From the Assistant Director

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ST Editors

by Larry Kane, Assistant Director 

As the liaison from the AAAP to the Washington Crossing Park Association (WCPA), and as a trustee of that organization, I want to invite members and friends of the AAAP to a special event.  On February 22, George Washington’s birthday, the WCPA is sponsoring a forum and panel discussion entitled “After the Crossing: New Jersey in the American Revolution.”  The moderator is Dr. Richard Veit, Chair of the Department of History-Anthropology, Monmouth University.  Speakers and subjects covered include Larry Kidder – “The 1776-77 New Jersey Chess Match: Washington vs. Howe”; Tim Nist – “Unsung Heroes at the Battle of Monmouth”; and Mark Dilonno – “War in the Watchtungs: Washington’s Battle of Attrition.”  Panelists will be available to talk to attendees, authors will have book signings, and organizations, including the AAAP, will have booths at the  event. So, come for the history, or come to do outreach for the AAAP.

This historical event will be held from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Union Fire House, 1396 River Rd., Titusville, NJ.  Registration is required and attendees are requested to make a $10 donation.  Members of the WCPA may attend free of charge.  To register, send a response to Washington Crossing Park Association, PO Box 83, Titusville, NJ 08560, contact Bill Marsch by email (wrmarsch@earthlink.net), or contact me at kane@princetonastronomy.org.

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Treasurer’s Report

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ST Editors

by Michael Mitrano

I have sent reminder postcards to members from last year who have not yet renewed, which has this far prompted six renewals. Our membership count is up to 55, which is ten fewer than at the same point a year ago.

Otherwise, financial activity has been minimal during the month. In February, we expect to take delivery and pay for the Mallincam video camera for the Simpson Observatory.

As an example of astronomical interest even in financial places, I called the AAAP’s bank to inquire about an unexpected charge and got into a conversation with the staff member who has just bought a telescope for her boyfriend.

On a cumulative basis at this date, the AAAP’s surplus remains about $25 thousand.

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Minutes of the January 2015 AAAP Meeting

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ST Editors

by Jim Poinsett, Secretary

  • Larry brought the meeting to order.
  • Jim Poinsett showed the club the Explore Scientific ED127 Apochromatic Refractor w/accessories and case the club received from the recent donation.
  • Kate Otto introduced the speaker Dr. Alan Hirshfeld, Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory who presented a talk entitled “From Backyard to Mountaintop: The Adventures of History’s Best Worst Telescope”.
  • Michael Mitrano updated the status of the video project for the observatory. The camera has been ordered, we are on a waiting list, it will be about 4 weeks before we receive the camera. The plan at that point is to try out the camera on a variety of telescopes to determine the best scope to purchase, if we don’t already have it.
  • The Observa-dome has been picked up and is out of our hands. Michael has the paperwork from the others items in that donation.
  • The Washington Crossing Park Association is presenting “After the Crossing – NJ and the Revolution” at the Titusville Firehouse on Rt. 29. The AAAP will have a table at the event so we can give out literature on the club, Larry will be there.
  • Michael Mitrano reports the treasury is doing fine.
  • The speaker is all set for the February meeting.
  • Gene Ramsey informed the club that the new gate has been installed and our lock is in place. Currently there is no way to secure the gate open to drive through. He also reminded us that snow plowing in the park sometimes causes problems getting to the observatory. Also so far there is no problem with the roof, the observatory is operational as of the date of the meeting. If any problems do occur Gene will notify the club secretary and he will notify the entire club.
  • Testing on the new paramount mount has been delayed by illness. Dave Skitt has researched mounting plate for the pier we currently have and a custom one is available for approximately $140 – $180.
  • There being no further business the meeting was adjourned.
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Lovejoy to Orion

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ST Editors

by Brian Van Liew

M42B. Credit: Brian Van Liew

M42B. Credit: Brian Van Liew

Mid-December I had a chance to get out under a clear moonless night to do some imaging. It started out as night for imaging comet Lovejoy. I had a map showing its approximate location for each day. After some time searching with no success. I wasn’t going to let the night be a wasted effort. I had a clear shot at Orion so I set out for M42 – The Great Orion Nebula with my new camera. I had acquired a new tool to focus my scope, and this night was going to be my first attempt at using it with my new Starlight Xpress camera. I wanted to use a Bahtinov mask for focusing. I had used these masks on other OTA1s with my DSLR, but this was the first time using one with my new camera. The mask creates diffraction spikes that tell you where you are in focusing the scope. Short test exposures would reveal the diffraction spike pattern, which one can easily interpret on the laptop screen. After a few test shots I was able to get my setup in focus, and it was time to click. Argh! Clouds! Yes, a bank of clouds had snuck up behind me and covered my skies. It was now a waiting game to see if this was going to be a short term hold up or a deal breaker for the night. In about a half hour, the cloud cover left as quickly as it came. So I went back to my rig to pick up where I had left off.  I slewed my mount, and once it came to rest, I took a test shot again to see if I was on target. I wasn’t happy with the framing of the nebula. If I played my cards right I could move the mount manually to allow me to get the Running Man Nebula in the image, which is next to the Orion Nebula. So I watched the planetarium software on the laptop as I moved the mount by hand. It would show me in real time where the mount is pointed. I took another test shot and bingo. It looked good so now was showtime. I got my guider running and set the laptop to image for 2 minute subframes and take a total of 60, which would give me a total of 2 hours on the image. Being that M42 is bright as far as DSO2s go, I did not want to go any longer as I was already saturating the Trapezium area. I was willing to sacrifice this because I wanted to get the finer dimmer wisps of the nebula. After I checked to make sure I didn’t leave the mask on the imaging scope (been there, done that) it was time to let my setup do its thing.

After all the images where taken I rolled the rig into the garage and called it a night. Next evening I aligned, stacked, averaged and calibrated the 60 captured images of the nebula using Astro Art5. This is also what I use to run the imaging and guiding camera.  I then use Photoshop to tweak the final image to what you see here.

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Armchair Astrophotography – Messier 74

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ST Editors

by Michael Wright

Messier 74

Messier 74, a composite image made from three exposures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 through F814W, F555W and F435W filters. Credit: NASA/ESA/Michael Wright

There is one other aspect of this pursuit that I also find compelling – a primordial or “spiritual” component that is hard to deny. It is difficult not to be awed by a night under extreme dark skies and a brilliant canopy of stars. the Milky Way, zodiacal light, meteors, naked eye galaxies… all reminders that I need no longer dream of being an astronaut. I am already on a spaceship that is hurtling through space, and I am just a tourist taking a few photographs out the “window.”

~ John A. Davis, Astrophotographer, from his description of his photograph entitled “Cocoon over North America, 2011” in the Starstruck exhibit at the Michener Museum, Doylestown, PA January 2015

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Interstellar

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ST Editors

by Prasad Ganti

InterstellarOne of my favorite all time great scientists postulated that time and space are relative, which means that they do not seem to be as straight forward as they appear to us Earthlings. Under normal circumstances, they are very straight forward, but once conditions change, they show different colors. In essence, this is Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. The recent movie “Interstellar” is based on these “out of this world” concepts proposed by the genius who lived and taught in our neighborhood of Princeton.

Special theory came first, which said that time can slow down depending on how fast a clock is moving. Clocks slow down in a fast-moving train. Next came the General Theory which said that space curves in the presence of mass. More massive a body is, more is the space curvature. The curvature is implied by bending of light in gravitational fields. Gravity also impacts time. Clocks slow down in the presence of gravity.

There are several implications of these seemingly unearthly concepts. Nothing in the Universe can move faster than the speed of light. Seems like the sculptor of the Universe ordained such a speed limit that can impose severe limitations on space travel. Probes takes nearly 6 months to reach Mars, which is in the vicinity of the Earth, and much longer for interstellar travel; a human lifespan being trivial in comparison.

Fortunately Einstein’s same theories come to our rescue during interstellar journeys. The faster our spaceship travels, the slower our clocks will run, which means that human beings on interstellar journeys will age less than their counterparts on the Earth. The movie portrays this concept well when a father who left his young daughter back home, comes back to see her as an old woman while he is still young. The father is young not only because he traveled in space at high speeds, but also because he spent time near a black hole.

Black hole is an idea that rose from Einstein’s theories. It is a gravitationally intense place presumably caused by compacting mass to incredible densities. Just imagine a garbage compactor working ceaselessly to compress further and further until a black hole is formed! Since a gravitational field bends light, and the field is so intense in a black hole, the light just keeps bending in and in until it is totally trapped within the black hole. It cannot come out, so no one can really “see” a black hole but one can feel the presence as one approaches it. Astronomers use the movement of other bodies in the vicinity to deduce the presence of a black hole. In the movie, it is depicted by a halo of light surrounding a very dark region.

The next implication of Einstein’s fabulous theories rises from the curvature of space, which means that our Universe is not a flat region of space stretching on and on for trillions of light years. It curves itself into oddball shapes. It is speculated that the space curvature can result in a journey back to the starting point after traveling for billions of light years; going round and round in circles!

The concept of a “wormhole” comes up as a result. It is a tunnel or a shortcut between seemingly distant points in space. One of the astronauts in the movie illustrates this idea by folding a paper and poking a hole using a pencil from one side of the paper to the other side indicating the short cut, while the paper itself is curling around to the same point.

Another implication is that gravity can be created. Artificial gravity is used in the spacecraft to reduce the effect of weightlessness. As a result, the astronauts feel like they are sitting in their living room, rather than floating in space. The movie shows the spacecraft rotating as it moves ahead in its journey. This rotation causes the artificial gravity.

All these pieces come together in making the complete movie: an Earth in danger of getting destroyed, a small mission of astronauts to find a new home, a spinning spacecraft on an arduous journey accelerated by entering a wormhole right to emerge somewhere else to find alternatives to our home, including the vicinity of a black hole! An excellently woven tapestry of Mr. Einstein’s ideas, colored by human frailties and ulterior motives!

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Flawless Orion Launch Ignites NASA’s Exploration Roadmap

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ST Editors

by Dr. Ken Kremer, Universe Today and AAAP

IMG_5998_1a_Orion_Ken KremerKENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA’s exploration roadmap aimed at sending humans to Mars got off the ground magnificently with the flawless launch and landing of the agency’s new Orion deep space capsule on its maiden voyage on Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. I attended the launch and had a prime viewing location from inside Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on nearby Space Launch Complex 41 just two miles away and reported online for Universe Today and AmericaSpace websites.

“The first look looks really good from a data standpoint and will help us as we go forward,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA’s Associate Administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Directorate, at the post landing media briefing at the Kennedy Space Center. “We as a species are meant to press humanity further into the solar system and this is a first step. What a tremendous team effort.”

Orion roared to orbit atop the fiery fury of a 242-foot tall United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket – the world’s most powerful booster – at 7:05 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 37.

The unpiloted test flight of Orion on the Exploration Flight Test-1 mission carried the capsule farther away from Earth than any spacecraft designed for astronauts has traveled in more than four decades. Humans have not ventured beyond low Earth orbit since the launch of Apollo 17 for NASA’s final moon landing mission on Dec. 7, 1972.

The first stage of the mammoth, triple-barreled Delta IV Heavy generates two million pounds of liftoff thrust and was the only rocket powerful enough to launch Orion and achieve its intended goals.

During the two-orbit, 4.5-hour flight, Orion reached an altitude of 3,604 miles above Earth, about 15 times higher than the International Space Station.

At about 4 hours and 15 minutes, the capsule began its high speed re-entry through the atmosphere at speeds approaching 20,000 mph, which tested the 16.5-foot wide heat shield at speeds approximating 85% of the reentry velocity for astronauts returning from voyages to the Red Planet.

The capsule survived the scorching 4,000ºF temperatures in a successful test of the heat shield and thermal protection tiles before splashing down on a trio of parachutes in the Pacific Ocean at 11:29 a.m. EST. The capsule was recovered by US Navy divers and returned to the Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 19 for detailed analysis and eventual relaunch in 2018.

For complete details check out my articles and photos at Universe Today and AmericaSpace:

http://www.universetoday.com/116947/mars-era-opens-with-spectacular-blastoff-of-nasas-new-orion-crew-spacecraft/

http://www.universetoday.com/117483/nasas-first-orion-crew-module-arrives-safely-back-at-kennedy-space-center/

http://www.americaspace.com/?p=74189

Astronomy Outreach by Dr. Ken Kremer

The Future of NASA’s Human Spaceflight Program with Orion and Commercial Astronaut Taxis: March 6, 2015, DVAA, PA. http://dvaa.org

MMS, Orion and SpaceX Launches: March 11-13, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL. Evening outreach at Quality Inn, Titusville, FL

NASA Mars Rovers and the Future of Human Spaceflight: April 18/19, NEAF, Rockland Community College, Rockland, NY.

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/

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Snippets

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ST Editors

by David Kaplan

The Planetary Society announced that it would send the first of two small spacecraft testing the technology of solar sails into orbit in May.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/science/hoping-to-set-sail-on-sunlight.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad

Astronomers say they have discovered a gigantic ring system around a distant planet – the first such structure discovered outside our Solar System.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31001936

The largest image of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) has recently been unveiled by NASA. Made up of an astonishing 1.5 billion pixels, a total of 600 high-definition television screens are required to view the entirety of the image.
http://www.viralglobalnews.com/science/andromeda-galaxy-revealed-1-5-billion-pixel-image-video/28418/

Researchers have decoded ancient recordings from fragments of an asteroid dating back billions of years to the start of the Solar System.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30916692

The Royal Photographic Society calls for entries into the International Images for Science competition:
http://www.rps.org/exhibitions-and-competitions/competitions/international-images-for-science

What astrobiology can tell us about the fate of the planet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/18/opinion/sunday/is-a-climate-disaster-inevitable.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad

The Town Without Wifi: Greenbank, WV
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/the-town-without-wi-fi/?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits

Astrophysicists studying the unstable “stellar monster” Eta Carinae unveil fresh insights and a 3D model of the destructive maelstrom at its heart.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30721794

Astronomers measure Saturn’s position with unprecedented accuracy thanks to a continent-wide radio telescope.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30743935

Scientists say a pair of supermassive black holes appear to be spiraling toward a galaxy-wrecking collision that could release as much energy as 100 million supernova explosions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/science/in-a-far-off-galaxy-2-black-holes-dance-toward-an-explosive-union.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad

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From the Director

Posted on December 30, 2014 by ST Editors

Rex

 

 

 

 

by Rex Parker, PhD

director@princetonastronomy.org 

Help Make 2015 a Great Year for Astronomy! We have several projects and opportunities in motion to help make this the most meaningful, accessible, and really fun year ever for astronomy in the AAAP. Stay tuned to Sidereal Times — the official voice of the AAAP – and our website: www.princetonastronomy.org to catch the latest updates on events and activities that you can participate in. Upcoming events include our regular public lecture meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, now at a new location on the Princeton campus as Peyton Hall undergoes HVAC renovation. We are also planning a special field trip to PPPL on February 4. I will send an e-mail announcement with sign-up instructions during the last week of January.

Slipping through the Lion’s Paws.  If the sky is clear on January 7-8 after 10 p.m., look at the constellation Leo rising in the east, as the waning gibbous moon slips right between the Lion’s front paws. Jupiter is the moon’s brilliant companion on the 7th, rivaled by Leo’s brightest star Regulus on January 8 (each only 5 degrees away from the moon on those dates). The name Regulus is a derivative of Latin “Rex”, little king or prince – so, Lion King? Thanks to its sky position on the ecliptic, this star is occulted by the moon often, and by Venus, Mercury, and asteroids rarely. The March 2014 occulation by the asteroid Erigone would have been the brightest star occultation ever recorded in N.America. I say “would have been” because cloudy weather blocked the entire path, and it went unseen. So, philosophically, was there an occultation? Spectroscopic studies have revealed a four-star system:  Regulus A, a bright young main-sequence blue-white binary star with white dwarf companion (not directly observable) is famous for being an extremely fast rotator with a period of only 16 hours and a mass 3.5 times our sun, giving it an unusual oblate shape.  Regulus B and C are fainter main-sequence companions about 170 arc-seconds from “A”, so they are visible in amateur telescopes – what colors do you see? Yes, this is an observing challenge!

Colors of the Season. I just can’t resist sharing this image:  the Great Orion Nebula (M42), a vast gaseous birthplace of new stars about 3500 light years distant on the next spiral arm of the Milky Way. The colors are real, as captured by the RGB Bayer matrix filters of the CCD camera and telescope.

M42

M42, the Great orion Nebula, taken from Titusville NJ Credit: Rex Parker Equipment: Starlight Xpress SXVR-M25C camera, AG Optical 12.5-in iDK telescope, Paramount-MX.

The Dome Goes to Carolina Skies. As discussed at recent meetings, we sorted through over twenty responses to our ad on Astromart and reached a decision on the fate of the dome. The three-meter aluminum Observa-Dome goes to Carolina Skies, an astronomy club with connections to Pitt Community College, East Carolina University and the nature/science learning center “A Time for Science” in Grifton, NC (Greenville area, eastern NC). On December 20, Michael Mitrano, John Giles, Jeff Bernardis and I met in Pennington with Tim Christensen and Charles Goodman from Carolina Skies to load the dome and ancillary equipment onto the large truck they had driven up from North Carolina. The dome will become part of their substantial efforts to expand outreach with observational and imaging astronomy in the lowlands of east Carolina, a dark sky area relatively free of light pollution, and much in need of science outreach to the community. For more information see this link. http://www.atimeforscience.org/programs/carolina-skies-astronomy-club/

Dome

Tim Christensen and Charles Goodman (Carolina Skies/ Pitt Coll./ E. Carolina Univ.) flank Michael Mitrano, John Giles, and Jeff Bernardis (AAAP) as the three-meter Observa-Dome is loaded for transport to eastern North Carolina on Dec. 20, 2014.

Believe in the Future – Astronomy Equipment in Memory of Thomas Dixey. AAAP has accepted a very generous donation of astronomy equipment by John Dixey and family of Manalapan NJ, in memory of John’s uncle, Roy Thomas Dixey. Tom was a self-taught expert astronomer, always willing to share with family, friends and neighbors.  His devotion to the science and outreach was evident as astronomy reflected his personal writings and beliefs — Tom believed that the stars held many answers.  He taught himself calculus, physics and other sciences to better understand, and this helped him find peace after losing his wife years earlier.  His personal dedication to learn and share reflects what is possible when someone truly has a passion for something important.  The telescopes and other donated equipment are significant and too extensive to list here, but we will have the opportunity to sort out best placement in the next several months. The AAAP honor’s Tom by accepting these fine instruments and books for the benefit of our club, for members’ observing and learning, and for public outreach and sharing, all part of the AAAP’s mission.

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From Backyard to Mountaintop: The Adventures of History’s Best Worst Telescope

Posted on December 30, 2014 by ST Editors

AHphoto2014by Michael Wright

Our first meeting of the new year will be on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. in a new location:  Bowen Hall (see Princeton campus maps for building and parking locations).  Alan Hirshfeld, Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory will present a talk entitled “From Backyard to Mountaintop: The Adventures of History’s Best Worst Telescope”.

The 36-inch reflector of English amateur astronomer Andrew Common made its way from a London backyard to a Yorkshire estate and ultimately to a mountaintop observatory in California. This little-known telescope, built in 1879 and still operating today, revolutionized celestial photography and proved to 19th-century astronomers that the future of cosmic discovery lay in the camera, not the human eye.

Alan Hirshfeld, Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory, is the author of Parallax: The Race to Measure the Cosmos, The Electric Life of Michael Faraday, and Eureka Man: The Life and Legacy of Archimedes. He is a regular book reviewer for the Wall Street Journal and has contributed to Sky & Telescope, the American Journal of Physics, BBC History Magazine, and American Scientist. He has made radio and television appearances on NPR, PBS, and C-SPAN and lectures nationwide about science history and discovery.

Visit the author’s website/Contact the author: www.alanhirshfeld.com

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Treasurer’s Report

Posted on December 30, 2014 by ST Editors

by Michael Mitrano, Treasurer

The membership renewal count has crept up to 46, which is 16 % fewer than had renewed at the same time a year ago. I will be sending reminder postcards to those who have not yet renewed.

Our annual insurance bill has been paid, and a deposit has been made on the Mallincam camera to be used for video astronomy at Washington Crossing. The balance of about $1,800 will be due in mid-February when the back-ordered camera is ready to ship.

On a cumulative basis at this date, the AAAP’s surplus remains about $25 thousand.

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