Archive for Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

Blue moon and Sturgeon moon in August 2012

By alkaon on August 1, 2012 No Comments


The moon takes on a blue appearance due to tiny water droplets in the air in Watauga, Texas in October, 2003. (The moon is not actually blue)
(NASA/Tom King)
A blue moon is kind of jazzy. It’s soothing, solid and definitely cool. If we’re going to talk about a blue moon, then let’s grab a digital latte (or perhaps a Blue Moon beer?) at astronomer Sten Odenwald’s Astronomy Café .

Here in Washington, we get two full moons in August. One is tonight (Aug.1) and the next on Aug. 31. In recent decades, the popular-notion, folksy people define a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. But in order to have a second full moon in a one-month period, you must have a first.

Officially, the moon becomes full tonight Aug. 1 at 11:27 p.m. (If you’re attending the London 2012 Olympic games, then it’s Aug. 2, 3:27 a.m., Universal Time.) The second full moon falls on Aug. 31 at 9:58 a.m. here in Washington, while in London, it’s at 1:58 p.m. (Source: Observer’s Handbook, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.)

Barring clouds, tonight’s full moon should be easy to spot. It’s a negative 12 magnitude and it’s loitering within the constellation Aquarius. Late August’s blue moon can be spotted in the constellation Pisces.

The blue moon isn’t a serious subject. It’s not even really blue. Our calendar is a tool devised by humanity and it happens that two full moons fall within that given monthly space.

But hanging out at the Astronomy Café, you can learn amazing things about blue moons. In 1999, you may recall we had two full moons in January and March. And February had no full moons at all.

In 2018, we’ll enjoy double blue moons again in January and March – and once again February is devoid of official lunar plump. Odenwald – the author of “The Astronomy Café,” “Back to The Astronomy Café,” and “Patterns in the Void” – explains on his website that the lunar month is 29.53 days long. The largest number of days in February is 29 days, so February will never see a blue moon.

Rare among the rare: Blue moons can occur in months with only 30 days – and that happened Nov. 30, 2001, Odenwald says. We have two more decades before that happens again on Sept. 30, 2031.

On many different levels, blue moons have a bright, festive future: Get your Halloween costume ready for the Oct. 31, 2020 and the Oct. 31, 2039 events. You can ring in 2029 with a blue moon on Dec. 31, 2028.

“Once in a blue moon”: This saying is in reference to the rarity of the blue moon. The famous 1934 love ballad “Blue Moon” by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart was also likely inspired by this uncommon event.

Sturgeon moon: While second full moons are conversation starters, we still have our first full moon to name. For August, it’s the Sturgeon Moon, so says the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The venerable almanac explains that fishing tribes near the Great Lakes are credited with naming this moon – identifying the season when ample sturgeon were caught.

Article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/blue-moon-and-sturgeon-moon-in-august-2012/2012/08/01/gJQAzqZSPX_blog.html

Tags: , , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , , , , , ,

Moon Visits Mars and Saturn

By alkaon on June 26, 2012 No Comments

Skywatchers over the course of the next few nights have a chance to observe the thin-crescent waxing moon pair up with a couple of the brightest planets in the evening sky now, Mars and Saturn. Facing the southwestern sky just after local sunset on June 25 and 26 Luna will first be hanging just below the Red Planet. Pair will be less than 6 degrees apart in the sky – that’s just a bit more than the width of three fingers held at an outstretched arm.

June 28. click to enlarge.

Mars is currently sitting about 200 million km from Earth and will be the center of attention in a little more than 6 weeks from now when NASA’s Curiosity rover arrives at the planet.

Then on June 27 and 28 the Moon will have glided further towards the southern sky and pair up with Saturn – again only 6 degrees apart. Saturn is joined just below it by a true star, Spica – the lead member of the constellation Virgo. Taking 29 years to orbit the Sun, the ringed giant has been hanging around Spica in our skies for the last couple of  years and will remain in its company for another year or so before it moves off to neighboring constellation Libra to its left.

Saturn this week through telescope. credit: David Shuman Paul Simard

BTW- you can tell Saturn and  Spica apart quite easily because of their contrasting colors. Saturn, sitting at 1.5 billion km from Earth is more creamy yellow while 263 light year distant Spica sparkles like a rich bluish-white celestial gemstone.

If you have a telescope, it’s worth training it on the 6th planet from the Sun – not only can you see its majestic rings, but if you look carefully under high magnification its shadow being cast on Saturn’s cloudtops can be glimpsed. Look beside the planet and you can even spy some of its largest and most reflective moons like Titan, Mimas and Dione.  Don’t believe that Saturn can look cool through a backyard telescope? Check out this amazing composite digital image of Saturn (left) taken through a 14″ telescope located within the city limits of Montreal, Canada on June 23rd.

Time to get out that scope that  has been dusting away in the closet and check out these amazing worlds – and our Moon will conveniently guide you to them this week!

 

Andrew Fazekas, aka The Night Sky Guy, is a science writer, broadcaster, and lecturer who loves to share his passion for the wonders of the universe through all media. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic News and is the national cosmic correspondent for Canada’s Weather Network TV channel, space columnist for CBC Radio network, and a consultant for the Canadian Space Agency. As a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Andrew has been observing the heavens from Montreal for over a quarter century and has never met a clear night sky he didn’t like.

 

Article source: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/06/25/moon-visits-mars-and-saturn/

Tags: , , , <BR/>
Categories : Mars News
Tags : , , ,

International Astronomy Day to be celebrated at David Dunlap Observatory in …

By alkaon on April 29, 2012 No Comments

RICHMOND HILL, Ont. – Saturday is International Astronomy Day, where people across the world celebrate all things astronomical.

If you’re looking to join in the celebrations, the David Dunlap Observatory (DDO) in Richmond Hill is marking the day with a number of activities.

The events begin at 4 p.m., when kids will be able to build alien puppets while learning about the sun.

Visitors will also, weather permitting, be able to look at the sun through solar telescopes.

The afternoon program wraps up at 7:00 p.m., and, again, weather permitting, the observatory will re-open at 9 p.m., when people will be able to gaze at the stars through the big telescope.

There will also be volunteers from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada with a variety of smaller telescopes set up.

Located at 123 Hillsview Drive in Richmond Hill, the DDO first opened in 1935.

With the largest optical telescope in Canada, the DDO is the biggest volunteer-managed observatory in the world.

You can find more information here.

Article source: http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/356823--international-astronomy-day-to-be-celebrated-at-david-dunlap-observatory-in-richmond-hill

Tags: , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , ,

Astronomical society hosting slew of spring events

By alkaon on March 20, 2012 No Comments

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Hamilton Centre is hosting a slate of events this spring that are free and open to the public.

The centre hosts Public Night on Wednesday, April 18 and Wednesday, May 16, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., at the RASC Hamilton Observatory.

The event is an invitation to the public to tour the club’s observatory and see a world-class telescope. The evening starts with an informal presentation about how a telescope works, what objects can be seen, as well as some history about the RASC Hamilton, which is more than 100 years old.

If the skies are clear, the public can look at stars. If you own a telescope and don’t know how to use it, bring it along and club members will show you some telescope operation basics.

On Tuesday, April 10 and Tuesday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the RASC Hamilton Observatory, the club hosts the Armchair Astronomy Discussion Group. Guests pick topics to discuss ie: philosophy, cosmology, even religion.

On Thursday, April 5 and Thursday, May 3 the RASC will hold its monthly meetings at the Royal Canadian Legion in Waterdown Start time is 7:30 p.m. Meetings feature a guest speaker and also cover astronomy news including a rundown of targets for observing with a telescope.

On Tuesday, June 5 is the Transit of Venus, where Venus passes between the Earth and the sun. That won’t happen again for another 105 years.

The RASC will host a celebration of the rare event at the Dundurn National Historic Site in Hamilton. It will have several special telescopes available that are able to observe the sun with hundreds of special solar ‘shades’ that permit safe viewing of the sun.

Venus will begin its journey across the sun in the early evening starting at 6 p.m. and will last until the sun sets at 8:45 p.m.

The Canadian Astronomy Swap Meet (AstroCASM) is on Saturday, June 9 from noon-3 p.m. at the Oakville Holiday Inn. It’s like a garage sale where you can find bargains on used astronomy gear including telescopes. Local retailers also will be present selling new equipment.

A banquet is being held later the same evening. For more details, visit www.astrocasm.com.

A general admission ticket to the Canadian Astronomy Swap Meet is $6 in advance or $10 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at http://astrocasm.com/Purchase-Tickets.html.

For directions to RASC Hamilton event locations and ticket reservations, visit www.hamiltonrasc.ca/events.

Article source: http://www.insidehalton.com/news/article/1319863--astronomical-society-hosting-slew-of-spring-events

Tags: , , , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , , , , , , ,

A lifetime pressed to a telescope building an archive of epic discoveries

By alkaon on January 21, 2012 No Comments

The 11-year-old boy stood on a slope of Montreal’s Mount Royal and gazed in wonder at the spectacular sight in the heavens above: The moon hovering over a sliver of the daytime sun, causing an eclipse.

Others might have just stored the memory away. But the shy boy, David Levy, decided to jot down the celestial show in his chunky schoolboy’s writing.

“Partial Solar Eclipse. Just last part observed because of clouds.”

The anodyne observation in 1959 became entry No. 1 and the start of a lifetime’s obsession. Over the course of half a century, Mr. Levy grew from mildly autistic boy to man and followed up with more than 16,000 entries about sightings from novas to meteor storms; made discoveries of a near-record 23 comets, notably Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 that smashed into Jupiter in 1994 in the cosmic event of the 20th century; and become one of the most famous amateur astronomers in the world.

His is a life spent pressed to a telescope eyepiece, at hours when most people are sanely asleep, in thrall to the mysteries in the darkened vault above. And now, his entire observation archive has been posted online by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the first such recognition for any Canadian astronomer.

“If you don’t write it down then you’re not observing,” Mr. Levy said from his home near Tucson this week, after coming in from his backyard observatory to prepare entry No. 16,449 in his logbook.

“This,” he says of his 23-volume archive, “just gives a sense of what one man’s passion has led to, session by session, night by night.”

There is sweet irony in the society choosing Mr. Levy for the honour. When he was 19, he ran afoul of brass with the organization, an august group granted its royal charter by King Edward VII. There was a dispute over a piece of equipment and a senior member in Montreal chewed him out.

“He told me I was persona non-grata and I would never amount to anything,” Mr. Levy recalls.

He thought about abandoning astronomy but changed his mind, and went on exploring and discovering and writing it all down in his logs. The scribblings shape the legacy of an explorer of the cosmos: planets, constellations, eclipses, sunspots, moon craters, rainbows and solar halos, it’s all in there. There’s some poetry (“stars resembling friendly beacons in a lonely night”), pencil sketches of planets, shared observations from stargazing friends like the late Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto. Most of it, however, consists of routine and methodical annotations.

Nothing motivated Mr. Levy or gave him as much notoriety as his hunt for comets, those wisps of light in the night sky that are the “Holy Grail for amateur astronomers,” he says. The pursuit began as a teenager when, searching for an easy-to-say phrase for an upcoming Grade 10 French oral at Westmount High School, he proclaimed, “Je veux découvrir une comète.”

He succeeded, though it took him 19 years – 928 hours, 17 minutes to be exact; astronomy does not reward the impatient. Still, no comet would impact so significantly on his life than the one he co-discovered in 1993 with Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker. Its collision with Jupiter in July the following year was dubbed “the biggest explosion ever witnessed in the solar system” by Time magazine. There were U.S. network talk shows, magazine covers, and a visit to the White House under former president Bill Clinton, though Mr. Levy says it was vice-president Al Gore who asked all the probing questions.

“It was as if the comet grabbed the three of us,” he says of himself and the Shoemakers, “and took us into orbit with it for a couple of years.”

It was quite a feat for someone who failed undergraduate physics at McGill University and bypassed science for degrees in English literature at Acadia and Queen’s universities, evidence that astronomy remains one of the few fields of science where amateurs can make a difference.

“You can’t be an amateur surgeon,” the 63-year-old Mr. Levy said, “but you can be an amateur astronomer and accomplish a lot of things.”

Roy Bishop, a past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada who has known Mr. Levy for more than 40 years, calls him “the most remarkable amateur astronomer of the modern era.”

“He’s not only enthusiastic and dedicated but obviously has innate talent,” said Mr. Bishop, professor emeritus of physics at Acadia.

Mr. Levy, who has authored 35 books, did his PhD on “Allusions to Celestial Events” in early modern English literature, and collected honorary doctorates from five universities (including McGill, from which he dropped out after two years), still lives in anticipation of what he might find in the velvet-black sky.

In entry No. 15,489 in his logbooks, he records a stargazing session in which the Milky Way, star clusters and three meteors light up the sky. “One of the finest nights I’ve ever seen,” he writes. “If I were to die tomorrow, I’d have not lived better because I had this night.”

It’s all in the logbooks, along with hundreds of pages of observations and discoveries, there to be perused by 11-year-old boys and girls who might gaze up at the sky, and wonder.

Article source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-lifetime-pressed-to-a-telescope-building-an-archive-of-epic-discoveries/article2310387/

Tags: , , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , ,

Astronomer talks to Portage Natural History group

By alkaon on January 19, 2012 No Comments

By Robin Dudgeon

Posted 2 hours ago

Local amateur astronomer Ken Metcalfe gave a presentation to the Portage Natural History Group Wednesday night which taught them about which objects we can see in the sky and how to go about seeing them.

Ken Metcalfe is a local amateur astronomer who belongs to the Winnipeg chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

He began his presentation by telling the Natural History Group about what can currently be seen in the sky at night. Perhaps the most prominent constellation at this time of year is the hunter, Orion. Orion is really a cluster of stars of different ages and different distances.

“We always think two dimensional when we tend to look up at the sky but really what we’re looking at is something that goes way, way, way off. Some of these stars are closer, some of these stars are further away…some of them are older, some of them are younger, but we tend to look at them and think of them as a single flat plane and that’s not the case at all,” said Metcalfe.

Constellations also vary depending which culture you are in.

“The constellations we tend to follow there’s actually 88 of them that we use to describe our sky from a western point of view. It goes back to the Greeks and Romans who named a lot of them,” said Metcalfe.

When we look up into the night sky we can also see planets. Two of the most prominent right now are Venus and Jupiter. Venus is the brightest object in the sky (other than the moon) from when it shows up around 4:30 p.m. until it sets about 6:30 p.m. Later in the evening Jupiter becomes the brightest thing in the sky, and if you look closely enough with binoculars you should be able to see its moons.

One tool that astronomers use when star gazing is a map. You can either get software for your computer – like Hallo Northern Sky planetarium software – or buy something called a planisphere which is a movable plastic chart you can take outside with you which is different depending on your location.

“You literally just dial in the time of day your looking, and the month and the day and what you’re left with is a window of what’s observable at that time. What is neat is you just turn around and find north and you take the north portion of this, hold it up overhead and it should map what you’re looking at,” said Metcalfe.

Another important tool, which is important to astronomers, is binoculars. They use them not to bring objects closer but to gather more light to see objects in the sky better.

Near the end of his presentation Metcalfe warned the group about the dangers of looking at the sun. If an astronomer wants to be able to see the solar flares that cause aurora borealis he must use either a special telescope or special materials like welder’s glass to block out the harmful rays.

“We do need some special equipment, do not ever look at the sun directly,” said Metcalfe. “I have a variety of telescopes and one of the ones that I have has a very special filter on it. When I look at it through there I get some very good views of the solar flares and solar activity.”

For more information on astronomy and constellations it is advised you consult the internet.

“One nice thing about astronomy is you can check up on the web and there’s just tonnes and tonnes of astronomy stuff on the web and a good portion of it can be gotten for free,” said Metcalfe.

Advertisement

Article source: http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3442222

Tags: , , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , , ,

Astronomical Society reaches for the sky with special events

By alkaon on January 18, 2012 No Comments

A Burlington event is part of an upcoming series of public activities to be put on by The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) Hamilton Centre.

Sidewalk Astronomy resumes Friday, Jan. 27, from 6:30–8:30 p.m., at Spencer Smith Park. Club Members will bring a variety of telescopes and invite passers-by to gaze at the stars. If Friday is cloudy, the event will be postponed to the next night (Saturday).

Public Night is today (Wednesday) from 7:30-9:30 p.m., at the RASC Hamilton Observatory. The public is invited to tour the club’s observatory.

The evening starts with a presentation about how a telescope works, what objects can be seen as well as some history about the RASC Hamilton, which is more than 100 years old.

If the skies are clear, the public will get the chance to look at stars. Also, if you own a telescope but don’t know how to use it, this is an opportunity to bring it and have RASC Hamilton members show you operational basics.

The RASC Hamilton Centre holds its next monthly club meeting, also open to the public, on Thursday, Feb. 2, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., at the Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 551, 79 Hamilton St. N., Waterdown.

The meetings always include a guest speaker, discussion about what’s visible in the night sky for the month and often an equipment show and tell. February’s speaker topic is The Astronomy of  Many Cultures. Discover the history of astronomy and humanity’s relationship with the night sky.

The RASC Hamilton has organized a special evening on Thursday, March 1 at the McCallion Planetarium at McMaster University. Indoor Stargazing will feature a show called The Milky Way, More Than Meets The Eye. Tickets cost $15 and with seating limited.

The RASC Hamilton consists of 65 members who live in Golden Horseshoe/GTA areas. The club even has a member in Chile.

For directions to RASC Hamilton, event locations and ticket reservations, visit www.hamiltonrasc.ca/events.

Article source: http://www.insidehalton.com/community/article/1281660--astronomical-society-reaches-for-the-sky-with-special-events

Tags: , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , , , ,

Astronomer doesn’t let disability hold him back

By alkaon on December 26, 2011 No Comments

by linda hersey
Times transcript staff

Tim Doucette of Moncton has very special eyes for the sky.

Click to Enlarge

A software developer for Medavie Blue Cross by day and an amateur astronomer by night, Tim, a native of Quinan just outside of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, has been interested in astronomy since childhood. He had his first telescope by age 12, but being born with vision problems impacted his dreams in an understandably negative way.

“I’m legally blind,” says Tim. “I was born with congenital cataracts. As I grew up I had an interest in astronomy but because I realized at a young age that I wasn’t going to be able to drive a car so there was very little chance I was ever going to go into space, I put it aside.”

Fast forward a number of years and when he and his wife, Amanda, and son Alex moved to Moncton, Amanda thought he might enjoy astronomy and gifted him with a telescope. That re-awakened his former passion “and that’s where the journey started again.”

Surgery on his eyes as a teen left him extremely sensitive to light (he wears dark glasses over his regular glasses even on cloudy days), but he made an awesome discovery when looking through a telescope at night.

“Looking up at the Milky Way was like a curtain had been opened. It’s amazing actually …. I can see higher in the spectrum of ultraviolet. The guys (fellow astronomers) quickly realized that I could see more than they could through a telescope. (They said) you shouldn’t be able to see that (incredible observation) through that size telescope.”

A member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, New Brunswick Centre, up until recently he was this province’s national rep. He worked extensively with the national office on behalf of the NB Centre, which hold educational events and “star parties” to which the public is always invited.

Amateur astronomers can spend a little or a lot on their hobby, but Tim says a “good-sized” telescope of decent quality will cost between $300 and $400.

Some astronomy aficionados even build their own, and there are mirror-making seminars to help accomplish that.

Tim’s main interest in astronomy is photography (www.deepskyeye.com) and he continues to add to his fascinating image bank.

Astronomy has improved his life “a lot” and he gets to share it with some “incredible people,” like writer David Levy with whom Tim and Amanda star-gazed last Fall in Vale, Arizona. Tim’s been to many exotic locations. Coincidentally, his home village of Quinan, Nova Scotia “is one of the darkest sky sites in North America” and therefore ideal for star gazing.

Before astronomy Tim enjoyed building video games. Self-descried as reserved he has shown by example that he’s “not afraid to tackle anything,” including freelance writing. He encourages others, especially those with handicaps to “not be afraid to go for what you enjoy. Find a way.”

He also encourages us to “gaze up at the sky”, and like Tim Doucette, perhaps find a “peaceful, relaxing” hobby.

* 15 Minutes of Fame is published every week. If you have a candidate for a 15 Minutes profile, please contact Linda Hersey via e-mail at news@timestranscript.com or by calling 859-7149 or faxing 859-4904.

Article source: http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/1466612

Tags: , , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , ,

Foothill professor is an astronomy star

By alkaon on December 13, 2011 No Comments


Bookmark and Share

What does Stephen Hawking have in common with Andrew Fraknoi, chair of the Foothill College astronomy department? They are both “honorary members” of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

“I was just totally surprised and incredibly grateful for this honor,” said Fraknoi, who learned of the award last month.

There are only 15 people living at any given time that carry the honorary title — and all of them have contributed significantly to the field of astronomy. The Foothill professor shares the title with many gifted and hard-working astronomers, including Hawking, who is a theoretical physicist and cosmologist.

“I’m in amazing company,” Fraknoi said, noting that many of the honorary members are the very scientists he looked up to while studying astronomy.

“The membership of honorary members is a fairly exclusive group,” said Colin Haig, vice president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, or RASC. Since its foundation in 1868, the society has honored many great astronomers for various reasons. Honorary members have included public figures, innovators, observers and theoreticians.

Fraknoi’s major contribution is that he has been “great at helping people understand astronomy,” Haig said. The Foothill College professor has done this in many ways. In partnership with Disney, he wrote a children’s book called Disney’s Wonderful World of Space; he founded Project ASTRO, a national program that brings hands-on astronomy experiences to elementary, middle and high school students; and he edited an extensive resource guide for astronomy teachers, “The Universe at Your Fingertips.”

Keeping in step with the digital revolution, Fraknoi has even started a Facebook page focused on astronomical developments. It’s called The Astro-Prof and can be found at www.facebook.com/Fraknoi.

“Being able to articulate why people should care about astronomy is extremely valuable,” Haig said. “Many people don’t directly see how scientists, engineers and technologists are making the world a better place.” Fraknoi helps average people cut through the scientific jargon, he said.

And he also goes out of his way to combat misinformation.

“There’s so much misunderstanding and people are very susceptible to what we call ‘pseudo-science,’ superstition and strange things they read in the tabloids,” said Mary Lou Whitehorne, president of the RASC. “He’s the kind of guy who can help you see through it.”

Whitehorne nominated Frakoi to be an honorable member of her organization, in part because he teaches critical thinking to students and teaches teachers how to teach critical thinking. “We need to have facts,” Whitehorne said. “We need to understand what’s going on. If we can’t we’re doomed.”

In her mind, there is nobody to better provide the facts than Fraknoi. “For a couple of decades he has been an international role model in astronomy education,” Whitehorne said. “My point of view is that he is the gold standard in astronomy education globally.”

When asked to respond to Whitehorne’s word’s, Fraknoi said, “I blush.” However, he added, he has “worked very hard to be the kind of teacher that is accessible as well as accurate.” His goal is to make people appreciate astronomy as much as he does.

“If someone who didn’t think they liked science can take my class and feel even a little bit of the passion that I feel — that’s what I live for.”

Fraknoi was educated at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. He appears regularly on radio programs on KGO and KQED; he is the first community college professor to become an honorary member of the RASC; and, according to Haig, “He is one of the most passionate, caring and dedicated people in the field.”

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.

<!–

E-mail a friend a link to this story.

–>

Article source: http://mv-voice.com/news/show_story.php?id=5041

Tags: , , , , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , , , , , , , ,

Backyard astronomy and the weird future

By alkaon on December 13, 2011 No Comments

Among backyard stargazers, David Levy is something of a legend. The Montreal-born science writer and amateur astronomer has been watching the sky since his childhood in the 1950s; he’s been credited with discovering about 150 asteroids and co-discovering 22 comets — including Shoemaker-Levy 9, which, in 1994, famously slammed into Jupiter, causing a massive, well-documented explosion.

And night after night, he has been writing it all down. Now you can read it.

Last month the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada launched an online archive housing PDFs of his lifetime collection of logbooks. (Go to www.rasc.ca and type “David Levy” in the search box.) Volume 00 begins with his first recollections of watching the heavens, including: “Memory of stars resembling friendly beacons in a lonely night.” But that’s a rare bit of poetry: Most of Levy’s log entries are limited to dates, data and a list of what was observed. Still, flipping through the pages upon pages of meticulous records — Volume 23 ends in 2008 — you can get a sense of Levy’s passion for the stars. And, as Levy gained notoriety, his observation sessions even included a few famous guests, such as Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto.

How I learned to stop worrying and love my virtual reality


Chicago Humanities Festival

Between smartphones that answer your casual questions and mass-multiplayer videogames, it’s getting more difficult to make a distinction between the real world and the one inside your laptop. But why worry about it? Go to www.chicagohumanities.org and watch William Gibson — who wrote the sci-fi classic “Neuromancer” and coined the term “cyberspace” — talking at the Chicago Humanities Festival about how technology is changing our day-to-day lives and whether we should be self-conscious about it. “Look at the Victorians. For some reason, they had a need to deny that sex existed,” he says. “When we’re the Victorians, I think that people will say, ‘For some reason they had a need to distinguish between what they thought of as the real and the virtual.’ ”

The author takes a moment to debunk “singularity” — the theory that man and machine will eventually merge in some kind of climax — calling it “the geek rapture.” In Gibson’s opinion, the biggest changes will sneak into our lives gradually, the way Walkmans morphed into iPods, then iPhones. “There’s not going to be any ‘future,’ because things are changing too quickly,” he says. “It’s just going to be . . . stranger and stranger, and as it happens to you, you will be in the present moment, and it will be weird.”

— Aaron Leitko

Article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/backyard-astronomy-and-the-weird-future/2011/10/10/gIQACB7fpO_story.html

Tags: , , <BR/>
Categories : Astronomy News
Tags : , , , , ,

NASA Image of the day

Pavlof Volcano From Station

 
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) photographed this striking view of Pavlof Volcano on May 18, 2013. The oblique perspective from the ISS reveals the three dimensional structure of the ash plume, which is often obscured by the top-down view of most remote sensing satellites. Situated in the Aleutian Arc about 625 miles (1,000 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage, Pavlof began erupting on May 13, 2013. The volcano jetted lava into the air and spewed an ash cloud 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) high. When photograph ISS036-E-2105 (top) was taken, the space station was about 475 miles south-southeast of the volcano (49.1° North latitude, 157.4° West longitude). The volcanic plume extended southeastward over the North Pacific Ocean. › Additional information/larger images. Image Credit: NASA
Read More