The most recent issue of Free Astronomy Magazine (November-December 2019) is available for your reading and downloading pleasure at www.astropublishing.com (click the link to go directly to the issue).
As editor-in-chief Michele Ferrara alludes to early in his “flexible concept” article on page 38, there’s been quite the transition into the study of exoplanets and the potentials for habitability as a way to more credibly have the discussion about alien life. His article on page 22 is worth the read for those who think it’s not a question of “if” but of “how often?”
Free Astronomy Magazine (website, facebook) was featured as the first of a series of articles on great free online content for amateur astronomers (see A Universe Of Free Resources Part 1) and we’ll be keeping track of future publications under the Online Resources category on the CNYO website.
Poster’s Note: One of the many under-appreciated aspects of NASA is the extent to which it publishes quality science content for children and Ph.D.’s alike. Your tax dollars help promote science! The following article was provided for reprinting by the Night Sky Network in November, 2019.
Did you know that there are two other objects in our skies that have phases like the Moon? They’re the inner planets, found between Earth and the Sun: Mercury and Venus. You can see their phases if you observe them through a telescope. Like our Moon, you can’t see the planets in their “new” phase, unless they are lined up perfectly between us Earthlings and the Sun. In the case of the Moon, this alignment results in a solar eclipse; in the case of Mercury and Venus, this results in a transit, where the small disc of the planet travels across the face of the Sun. Skywatchers are in for a treat this month, as Mercury transits the Sun the morning of November 11!
You may have seen the transit
of Venus in 2012; you may have even watched it through eclipse glasses!
However, this time you’ll need a solar telescope to see anything, since eclipse
glasses will only reveal the Sun’s blank face. Why is that? Mercury is the
smallest planet in our solar system, and closer to the Sun (and further away
from Earth) during its transit than Venus was in its 2012 transit. This makes
Mercury’s disc too small to see without the extra power of a telescope. Make
absolutely certain that you view the transit via a telescope equipped with a
safe solar filter or projection setup. Do NOT combine binoculars with your
eclipse glasses; this will instantly burn a hole through the glasses – and your
eyes! While most people don’t have solar telescopes handy, many astronomy clubs
do! Look for clubs hosting Mercury transit observing events near you at bit.ly/findnsn (USA) or at bit.ly/awbtransit (worldwide).
What a fun opportunity to see
another planet during the day! This transit is expected to last over five
hours. Folks on the East Coast will be able to watch the entre transit, weather
permitting, from approximately 7:35 am EST until around approximately 1:04 pm
EST. Folks located in the middle of North America to the west coast will see the
transit already in progress at sunrise. The transit takes hours, so if your
weather is cloudy, don’t despair; there will be plenty of time for skies to
clear! You can find timing details and charts via eclipse guru Fred Espenak’s
website: bit.ly/mercurytransit2019
Mercury’s orbit is small and
swift, and so its position in our skies quickly changes; that’s why it was
named after the fleet-footed messenger god of Roman mythology. In fact, if you
have a clear view of the eastern horizon, you’ll be able to catch Mercury again
this month! Look for it before dawn during the last week of November, just above
the eastern horizon and below red Mars. Wake up early the morning of November
24th to see Mars, the Moon, and Mercury form a loose triangle right before
sunrise.
Discover more about Mercury and the rest of our solar system at nasa.gov
Photo of the May 9, 2016 transit of Mercury. Mercury is the small dot on the center right. Note how tiny it is, even compared to the small sunspot on the center left. Credit: Dave Huntz
This photo from the same 2016 transit event shows Mercury a bit larger, as it should; it was taken at a higher magnification through a large 16 inch telescope! Credit: J. A. Blackwell
The Night Sky Network program supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach. Visit nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov to find local clubs, events, and more!
Speaker: Neal Abrams, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry, SUNY-ESF; and Miriam Gillett-Kunnath, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Syracuse University
Talk Overview: Ready to summon some science? Join the TACNY Jr. Café on October 19th to see the magical chemistry behind glowing pumpkins, magical genies, luminescent liquids, time telling potions, and mysterious fog. Dr. Neal Abrams from SUNY ESF and Dr. Miriam Gillett-Kunnath from Syracuse University will present a series of interactive magical Halloween chemistry demonstrations that will be sure to delight young and old alike.
Biography: Neal Abrams is an associate professor of chemistry at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). He obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and certification in teaching from Ithaca College and completed his doctorate at Penn State. At ESF, he instructs courses in general chemistry and renewable energy. He also leads research programs in the areas of renewable energy and methods for teaching science. He is also the faculty advisor for the ESF chemistry club. Abrams enjoys working with students and educators in the community. As part of this commitment, he leads renewable energy workshops for teachers, instructs a series of courses on solar panel installation, and guest lectures in classrooms across Syracuse and CNY as part of the ESF in the High School program. He is currently the Education Chair for the CNY Section of the American Chemical Society.
Miriam Gillett-Kunnath is a research assistant professor of chemistry at Syracuse University (SU). She obtained her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Le Moyne College and completed her doctorate and post-doctorate at Syracuse University and Notre Dame University, respectively. At SU, she assists in mentoring and teaching research while helping with the management of the Chemistry SC-XRD and PXRD lab. Gillett-Kunnath, along with her husband Bobby Kunnath, works with local high school students to connect them with research in the STEM disciplines. Her passion towards building a local STEM Ecosystem has led her to learn from, volunteer, and work with SU-chemistry outreach, ACS-CNY, STA-NYS, TACNY and the MOST. [Outreach Motto: “If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.”-Isaac Newton]
TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique
TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students founded in 2005, features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere and seeks to encourage students to consider careers in these areas. Students must be accompanied by an adult and can explore the MOST at no cost after the event.
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.
The Sweet Science Series will be hosting an event at Lockheed Martin in Liverpool, NY. The event will include a brief overview of the Lockheed Martin site, followed by a walking tour of the manufacturing and test facilities.
People interested in learning more about the Lockheed Martin Syracuse facility are invited to attend the free Sweet Science Series presentation on Tuesday, October 15th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lockheed Martin, 497 Electronics Pkwy, Syracuse, NY 13221. Admission is free and open to the public. Light snacks will be served at 5:30pm. Please note that due to security considerations, all visitors must be 18 or over, and no walk-in visitors will be allowed. RSVP to sweet.science@tacny.org by October 7th. RSVPs must include the following information for all visitors:
First and last name
Company affiliation
Citizenship type, and citizenship country
Country of birth
Statement declaring the attendee is 18 or over
Additionally, foreign nationals must provide passport country, passport number and expiration date.
Presenter Information
Dr. Michael (Mike) Leone is Director of Product Engineering and Advanced Materials for Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) division. In this position, Dr. Leone oversees product development across the enterprise, partnering with the chief engineers, Center of Excellence senior leadership team, and RMS staff to achieve all program, and Engineering and Technology goals.
About Sweet Science Series
TACNY John Edson Sweet Lectures, a program founded in 1913, is now called the Sweet Science Series and features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere for adults of all levels of technical understanding. A minimum of six free and open to the public presentations are held each year.
About TACNY
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, see www.tacny.org
Poster’s Note: One of the many under-appreciated aspects of NASA is the extent to which it publishes quality science content for children and Ph.D.’s alike. Your tax dollars help promote science! The following article was provided for reprinting by the Night Sky Network in October, 2019.
Most of the planets in our solar system are bright and easily spotted in our night skies. The exceptions are the ice giant planets: Uranus and Neptune. These worlds are so distant and dim that binoculars or telescopes are almost always needed to see them. A great time to search for Uranus is during its opposition on October 28, since the planet is up almost the entire night and at its brightest for the year.
The bright three points of theSummer Triangle are among the first stars you can see after sunset: Deneb, Vega, and Altair. The Summer Triangle is called an asterism, as it’s not an official constellation, but still a striking group of stars. However, the Triangle is the key to spotting multiple constellations! Its three stars are themselves the brightest in their respective constellations: Deneb, in Cygnus the Swan; Vega, in Lyra the Harp; and Altair, in Aquila the Eagle. That alone would be impressive, but the Summer Triangle also contains two small constellations inside its lines, Vulpecula the Fox and Sagitta the Arrow. There is even another small constellation just outside its borders: diminutive Delphinus the Dolphin. The Summer Triangle is huge!
Search for Uranus in the space beneath the stars of Aries the Ram
and above Cetus the Whale. These constellations are found west of more prominent
Taurus the Bull and Pleiades star cluster. You can also use the Moon as a
guide! Uranus will be just a few degrees north of the Moon the night of October
14, close enough to fit both objects into the same binocular field of view. However, it will be much easier to see dim
Uranus by moving the bright Moon just out of sight. If you’re using a
telescope, zoom in as much as possible once you find Uranus; 100x magnification
and greater will reveal its small greenish disc, while background stars will
remain points.
Try this observing trick from a dark sky location. Find Uranus with
your telescope or binoculars, then look with your unaided eyes at the patch of
sky where your equipment is aimed. Do you see a faint star where Uranus should
be? That’s not a star; you’re actually seeing Uranus with your naked eye! The ice giant is
just bright enough near opposition – magnitude 5.7 – to be visible to observers
under clear dark skies. It’s easier to see this ghostly planet unaided after
first using an instrument to spot it, sort of like “training wheels” for your
eyes. Try this technique with other objects as you observe, and you’ll be
amazed at what your eyes can pick out.
By the way, you’ve spotted the first planet discovered in the
modern era! William Herschel discovered Uranus via telescope in 1781, and Johan
Bode confirmed its status as a planet two years later. NASA’s Voyager 2 is the
only spacecraft to visit this strange world, with a brief flyby in 1986. It revealed
a strange, severely tilted planetary system possessing faint dark rings, dozens
of moons, and eerily featureless cloud tops. Subsequent observations of Uranus
from powerful telescopes like Hubble and Keck showed its blank face was
temporary, as powerful storms were spotted, caused by dramatic seasonal changes
during its 84-year orbit. Uranus’s wildly variable seasons result from a
massive collision billions of years ago that tipped the planet to its side.
Discover more about NASA’s current and future missions of
exploration of the distant solar system and beyond at nasa.gov
The path of Uranus in October is indicated by an arrow; its position on October 14 is circled. The wide dashed circle approximates the field of view from binoculars or a finderscope. Image created with assistance from Stellarium.
Composite images taken of Uranus in 2012 and 2014 by the Hubble Space Telescope, showcasing its rings and auroras. More at bit.ly/uranusauroras Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, L. Lamy / Observatoire de Paris
The Night Sky Network program supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach. Visit nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov to find local clubs, events, and more!
