Front and Rear Cover Images by Manish Mamtani Photography
Image Taken By Alastair Leith
Image Of The Month
Starter Telescope Review
Full Moon Names
A Nights Sky Guide June 2017
SpaceKidets
KELT Discovertsd the Hottest Exoplanet to Date
Io And Behold: Huge Lava Waves Seen On Jupiter’s Moon
Hot Topic: NASA Announce Mission To Visit The Sun
May : Full Flower Moon
Biography of the Month - John Dollond
A Review of a Starter Telescope Written By April Harper We are all there at some point, wondering what our first telescope will be. You either part of the hobby in very recent times or you are an old hand at this and have been stargazing for quite a while. At some point you were a beginner. And you would have done your research. Now of course, we are in a very unique age where we can use the tools of social media and in the internet to research that perfect choice. And so we go on the internet, buy magazines, ask our friends and even join a club of like-minded people. We can still make mistakes, but by going a few of these things maybe we can avoid the biggest mistakes. So what are those mistakes? Maybe the purchase of a telescope too small? A telescope that was limited in function? A telescope that had a limited amount of or poor accessories? And some people get their first telescope as a gift as a child from a well-meaning adult, they just wanted to buy a gift and didn’t want to spend a fortune. So where to start? Social media is very helpful. And so is family knowledge. Certainly there could be someone in the family that has had a brief (or maybe longer) encounter with astronomy. But I would always recommend joining your local club and mixing with like-minded people. Mainly because those people can really help you start on your path. And yes, I may have already mention, social media can help you connect to some of those people if you are not sure where to meet up with your local group. The main advantage of joining a local astronomy club is they may have telescopes that they loan to members. And of course some of those members will have equipment they could almost to be sure, willing to share their knowledge of what you can obtain. You have saved your pennies. I would definitely recommend you save as much as you can. The worst thing people do in starting on the journey of the hobby astronomy is buy something because the money is itching in their pocket and they buy something not suited to them. Huge downside of this is you buy a telescope and the only thing you can view with ease is the moon and a few of the solar system bodies. As your astronomy progresses, you will want to expand and it is here, with deep sky objects you may struggle. So what shall you get? I am new to this hobby. Like many ready this, I struggled with ‘what to get’. But my other half did their research and in the end opted for a Dobsonian mounted Newtonian Reflector. So this review is on the SkyWatcher 8” Dobsonian reflector or more specifically the SkyWatcher Skyliner-200P Classic Parabolic Dobsonian Telescope. Cost: Circa £300 for the 8” model (and circa £210 for the 6” model) Specification: .Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P Classic Parabolic Dobsonian Telescope with 203mm .Primary mirror and 1200mm focal length. (8” in ‘old money’) .Magnifications (with eyepieces supplied): x48 & x120 .Highest Practical Power (Potential): x406 .Diameter of Primary Mirror: 203mm .Telescope Focal Length: 1200mm (f/5.91) .Eyepieces Supplied (1.25”): 10mm & 25mm .Dual-Fit 1.25”/2” Focuser .Parabolic Primary Mirror .0.5mm Ultra-Thin Secondary Mirror Supports .9x50 Finderscope .Direct SLR Camera Connection .Wooden Alt-Azimuth Mount with Accessory Tray .77% more Light Gathering than 150mm
Assembly: The product is delivered in two boxes. One box contains the main tube. The second box contains the Dobsonian mount which is flat-packed. Tools are provided and the instructions are easy to follow. The only caution I have is that the mount can be a little heavy once made up. **TOP TIP** keep the semi-circular polystyrene inserts from the tube box as these are very handy for easy transport (in the car). The mount: The mount is a Dobsonian type – essentially point and shoot. Very easy to use. The tube: Very light and easy to handle. Is quite long so harder to transport in the smaller car. Scratches quite easily. The finderscope: Easy to set up. **TOP TIP** Pick an electricity pylon over a mile away in daylight to help you align the finderscope to the main tube. **TOP TIP** Because the finderscope is really easy to move on and off the main tube, remove before packing away to avoid knocking it and loosing alignment. Lens: The 10mm & 25mm standard lens that come with the telescope and are great to start with. **TOP TIP** This telescope can be used with DSLR cameras (with the correct adaptors: T-Ring and T-Adaptor) and can capture some great single shot images of the moon. If you can, invest in some better quality lens as the standard lens are always lacking. Conclusion: John Dobson, (Sept. 14th, 1915 – Jan. 15th, 2014) said: “If there were a million people with telescopes willing to let a few thousand other people look through them, it is possible that everyone who walks the Earth, with eyes to see, might see the universe.” I have used this telescope to teach astronomy to Beavers, Cubs, and Brownies and was so simple to set up and use with them. Also, as a member of a local astronomy society, I always recommend this type of telescope. Mainly because it is so easy to set up. So easy to use. And you can be observing within minutes of hoicking the whole assembled item out of the shed. And it is great to take a friends or to a local observing night for a session of impromptu outreach. And because it isn’t guided, you need to learn the night sky. A great learning tool for someone starting out in the hobby.
Full Moon Names Written By Ritesh Gangwani One of the most dramatic sights in the night sky—and inspiration for poets, artists, and lovers for millennia—full moons captivate us like nothing else. Every month Earth’s moon goes through its phases, waning and waxing in its constant transformation from new moon to full moon and back again. Full moons occur every 29.5 days or so as the moon moves to the side of Earth directly opposite the sun, reflecting the sun’s rays off its full face and appearing as a brilliant, perfectly circular disk. For millennia, humans have used the movement of the moon to keep track of the passing year and set schedules for hunting, planting, and harvesting. Ancient cultures the world over have given these full moons names based on the behavior of the plants, animals, or weather during that month. Many human cultures have given names to the full moon throughout the year. Different full moon names can be found among the Chinese, Celtic, Old English, and New Guinea cultures, to name a few. In addition, Native American tribes often used moon phases and cycles to keep track of the seasons and gave a unique name to each recurring full moon. The full moon names were used to identify the entire month during which each occurred. Although many Native American Tribes gave distinct names to the full moon, the most well known names of the full moon come from the Algonquin tribes who lived in the area of New England and westward to Lake Superior. The Algonquin tribes had perhaps the greatest effect on the early European settlers in America, and the settlers adopted the Native American habit of naming the moons. They even invented some of their own names that have been passed down through time. The names given below aren’t the only ones that have been used. Every full moon, with one exception, had variations on its name among various Algonquin tribes, not to mention other tribes throughout North America. Some of the variations are also mentioned. WHY NATIVE AMERICANS NAMED THE MOONS The early Native Americans did not record time by using the months of the Julian or Gregorian calendar. Many tribes kept track of time by observing the seasons and lunar months, although there was much variability. For some tribes, the year contained 4 seasons and started at a certain season, such as spring or fall. Others counted 5 seasons to a year. Some tribes defined a year as 12 Moons, while others assigned it 13. Certain tribes that used the lunar calendar added an extra Moon every few years, to keep it in sync with the seasons. Each tribe that did name the full Moons (and/or lunar months) had its own naming preferences. Some would use 12 names for the year while others might use 5, 6, or 7; also, certain names might change the next year. TA full Moon name used by one tribe might differ from one used by another tribe for the same time period, or be the same name but represent a different time period. The name itself was often a description relating to a particular activity/event that usually occurred during that time in their location.
Colonial Americans adopted some of the Native American full Moon names and applied them to their own calendar system (primarily Julian, and later, Gregorian). Since the Gregorian calendar is the system that many in North America use today, that is how we have presented the list of Moon names, as a frame of reference. The Native American names have been listed by the month in the Gregorian calendar to which they are most closely associated NATIVE AMERICAN FULL MOON NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS The Full Moon Names we use in the Almanac come from the Algonquin tribes who lived in regions from New England to Lake Superior. They are the names the Colonial Americans adapted most. Note that each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred. THE BLUE MOON Each year, the moon completes its final cycle about 11 days before theEarth finishes its orbit around the sun. These days add up, and every two and a half years or so, there is an extra full moon, called a blue moon. The origin of the term is uncertain, and its precise definition has changed over the years. A mistaken definition in the March 1946 edition of Sky and Telescope magazine claimed the blue moon fell on the second full moon of the calendar month. This mistake caused widespread misunderstanding until it was finally corrected in 1999. The term is commonly used today to describe the second full moon of a calendar month, but it was originally the name given to the third full moon of a season containing four full moons
January Full Wolf Moon This full Moon appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages lamenting the midwinter paucity of food. It is also known as the Old Moon. To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, Ice Moon but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February. February Full Snow Moon Usually the heaviest snows fall in February. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some Native American tribes this was the Hunger Moon, Storm Moon due to Challenging hunting conditions. MarchFull Worm Moon Snow slowly begins to melt, the ground softens, and earthworms show their heads again and their castings or fecal matter can be found. Other signs of spring gave rise to other variations: the cawing of crows (the Crow Moon); the formation of crusts on the snow from repeated thawing and freezing (the Crust Moon); and the time for tapping maple trees (the Sap Moon). Christian settlers also called this the Lenten Moon and considered it the last moon of winter. Other names include chaste moon and death moon. AprilFull Pink Moon This full Moon heralded the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers. Flowers begin to appear, including the widespread grass pink. In other cultures, this moon is called the sprouting grass moon, the egg moon, and the fish moon. MayFull Flower Moon May’s abundant blooms give its full moon the name flower moon in many cultures. Other names include the hare moon, the corn planting moon, and the milk moon. JuneFull Strawberry Moon The Algonquin tribes knew this Moon as a time to gather ripening strawberries. In North America, the harvesting of strawberries in June gives that month’s full moon its name. Europeans have dubbed it the rose moon, while other cultures named it the hot moon for the beginning of the summer heat. July Full Buck Moon At this time, a buck’s antlers are in full growth mode. Buck deer start growing velvety hair-covered antlers in July. Frequent thunderstorms in the New England area also resulted in the name Thunder Moon. Some tribes also used Hay Moon. AugustFull Sturgeon Moon North American fishing tribes called August’s full moon the sturgeon moon since the species was abundant during this month. It’s also been called the green corn moon, the grain moon, and the red moon for the reddish hue it often takes on in the summer haze. September Full Corn Moon Many of the Native American tribes’ staple foods, such as corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and rice, are ready for gathering at this time. The strong light of the Harvest Moon allowed European farmers to work late into the night to harvest their crops. The Harvest Moon does not always occur in September. Traditionally, the name goes to the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, which falls during October once or twice a decade. Sometimes the September full moon was called the Corn Moon or Barley Moon. October Full Hunter’s Moon The first moon after the harvest moon is the hunter’s moon, so named as the preferred month to hunt summer-fattened deer and fox unable to hide in now bare fields. Like the harvest moon, the hunter’s moon is also particularly bright and long in the sky, giving hunters the opportunity to stalk prey at night. Other names include the travel moon and the dying grass moon. November Full Beaver Moon For both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. There is disagreement over the origin of November’s beaver moon name. Some say it comes from Native Americans setting beaver traps during this month, while others say the name comes from the heavy activity of beavers building their winter dams. Another name is the frost moon. December Full Cold Moon Winter takes a firm hold and temperatures plummet at this time. Sometimes this moon is also called the Long Night Moon as the winter nights lengthen and the moon spends more time above the horizon opposite a low sun. The full moon name often used by Christian settlers is the “Moon before Yule”.
Astronomy Things To See During June 2017 (For UK Observers) The Summer Solstice occurs on Wednesday 21st June Moon: First Quarter: Full: Last Quarter: New:
1st June, 1:42pm 9th June, 2:09pm 17th June, 12:33pm 24th June, 3:30am
The Lunar “X” and “V” are visible at around 10pm BST (9pm UT) when the Moon will be about 35 degrees above the south west horizon, so this is a great opportunity to observe them
Lunar conjunctions & occultations: Note: When the Moon is waxing it is visible in the western sky after sunset. When near Full Moon it is visible most of the night. When it is waning, it is visible in the eastern sky before sunrise 3rd June Waxing Gibbous Moon lies near Porrima and Jupiter 4th June Waxing Gibbous Moon lies very close to Spica 6th June Waxing Gibbous Moon lies between Alpha & Beta Librae 8th June Almost Full Moon lies near Antares and Saturn th 9 June Full Moon lies close to Saturn 10th June Nearly Full Moon lies just 2 degrees from Saturn th 12 June Waning Gibbous Moon lies near to the Teaspoon asterism 16th June Waning Gibbous Moon lies close to Lambda Aquarii & Neptune 20th June Waning Crescent Moon lies close to Venus 21st June Waning Crescent Moon lies below Venus nd 22 June Waning Crescent Moon daylight occultation of Aldebaran (see below) 27th June Waxing Crescent Moon lies near Regulus th 30 June Waxing Crescent Moon lies near Porrima and Jupiter
Planetary Observations: Mercury – is not easily observable this month because it barely gets above the horizon, reaching a maximum altitude of just 2 degrees. However, if you have a very flat and unobstructed north western horizon, you may catch a glimpse of it from 4:15am during the first 10 mornings of June. It will be quite bright, starting the month at mag -0.3 and brightening to mag -1.0 by the 10th June Venus – dominating the dawn sky this month, Venus now rises at around 3am & at mag -4.1 you cannot miss it! It is located in Pisces and reaches greatest western elongation on 3rd June. The Waning Crescent Moon lies close to Venus on 20th & 21st June Mars – located in Gemini, Mars is sliding down into the evening twilight this month but you may still catch a glimpse of it with binoculars low in the WNW after sunset. Jupiter – shining brightly at mag -2.0 and located in Virgo, Jupiter is visible in the evening and sets at about 2am. There are transit and/or shadow transit events nearly every night in June. On 5th June there is a double shadow transit of Io & Europa. The event begins at 19:29 BST and concludes at 00:13 BST, with both shadows in transit between 21:48 & 23:49. For full details of the other transit events, check out this month’s issue of Sky at Night or Astronomy Now Magazines Saturn – located in Ophiuchus and reaching opposition on 15th June, Saturn is the brightest and best placed for observation for this apparition. Although at mag +0.1 and not the best placed in terms of altitude from the UK, this year Saturn’s rings are wider open than they’ve been since 2003 so it will still provide a striking view through a telescope. Overnight on 14th/15th June, the rings may look extra bright due to sunlight reflecting back towards Earth. On 10th June Saturn lies just 2 degrees away from the nearly Full Moon Neptune – located in Aquarius, Neptune rises at around 1am. At mag +7.9 you will need binoculars or a telescope to spot it Uranus – located in Pisces, Uranus becomes visible by the end of the month, rising at about 2am. At mag +5.8 you will need binoculars or a small telescope to spot it
Pluto – located in Sagitarrius, Pluto rises at around midnight and is visible until it becomes lost in the dawn twilight. At mag +14.1 you will need a large telescope to spot it. On 12th June Pluto lies very close to the Waning Gibbous Moon Ceres – is not observable this month Vesta – located in Cancer, Vesta becomes visible low in the WNW after evening twilight has faded then sets at around half past midnight 3 Juno – is well placed for observation during June as it heads towards opposition on 2nd July & is therefore visible all night long. It begins the month in Aquila and moves towards Scutum as the month progresses. During the 1st week of June it lies close to Lambda Aquilae. On 18th – 21st June it lies just 0.33 degrees from the open cluster NGC 6704 and 2 degrees from M11 the Wild Duck Cluster, giving us a fantastic photo opportunity. At mag +9.87 you will good binoculars or a small telescope to spot it.
Other Observations:. Noctilucent Cloud Season is Here! – June/July is the peak of the northern hemisphere noctilucent cloud season. They are at an altitude of around 8 times higher than other clouds, which puts them on the edge of space. They are the edge of polar stratospheric clouds which are believed to be seeded by meteor dust. They can sometimes be seen around 60 – 120 minutes after sunset in the north west or 60 – 120 minutes before sunrise in the north east, but only between the end of May and mid August. They appear to glow a gorgeous white/blue whilst all the other clouds are in shadow, giving them their name “night shining clouds”. To get an idea if there is likely to be a display, keep an eye on the “NLC Daisy” (satellite images of the clouds as they form around the north pole) at http://www.spaceweather.com/ Also, there are several webcams situated across Europe where sunrise and sunset are 1 hour ahead of the UK. To view the latest webcam images, visit: http://bit.ly/2rhw5ss NLCs are unpredictable, but if you get a good display, you will agree that they are well worth staying up late or getting up early for! Daytime Lunar Occultation of Aldebaran – on 22nd June, the 3% illuminated Waning Crescent Moon occults Aldebaran. This event takes place during daylight so it will be a challenge! The mag +0.9 star disappears behind the illuminated side of the Moon at 16:15 BST and reappears from the shadow side at 17:09 BST. The exact timings for this will vary depending on your location in the UK, so make sure you start observing 20 minutes before these times to ensure that you don’t miss it! Binocular Tour – This month’s Sky at Night Binocular Tour by Stephen Tonkin is focused on the sky around Ophiuchus and Libra. There are 5 targets for 10 x 50 binoculars. There are 3 globular clusters in this region; M5 and M12 are easy targets but a fainter one is M10. Next is the variable star Zubenelakribi is an eclipsing binary star system and this is what causes the regular change in magnitude. It has a period of 2.3 days. The final target for 10 x 50 binoculars is a pair of double stars, Xi1 & Xi2 Librae and 17/18 Librae. Both double stars should be easy to resolve in binoculars. If you have 15 x 70 binoculars, look for Kx Librae, a mag +5.8 yellow star. If you look closely you will see that it is a double star, with a mag +8 companion. For full details on how to find these objects, look at this month’s edition of Sky at Night Magazine Deep Sky Tour – This month’s Sky at Night Deep Sky Tour is centred on the area around Aquila and Scutum. There are 3 planetary nebulae to look for in this region. NGC 6751 is a mag +12 planetary with a mag +13.9 central star. NGC 6790 is a mag +10 planetary which responds well with the use of an OIII filter. NGC 6741 the Phantom Streak Nebula, is a mag +11 planetary with a mag +12.7 central star. All 3 of these can be seen with a 6” telescope but an aperture 10” or more will show more detail. An easier target in this region is NGC 6760, a mag +8.8 globular cluster. Once again, this is an easy object to observe with smaller telescopes but the larger the aperture, the more detail will be resolved. The final 2 objects are open clusters. NGC 6704 has around 71 stars, but in a 6” telescope very few stars are resolved. M11 the Wild Duck Cluster contains nearly 3,000 stars, and a 6” telescope will resolve about 150 of them. For full details of where to find these objects and how best to see them, pick up the current issue of Sky at Night magazine NGC 6210 the Turtle Nebula – Astronomy Now’s object of the month is NGC 6210 the Turtle Nebula. At mag +11.4, it is the brightest planetary nebula located within Hercules and its central star is mag +13. Hubble Space Telescope images of this object show some gorgeous structure. You will need a dark sky to observe it, so in some parts of northern UK it may not get dark enough for you to see it during June. However, observers further south may be luckier. When imaging this object, it responds well to LRGB and narrowband filters such as H-alpha or OIII, but you can still get a decent result with a one-shot colour DSLR. For more information on how to observe, image or sketch this object, take a look at the current edition of Astronomy Now magazine
Sky Tour – Astronomy Now’s Sky Tour of the month covers 8 gorgeous summer globular clusters in the area around Delphinus, Sagitta, Lyra, Hercules and Ophiuchus. For more information about where to find them, take a look at the current edition of Astronomy Now magazine Solar Observations – the long days this month give us more opportunity to observe the Sun. A white light filter will show sunspots, faculae and maybe some granulation. A specialist hydrogen-alpha telescope will show filaments, prominences and if you are lucky you may catch a solar flare in action. Also, if there is a lot of high level cirrus cloud around, keep a look out for solar optical phenomena such as parhelia (sundogs), 22 degree haloes and the various arcs associated with ice haloes SAFETY WARNING: Never attempt to observe or photograph the Sun without the correct equipment. Failure to do so will result in permanent damage to your eyes or even blindness! International Space Station – There are several evening passes of the ISS during the first 9 days of June. For the exact timings of the passes from your location, visit www.heavens-above.com You can also check the Iridium flare times for your location at Heavens Above
Comets Visible This Month: Comet C/2015 ER61 (PanSTARRS) – recent observations recorded mag +7.3 and fading, this comet moves through Pisces and into Aries during June. At the start of the month it rises at around 2:30am in the east, but rises an hour earlier by the end of the month. Click here to view the finder chart: http://bit.ly/2kL122C Comet C/2015 V2 Johnson – recent observations recorded mag +7.4 and brightening (predicted to reach peak magnitude on 5th June) this comet is visible all night long. It starts the month in Boӧtes and drops down into Virgo by the end of June. At the beginning of June it lies 5 degrees from Epsilon Boӧtis. On 6th June the comet lies just 5 degrees from Arcturus and on 9th June it lies 2 degrees from Zeta Boӧtis. Click here to view the finder chart: http://bit.ly/2kcgAN3 Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak – moving down from below Hercules towards Serpens Cauda this month, this comet is visible all night long. Recent observations recorded it at +10.4 and fading. Click here to view the finder chart: http://bit.ly/2lPvDhP There are several other comets in the mag +11 to +15 range. For up to date information about the fainter comets which are visible, please visit: https://in-the-sky.org/data/comets.php, the BAA Comets Section: https://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/ or Seiichi Yoshida’s home page: http://www.aerith.net/index.html
NB: All of the information in this sky guide is taken from Night Scenes 2017 by Paul L Money, Philips Stargazing 2017 by Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest, 2017 Yearbook of Astronomy by Richard Pearson and Brian Jones, Astronomy Now Magazine, Sky at Night Magazine, Stellarium, the BAA Comets Section website https://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/, www.inthesky.org and www.heavens-above.com Information collated by Mary McIntyre. For regular updates about the events happening in the sky this month, follow the Nightscenes Monthly Night Sky Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AstrospacePublications
Written By Andrew Richens
This leads to great variation in atmospheric temperatures between the two extremes. As a result, its dayside is constantly bombarded by heat and bright, high-energy blue and ultraviolet light. This makes the dayside surface as hot as a relatively warm star, while the nightside is still hotter than the most tepid stars, like our cosmic neighbour Proxima Centauri (which has at least one exoplanet of its own). Due to the close proximity, it is likely that the atmosphere of the exoplanet is being stripped away by the intense heat and light of the host star. It is estimated that this rate of atmospheric loss may be as high as ten million tons of matter every second. With an average Researchers at the Ohio State University in the temperature hotter than most stars in the USA have started utilising the Kilodegree universe, clearly KELT-9b is not a habitable Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) to search for planet existing within the Goldilocks zone. One exoplanets. The study has already heralded the of the greatest mysteries in the study of discovery of the hottest exoplanet known to date. exoplanets are the atmospheres of hot gas giants. Luckily, KELT-9b has a towering KELT-9b is unlike any other planet known so far. atmosphere that absorbs some of the light from At twice the mass of Jupiter, the gas giant its particularly bright star, making it a prime displays temperatures in excess of a sizzling candidate for additional observations by both 4300 oC, making it the warmest planet known. ground and space-based telescopes. However, Discovering such a planet, particularly when in this strange, hostile planet is perhaps such close proximity to a bright star, it never encouraging proof that the hunt of more easy. Currently, planet hunters have focuses extreme exoplanets is both fruitful and much of their efforts on finding habitable planets. extremely worthwhile. These tend to be located within systems containing dimmer, cooler stars. The challenge has been to find ever smaller planets orbiting around ever dimmer stars. Exoplanet KELT-9b is very much at the opposite end of the planetary spectrum. At a distance of 650 light years away, the host star is two times hotter than the Sun. Bright stars such as this make detecting any planets much harder since any transiting disc produces a far more negligible drop in luminosity. This is even more evident when any transiting exoplanet is close to the host star. KELT-9b is particularly close – with an orbital period of only a day and a half. With such a close orbit, it is likely that the planet is tidally locked, meaning that once “day side” of the planet is always facing towards the star and the “night side” always faces away.
Written By Russell Adam Webb The waves were released at different points in time, with one coming from the northwest corner of Loki Patera and then moving clockwise, whilst the other set of in an anticlockwise motion. Eventually the waves collided and caused huge disturbances in the surface of Io. “Lava lakes overturn when parts of the crust cools and becomes dense enough to sink beneath the surface, pulling more crust down into the underlying magma. The process unleashes lava waves that spread across the whole basin. As the crust breaks apart, magma can shoot up into the sky, like fire fountains. The whole
Intensely active volcanoes on the surface of Io have created an 8,300 square mile depression on the surface of the fourth largest Jovian moon. All the excitement around moons has been centered on Enceladuslately, with the announcement of hydrothermal vents at the bottom of its subsurface ocean and the possibility of life outside our planet, but we do have other interesting moons in our system, such as Io; although it’s a little bit warmer than the ice cold surface of Enceladus. Sulphur dioxide and pure Sulphur are being ejected hundreds of miles into the sky above Io; such is the violent nature of the volcanic activity on the surface. Two huge lava waves have been spotted, moving around a huge canyon, many thousands of miles wide. The volcano system is thought to be the most powerful in the solar system. The waves were spotted by telescopic observations, and researchers worked out that they must have originated from different locations, meeting some months later after travelling at almost a mile-per-day. Io sits 390 million miles away from us, which shows how far we have come in terms of advances in telescopic technology as astronomers on a hill on Arizona managed to spot the waves on the surface of Io. The Large Binocular Telescope in the Pinaleno Mountains spent time over the past few years observing Io and was fortunate to have a lucky orbital alignment when Europa moved in front of Io and blocked out light coming from Loki Patera. Regular observations of the pass-by allowed the observers to measure how much infrared light came from different parts of the crater. The heat map then allowed them to formulate where the lava had come from and how fast it was travelling. “The temperature tells us how recently the magma has been exposed.” – Katherine de Kleer at the University of California, Berkeley.
process lasts for months then stops before starting
Jupiter has 67 known moons in orbit, with Io believed to be one of the driest in the solar system. Ice is usually a factor that makes the surface of moons very bright, so the lack of water should cause Io to be a very dull planet. Due to the intense volcanic activity, however, Io is actually very bright. We first encountered Io in 1979, Voyager spacecraft shot past.
Written By Russell Adam Webb On 31st May, at the University of Chicago’s William Eckhardt Research Centre Auditorium, officials from National Aeronautics and Space Administration will announce a new mission, Solar Probe Plus (SPP), to travel closer to the Sun than ever before. Solar Probe Plus (SPP) will launch in summer of 2018 and travel closer to the Sun than we have ever been, in order to unlock some of the hot questions in the world of physics: “Placed in orbit within four million miles of the Sun’s surface, and facing heat and radiation unlike any
At the distance NASA plans to send the probe, The Solar Probe Plus will have to withstand some immense temperatures of up to 1,400 degree Celsius and radiation unlike anything a manmade probe has seen before. To protect the spacecraft, NASA has developed a thick carbon-composite heat shield to defend against the harmful energy of the Sun.
spacecraft in history, the spacecraft will explore the sun’s “Scientists are already loading up the Solar Probe Plus outer atmosphere and make critical observations that will with advanced tech. The Energetic Particle Instrumentanswer decades-old questions about the physics of how Low Energy (EPI-Lo), is the first thing to get installed. stars work,” said NASA. “The resulting data will improve It’ll measure the low-energy particles that come off of forecasts of major space weather events that impact life on the sun, but scientists are still adding more and more Earth, as well as satellites and astronauts in space.” to the probe, so there’s no telling just what information One mystery that scientists will hope to answer is that of the Corona. The Sun’s outer atmosphere is far hotter than its surface, with temperatures reaching a sizzling 500,000 degree Celsius or higher.
it’ll send back when it’s fully locked and loaded.”
The craft should cost in the region of $180 million to develop, and will be equipped with the latest imaging equipment we have. It will have a solar wind particle detector to measure magnetic fields, and other imaging devices to perform the planned tests and send back some incredible images. The European Space Agency has also announced a major project to study the Sun, and will work with NASA and other space agencies on the Solar Orbiter which has similar aims, but will launch 2 years later in 2020 and can work on any details missed by Solar Probe Plus
May : Full Flower Moon Written by Ritesh Gangwani
Flowers spring forth in abundance this month. Some Algonquin tribes knew this full Moon as the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon. Other names include the hare moon, the corn planting moon, and the milk moon.
FULL FLOWER MOON NAME Why is it called the Full Flower Moon? This tradition of naming Moons is rich in history. We use Full Moon names that were used during Native American and Colonial times to help track the seasons. Depending on the tribe, May’s Full Moon was called the Full Flower Moon as well as Mother’s Moon, Milk Moon, and Corn Planting Moon. The May Moon marked a time of increasing fertility, with temperatures warm enough for safely bearing young, a near end to late frosts, and plants in bloom. The best times for fishing is between New Moon and Full Moon. Go for fishing when the breeze is from the west rather than from the North or the East. Good time is 1 hour before or after Low Tide. Or During early morning when Sun Rise is just up or just before Sun Set. Head to water when the water is still rather than when fast movements
BEST DAYS IN MAY 2017 Below are the best days for activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in May.
For Planting: ?Aboveground crops: 1, 27, 28 ?Belowground crops: 19, 20 For Setting Eggs: ?6, 7, 15–17 For Fishing: ?1–10, 25–31
May 1, 2017 : Plant Aboveground crops May 2, 2017 : Prune to encourage growth May 3, 2017 : Prune to encourage growth May 4, 2017 : Have Dental Care , Harvest aboveground crops May 5, 2017 : begin diet to gain weight, have dental care, harvest aboveground crops May 6, 2017 : have dental care , harvest aboveground crops May 7, 2017 : Cut hair to encourage growth May 8, 2017 : Cut hair to encourage growth May 9, 2017 : Breed Animals, slaughter livestock May 10, 2017 : Breed Animals, slaughter livestock May 11, 2017 : go camping May 12, 2017 : go camping , prune to discourage growth May 13, 2017 : go camping , prune to discourage growth May 14, 2017 : go camping , prune to discourage growth May 15, 2017 : begin logging, set posts or pour concrete May 16, 2017 : castrate animals May 17, 2017 : castrate animals May 18, 2017 : can, pickle or make sauerkraut, castrate animals May 19, 2017 : cut hair to discouarge growth, plant belowground crops, can pickle or make sauerkraut May 20, 2017 : quit smoking, begin dietto lose weight, cut hair to discourage growth, plant belowground crops, can pickle or make sauerkraut, wean animals or children May 21, 2017 : destroy pests and weeds, prune to discourage growth, cut hay May 22, 2017 : destroy pests and weeds, prune to discourage growth, cut hay May 23, 2017 : harvest belowground crops May 24, 2017 : quit smoking, begin diet to lose weight, end projects, harvest belowground crops, wean children or animals May 26, 2017 : start projects May 27, 2017 : plant aboveground crops , graft or pollinate May 28, 2017 : plant aboveground crops , graft or pollinate May 29, 2017 : prune to encourage growth May 30, 2017 : Prune to encourage growth
FULL MOON FOLKLORE ?Clothes washed for the first time in the Full Moon will not last long.
Biography of the Month - John Dollond Written By Brian Jones
Today is the anniversary of the birth, at Spitalfields, London on 10 Jun 1706, of the English optical and astronomical instrument maker John Dollond. Although he is probably best known for inventing the achromatic lens, which uses a combination of crown glass and flint glass to significantly reduce chromatic aberration, Dollond also invented the heliometer, a type of telescope incorporating a split objective lens and used to measure the angular separation of two celestial bodies. The 11km-diameter lunar crater Dollond, located in the central regions of the Moon around 50km south west of the Apollo 16 landing site in 1972, is named in his honour.
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