{"id":1251,"date":"2017-04-04T19:06:13","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T23:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=1251"},"modified":"2019-01-17T08:00:34","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T13:00:34","slug":"aprmayjun2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2017\/04\/04\/aprmayjun2017\/","title":{"rendered":"AprMayJun2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

February Monthly Meeting<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"Al

Al Washburn<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Michael

Michael Miller<\/p><\/div>\n

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The January monthly meeting was cancelled due to snow, but there was a good crowd for the February meeting.  Al Washburn presented another installment of constellation posters from his former high school astronomy classes.  This month he showed posters of Auriga, which included the bright star Capella, the nearby dimmer stars known as “the kids,” and open clusters Messier 36, 37, and 38.<\/p>\n

\"Greg

Greg Barker and Dave Johnson<\/p><\/div>\n

Michael Miller gave an interesting and informative talk on the outer solar system. He noted that there is a lot out there besides Neptune and Pluto, including the Kuiper belt, a few known dwarf planets, outer asteroids known as Centaurs, and the Oort cloud. Miller also discussed the recent evidence that there is a large ninth planet in the very distant outer reaches of the solar system (at least 20 times farther away than Neptune).  This planet has not yet been found, but several lines of indirect evidence make a strong case that it exists.<\/p>\n

In an open discussion of observing activities, many of those present reported seeing the close conjunction of Mars and Uranus over the past weekend. It was easily visible through telescopes or binoculars.<\/p>\n

In a special presentation, ASNH President Greg Barker awarded Dave Johnson a lifetime membership in the society in recognition of his numerous contributions over more than 20 years.  Congratulations, Dave, on this much deserved award!<\/p>\n

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March Monthly Meeting<\/strong><\/h1>\n

At the March monthly meeting, Al Washburn gave a presentation on the constellation Cepheus, the King, and showed posters created by his astronomy classes.  This constellation includes the famous variable star delay Cephei, the red star mu Cephei, and a variety of nebulae and open clusters.  We saw that the students found several creative ways to spell “Cepheus.”  In our open discussion of recent observations, many of those present reported viewing the recent occultation of Adebaran by the Moon. Gaianne Jenkins and Bob Carruthers also saw Venus as a very thin crescent as it was getting closer to the Sun in the evening sky.<\/p>\n

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ASNH Recognized by NASA Space Place<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"spacePlaceAwardNL\"<\/p>\n

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

by Donna Pursley<\/h3>\n

Mars-Neptune Conjunction, December 31, 2016<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u00ad\u00adOur last event of 2016 was a chance to see the Mars-Neptune conjunction. Jim and Laurie were so kind to offer their backyard for club members to set up our scopes to view the conjunction. They have a huge vista looking South and West so it would have been the perfect place for viewing. They even were offering some snacks to keep us warm.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, not surprisingly, it was cloudy. We were hoping for maybe a sucker hole, but it was not to be. So it turned into a social affair for the 8 of us. Jim and Laurie brought some pizzas and made 3 different kinds of homemade soup. We had some nice desserts to top off the meal. There was hot coffee and tons of different kinds of tea. By about 9pm, we all left so we would be home before too late and to celebrate New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n

Science Night at Meadowside Elementary School in Milford, March 3, 2017<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You know how we had a record warm February? Well, the forecast for the day of this event was for temperatures in the 20\u2019s and even a possible snow flurry.<\/p>\n

The cold weather didn\u2019t seem to matter to these kids and their parents. From the moment we showed up they were eager to look through the scopes. The first batch didn\u2019t even have coats on.<\/p>\n

Because of the bright moon and bright floodlights we were not able to move around the sky. We showed them the moon, Venus, the Pleiades star cluster, the Orion Nebula and a few other things.  At times the lines were probably a dozen kids deep. A few commented on the fact that they never saw the moon close up like that before. I also heard that looking through the scopes was the best thing all night. Some of them must have been learning astronomy because they knew a few facts. We will probably have a good crowd at our next Silver Sands.<\/p>\n

Inside, in the warmth, Greg had the meteorites and Laurie was demonstrating pinhole solar projections and handing out cards on the 2017 eclipse.<\/p>\n

The event was over a little after 8pm and we were thanked by bags of really good brownies to take home. These were enjoyed with some hot chocolate.<\/p>\n

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Thank you card from Meadowside Elementary School. Below: Laurie Averill with a homemade eclipse projector and the ASNH meteorite display.<\/p><\/div>\n

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

All of these events are free and open to the public. If the weather looks questionable for an observing event, check the ASNH website<\/a> before you leave home. There will be a scrolling message on the home page if an event has been cancelled.<\/p>\n

April 2017<\/h2>\n

Friday, April 21, 8:00pm<\/strong>
\nSilver Sands State Park, Milford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Saturday, April 22, 8:00pm<\/strong>
\nYoung\u2019s Pond Park, Branford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Tuesday, April 25, 7:00 pm<\/strong>
\nYale Leitner Student Observatory
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

May 2017<\/h2>\n

Friday, May 5, 8:00pm
\n<\/strong>Silver Sands State Park, Milford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Saturday, May 6, 8:00pm<\/strong>
\nYoung\u2019s Pond Park, Branford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 30, 7:00 pm<\/strong>
\nYale Leitner Student Observatory
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

June 2017<\/h2>\n

Friday, June 16, 8:00pm<\/strong>
\nSilver Sands State Park, Milford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Saturday, June 17, 8:00pm<\/strong>
\nYoung\u2019s Pond Park, Branford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events for ASNH Members<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Saturday, May 12, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nTrumbull Nature & Arts Center, Trumbull CT
\nOutreach program: Members and telescopes are needed.<\/p>\n

Monday, May 15, 4:00-8:00pm and Tuesday, May 16, 9:00am-12:00pm<\/strong>
\nNew Haven Science Fair
\nCommons Hall, Yale University
\nJudges needed for this event.  Please contact Greg Barker at prez@asnh.org<\/p>\n

Friday, May 26, time TBD<\/strong>
\nMilford Public Schools Space Week
\nPossible outreach program: Check the ASNH calendar for updates.<\/p>\n

Saturday, June 10, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nAnsonia Nature Center, Ansonia CT
\nOutreach program: Members and telescopes are needed.<\/p>\n

Saturday, June 24, 12:00-6:00pm
\nSummer Solstice Picnic:  Save the date!
\n<\/strong>The annual Summer Solstice Picnic for ASNH members and their families will be held at the Pavilion at Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden CT, rain or shine.  More details will be forthcoming.<\/p>\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 will feature recent 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

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News from New Horizons<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n

by Laurie Averill, Solar System Ambassador<\/h3>\n

Summarized from the teleconference \u201cNew Horizons<\/em> Mission Update\u201d by Dr. Cathy Olkin, New Horizons<\/em> Deputy Project Scientist, for Solar System Ambassadors on Dec. 12, 2016. All images are courtesy the New Horizons<\/em> Mission, SWRI\/JHUAPL\/NASA<\/p>\n

\"1IMG_1898\"<\/p>\n

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The 16 month trickle of data that was gathered during the July 14, 2016, New Horizons’s<\/em> flyby of Pluto ended in October 2016 and its analyses are yielding interesting discoveries. They reinforce preliminary findings that Pluto is a dynamic planet with active glaciers of flowing frozen nitrogen and methane that sink and rise subvectively.  Subvection is the sinking down and melting of older material and the welling up and freezing of new materials. Evidence of cryovolcanism (ice volcanoes), a possible subsurface ocean, and change in the color of the surface of the planet as it ages has been found. The New Horizons<\/em> mission has also been extended to travel to the Kuiper Belt.<\/p>\n

Pluto’s Color<\/strong>
\nOlder, colder surfaces of Pluto are red likely from tholins. Tholins, red chained macromolecules, form when methane and nitrogen are broken up and ionized by ultraviolet radiation. These clump together and fall to the surface as red gunk. They stick to and accumulate on the colder, non vertical surfaces of the planet, turning them red. The older the colder non-vertical surface, the redder.<\/p>\n

\"Tholins,

Tholins, red chained macromolecules, form when methane and nitrogen are broken up and ionized by ultraviolet radiation. These clump together and fall to the surface as red gunk.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Older,

Older, colder surfaces of Pluto are red likely from tholins. The older the colder non-vertical surface, the redder.<\/p><\/div>\n

Pluto’s Craters<\/strong>
\nCraters–the more craters, the older the surface–indicate that the age of the oldest surfaces of Pluto are about 4 billion years and the youngest surfaces about 100,000 years. Unusual on other moons and planets, double impact craters are common on Pluto. Possibly the location of Pluto nearer the Kuiper Belt is the cause. Newer craters have dark bottoms and ejecta patterns; these features in older craters appear to be coated by frost.<\/p>\n

\"Older

Older surfaces have more craters.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Newer

Newer craters have dark bottoms and ejecta patterns. These features in older craters appear to be coated by frost.<\/p><\/div>\n

(Continued next page)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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News from New Horizons<\/em> (continued):<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sputnik Planitia<\/strong>
\nThe light, heart-shaped region on Pluto originally called Sputnik Planum is a glacial basin instead of plain, with a lower elevation than first thought, and has been informally renamed planitia. Possibly formed during a giant impact, it is thin crusted and very dynamic, producing relatively young surfaces through subvection, the sinking down and melting of older material and the welling up and freezing of new materials by flowing glaciers made of frozen nitrogen and methane.
\n\"6-IMG_1897\" \"7-IMG_1896\"
\nPossible Subsurface Ocean<\/strong>
\nA subsurface nitrogen ocean within Pluto is hypothesized based on the discovery of possible inactive cryovolcanoes and unusual density of the area beneath Sputnik Planitia. The higher than normal density of the area below its relatively thin crust can be explained by a relatively thicker underground ocean beneath it. The subvection at Sputnik Planitia and the formation of extension stretch marks caused by fractures could have been filled with materials welling up from below support this theory, too.<\/p>\n

\"The

The subvection at Sputnik Planitia and the formation of extension stretch marks caused by fractures could have been filled with materials welling up from a subsurface ocean.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Relatively

Relatively thicker subsurface ocean under Sputnik Planitia could account for the unusual density of the area beneath Sputnik Planitia<\/p><\/div>\n

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Possible inactive cryovolcanoes that ejected materials from a possible subsurface ocean.<\/p><\/div>\n


\nNew Horizons’s<\/em> Next Encounter
\nKuiper Belt Object Rendezvous Set for Jan 1, 2019<\/strong>
\nThe extended mission includes traveling a billion miles from Pluto to fly by 2014 MU69, a Kuiper Belt Object that is 44 AU from Earth and 22-40 km in diameter–about the size of Cape Cod Bay. Enroute New Horizons<\/em> will observe the Sun and Kuiper Belt Objects from perspectives that we don\u2019t see from Earth before it goes into hibernation on the last leg of its extended mission. The nuclear fuel in New Horizons<\/em> could last until 2040, so additional extended missions are possible.<\/p>\n

\"Extended

Extended mission includes traveling a billion miles from Pluto to fly by 2014 MU69 a Kuiper Belt Object 44AU from Earth<\/p><\/div>\n

\"MU69

2014 MU69 is about the size of Cape Cod Bay<\/p><\/div>\n

For the latest findings of New Horizons<\/em>, see the mission Website at
\nhttps:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/newhorizons\/main\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n

and the John Hopkins mission site at http:\/\/pluto.jhuapl.edu\/index.php<\/a><\/p>\n

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Night Sky Highlights for April-June 2017<\/strong><\/h1>\n

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

Lyrid Meteor Shower<\/strong>
\nThis modest meteor shower peaks during the early morning hours of Saturday, April 22<\/strong><\/span>. The best part of the shower lasts only a few hours, when up to perhaps 10 to 20 meteors per hour might be seen.  Some years, stronger bursts of meteors have been reported.<\/p>\n

Comet 41P\/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak<\/strong>
\nThis periodic comet will be well placed for viewing in April and early May, passing through Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Draco. It could reach magnitude 5 or 6, and it should be easy to see through a telescope or binoculars if you know where to look.  Here is a finder chart:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.skyandtelescope.com\/observing\/worldwide-4p-comet-campaign-needs-your-photos\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Mercury
\n<\/strong>This spring, the only good time to see Mercury in the evening will be during the first few days of April, when it will be low in the west after sunset.  Later, it will appear in the east just before dawn in the second half of May, but it will be quite close to the horizon and difficult to see.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Venus<\/strong>
\nBrilliant Venus will be in the eastern sky before dawn throughout the spring months, slowly getting higher in the sky as the weeks go by.<\/p>\n

Mars<\/strong>
\nMars will continue to be visible in the southwestern sky after sunset throughout the spring.  It will be getting closer to the Sun as we approach summer.  It is quite far from Earth and will display only a small red disk through a telescope.<\/p>\n

Jupiter<\/strong>
\nOn April 7 Jupiter will reach opposition (the point opposite the Sun in the sky), so it will closest to Earth at that time, and it will be visible all night long.  By June, it will be high in the eastern sky right after dark and well placed for viewing.<\/p>\n

Saturn<\/strong>
\nThe ringed planet spends most of 2017 in Ophiuchus, and in April it will be rising in the east around midnight.  By June, it will rise around sunset so it will be visible in the east later in the evening.  From our angle, its rings will be wide open throughout the year, making it a wonderful sight through a telescope.<\/p>\n

Uranus<\/strong>
\nUranus is in Pisces, and it will too close to the Sun to see in April and May.  By June, it will appear in the east before dawn.  On June 3<\/strong><\/span>, Uranus will be 1.7 degrees north of Venus, making it relatively easy to find.  To find it at other times you will need a map, and this article from the Sky & Telescope<\/em> website includes finder charts for both Uranus and Neptune:<\/p>\n

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

Neptune<\/strong>
\nThis outer planet is in Aquarius this year.  It will be close to the Sun in April, but by May it will be in the morning sky before dawn.  By mid-June it rises around midnight.<\/p>\n

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

Messier 98 and 99
\n<\/strong>Galaxies in Coma Berenices
\nThese two galaxies are part of the Virgo galaxy cluster, about 55 million light years away.  Their shapes make an interesting contrast.  Messier 98 is nearly edge-on so it appears very elongated. About 1.3 degrees to the east is Messier 99, a face-on spiral that appears round with a bright center.<\/p>\n

Messier 100<\/strong>
\nGalaxy in Coma Berenices
\nLess than 2 degrees to the northeast of Messier 99, this is another face-on spiral galaxy. At magnitude 10 it sounds like M100 should be easy to spot, but its light is spread out over a fairly large area (about 6 arcminutes across), and its surface brightness is somewhat low.<\/p>\n

Messier 64, the Black-eye galaxy<\/strong>
\nGalaxy in Coma Berenices
\nThe bright nucleus of this oblong galaxy is very easy to see, and so is the large curving dust lane that gives the galaxy its name.  At a distance of about 13 million light years, it is one of the nearer galaxies in our sky.<\/p>\n

Messier 104, the Sombrero Galaxy<\/strong>
\nGalaxy in Virgo
\nThis galaxy really does resemble a sombrero with it bulging nucleus and pointy spiral arms.  It has a broad dust lane that is a bit challenging to see, but it can be detected under good conditions with a telescope of moderate size.<\/p>\n

Messier 94<\/strong>
\nGalaxy in Canes Venatici
\nThis oval spiral galaxy has a very high surface brightness, so it is not very hard to find.  If you look closely around the edges of the bright nucleus, you may be able to discern some details in the tightly wound spiral arms.<\/p>\n

NGC 4361<\/strong>
\nPlanetary Nebula in Corvus
\nThis round nebula can be found inside the 4 stars that form the most distinctive part of Corvus, the crow.  Its angular size is just a little smaller than that of the M57, the Ring Nebula, but it is dimmer and harder to find.  However, unlike the Ring Nebula, its central star of magnitude 13 is fairly easy to see through a telescope.<\/p>\n

Mizar and Alcor<\/strong>
\nDouble star in Ursa Major
\nThis famous pair can be seen through much of the year, but it is high in the sky during the spring.  Even in light polluted skies, it is usually possible to see these two stars with the naked eye, and through a telescope with low or medium power, Mizar resolves into a nice moderately close double star.<\/p>\n

Polaris<\/strong>
\nDouble star in Ursa Minor
\nEven most beginners can find Polaris, but many do not realize that it is a nice double star, though Polaris B requires fairly high power to spot because it can get lost in the glare of the primary star.  Polaris A is magnitude 2, and Polaris B, 18 arcseconds away, is magnitude 9, a difference in brightness of more than 600 times.<\/p>\n

Cor Caroli<\/strong>
\nDouble star in Canes Venatici
\nCor Caroli is the brightest star in Canes Venatici, and it is easy to find below the handle of the Big Dipper.  It has a blue-white primary of magnitude 2.8 and a dimmer secondary of magnitude 5.6.  They are separated by about 20 arcseconds, and the two can be easily seen in any telescope.<\/p>\n

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Gallery<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Occultation of Aldebaran<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chris Predom took this series of images of the occultation of Adebaran by the Moon on the night of March 4, 2017, using a hand-held camera.  From his location, as in much of southern Connecticut, Aldebaran passed behind the northern edge of the first quarter Moon.<\/p>\n

\"ChrisPredom\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

Three images by Jim Mazur<\/h3>\n

Orion<\/strong>
\nWith just a camera on a tripod, it is not hard to take pictures of the constellations.  If you have some tracking device or if you piggy-back your camera on a telescope with an equatorial drive, that’s even better.  To obtain this image of Orion, I combined six 20-second exposures from a Canon T6i camera on a light-weight equatorial mount.
\n\"Orion\"
\nNGC 7789, Caroline’s Rose Cluster<\/strong>
\nThis very rich open cluster in Cassiopeia was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783.  It is a beautiful view in just about any type of telescope. This image was taken with a 14-inch Meade LX850 telescope and an SBIG ST-8300M camera.
\n\"NGC7789\"
\nNGC 488 region<\/strong>
\nThis galaxy in Pisces is a fine example of a face-on spiral with very distinct, tightly wound arms. Many background galaxies of various sizes and shapes are also seen.  This image was also taken with my Meade 14-inch scope.
\n\"NGC488\"<\/p>\n

 <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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