:00PM (EDT) May 10, 2006 Release Number: STScI-2006-20
This weekend we move on to the constellation
Hydra
the Watersnake. Hydra is the largest constellation, spanning 11 hours of Right Ascension... nearly halfway around the sky! Look at the accompanying star chart...This thing is huge! It spans from Cancer to Virgo...over two months worth of Utah Skies reports!
Hydra was a terrible multi-headed monster. If one
of it's heads got cut off.. .two would grow back in its place. Hydra was
finally killed by the mighty Hercules.
The ancient Egyptians saw Hydra as the river
Nile.... flowing endlessly across the night sky.
The focus of our efforts here will be the deep sky objects of
Hydra.
Ok, let's start things off with a beautiful
Open Star Cluster, M48(mag5.8). M48 can be found at the extreme western
edge of Hydra... right near the border with Monoceros.
Next we'll hit
Globular Star Cluster, M68(mag8.2). M68 moves us way towards the
east in Hydra... just below the eastern edge of Corvus.
Next we'll hit a
Spiral Galaxy, M83(mag8.0). Also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy because of it's beautiful shape, this galaxy is an easy find, but just a bit too low for optimal viewing from mid-northern latitudes. If you're going to look for M83, hit it between 11:00pm and 1:00am when it is closest to the meridian.
M83 moves us to extreme southeastern Hydra...
just north of the constellation Centaurus.
Continuing, we come to a beautiful
Planetary Nebula NGC3242(mag8.6). Also known as the Ghost of Jupiter or Caldwell59. The object is about the same as Jupiter but no where near as bright. It is plenty bright enough to view though. Instruments in the 4-6" range should have no trouble spotting it. It's blueish color is unmistakable. Observers with larger apertures should be able to pull lots of detail out... and may even spy the mag11 central star. To find The Ghost, simply look 2° south of Mu Hydrae. Nebula filters do not seem to add much to the view, though increased magnification will tend to pull out some extra detail and structure.
Next we'll hit
Globular Cluster, NGC5694(mag10.2) - Caldwell66. While not the most amazing view in the eyepiece, It is located on the far side of the galaxy and therefore is one of the most distant Milky Way Globular Star clusters.
To find this beauty, move a few degrees northwest
of NGC3242.
Next up is
Spiral Galaxy NGC2784(mag10.1) As you can see in the accompanying image, the spiral arms don't stand out too well. This gives the galaxy the appearance of an elliptical.
NGC2784 can be found in southwestern Hydra...
just above the constellation Pyxis.
Let's wrap things up with this weeks
Utah Skies Challenge Object, Elliptical Galaxy NGC3309(mag11.9). Don't get too excited about the almost mag12 value. This would be a tough find if it were on its own. However, this galaxy is at the center of the Hydra Galaxy Cluster aka Abell 1060. NGC3309 is the bright galaxy on the right in the central pairing. NGC3311 is to the left.
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.
A RATIONALE FOR THE MANDATORY LIMITATION OF OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Barry A. J. Clark, PhD
Director, Outdoor Lighting Improvement Section Astronomical Society of Victoria
Inc.
Summary:
The great value of artificial outdoor lighting has largely obscured the social,
ecological and environmental problems resulting from present lighting practice.
The exponential growth of outdoor lighting observed in Australia and elsewhere
is unsustainable and greatly at odds with the need to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Artificial skyglow resulting largely from wasteful lighting design
and overuse of lighting is increasingly hampering astronomical research and
education. Stray light entering bedrooms at night disturbs sleep and contributes
to sleepiness and fatigue, known factors in traffic and industrial accidents.
Exposure to artificial light at night is also a known risk factor for breast
cancer and other cancers, and it may be an underlying cause of widespread
obesity. Outdoor lighting does not inhibit crime but increases it. Drastic
reductions in outdoor ambient light levels are justified and will require
legislation to be achieved.
We'd certainly recommend that you
read this paper
when you have a moment. It turns out there a lot more to outdoor lighting than
meets the eye!.
This week we feature a beautiful, high performance
Area Lighting
fixture from the folks at
Gardco Lighting.
Pictured here is the
Gardco Circa area light. Don't let its sleek, stylish look fool you. This is
one seriously high performance fixture. Featuring a wind evading low profile
this fixture provides uniform illumination and sharp cutoff of glare and light
trespass. The Circa Series of area lights from Gardco Lighting has it all.
As you'd expect, you can find
this high performance, night sky friendly friendly outdoor light in the
Area Lighting
section of your favorite
Commercial Lighting retailer,
Starry Night Lights.
"All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income." - Samuel Butler (1835-1902), British writer
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.
Homeowners may have to worry about floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes destroying their homes, but at least they can remove long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from their list of potential natural disasters, according to recent findings by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
Ok, let's start things off with a beautiful
Open Star Cluster, M48(mag5.8). M48 can be found at the extreme western
edge of Hydra... right near the border with 
Next we'll hit
Globular Star Cluster, M68(mag8.2). M68 moves us way towards the
east in Hydra... just below the eastern edge of 
Next we'll hit a
Spiral Galaxy, M83(mag8.0). Also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy because of it's beautiful shape, this galaxy is an easy find, but just a bit too low for optimal viewing from mid-northern latitudes. If you're going to look for M83, hit it between 11:00pm and 1:00am when it is closest to the meridian.
Continuing, we come to a beautiful
Planetary Nebula NGC3242(mag8.6). Also known as the Ghost of Jupiter or Caldwell59. The object is about the same as Jupiter but no where near as bright. It is plenty bright enough to view though. Instruments in the 4-6" range should have no trouble spotting it. It's blueish color is unmistakable. Observers with larger apertures should be able to pull lots of detail out... and may even spy the mag11 central star. To find The Ghost, simply look 2° south of Mu Hydrae. Nebula filters do not seem to add much to the view, though increased magnification will tend to pull out some extra detail and structure.
Next we'll hit
Globular Cluster, NGC5694(mag10.2) - Caldwell66. While not the most amazing view in the eyepiece, It is located on the far side of the galaxy and therefore is one of the most distant Milky Way Globular Star clusters.
Let's wrap things up with this weeks
Utah Skies Challenge Object, Elliptical Galaxy NGC3309(mag11.9). Don't get too excited about the almost mag12 value. This would be a tough find if it were on its own. However, this galaxy is at the center of the Hydra Galaxy Cluster aka Abell 1060. NGC3309 is the bright galaxy on the right in the central pairing. NGC3311 is to the left.
