Comet Hyakutake Passes the Earth
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091216.html
In March, 1996, The comet Hyakutake passed by Earth within one-tenth of an AU. In this picture, the tail, which consists of dust and ions, is easily visible behind the very bright main body of the comet. The end of the tail was distorted because of a magnetic disconnection event. The coma contains a nucleus of ice that is about five kilometers across. Hyakutake emitted X-rays, which may have been caused by interaction with solar wind particles. Hyakutake may have been seen by Magdalenians 17,000 years ago, and is not expected to pass Earth for another 100,000 years.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
APOD 2.5
The Colors of IC 1795
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091210.html
IC 1795 is a star-forming region in the direction of Cassiopeia. This picture displays the nebula's gas and dust clouds. Interstellar matter consists mostly of gas, with some dust. 99% is gas, and of this, 75% is hydrogen. The dust is often made up of carbon, silicates, and ice. IC 1975 also contains sulfur. In the picture, blue corresponds to oxygen, green to hydrogen, and red to sulfur. IC 1975 is close in the sky to IC 1805 and the Double Cluster of Perseus.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091210.html
IC 1795 is a star-forming region in the direction of Cassiopeia. This picture displays the nebula's gas and dust clouds. Interstellar matter consists mostly of gas, with some dust. 99% is gas, and of this, 75% is hydrogen. The dust is often made up of carbon, silicates, and ice. IC 1975 also contains sulfur. In the picture, blue corresponds to oxygen, green to hydrogen, and red to sulfur. IC 1975 is close in the sky to IC 1805 and the Double Cluster of Perseus.
Friday, December 4, 2009
APOD 2.4
Polar Ring Galaxy NGC 660
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091203.html
This is a picture of NGC 660, a polar ring galaxy in the constellation Pisces. In a polar ring galaxy, stars, gas, and dust orbit in a ring around a central disk. This type of galaxy may result from a collision of two galaxies, or from the capture of matter from another galaxy. NGC 660 is 20 million light years away and its ring is 40,000 light years across. NGC 660 is one of only a few known polar ring galaxies, and its central disk consists of a super massive star cluster.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091203.html
This is a picture of NGC 660, a polar ring galaxy in the constellation Pisces. In a polar ring galaxy, stars, gas, and dust orbit in a ring around a central disk. This type of galaxy may result from a collision of two galaxies, or from the capture of matter from another galaxy. NGC 660 is 20 million light years away and its ring is 40,000 light years across. NGC 660 is one of only a few known polar ring galaxies, and its central disk consists of a super massive star cluster.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Observations 2.1
11/7/09
9:10 PM
There were a few low wispy clouds, but most of the sky was visible.
I recognized the following from 9:10 to 9:50:
Jupiter, the Summer Triangle, Cygnus, Lyra, Altair, Cassiopeia, and Pegasus.
11/8/09
9:00 PM
I saw the usual constellations, including Cygnus, Lyra, Altair, and Cassiopeia, and newer ones that I have not often observed, such as Pegasus, Andromeda, Perseus, and Aquarius.
11/17/09
12:00 AM
I saw Mars, Leo, and the Summer Triangle.
From 12-1 AM, I counted 7 meteors from the direction of Leo.
From 1-2 AM, I saw another 7 from Leo and 1 from a different direction.
From 2-2:45 AM, I counted 4 meteors.
9:10 PM
There were a few low wispy clouds, but most of the sky was visible.
I recognized the following from 9:10 to 9:50:
Jupiter, the Summer Triangle, Cygnus, Lyra, Altair, Cassiopeia, and Pegasus.
11/8/09
9:00 PM
I saw the usual constellations, including Cygnus, Lyra, Altair, and Cassiopeia, and newer ones that I have not often observed, such as Pegasus, Andromeda, Perseus, and Aquarius.
11/17/09
12:00 AM
I saw Mars, Leo, and the Summer Triangle.
From 12-1 AM, I counted 7 meteors from the direction of Leo.
From 1-2 AM, I saw another 7 from Leo and 1 from a different direction.
From 2-2:45 AM, I counted 4 meteors.
APOD 2.3
Meteor between the Clouds
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091120.html
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091120.html
This is a picture of a meteor in South African skies on November 15. The meteor was likely part of the Leonid shower. This meteor shower occurs annually and originates from the Tempel-Tuttle comet in the constellation Leo. Material released from the comet is visible from Earth because the comet’s orbit intersects Earth’s. The meteor captured had a very long tail, and happened to pass between the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, which are irregular dwarf galaxies that may orbit the Milky Way.
Friday, November 13, 2009
APOD 2.2
Young Stars in the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/
This is a picture of part of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud, a relatively close star-forming region that is in the constellation Ophiuchus. The glow is created by new stars that heat the surrounding dust; it is in the form of infrared light. Some of the stars in the region are 300,000 years old, which is very young for a star. The picture was taken from the Spitzer space telescope. This telescope was launched in 2003 and follows a heliocentric orbit, which is unusual because most space telescopes orbit Earth.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/
This is a picture of part of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud, a relatively close star-forming region that is in the constellation Ophiuchus. The glow is created by new stars that heat the surrounding dust; it is in the form of infrared light. Some of the stars in the region are 300,000 years old, which is very young for a star. The picture was taken from the Spitzer space telescope. This telescope was launched in 2003 and follows a heliocentric orbit, which is unusual because most space telescopes orbit Earth.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
APOD 2.1
Seven Sisters Versus California
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091103.html
The Pleiades star cluster, or the Seven Sisters or M45, is a group of around 3000 stars that are about the same age; they were formed in a cloud of dust and gas. The cluster is 400 light years away and easy to see. The bluish coloring is caused by dust that reflects light from the stars. M45 is an open cluster, which means the stars are only loosely bound together by their gravitational forces. Also in this picture is the California nebula, which is not as easily visible as the Pleiades. It consists mainly of glowing hydrogen gas.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091103.html
The Pleiades star cluster, or the Seven Sisters or M45, is a group of around 3000 stars that are about the same age; they were formed in a cloud of dust and gas. The cluster is 400 light years away and easy to see. The bluish coloring is caused by dust that reflects light from the stars. M45 is an open cluster, which means the stars are only loosely bound together by their gravitational forces. Also in this picture is the California nebula, which is not as easily visible as the Pleiades. It consists mainly of glowing hydrogen gas.
Friday, October 23, 2009
APOD 1.8
A Solar Prominence Erupts in STEREO
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091020.html
This is a picture of a large prominence that erupted from the Sun. It was taken by one of the STEREO satellites. NASA launched the STEREO, or Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, satellites to be able to view the Sun from two perspectives. They orbit the Sun along Earth's path, but one is ahead of Earth and one is behind. Solar prominences are suspended in magnetic fields and are made up of hot plasma. This particular prominence was very powerful, and was visible for 30 hours.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091020.html
This is a picture of a large prominence that erupted from the Sun. It was taken by one of the STEREO satellites. NASA launched the STEREO, or Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, satellites to be able to view the Sun from two perspectives. They orbit the Sun along Earth's path, but one is ahead of Earth and one is behind. Solar prominences are suspended in magnetic fields and are made up of hot plasma. This particular prominence was very powerful, and was visible for 30 hours.
Observations 3
10/14/09
(Stargaze)
8:15 PM
The Saggitarius and the tail of Scorpius were low above the horizon to the southwest.
Arcturus was setting to the west-northwest.
Jupiter was visible to the south-southeast. Four of its moons could be seen through the telescope.
We looked at Polaris with the telescope and saw the two stars that actually make Polaris a double star. The dimmer one was at the 10:00 position from the brighter one.
We saw Sagitta, the Arrow, and the coat hanger formation of stars slightly north of it.
Hercules was to the west, around 12 degrees below Vega. We saw M13 and the keystone asterism.
Cassiopeia and Cepheus were visible to the north.
9:00 PM
At this time, four first magnitude stars were visible: Altair, Deneb, Vega, and Fomalhaut.
Pegasus was rising in the east.
M31, the Andromeda galaxy, was to the northeast; we looked at it through the telescope.
One of Jupiter's moons was making a transit across the planet. A small black dot was visible on Jupiter. As time passed, we could tell that the dot's position on the planet changed as the moon progressed through its transit, which may have lasted around two hours.
(Stargaze)
8:15 PM
The Saggitarius and the tail of Scorpius were low above the horizon to the southwest.
Arcturus was setting to the west-northwest.
Jupiter was visible to the south-southeast. Four of its moons could be seen through the telescope.
We looked at Polaris with the telescope and saw the two stars that actually make Polaris a double star. The dimmer one was at the 10:00 position from the brighter one.
We saw Sagitta, the Arrow, and the coat hanger formation of stars slightly north of it.
Hercules was to the west, around 12 degrees below Vega. We saw M13 and the keystone asterism.
Cassiopeia and Cepheus were visible to the north.
9:00 PM
At this time, four first magnitude stars were visible: Altair, Deneb, Vega, and Fomalhaut.
Pegasus was rising in the east.
M31, the Andromeda galaxy, was to the northeast; we looked at it through the telescope.
One of Jupiter's moons was making a transit across the planet. A small black dot was visible on Jupiter. As time passed, we could tell that the dot's position on the planet changed as the moon progressed through its transit, which may have lasted around two hours.
APOD 1.7
Fireball Meteor Over Groningen
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091015.html
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Astronomer Report
FRANCESCO GRIMALDI
Francesco Maria Grimaldi was an Italian physicist, astronomer, and priest. He was born in Bologna, Italy on April 2, 1618. He grew up in a wealthy family; his father was a silk merchant and his mother owned a chemist shop.
When he was fourteen, Grimaldi decided to become a Jesuit. While preparing to become a priest, he found that he enjoyed his scientific education. He worked with Giambattista Riccioli, another priest, who was also interested in science. One of Riccioli’s goals was to refute the findings of Galileo in order to support the Catholic church’s beliefs. To do this, he and Grimaldi performed experiments with free fall; however, they found that the distance an object falls is proportional to the square of the time taken, thereby verifying rather than disproving Galileo.
Grimaldi’s most important contribution to science was in the field of optics: he discovered the diffraction of light. He shined a beam of light through a small opening in a screen and observed that it appeared to take on a conic shape after passing through the hole. Moreover, when he placed an object between the screen and the surface behind it, the object’s shadow was wider than expected. He concluded that the light bent as it passed through the opening in the screen and around the object. Grimaldi called this phenomenon “diffraction”, which was derived from the word for the pattern left in a ship’s wake. This important discovery provided support for the wave theory of light, thereby furthering the debate over the dual nature of light. Grimaldi’s discoveries would influence Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton, among others.
Francesco Grimaldi also observed that when light passed through two small openings and fell on a screen, the region where both beams overlapped was darker than the portions on either side where the screen was lit by only one beam. Grimaldi came up with the somewhat convoluted idea that the addition of light to an illuminated object could make it darker. The principle of interference was what was really behind Grimaldi’s discovery. This principle was later used by scientists such as Young and Fresnel.
Grimaldi also observed the dispersion of light through a prism, but did not fully explain the wave behavior of refraction.
Grimaldi’s work was published after his death in his book, Physicomathesis de lumine, coloribus, et iride, aliisque annexis.
Grimaldi’s contributions to astronomy were mostly related to the moon. With regards to physics and astronomy, Grimaldi was more of an experimentalist than a theorist. He designed and built various astronomical devices, some of which aided him in creating his map of the moon. He used a telescope with a micrometer and crosshairs to complete this map, which was one of the most complete and accurate lunar maps at the time. He was partly responsible for the nomenclature of lunar features, which was mainly devised by Riccioli in his book, Almagestum Novum. This book was primarily a defense of the Catholic church’s stance on certain scientific theories, but in one section Riccioli included Grimaldi drawings of the moon along with this new system of nomenclature, which is still used today. The Grimaldi Crater on the moon is named after Francesco Grimaldi.
In addition to his work regarding the moon, Grimaldi helped calculate Bologna’s meridian line, and he prepared star charts. He also observed that Saturn’s shape was not circular, but elliptical.
Francesco Maria Grimaldi was an Italian physicist, astronomer, and priest. He was born in Bologna, Italy on April 2, 1618. He grew up in a wealthy family; his father was a silk merchant and his mother owned a chemist shop.
When he was fourteen, Grimaldi decided to become a Jesuit. While preparing to become a priest, he found that he enjoyed his scientific education. He worked with Giambattista Riccioli, another priest, who was also interested in science. One of Riccioli’s goals was to refute the findings of Galileo in order to support the Catholic church’s beliefs. To do this, he and Grimaldi performed experiments with free fall; however, they found that the distance an object falls is proportional to the square of the time taken, thereby verifying rather than disproving Galileo.
Grimaldi’s most important contribution to science was in the field of optics: he discovered the diffraction of light. He shined a beam of light through a small opening in a screen and observed that it appeared to take on a conic shape after passing through the hole. Moreover, when he placed an object between the screen and the surface behind it, the object’s shadow was wider than expected. He concluded that the light bent as it passed through the opening in the screen and around the object. Grimaldi called this phenomenon “diffraction”, which was derived from the word for the pattern left in a ship’s wake. This important discovery provided support for the wave theory of light, thereby furthering the debate over the dual nature of light. Grimaldi’s discoveries would influence Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton, among others.
Francesco Grimaldi also observed that when light passed through two small openings and fell on a screen, the region where both beams overlapped was darker than the portions on either side where the screen was lit by only one beam. Grimaldi came up with the somewhat convoluted idea that the addition of light to an illuminated object could make it darker. The principle of interference was what was really behind Grimaldi’s discovery. This principle was later used by scientists such as Young and Fresnel.
Grimaldi also observed the dispersion of light through a prism, but did not fully explain the wave behavior of refraction.
Grimaldi’s work was published after his death in his book, Physicomathesis de lumine, coloribus, et iride, aliisque annexis.
Grimaldi’s contributions to astronomy were mostly related to the moon. With regards to physics and astronomy, Grimaldi was more of an experimentalist than a theorist. He designed and built various astronomical devices, some of which aided him in creating his map of the moon. He used a telescope with a micrometer and crosshairs to complete this map, which was one of the most complete and accurate lunar maps at the time. He was partly responsible for the nomenclature of lunar features, which was mainly devised by Riccioli in his book, Almagestum Novum. This book was primarily a defense of the Catholic church’s stance on certain scientific theories, but in one section Riccioli included Grimaldi drawings of the moon along with this new system of nomenclature, which is still used today. The Grimaldi Crater on the moon is named after Francesco Grimaldi.
In addition to his work regarding the moon, Grimaldi helped calculate Bologna’s meridian line, and he prepared star charts. He also observed that Saturn’s shape was not circular, but elliptical.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Observations 2
10/6/09
6:50 AM
Venus was about 18 degrees above the horizon to the east.
Mercury was 6 degrees below Venus, about 12 degrees above the horizon.
Trees blocked up to 9 degrees above the horizon so I couldn't see Saturn.
The full moon was 26 degrees above the horizon to the west.
10/7/09
6:50 AM
Venus was around 14 or 16 degrees above the horizon to the east.
Mercury was around 10 degrees above the horizon.
The moon was around 34-38 degrees above the horizon to the west.
10/8/09
6:50 AM
Venus was 15 degrees above the horizon to the east.
Mercury was 5 degrees below Venus.
The moon is in the waning gibbous stage and was 42 degrees above the horizon to the west.
10:06 PM
Jupiter 36 degrees above the horizon slightly west of south.
10:20 PM
Vega, Deneb, and Altair were all nearly overhead. Vega was more to the west and Altair was more to the south.
I was able distinguish Aquila and Cygnus, both nearly overhead with Aquila more to the south, before passing clouds obscured most of the sky.
10:33 PM
I could see Cassiopeia through the clouds to the northeast, between 33 and 39 degrees above the horizon.
10/9/09
6:45 AM
Mercury was 9 degrees above the horizon, Saturn was 11 degrees above the horizon, and Venus was 16 degrees above the horizon, all to the east.
The waning gibbous moon was 48 degrees above the horizon to the west.
Observations 1
9/27/09
9:15 PM
There were some low wispy clouds but some areas of the sky were clear. Many stars were visible, but faint.
The moon was slightly past first quarter, about 38 degrees above the horizon to the southwest.
Jupiter or possibly a bright star was 32 degrees above the horizon to the southwest,about 15 degrees more south of the moon.
9:15 PM
There were some low wispy clouds but some areas of the sky were clear. Many stars were visible, but faint.
The moon was slightly past first quarter, about 38 degrees above the horizon to the southwest.
Jupiter or possibly a bright star was 32 degrees above the horizon to the southwest,about 15 degrees more south of the moon.
9/30/09
(Stargaze)
(Stargaze)
8:30 PM
Clouds obscured most of the sky but the moon and Jupiter were visible until around 8:45 at Siesta Key beach. They were about 9 degrees apart in the sky to the south-southeast.
10/4/09
9:42 PM
The very bright full moon was around 27 degrees above the horizon to the east(?).
Jupiter was 36 degrees above the horizon to the south.
I couldn't spot any of the constellations I know.
10/4/09
9:42 PM
The very bright full moon was around 27 degrees above the horizon to the east(?).
Jupiter was 36 degrees above the horizon to the south.
I couldn't spot any of the constellations I know.
APOD 1.6
Starburst Galacy IC 10
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091009.html
The galaxy IC 10 is relatively close to us at 2.3 million light-years away. It is located in the constellation Cassiopeia. IC 10 is a starburst galaxy, as supported by the reddish glow that indicates star-forming regions. This means that stars are being created at a very high rate, which could be tens or hundreds of times faster than the galaxy's usual rate when it is not experiencing a starburst period. Starbursts may be caused by the collions of two galaxies, which would produce shock waves that cause clouds of dust and gas to collapse and form stars. IC 10 may contain a black hole.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091009.html
The galaxy IC 10 is relatively close to us at 2.3 million light-years away. It is located in the constellation Cassiopeia. IC 10 is a starburst galaxy, as supported by the reddish glow that indicates star-forming regions. This means that stars are being created at a very high rate, which could be tens or hundreds of times faster than the galaxy's usual rate when it is not experiencing a starburst period. Starbursts may be caused by the collions of two galaxies, which would produce shock waves that cause clouds of dust and gas to collapse and form stars. IC 10 may contain a black hole.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Works Cited
"CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Francesco Maria Grimaldi." NEW ADVENT: Home. Web.
"Francesco M. Grimaldi, S.J."
Graves, Dan. Scientists of faith forty-eight biographies of historic scientists and their Christian faith.
"Grimaldi, Francesco Maria - ninemsn Encarta." Ninemsn Encarta : Online Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Atlas, and Study. Web.
APOD 1.5
Comet and Orion
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091002.html
These pictures show a come traveling across the Great Orion Nebula over the course of one day. The Great Orion Nebula is a stellar nursery, which means stars are created there. Comets are relatively small objects that orbit the Sun; they usually exhibit a fuzzy tail. They are made up of ice, dust, and rocky particles. The comet in the pictures, Comet 217P Linear, orbits beyond Jupiter at its farthest point from the Sun and just beyond Earth's orbit at its closest point.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091002.html
These pictures show a come traveling across the Great Orion Nebula over the course of one day. The Great Orion Nebula is a stellar nursery, which means stars are created there. Comets are relatively small objects that orbit the Sun; they usually exhibit a fuzzy tail. They are made up of ice, dust, and rocky particles. The comet in the pictures, Comet 217P Linear, orbits beyond Jupiter at its farthest point from the Sun and just beyond Earth's orbit at its closest point.
Friday, September 25, 2009
APOD 1.4
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090925.html
Gigagalaxy Zoom: Galactic Center
This picture is a mosaic that is made up of 1200 separate pictures taken over the course of twenty-nine days. It depicts the center of the Milky Way, which is in the direction of Saggitarius. It shows many of the nebulae and star clusters that are present in the center of our galaxy, including the Lagoon and Cat's Paw nebulae. The Lagoon nebula is also known as M8 and is an emission nebula. The Cat's Paw nebula, located in Scorpius, is also known as NGC 6334 and it is an emission nebula as well.
Gigagalaxy Zoom: Galactic Center
This picture is a mosaic that is made up of 1200 separate pictures taken over the course of twenty-nine days. It depicts the center of the Milky Way, which is in the direction of Saggitarius. It shows many of the nebulae and star clusters that are present in the center of our galaxy, including the Lagoon and Cat's Paw nebulae. The Lagoon nebula is also known as M8 and is an emission nebula. The Cat's Paw nebula, located in Scorpius, is also known as NGC 6334 and it is an emission nebula as well.
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