January 2014 - University of Delaware

Vol. 59, No. 1, JANUARY, 2014
Next Meeting – Tuesday, January 21st, 2014 at 8pm
~ Two Mini-Talks ~
A Space Mission Quiz by Jeff Lawrence
and All About Sundials with Speakers Greg Lee & Bob Mentzer
at the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory
FROM THE PRESIDENT
! Bill Hanagan
We held our annual Holiday Party and Swap meet
on December 17 as scheduled, despite snow and sleet
falling earlier in the day. Attendance seemed only slightly
diminished by the weather and everyone who attended
appeared to enjoy the event! I’d like to thank the many DAS
members who contributed to the wide range of delectable
treats for our Holiday Party as well as everyone who brought
out items for sale at our swap meet. I’d also like to thank
one of our newest members, Keith Givens, who brought in
two large tables for the swap meet to supplement the three
tables provided by the Mount Cuba Observatory.
Our presenters for December also deserve our
thanks, including Greg Lee, Rob Lancaster, and myself.
Greg reviewed the fate of comet ISON, which was destroyed
as it grazed the sun. Rob showed us a selection of impressive videos of the Milky Way, Auroras, and views of Earth
from the International Space Station at night. I finished the
presentations with a slideshow of Longwood Christmas
Lights set to a medley of Christmas music.
Coming up at our January 21 meeting, Greg Lee will
give us another installment of What’s Up in the Sky. Also in
January, we have two mini-talks. Space Mission Quiz, by
Jeff Lawrence, will test our knowledge of the many spacecraft that have been launched from Earth over the last 50
years. All about Sundials, by Greg Lee and Bob Mentzer,
will review the origins and operation of sundials from ancient
times to the present day.
As always, I’d like to remind you to keep thinking
about how YOU can contribute to the DAS and how you can
make the DAS a better astronomy club.
We’ve had some volunteers step forward, and we’ve
received a variety of equipment donations, but more volunteers and donations are needed.
Also, FOCUS Editor Joe Neuberger could use more
photos from DAS events and your own astronomy activities.
Send your favorite photos to Joe with a line or two of explanatory text identifying the people in the (continued on page 2)
IN THIS ISSUE:
Board Meeting Agenda
Mt. Cuba Public Nights Schedule
Special Interest Groups of the DAS
Member Star Party Schedule for the Year
Notes on Member Star Parties
Astro-Photo & Website of the Month
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NASA Science News:
Starting Fire with Water
The Coldest Place in the World
Sixteen Tons & What do You Get...Moondust
Electric-Blue Clouds Appear over Antartica
PERTINENT INFORMATION FOR ALL MEMBERS:
For Sale by the Delaware Astronomical Soc.
Main Meeting Topics & Speakers for 2014
Nominations for Luther Porter Award
Request for AstroPhotos by MCAO & FOCUS
This and That
Info on Memberships & Magazine Subscriptions Page 13
Contact Information for the DAS Board
Page 14
“The Last Word” - FOCUS Editor Joe Neuberger Page 14
Each issue of FOCUS is full of useful hyperlinks. Just click on
any graphic or telltale blue web address and your browser should
take you to additional linked web resources.
NGC 891 (also known as
Caldwell 23) is
an edge-on unbarred
spiral galaxy about 30
million light-years away in
the constellation Andromeda.
Photo taken by DAS member
Rick Davis.
Observing with the Delaware Astronomical Society...
The PRESIDENT’S DAS BOARD
MEETING AGENDA for JANUARY
NEW
2014 DAS Member Star Party
(MSP) Program ! Bill Hanagan
7:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 21st, 2014
In addition to routine items of business, such as the
Treasurer’s report, we’ll also discuss:
1) The May Dinner Meeting
a. Food costs have risen significantly in
recent years and the cost per plate has
consequently gone up. Attendance has
steadily declined over the last half decade
as well and only about 1/3 of DAS members actually attend the dinner meeting in
any particular year. In addition, government budget tightening within NASA and
elsewhere has made the task of finding a
noteworthy speaker increasingly difficult.
b. The question is: can we revamp the dinner
meeting into a low-cost event that attracts
significantly more DAS members? Or,
should we discontinue the dinner meeting
and hold a regular monthly meeting in May?
c. Plans proposed by one or more DAS
members who will volunteer to lead the
proposed plans have the best chance of
being adopted.
2) Other topics to be determined.
As always, DAS board meetings are open to all
DAS members and ALL are welcome!
The previous potential MSP dates of January 3 and
4 were blocked by weather.
Upcoming potential MSP dates include the weekends of January 24 & 25, and January 31 & February 1.
During the winter months, the Sawin Observatory is
our most likely MSP venue, but other opportunities sometimes arise. In any case, the specific dates and locations of
our Member Star Parties (MSPs) will be announced via DAS
Yahoo Group email, so you need to be sure to sign up as
a member.
The mechanics of the MSP program are described
in detail under “Notes on the Member Star Parties (MSPs)”
on page 4..
FROM THE PRESIDENT (continued from page 1)
photo and providing the name, date, and location of the event.
Currently, we still need a DAS member to take over
as the Chairperson of the Awards Committee. Gus Swartout,
the previous Awards Chair, will provide all of the instruction
and assistance you need to get started. If you’re interested,
please let me know.
A club works best when all of its able-bodied members pitch-in and help out at club functions in whatever way
they can. If you want to make the DAS a better astronomy
club, give me a call at 302-239-0949. I’m sure we can come
up with something that you can do to help the DAS that also
suits your particular interests.
“PUBLIC NIGHTS” at the Mt. CUBA OBSERVATORY...
MCAO PUBLIC NIGHTS !
Greg Weaver
The Mt. Cuba
Observatory Public
Nights continue year
round! In addition to
learning about many
aspects of the heavens,
you’ll have a chance to
visit and view our all-digital full-dome planetarium. You can
pick up a schedule when you next come to a meeting or get
the latest updated version off the website at: http://
MountCuba.org. Programs are presented on Monday
nights at 8pm. Please check the website for full details and
updates on programs planned. Interested individuals or groups
can apply by letter or call 654-6407 (preferably between the
hours of 9 and 11 am, Monday through Friday) to the Observatory to obtain reservations for these “Public Nights”.
The Public Nights schedule for 2014 follows:
NEW
Date
Speaker
Topic
13 Jan. Judi Provencal
TBD
27 Jan. Sheila Vincent
TBD
Other dates for which topics and speakers have yet to be chosen:
10 Feb.
7 April
9 June
24 Feb.
21 April
23 June
5 May.
19 May
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DAS ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
The DAS astrophotography special interest group (DAS
AP SIG) meets on Friday nights at 7:30pm every other month at Mt.
Cuba regardless of weather. The SIG also meets for photo shoots
scheduled on 1-2 day notice to synchronize with the weather.
The monthly meetings are informal and typically
include the presentation of astrophotos taken by the members
along with an extended question and answer period. Objects
commonly photographed include constellations, auroras, lunar
eclipses, and planetary photos, as well as a wide variety of deepsky objects such as nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, etc. The
topics discussed cover the entire gamut of astrophotography,
from how to get started with a minimum of equipment, to polar
aligning your telescope, all of the way to the fine points of using
auto-guiders and post-processing digital images.
You can get started in astrophotography with just
your current camera mounted on a tripod or a motorized
telescope by taking wide field photographs of meteor showers,
conjunctions, constellations, and star trails. As you move to
progressively fainter and smaller subjects, you’ll need better
equipment. Joining the AP SIG is a great way to learn what
equipment you’ll need and what works well before you spend
your money. If you are interested in joining the AP SIG, just
email your name, address, and phone number to me at
[email protected].
! Bill Hanagan
NEW Our next AP-SIG meeting is tentatively scheduled for
January 17 or 18 at the Sawin Observatory, when Jupiter will
be well positioned to demonstrate planetary imaging.
Keep an eye on your DAS Yahoo Group email for the
weather related scheduling of this AP-SIG meeting.
Even if you aren’t an AP-SIG member, you’re welcome to attend the AP-SIG meetings to learn more.
As always, please consider submitting one or more of
your favorite astrophotos for publication in the FOCUS. A
recent photo is not required. You can email your photo(s) as
.jpg files to our FOCUS editor, Joe Neuberger at his address at
[email protected].
DAS AMATEUR TELESCOPE MAKING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP !
The DAS Amateur Telescope Making (ATM) Special
Interest Group (SIG ) meets on evenings and weekends
according to the availability of the members and the particular projects that are underway. Currently the ATM SIG has a
medium Dob building program under way. The general range
of activities of the ATM SIG includes all manner of telescope
making, mirror making, and the making of accessories for
telescopes and observing.
Anyone interested in joining the ATM SIG should
email their name, address, and phone number to me at
[email protected].
Bill Hanagan
Meeting dates are announced primarily by email, so if
you are interested in telescope making, be sure to let me know!
LOANER TELESCOPES and SAWIN OBSERVATORY REMINDER
!Tom Sidowski
The DAS also maintains a club observatory on the grounds
of the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory. The Sawin Observatory
houses the club’s permanently mounted 12.5" reflecting telescope
and a 17.5" Coulter Odyssey 2 Dobsonian telescope. They are for
the use of club members once they are trained and checked-out in
a simple operating procedure. Members who are interested in
becoming key holders of the Sawin Observatory should contact me
at 302-239-1844 to arrange for training in the use of the facility.
One of the best advantages of being a member of the
Delaware Astronomical Society is that all members have the
privilege of being trained to use and then borrow equipment
owned by the club for personal use. Currently, we have two
scopes available for loan: a Celestron 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain,
and a 6" Orion Sky-Quest XT6 Dobsonian reflector. The loan is
for at least a month. If you’re interested in checking out either
of these scopes, contact Tom Sidowski at 302-239-1844.
Thermal infrared images of Saturn from the Very
Large Telescope Imager and Spectrometer for
the mid-Infrared (VISIR) instrument on the
European Southern Observatory’s Very Large
Telescope, on Cerro Paranal, Chile, appear at
center and on the right. An amateur visible-light
. of Broken Hill,
image from Trevor Barry,
Australia, appears on the left. The images were
obtained on Jan. 19, 2011.
-3-
2014 Potential Member Star Party (MSP) Dates
.
In 2014, the locations and specific dates of upcoming MSPs will once again be scheduled using DAS Yahoo Group email. The mechanics of the
MSP program are described in detail under “Notes on the Member Star Parties (MSPs)” below.
Notes on the Member Star Parties (MSPs)
! Bill Hanagan
MSP cycles are timed for a minimum of intrusion by moonlight during the hours before midnight to maximize opportunities for
deep sky observing and imaging. For each MSP cycle there are usually four potential dates designated in advance: the Friday and Saturday
nights which immediately precede a new moon, and the Friday and Saturday nights that follow or include the new moon date. Which of the
four potential dates is used for an MSP is “flex-scheduled” according to the weather using the DAS Yahoo Group email system.
Please be sure to mark your calendars with the potential MSP dates that appear in the table! Obviously, you need to keep
as many of these dates open as possible so that when a GO announcement is made you’re in a position to attend the DAS Member
Star Party regardless of which date the weather favors!
The DAS has a core group of dedicated visual observers and astro-imagers who travel to Tuckahoe, Cherry Springs, West
Virginia, and other dark sky sites as opportunities and the weather allow. If you’re interested in going along or meeting up on any of
the road trips mentioned in the MSP schedule, let me know and I’ll fill you in on the details and keep you apprised as plans develop.
Road trips to distant observing sites like Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania require that several DAS members
commit to going in advance should the weather prove favorable for both nights. When the weather forecast only looks good for one
night, the MSP will often be redirected to a closer site such as the Elk River site, the ChesLen Preserve, or the Sawin observatory.
While DAS members who go on road trips are often involved in both observing and imaging, these road trips are particularly valuable
for visual observers because they offer the best opportunity to see deep sky objects through large aperture telescopes under dark skies.
Most of today’s big Dobs produce vastly superior visual images compared to older, large aperture observatory telescopes
with which you might be familiar, thanks in part to better optics, the use of a “thin” primary mirror which cools faster, and the use of
fans to cool the primary mirror and to remove warm air from the optical path. If you are truly interested in visual observing, you owe it
to yourself to see first-hand what dark skies and a modern large aperture telescope will allow you to see.
Finally, I’d like to remind you that you need to be signed up for the DAS Yahoo Group to receive the scheduling announcements for the MSPs. A full description of the MSP program appears on the DAS website at http://delastro.org/ and in the December
2009 issue of the FOCUS.
-4-
ASTRO-PHOTO
of the
MONTH
Comet ISON - In Memoriam
Photo Credit: Damien Peach
http://www.damianpeach.com/observatory.htm
Damien Peach
took this image
on November
15th, 2013.
Damien is
located on the
south coast of
the UK, at Selsy,
West Sussex.
He's also an
expert of planetary imaging.
Photo Data:
taken November
15th, 2013,
0.11m, F5.6,
STL-11k camera,
LRGB:
L: 5x2mins.
RGB: 1x2mins.
http://
www.damianpeach.com/
ison.htm
WEBSITE
of the
MONTH
Wallops Flight Facility
Reaching
Farther
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home/#.UsgzH9JDtYX
NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, located on Virginia's Eastern Shore, was established in 1945 by the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, as a center for aeronautic research. Normal operating hours are Monday through Friday,
6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Wallops operator can be reached at 757-824-1000. For up-to-date information on closings, launches,
and other events affecting the base, please call 757-824-2050.
The research and responsibilities of Wallops Flight Facility are centered around the philosophy of providing a fast,
low cost, highly flexible and safe response to meet the needs of the United States' aerospace technology interests and
science research. The 1,000 full-time Civil Service and contractor NASA Wallops employees act as a team to accomplish
our mission in the spirit of this philosophy.
NASA also opens its unique facilities to industry for space and aeronautics research. Wallops has seen an increase
in commercial launch activity recently, with it’s last launch on January 9th, viewable from area locations. For videos of the
launch click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ksLbFhO-jc&list=PLiuUQ9asub3RHqKdK_XZSZ8I_981UPhvX.
-5-
Starting Fire With Water
When
with salt. It's a major
firefighters want to
technological hurdle."
extinguish a blaze,
Dealing with salt
they often douse it with
is the ultimate goal of the
water. Astronauts on
Super Critical Water
board the ISS, however,
Mixture experiment on the
are experimenting with
ISS, a joint effort between
a form of water that
NASA and CNES, the
does the opposite.
French space agency.
Instead of stopping fire,
"By studying
this water helps start it.
supercritical water without
"We call it
the complicating effects of
‘supercritical water,’"
gravity, we can learn how
says Mike Hicks of the
precipitating salts behave
Glenn Research Center
on a very fundamental
in Ohio. "And it has some A new ScienceCast video explores the unfamiliar properties of supercritical water.
level," says Hicks, who is
Click to Play it.
interesting properties.
the principal investigator
of the experiment. "We might even be able to figure out how to draw
"Water becomes supercritical when it’s compressed to a
salt away from corrosion-sensitive components."
pressure of 217 atmospheres and heated above 373o C. Above that
The experiment, which uses French-built hardware
so-called critical point, ordinary H2O transforms into something that
(DECLIC) located in the station’s Japanese Experiment Module
is neither solid, liquid, nor gas. It's more of a “liquid-like gas.”
"When supercritical water is mixed with organic material, a chemical (JEM), began during the first week of July 2013. It will continue for a
reaction takes place—oxidation,” says Hicks. "It's a form of burning full year in a series of six test runs, each lasting approximately
15 days.
without flames."
The results
This really comes in handy when you want to get rid of
could have down-to-Earth
certain unpleasant materials--like sewage. Cities, corporate farms,
applications. The US
ships at sea and manned spacecraft accumulate waste materials
Navy has already started
that could benefit from this kind of treatment.
using supercritical water
"When we push a wet waste stream above the critical
technologies to purify
point, supercritical water breaks the bonds of the hydrocarbons.
Then, they can react with oxygen." In other words, the slurry ignites. waste streams onboard
some of their ships, while
Sometimes, hotspots in the slurry produce visible flame, but usually
the City of Orlando has
not. "This is a relatively clean form of burning that produces pure
water and carbon dioxide, but none of the toxic products of ordinary fire." started a supercritical
treatment plant for
What does all of this have to do with the ISS? "The
processing municipal
International Space Station provides a unique microgravity lab for
sludge.
studying the properties of supercritical water," explains Hicks.
Says Hicks,
One of the problems with supercritical water has to do with
“we’re just getting started.”
salt. Above the critical point, any salts dissolved in water quickly
precipitate out. If this happens in a reactor vessel, the metallic
Credits:
components of the vessel become coated with salt and they begin
to corrode.
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips,
| Production editor: Dr. Tony This is the rack onboard the ISS where
"In any realistic waste stream, we have to learn how to deal
the Super Critical Water Mixture
Jan. 10, 2014:
Phillips |
Credit: Science@NASA
-6-
experiment takes place. Click for
More Info.
The Coldest Place in the World
What is
Plateau, Scambos
the coldest place on
detected extremely cold
.
Earth? It is a high ridge
temperatures on a 620in Antarctica on the
mile stretch of the ridge
East Antarctic Plateau
at high elevations
where temperatures in
between Argus and Fuji,
several hollows can dip
and even colder tembelow minus 133.6
peratures at lower
degrees Fahrenheit
elevations in pockets off
(minus 92 degrees
the ridge. Then, with the
Celsius) on a clear
higher resolution of the
winter night.
Thermal Infrared Sensor
Scientists made
(TIRS) aboard Landsat 8,
the discovery while
the research team
analyzing the most
pinpointed the recorddetailed global surface This narrated animation shows the process by which the coldest place on Earth
setting pockets.
develops its extreme low temperatures. Click to Play it
temperature maps to
The team
date, developed with data from remote sensing satellites
compared the sites to topographic maps to explore how it
including the new Landsat 8, a joint project of NASA and the
gets so cold. Already cold temperatures fall rapidly when the
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Ted Scambos, lead scientist
sky clears. If clear skies persist for a few days, the ground
at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo.,
chills as it radiates its remaining heat into space. This
joined a team of researchers reporting the findings Dec. 9th at
creates a layer of super-chilled air above the surface of the
the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.
snow and ice. This layer of air is denser than the relatively
Researchers analyzed 32 years’ worth of data from
warmer air above it, which causes it to slide down the
several satellite instruments. They found temperatures
shallow slope of domes on the Antarctic plateau. As it flows
plummeted to record lows dozens of times in clusters of
into the pockets, it can be trapped, and the cooling continues.
pockets near a high ridge between Dome Argus and Dome
“By causing the air to be stationary for extended
Fuji, two summits on the ice sheet known as the East
periods, while continuing to radiate more heat away into
Antarctic Plateau. The new record of minus 136 F (minus
space, you get the absolute lowest temperatures we’re able
93.2 C) was set Aug. 10, 2010.
to find,” Scambos said. “We suspected that we would be
That is several degrees colder than the previous low
looking for one magical site that got extremely cold, but
of minus 128.6 F (minus 89.2 C), set in 1983 at the Russian
what we found was a large strip of Antarctica at high altitude
Vostok Research Station in East Antarctica. The coldest
that regularly reached these record low temperatures.”
permanently inhabited place on Earth is northeastern Siberia,
The study is an example of some of the intriguing
where temperatures in the towns of Verkhoyansk and
science possible with Landsat 8 and the TIRS instrument,
Oimekon dropped to a bone-chilling 90 degrees below zero
which was built at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in
Fahrenheit (minus 67.8 C) in 1892 and 1933, respectively.
Greenbelt, Md. Since its launch Feb. 11, Landsat 8 has
“We had a suspicion this Antarctic ridge was likely
captured approximately 550 scenes per day of Earth’s land
to be extremely cold, and colder than Vostok because it’s
surface. USGS processes, archives and distributes the
higher up the hill,” Scambos said. “With the launch of
images free of charge over the Internet.
Landsat 8, we finally had a sensor capable of really investi“With Landsat 8, we expect to see more accurate
gating this area in more detail.”
and more detailed maps of the landscape than we’ve ever
The quest to find out just how cold it can get on
been able to see,” said James Irons, the mission’s project
Earth — and why — started when the researchers were
scientist at Goddard. “If change is occurring, I think we’ll be
studying large snow dunes, sculpted and polished by the
able to detect it earlier and track it.”
wind, on the East Antarctic Plateau. When the scientists
Researchers also are eager to see what new results
looked closer, they noticed cracks in the snow surface
come out of Landsat 8, both from icy plateaus and Earth’s
between the dunes, possibly created when wintertime
warmer regions.
temperatures got so low the top snow layer shrunk. This led
“What we’ve got orbiting Earth right now is a very
scientists to wonder what the temperature range was, and
accurate and consistent sensor that can tell us all kinds of
prompted them to hunt for the coldest places using data from things about how the land surface of Earth is changing, how
two types of satellite sensors.
climate change is impacting the surface of Earth, the oceans
They turned to the Moderate Resolution Imaging
of Earth, and the icy areas of Earth,” Scambos said. “Finding
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA’s Terra
the coldest areas on Earth is just the beginning of the
and Aqua satellites and the Advanced Very High Resolution
discoveries we’re going to be able to make with Landsat 8.”
Radiometer (AVHRR) on several National Oceanic and
Credits:
Atmospheric Administration satellites. These sensitive
| Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA
instruments can pick up thermal radiation emitted from
Earth’s surface, even in areas lacking much heat.
For More information:
Using these sensors to scan the East Antarctic
NASA’s Landsat 8 website
Dec. 10, 2013:
-7-
“Sixteen Tons & What do You Get...” Moondust!
...I picked up my shovel and I
walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of
number nine....
You load sixteen tons and
what do you get...1
Jan. 7, 2009:
If you
resources are going to be
crucial to astronauts who
can't remain wholly dependent on Earth for supplies.
Working with
simulated moondust may
listen closely, you might
help researchers figure
hear a NASA project
out how to extract
manager singing this
valuable elements and
song. Lately, Marshall
minerals from the real thing."
Space Flight Center's
For example,
Carole McLemore has
moondust and many moon
been working at the end
rocks are rich in oxygen,"
of a sledge hammer
says Christian Schrader, a
opposite a big pile of
geologist on the Marshall
rocks, so she has good
regolith team. "If we can
reason to sing the song
figure out how to extract it,
Above: Carole McLemore of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center busts rocks
Tennessee Ernie Ford
humans could actually use
at the Stillwater Mine in Nye, Montana. [Click for Larger image]
made famous.
moondust as a source of
"I call it 'choppin' rocks,' " says McLemore, who
breathable air in a future lunar habitat. And the oxygen, along with
manages Marshall's Regolith Simulant Team." The guys
the hydrogen that exists in the dirt, rocks, and possibly in polar
keep correcting me. 'It's 'bustin' rocks, Carole,' they say."
ice, could be used to generate electricity using fuel cells, which
Whether choppin' or bustin', what's this petite
make drinkable water as a by-product. Hydrogen and oxygen are
woman doing with a sledge hammer in her hands? She's
also rocket propellant."
making fake moon dust.
It seems that the Stillwater Mine has "the right stuff" to
"We call it "simulated lunar regolith'," says
use as feedstock in creating the simulant so vital to lunar research.
McLemore. "We need just the right kind of rocks to make
Some of the rocks there are 2.7 billion years old.
this stuff, and we're getting them from the Stillwater Mine in
"There's a huge magma chamber that formed under the
Nye, Montana."
ground there," says Schrader. "The magma crystallized over time
The Marshall team is working with the US Geologiand formed thick layers of what we call 'anorthosite.' The geology
cal Survey (USGS) to develop a realistic moondust substiat Stillwater is roughly analogous to how the moon's highland
tute, or simulant, in support of NASA's future lunar exploracrust crystallized and cooled, so it's a great place for us to go
tion. Team members pound on boulder sized rocks to break
rock collecting."
them into manageable chunks, dump these chunks into
buckets, and lug the buckets over to pickup trucks containLeft: The moon is
ing reinforced containers to hold the rocks. The pickups
blanketed in dust--an ever
carry the rocks down the mountain for loading onto 18
present fact of life for
wheelers that transport tons of the material to the USGS in
future lunar explorers.
Photo credit: NASA/Apollo 17.
Denver. The USGS makes the simulant by crushing and
[Click for Larger image]
grinding the rocks and blending in small amounts of natural
minerals according to a well-researched "recipe" to approximate the make up of genuine moondust and moon dirt.
This is a lot of work, but McLemore believes it's
That's why these scientists are heading up the side of a
worth the effort: "NASA plans to send humans to the moon
rocky mountain with sledge hammers and pick axes to pound
to live and work, and the place is filled with gritty dust and
away at big boulders that promise to yield, albeit with great
powder that sticks to space suits, equipment – to anything
resistance, good rocks for making regolith.
and everything," she explains. "It's even inhaled into lungs.
"Sometimes arctic winds blow down off the mountains
So we need high fidelity simulant to work with here on Earth
and pummel us while we work," says Schrader. "It can be brutal."
to learn how to work in the real thing up there on the moon.
But it's all in the name of science. So don't just stand
There simply aren't enough Apollo samples of real moondust
there leaning on your shovel! Start choppin'!
to do all the research that needs to be done."
Footnote 1: "Sixteen Tons" is a song about the misery of coal
Simulated regolith can be used as a "guinea pig" to
mining, first recorded in 1946 by U.S. country singer Merle Travis and
help researchers find ways to make useful things from moon
released on his box set album Folk Songs of the However. It was
Tennessee Ernie Ford's 1955 rendition of "Sixteen Tons" that reached
dirt. A favorite example is concrete. Adding, for instance,
number one in the Billboard charts. The song's authorship is generally
epoxy to lunar regolith makes a very strong concrete that
attributed to Merle Travis, to whom it is credited on his 1947 recording.
could be used to build habitats or other structures. Properly
However, Kentucky ex-coalminer and singer/songwriter George S. Davis
baked, a mixture of sulphur and moondust also makes good
claimed to have written this song in the 1930s.
concrete, and other recipes are sure to be found as the
Author: Dauna Coulter | Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips
| Credit: Science@NASA
research progresses. On the moon and later on Mars, local
-8-
Electric-Blue Clouds Appear over Antarctica
Some researchData
Dec. 23, 2013:
ers believe this is a sign
from NASA’s AIM
of climate change. One
spacecraft show that
of the greenhouse gases
noctilucent clouds are
that has become more
like a great “geophysical
abundant in Earth’s
light bulb.” They turn on
atmosphere since the
every year in late spring,
19th century is methane.
reaching almost full
”When methane
intensity over a period of
makes its way into the
no more than 5 to 10 days.
upper atmosphere, it is
News flash: The
oxidized by a complex
bulb is glowing.
series of reactions to
As December
form water vapor,”
unfolded, a vast bank of
explains Hampton
noctilucent clouds were A new ScienceCast video explores the noctilucent clouds now swirling over
University Professor
blanketing Antarctica. It Antarctica. Click to Play it
James
Russell,
the
principal
investigator
of AIM. “This extra
started on Nov. 20th as a tiny puff of electric-blue and
water
vapor
is
then
available
to
grow
ice
crystals
for NLCs.
quickly expanded to overlie nearly the entire continent. AIM
”If
this
idea,
one
of
several,
is
correct,
noctilucent
monitored the progress of the clouds as they swirled and
clouds are a sort of “canary in a coal mine” for one of the
rippled around the south pole.
most important greenhouse gases. And that, says Russell, is
”The clouds appeared over the south pole earlier
a great reason to study them.
than usual this year,” says AIM science team member Cora
Studying NLCs is the prime mission of the AIM
Randall of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space
spacecraft.
Since it was launched in 2007, AIM has made
Physics in Colorado. “Since AIM was launched, only the
many
key
discoveries
including the role of meteor dust in
2009 season got an earlier start.
seeding
NLCs
and
the
way NLCs are affected by longNoctilucent clouds—or “NLCs” for short—are
distance
teleconnections
in the atmosphere. More discoveries
Earth’s highest clouds. Seeded by disintegrating meteormay
be
in
the
offing
as
NASA
has just extended the mission
oids, they form at the edge of space 83 km above Earth’s
for
another
two
years.
surface. When sunlight hits the tiny ice crystals that make
up these clouds, they appear to glow electric blue.
Summer is when NLCs are at their brightest and
most widespread. Now is summer in the southern hemisphere. The clouds brighten over the south pole in November through February, and shift to the north pole in May
through August.
Why summer?
The answer has to
Click on the
do with wind
image to
patterns and the
watch the
flow of humidity in
“geophysical
our atmosphere.
light bulb”
turn on over
Summer happens
Antarctica.
to be the time
Credit: AIM
when the greatest
number of water
molecules are
wafted up from the lower atmosphere to mix with “meteor
A graphic prepared by Prof. James Russell of Hampton University shows
smoke” at the edge of space. Ironically, summer is also the
how methane, a greenhouse gas, boosts the abundance of water at the
time when the upper atmosphere is coldest, allowing the ice top of Earth’s atmosphere. This water freezes around “meteor smoke” to
form icy noctilucent clouds. [Click for Larger image]
crystals of NLCs to form.
In recent years NLCs have intensified and spread.
Credits:
Authors: Dr. Tony Phillips,
| Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA
When noctilucent clouds first appeared in the 19th century,
you had to travel to polar regions to see them. Since the turn For More information:
of the century, however, they have been sighted as close to
Meteor Smoke Makes Strange Clouds — Science@NASA
the equator as Colorado and Utah.
-9-
For Sale by the Delaware Astronomical Society
Brandon 92mm f/7 Vernon Scope Refractor, Best Offer
Triplet objective reportedly made by Roland Christen. Original wood
shipping case included but, if shipped, will also box again with added protection. Hinged
tube rings, dust cap and Kellner 20mm eyepiece included. Specific age is unknown, but
the original owner passed away about 10 years ago. Available for inspection.
Mount in picture is NOT included but available separately, if desired. Reach Fred DeLucia at contact info BELOW.
Brandon 92
Brandon 94mm f/7 Vernon Scope
Refractor,
Best Offer
Specific age is unknown, but the original owner passed away about 10 years ago. Triplet
objective reportedly made by Roland Christen. Some scratches on tube. Hard side case included and
is presently being relined with new foam. Hinged tube rings and dust caps included.
Mount in picture is NOT included but available separately. Reach Fred DeLucia at contact info BELOW.
Brandon 92 mm
Brandon 94 mm
Unitron 4” f/15 refractor Model 152 with
Jaegers Objective plus accessories - Best Offer
Brandon 94
Included with the scope: Mounted Finderscope (not sure of specs but likely a 10x42),
Original wood case, Original objective and cell
stored in its own wood case (the Jaegers
replaced the original), EQ Mount, Tripod with
eyepiece tray/spreader and one counter
weight (note additional counterweight needed for proper balance), Original eyepiece/accessory
Unitron 4”
wooden case, Solar Projection Screen with mounting brackets, Unitron 2 inch 60mm eyepiece,
Clave 6mm 1.25 inch eyepiece, Barlow (unspecified), 1.25 inch diagonal, 1.25 inch Herschel Wedge, Two Solar Eyepiece Filters
(not recommended for use), 1.25 inch and .965 inch, .965 inch to 1.25inch adapter, Two 36.4mm (1.465 inch) adapters, Extension
tubes for various eyepiece focus requirements. Reach Fred DeLucia at contact info BELOW.
Unitron 4”
Unitron 4”
Brandon 32mm
Eyepiece for Sale
$125
CONUS Shipping
Included.
DAS is selling this eyepiece that was donated by the estate of a deceased member.
Not threaded for filters. No boxes, no caps, but soft yellow top and bottom caps as pictured are provided. Specific age is unknown, but possibly
40 to 50 years old. From what we uncovered, it appears that some time in 1967 Brandon switched from chrome to black barrels and in 1968 the Brandon
name and focal length were inscribed around the top of the ocular as opposed to down the barrel as this is. There are scratches and wear marks on the
barrel. The glass looks good but some might have concerns with what the camera flash reveals or when seen under the flashlight test. The glass is not
pristine but the apparent flaws have no effect on the views. We compared this eyepiece with a club member's newer 32mm Brandon/Vernonscope in Mt.
Cuba's 4" refractor. The newer Brandon has tighter eye relief and a clean, well-defined edge at the field stop. This 32mm has what looked like slight
vignetting or some roughness at the edge of the field stop, although the TFOV was the same. Otherwise, the views were identical on Jupiter and M42. Stars
were focused throughout the field of view. The main differences between the two eyepieces were the field stops, eye relief and apparent condition of the glass.
Will ship USPS Priority Mail to CONUS only. PayPal price is $128. Shipping included. DAS will also accept Money Order or Certified Bank Check
or a Personal Check but will not ship until the check clears the bank of the buyer.
Contact Fred DeLucia ([email protected] or call 609-410-8943).
-10-
DAS Main Meeting Topics and Speakers for the Remainder of 2013-14
January 21 mini-talks: 1) Jeff Lawrence will present Space Mission Quiz; and 2) Greg Lee and Bob Mentzer will tell us All about Sundials.
February 18: “The Search for Exoplanets—A Report on McDonald Observatory’s Solar Systems Uncovered Workshop”, by Julia Duffy; Julia will share
a presentation provided by Dr. Kevin Gullikson of the University of Texas Department of Astronomy on searching for exoplanets using the Harlan Smith 2.7m telescope.
March 18: “The Most Massive Stars and a pair of X-ray Goggles”, by Veronique Petit, University of Delaware Postdoctoral Associate. This talk will
examine X-ray astronomy and the unique information it can give us about the exciting lives of the most massive stars.
April 15: Open; May 20: Open; June 17: Open-- We need more presentations to fill the schedule! See pg. 2 in the September issue of the FOCUS for Ideas!
PLEASE NOTE: The schedule for 2014 is wide open and
we need more presentations to fill the schedule!
Nominations for the Luther Porter Award
! Bill Hanagan
Once again in 2014 we will be looking for nominations for the Luther Porter Award. This award is given to an individual for making a sustained, exceptional, and selfless effort to promote amateur astronomy among the public within the
Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
Please note that this award is NOT restricted to “educators”. If you know anyone who meets the requirements
stated above and you would like to place their name in nomination for this award, please contact our awards committee
chairman Gus Swartout.
REQUESTS FOR ASTROPHOTOS
! Bill Hanagan
Please consider submitting one or more of your favorite astrophotos for publication in our club’s newsletter, the FOCUS. A recent photo is not
required. You can email your photo(s) as .jpg files to FOCUS editor Joe Neuberger at [email protected].
Be sure to include a text file (in Microsoft Word format) including appropriate photo credits and a caption. If you would like, you can write a more
in-depth discussion to go with your photos. Joe has done a great job improving the look of the FOCUS and adding relevant links to take advantage of the
fact that the FOCUS is now on-line, but like all newsletter editors, he needs as much material as he can get from club members.
In addition, Greg Weaver, the manager of MCAO, has asked for astro-photos and accompanying information on how they were made for display
in the lobby at Mount Cuba. Contact Greg at [email protected]. The one requirement is that the image should be an accurate representation of the
area being photographed. Photos may be sent to the Observatory or brought to a DAS meeting. The Observatory looks forward to displaying your
beautiful images!
Photo by Bill Hanagan
The image at left of the moon was taken through a 10” f/6 SCT equipped with inside and outside edge masks to
minimize the effects of “Turned Down Edge”. A Canon EOS 20D DSLR was used at prime focus with an ISO of
800. Although the seeing wasn’t very good at the time, the 1/500th second exposure time allowed a good
image to be acquired from a set of trial shots. The image was obtained on 10/20/2007 at 7:51:36 PM.
Photo by Bill Hanagan
The image above was obtained through a 3” achromatic refractor converted to a solar prominence telescope. An Olympus
C3040Z digital camera was used hand-held in an afocal arrangement at a shutter speed of 1/250 second with an ISO of 100.
The camera f-stop was set wide open (f/1.8) to minimize vignetting. The image was obtained on 5/19/2003 at 10:42 AM.
-11-
M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy is
an interacting, grand-design, spiral
galaxy in the constellation Canes
Venatici. Photo taken by DAS
member Rick Davis
LIBRARY NEWS
DAS FORUM / E-MAIL SITE ON YAHOO
!
Both Sue Bebon and Maria Lavalle, our new DAS
Library Chairs, have been hard at work reorganizing the
many volumes in our catalog. So stop by after the meeting
and say “hello” and check out a book or two for those cold
winter nights ahead and give the gals a “Thanks” for taking
over this important duty of the club!
ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP
! Lynn King
DAS members have the opportunity to become
members in the Astronomical League at the discounted rate
of $7.50 per year. Benefits include the Reflector (a quarterly
newsletter), observing programs, awards, discounts on books
and educational materials. For questions on joining the
Astronomical League, contact Lynn King at meetings, call
302-764-8816 or email [email protected].
MT. CUBA LENDING LIBRARY
!
Paul Stratton
The MCAO Library is also at the disposal of DAS
club members. So don’t forget to give it a look also after the
next meeting. There’s plenty to keep you interested and
plenty to learn about the Universe out there!
! Don Shedrick
This is a restricted e-mail service for use by DAS
members for DAS purposes. To use this site, go to http://
groups.yahoo.com; search for Delaware Astronomical
Society; and click on the link that comes up. To join, you
must have a Yahoo ID and password; if you don’t, you can
register at this time by following Yahoo’s instructions. You
will then be allowed to “Join the group” upon clicking in that
box. You must then register for the DAS group and add your
profile by clicking on “add new profile” and completing the form.
When adding or editing your profile, you will need to
enter your actual name in the “Real Name” box so you can be
identified as a DAS member so Don Shedrick can approve your
application to join the DAS group, and everyone will know to
whom they are communicating.
Finally, specify your desired email address for delivery
of messages. Note: You may choose to not have your name
and email address displayed to anyone other than DAS
members who are members of the Yahoo DAS email group.
For more detailed instructions, go to the DAS
website under DAS Resource Links.
Comet Ison Near Mars
Taken by Parks Squyres
on October 16, 2013
at Saddle Brooke, AZ
Eighty stacked 15 second images
taken with an 11 inch Celestron
Telescope with Hyperstar.
Click Photo for Larger Image.
Laser Colimator Now Available for Aligning Your
Newtonian & Dob Scopes!
If you would like to take advantage of this new tool, it is available for lending to the membership. Please contact the
O&E Group by calling Tom Sidowski at 302-239-1844. It’s a quick and easy procedure and will improve your visual observing
experience GREATLY! EASY to USE & YOU’LL LOVE IT, GUARANTEED! It’s one of the handiest and most useful tools the
club has ever offered for loan to the membership! You owe it to yourself to CHECK IT OUT!
You’ll be AMAZED at the improvement in the performance of your scientific instrument! Correctly aligned your
instrument can give you so much more than you’d ever imagined!
-12-
INFORMATION ON DAS MEMBERSHIPS AND MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
! Jeff Lawrence, DAS Treasurer
DAS MEMBERSHIP
· DAS membership dues are $30.00 per year and due on November 1 for all members.
- There is no need to renew membership until the treasurer contacts you during the membership renewal drive starting in mid-October.
·
New members joining at various times of the year may be eligible for a prorated dues amount.
- $20 when joining March-May
- $10 when joining June-August
- $30 for joining September-October through November 1 of the following year.
ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP
·
·
·
The DAS offers an optional membership in the Astronomical League (AL) at a discounted rate.
AL membership dues are $7.50 per year and are due on June 1 for all members.
The AL does not offer any prorated discounts for new memberships starting mid-year.
SKY & TELESCOPE MAGAZINE
·
·
·
·
·
·
The DAS offers subscriptions to Sky & Telescope at a discounted rate of $32.95 per year.
Subscriptions to S&T will be processed by the club for the first subscription year only.
The publisher should then send renewal notices directly to the subscriber at the club rate of $32.95.
You may receive renewal offers for amounts other than $32.95. If so, check to see if they are special offers and how close you
are to your renewal date.
Your subscription expiration date should be displayed on the mailing label on your magazine.
If you are within 3 months of your renewal date and still have not received the correct renewal notice, please contact the publisher and tell them you should receive the member rate.
ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE
·
·
·
·
The DAS offers subscriptions to Astronomy magazine at a discounted rate of $34.00 per year.
Subscriptions to Astronomy will be processed by the club for the first subscription year only.
Your subscription expiration date should be displayed on the mailing label on your magazine.
Renewals can be handled by all club members on the Astronomy.com website using the following steps:
a. go to astronomy.com
b. select the ‘customer service’ link in the upper right corner
c. select the ‘renew your subscriptions’ link
d. enter your customer number (found on the mailing label), postal code, and the renewal code of ‘RCLUB40’ and
click ‘continue’
e. follow the remaining steps from there.
NEW MEMBERSHIP FORM
·
·
Please review the membership and magazine information above carefully.
PLEASE fill out the membership form below completely.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - -
NEW MEMBERSHIP FORM
Please be sure to review the Membership and Magazine information above carefully.
Please make checks payable to DAS and forward to:
Jeff Lawrence, Treasurer, 815 Leeds Lane, Newark, DE 19711
New Member
Senior / Family Membership
Junior Membership (16 or under)
Astronomical League
Sky & Telescope Magazine
Astronomy Magazine
$30.00
$10.00
$ 7.50
$32.95
$34.00
Total:
Name_________________________________________________Email Address_____________________________________
Street Address_________________________________________________Phone Number_____________________________
City___________________________________________________________State______Zip___________________________
Notes_________________________________________________________________________________________________
For questions or concerns, contact Jeff Lawrence, DAS Treasurer at (302) 668-8277 or [email protected]
-13-
DAS CONTACTS
Please call any of us with your concerns!
Board members:
Officers:
President:
Bill Hanagan -- 302-239-0949 or [email protected], also, Amateur Telescope Making and Astronomical
Photography Special Interest Group, By-Laws, Programs & Star Parties
Vice-President: John Case -- 302-838-1568 or [email protected]
Secretary:
Bill McKibben, Secretary [email protected]
Treasurer:
Jeff Lawrence
[email protected]; (302) 668-8277also Sky & Telescope & Astronomy magazine issues
Board Members at Large:
Terry Lisansky [email protected]
Rob Lancaster -- also, Program Chair & Elections Chair -- [email protected]
Glenn Bentley -- 610-869-0706 or [email protected]
Standing Chairs:
Publications:
Joe Neuberger -- 302-723-2734 or [email protected], also, FOCUS Newsletter contributions /
submission of Articles and Astro-Photos for publication.
Awards:
Gus Swartout - [email protected]
Education:
Mike Cimorosi - [email protected]
Observing:
Greg Lee -- 762-5358 or [email protected], also, What’s Up in the Night Sky? segment at each
monthly meeting.
Observatory:
Tom Sidowski -- 302-239-1884 or [email protected]
Library
Maria Lavalle and Sue Bebon
Elections &
Program Chair: Rob Lancaster -- [email protected]
MCAO Web Page: www.MountCuba.org
DAS Web Page: www.DelAstro.org
Other Chairs and Important People:
Sheila Vincent --302-322-4739, Ad-hoc star parties
Daniel Chester-- [email protected], DAS’ Web presence
SEE PRECEEDING PAGE FOR NEW MEMBERSHIP FORM
If you have questions, call any of the member representatives listed. Otherwise, just check
the appropriate boxes and complete the form on the preceeding page. Print it or cut it off and send it
with your check to Jeff Lawrencet his address on the form. The magazine prices are group rates to DAS members.
If you’re just joining us for the first time, THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
and WELCOME to the DAS! It’s GREAT to have you with us!
The Last
Word. . .
I hope All DAS members had an enjoyable
Holidays, And it’s my wish that All enjoy a
New Year of Good Health and Prosperity.
But most of all, as concerns our reason
! FOCUS editor
Joe Neuberger
for joining together as we do--CLEAR SKIES for
the entirety of the Winter Season & Beyond!
HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone!!