Minutes of the May 2015 AAAP Annual Meeting

Posted on May 30, 2015 by ST Editors

by Jim Poinsett, Secretary

  • Meeting called to order by Rex at 7:30
  • Rex introduced the slate of officers nominated for the 2015/2016 meeting year, a motion to accept the slate was made and seconded. The officers were approved unanimously.
  • Rex explained the expenditures needed to complete the new video observation equipment needed at the observatory, (computers, cables, monitor, new boards for Paramount mounts and TheSky 10 software). A $5000 proposal was presented to the membership. A motion was made and seconded, the membership approved the expense unanimously.
  • Ira introduced the speaker for the evening, Dr. Tim Morton. His lecture was entitled “The Astonishing Diversity of Planetary Systems”.
  • There will be a club trip to Cherry Springs park in Pennsylvania on June 19th and 20th.
  • The June meeting will be at the planetarium at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. Bill Murray will present the latest show.
  • Gene showed the club the donated eyepieces and explained that they will be kept at the observatory for member use. There still needs to be some decisions made on the other donated equipment and a side-by-side comparison of the two C14’s.
  • Bill Murray was able to obtain a new 55mm eyepiece for the refractor, replacing the current one that is deteriorating.
  • There was an attempted break-in at the observatory. The lock hasp needed replacing. More security measures may be considered.
  • The gate issues at the observatory have been worked out. There are six teams with six members on each. The observatory chairs will organize member training on the new equipment.
  • The public will be driving all the way in on observing nights and should be directed to park at the nature center.
  • The programs committee is soliciting ideas for speakers for the coming year.
  • There will be solar observing at the observatory on Memorial Day weekend.
Posted in June 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Time

Posted on May 30, 2015 by ST Editors

by David Kaplan

Time is more ancient
Than the stars.
It is a dimension.
A silent perpetual
Motion machine.

Time is unforgiving.
Verdict and sentence
Are handed down to both
The guilty and the innocent.

Time is without obstruction.
In its headlong drive, it births
Evolution, yet limits life.

Time is insurmountable.
A semi-transparent wall of memories,
Distorted under the weight of age.

Time is change.
Time is impermanence.

Time stops not for an unwound clock.

Posted in June 2015, May 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Optimizing the U.S. Ground-Based Optical and Infrared Astronomy System

Posted on May 30, 2015 by ST Editors

by S. Prasad Ganti

Recently, the committee on a Strategy to Optimize the U.S. Optical and Infrared System (OIR) in the Era of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) came up with set of recommendations. This is a summary of the draft version of the report. I organized the summary in form of notes and conclusions and recommendations. Each paragraph is marked accordingly.

NOTES:  The committee’s highest priority is a U.S. OIR System that is well coordinated and facilitates broad access to do the best science. An integrated OIR System can do the best science when it engages a broad population of astronomers to pursue a diversity of science and scientific approaches.

NOTES:  But why OIR region? Setting aside the cosmic microwave background radiation, most of the radiation in the universe is starlight, and the infrared background is largely radiation from dust heated by stars. X-ray astronomers and radio astronomers need to know what kind of optical and infrared light is associated with their sources to understand their nature. A growing trend in astronomical research is the synergy between observations with different telescopes and instruments in the study of astrophysical phenomena. This includes coordinated use of multiple ground-based OIR facilities with complementary capabilities, use of OIR facilities in combination with ground based observations at other wavelengths, and use of OIR facilities in combination with space based facilities.

RECOMMENDATION:  The National Science Foundation should support the development of a wide-field, highly multiplexed spectroscopic capability on a medium or large aperture telescope in the Southern Hemisphere to enable a variety of science, including follow-up spectroscopy of LSST targets.

RECOMMENDATION:  The National Science Foundation (NSF) should continue to invest in the development of critical instrument technologies, including detectors, adaptive/active optics and precision radial velocity measurements. NSF should also use existing instrument and research programs to support small-scale exploratory programs that have the potential to develop transformative technologies.

NOTES:  Powerful science comes from combining space-based observations with data from the OIR system. In the 1990s, HST (Hubble Space Telescope) along with Keck, HET (Hobby-Eberly Telescope), Gemini, Magellan, and other large ground-based telescopes worked effectively to exploit these opportunities. In the 2020s, JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) along with LSST and other large telescopes and the GSMTs (Giant Segmented Mirror Telescopes-Giant Magellan Telescope in Hawaii and Thirty Meter Telescope in Chile) will combine to solve a new set of cosmic mysteries. Along with ESO’s (European Southern Observatory) 39-meter European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) in Chile, will revolutionize OIR astronomy by achieving angular resolution and depth far beyond current telescopes.

RECOMMENDATION:  The National Science Foundation should plan for an investment in one or both Giant Segmented Mirror Telescopes to capitalize on these observatories’ exceptional scientific capabilities for the broader astronomical community in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope era, such as through shared operations costs, instrument development, or limited partnerships in telescope or data access or science projects.

NOTES:  While the field of astronomy is driven by the existence of state-of-the-art facilities for collecting photons from astronomical sources, the pursuance of research in astronomy, and in particular the physical understanding of astronomical phenomena, requires software, analysis techniques, scientific interpretation, theoretical work, and numerical simulations.

CONCLUSION:  Making effective use of petabyte-scale databases (“big data”) requires new skills, and the astronomical community working in this area needs to continue to develop algorithms and procedures for data processing and analysis to take advantage of the next generation of data sets.

RECOMMENDATION:  The National Science Foundation should help to support the development of event brokers, which should use standard formats and protocols, to maximize LSST transient survey follow-up work.

RECOMMENDATION:  The National Science Foundation (NSF) should support a coordinated suite of schools, workshops, and training networks run by experts to train the future generation of astronomers and maintain instrumentation, software, and data analysis expertise.

RECOMMENDATION:  A data archive that is publicly accessible and well curated is a commendable central goal for every major survey from a public or private facility.

RECOMMENDATION:  The National Science Foundation should ensure via a robustly organized U.S. OIR System that a fraction of the its observing time be allocated for rapid, faint transient observations prioritized by an Large Synoptic Survey Telescope event broker system so that high-priority events can be efficiently and rapidly targeted.

My two cents is that with the coming of an era of more powerful telescopes, both on ground and in space, strategizing to make the best use of the telescopes and giving a boost to the accompanying technologies augurs well for astronomy in US.

Posted in June 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Snippets

Posted on May 30, 2015 by ST Editors

Compiled  by David Kaplan and Michael Wright

Galaxies die by slow ‘strangulation’ – A study suggests that when most galaxies stop forming stars, this death is a slow process that gradually chokes them of the necessary cool gases. BBC

The Quiet Zone: Where mobile phones are banned – Two-hundred miles west of Washington DC lies the National Radio Quiet Zone – 13,000 square miles of radio silence. What is it for and how long will it survive? BBC

New Horizons Dust Counter – An instrument built at the University of Colorado is analyzing space dust for the remnants of colliding objects to learn more about our solar system.  NYTimes

World Science Festival – Brian Greene, the physicist and a festival founder, and Alan Alda, a board member, hope to awaken a love of science in the non-academic public. NYTimes

Celestial Vault – The astronomical optical illusion/art installation in the Hague known as the Celestial Vault is a curious place that is equal parts Druidic stone altar and stark modern landscaping which allows those willing to interact with it a chance to see the heavens in a new way. Atlas Obscura

Roden Crater – The artist James Turrell is repurposing an extinct volcano crater as an observatory to experience the cosmos. Atlas Obscura

Posted in June 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

X-37B Air Force Space Plane Blasts Off on Mysterious 4th Mission with Solar Sail Test

Posted on May 30, 2015 by ST Editors

by Dr. Ken Kremer, Universe Today and AAAP

On May 20, the X-37B, a reusable Air Force space plane launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on its fourth classified mission. The program is steeped in mystery about its true goals for the U.S. military. It was accompanied to orbit by ten tiny CubeSat experiments for NASA and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) including a solar sailing demonstration CubeSat for The Planetary Society called LightSail.

The military space plan successfully blasted off for low Earth orbit atop a 20-story United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 11:05 AM EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on the clandestine Air Force Space Command 5 satellite mission for the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.   The exact launch time was classified until it was released by the Department of Defense a few hours before liftoff.

US Air Force X-37B mini space shuttle is encapsulated in 5 meter payload fairing and bolted atop an Atlas 5 rocket at Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida prior to 20 May 2015 launch. Credit: Ken Kremer

US Air Force X-37B mini space shuttle encapsulated in 5-meter payload fairing and bolted atop an Atlas 5 rocket at Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida before May 20,  2015 launch. Credit: Ken Kremer

Among the experiments were 10 CubeSats housed in the Aft Bulkhead Carrier located below the rocket’s Centaur upper stage.   Together they are part of the National Reconnaissance Office’s Ultra Lightweight Technology and Research Auxiliary Satellite (ULTRASat).  They were contained in eight P-Pod carriers from which they were deployed in orbit.

Among the few non-classified experiments aboard was a NASA materials science experiment called METIS and an advanced Hall thruster experiment. The Hall thruster is a type of electric propulsion device that produces thrust by ionizing and accelerating a noble gas, usually xenon.

LightSail marks the first controlled, Earth-orbit solar sail flight according to the non-profit Planetary Society. Photons from the sun should push on the solar sails.

“The purpose of this LightSail demonstration test is to verify telemetry, return photos and test the deployment of the solar sails,” said Bill Nye, the Science Guy and President of The Planetary Society. “LightSail is comprised of three CubeSats that measure about 30 cm by 10 cm.”

The Boeing-built X-37B is an unmanned reusable mini shuttle, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), and is flying on the OTV-4 mission. It launches vertically like a satellite but lands horizontally like an airplane and functions as a reliable and reusable space test platform for the U.S. Air Force.  It is somewhat like a miniature version of NASA’s space shuttles. Boeing has built two OTV vehicles, but it is not known which of the two vehicles was launched.

Blastoff of the X-37B spaceplane on United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on the OTV-4 satellite for the U.S. Air Force on May 20, 2015 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com

Blastoff of the X-37B spaceplane on United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on the OTV-4 for the U.S. Air Force on May 20, 2015 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer

Together the two X-37B vehicles have spent a cumulative total of 1367 days in space during the first three OTV missions and successfully checked out the vehicles reusable flight, re-entry and landing technologies.

The 11,000 pound (4990 kg) state-of -the art reusable OTV space plane was built by Boeing and is about a quarter the size of a NASA space shuttle. It was originally developed by NASA but was transferred to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2004.

Among the primary mission goals of the first three flights were check outs of the vehicles capabilities and re-entry systems and testing the ability to send experiments to space and return them safely. OTV-4 will shift to conducting research.

The next SpaceX cargo resupply launch to the ISS is now slated for June 26. I’ll be reporting from onsite at the Kennedy Space Center press site for Universe Today.

For complete details about SpaceX and the X-37B check out my recent articles and photos at Universe Today and Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kremerken1

http://www.universetoday.com/120513/u-s-air-force-certifies-spacex-for-national-security-launches-ending-monopoly/
http://www.universetoday.com/120396/x-37b-air-force-space-plane-launches-on-4th-mystery-military-mission-and-solar-sailing-test/
http://www.universetoday.com/120242/air-force-x-37b-spaceplane-launches-on-may-20-with-military-nasa-and-lightsail-payloads-watch-live/

Astronomy Outreach by Dr. Ken Kremer

SpaceX Launches: Jun 24-27, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL. Evening outreach at Quality Inn, Titusville, FL

Please contact Ken for more info, science outreach presentations and his space photos. Email: kremerken@yahoo.com   website: www.kenkremer.com http://www.universetoday.com/author/ken-kremer/

Posted in June 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

From the Director

Posted on May 3, 2015 by ST Editors

by Rex Parker, PhD, Director

Rex

 

 

 

Your Attendance Essential at May 12 Meeting. (Bowen Hall, Princeton campus) May is the Annual Meeting for election of officers for the coming year. A membership quorum is needed to accomplish this, so please do your part and participate in the vote. The candidate slate is reviewed elsewhere in this issue (Elections 2015-2016). In addition, an important expenditure proposal for observatory instrument upgrades will be discussed and voted upon at the meeting. Details are described below.

For the main presentation, Dr. Timothy Morton of the Dept. of Astrophysics, Princeton University, will speak about his research in extra-solar planetary astronomy:  “The Astonishing Diversity of Planetary Systems”.  Dr Morton uses cutting edge technology and instrumentation to identify and evaluate planets around other stars, studies we could only imagine a decade ago.  In addition Dr Morton is adept with instruments of the musical variety, from flute, piano, and guitar to voice and choral.  For more on Dr. Morton’s AAAP talk on May 12, see elsewhere in this issue (May 12 talk).

Join Us for These AAAP Events.  Keeping the emphasis on high-tech we are rolling out a few projects and events that we hope will entice you to get involved:

  • May 16: Members-only special night at Washington Crossing Observatory. Unveiling the Mallincam astro-video, a new Paramount for the Hastings refractor, and two new telescopes. Please join us at the Observatory beginning at sunset to see what the excitement is all about.
  • June 19-20: Observing weekend at Cherry Springs State Park in northern PA, a remarkable dark sky site (minimal accommodations). Arrive Friday before sunset and return home Sunday.
  • Dates pending: Field trips to the US Naval Observatory in D.C., and to the famed Bell Labs Horn Antenna, Holmdel NJ (site of first discovery of the cosmic microwave background).
  • Sept 11-13: AAAP hosts Jersey Starquest, an observing weekend at a dark sky site with accommodations at Camp Hope in north Jersey near Jenny Jump State Forest.

AAAP Washington Crossing Observatory to Reopen May 8. The equipment and computer upgrades at Washington Crossing Observatory are nearing completion, and we we will re-open for member and public events beginning May 8.  Special thanks to Dave Skitt, Gene Ramsey, and John Church for installing the new Paramount-ME  and mounting the historic Hastings refractor. Also thanks to Brian Van Liew, Michael Mitrano, Larry Kane, and Jim Poinsett for helping with the video/telescope project. If you have further questions about observing or to begin training to become an Observatory Keyholder, please contact co-chairs Dave or Gene  observatory@princetonastronomy.org.

Expenditure Proposal for Members Vote on May 12. As discussed at the April meeting, several additional components need to be purchased to complete the hardware and software upgrade project at WC Observatory. The total upper limit for the proposal to complete this project is $5000. This is well within our budget and treasury balance. Completing the upgrade project is critical to the AAAP’s mission of bringing observational astronomy to members and to the public. Detailed items and costs are listed below (thanks to Dave Skitt for providing the estimates). Depending on the options implemented, it is possible that less will be spent.  The Observatory Committee and the Officers recommend approval.

SkyX software and Paramount controller upgrades.

For the original AAAP Paramount ME.

  1. SkyX Professional software upgrade only: $245. Disks and download for 2 Windows computers. Any Add-ons would be extra (below)
  2. TPoint Add-on for SkyX above: $149. Camera Add-on: $199

— or–

  1. Universal Subscription for the whole SkyX suite (all Add-ons included): $700. This is discounted price (outright purchase would be $1200). Download for up to six Windows or Mac computers.

For the donated Paramount ME.

  1. “Transfer” License for the whole SkyX suite (all Add-ons included): $300. Download (likely) for up to six Windows or Mac computers. Software Bisque to confirm status of license and appropriateness of “Transfer” License price.
  2. MKS5000 electronic board upgrade for donated Paramount ME: $1700. Cost is such due to age of mount; upgrade requires more hardware along with the board.

Computer Upgrades.

  1. Desktop with solid state drive, keyboard, and monitor for AAAP Paramount ME: $950.
  2. Laptop with solid state drive for donated Paramount ME: $950.
  3. Miscellaneous cables/computer accessories: $200.
  4. Software upgrades for both mounts could be as low as $545 or as high as $1000. The electronics upgrade is fixed at $1700. The limit for two computers is estimated at $950 each, and $200 is added for miscellaneous unknowns.

Total proposed – $5000.

Depending on options it is possible that less will be spent. We are requesting authorization to spend up to $5000 to complete the current project.

Posted in May 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Astonishing Diversity of Planetary Systems

Posted on May 3, 2015 by ST Editors

by Ira Polans, Acting Program Chair

The next AAAP meeting will be on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. in Bowen Hall (see Princeton campus maps for building and parking locations). Our guest speaker Tim Morton is an Associate Research Scholar in the Astrophysics Department at Princeton University studying the diversity of exoplanetary systems. He will talk to the club about “The Astonishing Diversity of Planetary Systems”. A meet-the-speaker dinner for AAAP members will begin at Winberries on Palmer Square at 6:00 pm. Please RSVP to S. Prasad Ganti if you will attend the dinner.

Tim Morton

Tim Morton

From the very first detections of planets around other stars (now known as exoplanets) 20 years ago, our solar-centric understanding of planets and planetary systems—stable for hundreds of years of scientific inquiry—has been up-ended. Tim will review the history of what we have learned through the study of exoplanets, focusing especially on some surprising discoveries about the typical nature of planetary systems enabled by NASA’s Kepler mission in just the past few years. Tim will conclude with a look forward to what the future of exoplanet science may hold in the coming decade.

The final meeting of the season is in June and will be held at the NJ State Planetarium in Trenton, NJ. If you have suggestions for speakers for the 2015-2016 season, please contact the program committee: Ira Polans, S. Prasad Ganti and John Miller. You may also email suggestions to program@princetonastronomy.org.

Posted in May 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

From the Assistant Director

Posted on May 3, 2015 by ST Editors

by Larry Kane, Assistant Director

On Sunday, April 26, the AAAP was very well received by the public attending the 45th annual Princeton Communiversity Day. Representing our group of astronomers were Gene Ramsey, John Church, Jim Poinsett, Wasi Rahman, my wife Marlene and myself. Though the clouds were less than accommodating for our intended solar observing, we were able to talk to many of the public and gave away 65 AAAP brochures, lots of freebies donated by Astronomy Magazine, about forty of my old astronomy magazines and several AAAP membership applications. Those of us who were able to take part in this event concurred that our presence had a positive impact on those with whom we interacted. If they were not aware of the AAAP before Communiversity Day, they are now.

May is going to bring an important event to the Washington Crossing Park . On Sunday, May 17, 2015, the Washington Crossing Park Association (WCPA) will be hosting a “Walk in the Park with George.” The event is being facilitated by the WCPA as a fundraising event. If you would like to walk with the General and his many admirers; expect to see balloons, commemorative T-shirts, bottles of water and lots of happy smiles. Beginning at the Park Visitor Center, the General will lead the walk to the Johnson Ferry House and back, about one mile. Longer paths are available for those needing more fresh air. The WCPA has offered the AAAP a table at the event. I plan to staff the table to hand out AAAP brochures, freebies from Astronomy magazine and lots of verbiage about astronomy to the interested public. If you would like to spend some time at our table, please let me know.

This is an event to raise funds for the maintenance of the Johnson Ferry House in the park. All registrants that sign up before May 7 will receive a T-shirt. After that date, shirts will be provided based upon availability. On the day of the event, registrations starts at 8:30 a.m and the walk begins at 9:00 a.m. Prior to the day of the event, registration is $20 for and adult and $10 for a child 8-17 years of age. On the day of the event, registration will be $30 for adults and $20 for children. Children under the age of 8 are free.

If you would like to spend some pleasant hours to support the park in which our observatory is sited, then please consider signing up for this walk. Feel free to contact me for more information.

Posted in May 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Election of 2015-16 Board

Posted on May 3, 2015 by ST Editors

By Michael Wright, Nominating Committee

At the May 12, 2015 meeting, AAAP will hold the annual election of Board Members for the upcoming season.  The candidates for 2015-16 are:

  • Director: Rex Parker
  • Assistant Director: Larry Kane
  • Secretary: Jim Poinsett
  • Tresurer: Michael Mitrano
  • Program Chair: Ira Polans

As required by the AAAP Constitution and By-Laws, election is by a simple majority vote provided that a quorum of 15% of the membership is present. All members are encouraged to attend and cast their vote.

Posted in May 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Minutes of the April 2015 Meeting of the AAAP

Posted on May 3, 2015 by ST Editors

by Jim Poinsett, Secretary

  • Rex called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. and made a few announcements before the lecture:
    • Saturday May 16th will be a members only night at the observatory.
    • There will be a club trip to Cherry Valley State Park in Pennsylvania the weekend of June 19th and 20th.
    • Communiversity is April 26th from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm
  • Ira introduced the speaker for the evening, Luke Hovey and his talk on Supernova Remnants.
  • The nominating committee announced the slate of nominees for office for next year:
    • Director – Rex Parker
    • Assistant Director – Larry Kane
    • Treasurer – Michael Mitrano
    • Secretary – Jim Poinsett
    • Program Chair – Ira Polans
  • The club expressed it’s thanks to Ira Polans, Prasad Ganti and John Miller for filling in as the program committee since Kate Otto unexpectedly had to leave.
  • The observatory committee has mounted the HB refractor using the donated Paramount on the existing pier using the mounting plate obtained by David Skitt. It is working well using a donated laptop and Sky 6.
  • Bill Murray will advertise the pier from the Vermont donation to get it out of the club’s possession.
  • There was discussion on a computer needed to operate the refractor.  The main discussion was between a laptop to be kept out near the refractor or a small form factor desktop that would be kept in the computer room. The possibility of theft or damage from visitors was part of the discussion. A proposal to purchase two laptops and Sky10 software will be presented to the membership for voting at the May meeting.
  • The observatory staff will order stone for the observatory driveway and have it delivered. A work party will be needed to help spread it around.
  • The Ioptron mount from the Dixey donation was sent out for an estimate on parts and service. The estimate came in around $450. The board approved $499 to pay for what was needed.
  • The board also approved money for Bill Murray to buy a new 55mm Plossl eyepiece at NEAF if it is less that $250.
  • Library books are to be listed in Sidereal Times and be given away.
  • Super Science Saturday is May 9th. Volunteers are needed to work the AAAP table.
Posted in April 2015, Sidereal Times | Tagged , | Leave a comment