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CONTENTS
FEATURES
22 COLUMNS
Strange Universe 10
BOB BERMAN
22 COVER STORY 38 54 For Your Consideration 14
The race to StarDome and Plan now for the JEFF HESTER
cosmic dawn Path of the Planets 2017 eclipse Secret Sky 18
Inlation stands at the heart of RICHARD TALCOTT; Follow these 25 commonsense STEPHEN JAMES OMEARA
modern cosmology. So why ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROEN KELLY tips, and youll be ready to
havent astronomers seen any rock on eclipse day. Observing Basics 20
GLENN CHAPLE
signs of it? ERIC BETZ 44 MICHAEL E. BAKICH
How Pluto Astro Sketching 66
28 got its name 58 ERIKA RIX
Oxygen: he publics suggestions for Run a non-Messier Cosmic Imaging 68
The color of life naming the new planet ranged marathon ADAM BLOCK
Natures eighth element allows from the scientiic to the per- For a new adventure, challenge
us to live, breathe, and think, but sonal, revealing a glimpse into
the social mindset of the day.
yourself to see these 109
objects in a single night.
QUANTUM GRAVITY
it also colors the cosmos with its
distinctive greenish hue. KEVIN SCHINDLER AND MICHAEL E. BAKICH Snapshot 9
BOB BERMAN LAUREN AMUNDSON Astro News 12
64
34 49 We test Tele Vues IN EVERY ISSUE
Ask Astro 15 stellar DeLite eyepieces From the Editor 6
software packages Select these eyepieces to enhance
Letters 10, 20, 68
36 hese programs will bring your your observing without ruining
The Sky this Month astronomy experience into the your credit. TOM TRUSOCK New Products 67
Jupiter dazzles all night. digital age. TOM TRUSOCK Advertiser Index 69
MARTIN RATCLIFFE AND Reader Gallery 70
ALISTER LING Breakthrough 74
4 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
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to provide people with disabilities access via a CCD camera and
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W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 5
FROM THE EDITOR
BY DAV I D J. E I C H E R
Editor David J. Eicher
Art Director LuAnn Williams Belter
EDITORIAL
Musings
Senior Editors Michael E. Bakich, Richard Talcott
Associate Editors Eric Betz, Korey Haynes
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ART
Graphic Designer Kelly Katlaps
A
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important the element is to life history. And they mea- need oxygen every second of
life. It exists in the atmo- sure it in other galaxies too our lives. Remember what
sphere as a gas, in water and oxygen is all around! you read in Bobs story every
other fluids as part of a liq- On Earth, oxygen is used time you take in another
uid, and in rocks and miner- in a variety of processes all cool, fresh breath.
als as part of a solid. the time, but plants produce
Oxygen is critically vast amounts of it via photo- Yours truly, Follow Astronomy
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6 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
The Formation Of Water
And Our Solar System
From A Fission Process
With An Improved
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(The AP Theory)
$80.00 Hardcover $60.00 Sotcover
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W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 7
Space Exploration
Earth Science
January/February 2016
TOP
STORIES
OF 2015
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT: Kennewick Man New Dinosaurs LHC Reboot Wildfires! New Species
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W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 9
STRANGEUNIVERSE
BY BOB BERMAN
FROM OUR INBOX
A nice surprise
I just read Jeff Hesters short article on Postmodernist air-
B
eware the Ides of even close. He also couldnt use New York
March. Strangeness his fingers because the inflated
can envelop not just glove section had gotten too Science or science fiction?
celestial objects, but rigid. A nightmare. He was In the September issue on p. 28, your article Multiverses:
astronomers, astro- trapped outside with immobile Science or science fiction? was great! It was well written I
nauts, and even amateurs. Odd fingers. Eventually, with his couldnt put it down. I am with the skeptics who think many of
events seem to befall those who spacewalk double its scheduled the multiverse ideas are not even wrong. I base my skepticism
choose to explore the universe, length, he managed to release a not just on your article but on a number of other sources I have
and Ive collected many stories lot of the suits air, remain con- read. I cringe when popular media gives a pass to such unscien-
over the years. Consider: Not scious, and squeeze through tific speculation. John Boncek, St. Louis
one but three different observa- the opening. (The strangeness
tory directors have complained wasnt over. The onboard com-
to me about having to clear puter failed, and his craft learned that the temperature nature and eventful life, but
away snakes that had built landed 600 miles off-course in drop during the eclipses par- one idiosyncrasy stood out. His
homes in the dome. a mountainous wilderness. It tial phase produced a single self-imposed poverty meant
The weirdest thing that hap- took his rescuers two days to giant cloud over the island. that he never wanted to stay at
pened on the Moon was caused find him.) Nobody at the ideal site saw a a motel. Instead, hed some-
by Neil Armstrong disobeying Total eclipses have their own thing. Only the late sleepers. times sleep in his telescope.
his training. He failed to cut strange tales. I myself have In 1971, the Indian govern- Yes, inside the tube.
the lunar lander engine when witnessed superstitious non- ment invited me to its largest A decade ago, I gave a talk
the blue contact light came on observers ducking indoors to observatory. The 40-inch tele- for a wonderful group at the
5 feet above the surface. He hide from a total eclipse. scope in the Himalayan foot- Connecticut Star Party, and the
was just too good a pilot, and Eclipse expert Fred Espenak hills, which theyd equipped president kindly dropped me
he flew so gently to the ground told me of a time in Africa with a visual eyepiece for that back at the local airport and
that the honeycombed alumi- when clouds started covering night, was a lot of fun. But drove away. The night was dark
num legs, designed to crush and spooky. The airport was
and absorb some of the impact, now closed. Thats when I saw
remained intact. Result: The THE WEIRDEST THING THAT HAPPENED that the gate was locked, with
exterior ladder did not extend ON THE MOON WAS CAUSED BY NEIL no entry code visible. My
to the surface. Thus those first plane was on the other side. So
astronauts had to leap from the
ARMSTRONG DISOBEYING HIS TRAINING. your supposedly distinguished
bottom rung. speaker in his sports jacket had
Contrary to Armstrongs the Sun just as totality began. when a junior astronomer to climb the high barbed-wire-
words, it was not one small Improvising, he tore off at assigned to run the equipment tipped fence like a terrorist,
step. It was a giant leap. When breakneck speed, and, staring for our session arrived, he was hoping no patrol car would
Buzz Aldrin jumped off, the upward while running, man- visibly shaken. A tiger had appear. In that post-9/11 era,
long fall broke the urine bag aged to keep the eclipsed Sun stalked him on the path from theyd surely wonder what was
inside his boot. He had a live in a little hole. the nearest village. The previ- in the attach case Id tossed
mic and didnt say anything, A professional solar ous year, a child had tragically over. Theyd never guess a
but his whole time on the sur- researcher told a different been killed there. Now the ani- meteorite. It wasnt my favorite
face was more like one small eclipse story. During a Soviet mal was back on the very moment under Cassiopeia.
squish for mankind. totality when that government night I was visiting. When the This really is a strange uni-
Four years earlier, the had set up an observing station observing ended we all had to verse. Please send your own
Russians had their own bizarro on an island in Lake Baikal, he walk the inky, wooded, 2-mile bizarre true story related to the
experience when Alexei Leonov and another American over- path; we had no choice. It was cosmos, plus any verification.
became the first to walk in slept. The hotel never gave uncomfortable and surreal. Well publish the weirdest ones
space. The vacuum expanded them their wake-up call. They Some years back, John eventually.
his newly designed space suit missed the ferry. Despondent, Dobson came and spent a
far more than expected, and they set up their instruments night. The Dobsonian mount Contact me about
Leonov could not fit back in on the hotel roof and watched inventor and father of sidewalk my strange universe by visiting
http://skymanbob.com.
through the hatch. It wasnt the eclipse there. Later, they astronomy had a cantankerous
10 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
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PHOBOS IS BRIEFCASE
SPACE DEBRIS PUTS
CRACKING UP ON FIERY SHOW
Human-made space debris
came hurtling back to Earth
M
ars may have a moon on Friday, November 13, burn-
only for another 30 mil- ing up harmlessly over the
lion to 50 million years Indian Ocean. The object, des-
the blink of an eye, in ignated WT1190F, was found
by the Catalina Sky Survey in
astronomical terms. For many
October and eventually
years, astronomers thought turned out to be a temporary
Phobos grooves, first seen in satellite that telescopes had
images sent by the Viking space- also spotted in 2009 and 2013
craft, were signs of asteroid before losing it. The debris
was caught in a highly ellipti-
impacts. But recent modeling, cal orbit that took it closer
presented November 10 at the than Earths geosynchronous
American Astronomical Societys satellites and then out past
Division for Planetary Sciences the Moon every few weeks.
NASA/JPL-CALTECH/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
WT1190F burned up south of
meeting, shows that instead they
Sri Lanka almost exactly as
are stretch marks from Mars scientists predicted, providing
persistent gravitational tug, and a valuable test of asteroid
signs of the worlds eventual response readiness.
destruction.
Mars and Phobos orbit closer
HEARTBEATS REVEAL
than any other planet and moon A GALAXYS AGE
Looking through an eyepiece
in the solar system, at 3,700 miles GROOVY. Astronomers now think the grooves on Phobos, first observed by the Viking at a galaxy like Messier 87
(6,000 kilometers) apart, and they spacecraft, are signs that Mars is slowly ripping its moon apart via tidal stressing. (M87), its tough to imagine its
grow closer by 7 feet (2 meters) brightness changing on
every century. Further, Phobos is powdery material a few hundred the first signs of the surface frac- human timescales. But many
unlikely to be a solid body, and is feet thick. As Mars pulls on turing, which will eventually of its hundreds of billions of
stars are late in their lives and
instead more likely a pile of rub- Phobos bulk innards, the outer break up the moon into many
swollen to an enormous size,
ble held together only loosely by layers adjust, flexing but still moonlets and perhaps one day a like what will happen to the
its own gravity, surrounded by a building stress. The grooves are Saturn-like ring. Korey Haynes Sun when it eventually
engulfs Earth. These stars
pulse drastically, increasing
and decreasing in brightness
NAMING BLACK HOLES every few hundred days. Even
such gargantuan stars cant be
ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE. It took many years for astronomers
to reconcile the disparate most luminous objects in the sky to the spotted over cosmic distances,
same source: active galactic nuclei (AGN), the actively feasting subset but a team led by the Harvard-
Blazars of supermassive black holes at the hearts of most galaxies. From dif- Smithsonian Center for
appear head ferent angles, these objects with their powerful central jets and sur- Astrophysics took a long look
on, pointing rounding doughnuts of dust and gas assume many different forms, at M87 for fluctuations in its
jets directly and prompted just as many names. ASTRONOMY: ROEN KELLY AND KOREY HAYNES overall brightness. The groups
at observers. November 16 Nature paper
found that 25 percent of pixels
studied in Hubble images
changed on average every
270 days. It showed M87 is
Quasars point at
an angle, allowing about 10 billion years old. This
some of their jets heartbeat-measuring tech-
high-energy beam nique should help put more
Radio galaxies to reach Earth. The accurate ages to our neigh-
align perpendicular more modest ver- bors. Eric Betz
to observers line sions of this type are
of sight, obscur- Seyfert 1 galaxies.
ing their AGN
1.1
with a thick torus
of dust and gas
that absorbs
billion
most non-radio
emission. Quieter
Blazars can appear to shoot
years
versions with
material at superluminal speeds,
FAST The time it took after
detectable galaxies are
thanks to tricks of geometry. FACT the Big Bang for the first
Seyfert 2 galaxies.
massive galaxies to appear.
12 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
ASTRONEWS NO DELIVERIES. Researchers studying primitive rocks from Canada found signs that Earth gained
its water from accreting dust in the early solar system instead of a comet delivery service.
Tiny, stormy stars are bad news for habitability early universe that formed
only 1.1 billion years after
the Big Bang. This contra-
Astronomers using the Atacama dicts models that precluded
Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array such monster galaxies from
in Chile observed a nearby red dwarf forming so early.
emitting flares 10,000 times brighter
than the Suns. Previous measure-
LAPTOP LAB
ments by the Very Large Array like-
NASAs Jet Propulsion
wise revealed the stars magnetic
Laboratory is developing a
field to be hundreds of times stron-
chemical laptop that
ger than the Suns.
could distinguish between
Astronomers have long con-
biologically produced
sidered red dwarfs to be excellent
amino acids and those that
candidates for exoplanet hunting,
form absent any living
since the stars are the most common
material; the lab is portable
type in the galaxy. But planets must
enough to travel on future
orbit closely to the cool, dim stars TINY AND VIOLENT. The most Earth-like exoplanet, Kepler-438b, may in fact be highly rover missions.
to occupy a habitable zone warm
enough for liquid water. If this star is
representative of its type, red dwarfs
irradiated, with its superflaring host star having long since stripped away its atmosphere
via violent coronal mass ejections. MARK A. GARLICK/UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
COMET DUST
temper tantrums might render such like exoplanet. The red dwarf host appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomers combined
zones dangerous places for life. The star emits powerful flares every few Astronomical Society, scientists worry MESSENGER data and mod-
astronomers research will appear in hundred days, each one 10 times that coronal mass ejections, bursts of eling to find that dust from
The Astrophysical Journal. stronger than the Suns most violent plasma that stars often spew along- Comet Encke kicks up
Corroborating evidence seems to outbursts. A planetary magnetic side flares, could strip away a poten- material from Mercurys
come from studies of the Kepler-438 field might yet protect the vulner- tial atmosphere, killing any chance at surface whenever their
system, home to the most Earth- able world. But in research slated to life on this Earth-like planet. K. H. paths cross. K. H.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 13
FORYOURCONSIDERATION
BY JEFF HESTER
A
student needing residents of an ordinary planet,
science credits orbiting an ordinary star in the
to graduate flips disk of an ordinary spiral gal-
through the catalog. axy. And rather than other, the
He considers biolo- heavens are the same. The
gy for a moment, but that sounds principle that terrestrial phys-
squishy. Chemistry sounds ics applies throughout the uni-
NASA/JPL/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
smelly. Geology sounds well, verse is actually a testable
how much fun could rocks be? scientific theory. It is corrobo-
He doesnt even glance at physics. rated every time we observe
That leaves astronomy. Stars? familiar features in the spec-
I can do stars. Sign me up! trum of a distant galaxy or use
The irony is that astronomy is computer models to build a vir- Astronomy is not just telescopes and stargazing; scientists must use geology, physics,
physics, chemistry, geology, biol- tual star with properties that and chemistry to understand the data sent back by the many Mars missions.
ogy, and most other kinds of match the real thing. The uni-
science you can think of. Throw versal applicability of physical has revolutionized the way we how we think about every-
in some history, politics, math, law is so ingrained today that think about our own planet. thing. To claim to know things
computer science, engineering, we forget what a radical and You cant talk meaningfully about the distant universe, we
and philosophy for good mea- world-changing idea it was. about astronomy without grap- have to carefully consider what
sure. Astronomy is an any-port- That brings us back to that pling with historical, social, and knowledge is in the first place.
in-a-storm science. Astronomers first day of class when, wearing philosophical currents like We have to be willing to put
dont get to put a star in a labo- a puckish smile, I would dis- those present at the birth of the even our most cherished
ratory where we can poke it and avow students of the notion that Renaissance. We revere notions on the chopping block.
prod it under controlled condi- by taking astronomy they had Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, And we have to broaden our
tions. We have to work with avoided all the hard stuff. and others because their discov- perspective. When Apollo 8
what nature gives us. Astronomy Physics is everywhere in eries about the heavens changed astronauts took the famous
requires its devotees to be clever astronomy. From the interaction the course of civilization. photo of Earth rising above the
and to draw on absolutely every- of electromagnetic radiation Astronomy benefits from lunar horizon, it marked the
thing that we know. with matter to the theories of technology, but it also has first time human eyes saw our
Humankinds historical con- space-time that describe the driven innovation from the seemingly limitless and inex-
ception of the universe was built fabric of the universe, they dont dawn of time. Imagine the new haustible world as it truly is: a
on two pillars. The first was that call it astrophysics for nothing! technologies needed to build small, beautiful, fragile oasis
Earth is the center of all things. Likewise, interplanetary dust, Stonehenge! Physics was adrift in space.
The second was the belief that molecular clouds, and the oxi- invented in large part to explain Astronomy is the study of the
the heavens are other. From dation that gives Mars its red planetary motions. More cosmos. If you run across some-
Hindus and Buddhists in the color are chemistry. Thoughts recently you might know that thing that is not part of the cos-
East to the Greeks in the West, about extraterrestrial life are Riccardo Giacconi won the 2002 mos, be sure and let me know!
our ancestors spoke of the four guided by what we know of ter- Nobel Prize in Physics for pio- From time to time someone
classical elements: earth, air, restrial biology and evolution. neering contributions to astro- will ask me why an astronomer
fire, and water. But there was a Comparative planetology is physics, which have led to the would spend so much time
heavenly fifth element as well, the cornerstone of modern plan- discovery of cosmic X-ray thinking about philosophy, his-
described by Aristotle as etary science. Starting with the sources. You might not know tory, evolution, climate science,
unchanging and incorruptible. geology, atmospheric physics, that X-ray astronomers are cognition, and on down the list.
To this day we call the perfect and chemistry of Earth, we look responsible for the technologies I always give the same reply.
example quintessential, liter- at other worlds and study how that form the heart of X-ray Because thats astronomy,
ally made of the fifth element. they are similar and how they machines at airport security too.
It is perhaps ironic that are different. Comparative plan- checkpoints and the CT scans
grasping the reality of the uni- etology is a two-way street. that remade medicine. Jeff Hester is a keynote speaker,
verse meant standing those tra- What we have learned from our Astronomy is mind-bend- coach, and astrophysicist.
ditional beliefs on their heads. sister worlds, along with the ingly cool, but its not comfort- Follow his thoughts at
jeff-hester.com.
We arent the center. We are tools developed to explore them, able. It demands that we change
14 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
ASTRONEWS MARS MISSION. The ExoMars 2016 spacecrafts finished testing in Europe in December
and headed for Russia, where they will launch at the end of March.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 15
SHIFTING HOT SPOTS ON
JUPITERS VOLCANO MOON IO
In 2015, a team of astronomers detected changes in one of
Ios biggest volcanoes, Loki Patera. Team member
Michael Skrutskie of the University of Virginia
reported the discovery November 12 at the
American Astronomical Societys Division
for Planetary Sciences meeting.
The researchers observed RING OF FIRE
The red ring circles active volcano Pele and
Io with the Large Binocular indicates regions with high temperatures and
Telescope (LBT), twin 8.4- recent surface changes.
meter mirrors on a single
mount that together have
the resolving power of a
single 22.8-meter tele-
scope. They viewed
Io at an infrared
wavelength of 4.8
micrometers, which
is optimal for pick-
ing up volcanic
heat signatures, on
a night when its
neighboring moon
Europa passed LOKI ISNT ALONE
NASAs Galileo spacecraft snapped this nearly
directly in front. true-color view of volcanic region
Combined with Tupan Patera in 2001, full of lava and sulfur.
the LBTs exquisite
resolution, the occul-
tation allowed the
scientists to see details
just 1 to 2 miles (2 to 3
kilometers) across. The
observations revealed two
separate hot spots within
the 125-mile-wide (200km)
lava lake that surrounds the vol-
cano. Interestingly, the spots didnt
NASA/JPL/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (MAIN IMAGE, RING..., LOKI..., CHAIN...); LBTO-USGS (MANY EYES); LBTO (TWO IS BETTER...)
match up with those the team saw in
2013, further proving Ios dynamic nature.
CHAIN OF VOLCANOES
R. T. Tvashtar Catena showed off the gleam of hot
new lava in 2000. The dark regions represent
lava flows only a few months old.
APOGEE IMAGING ASA ATIK CANON CELESTRON CORONADO FARPOINT FLI iNOVA JMI KENDRICK LUMENERA LUMICON LUNT MEADE MOONLITE
OFFICINA STELLARE ORION QSI SBIG SKY-WATCHER USA SOFTWARE BISQUE STARLIGHT EXPRESS TAKAHASHI TELE VUE THE IMAGING SOURCE VIXEN PLANEWAVE
Lunt Engineering
Fermis first extragalactic pulsar 100mm Binoculars
PSR J05376910
PSR J05406919
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 17
SECRETSKY
BY STEPHEN JAMES OMEARA
A whale of
a story Heres a new way to look at
the legend of Cetus.
O
n March 5, 2016, or by night. As we watched this
astronomers eternal fire (actually numerous
Cetus looks like some kind of Frankensteinian monster in this image from Johannes
expect one of the pockets of methane that have Hevelius Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia, totum Coelum Stellatum, which
night skys most been burning for some 2,500 appeared in 1690. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
celebrated long- years) with the stars of Cetus
period variable stars, Mira rising and Perseus and Pegasus body symbolic of the goats on
(Omicron [] Ceti), to rise to flying, I saw what Stephen R. the mountains midslopes, and
maximum brightness. The Wilk proposes in his book its head representing the moun-
celestial leviathan now is begin- Medusa: Solving the Mystery of tain lions that roam the summit
ning to slip beneath the western the Gorgon that Cetus is the where a fiery breath escapes as
horizon after sunset. We can mythological chimera. the eternal flame.
substitute these events for the The poet Homer describes When Capt. Francis
mythical events discussed in the chimera as being a monster Beaufort, an associate of John
this months column, which of divine origin, with a ser- Herschel and creator of the
The eternal flames burn in Turkeys geo-
asks you to consider scuttling pents tail, a she-goats body, Beaufort wind scale, observed thermically active region of Mount
the notion of Cetus as a whale and the head of a lion with fiery the eternal flames, he wrote Chimaera. STEPHEN JAMES OMEARA
and to look at this familiar leg- breath. Early sources also tell us that they came from an aper-
end in a different light. that Mount Chimaera was likely ture shaped like the mouth Ceto (Cetus) is the mother
the terrestrial inspiration for the of an oven. This terrestrial of Medusa, whom Perseus
Terran inspiration? Frankenstein-like appearance of aperture resembles the irregular beheaded. In many modern ver-
Last October, Deborah Carter this beast. oval of stars that forms the head sions of the tale, Perseus then
and I climbed Mount Chimaera Celestial cartographers of the celestial chimera. saves Andromeda from Cetus by
in southern Turkey to see what depicted it as Cetus its tail holding up the head of Medusa
Pliny the Elder referred to as a signifying the snakes found on Dual duties and turning the leviathan to
flame that does not die by day the mountains lower slopes, its If Cetus is the chimera, Wilk stone. So, in this version, Perseus
says, then Perseus doubles as kills both mother and daughter.
Bellerophon, the hero who tamed The first-century Roman
COSMIC WORLD Pegasus using Athenas golden
bridle. He writes, Flying on the
poet Marcus Manilius, however,
has Perseus engaged in a more
A look at the best and the worst that astronomy winged steed Bellerophon savage battle with Cetus, as told
and space science have to offer. by Eric Betz came upon the monster from in his Astronomica: Hereupon
Cold as Supernova
space hot above and peppered it with Perseus flies upwards and
arrows. Finally, he shoved a lump from the skies hurls himself at
Red station Scrap saved Far-off planet? Alien flavors
of lead down its throat. the foe At last, its frame rid-
The chimeras fiery breath dled with stabs, the beast sinks,
melted the lead, which blocked returns once more to the sur-
its air passage and suffocated face, and covers the mighty
@HIRURG_WOLVES/TWITTER (RED STATION); NASA (SCRAP SAVED); CHUCK
the beast. The darts, Wilk con- ocean with its massive corpse.
KENNEDY (FAR-OFF PLANET?); NANORACKS, LLC (ALIEN FLAVORS)
The Night An Alabama junk- President Barack Scottish whis- tends, are the Perseid meteors, Is Mira the fatal stab wound
Wolves, Vladimir yard owner saves Obama high- key maker and the molten lead is the vari- in the creatures neck? Could
Putins favorite a rare Apollo lights the first Ardbeg tastes able star Mira at maximum the beasts sinking and rising
biker gang, lunar rover proto- Earth-like planet its ISS-distilled
which fought in type driven by found in a dis- samples to find brightness in the beasts throat. from the sea mirror the variable
Crimea and Wernher von tant galaxy dur- pungent and stars actions? As you watch
Ukraine, get Braun after he ing Astronomy intense flavors, Another twist Mira rise and fade this season
cosmonaut identifies it in his Night at the with hints of
In his Fabulae, a compilation (as the Whale sinks beneath the
Sergei Volkov to scrap. The oppor- White House. antiseptic loz-
put their flag on tunistic owner Those spy satel- enges and rub- of short myths and celestial surface of the western horizon),
the ISS. Next up: says NASA can lites sure are bery smoke. genealogies written in the first give thought to these questions
Annexing space. have it back advancing fast. So much for century b.c., author Gaius and send your conclusions to
for a price. civilizing space.
Julius Hyginus tells us that sjomeara31@gmail.com.
18 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
ASTRONEWS ASTEROID CRASH. Astronomers showed that a short-lived tail observed on asteroid 493 Griseldis
indicates that it collided with another object in March 2015.
star marathon
Messier and non-Messier marathons run? Next, capture
Ras Algethi (Alpha [] Herculis) is a
binary youll encounter in the Double
Star marathon. It boasts an orange pri-
up during comet searches.
The roster for the double
star marathon, on the other
hand, was purposely created to
these 109 great binaries in one night. mary and an apparently olive green spotlight the finest stellar part-
companion 4.7" away. DIETMAR HAGER
nerships visible this time of
year. Its certainly subject to
A
ttention, double star a sky chart, he noticed that 99 when the Moon lies near its second-guessing.
observers. Are you of them followed the distribu- new phase. Because the visibil- This is where you come in.
tired of sitting tion of the Messier objects and, ity of double stars isnt as No one, me included, has yet
on the sidelines therefore, could be captured affected by lunar phase as is attempted the double star mar-
while your faint- during a Messier marathon. that of the fainter Messier athon. This is a trial run.
fuzzy-seeking contemporaries Because the Messier mara- objects, we can extend these Unlike the Messier marathon, a
participate in a Messier thon includes 109 deep-sky windows a few evenings before list pretty much etched in
marathon? Its no fun being objects a reasonable number and after the above dates. stone, Im willing to tweak this
benched while these cluster- of targets for an all-night ses- There is a caveat, however. one. If youre blessed with a
clutching, nebula-nabbing, sion I thought a marathon In a Messier marathon, pioneering spirit and would
galaxy-grabbing gluttons enjoy devoted to double stars should Wedel notes, the seeing isnt like to give the double star
their deep-sky holiday. Take match that list. Because there is that crucial because youre marathon a try, drop me an
heart, my binary-bagging bud- no double star catalog with a observing big, extended objects, email and Ill send you the list
dies. We now have a celestial similar number of entries, I and just trying to log them, not (in Word format). Once youre
marathon of our own! took Wedels lead and began necessarily tease out details. But done, email me a report that
But first, let me backtrack a with the AL list (www.astrole- to split some of the tighter dou- includes the number you
bit. The Messier marathon is a ague.org/files/obsclubs/ ble stars requires reasonably observed and suggestions (if
noble activity a true rite of DblStar/dblstar2.pdf). good seeing, and theres no way any) for changes. Ill publish
passage for the backyard I eliminated pairs in the to predict that in advance, the results next year.
astronomer. It combines a tour atmospherically turbulent sometimes not even from early Questions, comments, or
of some of the finest deep-sky twilight zones (western eve- evening to midnight or mid- suggestions? Email me at
sights with a trip back in time ning and eastern morning night to dawn. So the Messier gchaple@hotmail.com. Next
to the galaxies of the Coma- skies), dropped a few wide marathon has a tighter con- month: A showpiece binary
Virgo Cluster, nearly 60 mil- ones, and then added notewor- straint from the Moon, but its star and a hidden diamond.
lion light-years away. If you thy doubles not on the AL list. predictable, whereas the one Clear Skies!
havent already run a Messier For these extras, I consulted
marathon, I urge you to give it the Saguaro Astronomy Clubs
a try. Or check out Michael
Bakichs Run a non-Messier
list of the best double stars
(www.saguaroastro.org/con-
FROM OUR INBOX
marathon on p. 58. If you tent/BEST-MULTIPLE-STARS. Seeing double
seek something different, the htm) and the Table of As an avid visual astronomer, I love viewing double stars. I
double star marathon is now Coloured Double Stars in the enjoyed your article Double trouble on p. 18 in the November
an option. Royal Astronomical Society of issue. One of my favorite doubles is an easy one: Schedar, the
Im not the first to come up Canadas Observers Handbook. brightest star in Cassiopeia. The main star is brilliant gold with
with the idea. Four years ago, Small-scope observers will a purple companion, at least to my eyes. It can be difficult to
Matt Wedel, assistant professor appreciate the fact that virtu- see due to the glare of the main star a dark sky definitely
of anatomy at Western Univ- ally all of these marathon dou- helps but I see purple, which makes for a fantastic double.
ersity of Health Sciences in bles can be split with a 2.4-inch Thanks as always for your wonderful articles that keep me
Pomona, California, and the scope and a magnification of coming back to Astronomy magazine. Michael Cefola, Scarsdale,
author of the must-read astro- 100x. In fact, Ive notched each New York
blog 10 Minute Astronomy with a 3-inch f/10 reflector
(www.10minuteastronomy. using powers of 60x and 120x. We welcome your comments at Astronomy Letters, P. O. Box 1612,
wordpress.com), proposed the The two observing windows Waukesha, WI 53187; or email to letters@astronomy.com. Please
idea. Plotting the 100 entries in of opportunity for this years include your name, city, state, and country. Letters may be edited for
the Astronomical Leagues Messier marathon are March space and clarity.
(AL) double star program onto 12/13 and April 2/3, weekends
20 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
ASTRONEWS CLOUD MODELS. Astronomers modeled 3-D clouds on GJ 1214b to explain how the exoplanet
blocks light high in its atmosphere, stymieing efforts to understand what it is made of.
FAST The InSight lander will deploy a mole, called HP3, to burrow 16 feet
FACT (5 meters) below the martian surface and create a temperature pro-
file that will tell scientists how much heat the Red Planet is losing.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 21
Big Bang whispers
The race to
A
lan Guth walked the aisles of a Massachusetts Institute of
Technology auditorium pouring sparkling cider into giddy cos-
mologists glasses. Then, he and Andrei Linde, the founding
fathers of inflation, raised their hands high for a toast to the
power of science. Their once wild theory now had physical
proof. And a Nobel Prize seemed sure to follow. Space Ripples Reveal
Big Bangs Smoking Gun, declared The New York Times front page
on March 18, 2014. Harvard, Stanford, and other universities around
the world soon rushed to herald their scientists involvement.
A telescope in Antarctica, the BICEP/Keck Array, had spotted an
obvious twisting signature in our universes earliest light the cos-
mic microwave background (CMB). And these so-called B-mode
polarizations were seen as a sure sign for inflation, the event that
kick-started the Big Bang.
This has been like looking for a needle in a haystack, but instead
we found a crowbar, one of the co-discoverers, Clem Pryke of the
University of Minnesota, said in the teams announcement.
For decades, inflation has remained a widely accepted, but yet-to-
be-confirmed theory that takes our universe from subatomic to
the size of a grapefruit when the cosmos had existed for just one-
trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second.
22 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
The Dark Sector Lab, home
to the BICEP/Keck Array and
the South Pole Telescope, is
hunting primordial gravita-
tional waves hidden behind
dusty signals from our own
galaxy, shown here.
After the Big Bang The history of the universe. ASTRONOMY: ROEN KELLY; AFTER ESA
Quantum fluctuations ripple in inflation. Matter and light collide frequently. Cosmic expansion reduces collisions. The CMB forms as photons break free.
He had been working on the problem for half a year when one
long night ended with a spectacular realization, as he labeled it
in his journal.
Guths theory got specific in its description of the bang. It said
that space-time had a negative pressure at the beginning a
repulsive force to counter gravity. And that force shoved outward
in a fraction of an instant, driving exponential growth that, for a
moment, was actually even faster than the speed of light.
Guths inflation wasnt enough, though. It couldnt make the
universe continue to expand the way we see now. His model of
inflation turned the cosmos into an endless mix of colliding and
converging bubbles. Inflation needed Lindes help. Guths model
encompassed all of the cosmos, but in 1981, Linde calculated the
expansion as happening at any one particular point. His version,
called chaotic inflation, turned our universe into just one in an
Andrei Linde (left) and Alan Guth (right), two of the founding fathers of
inflation, toast the discovery of B-modes in 2014. STEFFEN RICHTER infinite multiverse.
In the 35 years since, inflation has taken a central place in
explaining other rather curious aspects of our cosmos as well.
Famed MIT mathematician and cosmologist Max Tegmark, Better than any other theory, inflation describes why space is
who was in the lecture hall that day, compares the process to an flat, and how distant reaches of the universe can appear con-
infant in her mothers womb. nected. The theory also can re-create the large-scale structure
You doubled in size once per day and if you kept doing that for of the cosmos.
nine months, you would have a very unhappy mommy, he says. In short, physics is at a loss without inflation. The Standard
Its the same with the universe. Model of cosmology loses its beginning.
Inflation theorys miraculous faster-than-light growth spurt
puts the bang in Big Bang. (Tegmark likes to think of the Big Bang After the dust settles
itself as more of a cold, little swoosh.) Its violent expansion But how could such an audacious theory ever be confirmed?
allowed for the next 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution, taking Theorists predicted that this exponential growth would leave a
us from quarks to atoms, stars, and planets even life. discernible mark on the cosmos in the form of enormous gravi-
And the toasting cosmologists, Guth and Linde, were the first tational waves that would twist light, creating a polarized signal
to theorize this period of inflation. In 1979, it emerged from ele- called a B-mode.
gant mathematical models as Guth attempted to explain the And yet, even as Guth and Linde celebrated the BICEP (pro-
absence of exotic particles called magnetic monopoles that should nounced like the muscle) announcement, disbelief about the
have been created in the Big Bang. Our universe isnt missing its B-modes discovery was brewing across the community. Some
monopoles, Guth found. They were simply diluted by inflations theorists noted the polarization signal was significantly stronger
rapid growth. than expected. Others questioned the decision to announce the
But inflation provided much more than that. As Guth likes to find at a press conference without first going through peer review.
point out, the Big Bang is not really the theory of a bang at all. Its Criticism that stood out quickly was the BICEP teams ability
a description of a bangs aftermath, devoid of the physics of how it to tell the difference between CMB and dust, says astronomer
exploded, and without clues as to what went bang or why. Martin White of the University of California, Berkeley, whos also
24 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
300500 million years < 1 billion years 13.8 billion years The future
All is dark in the cosmos. No stars or The first starlight breaks up atomic Light and electrons can now interact. Expansion accelerates into the distant
galaxies exist yet. structures, causing reionization. Structures form over billions of years. future, leading to a Big Chill.
a scientist for the European Space Agencys Planck spacecraft. seen by the Horn Antenna. The two groups went on to publish
The skepticism proved well placed. Planck, which examines a their finds simultaneously. Penzias and Wilsons serendipitous
much larger section of sky but at lower resolutions, eventually signal netted them a Nobel Prize in 1978. And the CMB is now a
showed that most of what BICEP detected was interference from steadfast pillar of Big Bang cosmology.
foreground dust within our own galaxy. And unfortunately, this In the decades since, its become clear that this CMB radiation
relatively nearby signal dirties most of the sky. fills the cosmos and travels in all directions, where it appears
Its now been two years since international headlines heralded with roughly equal brightness.
the discovery of these gravitational waves, and scientists are cer- The CMB photons are a relic of when the universe became
tain that BICEP saw dust not inflation. But uncertainty transparent 380,000 years after the Big Bang, as the cosmos
remains about what else was in the signal. Could B-modes from cooled to roughly 3,000 kelvins. Before that, the universe was a
the dawn of time be hidden within? particle soup too dense for free electrons and protons to combine
The race to find the first evidence of inflation is heating up. and form hydrogen, the universes main building block.
At least eight instruments are now seeking these whispers from Cosmologists call this the recombination era, and it allowed
the Big Bang. And to find them, cosmologists first have to deci- photons to freely travel through space. So each CMB photon
pher everything else in the way. astronomers now see comes from the last place it
bounced off an electron nearly 14 billion years ago.
The Big Bangs The maps we make of the CMB brightness
still-burning embers CMB photons are a show it as it is now arriving here from everywhere
The BICEP team wasnt the first to be frustrated by relic of when the else, but if you wait a billion years, there still will
signals in the cosmic microwave background. In universe became be radiation arriving from everywhere else, says
1964, Bell Labs scientists Arno Penzias and Robert Goddard Space Flight Center cosmologist and
Wilson were using the highly sensitive Horn transparent 2006 Nobel Prize winner John Mather.
Antenna in New Jersey to do radio astronomy 380,000 years after This smoothness is also thought to be a prod-
when they noticed a low-level noise across the sky the Big Bang. uct of inflation. At 1034 second after the universe
that wouldnt go away. was born, inflations rapid expansion had already
The pair eventually ruled out earthly sources, removed any lumpiness from the hot, ionized gas
as well as the Sun and even our own galaxy. This that filled the cosmos.
signal was coming from everywhere. But tiny quantum fluctuations variations at a level of 1 part
What they didnt know was that not far away in Princeton, a in 100,000 would introduce new regions with differing densi-
group of astrophysicists led by Robert Dicke was preparing to ties. And gravity drew more and more material to those dense
look for the exact signal Penzias and Wilson had discovered. regions. These seeds are where galaxies and clusters of galaxies
It had been decades since observations by Vesto Slipher and formed, giving the CMB its spots.
Edwin Hubble showed our universe was expanding, but the Big Since Penzias and Wilsons find, astronomers have learned
Bang debate was still raging. By simply running the cosmos that the anisotropies tiny temperature differences in the
expansion in reverse, astronomers realized that, at one point, the CMB are caused by stuff that gets in the way of the signal, like
entire universe would merge. large-scale structures early in cosmic history. CMB photons leav-
And Dickes group theorized, as others had before them, ing these structures take slightly longer to reach Earth, giving
that when the Big Bang set off this expansion, it must have them a cooler appearance. And the temperature differences allow
blasted microwave radiation across the universe. Incredibly, astronomers to study the cosmos in an entirely new way, reveal-
their predicted radiation closely matched the mystery signal ing our universes evolution.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 25
Cosmic microwave
background Photon path
E-modes and
Filaments of galaxies B-modes
explained
E-mode B-mode
38
0, 0
00
ye
ar s
af t
er
Big
Ba
ng
Light travels in waves like water moving across the surface Jamie Bock is an experimental cosmologist at the California
of the ocean. Physicists consider such waves polarized if they Institute of Technology in Pasadena. More than a decade ago,
oscillate in a certain direction. Water waves, for example, push he and a handful of other physicists helped design and build BICEP.
up and down. Our planets blue sky is polarized as sunlight And the team has been systematically mapping the skies over
bounces off particles in Earths gaseous atmosphere. the South Pole ever since. Their goal is to measure the level of CMB
Similarly, the CMB is also slightly polarized. But its direction polarization from B-modes. The team calls this signal the cosmic
is set by the makeup of matter in the early universe. gravitational-wave background (CGB).
Antarcticas high-altitude, dry climate provides a perfect loca-
Calculating contortions tion for observing the microwave radiation, which is readily
In 1996, Slovenian theoretical cosmologist Uros Seljak, now a pro- absorbed by water vapor elsewhere on Earth.
fessor at UC Berkeley, was searching for new ways
to pull information from the CMB. Seljak suspected Relic radiation
this background light still held secrets. This has been a BICEP isnt alone in its search for B-modes, but the
Instead of the large-scale, obvious disturbances other competing instruments made compromises
from galaxies, Seljak wondered about finding small- race going on since to ensure they also could answer broader questions
scale distortions in the CMB. He theorized that if 1997, and now we about the universe.
inflation happened, enormous gravitational waves are finally getting So while BICEP has worked to narrow in on
would have been created during the violent expan- finer measurements, other teams are pushing the
sion and then rippled across the cosmos. And those to the level where limits in the opposite direction. The South Pole
waves would also twist the CMBs light, giving it a its starting to Telescope (SPT) and the Atacama Cosmology
characteristic curl. If observers could see this field deliver results. Telescope, or ACTPol, are using their gargantuan
on the sky, it would give physical proof of inflation. instruments to complete large-scale CMB surveys.
Uros Seljak, UC Berkeley
Seljak named these theoretical twists B-modes, Their results will be released soon.
after the symbol used for magnetic fields. And he I think its healthy for the field to do these dif-
named the electrical polarization component ferent measurements, says Bock.
E-modes. His paper and other research led to a surge of instru- ACTPol, SPT, and POLARBEAR another CMB polarization
ments designed to search for B-modes. experiment in the Atacama astronomers are using the CMB to
The experimentalists did latch onto this idea very quickly, he study large-scale structures in the universe, such as early galaxies.
says. But of course they did not have the sensitivity to look at this, When CMB radiation passes through a galaxy cluster, the photons
and it took them almost 20 years to reach that sensitivity. interact with ionized gas, and it changes their wavelengths.
BICEP is the most ambitious project ever to hunt these Every CMB photon is deflected on average 50 times on its
B-modes. And its the first to reach a resolution detailed enough to way to us, says Suzanne Staggs, principal investigator for
provide answers. This has been a race going on since 1997, and Advanced ACTPol.
now we are finally getting to the level where its starting to deliver That allows the CMB to become a backlight, and astronomers
results, Seljak says. can study the spots to create catalogs of new galaxy clusters
26 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
A small fraction of the cosmic microwave background our universes first light was polarized as it interacted with electrons at the dawn of time,
causing the light to vibrate in a preferred direction. This twisting pattern can tell astronomers about the distribution of matter in the early cosmos.
ESA AND THE PLANCK COLLABORATION
some of them farther away and larger than any previously known. roughly twice what was predicted. This strength was seen as
So, even if they never find B-modes, astronomers already have support for Lindes model of chaotic inflation. After the discov-
learned stunning things about the evolution of galaxies in our ery was announced, there was widespread celebration throughout
early universe. the community.
And yet, this signal also complicates detecting twisty B-modes. But some of the first scientific skepticism came from Seljak
As polarized CMB light moves through these galaxy clusters, it himself, the guy who gave B-modes their name.
creates a gravitational-lensing effect that adds an additional twist. With everybody else, I was very excited by the results of
And to get at the heart of inflationary B-modes, that signal must BICEP, and we were all celebrating, he says. And then I started
be removed just like the signal from dust. looking at these results that were already in conference proceed-
From what weve seen so far, it looks to me like youll have to ings from the Planck satellite.
correct for it pretty much anywhere, Staggs says. But it hasnt Seljak noticed that the BICEP team was using outdated infor-
been done yet. And then the question is how painful will the cor- mation to make their comparisons. When the new information
rection be and will you be able to do it in a way where you com- from Planck was plugged in instead, it diminished the likelihood
pletely believe it. that the signal was coming from B-modes outside our galaxy.
Another competing mission, which actually includes team We asked a very simple question: What if BICEPs signal came
members from BICEP, SPT and other efforts, is a balloon-borne from dust? Seljak says. What came out of this analysis was that
telescope called Spider that can fly above much of Earths interfer- the signal could be completely explained by dust.
ing atmosphere. It flew over Antarctica in January 2015 collecting Its actually getting less and less convincing, he adds. The
CMB data. joint analysis between BICEP and Planck showed still just a hint
A second flight in 2016 will gather observations in frequencies of B-modes, and now even this hint is going away.
that are also accessible from the ground, allowing for a compari- The vanish signal has taken support for chaotic inflation
son. That team also is expected to announce its finds soon. with it. But the BICEP team is still searching the sky, turning
For BICEP, the lensing signal is already at about the level of their gaze to a frequency of 95 gigahertz, a region where their
their instrument noise. But that gives the team an advantage in instruments are more sensitive to the CMB than to dust. Once
the race to find inflation their instruments are the most sensi- theyve added this region to existing measurements, it should
tive. Right now were at that breaking point, Bock says. reduce their error bars by a factor of two and clarify if any infla-
tion signal remains.
Fading hints BICEPs latest phase of data will be released this year. Bock
BICEPs first-generation instrument used an array of just 98 says the coming years should show whether the most commonly
detectors. But by the time observations began in 2015, that num- predicted inflation signals are detectable. They will have elimi-
ber had grown to 2,560 detectors, giving BICEP remarkable light- nated the expected r values.
gathering abilities. If theres no signal, its interesting too, Bock says. That is, if
But theres never been any guarantee that B-modes do exist the instruments fail to find anything, theorists will have to go
at all. And thats the real risk of BICEP. The instrument repre- back and explain what might be wrong with our understanding
sents an all-in bet that primordial B-modes exist in the way pre- of inflation.
dicted by Lindes chaotic inflation theory the most popular From Seljaks perspective, inflation theory isnt going any-
version of inflation. where anytime soon. Its explanation of the cosmos is too valuable.
So even Bock was surprised when BICEP2 saw B-modes blar- However, Seljak says the race to find these B-modes from the
ing so bright across the sky in 2014. Cosmologists measure this dawn of time has already ruled out certain versions of the theory
signal using a ratio called r, which factors gravitational waves notably, the one thats in most textbooks today. Inflation is a
against density variations in the early universe. In simple terms, very convincing theory no matter what, he says. It has so many
r explains inflations strength. BICEP saw an r value of 0.2 things that have been confirmed.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 27
Eight (protons) is enough
W
hen we view deep-space objects through back-
yard telescopes, we typically dont see much color.
The big exception is the bright green in certain
nebulae. The secret behind this color constitutes
a major story. Its a tale that connects with our lives and our
minds, and opens portals to a new level of celestial exploration.
Rewind to Mrs. Wombats sixth-grade science class. There
we learned that the universe contains 92 natural elements. All
also are found here on Earth. Theres no sense pretending
theyre equally interesting. For example, every breath you take
is a gassy mixture of 99.9 percent nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.
Argon is inert and just floats there. We dont use it for much
of anything besides filling light bulbs. It doesnt help us, and
it doesnt hurt us.
Air also contains a smidgen of water vapor (H2O), which is
two-thirds hydrogen. Thats the universes most common ele-
ment, Mrs. Wombat insisted, and who were we to doubt her?
Hydrogen makes up most of our brains. Its the Suns primary
fuel. Its obviously crucial to our existence.
But now, in terms of cosmic abundance, consider element
number two: helium. This takes us back to the not vital cat-
egory. Our bodies contain exactly zero helium. If all of Earths
helium suddenly vanished, most of us wouldnt notice or care.
But give helium this: Inside stars, it undergoes fusion to
create the universes third most abundant element, oxygen.
Thus weve reached the hero of todays adventure tale. Our
lives critically depend on oxygen. It combines so eagerly with
other elements that as we look around, either on Earth or
through our telescopes, we see it almost everywhere. Although
water may be two-thirds hydrogen in terms of its atomic
makeup, its nearly 90 percent oxygen by weight. By the same
yardstick, the rings of Saturn are mostly oxygen. So are
clouds. And chocolate milk. Kittens.
Because most other elements readily merge with it and
Most people who view the Orion soak it up like a sponge, no celestial body has significant free
Nebula (M42) through large amateur oxygen. Earths atmosphere is the only place in the known
telescopes see a greenish hue from universe with lots of it.
glowing oxygen, captured here
through a filter that passes that
color. Typical M42 images reveal the
Bob Berman is Astronomys Strange Universe columnist. His newest
red emitted by hydrogen. ESO book is ZOOM: How Everything Moves (Little, Brown and Company, 2014).
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 29
Plants and trees pump oxygen into the atmo-
sphere, allowing humans to breathe and
the aurora to glow. ELENATHEWISE/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK
Our blanket of air is 21 percent oxygen for just one reason: British astrophysicist Arthur Eddington first figured out how
plants. They absorb oxygen in one of its combined forms (carbon the Sun and other stars shine in 1920. He correctly argued that the
dioxide), use the carbon to create their stiff, crunchy bodies, and energy stems from the fusion of four hydrogen atoms into one new
then release molecular oxygen as waste. There are so many plants helium atom. As stars evolve into old age, they increasingly fuse
and trees and kelp, our air is thick with oxygen. helium to produce carbon and then oxygen. By the time a star like
Nobody knew this at the start of the Renaissance. In fact, the Sun reaches the end of its life and collapses into a white dwarf,
nobody knew that air is a mix of gases. But the hunt for knowledge its a solid ball of oxygen and carbon and little else.
was on. Scientists discovered airs two major components almost Before that crushdown unfolds, a typical star with up to about
simultaneously. Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford identified 8 solar masses sheds some material as an expanding gas bubble.
nitrogen in 1772; two years later, British theologian Joseph Priestly This is where we as observers enter the picture. Whenever we look
isolated oxygen. The elements main distinction was immediately at a planetary nebula, we see an old-age central star surrounded by
obvious. One supported life and combustion; the other didnt. a glowing doughnut containing countless billions of tons of oxygen.
The big nonoxygen player soon acquired a ghoulish reputation. Some of it along with material from supernova blasts in even
Rutherford called it noxious air. Mice placed in it quickly died. more massive stars eventually helps form new stars and planets.
As for oxygen, it was the precious life-sustaining element everyone Like ours. Although, interestingly, we didnt have an oxygen
was then trying to detect. Because oxygen bonds so easily with atmosphere until just 2.4 billion years ago. Then things started to
most other elements, it makes up two-thirds of animal bodies by get out of hand. A mere 300 million years ago, Earth was covered
weight. And nearly half of the Moon. When wolves howl at the so thickly with plants that our air became superoxygenated. It
Full Moon, its basically oxygen calling out to oxygen. reached a 35 percent concentration. This let evolution create a
nightmare era of hypergiant insects. Some flies back then had
Too much of a good thing wingspans that would rival todays eagles. Try swatting them.
In the beginning, the universe had no oxygen at all. The Big Bang Sometimes too much oxygen isnt a good idea.
created hydrogen, helium, and a little lithium in case any early
stars suffered from depression. But no O. It appeared oh-so grad- The green lantern
ually starting perhaps 100 million years after the Big Bang a Were observers, however, so the real trick is how oxygen gets us to
pathetic seepage, really, trickling in after being forged in the pretty colors. (Actually, though its a colorless gas, oxygen liquefies
unseen interiors of stars. Some of those early blue suns turned into an attractive blue fluid.) In its gaseous form, oxygen usually
themselves inside out by violently blowing up and scattering their doesnt glow. Not when its cool. Thats because an atom can emit
newly minted oxygen through the floorless alleyways of space. light only when an orbiting electron falls closer to the nucleus.
30 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
The Little Gem Nebula (NGC 6818) appears
green through amateur scopes thanks to glow-
ing oxygen. R. RUBIN (NASA AMES)/R. DUFOUR AND M. BROWNING
(RICE UNIVERSITY)/P. HARRINGTON (UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND)/NASA
Green often
dominates the
glow from an
aurora. The exasperation: We know nothing at all about the chemical origin
light arises from of the lines of the polar light.
atomic oxygen Still, everyone had an opinion. German researcher Alfred
in Earths thin
upper atmo- Wegener, soon to be famous for his theory of continental drift,
sphere, about published a major work on the atmosphere in which he suggested
60 miles (100 the auroral glow came from a new geocoronium gas. This
kilometers) notion of an undiscovered element producing a green light was
above the
surface. HINRICH not new. For nearly a century, scientists widely attributed the odd
The Stingray Nebula emits green light from BSEMANN green glow of nebulae which shine at an emerald wavelength
doubly ionized oxygen. M. BOBROWSKY (OSC)/NASA of 500.7nm to a substance called nebulium. The cosmos
seemed awash with elements not found on Earth.
Decades passed. Lars Vegard, a Norwegian expert in the phys-
Ordinary tranquil atoms, like those in the gases youre breathing, ics of the aurora, was sure hed solved the green puzzle in 1924.
are not being excited, so their electrons arent changing orbits As he wrote in Nature, The typical auroral spectrum is emitted
and theyre not glowing. from solid [dust particles of] nitrogen.
Now look into the night sky. Our first experiment works best They were all wrong. As it turned out, the element nebulium
if you move to Alaska, Canada, Iceland, or northern Europe. does not exist, and neither does geocoronium. All along, the
Thats where you can see the nearest naturally glowing gas the source of the green light was ordinary oxygen.
famous northern lights, or aurora borealis. Though central to our In both places deep space and high in our atmosphere
story, the auroras mysteries drove physicists bonkers during the the mystery arose from the near-vacuum conditions. You see, as
19th century and well into the 20th. What exactly is it, and how Mrs. Wombat used to point out, oxygens electrons have certain
does it emit its distinctive green color? Spectroscopes, which sep- allowable orbits around the nucleus. But when excited by solar
arate an objects light into its component colors, revealed that electrons or a stars high-energy ultraviolet radiation, the elec-
most auroral light had a precise wavelength of 557.7 nanometers. trons jump to energetic yet unstable positions where they cant
But, weirdly, comparing this to various glowing gases in the labo- stay. Near Earths surface where the air is thick, these excited
ratory didnt yield any answers. Nothing matched. atoms hit others so quickly that they dissipate their extra energy
Physicists were in an uproar. Every explanation proved to be before they can emit it as light.
incorrect. Early in the 20th century, German astronomer Julius But in the rarefied upper atmosphere and also in the hard
Scheiner concluded that, The auroral spectrum is absolutely vacuum of deep space, oxygens electrons can linger in a meta-
identical with the cathode spectrum of nitrogen. Beep, wrong! stable state before falling to a lower orbit and emitting photons.
English meteorologist Marshall Watts was equally firm in an They thus give off colors never produced under more earthly
antithetical opinion that, There seems now little doubt that the conditions. This forbidden radiation, as it started to be called,
[glow of] the aurora must be assigned to krypton. Beep! The comes in a precise shade of yellow-green at 557.7nm in the north-
wrong ideas flowed in torrents. Just a few years later, German ern lights and blue-green at 500.7nm for planetary nebulae. (The
spectroscopy expert Heinrich Kayser threw up his hands in latter emission originates from doubly ionized oxygen, which has
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 31
most amateurs do not possess spectroscopes, they cant fully
examine and enjoy these hues. Recently, however, Ive realized that
when a celestial body emits most of its light in one narrow part of
the spectrum as planetaries do with their glowing oxygen at
500.7nm you really dont need a spectroscope. Your eye per-
ceives accurate color through the eyepiece.
A spectroscope is most useful when observing mixtures of col-
ors. Using one to look at Betelgeuse or Sirius is a wondrous experi-
ence because not only are all the emissions laid out side by side in
dramatic fashion, but the differences between stellar spectral types
also become beautifully striking. Betelgeuse shows numerous
absorption lines, even some from molecules, whereas Sirius dis-
plays a simple series of sharp hydrogen lines overlaid on a vivid
explosion of green, blue, and red. In contrast, a planetary nebula
is a one-note composition with virtually all its light coming from
that single green oxygen line.
With the Orion Nebula, glowing oxygen dominates the visual
eyepiece view by imparting an obvious jade color. Through a spec-
troscope, however, other emissions show up because glowing hydro-
gen and scattered starlight also fill the stew pot. To make the shift
complete, take a photo. Now a surprising thing happens the
green vanishes. Its gone because it is burned out and overexposed
as white. Suddenly, the crimson light of hydrogen at 656.3nm rules.
This color doesnt register through a visual eyepiece because at faint
levels, human vision is completely blind to deep red.
Bottom line: What colors you see and the issue of whether
oxygens green glow dominates the scene depends on your tech-
nique. Visually, oxygen rules. Photographically, it does not except
Although the green glow of oxygen dominates this aurora, it also dis- in planetary nebulae. And spectroscopically, its a toss-up except
plays purple hues from nitrogen molecules. JUSTINREZNICK/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK again with planetaries. Through it all, and no matter what equip-
ment you use, observing glowing oxygen is educational and fun.
lost two of its normal complement of electrons.) Oxygen. Nothing The three wise isotopes
exotic, after all that trouble. Mystery solved at last. Oxygen also provides keys to critical celestial puzzles. Thats
because it comes in three flavors. Oxygen has three stable isotopes,
Oh say, can you see it? each of which has the same number of protons but a different
Happily, these oxygen emissions happen just where the human eye number of neutrons in its nucleus. All have identical chemical
is most sensitive. Still, in 2014 during my annual aurora tour to properties, and you could happily breathe any of them. Every
Alaska, which Ive been conducting for
decades, some of the 44 guests said they
saw no color. To them, the aurora appeared Grand, green glows of space
pale white. I was startled because to my
Neutral and doubly ionized oxygen give
own eyes, the green was so intense that it rise to the green in aurorae (at 557.7 Doubly ionized oxygen (OIII)
seemed like a traffic light. So I took a vote. nanometers) and planetary nebulae (at
500.7nm), respectively. Second excited state
Result: Half the group saw the color as a
rich green; one-quarter perceived it as pale
green; and one-quarter saw no color at all. Neutral oxygen (OI)
ASTRONOMY: ROEN KELLY; BILL MARSH (AURORA); ESO (GREEN BUBBLE NEBULA)
233.1nm
232.1nm
493.1nm
495.9nm
32 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
An intriguing spiral pattern developed in this aurora over the Lofotr
Viking Museum on the Norwegian island of Vestvgya. ALLEN HWANG
Folded auroral bands, like these seen from Fairbanks, Alaska, occur
during so-called substorms, when solar activity injects energetic
The stars of Orion shine through the bright rays of this oxygen-rich electrons into Earths atmosphere and causes oxygen atoms to emit
greenish aurora. STEPHANE VERMETTE their characteristic greenish glow. MARVIN NAUMAN
oxygen atom contains eight protons. The vast majority of these Heres where things get weird. The oxygen in Moon rocks has
also have eight neutrons. Add up the protons and neutrons in the same isotopic ratio as terrestrial objects. Its as if the Moon is
this lightest-weight oxygen atom and you get 16, so this most Earth! Any difference is less than 1 part in 50,000.
common form is called O-16. But a small percentage of oxygen This presents a problem, however. Nearly every planetary
has one or two extra neutrons O-17 and O-18, respectively. scientist thinks the Moon resulted from a long-ago collision
The first stars in the universe created almost 100 percent pure between Earth and a Mars-sized body dubbed Theia. The laws
O-16. Later generations made progressively larger proportions of of physics show that for the impact hypothesis to work, much
the heavier isotopes. Nowadays, at least here in the solar system, of the Moon should be Theia material and thus should have a
about 1 in 500 oxygen atoms contains an extra neutron while distinct and alien oxygen-isotope ratio. Yet the Moon appears
about 1 in 2,000 have two extra. Still with us? made of earthly stuff.
The ratios of O-16, O-17, and O-18 isotopes in every potato Every few years, some researchers will publish a journal arti-
chip, puppy, and rock here on Earth follow a simple relationship. cle that either tries to explain this oxygen problem or else uses
But if you send a lander to Mars and sample its material, as it to discredit the collision hypothesis. A major 2014 reanalysis
NASA has now done several times, youd find that martian rocks of Apollo moon rocks claimed to find a minuscule disparity
with the same ratio of O-18 to O-16 as earthly specimens will between our worlds oxygens just barely enough, perhaps,
have a slightly higher ratio of O-17 to O-16. The difference in the to keep alive the idea of the Moons violent birth.
isotope ratio between our two planets is 300 parts per million, So take a deep breath. Ponder the element that energizes
with Mars consistently higher. your brain so you can contemplate the cosmos. And someday,
So oxygen isotopes are like fingerprints. They tell you which if we spot oxygens distinctive auroral glow on an exoplanet, the
world a rock came from. Thats how we can be sure a particular traffic-light green can serve as a go signal.
meteorite originated on the Red Planet. We also have meteorites For, almost surely, we will have found the signature of plants
from the large asteroid Vesta, whose ratio of O-17 to O-16 is on another world. It will be our beloved oxygen, once again guid-
about 300 parts per million lower than Earths. ing our discoveries.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 33
ASKASTR0 Astronomys experts from around the globe answer your cosmic questions.
THATS NO
MOON ...
Q: COULDNT HYPERIONS LOW DENSITY
AND SPONGY TEXTURE BE BETTER
EXPLAINED BY IT BEING A CAPTURED
COMET? Jose Gonzalez, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
34 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
Vancouver
Seattle CANADA
Portland
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 35
SKYTHIS Visible to the naked eye
M
arch brings the Uranus shines at magni- Leonis during the months nearly overlap at opposition
onset of spring tude 5.9 among the back- first 10 days. because the light source (the
and the return of ground stars of Pisces. To find Opposition also means that Sun) lies directly behind our
warmer weather it, first locate 2nd-magnitude Jupiter lies closest to Earth vantage point. Observers in
to much of North Alpha () Andromedae, the and thus appears largest when the eastern half of North
America. The balmy condi- star marking the top corner of viewed through a telescope. America can see this happen
tions should prove enticing the Great Square of Pegasus. The planets disk spans 44", twice the evening of March 7.
for observers eager to sample Then scan 25 to the left and big enough that any scope will Europa and its shadow transit
the planetary treasures that pick up 4th-magnitude Epsilon
were largely lacking during () Piscium. The planet lies 2 Jupiter at its best
winters cold nights. The stars to Epsilons left. The nicest
of the show are Jupiter and view occurs March 10, when
Mars. The former hits its peak Uranus appears 2 due north
Regulus
in March and remains visible of a slender crescent Moon. LEO
all night while the latter dom- The planet sinks lower with Alphard
inates the morning sky as it each passing day and disap- HYDR A
enters prime viewing season. pears into the Suns glare after Denebola Jupiter
And dont overlook stunning midmonth. Thats too bad
Saturn, which shares the pre- because it means observers
dawn stage with Mars. wont be able to see it when it
Lets begin our monthly passes less than 1 south of VIRGO
tour in the western sky as 10
darkness falls. Youll need Martin Ratcliffe provides plane-
binoculars if you want to spot tarium development for Sky-Skan,
Uranus. On March 1, the ice Inc., from his home in Wichita, March 8, 8 P.M.
Looking east
giant world stands nearly 20 Kansas. Meteorologist Alister
above the horizon as the last Ling works for Environment The solar systems largest planet resides among the background stars
hints of twilight fade away. Canada in Edmonton, Alberta. of Leo the Lion at its March 8 peak. ALL ILLUSTRATIONS: ASTRONOMY: ROEN KELLY
36 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
RISINGMOON
Atlas and Hercules
Striking craters stand side by side
The northeastern quadrant of a peak and a sharp-rimmed crater
waxing crescent Moon features just south of center.
a prominent pair of large craters. An apron of debris surrounds
Named for mythological muscle- Atlas and Hercules. Can you tell Atlas
men, Atlas and Hercules have which one drapes over the
appropriately striking features. other? It may help to look again
Their chiseled forms seem to under reversed lighting condi-
pop out the evening of March 12 tions, when the setting Sun
as the Sun rises in the lunar sky. illuminates the craters eastern
Atlas, the one closer to the limb, flanks March 26. Dont despair if Hercules N
sports a rough floor and a central you cant figure it out even
peak. Hercules lies immediately scientists disagree as to which
E
to its west, straddling the divid- crater formed first.
ing line between night and day Luna slowly turns its nose
known as the terminator. On the up at us beginning on the 18th. Craters named for mythological strongmen stand out on the termina-
12th, the inner walls of Hercules Key in on the limb northeast of tor of a waxing crescent Moon. CONSOLIDATED LUNAR ATLAS/UA/LPL; INSET: NASA/GSFC/ASU
western rim face the brilliant Sun Hercules and watch as the dark
while their eastern counterparts floor of Mare Humboldtianum so we see it from slightly differ- noon for Atlas and Hercules.
remain in deep shadow. Return shifts farther out of sight from ent perspectives. Astronomers Without the highlighting effect
to this crater on the 13th, and its night to night. The tilt of the call this apparent nodding of shadows, Atlas practically dis-
floor will be on full display. Sur- Moons axis isnt really changing. motion libration. appears. In contrast, Hercules
prise: It is a pool of frozen lava Rather, its equator doesnt coin- Anytime after First Quarter lava lake stands out next to its
with the barest hint of a central cide with its orbit around Earth, phase (March 15) is close to high light-hued neighbor.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 37
STAR
DOME
How to use this map: This map portrays the
sky as seen near 35 north latitude. Located
inside the border are the cardinal directions
and their intermediate points. To find
stars, hold the map overhead and
orient it so one of the labels matches
the direction youre facing. The
stars above the maps horizon
now match whats in the sky.
STAR
MAGNITUDES
Sirius
0.0
3.0
1.0
4.0
2.0 5.0
STAR COLORS
A stars color depends
on its surface temperature.
38 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
Note: Moon phases in the calendar vary
in size due to the distance from Earth
MARCH 2016 and are shown at 0h Universal Time.
SUN. MON. TUES. WED. THURS. FRI. SAT.
MAP SYMBOLS
Open cluster
1 2 3 4 5
Globular cluster
Diffuse nebula
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Planetary nebula
Galaxy
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
Calendar of events
1 Last Quarter Moon 15 First Quarter Moon
occurs at 6:11 P.M. EST occurs at 1:03 P.M. EDT
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 39
PATH OF THE
PLANETS The planets in March 2016
CAS DR A
Objects visible before dawn UM a
L AC
CVN
C YG H ER
LMi
LY R BO
PEG C OM
C rB Comet Ikeya-Murakami
VUL (C/2010 V1)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20
The planets These illustrations show the size, phase, and orientation of each planet and the two brightest dwarf planets
for the dates in the data table at bottom. South is at the top to match the view through a telescope.
in the sky
Mars Uranus
Mercury
W E
Pluto
N Saturn
Venus Ceres Neptune
10"
Jupiter
Planets MERCURY VENUS MARS CERES JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO
Date March 31 March 15 March 15 March 15 March 15 March 15 March 15 March 15 March 15
Magnitude 1.6 3.8 0.1 9.0 2.5 0.4 5.9 8.0 14.2
Angular size 5.3" 10.7" 9.9" 0.3" 44.4" 16.9" 3.4" 2.2" 0.1"
Illumination 96% 93% 91% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Distance (AU) from Earth 1.280 1.553 0.942 3.945 4.441 9.824 20.872 30.918 33.425
Distance (AU) from Sun 0.318 0.728 1.604 2.972 5.429 10.020 19.968 29.958 33.060
Right ascension (2000.0) 1h06.5m 22h21.3m 16h04.0m 23h28.1m 11h15.3m 17h00.3m 1h10.2m 22h46.8m 19h12.8m
Declination (2000.0) 652' 1129' 1935' 1205' 624' 2059' 648' 837' 2052'
40 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
This map unfolds the entire night sky from sunset (at right) until sunrise (at left).
Arrows and colored dots show motions and locations of solar system objects during the month.
To locate the Moon in the sky, draw a line from the phase shown for the day straight up to the curved blue line. 10
Note: Moons vary in size due to the distance from Earth and are shown at 0h Universal Time.
11
12 Callisto
19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9
13 Io
14
15 Europa
16
17
18 Jupiter
Jupiter
Mercury 19
Earth Superior conjunction is March 23
Vernal equinox 20
is March 19/20 Ceres
Solar conjunction is March 3 21
Mars Venus
22
23
24
25
26
Opposition Uranus
in their orbits is March 8 28
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 41
Continued from page 37
A lineup of Galilean moons
WHEN TO VIEW THE PLANETS S Ganymede
moon and the two shadows 0.2 northeast of the fine dou- Four bright moons string out to Jupiters east and west on the night
form a tight triangle. Europas ble star Beta () Scorpii. the giant planet reaches opposition and peak visibility.
transit ends at 12:13 a.m. fol- Mars will reach opposition
lowed 14 minutes later by Ios. in May, and the approach to of the planet at midmonth. to 11.7" during March. Sea-
As Jupiter rides high in the this milestone brings major Note the similar colors of the soned Mars observers con-
south shortly after midnight, changes in the worlds appear- two objects, which is how sider 10" big enough for
Mars rises in the southeast. ance. The Red Planet doubles Antares (meaning rival of 6-inch scopes to reveal signifi-
The Red Planet begins March in brightness during March, Mars) got its name. cant surface details. The Red
in eastern Libra and crosses rising from magnitude 0.3 The changes in Mars Planet crosses this threshold
into the narrow northern sec- to 0.5. It easily outshines appearance through a telescope at midmonth and will remain
tion of Scorpius on the 13th. Antares, Scorpius brightest are no less dramatic. The plan- above it through early Sep-
Three mornings later, it passes star, which lies 9 southeast ets diameter swells from 8.7" tember. (It peaks in late May
COMETSEARCH
Tandem tails Comets Catalina (C/2013 US10) and Ikeya-Murakami (P/2010 V1)
and traits N
March 1
N
March 1
42 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
Eclipse over Indonesia
LOCATINGASTEROIDS
Staring down Leo the Lion
Flying high in the southeastern Dont get confused on the 2nd,
sky after nightfall, asteroid however, when our target mas-
5 Astraea floats in front of Leos querades as the faint compan-
face. It lies a short hop from the ion of an 8th-magnitude double
Lions heart, the 1st-magnitude star just to its north. On the
blue-white star Regulus. Except 10th, this 75-mile-wide world
for the nights of March 1820, passes 0.1 north of 8 Leo.
when moonlight interferes, If youre feeling nostalgic
spend some pleasant evenings and want to follow in the foot-
striding alongside Astraea. steps of Astraeas discoverer,
Your best guide star to this German amateur astronomer
main-belt asteroid is 8 Leonis, Karl Hencke, you have to prove
a magnitude 5.7 star located 9 to yourself that the object
Observers in parts of Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean can witness natures
grandest spectacle a total solar eclipse on March 8/9. NICK HOWES northwest of Regulus. Astraea moves from one night to the
remains within 1.5 of 8 Leo next. In 1845, after 15 painstak-
throughout March. Fortunately, ing years of comparing eyepiece
at nearly double this size.) The As with Mars, the best
this part of the spring sky is a views to star charts, Hencke
best views come when Mars time to view Saturn through
long way from the Milky Way, so finally laid to rest the 40-year-
lies highest in the south as a telescope is when it lies
you should be able to tell pretty old idea that the solar system
morning twilight begins. highest in the south as twi-
quickly which point of light you held only four asteroids. He
While spring is just starting light starts. The gas giants are seeking. At magnitude 9.3, found 6 Hebe 19 months later,
in Earths Northern Hemi- relatively bland disk measures Astraea glows brighter than and soon the trickle of asteroid
sphere, that season is well 17" across the equator while most of the stars in this field. discoveries turned into a torrent.
underway on Mars. This the rings span 38" and tilt 26
means the Red Planets north to our line of sight. Astraea gets in Leos face
polar cap stands out as a white Any scope immediately
patch on the limb. The most reveals Saturns biggest and N
prominent dark feature is brightest moon, Titan. The 31
Syrtis Major. For observers in 8th-magnitude, haze-covered 26
North America, this region lies satellite lies due north of 21
Path of
near the worlds western limb Saturn on March 2 and 18 LEO 16 Astraea
in early March. Because a day and due south of the planet 11
on Mars lasts 37 minutes lon- on the 10th and 26th. Three 8
E 6
ger than one on Earth, Syrtis 10th-magnitude moons hud-
Major rotates into better view dle closer to the rings. March 1
with each passing morning. By Although Venus rises an
mid-March, it stands on the hour before the Sun in early
eastern limb as twilight begins. March, it doesnt gain altitude 7
Youll also notice that Mars quickly. Even 30 minutes later, s
11
sports a distinct phase. On it appears only 5 high in the 0.5
March 1, sunlight illuminates east-southeast. Still, it shines
90 percent of the Earth-facing at magnitude 3.9 and shows As minor planet Astraea fades from magnitude 9.3 to 10.1 in March, it
hemisphere and the western up in bright twilight. A tele- passes through a star-poor region surrounding 6th-magnitude 8 Leonis.
limb appears less distinct. The scope reveals its 11"-diameter
phase grows to 93 percent lit disk, which appears 91 percent
by months end. illuminated. By months end, Sulawesi, the Moon passes early because the Moons
Roughly an hour after Mars the inner planet rises just a directly in front of our star to shadow has crossed the Inter-
rises, Saturn pokes above the half-hour before sunrise and create a total solar eclipse. national Date Line). From
horizon. The ringed planets will be harder to spot. Those who venture to the cen- Honolulu, the eclipse lasts
yellowish hue contrasts nicely The months most spec- ter line can witness up to three from 4:33 to 6:33 p.m. HAST.
with ruddy Mars and Antares tacular event occurs March 9 minutes of totality. Maximum occurs at 5:37 p.m.,
nearby. And at magnitude 0.4, over a small part of Indonesia People in Hawaii will expe- when the Moon covers 70 per-
Saturn appears intermediate in and the Pacific Ocean. Shortly rience a substantial partial cent of the Suns diameter and
brightness between its neigh- after the Sun rises across por- eclipse late on the afternoon the pair stands 14 above the
bors. The ringed world has no tions of Sumatra, Borneo, and of March 8 (seemingly a day western horizon.
rivals among the background
stars of southern Ophiuchus. GET DAILY UPDATES ON YOUR NIGHT SKY AT www.Astronomy.com/skythisweek.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 43
Planet X
How Pluto
got its name
The publics suggestions for naming the new
planet ranged from the scientific to the personal,
revealing a glimpse into the social mind-set
of the day. by Kevin Schindler and Lauren Amundson
T
he staggering media attention lavished
on New Horizons flyby of Pluto last
July demonstrated the publics ongoing
fascination with all things Pluto. This
distant neighbor from the dark and
remote regions of our solar system may be physically
diminutive compared with other planetary worlds,
but it outshines many of them in terms of public
interest and sentiment. This captivation dates back to
Plutos discovery in 1930 at Lowell Observatory, when
a spellbound public overwhelmed observatory staff
with letters and telegrams offering congratulations
and often colorful suggestions of what to name the
new planet, known only as Planet X.
This correspondence, much of it now preserved in
Lowells new Putnam Collection Center, offers
invaluable insight into the issues and prevailing
This telegram shows the original suggestion of the name
thoughts of the day while also revealing an intimate Pluto, conceived by schoolgirl Venetia Burney and submitted
(above transcript)
glimpse at the personalities of many of the individu- via by her grandfather to Lowell Observatory.
Oxford, Mar 16
als who submitted ideas.
WLT
One of those suggestions came from Venetia
Lowell Observatory
Burney, a schoolgirl from England who enjoyed learn- the March 13 announcement of the planets discovery Flagstaff, Ariz.
ing about mythological characters. On the morning of and the May 1 naming declaration were frenetic for
March 14 while Venetia ate breakfast, her grandfather Slipher and his colleagues. While they tried to focus Naming new planet
read to her a newspaper account of the planets recent on astronomical issues relating to the new planet, please consider
discovery. After thinking about the news and reflecting such as an orbit determination, the public distracted Pluto, suggested
on her knowledge of mythology, she said Pluto, the god them with surging demands of what to call it. by small girl Vebtia
of the distant, cold underworld, was an appropriate Media bombarded Lowell staff with inquiries Nurney [sic], for
name for this dark and gloomy place. Her grandfather about the name while letters and telegrams poured dark gloomy planet.
sent her suggestion, unknown to Venetia, to the British in from individuals and organizations with often
astronomer H. H. Turner, who strongly opinionated propos- Turner.
in turn shared it with Lowell als. This interest spiked even
Observatory.
This note would be one of
MEMORY LANE higher when a reporter mis-
quoted Lowell trustee Roger
hundreds received by the More than two dozen of the Pluto-naming Lowell Putnam as saying the
observatory but stands alone letters and telegrams, along with other observatory would welcome
in importance, as indicated in Pluto-related documents and photographs suggestions for the name.
from the Lowell Observatory Archives, are
the last paragraph of the May Publications from the Boston
available for browsing in the Year of Pluto
1, 1930, Lowell Observatory Collection at the Arizona Memory Project
Herald to the San Francisco
Circular that served as Plutos at azmemory.azlibrary.gov. Daily News, Popular Science
christening announcement to Monthly to The Christian
planet Earth. Lowell Director Science Monitor carried
ILLUSTRATION BY KELLIE JAEGER; ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOWELL OBSERVATORYS PUTNAM COLLECTION
Vesto Melvin (V. M.) Slipher wrote, It seems time this story, prompting even more people to join the
now that this body should be given a name of its own. planet-naming craze.
Pluto seems very appropriate and we are proposing Newspapers and other entities also began holding
to the American Astronomical Society and to the contests. Monckton Dene of South Haven, Michigan, Roger Lowell Putnam
was instrumental in
Royal Astronomical Society that this name be given wrote four different letters to the observatory hop- pushing for the discov-
it. As far as we know Pluto was first suggested by Miss ing to enhance his odds of winning a $5 prize. The ery of Planet X, which,
Venetia Burney, aged 11, of Oxford, England. Paramount Theater in New Haven, Connecticut, though predicted for
ran a naming contest in conjunction with the local erroneous reasons,
nonetheless became
One of many paper. Paramounts advertising manager, Ben Cohen, reality with Plutos
That part of the naming story is well documented in wrote a more self-aware letter to the observatory: discovery.
history books and often encompasses the whole tale. The sponsors were not so presumptuous as to
However, it is only the misleadingly brief and stream- promise that the winning name would be given to
lined conclusion. In fact, the seven weeks between the new planet. They did promise, however, that the
winning names would be forwarded to you for your
Kevin Schindler has been talking Pluto for the past 20 consideration. Therefore, we respectfully submit to
years at Lowell Observatory, where he recently took on the you the contest-winning name for the new planet
role of historian. Lauren Amundson is the Lowell archivist representing the choice of 200,000 people: Minerva.
and has handled hundreds of Pluto documents stored in the Meanwhile, Delia Grace Valancourt of Champaign,
observatorys Putnam Collection Center. Illinois, informed the observatory that she had won
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 45
TALLY OF THE GODS
(at right transcript)
March 15, 1930.
(AND OTHERS)
Mr. Roger Lowell The following represent the names and number of
Putnam, nominations preserved in the Lowell archives, a mere
Springfield, Mass. fraction of the total received.
My dear Mr. Putnam,
25 PLUTO Roman god of the underworld
Just another note of 17 MINERVA Roman goddess of knowledge
congratulation and
one more suggestion 14 PAX Roman goddess of peace
toward a name for
planet O. 13 JUNO Roman queen of the gods
It occurred to me
11 VULCAN Roman god of fire and metalworking
that inasmuch as the 8 HERCULES Roman hero
planet has already
been styled planet 6 APOLLO Greek god of truth and music
O that to name it
OSIRIS would be 6 EREBUS Greek god of darkness
an easy and a happy 6 EUREKA as in, Eureka, I found it
solution.
6 PEACE
Understanding O
to be the letter, of 5 ATHENA Greek goddess of knowledge
course, and not the 5 OSIRIS Egyptian god of the afterlife
cypher.
Though his reasoning was flawed, astronomer William 5 PERCIVAL after Percival Lowell, who predicted
Practically all of Pickering did predict the existence of a Planet O orbiting the existence of the new planet
past Neptune (Planet N), similar to Lowells Planet X.
the Greco-Roman
names are used up,
as you know, nam-
ing the planets and a similar challenge held by the Chicago Herald and and Pennsylvania (24). Suggestions also arrived from
planetoids and Examiner for her suggestion of Athena, Minervas Canada, Germany, Korea, England, and Mexico. They
it seems to me that Greek counterpart as the goddess of wisdom. proposed a total of 171 different names, with 13 listed
it would be quite
at least five times. Ancient deities dominate this list,
appropriate too, to
name it after the The proposers following the tradition of planet naming. Of these, six
long-lost Egyptian Urged on by the papers and contests, the suggestions are male and four are female. Many of the latter sug-
hero-divinity. swelled. The precise number of letters and telegrams gestions came from the increasingly vocal female pop-
that swamped Lowell is lost to history. But the obser- ulation, whose status in society was enjoying dramatic
Believe me, vatory received hundreds of them, with some 150 improvement at the time. One letter suggested six
Yours very truly offering the name Pluto, according to a note pre- possibilities (Athena, Juno, Psyche, Circe, Cassandra,
Walter M. Wynne,
Lieutenant
served from Lowells secretary, though most of these and Atalanta) and was signed, Star-rover, She is not a
Commander, are nowhere to be found in the archives. With the Feminist. The author wrote, For ages men have been
U.S. Navy circus-like atmosphere surrounding the Lords of Creation. Now that women
the naming, one can imagine much are striving for the top o the world it
P.S. Please of this correspondence was simply would be regarded as a compliment to
do not bother to thrown away. the sex to give the new planet a femi-
acknowledge this More than 250 letters remain. nine name. It might encourage further
note. Have written
to Mrs. Lowell and Many of their authors added frag- exalted aspirations.
Lowell Observatory. ments of biographical information, so
we know they ranged in age from 11 to A new era
78 and included at least 117 men and Another theme of the times, the
86 women. The pool of proposers con- pursuit of peace, stands out
sisted of students and teachers from thanks to the multiple sug-
elementary school through college, gestions of Pax and Peace.
attorneys, ministers, a United States Walter Niehoff, a student at
senator, and even a lieutenant com- Lafayette College in Easton,
mander in the U.S. Navy. English schoolgirl Venetia Pennsylvania, compellingly cap-
The letters and telegrams came Burney was just one of many to tured this sentiment in his letter to
from 37 of the then-48 states (plus the suggest a name for the newly
discovered Planet X, and not
the observatory: The centuries of the
Alaskan territory), with the most from even the only person to suggest past have been stained with the blood
Massachusetts (49), New York (36), the name Pluto. of many dreadful wars. Now the world
46 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
is experiencing a great change. We are in the begin-
ning of an era that shall be known to our posterity
as the beginning of the solution for perpetual world (at left transcript)
peace. The eyes of all men are now looking toward Lowell Observatory
that goal with a hope as never before. Flagstaff, Arizona
Some names referred to recent technological
advances. Florence Wolf of Philadelphia wrote, Why Gentlemen:
not give it a modern name? The other planets are
mostly named for the ancient gods and were discov- As long as there is
ered in ancient time. As this is a modern discovery quite a little discussion
why not name it for the greatest force of the modern and uncertainty as to
age, electricity? Florence Howie of Houston offered the proper name to
the name Mazda to commemorate the 50th anniver- hang on to the new
sary of Thomas Edisons invention of the lightbulb. planet, here is a sug-
William von Arx of Brooklyn liked Aeronautis gestion for what it
is worth:
because astronomers had worked to find Planet X
during the era of flight. Meanwhile, Dr. E. K. Collier
In view of the fact that
of Bowie, Texas, went a step further and suggested
this planet was discov-
Percival-Lindbergh or Percival-Lind in honor of ered by United States
Percival Lowell, who spurred the hunt for Planet X, observers in the United
and American hero Charles Lindbergh, who still gar- States of America, why
nered headlines three years after his historic flight not combine the first
across the Atlantic. letters of these words
Literature, both ancient and modern, inspired and call the planet
some suggestions. Ralph Magoffin of New York City Usofa. The pronun-
hearkened back centuries with Vergilius, in honor of ciation could be broken
1930 being the 2,000th anniversary of the Roman Since it was the only planet discovered in the United States, after the U and after
poet Virgils works. From more contemporary times, some contributors were driven to patriotic suggestions. the f and that would
T. Horan of Dalton, Georgia, proposed the awkward- carry out, to a certain
to-pronounce Poictesme, from James Branch Cabells degree euphoniously,
then-popular but since-faded book, Life of Manuel. the big-league planetary nine, it would be fitting to the pronunciations of
Perhaps the most fascinating look into the public call the starry outfielder Babe Ruth. Ruth was then the names of many of
consciousness of 1930 can be seen in the hodge- near the end of his baseball career but still a larger- the other planets.
podge of names that defy any other classification. than-life figure.
Howard Carters 1922 discovery of the tomb of King Many of the names honored individuals associ- Just a suggestion
Tutankhamun was still in the mind of Josephine T. ated with Planet X, particularly Lowell. These include along with the hun-
of Harbert, Michigan, when she suggested Shu, the simply Lowell or Percival but also combinations such dreds of others which
you doubtless have
Egyptian god of the atmosphere, as recently found by as Percilo, Perlo, and Perlow (the first letters of his
received.
Mr. Howard Carter in the annex of the Tutankhamun first and last name), and Percius (Percival and his
tomb. Even Prohibition, begun in 1920 but wind- country, the United States). Gale Dismukes of Juneau,
Very truly yours,
ing down by 1930, made an appearance in the name Alaska, wanted to honor the discoverer of the new Jack Lutz, President
game. Philip Bowman of Annapolis, Maryland, sug- planet, Clyde Tombaugh, with the name Tom Boy.
gested Bacchus, the Roman god of wine-making, as She even included a poem:
typical of the age we live in. The Literary Magazine
suggested, For this notable cosmic catch completing The Planet Speaks
W. E. D. Stokes, Jr.
Dear Sir:
48 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
ASTRO APPS
Every amateur
astronomer these
days knows the value of meshing
astronomy with some kind of com-
puter, whether you favor a smart-
phone, tablet, or good old PC of the
Microsoft, Apple, or Linux variety.
Software is available for everything,
from creating star charts and log-
ging observations, to telescope and
observatory control, to planetarium
and simulation software that can
replicate events in the night sky.
Theres even software that allows
you to visit other planets and
places in space. Hundreds of
options are out there. Lets
look at a few of my favorites.
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
FREE
1 Starry Night
Platforms: Windows, Macintosh
Website: http://astronomy.starry
night.com
Classification: Observation plan-
ning, telescope control, simulation
Summary: Billed as the worlds most realistic
2
astronomy software, Starry Night is one of the most
complete packages available. Starry Night is available
in four different tiers, each at a different price. At $50,
Starry Night Complete Space and Astronomy Pack is
for the beginner looking to get into astronomy and
Cartes du Ciel-SkyChart
learn more about the subject, while the $250 Starry
Night Pro Plus 7 contains a more complete database
of stars and deep-sky objects, several all-sky CCD
mosaics, telescope control, and a Maxim DL plug-in
for the imagers out Platforms: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Raspberry Pi
there. It serves as Website: www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start
a great observ- Classification: Observation planning, telescope
$49.95$249.95 depending on version
$49$329
3 simulation
TheSkyX
Platforms: Windows, Macintosh
Website: www.bisque.com/sc/
Classification: Observation planning, telescope control,
50 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
FREE
4 Stellarium
Platforms: Windows, Macintosh, Linux
Website: www.stellarium.org
Classification: Simulation
Summary: Stellarium is an absolutely gorgeous night-sky simula-
tor, suitable for simulating the views with naked eye, binoculars,
and a small telescope. While photorealistic, its more than just a
pretty face, as testified to by its use in classrooms and planetaria.
Well supported by the community, its perfect for puttering around
on cloudy nights when no real observing can get done. The data
and options are a bit limited compared with some competitors, but
SkyTools 3
6
theres no beating the price.
Platform: Windows
Website: www.sky
FREE hound.com
Classification:
5
Observation planning
Virtual Moon Atlas and logging, tele-
scope control
Platforms: Windows, Macintosh, Linux Summary: As a
Website: www.ap-i.net/avl/en/start visual observer,
Classification: Lunar atlas if I had to pick
Summary: Patrick Chevalley (Cartes du Ciel) only one pack-
and Christian Legrand collaborated on Virtual age, it would
Moon Atlas. Its an extensive database that be SkyTools 3. Built on an exhaustive
couples images from spacecraft and the database of deep-sky objects, SkyTools
very best earthbound observers with allows you to instantly see which targets
high-resolution modern and historical are best placed and at what times for
textures. If youre an observer with your observing session. From that list,
$39.95$179.95
even a casual interest in the Moon, its then easy to get detailed information
you owe it to yourself to have this on on the target visibility, generate finder
your computer. charts, and log observations. SkyTools is
an infinitely refinable and fantastic tool
that no serious amateur astronomer
should be without.
7
Space Engine 3-D planetarium of the entire
universe. If youve ever had a
FREE
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 51
PERSONAL COMPUTERS MOBILE
FREE FREE (FULL VERSION $3)
WorldWide Telescope
Platforms: Windows, online
Website: http://worldwidetelescope.org
Classification: Virtual telescope
Summary: If youre trapped inside on a cloudy night but are still interested
in what the recorded universe has to offer, head over
8
to WorldWide Telescope. The software is designed to display
on everything from personal computing devices up to public
planetaria. You can be guided on a pre-recorded journey of dis-
covery or strike out on your own. With a bevy of online cata-
logs and data types, only the sky is the limit. You can run the
software locally or in a browser; I found it to be much more
responsive when run locally. Beware: If you
have a slower data connection, a little bit of
patience will go a long way here.
9
Eye & Telescope
Platform: Windows
Website: www.eyeandtelescope.com
Classification: Observation planning,
virtual telescope, logging
Summary: Eye & Telescope tries to
do something no other program does namely, it attempts to show
the observer what his chosen target will look like from his own site
$89.99 Aurora
Notifier
Platform:
Android
Website:
11
through his own telescope. There are some caveats, but in general the http://play.
software succeeds surprisingly well. google.com
Classification: Informational
Summary: Aurora Notifier
uses Google messaging to let
you know when the northern
lights are visible from your
Kerbal Space Program location. You can configure
the strength of the storms
$40
10
This program is so popular that Squad (the developer) and NASA have of its design and simplicity.
collaborated to simulate an Asteroid Capture Mission. More recently,
Squad and the B612 Foundation added an official Asteroid Day mod,
incorporating the proposed Sentinel Mission to look for asteroids that
threaten Earth. While not the easiest game on the market, it still manages
to make learning (and failure) fun. Id say its not rocket science, but Tom Trusock is a veteran observer
who lives in Ubly, Michigan.
52 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
FREE (WITH OPTIONAL IN-APP PURCHASE)
Starmap 2
Platform: iOS
13
FREE (WITH OPTIONAL IN-APP PURCHASE)
Website: www.star-map.fr
12
Classification: Observation planning, simulation,
telescope control
Summary: Now available in version 2.0, Starmap
lets you try before you buy. In-app purchases let
you tailor the app to exactly what you need. Im
Exoplanet
particularly fond of the planning tools. You can Platform: iOS
plumb many different catalogs, but one of my favor- Website: http://
ite options gives you a list of the best objects for exoplanetapp.com
the evening, complete with a filterable chart that easily tells you when Classification:
an object is visible and at its best. Those who are fond of the visibility Exoplanet catalog
charts in SkyTools will find these extremely useful as well. New for Summary: If exo-
version 2 is Starmap Stories, designed to help you find objects in the planets are your
sky and learn something about them. Offering a different take on the thing, then this is
mobile planetarium, Starmap 2 has a lot to like. the app for you.
The app includes
each planets dis-
covery method,
14
star charts, and
visualizations of exoplan-
SkySafari 4 ets and their associated habitable zones.
Updated on a near-daily basis, this
Platforms: Android, iOS remains hands down the best exoplanet
Website: http://skysafariastronomy.com app in the mobile arena.
Classification: Observation planning, simulation,
telescope control
Summary: SkySafari is the undisputed champ in the mobile arena. Here,
the question is not so much if you should purchase, but which version. I
will warn you: Only the most casual astronomers will be satisfied with
the basic version and 220-item deep-sky database. The next step up shows
you 31,000 deep-sky objects, including the full set of NGC and IC objects.
$2.99$39.99
For those wanting nothing but the best, consider an upgrade to the Pro
version, which adds 740,000 galaxies, and solar system objects including
all known asteroids and comets. As an aside, Celestron contracted with
SkySafaris creators to offer a free version called SkyPortal. SkyPortal is
light on features and tailored toward use with Celestron telescopes, but its
definitely worth a look.
15
NASA tion about current missions, watch
FREE
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 53
MADE IN THE SHADE
ARE YOU GETTING EXCITED YET? Many hopeful eclipse watchers are making it the
As you read this, were less than a year and a half centerpiece of their 2017 summer vacations. And
away from the biggest celestial event of our lives even if your travel plans occur earlier, its not a bad
the total solar eclipse that will cross the conti- idea to view this event like you would a vacation.
nental United States August 21, 2017. Lots of people To that end, Ive gathered 25 common sense tips
already have decided where they want to view the that will help you get into the proper mindset.
spectacle. (If you havent, dont worry. Ill be writ- Once youve done that, youre ready to set a plan in
ing about primo locations in our June issue.) motion that will let you have the time of your life.
1Take eclipse day off
You may think a year and a half
is a bit of a long lead-time, and,
friends in the process. Dont worry
if you dont know eclipses inside and
out. After a year of helping prepare,
unless you work for a magazine you will.
Pat
called Astronomy, it may be. The ho
f to
point to consider is that August 21,
2017, may turn out to be the most
popular vacation-day request in his-
5 Attend an event
Youll enjoy the eclipse more
if you hook up with like-minded
tali
ty
tory. If not now, figure out the earli- people. If you dont see any special
est date that makes sense for you to goings-on, call your local astronomy
request August 21 as a vacation day, club, planetarium, or science center.
and mark it on your calendar. Any person you talk to is sure to
know of eclipse activities. Travel
companies, like Astronomys part- Percentage of mean cloud cover for August
ner TravelQuest, also offer trips 80 70 60 50 40 30 20
that will let you experience the full
17
AUGUST 20 social impact of the eclipse.
6 7
1
8
2
9
3
10
4
11
5
12 6 Stay flexible
Unless youre certain August
8 Watch for the approach
of the Moons shadow
If your viewing location is at a high
15 16 17 18 19 21 will be clear, dont do anything elevation, or even at the top of a
13 14
22 23 24 25 26 you cant undo in a short time. good-sized hill, you may see the
20 21 For example, lets say youre tak- Moons shadow approaching along
27 28 29 30 31 ing a motor home to a site. You the ground from the northwest to This eclipse-
connect it to power, extend the the southeast. This sighting isnt track map
shows the aver-
awnings, set up chairs, and more. easy because as the shadow crosses
age afternoon
But if its cloudy six hours, three the U.S., it is moving at a mini- August cloudi-
in locations touched by the Moons saved if you had waited to set up. is as it covers thin cirrus clouds if ANDERSON; DATA: CIMSS/
NOAA/UW-MADISON
inner shadow. Find out what they Also, the earlier you make your any are above your site. I hope you
are, where theyre being held, and decision to move, the better. Just dont experience clouds, but if you
which you want to attend, and make imagine what the traffic might be do, youll be surprised how fast the
a mini-vacation out of the eclipse. like on eclipse day. shadow moves.
4 Get involved
organized by a
tour provider
If your interests include celes- will allow you
tial happenings and public service, to experience
the social
consider volunteering with a group
KEN WILSON
impact of the
putting on an eclipse event. Youll eclipse. MICHAEL
learn a lot and make some new E. BAKICH
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 55
Although these
solar view-
ing glasses
from Rainbow
Symphony
resemble
sunglasses, Pictures of friends really help
they are not shooting until 15 minutes afterward. is happening then. Make a pre- you relive eclipses even years
sunglasses. The results may surprise you. emptive strike 45 minutes prior. after the events. This shot of
The only object Shadow Winter demonstrates
never have experienced darkness at impressions. A decade from now will reveal. Trust me, Ive seen them
noon. You will be the expert. or, more specifically, just before all. Only the top 0.1 percent of pho-
the next U.S. total solar eclipse in tographers ever has come close. And
21Experience totality
all by yourself
The 2017 eclipse, plus the events
the part of the eclipse between third
and fourth contacts play out. Many
people will view this portion as
So just watch. Watch your first
eclipse with your mouth agape,
where your only distraction is occa-
leading up to it, will combine to be a what we saw before totality, but in sionally wiping tears of joy from
fabulous social affair. Totality itself, reverse. For this section, however, your eyes. I promise that you will
however, is a time that you should all the tension will be gone. not be disappointed.
mentally shed your surroundings
and focus solely on the sublime
celestial dance above you. Youll
have time for conversations later.
25 Dont photograph it
This tip may sound strange
coming from the photo editor of the
Now, relax
Once you come up with a course of
action that lets you stay flexible with
Astronomy
Contributing
Editor Mike
best-selling astronomy magazine on some of the details, youll feel a lot Reynolds has
22 Schedule an after-
eclipse party or meal
Regarding No. 21, once the eclipse
Earth. But Ive preached it to thou-
sands of people whom Ive led to far-
flung corners of our planet to stand
better as August 21, 2017, approach-
es. And the family and friends that
you include surely will say, like
seen 16 total
solar eclipses.
You havent
seen any, so
winds down, youll be on an emo- under the Moons shadow. True, few Bill Murrays character Dr. Peter just watch the
tional high for hours, and so will of them have thanked me afterward. Venkman in the movie Ghostbusters, spectacle and
photograph
everyone else. Theres no better But I can tell you of upward of a I love this plan. Im excited to be a your next one.
time to get together with family and hundred people who have told me part of it! MICHAEL E. BAKICH
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 57
DEEP-SKY OBSERVING
Run a
non-Messier
marathon For a new adventure, challenge yourself
to see these 109 objects in a single night.
by Michael E. Bakich
NGC 1365
Don Goldman
I REMEMBER THE TIME of -40 and no right ascensions are around As you might imagine, a 10th-magnitude
before I worked at Astronomy magazine. 0 hours (where the Sun lives at this time of galaxy next to that bright a star is pretty
I would eagerly anticipate each issue and year). Finally, all objects are brighter than difficult to see. Use high magnification to
scan every one for new observing challeng- 12th magnitude. OK, all but two of them, increase the contrast between the galaxy
es especially lists. I dont know why, but but I know medium-size scopes can reveal and star. NGC 404 looks round and bright
I love lists. The Messier objects? Dozens of both of those from a dark site. with an intense center.
times. Caldwell? Check. Herschel objects? I didnt have nearly enough pages to Stay in the Princess constellation, and
Been there, done that. describe all the objects, so I picked a few in look a bit more than 2 north-northwest of
So, as I started to think about how to each category. Youll find a complete table the Double Cluster in Perseus (NGC 869
write another guide to the Messier mara- on pages 60 and 62. Start with the objects and NGC 884) for the nearby open cluster
thon, an idea came to me: Id propose a at the top of the list and work down. If you Stock 2. This object appeared on a list of
non-Messier marathon specifically for do, youll find yourself starting in the west open clusters compiled by German astron-
amateur astronomers who have run several (after sunset) and progressing eastward. omer Jrgen Stock. Stock 2 spans a full
of the traditional ones from the Crab Youll have the whole night, so spend a degree but shines at magnitude 4.4, so
Nebula (M1) to spiral galaxy M109. Im not little time examining each entry before you
going to take up a lot of space describing it, make a checkmark and jump to the next CLEOPATRAS EYE (NGC 1535)
but I will list my criteria. object. And yes, its totally fine if you use a Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/
University of Arizona
My marathon contains 109 deep-sky go-to drive. I will. I want to spend most of
objects handpicked by me with no repeti- my time observing these treats, not prov-
tion of Messier or Caldwell items. I didnt ing that I can find them. Good luck!
include any double stars. I chose objects
visible around the March equinox and Personal favorites
accessible from most of the continental The first object on the list is a perfect target
United States, so all declinations are north for a medium-size scope: Mirachs Ghost,
also known as NGC 404, in Andromeda.
Michael E. Bakich is a senior editor of Amateur astronomers call this magni-
Astronomy who will be conducting a huge free tude 10.3 elliptical galaxy Mirachs Ghost
public eclipse watch at Rosecrans Memorial because it lies only 6.8' from 2nd-mag-
Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri, on August 21, 2017. nitude Mirach (Beta [] Andromedae).
58 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
small telescopes do a good job displaying NGC 1501
it, if you keep the magnification below 50x. Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF
Expect to see a loose collection of about 50
stars between 8th and 10th magnitudes.
Another object I think youll like lies far
to the south. The powerful radio source
astronomers call Fornax A (NGC 1316) is a
bright (magnitude 8.9) galaxy you can find
1.4 south-southwest of magnitude 6.4 Chi1
(1) Fornacis.
This galaxys spiral arms wrap so tightly
around its core that it appears elliptical
through most telescopes. NGC 1316 isnt
circular, however. Its about half as long as
it is wide, and it orients northeast to south-
west. Youll see the broad central region
surrounded by a thick halo.
While youre in Fornax, take a look at
the best example of a barred spiral galaxy
in the sky NGC 1365. Although its
bright (magnitude 9.3), it isnt all that easy
to star-hop to. To do so, first find a triangle
of three faint stars, magnitude 6.4 Chi1,
magnitude 5.7 Chi2, and magnitude 6.5
Chi3 Fornacis. From Chi2, which is the
brightest, move 1.3 east-southeast.
Through even a 4-inch telescope at a
dark site, youll see NGC 1365s bar shape
and brighter central region. Increase the
magnification, and notice how the bar near
the core appears dimmer than it does far-
ther out. An 8-inch scope shows the spiral MIRACHS GHOST (NGC 404)
Anthony Ayiomamitis
arms. The brighter one extends northward
from the bars west end. The other arm,
only slightly fainter, appears somewhat
blotchy, revealing huge star-forming
regions within it.
Our next object, planetary nebula NGC
1501, lies 6.9 west of magnitude 4.0 Beta
Camelopardalis. Amateur astronomers call
this object the Oyster Nebula. A 10-inch
telescope shows a circular disk. Through a
16-inch scope at magnifications above
350x, however, youll note that the plan-
etary is ever-so-slightly oval in an east-west
orientation. The magnitude 14 central star
is easier to see than its lofty number sug-
gests. It peeks through a slightly darker
center that suggests the presence of a thick
ring structure. Through the larger instru-
ment, the planetarys face appears patchy,
with several small dark areas visible.
Another pretty planetary, Cleopatras
Eye (NGC 1535), lies 4 east-northeast of color. Now, crank the magnification past dark site, is the open cluster Hagrids
magnitude 3.0 Zaurak (Gamma [] 300x, and youll observe a dark hollow Dragon (NGC 2301). This object covers a
Eridani). Its nice and bright (magnitude around the central star. At this aperture circle 15' wide and lies 5.1 west of magni-
9.6) and takes high powers well. Through a and power, youll note that the contrast tude 4.2 Delta () Monocerotis. Its a great
6-inch telescope, NGC 1535 has a sharply between the sharp inner disk and the object through any telescope, and wide-
defined disk surrounded by a faint enve- fainter outer shell is at its maximum. angle views show a rich surrounding star
lope. Double that aperture to 12 inches, My next pick, which sharp-eyed observ- field. A 6-inch scope reveals some 50 stars.
and youll begin to pick up this objects ers can spot without optical aid from a Crank the power past 200x, and look for a
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 59
NON-MESSIER MARATHON OBSERVING LIST
Object Con. R.A. Dec. Mag. Size Type Other name
NGC 404 Andromeda 1h09m 3543' 10.3 6.1' by 6.1' E Mirachs Ghost
NGC 584 Cetus 1h31m 652' 10.5 4.1' by 2' E The Little Spindle Galaxy
NGC 654 Cassiopeia 1h44m 6153' 6.5 5' OC
NGC 659 Cassiopeia 1h44m 6040' 7.9 6' OC The Yin-Yang Cluster
NGC 772 Aries 1h59m 1901' 10.3 7.3' by 4.6' S The Fiddlehead Galaxy
Stock 2 Cassiopeia 2h15m 5916' 4.4 60' OC
NGC 925 Triangulum 2h27m 3335' 10.1 12.0' by 7.4' S
IC 1805 Cassiopeia 2h33m 6127' 60' E The Heart Nebula
NGC 1023 Perseus 2h40m 3904' 9.3 8.6' by 4.2' S The Perseus Lenticular
Stock 23 Camelopardalis 3h16m 6002' 6.5 14' OC Pazminos Cluster
NGC 1291 Eridanus 3h17m 4108' 8.5 11.0' by 9.5' S The Snow Collar Galaxy
NGC 1316 Fornax 3h23m 3712' 8.9 11.0' by 7.6' S Fornax A
NGC 1333 Perseus 3h29m 3125' 6' by 3' R The Embryo Nebula
NGC 1365 Fornax 3h34m 3608' 9.3 8.9' by 6.5' S
NGC 1501 Camelopardalis 4h07m 6055' 11.5 52" P The Oyster Nebula
NGC 1514 Taurus 4h09m 3047' 10.9 114" P The Crystal Ball Nebula
NGC 1535 Eridanus 4h14m 1244' 9.6 18" P Cleopatras Eye
NGC 1647 Taurus 4h46m 1907' 6.4 40' OC The Pirate Moon Cluster
NGC 1788 Orion 5h07m 321' 5' by 3' R The Fox Face
NGC 1857 Auriga 5h20m 3921' 7.0 5' OC
Collinder 464 Camelopardalis 5h22m 7300' 4.2 120' OC
IC 418 Lepus 5h28m 1242' 9.3 12" P The Raspberry Nebula
NGC 1981 Orion 5h35m 426' 4.2 28' OC The Coal Car Cluster
NGC 2129 Gemini 6h02m 2319' 6.7 6' OC
NGC 2169 Orion 6h08m 1358' 5.9 6' OC 37 Cluster
NGC 2175 Orion 6h10m 2030' 40' by 30' E The Monkey Face Nebula
912 Gem Gemini 6h18m 2338' 1 A
NGC 2146 Camelopardalis 6h19m 7821' 10.6 5.4' by 4.5' BS The Dusty Hand Galaxy
NGC 2264 Monoceros 6h41m 953' 3.9 20' OC The Christmas Tree Cluster
NGC 2281 Auriga 6h49m 4104' 5.4 14' OC
NGC 2301 Monoceros 6h52m 028' 6.0 15' OC Hagrids Dragon
NGC 2336 Camelopardalis 7h27m 8011' 10.4 6.4' by 3.3' BS
IC 2177 Monoceros 7h05m 1038' 120' by 40' E The Seagull Nebula
NGC 2353 Monoceros 7h15m 1018' 7.1 20' OC Averys Island
NGC 2359 Canis Major 7h19m 1312' 9' by 6' E Thors Helmet
NGC 2367 Canis Major 7h20m 2153' 7.9 5' OC
NGC 23712 Gemini 7h26m 2929' 11.3 54" by 35" P The Double Bubble Nebula
NGC 2440 Puppis 7h42m 18 13' 9.4 14" P The Albino Butterfly Nebula
Melotte 71 Puppis 7h38m 12 04' 7.1 9' OC
NGC 2451 Puppis 7h45m 37 58' 2.8 45' OC The Stinging Scorpion
NGC 2539 Puppis 8h11m 12 50' 6.5 21' OC The Dish Cluster
NGC 2546 Puppis 8h12m 3737' 6.3 70' OC The Heart and Dagger Cluster
NGC 2683 Lynx 8h53m 3325' 9.8 8.4' by 2.4' S The UFO Galaxy
NGC 2685 Ursa Major 8h56m 5844' 11.1 4.9' by 2.4' S The Helix Galaxy
NGC 2841 Ursa Major 9h22m 5059' 9.3 8.1' by 3.5' S
NGC 2903 Leo 9h32m 2130' 9.0 12.0' by 5.6' S
Leo I Leo 10h09m 1218' 10.2 12.0' by 9.3' DS
NGC 3184 Ursa Major 10h18m 4125' 9.8 7.8' by 7.2' S The Little Pinwheel Galaxy
NGC 3227 Leo 10h24m 1952' 10.3 6.9' by 5.4' S
NGC 3344 Leo Minor 10h44m 2455' 9.9 6.9' by 6.4' S The Sliced Onion Galaxy
NGC 3521 Leo 11h06m 002' 9.0 12.5' by 6.5' S
NGC 3621 Hydra 11h18m 3249' 8.9 9.8' by 4.6' S The Frame Galaxy
NGC 3953 Ursa Major 11h53m 5219' 9.8 6.9' by 3.6' BS
NGC 4111 Canes Venatici 12h07m 4304' 10.7 4.4' by 0.9' S
NGC 4216 Virgo 12h16m 1309' 10.0 7.8' by 1.6' S The Silver Streak Galaxy
Continued on page 62
60 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
double star dead-center. The two compo- HAGRIDS DRAGON (NGC 2301)
nents have magnitudes of 8.0 and 8.8. Anthony Ayiomamitis
Head to Canis Major next and target
Thors Helmet (NGC 2359), a 9' by 6' cos-
mic bubble sculpted by radiation from a
type of luminous, massive star called a
Wolf-Rayet star. It lies 4.3 northeast of
magnitude 4.1 Muliphain (Gamma Canis
Majoris). The nebula responds well to nar-
rowband filters. Through an 11-inch scope,
youll see the circular central area and the
helmets two wings. The brightest part
measures 1' wide and extends to the south
approximately 4'.
I really like the Double Bubble Nebula
(NGC 23712), a twin-lobed planetary that
glows at 11th magnitude in Gemini. This
objects common name comes from its
unusual appearance: Two rounded puffs of
gas lie side by side, with each lobe getting
brighter toward the middle.
Youll find it 1.7 north of magnitude
3.8 Propus (Iota [] Geminorum). When
youre first hunting NGC 23712, use at
least an 8-inch scope and low power. This THE UFO GALAXY (NGC 2683)
object measures 54" by 35", making it Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/
University of Arizona
nearly as big as the Ring Nebula (M57) in
Lyra. An Oxygen-III eyepiece filter defi-
nitely helps.
My next target lies in a constellation
Lynx even more difficult to find than
some deep-sky objects. The obscure star
group lies due north of Cancer and
stretches to the northwest from there. The
UFO Galaxy (NGC 2683) is a spiral, and,
at magnitude 9.8, a relatively bright one.
You can spot it through a 3-inch telescope
from a dark observing site. To pull out its
details, however, youll need a bigger scope.
NGC 2683 is a classic edge-on spiral
that orients northeast to southwest. The
faint spiral arms begin to show alternate
dark and bright patches called mottling
through an 11-inch telescope. Through
even larger scopes, youll notice that the
northeastern arm extends a bit farther than
the southwestern one.
One of my lesser-known favorites is
magnitude 9.3 spiral galaxy NGC 2841. observe its details. What makes it easy to bright, but youll need at least a 10-inch
What a gorgeous object! This galaxy tilts find is its location: Leo I lies only 20' due telescope and 200x to see the 13th-magni-
southeast to northwest and displays a clas- north of magnitude 1.3 Regulus (Alpha [] tude central star. A slightly fainter shell
sic disk appearance. Its nucleus is wide and Leonis). But that brilliant stars glare surrounds the core. Youll also spot a 12th-
bright. Through an 8-inch telescope, youll through the eyepiece also makes Leo I dif- magnitude star just 15" to the west.
see several dark regions within the tightly ficult to see. At a dark site, an 8-inch tele- Whatever scope you view this object
wound spiral arms, but the arms them- scope at 150x reveals a faint mist that through, be sure to use as high a magnifi-
selves are tough to see even at high powers. appears uniformly bright. Whatever you cation as the sky will allow.
Youll find this treat 1.8 west-southwest of do, keep Regulus out of the field of view. The next object, Iotas Ghost (NGC
magnitude 3.2 Theta () Ursae Majoris. Now point your scope only 8 from the 5102), sits far to the south but only 0.3
The next target is another favorite of celestial pole to the Baby Eskimo Nebula east-northeast of magnitude 2.8 Iota
mine. It demonstrates that a celestial object (IC 3568), a planetary that glows at magni- Centauri. This spiral galaxy appears rela-
can be easy to find, but really difficult to tude 10.6. Its tiny inner core appears tively bright because it lies some 11 million
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 61
Continued from page 60
Key: Con. = Constellation; R.A. = Right ascension (2000.0); Dec. = Declination (2000.0); Mag. = Magnitude; A = Asterism; BS = Barred spiral galaxy;
D = Dark nebula; DS = Dwarf spheroidal galaxy; E = Emission nebula; G = Globular cluster; I = Irregular galaxy; OC = Open cluster;
P = Planetary nebula; R = Reflection nebula; S = Spiral galaxy
62 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
light-years away. Unfortunately, that dis- THE GHOST GLOBULAR (NGC 5897)
tance also means its light spreads out quite Dean Salman
a bit, so it doesnt show as many details as
other similarly sized objects. Through an
8-inch telescope, look for a bright central
region surrounded by a large oval halo
twice as long as it is wide. Oh, and youll
get your best views if you move Iota out of
the field of view.
About an hour after you target Iotas
Ghost (which probably will be between
2 a.m. and 3 a.m.), head to a seemingly
related object, the Ghost Globular (NGC
5897), the best deep-sky object in Libra.
To find it, travel exactly 8 southeast of
Zubenelgenubi (Alpha Librae). Because this
object lies 40,000 light-years away, its
brightest stars glow at only magnitude 13.
Still, enough stars group together here
that the cluster is easy to spot through
11x80 binoculars. The most striking aspect
of NGC 5897 is how loosely its stars con-
centrate toward the center.
Through an 8-inch telescope at a dark
site, youll see only the brightest dozen or BARNARD 86
so stars against a faint, comet-like glow. Jason Ware
Through a 13-inch scope, the star count
rises to 50. If youre lucky enough to view
NGC 5897 through a 20-inch scope, crank
the power past 200x. Youll see stars scatter
widely across the clusters center with little
apparent concentration.
Some named deep-sky objects look
exactly like their namesakes. The
Dumbbell Nebula and the North America
Nebula come to mind. Add one more
the Cats Paw Nebula (NGC 6334) in
Scorpius. The Paw ranks among the Milky
Ways largest star-forming regions. It com-
prises five individual nebulous patches in a
circular area. The brightest measures 6'
across and contains a 9th-magnitude star.
It lies on the southeastern end of the com-
plex. Because this object is larger than the
Full Moon, youll need a wide-field combi-
nation to view it all. Another approach is to
crank up the power a bit, screw a nebula
filter into your eyepieces barrel, and view
each of the five areas separately. To find against myriad faint stars. Look for the A 6-inch telescope will reveal the clus-
NGC 6334, look 3 west-northwest of orange magnitude 6.7 double star WDS ter, a collection of a dozen or so stars. To
Shaula (Lambda [] Scorpii). HDS2541 on B86s western edge a nice see the nebulae, however, youll need to
My next pick is a dark nebula called the complement to the scene. step up to at least a 10-inch scope under a
Ink Spot, also known as Barnard 86 (B86). The 109th object on my list is the Small dark sky. Most of the nebulosity is of the
If youre uncertain how to target it, just aim Cluster Nebula (NGC 7129), which youll reflection type, so no filter helps.
for NGC 6520, a nearby star cluster. find 2.6 northwest of magnitude 4.4 Xi ()
Together, these objects present a wonderful Cephei. Its a star cluster, but it also The tally
contrast. Through an 8-inch telescope, includes a star-forming region that con- How many objects did you see? Id love to
youll see about 30 stellar members of NGC tains emission and reflection nebulosity. hear about your first non-Messier mara-
6520 against a bright background of distant The cluster carries the NGC designation. thon. You can contact me at mbakich@
stars. No such background exists for B86. The three nebulous regions are IC 5132, IC astronomy.com. When I get enough
Its starless, irregular form stands out 5133, and IC 5134. reports, Ill post the results in a blog.
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 63
EQUIPMENT REVIEW
Details
These 1" eyepieces are initially available
in three focal lengths: 7mm, 11mm, and
18.2mm. Priced at $250 each, they feature
a 62 apparent field of view, 20mm of eye
relief, an adjustable locking eye guard, and
compatibility with Tele Vues astigmatism
correction system, the Dioptrix.
The DeLites are well suited for use in
large binoculars or binoviewers due to their
reasonable weights, 7.3, 7.1, and 7.6 ounces
Tele Vues DeLite eyepiece (207, 201, and 215 grams, respectively). All
series offers significant sav- feature the Tele Vue barrel safety undercut
ings over other high-quality
eyepiece lines. The com- Tom Trusock loves testing new equipment,
pany launched the DeLites
with three focal lengths. attending star parties, and observing for the fun
COURTESY TELE VUE OPTICS of it from his home in Ubly, Michigan.
64 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
to help prevent an errant eyepiece from blue, and twin-lobed, somewhat reminis-
falling to the ground. cent of the Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76),
When I test eyepieces, its important to although the emphasis was on the lobes
me to use them in a variety of telescopes so rather than the center.
I can understand what aberrations the tele- Finally, I took the time to check the
scope adds to the design. Through the contrast with the Fetus Nebula (NGC
years, Ive seen amateurs blame specific 7008). With a bright star just off the edge of
aberrations on eyepiece design that were this planetary nebula, its large size and low
the fault of the telescope. Always remem- surface brightness can make it difficult to
ber, we deal with an optical system. pick out the distinctive shape, but it was in
Because of this, Im careful to review eye- clear view through the DeLites.
pieces in various telescopes I am already
familiar with. For this review, I used an Comparing sizes
18-inch f/4.5 Newtonian reflector These are excellent eyepieces. But which
(equipped with the Tele Vue Paracorr), a one did I prefer? I found that my favorite
3.6-inch f/7 apochromatic refractor, and a eyepiece depended greatly on the telescope
6-inch f/15 Maksutov reflector. I used it in. Overall, each DeLite performed
My testing showed all three scopes per- similarly, so I matched magnification to
formed similarly, so the comments in gen- sky conditions. I typically wound up using
eral apply to all. My initial views came Paul Delechiaie designed the DeLite eyepiece between 100x and 200x for a given tele-
line for Tele Vue Optics. His previous credits
during the daytime, and they impressed scope. In the two short focal length scopes,
include the companys popular Ethos and Delos
me. When I scanned a field of view with eyepiece lines. COURTESY TELE VUE OPTICS I preferred the shortest focal length eye-
objects at the same distance, the entire field piece and vice versa.
was in focus, implying little, if any, field Tele Vue lists the field stops for each
curvature. Using conveniently placed local interchange eyepieces without touching eyepiece as 19.1mm (for the 18.2mm
landmarks, I found both rectilinear and focus. The DeLites are a good choice for DeLite), 11.7mm (for the 11mm), and
angular distortion to be well controlled, use in daytime spotting scopes. 7.5mm (for the 7mm). This is important if
meaning parallel lines remained parallel you want to find the true field of view (in
and objects kept their proportions Under the sky degrees). For any eyepiece/telescope combi-
throughout the field. At night, contrast was superb, enabling me nation, divide the field stop diameter by
Because of the 20 millimeters of eye to make out fine detail within the plan- the focal length of the telescope (in milli-
relief, the eyepieces were comfortable to etary bands of Saturn. And in the rings, the meters) and multiply the result by 57.3. So,
view through, and with proper use of the Cassini Division was obvious through the an 8-inch f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain tele-
eye guard, I experienced no blackout. two smaller scopes. The eyepieces showed scope that has a focal length of 2000mm
Through the years, Ive found some eye- no sign of scattered light or ghost images, will yield true fields of view around 0.55,
pieces to be warm (yellow bias) and others and transmission was quite good. Also, 0.34, and 0.21 for the 18.2mm, 11mm,
cool (blue bias). Here, each DeLite eyepiece I noted no glare or internal reflections. and 7mm eyepieces, respectively.
particularly impressed me by its decidedly Although I tend to prefer using single eye-
neutral color tone. pieces to achieve desired magnifications, Bottom line
As I get older, Im losing some of my thats not always possible. So, it was good With the departure of the Tele Vue Radian
visual accommodation. This difficult to learn that these eyepieces worked well line a lightweight eyepiece with tons of
admission ironically makes it easier to with Barlow lenses. eye relief many observers were hoping
check if eyepieces are parfocal (whether I then moved to other targets. Through for something to fill that void. With excel-
each holds focus without touching the the 6-inch, the gold and blue of Albireo lent contrast, great eye relief, and a decent
scopes focuser). After establishing critical (Beta [] Cygni) simply popped. Through apparent field of view, the DeLites do just
focus with the 7mm, I found that I could the 18-inch, the Hercules Cluster (M13) that. The only caveat is that they are cur-
was a jellyfish of suns against a deep-black rently available in only three focal lengths.
background, and stars were pinpoint out to While the range is well chosen for an
PRODUCT INFORMATION the edge of the field. initial offering, users of shorter focal length
Staying with the big eye, the Ring scopes will need to use a Barlow lens if they
Tele Vue DeLite eyepiece line Nebula (M57) was a frosted doughnut, want to obtain high magnification.
Focal lengths: 7mm, 11mm, and 18.2mm nicely showing striations in the center with However, Id be surprised if the company
Eye relief: 20mm barred spiral galaxy IC 1296 a fairly easy doesnt address this down the road.
Apparent field of view: 62 catch off to the side. The Blinking Tele Vue has once again created a line of
Price: $250 each Planetary (NGC 6826) was also a treat. all-around excellent eyepieces, good for
Contact: Tele Vue Optics Distinctly bluish-green in color, both the both planetary and deep-sky work. Selling
32 Elkay Drive inner and outer shells were well defined. points are long eye relief, a small and light
Chester, NY 10918 If youve never seen planetary nebula design, and the relatively inexpensive cost.
[t] 845.469.4551 NGC 7027 in a large scope, I highly recom- The DeLite line should be on your must-
[w] www.televue.com mend it. Viewing through the 18.2mm view-through list of eyepieces at the next
DeLite eyepiece, the object appeared small, star party.
W
WWWW.ASTR
W.ASTRONOMY.COM
ONOMY.COM 65
65
ASTROSKETCHING
BY ERIKA RIX
Edgy stars
Regardless of the effort I put a 2.5-long chain of stars com-
into drawing perfectly round monly known as Kembles
stars, every jagged imperfec- Cascade tumbles from the
tion reveals itself once I scan northwest to the southeast and
the sketch and display it on my splashes into NGC 1502.
computer monitor. In a previ- Measuring 8' across, the cluster
ous issue, I explained how shines at magnitude 6.9 with
to remove the rough edges Struve 485, a 7th-magnitude
around individual stars with a double star, glowing brilliantly
cloning tool found in image- at its heart. Several members,
processing software. Now, Id including Struve 484, pair up
like to share a technique that to resemble a runway spanning
tackles the entire star field in east to west through the length this striking
one swoop so that you can tidy of the cluster. Through a cluster appears
even open star clusters like 4-inch telescope, nearly two bright and compact with a con- For both observations, the author used
NGC 1502 with ease. dozen of its stars form a glis- centration of over 40 stars. a 4-inch f/9.8 refractor on an equatorial
mount and oriented the sketches so
Near the Giraffes tail in the tening triangular shape at I used Adobe Photoshop that north is at the top and west to the
constellation Camelopardalis, 125x. With larger instruments, after scanning my sketch, but right. She used white printer paper with
any similar software will do. 8B, 2B, and 2H graphite pencils, a
blending stump, and a kneaded eraser.
After opening the file, I clicked She observed NGC 1502 with an 8mm
on Layer and then Duplicate eyepiece for a magnification of 125x.
layer to create another copy of ALL SKETCHES BY ERIKA RIX
66 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
NEW
PRODUCTS Attention, manufacturers: To submit a product
for this page, email mbakich@astronomy.com.
ASTRONOMY.COM/DIGITALEDITIONS
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W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 67
COSMICIMAGING
BY A DA M B LO C K
Concentric
contemplation
Astrophotography is a complex showing up as just a few acti-
subject with facets that are vated pixels may be as joyful
tedious and technical as well as all of the colorful gas in the
as subtle and sublime. In this Orion Nebula (M42). This
article, I would like to steer deconstruction is an important
clear of the technical side of technique in approaching
things and instead consider image processing because it
Image #2. The author created this unique view from an image he took of the Wild Duck
this kind of photography as an allows you to choose the right Cluster (M11). See www.adamblockphotos.com/m11-concentric-contemplation.html for
art form that permits expan- tools to enhance particular versions with and without stars. ADAM BLOCK
sive degrees of freedom in cre- elements. However, this com-
ative expression. partmentalization can lead to do, as the uncountable number This image captures a
In the course of processing other avenues of expression. of star-trail pictures will attest. deconstructed cluster, but star
an image, I find myself decon- Some images stick in my Seips method of painting color is only one aspect of it.
structing it into elements that head for years. Stefan Seips captured pure star color, which The spacing between the rings
are beautiful even when shot of the constellation Crux, is arguably the most attractive of light emphasizes the stellar
extracted from the whole. the Southern Cross (Image #1) element of pinpoints of light. density profile of the cluster.
Details, colors, patterns, and that I first saw in 2004 is one of My image of the Wild Duck The art shines through
even conceptual elements all them. I dont remember being Cluster (M11, Image #2) does because the mesmerizing
play a role in the final result. overwhelmed by it at the time. something similar in a differ- effect of thin concentric circles
Some objects are captivating But it was memorable and ent way. I painted with star- is hard to ignore. This is a
not because of their visual became an unconscious inspi- light by pointing the telescope kind of representational art
appeal, but instead for what ration for an image I created at a star cluster and then rotat- that I find fascinating. Given
they represent. more than 10 years later. ing the camera to create circu- time, it would be great to
For example, a quasar bil- Painting with starlight is lar star trails. You will not get make a collection of photo-
lions of light-years away but common and can be simple to the same result if you take a graphs of different clusters to
picture of a star cluster and see how they differ or perhaps
spin the image in Photoshop. leave the collection unlabeled
The brightness of the painted and try to figure out which
starlight is much fainter image matches a particular
because it is moving across pix- star cluster.
els at a particular rate. In addi- If our pictures capture
tion, many stars lie at the same Musica Universalis (the
distance from the center of Harmony of the Spheres), then
rotation. As the light from the next time you are process-
these stars mixes, the rings ing an image, consider the
formed by star trails will create notes that make up the melo-
a fascinating palette of colors. dies of the cosmos.
BROWSE THE COSMIC IMAGING ARCHIVE AND FIND VIDEO TUTORIALS AT www.Astronomy.com/Block.
68 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
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READER
GALLERY
1. DWARF PILLARS
The Eagle Nebula (M16) is a region
in the constellation Sagittarius that
contains a star cluster and an emission
nebula. This view through Hubble pal-
ette filters covers 1.78 by 1.36 of the
sky. The iconic Pillars of Creation
looking tiny here lie at the images
center. (Four-telescope, four-camera
collaboration, 177 frames with a total
exposure time of 32 hours)
Colin Cooper, Terry Hancock,
Kim Quick, and Gordon Wright
2. IMPACTS GALORE
Clavius Crater is a favorite among
lunar observers because of the many
craterlets of different sizes within and
around it. Clavius is the third-largest
crater on the Moons nearside. It boasts
a diameter of 140 miles (225 kilome-
ters). (12-inch Meade LX200 Schmidt-
Cassegrain telescope at f/18, ZWO
ASI120MM CCD camera plus a red filter,
taken October 23, 2015, at 2h04m UT)
Richard Jakiel 2
70 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
3. MIRROR IN THE DARK
This fascinating shot of a region in
the constellation Taurus combines
the small reflection nebula IC 2087
(center) with the much larger dark
nebula Barnard 22. Areas such as this
one eventually turn into star-forming
regions, which produce open clusters.
(4-inch Takahashi FSQ-106 refractor,
SBIG STL-11000 CCD camera, LRGB
image with 10 hours total exposure)
Robert Fields
4. COMPELLING
CONCENTRICITY
NGC 488 is a beautiful, delicately
wound spiral galaxy some 90 million
light-years away in the constellation
Pisces the Fish. The blue regions along
the spiral arms are newly formed star
3 clusters. (32-inch Schulman Telescope,
SBIG STX-16803 CCD camera, LRGB
image with exposures of 12, 5, 5, and
5 hours, respectively) Adam Block/
Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University
of Arizona
5. SCARLET SURPRISE
Open cluster NGC 1528 lies to the
upper right in this image, and the
less-rich open cluster NGC 1545 is at
the lower left. The arrow points to HIP
19931, an ultra-red carbon star. All lie
in the constellation Perseus. (4-inch
Sky Watcher Esprit 100ED refractor,
QHYCCD QHY9M CCD camera, LRGB
image with three 5-minute exposures
through each filter) Jaspal Chadha
W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 71
7. CATALINA CRUISING
Comet Catalina (C/2013 US 10) gives
off a distinct greenish glow and sports
a complex tail in this image from early
October 2015. On this date it was in the
southern constellation Centaurus. (12-
inch Astro Systeme Austria astrograph
at f/3.6, FLI ML-8300 CCD camera, LRGB
image with exposures of 12, 5, 5, and 5
minutes, respectively, taken October 3,
2015, from Farm Tivoli, Namibia)
Gerald Rhemann
8. SURPRISE STREAK
While shooting the aurora borealis
last fall, this photographer captured a
Taurid meteor. Even two seconds was
enough to overexpose the Moon, one
day past its Last Quarter phase. (Canon
5D Mark III, Rokinon manual lens set
at 14mm and f/4, ISO 1250, 2-second
exposure, taken November 4, 2015,
at 2:58 A.M. Alaska Time, near Palmer,
Alaska) Matt Skinner
72 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
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W W W.ASTR ONOMY.COM 73
BREAK
THROUGH
Through a
lens, darkly
The Hubble Space Tele-
scope has gone deep
before, but never has it
plumbed the universes
depths as it is doing in the
three-year Frontier Fields
program. Hubble has tar-
geted six massive galaxy
clusters, each of which
acts as a gravitational
lens to amplify, smear,
and stretch the faint light
from background objects.
The program already
has discovered some
250 small galaxies from
when the cosmos was just
600900 million years
old. This foreground clus-
ter, cataloged as MACS
J0717.5+3745, lies 5.4 bil-
lion light-years away. It is
one of the most massive
clusters known and the
largest identified gravi-
tational lens. NASA/ESA/THE HST
FRONTIER FIELDS TEAM (STS CI)
74 A ST R O N O M Y MAR CH 2016
The Sky-Watcher USA Star Adventurer multi-purpose mount is perfect for
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SOUTHERN
SKY MARTIN GEORGE describes the solar systems changing landscape
as it appears in Earths southern sky.
MAGNITUDES
Sirius Open cluster
0.0 Globular cluster
1.0
Diffuse nebula
2.0
3.0 Planetary nebula
4.0
5.0 Galaxy
HOW TO USE THIS MAP: This map portrays
the sky as seen near 30 south latitude.
Located inside the border are the four
MAY 2016
directions: north, south, east, and
west. To find stars, hold the map Calendar of events
overhead and orient it so a
direction label matches the 2 The Moon passes 1.7 north of 21 The Moon passes 6 north of
direction youre facing. Neptune, 11h UT Mars, 20h UT
The stars above the
maps horizon now 5 The Moon passes 2 south of Full Moon occurs at 21h14m UT
match whats Uranus, 3h UT
Mercury is stationary, 22h UT
in the sky.
Eta Aquariid meteor
shower peaks 22 Mars is at opposition, 11h UT
STAR COLORS:
Stars true colors
depend on surface
temperature. Hot
stars glow blue; slight-
ly cooler ones, white;
intermediate stars (like
the Sun), yellow; followed
by orange and, ultimately, red.
Fainter stars cant excite our eyes
color receptors, and so appear white
without optical aid.
with you
ASTRONOMY S
DIGITAL EDITION lets you:
Link to website content, blogs, advertisers websites, audio, and video.
Zoom in and magnify to see all the details of Astronomys stunning images.
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