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Category Archives: Astronomy

Indian team bags 3rd place in Astronomy Olympiad – The Indian Express

Posted: August 29, 2022 at 8:22 am

An Indian students team bagged the third rank in the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) held at Kutaisi International University in Georgia. In the event, which concluded on Monday, all five team members bagged medals, including two silver.

Raghav Goyal from Chandigarh, Md Sahil Akhtar from Kolkata and Mehul Borad from Hyderabad bagged gold in the event. Goyal also won a special prize for providing the best solution to the most challenging theoretical question. The silver medallists are Malay Kedia from Ghaziabad and Atharva Nilesh Mahajan from Indore.

Conducted annually, the IOAA aims to promote astronomy among school students.

With five gold medals, the Iranian team topped the medals tally followed by the guest team with four gold medals and one silver. India and Singapore are tied for the third spot. The event, which was to be held in Kyiv in Ukraine was shifted due to the ongoing Russian invasion.

The Indian teams mentors included Sarita Vig from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Ajit Mohan Srivastava from the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar and two scientific observers Shriharsh Tendulkar representing the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai and Tejas Shah of Father Agnel Multipurpose School and Junior College in Navi Mumbai.

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Were Irish astronomers and heres the most spectacular events coming up… – The Irish Sun

Posted: at 8:21 am

IRISH astronomers have revealed the most spectacular sky events coming up in the NEXT MONTH.

Astronomy Ireland, the worlds most popular astronomy society have outlined an action packed Autumn for budding Irish skygazers, from super rockets to star parties, here's everything that's in store.

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Despite the exciting events in store, Astronomy Ireland have outlined a variety of planets that are visible right now.

Saturn is visible to the naked eye as a bright star low in the South all evening.

Jupiter rises before 10pm and blazes in the East as the brightest star-like object all evening.

The iconic "red planet" Mars rises at 11:30pm in the East and is brighter than Saturn but not as bright as Jupiter.

The society say it is "beautifully placed" between the Pleiades and Hyades clusters.

Venus is very low in the East, however, keen early risers will see it over the next few weeks as it can only be seen at dawn.

The popular astronomy society have also highlighted some key September dates skygazers need to pencil in.

On September 14 Uranus will pass behind the Moon.

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And just a day later on September 15 the International Space Station will be visible in evening skies for 2 weeks!

September 16 will of a "spectacular" naked eye view of Mars as it sits just a stone's throw from the Moon.

In the coming weeks Astronomy Ireland have also teased even more spectacular events taking place in the coming weeks.

They said: "NASA launches it's new super-rocket to the Moon at last, leading to people on the Moon in 2025.

"Saturn and Jupiter are brilliant evening objects next to the Moon, Mars is building towards a close approach to Earth.

"There's even an eclipse from Ireland in October, and loads more events like this to keep you informed of!"

But before all that on August 27, Ireland's biggest annual star party, Star-B-Q kicks off in the beautiful Wicklow mountains.

Promoting the event, the non-profit society said: "Join us under the very dark skies of the Wicklow mountains for our annual barbecue under the stars - Star-B-Q - now Ireland's biggest annual 'star party'.

"Showcasing some of the biggest telescopes in Ireland you will view the wonders of the universe, especially Saturn and Jupiter!

"Saturn will be especially incredible.

"With three amazing public talks, trade stands, professionally catered barbecue food all included, and more, this is an event not to be missed!"

Tickets and more details of the event can be accessed here, and you can follow Astronomy Ireland's Instagram page here.

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Bad Astronomy | Meteorites from asteroid 2008 TC3 reveal how it broke up | SYFY WIRE – Syfy

Posted: at 8:21 am

On Oct. 7, 2008, just after midnight UTC, an asteroid 4 meters across came screaming into Earths atmosphere.

It started feeling pressure from the thin air around 100 kilometers above the ground. Traveling at a downward angle of about 20 at 46,000 kilometers per hour a dozen times faster than a rifle bullet the building pressure as it rammed through ever-denser air caused the gas in front of it to be violently compressed and heat up, so much so that the asteroid heated up as well. Both the air in front and the asteroid itself started to glow by the time it was 70 km above the Earth. Seconds later, around 42 kilometers and then again at 37 km up, it partially exploded, then one second later a final pulse of energy caused the asteroid to completely disintegrate.

The total energy released was equivalent to over a thousand tons of TNT exploding, much of that in the form of a debris cloud expanding away. It contained dust and rocks, the remains of the original 80 tons of material making up the asteroid. This then rained meteorites down onto the ground, a region of the Sudans Nubian Desert in Africa, with meteorites ranging in size from specks of dust to ones that weighed several hundred grams.

The asteroid, called 2008 TC3, had been discovered just 19 hours previously in images taken by the Catalina Sky Survey, which sweeps the sky looking for dangerous near-Earth asteroids. An alert was sent out, more observations taken, and it quickly became clear this rock was going to hit Earth: The very first time one was ever seen before impact. Over 900 observations were made in that time by professional and amateur astronomers alike, which gave a very precise trajectory for TC3, including where it would impact.

In December a search began for meteorites, and within days several were found. Spread out over an area 30 kilometers long and about 7 wide, 600 meteorites were eventually found totaling about 11 kilograms.

Then things got weird. The scientists made very careful measurements of which meteorites were found where, and a pattern emerged: Following the trajectory of the asteroid downrange, the pieces that fell the farthest uprange were smaller, while pieces that made it farther downrange were bigger. Not only that, the uprange small pieces from 1 to 50 grams were confined to a narrow path only a kilometer or so wide, but the downrange larger rocks 100 to 400 grams were dispersed farther, some found several kilometers away from the ground path of the incoming asteroid. The pattern looks like a trumpet bell, narrow at one end and wider the farther along you go.

Why?

New research using sophisticated computer modeling of how an asteroid breaks up as it slams into Earths air has provided an answer, and it has to do with the shape of the asteroid and the details of what happens as the huge forces generated by its rapid motion caused it to break up [link to paper].

As the asteroid approached Earth, observations indicated it brightened and dimmed on a regular cycle, indicating it was highly elongated like a Tic Tac or a wide canoe, and rotating very rapidly, once every 49 seconds. As it entered the Earths atmosphere it settled into a single orientation, with its longest dimension ramming through the air (as opposed to narrow end-on like an arrow).

Compressing air that hard heats it up, which in turn heats up the rock on the side facing into the direction of travel. Material started to melt and blow back,a process called ablation. But the asteroid was moving so rapidly it was punching a hole in the air, with a near-vacuum behind it. The small bits of ablated material fell into this vacuum wake, and the high pressure from the shock wave around the main mass of the asteroid kept them there. Still hot, many of the pieces continued to vaporize and shrink, creating smaller particles that were essentially dust.

At the same time the wave of pressure and heating moved through the solid body of the asteroid, dissolving it from front to back. Within seconds it was so eroded it didnt have enough structural strength to withstand the onslaught, and it collapsed. At this point all that was left was material along the backside of the asteroid, which crumbled into large pieces.

The wake vacuum collapsed as well since the asteroid was now gone. The material stuck there was no longer protected and was suddenly exposed to the huge velocity of air moving past it. The small pieces slowed fiercely, eventually falling to the ground not far from the spot over which the final disintegration occurred.

But bigger pieces were more massive and retained their velocity for longer, so they fell farther downrange. That explains why different sizes were found at different locations downrange. But why did the small pieces fall along a narrow path and the big ones were more spread out?

The small ones stayed behind the asteroid for the most part in the wake vacuum, so they fell along that same direction. But when the final collapse occurred all the big pieces suddenly found themselves in open air, and each generated its own strong shock wave of air moving around them. Pieces near each other would feel a violent push away from each other as their individual shock waves interacted, a sideways shove perpendicular to the direction of travel. This gave them some velocity to the side, so when they eventually hit the ground farther downrange they were more spread out.

Most of the meteorites found in this case were therefore from the backside of the asteroid; the material from the front was mostly in the form of dust that trailed behind it to create the train of vaporized material or expanded outward in dust clouds as the asteroid disintegrated.

This may not be the case for every incoming space rock, but this result does help planetary scientists understand the asteroid 2008 TC3 better. For example, the larger rocks that fell to the right of the downward path probably came from the right side of the asteroid, and ones to the left from the asteroids left side. Examining the meteorites showed that some materials were well mixed throughout the asteroid, with no pockets of material preferentially in one place. That gives hints about the history of the asteroid.

The physics of hypervelocity impacts is extremely complex and difficult to model. The success of this model to mimic what happened to 2008 TC3 as it broke apart shows that its possible to learn quite a bit more about these rocks as they come in, and understand better the processes that almost but not necessarily completely destroy them. That in turn means we can better understand the effect they have on the air and ground as they fall. Thats important to know better what kind of damage they can do. Rocks like TC3, a few meters across, hit us a few times a year, and bigger ones are commensurately more rare. But they can do considerable damage just ask the dinosaurs, except you cant for obvious reasons so understanding why and how can have real-world implications for us living at the bottom of Earths ocean of protective air.

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Award-winning researcher and prof has stars in his eyes, will give astronomy talk in Alpine – The San Diego Union-Tribune

Posted: July 31, 2022 at 9:24 pm

Imagine a childhood filled with telescopes, night skies and an ongoing fascination with the stars, planets, and galaxies. Robert Quimby lived it.

Its really all my parents fault. They were both amateur astronomers, so some of my earliest memories growing up are of looking through a telescope, says the professor of astronomy at San Diego State University and director of the Mount Laguna Observatory. We went on lots of star parties, which are basically camping trips with telescopes. I was independently driven, so I learned to star hop around and locate deep sky objects, like galaxies, myself.

On Friday, hell present a lecture highlighting some of the research being done at the observatory, along with some of the nonprofit work being done to reduce local light pollution. His presentation begins at 2 p.m. at the Alpine Library.

Quimby, 45, lives in the College Area with his wife, Mika, and their two girls. Hes received awards for his research and work from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the American Physical Society, and a share of the 2014 Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics. He took some time to talk about his work, his first impressions of the breathtaking images from NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, and the time he played in a Reel Big Southern California ska band.

Q: In the description for your talk, the San Diego County Librarys website mentions the Hidden Skies Foundation, a nonprofit run by high school students based in Los Angeles, and its work to preserve dark skies for future generations. First, can you talk about light pollution?

A: Any human-made light that shines where it is not needed, is not helpful, or is just generally a waste, is light pollution. This could be a streetlight shining through a bedroom window that gives you a rough night of sleep, although astronomers usually use the term when discussing the light that spills onto the night sky and obscures the stars. No one sets out to hide the stars behind the glare of electric lights, but just as trash collects in our rivers and beaches, the natural beauty of the night sky can be destroyed by light indiscriminately cast by outdoor lighting.

Q: And what is significant about the work to preserve the darkness of night skies? Why does that lack of light in the sky matter?

A: Dark, star-filled skies give us connection to our past and hopefully our future. From a dark site, you might see the same stars that your great-great-great grandparents enjoyed on their first date, or that dazzled our ancient ancestors thousands of years before. Light pollution breaks this connection by hiding the stars. I have seen the thrill of San Diegans glimpsing their first view of the Milky Way while camping in Mount Laguna, and I would say it is worth protecting these views for future generations to enjoy as well.

We have great neighbors where we live in College Area. Several families welcomed us to the neighborhood soon after we moved here, and our kids became fast friends. There are lots of friendly waves when people walk or drive by. And, there are four taco shops within walking distance!

Q: Youve been director of SDSUs Mount Laguna Observatory since 2014. What have you come to learn about the surrounding area over the years and its place in the study of astronomy?

A: The Mount Laguna Observatory sits at 6,100 feet (500 feet higher than our colleagues to the north at Palomar Observatory, but whos counting!), so when the marine layer of clouds sets in in typical May-gray/June-gloom fashion, we are usually in the clear above the clouds. Better yet, the low clouds block some of the light pollution from the cities and make the nights even darker. Being near the coast we also get the gentle ocean breeze, which affords us much sharper views of the stars than the turbulent air further inland.

Q: What drew you to become interested in this area of study?

A: [Astronomy] remained a hobby of mine into college when it came time to decide on a major. I started with engineering since I liked figuring out how things worked, but I gravitated to physics and astronomy, at least in part because I thought the professors were more interesting people. One once plopped down a bunch of rock-climbing gear at the beginning of a lecture then proceeded to talk the whole period without ever mentioning it. He was just doing some rock climbing before class. These extra dimensions of personality really appealed to me.

Q: Why was this something you wanted to pursue professionally?

A: I figured its better than getting a real job. I love solving puzzles, but sometimes, when the puzzle is something you have to do, it can feel a lot like work. As an astronomer, there is a whole universe of puzzles for me to choose from.

Q: Earlier this month, most of us were in awe of the images of galaxies NASA shared from its James Webb Space Telescope. What initially went through your mind as you looked through those images?

A: I was really surprised at how awestruck I was. I have seen Stephans Quintet and the Carina Nebula before, but the James Webb telescope pictures convey them with such power and beauty. They are at once familiar and otherworldly.

Q: And how did you think about what you saw from your perspective as an astronomy professor and researcher?

A: The first images show how much we have been missing. The James Webb telescope offers, quite literally, a new way to look at our universe, and we are starting to see things we have never seen before. It was quite terrifying at times to wonder what would happen to the future of astronomy if this telescope failed; now that it has arrived and is working superbly, I, for one, am elated.

Q: Whats been challenging about your work in this field?

A: Like the universe itself, the field of astronomy is big and growing at an accelerated pace. It takes effort to stay on top of all of the new discoveries rolling in. It is also very competitive at times. Other groups are often working on projects similar to mine, so there is pressure to publish first.

Q: Whats been rewarding about this work?

A: Every once in a while, you make a breakthrough discovery. I discovered a new class of supernovae and later discovered the first supernova magnified by a strong gravitational lens. It is quite a rush when you put the pieces together and realize you have something that no one has ever seen before.

Q: What has this work taught you about yourself?

A: A big part of science is telling the story. We report our findings in scientific journals and give professional and sometimes public talks. I never considered myself particularly good at writing as a student, but I have come to realize that the storytelling is something I enjoy.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: For anyone considering getting their Ph.D., take a year off between undergraduate and graduate school and do something totally different. One of my college professors gave me this advice, and it gave me the opportunity to broaden my world view and, ultimately, meet my wife. If, like me, you find academia calling you back, then you will know that graduate school is right for you, and you will be motivated to stick with it even when it gets tough (it will).

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: Before becoming an astronomer, I played trombone in the ska band Reel Big Fish. It has been a while since I last picked up my horn, but I can still say, pick it up pretty fast.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: I have never done it before, but I would love to take a staycation at one of the local resorts in San Diego. Ideally, one with entertainment for the kids and relaxation for the parents. Barring that, I would enjoy a weekend featuring a hike in Mission Trails with my family and a trip to a new restaurant one day, followed by a relaxing day at the beach and a barbecue with friends and family the next day.

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Award-winning researcher and prof has stars in his eyes, will give astronomy talk in Alpine - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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India to highlight astronomy initiatives at global astronomers meet in South Korea – ThePrint

Posted: at 9:24 pm

New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) India is setting up a booth at the International Astronomical Union General Assembly at Busan, South Korea, inviting astronomers from around the world to discover the cosmos from observatories across the country.

The International Astronomical Union General Assembly (IAUGA) is the biggest gathering of astronomers in the world where latest discoveries and cutting edge research is expected to be discussed.

About 1,700 academic presentations are scheduled for a total of 205 sessions at the IAU General Assembly which will be held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre from August 2-11.

The India Booth, put up by the Astronomical Society of India, will also showcase the participation of Indian astronomers in international mega projects such as the Square Kilometer Array Observatory, the Thirty Meter Telescope in Hawaii and the gravitational wave observatory in Maharashtra.

The IAUGA is special for India as a number of PhD students have won the International Astronomy Union PhD prizes and shall be delivering their award lectures at Busan, Dibyendu Nandi, chairperson, Astronomical Society of India Public Outreach and Education Committee told PTI.

India will also highlight the radio observatories at Devasthal near Nainital, the Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle in Ladakh, the Vainu Bappu Observatory in Tamil Nadu and the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope in Maharashtra.

The India booth will also trace the journey from ancient observatories in the country to the first space observatory AstroSat that was launched in 2015.

The upcoming Aditya L-1 mission, Indias first solar observatory, and the X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPOSAT), both expected to be launched next year will also feature prominently in the India pavilion at Busan.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) India, an advanced gravitational-wave observatory to be located in India as part of the worldwide network, will also feature in the India booth at IAUGA. The facility is coming up at Hingoli in Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

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Amateur astronomers discovered a new kind of double aurora – Science News Magazine

Posted: at 9:24 pm

What happens when two different kinds of auroras get together? One spills the others secrets.

Amateur astronomers have captured a strange combination of red and green auroras on camera, and physicists who had never seen such a thing before have now used these images to learn what may trigger the more mysterious part of the lightshow.

Photographer Alan Dyer was in his backyard in Strathmore, Canada, when he saw the lights dancing overhead and started filming. I knew I had something interesting, says Dyer, who also writes about astronomy. What he didnt know was that he had just made the most complete recording of this rare phenomenon.

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At a glance, Dyers video looks like a celestial watermelon. The rind, a rippling green aurora, is well understood: It appears when the solar wind energizes protons trapped within Earths magnetic field, which then rain down and knock electrons and atoms around (SN: 12/10/03).

The swath of fruity magenta is more mysterious: Though scientists have known about these stable auroral red arcs for decades, theres no widely accepted proof of how they form.One popular theory is that part of Earths magnetic field can heat up the atmosphere and, like proton rain, jostle particles.

But until now, researchers had never seen both of these red and green auroras side by side, says Toshi Nishimura, a space physicist at Boston University.This strange combination, he says, was something beyond our expectations.

Along with satellite observations, Dyers images and similar ones captured by other amateur astronomers in Canada and Finland show that the two phenomena are related, Nishimuras team reports in the July JGR Space Physics. Thin rays in the red aurora are the smoking gun as to how. Those lines trace the paths of electrons as they fall along the Earths magnetic field. So just as proton rain triggers the green aurora, electron rain appears to trigger the red one, with the solar wind powering both at the same time. Since the electrons carry less energy than the protons, they make for a more reddish color.

But electron rain might not be the only way to produce these red glows, cautions Brian Harding, a space physicist at the University of California, Berkeley. Either way, he says, the results are exciting because they show whats going on is more complicated than researchers thought.

Those complications are important to understand. The auroras Dyer saw, though beautiful, are danger zones for radio communication and GPS systems (SN: 8/13/17). As Nishimura puts it: If you were driving under a subauroral red arc, your GPS might tell you to veer into a field.

Until scientists better understand these red glows, they wont be able to forecast space weather like they do normal weather, Harding explains. You want to make sure that you can predict stuff like this, he says.

The new results would not have been possible without the citizen scientists who took the photos, Nishimura says. This is a new way of doing research. When they take more and more cool images, they find more and more things that we dont know about.

According to Dyer, more photos are exactly whats coming. We can make a unique contribution to science, he says. After all, you never know whats going to appear.

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A new law is putting astronomy back in the hands of Native Hawaiians – Popular Science

Posted: at 9:24 pm

Earlier this month, Hawaiian Governor David Ige signed legislation that transfers control of Mauna Keaone of two large mountains that dominate the Hawaiian landscape and where some of the worlds most powerful observatories call homeaway from the University of Hawaii and back to Native Hawaiians.

The new law declares astronomy as a state policy of Hawaii, which means that in addition to the scientific knowledge it brings, the state sees the field as an important contributor to jobs and the economy. It also establishes the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, an 11-member voting group that will now have majority authority over how the land is managed. According to the bill, the groups responsibilities will also include building a new framework for the development of astronomy research on the islands, limiting commercial use and activities on Mauna Keas land, and requiring the timely decommissioning of certain telescopes.

The governor is expected to select members of the new authority soon: The deadline for the public to submit their names into the application pool for a seat is July 28, but the law includes that the group must include one member who is a lineal descendant of a practitioner of Native Hawaiian traditions associated with the mountain, and another who is currently a recognized practitioner of those Native Hawaiian traditional practices. That stipulation is especially important as its the first time community experts and practitioners will be able to make those kinds of decisions for their community.

While the University of Hawaii has until 2028 to officially hand off its management duties to the group, locals like native activist Noe Noe Wong-Wilson are optimistic about the change. She and others note that it feels like policy makers are finally listening to Native Hawaiians voices regarding the stewardship and care of their own community.

This is the first time with the new authority that cultural practitioners and community members will actually have seats in the governing organization, says Wong-Wilson, who is the executive director of the Llkea Foundation, a nonprofit Native Hawaiian cultural organization. Wong-Wilson, who is a member of the working group that helped develop the bill proposal, says that the choice to bring in people and ideas from all over the community is what helped make the new law a reality.

She adds that the laws mutual stewardship model takes into account all human activities on the mountain, and is designed to help protect Mauna Kea for future generations, as Native Hawaiians believe the mountain is a sacred placea part of their spirituality as well as their culture. But years of mismanagement has created a mistrust in the states stakeholders, which included the University and Hawaiian government officials, and deepened a rift between Indigenous culture and western science.

[Related: Theres a viable alternative to building a giant telescope on sacred Hawaiian land]

Mauna Kea has been a hot spot for astronomical research since the first large telescopes broke ground on the summit in the early 1970s. The height of the mountain, the torrid atmosphere, and the natural lack of light pollution make the dormant volcano an exquisite location for observing the sky. But Native Hawaiians say that placing too many facilities on the land, including large observatories, draws in activity that puts an immense strain on the environment and its fragile ecosystem. In Hawaii, theres always tension about tourism, and overuse of some of our environmentally sensitive spaces for recreational use, Wong-Wilson says.

Thirteen telescopes already operate atop Mauna Kea, with a fourteenth that, if and when completed, will sit about 18 stories tall. The long-planned Thirty Meter Telescope, is in its own way, poised to have a comparable impact as the James Webb Space Telescope, says Doug Simons, the director of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. Although it was proposed nearly a decade ago, its construction has been repeatedly halted by protestors who have blocked access to the mountain.

While the TMT would be able to help scientists study distant supernovae and teach us more about how stars and planets form, Simons says that local researchers within the observatory community need to be prepared for several outcomes when it comes to astronomys fate on the mountain. This is essentially a big experiment, Simons says. Theres a tremendous amount of hard work ahead, and a constrained amount of time to achieve what this new authority needs to achieve.

[Related: With the arrival of Africas next radio telescope, Namibia sees a new dawn in astronomy]

In the current land use agreements made by the University, all of the mountains telescopes are committed to cease operations and come down by 2033. The TMT could still continue construction until then, but as of now, the new bill includes a moratorium on any new leases or lease extensions. Its unclear whether that could stymie the TMTs future science goals or if the new authority will choose to issue new leases, but Robert Kirshner, executive director for the TMT International Observatory (TIO), says the team behind the observatory supports the new bill.

TIO welcomes this community-based stewardship model for Maunakeas management, wrote Kirshner in an email to Popular Science. We value the respect, responsibility, caring, and inclusivity that this act is intended to foster. He added that the observatory will work with the new authority to support astronomy and education programs that are in harmony with the culture and environment on the mountain.

Trisha Kehaulani Watson, a Native Hawaiian and the vice president of Aina Momona, a non-profit dedicated to achieving environmental sustainability on the islands, says while its still too early to tell if the new law is truly a victory, she hopes people understand the value of involving Indigenous communities in the conversation before taking advantage of their resources.

I strongly believe that had the University better engaged and invited people with different viewpoints into the fold from the start in regards to management, we wouldnt be here today, says Watson. How [the law] will sort out for the community, I think time will tell, but I certainly think its a step in the right direction.

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Astronomers Have Digitized 94000 Photographic Plates of the Night sky, Going Back 129 Years – Universe Today

Posted: at 9:24 pm

Since the early days of the internet, and even computers more generally, there has been a push to collect all of the worlds information, built up over thousands of years, into a digital form so it can at least theoretically latest indefinitely. It also makes that information much more accessible to people interested in it. That was the motto of the original Google search engine, and specialists in various historical fields have been making slow but steady progress in doing just that over the past few decades. Now astronomy has gained one of its largest hauls of historical data as the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg has digitized 40,000 of its historical astronomical plates, along with 54,090 plates from other sources.

The earliest of these plates goes back 129 years. While that does not seem like much in astronomical terms, data contained even that short of a time back is valuable for watching the variability in some stars.

For example, the star HD49798 varied wildly back in the 1960s and 70s. But noone was able to easily quantify by how much and when until the plates were digitally uploaded. Combined with satellite images taken in the late 1990s, scientists now think that a neutron star companion was the cause of this variability, and the variability seen in the plates seems to confirm that idea.

Not only do the plates offer valuable historical takes on specifically interesting stars, but they also provide insight into regions of the sky that had not yet been digitized during a certain time period. For example, a series of plates were taken in the Southern hemisphere between 1963 and 1976. They were released a few years ago as part of the ongoing process of uploading and stand as the other digitized examples of the sky in the southern hemisphere for that period of history.

Additional software improvements managed to fix some issues on the plates themselves, such as scratches or blotches. While the data underlying them might have been lost, at least they are corrected to a point where they wont necessarily screw up any algorithms run on the data set.

This isnt the only effort to collect old astronomical plates, as weve reported before. The Digital Access to the Sky Century at Harvard (DASCH) is one of the more prominent, as well as the currently completed project of The Archives of Photographic Plates for Astronomical USE (APPLAUSE). In total, there are around 400,000 plates that have been digitized so far, and researchers are constantly searching for more and developing better techniques to analyze them.

Potentially there could be an end in sight for these sorts of projects when all known historical astronomical plates have been uploaded to the internet. But for now, theres undoubtedly more that havent been, though the APPLAUSE team recently received requests from both the Vaticans observatory and the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory, which served as the main observatory for the German Democratical Republic during its time as a Soviet satellite.

With more plates comes more information and chances that a novel discovery could be in the offing. Astronomers are well known for their collaboration, and projects such as APPLAUSE are perfect examples of how that can work well. Eventually, it might reach the end goal of having all of the pre-internet astronomy data collected and searchable by future generations in their profession.

Learn More:FAU Web archive with astronomical photographic plates goes onlineUT Low-Cost Approach to Scanning Historic Glass Plates Yields an Astronomical SurpriseUT Calling All Volunteers to Help Digitize Astronomical HistoryUT Using 19th Century Technology to Time Travel to the Stars

Lead Image:Negative plate of the Chamaeleon constellation in the southern hemisphere.Credit Dr. Karl-Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg

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We Are the Universe Trying to Understand Itself: A Q&A with Astrophysicist Thomas Madura | SJSU NewsCenter – SJSU Today

Posted: at 9:23 pm

On July 12, NASAs James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) released its first full-color scientific images and spectroscopic data, marking what NASA describes as the dawn of a new era of astronomy. According to NASA, the Webb is the worlds premier space science observatory, geared at solving the mysteries in our solar system, and is an international program conducted in partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

The glittery, multicolored images offer a glimpse into the vastness of space, said San Jos State Universitys Thomas Madura, associate professor of physics and astronomy. Madura is a member of NASAs Early Release Science (ERS) program assigned to observing JWST images to investigate space dust, a key ingredient in the formation of stars and planets.

A theoretical and computational astrophysicist, Madura specializes in the study of massive stars, specifically their late-stage evolution and how these stars lose mass before exploding as powerful supernovae. He received the Early Career Investigator Award from the SJSU Research Foundation in 2020 and leads a $1.5 million National Science Foundation Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers grant that uses 3D printing technologies to help motivate students with blindness or visual impairments to pursue higher education and careers in STEM.

Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Thomas Madura hopes to find new ways to make STEM available to blind and visually impaired students. Photo by David Schmitz.

We sat down with Thomas to learn more about the significance of this new data and what he hopes to achieve with the images he is creating based on these extraordinary findings.

Tell us about the images from NASAs JWST. Why are they significant?

Thomas Madura: The new JWST images are significant because they represent the dawn of a new age of astronomy. They are the first look at the full capabilities of NASAs newest flagship space observatory, both in terms of imaging and spectroscopy.

These images are the official beginning of JWSTs science operations and provide just a taste of what is to come over the next few years.

What do you see when you look at these pictures?

TM: There is a lot to digest in these first images, ranging from the birth of stars in a young, nearby star forming region to the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. There are signs of galaxy interactions and clearly visible gravitational lensing in some images. There is the direct detection of dust in the planetary nebula around a dying star and signatures of water and clouds in the atmosphere of a gas giant planet orbiting a distant sun-like star.

These pictures are exciting not just because they are pretty to look at but because they demonstrate the technical capabilities of JWST.

As part of your research, you 3D print images for people with visual impairments. How do you plan to incorporate these new images into your existing curriculum or research?

TM: We hope to create tactile versions of JWSTs images in the near future so that we can share JWSTs discoveries with everyone, including those with blindness/visual impairments. We hope to incorporate tactile images into our National Science Foundation-funded program that helps teach astronomy to students with visual impairments around the country.

What got you interested in physics and astronomy?

TM: I have always been fascinated by astronomy and astrophysics and tried to understand where we came from, and where we are going in the universe. I started when I was young, buying my first simple backyard telescope when I was around 12. I also read a lot of books on astronomy and watched a lot of documentaries like NOVA on television.

It wasnt until high school that I discovered that one can actually have a career in astronomy and get paid to study the stars. That was when I decided to go to college and major in physics with a concentration in astronomy/astrophysics.

What message do you want to share with members of the SJSU community about the importance of understanding space?

TM: Simply put, we are the universe trying to understand itself. All of us and nearly everything on our planet, including the planet itself, comes from dead star stuff.

If we are to understand where we came from, where we are going, and if there is other intelligent life in the universe, we need to understand space. There is also the practical everyday aspect of space. Space weather influences our climate and affects our technologies.

The technologies developed to study and understand space also eventually work their way down into technologies we use every day. A great example is the camera in your cell phone.

Learn more about Maduras work.

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We Are the Universe Trying to Understand Itself: A Q&A with Astrophysicist Thomas Madura | SJSU NewsCenter - SJSU Today

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NRAO to Launch New Amateur Radio Learning Program for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Students with Support from ARDC – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Posted: at 9:23 pm

Following a generous grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), the National Science Foundations National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) will soon launch a two-year project to engage BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students in learning about the electromagnetic spectrum and the excitement of amateur also called ham radio. The new project, Exploring the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS), is expected to offer its first student-facing trainings in January 2023.

ARDC selected EMS because of NRAOs proven track record in supporting underrepresented minority students in the sciences by combining mentoring and instruction from content experts with best practices in equity.

As a part of NRAOs broader impacts-focused SuperKnova learning platform, EMS will combine the expertise of NRAO staff, amateur radio enthusiasts, and other subject matter experts to develop a scalable and shareable curriculum, introduce students to EMS and radio technologies through hands-on activities, and support students in attaining technical and general class licenses in amateur radio.

Amateur radio provides a hands-on entry point to understanding the radio spectrum and its practical uses, including communications, astronomy, and community emergency infrastructure and response. Early support and engagement with amateur radio has the potential to create pathways for students to a future career or lifelong hobby in the sciences. The $315,123 ARDC grant will allow NRAO to develop and execute the program for two cohorts of students. It will also result in the development of a nine-month EMS curriculum that will be freely available to school groups, community clubs, and educational institutions.

NRAO Director Tony Beasley said, Amateur radio continues to be incredibly important to the nation and global communications, and NRAO is excited to be working with ARDC to bring a new generation and diverse communities to the field.

About NRAOThe National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. Furthering NSFs mission to advance the progress of science, the NRAO enables research into the Universe at radio wavelengths and provides world-class telescopes, instrumentation, and expertise to the scientific community. NRAOs mission includes a commitment to broader, equitable, inclusive participation in science and engineering, training the next generation of scientists and engineers, and promoting astronomy to foster a more scientifically literate society. NRAO operates three research facilities: the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), which are available for use by scientists from around the globe, regardless of institutional or national affiliation. NRAO welcomes applicants who bring diverse and innovative dimensions to the Observatory and to the field of radio astronomy. For more information about NRAO, go to https://public.nrao.edu.

About ARDCAmateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a California-based foundation with roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. The organization got its start by managing the AMPRNet address space, which is reserved for licensed amateur radio operators worldwide. Additionally, ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radios practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to advances that benefit the general public, including the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open source hardware and software, and where anyone has the ability to innovate upon it. To learn more about ARDC, please visit https://www.ampr.org.

Media Contact:

Amy C. OliverPublic Information & News Manager, NRAO434-242-9584aoliver@nrao.edu

Dan Romanchik, KB6NUARDC Communications Manager858-477-9903dan@ardc.net

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NRAO to Launch New Amateur Radio Learning Program for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Students with Support from ARDC - National Radio Astronomy Observatory

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