Tonight's Astro Event is Canceled 4/22

The Indoor / Outdoor Astro Event for tonight at PVCC is
canceled due to weather. See you at the next awesome, fun,
interesting PAS event!!! Enjoy your evening.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

9 Planets Found

Received from Matt:

Astronomers find 9 new planets and upset the theory of planetary formation from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-04/uoc--afn041310.php (Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– The discovery of nine new planets challenges the reigning theory of the formation of planets, according to new observations by astronomers. Two of the astronomers involved in the discoveries are based at the UC Santa Barbara-affiliated Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT), based in Goleta, Calif., near UCSB. Unlike the planets in our solar system, two of the newly discovered planets are orbiting in the opposite direction to the rotation of their host star. This, along with a recent study of other exoplanets, upsets the primary theory of how planets are formed. There is a preponderance of these planets with their orbital spin going opposite to that of their parent star. They are called exoplanets because they are located outside of our solar system. These and other related discoveries are being presented at the UK National Astronomy Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, this week. This is the first public mention of the new planets and the research will be described in upcoming scientific journal articles. "Planet evolution theorists now have to explain how so many planets came to be orbiting like this," said Tim Lister, a project scientist at LCOGT. Lister leads a major part of the observational campaigns along with Rachel Street of LCOGT, Andrew Cameron of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and Didier Queloz, of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland. Data from LCOGT was instrumental in confirming the new planet discoveries. By adding these nine new "transiting" planets, the number of known transiting planets has grown from 71 to 80. A transit occurs when a celestial body passes in front of its host star and blocks some of the star's light. This type of eclipse causes a small drop in the apparent brightness of the star and enables the planet's mass, diameter, density, and temperature to be deduced. After the initial detection of the new exoplanets by the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP), the team of astronomers combined data from LCOGT's 2.0-meter Faulkes Telescopes in Hawaii and Australia with follow-up from other telescopes to confirm the discoveries and characterize the planets. The planets are revolving around nearby stars in our galaxy within 1,000 light years of our sun. Their stars are located in the constellations Pegasus, Virgo, Pisces, and Andromeda in the northern hemisphere, and Eridanus, Hydra, Cetus, and Phoenix in the southern hemisphere. The nine planets are called "Hot Jupiters." These planets are giant gas planets that orbit close to their star. In the 15 years since the first Hot Jupiters were discovered, their origin has been a puzzle. Because they are both large and close, they are easier to detect from their gravitational effect on their stars, and more likely to transit the disk of the star. Most of the first exoplanets discovered were of this type. The cores of giant planets are thought to form from a mix of rock and ice particles found only in the cold outer reaches of planetary systems. Hot Jupiters, therefore, must form far from their star and subsequently migrate inwards over the course of a few million years. Many astronomers believed this could happen due to gravitational interactions with the disk of dust from which they formed, which might have also subsequently formed Earth-like rocky planets. However, these new results suggest that this may not be the whole story, because it does not explain how planets end up orbiting in a direction contrary that of the disk. According to the research team, the best alternative migration theory suggests that the proximity of Hot Jupiters to their stars is not due to interactions with the dust disk at all, but to a slower evolution involving a gravitational tug-of-war with more distant planetary or stellar companions over hundreds of millions of years. Bounced onto a tilted and elongated orbit, a wandering gas giant would suffer tidal friction every time it swung close to the star, eventually becoming parked in a near circular, but randomly tilted orbit close to the star. "In this scenario, smaller planets in orbits similar to Earth's are unlikely to survive," said Rachel Street. ### Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a worldwide network of robotically controlled telescopes, which will enable astronomers to observe 24 hours a day, from both hemispheres. Currently, LCOGT operates two 2.0-meter telescopes: Faulkes North in Maui, Hawaii, and Faulkes South in New South Wales, Australia. LCOGT also has a telescope in Sedgwick Reserve, a nature reserve in Central California funded and managed by UC and UCSB. Over the course of the next few years, an armada of telescopes will be commissioned, distributed over six sites in both hemispheres of the globe, all controlled from LCOGT's headquarters in Goleta, Calif. These new facilities will be one of the largest networks of telescopes in the world, and will be an unprecedented tool for exploring the dynamic nature of a range of astrophysical phenomena. LCOGT's flexible approach to scheduling means the network provides responsive and highly efficient follow-up for large-scale surveys such as WASP. LCOGT is affiliated with neighboring UC Santa Barbara.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Space Shuttle Re-Entry for Mon Apr 19

Space Weather News for April 18, 2010
http://spaceweather.com

SPACE SHUTTLE RE-ENTRY: On Monday morning, April 19th, space shuttle Discovery will make a rare "descending node" reentry over the continental United States. The returning spacecraft will pass over or close to many towns and cities en route to landing in Florida at 8:48 am EDT, including Fort Peck Lake, Montana; Pierre, South Dakota; Sioux City, Iowa; St. Louis, Missouri; Tupelo, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama, and Jacksonville, Florida. Observers along western parts of the ground track could see the shuttle blazing through pre-dawn darkness. As Discovery makes its way east, it will enter daylight and fade into the bright blue background. If you can't see the shuttle, however, you might be able to hear it. The shuttle produces a sonic double-boom that reaches the ground about a minute and a half after passing overhead. Check http://spaceweather.com for maps and more information.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Amazing Liftoff

Space Weather News for April 5, 2010http://spaceweather.com
AMAZING LIFTOFF: This morning, space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral at the crack of dawn. Longtime shuttle watchers say it was one of the most remarkable launches of the 30-year program. Discovery resembled a comet arcing across the sky as sunrise rays played across the ship's icy exhaust, creating an artificial noctilucent cloud. Images and eyewitness accounts are featured on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.
GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A sharp gust of solar wind hit Earth's magnetosphere today, April 5th, at approximately 0800 UT and sparked the strongest geomagnetic storm of the year. The event registered 7 on the 0-to-9 Kindex scale of magnetic disturbances. Although the storm is subsiding now, it is not over; high-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. Latest images may be found in the gallery: http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/gallery_01apr10_page3.htm

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Space Shuttle Apr 5th

Space Weather News for April 3, 2010
http://spaceweather.com

SPACE SHUTTLE SKY SHOW: On Monday morning, April 5th, thousands of people gathered in Florida to witness the launch of space shuttle Discovery may get more than they bargained for. Just fifteen minutes before the shuttle takes off, the International Space Station (ISS) will fly over the launch site. The station's path across the dawn sky takes it right past the gibbous Moon--a beautiful close encounter! Photographers should be prepared for the ISS at 6:06 am EDT followed by Discovery's launch at 6:21 am EDT. Sky watchers with iPhones can prepare themselves by downloading our Simple Satellite Tracker (http://simpleflybys.com); it will guide you to the ISS and count down to the flyby so you can't miss it.

SUNSET PLANETS: This is for everyone. Venus and Mercury are having a close encounter on April 3rd and 4th. Look west at sunset to see the two bright planets beaming through the twilight only 3 degrees apart. Sky maps, pictures and more information may be found at http://spaceweather.com

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Asteroid to hide nakey eye star

Big event!!!

Received from Sky & Telescope:

For millions of people next Monday night/early Tuesday morning, April 5-6, 2010, the naked-eye star Zeta (ζ) Ophiuchi will be occulted for up to 8 seconds when a passing asteroid, 824 Anastasia, blocks it from view. The 25-mile-wide path for seeing this event goes right over the Los Angeles region at about 3:34 a.m. PDT, then up through parts of Nevada, Idaho, western Montana, and finally almost right over the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, around 4:40 a.m. MDT.

This is the brightest asteroidal occultation (eclipse) ever predicted for North America involving an asteroid this large. The International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA) encourages as many as possible to try to see and time the event. This will let us obtain a detailed outline of the asteroid and accurately measure its size and shape.

Not just amateur astronomers, but anyone with the most rudimentary knowledge of the sky can find the 2.5- magnitude star from the chart at right. Seeing a star suddenly vanish, then abruptly reappear several seconds later, is something you never forget.

Basically, try to time the start and duration of the eclipse with whatever resources you have, even if that's just your eyes and ability to count. You don't even need binoculars — although, if steadily held (such as against a fence post), binoculars would give a better view.

The star is bright enough to record with many camcorders, especially those with "night" modes. Very accurate observations can be made with such camcorders, so if you have one you are encouraged to use it. Time accurate enough for this event can be obtained here.

Much more information, links to detailed maps of the path, and ways to time this event with simple techniques are given on this page that Brad Timerson has put on IOTA's website. Here's one example:

After collecting as many reports, our findings will be posted on IOTA's asteroidal occultation results website. (Take a look at it now for an idea of the information we've learned from other such events.)

We look forward to adding your observation to the outline of Anastasia that we hope to obtain following the April 6th occultation.

Spreading the Word

If you are in the region of possible visibility (Southern California to Alberta), I urge you to pass this information on to friends, and especially to distribute it on astronomical society list servers so that nearly everyone in organized astronomy clubs throughout the region can learn of this rare event. You might even contact local media and help them prepare short messages pointing to the website page already mentioned. For general consumption, I recommend using the more familiar term "eclipse" rather than "occultation," but you can explain that "occultation" is the astronomical term used for phenomena like this.

Note: If you are viewing the e-mailed version of this AstroAlert, the pictures may not display properly. If that's the case, or to check for possible updates leading up to the event, look at the version of this AstroAlert on Sky & Telescope's website:

• SkyandTelescope.com/resources/proamcollab/astroalert/

Also stay tuned to S&T's observing highlights.

Click here to subscribe to Sky & Telescope, the essential magazine of astronomy.

Good luck, and clear skies!

David W. Dunham
Contributing Editor, Sky & Telescope
President, IOTA
Office e-mail: david.dunham@kinetx.com

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Radio Active Sunspot

Space Weather News for March 29, 2010
http://spaceweather.com

"RADIO-ACTIVE" SUNSPOT: Over the weekend, big sunspot 1057 emitted a series of radio bursts that caused roaring sounds to issue from the loudspeakers of shortwave receivers. Visit today's edition of http://spaceweather.com to hear a sample "roar" and to find out how you can build your own solar radio burst monitor.

FIRST FULL MOON OF NORTHERN SPRING: According to folklore, tonight's full Moon has a special name--the Worm Moon. It signals the coming of northern spring, a thawing of the soil, and the first stirrings of earthworms in long-dormant gardens. Step outside tonight and behold the wakening landscape. "Worm moonlight" is prettier than it sounds.

SHUTTLE SIGHTINGS: Space shuttle Discovery is set to launch to the International Space Station on April 5th. During the 13-day mission, the two spaceships will make a series of bright flybys over North America. Check the Simple Satellite Tracker for viewing opportunities: http://spaceweather.com/flybys. And don't forget, there's an app for that, too: http://simpleflybys.com

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Balloon & Duct Tape

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/03/25/1736252/Balloon-and-Duct-Tape-Deliver-Great-Space-Photos

This link sent to me by my hubby.

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

ISS from 1998 to 2008

Got this article from my good friend Steve,

Subject: International Space Station
This is fast-moving but impressive.
Look at what happened from 1998 until 2008. In just ten years it
has grown and grown. Watch the pieces come together as they are
sent up from Earth. This is the International Space Station (ISS)
Assembly diagram, piece by piece. I had no idea the Space Station
had grown to this size. This is really cool.....
What a piece of engineering!!
Click here:
http://i.usatoday.net/tech/graphics/iss_timeline/flash.htm

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society

Scale of the Universe

This is a well written piece about the scale of the universe .....
http://anotherj.blogspot.com/2010/02/space-and-numbers.html
-- Bob

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Terri, Events Coordinator
Email: Events@PASAz.org
Phoenix Astronomical Society