New Astronomy Technique Reveals Monster at the Center of the Milky Way
Stripping away the Milky Way #39;s stars, planets, rocks and dust reveals a massive black hole lurking just 26000 light years from Earth. | For more STRIP THE COSMOS, visit http://www.sciencechannel.c...
By: Science Channel
View post:
New Astronomy Technique Reveals Monster at the Center of the Milky Way - Video
Astronomy for Astronomers Only
Description.
By: Higher Truth Channel
Read the rest here:
Astronomy C12 - 2014-10-30: Saturn, rings, moons, Titan and Enceladus
Astronomy C12, 001 - Fall 2014 The Planets - Geoffrey W. Marcy All Rights Reserved.
By: UCBerkeley
Here is the original post:
Astronomy C12 - 2014-10-30: Saturn, rings, moons, Titan and Enceladus - Video
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (15 of 21) How CCDs Revolutionized Astronomy
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain how CCDs, charged coupled devices, revolutionized astronomy.
By: Michel van Biezen
Read the original post:
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (15 of 21) How CCDs Revolutionized Astronomy - Video
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (20 of 21) What is Infrared Astronomy
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain what is infrared astronomy on why is the atmosphere opaque to certain wavelengths.
By: Michel van Biezen
See original here:
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (20 of 21) What is Infrared Astronomy - Video
Astronomys essential diagram | Dr Gregory Wirth | TEDxKamuela
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Dr Gregory Wirth brings us closer to the universe and how scientists use brightness, color, and other...
By: TEDx Talks
The rest is here:
Astronomys essential diagram | Dr Gregory Wirth | TEDxKamuela - Video
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have completed the largest and most sensitive visible-light imaging survey of dusty debris disks around other stars. These dusty disks, likely created by collisions between leftover objects from planet formation, were imaged around stars as young as 10 million years old and as mature as more than 1 billion years old.
"It's like looking back in time to see the kinds of destructive events that once routinely happened in our solar system after the planets formed," said survey leader Glenn Schneider of the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory. The survey's results appeared in the Oct. 1, 2014, issue of The Astronomical Journal.
Once thought to be simply pancake-like structures, the unexpected diversity and complexity and varying distribution of dust among these debris systems strongly suggest these disks are gravitationally affected by unseen planets orbiting the star. Alternatively, these effects could result from the stars' passing through interstellar space.
The researchers discovered that no two "disks" of material surrounding stars look the same. "We find that the systems are not simply flat with uniform surfaces," Schneider said. "These are actually pretty complicated three-dimensional debris systems, often with embedded smaller structures. Some of the substructures could be signposts of unseen planets." The astronomers used Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph to study 10 previously discovered circumstellar debris systems, plus comparatively, MP Mus, a mature protoplanetary disk of age comparable to the youngest of the debris disks.
Irregularities observed in one ring-like system in particular, around a star called HD 181327, resemble the ejection of a huge spray of debris into the outer part of the system from the recent collision of two bodies.
"This spray of material is fairly distant from its host star -- roughly twice the distance that Pluto is from the Sun," said co-investigator Christopher Stark of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. "Catastrophically destroying an object that massive at such a large distance is difficult to explain, and it should be very rare. If we are in fact seeing the recent aftermath of a massive collision, the unseen planetary system may be quite chaotic."
Another interpretation for the irregularities is that the disk has been mysteriously warped by the star's passage through interstellar space, directly interacting with unseen interstellar material. "Either way, the answer is exciting," Schneider said. "Our team is currently analyzing follow-up observations that will help reveal the true cause of the irregularity."
Over the past few years astronomers have found an incredible diversity in the architecture of exoplanetary systems -- planets are arranged in orbits that are markedly different than found in our solar system. "We are now seeing a similar diversity in the architecture of accompanying debris systems," Schneider said. "How are the planets affecting the disks, and how are the disks affecting the planets? There is some sort of interdependence between a planet and the accompanying debris that might affect the evolution of these exoplanetary debris systems."
From this small sample, the most important message to take away is one of diversity, Schneider said. He added that astronomers really need to understand the internal and external influences on these systems, such as stellar winds and interactions with clouds of interstellar material, and how they are influenced by the mass and age of the parent star, and the abundance of heavier elements needed to build planets.
Though astronomers have found nearly 4,000 exoplanet candidates since 1995, mostly by indirect detection methods, only about two dozen light-scattering, circumstellar debris systems have been imaged over that same time period. That's because the disks are typically 100,000 times fainter than, and often very close to, their bright parent stars. The majority have been seen because of Hubble's ability to perform high-contrast imaging, in which the overwhelming light from the star is blocked to reveal the faint disk that surrounds the star.
The rest is here:
Astronomy 100 Hydrostatic Equilibrium
By: tewing54
Originally posted here:
Astronomy 100 The Four Fundamental Forces
By: tewing54
More here:
Learning Space - Early Childhood Astronomy
CQ Event Page: https://plus.google.com/events/c3oerl3968p3d16rd3c6o9nq364 Learning Space is a weekly Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach, and other ways to share...
By: Nicole Gugliucci
Read this article:
The University of Hawai'i (UH) will today assume ownership of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) on Mauna Kea. UKIRT is one of the world's leading astronomical observatories.
Professor Gary Davis, Director of the Joint Astronomy Center which has been operating UKIRT for the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), said, "UKIRT has been a fabulous success story for British astronomy over its 35-year lifetime. I have never known a machine that inspires such affection amongst its users. Over the past decade, the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) has opened up new frontiers in infrared astronomy, and as a consequence UKIRT has been the most productive telescope on the planet for the past two years. It has been my honor to be the director of this remarkable observatory."
Professor Pat Roche, final chair of the UKIRT board, added "Astronomers using UKIRT have made many world-leading discoveries, including the detection and characterization of the weak emission from brown dwarfs to the identification of the most distant quasar known. UKIRT's innovative instruments have played a key role in the development of the field of infrared astronomy, with a rich stream of astronomical results supporting research programs and student training at universities throughout the UK and beyond. The telescope remains a very powerful instrument at the peak of its performance, and I am confident that it will continue to produce exciting results under the new operational arrangements."
Professor Grahame Blair, Director of Science Programs at STFC, said, "We are delighted to be transferring UKIRT to the University of Hawai'i who will be continuing with an active research program. UKIRT has been a valuable observatory for astronomers in the UK for many years and I would like to thank all the staff and scientists who made it so productive."
STFC announced in 2012, following a review of observational capabilities, that it would no longer continue to support the telescope in a tightly constrained financial environment. STFC extended operations of UKIRT while arrangements for its future were made, including completing the highly productive UKIDSS sky survey. To support the UK astronomical community, STFC is funding a range of telescopes, including access to the European Southern Observatory's facilities such as VISTA and the VLT, ALMA and work on future facilities such as the Square Kilometre Array and the European Extremely Large Telescope, to maintain the UK's world leading position in astronomy.
Upon the cessation of UK-funded operations, the existing sublease for the UKIRT will be terminated. The facility and responsibility for the site, including the telescope, all instruments, associated equipment and software will transfer to the University of Hawai'i.
The University of Hawai'i has negotiated a Scientific Cooperation Agreement with the University of Arizona and Lockheed Martin Space Technology Advanced Research and Development Laboratories to provide for the UKIRT's continued scientific operation, initially using only the Wide-Field Camera, built at the UK ATC and used for the survey observations. The new operators have also started to refurbish and re-commission several of UKIRT's other instruments.
Dr. Guenther Hasinger, director of the UH Institute for Astronomy, said, "We are delighted that UKIRT will continue to produce top quality astronomical research. With a capable new operator and state-of-the-art instrumentation, UKIRT can continue to be a world leader in infrared astronomy for at least 10 more years."
X
Read this article:
University of Hawai'i Assumes Ownership of UK Infrared Telescope
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (10 of 25) What Are the Limitations of the Refracting Telescope?
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain the limitations of the refracting telescope.
By: Michel van Biezen
More:
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (11 of 25) The Newtonian Reflecting Telescope
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain the Newtonian reflecting telescopes.
By: Michel van Biezen
Go here to see the original:
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (11 of 25) The Newtonian Reflecting Telescope - Video
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (12 of 25) Atmospheric Limitations for Telescopes
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will discuss the atmosphere conditions that affect the astronomers abilit...
By: Michel van Biezen
Read the rest here:
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (12 of 25) Atmospheric Limitations for Telescopes - Video
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (18 of 21) Radio Telescopes VLA (Very Large Array)
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain today #39;s radio telescopes, VLA (Very Large Array).
By: Michel van Biezen
See the rest here:
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (18 of 21) Radio Telescopes VLA (Very Large Array) - Video
Citizen science. Crowdsourcing. Data mining. The talk of Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and universities worldwide, these activities were pioneered by a 103-year-old network of astronomy enthusiasts. That organization, the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), is providing key pieces to the biggest puzzles in astronomy, says educator and researcher Styliani (Stella) Kafka, who will become the organizations sixth director next February. According to Dr. Kafka, variable stars are front and center when it comes to finding new solar systems or to measuring the dark energy that powers the universes expansion.Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, the AAVSO coordinates the activities of nearly 1,000 active astronomers, gathering over a million observations yearly from these citizen-scientists -- many of whom are self-taught amateurs with backyard telescopes. The resulting database of over 26 million observations is used by hundreds of educators and research scientists annually. In turn, these investigators are shedding new light on some of the biggest questions in science -- questions that range from the universes long-term fate (will it expand ever-faster until every galaxy recedes from view?) to the likelihood of life on planets orbiting other stars.A graduate of the University of Athens and Indiana University, Dr. Kafka will lead the AAVSO even farther into a brave new world -- a world where digital technology has enabled backyard astronomers to point the way for billion-dollar space missions. Shes the ideal person for taking the organization to the next level, says Arne Henden, the AAVSOs outgoing director, of his successor: She has the ability to work with the professional and amateur communities both.First as a student and then as a postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Kafka has investigated some of the universes most dynamic phenomena. Case in point: the ominously named cataclysmic variables. In these cosmic duets, one stars gravity captures part of another stars atmosphere, leading to sporadic but explosive outbursts of matter and radiation. These outbreaks of stellar cannibalism can erupt overnight, and the AAVSOs global network of active observers has enabled professional astronomers -- even those using the Hubble Space Telescope -- to catch the culprits in the act. Coordinating such networks and curating their data is so vital that NASA and the U.S. National Science Foundation regularly support the AAVSO with research grants.We are doing a lot more today than we did ten or twenty years ago, says Dr. Henden, thanks to the AAVSOs talented staff, generous benefactors, and tireless observers. That said, the outgoing and incoming directors both hope that the organization can make even greater strides, both in the use of technology and in supporting K-12 education. Astronomy is ideal for bringing science to younger folks, says Henden. Dr. Kafka concurs: We would like to have a bigger presence in the classroom. Smartphone apps could enable students and teachers to learn astronomy while keeping abreast of stellar explosions that can be seen with binoculars or even the unaided eye. Meanwhile, online communications can enlarge the AAVSOs already robust tradition of mentorship -- of experienced observers training new citizen-scientists to acquire or analyze astronomical data.The AAVSO is more than an astronomy club, says Kafka, It is a community of astro-enthusiasts who are curious about the mechanics of the night sky, and it is an essential support network for scientists trying to solve fundamental questions in astrophysics.Contacts:Rebecca Turner+1 617-354-0484rebecca@aavso.orgElizabeth O. Waagen+1 617-354-0484eowaagen@aavso.org
Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Link:
American Association of Variable Star Observers Names New Director
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (13 of 21) Adaptive Optics to Our Atmosphere
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain how adaptive optics are use to counter our atmosphere.
By: Michel van Biezen
Read the original post:
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (13 of 21) Adaptive Optics to Our Atmosphere - Video
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (14 of 21) How Interferometry Improve Telescope Resolutions
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain how interferometry is used to better the resolutions of our ...
By: Michel van Biezen
See more here:
Astronomy - Ch. 6: Telescopes (14 of 21) How Interferometry Improve Telescope Resolutions - Video
Evelina Voznesenskaya-False Astronomy(w. xPrincess Isablellex)
There is such a big contrast between our parts. Her parts(1,3) are just gorgeous. Well mine (2,4) are just in the middle, I was first time editing in this style but probably the last:/ Anyway,...
By: Kourt Aiste
Excerpt from:
Evelina Voznesenskaya-False Astronomy(w. xPrincess Isablellex) - Video
Astronomy Cast 356: Inertia
An object at rest stays at rest, and object in motion tends to stay in motion. This is inertia, defined famously by Isaac Newton in his First Law of Motion.
By: Fraser Cain
See more here: