Category Archives: Cny Science

Observing Announcement: Spectacular Grazing Occultation Of Aldebaran On 4 March 2017

Posted on February 26, 2017 10:44 am - - 3 Comments

Greetings, fellow astrophiles!

The following came in from Brad Timerson of ASRAS and the International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA). We had a few posts back in 2014 about an occultation of the star Regulus by asteroid Erigone (on what turned out to be an overcast March 20th. For information about the event and the observing process, see the original CNYO occultation post.

Local observing path for the lunar occultation of Aldebaran on March 4th.

Folks in Rochester and between Syracuse and Binghamton are ideally placed to not only observe the occultation, but also to take data to provide to the IOTA. Information about the occultation, including links to how you can help with the observations, is provided in Brad’s original email below:

I want to alert the membership about this great opportunity (if the weather cooperates!) of seeing a lunar grazing occultation involving a bright star, Aldebaran, along the northern edge of the nearly first quarter moon on the evening of March 4, 2017. In small telescopes, it should be a spectacular sight.

IOTA (International Occultation and Timing Assoc.) has prepared a webpage outlining this event. If you scroll down the page, you will find a section for the Rochester area with a couple of static maps as well as a Google Map for the area. Graze events are dependent on distance from the predicted graze limit as well elevation above sea level. So, the Google Map has been created for the elevation in the Rochester area. (100 feet either way makes little difference)

Main webpage for event: occultations.org/aldebaran/2017march/

Direct link to Google map for approximate elevation in Rochester area: occultations.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/500ft.htm

Zoom in to see path through your area. Set the line A to a value of +0.2 km (enter value in box and then press “Click here”). Set line B to –0.1 km. This will produce 2 gray lines, one just north and one just south of the green line. These 2 lines (with the green line in the middle) will mark the best locations for an observing site.

A grazing informational image from the IOTA page.

Based on recent grazes, it appears that you will want to be exactly on the green line shown on the Google map or just barely south of it to see the maximum number of events. Many of the events will be gradual or partial (the star not completely disappearing) because Aldebaran is a large star and at the moon’s distance, won’t be completely covered for some locations.

I plan on observing the graze from a store parking lot (after getting permission) along Rt. 96 near Clifton Springs, NY. Anyone near this area is welcome to join me. I will have more details on my location as the date approaches. I will be videotaping the event using a special camera and video time inserter so that important details of the lunar limb and, possibly, the star, can be determined.

Profile maps of the Aldebaran occultation from the IOTA page.

Central graze time for the Rochester area is 11:17:57 pm on the 4th. You’ll want to be setup well ahead of this time with a clear western horizon. The moon will be about 18° above the horizon. You may see events occur for up to a minute before and after this central graze time. Below is a profile of the lunar limb showing the predicted graze limit as well as a dotted line at about 0.2 km south of the limit. The gray bar graph at the left shows the number of events that can be expected to occur. Time is along the bottom with 11:17:57 pm centered.

Please email me individually (btimerson [_at symbol_] rochester.rr.com) if you’d like information about a specific site along the graze path. Include the latitude, longitude, and elevation of your site taken from Google Earth of the Google map. Also, any other questions you might have can be directed my way.

Here are links to the pages summarizing observations made at the last two grazes. Many observations have YouTube videos available so you can see what to expect.

* www.asteroidoccultation.com/observations/AldebaranGraze_29July2016/
* www.asteroidoccultation.com/observations/AldebaranGraze_19October2016/

Brad Timerson
Newark, NY

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Distant Worlds: What We Know About Extra-Solar Planets And Their Potential For Habitability

Posted on February 22, 2017 7:53 am - - 1 Comment

Greetings, fellow astrophiles!

I’m pleased to announce that CNYO is co-sponsoring a lecture with the Cazenovia College Science Cafe Committee on one of the great achievements in observational astronomy in the last decade – the discovery and characterization of extra-solar planets (exoplanets). If so inclined, feel free to RSVP on our meetup.com event page. Details below:

Distant Worlds: What We Know About Extra-Solar Planets
And Their Potential For Habitability

Speaker: Dr. Leslie Hebb, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Date: March 1, 2017

Time: 6:30 to 8:00 pm

Parking: Free on campus after 6:00 p.m., available on Lincklaen, Seminary, Sullivan, and Nickerson Streets

Location: Morgan Room, basement of Hubbard Hall, Cazenovia College

Since the first extra-solar planet was discovered around the star 51 Pegasi, there has been an explosion of research aimed at discovering and characterizing planets around other stars. With the launch of NASA’s Kepler mission, the number of known exoplanets has grown to nearly 5000 including almost 500 multi-planet “solar systems”. Through these and other discoveries, we have learned that exoplanets are ubiquitous throughout the Galaxy, and many planetary systems look very different than our own Solar System. This research has radically transformed our thinking about how our own Solar System in particular and solar systems in general form and evolve. I will discuss how exoplanets are detected and characterized, the current exoplanet census, and our current understanding of how planetary systems form and evolve. I will also discuss how we identify potentially habitable worlds and what future missions are designed to identify and characterize habitability.

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SU College Of Engineering And Computer Science Summer Research Internship Program

Posted on February 18, 2017 12:15 pm - - Leave a Comment

Greetings, fellow astrophiles!

This in from the TACNY listserve – note the March 3rd deadline.

SU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science encourages current high school juniors from CNY to apply for our Summer Research Internship Program. This is an exciting opportunity for students interested in STEM fields!

The College of Engineering and Computer Science, with funding from alumni Thomas and Linda McCausland, have created engineering research opportunities for five talented rising high school seniorswho reside locally. This six-week non-residential program is an opportunity for students to work directly with SU research professors, graduate and undergraduate students on a discrete hands-on research project as part of ongoing research specific to each faculty mentor.

All laboratories will focus on the following learning outcomes for participating interns:
* participate in laboratory safety training
* learn laboratory and college level library research techniques
* develop a research plan
* maintain a laboratory notebook or equivalent
* analyze data
* display and present data in a poster form and explain poster information during an annual poster symposium

Interns will be selected through a competitive application process and receive a generous stipend for successfully completing the program and its requirements

Detailed information regarding the internship, applicant eligibility and requirements including the on-line application can be found on our new website: highschooleng.research.syr.edu. Completed applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM Friday, March 3, 2017.

For more information, please feel free to contact Carol Stokes-Cawley, Program Coordinator Summer Research Internship Program, at cestokes@syr.edu.

Technology Alliance of Central New York

Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.

For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.

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YWCA Summer STEM Camps, 2016

Posted on July 4, 2016 9:06 am - - Leave a Comment

Greetings, fellow astrophiles!

This just in from the TACNY email list. Please forward along to interested parties!

YWCA Summer STEM Camps

Spots are still available for several summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Camps for girls offered by the YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Choose from the following:

* Camp Capstone (Registration Form) – Camp Capstone is a 4-week camp for girls 13-16 that explores the fields of construction, architecture & engineering

* Dream BuildHER (Registration Form) – Dream BuildHER is a 4-week hands-on, learn-by-doing entrepreneurship, start-up summer camp for girls 13-16

* Style Engineers (Registration Form) – Style Engineers is a project-based summer camp that utilizes apparel design as a vehicle for introducing 5th through 8th grade girls to the STEM approach to learning

Additionally, the YWCA has scholarships available for high school girls to attend OCC’s STEM Camp (details below. Click the image for a larger view and HERE for more information)!

2016june13_STEM16salesflyer

Contact Flavia Rey de Castro (email: flaviarcywca@centralny.twcbc.com or call 474-0746) for information and application for this and all the YWCA Summer Camps. Act soon as deadlines are approaching!!

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Ying TRSEF Maker Hall At The Duck Race To End Racism – Saturday, 11 June 2016

Posted on June 1, 2016 10:11 am - - Leave a Comment

Greetings, fellow astrophiles!

This in from the TACNY email list. This event drew several hundred people last year and continues to grow – and note that CNYO members will be in attendance with solar scopes!

Family Event For 1000-1500 With Hands-On
Science, Technology, Engineering And Math Fun

2016june1_Duck-Race-8-1-2-x-11

Click for a larger view. For more details, click HERE.

When: Saturday, June 11, Noon-4:00pm
Where: Inner Harbor, Syracuse (off W. Kirkpatrick)
Who: Ages 5-95
Why: Bring your friends and family because adventures in science and engineering are crazy fun!
More info: www.interfaithworkscny.org/event/duck-race-to-end-racism/

* Ying TRSEF has a free bag to carry your fossils and other treats.
* Byrne Dairy gives everyone free ice cream!
* NASA’s Solar System Ambassador Damian Allis will join us for the day as well!

Want even more fun? VOLUNTEER as an Adventure Host or Assistant! We have NASA and other kits, and you get a free t-shirt and free lunch, plus the joy of playing all day! Click here for updates, samples of our kits, and online registration.

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