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APRIL 2018

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, April 4 - Regular PAC meeting @ 6:30 PM in the Davis Learning Center, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Club member and vice-president John Carter will present “An Introduction to Astrophotography: Cameras, Acquisition, and Processing”. This is an introduction to astrophotography to include an overview of some cameras, several applications for acquiring images, the basics of image acquisition, and a quick look at a typical workflow for post processing.

Wednesday, April 11 - METASIG @ 5:00 PM at local restaurant. Sign up at April 4 meeting.

Thursday, April 19 - Third Thursday Presentation @ 6:00 PM in the Founder's Suite, Prescott Public Library. Kevin Schindler, Lowell Observatory historian, will present “An Apollo Retrospective: Space Training in Northern Arizona”. The book Images of America: Northern Arizona Space Training shares the passion, drive, creativity and quirkiness of the people who helped fulfill President Kennedy’s bold challenge of sending humans to the Moon. Co-author Kevin Schindler will share the stories of the Apollo program and will be available to autograph copies after the talk.

Saturday, April 21 - SciTech Fest @ 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Activity Center/Eagle Gym (Bldg. 80) and the STEM Bldg. (Bldg. 76). Map of the locations is in the appendix. Additional details and sign up for PAC booth and solar scopes at April 4 meeting.

Saturday, April 21 - Starry Nights @ 8:00 PM at Pronghorn Park, Prescott Valley. Sign up at April 4 meeting.

Wednesday, April 25 - Board meeting @ 6:00 PM in the Elsea Conference Room at the Prescott Public Library.

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LIZ DANO - NEW REFRESHMENT COORDINATOR

Liz Dano has volunteered to chair the refreshment committee for future club meetings. Thank you to Liz for setting forward and taking on this task.

SALE OF PAC’s 8-INCH MEADE LX200 SCT

There were two sealed bids for the sale of the club’s 8-inch Meade LX200 SCT. The winning bidder was Eric Anderson at $575. Congratulations to Eric.

NAU-SPACE GRANT PROGRAM DONATION

At the March 7 regular meeting, club members approved continued support for the NAU-Space Grant program with a club donation of $250.

MEASURING THE MOVEMENT OF WATER ON EARTH By Teagan Wall

As far as we know, water is essential for every form of life. It’s a simple molecule, and we know a lot about it. Water has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. It boils at 212° Fahrenheit (100° Celsius) and freezes at 32° Fahrenheit (0° Celsius). The Earth’s surface is more than 70 percent covered in water.

On our planet, we find water at every stage: liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam and vapor). Our bodies are mostly water. We use it to drink, bathe, clean, grow crops, make energy, and more. With everything it does, measuring where the water on Earth is, and how it moves, is no easy task.

The world’s oceans, lakes, rivers and streams are water. However, there’s also water frozen in the ice caps, glaciers, and icebergs. There’s water held in the tiny spaces between rocks and soils deep underground. With so much water all over the planet—including some of it hidden where we can’t see—NASA scientists have to get creative to study it all. One way that NASA will measure where all that water is and how it moves, is by launching a set of spacecraft this spring called GRACE-FO. GRACE-FO stands for the “Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on.” “Follow-on” means it’s the second satellite mission like this—a follow-up to the original GRACE mission. GRACE-FO will use two satellites. One satellite will be about 137 miles (220 km) behind the

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other as they orbit the Earth. As the satellites move, the gravity of the Earth will pull on them.

Gravity isn’t the same everywhere on Earth. Areas with more mass—like big mountains—have a stronger gravitational pull than areas with less mass. When the GRACE-FO satellites fly towards an area with stronger gravitational pull, the first satellite will be pulled a little faster. When the second GRACE-FO satellite reaches the stronger gravity area, it will be pulled faster, and catch up.

Scientists combine this distance between the two satellites with lots of other information to create a map of Earth’s gravity field each month. The changes in that map will tell them how land and water move on our planet. For example, a melting glacier will have less water, and so less mass, as it melts. Less mass means less gravitational pull, so the GRACE-FO satellites will have less distance between them. That data can be used to help scientists figure out if the glacier is melting.

GRACE-FO will also be able to look at how Earth’s overall weather changes from year to year. For example, the satellite can monitor certain regions to help us figure out how severe a drought is. These satellites will help us keep track of one of the most important things to all life on this planet: water.

You can learn more about our planet’s most important molecule here: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/water

An artist's rendering of the twin GRACE-FO spacecraft in orbit around Earth. Credit: NASA

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LET'S PARTY FOR APRIL Astronomical objects for public (and private) star parties. by Fulton Wright, Jr.

Flashy, deep-sky objects, visible in the middle of the month, at the end of astronomical twilight, 8:00 PM in March, (when it really gets dark). This list customized for Prescott, Arizona, should work well anywhere in the state, and be usable anywhere in the old 48 states.

Double Stars (2 or 3 stars, close together)

Sigma Orionis (SAO 132406, triple star, another double nearby) Mag: 3.8, 6.3, 6.6, Sep: 13 arc-sec, 42 arc-sec R.A.: 5hrs 39min, Dec.: -2deg 36'

Alpha Gemini (Castor, SAO 60198) Mag: 1.6 & 3.0, Sep: 5 arc-sec R.A.: 7hr 35min, Dec.: 31deg 53' Gamma Virginis (Porimma, SAO 138917) Mag: 3.5 & 3.5, Sep: 3 arc-sec R.A.: 12hr 42min, Dec.: -1deg 27' Gamma Leonis (Algiba, SAO 81298) Mag: 2.2 & 3.6, Sep: 5 arc-sec R.A.: 10hr 20min, Dec.: +19deg 51'

Open Clusters (about 50 bright stars)

M 37 (NGC 2099) Mag: 5.6, Size: 14 arc-min R.A.: 5hr 53min, Dec.: +32deg 33' M 36 (Pinwheel Cluster, NGC 1960) Mag: 6.0, Size: 10 arc-min R.A.: 5hr 36min, Dec.: +34deg 08' M 44 (Beehive Cluster, Praesepe, NGC 2632, binocular object) Mag: 3.1, Size: 70 arc-min R.A.: 8hr 40min, Dec.: +19deg 40'

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Globular Clusters (about 200,000 dim stars) (this is not a good season for globulars.)

M 3 (NGC 5272, low but rising) Mag: 6.2, Size: 18 arc-min R.A.: 13hrs 42min, Dec.: +28deg 23' M 53 (NGC 5024) Mag: 7.6, Size: 13 arc-min R.A.: 13hr 13min, Dec.: +18deg 10' M 68 (NGC 4590) Mag: 7.8, Size: 11 arc-min R.A.: 12hr 39min, Dec.: -26deg 45'

Galaxies (about 200,000,000 very dim and distant stars)

M 82 and M 81 (Bode's nebula, NGC 3031 and NGC 3034) Mag: 6.8 and 8.1, Size: 21 x 11, 11 x 5 arc-min, 37 arc-min apart R.A.: 9hrs 55min, Dec.: +69deg 55'

M 94 (NGC 4736) Mag: 8.0, Size: 8 x 7 arc-min R.A.: 12hrs 51min, Dec.: +41deg 07'

M 51 (Whirlpool Galaxy, NGC 5194, low but rising) Mag: 8.0, Size: 14 x 12 arc-min R.A.: 13hrs 30min, Dec.: +47deg 12' M 65, M 66, NGC 3628 (trio of galaxies), (NGC 3623, NGC 3627, ----) Mag: 9.2, 9.0, 9.2, Sizes: 8 x 2, 10 x 5, 11 x 3 arc-min, (in a field of 40 arc-min) R.A.: 11hr 20min, Dec.: +13deg 20'

Diffuse Nebulae (gas and dust lit by a nearby star, The Orion Nebula is by far the best.)

M 42 (Orion Nebula) Size: 85 x 60 arc-min R.A.: 5hrs 36min, Dec.: -5deg 26' NGC 2261 (Hubble's Variable Nebula, small and dim) Mag: 9, Size: 4 x 2 arc-min R.A.: 6hrs 39min, Dec.: +8deg 45' NGC 2024 (Flame Nebula) Mag: 10, Size: 8 x 7 arc-min R.A.: 5hrs 42min, Dec.: -1deg 52'

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NGC 2467 (Skull and Crossbones Nebula) Mag: 7.1, Size: 8 x 7 arc-min R.A.: 7hrs 52min, Dec.: -26deg 28'

Planetary Nebulae (gas shell from exploding star, looks like Uranus in telescope)

NGC 2392 (Eskimo Nebula) Mag: 9.2, Size: 0.8 arc-min R.A.: 7hrs 29min, Dec.: +20deg 55' NGC 3242 (Ghost of Jupiter Nebula, Caldwell 59) Mag: 7.3, Size: 0.7 arc-min R.A.: 10hr 25min, Dec.: -18deg 39' NGC 3132 (Eight-burst Nebula, Caldwell 74) Mag: 9.7, Size: 1.0 arc-min R.A.: 10hr 07min, Dec.: -20deg 46'

Miscellanous (Supernova Remnant)

M 1 (Crab Nebula) Mag: 8.4, Size: 6 arc-min R.A.: 5hrs 34min, Dec.: 22deg 01'

NEED TO KNOW - ASK A MEMBER

A new 15-minute segment is being added to the regular general meetings where members can have their ‘burning’ questions answered by other knowledgeable members. If you have an astronomy related question you would like explained, submit the question to Jeff Stillman (jstillman50@cableone.net). You can also bring up the question at the meeting.

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES

Over the years astronomy books have been donated to PAC. Boxes of these books will be available at the regular meetings. For a donation to PAC of $1 per book, anyone can have a book. Books that are not purchased at a regular meeting will be available at the following Third Thursday programs. Any remaining unsold books will be donated to the Friends of the Prescott Public Library. We also have copies of past Sky and Telescope magazine. These will be available to any member wishing to take them. Unclaimed magazines will be recycled.

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FOR SALE

Please visit the Classified Ads section of the club website to view the items posted there for sale:

http://prescottastronomyclub.org/classified-ads/

New items are added now and then, so don’t miss out on something that you would like to get for yourself...or a friend.

PAC MENTORS

If you need advice on the purchase of astronomy equipment, setting up equipment, astrophotography, etc., contact a PAC mentor.

Jeff Stillman - Astrophotography - (928) 379-7088

David Viscio - General - (928) 775-2918

Greg Lutes - Visual Observing - (928) 445-4430

Joel Cohen - Beginner’s Astronomy: Selecting & Using a Telescope - (856) 889-6496

Bill McDonald - Video Observing

John Carter - Video Observing - (928) 458-0570

OBSERVING LISTS

Observing lists are available in PDF format on the PAC website to provide guidance and goals for visual and astrophotography programs.

Astroleague Lunar 100 Binocular Showpieces

Bright Nebulae Caldwell

Dunlop 100 Face-On Spiral Galaxies

Globular Clusters Herschel 400

Herschel II Hidden Treasures

Messier Open Clusters

Planet Maps Planetary Nebulae

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Finest NGC

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Saguaro Astronomy Club Best NGC S&T Lunar 100

Telescope Showpieces The Secret Deep

PAC WEBSITE & YAHOO GROUPS

Website: http://www.prescottastronomyclub.org

E-mail: mailto:pacinfo@prescottastronomyclub.org

Astrophotography special interest group:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/pacastrophotography/info

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Jeff Stillman At Large: Pat Bledsoe Vice President: John Carter At Large: Dennis Eaton Secretary: Doug Tilley At Large: Adam England Treasurer: John Baesemann At Large: Joel Cohen

PAC COORDINATORS Astronomical League Coordinator: Pat Birck Facebook: Adam England Highland Center Coordinator: David Viscio Hospitality: Cory Shaw Magazine Subscriptions: John Baesemann Membership: John Baesemann METASIG: Marilyn Unruh Newsletter: David Viscio PAC Affiliate Partner w/ NAU Space Grant Program – Jerry & Cory Shaw PAC Store Sales: John & Laura Verderame Refreshments: Liz Dano Property Records: Doug Tilley Publicity: Adam England Schools & Camps Outreach: Pat Birck Starry Nights Coordinator: Pat Birck Third Thursday Coordinator: Cory Shaw & Pat Birck Webmaster: Russell Chappell

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ASTRONOMY PICTURE OF THE DAY: March 17, 2018

THE CRAB FROM SPACE Image Credit: NASA - X-ray: CXC, Optical: STSCI, Infrared: JPL-Caltech,

The Crab Nebula is cataloged as M1, the first object on Charles Messier's famous list of things which are not comets. In fact, the Crab is now known to be a supernova remnant, expanding debris from the death explosion of a massive star. This intriguing false-color image combines data from space-based observatories, Chandra, Hubble, and Spitzer, to explore the debris cloud in X-rays (bluewhite), optical (purple), and infrared (pink) light. One of the most exotic objects known to modern astronomers, the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star spinning 30 times a second, is the bright spot near picture center. Like a cosmic dynamo, this collapsed remnant of the stellar core powers the Crab's emission across the electromagnetic spectrum. Spanning about 12 light-years, the Crab Nebula is 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus.

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Location of SciTech Fest - April 21

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University