ASTRO NERDS- OCT 2014 ASTRONOMY EZINE

EXTANT LIFE ON MARS?THE MARS SOCIETY

ICY SCIENCE PUBLICATION: WWW.ICYSCIENCE.COM: WINTER 2013/14

GARDEN OBSERVATORY

COMET 67P CHURYUMOV-GERASIMENKO

MASSIVE SOLAR FILAMENTAND READERS PHOTOS

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A S T R O N E R D S | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

FRONT COVER M31 BY MARY SPICER

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featuresCONTENTS

4. OBSERVATORY BUILDING12. A massive solar filament that erupted on 2 September 2014

20. READER PICS

24.Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko and Rosetta

34. ASTRONOMY COMMUNITY

38. Look Up In Wonder: A guide to Octobers night skyA special thank you to Mary Spicer, Andrew Devey and John Haper

for articles and content. Thank you to the people who provided

images., Mary Spicer, Holly Carter, Alastair Leith, Pete Williamson and Andrew Devey.

Editor: David Bood

Twitter: @DavesAstronomy

Web: www.icyscience.com

SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station 23/9/14 at 11.52 GMT. By 14.21 GMT the dragon

spacecraft is fully berthed to the ISS. The mission was to resupply the ISS and bring up scientific equipment. SpaceX is one of

the companies that have recently won contracts with NASA to provide launch vehicles. Currently NASA has to heavily rely on

Russia to provide rockets capable of delivering astronauts into space. SpaceX recently revealed their new Dragon Spacecraft

which has the capability to take passengers as well as cargo to the ISS.

-

www.icyscience.com%20

http://www.tringastro.co.uk/

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features IN THE NEWSMars- Wed 24th Sept 2014, NASA’s curiosity

rover has drilled its first sample from the Martian

Mt. Sharp. It drilled 670mm into the basal layer

outcrop and then collected a powdered rock

sample.

Data and images were beamed back to mission

control early on Thursday, 25th to JPL, Pasadena,

California, USA.

The sample powder will be held within the sample

handling mechanism on the rovers arm.

Initially the sample was taken from the mountains

base however more samples will be taken higher

to expose younger rock layers.

More at: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

image Credit: JPL, NASA

SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station 23/9/14 at 11.52 GMT. By 14.21 GMT the dragon

spacecraft is fully berthed to the ISS. The mission was to resupply the ISS and bring up scientific equipment. SpaceX is one of

the companies that have recently won contracts with NASA to provide launch vehicles. Currently NASA has to heavily rely on

Russia to provide rockets capable of delivering astronauts into space. SpaceX recently revealed their new Dragon Spacecraft

which has the capability to take passengers as well as cargo to the ISS.

-

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Observatory Building

Ever since I was a child, I had a dream that one day I would have my own observatory. I can remember driving past

the Jeremiah Horrocks Observatory in Preston, Lancashire on a regular basis, and every time I saw it I wished that

we could buy it! When I got my first telescope at 11 years old, I had a master plan that involved sliding doors in

the roof and a full loft conversion to house my future telescope collection.

Fast forward to 2011. That is when I met my now fiancé, Mark. He has also had a lifelong passion for all things

astronomy and he too had a dream of one day having his own observatory. We were both captivated by the astron-

omy domes that were on display at Astrofest in London, but being a practical person, Mark was also interested in

the observatory sheds which have a roll-off roof. We had talked about it as a bit of a pipe dream, hoping that one

day we might be able to build something of our own.

In 2013 we moved into our new house in rural Oxfordshire. We are still completely in awe of how amazing the

skies are from our back garden. We have nothing but fields behind us and very little light pollution in most direc-

tions apart from the South. When we moved into the house, we found an old shed in pieces at the bottom of the

garden. Mark looked it over and began to form a plan to convert this discarded shed into an observatory. He spent

a lot of time researching via the internet, reading other people’s blogs and looking at online instructions. It didn’t

take him long to come up with a workable solution. Plans were drawn up, sketches made and photos printed out.

He then sourced all the bits that we needed to upcycle the shed, along with all the building supplies we needed. At

this point it hadn’t really sunk in that we were finally going to have an observatory of our own. Then the bits began

to arrive in the post; first was an alarm system. We were both very adamant that the shed needed to be secure

because we know of a number of people who have had astronomy equipment stolen from their gardens. Next came

a metal mounting plate, then the wheels for the roof. Slowly all the individual components began to build up, and

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so my excitement mounted! Work began in March 2014. We had a spot at the end of our garden which was perfect

for our observatory shed. One of the most important parts was the pier. It needed to be very stable so that any of

our existing telescopes could be mounted onto it, and also any new, larger telescopes that we may buy in the future.

He began by clearing the area. Then he marked out the footprint of the shed, and put the corner posts in place.

He dug trenches around the sides and part-filled them with concrete. This gave him a solid base on which he put a

few rows of bricks. Each of the

4 walls of the shed would sit on

top of the bricks. Once we had

the footprint marked out, we

could decide on the location of

the pier. Once we’d agreed that,

Mark dug a hole where the pier

would be positioned. He drove

a metal stake several feet into

the ground, and then placed a

long piece of drain pipe over

the top of it. The pipe was then concreted into place and the rest of the floor space within the brick boundaries

was also concreted, to give us a solid base. Concrete was also poured down into the bottom of the drain pipe to

secure the pier stake in place. Once we’d checked the height we needed the mounting plate to be, we cut off the

top of the pipe, then filled it to the top with more concrete. While it was still wet, 4 large bolts were set into the

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concrete, which would later allow the angle of the mounting plate to be adjusted to get everything at the correct level. Drilling holes in the mounting plate took ages and Mark worked his way through several drill bits before that

job was complete! Once the concrete had set, Mark set about building a frame work for the wooden floor. It was important that the floor didn’t touch the pier, so that walking around inside the shed wouldn’t cause any vibration

to the telescopes, so he left a gap of around 2cm all around the pier pipe. Once the floor was down, the sides of the shed were put into place. Next came the uprights which would hold the runners for the roll-off roof. Having mea-

sured very carefully, the upright posts were concreted into place, and the cross beams fitted along the ends. He then took the long pieces of wood which would act as runners, and using a router he cut channels into the wood which

were large enough for the wheels to fit into. He drilled small drainage holes in the channels to allow rainwater to escape. Then he began construction of the roof.

It was really important that the roof be lightweight and easy to roll back, so Mark used a design which he had seen somebody else use online. It consisted of a wooden framework with a pitched roof made from corrugated plastic

sheets which overhang the edges to keep the rain out. It didn’t take him long to make the roof once he got going. The wheels were fitted onto each corner of the roof, and it was put in place. It worked perfectly the first time!

Retaining clips were fitted to the inside so that the roof could be locked into place from the inside when it was closed. Once the roof was done, he finished off the gable ends with wooden panels and the main construction was com-

pleted. The whole thing was given a few coats of wood preserver.

Inside, Mark lined the walls with hardboard panels and I painted them. I had barely given the walls time to

dry before I started putting our favourite posters up on the walls! He fitted some self-adhesive floor tiles to

finish off the floor. We decided that now was a good time to invest in a new telescope mount to upgrade

our existing mounts. A friend had kindly let us borrow his EQ5 Pro to see how it suited us. We both loved

it, so we ordered one of our own. Mark spent a long time getting the mounting plate level and polar align-

ing the mount. He also spent time drift aligning it to make sure everything was perfect. So then we were

ready to put our most often use telescopes into the observatory shed. Because of the design of Mark’s 10”

Dobsonian telescope, it would not be practical to use it inside the observatory shed because the walls were

too high. It was too heavy to carry in and out, so he put casters onto its base, and built a concrete ramp up

to the door of the shed. This would allow us to just roll the telescope in and out of the shed each time we

wanted to use it. The other 3 telescopes we can swap and change onto the pier depending on which one

we want to use.

Power was another important consideration. Running mains power to the shed wasn’t an option at this

time. However, if we were planning to do any long imaging sessions, or if we wanted to use more than tele-

scope at once, we would need something that could last longer than our little astronomy power-pack. Time

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concrete, which would later allow the angle of the mounting plate to be adjusted to get everything at the correct level. Drilling holes in the mounting plate took ages and Mark worked his way through several drill bits before that

job was complete! Once the concrete had set, Mark set about building a frame work for the wooden floor. It was important that the floor didn’t touch the pier, so that walking around inside the shed wouldn’t cause any vibration

to the telescopes, so he left a gap of around 2cm all around the pier pipe. Once the floor was down, the sides of the shed were put into place. Next came the uprights which would hold the runners for the roll-off roof. Having mea-

sured very carefully, the upright posts were concreted into place, and the cross beams fitted along the ends. He then took the long pieces of wood which would act as runners, and using a router he cut channels into the wood which

were large enough for the wheels to fit into. He drilled small drainage holes in the channels to allow rainwater to escape. Then he began construction of the roof.

It was really important that the roof be lightweight and easy to roll back, so Mark used a design which he had seen somebody else use online. It consisted of a wooden framework with a pitched roof made from corrugated plastic

sheets which overhang the edges to keep the rain out. It didn’t take him long to make the roof once he got going. The wheels were fitted onto each corner of the roof, and it was put in place. It worked perfectly the first time!

Retaining clips were fitted to the inside so that the roof could be locked into place from the inside when it was closed. Once the roof was done, he finished off the gable ends with wooden panels and the main construction was com-

pleted. The whole thing was given a few coats of wood preserver.

for some more upcycling! I had a spare set of mobil-

ity scooter batteries, so Mark wired them up in par-

allel and bought a solar panel which would trickle

charge them during the day. We also have a proper

battery charger for them to top them up if they’ve

had heavy use. So far this system is working really

well, and the batteries have a much higher capacity

than the power-pack. Having this observatory has

had a huge impact on my life. Being disabled means

that I can’t carry telescopes in and out of the house,

so my observing time was severely restricted before.

Now, anytime there is a clear night, I can just open the

roof of the observatory, chose which telescope I want

to use, and off I go without any lifting or carrying. It

doesn’t matter what time of night it is; even if Mark

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is asleep I can go out and get things set up by myself. There isn’t enough room in there for my wheelchair, but I have a

folding walking stick seat which is absolutely perfect for perching on while I’m observing or imaging. The new mount

is a dream to work with. Prior to having this, I had a very basic mount on my 102mm refractor which didn’t track. So

from an imaging point of view I was restricted to 1 second exposures. The new mount has opened up so many possi-

bilities. People are always saying that the mount is the most important piece of astronomy equipment you’ll buy, and

now I can see why!

The first thing I did was to photograph the Sun and the Moon. Having the mount tracking the object at the correct

speed makes it so much easier to get the object in focus. Before, the object would have moved out of my field of view

before I’d even got the focus right, let alone taken the photo. It improved the quality of my images straight away. Then

as the nights began to get darker again, I started to try imaging some more deep sky objects with my Helios 102mm

refractor. This is a budget telescope, but putting it onto that mount has transformed it into something that you can

actually get some decent images from. I like this telescope because when my DSLR is mounted at prime focus, you get

a really wide field of view. I am really looking forward to giving the telescope and mount a really good workout now

that the nights are getting darker again. Top of my list of targets is M45 - The Pleiades. It’s one of my favourite binocu-

lar objects, and last year I spent hours trying to stack hundreds of single 1 second shots and trying to bring out some

nebulosity. It was a real uphill struggle. Now that I have access to this mount, I can’t wait to get started on this object!

In addition to the new mount, Mark recently bought a CMOS imaging camera. We had both been looking at these for

some time, but decided on the ASI120MM. Now that we have a mount that tracks so well, it was worth investing in this

camera. So far I’ve only used it on the Sun and Moon, but I am already in love with it, and had a lot of fun producing my

first Moon mosaic. We have had a filter wheel for a couple of years but still haven’t used it. I’m so looking forward to

doing some narrowband imaging of M42 - The Orion Nebula. Another target that I’ve been trying to image for years, is

the Horsehead Nebula. Perhaps this year I will manage to pull out this elusive target. Now my biggest problem is that I

keep filling my hard drive with astronomy imaging data and I’m certainly giving my processing skills a serious work out!

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If you are thinking about building an observatory of your own, then don’t think anymore; just do it. I can’t claim

any of the credit for the building of ours; it was all Mark’s hard work doing the planning and execution. But I can’t

put into words how it makes me feel when I’m standing in there, the sky above me, wind in my hair, while my

camera clicks away imaging my next target. After all those years of dreaming, we actually have our own observa-

tory shed, and I will never be able to thank Mark enough for making our dream come true.

If you want to find out more information about building your own observatory shed, here are some links that you

may find useful.

How to build a telescope pier:

http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/feature/

how-guide/how-tobuild-back-garden-telescope-pier

How to build an observatory shed:

http://www.astrosoft.co.uk

WORDS & IMAGES MARY SPICER

M31 BY MARY SPICER

http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/feature/how-guide/how-tobuild-back-garden-telescope-pier

http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/feature/how-guide/how-tobuild-back-garden-telescope-pier

http://www.astrosoft.co.uk

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THE FINISHED PRODUCT

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12


Image Credit: Andy

Devey

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A massive solar filament that erupted on 2 September 2014For any one that may have been out imaging the Sun at the end of August and the

beginning of September 2014 in hydrogen-alpha you could not fail to notice a huge

snake like structure on the solar disc. This solar filament may have been in the same

position for two separate solar rotations? Filaments are the same features as prom-

inences they are suspended plasma structures and can last for months. They are

formed in magnetic field lines that protrude into the very hot coronal region and

cool plasma that flows back to the chromosphere. As they are cooler they appear as

dark structures compared to the rest of the solar disc. They become unstable when

the magnetic field beneath them is modified by a shock wave or the emergence of

new stronger magnetic field structures. As they lift off they can trigger ribbon flares

with huge dimensiones.

Left: photo from the GONG h-alpha network on 5 August 2014 same direction but it

was a shorter feature at that time. Image credit NSO/GONG.

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Here is a mosaic photo that I made on the first of September

2014. The filament can clearly be seen but how can we

obtain an estimate of its length?

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By applying the Solar Ruler to the image [a beautiful feature

developed by French astronomer Guy Buhry] it is relatively

easy to scale the filaments length at over 600,000 a dis-

tance equal to travelling to the Moon and half way back to

Earth! There is a tutorial on my site on how to use this solar

ruler http://thesolarexplorer.net/index.php?option=com_

content&view=article&id=37&Itemid=42 It is also possible

to visit Guys site https://sites.google.com/site/astroblue1/

astronomie/brico-utiles

Here is a close up on 2 September 2014 at 08:44UT I made

a 3 hour animated GIF to demonstrate the dynamics of this

structure from 08:36 to 11:44UT.

http://thesolarexplorer.net/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D37%26Itemid%3D42%20It%20is%20also%20possible%20to%20visit%20Guys%20site%20https://sites.google.com/site/astroblue1/astronomie/brico-utiles%20




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Filament during mid lift off at 15:40UT the seeing had deteriorated at that time. By 16:12UT it was no longer possible to see it in h-alpha light. I made a time-lapse from 14:12 to 16:12UT of this event.

Have fun with our Sun

Andy Devey

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Filament during mid lift off at 15:40UT the seeing had deteriorated at that time. By 16:12UT it was no longer possible to see it in h-alpha light. I made a time-lapse from 14:12 to 16:12UT of this event.

Have fun with our Sun

Andy Devey

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IMAGE: HOLLY CARTER

Image of Apennius Mons taken with DMK21.AU04.AS The Imaging Source Astronomy Cameras attached to a celestron 8” SCT and mounted on a celestron Advanced GT mount.

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Top: The Ring nebula

Bottom: Dumbell nebula

Images Alastair Leith

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Top; Northern Lights over North Oxfordshire (2014)

Below: M31

Images: Mary Spicer

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On September 20th 1969 klim Ivancvych

Churyumov of the Kiev astronomical obser-

vatory was examining photographic plates

of a periodic comet called 32P/Comas Sola

taken by Svetlona Gerasimenko. When

Churyumov returned to Kiev he studied the

plates in more detail. He noted while study-

ing the photographic plate that new object

was 1.8 degrees off the expected position of

Comas Sola, this analysis was the proof of a

new object had been discovered.

It is thought that Comet 67P may have been

nudged by Jupiter’s immense gravity, before

Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko and Rosetta

TOP IMAGE : klim Ivancvych Churyumov

BOTTOM IMAGE: Svetlona Gerasimenko

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1959 it is though the comets perihelion was about 2.7 AU. The pull of Jupiter drew the comet in giving a

new perihelion of1.3 AU, where it orbits today.

Perihelion is the point at which a celestial body that orbits our sun is at its closest. The opposite to this or the furthest point is called Aphelion.

Perihelion Aphelion

The Rosetta Mission

To understand comets more we need to get up close and personal, we need to be able to study the comet,

take samples and look at its composition. The Rosetta mission will do just that. Not only will it orbit around

the comet a lander will be delivered to the comets surface. The Rosetta mission is a cooperation between

NASA and The European Space Agency, ESA. Although the mission is mainly run by the ESA, NASA has some

interesting instrument on board. NASA have provided three instruments, ALICE, MIRO AND IES, as well as

significant electronics for another instrument called ROSINA.

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ALICE OVERVIEW

As Rosetta’s miniature UV Imaging Spectrograph, ALICE will

help us determine where comet C-G came from, what it is made

of, and how its nucleus, coma, and tails interact. (Unlike the

names of other U.S. instruments, “ ALICE” is not an acronym;

it is simply a name that the instrument’s principal investiga-

tor, Alan Stern, likes).

ALICE is a key tool for discovering a comet’s thermal history -

how hot it has gotten in the past. That thermal history can tell

us something about where the comet was formed and traveled

in its orbits. If we know that a comet never got above a certain

temperature, we can infer that it never got closer than a certain

distance from the sun (or, for that matter, any other star).

The information above is a brief overview of the instrument provided by NASA. Words and Images NASA.

FOr more information on NASA and the Rosetta Project please visit

https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/

ALICE LINK https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/us-instruments/alice-overview


https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/us-instruments/alice-overview

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MIRO OVERVIEW

MIRO is the first microwave instrument sent into space to

study a solar system body. As a combined spectrometer

and radiometer, MIRO can sense temperature and identify

chemicals. Rosetta scientists will use it to determine how

different materials in the comet change from ice to gas, and

to observe how much comet C-G changes in temperature

as it approaches the sun.

When Rosetta reaches comet C-G, MIRO will study four

of the ten most abundant molecules usually present in

a comet’s nucleus— water, carbon monoxide, methanol,

and ammonia. Water and carbon monoxide are key parent

gases for molecules that wind up in the comet’s coma and

tail. Methanol is a key hydrocarbon. Ammonia is one of the

most abundant gases in the outer solar system.

The information above is a brief overview of the instrument provided by NASA. Words and Images NASA.

FOr more information on NASA and the Rosetta Project please visit


MIRO LINK: https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/us-instruments/miro-overview


https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/us-instruments/miro-overview

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IES OVERVIEW

The Ion and Electron Sensor (IES) is one of five instruments that make up the Rosetta Plasma Consortium

(RPC) suite. The suite weighs only 7 kg, and consumes less than a quarter of the power of a light bulb.

Scientists will use the RPC to characterize the electromagnetic forces that drive the high energy and complex

environment of the comet’s coma, which develops when the comet approaches the sun. In the past, we

have been able to sample the comas of comets during only a few brief flybys. This time, however, the RPC

will have several months to investigate the development of the coma as comet C-G approaches the sun.

The information above is a brief overview of

the instrument provided by NASA. Words and

Images NASA.

FOr more information on NASA and the Rosetta

Project please visit


IES LINK https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/

us-instruments/ies-overview


https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/us-instruments/ies-overview

https://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/us-instruments/ies-overview

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Currently Rosetta is in orbit around the comet, and will accompany the comet during its perihelion in

August 2015, during this time it will map the comet and collect data on the comets composition, water

content as well as other scientific research. Rosetta has also been carrying the lander, Philae.

Image Source NASA

Philae Lander

The missions objects are to determine the physical properties of the comets surface, subsurface and to deter-

mine its chemical composition, mineralogical and Isotopic composition.

A landing site has been identified for the lander and is set to land on the comet on November 12th 2014.

The Philae lander is a partial hexagon shape which is 1000mm across and 800mm high, it has a mass of 21Kg.

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IMAGE SOURCE: Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Date: 06 August 2014: Satellite: Rosetta: Depicts: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

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IMAGE SOURCE: Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Date: 06 August 2014: Satellite: Rosetta: Depicts: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

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IMAGE BY Pete Williamson- Whittington Observatory Shropshire UK

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ASTRONOMY COMMUNITY

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http://www.awesomeastronomy.com/

http://www.awesomeastronomy.com/

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For more information please contact us via our The solar explorer website for price list and

availabilityhttp://thesolarexplorer.net/

http://thesolarexplorer.net/

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Look Up In Wonder: A guide to the night sky

in OCTOBER by John Harper

FRASDuring all of the month except the last day, the Sun is pass-ing through the constellation of Virgo. This constellation is the second largest in the entire sky – the largest being Hydra (the swamp snake). On October 31st around 12h, it passes into the constellation of Libra.

THE MOON

The Moon is at apogee, its furthest from the earth, on the 18th at 05h, and at perigee, its nearest to the earth at 09h on the 6th.

The First Quarter Moon occurs on the 1st at 19h33 in Sagittarius. This is one of the low FQ moons, despite the moon being 4° north of the ecliptic. There is another FQ moon on 31st at 02h49 in western Capricornus.

The Full Moon at 10h51 on the 8th is often called the Hunter’s Moon, named after Herne the Hunter, who leads the Yell Hounds across the early winter sky, and whose yelpings can be heard in the skeins of wild geese migrating at this time. Alternative ideas have been put forward for the origin of the name given to this Full Moon; one idea is that as the moon is now higher in the sky when full, and so gives more light for poachers to stalk their prey at night. Another, is that when the moon is high in the south at mid-night, the constellation of Orion the Hunter is completely

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clear of the SE horizon for the first time since last winter. Look for the Hunter’s Moon this year in Pisces.Over the Pacific Ocean a total eclipse of the moon takes place, all of which can be seen from western USA, Alaska, western Canada, New Zealand, NE, eastern Australia, much of Japan and NE Asia. None of this eclipse is visible from the UK.

Last Quarter Moon is on the 15th at 19h13 in south-eastern Gemini beneath Castor and Polliux.October’s New Moon takes place on the 23rd at 21h57 in eastern Virgo. When the moon sets, it is just 3° to the west of the sun. At the time of new moon, a partial solar eclipse takes place, which would be visible from the UK; but unfortunately for us, the sun is below the horizon. How-ever, all of the USA and most of Canada except for the extreme NE, get to see a reasonable partial eclipse. The greatest eclipse is visible from Prince of Wales Island in the Franklin district of the Canadian NW Territories.

You may observe the morning cone of the zodiacal light during the first to the seventh and again from the 23rd to the 31st. of the month. Look for its ethereal glow in the morning sky. Earthshine may be seen illuminating the night hemisphere of the waxing crescent moon from the 24th to the 30th, and the waning crescent from the 17th to the 23rd and is a most beautiful sight.

THE PLANETS

During the first half of the month, Mercury remains invisible in the evening sky. However on the 16th the planet lies between the earth and the sun and inferior conjunction takes place; thereafter it emerges rap-idly into the morning sky for its greatest elongation west of the sun on November 1st. Look for Mercury during the last ten days of the month, when at around 06h00 it may be seen shining as a bright star-like object above the ESE horizon, more than five degrees above it, as morning twi-light begins. On the 22nd at 06h00 the very thin waning crescent moon may be spotted at an elevation of 8° in the ESE sky, and if you pan down to the lower left of the moon, some 7°, you might glimpse Mercury just 3° above the horizon. This late October morning apparition of the Sun’s innermost planet is the best of the year.

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The direct motion of Mars takes the planet eastwards through Ophiuchus into Sagittarius during this month, and by the end of October, its magni-tude is almost +1. This means that it is slightly dimmer than the star Altair (alpha Aquillae), which is higher in the sky in the south. Mars itself may be located within 10° of the SW horizon when evening twilight fades at around 18h00. During October, as the month begins, the planet sets two hours after the sun but because Mars gains greater altitude as the month progresses, it sets almost three hours after the sun by Hallowe’en. The waxing crescent moon is in conjunction with Mars on the 28th, when at 18h00 it lies 6° above the red planet, which in turn is 6° above the SW horizon.

Jupiter, on the Cancer / Leo border, rises at 01h00 at the start of the month, and just after 23h00 on the 31st. During the period it is above the horizon, it shines steadily and brightly, dominating the eastern quadrant of the sky during the early hours of the morning. The broad waning crescent moon and Jupiter produce a delightful spectacle on the 18th, when at 02h00 as they are rising in the eastern sky, they lie 5° apart. The star lower in the sky to their left is Regulus, brightest star in Leo. The Galilean satellites look splendid, even through binoculars, which must be firmly fixed and well focused.

Saturn becomes increasingly more difficult to locate in evening twilight, and by the middle of the month sets at around 18h00. To glimpse the ringed planet, look low down in the SW sky and if you use binoculars on the 25th, scanning the horizon in that direction at 17h00, you may see Saturn and the two day old waxing crescent moon almost touching as the ringed planet emerges from behind the moon, an occultation of the planet having just taken place. For those wishing to observe the occultation of Saturn, it is necessary to use a telescope because it happens in a daylight sky. Saturn disappears behind the dark limb of the moon at almost 16h00 UT as seen from Scarborough and much of the north of England, when the moon and Saturn are at an altitude of 10.5° above the horizon in the SW. The actual azimuth position of Saturn is 221° (Azimuth is measured in degrees along the horizon from the north point, through east, south, west and back to north again.

On the 7th at 20h00, Uranus is opposite the sun in the sky (opposition). At this time it is at its nearest to the earth and crosses the south meridian at midnight. The planet is theoretically visible to the naked eye, but only as a very faint ‘star’, only readily seen in a very dark sky. This planet, discov-ered by William Herschel on the 13th March 1781, lies 3° to the south of delta Piscium at a distance a little less than delta is from its neighbouring star epsilon Piscium, which lies to the east.

Neptune is best seen during the late evening when at 21h30 it is at an altitude of 27° in the south. The below naked eye visibility planet is located some 4° to the south east of the fourth magnitude star Ancha (theta Aquarii). First locate the fifth magnitude star sigma Aquarii, and from that star, Neptune will be found one moon width to its upper right back in the direction of Ancha. A telescope with adequate magnification is necessary to see this remote world as a tiny bluish grey disc.

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The direct motion of Mars takes the planet eastwards through Ophiuchus into Sagittarius during this month, and by the end of October, its magni-tude is almost +1. This means that it is slightly dimmer than the star Altair (alpha Aquillae), which is higher in the sky in the south. Mars itself may be located within 10° of the SW horizon when evening twilight fades at around 18h00. During October, as the month begins, the planet sets two hours after the sun but because Mars gains greater altitude as the month progresses, it sets almost three hours after the sun by Hallowe’en. The waxing crescent moon is in conjunction with Mars on the 28th, when at 18h00 it lies 6° above the red planet, which in turn is 6° above the SW horizon.

Jupiter, on the Cancer / Leo border, rises at 01h00 at the start of the month, and just after 23h00 on the 31st. During the period it is above the horizon, it shines steadily and brightly, dominating the eastern quadrant of the sky during the early hours of the morning. The broad waning crescent moon and Jupiter produce a delightful spectacle on the 18th, when at 02h00 as they are rising in the eastern sky, they lie 5° apart. The star lower in the sky to their left is Regulus, brightest star in Leo. The Galilean satellites look splendid, even through binoculars, which must be firmly fixed and well focused.

Saturn becomes increasingly more difficult to locate in evening twilight, and by the middle of the month sets at around 18h00. To glimpse the ringed planet, look low down in the SW sky and if you use binoculars on the 25th, scanning the horizon in that direction at 17h00, you may see Saturn and the two day old waxing crescent moon almost touching as the ringed planet emerges from behind the moon, an occultation of the planet having just taken place. For those wishing to observe the occultation of Saturn, it is necessary to use a telescope because it happens in a daylight sky. Saturn disappears behind the dark limb of the moon at almost 16h00 UT as seen from Scarborough and much of the north of England, when the moon and Saturn are at an altitude of 10.5° above the horizon in the SW. The actual azimuth position of Saturn is 221° (Azimuth is measured in degrees along the horizon from the north point, through east, south, west and back to north again.

On the 7th at 20h00, Uranus is opposite the sun in the sky (opposition). At this time it is at its nearest to the earth and crosses the south meridian at midnight. The planet is theoretically visible to the naked eye, but only as a very faint ‘star’, only readily seen in a very dark sky. This planet, discov-ered by William Herschel on the 13th March 1781, lies 3° to the south of delta Piscium at a distance a little less than delta is from its neighbouring star epsilon Piscium, which lies to the east.

Neptune is best seen during the late evening when at 21h30 it is at an altitude of 27° in the south. The below naked eye visibility planet is located some 4° to the south east of the fourth magnitude star Ancha (theta Aquarii). First locate the fifth magnitude star sigma Aquarii, and from that star, Neptune will be found one moon width to its upper right back in the direction of Ancha. A telescope with adequate magnification is necessary to see this remote world as a tiny bluish grey disc.

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Some more remnants of Halley’s comet may be seen in the early hours from the 21st to 24th, when the earth encounters the Orionid stream. Up to 25 shooting stars an hour are expected. These meteors are fast moving and often leave persistent trains. The biggest number of Orionids will be visible just before dawn, when the constellation of Orion is high in the south. The radiant, or point of origin of the shooting stars is some 10° above Betelgeuse, the star which marks the right shoulder of the Giant Hunter. Unfortunately, this year is unfavourable due to the bright gibbous waning in in the vicinity of the radiant.

Earlier in the month on the morning of the 8th, a slight increase in the number of shooting stars overnight marks the peak of the Draconid or Giacobinid (whose parent body is the comet Giacobini-Zinner) meteor shower, with its radiant in the constellation of Draco the Dragon. Recently the earth passed through some concentrated filaments of particles, producing a high rate of about 500 meteors an hour. It is not likely, although not impossible, that there is a repeat this year. The moon is a waxing crescent in the evening sky so should not interfere with the number of Draconids seen. The meteors have the reputation of being slow moving but faint.

The dwarf planet Ceres (1), lies just 30 minutes of arc (one moon width) to the north of Saturn on the morning of the 4th, but at magnitude 8 will require telescopic assistance to locate.

On the 19th comet C/2013 A1, Sidings Spring, passes just 7 minutes (quarter of a moon width) from the planet Mars. The globular cluster NGC 6401 also lies nearby. In order to see the comet, a good telescope is required during the early evening as twilight ends.

Constellations visible in the south around midnight, mid-month, are as follows: Cetus, Pisces, Aries, Triangulum and Andromeda. Cassiopeia and the Milky Way lie at the zenith, with the Milky Way spanning the sky from east to west.

All times are GMT 1° is one finger width at arm’s length.

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Some more remnants of Halley’s comet may be seen in the early hours from the 21st to 24th, when the earth encounters the Orionid stream. Up to 25 shooting stars an hour are expected. These meteors are fast moving and often leave persistent trains. The biggest number of Orionids will be visible just before dawn, when the constellation of Orion is high in the south. The radiant, or point of origin of the shooting stars is some 10° above Betelgeuse, the star which marks the right shoulder of the Giant Hunter. Unfortunately, this year is unfavourable due to the bright gibbous waning in in the vicinity of the radiant.

Earlier in the month on the morning of the 8th, a slight increase in the number of shooting stars overnight marks the peak of the Draconid or Giacobinid (whose parent body is the comet Giacobini-Zinner) meteor shower, with its radiant in the constellation of Draco the Dragon. Recently the earth passed through some concentrated filaments of particles, producing a high rate of about 500 meteors an hour. It is not likely, although not impossible, that there is a repeat this year. The moon is a waxing crescent in the evening sky so should not interfere with the number of Draconids seen. The meteors have the reputation of being slow moving but faint.

The dwarf planet Ceres (1), lies just 30 minutes of arc (one moon width) to the north of Saturn on the morning of the 4th, but at magnitude 8 will require telescopic assistance to locate.

On the 19th comet C/2013 A1, Sidings Spring, passes just 7 minutes (quarter of a moon width) from the planet Mars. The globular cluster NGC 6401 also lies nearby. In order to see the comet, a good telescope is required during the early evening as twilight ends.

Constellations visible in the south around midnight, mid-month, are as follows: Cetus, Pisces, Aries, Triangulum and Andromeda. Cassiopeia and the Milky Way lie at the zenith, with the Milky Way spanning the sky from east to west.

All times are GMT 1° is one finger width at arm’s length.

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ASTRO NERDS- OCT 2014 ASTRONOMY EZINE

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