What Is the Approximate Volume of Mars? : Astronomy Info
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What Is the Approximate Volume of Mars? : Astronomy Info - Video
Basic Astronomy 101 for DarkSkyWatcher74 - "Occultation"
Basis Astronomy 101 - How to pronounce "occultation" (no, it is not an "occulation"). Check out my Facebook discussion page: "Voices Of Reason To Explain X - VORTEX" https://www.facebook.com/grou...
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What Is the Atmospheric Pressure of Neptune? : Astronomy Info
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What Is the Atmospheric Pressure of Neptune? : Astronomy Info - Video
Victor Rogus is an amateur astronomer, and this is the fourth in his series of exclusive Space.com posts about amateur astronomy. He contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
It was May 10, 1994 a perfect, perfect day for solar astronomy! It seemed that my prayers had been answered. The clouds of the previous night had cleared out by 2 a.m., giving me the time I needed to polar align my telescope's mount before the rising of the sun. Meanwhile, rain fell to the west, and more rain and clouds obscured the eastern sky. But here, a huge, lazy dome of high pressure rested squarely atop the central United States. This day was of special interest to the astronomical community, and the timing of this clear, spring day seemed heaven sent.
That afternoon, at 12:04 p.m., a near total eclipse would darken the sun. Farther downstate, some observers would enjoy a perfect annular, or "ring of fire," eclipse event, highlighted by a concentric ring of light around the dark lunar disk. Due to the apparent size of the moon, at this time, the solar face would not be completely covered making this a partial eclipse any way you looked at it.
My backyard, in Des Plaines, Ill., was located at the extreme northern edge of the limit of annularity. This condition, though not conducive to a perfectly centered lunar disk upon the solar face, would give me a better chance of seeing and photographing the famous "Baily's beads" phenomenon. (These are bright areas of sunlight that sometimes appear momentarily around the edge of the lunar disk shortly before and after a solar eclipse. The beads of light are caused by sunlight pouring through the lunar valleys near the limb or edge of the circumference of the moon. They are named after the 18th-century British astronomer, Francis Baily.) This fact had influenced my decision to stay here, on the chance of experiencing the rare event of Baily's beads.
Since many friends and neighbors had asked me about this well-advertised eclipse, I had agreed to share this grand adventure with them. My wife and I thought to make something of a "day star" party for anyone who was interested in joining us, and we provided aluminum-coated mylar solar-filter glasses and views through a filtered telescope throughout the entire spectacle.
This was a fine opportunity to help educate the public about astronomy , in general, and the uphill battle we astronomers wage against the effects of light pollution, an obligation that every amateur and professional astronomer should be willing to embrace. If we humans are to preserve the majesty that the night sky holds for those living today, and for the generations to follow, the problem of light pollution must be tackled.
I also wanted a few visitors so someone could monitor the drop in the air temperature and other subtle environmental changes at the moment of total eclipse. I would be busy at the camera throughout the entire event, as I had decided to try to document it from start to finish. The eclipse was predicted to last three to three-and-a-half hours. I wanted to make a series of bracketed exposures (based upon my exposure tests from previous solar photography outings) every 10 minutes. I would then combine the best exposure of each set with the others into one composite image showing the moon's progressive path across the solar face. I knew I would end up with between 18 and 21 exposures, providing a fair representation of the entire event. This plan gave me an advantage over other astrophotographers who planned only to make photos during the moments of maximum eclipse.
As the time of the eclipse neared, friends and neighbors began to arrive, making themselves at home in lawn chairs. It was warm, nearly 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius), clear and comfortable. One could feel the excitement in the air, as curious folks gathered on this Tuesday morning in hopes of seeing a truly awe-inspiring sight. But, being that it was a Tuesday, guests had to deal with bosses and job obligations. This is something any budding astronomer should be aware of the workings of the cosmic clock wait for no man, and people are little more than spectators in the great Colosseum of the universe. Either you are there for the show, or you are not, whatever it takes. I had set up a VHS video camera on a tripod to make a record of our party, as watching people's reactions to a solar eclipse is often nearly as much fun as the eclipse itself. A news program on television told of how more than a thousand people had converged upon the Adler Planetarium in Chicago to witness this event. It also told of how cameras across the country were ready to record images of the eclipsed sun.
At 10:24 a.m., the sun began to lose its familiar round shape. This gave the first indicator that the eclipse had begun. Chinese legend tells of how a great, evil dragon that lived in the sky was sometimes prone to try to eat the sun. When the dragon did this, the sun's great heat caused indigestion, and the dragon was forced spit the orb out. He spits it out every time, and that is lucky for us. [A side note is that while we were watching this eclipse, one of Illinois's most notorious mass murderers, John Wayne Gacy, "The Killer Clown," was being put to death. Though I generally do not believe in capital punishment, I suppose this also was lucky for us, as he killed many men and boys from my own home town. Another dragon slain.]
By 11:40 a.m., three-quarters of the sun was hidden from view. Mylar solar glasses were passed from hand to hand, and it began to feel cooler. Between exposures, my guests took turns at the eyepiece of my filtered solar-finder scope and would sneak a peek through my camera's back. "Wow!" "Amazing!" My guests did not seem disappointed, and there was no reason they should have been. The eclipse was beautiful and dramatic.
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April 26, 2014 McCloud Nature Park hosts night sky astronomy program
Anonymous Hendricks County Flyer The Hendricks County Flyer Sat Apr 26, 2014, 02:50 AM EDT
All in the community are invited to reach for the stars at McCloud Nature Park on May 3, as expert sky watchers from the Indiana Astronomical Society partner with McClouds naturalists for an astronomy program best suited for amateur astronomers ages 8 and older.
This free event will begin at 8:30 p.m. with a brief indoor seminar designed to help beginners find their way around the night sky by learning how a telescope works and how to recognize constellations, planets, galaxies and nebulae.
Outdoor night sky viewing will begin at 9 p.m. through binoculars and telescopes provided (or attendees can bring their own). The indoor seminar will be held rain or shine, but the sky viewing is dependent upon clear skies.
McCloud Nature Park is operated by Hendricks County Parks and Recreation and is five minutes south of North Salem at 8518 Hughes Road. Admission is always free and the park is open from dawn to dusk daily.
The Nature Centers hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information on McCloud Nature Park and park programs, call the Hendricks County Parks & Recreation main office at 718-6188 or visit the website at http://www.hendrickscountyparks.org.
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PHY195 Astronomy #11 Sp14
Astronomy with Bruce Betts Guest: Debra Fischer, Yale University http://www.youtube.com/csuDHTV.
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April 24, 2014
Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: Detlef Hartmann; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA
Long before the term citizen science was coined, the field of astronomy has benefited from countless men and women who study the sky in their spare time. These amateur astronomers devote hours exploring the cosmos through a variety of telescopes that they acquire, maintain, and improve on their own. Some of these amateur astronomers specialize in capturing what is seen through their telescopes in images and are astrophotographers.
What happens when the work of amateur astronomers and astrophotographers is combined with the data from some of the worlds most sophisticated space telescopes? Collaborations between professional and amateur astronomers reveal the possibilities and are intended to raise interest and awareness among the community of the wealth of data publicly available in NASAs various mission archives. This effort is particularly appropriate for this month because April marks Global Astronomy Month, the worlds largest global celebration of astronomy.
The images in this quartet of galaxies represent a sample of composites created with X-ray data from NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory, infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, and optical data collected by an amateur astronomer. In these images, the X-rays from Chandra are shown in pink, infrared emission from Spitzer is red, and the optical data are in red, green, and blue. The two astrophotographers who donated their images for these four images Detlef Hartmann and Rolf Olsen used their personal telescopes of 17.5 inches and 10 inches in diameter respectively. More details on how these images were made can be found in this blog post.
Starting in the upper left and moving clockwise, the galaxies are M101 (the Pinwheel Galaxy), M81, Centaurus A, and M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy). M101 is a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way, but about 70% bigger. It is located about 21 million light years from Earth. M81 is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light years away that is both relatively large in the sky and bright, making it a frequent target for both amateur and professional astronomers. Centaurus A is the fifth brightest galaxy in the sky making it an ideal target for amateur astronomers and is famous for the dust lane across its middle and a giant jet blasting away from the supermassive black hole at its center. Finally, M51 is another spiral galaxy, about 30 million light years away, that is in the process of merging with a smaller galaxy seen to its upper left.
For many amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, a main goal of their efforts is to observe and share the wonders of the Universe. However, the long exposures of these objects may help to reveal phenomena that may otherwise be missed in the relatively short snapshots taken by major telescopes, which are tightly scheduled and often oversubscribed by professional astronomers. Therefore, projects like this Astro Pro-Am collaboration might prove useful not only for producing spectacular images, but also contributing to the knowledge of what is happening in each of these cosmic vistas.
NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program for NASAs Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass., controls Chandras science and flight operations.
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SALINA, Kan. (AP) - In 1961, after NASA shot Alan Shepard into space, a 9-year-old boy named Steve Hawley asked his mother to buy him a dime-store telescope.
Several years and several telescopes later, he asked his mother and father to help pay for college. To study astronomy.
Some parents might ask how staring at stars would get him a job. But Bernie and Jeanne Hawley said yes.
Steve Hawley became the astronomer and astronaut who used the robot arm of the space shuttle Discovery in 1990 to lift the Hubble Space Telescope out of the cargo bay while flying in orbit at 17,398 mph.
Hubble weighed 11 tons. At 43 feet it was the length of a large school bus. And Steve Hawley, from Salina, parked it expertly in space, 360 miles above Earth.
The Hubble has made what scientists say are the most astonishing discoveries in human history. Its still up there making more.
Hawley has a unique relationship with the Hubble. He deployed it, repaired it years later in space. Now he is one of the long list of scientists who get to tap on an office keyboard and tell Hubble what to look for.
John Hawley, a theoretical astrophysicist at the University of Virginia, can list many other historic Hubble discoveries off the top of his head:
-The age of the universe: 13.7 billion years.
-Vivid, compelling evidence that everything in creation started with a Big Bang.
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(PRWEB) April 24, 2014
Hosted by the AstronomyOutreach network, the inaugural StarLight Festival is a unique celebration of science and astronomy that is set to launch on Memorial Day weekend under the stunning skies of Big Bear Lake, California.
Free and open to the public, this annual event will educate and entertain attendees of all ages in an engaging atmosphere of music and art through hands-on experiences, presentations by a range of world-renowned scientists and space explorers, interactive exhibits and spectacular observing sessions.
"The StarLight Festival was created by the AstronomyOutreach network to introduce astronomy and science to the general public. Astronomy is one of the roots of science, and observational astronomy performed in a public setting allows people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to gain greater scientific literacy, said Scott Roberts, founder of the AstronomyOutreach network. When people use their own eyes on a telescope, it opens their minds and hearts to exploring the universe for themselves from a perspective that is rarely experienced.
Although the true stars of the event will be found in the eyepieces of shared telescopes of all designs and sizes, the festival will feature a diverse slate of speakers for its debut year. The list of presenters includes U.S. Astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave; NASA/JPLs Dr. Linda Spilker, who is the Project Scientist for the Cassini Mission to Saturn; Dr. Seth Shostak, who is the Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute; and famed comet discoverer Dr. David Levy.
The event also will feature a STEM zone full of demonstrations and projects that will connect children with science, an exhibit space where major manufacturers will showcase the latest in astronomy and science-related gear, day and night observing opportunities and a wealth of door prizes.
Sponsored by Pepsi, the StarLight Festival is presented in partnership with the 46th Annual Riverside Telescope Makers Conference (RTMC), which will be happening concurrently nearby, and the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO-NJIT), which will provide exclusive tours during the two-day event.
Established in 2000, the AstronomyOutreach Network is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting public outreach in astronomy and space science.
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Earth
We at Deep Astronomy decided to celebrate Earth Day the way we really know how to: bringing perspective. In this special type of "GlobalSelfie", we look at amazing time-lapse footage taken...
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Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse - STABILIZED! - April 14-15, 2014 - StarDude Astronomy
OK everyone, are you ready, AGAIN!! This version has be updated and stabilized for an even better experience!! You are in for a real treat! I #39;ve spent the better part of a day today putting...
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Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse - STABILIZED! - April 14-15, 2014 - StarDude Astronomy - Video
60 Seconds at the Presidents Desk | Physics Astronomy Reading Room
ASUW President Michael Kutz discusses the addition of a data science studio on campus, and how this decision impacts students. Get engaged with us on Twitter using #ASUW60. facebook.com/asuwseatt...
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60 Seconds at the Presidents Desk | Physics & Astronomy Reading Room - Video
Awesome astronomy professor
Song - Why does the sun shine? Originally preformed by They Might Be Giants This phenomenal cover is done by Dr. Hoffman.
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Things I #39;d do for you- Astronomy
Freestyle dancing at the beach. Pahungaw sa gi bati?echoooos hahaha di sad lalim mu sayaw sa sand kay lisod e lihok :))
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Medford, Ore. -- Two astronomers from Southern Oregon will take the flight of their dreams to study the inner workings of outer space.
North Medford astronomy teacher, Robert Black and Southern Oregon Skywatchers amature astronomer, Dave Bloomsness were two of 24 chosen to fly aboard NASA's SOFIA - Stratospheric Observatory Infrared Astronomy. A highly modified Boeing 747sp.
The pair went through a rigorous selection process which included multiple weeks of advanced astronomy courses.
"It's like a NASCAR fan getting to race in the Indy500." said Bloomsness who has spent more than five-hundred hours volunteering at North Medford High School's Astronomy Department.
"The most important thing about this for me is for my friend Dave. He has been so selfless. I'm really happy to be able to kinda give back to Dave- He loves telescopes" said Black about his friend who he chose to tag along on the trip.
A total of twelve teams were selected and made up of both armature and professional astronomers.
The Southern Oregon team flies out from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California next week- spending two nights in the sky. They'll be observing and analyzing the most obscure objects using the on-board infrared lens.
Click the link below to follow their journey!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2guysflynasasofia/
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MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - About 1,800 Ball State University students take introductory astronomy courses each year, which is higher than the number taking such classes at Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame combined.
Our planetarium helps a lot in engaging our students in astronomy, said Ball State professor Ronald Kaitchuck, director of the universitys planetarium. Conventional astronomy classes dont do as well. With a planetarium, you can show people concepts more three dimensionally than on a flat screen or blackboard.
The planetarium will cease operations after showings at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It will be replaced in the fall by the new Charles W. Brown Planetarium.
At the final shows, visitors will see 47 Ursae Majoris, a yellow dwarf star, near the Big Dipper, about 46 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Ursa Major.
It is so far away that light from this star must travel for many years to reach the Earth, Kaitchuck will tell the final guests. The light we see tonight left that star in 1967.
Thats the same year the planetarium, a sky theater that can simulate the night sky at any place on Earth at any time of the year, opened in Room CP 90 at the Cooper Physical Science Building.
While the light from 47 Ursae Majoris was traveling to Earth, the first humans landed on the moon, black holes were found, and robotic rovers drove on Mars - and all of those events were the subject of planetarium programs that have educated an estimated 400,000 visitors.
There are about 50 planetariums in Indiana, most at high schools, middle schools and private colleges. They are often the same size as BSUs current planetarium. None of the other public universities in Indiana has a planetarium.
BSUs current planetarium seats 75, bench style. The new planetarium will seat 148, theater style.
The technology jumps 46 years, Kaitchuck told The Star Press (http://tspne.ws/1k6jrkw ). The planetarium we have now projects 1,500 of the brightest stars. The new one projects 10 million. If you think that will not look different, you are underestimating it.
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Astronomy Sketching Stars
Similar to regular sketching, astrosketching is a relaxing and rewarding activity where the subject is the beauty of the night sky. In this video, i #39;ll cover...
By: Michael Bernardo
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Project B.L.AST! (Bronx Learns Astronomy) at Bronx House
An innovative STEM learning program launched at the Bronx House Community Center, Project B.L.AST! (the Bronx Learns Astronomy) is the first after-school program of its type in the borough....
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Project B.L.AST! (Bronx Learns Astronomy) at Bronx House - Video
PHY195 Astronomy #10 Sp14
Astronomy with Bruce Betts http://www.youtube.com/csuDHTV.
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Astronomy professor discusses discovery of Kepler-186f
Karl Gebhardt is a professor at the University of Texas Astronomy Department. Speaking from Austin, Texas, he discusses the discovery of Kepler-186f.
By: Al Jazeera English
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Astronomy professor discusses discovery of Kepler-186f - Video