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Astronomy celebrated with annual open house in Manoa

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2015 is the International Year of Light, as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, and that was the theme in Manoa Sunday, as hundreds turned out for the annual UH Institute for Astronomy open house.

Light-related activities included observing the sun through telescopes, seeing what you look like through an infrared camera, learning about the invisible universe, and using light from distant objects in the universe to learn their composition and temperature.

I just think the diversity is amazing, said parent Lisa Hartwell-Tindle. They have so many cool things here for your kids to learn and all the hands-on stuff is amazing for an almost 5-year-old, and of course, hes only interested in the face paint.

There were also 3D printers, a wind tunnel, air-powered rockets, and a portable planetarium.

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Astronomy celebrated with annual open house in Manoa

Bad Week For Alien Hunters

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For alien hunters, the last couple of weeks have been a roller coaster ride. First there were tantalizing hints that so-called Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) scattered across the deep sky tended towards integerized mathematical patterns. News of this remote possibility, in turn, created a minor news flap over whether these extragalactic microwave bursts might have some artificial (non-human) origin.

But John Learned, the second author of a paper that raised the specter of communicating aliens from cosmological distances in deep space, has since thrown cold water on the idea.

Germanys 100-meter Effelsberg radiotelescope which has also picked up Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) (AP Photo/Roland Weihrauch)

As I noted earlier in Forbes, most FRBs have been detected using Australias Parkes single-dish, 64-meter radio telescope and produce a single burst of pulsed radiation that is no longer than a few milliseconds.

Learned says they seem to originate from four or five different spots on the sky and points out that there are no repeated microwave pulses from the same direction. If we were getting a bunch of them from one direction then wed have to think more about that [being E.T.], said Learned.

He and colleagues are also basically ruling out a natural origin that they were some sort of colliding neutron star or highly engergetic type supernovae. Nor, they say, are such bursts likely to be galactic chirping from an exotic pulsar.

Most probably, says Learned, they are some sort of interference from government radar or satellite; maybe even reflected missile defense radio waves bouncing off the moon.

Even so, Learned admits that he and colleagues were initially spurred to do their FRB analysis to check if in fact these strange bursts could represent evidence of E.T.I.

The trouble is that any time you publish anything about [potential] E.T.I., said Learned, It gets sensationalized.

The real killer for their being intelligent signals is the association with the UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) integer second, says Learned. The comsos does not know nor care about our time unit of the second, said Learned. Nor does E.T., unless they are here in our terrestrial neighborhood and, even so, why would they?

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Bad Week For Alien Hunters

ETSU physics students explore the galaxy

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April 13th, 2015 11:00 am by Jennifer Hill, Community Contributor

JOHNSON CITY Fourteen East Tennessee State University students recently attended a workshop on radio astronomy at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) in Brevard, N.C.

During the workshop, they learned how to use a radio telescope and made astronomical observations at radio frequencies of a variety of objects, including radio galaxies, supernova remnants, quasars, the plane of the Milky Way galaxy and the sun.

Because Earths atmosphere is transparent to most radio waves, radio astronomy can be done from the surface of the Earth, like visible-light astronomy, but unlike X-ray, ultraviolet or gamma ray astronomy, explained Dr. Beverly Smith, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in ETSUs College of Arts and Sciences.

Following the workshop, the college students now are visiting local high school classes to share their experiences in this program, an effort funded by a grant from the Physics Teachers Education Coalition, which is supported by the American Physical Society and the National Science Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Learning Experience in Astronomy and Physics Scholarship fund through the ETSU Foundation.

One of the goals of this program is to provide our students with additional outside-the-classroom, hands-on laboratory experiences, said Smith, principal investigator of the grant.

ETSU physics majors who participated in the workshop at PARI were: Elizabeth Williams, Alcoa; Susan Olmsted, Bristol; Dalton Cody Hunley, Church Hill; Tulsi Amin, David Baldwin, Andrew Boghozian, Bryan Matthew Cannon, David Frost, Hannah Greene and Benjamin Tyler McKinney, all of Johnson City; Ashton Morelock, Jonesborough; Austin Patrick, Telford; Holden Dingus, Clintwood, Va.; and William Asbury, Wytheville, Va.

The astronomy program within ETSUs Department of Physics and Astronomy boasts a faculty of five Ph.D. astronomers. In addition to the on-campus Harry D. Powell Observatory, ETSU astronomers have access to three other visible-light telescopes around the world as part of the departments membership in the Southeastern Association in Research in Astronomy.

ETSU recently started an academic minor in astronomy for undergraduates, which includes courses in Extragalactic Astronomy, Variable Stars, Astrophysics and a new course, Women in Astronomy.

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ETSU physics students explore the galaxy

Simply stellar! Stunning photos show what you can see in the night sky above Greater Manchester

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These stunning photos reveal just how much you can see in the night sky above Greater Manchester.

The pictures, taken by members of Stretford Facebook Astronomy Group and Heaton Park Astronomy Group, include Mars and Jupiter plus galaxies 23 million light years away.

Other more familiar sights include detailed pictures of the moon and the Orion galaxy - recognisable for its belt of three parallel stars.

All the photos have been taken using telescopes with camera attachments in Manchester, Stretford, Bolton and Middleton.

Pete Collins, a member of Heaton Park Astronomy Group for the last eight years, said: From Manchester you can see around 300 stars, if youre lucky - in the countryside its more like 3,000.

Having said that, this does make it easier for beginners to identify some of the most well-known constellations like The Plough.

I think part of the attraction of it for me is standing out under the night sky feeling a very small part of things.

Terry Roberts, 52, who started the Stretford Facebook Astronomy Group for people to share photos, said: Ive been into astronomy my whole life but was only able to afford a telescope and then the filters and cameras a few years ago.

I tried to get funding to set up a group but couldnt so I thought a Facebook group would still let people share photos.

The next major event visible from Greater Manchester in the night sky will be the Lyrid Meteor shower, on April 23.

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Simply stellar! Stunning photos show what you can see in the night sky above Greater Manchester

BACKYARD ASTRONOMER: Celebrate astronomy

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April is a great for month star gazers, and the perfect time to celebrate astronomy. Saturday, April 25, is designated International Astronomy Day; astronomy clubs, observatories and planetariums all over the world will dedicate themselves to bringing astronomy to the public. Locally, the Huachuca Astronomy Club will celebrate the day at the Sierra Vista Library. The fun starts about 10 a.m. when HAC members will set up telescopes to safely observe the sun. Weather permitting, youll view the sun through specially designed telescopes that will reveal not only sun spots but spectacular prominences, filaments, and flares. There will be handouts, stickers and tattoos for kids provided by the NASA Space Place and maybe a few surprises. Before the scopes are packed up at 2 p.m., there will be a chance to view the moon and catch a daytime glimpseofVenus.

Earlier that same week is Earth Day and local astronomers plan two events for Thursday April 23rd. The first will coincide with the Farmers Market at Veterans Memorial Park. Telescopes will be aimed sunward from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park so that shoppers can stop by and take a look. Later that night, the Patterson Observatory will open for its monthly public night. The moon, Venus and Jupiter will make fine targets in twilight and I suspect there will be telescopes set up before the official start at 7:30 p.m. Once its dark, guests will be able to view through the giant 20-inch telescope. The Patterson Observatory is located on the University of Arizona, Sierra Vista Campus and is owned by the University South Foundation, Inc. It is supported entirely by your contributions; there is a donation box near the front door if you would liketohelp.

Celebrating astronomy need not be limited to these special days though; the April sky is full of grand vistas worth celebrating. Venus steals the show in the hours after sunset each night. It is the brightest object in the night sky after the moon this month. It makes a really lovely sight as it passes through Taurus, flanked by that constellations two brightest naked eye clusters, the Hyades and the Pleiades. From April 19 through 21, a crescent moon adds to the artistry of the scene. On April 10, Venus passes just 3-degrees south ofthePleaides.

Jupiter is high in the south at sunset and dominates the western sky after Venus sets. While fainter than Venus, it still outshines even the brightest stars and its cloud tops make a colorful, ever-changing display. Jupiters four large moons are favorably aligned this month for easy detection in binoculars and telescope users will see frequent eclipses, occultations and transits of the moons. During an eclipse, one moon is dimmed by the shadow of another. An occultation occurs when one moon passes in front of another so that the two objects merge. And a transit occurs when a moon crosses in front ofJupiteritself.

Saturn rises about 10:30 p.m. on April 1st and rises earlier each night. By months end, it rises at 8:30 p.m. and throughout the month it gets brighter and appears larger in the telescope. Saturns magnificent rings, now tilted more than 24-degrees from edge on, make the planet a spectacular sight in a telescope. That large tilt makes Saturn appear unusually bright this year and by May 22, when it lies directly opposite the sun, Saturn will dominate thenightsky.

The Lyrid meteor shower, so called because the meteors appear to emanate from the direction of the constellation Lyra, just barely makes it into the major meteor shower category. Actually, they are typically rather feeble. But this year they are predicted to be a bit stronger than usual and they enjoy the added benefit of peaking in a moonless sky. They will peak overnight on April 22-23 and are worth a look. The moon sets about 11:30 p.m. that night. If you dedicate an hour to meteor watching sometime between 11 p.m. on April 22, and dawn on the April 23, you are liable to see as many as 15 or even20meteors.

TED FORTEis a member of the Huachuca Astronomy Club and a contributing editor for Sky & Telescope magazine. He can be reachedattedforte511@gmail.com.

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BACKYARD ASTRONOMER: Celebrate astronomy

Bright future for dark sky sites as astrotourism grows in appeal

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Stargazers gathered in Northumberland National Park, the only place in England granted Dark Sky Park status

They are the darkness seekers and they are growing in number.

On Black Fell, looking down on Northumberlands beautiful Kielder Water reservoir, a group of people wait in a car park next to a strange wooden building with a minimalist design beamed down from the future.

This is Kielder Observatory, the centre of Britains nascent astrotourism industry. And those waiting outside last Thursday evening were the lucky ones. Many more had applied for a night of stargazing at the observatory, but numbers are strictly limited.

Inside, next to a woodburner and under dimmed lights, the observatorys founder and lead astronomer, Gary Fildes, a former bricklayer with Tarzan hair, delivers a pep talk to his colleagues and volunteers.

The team discusses the prospect of seeing the northern lights, but Fildes is doubtful. Instead they decide to train their powerful telescopes on Jupiter and Venus and later to pick out stars such as Capella and Betelgeuse. An additional attraction is the appearance of the International Space Station.

Remember, Fildes tells his team, its about interaction, its about entertainment, its about inspiring people.

He puts on some music. Pink Floyd, the Jam, the Pogues. By 9.30 the sky is going to be sexy, Fildes says. Its going to be epic.

Fildes, 49, is at the forefront of the UKs burgeoning astrotourism industry. The pivotal moment for Northumberland came in 2013 when the entire national park housing Hadrians Wall, along with Kielder Water and Forest Park, some 1,500 sq km, was awarded Dark Sky Park status, the only one in England. Dark Sky Parks are rare. The 2013 Star Count revealed that only 5% of the UK population can see more than 31 stars on a good night.

The Tucson, Arizona-based International Dark Skies Association (IDA) confers the status only on places that take major steps to avoid light pollution. Recipients must also prove their night skies are sufficiently dark. In Northumberland Dark Sky Park, as the area was rebadged, it is so dark that Venus casts a shadow on the Earth.

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Bright future for dark sky sites as astrotourism grows in appeal

Highlights of the Night Sky – April 2015 | Astronomy Space Science Video – Video

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Highlights of the Night Sky - April 2015 | Astronomy Space Science Video
More space news and info at: http://www.coconutsciencelab.com - what to look for in the night sky during April 2015. Please rate and comment, thanks! Credits: STScI.

By: CoconutScienceLab

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Highlights of the Night Sky - April 2015 | Astronomy Space Science Video - Video

The Next Big Questions in Astronomy – Professor Carolin Crawford – Video

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The Next Big Questions in Astronomy - Professor Carolin Crawford
In her final Gresham Lecture, Professor Crawford talks about where the next big breakthrough will come

By: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-next-big-questions For each exciting...

By: GreshamCollege

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The Next Big Questions in Astronomy - Professor Carolin Crawford - Video


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