Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

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2011-11-29T19:47:00.000Z

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society is alive and well!

This website is closed. Please visit the society's official website here:

http://www.furnessas.org/

APOLLO'S LUNAR IMAGES GO DIGITAL

2007-08-05T11:14:00.000+01:00

Nearly 40 years after man first walked on the Moon, the complete
photographic record from the Apollo project will be accessible both to
researchers and the general public online. Created from the original
flight films, the archive will includes photos taken from lunar orbit
as well as from the surface. The reason that the original Apollo
images have been so seldom accessed is that they are literally
irreplaceable. Between 1968 and 1972, NASA made sets of duplicate
images after each Moon mission came back to Earth, placing the
duplicate sets in various scientific libraries and research facilities
around the world. It is those copies (and subsequent copies of them)
that scientists and the public have seen; inevitably, they are not as
good as the originals, which have remained in deep-freeze storage at
the Johnson Space Center.

The Apollo digitising project has scanned the original flight films
with high resolution in both linear terms (5-micron pixels, fine
enough to show the photographic grain) and in intensity (14-bit,
giving 16,000 shades of grey). The most detailed images from lunar
orbit show rocks and other surface features about 1 metre across. The
project will take about three years to complete and will scan some
36,000 images. They include about 600 35-mm frames, roughly 20,000
Hasselblad 60-mm frames (colour and monochrome), more than 10,000
mapping-camera frames, and about 4,600 panoramic-camera frames.

from SPA email newsletter

MARS ROVERS BRAVING SEVERE DUST STORMS

2007-08-05T11:12:00.000+01:00

Having explored Mars for three-and-a-half years on missions originally
designed for three months, the Mars rovers are facing another
challenge in the form of summer dust storms, which for over a month
have affected the rover Opportunity and, to a lesser extent, its
companion, Spirit. However, so far the rovers are showing robust
survival characteristics. The dust over Opportunity has blocked 99%
of direct sunlight, leaving only the limited diffuse sky light to
power it. If the sunlight is further cut back for an extended period,
the rovers will not be able to generate enough power to keep
themselves warm or to operate at all, even in a near-dormant state;
they use electric heaters to keep some of their vital core electronics
warm. Engineers are taking measures to protect them, especially
Opportunity. Spirit, in a location where the dust is currently less
severe, has been instructed to conserve battery power by limiting its
activities.

from SPA email newsletter

Astronomers Find Farthest Known Galaxies

2007-07-11T19:44:00.000+01:00

Astronomers have found evidence for the most distant galaxies ever detected.
The galaxies are seen as they existed just 500 million years after the birth of the universe. Their light, traversing the cosmos for more than 13 billion years, was seen only because it was distorted in a natural "gravitational lens" created by the gravity-bending mass of a nearer cluster of galaxies.
"Gravitational lensing is the magnification of distant sources by foreground structures," explained Caltech astronomer Richard Ellis, who led the international team. "By looking through carefully selected clusters, we have located six star-forming galaxies seen at unprecedented distances, corresponding to a time when the universe was only 500 million years old, or less than 4 percent of its present age."
The universe is estimated to be 13.7 billion years old, so that puts the newfound galaxies at 13.2 billion light-years away. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers).
The team found the galaxies using the 10-meter Keck II telescope atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The finding will be presented tomorrow at a conference of the Geological Society in London.
The light from the half-dozen faraway star-forming galaxies was boosted about 20 times by the magnifying effect of the foreground galaxy cluster, said team member Dan Stark, a Caltech graduate student.
Gravitational lensing is tricky, the researchers admit. To bolster their case, they point to very ancient galaxies that are just slightly closer, yet which already contain old stars.
"To produce these old stars requires significant earlier activity, most likely in the fainter star-forming galaxies we have now seen," Stark said.
In 2004, a separate team claimed discovery of a galaxy 13.23 billion light-years away, "but re-examination of that object by others showed it to be spurious," Stark said.
The galaxies offer a glimpse of an era shortly after the first stars formed.
After the theoretical Big Bang, there were no stars. Eventually, a thick "fog" was effectively burned off by hot, young stars, ending what's called the cosmic Dark Ages.
"That we should find so many distant galaxies in our small survey area suggests they are very numerous indeed," Stark said. "We estimate the combined radiation output of this population could be sufficient to break apart (ionize) the hydrogen atoms in space at that time, thereby ending the Dark Ages."

by Robert Roy Britt on Space.com

Gamma Ray Observatory Will Launch in December

2007-06-27T20:29:00.001+01:00

NASA has Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra to cover visible, ultraviolet, infrared and X-ray portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The next wavelength to get its own space telescope is gamma rays. When NASA's Gamma ray Large Area Telescope (GLAST) launches in December, there will be a powerful new observatory in space, capturing more gamma rays than any space observatory to date.

GLAST is currently living in a "clean room" at General Dynamics in Arizon. This is a special enclosed environment with very low levels of contaminants or environmental pollutants. It will remain in this clean room until it's transfered to the launch pad later this year.

When GLAST finally makes it into orbit, it'll be the most powerful and sensitive gamma ray observatory ever launched, gathering photons that can contain hundreds of billions of times more energy than we perceive with our eyes. These gamma rays are generated in the most extreme events in the Universe, such as the disks of gas swirling around black holes.

Unlike the other space-based observatories, GLAST doesn't have a mirror to focus the photons; gamma rays don't work that way. Instead, it's got a large detector capable of detecting any gamma rays in 20% of the sky. It'll orbit the Earth every 95 minutes, and image most of the sky 16 times a day. It can also be directed to stare in a specific direction to image an event, such as the afterglow from a gamma ray burst.

from universetoday email newsletter - info@universetoday.com

Crater could solve 1908 Tunguska Meteor Mystery

2007-06-27T20:21:00.000+01:00

In late June of 1908, a fireball exploded above the remote Russian forests of Tunguska, Siberia, flattening more than 800 square miles of trees. Researchers think a meteor was responsible for the devastation, but neither its fragments nor any impact craters have been discovered.
Astronomers have been left to guess whether the object was an asteroid or a comet, and figuring out what it was would allow better modeling of potential future calamities.
Italian researchers now think they've found a smoking gun: The 164-foot-deep Lake Cheko, located just 5 miles northwest of the epicenter of destruction.
"When we looked at the bottom of the lake, we measured seismic waves reflecting off of something," said Giuseppe Longo, a physicist at the University of Bologna in Italy and co-author of the study. "Nobody has found this before. We can only explain that and the shape of the lake as a low-velocity impact crater."
Should the team turn up conclusive evidence of an asteroid or comet on a later expedition, when they obtain a deeper core sample beneath the lake, remaining mysteries surrounding the Tunguska event may be solved.
The findings are detailed in this month's online version of the journal Terra Nova.

read the rest of this story at
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070626_st_tunguska_crater.html

Most Distant Black Hole Discovered

2007-06-08T19:37:00.000+01:00

An international team of astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole at the very edge of the observable Universe, located 13 billion light-years away. Since the Universe is 13.7 billion years old, we're seeing this object when the Universe was only 700 million years old.
Active galactic nuclei, or quasars, occur when a supermassive black hole is feasting on infalling material. Material piles up faster than the black hole can feed, and it starts to glow so brightly that astronomers can see it clear across the Universe. This object, CFHQS J2329-0301, was discovered as part of a new distant quasar survey performed with the MegaCam imager on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT).
The black hole powering the quasar is thought to have 500 million times the mass of the Sun - that makes it hungry and bright. And because the quasar is so bright, astronomers can use it as a background object to examine the gas in front. And with follow up observations, they can get more details about what kind of galaxy it formed inside.
Original Source: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope News Release

Mars Garden Wins at a Flower Show

2007-06-05T20:28:00.000+01:00

A garden designed to simulate a future habitation on Mars won a Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show, operated by the UK's Royal Horticultural Society. Finally, space exploration is getting a little respect.
The exhibit is called "600 Days with Bradstone", and it's a simulated garden that Martian astronauts might construct to help them cope with a long journey on the Red Planet. The designer consulted with the European Space Agency to understand the physical constraints for a domed garden on Mars. Rocks were quarried from Scotland that look realistically like Martian rocks.
After a hard day's work on the dusty surface of Mars, astronauts could enjoy a lush green garden, surrounded by plants with multiple beneficial properties, like coffee, olives, wheat and calendula. The garden also includes familiar plants that help remind the astronauts of their home.
ESA believes that future missions to Mars will require regenerative systems that can adapt and evolve over time, instead of traditional life support systems which can't operate at peak efficiency for the long durations required for a Mars mission.

Original Source: ESA News Release

This note from Universe Today email newsletter

CLIMATE CHANGE ON MARS

2007-05-15T19:35:00.000+01:00

Scientists from NASA say that Mars has warmed by about 0.5C since the 1970s. That is similar to the warming experienced on Earth over approximately the same period, but since there is no known life on Mars it suggests that rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena. The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth.
The scientists compared heat maps of the Martian surface from the Viking mission in the 1970s with maps gathered more than two decades later by Mars Global Surveyor. They found that there had been widespread changes, with some areas becoming darker. The darkening is believed to occur through the action of wind in sweeping rock surfaces clear of dust. When a surface darkens it absorbs more heat, and the system has positive feedback, the heat driving up the mean wind speed. It is speculated that eventually the winds become strong enough to trigger a global dust storm, such as has repeatedly been seen on Mars in the past; the storms return relatively light-coloured dust to the areas previously swept clear, and the cycle begins anew.

Nature - from Society for Popular Astronomy Email Newsletter

MERCURY HAS MOLTEN CORE

2007-05-15T19:31:00.000+01:00

NRAO
Scientists have found that Mercury probably has a molten core. Mercury is one of the least-understood of the planets in our Solar System. Its distance from the Sun is just over one-third that of the Earth, and it has a mass only 5.5% of the Earth's. Only about half of Mercury's surface has been photographed by a spacecraft, Mariner 10, in 1974. Mariner 10 also discovered that Mercury has a weak magnetic field, about 1% as strong as the Earth's. That discovery spurred a scientific debate about the planet's core. Planetary magnetic fields are usually thought to be caused by an electromagnetic dynamo in a molten core. However, Mercury is so small that most scientists expected its core to have cooled and solidified long ago. Those scientists speculated that the magnetic field seen today may have been frozen into the planet when the core cooled.
Whether the core is molten or solid today depends greatly on its chemical composition, which can provide important clues about the processes involved in planet formation. To answer the question, the scientists used a radar technique to measure, with an unprecedented precision of one part in 100,000, the rate at which Mercury spins on its axis. Tiny variations in its spin rate, caused by solar gravitational effects, were calculated to be twice as large if the core were liquid than they would be if Mercury had a solid core. The measured variations are best represented by a core that is at least partially molten.

NRAO - from Society for Popular Astronomy Email Newsletter

On Trip to Mars, NASA Must Rethink Death

2007-05-04T21:48:00.000+01:00

CAPE CANAVERAL - How do you get rid of the body of a dead astronaut on a three-year mission to Mars and back?

When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut who is using up precious oxygen and endangering the rest of the crew? Should NASA employ DNA testing to weed out astronauts who might get a disease on a long flight?

With NASA planning to land on Mars 30 years from now, and with the recent discovery of the most ''Earth-like'' planet ever seen outside the solar system, the space agency has begun to ponder some of the thorny practical and ethical questions posed by deep space exploration.

Some of these who-gets-thrown-from-the-lifeboat questions are outlined in a NASA document on crew health obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request.

NASA doctors and scientists, with help from outside bioethicists and medical experts, hope to answer many of these questions over the next several years.

''As you can imagine, it's a thing that people aren't really comfortable talking about,'' said Dr. Richard Williams, NASA's chief health and medical officer. ''We're trying to develop the ethical framework to equip commanders and mission managers to make some of those difficult decisions should they arrive in the future.''

One topic that is evidently too hot to handle: How do you cope with sexual desire among healthy young men and women during a mission years long?

Sex is not mentioned in the document and has long been almost a taboo topic at NASA. Williams said the question of sex in space is not a matter of crew health but a behavioral issue that will have to be taken up by others at NASA.

The agency will have to address the matter sooner or later, said Paul Root Wolpe, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania who has advised NASA since 2001.

''There is a decision that is going to have to be made about mixed-sex crews, and there is going to be a lot of debate about it,'' he said.

The document does spell out some health policies in detail, such as how much radiation astronauts can be exposed to from space travel (No more radiation than the amount that would increase the risk of cancer by 3 percent over the astronaut's career) and the number of hours crew members should work each week (No more than 48 hours).

But on other topics - such as steps for disposing of the dead and cutting off an astronaut's medical care if he or she cannot survive - the document merely says these are issues for which NASA needs a policy.

''There may come a time in which a significant risk of death has to be weighed against mission success,'' Wolpe said. ''The idea that we will always choose a person's well-being over mission success, it sounds good, but it doesn't really turn out to be necessarily the way decisions always will be made.''

For now, astronauts and cosmonauts who become critically sick or injured at the international space station - something that has never happened - can leave the orbiting outpost 220 miles above Earth and return home within hours aboard a Russian Soyuz space vehicle.

That wouldn't be possible if a life-and-death situation were to arise on a voyage to Mars, where the nearest hospital is millions of mile away.

Moreover, Mars-bound astronauts will not always be able to rely on instructions from Mission Control, since it would take nearly a half-hour for a question to be asked and an answer to come back via radio.

Astronauts going to the moon and Mars for long periods of time must contend with the basic health risks from space travel, multiplied many times over: radiation, the loss of muscle and bone, and the psychological challenges of isolation.

NASA will consider whether astronauts must undergo preventive surgery, such as an appendectomy, to head off medical emergencies during a mission, and whether astronauts should be required to sign living wills with end-of-life instructions.

The space agency also must decide whether to set age restrictions on the crew, and whether astronauts of reproductive age should be required to bank sperm or eggs because of the risk of genetic mutations from radiation exposure during long trips.

Already, NASA is considering genetic screening in choosing crews on the long-duration missions. That is now prohibited.

''Genetic screening must be approached with caution ... because of limiting employment and career opportunities based on use of genetic information,'' Williams said.

NASA's three major tragedies resulting in 17 deaths - Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia - were caused by technical rather than medical problems. NASA never has had to abort a mission because of health problems, though the Soviet Union had three such episodes.

Some believe the U.S. space agency has not adequately prepared for the possibility of death during a mission.

''I don't think they've been great at dealing with this type of thing in the past,'' said former astronaut Story Musgrave, a six-time space shuttle flier who has a medical degree. ''But it's very nice that they're considering it now.''

By Mike SchneiderAssociated Press Writer

Matter Should Dominate the Universe Forever

2007-04-26T21:27:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Einstein, we know that matter and energy are just different versions of one another. E=mc2 tells you how much energy you’d get if you converted mass into energy. Don’t try, it’s hard. Physicists were concerned that all matter in the Universe would eventually decay into radiation after trillions and trillions of years of time.
But the impact of dark energy, a mysterious force accelerating the expansion of the Universe, might change those predictions for the fate of matter. Physicists Lawrence Krauss and Robert Scherrer recently published a paper in the journal Physical Review D that predicts that the ratio between matter and radiation should remain roughly the same as dark energy continues to spread the Universe apart.
Right now we can see most of the Universe, but as it continues to expand, distant objects will appear to be moving away from us faster than the speed of light, and will disappear from view. In 10 trillion years from now, only our local cluster of galaxies will be visible. Krauss and Scherrer have calculated that new radiation created from decaying matter will be diluted as soon as it’s created, thanks to dark energy.
As particles decay into radiation, the dark energy will increase the separation between photons, decreasing their energy and density in the Universe. The clumps of matter that remain will still dominate.

Original Source: Vanderbilt University News Release

STAR'S DOUBLE EXPLOSION

2007-04-15T11:18:00.000+01:00

This item refers to a star, in a galaxy 77 million light-years away, that survived a massive explosion only to be destroyed in a second blast just two years later. The star appears to have been a Wolf-Rayet object, a type of very hot star which begins its existence with more than 40 times the mass of the Sun. It first exploded on 2004 October 20, when it was so bright that the amateur astronomer who discovered it initially mistook it for a supernova. The 2004 explosion was not fatal, but the star underwent a second explosion on 2006 October 11, when it was indeed a supernova, which was named SN 2006jc.
That was the first time that astronomers have witnessed a star suffer a pair of explosions, with the second one being a supernova. Indirect evidence suggests that something similar happened in one other case, however. Astronomers studying the expanding blast wave from a supernova called 1994W found signs that it had ejected material in a major outburst about 1.5 years earlier, but that original blast was not observed directly. The highly unusual demise of SN 2006jc has aroused the curiosity of astronomers, who have followed the evolution of the supernova with a variety of telescopes. It seems certain the first explosion must somehow be connected with the star's destruction two years later.

from New Scientist via SPA email newsletter

DUST BLAMED FOR WARMING IN MARS

2007-04-15T11:14:00.000+01:00

Using global circulation models similar to those used to analyse the Earth's changing climate, NASA scientists find that Mars seems to have warmed by about 0.65°C in the three decades since the Viking mission first provided detailed mapping of the whole planet. That warming can be explained entirely by the scouring away of light-coloured dust from darker areas of the surface, causing an increase in the absorption of solar radiation. The effect is greatly amplified by positive feedback: the warmer ground causes stronger winds, which in turn scour away more of the light dust and lead to greater warming.
It is believed that the mechanism can account for the rapid warming that has been seen in the disappearing polar caps, which are turning directly from solid to vapour at a rapid rate.
The new modelling shows that the heating produced by those changes is of the same order of magnitude as that required for the rapid removal of the polar ice. The model predicts that the winds will build up so much that at some point they will trigger a global dust storm such as has sometimes been seen on Mars, redistributing the light dust over most of the surface and starting the process over again. While the dust redistribution may be unique to Mars, the Earth may have analogous feedback processes that can amplify changes in surface reflectivity -- in this case, mostly based on changes in sea ice and snow cover.

from New Scientist via SPA email newsletter

Newfound Data Could Solve NASA's Great Gravity Mystery

2007-03-27T19:25:00.000+01:00

It’s been years since NASA last heard from either of its two Pioneer probes hurtling out of the solar system, but scientists are still debating the source of an odd force pushing against the outbound spacecraft.
Dubbed the Pioneer Anomaly, the unexplained force appears to be acting against NASA’s identical Pioneer 10 and 11 probes, holding them back as they head away from the Sun.
Whether that force stems from the probes themselves, something exotic like dark matter, or some new facet of physics or gravity, remains in doubt.
But a wealth of newly recovered data and telemetry, spanning decades of observations by both Pioneer 10 and 11, may yield the final answer to whether conventional physics or perhaps something new is at work on the two spacecraft. An answer could arise from the new data after about a year of analysis by an international team of researchers.

read the rest of this story at: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070327_scitues_pioneeranom.html

TITAN'S LARGEST LAKE RIVALS CASPIAN SEA

2007-03-04T19:48:00.000Z

A very large lake may have been observed on Titan.  If it is indeed filled with liquid, the 1100-kilometre-long feature would be the largest yet found on the moon.  It appears as a dark area in an image taken by the Cassini spacecraft of Titan's north polar region on February 25.  It has a surface area slightly smaller than the Caspian Sea, which is the largest lake on Earth.  At -180°C, Titan's surface is far too cold for liquid water; instead, liquid methane, perhaps with some liquid ethane mixed in, is thought to fill the moon's apparent lakes.

from Society for Popular Astronomy Email Newsletter

EUROPE APPROVES MERCURY MISSION

2007-03-04T19:45:00.000Z

Although NASA has its Messenger spacecraft headed towards Mercury, the European Space Agency is planning a mission of its own called BepiColumbo.  The agency recently announced that it has 'adopted' the BepiColumbo mission.  Developed in partnership with Japan, BepiColumbo is scheduled to be launched in 2013 and to arrive 6 years later.  The mission is actually to consist of two spacecraft, one orbiter for planetary studies and another for magnetospheric studies.  The Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) will be developed by ESA, while the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) will be created by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).  A single vehicle ill carry both to Mercury.

from Society for Popular Astronomy Email Newsletter

SATURN'S MOON ENCELADUS SANDBLASTS NEIGHBOURS

2007-02-18T19:21:00.000Z

Enceladus, a Saturnian satellite 513 km in diameter, has been found to be the source of ice particles that form Saturn's E ring, which is hundreds of thousands of kilometres across. In 2005, observations made with the Hubble telescope indicated that Enceladus and some of its neighbouring moons are xtraordinarily reflective. Now, a new study suggests that high-speed ice particles from Enceladus are 'sandblasting' its neighbours to make their surfaces so white.

The researchers found that the moons in the densest part of the E ring -- Enceladus and Tethys -- are also the most reflective. Mimas, Dione and Rhea, which are in more tenuous parts of the E ring, are less reflective, but still brighter than moons such as Epimetheus and Janus, which orbit outside the ring altogether. The team argues that the level of reflectivity depends on how many ring particles slam into the moons. When the icy, micron-sized particles strike the ice-rich surfaces of the moons at speeds of several kilometres per second, they stir up fresh ice that constantly re-coats the moons' surfaces and prevents their being darkened by the constant bombardment by charged particles from the Sun.

from Society for Popular Astronomy email newsletter
popastro@topica.email-publisher.com

WEBB TELESCOPE MIRRORS READY FOR POLISHING

2007-02-18T19:18:00.000Z

The James Webb Space Telescope's 18 hexagonal mirror blanks are ready to be polished. They will form a mirror 6.6 m in diameter, more than two and a half times the diameter of the Hubble primary mirror, but it will weigh only about half as much. It cannot fit into a rocket when assembled, so the 18 segments are designed to fold, much as the leaves of a drop-leaf table, and will be unfolded in space.

from Society for Popular Astronomy email newsletter
popastro@topica.email-publisher.com

PLUTO PROBE OBSERVES JUPITER

2007-02-04T21:33:00.000Z

The 'New Horizons' spacecraft, bound for Pluto and possibly other objects in the outer Solar System, is making a fly-by of Jupiter to gain speed and test its instruments. It will make its closest approach on February 28, passing 2.3 million kilometres from Jupiter's centre, but it took the first of 700 planned observations of the planet on January 8. In the first 10 days of its observations of Jupiter, New Horizons found that an area northwest of the Great Red Spot was unexpectedly tranquil. Pictures from the Cassini spacecraft in 2000 showed significant turbulence there. Now the area looks more as it did when Voyager flew by in 1979. Scientists are hoping also to observe a little red spot that formed fairly recently through the merger of three smaller storms. New Horizons has already taken a distant picture of that area, and will get more images when it is closer.

Scientists look forward to measurements to be made in Jupiter's so-called magnetotail, a region of sulphur and oxygen ions originating from the volcanic moon Io. The charged particles get trapped in Jupiter's magnetic field, then blown by the solar wind into a tail that stretches hundreds of millions of kilometres behind Jupiter -- practically to Saturn's orbit. After its closest approach, New Horizons will keep making measurements of the magnetotail until
June. Mission managers estimate that it could fly one-quarter of the length of the tail. In addition, it will make a detailed search for satellites around Jupiter with its telephoto camera. It will also get a nearly-edge-on view of the tenuous ring system, which it will map in 3D; scientists hope to determine which of Jupiter's dozens of moonlets
create the rings.

The main point of flying past Jupiter, however, is to get a boost in speed. By a clever use of Jupiter's gravity, the probe's speed will be increased by 4 km/s, reducing by three years its travel time to Pluto. So far, New Horizons has remained quite close to its intended trajectory, and has not needed to call on the 25 kilograms of fuel (out of its initial total of 77 kg) reserved to correct any deviations. Now, that extra propellant promises to be available to take it, after Pluto, to other objects in the ring of trans-Neptunian bodies known as the Kuiper Belt.

From Society for Popular Astronomy email news bulletin 214
http://popastro.c.topica.com/maafIg5abwln5a9oadHb/

Next three meetings

2007-01-06T16:38:00.000Z

Amended details for the next three meetings are:

February meeting - Friday 2nd (normal day) - meeting at the observatory to view a close approach of Saturn with the Moon (actual possible grazing occultation next month on the 2nd March 2007 from our location!)

March meeting - moved to Saturday 3rd (ie one day later than normal) - meeting at the observatory from about 8:30pm to view a Total Eclipse of the Moon (mid eclipse about half past ten)

Remember the April meeting is one week later than normal (due to Easter) - meet at the normal place (Trinity Church Hall) at 7:30pm on 13th April when Jerry Workman returns for his annual visit

Bright New Comet Could Become Brilliant

2007-01-06T16:34:00.000Z

A newfound comet is about to loop around the Sun and might offer skywatchers a rare and fantastic view. But comets are unpredictable, and this one has a wide range of possible outcomes, experts say.
When Australian astronomer Robert McNaught announced Aug. 7 that he had discovered a faint comet on a photograph taken at the Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, it was a distant and inconspicuous object. But its orbital motion at once made it clear that this comet, officially catalogued as C/2006 P1, might grow very bright right about now.
Comet McNaught's orbit indicates that it will sweep to within just 15.8 million miles (25.4 million kilometers) of the Sun on Jan. 12. This rather close approach—less than half the average distance of Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun—suggests the comet has the potential to briefly evolve into a bright object. The big question is, just how bright?

Brighter than Venus?

Recent estimates have ranged widely from magnitude +2.1 (about as bright as Polaris, the North Star) to a dazzling -8.8 (about 40 times brighter than Venus)!
The reason for the great uncertainty stems from the fact that for the past few weeks the comet has been positioned at such a relatively small angular distance from the Sun in the sky that it has been extremely difficult to get good measurements of its brightness. Now, with a little over a week to go before the comet makes its closest approach to the Sun (called perihelion), just how bright it may ultimately get and how long a tail may develop remain to be seen.
Predicting a newly discovered comet's brightness has proven historically to be difficult, especially around the time of perihelion.

Spot it now

This is the 31st comet to bear McNaught's name and at time of discovery, it was no brighter than magnitude 17—far to dim to see with the naked eye.
Observers have followed its gradual brightening as its distances from Sun and Earth decreased. It's currently both a morning and evening object, visible very low near the east-southeast horizon about 30 to 40 minutes before sunrise and very low near the west-southwest horizon about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset.
During this upcoming week, prospective observers should seek the most favorable conditions possible. Even a bright comet can be obliterated by thin horizon clouds, haze, humid air, smoke, twilight glow, city lights, or moonlight. Binoculars are strongly recommended for locating it.
But the past few days, reports suggest that Comet McNaught is becoming easier to sight even through the bright twilight glow.

Bright outlook

David Moore reported seeing the comet on New Year's Day evening from Dublin, Ireland. He writes: "After searching for over half an hour in strong twilight I saw it easily in 20x80 binoculars from an upstairs window. I could see a small fuzzy and surprisingly bright head about as bright as the mag 3.5 star Lambda Aquilae 6 degrees above it. That said, it was not an easy observation given the strong twilight and the comet was only 3.0 degrees above the horizon!"

By Joe Rao
SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist

15x70 binoculars

2007-01-05T22:46:00.000Z

Friday 5th December 2007 - during my observation session (see last post) I took the opportunity to give my new 15x70s from Strathspey their first decent outing.

I didn't mount them on the tripod - I used them handheld only. They feel very comfortable to use and hold, and are surprisingly light.

As with the 20x90s the views were very sharp, high contrast. Even with the handheld wobble (which isn't as bad as it sounds) the moon was fun to view. The pleiades, up high in the sky provided more great views. I scanned Mizar and Alcor along the way - another delightful view! M81 and M82 are next on the list. I couldn't catch them tonight due to the haze and cloud moving in.

These binoculars are ideal for higher power handheld browsing and scanning. They would make a great companion instrument for telescope users - very versatile. They are brilliant for scanning around the Milky Way, especially this time of the year. One of my favourite sights, the double cluster in Perseus were a highlight of the night. I was quite surprised at how stable I could hold the binos when looking right up near the zenith.

For the price (under £100), this is the ultimate in grab and go! An excellent compromise between portability and power. Next time I'll put them on the tripod and let them really show off!

General Observations

2007-01-05T22:33:00.000Z

At last! A clear night after the Christmas holidays. Since I had little else to do for an hour it was an opportune moment for a spot of oberving.

Friday 5th January 2007, around 7pm.

During the holidays I took the opportunity to take a good look at my 20x90 binoculars, and realised they needed a slight collimation adjustment. Armed with my jeweller's screwdriver I managed to get the best settings I could, so tonight I was able to put my adjustments to the test.

Conditions were mostly clear, but with occasional cloud, and at one point became quite hazy. The bright moon was an obvious target and looked superb. Very sharp, even to the edges and fabulous contrast, even in the darker lowland regions. Wonderful!

I revisited the Orion nebula from the back garden which provided better viewing conditions than last time. The Trapezium is off limits without more power, but the view was brilliant - nebulosity and feinter stars clearly visible.

Saturn appeared out of the clouds. The shape of the planet was quite clear, but obviously there was little further detail. I'd be interested to see how it looks from a dark site without the moon. However, Titan was an easy find.

The hour went by very quicky and soon it was time to go indoors. I would have liked to have spent some more time revisiting the Pleiades, but it was so high up to make viewing awkward. My next purchase will have to be a decent arm or parallelogram mount!

Europe's Planet-Hunting Space Telescope Launched

2006-12-27T22:37:00.000Z

According to the website Spaceflight Now, a Russian Soyuz 2-1b rocket with the European COROT space observatory launched at 1423 GMT (9:23 a.m. EST) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The French-led COROT mission will look for rocky planets around other stars.

Flying high above the Earth’s atmosphere, the Convection Rotation and planetary Transits (COROT) satellite [[image] will use a different technique better suited to finding smaller worlds. Called the “transit” technique [image], it will detect extrasolar planets by measuring the dip in starlight their passage creates as they glide across the face of their parent stars.

COROT’s 27 centimeter (10.6 inch) lens will monitor the brightness of the stars, looking for the slight dip in starlight caused by the planet's passage. COROT will be able to monitor hundreds of thousands of stars simultaneously and will turn its unblinking eye toward different parts of the sky for 150 days at a time. COROT is expected to find between 10 to 40 rocky worlds over the course of its two and a half year mission, along with tens of new gas giant planets.

As it’s observing a star for signs of a planet’s passage, COROT will also watch for “starquakes,” acoustical waves generated deep inside stars which ripple across a star’s surface, altering its brightness. This information can be used to calculate a star’s precise mass, age and chemical composition.

In 2008, NASA will launch Kepler, a space telescope that works in the same way as COROT, but which will be able to detect the first Earth-sized planets in similar orbits to our own world.

from Spaceflight Now

Getting started in astronomy

2006-12-19T14:36:00.000Z

What's the best way of getting started with observing?

For less than £100 you can purchase some quality 10x50 binoculars, a star atlas and a good introductory text on observing (see below).

If you have £100 or more then you have some more options. For binoculars pay a visit to Argos and get the Celestron Skymaster 15x70 plus the special deal - an extra £20 will get you a reasonable tripod to go with them. Then purchase a couple of books to help out.

What about telescopes? With £200 to spend you have a number of options. Avoid computerised "goto" scopes and spend your money on the best optics you can get. Try the Skymaster range for starters - the 130PM Newtonian Reflector is destined to be a classic. Or take a look at the short tube Startravel 80 which is an 80mm refractor - available on an equatorial or alt-az mount.

With a little more money (say, up to £300) then you have access to some very nice Dobsonian telescopes - again, try Skymaster or Orion Optics.

There are a couple of useful forums to help you out:

http://forum.skyatnightmagazine.com/ - BBC Sky at Night Magazine

http://www.popastro.com/phpBB2/index.php
- Society for Popular Astronomy

Alternatively come to the society meetings and chat with our members!!

Recommended Books
Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars by Patrick Moore
Turn Left at Orion by Guy Consolmagno and Dan M. Davis
The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Terence Dickinson
The Cambridge Star Atlas by Wil Tirion
Observing the Moon by Gerald North

All titles available from Amazon.

Review of Strathspey Giant 20x90 Binoculars

2006-12-19T14:35:00.000Z

Are two eyes better than one? Judging by the number of binocular eyepieces available for telescopes they seem to be quite popular right now. But what if you don't wish to use a telescope? Binoculars are a fantastic way for beginners to get started in observing, and they are still very useful with seasoned veterans.

It is often said that the 10x50s are the best place to start, and indeed make a great grab-and-go companion to any piece of kit. But what about larger binoculars? Giant binos are generally those with lenses greater than 50mm.

For example 15x70s are a great compromise between the smaller binos and the true giants. You can just about get away with using 15x70s without a tripod. More about those later.

I recently purchased a pair of Strathspey 20x90s. Ordered last Wednesday night, they arrived on schedule yesterday (Monday) afternoon.

They are fully muliti-coated on all surfaces, rubber armoured giants with a tripod mount built in. The binos are accompanied by a large soft carry case for storage. Build quality of the instrument is superb. They look and feel the business. After getting familar with them and making the necessary adjustments in daylight (interpupillary distance and right-eye focus) it was time to take them outside in the dark.

First clear night in ages! I set the binoculars up on my heavy duty tripod (and essential item) and pointed them at the Orion Nebula. Wow! Fantastic views - even from our light polluted front garden (the target was too low to the south to see from the back garden). The two central stars were easy and pinpoint sharp and there were no difficulties at all with the cloud structure.

I've always been a fan of binocular astronomy - but the 20x90s are easily the best views I have seen.

I decided to go for a challenge - the Pleiades. Challenge because they were so high up in the sky. I detached the binoculars from the mount and used them by hand. Not the best idea with the binos weighing in at over 3 kilos! A brief (and wobbly) view provided a stunning sight. Next time I try to go for the Pleiades I'll do it earlier on in the evening, or wait until next October!

My wife had a go with them and she was suitably impressed with the sharp, high contrast views. ooh's and ahh's were the order of the day when we revisited the Orion Nebula!

A brief session - but one that proved the instrument. I'm glad I made the purchase and look forward to using them in the coming winter months (roll on Saturn!)

So - what use are these binoculars instead of a 'scope?

Ease of use
Ease of set up and take down
Very portable
Take up little storage space
Will make a great "grab-and-go" companion to a larger scope
Good field of view (3 degrees)
Quality sharp images

Some people prefer binocular images to telescope images - it's all down to personal preference and observing habits. The Strathspeys make for a brilliant "main" intrument on their own (which is how I will use them). Also, binoculars match my observing style and interests.

The only problem I had was with a couple of straps inside the carry case - they weren't sufficiently secured, but that's soon fixed with needle and thread or a spot of strong glue.

If you're looking for a quality, reasonably-priced (£180 inc VAT) portable instrument for general viewing I can highly recommend these binoculars. Don't forget a good sturdy (not photographic) tripod to go with them!

www.strathspey.co.uk for more details.

When I get chance to give them a whirl I'll submit a review of the Strathspey 15x70s.

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

40m telescope !

2006-12-11T20:10:00.000Z

European astronomy has received a tremendous boost with the decision from ESO's governing body to proceed with detailed studies for the European Extremely Large Telescope. This study, with a budget of 57 million euro, will make it possible to start, in three years time, the construction of an optical/infrared telescope with a diameter around 40m that will revolutionise ground-based astronomy. The chosen design is based on a revolutionary concept specially developed for a telescope of this size.

Read all details in ESO 46/06 at
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2006/pr-46-06.html

MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER OBSERVES VIKINGS

2006-12-10T19:43:00.000Z

The new Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has observed about a dozen spacecraft (all originating from the Earth) on the Martian surface, and scientists have been able to identify individual rocks that were first photographed by the Viking landers in 1976.  The new series of pictures shows both of the Viking landers, never seen from orbit before, as well as their nearby heat shields and backshells (the tops and bottoms of the capsules in which they passed through the Martian atmosphere to land).

The MRO has also found the Mars rover Spirit, the pyramid-shaped structure in which it landed, its backshell and parachute.  The satellite had already found the rover Opportunity and its landing structure, sending back images within its first week of operations in 2006 October.  The biggest surprise is that what appears to be the parachute of a Viking lander can still be seen after 30 years.  Such observations could help scientists determine the rate at which dust accumulates on the surface.  The complete series of MRO images will help future Mars landings avoid potentially dangerous rocky outcrops.

The Phoenix mission, scheduled for 2007, will be the first to benefit from the new topographical information.  Ironically, the MRO images show the area where Viking 2 came down to be so rocky that "they wouldn't let us land there now".  The new images of Spirit are already being put to use by its team to plan that rover's next movements.

New Scientist

Moon Burps Reveal Volcanic Activity

2006-11-10T20:43:00.000Z

The Moon has been seen huffing and puffing, remnants of a once very active satellite, scientists reported today.
It’s believed that the Moon hasn’t experienced any volcanic activity for at least three billion years, but a new look at some old evidence suggests otherwise.
Examining photographs and data from the Apollo missions, scientists noticed that volcanic gas has been released from the lunar surface within the last 1 million to 10 million years.
The researchers focused on a D-shaped area first noticed by the Apollo astronauts, called the Ina Structure.
“It stuck out like a sore thumb, like a heel print,” said lead study author, Peter Schulz of Brown University.
The surface expressions on Ina were very fresh with sharp edges, hinting to the fact that they were only recently exposed.
"Something that razor sharp shouldn't stay around long,” Schulz said. “It ought to be destroyed within 50 million years."
Space debris slams into the Moon continuously and degrades the surface and even changes the reflectivity of the lunar dirt, called regolith. This allows scientists to measure how young or old the material is.
This stuff is very, very young, Schulz told SPACE.com. And it can’t be from collapse or because of a fault but because the regolith was removed from these small patches.
The researchers suspect gases are finding their way from deep within the interior at a central portion of the Moon that is still cooling. As the temperature of deep interior decreases and faults and fractures occur, small amounts of gas are released.
These gases eventually get together and find their way up to the weakest possible place which tends to be right along old fractures.
“All of us had acknowledged that the Moon is dead volcanically but it doesn’t mean that it can’t occasionally burp and these burps may be coming from a buildup deep within the throat of the moon, Schulz said.
Scientists aren’t sure whether the gases are cold or hot and believe that Ina and similar sites need to be further explored.
The new finding, detailed in the Nov. 9 issue of the journal Nature, means that the Moon should be monitored more closely, Schulz said. “This is an example in a way of why the old photographs and data we recovered from Apollo are important—the data may be old but the insights might be new."

By Sara Goudarzi at space.com

Orbiter to Look for Lost-To-Mars Probes

2006-11-02T21:30:00.000Z

A super-powerful camera orbiting Mars may help discover the fate of long-lost spacecraft that never phoned home after reaching the red planet.
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is now circling that puzzling world, equipped to assist in determining whether life ever arose on the red planet and characterize its climate and geology, as well as prepare for future expeditionary crews to land there.
But another sharp-shooting skill of MRO is catching sight of past probes—craft that ran into trouble and died in the line of Mars duty. That includes NASA’s gone but not forgotten Mars Polar Lander and the British-built Beagle 2.
MRO is outfitted with an array of equipment, including the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera—built to provide the most detailed view of Mars’ surface to date. From Mars orbit, MRO can take zoom-in images of objects on the surface of the planet, checking out features that are about the size of a small dining room table.

see the remainder of the article at:
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/061101_mro_search.html

FORMATION OF A GALAXY

2006-10-29T21:39:00.000Z

The Hubble telescope has been observing a massive galaxy nicknamed the Spiderweb, about 10 billion light-years away (redshift 2.2), in the constellation Hydra.  The images appear to show dozens of star-forming satellite galaxies in the process of merging -- they appear to be approaching the principal galaxy at speeds of several hundred km/s, from distances of more than a hundred thousand light-years around it. Astronomers who have thought that large galaxies were formed by the coalescence of smaller ones see the new observations as tending to confirm their impression.  Radio telescopes have shown that jets of fast particles emanate from the centre of the Spiderweb with enormous energies.  The jets may be produced in the vicinity of a black hole that has been postulated to exist in the nucleus of the system.  The complexity and clumpiness of the Spiderweb agrees qualitatively with the predictions of certain models, but a disconcerting feature is the presence of several faint small linear galaxies within the merging structure.

from ESA via the Society for Popular Astronomy email newsletter

In Formative Years, the Sun Had Sisters

2006-10-25T19:52:00.000+01:00

The Sun had sisters when it was born, according to new research, hundreds to thousands of them.
And at least one was a supernova, providing further support for the idea that there could be lots of planets around other stars since our solar system emerged in such an explosive environment.
"We know that the majority of stars in our galaxy were born in star clusters," said Leslie Looney, who arrived at the solar sibling finding along with his colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Now we also know that the newborn solar system not only arose in such a cluster, but also survived the impact of an exploding star. This suggests that planetary systems are impressively rugged and may be common in even the most tumultuous stellar nurseries."
The evidence for the solar sisters was found in daughters—such as decayed particles from radioactive isotopes of iron—trapped in meteorites, which can be studied as fossil remnants of the early solar system.
These daughter species allowed Looney and his colleagues to discern that a supernova with the mass of about 20 suns exploded relatively near the early Sun when it formed 4.6 billion years ago; and where there are supernovas or any massive star, you also see hundreds to thousands of sun-like stars, he said.
The cluster of thousands of stars dispersed billions of years ago due to a lack of gravitational pull, Looney said, leaving the sisters "lost in space" and our Sun looking like an only child ever since, he said.
The research will be detailed in the Astrophysical Journal.
The finding also has exciting implications for life in other solar systems, Looney said, since most stars are born in clusters.
"If our favorite planet, Earth, was born in the nasty environment of a cluster, with the increased radiation and gravitational effects, then the majority of stars could also have planets," Looney told SPACE.com. "Not only have planets, but have planets where terrestrial life can occur."
Astronomers now should focus more attention on how planets form in clusters, he said. "It may be easier to form planets than we expected," he said.

Isotopes and supernovas
When massive stars explode and go supernova, they create radioactive isotopes that are blown outward and mix with nebular gas and dust as they condense into stars and planets. In the case of our solar system, that means some of the isotopes were trapped in the rocks that hardened to form the early solar system. Meteorites are remnants of those rocks, so they contain the radioactive offspring, or daughter species, of the isotopes created by the supernova.
Looney and his colleagues used measured abundances of the daughter species to calculate that the supernova sibling was about 0.32 to 5.22 light-years from the Sun. The closest star system to the Sun today is Alpha Centauri at 4.36 light-years.
"The supernova was stunningly close," said Looney's co-author Brian Fields. "Our solar system was still in the process of forming when the supernova occurred."

from Space.com by Robin Lloyd

New Images Dampen Hope for Water Ice on Moon

2006-10-19T22:09:00.000+01:00

New high-resolution radar images of the Moon have diminished hopes that the lunar poles might harbor water that could sustain future lunar and solar system explorations.

The images, discussed in the Oct. 19 issue of the journal Nature, showed no evidence that ice exists in craters at the lunar south pole.

Even in the lunar summer at the south pole, the Sun barely edges above the horizon, so the bottoms of impact craters are in permanent shadow.

Since the 1960s, theorists have suggested that these "cold traps" might contain deposits of water ice. The theory was bolstered in 1992 when Earth-based radar telescopes located "ice deposits" inside impact craters at the poles of the planet Mercury.

Because of the tilt of the Moon's orbital plane relative to the Earth's equatorial plane, the Earth can rise much higher above the horizon at the lunar south pole than the Sun, so telescopes on the Earth can use radar to "see" some of the shadowed areas of the Moon.

Earth-based radar measurements of the Moon since the 1990s have consistently failed to detect ice deposits similar to those on Mercury.

Since water ice could be converted to oxygen, drinkable water or even rocket fuel, it would be a valuable resource for any future lunar base. Because of this high value, NASA's 2008 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will crash two vehicles onto the Moon to search for water ice at the South Pole.

In 1999, the Lunar Prospector orbiter discovered concentrations of hydrogen at the lunar poles. If this hydrogen were in the form of water molecules—still a subject of debate—then it would correspond to an average of 1 to 2 percent of water ice in the lunar soil in the shadowed terrain.
"These new results do not preclude ice being present as small grains in the lunar soil based on the Lunar Prospector's discovery of enhanced hydrogen concentrations at the lunar poles," said Donald Campbell, a Cornell University professor of astronomy and a principal investigator of the study. "There is always the possibility that concentrated deposits exist in a few of the shadowed locations not visible to radars on Earth, but any current planning for landers or bases at the lunar poles should not count on this."

from SPACE.com

Webmaster's new astonomy blog

2006-10-07T23:38:00.000+01:00

I have started a new blog for astronomy. It's called Simple Astronomy and can be found at http://simple-astronomy.blogspot.com

October Meeting Guest Speaker

2006-10-01T20:44:00.000+01:00

Friday 6th October is the next society meeting and the guest speaker for the night is
Mr Kevin Kilburn from Manchester astro soc. giving a presentation entitled "digital astrophotography for dummies".

If you have any interest in astronomy, photography, digital imaging or astrophotography then the evening is not to be missed. The venue is the usual place and time:

Lower Hall Meeting Rooms,
Trinity Church Centre,
Abbey Road,
Barrow-in-Furness,
Cumbria

Start time is 7:30pm

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Webmaster's observation/binocular report

2006-09-30T13:36:00.000+01:00

Friday 29th September, around 10pm-ish on and off until 11pm. (I really need to do this properly!)

I wanted to give my 20x60 binoculars the "Sword handle test". It's something I do when I use an instrument - take a look at the sword handle cluster(s) in Perseus and see what the view's like. I always remember viewing the cluster with my 20x80s and it was superb.

I managed to find the target in between the patchy cloud conditions - although it was more like patchy clear sky! I didn't bother with the tripod - this was a "hands only" session to see how the binoculars perform. I haven't used them in a while and I am considering a new instrument. I want to field test my 20x60s with a view to possibly replacing them.

The sword-handle didn't reveal as much details as with the 20x80s used to, but nevertheless it was a reasonably good view - next time I'll mount the binos to get a better look. The optical quality of the 20x60s is superb once you get used to handling them - they are not the most comfortable binoculars I've used, but with a little practice I'm sure they'll be fine.

Highlight of the night, though, was when I noticed the familiar fuzzy patch that is the Pleiades. Yes, autumn has definitely arrived! I trained my binoculars on them, again hand-held only (I was leaning against the conservatory door too!)

The view was stunning. Excellent contrast with many stars resolved. The brighter stars shone out in that 3-D way only a pair of binos can reveal. I really appreciated the quality of my pentax binos with that view.

At the moment it seems that I'll keep the 20x60s as a good medium power binocular for general sweeps of the night sky - very grab and go! But they also make for a superb high-power terrestrial instrument producing good images right up to the edge of the FOV.

The 20x60s go nicely with my Olympus 8x42s which I will be giving the same treatment next time (I might even get the tripod out if it's a good clear night).

I've been scouring the web looking for a suitable "high power" instrument. I've looked at my requirements, budget and all kinds of equipment and at the moment I think I'll settle on more binos - yes, I am a binocular fan - those Strathspey 20x90s look very tempting!

Satellites could navigate by X-ray stars

2006-09-18T20:20:00.000+01:00

Future satellites could use X-ray-emitting stars, rather than GPS signals, to get their bearings, according to plans by the US military.
X-ray navigation technology would be less vulnerable to enemy interference than GPS, and could also be used far from Earth to help interplanetary space probes keep track of their positions.  The X-ray beacons would be pulsars, rapidly spinning stars which emit regular pulses of X-rays as they spin.  Each pulsar has a unique requency and location in the sky.  Locking onto any one of them would tell the satellite which direction is which in the sky.  The signals from several pulsars could be exploited to determine a spacecraft's position and velocity in the same way as by GPS, but in principle it would be simpler because the beacons are fixed.  The pulsar signals are ideal for the purpose, because their frequency stability rivals that of atomic clocks.  A further useful feature of the system, from a military oint of view, is that X-ray detectors are not easily blinded by lasers which might be aimed at them maliciously, nor by being pointed accidentally at the Sun, unlike the visible-light cameras used to track ordinary stars.

from New Scientist

Pluto is Now Just a Number: 134340

2006-09-13T20:28:00.000+01:00

Pluto has been given a new name to reflect its new status as a dwarf planet. On Sept. 7, the former 9th planet was assigned the asteroid number 134340 by the Minor Planet Center (MPC), the official organization responsible for collecting data about asteroids and comets in our solar system. The move reinforces the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) recent decision to strip Pluto of its planethood and places it in the same category as other small solar-system bodies with accurately known orbits. Pluto's companion satellites, Charon, Nix and Hydra are considered part of the same system and will not be assigned separate asteroid numbers, said MPC director emeritus Brian Marsden. Instead, they will be called 134340 I, II and III, respectively. There are currently 136,563 asteroid objects recognized by the MPC; 2,224 new objects were added last week, of which Pluto was the first. Other notable objects to receive asteroid numbers included 2003 UB313, also known as "Xena," and the recently discovered Kuiper Belt objects 2003 EL61 and 2005 FY9. Their asteroid numbers are 136199, 136108 and 136472, respectively.

full story at http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060911_pluto_asteroidnumber.html

CHANDRA confirms Hubble Constant

2006-09-05T19:43:00.000+01:00

A critically important number that specifies the expansion rate of the Universe, the so-called Hubble constant, has been independently determined by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The Hubble constant is calculated by measuring the speed at which objects are moving away from us and dividing by their distance. The usual methods of estimating it rely upon measuring the apparent brightness of standard objects whose absolute luminosities ('candle-powers') are known and are supposed to have remained constant throughout the age of the Universe. Optimist have thought in recent years that the value of the constant is known to about 10%, at 72 ± 8 km/s per megaparsec. Now, by a combination of X-ray data from Chandra with radio observations of galaxy clusters, distances have been estimated to 38 galaxy clusters ranging from 1.4 to 9.3 billion light-years. The results give a Hubble constant of 77 km/s per megaparsec, with an uncertainty of about 15%, thereby reinforcing other recent values. The implied age of the Universe is between 12 and 14 billion years.

from Chandra X-Ray Center

Meetings for 2006 and 2007

2006-09-01T20:47:00.000+01:00

The new society year begins on September 1st 2006. Here is the current schedule of meetings for the coming year:

2006
September 1st - Meeting at the usual venue for news, discussion and catch-up from the summer break. Observing session weather-permitting.

October 6th - Kevin Kilburn - Manchester Astro Soc. will give a lecture on 'Digital Astro Photography for Beginners'

November 3rd - Prof. Lionel Wilson from Lancaster Uni. will update us on Mars.

December 1st - Martin Lunn MBE from York Museum will return to lecture on 'Discovery of Pluto' and will bring some cut price astronomy books for sale to members (maybe suitable as Christmas presents!!)

2007
January 5th

February 2nd - meeting at the observatory to view a close approach of Saturn with the Moon (actual possible grazing occultation next month on the 2nd March 2007 from our location!)

March 3rd - moved to Saturday 3rd (ie one day later than normal) - meeting at the observatory from about 8:30pm to view a Total Eclipse of the Moon (mid eclipse about half past ten)

April 13th - Jerry Workman returns to show us the Saturnian Moons as seen by Cassini

May - TBA

June - TBA

July/August - no meetings

Further updates will be posted as necessary and keep an eye on the site for details of observing sessions, social events and visits

Local firm wins NASA contract

2006-09-01T20:41:00.000+01:00

Local company 3SL has won a $750,000 contract to supply NASA with computer software in support of future manned missions to the Moon and Mars. 3SL, based in Barrow produce and develop Cradle, a specialist software package to assist companies in requirements capture and system engineering.

Visit 3SL's web site at http://www.threesl.com/

Supernova captured in 'real time'

2006-08-31T21:24:00.000+01:00

Astronomers say they have witnessed a stellar explosion - or supernova - unfolding in real time.
Supernovae occur when huge, mature stars effectively run out of fuel and collapse in on themselves.
The observations, outlined in the journal Nature, offer the most detailed picture yet of these cosmic explosions.
An initial release of energy from the star was picked up by the Swift satellite in February, allowing experts to train their telescopes on the event.
This short, sharp outburst, known as an X-ray flash, amounted to an early warning signal that the star was going to turn supernova.

Read the rest of the story at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5298726.stm

Pluto’s Out of the Planet Club

2006-08-26T23:15:00.000+01:00

Last year we had 9 planets. Recently we were informed it would grow to 12. Now we’ve only got 8. The International Astronomical Union, currently meeting in Prague, voted on August 24, 2006 to demote Pluto down from planethood status. Now Pluto, Charon, Ceres and the newly discovered 2003 UB313 (aka Xena) will merely be known as “dwarf planets”. Under the new definition, planets must orbit a star, be spherical in shape, and clear out their neighbourhood of orbital debris. Pluto has failed to fulfill the third requirement, so it’s out of the planet club.

http://www.universetoday.com/2006/08/24/plutos-out-of-the-planet-club/

Team makes Dark Matter discovery

2006-08-22T11:48:00.000+01:00

A group of US astronomers say they have found the first direct evidence of the existence of dark matter.

Researchers used the Chandra and Hubble space telescopes, along with the Very Large Telescope and Magellan optical telescopes in Chile. They measured the effect of gravitational lensing, where gravity distorts light from background galaxies, as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Here's the link to the BBC report and the full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5272226.stm

Volunteers line up for simulated mission to Mars

2006-08-17T20:55:00.000+01:00

More than 70 people have volunteered to be confined in a mock mission to Mars – for 520 days. It would be the longest simulation of its kind.
The Institute of Medical and Biological Problems (IMBP) in Russia is undertaking the isolation study to learn more about the personal dynamics of long-duration space travel, according to Russian media reports. An actual round-trip mission to Mars could last about 30 months – about twice as long as this simulation.
Five people will be eventually be selected for the study. They will spend 250 days on a simulated space trip to Mars. Then, three of the five will leave the mock spaceship for a simulated "landing on Mars" that will last 30 days. The five participants will then embark on a 240-day journey "back to Earth". They will communicate with mission control by email.

Kelly Young - NewScientist.com news service

Planets plan boosts tally to 12

2006-08-16T20:46:00.000+01:00

The number of planets around the Sun could rise from nine to 12 - with more on the way - if experts approve a radical new vision of our Solar System.

An endorsement by astronomers meeting in Prague would require school and university textbooks to be rewritten.

The proposal recognises eight classical planets, three planets belonging to a new category called "plutons" and the largest asteroid Ceres.

Pluto remains a planet, but becomes the basis for the new pluton category.

The plan has been drawn up by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) with the aim of settling the question of what does and does not count as a planet.

Some 2,500 astronomers gathered at the IAU General Assembly in Prague will vote on the plan next Thursday.

Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

Dr. James A. Van Allen dies

2006-08-10T21:03:00.000+01:00

Renowned space scientist Dr. James A. Van Allen died this morning at the age of 91. Although he had a lifetime's worth of contributions to astronomy, space science and space exploration, Dr. Allen was best known for his discovery of the radiation belts that surround the Earth. An experiment he designed for the spacecraft Explorer 1 gauged the Van Allen belts using tiny Geiger counters to measure radiation. He retired from full time teaching at the University of Iowa in 1985, but continued to write, oversee research, and monitor data sent back by spacecraft he was involved with.

from Universe Today

2006-08-06T21:45:00.000+01:00

SPACE DATE SET FOR SCOTTY'S ASHES
BBC Online

Star Trek actor James Doohan, who played the engineer Scotty in the
original TV series, will have his remains blasted into space in
October. The actor's ashes were supposed to be sent into orbit last
year, but the flight was delayed as tests were carried out on the
rocket. Doohan died of Alzheimer's disease and pneumonia in July
2005, aged 85. The actor's ashes will be sent into space along with
the remains of around 100 other people, including astronaut Gordon
Cooper, who first went to space in 1963. They will remain there for
several years, after which they will drop back towards Earth, burning
up on re-entry.

Space Art

2006-04-08T22:06:00.001+01:00

If the weather's getting you down take a look at this site.

http://www.space-art.co.uk

Superb scientifically researched space art by Mark Garlick. My favourites are the exoplanets and nebulae. It's not all stars and planets. There's some great diagram images and studies of spacecraft too.

Binocular Problems!

2006-04-08T22:06:00.000+01:00

Webmaster woes!!

My 20x60s aren't right. I think they took a bump during a house move and something's broken. Perhaps they have come out of collimation.

They're awkward to use anyway. Perhaps now's a good time to make a new investment. The Strathspey 15x70s look good, or perhaps a skywatcher 130p telescope....

If you're a beginner to astronomy take the above thoughts as a gentle hint.....

Super Earth Discovered

2006-03-15T22:10:00.000Z

A massive, icy "super-Earth" has been discovered orbiting another star. It is estimated to be 13 times the mass of our Earth.

Details of the discovery which was spotted last April, were recently published in a paper for the Astrophysical Journal Letters. More information here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4801842.stm

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

2006-03-10T21:22:00.000Z

Today the MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) is due to position itself into orbit around Mars. It is expected to begin studying the Martian atmosphere, surface features and geological structures by November 2006.

The BBC is covering the mission. Here's the latest:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4791006.stm

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Society History - photo sampler

2006-03-05T23:32:00.000Z

Here are some photographs from the archives and more recent times. I have a number of additional pictures to add to the record - to start a History of the Society section. Of course I'll organise them into something more logical, but for now here's a taster. You have been warned!

The following photgraphs were supplied by Robert Sylvester, used with permission. Thanks Bob!

At the Observatory.

York 1986. This was a visit to collect the dome for the observatory.

Society Quiz 1982

Treasurer Richard, still counting the money even at the Christmas party!
See what happens when the Power gets to you? :D

Cassini Huygens Mission - Illustrated Lecture

2006-03-05T23:27:00.000Z

Wednesday 8th March 2006
Forum 28, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

Professor John Zarnecki of the Open University will present an illustrated lecture on the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. Start time is 7:30pm and it is free to attend.

The evening is organised by the Professional Engineers of South Cumbria.

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Clear Skies, Informal Observing

2006-03-03T23:30:00.000Z

The weather has been freezing cold! The plus side has been the wonderful clear nights we've had this week.

I've been making a few naked eye observations whilst taking Jess out for her walks. Now that we are living in a reasonably dark location I have been watching the progress of Orion and Taurus over the night sky this week. And also the moon which has offered some great crescent views.

I've had a busy time this week so not much observing with instruments, although my trusty 8x42s are on standby.

Some new (old!) photos should be uploaded this weekend with the start of a Society History section. Watch this "space".

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Solar Views Link

2006-02-20T22:20:00.000Z

Are you interested in photographic images of the solar system?

Here's an interesting link I found.

www.solarviews.com

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Andreas Katsulas

2006-02-17T23:56:00.000Z

A number of members (and no doubt amateur astronomers) are science fiction fans. Here's some SF news you may have missed.

Andreas Katsulas who played G'kar in Babylon 5 and Romulan Cdr Tomalak in Star Trek: The Next Generation passed away on 13 Feb. He was 59 years old and died of lung cancer.

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Society Meetings for 2006

2006-02-15T23:17:00.000Z

The following dates are scheduled for regular society meetings. Watch this space for additional observing sessions and events.

March 3rd - observing session at the Newton-in-Furness observatory. Saturn will be nicely placed (weather permitting!)

April 7th - Regular speaker Jerry Workman will be reporting on the latest updates on the Cassini Mission and the solar eclipses of October 2005 and March 2006.

May 5th - Observing session. Look out for Jupiter and the moon in close proximity.

June 2nd - Annual quiz night. Be there!

There are no meetings in July and August. The 2006/2007 season starts in September.

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Lecture, 24 February 2006 - Kendal, Cumbria

2006-02-15T23:13:00.000Z

There will be a lecture presented by astrophotographer Graham Sinegola at the Kendal Museum.

Friday 24 February starting 7pm. Cost will be £2 to cover hire of the room. The evening will include a presentation of images taken by Graham who will be explaining the "how and why" he took them.

The event is open to the general public and members of local societies.

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

Stardust

2006-02-15T23:05:00.000Z

Many people know that Barrow-in-Furness is where BAE Systems builds naval ships and submarines. But BAE has interests further afield than the grey waters of the Irish Sea...

BAE Systems' RAD6000(TM) computer was used on the recent Stardust spacecraft mission which returned to Earth carring samples from comet Wild 2.

This is the first time a probe has brought back material from a body other than the moon. BAE's RAD 6000 provided command/control and navigational data processing for the mission.

For more information see
http://www.na.baesystems.com/releasesDetail.cfm?a=406

Furness and South Lakeland Astronomical Society

About The Society

2006-02-03T18:20:00.000Z

The Furness Astronomical Society was founded in 1973 by Eddie Dixon. Eddie allowed members the use of his garden at Newton-in-Furness for any observation sessions with the society telescope, a 6" Newtonian Reflector.

Although Eddie has since moved, the land is still available for members' use today and enjoys a relatively dark location compared with town centre sites.

A purpose-built observatory stands on the site of Eddie's "chicken shed" with a rotating fibre glass dome sitting on top of 6 foot high walls. The society has two 6" Newtonian Reflectors which are available for hire to members each month. The observatory is capable of housing a 10" Newtonian Reflector, purchased by a consortium of members.

The society maintains a number of telescopes for use by the members, or at the observatory. We also have a library of books and videos available for hire for a nominal fee.

Test

2006-02-03T17:30:00.000Z

This is a test posting.

Hello Earth.