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September 2012

Cover Image Alison Bossaert


Mars One Interviews

The Night Sky Young Astronomer

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stronomy Wise

Contents
4. Lets Talk Interview with Nick Howes 8. The Night Sky with 14. Lets Talk Interview with Sophia Nasr 18. Android Astronomy & Space Apps. 20. Exploring the Sun - our local Super Star 24. The Region of the Summer Stars 30. Dwarf Planets 32. Latest Image for Curiosity 34. September Lunar Occultations 36. Astronomer Profile: Jason Ives 38. Book Review: Ninian G Boyle In the Lions Paw 40. Death from Outer Space 43. Curiosity Images 44. Young Astronomer 46. Mars One 52. The Future Of Space Exploration 60. Occultations Table 70. Home And Away

Image: Crab Nebula (NASA)

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Whos Who?
Editor & Co founder Dave Bood Writer & CO founder: Jason Ives Page Layout/Writer: Edward Dutton Night Sky & Writer: John Harper Former director of the occultation section, S.P.A, society for popular astronomy. Writers: Ninian Boyle Andy Devey Zantippy Skiphop Jason Ives John Harper Dave Bood Edward Dutton

Welcome to the September 2012 edition of Astronomy Wise EZine. Well what a month August was, yes an event of major proportions took place, Curiosity successfully landed on Mars. This month we are packed with articles with some new writers. We have the monthly Night Sky from John Harper, articles on our nearest star, Mars, Young Astronomer, Astronomer profiles and much more. We would like to thank everyone who sent in their pictures for Rouges Gallery. Also a big thank you to all who written for Astronomy Wise this month.

Sadly Neil Armstrong passed Away on August 25th 2012. Neil was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930. Neil had a long career flying In the US Navy air force from 1949 to 1952. He had a career as a test pilot and in 1962 Armstrong transferred to astronaut status. Full bio http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/ bios/neilabio.html We would like to offer the Armstrong family our deepest sympathy. Images: NASA

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Lets Talk. Nick Howes (NickAstronomer)


Astronomy Wise is always on the look out to interview interesting people from the world of Astronomy and Science. This month is no exception for we have Nick Howes. Nicks CV includes the ESA and the Faulks Telescope, so we are proud to announce Nick Howes

AW: Nick when did you first become interested in Astronomy and Science? NH: Probably at the age of 7-9. My father took me to see Star Wars at the cinema on release, and between that and the new reports of the Viking Landers and the Voyagers launching, I probably like most kids wanted to be an astronaut. At the age of 9, my grandmother bought me a telescope and a book on space, and I think from that point onwards, I was hooked. AW: Tell us about your work with the ESA NH: I am employed under contract with ESAs Space Science division as a freelance writer, after being approached by one of their science editors Dr Stuart Clark. Im immensely proud to work with some great scientists on some amazing missions like the Herschel Space Observatory, the XMM-Newton X-ray telescope, LISA Pathfinder, and recently a lot with the Mars Express team. I get to work on several great science stories a month, taking research papers and making their amazing science accessible to a wider audience via the ESA Science Portal and website. AW: Briefly can you tell us about the other organisations you are involved with NH: I am the Pro-Am programme manager for the Faulkes Telescope Project, which is a an educational based outreach project aiming to engage school children in Astronomy. We have two almost Hubble sized telescopes based in Hawaii and Australia, which schools and some amateur astronomers have access to for research and educational projects. My main focus is collaborating with other organisations, and Ive proudly set up a big project detecting asteroids with ESA and am currently also working as a research associate with the Lowell Observatory on Trans Nepunian object detection. I mentored and ran a student project in 2011 where we discovered over 40 new asteroids, and catapulted our student Hannah Blyth on to national TV and shortlisted for some amazing science awards, something again I was very proud of.

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Nick Howes, who came up with the idea for the image, and Sir Patrick Moore, host of the BBC's Sky at Night programme.
(http://spaceinfo.com.au/2010/06/07/world-record-moon-image/)

AW: From your twitter profile you mention you are a STEM ambassador, can you tell us what that involves. NH: STEM is science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. This involved me visiting schools and talking about Astronomy. Ive visited several schools to demonstrate solar astronomy and talk about comets. Its something that gives me a huge amount of pleasure, as the questions young kids ask are often the most challenging.

AW:As an Astronomy Consultant who do equipment consultant for 6 years at you offer advice too? What projects have Astronomy Now magazine, and working you been involved with? on advising Faulkes with new projects such as project Snoopy, where were NH: Ive helped specify the entire hunting to the Apollo 10 lunar ascent observatory facility at Grazalema module, as well as all of the asteroid, National Park in Spain, which is an and comet projects I am involved with. educational and public outreach In 2009 I instigated the plan and lead observatory run in conjunction with the University of Glamorgan and the Faulkes the Guinness World record breaking team creating the largest ever Moon Telescope. I am a visiting lecturer for Glamorgan University and also act as the image, working with some of the worlds greatest Astro imagers. technical consultant for Wiltshire Astronomical Society. I was the

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http://www.faulkes-telescope.com/
AW: Can you tell us about the Faulkes telescope project? vast network of additional 1m and 0.4m telescopes all over the world, which will really enhance the NH: This is a fantastic project set up by Dill Faulkes, an entrepreneur science capabilities and also offer more time to schools and high end who invested 10,000,000 of his amateur observers. own money in building two huge telescopes in Hawaii and Siding AW: What are your favourite Spring, Australia. It operates dur- aspects of astronomy? ing school hours in the UK, offering NH: Communication and outreach. kids the chance to control, and im- I run my own observatory from age using two scopes, almost the home, imaging and doing size of Hubble. The scopes are astrometry and photometry on managed by LCOGT, who are in the comets and asteroids, as well as process of building and setting up a using the Faulkes scopes. But

writing about and communicating astronomy to me gives me the best thrill, as it engages others and hopefully encourages them to take up this fantastic hobby. AW: Are you a member of any astronomical societies? NH: I am a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, a member of the Society for Popular Astronomy and on the committee for Wiltshire Astronomical Society. All great to be a part. AW: What do you think is the next big thing in Astronomy or space? NH: Id like to hope it will be clear evidence for life in the universe. Either by exoplanet detection using spectroscopy of interesting planetary atmospheric events, or on Mars from landers like MSL paving the way for hopefully future human exploration and the discovery of microbial lifeforms. The most amazing project to me right now though is probably the three fold triumvirate of the E-ELT, the JWST and the SKA, which between them, will utterly transform our knowledge of the Universe.

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AW: What equipment do you use to view the stars? NH: My home observatory is a range of high end ATIK CCDs, Lumenera cameras, a C11 telescope, and a TMB refractor, which I love and use mostly for comet and nebula imaging. Its all under full remote control from the house, which is helpful in the winter when the -10c temperatures can start to bite. In the world of Astronomy and science who do you admire the most and why? Richard Feynman was my hero growing up. His brilliance in conveying complex ideas to a wide audience, combined wit h humour and humility made him the genius he was. Ive never heard anyone who disagrees with this. Carl Sagan, Neil De-Grasse Tyson for their communication ability, and the Apollo astronauts, for doing something so incredible, and so brave, that they should all be hailed as global heroes, even to this day. AW: In the world of Astronomy and science who do you admire the most and why? NH: Richard Feynman was my hero growing up. His brilliance in conveying complex ideas to a wide audience, combined wit h

humour and humility made him the genius he was. Ive never heard anyone who disagrees with this. Carl Sagan, Neil De-Grasse Tyson for their communication ability, and the Apollo astronauts, for doing something so incredible, and so brave, that they should all be hailed as global heroes, even to this day. AW: Can you tell us about your talks and lectures? NH: I am an FAS listed speaker, and give talks on Solar imaging and astrophotography as well as on comets and asteroids to societies up and down the country. Its been great that I;ve been invited to give talks abroad too, and relish every chance I get to communicate astronomy as passionately as I can. AW: What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in Astronomy? NH: Work hard in Science at school and mathematics, and never give up on your dreams. Do you think Amstrong and Aldrin ever imagined as kids that theyd be the first people to step on to the Moon? Having great teachers and parents helps, but you have to strive on your own if you want something badly. A big thank you to Nick for taking time to answer our questions. Images provided by Nick Howes. Interesting links to websites below. http://www.flickr.com/photos/35527037@N02/ http://spaceisace-nickastronomer.blogspot.co.uk/ www.faulkes-telescope.com

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THE NIGHT SKY: JOHN HARPER


Former director of the occultation section, S.P.A, society for popular astronomy.

The Sun begins the month in the constellation of Leo, but on the 16th at around noon, crosses the astronomical border which separates Leo from Virgo, in which constellation it remains till the month ends. The Autumnal Equinox on Sept 22nd at 14h49 marks the official start of autumn. Day and night are almost equal in length again, and in the northern hemisphere, autumn lasts for 89.85 days. The earth-sun distance at this time is 150,125,903 km.

September is the best month to observe the ethereal Zodiacal Light during the early mornings when the moon is not present in the sky and you are well away from light pollution. Look towards the east before the onset of morning twilight, around 03h30, and you should see a faint cone of light pointing southwards at a steep angle of 60. This phenomenon is caused by the sun illuminating the disc of fine dust, which is the remnant of solar system formation 4.5 thousand million years ago. The best days to observe this morning cone are from the beginning of the month till the 11th, and from the 26th to the end of the month.

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THE MOON
The Moon is at apogee, its farthest from the earth, around 06h01 on the 7th, and at perigee (nearest to the earth) at 02h53 on the 19th. Last Quarter Moon is at 13h16 on the 8th in the constellation of Taurus, near Jupiter. This is one of the highest LQ moons of the year.

New Moon is on the 16th at 02h11; on the Leo-Virgo border 5 south of the sun.

First Quarter Moon takes place at 19h41 on the 22nd, low down in Sagittarius, and is the lowest FQ moon of the year.

Full Moon in Pisces is at 03h19 on the 30th, and is called the Harvest Moon.

Before the days of mechanisation, harvest was a long process and the labourers would have to work well into the night. For several nights before and after Full, the moon rises at about the same time each evening as the sun sets and so its light enabled the harvesters to continue their labours into the night. Look for the Harvest Moon rising almost due east at sunset later that day.

Earthshine may be seen on the dark hemisphere of the waning crescent moon from the 9th to the 15th.

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THE PLANETS
MERCURY It may be possible to glimpse Mercury low in the eastern sky during the first few days of the month. The planet rises 90 mins before the sun at that time and so binoculars will be necessary to glimpse this object at around 05h10 when the sun comes up. Beware however of looking for Mercury when the sun is rising because you may inadvertently catch the sun in your binoculars, which is dangerous as it will damage your eyes. On the 10th, Mercury is at superior conjunction and lies beyond the sun, after which it returns into the evening sky, but because of the low angle of Mercurys orbit in relation to the horizon, will not be seen during the rest of September, nor during the whole of October. VENUS Venus, the glorious morning star, rises between 01h and 02h throughout the month and from then on, shines magnificently in the eastern quadrant of the sky until sunrise; and even then it is still possible to see Venus the brightest planet, against a blue sky if you know exactly where to look. The waning crescent moon and Venus rise together on the morning of the 12th and at 03h are side-by-side 15 above the horizon, with the two Twin stars Castor and Pollux higher in the sky pointing down to them. The angular distance between the moon and Venus at this time is 6.

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MARS Throughout September, Mars sets only 90 mins after the sun and so is a challenging object to locate low in the SW sky as twilight fades. The red planet is now in Libra and approaching the binary star Zubenelgenubi (Alpha Librae). The best time to glimpse Mars is around 19h, when it will be 5 above the horizon.

JUPITER Jupiter rises several minutes earlier on consecutive evenings throughout September, so that on the 1st it rises at 22h, but on the 30th at around 20h. The giant planet is to be found in Taurus 6 to the east of Aldebaran and 16 east of the Pleiades. The gibbous waning moon, almost at last quarter forms a pretty configuration with Jupiter and Aldebaran on the 8th, when at 02h Jupiter is 4 to the lower left of the moon; Aldebaran is 3 to the lower right of the moon. By 05h, just before sunrise, the angular distance between the moon and Jupiter has decreased to 3. As Jupiter is visible in the evening sky at a reasonable hour, you should take the opportunity to observe the Galilean satellites, the four big moons; all you need are firmly fixed binoculars, which shows the moon as tiny star-like points close to the planets disc. It is intriguing to see how they change positions on a daily basis as they orbit the giant planet. SATURN Saturn, like Mars is a difficult object to see as it runs into daylight during the month. Binoculars are necessary to locate the ringed planet, which at 19h is only 6 above the WSW horizon, the same altitude as Mars. Only at the very beginning of the month does it set 90 mins after the sun, but by the months end it sets less than an hour before the sun.

Saturn, like Mars is a difficult object to see as it runs into daylight during the month. Binoculars are necessary to locate the ringed

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URANUS Uranus is at opposition, and opposite the sun in the sky, during the evening of the 29th. The planet, discovered by William Herschel in 1781 is exactly due south at midnight in the constellation of Pisces. At the same time, on the 29th, the almost Full Moon is only 14 to the right of Uranus, so unless you know where to look for this faint planet, it is difficult to spot. When the moon is out of the way during the earlier part of the month, the easiest way to locate Uranus is to use the two eastern stars of the Great Square of Pegasus and project them downwards by the same distance the two stars are apart. The faint star you see in that position is Uranus NEPTUNE If you wish to try to locate Neptune, then during the middle of the month at around 22h30, the planet is due south just less than 3 to the upper left of the star iota Aquarii, which is not excessively bright, but is marked in star atlases.

A minor meteor shower peaks on the 1st, when just before morning twilight begins, you may see up to 8 Alpha Aurigid shooting stars an hour. The radiant, or apparent origin of any meteors seen, is near to the star Capella (Alpha Aurigae). A bright moon in the SSE may interfere though. Constellations visible in the south around midnight, mid-month, are as follows: Aquarius, the western fish of Pisces, sometimes known as The Circlet because of its shape, and the large autumn square of Pegasus. Almost overhead are the great galaxy in Andromeda and the W shaped constellation of Cassiopeia. All times are UT. 1 is one finger width at arms length. Add 1 hour for Local Time (BST)

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LETS TALK
This month we are talking to an Astrophysics Major Sophia Nasr. Follow her on Twitter @pharaoness

AW: Sophia When did you first get an interest in Astronomy? SN: Ive been interested in astronomy since I was very young. Ive always been fascinated with the beauties in our might sky. It began with stars, planets (Saturn and Jupiter in particular) and comets. I remember at a young age Id go out with my mother for meteor showers and watch in delight as they burned up while entering our atmosphere! My interests progressed to the mysteries of black holes and the density and immense gravity of neutron stars and pulsars. AW: Tell us about what you are studying at university SN: I go to York University in Toronto, Canada, and am majoring in astrophysics. In this field, one must have a good grasp of mathematics (Calculus I, Calculus II, multivariable Calculus), some chemistry, and of course, physics (both physics and astrophysics, and in later years, quantum mechanics as well). Thus, these are the courses we take in astrophysics, and in later years, courses become all physics-related.

AW: Tell us about York University Canada? SN: York University is a great university in Toronto. It is home to one of the most popular observatories to which people from all over the world come to visit and relish in peering through our 40-cm telescope at the wonders of the cosmos. We also hold a 60-cm telescope dedicated to researching variable stars. I am pleased to be a staff member at the York University Observatory.

Image Credit: M109, a barred spiral galaxy taken by Ted Rudyk at York U. Observatory:

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Article
AW: What inspires you the most? SN: Nothing inspires me more than a thirst for uncovering the many mysteries the cosmos hold. There are many mysteries we have yet to solve, like that of the black hole and how the laws of physics break down at the singularity. Dark matter is yet to be detected, and dark energy is even further from our grasp. But with the Higgs field recently being discovered at CERN, I think dark matter may be the next particle to be discovered. I suppose it is safe to say that the drive to uncover the unanswered questions is what inspires me most. People who have advanced physics also inspire me. Albert Einstein has advanced the study of physics in such a great way with his special relativity and general relativity (among other things). Sir Isaac Newton also defined the laws of gravity (which Einstein sharpened and made better, if you will). These people (among many others) and the drive to solve mysteries are the source of my inspiration. AW: What are your thoughts on the Curiosity Landing? SN: The Curiosity Landing is a major step forward in the field of astronomy. It is such an exciting thing! Many new things may be discovered! The Curiosity rover is an advanced rover with innovated technology that will be able to better analyse the contents of Martian soil in order to find whether any microbial life exists (or once existed). I believe Curiosity will drive space agencies to send probes to places like Jupiters moon Europa, a candidate object in our solar system which may hold life in its suspected subsurface oceans due to tidal heating created by the immense gravity of Jupiter, which may cause hydrothermal vents that give rise to the formation of microbial life on Earth. These are very exciting times for the field of astronomy.
Image credit: M81 (Bodes Galaxy) taken by Ted Rudyk at York U. Observatory
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AW: Recently there have been some big developments in science, Higgs Boson, Curiosity, what is the next big thing? SN: This summer has brought humanity great scientific advancements with the discovery of the Higgs boson and the landing of Curiosity on Mars. With these developments, I think the next big thing will be the discovery of microbial life on Mars or proof that some form of life once existed there. I also think that the discovery of the particle responsible for dark matter is on the horizon, and particle physicists at the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) will be aggressively searching for it now that the Higgs boson has been found. Particle physicists at the LHC have also expressed a desire to find out whether or not supersymmetry holds, and this is also very exciting for the world of physics.

AW: What is your favourite object in the night sky? SN: My favourite object to look at through a telescope in the night sky would be Saturn and M57 (the Ring Nebula). They are just beautiful objects to observe! Jupiter is also gorgeous to view! M81 (Bodes Galaxy) is another beautiful object to view. For viewing with the naked eye, no one can resist the beautiful band of the Milky Way, near which M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) can be seen with the naked eye. Of course, skies in Toronto are much too polluted with light to view any of these objects, and as such, these must be viewed further away from the light pollution. This makes these sights all the more precious to me, as I seldom get the chance to see them. AW: Any other information you would like to add? SN: I am pleased to have recently been asked to take the Senior Executive position in the York University Astronomy Club, which is an outreach club on campus dedicated to inspiring astronomy enthusiasts and spreading knowledge about the universe to its members. We hold meetings every other Wednesday during the school year in which we play fun astronomy-related games like Jeopardy (astronomy style!), schedule lectures on various topics about astronomy, and give students a chance to meet new friends with like interests. It is a great way to get

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people acquainted with all things astronomy. Working at the York University Observatory has given me such appreciation for the cosmos. It has also shown me how many people are really interested in our night sky, which is really important to me. I have also had the pleasure of working with people who have a superb talent for astrophotography. One of the best Ive met is Ted Rudyk, who has contributed some of the most beautiful images of night sky objects. Below youll find some of the best images taken using the 40cm telescope at York University Observatory by Ted Rudyk.

Image Credit: M57 (Ring Nebula) taken by Ted Rudyk at York U. Observatory Image Credit: Saturn, taken by Ted Rudyk at York U. Observatory

Astronomy Wise would like to thank Sophia for taking the time to do our interview. At the time of writing Sophia was about to undertake a Physics exam. I would also like to thank Ted Rudyk for permission and use of these wonderful images. Finally a thank you to York University, Toronto, Canada for the use of the images.

We wish Sophia all the success in the future and hope like many of the other students we have featured she will let us know how she is getting on.

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Android Astronomy & Space Apps

n past issues we have looked at some Apps for the Iphone

and Ipad systems, for those of us who have the android system here are few FREE apps which are worth a download

ISS Android Simple


Nice little free application, I have this running on a Galaxy 10.1 tablet. It tracks the ISS using Google maps. Your location is shown with the android man, while there is a graphic of the ISS tracking across the planet Using your device settings (location) it can tell you if there is a passing over your area. It can do this up to 10 days in advance.

Google User Rating 4.6/5

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Android Astronomy & Space Apps

Solar Explorer Lite


This application was tested on the Galaxy 10.1 tablet. The application is ideal for those who want to learn the basics of the solar system. See the planets orbit the sun (Sol), click on a planets to find out more information. See what the planet is made off, explore the planets moons. The lite version is free however there is a paid version with more objects to view.

Google User Rating 4.5/5

Images Google Play & Screen Print for Galaxy 10.1

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Exploring the Sun - our local Super Star.


By Andy Devey www.thesolarexplorer.net The me, the Sun is not only the giver and sustainer of life and the centre of our solar system, it also presents us with an unique opportunity to see and study a real life Star in action. What a fantastic opportunity we also have to safely pursue our passion of Astronomy and to capture and present the beautiful dynamics of the Sun and possibly get a tan at the same time? Safety is of paramount importance here so I have prepared a whole page of safety measures for you to consider before starting your own safe solar viewing. Today is a very exciting time as we head towards the next solar maximum expected in 2013, the Sun is becoming an ever more active and dynamic target that is well within the grasp of the amateur solar astronomers or the members of astronomical societies. You will certainly have no problems with light pollution with this aspect of Astronomy. The trick being, how to safely reduce the light levels for safe visual or photographic pursuits? The Sun is so dynamic it will be different every time you wish to view or photograph it! I personally have been a keen solar observer since 2004 and solar imager since 2006 and like the majority of solar astronomers; I was in pursuit of ever better still photographs. However after about 5-years of still photography I wanted more and for me since 2010, the best way to capture and present the real beauty of the Sun

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is through preparing time lapse movie sequences of solar activity/events. For todays Amateur astronomer there are numerous options available such as highly filtered white light or the narrow band filtered systems in H-alpha and CaK filtered telescopes. These are available to those even on a fairly modest budget. In my opinion the H-alpha wavelength offers the most dynamic visual view of the Sun by revealing the chromosphere [the Suns loweratmosphere] and its unique features to the observer. These features include spicules, prominences and filaments, sunspots, plages, flares and post flare loops, coronal mass ejections [CMEs] and even Moreton waves [shock waves]. The sunspot groups are part of active regions that are given Active Region numbers such as AR1515. This active region was responsible for numerous C-class and M-class solar flares in July 2012. These active regions numbers can be found on the spaceweather.com website. These features can even be viewed or captured with the most introductory of H-alpha equipment such as the Coronado PST [Personal Solar Telescope]. When such an instrument is used in combination with a reasonably fast monochrome web camera then get ready to be stunned by the results you could achieve! You can either prepare to image part of the Sun or shoot the separate areas ready to prepare a mosaic of the Suns full disc or even stay in the same active area for quite a time with the view of making a solar movie sequence. There are lots of internet assets to help, even before you even go out to set up with your equipment, internet sites such as the GONG [Global Oscillation Network Group] ground based images/movies]. Viewing their image/video data, will enable you to select the most dynamic target areas on the Suns disc or limb and also let you correctly orientate your image. You can then [clouds permitting] take high-frame rate video captures on that selected area at regular intervals during your imaging session should you wish. Programs such as Registax 6 or Avistacks are available as free download for your PC and can be used to produce high quality still pictures from averages of your video data and hence reduce the effects of atmospheric shimmer. There are loads of image processing links on my website to assist you here I always suggest that you make a written record of your observing session and also imprint the date and Universal Time [UT] into the AVI or still image file names immediately on capture.

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You now have made a very useful and unique scientific record of solar activity! Why not consider joining the British Astronomical Association [BAA] and contribute to their solar observing program as I do, it has been recording solar activity for well over 150 years and was responsible for the discovery of solar flares in 1859! In January 2012, I personally achieved a huge scoop for an amateur, when I gained permission from the head of the US National Solar Observatory to use and present images from their GONG data of the major solar events and I make a unique video record of them and keep them on a dedicated page on my own website. As such I never miss a big event! I thought it may be appropriate to give you a taste of what YOU can be achieved with the very basic of solar equipment and so here are my results from July 2012. I was using a standard PST with two 2 x Barlow lenses [one lens element was screwed directly into the camera nose piece]. I was actually pushing my 40mm PST to a focal length of 1.6m [F40]. I use a DMK21 mono camera with standard IC capture software [comes with camera]. I used an EQ5 mount while hand tracking features to centre frame and then letting them drift for 5 seconds at a capture rate of 60fps. I generally do a 300 frame video every minute but I may move to 4 separate areas on the Sun so successive images are at 4 minute intervals. All my movies are assembled and coloured in Photoshop CS5. I usually sit outside with my laptop in a prepared box with a solarpowered fan to keep it cool and I am connected to the net with one eye on the current GONG movie - usually the El Teide site. I have no hair so I sit with a towel on my head to keep the sweat out of my eyes! Hope this is of help for consideration purposes. Regards Andy

All images belong to Andy Devey and can be found on his website here

www.thesolarexplorer.net

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The Region of the Summer Stars


During the long nights of winter, the night sky is ablaze with many bright stars, as earths night hemisphere faces the bright stars of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy or star city, in which we live. During summer however, when the night hemisphere is facing inward towards the centre of our Galaxy, there are fewer bright stars of the arm in that direction. There are just 5 bright stars to look out for, some of which we will be looking at in detail during the next few weeks. First though let us familiarise ourselves with where these bright stars of summers short nights are to be found in the midnight sky. All can be seen on the star chart accompanying this article, which shows the night sky in the late evening, during September. As with the monthly sky notes, the chart covers the whole sky. The centre of the chart is the zenith, the point directly overhead. The edge of the chart is the circular horizon on which the cardinal points of the compass are indicated so you know in which direction to look in the night sky to locate the stars. The idea is to print out the chart, then hold it above your head, and orientate it into a position so that it coincides with the direction you are facing. The brightest of the stars we can see is Arcturus, half way between the western Horizon and the zenith. In that same direction further towards the north are the seven stars making up The Plough. Arcturus seems to lie at the end of an arc produced by following the curve of the Plough towards the left and downward. There are no other bright stars in the west at midnight so Arcturus, the brightest star in the northern hemisphere of the sky, and fourth brightest star overall cannot be missed. Look for its warm golden glow as it twinkles in the deep twilight sky. Now face south and look straight up. Above you almost at the zenith is the beautiful blue-white star Vega shining with its steely blue light. Vega is the second brightest of the northern stars, just fractionally fainter than Arcturus as the fifth brightest star in the entire heavens. Looking at Vega through a telescope or binoculars gives the impression of an oxy-acetylene flame. It is a most beautiful star, destined to become our Pole Star in 12,000 years time. If you look back and forth between Arcturus in the west and Vega overhead you can see the colour contrast between the two stars immediately. Vega is one of the three bright summer stars climbing in the southern sky, which Patrick Moore

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unofficially named The Summer Triangle. As a young astronomer I knew this wide group of three stars as the Vega V. However Summer Triangle has become more popular and is its adopted name. The individual stars actually belong to three separate constellations, as we shall learn in future articles. You will see the second of the Triangles stars about a span, with your hand held out at arms length, to the immediate left of Vega and will notice that it is less bright. This is Deneb, eighteenth brightest star overall. The final star completing the triangle is beneath these two, some 35 degrees high in the southern sky, is Altair. Brighter than Deneb, Altair lies in twelfth place in the league of bright stars. Of all three stars Altair, lying at a distance of 16 Light Years, is the nearest of the trio. A distance at which a journey in a space ship, travelling at the speed of light would take 16 years to get there. The final bright star in our summer sky lies low in the north, in the twilight of a summers night. It is Capella, which is the sixth brightest star, really belongs to the winter sky, but it is circumpolar and never sets as seen from our latitude and is currently as low down in the sky as it can be. In six months from now it will take the place of Vega at the zenith, dominating the cold frosty, and maybe snowy nights of a January midnight. Graphics generated using Stellarium Software: www.stellarium.org

The Early Evening Sky & The Summer Triangle are full size on the next pages for printing.

By John Harper

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warf Planets by Bood

Pluto in approximate true colour based on Hubble Space Telescope albedo data

The term Dwarf planet is quite a new concept. In 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined what makes a celestial body a dwarf planet. This came about because with the advancement in observing technology, astronomers have found more celestial objects that are similar in size to that of Pluto. However when Eris was discovered which is more massive than Pluto the need to define a planet became more important. So what is a dwarf planet? For a celestial body in our solar system to be a dwarf planet it must meet the following criteria. 1) Orbit the sun 2) Have sufficient gravity to over come mechanical forces so the body keeps a nearly round shape. 3) Has not cleared debris from its orbit. 4) Is not a satellite Currently there are 5 recognised dwarf planets in our solar system. These are Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake and Eris. It is suspected that there are at

Haumea with its moons, Hiiaka and Namaka (artist's conception)

Makemake (artist's conception) Below Eris, taken from Hubble

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least 50 objects that could be classed as a dwarf planet. However time will tell, as technology moves forward we may find more objects than can be classed as a dwarf planet. Most of the dwarf planets orbit past Neptune, in the Kuiper Belt. However Ceres orbits in the inner solar system in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Observations from NASA have found Ceres has a nearly round body, it is thought Ceres did not form into a planet because of Gravitational perturbations from Jupiter billions of years ago.

Left Image: Ceres (Wikipedia) Even though Ceres is the largest object in the main asteroid belt its size is that of Texas and Pluto is 14 times more massive.

This artist's concept shows dwarf planets Eris, Pluto and Ceres in comparison to Earth. Pluto's moon Charon also is shown Image Source: NASA

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Image: Mars from NASA Curiosity Probe Pres

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ss Conference 27/8/12 Ustream screen print

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SEPTEMBER LUNAR OCCULTATIONS 2012 by John Harper

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Key to the Occultation Table

The columns of the table give data specific to each of the Lunar Occultation events listed. From left to right they are:

1 Day of the Week 2 DATE in the format: dd-mm-yyyy 3 Universal Time of the event (add one hour when British Summer Time is in force for Local Time. The predictions are for Scarborough, which lies midway between London and Edinburgh, on the North Sea coast of the UK. (N54.27 deg., W00.43 deg.) 4 Occulted stars visual magnitude 5 P = Phase tells you whether the event is a disappearance (D) or reappearance (R) or a Graze (C). 6 L = Limb. This indicates whether the event takes place at the dark (D) or bright (B) lunar limb. 7 Al. = the Altitude of the moon at the time of the occultation event. 8 Az. = The azimuth (angular distance along the horizon, measured from the North Point, clockwise. 9 Sun Alt = the angular distance of the sun, below the horizon at the time of the event. 10, 11 & 12 the name or catalogue number of the star being occulted. XZ Cat No. This is the stars designation in the US Naval Observatory catalogue of over 32,000 stars that can be occulted by the moon. Proper Name. This is the star more common name, if it has one! ZC No. The Zodiacal Catalogue of 3539 stars brighter than visual magnitude +7, within 8 degrees of the ecliptic. Some fainter stars are included in this total as well. 13 PA = Position Angle. This is the angular position on the limb of the moon where the reappearance or disappearance will occur it helps you look at the right part of the moons limb. Position Angle is measured from Celestial North (the line of Right Ascension running through the centre of the moons disc. It is measured clockwise through west, south , east and back to north, a total of 360 degrees.

John Harper Former director of the occultation section, S.P.A, (Society for Popular Astronomy).

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Could it Really Happen?.. A new book by Ninian G Boyle


Have you ever thought what might happen if there were a celestial event at the end of the year 2012 that could be hailed as a marker for truly apocalyptic events here on Earth? A Catholic priest working at the Vatican Observatory in Italy makes a chance discovery on Christmas Eve that will have global repercussions. As the story unfolds, humanity's reaction to this event acts as a trigger for outpourings of religious fervour, criminal behaviour and the threat of major global war. All the while a few individuals are swept along in a Tsunami of events that include kidnapping and terrorism, hysteria and heroism. A handful of scientists work to understand what has happened and why, doing their best to reassure and to re-evaluate an event of truly Earth-shattering significance against a backdrop of human prejudice and frailty. Politicians posture and debate; make claims and counter-claims and pile warnings on to threats. As the clock ticks down to midnight on the 31st December 2012 the world holds its breath... This amazing and fast paced story whisks you from Rome to Edinburgh, London, Chicago, New York, Washington and to Tel Aviv and beyond.

Ninian's writing has been likened to that of Michael Crichton, Dan Brown and Carl Sagan. If you like a book that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next and is high in plausibility, then 'In The Lion's Paw' is a 'must read' of 2011, 2012 and for many years to come. Available as a Kindle eBook now Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Amazon.fr Amazon.de

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About the Author


In the Lion's Paw, is the first novel by Ninian G Boyle. He is an experienced published writer in his field of astronomy, having written features and articles for magazines such as the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and 'Astronomy Now' Magazine and other periodicals on the subject.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the British Astronomical Association and has made appearances on the BBC Sky at Night Television Programme with Sir Patrick Moore as well as on local BBC Radio. Ninian even had his own TV programme on the Sky Information Channel called 'Stargazer'. He lectures and teaches in astronomy to local societies and other organisations and gives talks and holds night classes at his local Planetariums. He also runs 'Astronomy Know How' a small business dedicated helping amateur astronomer at all levels. He likes nothing more than assisting people get started in what he describes as 'the most amazing hobby'.

He was raised a Roman Catholic but professes to 'no religion', but feels his background gave him an insight into the workings of the Catholic Church, which proves very useful for the plot of the book!

Ninian has been aware of the ideas about the 'End of the World' philosophies if that is what you could call them, connected with the end of the Mayan Calendar in December 2012, for some time. The huge amount of mis-information about this subject, whether unintentional or not, was a 'prime motivator for the writing of the book', he says. He also like to play with 'what if' ideas. This is made abundantly clear in 'In The Lion's Paw'.

He enjoys writing, teaching and using his telescope, as well as music, both listening and playing as he is also an accomplished musician. He lives with his wife and two sons in southern England

http://www.inthelionspaw.com/

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Death from Outer Space! By Ninian Boyle

If you have an interest in the night sky, or maybe even if you dont, youve probably been made aware of certain prophecies doing the rounds in the media and especially the Internet, about the end of the world on the 21st December 2012. Thats right the world is going to end this year! Well, no, it isnt, just to put your mind at rest, but there are literally hundreds of websites suggesting that it will. But what is all this misinformation based on? Primarily it rests on a misunderstanding of the Mayan long count calendar. The Maya people of Central America, who were at the height of their civilisation in the early middle-ages, produced a calendar of remarkable accuracy. Without going into too much detail here, their calendar started in 3114BCE and runs out after 5126 years, or 2012 in the Gregorian calendar with which we are familiar. At least the first cycle does. This is important, because the Maya never predicted the end of the world. They just reset their calendar for another cycle. However, it seems that some doom sayers believe that because the Maya calendar runs out, then so does our luck! So how is the world going to end, theoretically, anyway? This is where the nonsense gets thicker. One such prediction if we can call it that, is concerned with the mythical planet Nibiru. Just type this word into Google and see how many pages it brings up. It is sometimes referred to as planet X and this large astronomical body is supposed to reside just outside the orbit of Pluto. Whats more, it is supposed to have a disastrous close encounter with us on 21st November this year, although some suggest that this should be December, to coincide with the Maya calendars ending. As we get close to this time, it is becoming increasingly obvious, not that it was

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ever in any doubt, that this is total nonsense as a body the size of a planet to encounter us in just a few months time would be very noticeable by now! Nibiru, by the way, comes from ancient Babylonian mythology. It is also quite interesting that now we are getting nearer to these supposed end times, many of the doom merchants are rapidly moving the goal posts and suggesting that their initial predictions might be a bit out and that there should be a certain leeway on these things. Then there was comet Elenin. This particular bringer of icy doom was due to smash into Earth apparently this year too. It was discovered by a Russian astronomer (Elenin) and was being tracked, like so many of these bodies, carefully just in case there was a possible threat to us as it was realised it may come quite close to Earth. If I recall correctly, this close encounter was going to be around 23 million miles distant; so not that close really. As it happened and as it happens to around 80% of comets, Elenin had a close encounter with the Sun and disintegrated, which I guess must have left some of the pundits feeling a little flat, if not disappointed. I had several people ask me about this comet soon after it was discovered, as they were genuinely fearful. I naturally reassured them, but it did make me feel quite angry that there are many who are made to worry needlessly about such things by highly irresponsible people who seem to enjoy scaring innocent folk. There have even been predictions of Supernovae, massive stars that explode at the end of their lives, which will irradiate our planet with gamma rays and thus wipe out all life on Earth. The only thing is any stars which might be capable of doing this are fortunately far enough away to be quite harmless to us. Betelguese or Alpha Orionis is the prime candidate here and has been cited as our Nemesis. It is quite true that we know Betelguese will end its life as a supernova sometime in the next million years, but again it is too far away to do us any harm. It will be very bright and spectacular though, but it is unlikely to occur in our lifetimes. There have been end of the world predictions throughout history, from the Bible (The Book of Revelation) to Nostradamus and many of the sooth-sayers of the present day. None of these predictions have had any foundation in fact and certainly with our modern technology, we can easily discount any such death from the skies scenarios, as we would have plenty of warning should any comet, asteroid or even planet decide that our time is up.

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And so it was that I sat down one day and began to play with the idea of death from the skies in my mind... What if something did happen, by sheer coincidence, at the end of this year in the heavens above us, which could be interpreted, as it surely would be, as threatening life on Earth? Ive always been a lover of thrillers and perhaps this has made me think in these rather off -beat ways and to evolve stories in my head about such things. I am an amateur astronomer as you have by now, surely gathered, and so I came up with the idea of a celestial event occurring not on the 21st December this year but on the 25th December a day not without significance for millions of people around the world. To make it more interesting I thought this event should be first noticed by someone who could be considered to have a vested interest in it occurring on that day, so I came up with Father Giovanni Casparo, a Roman Catholic priest and an astronomer at the Vatican Observatory. I considered how this event would be interpreted by not only the Catholic Church, but also the rest of the world and how it may affect people on a personal as well as global level. The tale turned into a novel and developed several story lines taking place all in the same time frame but on different part of the Earth, which proved challenging for the author! It has the title In The Lions Paw and is available as a paperback or a Kindle eBook from Amazon for immediate download or next day delivery for the hard copy. Im delighted to say that it has received over twenty 4 and 5 star reviews so far by various readers. So if youd enjoy a story with an astronomical theme which contains, kidnapping, threats of assassination and global nuclear war, then I would encourage you to visit Amazon and buy it before its too late!! Ninian G Boyle FRAS

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Latest images from curiosity

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Young astronomer Amy jones


Welcome to this months Young Astronomer Amy Jones , each month we like to give young people the chance to talk about their Astronomy hobby. Amy has appeared in her local newspaper the South Wales Argus.

I can still remember the first time I saw a shooting star, as I called it then. I was walking past the village post office with my Dad when I saw it, and my interest in astronomy started there. Sometime later, I was writing a list of new years resolutions. Included on that list were to look at the International Space Station (ISS), watch a sunset, to see a green flash, watch a meteor shower and to find some constellations. Four out of the 5 missions were completed. I went outside to look at the ISS every night, it was truly amazing to watch. How something so small can be so obvious from many miles away still fascinates me. While on holiday the same year in Rhossili, South Wales, I saw my first proper sunset. My mum, dad and I stood on the top of a cliff for 2 hours just so I could watch this sunset, but it was worth it. It's not until the sun is setting against an object that you realise the speed in which it orbits around the Earth. I also hoped to see a green flash that afternoon (My parents were adamant that they didn't exist, and only believed me when they saw a clip about it on The One Show, not so long ago) but I didn't unfortunately, so that still remains on my list, unticked. For a few years now, some friends and I have sat on the street outside my house to watch the meteor showers. Sometimes the weather hasn't held up for us, but other times we have had the most amazing time, the excitement when you see a meteor go shooting across the sky is still the same as when I saw my very first meteor. So, I'd like to thank my friends for providing me with such a good time on the street, even in the freezing cold, and those memories will stay with me forever, so thank you! My final task on the list was to find some constellations. My dad showed me Ursa Major, (AKA The Big Dipper/The Plough) and the next constellation I found myself and to this day it is still my favourite constellation to look at - Orion. I continued to find some more - Cassiopeia, Ursa Minor and the Pleiades.

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Last year for the Draconids meteor shower, my friends and I decided we would sit outside on the street again to watch the meteors, but there was one problem which we have had to deal with for the past few years - a large street light located directly outside my house. Me being me, I decided to email my local council to see if I could negotiate with them about turning the light off as it was obstructing our view. A few days later, I got an email from a lovely man named Roger, who told me that he couldn't turn the light off all night but he could for a few hours at a time when most people are home from work, which I was ecstatic about. Some time later, I received another email from Roger saying that my local newspaper were interested in what I'd done and wanted to write an article on me! A photographer came the next day and took my photo, and the story appeared in two newspapers and a booklet in my area! On the night of the Draconids, Roger turned the street light off for a few house on two nights. One night was amazingly clear and I saw numerous meteors and a fireball, the following night was thick with cloud which was disappointing. I've been told since then that my story has been one of the most viewed articles on the newspaper's website, so thank you to Roger for complying with my request. When I leave school I aim to study Astrophysics in University, and I would love to pursue a career in astronomy, so fingers crossed for that!

Here is the link to the South Wales Argus' article:

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/ gwentnews/9308561.Council_flick_switch_on_Goytre_schoolgirl_s_star_gazing/

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Mars One Mission To Mars 2023 The red planet has had a lot of press recently. NASA successfully landed their rover Curiosity on the red planets surface, this was an amazing achievement, so what next? Are we ready to look at a manned mission?

No doubt there will be other missions to Mars, however one company is looking at the possibility of sending humans to the planet. This company has a mission to get a settlement on the Red planet by 2023. The company in question is Mars One, founded by Bas Lansdorp and Arno A Wielders.

The aims of Mars One is simple, get a manned settlement on Mars by 2023. Sounds simple enough, well not quite, the mission would be a one way trip. There are many difficulties to overcome. Who Will Go?

Well they are looking for suitable applicants, anyone can apply, Bas Lansdorp-Our plan to go to Mars has evolved quite a bit since we started. Right now, just about everyone we however a panel will decide who can speak to is amazed by how realistic we have kept it. The go or who can not.
next step is introducing the project to the world and securing sponsors and investors.

Image top right: Bas Lansdorp, Below: Arno Weilders.

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Never mind Big Brother here comes Mars One The people at Mars One believe that it is in humankinds interest to watch the mission progress so it is to be a media spectacle. However by doing this they hope it will help raise the finance needed to help run such a project.
Arno A Weilders -"The main reasons for participating in Mars One are the need to make mankind a multi-planet species and because it is the most exciting project ever to be undertaken by humans."

How many people tuned into a website for the Transit of Venus or the NASA Curiosity Mars landing?

I suspect millions! So why not make this a media event? I think if this is done in a professional manner and not like some of the reality tv shows we see it should be interesting viewing.

However, media event or not, there are some serious questions and considerations. Can we (humans) survive a long voyage in deep space? Do we have the engineering capability to get habitats and equipment to Mars? How expensive would this project be? Could humans cope with a one way trip? There are many questions to such a project and whatever you think the prospect is tempting for mankind to venture to another world. For more information please visit http://mars-one.com/en/ Images: Mars One Ref: Mars One

Many thanks to Bas Lansdorp for communication with us. Images from Mars One

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http://edgeofuniverse.com

Amazon (USA): http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Universe-Voyage-Cosmic-Horizon/dp/0470636246 Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edge-Universe-Paul-Halpern/dp/0470636246

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www.paulrumsby.com

Email: paulrumsby@gmail.com Twitter: @PMRumsby

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By james Lennie

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THE FUTURE OF SPACE EXPLORATION IN THE

UNITED

STATES

NASA and JPL did a fantastic job building excitement for Earth's most recent robotic mission on Mars. Through not only normal news releases and interviews, but through social media, the awareness of Curiosity and its mission was widespread. And through blog posts, tweets, picture memes of Curiosity, and comments to interviews, people expressed their feelings in a way that mirrored their emotional investment in the mission. Biologists, engineers, and astronomers were in geek heaven, writers and artists took a creative break to be part of the moment at landing, non-scientists who love science were glued to news of Curiosity's fate, and for a lot of people busy with their own lives and worries, the landing was a nice diversion or maybe just registered a larger-than-normal blip in their space science awareness. There was wide-spread knowledge that a major astrobiology project was about to begin. The Curiosity engineers, biologists, geologists, PR people, and the many collaborating scientists from around the world delivered a huge boost of pride in what we can accomplish as humans. Celebration of Curiosity's successful landing was something humanity shared despite any religious or political differences. In fact, the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory touched most people of faith in a positive way. For these people, scientific discoveries tend to deepen their personal faith. This is how the inner spiritual experience and the larger objective reality coexist in most societies. This separation lets faith and science flourish at the same time. This separation has somehow broken down in the United States. Fundamentalists of all religions tend to operate out of fear, seeing the larger culture as a threat. In most democratic countries, they are free to believe what they want but aren't allowed to control the conversation. This isn't true in the U. S., where Christian fundamentalists are becoming a major political force. Known now as the far-right wing in United States politics, Christian fundamentalists have been courted for decades by politicians uninterested in the fundamentalists' real desires, but manipulating those desires in order to have a solidly loyal group of voters. These politicians painted a fabricated reality of warfare between the moral majority- the fundamentalists - and everyone else. In this reality, there is no in-between, no compromise, no way of choosing to work with liberals or have any liberal views and still remain moral. The actual majority of people in the United States do identify with a religion, usually Christianity, but don't consider themselves to be part of this fight, because most Christians accept that almost all issues are complex and don't fall neatly into good-vs-evil scenarios. But since the people of this real majority don't tend to push their spiritual doctrine into the larger public space, their relatively gentle voices are being heard less and less frequently while anti-science fundamentalists, existing for decades as an

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insistent shadow, are bringing determined ignorance into policy decisions that affect science funding and education. It's vital that the larger public understands exactly what scientific work is made of, so that we don't let it be undermined by a profound misapplication of religious freedom. During the past decade, fundamentalists have stopped expecting politicians to work for them, and have started to run for office themselves. They have accomplished a lot very suddenly - any Republican lawmakers who simply value small government among other traditional Republican ideals, but who do not have a religious agenda, have been labelled as moderates or liberals and their seats taken by new politicians whose common goals are to make fundamentalist Christian law. Like the moderate Republicans they replaced, they say they believe in small government, but take this ideal as literally as they do their story of creation, and are working to defund almost everything the national government has had a hand in, including science and education, two things they know undermine a literal belief system. In attacking scientific education, Bible-literalists are actually attacking the scientific method. The scientific method is really what defines the exploration of the universe through science: questions are asked, research is done as objectively as possible, evidence is collected, and conclusions made. This research is shared with other scientists who beat it up and down until there is a consensus about the evidence-based conclusions. Often more questions come up, realized by the investigations. We don't need to know the technical terms or methods of every scientific field because the scientific method insures as little subjective interpretation as possible, so we can have confidence in the conclusions. This method allows no evidence other than the kind that other scientists can see for themselves and attempt to replicate. And, it doesn't matter how much an individual scientist would like to see a particular conclusion wishes and desires are not variables. It's clean, it's sane, it allows people to debate questions and evidence and conclusions with the understanding that the ideas are in an objective arena. The freedom of mental exploration and discovery built into the Scientific Method is fresh air to scientists and most people. It allows societies to advance in knowledge and consciousness, because people have confidence that the explanations of the natural world are objective, something we can all experience together no matter what other differences we have. This freedom to question is a threat to ignorance, since using the scientific method has the tendency to lead scientists to conclusions that contradict the misunderstandings of the natural world as explained in older texts like the Bible. This isn't purposeful - no religious doctrine comes into play in any way with open scientific investigations. To Christian fundamentalists, this means that the method itself is wrong, since to them any valid approach to research would lead to conclusions already reached by the writers of the Old Testament. Instead, most Bible-literalists embrace the idea of what they claim is an alternative method, the study of Intelligent Design, using scientific techniques to try to prove the

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existence of a Creator. To be fair, many people who like the idea of Intelligent Design truly do believe it is legitimate science and simply want it to be considered by the scientific community as one viewpoint among many, including within evolutionary theory. But Intelligent Design starts with a conclusion, that a divine hand created life, and they accept only the evidence they feel points to this. This is science turned upside down, and is why the scientific community in general considers ID to be pseudoscience at best. Most people in the U.S. love real scientific discoveries and space exploration, and want scientists to get on with their work unencumbered by various religious views. Fundamentalists attitudes on science are not accepted by the country at large, if those views are expressed as religious doctrine. But when those views are presented in a science-sounding package, as with Intelligent Design, many non-literalists become confused and think that ID is real science that belongs in science classes, and lets them be comfortable with homeschools that teach only ID and no real science. To these fair-minded people, it seems like the best of democratic values, to give all opinions equal time. They don't understand that ID excludes the practice and spirit of the Scientific Method. Most teachers, though, know that ID isn't science and have been able to keep ID out of their science classes, and while this does keep religious literalism out of science education, it tends to let the idea survive that ID is a science that is unfairly not being given its day to prove itself. Maybe we can demystify ID for most people by shining a strong light on it. If ID is scientifically challenged within the science classroom, it can help people discern between what is open to scientific exploration and what is not. Teachers can have discussions on ID vs testable hypotheses, and have students try to do experiments based on its methodology so that they can firmly grasp how ID doesn't actually have any sort of basic scientific methodology at all. It can be a prime teaching example of what isn't science. Intelligent Design is encountering a new threat in astrobiology that goes beyond its normal fear of evolution and the great age of the universe. The basic hypotheses of astrobiology rest on the viewpoint that life is a natural extension of certain chemical processes, and so there must be life elsewhere, otherwise our lone presence would be considered a miracle. If evidence is ever found of extraterrestrial life, it would have an impact comparable to the realization that the Earth is not the center of the solar system or universe. Creation literalists are rightly scared that their belief system is at risk. And even if no extraterrestrial life is ever found, the very study of astrobiology is frightening to people not allowed to question. Astrobiology is a science in its infancy. Technology is newly available that allows us to remotely explore other planets and moons in our solar system, to find planets in other star systems. We now have the opportunity to test longasked questions about the existence of life, which puts the search for extraterrestrial life firmly within the realm of science. There is a lot of basic research going on, the kind of research that could lead in as yet unknown directions. Whether or not evidence of extraterrestrial life is found, knowledge is being added to the scientific inventory, and no one knows where these explorations could potentially lead. There is no cap on the investigations that say that the pathways have

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Zantippy has always focused her interests around exploring our star system, galaxy, and universe. Her M.S. is in Marine Biology, and her graduate paper was devoted to understanding the minerals found on Mars by the rover, Opportunity - minerals that were made and altered by reaction with salty water. The paper was focused on the kind of microbes that could have lived in these very saline waters.

to lead directly to the Bible. That open door is really makes astrobiology so exciting, but is what makes it unacceptable to what ID believers think of as science. The state of our scientific education is writing our future. Most people get this, and it's why the effort to put anti-evolution dogma into classrooms has mostly failed. But we are growing our own fatal bullet in allowing Creationism ID to be considered a kind of science, letting the literalists' kids to be profoundly uneducated in science within their homeschools. The bullet will be shot when millions of future lawmakers, voters, teachers, engineers, and researchers graduate from their homeschools, having been taught that to question is wrong, to freely think is heresy, that science is somehow anti-God. How many of these children could be bright and productive scientists, but are being taught to not question anything? What will science in this country look like when these millions of kids are in charge of education and politics? NASA's use of social media for Curiosity showed that people in general love hearing about scientific accomplishments and space exploration. Our ability to keep people excited about real science is right there, and we need to keep using it. Fortunately for humanity, most other countries and cultures don't limit their scientific understanding based on what their religious fundamentalists believe, and their children's education is protected from ridiculous extremes. India, China, and Europe all have space programs. Theirs may have to go through normal political hassles and fight for money, but in their futures will be adults raised with strong science backgrounds, free to question and research and advance their societies' scientific culture. How will the United States compare in 30 years?

Zantippy writes non-fiction and science fiction, so she gets to think about astronomy all day, every day. Every clear night, Zantippy spends time alone watching the stars, planets, and galaxies. She wonders what the weather is like at that moment on other planets and moons, who may live there, and she assumes that at that moment, beings of other star systems are also wondering if others are alive in the universe. Then she goes back inside her terrestrial home in Florida to live her own life with her husband, ducks, and rabbits.

Her astronomical musings and insights can be found at 'For the Geek in Everyone', while more information on Zantippy and her poetic friend, Iguana, can be found here.

Zantippy will also be Active Astronomy's official Curiosity Rover correspondent.

Follow Zantippy on Twitter!

Written By Zantippy (USA)

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The Newcastle Astronomical Society is involved in both the practical and theoretical side of Astronomy. Whether you like to stargaze or listen to lectures spanning a wide range of Astronomical subjects, do not hesitate to come and meet us! Observing Sessions are held in a wide variety of locations across the region. More details of our Observing program can be found on our Observing Page. Our lectures are usually held at Cross House, Red Cross Buidling off the West Road in Newcastle. Details are how to find us and maps can be found on the Find Us Page. More information on our lecture program can be found on the Lectures Page. Observing Sessions 2012 - 2013 Public Observing Sessions Public outreach events are for the general public to attend. These sessions are weather dependent and are subject to change. Details will be posted on the Societys website, Twitter account and Facebook group nearer the time.

October 2012 20 October 2012 (Saturday) - Beginners talk and observing @Cawfields March 2013 29 March 2013 (Good Friday) - Beginners talk and observing @Cawfields

FOR MORE INFORMATION GOT TO


http://www.newcastleastronomical.org.uk/index.html

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Blackpool & District Astronomical Society (BADAS) is a growing and active society in the North West of England and has around thirty members from novices to experienced observers and imagers. Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of every month, at St Kentigerns Parish Centre, Newton Drive, Blackpool. Meetings are friendly, quite informal and beginners are especially welcome. Joining an astronomy club can be daunting to those just starting out in the hobby. So BADAS tries to encourage new members by advising them each month what fascinating wonders can be seen in the night sky, either with modest equipment or none at all. BADAS also help and advise members who are considering purchasing astronomical equipment. In addition they try to engage and enthuse established members who are trying to progress in the hobby by having regular "members' sessions" after the main speaker has finished on their meeting nights.

The society hold regular star parties and observing sessions, weather permitting, either where they meet at the club or at a rural location near Blackpool.

Membership subs are 20 per year, and unlike many other societies they meet all year round. Visitors are welcome and your first meeting is free.

Please see the BADAS website for further details - www.blackpoolastronomy.org.uk - You can also follow their twitter account @badas_tweets.

www.blackpoolastronomy.org.uk

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Home and Away


With the success of the sky crane dropping off the Curiosity rover on Mars; we now know that the technology created could potentially drop off all different kinds of load. For example a load that has a much more extensive life span. For how long, you wonder? The ISS is expected to operate over 30 years and is already funded for more than 22 of them. A stationary base on Mars however could last much longer with availability of the planets natural resources. The use of a Solar Furnace could be used to harness the Iron from the Iron Oxide sands which cover the planet and could be used to create new structures or components to the 'Mars Base'. There have already been many concepts of bases on Mars and the Moon but actually creating one takes construction literally, out of this world. A bit like the International Space Station, a Lunar or Mars base would have to be created from components sent individually from Earth. The biggest pay load ever carried by a European rocket into space was over 20 tonnes. With the ISS weighing about 450 tonnes it'd take at least 23 rockets to get a similar sized station to Mars. However, NASA is currently building the SLS (Space Launch System), this will have a payload of over 100 tonnes into orbit. This means that only 5 of these rockets would be needed to carry components of a 'space base'. Each component could then be sealed together forming rooms and labs. Various methods of sustainable and non-renewable energy collection would be used to power the buildings from solar, nuclear and even geo-thermal sources. But, to do this humanity needs a commercial fuel depot on the Moon to aid missions further than our grasp. With no atmosphere, little gravity and no social issues, the

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Moon is the perfect location for secondary launches to visit other celestial locations. With a lunar fuel depot being regularly visited it would eventually evolve into a trade post for all transportations to other planets and maybe even star systems. So, imagine a world... no, imagine two worlds with the innovation and recreation of the human mind. Then remind yourself about the ever increasing population of the world and that expansion beyond our planet is not needed.

(The images are my work created on Google Sketchup). Edward Dutton

Twitter: @EddDutton Email: edward.dutton@live.co.uk

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Astronomy For Everyone

Credits
A big thank you to all who have contributed to the September edition of Astronomy Wise online magazine. The magazine is a community based project. It is non-profit.

Disclaimer: As far as reasonably practicable all information is used with the owners permission. Where research has been carried out references are made to the sources used. Please contact me if you feel your work has been infringed. Astronomy Wise is a non profitable organisation. The newsletter may be downloaded and printed for free. Content in the newsletter may not be reproduced without written consent . Words and images belong to the respective owners. Astronomy Wise

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