APOD 10: Anemic Spiral NGC 4921 from Hubble

2013 November 25

Presently estimated at 310 million years light years away. Hubble Space Telescope was used to identify Cepheid variable stars as stellar markers of distance. It is a member of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies, and has been informally dubbed as anemic due to its low rate of star formation and low surface brightness. Within this span of the Anemic Spiral is a bright nucleus, a prominent ring of star dust, blue clusters of new stars, smaller companion galaxies, a bright center bar, and unrelated stars in the Milky Way. 

APOD 9: Globular Cluster M15 From Hubble



2013 November 19

Over 100,000 stars swarm together in the center of the bright cluster, M15. Formed from the very early years of our Galaxy, and still orbits the center of our Galaxy. At its center, it has one of the densest concentrations of stars known, with a high abundance of variable stars and pulsars. This image spans 120 light years, as M15 lies 35,000 light years
away towards the constellation of Pegasus.



APOD 8: Little Planet Sunrise

24 October 2013

This nadir-to-zenith, around-the-horizon mosaic maps the view from a small airfield near a small Argentinean town. Above the western horizon the sky shines with the warm colors of sunset, and slate blue shadow of Earth itself extending through the atmosphere can be seen rising as it hugs the eastern horizon. The balance of the composition and the gradual color scheme introduction creates a comforting depiction of Earth's unity.

Q2 Observations #1

Date: October 29, 2013

Time: 7:00-8:30 PM (with Percival & Dacey, ~ 3 hours credit)

Place: Casey Key

Sky Conditions: Slightly clear, with a number of relatively high clouds. Moon not present during time of observation, waning cresent.

Instruments Used: binoculars (10x50), telescope: 26mm with F10 focal power.

Planets: Venus (neutral filter, quarter phase, slight florescent glow)

Bright Stars noted: Vega, Deneb, Altair (Summer Triangle), Antares,

Constellations noted: Lyra, Cygnus, Aquila, Scorpius, Virgo, Bootes, and Hercules. Cygnus ("v" structure found magnitude 5).

Binary Star: Alberio, one star bright blue, the other (lower to right) yellow. Polaris, secondary faint star location approx. 11 o'clock.

Deep Sky Objects: M13: globular, located in Hercules; in the tel. @ 100 power, myriad of stars in clusterous formation.

M11: open, Wild Duck Cluster. faint, distorted honeycomb-like cluster clouds.

Other: Venus located in constellation Ophiuchus. 

APOD 7: The Smoke Nebula in Frustriaus

1 November 2013
NGC 7841: The Smoke Nebula in Frustriaus

Known as the Smoke Nebula found in the constellation Frustriaus, it is not an expanding supernova remnant along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. The rich starfield is composed of water droplets sprayed by astrophotographer in Sweden. This not-so-cosmic snapshot catches the brilliant hues of blues and reds, which I've noticed is a common effect of smoke-like features in our galaxy. The rising smoke is varied in depth and light-quality, enhancing the perception of the vastness of our universe. n

APOD 6: A Spectre in the Eastern Veil



30 October 2013
A Spectre in the Eastern Veil

The Veil Nebula is a large supernova remnant, the expanding debris cloud from the death explosion of a massive star. Roughly circular in shape, covering nearly 3 degrees on the sky in the constellation Cygnus, only appears to be the size of the Moon. Emission from hydrogen atoms in the remnant is shown in red with strong emission from oxygen atoms in blue-green hues. This seasonal apparation is especially haunting in the spooky attitudes of the holiday tomorrow. One might even see veins in blue/red hues, or see distorted faces of ghastly figures, if feeling especially haunted. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!



APOD 5: A Starry Night in Iceland



May 17, 2011
"A Starry Night in Iceland"

This image was taken over Jokulsarlon, the largest glaciel lake in Iceland. This photograph captured two green  auroral rings, as well as the reflections of the rings on the lake, creating a mystic unity to the piece. The Milky Way Galaxy,  Pleiades open clusters of stars, and the Andromeda galaxy. Powerful coronal ejection from the Sun caused these auroras to be seen as far south as Wisconsin. The fisheye composition and the values of a myraid of colors creates a breathtaking snapshot, which made it a clear winner of an international competition for landscape astrophotography.



APOD 4: 17 Oct. 2013

17 Oct. 2013
ISON, Mars, Regulus

This shot captures Comet ISON, planet Mars, and the alpha star from the constellation Leo, Regulus, in one frame. The comet is the most fleeting of the figures, towards the top right of the snapshot. Mars is the second object, slightly washed out color from the exposure of the picture. The last and brightest object in this frame is Regulus. This picture draws me in because it looks like a sci-fi snapshot of how people have imagined pictures of stars to look for years. The exposure and fade of this snapshot has a really appealing, almost vintage quality to it. The focus from faintest to brightest is also appealing to the eye, giving real relativity to our perception of space.

October 11th Observations

October 11th, 2013. 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. I observed for four hours at my home address, in North Sarasota / Southgate area. Few clouds, but mostly clear. The moon was present, at a waxing crescent phase, almost at first quarter. I used naked eye observations, and used my Skywalker application to help me identify stars more easily. Jupiter was visible tonight, although I could not observe it in higher power with a telescope. Since I had no instruments, I focused mostly on finding constellations. Notable constellations I could find were Andromeda, Cygnus, and Ophiuchus. I was impressed by my ability to identify Cygnus and Ophiuchus off of memorization in the night sky! I also could observe the Milky Way system, once my eyes fully adjusted, around 9:00 pm.

John Flamsteed Report, Finalized.

Beginnings

            Flamsteed was born in Denby, England, on August 19, 1646. He was brought up as the son of a wealthy merchant, as his mother died early on in his childhood. Flamsteed attended Derby free school in his childhood, but the boy’s chronic rheumatic condition led to his father’s decision to not send him to university. From 1662-1669, Flamsteed studied mathematics and astronomy independently, despite his father’s disapproval. In August of 1665, Flamsteed produced his first astronomical monograph, Mathematical Essays, addressing design, use, and construction of a quadrant (an instrument of astronomers to measure altitudes of stars). He began his own systematic observations in 1671.  In March 1675, John Flamsteed was appointed “The King’s Astronomical Observator”, or the first English Astronomer Royal, accumulating £100 a year in foundational funds. In June of the same year, Flamsteed was warranted the founding of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, and laid down the foundations in August. Flamsteed was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1676 and moved into the Observatory in Burstow, Surry in 1677.

Discoveries

            Flamsteed calculated the solar eclipses of 1666 and 1668 with great accuracy. He recorded the first sighting of Uranus, but he mistook the planet as a star, recording it under the name “34 Tauri”, in December 1690. In August of 1680, John Flamsteed recorded 3 Cassiopeiae, which modern astronomical historians believe to be the most recent supernova in the galaxy’s history. Astronomers now commonly call his finding Cassiopeia A. He proposed that the two great comets seen in November and December of 1680 were not separate bodies, but rather a single comet traveling towards, and then away, from the Sun. Observations of 16 nebulous patches and stars – including NGC 2244, Lagoon Nebula M8, and M41 – were made circa 1680. As the Astronomer Royal, he observed, improved previous models, & made records for his star catalogue, Historia Coelestis Britannica, and a star atlas, Atlas Coelestis. His entries more than tripled those of Tycho Brahe’s star atlas.

Legacy

            John Flamsteed, in honor of being the first Astronomer Royal, as well as his foundations and observations made in the Royal Observatory Greenwich, had the Flamsteed Astronomy Society named after him. A crater on the Moon, as well as asteroid 4987, was given the name Flamsteed. A number of schools and colleges in Derbyshire, his hometown and origin, are also named after him. Flamsteed’s finalized work, Stellarum Inerrantium Catalogus Britannicus, was only published posthumously in 1725. Flamsteed was also well known for butting heads with Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley. Newton originally disagreed with Flamsteed’s “one comet” theory in 1680, but later agreed with him after he and Halley gained unauthorized access to Flamsteed’s work and observations, theorizing comets moved in large, closed elliptical orbitals. Halley also obtained the cost for publication of Flamsteed’s work, Historia Coelestis Britannica from the Prince of Denmark in 1704, and published Flamsteed’s work on his own in 1712, despite Flamsteed’s refusal. Ironically, Flamsteed’s greatest enemy, Edmond Halley, succeeded him as the second Astronomer Royal.

Bibliography for Astronomer Research

1. Flamsteed, John. The Correspondence of John Flamsteed, First Astronomer Royal. Vol. 1. N.p.: United Kingdom: Institution of Physics Publication, 1995. Print. 1666-1682.<http://messier.seds.org/xtra/Bios/flamsteed.html>.
2. Frommert, Hartmut, and Christine Kronberg. "John Flamsteed (1646-1719)." John Flamsteed (1646-1719). Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2013. 
3. O'Connor, J. J., and E. F. Robertson. "John Flamsteed." MacTutor History of Mathematics. School of Mathematics and Statistics, Apr. 1997. Web. 06 Oct. 2013. <http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Flamsteed.html>.

Sept. 28th, Star Observations

On September 28th, I went to Dr. Percival and Mr. Dacey's star gazing session from 8-10 p.m. at Pine View. The instruments we used were Dr. Percival's binoculars and high power telescope. There were a few clouds present, but the stars were quite visible and identifiable once my eyes adjusted. I believe the moon's phase was a waning crescent. We saw Saturn through the high power telescope, and we were even able to see one of it's moons - I believe it was Titan. We observed constellations such as Scorpius, Sagittarius, Hercules, Corona Borealis/Australis, and Aquila (identified Altair). We also observed the Little and Big Dippers, which actually took up a lot more sky space than I'd previously thought. We looked at Job's Coffin in Delphinus. We also observed M 13 and M 11 in the high power telescope, which was breathtaking and a humbling experience. We also used the telescope to see Alberio and Beta Cygnis, one star was blue and the other was yellow. We also observed the summer triangle. My favorite part was finding Sagittarius and Aquila without the assistance of Dr. Percival -- score one for the girl back home!

APOD 3: IC 5067 in the Pelican Nebula

APOD: 22 August 2013
IC 5067 in the Pelican Nebula

Part of a larger emission nebula with a distinctive shape, the ridge spans about 10 light years, following the curve of the pelican's head and neck. The pervasive glow of narrow emission lines from atoms in the nebula translates to a magnificent false color palette.

The nebula looks more like a painting than a photograph.
The glowing emissions from the curvatures in the nebula explain the vast expanses of the universe visually. The conglomeration of the stars shows the unity of the galaxies, but also the uniqueness of each nebula, constellation, etc.

APOD 2: Adromeda on the Rocks

APOD: 27 September 2013
Andromeda on the Rocks

The Adromeda Galaxy is 2.5 million light years away, and is the most visible distant object easily seen by the unaided eye. Known as M31, it is a faint smudge near the top center of the Earth and skyscape. Galaxy and seaside rocks can be seen by naked eye on a clear summer night.

The scene is appealing due to the division of Earth and the scope of the Adromeda Galaxy. We see both the beauty of Earth on a summer's night in Italy, and also the mystery of the unknown and known universe. 

APOD One: 13 Sept. 2013




Astronomy Picture of the Day: 2013 September 5
M1: The Incredible Expanding Crab

The Crab Nebula is on Charles Messier's list of astronomical phenomenas that are not comets. This nebula is known to be a remenant of a supernova, a cloud of debris continually spreading throughout the universe from the explosion of a massive star. The Crab Nebula was first observed around the year 1054. The nebula lies about 6,500 light-years away from the constellation Taurus.

The composure of the nebula and the movement of the explosion caught my attention when I first saw the Crab Nebula. The nebula looks like blue and red veins of a human, which makes me feel more in touch with the vast universe around me.