26
MARCH 2013
PLANETS & PUZZLES
THE CONNEMARA SKY AT NIGHT
with GERRIT NUCKTON AS we move into the brighter and later evenings of March, we have a rare and brilliant event to look forward to with the arrival of Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS), which reaches its ‘perihelion’ on March 5 (this means its closest approach to the Sun) – at 0.3 astronomical units, its perihelion will be about a third of the distance of Earth from the Sun. This comet was discovered in June 2011 by observers using the Pan-STARRS telescope on the island of Maui in Hawaii. We should enjoy the sight as much as we possibly can, as it is not expected to return to our region of the Solar System for over 110,000 years! An estimate in October 2012 predicted that the comet might brighten to magnitude -4 (roughly equivalent to the brightness of Venus), but in January of this year there was a noticeable brightening slowdown that suggests the comet may only reach magnitude +1. In any case, it is expected to be the most brilliant comet viewable to us since Hale-Bopp made an approach in 1997. Those newcomers (or even veterans) to the subject of astronomy would do well to try the University of Manchester’s dedicated website, www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy. Another excellent starting point is the British-based Society for Popular Astronomy, www.popastro.com. The SPA was founded by the late Sir Patrick Moore and the website has a complete section devoted to the interests of young astronomers. Personally I find that, graphically, the Celestia program (www.shatters.net/celestia) is stunning. Celestia is downloadable to any PC and features a fantastic display in 3D of nearly 120,000 stars (along with planets, comets, etc.) in our galaxy. Celestia users can travel through the virtual universe using simple keyboard controls and viewpoints can be set to look forward, backward or at any angle to direction of travel through the stars. Mercury is lost in the Sun’s glare at the beginning of March but under the right conditions will be visible very low in the ESE from March 25, just before sunrise. Venus is a very difficult spot in March, visible low in the SE early in the month before sunrise but moves behind the Sun after March 8, and thus becomes invisible to us. The International Space Station is sometimes visible over Connemara via the naked eye before sunrise or after sunset as a slow-moving, bright white dot, crossing the sky in only two minutes or so as it zooms past – always to the south as it never goes further north than 52 degrees of latitude. It’s at least 205 miles above us travelling at an incredible rate of 17,000 mph. Visibility occurs before dawn and after dusk when the ISS is sunlit but the ground and sky are dark, which is typically the case up to a few hours after sunset or before sunrise. Because of the large size of its reflective surface area, the ISS is always very bright, with an approximate maximum brightness of magnitude -4 when overhead, similar to Venus. For the month of March, it will be visible every morning prior to sunrise from March 16 (but not 17 March), generally approaching from SW and showing at its brightest on March 26 and 27, reaching magnitude -3.3. For the complete, exact details of the times of ISS (and other satellite) appearances above your location, see www.heavens-above.com. The Moon reaches First Quarter on March 19 and is full on March 27. On March 18, at around 2am, it passes less than two degrees of arc south of Jupiter and three degrees north of the Aldebaran, which is a red giant star located about 68 light years away in the constellation of Taurus. With an average apparent magnitude of 0, it is one of the brightest stars in the sky. The name Aldebaran comes to us from Arabic and translates literally as ‘the follower’, presumably because this bright star appears to follow the Pleiades, or ‘Seven Sisters’, star cluster in the night sky. Mars moves continuously westwards across the heavens in March, very low in the SW after sunset and moving beyond our sight (in superior conjunction behind the sun) by mid-month. It will then not be visible to us again until May. Jupiter, in the constellation of Taurus, is now moving eastward and is high in the southern sky well after sundown. Shining at magnitude -2.5, it starts March lying just 5 degrees or arc to the upper right of Aldebaran. Saturn is visible in the constellation Libra and is rising at 11.30pm as March begins and so will be at an elevation of 25 degrees at 4.30am. By month’s end, it rises at 9.40pm and brightens slightly during the month, from +0.4 to +0.3 magnitudes.
The Connemara crossword no6 ACROSS 01 Nicholas _, writer appointed Poet Laureate in 1715 (4) 03 A group of racehorses trained at one stable (6) 09 Of a waterwheel, turned by water flowing beneath it (9) 10 One who is habitually drunk (3) 11 The points on a saw (5) 12 Officials in various Christian bodies (6) 15 A carer who visits and treats people in their homes (8,5) 17 Jason and the Argonauts set out on a quest for a golden one (6) 18 Could it be described as a light colour? (5) 21 Word used with a name to refer to a relative (3) 22 Direct from the original source (5-4)
23 _ Entwistle, director general of the BBC appointed
in 2012 (6) 24 Tony Stark is _ Man (4)
DOWN 01 Barnaby _, historical novel by Charles Dickens (5) 02 One who labours hard and reliably over a long period (9) 04 A very young child (3) 05 A provider of cover (7) 06 The slots for controlling the movements of a gear lever (4) 07 Another word for imprisonment (7) 08 What are introduced by six hips (5,6) 13 Anagram of NOTECARDS (9) 14 Break down or atrophy (7) 16 Italian city, scene of conflict in World War II (7) 19 A type of meat preparation (5) 20 Of odds, having a low level of probability (4) 22 A warm and stuffy atmosphere (3)
25 Worcestershire town formerly noted for needle-making (8)
DOWN 01 The densest naturally occurring element (6) 02 Shortened name of a quantity (3) 03 A type of state that is under the control of another (12) 04 Shortened name of a function in trigonometry (3) 06 Command that may be issued by a person with a gun (5,2,2) 07 A small seal, particularly one set in a ring (6) 08 Amusing and entertaining, or free from anxiety (5-7) 12 Anagram of POINTIEST (9) 13 Very much (2,3) 16 Tool used for shaping (6) 17 A strong and very unpleasant smell (6) 21 The day before a religious festival (3) 23 Remaining after the deduction of tax (3)
The Connemara crossword no7 ACROSS 01 Brand of male grooming products made by Procter and Gamble (3,5) 05 Ancient Egyptian goddess worshipped as the ideal wife and mother (4) 09 Term relating to a female singer (5) 10 The _, 1980 psychological horror film starring Jack Nicholson (7) 11 Ordinal number with no fixed value (9) 14 Robert _ CBE, broadcaster and writer (3) 15 Area of the London borough of Haringey (9) 18 A small temporary structure (3) 19 Something associated with a distinguished visitor (3,6) 20 Informal name for a breed of terrier (7) 22 A projecting piece of wood inserted into a mortise (5)
Sudoku no10
24 One of the seven traditional deadly sins (4)
Sudoku no11 4
9
7
7
4 1
8
8
4
9 4
4
3
7
3 8
3
1
2 2
8
2 8
8
5
6 6
1
Given up already? Solutions to all puzzles are printed on page 31