Reschedule of "The James Webb Telescope" talk at Soldiers Delight

“Unlocking the Cosmic Secrets: The James Webb Space Telescope”

NOTE:  Due to unforeseen circumstances, the September 21st event (same topic) was cancelled at the last minute. The same topic is therefore being offered in October.

Join us on a captivating journey beyond the visible spectrum! The JWST, humanity’s latest cosmic sentinel, is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Imagine peering through the veil of dust and time, witnessing the birth of galaxies, the dance of exoplanets, and the cosmic symphony of star formation. In this exclusive talk, we’ll delve into the cutting-edge science, awe-inspiring innovations, and mind-boggling discoveries that await us. Buckle up, stargazers—Webb has already challenged our understanding of the Universe and is continuing to unveil the cosmos as never before!

All programs are Rain or Shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.


Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.EDT

Location: Soldiers Delight Environmental Area
5100 Deer Park Rd.

Owings Mills, MD 21117 

Soldiers Delight Star Party - Sept 21

“Unlocking the Cosmic Secrets: The James Webb Space Telescope”

Join us on a captivating journey beyond the visible spectrum! The JWST, humanity’s latest cosmic sentinel, is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Imagine peering through the veil of dust and time, witnessing the birth of galaxies, the dance of exoplanets, and the cosmic symphony of star formation. In this exclusive talk, we’ll delve into the cutting-edge science, awe-inspiring innovations, and mind-boggling discoveries that await us. Buckle up, stargazers—Webb has already challenged our understanding of the Universe and is continuing to unveil the cosmos as never before!

All programs are Rain or Shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.


Date: Saturday, September 21, 2024
Time: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.EDT

Location: Soldiers Delight Environmental Area
5100 Deer Park Rd.
Owings Mills, MD 21117

September News from Sky and Rockets

What's Up for the rest of September

After a great run of clear nights here in Maryland (and I took advantage of that by imaging three new deep space objects - to be posted later this month) there are a few items still upcoming.

Lunar Events

During the night of September 17–18 we will be treated to a partial lunar eclipse; and very partial at that. This will be the first and only time the Moon ducks into Earth’s umbral shadow in 2024 - covering a teeny, teeny bit of the moon in darkness. Mid eclipse occurs around 10:44 pm EDT.

Eclipse phases by time zone

Eclipse Event	UT	ADT	EDT	CDT	MDT	PDT	AKDT
Penumbra first visible?	~1:30	~10:30 p.m.	~9:30 p.m.	~8:30 p.m.	~7:30 p.m.	—	—
Partial eclipse begins	2:12	11:12 p.m.	10:12 p.m.	9:12 p.m.	8:12 p.m.	7:12 p.m.	—
Mid-eclipse	2:44	11:44 p.m.	10:44 p.m.	9:44 p.m.	8:44 p.m.	7:44 p.m.	—
Partial eclipse ends	3:17	12:17 a.m.	11:17 p.m.	10:17 p.m.	9:17 p.m.	8:17 p.m.	7:17 p.m.
Penumbra last visible?	~4:10	1:10 a.m.	12:10 a.m.	11:10 p.m.	10:10 p.m.	9:10 p.m.	8:10 p.m.

Partial eclipse phases and times on September 17–18, 2024. Dashes indicate the Moon is still below the horizon for that time zone. Source: USNO and Sky and Telescope

On September 17th, the morning before the eclipse, observers in the western half of North America, Hawai'i, and parts of Indonesia and Australia can watch the waxing Moon occult the planet Saturn. Check the International Occultation Timing Association's website for a map and details on times for individual cities.

Five mornings later on September 22nd, the waning gibbous Moon occults the Pleiades star cluster. The passage is nearly central for many U.S. locations and multiple stars will be covered. Observers in the eastern half of the country will see the occultation during morning twilight; in the western states it happens in darkness.

Here is the position of the Moon at 6:00 am for the Baltimore MD area. The sky will be reasonably dark but getting brighter soon after. Telescopes and binoculars will provide a pretty view and you may even be able to witness some occultations (Electra (17) at about 6:11 and Merope (23) at 6:48 for Reisterstown MD.)

Soldier's Delight Star Party

On Saturday evening, September 21, 2024, at 8:00 - 11:00 pm, meet us at Soldier's Delight visitor center for a great talk on the James Webb Space Telescope. We'll discuss the building of the massive telescope, it's launch, where it is now and the science it was designed for. Lots of awesome photos will be presented. In addition I'll discuss and provide information on the Pleiades lunar occultations.

Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area
5100 Deer Park Road
Owings Mills MD 21117

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on its way for a great show in October

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), first discovered in early 2023, has been zooming towards the inner solar system ever since. Earlier this year it was touted as potentially becoming the brightest comet in decades. Then some news came that it may have already started to 'self destruct' as it approached the sun.

August 10th with a 2.8′ coma and 16.9′ tail

Despite fears that it may be disintegrating, the comet was spotted by NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft on the other side of the sun and seems to be in good health (whatever good health means for a ball of dirty ice). I'm anticipating some good news in the next few weeks, but comets are very fickle, and they do what they want - remember comet ISON?

September 27th marks the date of perihelion, the point in the comet's orbit when it is closest to the sun. After perihelion passage C/2023 A3 will start moving away from the solar system. If it survives perihelion, it will then race upward in the western sky - prime viewing for us in the northern hemisphere. 

On October 9, 2024, C/2023 A3 will be close to the sun but may be visible if the comet turns out to be as bright as the most optimistic forecasts claim it might - as bright as Venus. Each night it gets higher and higher and will be easier to spot against the darker sky.  But it's also getting dimmer and dimmer, and any tail will start to decrease in length as the comet leaves the sun's vicinity. 

Key events:

October 10 - comet head glows brightly with an ion tail rising straight up. The dust tail should be splendid due to the forward scattering effect as it is situated between us and the sun.

October 13 - a sunward-pointing anti-tail forms, as the comet now can be seen in a darker sky about 14 degrees in altitude at 7:00pm EDT.

October 15 - Tsuchinshan-ATLAS passes close to M5, the Rose Cluster, a globular cluster of stars. In a dark sky away from the light pollution of nearby cities. Binoculars should show the pair in the same field of view.

Each night the comet moves about 3 - 4 degrees higher and to the SW. It should remain visible until the end of the month. Those with small telescopes can follow it into November.

A great simulation by Nicolaus Lefaudeux (hdr-astrophotography) shows the anticipated two apparition highlights — the growth of an approximately15° dust tail and even longer gas tail from September 28th through October 2nd. When C/2023 A3 climbs away from the Sun in the evening sky, its dust tail will stretch about 10°, with a gas tail possibly as long as 40°! Viewing circumstances at dusk are also ideal for viewing the comet's anti-tail, which may rival that of Comet Arend-Roland in 1957.

More to come as we get closer to the end of September.

 

Green Flash

Green Flash by Nikita Misiura
© nekitmm

Nikita Misiura, a member of Astrobin, the service that hosts my Astro photos, has published an awesome picture of the famous (but illusive) green flash. I've never seen this phenomenon myself, let alone image it, but this is incredible. Hats off to you Nikita. He also received the Image of the Day (IOTD) award for his effort. Check out the details on his Astrobin page.

The Perseids are coming

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most spectacular annual celestial events! This year, the Perseids will peak around the night of August 11th and the early hours of August 12th. During the peak, you can expect to see up to 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. 

So, what are 'ideal' conditions?

Most important is to find a dark spot. Try to get away from city lights to a location with minimal light pollution. Look towards the constellation Perseus. The meteors will appear to radiate from this area in the sky. The chart below gives you an idea on where the meteors will appear to be coming from, but they can appear anywhere in the sky. After midnight is best as the radiant rises higher in the sky.

Radiant point is about 28° high in the NE at
midnight on the 12th of August for observers
at 40° N latitude

Be patient. Give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness and bring a blanket or chair to stay comfortable. Let me know how many you see.

AP Mount back in action

Saturday, I reported a situation with my telescope mount controller. It appeared to be dead-in-the-water and I was set to return it to the manufacturer for a repair visit.

Late Saturday I got some correspondence from the wonderful folks at Astro-Physics. They had a conversation about my problem and one of the engineers recommended that I remove the cover of the control box and check to see if the main circuit board has loosened itself from its connection slot. They sent me detailed instructions and gave me the OK to try the fix. 

It turned out that the board was indeed loose, and so I reseated it and closed up the box. It solved my problem! I now have USB, Ethernet and WiFi communication working again. It's a good day when a simple, end user, no cost fix solves a big problem. Cudos to AP for thinking this one out.

Soldiers Delight Star Party Lecture - August 17

The Cosmic Distance Scale: A Journey Across the Universe

Ever wondered how astronomers determine the distances to the planets, stars and galaxies? Then why not stop by the Soldiers Delight Visitor Center at 5100 Deer Park Rd., Owings Mills, MD 21117, August 17, at 8:00pm. I am the host for these events which are scheduled for the third Saturday of each month - April through October. Each month I present a 'down-to-earth' presentation based on some specific area of Astronomy and Space. Presentations can be fairly detailed (to keep the adults interested), but I always try to make sure everyone learns something. And yes, they are kid-friendly, and frequently include a hands-on fun project (to keep the younger crowd happy too). As a bonus, if the sky is clear, telescopes are usually set-up to observe something after the lecture. 

August's Topic:  "The Cosmic Distance Scale: A Journey Across the Universe"

Join us for an enlightening voyage through the vastness of space! Our stellar navigators will unravel the secrets of cosmic distances, allowing us to piece together the fabric of the universe. 

We’ll start close to home, measuring the astronomical unit (AU) within our Solar System. Then, step by step, we’ll extend our reach into the cosmic expanse. Learn how astronomers use parallax—the apparent shift in a star’s position—to measure distances to nearby stars. Ground-based parallaxes reveal secrets up to 100 parsecs away, while the Hipparcos mission extends our cosmic tape measure to 1000 parsecs.

Sometimes, we can’t rely on geometry alone. Enter the “standard candles”—objects whose luminosities we know. By comparing their apparent brightness to their true luminosity, we unlock distances to galaxies and quasars. It’s like pulling ourselves up by cosmic bootstraps!

These distances form the foundation for understanding our universe’s past, present, and future. From the expanding cosmos to the birth of stars, we’ll explore it all.

Buckle up, stargazers! Reserve your seat for this cosmic odyssey.

All programs are Rain or Shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.

Specific details can be found at Night Sky Network.

A Parody of Errors

Back on June 21, 2024, I setup the telescope and powered everything up ready to do some visual astronomy for a change. The sky was quite clear for a summer evening and the temperature was bearable. Astrophotography is my love, but every now and then looking through the Edge11 with an eyepiece at double stars and the planets is very satisfying. I was set - so, you know where this is going, right?

I was unable to remotely connect to my NUC on the pier. And without the connection, I can't move the scope (I don't own a handset). Then, the clouds showed up, so I decided to pack up and check out the NUC later in the week. 

It wasn't until returning from our trip to Iceland in late June-early July that I got the NUC communicating remotely on my network again. It was a setting, of course, that somehow got changed. Ok, great, now it was time to wait yet again for a clear night. Got one on July 27.

First, I updated my imaging software since the new version was released and I wanted to check it out. Then, powerup the system and ... "Hello mount - why are you connecting to the NUC?" Spent all night trying to diagnose what was wrong. The USB port appeared to be dead. Not a problem, connect via ethernet - no go. Try WiFI - no go. Argh - shut everything down; diagnose the issue the next day.

Spend the next day re-installing windows and rebuilding my NUC thinking the problem was a corrupt operating system environment. But that wasn't it.

After many email exchanges with Astro-Physics, the manufacturer/vendor of my mount and control box, we determined the USB port was probably bad, but I was able to get the ethernet and WiFi connection working. Had to buy a LAN splitter to send the network connection to both NUC and mount control box, but that arrived the very next day from Amazon (love Amazon). Tested everything in my workshop before re-installing everything at the pier. Lookin' good.

Yesterday I setup the telescope ready to complete the installation of the new software on the rebuilt NUC and test out the telescope. The control box refused to connect! Not by ethernet or WiFi. Ah, a broken power supply connection. Fixed that and tried again. Nope! No connection.

Bring everything into the cool workshop and try to determine what's going on - it was working a few days ago. After 3 hours, I gave up. It seems that possibly whatever caused the USB port to die has now infected the remaining connection paths.

Next step - return the control box to Astro-Physics and have them take a look at it. Want a bet we have the longest string of clear nights while my control box is being repaired? Ha.

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas may be disintegrating

As reported by EarthSky this week it looks as though Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas may be in the process of disintegrating. Discovered in early 2023, the comet had the possibility of brightening substantially around the time of its closest approach to Earth and the sun in October, 2024. But in recent months, as Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has been approaching the inner solar system, it should have been brightening. And observers were perplexed because they did not notice a brightness increase during the past three months.

Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from Puerto Rico on July 8, 2024.
Image via Efrain Morales/ Eddie Irizarry

I was cautiously anticipating getting to image this comet in September and October, but over the years of my comet observing I recognize that comets are fickle, and they do what they want to do. It was in October of 2013 that I purchased my EdgeHD telescope in preparation for comet ISON, which was expected to reach naked eye visibility in November and rival the greatest comets of all time. Then, in late November, news came that ISON was rapidly disintegrating. It never survived it's swing around the sun! 

Hopes were widely expressed that C/2023 A3 would become a naked-eye object about the time of its perihelion passage in late 2024. However, based on its past and current performance, the comet is expected to disintegrate before reaching perihelion. Independent lines of evidence point to its forthcoming inevitable collapse.

However, as I have said, comets are notorious for being erratic and unpredictable. So, we will have to wait a few more weeks and see what happens to the comet next. But I'm not very optimistic about the outcome.

Soldiers Delight Star Party - this Saturday, June 15

 Hosted by

  Westminster Astronomical Society

Looking for something to do this Saturday night? Have an interest in astronomy? Then why not stop by the Soldiers Delight Visitor Center at 5100 Deer Park Rd., Owings Mills, MD 21117, June 15, at 8:00pm. I am the host for these events which are scheduled for the third Saturday of each month - April through October. Each month I present a 'down-to-earth' presentation based on some specific area of Astronomy and Space. Presentations can be fairly detailed (to keep the adults interested), but I always try to make sure everyone learns something. And yes, they are kid-friendly, and frequently include a hands-on fun project (to keep the younger crowd happy too). As a bonus, if the sky is clear, telescopes are usually set-up to observe something after the lecture. 

June's topic is: "The Quest for Cosmic Companions"

For millennia, humanity has pondered one of the most profound questions: Are we alone in the universe? This question, which has captivated the minds of scientists, philosophers, and dreamers alike, lies at the heart of our exploration of intelligent life beyond Earth. Tonight we will provide an overview of this age-old question, drawing upon the pioneering work of physicist Dr. Frank Drake and his eponymous equation for estimating the number of communicative civilizations in our galaxy.

All programs are Rain or Shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.

Specific details can be found at Night Sky Network.