{"id":1726,"date":"2019-01-02T11:12:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-02T16:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=1726"},"modified":"2019-01-17T07:57:44","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T12:57:44","slug":"janfebmar2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2019\/01\/02\/janfebmar2019\/","title":{"rendered":"JanFebMar2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter Solstice Dinner, Saturday December 8, 2018<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Our annual Solstice Dinner was held at the Unitarian Church in New Haven.  This is really a nice location to have our winter get-together. There are 4 rooms for people to spread out in while still being close to everyone. There could not be a nicer, friendlier bunch of people to hang out and have dinner with. We had about 25 or so show up which is about a third of our membership so I think this is impressive.<\/p>\n

As always, there was way too much food. The food is consistently delicious and we all tried to have a little bit of everything.  We were also treated to a video showing some amazing data and computer graphics on the structure of the Milky Way, made possible by the very precise data gathered by the Gaia spacecraft.  After the video there was some interesting discussion about what we saw, and several people also mentioned their own recent night-sky observations.<\/p>\n

A highlight of the evening was the 27th annual edition of Al Washbur’s astronomical quiz.  The quiz had a little mishap which he humorously tried to hide.  First place went to Jim Mazur, second to Dave Johnson and third was a tie between Bob Carruthers and Donna Pursley. There was a quick raffle also and Elisa Predom won the astronomy coasters.<\/p>\n

It was all over way to soon as we say goodbye to another year.<\/p>\n

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Winter Solstice Dinner 2018:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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\nASNH Elections<\/strong><\/h1>\n

At the November monthly meeting, elections for officers and members at large were conducted.  All those whose terms were expiring agreed to be nominated for another term.  There were no other candidates, and the following individuals were elected to another term:<\/p>\n

President: Greg Barker
\nVice President: Dave Johnson
\nTreasurer: Cheryl Barker
\nMembers at large: Bob Carruthers, Al Sacharow, Al Washburn<\/p>\n

Congratulations and thanks to all of you for your service to ASNH!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Recent ASNH Activities<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Girl Scout Outreach Event, Saturday October 20<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We had a great time celebrating International Observe the Moon Night at Eisenhower Park with some Milford brownie troops working on their Space Adventure badge. About 42 girls, 20 leaders and parents, and seven amateur astronomers attended. We viewed Mars, Saturn, and the Moon through telescopes, and identified the constellations Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Pegasus, the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper. Using Bob Crelin\u2019s book Moon Faces<\/em> we learned about Lunar phases and the girls modeled the phases using images of the eight phases and arranging them in order. We learned the names and order of the eight planets with the help of the mnemonic \u201cMy very excellent map just showed us north\u201d and using Brownies as units of measurement, compared the sizes of the planets. 42 girls later completed their Space Adventure badge during follow-up meetings with their troops.<\/p>\n

Madison Moonlight Walk, Sunday October 21<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In addition to the girl scout event on Saturday, we continued to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night on the following evening at the Madison Surf Club with lunar observing as part of the annual Moonlight Walk.  It was a clear but very cold and windy night.  A good crowd of about 60 people came to look through the telescopes.  In addition to the Moon, Saturn was visible low in the west just after sunset, and Mars was a brilliant red-orange in the southern sky.<\/p>\n

Young\u2019s Park Observing, Saturday November 10<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is one of the few events that weren\u2019t cancelled this year. It was a very cold night with clear skies.<\/p>\n

There were plenty of scopes set up with a few visitors. And then, a man named Frank stopped by with lots of his friends. They also brought snacks and drinks. It was great to have an eager group to help us forget about the cold for a while. An enthusiastic young boy and his mom brought a 4.5-inch Dobsonian telescope, and our members helped him to get some practice using it.  He learned to point it at Mars, Albireo, the Pleiades, and the Andromeda Galaxy, and the views through this light table-top telescope were actually very good.  He was very excited that he could locate these objects by himself.<\/p>\n

As I said, it was cold. So as soon as the crowd left, so did we. This does count as one of the few successful outreach events of the year.<\/p>\n

Hammonasset Astronomy Night, Friday November 16<\/strong><\/h2>\n

ASNH members participated in this night of observing at the Meigs Point Nature Center at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.  Members of the Thames Astronomical  Society also participated, and volunteers from the nature center also operated two scopes, so we had plenty of equipment out at the observing area.  All forecasts predicted clear skies, but in reality there were a lot of clouds and so our observing was limited.  Despite the unpromising skies, about 50 or 60 visitors showed up.<\/p>\n

During breaks in the clouds, everyone who came got a chance to see the gibbous moon with a lot of surface detail, and at various times we were able to observe the Pleiades, the Perseus Double Cluster, the Ring Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, some double stars, and Mars. Some of the sightings were short because of the clouds, but most of the visitors were able to see at least a few of these objects, and they appreciated what they saw.  This was a good group who asked a lot of interesting questions.<\/p>\n

Meigs Point extends into Long Island Sound, so there is a good view of the sky in all directions, and the location is relatively dark, as the nearest homes are at least 1\/2 mile away.  Ranger Russ Miller was able to turn off all the lights at the park for this event.  For future observing events when there is no Moon in the sky, this should be a good location for deep-sky observing.<\/p>\n

(Reports provided by Laurie Averill, Donna Pursley, and Jim Mazur)<\/p>\n

CSP Telescope Winners<\/strong><\/h1>\n

This past Connecticut Star Party was a very lucky one for the Connors family.  Lin Connors won the grand prize of a 6-inch Dobsonian telescope, and Brianna Connors won a 3-inch table-top reflector in the children’s raffle.  We are happy to see that the scopes are being put to good use!<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Upcoming Public Events<\/strong><\/h1>\n

These events are free and open to the public. If the weather looks questionable for an observing event, check the ASNH website<\/a> after 4:00pm. There will be a scrolling message on the home page if an event has been cancelled.<\/p>\n

Saturday, January 12, 1:30pm
\n<\/strong><\/span>Blackstone Memorial Library
\n758 Main St, Branford, CT
\nTelescope overview, seasonal objects, and meteorites<\/p>\n

Wednesday, January 16, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Guilford Free Library
\n67 Park St, Guilford, CT
\nTelescope overview, seasonal objects, meteorites, and observing weather permitting<\/p>\n

Tuesday, January 29, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nUnitarian Universalist Church
\n608 Whitney Avenue, New Haven CT
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

Tuesday, February 26, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nUnitarian Universalist Church
\n608 Whitney Avenue, New Haven CT
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

Tuesday, March 26, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nUnitarian Universalist Church
\n608 Whitney Avenue, New Haven CT
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

Saturday, April 6, 8:00am \u2013 5:00pm<\/strong>
\n<\/span>New England Air Museum
\n36 Perimeter Road, Windsor Locks, CT 06096 (map<\/a>)
\nThe ASNH meteorite collection will be on display<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

Features<\/strong><\/h1>\n

If you have not looked at the newsletter before, check out some of the regular features. There are four useful links in the menu at the top of this page:<\/p>\n

Calendar <\/b> This is a monthly calendar that includes all the scheduled events of ASNH, other regional events of interest, plus the dates and times of noteworthy events in the night sky.<\/p>\n

SkyMap <\/b> This page has a chart of the sky as it appears over the New Haven area at the present date and time. It is constantly updated, so you can go to this page on any clear night to see what is overhead.<\/p>\n

Space Place<\/strong> Read the monthly article from Space Place.<\/p>\n

Directions <\/b>This page gives directions to all the locations where regular activities of ASNH take place, including the monthly meeting, public observing sessions, and the annual Connecticut Star Party.<\/p>\n

Other regular features can be found within these pages:<\/p>\n

Upcoming Public Events <\/strong>Many ASNH events are free and open to the public. These include the monthly meetings and public observing sessions at Young’s Pond Park in Branford and Silver Sands State Park in Milford. This section gives the dates, times, and descriptions of these events.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events for ASNH Members <\/strong>These events are for ASNH members only. Some are private observing nights, and others are outreach events where volunteers are needed with the telescopes and equipment.<\/p>\n

Night Sky Highlights <\/strong>This section lists some objects to observe in the sky during the next few months, whether you are using just your eyes, a pair of binoculars, or a telescope.<\/p>\n

Gallery <\/strong> This section features photographs of celestial targets taken by ASNH members and others. If you have a picture you want to share with us, please submit it to newsletter@asnh.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Global-Scale Observations of Limb and Disk (GOLD)<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Summarized by Laurie Averill, Solar System Ambassador, based on talks by GOLD Mission scientists at the Laboratory for Atmosphere and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder\u2014Dr. Richard Eastes, Primary Investigator who is a physicist studying remote sensing data for space weather and space environment research with expertise in far-ultraviolet and molecular emissions for remote sensing of the Earth\u2019s thermosphere, Dr.  Katelyn Greer, Research Scientist, who studies near-Earth environment and its connection to the lower atmosphere, and Dr. Stan Solomon. Co-Investigator, Geo-Space Frontier Section of the High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, who studies the physics and chemistry of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere.<\/h5>\n

Earth\u2019s aurora borealis have long fascinated me.  Learning about NASA\u2019s GOLD (Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk) mission has helped me to begin to understand a little about why they occur.<\/p>\n

The Spacecraft<\/strong><\/p>\n

Launched from the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou, French Guiana, on January 25, 2018, the GOLD instrument was piggybacked on the Earth-ward side of the much larger 4.5 metric ton SES-14 communications satellite with about an 50 yard wingspan riding on the Arianespace Ariane Five rocket.  High-rate science data (each photon\u2019s location on the sensor is recorded) from the instrument is relayed directly in real time to the ground by a transponder on the satellite. Using solar-powered, electric, ion-stream propulsion, the satellite with the GOLD instrument onboard reached its desired geostationary orbit at 47.5 West Latitude over the equator on September 4, 2018, at 22,236 miles above the Western Hemisphere over the mouth of the Amazon River.  GOLD senses within the thermosphere at about 160 kilometers above Earth.<\/p>\n

\"\"SES-14 Communications Satellite, 4.5 metric tons with 50 yard wingspan, that hosts GOLD (NASA Visualization)<\/h5>\n

NASA studies near space as well as exploring the solar system and beyond. Turning the space-based, geo-stationary, the Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk (GOLD) instrument toward Earth, NASA seeks to understand this dynamic near-Earth environment, the boundary between Earth and space, and how the upper atmosphere is affected by the Sun and space from above and by Earth\u2019s magnetic field and weather from below.<\/p>\n

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“‘First Light’ image of ultraviolet atomic oxygen emission<\/strong> (135.6 nm wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet) from the Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere captured by NASA\u2019s GOLD instrument. It was taken at about 6 a.m. local time, near sunrise in eastern South America on September 11, 2018.  The colors correspond to emission brightness, with the strongest shown in red and the weakest in blue.<\/h5>\n
This unsmoothed image is from one of the two identical channels in the GOLD imager, and it was taken in just under 30 minutes, the routine imaging cadence for the imager. The data have been binned, during ground processing, into pixels that correspond to 125 km by 125 km at spacecraft nadir, and the emission near 135.6 nm selected from the range observed (133-163 nm) by the GOLD imager.<\/h5>\n
This emission is produced at altitudes around 160 km (note how it extends above the Earth\u2019s surface on the horizon), when the Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere absorbs high energy photons and particles.<\/h5>\n
The aurora, at the top and bottom of the image, and daytime airglow, on the right hand side, are also visible. The aurora is seen best at night in the northern latitudes because its location depends on the Earth\u2019s magnetic dipole field, which is tilted southward over North America, and visible just on the southern horizon where the magnetic field is tilted slightly away from the Americas.<\/h5>\n
An ultraviolet star, 66 Ophiuchi (HD 164284), is visible above the western horizon of the Earth.<\/h5>\n
Outlines of the continents and a latitude-longitude grid have been added for reference.”<\/h5>\n
(Illustration and caption courtesy LASP\/GOLD science team)<\/h5>\n


\nGOLD, continued:
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

In this photograph taken from the ISS, the limb of the Earth is its edge.  Above that is the troposphere (gold), stratosphere (silver), and upper atmosphere (blue) and space (black).  The upper atmosphere is made up of the mesosphere and thermosphere that also includes the charged ionosphere.  The upper atmosphere is where satellites and International Space Station are located and through which GPS and radio signals travel.  Understanding the weather of this area will help to protect the ISS and satellites and enable the development of models to forecast events that will effect space-based technologies and on Earth the power grid.<\/h5>\n

How space near Earth interacts with the weathers of space and Earth is examined through far ultraviolet spectroscopy using two identical ultraviolet imaging spectroscopes in the GOLD instrument.   About 80 pounds and the size of a mini refrigerator, it was built by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics of the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Above the Americas every 30 minutes, these completely programmable spectroscopes independently image the upper atmosphere above the limb and disk of Earth within the wavelength range of 132-162 nanometers in two channels.<\/p>\n

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NASA\u2019s GOLD mission using ultra-violet spectroscopes observes the thermosphere at 160 km above Earth\u2019s surface both during day and with the help of Earth-Limb occulting star at night (Courtesy NASA GSFC\/SVS\/University of California, Berkeley)<\/h5>\n

During the daytime above Earth\u2019s disk, the spectroscopes monitor temperature and the density ratio of atomic oxygen (O) to molecular nitrogen (N2<\/sub>).  At night, they measure the peak density of the ionosphere through ionized oxygen (O+) density. For the limb, they measure the temperature at the top of the thermosphere and how the density of molecular oxygen (O2<\/sub>) changes with specific altitude.  This is done by measuring how light from ultra-violet stars, occulting with the limb, is absorbed by the Earth\u2019s atmosphere.  All of these observations will help to show how the temperature and relative levels of particles such as atomic oxygen, gaseous oxygen, ionized oxygen, and molecular nitrogen change and move within the neutral thermosphere and impact the charged ionosphere.<\/p>\n


\nGOLD, continued:<\/p>\n

Atmospheric Tides<\/strong><\/p>\n

Atmospheric tides generate wind currents in the atmosphere that carry energy from the lower to the upper atmosphere.  Partially caused each day by solar heating water vapor in the stratosphere, ozone in the troposphere, molecular oxygen and nitrogen in the thermosphere, they originate in the lower atmosphere starting out small as they travel through the denser lower atmosphere and becoming larger with faster currents as the atmosphere becomes less dense. GOLD will help to answer how high do these tides go, and where they deposit their energy.<\/p>\n

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Diurnal and semidiurnal tidal temperature and wind perturbation at 100 km altitude for September 2005 as seen by the TIDI and SABER instruments on board the TIMED satellite. Visualization of model of tides by Dr. Jens Oberheide (Click on image for video.)<\/span><\/h5>\n

These ripples in Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere\u2014waves and thermal tides\u2014cause activity in the upper atmosphere.  Hurricanes and tsunamis can also create waves that travel all the way into the upper atmosphere transferring energy that alters wind patterns of the upper atmosphere and causes other disruptions as they dissipate. The upper atmosphere is also impacted from space through solar storms generating extreme ultraviolet radiation, energized particles with electric and magnetic fields, and heating caused by a current that runs through our atmosphere.
\n
\nThermal Tides and Gravity Waves<\/strong><\/p>\n

The types of waves that significantly propagate from the lower atmosphere into the thermosphere are thermal tides and gravity waves.  Thermal tides are forced by periodic heating of the Sun, they last fractions of a solar day in the thermosphere, and are planet-wide.  They are measured in temperature, wind, and O\/N2<\/sub> ratios.  There are two types of thermal tides.  Migrating tides follow the motion of the Sun moving westward; non-migrating tides do not, moving instead eastward.  As with ocean tides, thermal tides are relatively predictable and regular. Instead of high, low, ebb and flow, they are named by how often they occur, D=diurnal, S=semidiurnal, and T=terdiurnal, in what direction they flow, E=east and W=west, and how many peaks they have in their wave structure, as in DE3 which is a large once-per-day, eastward flowing tide that straddles the area above the equator, and is relatively large with a three-wave structure.   Locally produced gravity waves are when gravity and buoyancy interact, last minutes to hours in the thermosphere, and are 10\u2019s to 100\u2019s of kilometers in size horizontally. Gravity waves are formed when a parcel of air is moved up in altitude, gravity pulls the air parcel back down bringing it even father down than it was originally, and then buoyancy boosts it back up.  This process is repeated to create a small, local-scaled wave.  As the wave propagates up from the lower to the middle, to the upper atmosphere, it grows in amplitude as the air becomes less dense.  Eventually the wave will break depositing its eastward or westward momentum in the upper atmosphere.  This can change the direction of the winds or generate entire circulations.  Gravity waves are caused by orography when winds move over mountains or islands in the middle of the ocean.  They are also caused by deep convection in very large thunder storms or hurricanes. Models depict gravity waves in the thermosphere as resembling waves made by a peddle dropped into a pond, beginning at one point and propagating in an every widening circular from that point.  Gravity waves interact with other waves and tides in very complex and non-linear ways.<\/p>\n

Space Weather<\/strong><\/p>\n

Space weather is caused by the solar corona that is formed by solar eruptions and extends far out into space propagated by supersonic solar winds.  It controls the interplanetary magnetic field that surrounds Earth.  The corona is driven by active regions of the Sun and their magnetic activity.  The electromagnetic radiation of solar flares\u2014gamma-rays to radio waves\u2014and energized particles of solar flares and coronal mass ejections \u2014photons, protons, electrons, and heavier nuclei\u2014ejected during Solar eruptions effect Earth\u2019s ionosphere.  They disturb the solar wind and change the interplanetary magnetic field.  When they reach the magnetosphere they cause reconnection deep within the magnetosphere of the Earth that connects to the magnetic polar regions of the Earth.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/IMG_1038.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Energetic particles spiral down field lines into the upper atmosphere and ionosphere at high latitudes, the auroral oval.  They connect the electric circuits of the magnetosphere with the ionosphere causing strong electrical currents, the auroral electro-jet, that flows along the auroral arcs and emit ultra violet light toward space and visible light as aurora toward Earth and heat. (Video courtesy NASA\/GSFC–Click on image for video.)<\/p>\n

Extreme Ultra-violet Radiation<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Extreme ultra-violet radiation is made up of photons flowing from the Sun to Earth at about the speed of light. These photons that correspond to wavelengths 100 nanometers and shorter, are absorbed by ionizing the thermosphere stripping electrons to create the ionosphere at about 100 to 300 kilometers above the Earth.  On the atomic level energetic electrons streaming in these currents collide with atomic and molecular oxygen and molecular nitrogen in the upper atmosphere. The energetic electrons excite the atmospheric electrons that decay and release photons.  In addition to emitting ultra-violet and visible light, currents are created that release heat into the ionosphere and thermosphere especially at high latitudes that spreads to all latitudes. This process is called Joule heating.  Solar activity is variable and the ionosphere becomes denser during solar maxima\u2014cyclical periods of high solar emissions.<\/p>\n

In the thermosphere the density and ratio of atomic nitrogen to atomic oxygen changes from lower atmosphere where molecular nitrogen is 80% and molecular oxygen is 20%.  The thermosphere is less dense, and the molecules are no longer mixed by turbulence.  They separate through diffusion and the amount of atomic oxygen increases as oxygen molecules are hit by photons in the solar wind, unbinding to form atomic oxygen.  Lighter than molecular nitrogen, atomic oxygen rises on vertical wind into the upper thermosphere and become more abundant than molecular nitrogen.  Vertical wind patterns in the thermosphere can be measured by recording variations in the 0\/N2<\/sub> density.  Vertical wind patterns effect the horizontal circulation patterns of the thermosphere.  However, ions are also moved in the thermosphere by chemical reactions with energized particles and electrical fields.  Numerical models predict these complex movements, and data based on direct observations particularly during major space weather events will improve modeling and forecasting of upper atmosphere weather.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Night Sky Highlights for January-March 2019<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Solar System<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Total Lunar Eclipse
\n<\/strong>Night of Sunday, January 20
\nIf the weather is clear, don’t miss this beautiful celestial event!  It will be a very good eclipse for everyone in the northern hemisphere.  Here are the times of the key events (EST):<\/p>\n

Moon enters penumbra:  9:30pm
\nPartial eclipse begins: 10:33pm
\nTotal eclipse begins: 11:41pm
\nMid-eclipse: 12:12am
\nTotal eclipse ends: 12:43am
\nPartial eclipse ends: 1:50am
\nMoon exits penumbra: 2:48am<\/p>\n

Mercury
\n<\/strong>If you want to observe Mercury this winter, the best time is during the last week of February through the first week of March, when it will be low in the western sky after sunset.  Find a place with a good view of the western horizon, and look about 45 minutes after sunset, just about straight up from where the Sun has set. 
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Venus<\/strong>
\nVenus will be the brightest object in the eastern sky before dawn all winter.  Since sunrise is late at this time of year, if you are up by 6:00 or 6:30 you should be able the see this brilliant planet through an east-facing window.  Through a telescope Venus will have a gibbous shape.<\/p>\n

Mars<\/strong>
\nThe red planet will be visible in the southwest sky after sunset throughout the winter.  It will be a first-magnitude object, but it is getting further and further from the Earth, so its disk will be very small when viewed through a telescope (just about 5 or 6 arcseconds in diameter).  It will be difficult to see any surface detail.<\/p>\n

Jupiter<\/strong>
\nAfter Venus, Jupiter will be the second-brightest object in the morning sky before dawn, shining at about magnitude -2.  Its oblong disk, cloud bands, and four bright moons should be visible through almost any telescope.<\/p>\n

Saturn<\/strong>
\nSaturn, in Sagittarius, will be too close to the Sun to be seen during most of the winter.  By mid-March, it will be rising in the southwest sky shortly before dawn.<\/p>\n

Uranus<\/strong>
\nLocated in the constellation Pisces, Uranus will be in the southwest sky through much of the winter, but getting closer and closer to the Sun as the months go by.  On the evening of February 13, it will be just about 1 degree to the south of bright Mars, so this would be a good opportunity to observe Uranus through a telescope if you have never done so.  Its blue-green disk will be about 2\/3 the apparent size of Mars.<\/p>\n

To find Uranus at other times, you will need a finder chart such as the one in this article from the Sky & Telescope<\/em> website:<\/p>\n

www.skyandtelescope.com\/observing\/planets\/ice-giants-neptune-and-uranus\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Neptune<\/strong>
\nThe link above also has a finder chart for Neptune.  If you want to observe it, January would be best, because it will move closer to the Sun by mid-winter.<\/p>\n

Deep Sky Objects<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The winter sky contains many spectacular deep-sky objects, from the Orion Nebula to some distant galaxies.  On a clear night it is worth bundling up and taking out the binocular or telescope to view some great celestial treats.  Here are a few good targets.<\/p>\n

Messier 41<\/strong>
\nOpen cluster in Canis Major
\nAt magnitude 4.5, Messier 41 is not too hard to spot with the naked eye as a hazy spot about 4 degrees below brilliant Sirius. Through binoculars or a telescope, M41 is one of the more impressive open clusters in the winter sky. See if you can detect the color variations among its stars. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 42 and 43, the Orion Nebula<\/strong>
\nDiffuse nebula in Orion
\nThe Orion Nebula is one of the easiest nebulas to find, and it is visible to the naked eye as part of Orion’s sword. It is a wonderful sight in binoculars or any telescope.  With a small telescope, the brightest section of the nebula shows the Trapezium, a tight group of 4 bright stars. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 81 and 82
\n<\/strong>Pair of galaxies in Ursa Major
\n<\/strong>As winter progresses, Ursa Major rises higher in the northeastern sky, making this a good time to view these two galaxies, which can be seen together with a low-power eyepiece. M81 (Bode\u2019s Galaxy) is a spiral that has a distinct oval shape through a telescope, whereas M82 (the Cigar Galaxy) has a much more elongated shape. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 97, the Owl Nebula
\n<\/strong>Planetary nebula in Ursa Major
\nThis is a fairly large planetary nebula, but it is a little challenging to see because of its low surface brightness. But if Messier could see it through his very primitive telescope, you should be able to see it through a modern-day telescope if you have a clear dark sky. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 108<\/strong>
\nSpiral galaxy in Ursa Major
\nThe nearly edge-on spiral galaxy is less than 1 degree to the north-north-west of the Owl Nebula. It is easier to spot because of its greater surface brightness. Its oblong shape is obvious through most telescopes. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

NGC 2392, the Eskimo Nebula
\n<\/b>Planetary nebula in Gemini
\nThis is a bright planetary nebula that looks something like a face surrounded by a parka hood, hence its nickname.  It is also sometimes called the Clown Face Nebula  With telescopes of medium or large aperture, the nebula has a distinct blue color, and its central star of magnitude 10.5 is easy to see. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 48<\/strong>
\nOpen cluster in Hydra
\nThis is a fairly bright open cluster, about the size of the full Moon, containing about 80 stars.  At magnitude 5.8, it is a good target for binoculars or any telescope at low power. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Castor (Alpha Geminorum)
\n<\/b>Double star in Gemini
\nAlong with nearby Pollux, Castor is one of the brightest stars in the sky.  It is a nice telescopic double star, with its two components separated by about 5 arcseconds. Fairly high magnification, about 100x, will be needed to resolve the double clearly.<\/p>\n

r Leporus, Hind\u2019s Crimson Star
\n<\/b><\/strong>Red star in Lepus
\nThe constellation Lepus, the hare, can be seen just south of Orion in the winter sky.  Hind\u2019s Crimson Star is a very red variable star.  Its magnitude varies between about 5.5 and 11.7.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gallery, page 1<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Rich Asarisi’s new observatory, BluebirdKnoll Observatory, is up and running now, and this beautiful shot of Messier 33 (the Triangulum Galaxy) is the first color image he has obtained with his new facilities and equipment. Great detail can be seen all the way from the galaxy’s bright center to its intricate spiral arms.<\/p>\n

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\nThe entire sword of Orion is captured in this spectacular image.  Messier 42 and 43 (the Orion Nebula) are in the center, and NGC 1422  (the Running Man Nebula) is at the top.  Taken by Leo Taylor with an Orion ST-80 and an SBIG ST4000XCM imager.<\/p>\n

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The bright open cluster M41 in Canis Major is easy to find a few degrees below brilliant Sirius.  It is dimly visible to the naked eye under dark skies.  Image by Leo Taylor, taken with a Pentax K100D camera and a 300mm Tamron lens.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Gallery, page 2<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The upcoming lunar eclipse on January 20, 2019 should look similar to this previous eclipse from September 27-28, 2015. One difference is that this time the top part of the Moon should appear brighter during totality, not the bottom, because the Moon will be closer to the top edge of the Earth’s shadow.  This sequence was taken by Jim Mazur with a Canon 400D camera and a 500-mm lens.<\/p>\n

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The Owl Nebula, M97, in Ursa Major. Notice the two dark “eyes” of the owl, and the blue central star.  Photo by Jim Mazur, taken with a 14-inch Meade LX850 telescope and an SBIG ST8300M imager.<\/p>\n

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Winter Solstice Dinner, Saturday December 8, 2018 Our annual Solstice Dinner was held at the Unitarian Church in New Haven.  This is really a nice location to have our winter get-together. There are 4 rooms for people to spread out in … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-link","hentry","category-11","post_format-post-format-link"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1726"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1903,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1726\/revisions\/1903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}