Tammy was a professional astronomy author, President Emeritus of Warren Rupp Observatory and retired Astronomical League Executive Secretary. She’s received a vast number of astronomy achievement and observing awards, including the Great Lakes Astronomy Achievement Award, RG Wright Service Award and the first woman astronomer to achieve Comet Hunter's Gold Status.
(Tammy passed away in early 2015... she will be missed)
If you fell victim to an April Fool’s prank, then consider that life can play some of the most ironic jokes of all. On April 1, 2011 the Mercury MESSENGER was taking some of its first images from Mercury’s orbit when it accidentally captured the totally unexpected… the ancient Mariner 10.
According to the NASA Press Release, the first reaction of some on the MESSENGER team was that the feature to the left of Mercury’s limb must be an imaging artifact. “It’s the effect of solar neutrinos on the WAC’s CCD,” pronounced Project Scientist Mack Knott. The imaging team was skeptical of this explanation, however, and all Knott could add was “I could explain it to you, but you’d have to understand Feynman diagrams.”
The imaging team brought the anomalous image to the attention of Mission Systems Engineer E. Finn Again, who immediately called an emergency gathering of the Collision Avoidance Review Board. Fortunately, the unusual object in the image did not appear to be in the immediate path of MESSENGER’s next few orbits, but the fact that earlier and subsequent images of the same scene did not include the object prevented a determination of its trajectory.
One of MESSENGER’s Science Team members, Prof. S. T. Rom, recognized the object immediately as Mariner 10, the only spacecraft before MESSENGER to have visited Mercury. Launched in 1973, Mariner 10 flew by Mercury three times in 1974 and 1975 before communication with the probe was lost. Prof. Rom is the only member of the MESSENGER team to have served on the science team of Mariner 10 as well.
The Science Operations Center was filled at the time with MESSENGER team members, and everyone proceeded at once to theorize on why Mariner 10 might appear in an MDIS image of Mercury. Mission design lead Mick Adams quickly calculated that Mariner 10 should not be encountering Mercury on this date. “Mariner 10 and Mercury were in a resonant state that brought the spacecraft by the planet once every two Mercury years. By my calculation, this appearance is 23 days early.”
Guidance and control lead E. C. Shaughn offered that the effect of solar radiation should have substantially altered Mariner 10’s orbit over the past 36 years as a result of solar sailing. Propulsion lead Brecht Engel added that some residual propellant after Mariner 10’s last propulsive maneuver may have outgassed, and that multiple outgassing events may also have contributed to trajectory changes.
MESSENGER’s navigation team members, all of whom are named Williams, plugged these suggestions into their codes. Minutes later they were able to announce to all assembled that Mariner 10 appeared to be in a new resonant state, one synchronous with Earth’s period. The ancient spacecraft is locked into an orbit that swings it by Mercury once every Earth year, on April 1st.
There’s no joke like a cosmic one!
Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington. And also thanks to H. Levenson!
If you think you’re looking a a star studded field, you’d be right. But take a close look at the full size image done by Joe Brimacombe and you’ll see a faint circle with the latest of sky phenomena in its center – Nova Sagitarii 2011… #2!
According to the latest AAVSO press release done by Elizabeth Waagen, “We have been informed by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (Central Bureau Electronic Telegram 2679, Daniel W. E. Green, ed.) that Koichi Nishiyama, Kurume, Japan, and Fujio Kabashima, Miyaki, Japan, report their discovery of a possible nova at magnitude 11.7 on two unfiltered CCD frames taken around March 27.832 UT. They confirmed the object on images taken on March 27.832 UT. After posting on the Central Bureau’s Transient Objects Confirmation Page (TOCP) webpage, the object was given the provisional name PNV J18102135-2305306.
Low resolution spectra taken March 28.725 UT by A. Arai, M. Nagashima, T. Kajikawa, and C. Naka, Koyama Astronomical Observatory, Kyoto Sangyo University, suggest that N Sgr 2011 No. 2 is a classical nova that is reddened by interstellar matter.”
At magnitude 12.5, one tiny star is hard to pick out of a huge field, especially when it’s so close to our galactic center. As Joe said, “It is quite close to the Cat’s Paw and Lagoon Nebulae, so the wide field image is neat even though its only a single 10 minute exposure.” For those of us who would take more than ten minutes just to find it, the celestial coordinates are: R.A. 18:10:21.35 Dec. -23:05:30.6. N Sgr 2011 No. 2 has been entered into VSX and assigned the identifier VSX J181021.3-230530. Finder charts for N Sgr 2011 No. 2 may be plotted by entering the coordinates above in the International Variable Star
Plotter. Please report observations to the AAVSO International Database
as N SGR 2011 NO. 2.
It might be an early morning adventure, but then… Aren’t the skies always the darkest just before dawn?
At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour. We need you…
Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries/territories participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.
In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries/territories officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.
On Saturday, March 27th, Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour ever. A record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off. People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.
Earth Hour 2011 will take place on Saturday 26 March at 8.30PM (local time). This Earth Hour we want you to go beyond the hour, so after the lights go back on think about what else you can do to make a difference. Together our actions add up.
“All over the world individuals, communities, businesses and governments are creating new examples for our common future – new visions for sustainable living and new technologies to realize it,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. “Tomorrow, let us join together to celebrate this shared quest to protect the planet and ensure human well-being. Let us use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light.”
I mean no disrespect for those who enjoy the study of astrology. Some of the greatest astronomers of the past were also astrologers. To practice either line requires a deep understanding of our solar system, its movements and the relationship to the celestial sphere. The only thing I have difficulty swallowing is how a perfectly normal function could wreak havoc on planet Earth. Does an astrological prediction of an upcoming “Extreme SuperMoon” spell impending disaster – or is it just one more attempt to excite our natural tendencies to love a good gloom and doom story? That’s what I set about to find out…
On March 19, 2011 the Moon will pass by Earth at a distance of 356,577 kilometers (221,567 miles) – the closest pass in 18 years . In my world, this is known as lunar perigee and a normal lunar perigee averaging a distance of 364,397 kilometers (226,425 miles) happens… well… like clockwork once every orbital period. According to astrologer, Richard Nolle, this month’s closer than average pass is called an Extreme SuperMoon. “SuperMoon is a word I coined in a 1979 article for Dell Publishing Company’s HOROSCOPE magazine, describing what is technically termed a perigee-syzygy; i.e. a new or full Moon (syzygy) which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth (perigee) in a given orbit.” says Richard. “In short, Earth, Moon and Sun are all in a line, with Moon in its nearest approach to Earth.”
Opinions aside, it is a scientific fact when the Moon is at perigee there is more gravitational pull, creating higher tides or significant variations in high and low tides. In addition, the tidal effect of the Sun’s gravitational field increases the Moon’s orbital eccentricity when the orbit’s major axis is aligned with the Sun-Earth vector. Or, more specifically, when the Moon is full or new. We are all aware of Earth’s tidal bulges. The average tidal bulge closely follows the Moon in its orbit, and the Earth rotates under this tidal bulge in just over a day. However, the rotation drags the position of the tidal bulge ahead of the position directly under the Moon. It produces torque… But is it above average torque when the Moon is closer? It you ask a geologist, they’ll tell you no. If you ask an astronomer, they’ll tell you that just about any cataclysmic Earth event can be related to stars. But if you ask me, I’ll tell you that you should draw your own opinion. Even the American Meteorlogical Society states: “Tidal forces contribute to ocean currents, which moderate global temperatures by transporting heat energy toward the poles. It has been suggested that in addition to other factors, harmonic beat variations in tidal forcing may contribute to climate changes.”
Credit: Richard Nolle“SuperMoons are noteworthy for their close association with extreme tidal forces working in what astrologers of old used to call the sublunary world: the atmosphere, crust and oceans of our home planet – including ourselves, of course. From extreme coastal tides to severe storms to powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the entire natural world surges and spasms under the sway of the SuperMoon alignment – within three days either way of the exact syzygy, as a general rule.” says Nolle. “Obviously it won’t be the case that all hell will break loose all over the world within a few days either side of the SuperMoons. For most of us, the geocosmic risk raised by SuperMoon alignments will pass with little notice in our immediate vicinity. This is a rather roomy planet, after all. But the fact remains that a SuperMoon is planetary in scale, being a special alignment of Earth, Sun and Moon. It’s likewise planetary in scope, in the sense that there’s no place on Earth not subject to the tidal force of the perigee-syzygy.”
If you take the time to really look at Nolle’s work, you’ll find that he does not believe earthquakes and volcanic eruptions go wandering all over the planet. They happen in predictable locations, like the infamous “Ring of Fire” around the Pacific plate. “If you’re in (or plan to be in) a place that’s subject to seismic upheaval during a SuperMoon stress window, it’s not hard to figure out that being prepared to the extent that you can is not a bad idea. Likewise, people on the coast should be prepared for extreme tidal surges. Severe storms on the other hand can strike just about anywhere, so it behooves us all to be ready for rough weather when a SuperMoon alignment forms.”
Does this mean I’m about to buy into astrology? Not hardly. But what I do believe in is respect for other’s work and opinions. It’s very obvious that Nolle has done his astronomy homework – as well as paying close attention to current political and social situations. “That said, there’s no harm in making sensible preparations for this year’s SuperMoons.” quips Richard. “The worst that can happen, if the worst doesn’t happen, is that you end up with a stock of fresh batteries and candles, some extra bottled water and canned goods, maybe a full tank of gas and an evacuation bag packed just in case. (The US Department of Homeland Security has a detailed evacuation kit inventory that, to quote them, “could mean the difference between life and death”.) And maybe you’ll think twice about being in transit and vulnerable to the weather hazards and delays that are so common during SuperMoon alignments. These are the kind of sensible precautions that can make a big difference if the worst does come to pass.”
What do I believe will happen during an Extreme SuperMoon? I think if we aren’t having two snowstorms followed by a nocturnal tornado and then chased down by a week of flooding in Ohio, that the March Worm Moon will appear to be about 30% brighter and about 15% larger than a “normal” full Moon. If I were an astrophotographer, I’d be getting out my camera (and hip waders) to do a few comparison shots with upcoming full Moons. But considering all things are equal?
I think I’ll just stay home.
Be sure to visit Richard Nolle’s page SuperMoon for more insight!
[/caption]According to today’s Sky & Telescope press release, two bright planets will shine close together low in the western twilight from Sunday to Wednesday, March 13th to 16th. Anyone can see them with the naked eye. You’ll just need a clear sky and an open view toward the west roughly 40 minutes after sunset, as twilight fades.
Jupiter is the brighter of the two. “Mercury is pretty hard to spot most of the time, so a lot of people have never recognized it in their lives,” says Alan MacRobert, a senior editor of Sky & Telescope magazine. “With Jupiter guiding the way, now’s your chance.”
Jupiter has dominated the evening sky for several months, but now it’s on its way down and out for the season. It’ll be gone in another couple of weeks. Mercury, on the other hand, will climb a little higher in the western twilight by late March. (This refers to viewers in the world’s mid-northern latitudes, including the United States, Canada, southern Europe, and elsewhere between about 30° and 50° north latitude.)
The graphic here shows where to look.
Find a spot with a clear, open view low to the west, and you can watch Mercury passing Jupiter in twilight from March 13 to 16, 2011. Credit: Sky & Telescope magazine
The two planets will appear closest together on Monday and Tuesday, March 14 and 15, when they’ll be only about 2° apart — about the width of your thumb held at arm’s length.
Although the two planets appear close together, they’re not. Jupiter is more than 5 times farther away, at a distance of 550 million miles compared to Mercury’s 102 million miles. That means the light we see from them takes 49 and 9 minutes, respectively, to reach us.
“Don’t miss this chance to do a little astronomy from your backyard, balcony, or rooftop,” says Sky & Telescope associate editor Tony Flanders. “It’s a big universe, and planets await.”
For more skywatching information and astronomy news, visit SkyandTelescope.com or pick up Sky & Telescope, the essential magazine of astronomy since 1941.
It spans nearly 30 light years of space… and resides approximately 15,000 light-years from Earth. Its heartbeat is an extremely hot giant star thought to be in a brief, pre-supernova stage of evolution. Interactions with a nearby dense, warn and large molecular cloud are what may have contributed to its complex shape and curved bow-shock structure. Step back into mythology and see if you have what it takes to capture “Thor’s Helmut”…
Unlike many nebula, this unusual character is the product of the central Wolf-Rayet star, its stellar winds, and the surrounding interstellar matter. The powerful star emits a high velocity wind, pushing matter ahead of it. This process both compresses and expands its ring-like shell. As it grows, it collects even more gas and dust from the interstellar medium. But how many times and how many events?
“We have detected three different velocity components, and determined their spatial distribution and physical properties. The kinematics, morphology, mass and density are clearly stratified with respect to the W-R star.” says JR Rizzo (et al). “These features allow us to learn about the recent evolutionary history of HD 56925, because the multiple layers could be associated to several energetic events which have acted upon the surrounding circumstellar medium. Hence, a careful study of the different shockfronts contain clues in determining the present and past interaction of this evolved massive star with its surroundings.”
While most planetary nebulae contain old stars nearing the end of their lives, the central Wolf-Rayet star in NGC 2359 is very young. Its ultraviolet photons are the fueling source of the emission nebula. Wolf-Rayets are evolved, massive and extremely hot – up to ~50,000 K. Not only that, but their luminosity is incredible, too… up to 10L to the fifth or sixth power. Their surface composition is extremely exotic, being dominated by helium rather than hydrogen and the stars themselves are rare, simply because they are so short-lived. It was only three short decades ago that astronomers also realized that WRs suffered from heavy mass loss as well. Their ejecta bursts outward at speeds comparable to a nova. The whole process of formation simply isn’t clearly understood yet. The layers may be from differential rotation – but they could be the results of the exposed stellar core.
“The overall emission in the nebula is dominated by the overwhelming contribution of the H II region and is characteristic of photoionization processes. The embedded, photoevaporating cloud contributes enough mass over a dynamical lifetime to account for the shell mass of 5.0 solar mass.” says TE Jernigan. “In NGC 2359, imagery reveals variations in density, temperature, and ionization structure on scales ranging from the size of the nebula down to the seeing limit of approximately 2.1 seconds. The structure of the H II region can be understood in terms of a photoionized conical cavity protruding into the surrounding molecular cloud. The emission in the bubble region is characteristic of that produced in the incomplete cooling region behind a stellar-wind shock wave.”
No matter what explanation lay behind it, observing “Thor’s Helmut” is a pure pleasure. You’ll find it located about a fistwidth east-northeast of Sirius (07h 18m 30s, ?13° 13′ 48″). This Herschel object is a delightful 8th magnitude and well worth the effort!
And many thanks to John Chumack of Galactic Images for making the effort and sharing it with us!
Artist's concept of buckyballs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons around an R Coronae Borealis star rich in hydrogen. Credit: MultiMedia Service (IAC)
[/caption]When I first heard about buckyballs a couple of decades ago, I had nothing but the deepest respect for anyone who understood abstract ideas like string theory and branes. After all, how often were you likely to discuss Buckminster fullerenes with a contemporary while standing in the laundry detergent aisle of your local grocery store? The very concept of “magnetic” carbon was new and exciting! It was known to exist in small quantities in nature – produced by lightning and fire – but the real kicker was born solely in a laboratory. Buckyballs have been found on Earth and in meteorites, and now in space, and can act as “cages” to capture other atoms and molecules. Some theories suggest that the buckyballs may have carried to the Earth substances that make life possible.
According to the McDonald Observatory press release: Observations made with NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope have provided surprises concerning the presence of buckminsterfullerenes, or “buckyballs,” the largest known molecules in space. A study of R Coronae Borealis stars by David L. Lambert, Director of The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory, and colleagues shows that buckyballs are more common in space than previously thought. The research will appear in the March 10 issue of The Astrophysical Journal. The team found that “buckyballs do not occur in very rare hydrogen-poor environments as previously thought, but in commonly found hydrogen-rich environments and, therefore, are more common in space than previously believed,” Lambert says.
Buckyballs are made of 60 carbon atoms arranged in shape similar to a soccer ball, with patterns of alternating hexagons and pentagons. Their structure is reminiscent of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes, for which they are named. These molecules are very stable and difficult to destroy. Richard Curl, Harold Kroto, and Richard Smalley won the 1996 Nobel Prize in chemistry for synthesizing buckyballs in a laboratory. The consensus based on lab experiments has been that buckyballs do not form in space environments that have hydrogen, because the hydrogen would inhibit their formation. Instead, the idea has been that stars with very little hydrogen but rich in carbon — such as the so-called “R Coronae Borealis stars” — provide an ideal environment for their formation in space.
Lambert, along with N. Kameswara Rao of Indian Institute of Astrophysics and Domingo Anibal García-Hernández of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, put these theories to the test. They used Spitzer Space Telescope to take infrared spectra of R Coronae Borealis stars to look for buckyballs in their chemical make-up. They found these molecules do not occur in those R Coronae Borealis stars with little or no hydrogen, an observation contrary to expectation. The group also found that buckyballs do exist in the two R Coronae Borealis stars in their sample that contain a fair amount of hydrogen. Studies published last year, including one by García-Hernández, showed that buckyballs were present in planetary nebulae rich in hydrogen. Together, these results tell us that fullerenes are much more abundant than previously believed, because they are formed in normal and common “hydrogen-rich” and not rare “hydrogen-poor” environments.
The current observations have changed our understanding of how buckyballs form. It suggests they are created when ultraviolet radiation strikes dust grains (specifically, “hydrogenated amorphous carbon grains”) or by collisions of gas. The dust grains are vaporized, producing an interesting chemistry where buckyballs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are formed. (The latter molecules of a variety of sizes are formed from carbon and hydrogen.) “In recent decades, a number of molecules and diverse dust features have been identified by astronomical observations in various environments. Most of the dust that determines the physical and chemical characteristics of the interstellar medium is formed in the outflows of asymptotic giant branch stars and is further processed when these objects become planetary nebulae.” says Jan Cami (et al). “We studied the environment of Tc 1, a peculiar planetary nebula whose infrared spectrum shows emission from cold and neutral C60 and C70. The two molecules amount to a few percent of the available cosmic carbon in this region. This finding indicates that if the conditions are right, fullerenes can and do form efficiently in space.”
No. You’re not looking at a Hubble image. This incredibly detailed photo was taken with a 14.5″ telescope from right here on the surface of planet Earth. When Allan Sandage turned the Hale telescope its way, he discovered the first Cepheid variables beyond our local galaxy group. At the time he concluded its distance as about 8,000 light years away, but today it is believed to be as distant as 8,000,000. What’s its name? NGC 2403…
Discovered in 1788 by Sir William Herschel, this intermediate spiral galaxy is part of the M81/M82 group… and like its contemporaries, is a product of a galaxy merger. Its northern spiral arm connects to NGC 2404 – riddling the halo with young stars. In this masterful astrophoto done by Warren Keller, the pink and red regions denote active star formation, while clusters of neophyte suns gather in the blue OB associations. Like a fine piece of Irish lace, dark regions appear like holes where dust blocks the light. But NGC 2403 doesn’t follow the rules. Here the galaxy’s arms rotate at a different speed.
“High sensitivity H I observations of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 2403 obtained with the VLA are presented and discussed. The properties of the extended, differentially rotating H I layer with its H I holes, spiral structure and outer warp are described. In addition, these new data reveal the presence of a faint, extended and kinematically anomalous component. This shows up in the H I line profiles as extended wings of emission towards the systemic velocity. In the central regions these wings are very broad (up to 150 km/s) and indicate large deviations from circular motion.” says F. Fraternali (et al). “We have separated the anomalous gas component from the cold disk and have obtained for it a separate velocity field and a separate rotation curve. The mass of the anomalous component is 1/10 of the total H I mass. The rotation velocity of the anomalous gas is 25-50 km/s lower than that of the disk. Its velocity field has non-orthogonal major and minor axes that we interpret as due to an overall inflow motion of 10-20 km/s towards the centre of the galaxy. The picture emerging from these observations is that of a cold H I disk surrounded by a thick and clumpy H I layer characterized by slower rotation and inflow motion towards the center. The origin of this anomalous gas layer is unclear. It is likely, however, that it is related to the high rate of star formation in the disk of NGC 2403 and that its kinematics is the result of a galactic fountain type of mechanism. We suggest that these anomalous H I complexes may be analogous to a part of the High Velocity Clouds of our Galaxy.”
Does this different rotational curve have an cosmological implications? According to the work of E. Battaner and E. Florido: “We review the topic of rotation curves of spiral galaxies emphasizing the standard interpretation as evidence for the existence of dark matter halos. Galaxies other than spirals and late-type dwarfs may also possess great amounts of dark matter, and therefore ellipticals, dwarf spirals, lenticulars and polar ring galaxies are also considered. Furthermore, other methods for determining galactic dark matter, such as those provided by binaries, satellites or globular clusters, have to be included. Cold dark matter hierarchical models constitute the standard way to explain rotation curves, and thus the problem becomes just one aspect of a more general theory explaining structure and galaxy formation. Alternative theories also are included. In the magnetic model, rotation curves could also be a particular aspect of the whole history of cosmic magnetism during different epochs of the Universe.”
Yet on the other hand, perhaps the differing rotations were caused by the merger itself – with no dark matter involved. “Quite a point has been made about deviations of some galaxies from flat rotation curves, specifically the decreased velocity in outer parts of the curves. Such cases can be explained under the diffusion model by considering collisions and tidal interactions between galaxies. In this explanation, the excess gravitational force is considered to be caused by a “cloud” of the agent that carries gravitational force that always is diffusing freely, although more concentrated in some regions than others as a result of the time required for the diffusion process and the size of the regions involved.” says Roy J. Britten. “When tidal interactions have occurred between galaxies, some momentum could be transferred between stars, gas, and dust that would not be shared by the diffusing clouds, and therefore, asymmetries in the gravitational forces would result. For example, the cloud and galaxies could separate if the two galaxies merged because the galaxies would share their momentum and the clouds would remain independent and continue to diffuse. Then, new gravitational clouds would be built slowly by diffusion from the merged galaxy.”
Dark matter or no dark matter, NGC 2403 (07h 36m 51.4s, +65° 36′ 09″) is a pleasure to observe. Located in the northern constellation of Camelopardalis, this 8.4 magnitude spiral galaxy can be spotted under dark sky conditions with ordinary 10X50 binoculars. In 1954 Fritz Zwicky reported a supernova event and 50 years later it happened again, keeping astronomers wondering about this galaxy with the low-luminosity “dwarf” Seyfert nucleus. SN2004 is the bright yellow “star” in this portrait and it is the closest – and brightest – stellar explosion discovered in more than a decade…
As close as your eyepiece on the next dark night!
Many thanks to Warren Keller of Billions and Billions and David Plesko for sharing their incredible work!
For many of us, this is the first break in the weather we’ve seen for quite some time. Of course, when opportunity knocks, you’ve got to be there to open the door… and today John Chumack took the opportunity to point his Baader solar filter film equipped 10″ SCT and Canon Rebel camera the Sun’s way…
If you’ve had the opportunity to follow solar activity, you’ve seen some major sunspots come and go over the last couple of weeks. Now the next bad boy in line is 1164. Just take a look at its progression in this movie from SDO/HMI. Growing sunspot 1164 has a complex “beta-gamma” magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Not just an off chance, either… but a 35% chance over the next two days. But that’s not all that’s going on!
According to Spaceweather.com “A solar wind stream hit Earth’s magnetic field during the early hours of March 1st. The impact sparked a geomagnetic storm that was, at first, minor, but the storm has been intensifying throughout the day. Spotters are now reporting auroras over Northern Ireland, Latvia, Norway, and Sweden. If trends continue, the display could spread to the high latitudes of North America after nightfall. ”
So how do you see aurora? Like John, you’ve got to be there when opportunity knocks! Be outside around nightfall and keep watch loosely to the north. Aurora can appear like distant search lights, reddish clouds or even ghostly green patches of mist. They appear and disappear… Somtimes you can see stars through them and sometimes the aurora is bright enough to block the starlight. Depending on where the auroral oval is at, you can see them to the north, north-east or north-west. There have even been times when the oval has shifted enough that they appear to the south!
For those of us who have dreamed over the stars for years while reading Sky & Telescope magazine, we respectfully remember Leif J. Robinson, who served for 20 years as Editor in Chief. He passed away Sunday at the age of 71 at his home in Costa Rica.
According to the S&T Press release, Robinson worked 38 years on the staff of Sky & Telescope and served as Editor in Chief from 1980 to 2000. Sky & Telescope is a monthly magazine based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. First published in November 1941, the magazine is approaching its 70th anniversary, and it remains the world’s most influential popular magazine about astronomy.
“Leif was a towering figure in the history of Sky & Telescope, and he tirelessly promoted the capabilities and achievements of amateur astronomers,” says current S&T Editor in Chief Robert Naeye. “During his tenure, S&T’s circulation grew significantly, and the magazine’s stature grew by leaps and bounds in the amateur and professional communities.”
“Every one of us who worked with Leif was inspired by his strong leadership, which emphasized journalistic and ethical principles of accuracy and integrity. These core values continue to guide everything we do at S&T,” adds Senior Editor Dennis di Cicco, who worked with Robinson at S&T for more than 25 years and remained in close contact after his retirement.
Robinson was born May 21, 1939, in Connecticut. He moved to Southern California in 1954 and became an active member in the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. Shortly thereafter he began writing articles for Sky & Telescope about lunar cartography.
While visiting his grandparents in Connecticut in 1962, he received a telegram offering him a job at S&T. Robinson initially planned to reject his offer so he could complete his studies at UCLA. But he decided to accept it after talking with S&T office staffer Caroline Nason, whom he would later marry. Robinson held several editorial positions until 1980, when he was named S&T’s third Editor in Chief following the sudden death of Joseph Ashbrook.
During his 38-year tenure on the editorial staff, Robinson became a champion of professional-amateur collaborations. S&T’s tradition of promoting such partnerships continues to this day. Seeing the potential of rapidly evolving digital technology in the 1980s, Robinson lobbied professionals to take amateur observations seriously, an effort that has been amply rewarded with major amateur contributions in many different fields, from discovering asteroids, comets, and supernovae to hunting for and characterizing planets around other stars. “I was one of the few people to walk in both communities with equal facility,” said Robinson. “I could relate CCD cameras to the amateur and I could relate science to the amateur.”
Robinson officially retired on December 31, 2000. But he remained active until the very end of his life. He wrote the popular “50 & 25 Years Ago” column for Sky & Telescope, and he continued to give talks to general audiences and amateur astronomers. From 2001 to 2005 he served on the Board of Directors of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Besides his career at S&T, Robinson was a world-class birdwatcher, and he authored the book Outdoor Optics.
“Today is a day of mourning at S&T, but we are also celebrating his life and contributions. Leif’s legacy will always remain a part of who we are and what we do,” says S&T Senior Editor Alan MacRobert, who worked with Robinson for 18 years.
Robinson is survived by his second wife “Ollie,” son Leif, Jr., and daughter Kara.
