Steve Bevan's Night Skies

Eclipse Pictures!

Photo Credit:  Sjoerd Witteveen

You didn't need a telescope to see last week's lunar eclipse.  Photographer Sjoerd Witteveen took this series of pictures showing the progression of the eclipse over the evening and these images are similar to what you could see with the naked eye.  My favourite part is seeing the early stages when the moon appears to have a bite taken out of it.  As things progress and the moon enters the full shadow of the earth, you see an orangey red hue cast upon the lunar surface.  The colour is due to refracted sunlight bending around the edges of the earth and reaching the moon.  Just imagine, that's all the sunsets and sunrises on earth at that moment painting our Luna in a beautiful light!

This weekend from Friday February 29th to Sunday March 2nd, I'll be at the Markham Spring Home Show .  If you would like to learn more about astronomy I'll be at the Starlight Learning booth.  In addition, I'll be making a presentation on "Backyard Astronomy" during two public lectures at the Home Show stage at 6:45 PM Friday and 5:45 PM Saturday.

An Eclipse of the Moon on Wednesday February 20th!!

Picture Credit:  NASA

Here's an opportunity to see an eclipse of the moon!  Check out our skies on the evening of Wednesday, February 20th to see the Moon enter the Earth's shadow.

What's interesting is the reddish hue you will see as the event progresses.  This colour is due to the light of sunrises and sunsets on the Earth which manage to refract around our atmosphere and continue to the moon.  Unlike an eclipse of the sun, an eclipse of the moon is safe to view with the naked eye.

Start looking around 8:15 PM Eastern Standard Time and follow the progress of the eclipse as the shadow of our Earth travels across the lunar terrain.  As the Moon enters the darker umbral shadow around 8:43 PM, you will see the red colour start to fill the landscape.  By 12:30 AM, it should be all over for the last total lunar eclipse until the year 2010.

Remember to dress warmly and have the hot cocoa ready.

What's Up in February Skies

Produced by Starlight Learning for IMAGINOVA

Crunch Time for Canada's Biggest Telescope

Photo Credit: Dan Falk

When it was completed in 1935, it was the second largest astronomical telescope in the world.  The 74 inch reflector was used by astronomer Dr. Tom Bolton to confirm the existence of Cygnus X-1 as a Black Hole, a first in astronomy.  Dr. Helen Sawyer Hogg contributed to our understanding of the universe by the decades of research at the David Dunlap Observatory's mighty telescope.  The 190 acres of surrounding undeveloped land are home to deer and over dozens of species of birds.  It's an oasis of astronomy and biology surrounded by the suburbs of Toronto.

The University of Toronto intends to sell the DDO and the surrounding wild space and fetch as much as $100 million dollars in the process.  Will we see it snapped up by developers keen on turning the land into houses, offices and strip plazas?  I hope not.  There's a strong community voice in Richmond Hill, including Mayor Dave Barrow who wants to see the site preserved.  Local government along with community groups such as the Richmond Hill Naturalists have mounted a campaign to offer the U of T a serious alternative to the dismantling and destruction of the DDO.  We know that this is the right thing to do. The David Dunlap Observatory represents a major piece of the history of astronomy,  as well as the history of Canada. 

We can do our part to help but we must act quickly.  The University of Toronto has placed a deadline of February 15th, 2008 to decide on submissions for the sale of the facility.  Let them know that you want the DDO to remain as a testament to the advancement of the science of astronomy, a part of our heritage and that it should be preserved.  Take a moment and fill out this online petition. 

Thank you and clear skies!

Photo by Dan Falk -author: Universe on a T-shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything  (thanks Dan!)

See a Comet Tonight!

It's an exciting time when a comet becomes visible to the naked eye.  Right now the opportunity to exists to see Comet 17P Holmes, now visible in the constellation Perseus.  This came to us as a surprise because until late last week it was all but invisible to all but the most powerful telescopes.  Literally overnight, the comet brightened by a factor of one million and of course we're excited.  Right now, you have the chance to see it as a fuzzy, yellowish star.

Where can you see Comet Holmes?  Easy.  Take a look at the clip above, originally posted on AstroShorts.

Jupiter and the View from Here

Jupiter from Oshawa Ontario October 8th at 8 PM.  (Click on picture to enlarge)

October marks the final days of viewing the summer delights.  Take a look to the southwest after dark.  Scorpius is diving below the horizon with the gas giant planet Jupiter shining like a bright star immediately above.  The teapot which designates Sagittarius also marks the location of some of my favorite objects.  This region is rich in nebulae -stellar nurseries of incredible detail- and both open and globular star clusters.

Now let's take a look at the skies in New Zealand.  It looks totally different doesn't it?  Take a look at the top of the second picture and you can see that teapot shape of Sagittarius, now inverted for us Northern Hemisphere residents.  Near the center of the picture is Jupiter again.  The skies of the Southern Hemisphere are seen from a totally different perspective and most of us from the Northern Hemisphere usually have a hard time adjusting to the new view.  Of course, if you live in Wellington New Zealand, it's us Northern types that have the odd looking skies.

Pictures produced by Starry Night Pro Software, copyright IMAGINOVA Canada

The Birth of the Space Age

Sputnik 1 was the first man-made satellite.  Launched on October 4th, 1957 by the Soviet Union, Sputnik was outfitted with a simple transmitter which announced the presence of man in space.  The space race it spawned and its associated technological leaps and sprints have defined much of the latter half of the 20th century.  You can argue the benefits and the potential threats of life in the post-Sputnik age but you cannot deny that the world changed on that date.  The world became a small place.  A more dangerous place.  And to me, a more hopeful one as well.

Sky Events for October

Want to know what's up in October's Skies?  Casey and I produced this piece for IMAGINOVA Canada.

It's Aurora Season!

Image Credit:  SOHO

This picture of the sun was taken by the SOHO space observatory and shows what is known as a "Coronal Hole".  Basically, it's an area where the magnetic field doesn't loop back into the sun but extends out into space along with the solar wind continually streaming from the sun.  This process allows charge particles to escape and travel with the stream.  Why is this important?  Well when these particles reach Earth's magnetic field there's an interplay that may result in a show of the Northern Lights.  If you have a chance tonight and tomorrow night take a look outside around midnight.  If you are looking northward and have dark skies you might just be rewarded with nature's light show.

End of an Era

The David Dunlap Observatory was one of the world's leading facilities in Astronomical Research.  Situated in Richmond Hill, it provided Canadian researchers the ability to explore the universe since the 1930's.  A lot of real scientific discovery went on at the 74 inch reflector telescope, once considered a Goliath.  Now, it is a victim of progress.  Light pollution from urban growth coupled with more advanced and more capable designs made the DDO less and less important.  It's hard to justify spending $800,000 per year to operate something that now offers minimal returns.  The shame here is that we could have had gone further with the present facility if the political will existed on all levels of government to use better municipal lighting.  Still, it had to happen eventually.

The facility was a gift to the University of Toronto from Jessie Dunlap in memory of her husband.  The university recently announced that it has reached an agreement with the grandchildren of Jessie and David which allows the closure of the facility and sale of the lands and equipment.  A new facility built with the proceeds will be called the Dunlap Institute.  It will support future astronomical research from the U of T's St. George Campus.  Final vote is expected in early October.

It is sad that this jewel will go missing from Richmond Hill.  A piece of history will be lost.  Progress is like that though; some good with the bad.

The Eye of God

Picture Credit:  NASA, ESA, C.R. O'Dell (Vanderbilt University), M. Meixner and P. McCullough STScI

This is a picture of the Helix Nebula as taken by the Hubble Space telescope.  What you are looking at is the remains of a star the puffed off it's outer atmosphere as it collapsed in on itself and died.  You see this picture fairly often with the heading "The Eye of God". 

Picture Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

Here's the same object taken in infrared light by the Spitzer Space Telescope.  Spitzer is a companion telescope to Hubble. Details which are hidden by dust in the visible light spectrum are revealed by Spitzer's Infrared abilities.  It's a fine compliment and equal partner to Hubble.

Beautiful eye isn't it?

Lunar Eclipse August 28th

Picture Credit:  NASA

Are you an early riser?  Take a look at the moon as it sets in the west tomorrow morning.  Starting at about 4:51 AM, the Moon will enter Earth's shadow, reaching total eclipse at 5:52 AM.  The red colour you see during an eclipse of the Moon is due to the light of sunrises and sunsets on the Earth which manage to refract around our atmosphere and continue to the moon.  Unlike an eclipse of the sun, an eclipse of the moon is safe to view with the naked eye.

Those of us on the eastern side of North America will not get the best view this time.  This event happens while our sun is rising.  For the best show, you need to be living in the pacific.

Incredible Mars Event in August 2007....NOT!!!!

Image Credit:  NASA JPL

There's a notice floating around the internet right now describing an incredible event involving the planet Mars later this month.  Unfortunately, this information is wrong. 

In August of 2003, the planet Mars was in a particularily close alignment with Earth.  It does this every 26 months but in 2003 the red planet was marginally closer.  It appeared as an orange-red star and was quite bright.  At that time, someone took the information, made a mistake regarding the apparent size -no where near "Full Moon" proportions- and posted a well-meaning but inaccurate story about what people would see.  Every year since 2003 we see this notice.  It's still wrong.

If you have a telescope and want to see Mars in its most favorable position in 2007 you will be well rewarded at Christmas time.  At its best, under modest magnification on your telescope you will be able to see detail on the surface of Mars and maybe even a polar ice cap.  The detail will be no where near what you see in the picture above but then again, that's why we spend the money and send robotic probes there.  This picture by the Viking probe shows the deep canyon known as Vallis Marineras.  If this giant feature was here on Earth, it would stretch from one side of North America to the other.

Now that's incredible.

What's up in July

Want to know what's up in July's skies?  Casey and I produced this piece for IMAGINOVA.  It's a freely available Podcast that IMAGINOVA has on their website SPACE.COM in their NIGHTSKY section and it's also available on ASTROSHORTS.

Casey voiced this piece while I scripted it.  The podcast highlights the different things going on in the sky on various July evenings -and one early morning too.

VIDEO courtesy:  IMAGINOVA

Venus, Saturn and Holiday Stargazing

Sky Chart by Starry Night Pro, copyright IMAGINOVA

Take a look in the west as the sun sets on July 1st.  Chances are, the first heavenly object you will see is the planet Venus.  Canada Day brings a bonus.  Keep watching and as the sky gets darker, Saturn will be revealed just a little above and to the right.  Of course, this close proximity is an optical illusion.  Saturn is over eighteen times further away.  Photographers take note -The beautiful pairing of Saturn and Venus is an opportunity for some great images.

Do you have a telescope?  Even small scopes can pick out Saturn's rings and some of its many moons.  Now is the time to visit because Saturn is slowly sinking in the sky and will be visible only a little while longer this summer.  Take the opportunity while you have the chance.

The Moon meets the Lion

Take a look at the constellation Leo.  To me it's one of the few that really suggests what you are looking at.  You can see the head of the lion represented by that backward question mark formed in stars.  The body is easy to imagine also.  On June 19th, our moon passes very close to Regulus, the star that marks the leg of the mighty lion.  Take a pair of binoculars and visit this close alignment.  The two will be so close you would be hard pressed to fit another moon in between them!
Clear Skies!

Sky Charts produced by Starry Night Software copyright IMAGINOVA

Sidewalk Astronomy Around the World

Setting up in Whitby

Photo Credit:  Steve Bevan

On May 19th, astronomers all over the world got their telescopes out and shared their views with the public.  My friends Arnold and Pedro joined me in Whitby Ontario where we were visited by many curious people.  Venus, the Moon and Saturn were easily visible and many people were blown away by what they saw.

This event happened again and again all over the globe.  You can see the results in the photo gallery available on-line at www.astroshorts.com which collected and displayed the photos on behalf of the International Sidewalk Astronomers .  Take a look.  Some of these events were HUGE!

What isThat Bright Star in the Western Sky?

Picture Credit:  NASA

I get this question almost daily right now.  Shrouded in cloud, a poisonous atmosphere and temperatures close to the melting point of lead, Venus is an example of the Greenhouse Effect gone crazy.  When you look in the west after sunset tonight, you will see this planet shining brighter than any other "star-like" object.  For Venus, it's all reflected light.  Our Sun's rays bounce off the highly reflective clouds to make the planet a bright jewel in our skies.  This image is taken in ultraviolet light to reveal cloud patterns but to the naked eye Venus appears featureless.

International Sidewalk Astronomy Night Update

Last Saturday, amateur astronomers around the world brought out their telescopes and showed views of the Moon, Venus, Saturn and other celestial objects to the general public. The first video we received was from our astronomer friends in Byron Bay, Australia.  They submitted their video on-line to AstroShorts.com.

Casey and I visit the North East Astronomy Forum

My friend Casey and I went to the North East Astronomy Forum in Suffern New York.  It's the biggest conference on Amateur Astronomy in North America.

This feed made available courtesy: AstroShorts.com

Volcanoes in Space, NEAF and Life

Image Credit: NASAJHUAPL

The New Horizons spacecraft took this incredible picture of Jupiter's moon IO recently.  See the volcanic plume at the top of the moon?  Io is massaged by the planet Jupiter as the little moon's orbit takes it closer and then further away.

The New Horizons spacecraft is on its way to Pluto and is scheduled to arrive in the summer of 2015.

I've been a little tardy with my posts lately.  A lot has been happening.  First there was International Astronomy Day and then the North East Astronomical Forum which takes place in Suffern, New York.  I went down with my friend Casey to interview participants and record the event for everyone.  Soon we'll have some video ready to air on AstroShorts.com.

See Saturn on Saturday

Saturday April 21st is International Astronomy Day.  The Durham Region Astronomical Association has a wonderful display all afternoon and evening at the Parkwood Estate in Oshawa.  Visitors can check out the telescopes, see the displays and experience views they've never seen before!  During the day you can see specially fitered views of the sun and solar flares with our special telescopic equipment.  In the evening it's Saturn and its rings along with other celestial delights.  Indoor displays offer insight into the wonders of the heavens too.  It's worth checking out!  I hope to see you there!

Moon Meet Venus, Venus Meet Moon

April 19th, the crescent Moon looks lovely in our sky as it approaches the planet Venus.  Over the course of the evening, you'll see it move past Venus.  The moon makes a complete circuit of the sky as goes through its phases.  Enjoy the view!

Saturday April 21st marks International Astronomy Day and there are plenty of public displays of telescopes and all things astronomy for you to explore.

In Oshawa, check out the displays, look through the telescopes and talk with the astronomers of the Durham Region Astronomical Association, on hand at the Parkwood Estate.

Clear Skies.

Video Created in Starry Night Pro Software

Video hosted by AstroShorts.com

A New Resource for Astronomers

One of the hardest things for astronomers to do is share their knowledge and experience with other like-minded people.  We're all so scattered over the continent.  The advent of the Internet and blogs such as this have gone a long way towards connecting people with an interest in space and astronomy.  Still, you have to look all around the Internet for the information you want. 

I've done something about it.

AstroShorts is my contribution to the community of space and astronomy enthusiasts.  Think "YouTube" for astronomers and you'll be pretty close to the concept envisioned for AstroShorts.  It's free for people to view, share and upload astronomy and space related video.  Unlike other web-based video sites, this one is devoted to just space and astronomy. Now, people will have just one place they can go to find out what's happening in the night sky, what to look for in a telescope, tips on astrophotograpy and so on. If you are an astronomer, consider doing a video and upload it to share with others.

Clear Skies!

Celebrating the First Space Flight

April 12th, 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.   The Soviet Union, for a time led the world in the race to space and Yuri's flight marked a pivotal moment in the history of mankind.  The Russian space program chalked up a number of successes -as well as a number of failures.  What is notable is the common sense approach to spaceflight that grew out of the lessons learned in the Soviet space flights.  To this day, the Russian spacecraft have soldiered on.  They are not pretty.  Think of space-going pickup trucks and you've got the right idea.  Solid, dependable and relatively safe as spacecraft go.

It wasn't always so.  Yuri Gagarin's flight was a huge risk and on the edge of available technology in 1961.  He took the risk and came back a hero.

Want to attend a party in Yuri's honor?  Visit the Yuri's Night 2007 site.

Hexagon on Saturn

Photo:  NASA, ESA

This unusual hexagon is a weird atmospheric feature of the planet Saturn.  The picture was taken by the Cassini space probe, a joint effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).  Scientists used the on-board Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer to peer 47 km into the atmosphere.  The blue area is electrically charged due to the interaction of the solar wind with Saturn's magnetic field.  The result is similar to Earth's Northern Lights (and Southern Lights for those of you in the southern hemisphere).  The red areas indicate heat from below while the dark areas are clouds blocking the heat. 

Oddly enough, experiments with spinning pails of water here on Earth have been able to replicate this sort of shape.  Cool!

That Bright Star in the West...

It's the number one question I get right now.  Often confused with the bright landing lights of an airplane, the planet Venus is extremely bright in the early evening.  Look for the brightest star-like object setting in the west after dark.  If you have a telescope, you can see that the planet Venus goes through phases, just like our moon does.  This is due to the changing position of the planet vs. the sun as seen from our location.  Watch it over a period of weeks.  As with the moon, Venus goes through a crescent phase to full and back to crescent.   It's a beautiful sight.  Unfortunately that beauty doesn't stand up to close scrutiny.  Venus has a corrosive atmosphere that is hot enough to melt lead and the atmospheric pressure is about ninety times that of Earth.  It's definitely not a vacation paradise...but I do enjoy the view from a distance, don't you? 

(Note-at times the direction we look to see Venus is extremely close to the sun.  Never point a telescope at the sun, or close to the sun. You can cause serious and permanent damage to your eye!!)

Star Chart by Starry Night Pro copyright IMAGINOVA

Vernal Equinox -Go Balance an Egg!

You know it's not true.  As the legend goes, an egg can be made to balance only on the Spring Equinox, also known as the Vernal Equinox.

It's great for keeping the kids occupied with something other than video games.  I take great joy in giving the kids something to do that keeps them quiet and busy at the same time.  As long as everyone can be hosed down afterwards, its all fun!

The Vernal Equinox is the moment when the sun is positioned directly above our equator, giving us all an equal period of day and night. The Spring Equinox is great for us lucky folk in the Northern Hemisphere because the days are about to get longer than the nights (yay!) If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, March 20th marks the Autumnal Equinox and the beginning of fall.

At 8:07 Eastern Daylight Savings Time, the opportunity exists to send our kids to the kitchen to try and balance an egg without any props.  No forks, spoons, knives allowed.  Only eggs.

May you enjoy the ensuing omlette.

Meteor Lights Up GTA Skies

Stock Photo Credit:  Nasa

Sunday March 11th at about 8 PM -People throughout the GTA witnessed a fireball moving across our sky towards the west.  Police switchboards from the Regions of Durham, York and Toronto started to receive the calls of the curious and the concerned.  Was it a plane in distress?  A meteor shower?  A UFO?  Maybe even "space junk" such as a spent rocket booster finally making it back to Earth after years in orbit.

What people likely saw was the blazing trail of a little rock burning up in our upper atmosphere as it traversed the sky.  Usually with such events, it's unlikely that anything actually makes it to the ground.

What's happening here?  In a word -compression.  As the object enters the atmosphere, it compresses the air in front of it.  The air heats up to extremely high temperatures, consuming the unfortunate object in the process.  You can experience something similar -on a smaller scale of course- when you pump up a bicycle tire with a manual air pump.  The pump gets hotter and hotter as you compress the air in the tire to a higher pressure.

Will we find any physical evidence of last night's sky show?  Not likely but if we do, I'll keep you posted.

Jupiter and the Moon

Images created in Starry Night Software, copyright IMAGINOVA

Sunday March 11th and Monday March 12th, early risers have the opportunity to see our closest neighbour, the Moon as it approaches and passes Jupiter in the early morning sky, just before sunrise.  The moon slowly moves to the left in our sky and its position is noticeably different each day.  In relation to this movement you will see the Moon transform from one phase to the next.  Currently, it's close to "last quarter" and in about a week will disappear as it is lost in sunlight.  Take a look at the sky map for Sunday and then Monday.

Sunday's map shows the moon just a little below and to the left of Antares, the red supergiant star in the constellation Scorpius -yes it's a scorpion.

Jupiter is visible about a hand span to the left and a little bit up from the Moon's position.

One day later, you can see that the Moon has changed its position, now in the lower left of our sky map.  The moon has moved closer to the sun's position in the sky.  In a couple more days it will be rising as a sliver in the daylight, all but impossible to find until after it moves past the sun.  Once past the sun you can start to see it as a sliver setting in the western sky as our lunar cycle starts anew.

Eclipse of the Moon, Saturday March 3rd

Photo Credit: Doug Murray, NASA

If the weather holds on Saturday, those of us on the eastern side of North America have a chance to see an eclipse of the moon.  It will be under way as the moon rises in the east Saturday evening.  As the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow it will turn a reddish colour.  What you will be witnessing is the refracted light coming from around the edges of the Earth.  Imagine the light of all the sunsets on Earth.  That's what is being reflected off the moon's surface.  As the Moon moves out of the Earth's shadow, you will see the brightness increase to its usual brilliant white in the uncovered portion, gradually being exposed.

Happy viewing!

Planet or Not, Here We Come!

Credit: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute (JHUAPL/SwRI)

Today, the New Horizons robotic probe received a gravitational assist from the planet Jupiter.  This slingshot maneuver added considerable speed to the probe which is headed for a rendezvous with Pluto in the year 2015.   

Now traveling at over 23 kilometres per second, New Horizons is the fastest thing we've ever made.  At this rate of speed, my one hour commute to work could be done in about 3 seconds!

While at Pluto, New Horizons will determine the composition of our mysterious former 9th Planet along with its partner Charon and moons P1 and P2.  Other science possibilities in the Kuiper Belt region of our solar system may present themselves later. 

The engineers and scientists on this project should be congratulated on their wonderful achievements so far.  Imagine what it must be like for them to wait and wait to 2015 to see how it all turns out.  Talk about a long deadline!

Image Credit:  NASA

The Chicken Little Effect

ASTEROID IDA

IMAGE CREDIT:  NASA

Today, an asteroid named "Apophis" is back in the news.  First discovered in 2004, this flying piece of real estate has been played up in the media a few times now, usually with the scary heading "killer asteroid" or similar dreadful label.  The idea is that we may have a nasty accident with this beastie in April of 2036.

At a recent conference in San Fransisco, a group of space scientists and engineers discussed the possibility of a killer asteroid and ways to deal with it.  Of course, Apophis is the perfect poster child.  It has a 1 in 45,000 chance of hitting the Earth, causing devastation on a regional level.  It could wipe out a city quite easily and everything for miles and miles around...that is if it hits.  That's a BIG if.  What hasn't been emphasized in the media is that this chunk of rock has a much more likely chance of missing than it does of hitting.  That being said, people win lotteries on longer odds. 

What is the real story here?  Scientists are calling for a political mechanism to put into play so that if and when something awful comes our way from the nether reaches of space, there is a method and a system to deal with it.  Really, it's a prudent measure.  Apophis is unlikely to cause us harm but it will be a near miss at best.  This wake-up call serves to remind us that sometimes bad things happen and if we're smart we'll plan a way to mitigate the risk.  The time to ante up is before it's too late.  That's what the real story is.  So go ahead and plan your retirement.

February Skies

I use STARRY NIGHT PRO software, copyright IMAGINOVA to produce this guided tour.

A Rose for the Ladies

Image:  Spitzer Space Telescope-Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

This beautiful Cosmic Rose is a stellar nursery of about 130 young stars.  Located about 3,300 light years away, this beautiful object reminds all of us guys to get off our duffs and go do something nice for the ladies we love.

That's a hint...

The Eskimo Nebula

Photo:  Nasa, StScI, Hubble Space Telescope

The picture you see here is of the Eskimo Nebula.  It's a common sight at this time of year if you have a decent telescope and clear skies.  Of course, what you will see in the eyepiece doesn't do justice to the image you see here.  Resembling a face in a parka, the Eskimo was first catalogued by astronomer William Herschel way back in 1787.  It's a beautiful  nebula that shows us the outer gaseous layers that have blown off a dying star many thousands of years ago. 

Star Chart by Starry Night Pro copyright IMAGINOVA

The Eskimo Nebula can be found a little below the constellation Gemini,  which can be seen in the south every evening at this time of year.  It's a small object that take up only about 1/50th of a degree of our sky.  It can't be seen with the naked eye and is best viewed in a medium to large format telescope.

Now, if only we could get the clouds to part for us again!

Sky Treasures in Winter

Images Created in Starry Night software copyright IMAGINOVA

Note -click on the sky charts for a full size version.

The winter holds many of the sky's greatest treasures.  You will find the brightest nebula in the northern skies, the closest star outside our solar system, glorious open star clusters which look like diamonds on a field of velvet.  There's a lot to see and it's worth braving the cold. Orion, the mighty hunter is perhaps the most recognized pattern of stars after the Big Dipper.  Unlike the Big Dipper, Orion is in fact a constellation -the Big Dipper is actually part of a constellation known as Ursa Major or "The Great Bear".  Look for Orion rising in the east and traveling across the sky each night.  It's home to the Orion Nebula, also known as M42.  This nebula is beautiful; visible to the naked eye in dark skies, a "wow" object in binoculars and a "that's incredible" object in telescopes. 

Taking a look to the left of Orion, we eventually come upon Cancer, the crab.  Cancer is a fairly dim constellation but it is home to another inter sting object, the Beehive Cluster or M44.  The Beehive is an "open" cluster of stars which also can be seen in dark skies with the naked eye -as a fuzzy star.  Pick up a pair of binoculars and they will resolve into dozens of individual stars filling your eyes.  It's beautiful and yes it does remind you of a swarm of bees.  Many people I know who previously could not see the Beehive Cluster with the naked eye have found them easily, once they located this cluster in their binoculars.

To the left of the Beehive Cluster and the constellation Cancer, you can catch the beautiful planet Saturn.  It has moved from last year's location in the constellation Gemini.  Look for Saturn to appear as a fairly bright star-like object just to the right of Leo.  Our friendly lion seems to be chasing Saturn across the sky as it rises each evening in the east. Look for the stars that form the backward question mark which represents Leo's head.  Saturn is a little to the right.  I can't say enough about this planet.  Saturn is the object that impressed me so much that I started buying telescope equipment.  To this day when I show the planet to guests at my scope, they cannot believe what they see.  Even a modest telescope will show Saturn's beautiful rings and one or two moons.  Larger telescopes bring out all sorts of detail.  It is truly impressive and worth taking a look.  If you have the opportunity to see this gem it is an absolute must.

A FREE public stargazing opportunity takes place this Friday evening, January 26th, from 7 PM to 10 PM at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, in Bowmanville -weather permitting of course.  The Rickard Rec. Complex is located at the corner of Hwy 2 and Hwy 57, a few minutes east of Oshawa.   For more information please visit the website of the Durham Region Astronomical Association. 

See the Space Station!

Photo Credit:  NASA

We (Southern Ontario) have another chance to see the International Space Station on January 19th.  Early risers can catch it rising in the west at 6:55 in the morning, just before the sun comes up.  The ISS will climb into the north-northwest -it's highest point about 35 degrees above the horizon within two minutes.  By 7 AM when the station is decending into towards the north-eastern horizon, the show is over.

The International Space Station recieved extra large solar panels recently, making it a brighter object to see in the sky.  When the angles are just right, the space station reflects enough light that it rivals the brilliant planet Venus in our darkened skies.  Tomorrow's show isn't quite that bright but it should be noticeable.

Numerous opportunities exist this week for early risers to see the ISS from Southern Ontario.  If the weather doesn't co-operate, you can try again and again.  Visit HEAVENS ABOVE to find out for yourself!

A Busy January

Photo Credit:  NASA, STSci

Finally we've had a clear night here and there.  Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, we Earthbound misfits have to wait for holes in the clouds.  Most of our available clear nights have been during a full moon which made viewing of dim faint fuzzies almost impossible but there have been a few opportunities here and there. 

NASA has announced that the next (final) servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) will launch on September 11th, 2008.  This is great news because the HST can't continue to work properly without it.  There is a lot of great science being done by many Earth-based telescopes.  That being said, it's the images taken by the HST that have captured everyone's imagination over the last decade.

If we have decent skies over the next couple of days we may still be able to see a comet low in the southwest, not too far away from the brightest planet -Venus.  Space.com has a great article on this. Comet McNaught was first seen by Australian astronomer Robert McNaught.  This comet may or may not be the brightest one Earthlings have seen in 30 years depending on how things play out.  I'll  keep you posted.

Picture Credit:  NASA, JPL

A conference of Mars Scientists was held this week in Virginia with much talk about the many upcoming robotic missions to Mars.  So much is being planned but what interests me most is the achievements of the recent missions.  Remember Mars Pathfinder in 1997?  This mission was the basis of the landing systems and rover designs currently running around on Mars (more on that in a moment).  Pathfinder almost didn't make it in one piece.  The high speed parachute was torn to shreds and the lander came down at a higher velocity than planned.  The airbag landing system saved the day and we had our first decent pictures of Mars from the Sojourner rover as a result. 

Photo Credit:  NASA, JPL

The current rovers on Mars are named Spirit and Opportunity.  These intrepid explorers are now reaching their third anniversary on the planet's surface.  Unlike Sojourner which could only travel a few metres, these rovers have covered many kilometres.  The wealth of knowledge they have provided us is incredible.  And oh man, the pictures!

Upcoming missions to Mars will include Phoenix Mars Scout in 2007  which will land and dig for water in one of the martian polar regions and Mars Science Laboratory in 2009 which will study the geology, chemistry and atmosphere or Mars in great detail.  Canada is supplying instrumentation for this mission.

Did you receive a new telescope for Christmas?  The Durham Region Astronomical Association is holding a special "Stargazing for Beginners" seminar on Tuesday January 16th.  Admission is FREE!  Visit the website of the DRAA for more info.

A Little Closer to the Sun

Image created in Starry Night software, copyright IMAGINOVA

January 3rd marks the day our Earth is closest to the sun.  Yes that's right, closest.  Our orbit around the Sun isn't quite circular.  It's slightly elliptical.  Now I know that it sounds peculiar for us to be thinking we're closer to our stellar neighbour right now.  January is cold and we're in the beginning weeks of winter.  Remember though, the lucky folk south of the equator in countries like Australia and South Africa are entering summer right now.  Oddly enough, our position being slightly closer to the Sun doesn't make as much a difference in our climate as does another factor.  The tilt of our polar axis means we get more direct sunlight during our what we refer to as our summer months.
Image created in Starry Night software, copyright IMAGINOVA

See this representation of the Earth?  It's around lunchtime on January 3rd and as you can see, the southern hemisphere is getting more direct sunlight than the northern hemisphere.  Earth's 23.5 degree tilt  puts Brazil and Argentina in more direct sunlight than our Canadian homes at this time of year.  In six months, when we will be on the opposite side of our sun, Canada will be tilted towards the sun and we will bask in the increased energy. 

The Sun is at it again!

Image Credit:  SOHO, NASA, ESA  Well here we go again.  The Sun has belched out another stream of electrically charged particles again.  We knew about it from satellite data reaching us yesterday.  There's a great movie showing the creation of this Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on the December 14th page of Spaceweather.com .  This CME is likely to trigger the Northern Lights this evening.  If you are fortunate enough to have clear skies and live in a rural area, take a look before bedtime. 

The astronauts aboard the International Space Station will be protected from most radiation because they are orbiting well inside Earth's magnetic field.  If they had been on the moon, the situation would be far worse.  One of the main challenges to setting up a permanent presence on the moon is the need for adequate protection against high energy radiation.  There are a number of alternatives ranging from placing the astronauts living space below ground to setting up a magnetic "force field" -hmmmm, shades of Star Trek. 

A Rare Treat!

Look in the Southeast just before the sun comes up over the next couple of days and you will see a rare close alignment of the planets Jupiter, Mercury and Mars.  They will appear so close together that you could cover them up with one finger held at arm's length. 

They aren't really that close together.  If we were to go up above the Earth and look down on our solar system, it would look much like this:

You can see that we can draw an almost straight line between the Earth and the three planets.  Venus is visible trailing the Sun -and if we were to take daylight out of the picture after the sun rises you would see Venus too!

What would it be like looking from Jupiter towards Earth?  The next picture shows us what it would be like:

Mars and Earth are clearly visible.  Mercury is just up above the Earth and slightly to the left.  If we had a telescope at Jupiter looking back on Earth we would see also Earth's Moon:

This image is actually of an area of sky so small it would need some major magnification, that is if you were viewing from Jupiter.

Take a moment as the Sun comes up tomorrow and see if you can see our planetary neighbours!

Images created in STARRY NIGHT PRO Software, copyright IMAGINOVA

More Tummy Troubles on the Sun

Picture Credit:  NASA, ESA, NOAA

Things are getting interesting in the neighbourhood.  That stream of particles coming from our sun is reaching the vicinity of Earth.  Adding to this, the Sun belched out a huge mass of material from the bright area in the lower left.  Although it's headed more or less off to the side, some of this massive flare material will undoubtedly make it our way.  Already, satellites are being put into "safe mode" to avoid unwanted electrical surges.  Power companies are reconfiguring the power grids here on Earth to avoid blackouts.  The Goes-13 picture you see here was the last unaffected by the high velocity solar particles streaming our way.  The satellite was unable to process a stable image after this one and the number one culprit is our Sun.  If we have clear skies over the next two or three evenings we have a good chance of having an appearance of the Northern Lights too.  Unfortunately the Moon is just past full so it's unlikely we'll be able to see the show. 

The Sun is Spitting Up Again

Picture Credit NASA/ESA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

See that dark area in the lower left of this picture of the sun?  It's called a "Coronal Hole".  A Coronal Hole is a region on the sun which is less dense and cooler than the surrounding area.  It is a source of high speed solar winds.  What's a solar wind?  Well, the sun is putting out more than just light.  It's spitting out a stream of charged particles all the time.  In a few days, sometime around December 5th, the stream of  particles from this region on our Sun will be reaching the vicinity of Earth.  If it reacts with the Earth's magnetic field in just the right way, the end result will be a nice showing of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. 

Spaceweather.com is  a great website that monitors activity on the sun from a number of different sources. The site is compiled and updated by Dr. Tony Phillips, NASA Astronomer and all around great guy.  I visit his site regularly.  Tony takes the rather dry subject of astronomy and in particular, solar physics to a entertaining level.  You should take a look!

Weather (bah) has closed in again on us but we may have clear skies tomorrow night.  I'm hoping that the wind will die down enought to view the emerging winter constellations.  Those of you who enjoy staying up REAL late can see the planet Saturn.  WARNING -the viewing of Saturn through just about any telescope will result in the purchase of thousands of dollars worth of telescope equipment.

That being said...Christmas is coming.

Buying a Telescope?

Photo:  XT10 Dobsonian Telescope by Orion

You would think that buying a telescope would be a no-brainer, wouldn't you?  Go to the local store, pick out one that says it has monster-size magnification and whisk it over to the checkout counter.

Christmas time is upon us and thousands of telescopes will be purchased in just such a manner.  Unfortunately it usually results in a poor choice -one that doesn't do a good job.  Most find homes in the bottoms of bedroom closets.  You see, much of the telescope stuff out there just isn't very good -especially the cheaper stuff.

Want to know how to find a good telescope for a beginner?  Here's a quick guide to navigating the choices.

My first recommendation isn't actually in purchasing a telescope.  A decent pair of binoculars is the first step, along with a sky chart or planisphere.  For a modest price, you can be up and running.  If the interest in astronomy doesn't last, you still have a decent set of binoculars.

Still want a telescope to search the heavens?  Okay, take a deep breath first.  Here goes....

You want a telescope that doesn't look like a telescope.  It looks like a big sonotube they use for pouring concrete footings.  Next, they've put it on a lazy-susan.  Yes, I'm not kidding you.  This type of astronomical telescope gives you the best bang for the buck.  It's easier to use, gives decent views and astronomers will thank you for giving junior the right equipment.  This type of telescope is called a "Dobsonian" reflector.  They are the perfect beginner telescopes because your money is going into a stable base and very good optics.  No extra doodads or gazidlywinkers means that you are actually buying a decent piece of equipment. 

Do you need anything else?  Yes.  A map of the sky.  I'll tell you a secret.  Astronomers tend to ignore individual stars because they look the same in the telescope.  What they are really looking for is weird things like galaxies, nebulae, comets etc.  You can't find them without the proper road map.  When you go to the astronomy store for that telescope, pick up a decent star chart or even an astronomy magazine like "Sky News" which has a star chart inside.  Another great idea is a star chart and planetarium program like "Starry Night".  I use this software in my blog to give you those pretty maps you see all the time.  Not sure where to buy a telescope?  Canadians have great resources available to them to order on-line.  "Astro Buy & Sell" is a popular starting point.  This website contains both astronomy dealer ads and astronomy classified ads.  Finally, consider a membership in a local astronomy club.  I've been a member of the Durham Region Astronomical Association since 2001 and have learned more through talking with other astronomers than I ever would with books. 

I know you still want the one in the department store -the one that says "675 POWER".  Resist.  It's big on promises but big on frustration.  It will be used once, on the moon and then never again because it is impossible to point.

Good luck and happy shopping!