PERTH OBSERVATORY NEWSLETTER
SPRING
EQUINOX
SEPTEMBER
WHAT'S IN THE SKY CATCH THE GEMINID METEOR SHOWER IN DECEMBER
LUNAR PHOTOGRAPHY LEARN FROM THE BEST
ASTROTOURISM IN WA PROTECTING OUR NIGHT SKIES
2020
EDITOR'S NOTE by James Chesters September 2020
Welcome to the September Equinox edition of Perth Observatory's newsletter. As you read this, we're moving into the season of the Noongar calendar called Kambarang, the season of wild flowers marked by longer dry periods.
There are more than 12,000 species of
PERTH OBSERVATORY 337 Walnut Rd Bickley WA 6076
wildflowers in Western Australia, and since we're sticking around in our great state for a little while it's a great time to check out the sights of Perth Hills.
Perth Observatory Volunteer Group also acknowledges we are based on Aboriginal land. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Wadjak people of the Noongar nation, and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.
Check out in this issue of the newsletter Matt Woods' articles on What's Up in the Sky to get all the must-have info for every month on the planets, galaxies, conjunctions, meteor showers, as well as details of his Virtual Star Parties.
We also bring you volunteer training, project, and Astroshop updates from Julie Matthews, news of our official beekeeper, another great crossword from Eta Carina (send us your completed puzzle for a chance to win) and original content from Carol Redmond of AstroTourism WA.
This quarter there are meteors-aplenty in our starry Southern sky – and there's almost as many
CONTACT US
opportunities to see them with us, so keep looking to the sky.
Perth Observatory PO Box 179 Kalamunda WA 6926
Our thanks go out to everyone who helps keep Perth Observatory running every day, and this newsletter filled with content every quarter.
(08) 9293 8255 newsletter@povg.org.au www.perthobservatory.com.au
CONTRIBUTORS
CONTENTS Meteor Showers
Editor-in-Chief James Chesters
Contributors
05
Colin Armstrong
From October through December there are several key meteor showers to end 2020.
Dr Craig Bowers Jay Chesters Julie Matthews Matt Woods
Guest Contributor Carol Redford
12
Prize Crossword
Halloween Night Sky Tour This October 31, Perth Observatory is getting a little extra spooky.
Eta Carina
Subscribe Click Below to subscribe to our newsletterÂ
19
24 Come on, Get Social
December's night skies This year, a rare conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn happens on December 21.
Perth Observatory's official beekeeper What Michael Nikoloff doesn't know about bees couldn't fit on the back of an unladen European honey bee.
A VIEW THROUGH THE EYEPIECE POVG CHAIR DR COLIN ARMSTRONG Spring has sprung on the hill at Perth Observatory and there's so much we want to show you and share with you.
New in the Astroshop this month is our very own Perth Observatory protective face masks, hopefully one day these will just be souvenirs from 2020.
Please join us this quarter celebrating our newest Night
Over the next few months we're making hay while the sun
Sky Tour Host, Matt Mulder.
shines and have a full calendar of events ahead of us.
Since 2015, the Perth Observatory Volunteer Group has
We're teaming up with the talented Roger Groom and
been running the observatory night and day, and even
Astrophotography Australia for a lunar photography
when times are hard, our volunteers are keeping the
workshop, getting spooky for Hallowe'en, celebrating
observatory running.
Doctor Who, and hosting a meteor-watching party for the Geminids, and launching our Full Moon Tours.
It's no small ask to sacrifice time with friends and family to spend nights at Bickley, and we're grateful for every
That's not all – the marvellous Matt Woods is hosting
last volunteer, whatever their role. So thank you, and
regular our virtual star parties live on YouTube for
congratulations, Matt! Don't forget to say hello to Matt
everyone to experience our starry Southern sky. All this on
when you see him on your next night sky tour.
top of our regular night sky tours.
Congratulations also go to our new Program
This quarter's newsletter is packed full of pages and
Manager, Paul Wadham, overseeing and coordinating
pages of great content for you to enjoy. Thanks to our
all POVG projects.
editor-in-chief for another great edition.
As we enjoy our freedom in WA, we recognise it's a long
I hope to see you all soon under the stars at Western
road out of COVID-19 restrictions, and we aren't getting
Australia’s oldest observatory!
complacent at the observatory.
Our increased cleaning continues, our dedicated Hygiene Officer remains on all tours, and all Perth Observatory volunteers on our tours have completed AHA Hospital and Tourism COVID-19 Hygiene Training.
We're aware that we – the observatory, WA, Australia, the world – aren't out of the woods yet, and community transmission in WA is perhaps inevitable, but our commitment to everyone's safety remains resolute.
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
2020'S METEOR SHOWERS by Jay Chesters
From October through December there are several key meteor showers before the end of 2020. Starting with the faint and fast Orionids in October, through to the bold and bright Geminids in December there's lots happening in the sky. Thanks to some fortunate moon phases, we're also looking forward to dark skies. Get away from the city lights, find somewhere dark, then sit back and watch the skies.
Read on for the key facts.
Name: The Draconids Peak: Just before nightfall, October 8 What to expect: Typically, not much -- but in 2012 up to 1,000 meteors per hour were detected
Will they be bright? The Draconids are a bright meteor shower
What's the Moon doing? The waning gibbous moon doesn't rise until late evening
Slow or fast? The Draconids are slow meteors, reaching about 20km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Draco, the Dragon
Name: The Taurids Peak: Around midnight, November 12 What to expect: An average of only around 5 meteors per hour
Will they be bright? The Taurids can be as bright as the Moon, leaving smoke trails
What's the Moon doing? The waning crescent moon is rising before dawn, so won't affect viewing
Slow or fast? The Taurids are slow, coming in around 28 km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Taurus
Name: The Orionids Peak: Before dawn, October 21 What to expect: An average of 10 to 20 yellowishgreen meteors per hour
Will they be bright? The Orionids are a little faint but many leave persistent trails
What's the Moon doing? The Moon is setting early in the evening so the skies will be dark
Slow or fast? The Orionids are extremely fast, plummeting into the Earth’s atmosphere at about 66km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Orion
Name: The Leonids Peak: Before dawn, November 17 What to expect: An average of 10 to 15 greenish meteors per hour
Will they be bright? Larger Leonids are known for producing bright meteors
What's the Moon doing? The Moon is setting early in the evening so the skies will be dark
Slow or fast? The Leonids are extremely fast, hitting our atmosphere at around 72km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Leo
Name: The Geminids Peak: After midnight, December 13/14 What to expect: An average of around 120 meteors per hour
Will they be bright? The Geminids are bold and bright What's the Moon doing? There is a New Moon this year with dark skies all night
Slow or fast? The Geminids are quite slow, clocking in at around 35 km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Gemini
UPCOMING EVENTS
LUNAR PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP Perth Observatory is teaming up with Roger Groom and Astrophotography Australia. Together we're bringing you a fun and relaxed evening
With a maximum group size of 20 people, workshop
of photographing the Moon.
spaces are strictly limited, giving you plenty of time to photograph the Moon in all its glory.
Using a combo of Astrophotography Australia's equipment and Perth Observatory telescopes, we'll have
When booking, please provide details of your camera –
multiple telescopes set up ready to connect to your own
including the brand and model. This is so that we can
camera.
cater appropriately for everyone on the night.
With a wide range of focal lengths (magnifications) and
Find out more and sign up here:
types of telescopes available on the night, you'll be all
perthobservatory.com.au/shop/events/lun ar-photography-workshop
set to start photographing the Moon's full disk, and taking photographs at much higher magnification.
You're encouraged to bring your own camera T-ring adaptor (if you have one) and barlow lenses if you have those. Using your own gear in this way helps become
BOOK NOW
you more familiar shooting with your own equipment.
Astrograph Telescope at Perth Observatory
Price $90 per person)
Location: Perth Observatory Date: Thursday, October 22 Time: 18:00 to 22:00 (Doors open 17:30)
www.AstroPhotography.com.au
Roger Groom
www.AstroPhotography.com.au © Roger Groom
VOLUNTEER UPDATE BACK TO BUSINESS by Julie Matthews
It's wonderful seeing our trainees back up the hill joining in our Night Sky Tours. Not only do our trainees learn through direct mentoring during tours, but they also get the opportunity to practice their hands-on telescope operation during the week.
Achieving this AA title is a massive accomplishment, and we thank all of you that have put (and are putting the time in) to do this important role and keep our Night Sky Tours successfully running.
Volunteers also develop their presentation skills with our
Volunteers needed
continuing online/remote training through MS Teams
We're getting ready to interview our next intake of
Video Conferencing sessions on the first and third
volunteers for Night Sky Tours. If you're a confident
Monday of each month.
presenter with clear speaking skills, have a passion for the night sky that you enjoy sharing with others, and are
During these sessions, an experienced presenter talks on
interested in learning how to operate the telescopes,
a subject that can help us all during our many tours, a
we'd love to meet you.
trainee practices presenting a talk, and we finish with an AstroQuiz.
A full description of what the role entails is on our website with the application form, go to:
The sessions are wonderful, adding to our knowledge
perthobservatory.com.au/become-a-volunteer and
base and keeping us all connected as a group. Thank
click on the more info box for each role.
you to all the wonderful volunteers that have been giving their time to join in and contribute.
We also need volunteers for School Day Tours, Office Work and Maintenance (cleaning, gardening). We’re a
A new name In recognition of the hard work, commitment and knowledge it takes to graduate as a solo Telescope Operator, POVG are now calling our Telescope Operators by their new title of Amateur Astronomers.
happy bunch, so spread the word: we’re recruiting now!
WHAT'S IN
OCTOBER'S NIGHT SKIES by Matt Woods Mercury is visible for the first half of October in a dark sky just after sunset. Low in the west, Mercury is moving from the constellation of Virgo (the Virgin) and into Libra (the Scales) by the end of the first week of October.
Jupiter and Saturn are in the northwest in the October evening sky, close to the Sagittarius arm of the Milky Way in the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer).
Mercury will have its greatest elongation in the west on October 1; this is the best time to view the planet since it will be at its highest point above the horizon. From here, it begins making its way back towards the Sun before being lost to the Sun’s glare by the middle of the month.
At the beginning of October, Jupiter is setting at 01:57 and Saturn at 02:24. By the end of the month, Jupiter is setting at 00:10 and Saturn at 00:30.
Uranus is at its closest approach to Earth this month and viewable in the early evening in the Aries (the Ram)
Venus, the closest thing in our Solar System to hell, is
constellation near Mars. At the start of October, Uranus
low in the east after 04:00 (AWST) and moving from
rises around 20:36, and the blue-green planet will be
Leo (the Lion) into Virgo in the second half of October.
above the horizon before nightfall by month’s end.
Mercury on 15/10/20 at 19:30
Mercury near its greatest elongation on 01/10/20
Venus on 15/10/20 at 04:30
Mars, the red planet, is in Pisces (the Fish) in the northeast in October's early evening. On October 14, Mars arrives at opposition (on the other side of the Earth to the Sun) and will be at its brightest for the year.
Mars will be the brightest star in the night sky, more than three times brighter than Sirius. Visible all night long, Mars will be a vivid golden orange star rising in the early evening sky.
At the start of October, Mars is rising above the horizon at 19:23 and will be above the horizon before sunset by the end of the month. October is
Mars, Uranus and Neptune on 15/10/20 at 21:00
All images credit: Stellarium
the best time to view and photograph Mars, and with a medium-sized telescope you can see some of the dark details on the surface.
October is the best time to view Uranus, but due to its distance, it only appears as a tiny blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.
Neptune is viewable from the beginning of the night near Mars in the constellation of Aquarius (The Water Bearer). At the start of October, the planet sets around 05:12 and around 03:13 by the end of the month.
Jupiter and Saturn on 15/10/20 at 21:00
A composite of the Orionids meteor shower. Image Credit: Slooh Observatory
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS | OCTOBER
ORIONIDS METEOR SHOWER by Matt Woods
Early morning, between 02:00 and 05:00 on October 21 and 22, the Orionids meteor shower hits Earth's atmosphere. Appearing to originate in the constellation of Orion, The Orionids meteor shower has been observed for hundreds of years.
The Orionids meteor shower is caused by Earth flying through the debris field of dust, ice, and rocks left over from the tail of Halley Comet's (or Comet 1/P Halley, to use its proper name.) From October 2, Earth flies through this debris field, with the meteors burning up causing brilliant yellowish-green streaks of light. The Orionids is one of the top meteor showers for skywatchers in the last quarter of the year, with an average of 20 meteors per hour. For best viewing, look directly east around midnight and then towards north closer to sunrise.
While the meteor shower lasts until around November 7, it peaks just before dawn on October 21. The best news is, the Moon is setting early in the evening and we won't have to put up with any annoying light pollution from it.
The Orionids are extremely fast, and while they are relatively faint, they leave persistent trails. To see them, look east-north-east from around Midnight, and then towards the North as it gets closer to dawn.
The Orionids on 24/10/20 at 02:00. Image Credit: Stellarium
OCTOBER'S
VIRTUAL STAR PARTIES hosted by Matt Woods
Every second week, POVG volunteer Matt hosts Perth Observatory's Virtual Star Parties on our YouTube channel. Tune in this month for a livestream of one of our telescopes, showing our amazing Southern sky. Join us! The party starts 20:00 (AWST). Click the links to sign up.
Register here - free!
Register here - free!
FULL MOON TOURS Have you ever wondered about all of the mythology that
We finish the night with some tea or coffee and the
surrounds the Moon? Let’s have a conversation about it.
opportunity for a conversation with our speaker for the evening, Zoe Fraussen.
Every society has created myths and legends about our favourite satellite, from its creation to its phases during the month.
Get more info here:
perthobservatory.com.au/shop/nighttours/full-moon-night-tour
This conversation series will take you on a journey to discover all the different facets of the Moon and the cultural myths that surround it.
Join us for this first month’s discussion of some of the most known Moon mythology, why many myths are
Price Adult: $40.00 Concession: $30.00 Child (Ages 5 to 17): $20.00
similar across cultures and what we can learn about these societies through their interest in the Moon.
You'll get to have a good look at the Moon through a telescope, as well as the opportunity to take photos of the Moon via a specially-set up scope, and the chance to walk through the lit up Worl Wangkiny, Perth
Location: Perth Observatory Date: Friday, October 2 Time: 19:00 (Gates open 18:30)
Observatory's Aboriginal Astronomy Centre.
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WHAT'S IN
OCTOBER'S NIGHT SKY by Matt Woods
THE SCULPTOR GALAXY The Sculptor, or Silver Coin Galaxy (NGC253), is a barred galaxy in the Sculptor constellation roughly 67,000 light-years wide. Discovered (by Europeans) by Caroline Herschel in 1783, while carrying out a comet search, it's one of the Sculptor group of galaxies, grouped around the south galactic pole (sometimes called "the South Polar Group").
Close to home
Sculptor Galaxy | Image Credit & Copyright: Mike O'Day
The Sculptor group may be the next closest group of galaxies beyond our Local Group, located about 11.5 million lightyears from Earth. Often called a Starburst galaxy, NGC253 contains a large number of stellar nurseries, forming many hot young blue stars.
This activity is from a collision with a dwarf galaxy approximately 200 million years ago, and the process of star formation and subsequent explosion as supernovae occurs at an unusually high rate.
These young stars emit radiation that causes the hydrogen gas to glow brightly pink. NGC253 has many Wolf Rayet stars (WR stars start as hot, massive stars, around x20 solar masses, and rapidly lose mass by blowing their hydrogen envelope away in the form of high-velocity stellar winds.)
The Silver Coin Galaxy also has a large proportion of dust, although in less defined lanes, such as those found in the Milky Way galaxy.
With an apparent magnitude of 7.2, the Sculptor is the second easiest galaxy to see, after Andromeda, and not including the Milky Way's two satellite galaxies (The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds).
With the right viewing conditions, NGC253 can be seen with binoculars with a long axis ~2/3 of the full moon.
15/10/20 Sculptor Galaxy at 21:00.
Image Credit: Stellarium
OCTOBER EVENTS
HALLOWEEN NIGHT TOUR This October 31, Perth Observatory is getting extra spooky. Hop on your broomstick and head up to the Perth Observatory for an amazing Hallowe'en night under the Southern starry sky.
The Observatory will be decorated and our volunteers in costume for this special night, as we take you on a grand tour of the Southern Hemisphere’s sky with a wide range of telescopes.
As well as showcasing ghostly objects on the night, we'll also be giving out great prizes for the best adult and child costumes – so dust off your scariest costumes and join us for some fun on the spookiest night of the year.
Find out more here:
perthobservatory.com.au/shop/night-tours/halloween
Price Adult: $50.00 Concession: $35.00 Child (Ages 5 to 17): $25.00 Location: Perth Observatory Date: Saturday, October 31 Time: 8:00pm
BOOK NOW Please note: there will be no actual spirits or ghosts at Perth Observatory on the night. Aside from the ghosts we normally have.
GALACTIC ICY SNOWBALL VISITS EARTH
COMET NEOWISE
by Jay Chesters NEOWISE's name was everywhere earlier this year. Did you know the comet takes its name from the telescope that discovered it? Without getting into too much technical telescope history type stuff, NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope was active from December 2009 to February 2011.
In 2013, like an ageing action movie star, it was brought out of retirement, given a new name (NEOWISE) and an important new mission: assisting NASA with identifying and defining near-Earth objects (putting the NEO in NEOWISE).
But enough about the telescope. More about the comet. Comet NEOWISE's full name is "comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE". No wonder it's nicknamed NEOWISE, if you spot it and try to say "Look! There's comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE!" by the time you finish its name the comet will be gone.
Spotted by the action-hero space telescope on March 27, Comet NEOWISE is 5km across and travelling through the solar system at around 231,000 km/h. The rocky snowball started warming up, heading towards the sun, ejecting dust, ice and gas, and showing up on infrared cameras.
Luckily, the nearest this Near-Earth Object gets is a safe distance of around 103 million kms away from Earth.
NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office reassured anyone worried there was "no possibility of [NEOWISE] impacting the Earth." It's lucky, because there's very little we could have done if it was on a collision course – but the risk to Earth from NEOs is another conversation for a later newsletter.
Instead, comet NEOWISE happily and safely continued on its journey. In June, it began brightening as it approached its closest point to the Sun, and continued getting brighter up until July 22 when it was nearest to Earth.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the comet was visible to the naked eye for almost a week in the evening sky – making it a rarity for comets. In the Southern Hemisphere, the position of the comet and the tilt of the Earth meant we mostly missed seeing it in person -- and cloudy skies ruined our view from Perth.
Despite this, you can still find some amazing photos online of this spectacular snowball, including some
taken by Ken Lawson Photography in Geraldton. Comet NEOWISE won't be back for another 6,800
pictures
years – so check out those photos if you want to see it.
WHAT'S IN
NOVEMBER'S NIGHT SKIES by Matt Woods Venus, Earth’s twisted sister, is low
Uranus is viewable in the early evening in November,
in the east after 04:00 (AWST), moving from the
and during the month it’s moving out of Aries (The Ram)
constellation of Virgo (The Virgin) into Libra (The Scales)
to between the constellations of Cetus (The Sea
throughout November.
Dragon) and Aries.
Mars is in Pisces (The Fish) in the North East in the early
At the start of the month, the planet is setting at 05:25,
evening this month. At the start of November, Mars sets
and by 03:28 at the end of the month.
at 04:26, but by the end of the month, it’s setting at The last planet in the Solar System,
02:27.
Neptune is viewable
in the early evening in the constellation of Aquarius (The
Jupiter and Saturn are in the West in the evening close
Water Bearer). At the start of November, the planet sets
to the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way, in the
at 03:09 and at 01:14 by the end of the month.
constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer). At the beginning of the month, Jupiter sets at 00:07 and Saturn at 00:26. By month's end, Jupiter is setting at 22:28 and Saturn at 22:36.
Mercury and Venus on 15/11/20 at 04:30.
Jupiter and Saturn on 15/11/20 at 09:00
Mars, Uranus and Neptune 15/11/20 at 09:00
All images credit: Stellarium
NOVEMBER VIRTUAL STAR PARTIES Join Matt on YouTube every second week in November, the party starts 20:00 (AWST). Click the links to sign up.
Register here - free!
Register here - free!
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS | NOVEMBER
LEONIDS METEOR SHOWER by Matt Woods The Leonids Meteor Shower is active between November 6 and November 30 peaking around 19:00 (AWST) November 18 this year – but you need to go out between 02:00 and 03:00. You might guess from its name: the radiant point of the Leonids is in the constellation of Leo, and it's rising in the early morning.
This year, the Leonids promises to produce around 10 meteors per hour.
Leonid Meteor Shower. Image Credit: Jimmy Westlake
With the Moon a Waning Crescent Moon setting at 22:20, it's a favourable year for the shower in 2020.
The Leonid meteors strike the Earth at 71 km/s and produce many fireballs. The source of the shower is Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, and they’re prone to provide great outbursts once every 33 years.
We’re now past midway from the 1998 – 1999 outburst years, and the next predicted ‘Leonid meteor storm’ set for 2032 – 2033.
The great Leonid Storm of 1833 is considered a contributing factor to the religious fundamentalist movements of 1830s the USA. That year, residents along the eastern seaboard woke on November 13 to a stunning sight with meteors seemingly filling the sky like snowflakes in a winter storm. Churches filled up, as many believed Judgment Day was dawning.
The meteor storm also made a lasting impression among the indigenous peoples of North America. The Sioux people of the North American plains kept records called “winter counts,” a chronological, pictographic account of each year painted on animal skin.
In 1984, Von Del Chamberlain listed the astronomical references for 50 Sioux winter counts, 45 of them clearly showed an intense meteor shower during 1833/1834. Among a further 19 winter counts kept by other plains tribes, 14 clearly referred to the Leonid storm.
Leonid Meteor Shower on 18/11/20 at 04:00. Image Credit: Stellarium
Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle's orbit. Image Credit: SNAPPA
WHAT'S IN
NOVEMBER'S NIGHT SKIES by Matt Woods
ANDROMEDA GALAXY
PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
The Andromeda Galaxy. Image Credit & Copyright: Gábor Tóth
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse diagram.
Andromeda (M31) is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth and the
Image Credit: timeanddate.com
nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. Its name stems
On Saturday, November 30, a Penumbral
from the area of the sky in which it appears, the
Lunar Eclipse occurs. These are when the Sun, Earth,
constellation of Andromeda.
and the Moon imperfectly align, and the Moon passes within Earth’s outer shadow (called the Penumbra).
Observations made by the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2006 revealed that the galaxy contained approximately
Most Penumbral Lunar Eclipse can't be easily
one trillion stars, more than twice the number of the
distinguished from a normal Full Moon as at the
Milky Way – estimated to have between 200 to 400
maximum phase of the eclipse the Moon turns a shade
billion stars.
darker.
Andromeda spans approximately 220 000 light-years
This is the final of the four Penumbral Lunar Eclipses for
and is the largest galaxy in our Local Group.
2020, and Perth will only just see it. The best places to see this eclipse is in New Zealand, the Americas and the
The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies will eventually
Pacific islands, while Australia, Eastern Asia and
collide in ~4.5 billion years and will merge to form a
Western Europe will see some of this eclipse.
giant elliptical galaxy or a large disc galaxy. The eclipse starts in Perth with the Moon below the horizon at 15:32 (AWST), and we also miss the maximum phase at 17:42.
The Moon is rising here in Perth at 19:04 and the eclipse finishes at 19:53 so we’ll only see the last 29 minutes of this eclipse.
Andromeda on 15/11/20 at 21:00. Image Credit: Stellarium
The Moon's location at 19:15, 38 minutes before the eclipse ends.
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse viewing map.
Image Credit: Stellarium
Image Credit: timeanddate.com
PERTH OBSERVATORY
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS NIGHT SKY TOURS Winter is over! Night sky tour times are changing so make a note now.
Sirius (the bright star sitting above the Orion constellation) is also best seen over the summer months.
The days are getting longer – and that
That's not all! You will also have
means night tours are starting later.
the chance to browse our museum and see our meteorite exhibit,
CHOOSE YOUR NIGHT FOR A TOUR Dark Sky Nights Dark sky nights are when there’s no Moon.
Join Perth Observatory's passionate
historical instruments, and admire
volunteers to experience our amazing
our amazing astrophotographs and
summer Southern sky through a wide
artwork.
range of telescopes. Our night sky tours often sell out, Read Matt Woods' articles to find out
so book yours in advance
'Whats Up in the Sky' or just pick a night to join us!
Get more info here:
At this time of year, the Small
perthobservatory.com.au/sho p/night-tours/night-sky-tours
Magellanic Cloud is visible in the night sky – right through to January.
BOOK NOW
Fainter objects, such as globular clusters and nebulae, show up well against the darker background of a moonless sky.
Moonlit Nights Moonlit nights are when the Moon is one of the observing targets.
The best detail on the lunar surface is seen around half moon phase.
Star clusters and bright nebulae will also be visible.
Full Moon Nights
BOOK AN EXCLUSIVE & PRIVATE NIGHT TOUR
Full moon nights are when a Full Moon occurs on a weekend or during a school holiday period.
Book a Night Tour and the evening schedule can be tailored to your needs, with a BBQ cook top also available on request.
Perth Observatory Volunteers will take you on a grand tour of the Southern Hemisphere’s sky with a wide range of targets including galaxies, planets, nebulas, and enormous star clusters.
All complete with a tour of the museum!
FIND OUT MORE
ON A MISSION
Image credit: Kylie Gee, Indigo Storm
ASTROTOURISM IN WA
"I'VE BEEN ASKING MYSELF, 'HOW
"I'm on a mission to brand regional WA as the stargazing andTHIS astronomy capital ofNATURAL the world" CAN INCREDIBLE Carol Redford says. ASSET BE PROTECTED FOR FUTURE Carol's passion for stargazing and astronomy in Western
GENERATIONS TO COME?'"
Australia ignited when she co-owned and operated the
Over the last two years, 15 communities in the Wheatbelt
observatory at Gingin with her friend Donna Vanzetti.
and Mid-West regions have been working with Carol to
- Carol Redford, Astrotourism WA
develop a specific Astrotourism sector of the Tourism "It was a joy to stand under the beautiful dark night sky
Industry and, at the same time, work towards protecting
and listen to amateur astronomers recount the stories
the dark night sky.
and science of the night sky," Carol says. "I've been impressed by the level of interest and the But she could see the light pollution from Perth getting
enthusiasm from communities," she says "At times it's
increasingly closer.
been slightly overwhelming!"
Recent analysis of advanced satellite images of Earth at
Astrotourism WA is working with regional communities to
night indicates that the rate of light pollution across the
roll out the "welcome mat" for visitors to experience
globe is increasing by approximately 2% every year, in
world-class stargazing, Aboriginal Astronomy culture and
both area brightness.
heritage, and to use telescopes and cameras for astronomy-related activities.
Our air is clean and pollution-free, and with regional WA's small population spread over hundreds of country
At the same time, Astrotourism helping towns protect the
towns, Carol says, and we have a natural advantage
dark-sky asset by controlling light pollution and choosing
with low levels of light pollution.
the appropriate outdoor and street lighting.
"WA has a dark-sky asset that is being, and will continue
"One day I know we will have dark sky sensitive lighting
to be, sought by millions in an increasingly light-polluted
on our town streets," Carol says, and the Australasian
world where stars have become invisible," she says.
Dark Sky Alliance has a new rating system for lighting and products that conform with dark sky principles.
"So I've been asking myself, 'How can this incredible natural asset be protected for future generations to
In an increasingly light-polluted world, if we work to
come?' That's where astrotourism comes in.
protect regional WA's dark night sky, we'll have a tourism asset for decades, maybe centuries to come and that will be priceless.
Find out more at AstrotourismWA.com.au
Image credit: Kylie Gee, Indigo Storm Photography
WHAT'S IN
DECEMBER'S NIGHT SKIES by Matt Woods
Venus, the second planet from the Sun is low in the east after 0400 (AWST) this month. During
At the beginning of the month, Jupiter is setting at 00:07 and Saturn at 00:26 am (AWST). By New Year's Eve, Jupiter is setting at 22:28 and Saturn at 22:36.
December it is moving from the constellation of Libra (the Scales), through Scorpius (the Scorpion) and into Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer).
Uranus remains viewable in the early evening throughout the month and is near Mars, from where it
Mars is in Pisces (The Fish) in the North East in the early evening this December. At the start of the month, Mars sets at 02:23 but setting at 00:49 by the end of 2020.
moves into Cetus (The Sea Dragon). At the start of December, Uranus is setting at 03:24, and at 01:24 by the end of the month.
Neptune, is also
The last planet in the Solar System,
Jupiter and Saturn can be found together in the west in the early evening, close to the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way in Sagittarius (the Archer), and both planets
viewable in the early evening near Mars, moving out of Aquarius (the Water Bearer) and into Pisces. At the start of December, Neptune sets at 01:10 and by the end of the month at 23:13.
move into Capricornus (the Sea-Goat) during December.
All images credit: Stellarium
Venus on 15/12/20 at 04:00. Image Credit: Stellarium
Mars,Uranus and Neptune on 15/12/20 at 21:00
Jupiter and Saturn on 15/11/20 at 09:00
Great Conjunction December 21 Conjunctions involve objects in the Solar System and more distant objects, such as a star. It's an apparent phenomenon caused by the observer's perspective, where multiple distant objects appear to be close in the sky. This year, a rare conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn happens December 21.
The rare conjunction of these two planets is known as a 'great conjunction' with the last one 20 years ago. In December, the two bright planets will appear so close that they will seem to form a bright double planet. Look to the west just after sunset for this impressive and rare planetary pair.
21/12/20 – Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS | DECEMBER
GEMINIDS METEOR SHOWER by Matt Woods
The Geminids are THE meteor shower to see in the southern hemisphere and on the night of December 13/14 they reach their peak. Active for two weeks from December 4 to 17 with this year's new moon you'll see anything from 15 meteors per hour here in Perth. In dark sky locations around WA, you'll see between 30 and 50, and around the equator – where Gemini is high in the sky – you'll see up to 70 meteors per hour. 3220 Phaethon's Orbit the course of the Geminids meteor shower. Image Credit: Astronomy.com
The meteor shower appears to come from the Gemini constellation, with the streaks being caused by tiny dust particles and meteors hitting our atmosphere at tremendous speed and burning up from the friction.
When looking at Gemini try to look about 30 to 45 degrees left or right of the constellation. The meteors aren't necessarily coming from Gemini itself, but if you trace the meteor streaks back to their radiant point, it's in the Gemini constellation. 2012 Geminids taken Perth Observatory. Image Credit: Perth Observatory volunteer Roger Groom
First discovered in 1862, the Geminids are caused by Earth travelling through the left-over material from the tail of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The asteroid is considered a rock comet, an asteroid that shares some characteristics of a comet – including a comet tail and surface jets. It's thought that when Phaeton was young, it got caught in Saturn's orbit and now passes the Earth every year leaving behind a debris trail.
The Gemini constellation, after which the meteor shower is named, after appears in our sky around 22:00 (AWST) so head outside and watch for them after midnight when Gemini is a higher in the sky. The shower gets better throughout the night, so grab a blanket and get comfortable! Better yet, join us December 13 for our Geminids Meteor Shower Night here at Perth Observatory!
DECEMBER VIRTUAL STAR PARTIES Join Matt on YouTube in November, the Star Party starts 20:00 (AWST). Click the links to sign up.
Register here - free!
Register here - free!
WHAT'S IN
DECEMBER'S NIGHT SKIES by Matt Woods
THE ORION NEBULA
The Orion Nebula - Image credit: wallpaperswide.com
The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula.
DECEMBER SOLSTICE
The December Solstice is on Sunday, December 22 at 12:19 (AWST)
North of Orion’s Belt (in the Southern Hemisphere) the nebula is in the constellation of Orion. One of the
The beginning of astronomical summer for the southern
brightest in our skies, the nebula is visible to the naked
hemisphere, it marks winter for the northern
eye. Messier 42 (as it’s also known) is 1,344 light-years
hemisphere.
away from our Solar System and an estimated 24 lightyears across.
The solstice is the moment when the Sun’s declination equals 23.5 degrees south as seen from the Earth.
The nebula has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems form from collapsing
The line of latitude where the Sun passes directly
clouds of gas and dust.
overhead during the December solstice is known as the Tropic of Capricorn. These days, the Sun is in Sagittarius
The Yolngu people, traditional inhabitants of north-
in mid-December, thanks to the wobble of Earth’s axis,
eastern Arnhem Land in the NT, call the constellation
called the Precession of the Equinoxes.
Djulpan. December's solstice falls on Dec 21 and 22 until 2043, Representing a hunting party, the story goes that three
occasionally falling on Dec 20 from 2080.
brothers went out hunting and fishing, but could only catch kingfish. Unfortunately, because they were from
The December solstice means the southern rotational
the kingfish clan, the brothers were forbidden by Yolngu
pole of the Earth is tipped towards the Sun, beginning
law to eat the fish. One brother got so hungry that he
its long apparent journey northward again until June.
started eating a kingfish. The Sun, Walu, saw this, and became so angry she blew the brothers into the sky.
Precession takes about 26,000 years to complete one ‘wobble.’ Over an average 72-year life span, the
You can see the three brothers up there today, as the
equinoctial points will have moved one degree (about
three stars in Orion's belt -- and the Orion nebula is the
twice the diameter of a Full Moon).
kingfish trailing behind their canoe on its line.
Orion Nebula on 15/12/20 at 21:00. Image Credit: Stellarium
UPCOMING EVENTS
GEMINIDS METEOR SHOWER NIGHT The Geminid meteor shower is one of the best meteors showers of 2020. Rug up, bring your camera, camp chairs or even a bean bag and join us on December 13 for one of the brightest meteor showers of the year.
Radiating from near the bright stars Castor and Pollux in the Gemini constellation, the Geminid meteor shower is one of the finest meteors showers in the Southern Hemisphere.
The meteors are plentiful, rivalling even August's Perseids, and are often bold, white and bright.
The good news for 2020 is that the peak of the
Watch the usually reliable and prolific Geminid meteor
Geminids more or less coincides with new moon,
shower from mid-evening December 13 until dawn
providing dark skies all night long.
December 14, with absolutely no moonlight to ruin the show.
On a dark night you can catch 50 or more meteors per hour, with the greatest numbers in the small hours after midnight, centring around
Hot drinks will be provided on the night and Perth Observatory volunteers will be on hand to chat about the sky.
0200 local time, when the radiant point is highest in the sky.
We’ll also have some telescopes set up so you can view some of the amazing stellar objects in our sky.
Find out more here:
Price Adult: $25 Concession: $30 Child (Ages 5 to 17): $15.00 Location: Perth Observatory Date: Sunday, December 13 Time: 22:00 to 0200 Doors open at 21:30)
perthobservatory.com.au/shop/events/ge minids-meteor-shower
BOOK NOW
PERTH OBSERVATORY ASTROSHOP
ASTROSHOP UPDATES New items, sale items and must-have items! All in the Perth Observatory shop.
Perth Observatory Honey coming soon... read on for more!
PERTH OBSERVATORY'S OFFICIAL BEEKEEPER
LORD OF THE BEES
"I started out a few months ago knowing absolutely nothing about bees, and at the moment still knowing next to nothing about them." - Michael Nikoloff, Perth Observatory's officially registered beekeeper. Don't be fooled by his modesty -- what Michael doesn't know about bees wouldn't fit on the back of an unladen European honey bee.
Michael patiently explains that there are substantially different flavours and colours of honey taken from hives located in various areas.
You can see what trees and flowers are growing in particular areas just by looking at the honey the land produces, he says.
"I got a centrifuge a few months back and just started using it to extract the honey from the frames inside the beehives," Michael explains. "It works very well and with a bit of trial and error seems to work best at about 80-90 RPM."
I've had some terrific fun and games along the way picking up beehives from places including Capel, Cardup, Dardanup, and Rockingham -- and then getting them all set up and running again, Michael says.
"There is quite a lot going on inside a beehive. Bees are highly organised, and it's remarkable what they are get up to.
On one of his roadtrips to pick up a beehive, Michael borrowed a car from a friend. Somehow the bees escaped their hives during the drive, and he was driving with a car full of moving bees.
The next issue was removing all the curious little bees from the car once he'd arrived home. To this day, his friend's car still has some hitchhikers buzzing around, enjoying the trip.
But how does someone even end up an observatory beekeeper?
"It all started after I had the crazy idea to donate 15 beehives to produce an ongoing income for the Observatory by selling honey, beeswax, and bee pollen," Michael explains.
"Dad [former Perth Observatory Government Astronomer, Dr Ivan Nikoloff from 1974 to 1985] was very upset when he found out Perth Observatory been closed back in 2015.
For me, this is one way to keep the dream alive and hopefully keep the lights on up on top of the hill at Bickley for a few years longer.
Perth Observatory Honey is on sale in the AstroShop from September 22, from $10 for 500 grams. Image credit: Kylie Gee, Indigo Storm Photography
UPCOMING EVENTS
DOCTOR WHO NIGHT TOUR Join us to celebrate everything Doctor Who on the night of Tardis Day. Dig out your sonic screwdriver, unlock your TARDIS, call up your companion and navigate to Perth Observatory for the night of November 23.
This year is the 57th anniversary of the debut episode of Doctor Who, and we'll have Doctor Who characters at the Observatory – and maybe even a Dalek.
Come dressed as your favourite Doctor Who characters, there will be prizes on the night for both the best adult and child costumes.
Perth Observatory's volunteers will be showing you the starry southern sky all evening through
We'll also have the Perth Observatory museum open on
our telescopes – including terrestrial planets,
the night with astrophotography, our meteorite exhibit,
galaxies, and star clusters.
and much more besides.
Find out more here:
Price Adult: $50 Concession: $35 Child (Ages 5 to 17): $25.00 Location: Perth Observatory Date: Sunday, November 23 Time: 20:30 to 3200
Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorwhospoilers/9342687516/
perthobservatory.com.au/shop/nighttours/doctor-who
BOOK NOW
PERTH OBSERVATORY LIBRARY
ARTICLES OF INTEREST by Dr Craig Bowers The Perth Observatory Library emails out to volunteers information on recent journals, booklets and subscriptions maintained by the Library. They're recently in, and may be interesting to you. While we don't have a lending policy yet, if any articles interest you, contact the Librarian/Archivist library@perthobservatory.com.au (or myself craigb@perthobservatory.com.au) copyright allows a small amount to be photocopied/scanned for your reading.
Nature - 11, 18, 25 June, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 July
25 June snippets Research Highlights - The red planet gives off a green glow
News in Brief - Mathematicians urge colleagues to boycott police work in wake of killings
News in Focus - Pluto probe offers fresh view of Sun's closest neighbour
Articles - A planet within the debris disk around the pre-main-sequence star AU Microscopi
2 July snippets News in Brief - Quiet star is home to two intriguing planets
News in Focus - Neutrinos reveal final secret of Sun's nuclear fusion
Nature is technical, but contains book reviews and high
Articles -
level information as well as detailed referred and
desert
published technical articles.
A remnant planetary core in the hot-Neptune
11 June snippets Research Highlights - Einstein's Theory and the
9 July snippets Editorials - The World goes to Mars Research Highlights - Freezing to death: Pluto's fading
sickeningly speedy cyclist - what would it be like for a
atmosphere
cyclist
Features - Science funding faces post-pandemic upheavals, how conferences will survive the Coronavirus
Feature - All aboard to Mars, Space Race Articles - Asymmetric mass ratios for bright double neutron-star mergers.
scientific publishing, scientists' worlds will shrink in the
16 July snippets News in Focus - Scientific societies fight to stay afloat
wake of the outbreak
amid pandemic
Book review - Mathematical Hero: the movie
memoir - The sirens of Mars: Searching for life on
News and views - Quantum Matter orbits Earth
another world
shock, the COVID-19 crisis could permanently change
Articles -Observation of Bose-Einstein condensates in an Earth-orbiting research lab.
18 June snippets Research Highlights - Answer to neutron mystery might lie out of this world
News in Brief - Bizarre quantum matter created in space News in Focus - Astronomers spot first fast radio burst in the Milky Way
Book & Arts - The many roads to the red planet -
23 July snippets News in Brief - This photo of the Sun's the closest ever taken
News in Focus - Excitement as Arab world's first Mars probe lifts off, Mystery of Universe's expansion deepens with fresh data
Books in Brief - Quantum Reality
Articles - Periodic activity from a fast radio burst source,
30 July snippets News in Focus - China's Mars launch seal new era in
Resolving acceleration to very high energies along the jet
deep-space exploration
A fast radio burst with an unexpected repeat period
of Centaurus A
Feature - The dark side of Pluto News & Views - The scattered ashes of an ancient star cluster
BEHIND THE SCENES
PROJECT UPDATES by Julie Matthews
Congratulations to Paul Wadham on his appointment to Program Manager for the Perth Observatory Volunteer Group Paul will be overseeing and coordinating all POVG projects to ensure they meet their goals and objectives with efficient use of resources.
With extensive experience in working in and supervising project teams, Paul has extremely great attention to detail and a ‘can-do’ attitude.
You'll have noticed
We're very excited to announce that our Kitchen/Lecture
mentions of Paul over
Theatre renovation is now complete. The new dividing
the past four years as one of our most hardworking
wall is in place, dishwasher and bench installed and the
volunteers, and he recently took on leadership of the
cabinet doors painted.
stalled Astrographic Restoration Project – now once again a stunning piece of heritage.
Many thanks to LotteryWest, Project Manager Helen Armstrong and our magnificent maintenance team for
Paul is also one of a handful of our volunteers that
working so hard on this project. We are all enjoying the
have completed their Diploma in Project Management
bright new look.
kindly run through the Business Education Institute. LotteryWest has approved funding for the Photographic Congratulations Paul, and thank you for taking on
Glass Plate Preservation Project to move into the next
such an important role.
stage of scanning the Astrographic Observing Books, the Astrographic Plate register, and hopefully the Lowell Observing Books.
The Scanning Team are happily back at work in their “cupboard” and progressing towards the eventual goal of having all the scanned images made accessible online for research.
A big thank you to all the teams working on the various Lottery West Projects.
Stay tuned for updates from Paul on our latest projects in the next POVG Newsletter.
PRIZE CROSSWORD #5 BY
ETA
CARINA
Closing date: October 6, 2020
Printer friendly CLICK HERE
Across
Down
1 Grand chap often seen on 9 (8) 4 Exhibitor of Leonids, perhaps (6) 9 Shoot the membrane (4) 10 Mincing prunes onto eggs creates astronomical explosions. (10) 12 Nap, perhaps. Break now timed. (8) 13 Ground from part of whale anatomy. (3) 15 Marry first love in a two-seater. (6) 16 List of times - from the coalman, actually. (7) 19 Measures old canvases. (7) 21 Such an unusual thing, a strange timeless verse lacking first digit. (6) 23 Possessive consumed by hashish. (3) 24 When 6 gets longer we see this coloured dress. (3, 5) 26 Workers make this. For Prince Charles perhaps? (5,5) 27 Ray angle. (4) 28 Faults in the other Rorschach test. (6) 29 Survey a way south for those shortened trees. (8)
1 Trip English soccer player's body in Asian dress. (6) 2 A European, one of several in the news. (4) 3 Old students of potash, at first not always enthusiastic. (7) 5 Ancient observatory is therefore replacing $100 with $1,000. (5) 6 Swell measurement pertaining to many oscillators. (10) 7 Look into it? Look again! (8) 8 Remove sulphur from the Greek wine. It will enable you to see 9, for example. (6) 11 Revolution confirmed? That's the ticket. (6) 14 Endlessly calm the speaker of horoscopes, for example. (10) 17 Change it a bit if my do is reorganised. (6) 18 Breathe new life into her grace at sea. (8) 20 Out of the blue, endless soap in front of the office. (6) 21 Play cast to hell on the first of October. (7) 22 Dog food sometimes seen at the poles. (6) 24 A tool for measuring Victoria, perhaps. (5) 25 A pillar of the nobility, they say. (4)
The first correct solution opened after the closing date will receive a night sky tour voucher! Post your solutions to: Crossword solution c/o Perth Observatory, PO Box 179 Kalamunda WA 6926 or email newsletter@povg.org.au
SOLUTION OBSERVATORY
CROSSWORD
#4
Image credit: xkcd https://xkcd.com/1504/
Contact Us Perth Observatory PO Box 179 Kalamunda WA 6926
Perth Observatory Volunteer Group acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which
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we operate, the Wadjak clan of the Noongar Nation, whose traditional land extends to the present-day site of the observatory.
We recognise their continuing connection to these lands, waters and communities.
