{"id":1538,"date":"2018-03-27T10:27:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T14:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=1538"},"modified":"2019-01-17T07:56:49","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T12:56:49","slug":"aprmayjun2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2018\/03\/27\/aprmayjun2018\/","title":{"rendered":"AprMayJun2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter Solstice Dinner, January 6, 2018<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Donna Pursley<\/h3>\n

The dinner had to be rescheduled because of a snow storm on the original date in December. As it turned out, our new date was one of the coldest nights of the year so far. But that didn\u2019t stop the brave and the hungry. The dinner was held at the Unitarian Church on Whitney Ave. in New Haven. This is a really nice place. We had a full kitchen to heat up the food, a large room for all of us to sit, and a few smaller rooms to congregate. Plus it was nice and warm. Remember having to keep your coat on during a Solstice Dinner at Bethany? As usual, there was plenty of delicious food. Everyone had their fill. It seemed that Al\u2019s quiz was more difficult this year, but a number of people did very well and received prizes. We did miss Harriett\u2019s paper airplanes, so a few of us tried our best to substitute. And then it was all over too soon. Don\u2019t miss our Solstice Picnic in June.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Young’s Park Observing, Saturday March 17<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Our first public viewing event of the year started off with clear skies!<\/p>\n

We were at Young\u2019s Park in Branford on March 17th<\/sup>. It wasn\u2019t quite dark when we got there, where turned out to be a good thing. We were able to show some people Venus and Mercury before they set. It was clear, but it was also very cold and windy. The few people that showed by only stayed about an hour. It wasn\u2019t even really dark yet before we all packed up and headed for warmth.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

ASNH to Participate in the Great Give on May 1-2, 2018<\/strong><\/h1>\n

ASNH is participating in the Great Give again this year.<\/p>\n

The Great Give\u00ae is an annual 36-hour online fundraising event that unites donors with charitable organizations serving Greater New Haven. It will begin at 8:00 am on May 1 and conclude at 8:00 pm on May 2. Created by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, they provide more than $150,000 in matching funds and prizes that are up-for-grabs for participating nonprofits. Over $6 Million has been distributed to charitable organizations serving Greater New Haven because of The Great Give\u00ae.<\/p>\n

Last year, ASNH received $1275.00 in donations through the Great Give. We thank all that donated last year and would like you to consider donating this year. Here is the link for donations:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.thegreatgive.org\/organizations\/the-astronomical-society-of-new-haven<\/a><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n

Meteorites Presented at the January and February Monthly Meetings<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"\"
\nASNH has an impressive collection of meteorites that were presented and described in two informative talks by Al Washburn at the January and February monthly meetings.  The collection includes examples of the three main classes of meteorites–stone, metal, and metal-stone.  These meteorites were purchased through a grant years ago when the club participated in a the Cosmic Connections program for school groups visiting Bethany Observatory.  Over the years, the meteorites have been displayed at numerous public events around the state, and many thousands of adults and children have had a chance to look at, touch, and handle them.<\/p>\n

In the January meeting, Washburn brought the entire collection, and after he gave a general overview of what we have, members came up to examine them and ask Al questions about them.  The presentation at the February meeting went into more detail about the various classifications of iron meteorites.  In addition, Chris Predom brought his personal meteorite collection, which includes some very nice specimens that the group enjoyed seeing.<\/p>\n

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<\/h1>\n

<\/p>\n

Visit to the VLA<\/strong><\/h1>\n

by Dave Noble<\/h3>\n

I recently made a quick trip to New Mexico (3 days out, 3 days back) to pick up some astronomy equipment. The Very Large Array (VLA) was on my list of potential places to visit and I knew that being in the western U.S., I had a pretty good chance of seeing the lunar eclipse on the morning of January 31st, but before I left CT I didn\u2019t know where I would be on that date. When I rolled into northern NM on Sunday night after 3 days of driving, I realized that I could be at the VLA during the lunar eclipse.<\/p>\n

I picked up my astronomy gear midday on Monday, and hit the road south toward Socorro. I spent the next day touring the VLA site, taking pictures of the array, and planning where to view the eclipse the next morning. Before leaving for the day, I decided that in the morning I would setup beside one of the antennas where county road 52 crosses the southwestern arm.<\/p>\n

On the morning of the eclipse, I left Socorro at 4:00 am and noted that it was 37F, not bad for the end of January. But when I arrived at the VLA, the temperature had dropped to only single digits. Brrr. It was so dark I could barely make out the silhouette of the huge antenna less than 100 feet away from the road. I had to take practice shots at long exposures to improve the focus and the framing of the shots. As the sun rose, the cold had nearly depleted my camera\u2019s battery and my hands were too cold to do much more so I packed up my camera and tripod and said farewell to the VLA.<\/p>\n

Watch VLA film, narrated by Jodie Foster: http:\/\/public.nrao.edu\/gallery\/beyond-the-visible-vla<\/a><\/p>\n

Take a virtual tour of the VLA: http:\/\/public.nrao.edu\/explorer\/vla<\/a><\/p>\n

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Panoramic view of the North Arm.<\/p><\/div>\n

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View along the North Arm of the array. Each of the three arms stretch out 10 miles from the center of the array.<\/p><\/div>\n

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One of two antenna transporters prepares to relocate an antenna.<\/p><\/div>\n


\n Visit to the VLA, continued:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Antenna Assembly Building is used for antenna maintenance and upgrades.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Super Blue Moon Lunar Eclipse hangs over the VLA in the early morning. It was 37F at 4:00am when I left the hotel in Socorro, but only 7F at the VLA on the Plains of San Agustin.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Lunar Eclipse at the VLA. The scene was so dark, I could barely see the large antenna right in front of me.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Gravitational Wave Detection Lectures<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Donna Pursley and Leo Taylor<\/h3>\n

ASNH Members Donna Pursley, Mike Zarick, and Leo Taylor have attended two lectures on gravitational waves.<\/p>\n

1. March 2016 at BAR in New Haven by Dr. Louise Edwards<\/p>\n

The first lecture started with the causes of gravitational waves, why they could travel distances, and how weak the received signal was. One cause of gravitational waves is the merging of two black holes, which takes less than 1 second. The resulting mass is measurably less than the sum of the parts with the missing matter released as energy. The initial swirling movements result in a wave envelope that rises gradually and disappears suddenly. Though the wave is not sound, it is at audio frequency. Dr. Edwards played a sound file of the \u201cPING\u201d of the first ever gravitational wave detected. We also saw us graphs of the predicted waves and how close the actual wave matched.<\/p>\n

We decided to attend a second lecture due to the great advances in detection technology over almost two years.<\/p>\n

2. January 2018 at the Westport Astronomical Society by Dr. Jillian Bellovary, \u201cGravitational Waves: Ripples in Space-Time\u201d<\/p>\n

Jillian Bellovary is a terrific speaker!  She had a few slides and animations and would talk about them with such enthusiasm. She was able to answer every question. If she didn\u2019t know the answer, she had an amusing reason why not.<\/p>\n

She explained what gravitational waves are and why it is a good idea to detect them. This is a way to learn about space without using light. Using LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory), astronomers have detected merging black holes. The two black holes spun around closer and faster until they collided.<\/p>\n

There are 3 LIGOs now. They are located in Hanford Washington, Livingston Louisiana, and Italy (called VIRGO). With three, scientists are better able to pinpoint where the merger took place.<\/p>\n

The LIGO detectors in the US were in operation for the initial detections.  Early searches produced no results. The LIGOs were upgraded with new equipment that would increase sensitivity. As luck would have it, shortly after the reconfigured LIGOs were turned on both detected a wave! The time between arrivals was short but compatible with the predictions. Several months were spent checking the results to determine if it was real. The third site in Italy came on line and it added triangulation to better locate the source of the gravitational wave.<\/p>\n

By the time of the second lecture there were five detections, including the first pair of neutron stars colliding to produce a gravitational wave. This burst had more energy and included visible light which arrived after the gravitational wave. It was visible a few days allowing telescopes to photograph the flash.  The first day it was bright blue then dim red.<\/p>\n

There are plans to build a much bigger LIGO called LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), using three satellites that will follow the earth in its orbit. LISA will be able to detect smaller mergers and other events that cause ripples in spacetime.<\/p>\n

Together the two lectures provided us with an understanding of the physics involved in detection and an awe for the technology needed to capture the waves.<\/p>\n

ASNH Loans Telescope to E. C. Scranton Memorial Library in Madison, Connecticut<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Laurie Averill<\/h3>\n

On January 17, 2018, ASNH loaned a beginner telescope to the E. C. Scranton Memorial Library in Madison, Connecticut.  This is the second telescope loaned to a public library by the club.  The first is on loan to the James Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford, Connecticut. The goal of the program is to develop interest in astronomy and strengthen ties with communities that have supported the club\u2019s public outreach events.  Madison hosts ASNH public astronomical observing sessions at the annual Madison Moon Walk and at Bauer Farm.  Through the use of Young\u2019s Pond Park, Branford helps the club connect with astronomy enthusiasts through monthly observing events in the spring and fall. Loaning a beginner telescope to community members through their public libraries provides people with another way to learn about astronomy.<\/p>\n

Funds to purchase the telescope kits were donated to ASNH by club members.  The kits include Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector Telescope, Orion Soft Case, Celestron 8-24mm Zoom Telescope Eyepiece – 1.25 Inch, National Audubon Society Pocket Guide: Constellations<\/em>, telescope manual, 3-V batteries, and replacement bolts.  The kit specifications were originally developed by the Marc Stowbridge of the Education Outreach Committee of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society that currently has more than 100 kits on loan to libraries throughout New Hampshire. It has served as a model for programs throughout the US.  The telescopes are adapted by club members to make them easier to use and loan by attaching the lens caps and eyepiece, and replacing the collimation screws with bolts.<\/p>\n

ASNH members offered several training sessions to library staff, teens, and then the general community at the libraries before loaning the telescopes.  The sessions covered how to use the telescope, some interesting things to view during the current season, and upcoming ASNH events.  Community members borrow a scope for one week, and at both libraries there are waiting lists.  Club members are available for telescope maintenance and to offer additional training sessions that highlight telescope use and interesting seasonal astronomical sights.<\/p>\n

Astronomy Links<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Submitted by Ray Kaville<\/h3>\n

Constellation Guide
\n<\/a>Information for observers on telescope targets organized by constellation, plus a lot of other useful information.<\/p>\n

Mars Odyssey Observes Martian Moons<\/a>
\nBoth moons were captured in the same frames of a short video.  Their irregular shapes are seen in detail.<\/p>\n

Florida Poly developing Happy Suit for Astronauts<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/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> before you leave home. There will be a scrolling message on the home page if an event has been cancelled.<\/p>\n

Besides the events listed here, we are planning several observing sessions at Silver Sands State Park<\/strong> in Milford.  The dates for these will be posted on the ASNH website<\/a> as soon as they are approved.<\/p>\n

Saturday, April 21, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Young’s Park, Branford CT
\nPublic Observing Session<\/p>\n

Tuesday, April 24, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nYale Leitner Student Observatory
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

Saturday, May 5, 8:00pm
\n<\/strong>Young’s Park, Branford CT
\nPublic Observing Session<\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 29, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nYale Leitner Student Observatory
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

Saturday, June 9, 8:30pm
\n<\/strong>Young’s Park, Branford CT
\nPublic Observing Session<\/p>\n

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

Friday, May 11, 8:00-10:00pm
\n<\/strong>ConnJam
\nOrange Fairgrounds, 525 Orange Center Road, Orange, CT (map<\/a>)
\nOutreach observing program:  Members and telescopes needed
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, May 12, 8:00pm
\n<\/strong>Bauer Park
\nHunters Trail & Copse Rd, Madison CT (map)<\/a>
\nOutreach observing program:  Members and telescopes needed<\/p>\n

Saturday, May 19, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Famoree, Camp Cedarcrest
\n886 Mapledale Rd, Orange CT (map)<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Outreach observing program:  Members and telescopes needed
\n.<\/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 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

<\/p>\n

Night Sky Highlights for April-June 2018<\/strong><\/h1>\n

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

Mercury
\n<\/strong>There will be a good opportunity to observe Mercury during the last week of June and continuing into the first half of July, when it will be low in the west right after sunset.  You will need a clear view of the western horizon.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Venus<\/strong>
\nVenus will be easy to see in the west after sunset throughout the spring and summer this year.  At about magnitude -4, it is the brightest object in the sky besides the Sun and the Moon.<\/p>\n

Mars<\/strong>
\nMars will rise after midnight in April and around midnight by June, and it will be getting steadily brighter and larger in apparent size as it approaches the Earth.  By mid-June, it will be magnitude -1.7 and a respectable 18″ in diameter (about half the apparent size of Jupiter), as it heads toward a fairly close opposition to Earth in late July.<\/p>\n

Jupiter<\/strong>
\nThe giant planet will rise in mid-evening during April, and by June it will be high in the eastern sky after sunset.  This will be a good time to observe its cloud bands, the red spot, and its four brightest moons.<\/p>\n

Saturn<\/strong>
\nSaturn is in Sagittarius, rising after midnight in April but shortly after sunset by the end of June. Its rings continue to be tilted at a good angle for viewing them from our vantage point.<\/p>\n

Uranus and Neptune<\/strong>
\nUranus is in Pisces, and Neptune is in Aquarius.  They will not rise until the early morning hours during April and May, and Uranus will be close to the Sun.  By June, Neptune will rise around midnight, and Uranus will follow a few hours later. This is not a convenient time to spot them, but if you try, 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

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

Here are some good targets for backyard astronomers to seek out during the spring months. For each object, click on the star-hop chart to get instructions and printable maps showing how to find the object in the evening sky.<\/p>\n

Porrima (Gamma Virginis)
\n<\/strong>Double star in Virgo
\nPorrima is a bright naked-eye star at magnitude 2.7. Its two components are less than 3 arcseconds apart, so a telescope at high power is required to split them. The components are about equally bright, one yellow and one blue, making a beautiful color contrast. The two stars are about 38 light years away and about 34 astronomical units apart. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 49
\n<\/strong>Galaxy in Virgo
\nM49 is a large elliptical galaxy, one of the brightest in the Coma-Virgo galaxy cluster and one of the brightest in our sky at magnitude 8.4. It can be seen through any telescope as a round, featureless glow with a very bright center. The galaxy is about 54 million light years away.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 51, the Whirlpool Galaxy
\n<\/strong>Galaxy in Canes Venatici
\nThe Whirlpool Galaxy is one of the brightest examples of a face-on spiral galaxy visible in our skies. It is about 23 million light years away. The irregular companion galaxy that appears to be connected to one of the spiral arms is NGC 5195. The companion is actually slightly farther away.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 53
\n<\/strong>Globular Cluster in Coma Berenices
\nAt an estimated 58,000 miles away, Messier 53 is a fairly distant globular cluster, but it is bright and easy to see. Through large amateur scopes, its stars are well resolved. The cluster is about 220 light years in diameter.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 61, Oriani’s Galaxy
\n<\/strong>Galaxy in Virgo
\n<\/strong>This beautiful face-on barred spiral galaxy was discovered in 1779 by Barnabas Oriani, a Catholic priest and accomplished astronomer. It is on the southern outskirts of the Virgo galaxy cluster. Through small scopes, it appears as a circular glow with a brighter center. Large scopes will show its two large spiral arms.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 63, the Sunflower Galaxy
\n<\/strong>Galaxy in Canes Venatici
\nM63 is a bright galaxy, magnitude 8.6, and its diffuse oblong shape and stellar nucleus can be seen in even small telescopes. The many bright knots in its arms, surrounding a small and bright nucleus, give the Sunflower Galaxy its name. These tiny knots are difficult to see visually through a telescope, but the galaxy has a mottled appearance in large scopes.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 67
\n<\/strong>Open cluster in Cancer
\nMessier 67 is a fairly bright open cluster of some 200 stars. It is estimated to be about 4 billion years old, making it one of the oldest known open clusters. It is not as well known as the nearby Beehive Cluster (Messier 44), but it is quite an attractive object when viewed with a small telescope at low power.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Messier 88 and 91
\n<\/strong>Galaxies in Coma Berenices
\nM88 is a nice spiral galaxy with a bright nucleus surrounded by tightly wound arms. Through large telescopes, some detail in the structure of these arms can be seen. Less than 1 degree to the east is M91, a barred spiral. At magnitude 10.2, it is the dimmest of the galaxies on Messier’s list, but it is still easily within the reach of amateur telescopes. It appears as a faint oval with a brighter center. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

Cor Caroli
\n<\/strong>Double star in Canes Venatici
\nCor Caroli is a wide double star, with a bright white primary star (magnitude 2.9) and a dimmer companion (magnitude 5.5). The brighter star is called a “magnetic star” because it has an intense magnetic field. The distance between these two stars is about 680 astronomical units, and they are about 115 light years away.  Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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

Horsehead Nebula, by Rich Asarisi<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a single Ha subframe taken on 2\/5\/2018 from BlueBirdsKnoll Observatory of IC434 at 500 seconds.<\/p>\n

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Earth shadow at the shoreline in Madison CT, time-lapse video by Jim Mazur<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/EarthShadow.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

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

Winter Solstice Dinner, January 6, 2018 By Donna Pursley The dinner had to be rescheduled because of a snow storm on the original date in December. As it turned out, our new date was one of the coldest nights of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-12"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1538"}],"version-history":[{"count":44,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1949,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1538\/revisions\/1949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}