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Astronomy

Shooting Stars

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First Astrophotograph is John W. Draper's Moon Daguerreotype, taken on March 26, 1840 from the rooftop observatory at New York University.
Moon daguerreotype by J.W. Draper (1840), PD

Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre (1787-1851), inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process, was the first to attempt to photograph an astronomical object in 1839.  It was unsuccessful because telescope tracking errors during the long exposure time caused the moon to appear in the image as a fuzzy, indistinct spot.  A year later, John William Draper (1811-1882) was the first to successfully take an ‘astrophotograph’ – a detailed photo of a full moon taken from the rooftop observatory of New York University on March 23, 1840, using a 5-inch (13 cm) reflecting telescope and 20 minute long exposure.  Later 19th century advances in technology allowed photographing of celestial objects that revolutionized astronomical research at the time by recording images of stars invisible to the human eye.Night photography offers a chance to capture and document inspiring scenes few people have the opportunity to experience due to artificial light and air glow pollution.Night photography offers a chance to capture and document inspiring scenes few people have the opportunity to experience due to artificial light and air glow pollution.

Get how-to tips on night sky photography technique from National Parks photographer Chris Nicholson in this video presentation: “Shooting Stars: How to Photograph Night Skies”.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or the video post on the media player below ↓

 

Matt Hill joins Chris Nicholson in this step-by-step guide to ‘painting with light, including live demos, in the video presentation: ‘Illuminating the Night: Everything You Want to Know About Light Painting.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or the video post on the media player below ↓

 

Watch “Understanding Astrophotography with Christopher Witt and Todd Vorenkamp” video presentation, and you’ll be shooting stars in no time.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or the video post on the media player below ↓

 

Information/Resources:
Photography Tips to Capture the Night Sky by Andy Porter, the National Forest Foundation (May 27, 2016)
10 Things:  How to Photograph a Meteor Shower, NASA
Wikipedia:  Astrophotography

Video and live stream lectures and lessons offer helpful advice from camera pros on how to take better photographsTravel, sports and outdoor photography tips from the pros

 

 

 

 

 

Milky Way within stars at night are harder to find because of light pollutionFind the best locations and experience the night sky teeming with glittering stars

 

 

 

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The star trails feature photo is courtesy of Andrew Preble/Unsplash CC0

Catch a Falling Star

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A meteor (from the Greek word meteōros, meaning ‘high in the air’) is the visible passing of a glowing comet, asteroid, rock or other solid object through Earth’s atmosphere.  As it travels at extreme speeds across the night sky, a meteor creates a streak of light as a result of the aerodynamic heating causing it to glow.  We know these streaks of light as falling stars or shooting stars, and it’s a beautiful moment to catch sight of one.

Millions of meteors occur in Earth’s atmosphere daily.  When Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by a comet, a series of meteors appearing in the sky seconds or minutes apart in varying speed, frequency and brightness and all appearing to originate from the same fixed ‘radiant’ point is called a ‘meteor shower’.  Named meteor showers reoccur about the same time each year.

 

The Geminids

The Geminids in December are usually the strongest meteor showers of the year and most reliable, with up to 100 meteors per hour radiating from a spot near the bright star Castor (the second-brightest star in the constellation of Gemini).  Geminids peak shower activity happens December 13-14. 

Find an area well away from city and street lights, and go prepared for cold temperatures along with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.  Lie flat on your back with your feet facing south and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.  After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adjust, and you’ll begin to see meteors.  Be patient, and enjoy the beauty of the night sky because the meteor show will continue until dawn — plenty of time to watch for the spectacular.

How & where to see the Geminids.  Go to the darkest place you can find about 10:30pm local time.  Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adapt to the dark (BTW – Looking at a cell phone interferes with night vision).  Lie flat on your back and look straight up, taking in as much sky as possible.  Get Ready Stargazers:  The Geminids Are Coming!  (NASA Watch The Skies blog)

The Perseids

With scores of fast, bright meteors and large explosions of light and color called ‘fire balls’, the Perseids are active each year from mid-July to August (with a strong peak August 12 or 13) and are often the most impressive meteor showers for the Northern Hemisphere.

This ‘Best of the Perseids 2019’ video is full of hand-picked clips from over 2,200 Perseids meteor recordings on 42 cameras, at 7 different locations over 5 nights.

 

 

How to best enjoy the Perseids.  Find a dark place where you can lie back on a blanket, sleeping bag, cot or chaise lounge away from city lights, and look straight up at the night sky.  Give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.  Don’t look directly at the constellation Perseus (where Perseids radiant is located) as you will see fewer meteors from that angle.  No binoculars or telescope needed.  In fact, it’s better to watch meteors with the naked eye because a wider field of view lets you see more of the sky.  Expect to see about one meteor per minute, visible as faint streaks of light or a bright fireball.  Enjoy the experience with friends!

Confused about whether or not the Perseids can be seen from your location?  Take a look at this world map provided by Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA – Watch the Skies, August 13, 2010). The Perseids is visible to everyone, except at locations within the red shaded area.

The Perceids meteor shower provides the best meteor views in the Northern Hemisphere each year. Use this world map to find Perceids viewing locations.

Information/References:

List of Named Meteor Showers – Wikipedia

Geminids – NASA Science:  Solar System Exploration

Perseids – NASA Science:  Solar System Exploration

10 Things:  How to Photograph a Meteor – NASA

2019 Meteor Shower Calendar – American Meteor Society list of meteor showers around the world, including activity status, best viewing dates and moon phases that can affect visibility of showers.  

Feature photo is courtesy of Austin Schmid/Unsplash CC0

 

Milky Way within stars at night are harder to find because of light pollutionSTAR GAZING – Find the best dark sky locations and experience a sky teeming with glittering stars

 

 

Exploring time and space of the Universe is the greatest human adventure, and many mysteries remain despite scientific discoveries.EXPLORE The UNIVERSE – Take a cosmic journey, and discover the wonders and mysteries of life, time and space

 

 

 

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Moon Gazing

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“See yonder fire! It is the moon
Slow rising o’er the eastern hill.
It glimmers on the forest tips,
And through the dewy foliage drips
In little rivulets of light,
And makes the heart in love with night.”

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Christus, The Golden Legend (1872)

It may seem strange to some, but a full moon can take my breath away. I stop and stare.  It seems to draw me in every time with a mysterious magnetism. And, it’s just so big and bright and beautiful! I always find myself wanting to share the experience with whoever may be nearby— ‘Look at that amazing moon!’  I also typically snap half a dozen photos trying to capture the moment (never does look quite as beautiful as I’d actually seen it, but I keep trying).

 

Over the years, the response to my moon gazing has been somewhat mixed. Although friends will kindly indulge me with a look up, and everyone is interested in special events like the January 2018 Super Blue Blood Moon, many don’t quite get my fascination with the Moon.

Following a special lunar event, a full moon may seem very ordinary to some as it happens every month (well, almost every month– February 2018 was a month without a full moon), or there’s sometimes a tendency for people to believe nothing good happens during a full moon (or worse– something really bad happens).  I feel nothing negative or ordinary at all when gazing at the Moon, and decided long ago this moon thing might have something to do with my zodiac sign, Cancer the crab. According to astrologers, Cancer is ruled by the Moon – making me a ‘moonchild’.  However, astrology can’t explain everything because there are plenty of non-Cancer moon gazers out there, and it’s been going on for thousands of years.

 

 

The Moon was revered throughout ancient societies as humans began to recognize the Moon’s influence on life cycles– crops, tides, fertility, and some form of moon worship can be found in most ancient religions, from the ancient Celts to the Egyptians.  Probably the most enduring and enthusiastic moon gazers are the Japanese.

Tsukimi (or ‘Otsukimi’, literally ‘moon-viewing’, also known as ‘Jugoya’) refers to the Japanese tradition of holding parties to view the Harvest Moon (typically September/October in today’s calendar).  Still popular today, this celebratory moon-viewing in Japan is an aesthetic custom with a spiritual component that can be traced back as far as the Heian period (794 to 1185) when Japanese aristocrats held events aboard boats to view the Moon’s reflection on the water’s surface.  Modern Tsukimi festivities continue with the traditions as people gather on the evening of the full harvest moon at a place the Moon can be clearly seen, decorate with pampas grass, and serve white rice dumplings and other seasonal foods known collectively as Tsukimi dishes, and sake as offerings to the Moon.  In Buddhism, a full moon is a symbol of enlightenment, and the phases of the Moon represent the changes of life. In Shinto, the Moon is a symbol of the wonder, beauty and awe of natural phenomenon. There’s also a long-established obsession in Japan with the Moon and its affect on poetic inspiration.

When you’re an avid moon gazer or a newbie, it helps to know the best dates and times to look for the Moon as it changes with the seasons as well as moon phases.  Below are Moonrise/Moonset time/position tables (along with explanatory notes) provided by Karen Masters, Ask an Astronomer – Cornell University, and full moon calendars .

 

Moon gazing is a long-established tradition, and will fill you with wonder and inspiration.

 

Moonrise/Moonset Times

The time of day the Moon rises or sets depends on its phase. The table below summarizes moonrise and moonset times. [Note: “Local noon” and “local midnight” as used in the table are the points in time when the Sun crosses the meridian, and exactly 12 hours later. This can be different from the time on your watch because that time reflects time zones used to determine local time. Zola uses Willy Weather website and free app to find the times for moonrise and moonset, but you can search any local or online weather related resource for that information.]

If you're a moon gazer, it helps to have Moonrise and Moonset time tables

Moonrise/Moonset Position

When the Moon is new, it rises and sets with the Sun, and the position of Moonrise and Moonset varies just like that of Sunrise and Sunset. When the Moon is full, however, the pattern is inverted. The chart below sets it all out. [Note: The chart is for the Northern Hemisphere. For Southern Hemisphere moon gazers, exchange North for South in the chart.  A certain amount of variation in the direction depends on your latitude.]

If you're a moon gazer, it's good to know what direction to look. So, here's a Moonrise and Moonset position chart.

FULL MOON CALENDAR

I must admit my moon gazing avocation is haphazard.  I tend to just look up at the night sky and see what’s up there as there’s pleasure in every moon phase, and a dark, clear night with no moon is the perfect time for stargazing.  But, there are those that prefer to make a moon watching plan to avoid missing something special, prepare telescopes and camera equipment, schedule a visit to an observatory, park area with good moon viewing, or attend a moon festival to add more to the experience.  It’s a great night for a party, field trip or peaceful meditation — your choice.  Below are 2019 & 2020 Full Moon Calendars for US and Canada (times indicated on tables are Eastern Time Zone) courtesy of the Old Farmer’s Almanac).  [Note:  A full moon occurs around the globe at the same moment regardless of location, but there’s a difference in date and time because of time zones.  To find the exact date/time of the full moon anywhere on Earth, go to the moon phases – lunar calendar ⇒ here and search by location and year.]

LUNAR SPECIAL EVENTS 

Hey there moon gazers!  If you missed the first full moon and lunar eclipse of 2019, there’s still time to watch a video recording of this very special total lunar eclipse.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button on the media player below ↓

 

⇒⇒ Did you miss the July 27, 2018 stream broadcast of the longest total lunar eclipse (aka “Blood Moon”) of the century?  Or, do you want to see it again?  There’s still time to watch a video recording of this special event via Photographing Space camera positioned in South Africa.  Just click/tap the play button in the center of the media player below↓

 

Information/Resources:
How Does the Position of Moonrise and Moonset Change? Cornell University – Ask an Astronomer
April 2018 is Global Astronomy Month, and the Moon will celebrated this year with a series of special programs for rediscovering this bright, beautiful orb in Earth’s night sky (Astronomers Without Borders)
A Planet’s Domicile in Astrology (Wikipedia) – In astrology, a planet’s domicile is the zodiac sign over which it has rulership, and the assignments of the ruling planets appear to be based upon the Northern Hemisphere seasons. The Sun was awarded to Leo and Cancer the Moon as the months the Sun passed through these two zodiac signs were the warmest and had the longest days in ancient times.
Photography: John William Draper (1811-1882) was the first to successfully take an ‘astrophotograph’ in 1840, a quite amazing detailed photo of a full moon.
Tsukimi history, Wikipedia

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Feature photo of moon gazing at Mount Tamalpais State Park, California, USA is courtesy of Todd Diemer/Unsplash CC0
Moon gazing photo is courtesy of Flickr user, Hank Conner, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Zola’s moon gazing photo album, © 2018-19 Zeester Media LLC

Sol Invictus

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Since the launch of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) in 2010, humans have had an unprecedented close-up view of the Sun, and the images captured are breathtaking, revealing a red-glowing Sun ablaze with flares, filaments and eruptions. The short video, SUN, by Michael König, is an edited time lapse sequence of SDO images obtained between the years 2011 and 2015.  It will change forever how you see the Sun.

 

 

There are billions of stars like our Sun scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy, and many are bigger and brighter.  What makes the Sun uniquely superior (at least from the human perspective) is that it has made life on Earth possible, providing warmth and energy and holding the solar system together with its gravitational pull.

Just like all the other stars, the Sun is a big ball of gases.  It has a radius of 432,168.6 miles/695,508 kilometers (1.3 million Earths would fill the Sun’s volume), with a surface (photosphere) temperature of about 10,000°F (5,500°C) [carbon such as diamonds and graphite will boil at that temperature].  Above the photosphere is the chromosphere and the corona, where it is even hotter (3.5million°F/2million°C) and features such as flares and sun spots appear.

The Sun will one day run out of energy and die as all stars eventually do, first swelling to a size large enough to engulf Mercury, Venus and perhaps Earth as well before collapsing and shrinking down to its burned-out core (becoming a ‘white dwarf’).  Scientists have predicted the Sun has approximately 6.5 billion years remaining in its lifecycle.  So, there’s still some time to enjoy life under the Sol Invictus before packing your bags and taking off to a new home planet.

[su_quote cite=”Dr. Nicky Fox “]So we here on Earth, we actually live in the atmosphere of the Sun.[/su_quote]

In the November 15, 2017 NASA Gravity Assist podcast, Jim Green, Director of Planetary Science at NASA, is joined by Dr. Nicky Fox from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, for a conversation about the Sun — how hot is it, what are solar flares, and how does space weather affect us here on Earth?– and NASA’s  Parker Solar Probe—a mission to “touch the Sun”.  Just click/tap the play button ▶️ to listen to the audio recording.

 

 

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE
August 21, 2017

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, causing the Sun to be totally or partially obscured for a viewer on Earth.  A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon blocks all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness within a narrow path across the Earth’s surface (a partial solar eclipse appears in wider area alongside the path of the total eclipse).

Everyone in North America can experience the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017
2017 Total Solar Eclipse Path, NASA

It was the first total solar eclipse to move across the entire US since 1918, and eclipse watchers were able to take in the ‘total’ experience on August 21, 2017 as it entered the US from Oregon (crossing between Lincoln City and Newport), and exited in South Carolina between Georgetown and Charleston.  For information and 2017 total solar eclipse resources, go to ⇒ NASA Total Solar Eclipse 2017

⇒ Watch The US National Park Service in collaboration with NASA, the National Institute of Aerospace, and Southwest Community College, hosted a special event and live broadcast of the 2017 eclipse as it passed over Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  If you missed the live stream broadcast or just want to see it all again, click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the posts on the video players below ↓

 

⇒ Another viewing option is provided by The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Information/Resources:

Sol Invictus (“Invincible” or “Unconquered” Sun)  From 274 AD, Sol Invictus was the primary deity of the later Roman Empire and favored by Roman emperors, Aurelian (270-275 AD) until Constantine the Great (306-337 AD),  Wikipedia:  Sol Invictus

Sun: In Depth, Solar System Exploration, NASA website

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Launched on February 11, 2010 on a mission for NASA’s “Living with a Star” Program, the SDO is a spacecraft containing measuring and imaging equipment that orbits the Earth at an altitude of 22,238 miles (35,789 kilometers), allowing almost continuous observation and study of the Sun.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe successfully launched on August 12, 2018 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.  It will travel directly into the Sun’s atmosphere with a never-before mission to “touch the Sun”.

Since its launch 20 years ago and 2004 Saturn orbit insertion, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft has provided images that have led to significant discoveries.Discoveries of Cassini’s exploration of Saturn are a sight to see!

 

 

 

 

Apollo 17 photo taken December 13, 1972 on the lunar surfaceMore cosmic wonders & mysteries can be explored here → →  Galaxies   The Universe   Moon   Stars    Cosmos Channel

 

 

 

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Feature image of solar prominence is courtesy of NASA/SDO/AIA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Public Domain

If Stars Could Speak

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Awake by Zach Rogers is a short video beautifully photographed and produced using a time-lapse process that results in mesmerizing views of star filled skies above stunning landscapes.  It was a 3 year “passion project” involving the selection of 6,870 photos from a collection of 50,000.

“A philosopher once asked, ‘Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?’ Pointless, really…..  Do the stars gaze back? Now, that’s a question.” — Neil Gaiman, Stardust (1999)

Experiencing a night sky teeming with glittering stars awakens curiosity, perspective and inspiration, and is a recreational activity enjoyed by amateur astronomers throughout the world.  The opportunity to see such a sight, however, is getting more difficult as dark skies are vanishing from the glaring effects of light pollution.  In fact, more than 99% of people living in North America and Europe see light polluted night skies rather than stars, and the Milky Way is hidden from more than 1/3 of the world’s population. The International Dark-Sky Association (“IDA”) works to protect night skies and ecosystems within parks and conservation areas around the world.  Find dark skies for your best stargazing experience via the IDA locator map HERE, and look around for Telescopes and Stargazing Guide Book * to learn more and get started.

The short video Lost in Light by night sky photographer, Sriram Murali, dramatically demonstrates the affects of different levels of light pollution on our view of the night sky.

 

The Witch Head Nebula is a reflection nebula located in the Eridanus constellation.If you can’t get outside—-Watch the Night Skies channel here to see more amazing stargazing views captured on video by talented photographers.

More about stars⇒   Sol Invictus     Super Star Sorcery     Mysteries of a Galaxy

 

 

 

 

 

Watch this how-to seminar on astrophotography techniques and equipment, and take better photos of the night skyPros give advice on how to take great photographs of the night sky in this free-to-watch info-video series → Shooting Stars 

 

 

 

A big, bright full moon over the Santa Monica Mountains from Malibu Road was a moon gazers delight

Have you tried moon gazing?  Humans have revered the Moon for thousands of years, and celebratory customs of moon viewing add a spiritual component to the experience of seeing a big, bright, beautiful moon in the night sky.  Simple, but awesome.

 

 

References/Information:

“Light Pollution Hides Milky Way from 80 Percent of North Americans, Atlas Shows” by Nell GreenfieldBoyce, NPR All Things Considered (June 10, 2016)

Night Sky Network – Search tools to help you find astronomy clubs and special events throughout US

Earth Sky (List of astronomy events, festivals, star parties & workshops)

Ten of the Most Breathtaking Night Skies on Earth by Michelle Douglass, BBC Earth (August 27, 2015) Some the world’s best dark skies are over remote, hard to reach locations, while other sites are astrotourism hotspots encompassing national parks and observatories.

Lassen Volcanic National Park (located approximately 3 hours northeast of Sacramento, California) has meadows freckled with wildflowers, jagged peaks, clear mountain lakes, a rich diversity of plant and animal life as well as numerous volcanoes, steaming fumaroles (steam and volcanic-gas vents) thumping mud pots, and boiling pools.   Stargazing & Astronomy→ park info       Dark Sky Festival

Atacama Desert, Chile 

Pic du Midi – Hautes-Pyrénées, France 

Rakiura National Park, Stewart Island, New Zealand – This ‘Land of Glowing Skies’ was designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in January, 2019

Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve – Mackenzie Region, NZ 

Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve

Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona becomes International Dark Sky Park in June 2018

Dark Sky Festival – Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California USA

Acadia Night Sky Festival   – Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine USA

Jasper Dark Sky Festival   – Jasper National Park, Jasper, Canada

Night Sky Festival  – Joshua Tree National Park, California USA

Mayo Dark Sky Park  – Newport/Mulranny/Ballycroy, Ireland

Brecon Beacons National Park – South Wales, UK 

Galloway Forest Park – Scotland  

Dark Skies Festival   – North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, UK

Winter Star Party  – Florida Keys, USA, usually scheduled each year during the full moon in February

OzSky Star Safaris  The “Classic” is held at the outskirts of Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, and the “Spring Edition” takes place at NSW Southern Tablelands

Exmoor Dark Skies Festival – Family stargazing weekend at Exmoor National Park, a large beautiful and peaceful area of wild countryside in the South West of England and Europe’s very first International Dark Sky Reserve

Star Search:  A Night Guide for Urban Texans by Wes Ferguson (Texas Monthly, March 2018) – Where to find dark, wide-open skies or a big telescope for star gazing in the state of Texas

Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival, Canada

Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival, Arizona

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The feature photo is a still shot taken from the video, “Awake” by Zach Rogers

The title of this article “If Stars Could Speak” comes from the title of original music by Alexandr Fullin. It was used by Zach Rogers as the soundtrack to the “Awake” video.

*This page includes an affiliate link to a shop website. If you purchase a product or service directly through the link, Zeester Media LLC may earn a small commission.  This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Crowning Cassini

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Saturn is a giant planet (2nd largest in our Solar System) composed mainly of hydrogen and helium and visible from Earth without the aid of optical instruments as it shines a golden steady light in evening skies.  Consequently, Saturn was known by prehistoric man, and became a major character of ancient mythologies.

The rings of Saturn, however, are not so easily viewed, and were not known to exist until Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) first saw them in 1610 using the newly developed refracting telescope.  He thought the rings were actually two moons alongside Saturn.  Forty-five years later, he was proven wrong when Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) observed a “thin, flat ring” surrounding Saturn using a telescope he designed with greater magnification.  In 1675 at the Paris Observatory, Giovanni Cassini (1625-1712) discovered a wide, dark gap between the rings of Saturn, known as the ‘Cassini Division’.  As technology has increased visibility, nine continuous main rings and three discontinuous arcs have been observed within Saturn’s ring system.

Christiaan Huygens also discovered the first and largest of Saturn’s many moons, Titan, in 1655, while Giovanni Cassini was the first to observe four others, Iapetus (1671), Rhea (1672), Tethys and Bione (both in 1684).  There are currently 62 known moons of Saturn, 53 confirmed and officially named and nine provisional moons as well as dozens to hundreds of ‘moonlets’ (small natural satellites orbiting a planet).

The Cassini Mission 

An international mission to explore Saturn, its magnetosphere (region surrounding a planet that’s dominated by the planet’s magnetic field), rings and moons began more than 25 years ago, starting with seven years of development prior to the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft launch in 1997.  The design of the unmanned spacecraft included a Saturn orbiter (Cassini) and a lander (Huygens) for Titan.

On December 25, 2004, Huygens separated from Cassini, and on January 14, 2005, successfully landed on Titan, while collecting and transmitting data to Earth using Cassini as a relay.  It’s batteries died shortly after landing;  therefore, Huygens now sits in silence on Titan’s surface.
[ESA Science: Huygens Top 10 Discoveries at Titan]

Cassini entered Saturn’s orbit on July 1, 2004, and photographs taken during the last 12+ years have led to significant discoveries.  The 2012 NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory video, Cassini: 15 Years of Exploration, hits some of the highlights.

 

End of Mission:  Cassini’s primary mission was completed in 2008 as it had made 74 orbits around Saturn. The mission, however, was extended to September 2010 for additional study, and extended a second time to 2017. It’s fuel supply running low, Cassini made a number of passes through the gap between Saturn and its inner ring before it was intentionally destroyed on September 15, 2017 by forcing a dive into Saturn’s atmosphere.  The purpose of the deorbit was to mitigate the risk of Cassini later colliding with one of Saturn’s moons.

 

 

Information/Resources:
When & How to Find Saturn in 2017 Astronomy Essentials (5/11/2017), Bruce McClure & Deborah Byrd
NASA:   Cassini Mission    Overview: Planets – Saturn
European Space Agency:  Cassini-Huygens 
Missions to Saturn (Past, Present, Concepts)
Wikipedia:  Saturn, Galileo Galilei, Christiaan Huygens, Giovanni Cassini

Photo of giant eruption on sun surface in 2012 courtesy of NASA/SDO/AIA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Public DomainMore cosmic wonders and mysteries
can be explored here →   The Sun      Galaxies     The Universe     Stars 

 

 

 

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Feature photo:  The image of Saturn was captured on February 9, 2004 by the narrow angle camera of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft when it was about 69 million kilometers (43 million miles) away from Saturn.  A series of exposures through different filters were combined to form the colors seen in the image. The icy moon Enceladus is faintly visible on the left.  Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute, Public Domain 

Super Star Sorcery

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Deep space exploration and images captured via space telescope are nothing short of extraordinary as ever-improving technology enables scientists to reach farther toward distant planets and other galaxies.  The wispy blue Witch Head Nebula (aka IC 2118) is just one example of many discoveries, but probably best represents the magic and mysteries of space and our fascination with the supernatural.

 

The Witch Head Nebula is a reflection nebula located in the Eridanus constellation.
NASA/Gary Stevens, prepared by Adrian Pingstone PD

Witch Head Nebula is located about 900 light years from Earth (FYI: 1 ly = 9+ trillion km/6 trillion m) within Eridanus (a large constellation appearing as a “river” in the southern hemisphere).  “Nebula” is the name for an accumulation of dust, gases and other material that form into clouds within our galaxy and beyond. There are lots of them out there and several different types, and it’s believed Witch Head is an ancient “supernova remnant” nebula, meaning it was created by a massive star explosion.  The wicked witch profile is created by the illumination of this cosmic cloud by Rigel, a nearby supergiant, blue-white star in the Orion constellation, that’s a couple hundred thousand times brighter than the Sun.  

 

“When you make the finding yourself – even if you’re the last person on Earth to see the light – you’ll never forget it.” — Carl Sagan (1934 – 1996)

 

Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences, and amateur astronomers have made significant contributions to understanding the universe with observational study and discoveries.  Astronomy is also a cool hobby, enjoyed and shared by people at all levels throughout the world.  Learn more about getting started from this NASA website info page.  If you’d just like to look through a telescope or do some stargazing on a clear, dark night, search for community college classes, astronomy club special event ‘star parties’, and public viewing nights at observatories and state and national parks. Find HERE a list of US national park night sky programs as well as tips on where/how to find stars at home, around town and in the wilderness.  Shop for Telescopes and Stargazing Guide Book * to learn more and start searching the night sky.

Information/Resources:
NASA:  The Witch Head Nebula
Wikipedia:  IC 2118, Astronomy

If you can't find a dark sky to see the stars., the next best thing is to watch the videos on the On2In2™ Night Skies channel

Watch amazing stargazing images captured on film by talented photographers⇒
“If Stars Could Speak” showcases time-lapse video ‘Awake’ by Zach Rogers, and see more from unique vantage points using different cameras and methods via the Watch:  Night Skies video channel and the Cosmos Channel.

 

Since its launch 20 years ago and 2004 Saturn orbit insertion, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft has provided images that have led to significant discoveries.You can see Saturn in the evening sky without a telescope

 

 

 

 

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Image of Witch Head Nebula is courtesy of NASA/Gary Stevens, picture prepared by Adrian Pingstone PD

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Full Moon Rising

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There’s something special about watching a full moon rising as it brings to light a sense of wonder and supernatural energy, inspiring art and poetry, mythology, folklore, and astrological study.  In many cultures and religions, moon gazing is an aesthetic practice with a spiritual element — a full moon symbolizing truth and enlightenment in Buddhism.  In others, a full moon evokes fear and legends of horror involving curses, vampires, ghosts and werewolves.

Full Moon Silhouettes, is a short video (by award winning photographer, filmmaker & visual effects artist, Mark Gee) of the moon rising over the Mount Victoria Lookout in Wellington, New Zealand.  Mark shot the video in real-time, and did not manipulate or enhance the film.

 

But there’s a full moon risin’
Let’s go dancin’ in the light
We know where the music’s playin’
Let’s go out and feel the night.

Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon.
    (excerpt from Harvest Moon by Neil Young)

A Harvest Moon is the full moon nearest the astronomical start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere (the autumnal equinox) and spring in the Southern Hemisphere.  During a Harvest Moon, moonrise occurs shortly after sunset for several nights, resulting in a bright moonlight that traditionally allowed farmers more undarkened time to harvest their crops.  Most years, a full Harvest Moon appears in September, but occasionally it’s the October full moon as it was in 2017.

The 2019 Harvest Moon will make its appearance in the US & Canada just after midnight September 14 (12:35am EDT), and along with it comes celebrations and traditions around the world.

In Britain, giving thanks for a good harvest is a custom that goes back to pagan times, and a Harvest Festival (aka ‘Harvest Home’, ‘Harvest Thanksgiving’ or ‘Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving’) is traditionally held on a Sunday near the time of a Harvest Moon. The celebration includes singing, praying and decorating churches with baskets of fruit and produce.  Food is also collected from gardens and farms and distributed to those in need within the community or sold to raise funds for a church or charity.

Tsukimi (or Otsukimi, meaning ‘moon-viewing’, also known as Jugoya), refers to Japanese festivals honoring the autumn moon. The festivities usually begin with a celebration of the full moon on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Japanese calendar, and the waxing moon is celebrated on the 13th day of the ninth month. (These dates normally fall in September and October). The traditions of the Japanese autumn moon festivals date back a thousand years, including the still popular custom of holding harvest moon-viewing parties on the evening of the full moon (‘Tsukimi’), decorating with Japanese pampas grass (‘susuki’), and serving Tsukimi dango (white rice dumplings), taro, edamame, chestnuts, seasonal foods and sake. Seasonal produce is also displayed as an offering to the moon for an abundant harvest—sweet potatoes to the full moon; beans or chestnuts to the waxing moon

Chinese lanterns in all shapes, sizes and colors have become a beautiful symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Chinese Lanterns, Marc oh! CC BY-ND 2.0

The Mid-Autumn Festival (aka ‘Moon Festival’) is a centuries old Chinese celebration of harvest, and one of the most widely celebrated in the world.  Held each year on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month [2019: September 13; 2020: October 1 (China Standard Time)], the Mid-Autumn Festival is an important cultural holiday in China, Vietnam and among ethnic Chinese throughout Asia, based on traditions of gathering of family and friends, watching the moon (a symbol of harmony and unity), giving thanks, and praying for good fortune. There are also special offerings, incense burning, lion and dragon dances, food & drink, games and activities involved in the celebrations.  The mooncake is one of the hallmarks of these traditional customs (many millions of the sweet delicacy are sold each year), but the lantern has become the beautiful, glowing symbol of the festival as different designs, colors, shapes and sizes are carried, displayed and released to float in the sky during the celebrations.  [Note: The Mid-Autumn Festival is not celebrated on the day of the Harvest full moon, but there’s more than a 50% chance the two events will coincide in a calendar year.  Another Chinese festival involving lanterns is the ‘Lantern Festival’ (or Spring Lantern Festival), celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and marking the last day of Chinese New Year celebrations.  It’s become a popular celebration in Western countries, and is sometimes confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival.]

Information/Resources:

Full Moon Zen by Kenneth Craft, HuffPost (April 28, 2016/April 29, 2017)
Full Moon For October 2017, The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Lunar effect, Full moon, Harvest Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Tsukimi  (Wikipedia)

The tradition of moon gazing can be traced back to ancient cultures, and is still enjoyed today throughout the world.Check out this On2In2™ Moon Lover’s Guide to the best full moon viewing on Earth

 

 

 

 

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Feature photo is courtesy of Gerd Altmann via Pexels CC0

Mysteries of a Galaxy

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“A galaxy is composed of gas and dust and stars – billions upon billions of stars. Every star may be a sun to someone.”
— Carl Sagan

 

The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy that contains our Solar System.
Milky Way, artist’s concept, NASA PD

Our Solar System is located within the “Milky Way Galaxy” about 2/3 out from the center, the name deriving from its appearance as a band of hazy light when seen from Earth.  It looks as it does because the Earth view of the Milky Way is from inside the galaxy structure.  The Milky Way is a ‘barred spiral’ shaped galaxy with a diameter between 100,000 to 180,000 light years, and contains an estimated 100 to 400 billion stars and 100 billion planets or more.  Getting a good shot of the Milky Way is tough even with all the space telescopes floating around because of location and dust cloud coverage;  therefore, the 2015 artist’s concept drawn using data sourced from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (“WISE”) was the best image available until the European Space Agency (‘ESA’) released the amazing Gaia’s Sky in Colour on April 25, 2018 showing an all-sky view of our Milky Way based on measurements, brightness and color of nearly 1.7 billion stars observed by the ESA satellite Gaia between July 2014 and May 2016.  Now, we can see just how beautiful our home galaxy is!

 

Our first really good look at the Milky Way came from the satellite Gaia on April 25, 2018
Gaia’s Sky in Colour, Copyright: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, 4-25-2018

Brighter regions seen on the image indicate denser concentrations of exceptionally bright stars, while the darker regions correspond to patches of sky where there are fewer bright stars.  The bright horizontal structure is the Galactic plane (the flattened disc that contains the majority of the stars). In the middle of the image, the Galactic centre appears vivid and teeming with stars.  In the lower right side of the image, the two bright objects are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way.

But, as incredible as it is, our Milky Way is just one of many billions.

It’s estimated there are 200 billion or more galaxies within the Universe, ranging in size from dwarf (containing a few billion stars) to giants with 100 trillion stars.  In addition to stars, galaxies contain stellar remnants (endpoints of star evolution), gas, dust and dark matter, all held together by a gravitational pull while orbiting a center mass, and they are classified by their form and structure: elliptical (almost featureless, bright profile and stars orbit randomly), spiral (flat rotating disk shaped with spiral-like arms), barred spiral (a spiral galaxy with a bar-shaped formation in its center, e.g. Milky Way), and irregular (no shape, chaotic in appearance).  About 25% of all galaxies are irregular, and while they may seem ordinary when compared to the other galaxies with symmetry and shape, irregulars are invaluable to the study of galaxy evolution and interaction.

The formation of a galaxy involves gravity, gases, star formation, and stellar explosions as well as a lot of time, but exactly how it happens has not yet been determined.  There are different theories as to how spiral galaxies such as our Milky Way are formed that can be generally categorized into two basic types: 1) “top-down” which describes a large scale collapse of a large gas cloud during a period of 100 million years, and 2) “bottom-up” referring to small ‘clumps’ of stars (or globular clusters) merging to create a large galaxy.

 

 

WATCH the video Galaxies Across Space and Time for a quick exploratory VR trip through the Universe to see galaxies via the Hubble Space Telescope.  It’s a bit like taking a ride with Captain Kirk and a NASA tour guide on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.

 

Apollo 17 photo taken December 13, 1972 on the lunar surfaceSee more wonders of the Universe on “The Cosmos Channel”, a collection of On2In2™ favorite videos FREE 2 WATCH, and discover its cosmic mysteries at Explore the Universe.

 

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Feature image is the Messier 74 galaxy (aka NGC 62) taken using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.  Located about 32 million light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Pisces, M74 is a stunning example of a spiral galaxy with about 100 billion stars (making it slightly smaller than the Milky Way).  M74 can be viewed from Earth nearly face-on, allowing observers to see its perfectly symmetrical spiral arms emanating from the central nucleus along with dotted clusters of young blue stars and glowing pink regions of ionized hydrogen.  Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, Public Domain

Image of Milky Way (2015 artist’s concept) NASA/JPL-Caltech, Public Domain

Images of galaxies in gallery are courtesy of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, Public Domain

Information/Resources:
Galaxies, nasa.org
Wikipedia:  Galaxies, Milky Way, Galaxy formation and evolution

Explore the Universe

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[su_quote cite=”Carl Sagan, Cosmos”]We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries. [/su_quote]

 

[su_dropcap]T[/su_dropcap]he Universe has been defined as ‘everything that exists, everything that has existed, and everything that will exist’.  In other words, the Universe is all of time, space, and its contents.  What is currently known about the contents of the Universe can be categorized into three types of substance: normal matter, dark matter, and dark energy.

Normal matter is everything comprised of atoms, including stars, planets, and human beings.  Only a small portion of the Universe (approximately 1-10%) is normal matter.

Dark matter can’t be seen with current technology because it doesn’t emit or absorb light, but scientists know it’s there because its gravitational effects on the motion of galaxies and stars can be observed. It’s estimated that a quarter of the Universe contains dark matter.

Dark energy makes up approximately 70% of the Universe, but nothing much more is known other than it’s a mysterious cosmic phenomenon that affects the expansion of the Universe.

The size of the Universe is another mystery, and it’s believed it has neither an edge nor a center.

So…that’s a lot of unknowns, and you’re probably asking, “What do we know about the Universe?

During a 2008 interview, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?”  His answer is recited in this short video, The Most Astounding Fact, from Max Schlickenmeyer.

 

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Astronomers know quite a lot about the history of our Universe, but there is one significant unknown — the cosmic dawn, a period of time when the first stars and galaxies were born and drastically changed it from darkness to first light.  During the March 18 presentation, Glimpses of the Cosmic Dawn, Dr. Alex Ji takes us on a short tour of the early history of the Universe and explains how glimpses of the cosmic dawn era have recently been observed.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of Glimpses of the Cosmic Dawn, there’s still time to watch a video recording of the presentation.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below ↓ 

 

If you missed the May 7, 2018 live stream broadcast of Dark Energy and Cosmic Sound, there’s still time to watch a video recording as Dr. Daniel Eisentein (Professor of Astronomy, Harvard University & Director, Sloan Digital Sky Survey III) describes how sound waves scattered throughout the Universe have given scientists the most precise measures of the composition and history of the Universe.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button on the media player below ↓

 

The formation of our Solar System was a chaotic collapse of gas and dust as well as catastrophic collisions between forming celestial bodies — a process that resulted in the Sun, planets, asteroids, and comets that exist today.  Dr. Joseph Masiero, Scientist and NEOWISE Deputy-PI, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, discusses how the asteroid families in the belt are the last remnants of those massive collisions, and provide a glimpse into the processes that have shaped our Solar System.  If you missed the April 23, 2018 live stream broadcast of A Tale of Asteroid Families, there’s still time to watch a video recording of the event.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button on the media player below ↓

 

Dr. Clifford V. Johnson is a professor in the Physics and Astronomy department of the University of Southern California, and he’s been awarded the Institute of Physics Maxwell Medal and Prize (2005) and a Simons Foundation Fellowship (2016).  His research focuses on the development of theoretical tools for the description of the basic fabric of Nature in pursuance of an understanding of the origin, past, present and future of the Universe.  Dr. Johnson is also the author of The Dialogues: Conversations About the Nature of the Universe*, a graphic, novel-style non-fiction book that uniquely brings the reader into conversations about exploring the Universe.  It’s a fun read for the non-expert.  On February 2, 2018, Dr. Johnson talked about his work and the book at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California.  If you missed the live stream broadcast of the event, there’s still time to watch a video recording.  Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button on the video player below ↓  

 

 

Inspiring life stories in videoMore about the Universe
Mysteries of a Galaxy     The Sun      Stars      Cosmos Channel

 

 

Information/Resources:

Universe: Dark Energy, Dark Matter – NASA Science  (contents of the Universe explained)
Questions and Answers: What is an atom? (defined & described in simple terms) The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab)
The human body — what is it made of?  (cells, molecules and atoms within the human body) Socratic.org (Anatomy & Physiology)
Wikipedia:  Universe

⇒ ⇒ NASA App (FREE to download for smart phones, tablets & digital media players) Includes a huge collection of NASA content, including images, videos on-demand, NASA Television, mission information, and much more.

⇒ ⇒ Digital Universe Atlas, a 3-D atlas of the Universe developed by the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History (FREE to view and download)

 

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