Jupiter Takes Another One For The Solar System Our planetary big bother takes another hit from an asteriod
Capturing Auroras In All Their Glory Learn how take photos of auroras as we head towards solar maximum
Denis Villeneuve’s Awe-Inspiring Dune Remake Is Out We review this much anticipated movie
The Latest News From The Observatory Find out what’s happening up at the Observatory
DEC 2021
NEWSLETTER
This year, we’re thrilled to have the Director of the Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC) at Curtin University, Dr Phil Bland presenting our annual Summer Lecture. Learn about Binar-1’s story from concept to its release from the International Space Station and what the future holds as WA helps NASA’s Artemis mission to the Moon.
Come early and have dinner as there will be a coffee and food van on the night and you’re more than welcome to bring your own picnic dinner. The summer lecture will still go ahead, rain, hail or alien invasion.
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Learn about WA’s first steps into space!!!
The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.
- Carl Sagan
Contents 05
A View Through The Eyepiece
07
Upcoming Events
08
Sunday Day Tours
10
Jupiter Takes A Hit
12
From The Desk The Program Manager
15
Where is the Lemaitre Space Telescope
18
Star Adoption Tours
20
Keeping Up With The Volunteers
21
Dune Movie Review
Find Us Here
23
Sharing Our Passion
25
Congratulating Lloyd’s On 20 Years
27
School Day Tours
29
Capturing Auroras In All Their Glory
33
What’s In January’s Skies
37
What’s In February’s Skies
40
What’s In March’s Skies
43
A Quick Look In The Shop
47
Galaxy Cocktails
Editorial
Contributors
Subscriptions
Front Cover Image By
Zoé Fraussen Editor
Michelle Ashley-Emile, Matt Woods, Ronny Kaplanian Roger Groom, Paul Fisher, Jodie Sims, Felix Abbott, Emma, Paul Wadham, Julie Matthews, Melissa Garcia
Click Below to subscribe to our newsletter
Stanislav Volskiy, Chilescope Team
Matt Woods Designer
Back Cover Image By Roger Groom
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A View Through The Eyepiece Welcome to the Summer Solstice Kaya, and welcome. Perth Observatory Volunteer Group acknowledges we operate on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk-Noongar people. Things, they are a-changing. We have entered the Noongar season of Birak and as the weather heats up and Jupiter and Saturn slip back under the horizon things at the observatory are changing and shifting. You may have noticed a different name under this Editor’s Note and a new design of the newsletter. The lovely and hardworking Jay Chester has stepped down as Editor-in-Chief of the newsletter and I have filled his large and impressive shoes. Everyone here at the Observatory will miss him and his hard work, and we all wish him the best in his next endeavors. Things are also changing in our day to day. We have re-designed our Sunday Guided Day Tours; they now include a must-see solar experience, so make sure you make your way up the hill on a Sunday and have a fun afternoon with us. We have some fun new stock in our shop and have some diligent volunteers writing an assortment of books and articles to be published by Perth Observatory Publishing, We also have a new project starting that involves cameras on our rooftop looking for meteors, as part of the Global Meteor Network. This is an exciting project and we already have spotted some great night sky activity. It’s still in its set-up phase at the moment so tune in to our next issue where we will have some more information on this new project. Night tours are continuing on as ever and the hot nights make for perfect viewing. Learn what you can see in the upcoming months in our What’s in the Sky segment. This edition also has some great articles from our volunteers, including some new recruits. We are always inspired by the passion and drive of our volunteers and it’s great to see our newest members fitting in well and becoming part of the team. Everyone at the Observatory also wishes you a very merry holiday season and a happy New Year. We hope you see many stars, maybe some meteors, and plenty of your loved ones. POVG pay our respects to Noongar Elders past, present, and emerging. Zoé Fraussen Editor
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The Helix Nebula
NGC 7293
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Date: 14th of February Time: 8:30 to 10 pm Price: $55 per adult, $40 per concession and $30 per child Love is in the air at the Observatory. book on our special night sky tour so you can spoil that special someone in your life.
Astrophotography Workshop Date: 5th of March Time: 1 pm to 10 pm Price: $225 per person This fantastic day allows you to learn the basics of astrophotography, both widefield and with a telescope.
Autumn Equinox Morning Tea Date: 20th of March Time: 9.30 am to 11.30 am Price: $30 per adult, $25 per concession Join us for a lovely morning tea at the Perth Observatory to celebrate this astronomical event.
Spring Into Milky Way Photography Image Credit: Geoff Scott
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Upcoming Events
Valentine’s Night Tour
Date: 23rd and 24th of March Time: 7 pm to 9:30 pm Price: $180 per person for both nights Take advantage of the Autumn Milky Way season and learn how to get the best out of your Milky Way photos as we enter Milky Way season.
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Sunday Day Tours Sundays are perfect to take family and friends sightseeing on a beautiful drive through the Bickley Valley for a special Guided Day Tour of the Perth Observatory. Come up and see a jewel in the state’s history. See why the Observatory was so important to help the growth of WA and maybe see some Kangaroos as well. We’ll be doing guided site tours of the Observatory and solar experience tours at 1:30 pm, 2 pm, 2:30 pm and 3 pm. Guided Site Tour Learn more about Perth Observatory with stories from Mt Eliza (1896 to 1965), our move to Bickley in 1966 and what we’ve done since then. Step back in time in our museum and tour the Meridian, Astrograph & Calver Telescopes. Be enchanted with Worl Wangkiny and discover what we are doing now with the Lowell, RCOP and Obsession Telescopes. Solar Experience Tour See our Collins Sundial and learn how it works and what an analemma is. View the Sun safely through our Coronado Solar Telescope (If the weather permits) and be amazed at how sunspots and coronal mass ejections are created and how they cause the auroras here on Earth. Also, find out cool facts about the Sun and the space probes that are helping us learn more about it
Learn about the timekeeping the Perth Observatory did and why it was so important. Discover how photos were taken of the night sky and how they are taken today. Touch the Mundrabilla Meteorite and find out what meteors are.
Image Credit: Matt Woods
Museum Tour
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By Jodie Sims
On the night of September 13th, 2021, across the globe, professional and backyard astronomers alike were setting up for an evening of planetary viewing. Unbeknownst to them this evening would be special. At 22:39:27 UCT a bright flash was detected at a latitude of 106.9° and longitude +3.8° in the Jovian atmosphere lasting for a total of two seconds before fading and leaving no trace.
Later assessment of the light curves created by the impact showed that a rocky fragment possibly as large as 20m was likely the culprit. Just over a month later, on Friday 15th October, sky watchers in Japan reported another bright flash this time in the planet’s northern hemisphere. This impact reporting was again corroborated by the team at Japan’s Kyoto University.
Brazilian amateur astronomer Jose Luis Pereira captured the impact whilst taking video footage of the planet for the DeTeCt program. The DeTeCt program allows amateur astronomers to upload videos of planets, and the software will scan for possible impacts allowing data to be collected and reviewed on such events. It wasn’t until the morning of the 14th that the software had finished scanning the images from the night before and the results were ready for viewing. Indeed, there was an impact record in Pereira’s first video of the night.
Jupiter orbits close to the asteroid belt and due to the planets great mass the gravitational pull is strong. Therefore, events like this are not as rare as you may think. A 2013 study led by Richard Hueso Alonso, of the University of the Basque Country in Spain estimated that Jupiter is hit by objects ranging from 5m to 20m between 12 and 60 times a year.
Footage was sent to Marc Delcroix of the French Astronomical Society who verified the impact. This sparked a wider global request for data obtained that evening for further review and assessment of the impact.
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Jupiter Takes A Hit
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One of the most famed impacts was in July 1994 when pieces of Comet Shoemaker – Levy 9 broke apart in 1992 and blazed into Jupiter’s atmosphere and collided leaving dark scars in the planet’s atmosphere. This was the first time a collision of two solar system bodies could be observed from Earth. Over the space of a week 21 separate fragments of the comet collided into the atmosphere. There is some conjecture between astronomers as to whether Jupiter acts as a shield, capturing objects from the outer solar system and asteroid belt protecting earth from impacts. A recent school of thought is that Jupiter could also be catapulting some objects closer to earth’s orbit.
Image Credit: H. Hammel, MIT and NASA
Here on Earth in 2013, an asteroid estimated to be 18 meters across broke up over the remote city of City of Chelyabinsk, Russia causing property damage and injuring many people. This event along with the gathering data from other impacts in our Solar System turned the spotlight onto the need for more research into nearEarth objects. In 2016 NASA implemented the Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) to work with international counterparts and monitoring observatories to aid in early detection of potentially dangerous asteroids and comets. NASA reported in 2011 that 90% of the largest asteroids 1km in diameter and above near to earth had been detected. This however didn’t cover the smaller asteroids that still pose potential risk. Therefore, one of the main objectives of the Planetary Defence Coordination Office is to “monitor and ensure early detection of potentially hazardous objects whose orbits are predicted to bring them within 0.05 AU of earth; and of a size large enough to reach Earth’s surface that is, greater than approximately 30-50 meters”. The NASA’s PDCO has recently launched an exciting planetary defence mission as a project of the agency’s Planetary Mission Program Office. The ‘Double Asteroid Redirection Test’ mission (DART) launched on the 24th November 2021 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission is managed by Johns Hopkins APL for the PDCO with its main objective to redirect an asteroid using kinetic energy to impact it. Earth based telescopes will then measure and model the outcomes to help develop our defence systems should we ever need to use them. It will take 10 months for DART to arrive at asteroid Dimorphos and the collision will take place September – October 2022. So, watch this space!
Image Credit: Paul Wadham
Image Credit: Paul Wadham
They can do almost anything from digging holes (which they love) to minor construction jobs. So, I would like to say a big thank you to the crew, who work hard for us on a Wednesday bringing with them their enthusiasm, many, many years of experience and I mean a lot, along with their good-natured banter.
After
Before
Image Credit: Perth Observatory Archives
The Perth Observatory Sundial is an Analemmatic Sundial which provides a direct reading of W.A standard time. The Analemma was designed, patented, and fabricated by Engineer Robert J. Collins. Mr Collins donated the sundial to the Perth Observatory and there are also similar sundials at the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University. We have sent our spies to inspect these as part of this process, sadly both are now in very poor condition. We believe that we have the only working Collins Sundial. To ensure the accuracy of the Collins Sundial the shape of the Analemma is unique, depending on its location. Perth Observatory’s has two Analemmas one for the summer months and one for winter, they were adjusted and fine-tuned after its installation in 1982.
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by Paul Wadham
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From The Desk Of The Program Manager
Over the past few months, a small yet significant project has been quietly progressing at the Observatory. I am now happy to announce that the Collins Sundial has been lovingly restored by some of our Wednesday maintenance crew. For those that don’t know, the “Wednesday Crew” are a band of volunteers that dedicate their time to helping to maintain the Observatory.
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Image Credit: Perth Observatory Archives
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The Collins Sundial is more accurate than most sundials, as it not only allows for the apparent movement of the sun across the sky from east to west, but it also allows for the positional changes of the sun throughout the year. The analemma only shows half the months in the year and has to be changed at every solstice. The summer solstice occurs in in December when the Sun’s track across the Australian sky reaches its highest point. It is the day that has the most daylight hours.
The summer solstice usually occurs on 22nd of December but can occur between the 21st and 23rd of December. The winter solstice is the day of the year that has the least daylight hours and usually occurs on the 22nd of June but can occur between the 21st and the 23rd of June.
Interesting Facts The gnomon points North/South with the lowest edge pointing North and the high edge South. To be accurate this sundial needs the gnomon at the same latitude as its location, so the Perth Observatory sundial is at an angle of 32° S (31.9523° S) which is the latitude of Perth. The analemma is the part that makes the sundial very accurate. The sun not only appears to move from East to west but also its movements make a pattern in the sky called an analemma. The shadow on the dial shows the hours on the upper South edge and the minutes on the lower North edge. The minutes are in three-minute increments with every quarter hour marked.
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Where i Space
By Paul Fisher
Edwin Hubble was a famous astronomer with a brilliant reputation for observation and a talent for self-promotion. He is best known nowadays for his work on the rate of expansion of the universe. The expansion of the universe is measured by the rate at which the bulk of galaxies are receding from us – the “Hubble flow”. This rate is given by
v = H0 d Where v is the velocity, H0 is the Hubble constant and d is the distance. The Hubble constant is therefore fundamental to understanding the rate at which our universe is expanding. But there is another more deserving cosmologist who remains largely unknown to the general public. In the early part of the 20th century, astronomers and theorists debated the size and nature of the universe. Many believed that the Milky Way encompassed the whole universe and there was nothing outside it. These astronomers believed that the many “spiral nebulae” were within the Milky Way itself. But spectrocopic work by Vesto Slipher indicated they were rushing away from us at high speed – clearly something was wrong with this theory.
To solve the conundrum, astronomers must somehow estimate the distance to the spiral nebulae. Various methods based on the apparent brightness of nebulae and individual stars were used. The period / luminosity relationships of variable stars (Cepheids and RR Lyrae) were also recognised. This work came to a head in 1929, with Hubble’s famous paper “A Relation between Distance and Radial Velocity among Extragalactic Nebulae”. From a growing database of spiral nebulae and other cosmic objects, Hubble selected 24 (including the Magellanic Clouds) and graphed their velocity against their apparent distance. Despite a substantial scatter, the graph was close enough to a straight line. This was proof that the “nebulae” were in fact galaxies lying far outside the Milky Way, and the further away they were, the faster they were rushing away from us. Here was proof of an expanding universe. OK, so the data was in and deductions drawn – end of story? Not quite! Firstly, Hubble did not really believe his own conclusions. He wrote: It is difficult to believe that the velocities are real; that all matter is actually scattering away from our region of space. It is easier to suppose that the light-waves are lengthened and the lines of the spectra are shifted to the red, as though the objects were receding, by some property of space or by forces acting on the light during its long journey to the earth.
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We all know of the Hubble Space Telescope. Cosmologists talk of the Hubble Constant, Hubble Flow, Hubble Time and Hubble Length. So just who was this Hubble, and what did he do to warrant the adulation? And...did he deserve it?
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s The Lemaitre Telescope
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Second, and importantly to this article, Hubble was not the first to determine the rate of expansion: he was beaten to the punch two years earlier by the Belgian priest Georges Lemaitre.
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In 1927, Lemaitre published “A Homogeneous Universe of Constant Mass and Increasing Radius Accounting for the Radial Velocity of Extragalactic Nebulae” in the obscure French language Annals of the Scientific Society of Brussels. After comparing the velocity and apparent distance of some 42 nebulae (using measurements by Slipher, Hubble and others), Lemaitre reached some important conclusions: 1.
The radius of the universe increases without limit
2. The receding velocities of the extragalactic nebulae are a cosmical effect of the expansion of the universe.
Image Credit: Springel & others / Virgo Consortium
He thus clearly understood that not only is the Universe expanding, but that the galaxies are receding from us as a result of that expansion. Lemaitre explained the expansion of the universe theoretically as well as demonstrating it by observations. Unfortunately, Lemaitre’s work was largely overlooked at the time, and Hubble (with his gift for self-promotion) was able to claim priority two years later. It was not until 1931 that Lemaitre’s work was translated into English and widely disseminated, largely at the urging of the Astronomer Royal Arthur Eddington. But crucially, the section in which Lemaitre derived the expansion rate was omitted from the English translation. In the following years, Lemaitre expanded his work, being the first to explain how cosmic expansion causes the red shift of distant galaxies. Even more importantly, he was the first to publish the theory that the universe is expanding away from a moment of creation which we now know as the Big Bang – Lemaitre called it the “Primordial Egg”. And he was the first to suggest that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Lemaitre went on to make many important advances in cosmology and mathematics and was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. But his name is unknown outside astronomical circles. It is time that Lemaitre’s place as the foremost theoretical cosmologist of the 20th Century was recognised. It is time for the Lemaitre Space Telescope!
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Star Adoption Tours Our star adoption program provides a unique gift and is a way to recognise a family member or friend through the adoption of a star. All available stars in the program are between the magnitudes -1 and 4.9 (visible to the naked eye) or 5.0 and 7.9 (visible in binoculars), all in the Southern Hemisphere. The individual star adoption package includes: A certificate (suitable for framing) with star name and coordinates, and the duration and purpose of the adoption. Private star viewing night for the recipient and 3 guests within 12 months that include several other seasonal objects and will be scheduled when your chosen star is available at a suitable time for viewing A planisphere (a device to show what constellations and stars are in the sky at any time) Star charts and coordinates showing where the star is located in the night sky, as well as being shown how to use these at the star viewing night Please note: Perth Observatory’s Star Adoption program doesn’t offer international naming rights to the star as there are no internationally recognised naming rights to the stars. The program is run by the Perth Observatory Volunteer Group Inc, and the income goes towards the Observatory’s not for profit, public outreach program.
Image Credit: Matt Woods
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Have You Got Your Super-high Tech Zero-g Indicator? Aka (Celestial Buddies’ “Earth”) as seen on SpaceX’s first commercial spaceship - Crew Dragon.
Just $32.95 for Earth and $38.95 for the larger Our Precious Planet (Earth) There’s limited stock left on Earth!
Available in the Astroshop
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By Julie Matthews
We have had an amazing year at Perth Observatory thanks to our group of dedicated volunteers. From 30 June 2020 to 1 July 2021, 158 volunteers contributed over 24 000 hours. This includes over 7 000 hours from our Administration people, almost 5 000 hours from our Night Sky Tour group and over 1 500 hours from School Day Tour volunteers. Maintenance, Special Events and Training groups each gave over 2 000 hours and we also saw time clocked up for Heritage, Facilities, Library, Guided Day Tours and Research. An awesome effort from a dedicated crew. If you would like to join our merry team, please go to the Become A Volunteer page on our website.
Image Credit: Julie Matthews Image Credit: Julie Matthews
Image Credit: Julie Matthews
Image Credit: Julie Matthews
We are hoping to expand our outreach programs and are actively looking for more people to join our School Day Tours Team. Stay tuned for more on this in our next newsletter.
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Keeping Up With The Volunteers
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ᑐ ᑌ ᑎ ᕮ
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Movie Review
By Melissa Garcia For those of you not familiar with Frank Herbert’s, Hugo and Nebula award winning, 200,000-page epic you might just find the movie a little dull or maybe a little confusing. Dune has notoriously been quite difficult to adapt. Attempts were made in 1971, the 1976 Dune was a flop, David Lynch tried in 1984 to little success, a miniseries was made in 2000 which performed relatively well, Paramount tried from 2008 until 2011 to no avail. Then came director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner, Arrival), and he might have got it right this time. Denis Villeneuve once said to his crew, “The Book is the Bible”. An idea made harder as the book itself is very complex. There is a great deal of detail, sub plots, sub characters, new planets, and new jargon making it all the more challenging to transform into film. Villeneuve does away with the morass of political and economic organisations that
make up the backdrop of the novel and instead embraces the internalisations of the book through Paul and Jessica Atreides’ point of view, played by Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson respectively. Captivating audiences into the mysteries of the BeneGesserits, political betrayals and prophecies through clever effects, excellent acting, and high attention to detail. One can really appreciate Denis Villeneuve’s dedication and respect for the book. Dune: Part 1 is set in a distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society. House Atreides accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis, a harsh and inhospitable desert planet with enormous importance as it is the sole planetary source of the spice melange or the “spice”, a highly valuable and most soughtafter substance with expansive capabilities from enhancing mental abilities, extending life, and interstellar travel.
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The movie itself is stunning. From beginning to end. The effects, the script, the costumes are all on point. One can really be engrossed in the world and appreciate the magnitude and scale of not just planets and objects, or monsters, but also the challenge that is adapting one of the most difficult novels in science fiction history. Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, hands down, are brilliant. Not to mention Oscar Isaacs as Duke Leto Atredies, and his performance in the pivotal scene, you’ll know which one, I won’t ruin it. This film would delight sci-fi first timers and Dune die hards alike, as we embrace the world of Dune, nay, the journey of Paul Atredies. For some it may be “is that it” at the end of the film, but as the movie goes, this is only the beginning. Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem Available On: At the cinemas now
Mel’s Rating
Image Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures
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Sharing Our Passion By Felix Abbot and Emma Pickering Our Work Experience Students
Felix’s Experience Upon arriving at the Perth Observatory for work experience, I loved the multitude of activities, opportunities, and possibilities I was presented with. These included exploring the rich history of each key astronomical observing instrument, administration, and maintenance work, as well as guided day, night, and school tours. Each tour dove into engaging presentations, and active demonstrations.
Image Credit: Matt Woods
I assisted in the preparation of upcoming events such as the Rockingham Library Viewing and Dr Who Night Sky Tour. The Rockingham Viewing Night showed the public the alignment of Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. Alongside this, telescopes were focused on specific celestial objects such as the Orion Nebula and Constellation, 47 Tucanae, and the Pleiades Cluster. Numerous facts and stories were given about each, including some famous Greek mythological tales. Throughout my experience, I was introduced to historically significant objects such as the Astrograph, Skynet, and Observatory Archive. We visited the Astrograph which originally operated on Mt. Eliza and served as the foundation for astronomy in Perth. It bridged the gap between optical observations and scientific explanations. The recently damaged Skynet worked as online platform for students and researchers to perform night-time studies internationally. Currently, the Observatory Archive stores all scientific material conducted state-wide throughout the last 110 years. Over time, PhD students and scientists have integrated this
As a 16-year-old preparing to begin ATAR in year 11 in 2022, I am very often asked what it is I want to do when I finish school. The honest answer to this is that I don’t know. There is no way to really know what I will end up doing with my life, which is completely okay. Two of the things I am the most passionate about are astrophysics and audiology, so I am currently working towards pursuing one of these, though I don’t know which, yet.
Over the past week, I was exposed to the astronomical history of the Perth Observatory. Learning, understanding, and developing new skills and knowledge. I greatly recommend that you visit the Observatory, and appreciate the events and tours they offer, just like I did.
This week was an amazing opportunity to see into this life that I could have, one filled with history and preservation for the future, which makes it all the more difficult to choose. For some reason, people tend to focus on what they can’t do, rather than what they can. This mindset is very difficult to break and can hinder one’s ability to see all of the possibilities for their future.
Emma’s Experience
For a very long time, I was stuck in the cycle of only being able to focus on the futures that I couldn’t have, on things I could never do. However, this week has helped me to see that there are so many things that I am able to do, so many ways in which I could chase the things I want out of life. Speaking with people with all different experiences helped me to see this, so I want to thank every person who took the time this week to work with me and help me learn so much.
From the 6th to the 10th of December, I had the privilege of completing my school work experience with the volunteers at the Perth Observatory. I was able to learn about a variety of topics in astronomy, as well as getting a glimpse into the historical preservation done at the Observatory. It was incredible to look through records of the earliest days of the Observatory, and seeing how the technology has evolved; which is shown through the records of research. Though it was extremely hot some of the days, the grounds are absolutely beautiful and so are the telescopes. Just knowing that there is so much history behind every aspect of the place makes it even more amazing. One of the highlights among the many of this week was being able to work with the volunteers, all of whom I learnt so much from. It was great to be able to witness firsthand how the exploration of space can bring people from all walks of life to one place. Creating real connections with people is something that holds immense value in everyday life, and though I wasn’t there long, I genuinely feel that there were some real
All in all, it was an amazing experience that has really helped me to discern what I want in my life. I truly hope that I will be able to volunteer again in the very near future, and have the opportunity to work with this amazing group of people.
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Nearing the end of the working week, I was offered to ideate, design, and create original photo composites to commemorate the Christmas season. I gladly involved my passion of photo manipulation with my work, and formulated several images to be put on greeting cards and sold within the AstroShop.
relationships formed.
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data into their work to further develop understandings and properties of the universe.
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By Julie Matthews
To mark International Volunteer Day, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) celebrated the tireless efforts of our incredible volunteers. The event was opened with a Welcome to Country from Mr Walter McGuire, Traditional Owner of Noongar Boodjar, with awards presented by Director General Mark Webb and Hon Klara Andric MLC member for South Metropolitan region. The POVG Long Service Award was presented to Lloyd Robinson. Congratulations Lloyd on your twenty years with POVG and thank you for your many hours of valuable service. Lloyd has worked tirelessly over the years with Night Sky Tours and behind the scenes restoring the Astrograph. He inspires us all.
I have had a ball over the last 20 years and continue to find the fellowship of
the volunteer group and introducing the public to our wonderful Observatory very fulfilling. In 20 years it’s amazing how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.
Lloyd Robinson.
Image Credit: DBCA
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Congratulating Lloyd’s On 20 Years
Image Credit: Ronny Kaplanian
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A Seyfert Galaxy PAGE 26
NGC 1097
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School Day Tours & OSHC Tours Organise your out of this world excursion today!!! Astronomy not only inspires kids to look up at our awe-inspiring night sky, it also builds the passion to learn. Our primary school day tours have been designed as primary school excursions for students from Year 3 – Year 6 with a variety of activities, many relating to the Australian National Curriculum. Your students will participate in activities around the Observatory’s grounds and buildings to broaden their knowledge of astronomy and physics while seeing our range of modern and historical telescopes. Our Out of School Holiday Care tours cater for children from 4 – 11 years old. The children will work in groups of the age ranges 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 years old. The activities are fun and but also educational.
Book in term one and we’ll give you a 10% discount
Image Credits: Matt Woods
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Image Credit: Playmobil
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Your Earth Defender Can Help Save The Earth With Playmobil
Available in the Astroshop
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Capturing Auroras In All Their Glory By Roger Groom There has been a recent uptick in aurora activity corresponding to the approaching solar maximum and so with this in mind we thought a small section on how to photography aurora would help our readers. Aurora particularly as viewed from our Perth latitude can be quite difficult to photograph for a few reasons: They are often quite faint, barely visible to the naked eye. To give context an aurora photograph almost always needs to include landscape elements, requiring a lens wide enough to include sufficient foreground yet also substantial sky area. There is a reasonable chance you’ll be photographing in either light polluted or moonlit skies which hampers the ability to distinguish the aurora from background sky brightness levels. From an artistic perspective, I think it is worth elaborating on the consideration of context and foreground. Aurora is an astronomical subject that people relate personally to and usually, that includes association with the landscape around them. Your photographs need to include that context and portray that human element of experiencing aurora. The landscape also provides a sense of scale alongside which the aurora is shown. Put thought into the composure of the foreground and visit a scenic location. Consider the lighting and colour balance of the landscape elements to complement the aurora. Make the foreground or even for that matter light pollution part of your image rather than trying to superficially exclude it. Some basic equipment you would ideally have is: DSLR, Mirrorless or similarly capable digital camera with a wide angle lens Solid tripod Cable release, wireless trigger or wireless connectivity allowing you to trigger multiple exposures without physical contact with the camera Internet connected device to keep up with predictions and observations other people are reporting Head torch While it is possible to photograph the night sky with modern mobile phones, the difference in quality between them and an entry-level DSLR or Mirrorless camera is still quite noticeable when photographing the night sky (including aurora), with the DSLR or Mirrorless camera providing superior results.
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Image Credit: Roger Groom
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Image Credit: Stephane Vetter
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Keep the field of view wide enough to include your context
Keep the exposures not too long that you risk blurring the aurora movement, trailing the stars, or blurring landscape elements. A set of basic starting camera settings would be: 15 second exposures Widest aperture (eg F/1.8, 2.8) Wide angle lens/short focal length such as 14mm - 28mm. Long Exposure Noise Reduction off, with manual dark frames acquired for better results, or on for convenience High ISO Noise Reduction turned off or on low Daylight or a fixed white balance such as 4300k RAW or RAW+JPG file format Taking multiple exposures is critical for aurora photography. You ideally want a continuous sequence of consistent exposures which can either show movement between exposures, be used as a timelapse video, or be stacked (combined) to a single resulting image with a combination of optimal aurora photographs. It is when taking a sequence of exposures that turning off Long Exposure Noise Reduction becomes more critical in the aurora situation. It is hard to remember and configure correctly all these details when the urgency of capturing a fleeting moment of aurora overcomes you. Preparing and getting a good handle on the settings ahead of time will help, and perhaps pre-configuring a custom setting, or quick-setup on your camera with these details so you can simply enable that. Lastly, realise that at our latitude, not all aurora will be visible to the naked eye that can be captured on film. So, if there are reports of aurora at the time, continue shooting at optimal settings, then review those images later in comfort at home. You might be surprised what you find!
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Use a fast (open/wide) aperture to let as much light as possible in to the lens
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Regarding technicalities there are some basic rules to follow:
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What’s In January’s Skies By Matt Woods
2022 SUMMER EDITION
Planets: Three planets (Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn) will be visible after twilight in January, but Mercury and Saturn disappear by the middle of the month, leaving only Jupiter. Mercury will at the start of the month very low in the Southwest, moving from the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer) into the constellation of Capricornus (The Sea-Goat) in the first week before disappearing into the Sun’s glare. Mercury will reappear in the early morning in the last week of January. Mercury will also have its greatest elongation in the West on the 7th of January, it’ll begin to make its way back towards the Sun from that day. Venus will reappear from the Sun’s glare in the early morning during the middle of the month in the constellation of Scutum (The Shield) and by the end of the month it will be rising 03:36 am (AWST). Mars is low in the east in the early morning. It’ll move from the constellation of Ophiuchus (The Serpent-Bear) into the constellation of Sagittarius just after the middle of the month in the early morning. On the 1st of January, a very thin crescent Moon will be very close to Mars with an occultation be seen from Adelaide, Canberra and Melbourne. Jupiter is low in the western sky in the constellation of Aquarius (The Water-Bearer). At the start of the month, Jupiter will set at 10:16 pm (AWST) and by the end, it will set at 8:37 pm (AWST). Saturn is low in the west in the constellation of Capricornus. At the start of the month, Saturn will set at 09:19 pm (AWST). Uranus can be found in the evening sky in the constellation of Aries (The Ram). At the beginning of January, Uranus will set at 01:33 am (AWST) and by the end of the month, it’ll set at 11:31 pm (AWST). Neptune will be viewable as well in the evening between the constellation of Aquarius and the constellation of Pisces (The Fish). At the start of January, Neptune will set at 11:12 pm (AWST) and by the end of the month, it will set at 9:16 pm (AWST).
The Moon and Mars as seen from Adelaide on the 01/01/22 at 5 am (ACDT).
The Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn on the 05/01/22 at 8 pm (AWST).
Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn on the 10/01/22 at 8 pm (AWST).
The Moon, Venus, Mars and Antares on the 29/01/22 at 4 am (AWST).
Astronomical Events: Earth At Perihelion: The Earth will be at its closest point to the Sun (at the perihelion), about two weeks after the January Solstice at 03:00 pm (AWST) on Sunday the 4th of January. The Earth will be 147,105,052 km away from the Sun that day and this occurs because the Earth’s orbit is elliptical. Approximately every 100,000 years, Earth’s orbital path changes from being nearly circular to elliptical. This is due to the gravitational influences of other planetary objects, particularly the Moon. The difference in the Earth’s orbital path from a perfect circle is known as its eccentricity. Also, the word Perihelion comes from ancient Greek, where peri means close and helios means the Sun.
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Conjunctions involve object(s) in the Solar System and/or more distant objects, such as a star. It’s an apparent phenomenon in which multiple objects which aren’t close together appear close in the sky and it’s caused by the observer’s perspective. An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer.
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Conjunctions And Occultations:
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Things To Look At This Month: Tarantula Nebula:
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The Tarantula Nebula is an Emission Nebula, found in one of our galaxy’s satellite galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud. The nebula is approximately 160,000 light-years away from our Solar System and is 300 light-years across. An extremely luminous object, the Tarantula Nebula’s luminosity is so great that if it were as close to Earth as the Orion Nebula, the Tarantula Nebula would cast shadows and take up 20% of the horizon. As one of the most active starburst regions known in the Local Group of galaxies, the Tarantula Nebula resides on the leading edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud where ram pressure is stripping, and the compression of the interstellar medium likely resulting from this is at a maximum.
Image Credit: Peter Ward (Barden Ridge Observatory)
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The Tarantula Nebula PAGE 36
NGC 2070
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What’s In February’s Skies By Matt Woods
2022 SUMMER EDITION
Planets: In the morning twilight, Mercury can be found low in the east with Venus and Mars. Mercury will move from the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer) to the constellation of Capricornus (The Sea-Goat) in the middle of the month and it will also have its greatest elongation in the East on the 17th of February, it will begin to make its way back towards the Sun from that day. Venus can be found in the morning twilight in the constellation of Scutum (The Shield) at the beginning of the month where it will rise at 03:32 am (AWST). It will then move into the constellation of Sagittarius as it gradually draws closer to Mars throughout the month and by the end of February it will rise at 02:47 am (AWST). Mars is also in the constellation of Sagittarius during February. It can be found low in the early morning Eastern sky where it will rise at 02:47 am (AWST) at the beginning of the month and by the end of February, it will 02:47 am (AWST). Jupiter is very low in the early evening western sky in the constellation of Aquarius (The Water Bearer) at the start of the month, but it will disappear into the twilight just after the first week of February leaving all the planetary action to the morning sky. Uranus can be found in the evening sky in the constellation of Aries (The Ram). At the beginning of February, Uranus will set at 11:27 am (AWST) and by the end of the month, it will set at 09:43 pm (AWST). Neptune will be viewable as well in the evening between the constellation of Aquarius and the constellation of Pisces (The Fish). At the start of February, Neptune will set at 09:12 pm (AWST) and at the end of the month, it will be lost to the Sun’s glare.
Southern Pleiades:
Easily seen with the naked eye, it’s is one of the closest to us at a distance of 547 light-years and it’s 8 light-years across. There are about 60 stars in total in the cluster and they are estimated to be about 13.7 million years old.
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The Southern Pleiades (IC 2602) is an open cluster in the constellation of Carina. It’s named the Southern Pleiades because of its resemblance to the Pleiades Cluster (Messier 45) which can be found in the constellation of Taurus. The open cluster was discovered by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in 1751 while observing in South Africa.
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Things To Look At This Month:
2022 SUMMER EDITION
Southern Pleiades. Image Credit: Simon Waters
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IC 2602
The Southern Pleiades
By Matt Woods
All five naked-eye planets can be glimpsed in the morning sky. Mercury is low in the east, moving from Capricornus (The Sea-Goat) to the constellation of Aquarius (The Water Bearer) in the second week of the month. It’ll then disappear into the twilight after that. Venus is in the east and it moves from the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer) into the constellation of Capricornus in the second week of the month. In the first half of the month, Venus passes close to Mars and in the last week of March, Venus passes close to Saturn. At the beginning of March, Venus will rise at 02:40 am (AWST) and at the end of the month it will rise at 2:50 am (AWST). Venus will also have its greatest elongation in the East on the 20th of March. Mars is in the east and it will move from the constellation of Sagittarius into the constellation of Capricornus at the end of the first week of the month. At the beginning of March, Mars will rise at 02:32 am (AWST) and at the end of the month it will rise at 2:22 am (AWST). Jupiter is low in the east in the constellation of Aquarius in the second half of the month. By the end of March, Jupiter will rise at 04:57 am (AWST). Saturn is in the east in the constellation of Capricornus the whole of March. At the beginning of March, Saturn will set at 09:39 am (AWST) and by the end of the month, it will set at 07:45 pm (AWST). Uranus can be found in the evening sky in the constellation of Aries (The Ram). At the beginning of March, Uranus will set at 09:39 am (AWST) and by the end of the month, it will set at 07:45 pm (AWST). On the 28th and 29th of March there will be a conjunctions of the Moon, Venus, Mars and Saturns in the early morning.
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Planets:
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What’s In March’s Skies
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Astronomical Events: The March Equinox:
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On Sunday the 20th of March, The March Equinox occurs at 11:32 pm (AWST), marking the beginning of astronomical Spring for the Northern Hemisphere, and the start of Autumn for the Southern Hemisphere. This is an exact moment when the Sun’s declination equals 0 as seen from the Earth. The two points where the ecliptic or the imaginary path the Sun seem to trace out along the celestial sphere meets the celestial equator are known as the equinoctial points. The Equinox (literally meaning ‘equal nights’ in Latin) means that night and day are nearly equal worldwide, and that the Sun rises due east of an observer on the equinox and sets due west.
Things To Look At This Month: Beehive Cluster: The Beehive Cluster (M44) is an open cluster of faint stars in the constellation of Cancer and it’s also known as Praesepe (Latin for “manger”). Galileo used the first astronomical telescope in 1609 to discover that it was in fact a collection of about 40 stars. We now know of 200 core stars, but there could be possibly up to 1000 stars in an extended area of nearly 3 Moon diameters. The cluster is 15 light-years in diameter, and it is 550 light-years away from Earth. The cluster contains a high proportion of variable stars of age 500-700 million years, this age of the cluster and its proper motion also coincide with those of the Hyades cluster in the constellation of Taurus, which suggests they may share similar origins.
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Messier 44
Image Credit: Bob Franke
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The Beehive Cluster
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A Quick Look In The Astroshop!
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SUPPORT PERTH OBSERVATORY
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CONTAINERS FOR CHANGE Help Perth Observatory through the Containers for Change scheme. Please take glass, plastic, aluminium, steel and paper-based cartons between 150mL and 3L to your local refund depot, and use the Perth Observatory (Scheme ID: C10424615). POVG will receive 10 cents for each container. Save the ID on your phone for every time you recycle your containers. Find your local refund depot and get more info on what containers are eligible for refunds here:
containersforchange.com.au/wa
Can’t get to a refund centre? We have a dedicated and labelled bin on-site for you to add your clean container donations when you next visit the observatory. Our maintenance and accounts volunteer, Des, collects donated containers and takes them to the refund centre. Thank you for helping the POVG promote sustainable and environmentally conscious practices and diversifying ways for us to raise much-needed funds. Your help supports the continuing upkeep and running of Western Australia’s oldest observatory!
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The Milky Way
Image Credit: Matt Woods
2022 SUMMER EDITION
From The Shire Of Dandaragan
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Glow In The Dark Galaxy Magic Mule What We Need:
Steps:
Ginger Syrup:
Pour the tonic water into ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Crush the ice in a blender and store in the freezer until needed.
10cm x 5 cm at least large piece of ginger (skin already peeled)
Ginger Syrup
1/4 cup water
Cut the piece of ginger into slices. Place these slices in a processor with a ¼ cup of water, and ½ cup of agave syrup. Blend until the ginger is completely blended with the liquid.
1/2 cup agave
1 cup of tonic water
Transfer the ginger-agave mix into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes and let the syrup infuse with the ginger for about 30 minutes. Strain (using a nut milk bag), and store in a sealable bottle and store in the fridge until needed.
90ml lime juice
Glow In The Dark Galaxy Magic Mule
45ml ginger syrup
Fill a glass tumbler or highball glass with the crushed tonic water.
Crushed tonic water ice
Pour the ginger syrup and lime juice over the ice.
Extra tonic water or club soda
Next, pour the butterfly pea infused vodka, And top with tonic water or club soda.
3 oz butterfly pea infused vodka
This drink will glow under black light – the effect is more impressive when there are pieces of tonic ice in the drink.
Glow In The Dark Galaxy Magic Mule:
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2022 SUMMER EDITION
The Funny Side
Contact Us Perth Observatory 337 Walnut Road 6076 Bickley, WA (08) 9293 8255 newsletter@povg.org perthobservatory.com.au
