Monthly Archives: April 2022

Kathy Kurth has been awarded the 2022 Hancher-Finkbine Staff Medallion, one of the most prestigious honors given at the University of Iowa.

The Hancher-Finkbine Medallions were presented at the annual Finkbine Dinner April 12. The event is an opportunity for members of the University community to recognize their peers for exemplary dedication in leadership, learning, and loyalty. These awards honor and celebrate distinguished students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Kurth is a secretary in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, where she has worked for more than 40 years in the Radio and Plasma Wave Space Physics Research Group primarily assisting the late Professor Donald Gurnett. She supports a team of talented and dedicated faculty, staff, and students developing spaceflight instruments and conducting data analysis studies.

I am honored to be recognized for my many years of supporting the University's mission. Each day when people go to work, they hope to do something worthwhile, make positive contributions, accomplish tasks. Being nominated and selected to receive the Hancher-Finkbine Medallion Staff Award is a recognition that my effort is worthwhile. In the nomination for the award, Departmental Administrator Heather Mineart said Kurth is one of the pillars of the Department, from assisting numerous graduate students with their theses, helping organize and edit Professor Gurnetts various class notes and his Plasma Physics textbook, to helping staff navigate the various University policies and rules.

Kathy exhibits leadership and fortitude in her job duties as well as the work of her research group and the department as a whole, Mineart said. She is consistently thinking outside the box.

In addition to supporting teaching and research, Kurth assists with planning meetings and events that showcase and promote the University of Iowas past, present, and future roles in space science. She helped organize events honoring space pioneers Professor James A. Van Allen and Professor Donald Gurnett, and coordinated exhibits and public outreach across Iowa.

She is also involved in preserving historical material for the University archives, and has recently assembled two book volumes highlighting the department through photos from circa 1936 to the present day.

Banner photo: University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson with Kathy Kurth at the Finkbine Dinner Celebration.

See the original post here:

Kathy Kurth Awarded Hancher-Finkbine Staff Medallion | Physics and Astronomy - The University of Iowa - The University of Iowa

Dr. Sohini Sastri, the best astrologer in India, is known for her accurate prediction and effective guidance with vast knowledge of astrology and occult science. She is a KP Astrologer with 15+ years of experience in Vedic astrology, palmistry, vastu etc.

Dr. Sastri is rewarded by President of india, Vice President of india and Governors of three states. She has written many books about astrology and regular columnist of many popular magazines and a very popular face in different TV shows.

Dr. Sastri, today we have another interesting yet debateful topic for you. Are astrology and astronomy two different notions?

Have you ever considered that the stars you enjoy looking at may have an impact on your future predictions? We've all been obsessed with checking out zodiac sign forecasts in newspapers to see what lays ahead of us during the day at some point in our lives. From here, we may make life decisions about our business, love lives, marriages, finances, careers, and even health predictions. The concept of planets and celestial bodies lie just under astronomy and astrophysics, taught to us in schools until we realized its importance in our life events.

Ancient astronomy and astrology were taken under the same branch of knowledge. But after the 17th century, the two concepts were separated with an important distinction.

Astrology and astronomy were once viewed as one, and it was only with the rejection of astrology that they were eventually divided in Western 17th century thought. Astronomy was seen as the foundation upon which astrology might function during the latter half of the mediaeval period. They have been considered wholly independent fields since the 18th century. Astronomy is a science that studies objects and phenomena that originate outside of the Earth's atmosphere. It is a widely studied academic discipline. While Astrology is a form of divination that uses the apparent positions of celestial objects to predict future events. It is a pseudoscience with no scientific validity, yet vast acceptance.

Overview

Most cultures did not draw a clear distinction between the two disciplines before to the modern era, lumping them together as one. There were no separate duties for the astronomer as predictor of celestial occurrences and the astrologer as interpreter of celestial phenomena in ancient Babylonia, which was famous for its astrology. This does not imply that astrology and astronomy were always considered synonymous. Pre-Socratic intellectuals including Anaximander, Xenophanes, Anaximenes, and Heraclides pondered the nature and substance of the stars and planets in ancient Greece. Eudoxus, for example, observed planetary motions and cycles and developed a geocentric cosmology model that Aristotle accepted. This hypothesis was universally accepted until Ptolemy added epicycles to account for Mars' retrograde velocity. Aristarchus of Samos proposed a proto-heliocentric theory in 250 BC, which was not revisited for nearly two millennia. Because the motions of the heavens indicate an organized and harmonious cosmos, the Platonic school advocated astronomy as an element of philosophy. Babylonian astrology began to make an impact in Greece in the third century BC. Hellenistic philosophers such as Carneades, the Academic Skeptic, and Panaetius, the Middle Stoic, both condemned astrology.

The Stoic beliefs of the Great Year and everlasting recurrence, on the other hand, enabled divination and fatalism.

Astrological literature from Hellenistic and Arabic astrologers were translated into Latin, astrology became extensively respected in mediaeval Europe. Its acceptability or rejection in the late Middle Ages was frequently determined by its reception in European royal courts. Astrology was not rejected as a part of scholastic philosophy rather than empirical observation until the time of Francis Bacon. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when astrology was increasingly regarded as an arcane science or superstition by the intellectual elite, a more definitive divide between astrology and astronomy emerged in the West.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Astronomy's main purpose is to comprehend the physics of the universe. Astrologers utilise astronomical calculations to determine the positions of celestial bodies along the ecliptic and try to link celestial occurrences to earthly events and human problems. To examine or explain occurrences in the universe, astronomers continuously apply the scientific method, naturalistic presuppositions, and abstract mathematical reasoning. Astrologers explain happenings in the cosmos using mystical or religious reasoning, as well as traditional folklore, symbolism, and superstition mixed with mathematical forecasts. Astrologers do not always follow the scientific method.Astrologers perform their profession geocentrically, believing the cosmos to be harmonic, changeless, and static, but astronomers have used the scientific method to conclude that the universe has no centre and is dynamic, spreading outward as predicted by the Big Bang theory. Astrologers think that a person's personality and future are determined by the location of the stars and planets. Astronomers have studied the actual stars and planets, but no evidence has been found to support astrological notions. Personality is studied by psychologists, and while there are many theories of personality, none of them are founded on astrology. This theory of personality is used by career counselors and life coaches but not by psychologists.

Astrologers and astronomers both believe the Earth is a vital part of the universe, and that the Earth and the universe are intertwined as one cosmos. Astrologers, on the other hand, present the universe as having a supernatural, metaphysical, and divine essence that actively influences world events and people's personal lives. Regardless of their personal opinions, astronomers, as members of the scientific community, cannot utilise in their scientific writings interpretations that are not drawn from scientifically replicable conditions.

Historical Divergence

Astrology financing supported certain astronomical study, which was then utilised to create more accurate ephemerides for astrological usage. Astronomia was one of the original Seven Liberal Arts in Medieval Europe, and it was widely used to embrace both fields because it included the study of astronomy and astrology together and without difference. Court astrologers were commonly engaged by kings and other rulers to assist them in making decisions in their kingdoms, thereby sponsoring astronomical study. Astrology was taught to university medical students since it was commonly employed in medical practice.During the 17th through 19th centuries, astronomy and astrology diverged. Although Copernicus did not practice astrology (or empirical astronomy; his work was theoretical), the most significant astronomers prior to Isaac Newton were astrologers by trade: Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo Galilei.

I believe, I have given enough information and facts. But the debate must stays on as our history is vastly connected to this.

Continued here:

Are Astronomy And Astrology Two Different Notions? - Outlook India

The Australian National University (ANU) is seeking to appoint an outstanding Director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA).

RSAA is recognized both nationally and internationally as a leading research institute in astronomy and astrophysics. Itoperates two world-famous observatories and has a long history of research and technical development at the forefront of the field. The Schools mission is to advance the observational and theoretical frontiers of astronomy and astrophysics and their enabling technologies.

Reporting to the Dean of the ANU College of Science, the School Director provides leadership and fosters excellence across the range of the Schools activities including research, educationtechnology development, and external engagement.The appointee will lead the School in the next phase of its evolution, facilitating and promoting a culture of high-performance and collegiality. They will be an effective advocate for the School, and will work collegially with other senior staff of the university to achieve the strategic aims of the College and the University.

The successful candidate will have: an understanding of current issues, challenges and opportunities in research and education in the astronomy and astrophysics disciplines; strong communication skills; the capacity to develop sustainable and productive teams, and relationships with internal and external stakeholders; good judgement and a collegial leadership style that encourages ideas, initiative and research excellence in others. They will havea respectful interpersonal style and high levels of energy, passion and resilience.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD or have equivalent professional experience, and will have an internationally-recognised, academic career in astronomy, astrophysics or a related field. They will haveproven experience in research leadership and in leading an academic school, department or institute and have the capacity to develop and implement a compelling vision and strategy, including innovation in the latest teaching and pedagogy across large scale research and education programs.

For further information and a copy of the information booklet, please contact Kent Vidler, Deputy Manager, ANU Executive Search on +61 408 421 119 or executivesearch@anu.edu.au

Please note advertising closes on Sunday 22 May, 11:55 pm AEST.

ANU values diversity and inclusion and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to those of all backgrounds and identities. For more information about staff equity at ANU, visithttps://services.anu.edu.au/human-resources/respect-inclusion

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a background check during the recruitment process. An offer of employment is conditional on satisfactory results.

Excerpt from:

Director, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics job with AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (ANU) | 289685 - Times Higher Education

Markarians Chain is a string of eight galaxies straddling the boundary between Virgo and Coma Berenices. Messier 84 and 86 (farthest right [west]) dominate together with The Eyes, interacting NGC 4435 and 4438, lying to the left (east) of Messier pairing. Image: Terry Hancock.When: all night throughout April.

Whats special: The Virgo Cluster of galaxies reigns supreme for galaxy enthusiasts on spring nights. Its teeming galaxy fields, centred either side of the boundary between Virgo and Coma Berenices, are crammed with any number of outstanding individual galaxy gems, but if youre wanting more bang for your buck, then track down Markarians Chain, a string of galaxies that includes Messier 84 and 86 and the interacting pair NGC 4435 and 4438, popularly called The Eyes.

How to observe: Markarians Chain consists of a line of at least eight galaxies that curves north and east from Messier 84 and 86, just inside Virgo, and extends for about 1.5 degrees to NGC 4477 in Coma Berenices. All of the chain gang should be within range of a 150mm (six-inch) telescope.

Dominant at the western end of the chain are Messier 84 and 86, a pair of ninth-magnitude elliptical galaxies (classed as E1 and E3, respectively) lying around 17 apart. The next two links in the chain, NGC 4435 and 4438 (also catalogued as Arp 120), the interacting starburst pair known as The Eyes, are the most interesting. NGC 4435 is the smaller, more northerly galaxy of the pair, a barred lenticular that, shining at magnitude +10.8, is fainter than NGC 4438, its larger and much-disrupted neighbour (+10.0), though it exhibits a higher surface brightness.

Moving further north and east but staying in Virgo sees NGC 4461, a 4 1 eleventh-magnitude spiral, with NGC 4458, a smaller and round elliptical. The last links in the chain lie across the boundary in Coma. NGC 4473 is a magnitude +10.2 class E5 elliptical spanning 5 3 and, finally, lying around 12 north is magnitude +10.4 NGC 4477, another spiral which covers 4 3.

Original post:

Markarian's Chain -the eyes have it! Astronomy Now - Astronomy Now Online

The frustrating quest for dark-matter continues. An unidentified X-ray signature recently observed in a nearby galaxy clusters is not due to the decay of dark matter, researchers report. The findings ruled out previously proposed interpretations of dark matter particle physics. But the near future for solving this great mystery of 21st-century astronomy looks bright.

Despite its cosmological abundance and the well-established astrophysical evidence of its existence, little is known about the mysterious, invisible dark matter particles. Some models of dark matter predict that they might slowly decay into ordinary matter. If so, the process of dark matter decay would produce faint photon emissions detectable by X-ray telescopes.

The Empty-Sky Gamma-Ray Mystery -Evidence of Dark Matter?

Unidentified X-ray Emission Line

Recent X-ray observations of nearby galaxy clusters have detected an unidentified X-ray emission line at 3.5 kiloelectronvolts (keV), which has been interpreted by some as a signature of dark matter decay. Specifically, the X-ray emission was linked to a hypothetical dark matter particle known as a sterile neutrino a theoretical particle that is believed to interact only via gravity and not via other fundamental interactions of the Standard Model. If this is correct, dark matter surrounding our Galaxy should decay and produce a similar X-ray emission line, spread faintly across the entire night sky.

Physicists have suggested that dark matter is a closely related cousin of the neutrino, called the sterile neutrino. Neutrinos subatomic particles with no charge and which rarely interact with matter are released during nuclear reactions taking place inside the sun. They have a tiny amount of mass, but this mass isnt explained by the Standard Model of Particle Physics. Physicists suggest that the sterile neutrino, a hypothetical particle, could account for this mass and also be dark matter.

Searching the Milky Ways Dark-Matter Halo

Christopher Dessert and colleagues searched for the 3.5 keV signal within the ambient halo of the Milky Way using data from the European Space Agencys XMM-Newton space telescope. Everywhere we look, there should be some flux of dark matter from the Milky Way halo, said Nicholas Rodd, currently a particle phenomenologist at CERN, because of our solar systems location in the galaxy. We exploited the fact that we live in a halo of dark matter. Rodds research focuses on the search for dark matter in astrophysical datasets, an approach known as indirect detection.

Dessert, Rodd and colleagues analyzed blank-sky observations (parts of the sky away from large X-ray emitting regions) with a total exposure time of roughly a year, finding no evidence for the predicted 3.5 KeV line. According to the authors, the findings rule out the predicted signal strength by over an order of magnitude.

Is Dark Matter Only the Tip of an Invisible Universe of Unknown Forces?

The Last Word New Technologies will Detect the 3.5 keV Line Far More Accurately

When searching for X-ray photons coming from dark matter, arguably the two most important parameters of your telescope are: 1. How well it can determine the photon energy; and 2. How many photons it collects. It is very challenging to make strides on the second of these, Nicholas Rodd wrote in an email to The Daily Galaxy. We already have instruments like XMM-Newton that have been collecting X-rays for over two decades, giving them a significant head start on any new telescope, he explained.

But technological improvements will allow new instruments to determine X-ray energies far more accurately, Rodd observed in his email. This matters for a potential dark-matter signal like the 3.5 keV line, because as the name suggests, it is expected to be a very narrow line in X-rays. Future instruments including the NASAs X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission

(XRISM), due to launch within a year, and in the longer term Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics (Athena) should start to see a very narrow feature coming from dark matter, if thats where the anomaly originates, and play a key role in resolving this dark-matter mystery.

Maxwell Moe, astrophysicist, NASA Einstein Fellow, University of Arizona via Nicholas Rodd, University of Michigan, Science/AAAS, PubMed and ArXiv,org

Image credit: Data gathered by the Hubble Space Telescope creates a map of dark matter.

( NASA/ESA/Caltech)

Maxwell Moe, astrophysicist, NASA Einstein Fellow, University of Arizona. Max can be found two nights a week probing the mysteries of the Universe at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. Max received his Ph.D in astronomy from Harvard University in 2015.

Link:

The Missing Photons Astronomers Hopeful in Search for a Dark Matter Signal - The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel