Wednesday, May 25, 2011
APOD 4.8
May 20th, 2011 A Journey Through the Night Sky
I found this image to be very fitting for my last APOD post, as it is an image of the entire Milky Way Galaxy and all that it contains. The 5 gigapixel mosaic was made by combining over 37,000 images of the night sky throughout the year. Using vivid colors from the different pictures of the night sky, the image was meant to post as a comparison to the brightness of day. The contents of this great galaxy contains innumerable stars, vast clouds, interstellar matter such as dust and gas, all to faint to see with the naked eye. This majestic image helps to remind us of the true vastness of our galaxy and how much it actually beholds.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Q.4 Bio. Frank J. Low
Quarter 4 Bio: Frank Low
Frank James Low was born in Mobile, Alabama on November 23rd, 1933. However, at a young age his family moved and he grew up in Houston, Texas. He attended graduate school at Yale University, and followed up by receiving his Doctor of Philosophy in Physics from Rice University in 1959.
After graduation, Low took a job with Texas Instruments in 1961 where his first assignment was the development of a low-temperature thermometer. In the process, he developed one of the key steps using infrared rays as we know it. To do this, he used a Germanium Semiconductor that had been doped with small quantities of gallium that would measure temperature changes based on changes in the device’s electrical resistance. Based on his previous knowledge from graduate school, he realized that the thermometer could be used as a basis for bolometer that could measure radiant energy coming from stars as infrared radiation.
After completing a task that had been unsolved for many years, he took his newly created bolometer to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia to test his invention. When testing, he came across the problem that infrared radiation was being absorbed by molecules such as water vapor in the atmosphere. To resolve this problem, he developed devices that could be placed aboard an aircraft and carried small telescopes. He later used a Learjet operated by NASA with a slightly larger telescope attached. Lear continued researching with the Learjet, even after NASA upgraded their system.
Frank later proposed and led the charge in building an Infrared Astronomy Satellite. This project was operated as a joint effort with the U.S., U.K., and Netherlands. Starting in 1983, the Satellite took the first infrared readings from space, avoiding all outside interference from the atmosphere. Based on the findings from the IRAS, researchers were able to conclude that the majority of galactic radiation is emitted in the form of infrared radiation that is generated when light from young stars is absorbed by interstellar dust and then radiated from the dust in the form of heat.
Because of his accomplishments, Frank Low was named to serve as facility scientist for NASA’s Space Infrared Telescope Facility, later renamed the Spitzer Space Telescope. Throughout his life, Low received many awards including the Rumford Prize, the Helen Warner Prize, the Joseph Weber Award, and the Bruce Medal. He later passed away at the age of 75 on June 11, 2009 in Tuscan, Arizona caused by the result of a longstanding illness.
Works Cited
APOD 4.7
May 18th, 2011. The Last Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavor.
While I am usually tempted to choose the colorful and mystic pictures of galaxies and other space objects, I found that this week it was appropriate to pick the picture of the shuttle launch. Not only is this one of the final launches before the program gets cancelled, but I have also never seen a launch up close in person so I wanted to explore more about it. This was the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavor's final trip into Earth's Orbit. The shuttle went up with 6 astronauts and began its ascent to space. The mission was STS-134 and the shuttle is expected to dock with the international space station. It is supposed to deliver many objects to the ISS, most importantly the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 2 which is supposed to detect both dark matter and antimatter. The final launch in the current space shuttle program is planned for shuttle Atlantis in mid-July.
APOD 4.6
May 11th, 2011. The Southern Cliff in the Lagoon
This picture stood out to me because of its fascinating colors and glow. The Lagoon Nebula is a star forming region in M8. The colors are from a false-coloring of the narrow visible light and the broad spectrum infrared light mixed, both taken by the Gemini South Telescope. The view, spanning 20 light-years across, is commonly known as the Southern Cliff. Many of the bright new stars are Herbig-Haro objects and are produced by jets emitted by young stars while giving off heat in the neighboring dust and clouds. This Lagoon Nebula is located about 5,000 light-years away in the center of our Milky Way near the constellation Sagittarius.
This picture stood out to me because of its fascinating colors and glow. The Lagoon Nebula is a star forming region in M8. The colors are from a false-coloring of the narrow visible light and the broad spectrum infrared light mixed, both taken by the Gemini South Telescope. The view, spanning 20 light-years across, is commonly known as the Southern Cliff. Many of the bright new stars are Herbig-Haro objects and are produced by jets emitted by young stars while giving off heat in the neighboring dust and clouds. This Lagoon Nebula is located about 5,000 light-years away in the center of our Milky Way near the constellation Sagittarius.
Friday, April 29, 2011
APOD 4.5
April 29th, 2011 The Antennae
This APOD was very fitting, as this phenomenon known as the Antennae takes place 60 million light-years away in the constellation Corvus, or the Crow, which just so happened to be our constellation of the week this week. The picture is resulting from the collision of two large galaxies many years ago, however the mains stars inside of each of these galaxies, known as NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 did not collide in the event. Their molecular gas and dust mixes in the center of the collision area forming a prime location for star formation in the center of the cosmic wreckage. In this picture, many of the new forming star clusters can be seen, as well as the outstretched "arms" of the antennae that are formed by gravitational tidal forces, thus giving the phenomenon its respective name.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Zooniverse Progress 04/25/11
April 25th, 2011
So far on Zooniverse over the last week I continued working mainly with the Moon Zoo. Between Boulder Wars and examining different Moon Images, I have spent a majority of my allotted Zooniverse time, however I also did spend a bit of time on other studies. I also helped to identify some stars on the Planet Hunter as well as tried some of the Galaxy Wars in the Galaxy Zoo program.
So far on Zooniverse over the last week I continued working mainly with the Moon Zoo. Between Boulder Wars and examining different Moon Images, I have spent a majority of my allotted Zooniverse time, however I also did spend a bit of time on other studies. I also helped to identify some stars on the Planet Hunter as well as tried some of the Galaxy Wars in the Galaxy Zoo program.
APOD 4.4
April 25th, 2011 Monsters of IC 1396
IC 1396, or better known as the Elephants Trunk Nebula, is said to take the appearance of a human look object. The glowing gas and dust cloud of the star provide the foreboding arms since it is located in a star formation area. However, while the appearance of a monster's face may scare onlookers, the only true threat is the star inside of the Nebula that is too far from Earth to even pose a threat. The bright young star inside produces energetic light that eats away at the dust of the dark cometary globule present in the upper right hand corner of the photograph, as can be seen by the glowing line working its way toward the core. Jets and winds of particles emitted from the star are pushing away the nearby ambient gas and dust and providing for this pathway. Located 3,000 light-years away, the IC 1396 Nebula looks extremely faint and spans a great distance across the sky. It is believed that over 100 young stars have been noted to be developing inside of the great Nebula.
APOD 4.3
April 16th, 2011 The Tadpoles of IC 410
This photograph is a false coloring of the otherwise very faint and hardly noticeable IC 410 Emission Nebula. In the upper left corner are the two tadpole inhabitants of the Nebula made up of cosmic dust and gas. The false coloring was taken by using both broad and narrow band filters, the narrow tracing atoms in the nebula and providing the vivid coloring depending on the element of the atom. The Nebula itself surrounds NGC 1893 which is a very young galactic cluster of stars. This cluster energizes the glowing gas that surrounds it providing for the features of the tadpoles due to wind and radiation from the cluster stars. The tadpoles are about 10 light-years long and are composed of very dense and cool gas. It is prospected that these may be the locations of ongoing star formation. The Nebula itself lies 12,000 light-years away in the constellation Auriga.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Zooniverse 4/08/11
This week for our Zooniverse projects I began by really just experimenting on quite a few projects to see which I would find most interesting and important to put my time into researching. I really enjoyed both Galaxy and Boulder Wars for Moon Zoo and Galaxy Zoo but Planet Hunters was also quite intriguing looking at different star patterns.
APOD 4.2
April 3rd, 2011. Giant Galaxy NGC 6872
This galaxy is known as NGC 6872 and is a giant spiral galaxy. From the end of the arms all the way across, it is thought to have a wingspan of over 400,000 Light-Years. Located 200,000 Light-Years away, this galaxy is more than 4x the size of our local Milky Way. It is located to the south in the constellation Pavo, the Peacock. Its spiral shape is believed to be a result of gravitational interaction with nearby galaxy IC 4970, stretching the galaxy until it eventually will form a merger according to predictions. This photograph was taken by the Gemini South Telescope in Chile and is a cosmic color portrait. This APOD was of particular interest to me because it really helped expand upon a topic that was being discussed in class, the sheer magnitude of space and all that is out there. A galaxy 4x as large as our Milky Way, which is already incomprehensible to me just amazes me and really spurs my imagination as to all that could possibly exist.
This galaxy is known as NGC 6872 and is a giant spiral galaxy. From the end of the arms all the way across, it is thought to have a wingspan of over 400,000 Light-Years. Located 200,000 Light-Years away, this galaxy is more than 4x the size of our local Milky Way. It is located to the south in the constellation Pavo, the Peacock. Its spiral shape is believed to be a result of gravitational interaction with nearby galaxy IC 4970, stretching the galaxy until it eventually will form a merger according to predictions. This photograph was taken by the Gemini South Telescope in Chile and is a cosmic color portrait. This APOD was of particular interest to me because it really helped expand upon a topic that was being discussed in class, the sheer magnitude of space and all that is out there. A galaxy 4x as large as our Milky Way, which is already incomprehensible to me just amazes me and really spurs my imagination as to all that could possibly exist.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
APOD 4.1
March 26th, 2011. T Tauri and Hind's Variable Nebula
This picture is quite remarkable as it contains both a star of interest and a Nebula in the same frame. These objects are located over 400 light-years away at the edge of a molecular cloud and span for a length of 4 light-years. The yellowish orange star near the center is T Tauri, a prototype of the T Tauri Variable Star Class. Surrounding it is a dusty cosmic cloud known as Hind's Variable Nebula or NGC 1555. While both the Star and Nebula are very luminous and present, this is rare to find them both present at the same time without using an exposure on the picture adding to the mysteriousness behind the objects. It is believed that T Tauri variable stars like the one present are young stars sun-like stars still in their early stages of development. Additionally, infrared telescopes have given evidence to believe that this T Tauri star is actually part of a multiple system and the surrounding Hind's Nebula also contains a young stellar object. There is still much to be learned about this mysterious grouping, however astronomers are actively researching to find out all there is to know.
This picture is quite remarkable as it contains both a star of interest and a Nebula in the same frame. These objects are located over 400 light-years away at the edge of a molecular cloud and span for a length of 4 light-years. The yellowish orange star near the center is T Tauri, a prototype of the T Tauri Variable Star Class. Surrounding it is a dusty cosmic cloud known as Hind's Variable Nebula or NGC 1555. While both the Star and Nebula are very luminous and present, this is rare to find them both present at the same time without using an exposure on the picture adding to the mysteriousness behind the objects. It is believed that T Tauri variable stars like the one present are young stars sun-like stars still in their early stages of development. Additionally, infrared telescopes have given evidence to believe that this T Tauri star is actually part of a multiple system and the surrounding Hind's Nebula also contains a young stellar object. There is still much to be learned about this mysterious grouping, however astronomers are actively researching to find out all there is to know.
Monday, March 28, 2011
March 26th, 2009 Observation
Date: March 26th, 2009 (Astronomy Night)
Time: 8-10 p.m.
Location: Clearwater, FL
Unfortunately I was not in town to go to Astronomy Night and use the telescopes, however I did manage to escape from my family for a couple of hours at night to view the skies and see what I was missing. Although I was in Clearwater with my family, I still saw many of the same features that were discussed at Astronomy Night according to friends who attended. Most notably was the bright Sirius located in Canis Major in the Southern Sky. Normally when observing from my driveway the Southern Skies are blocked by trees so I can not get a great view but its great magnitude amazed me. Also prominent in the night sky was Saturn to the East, an always fascinating observation point. However, I would have really liked to see the planet under the magnification of a telescope so I am hoping that there is one more Observation Session while it is still high in the Eastern night sky.
Time: 8-10 p.m.
Location: Clearwater, FL
Unfortunately I was not in town to go to Astronomy Night and use the telescopes, however I did manage to escape from my family for a couple of hours at night to view the skies and see what I was missing. Although I was in Clearwater with my family, I still saw many of the same features that were discussed at Astronomy Night according to friends who attended. Most notably was the bright Sirius located in Canis Major in the Southern Sky. Normally when observing from my driveway the Southern Skies are blocked by trees so I can not get a great view but its great magnitude amazed me. Also prominent in the night sky was Saturn to the East, an always fascinating observation point. However, I would have really liked to see the planet under the magnification of a telescope so I am hoping that there is one more Observation Session while it is still high in the Eastern night sky.
Observation March 18th, 2011
Date March 18th, 2011.
Time: 7-9 p.m.
Location: My driveway in Northern Sarasota.
In expectation of this rare event, I made sure to leave free time on Saturday night in order to observe the moon. The moon this night was the closest it has been to Earth in 18 years and thus looked ENORMOUS compared to usual. I was amazed by its shear size as the Supermoon approached us. Not only was it large, but its color was darker with a yellowish tint as well. However, as a result of this great luminosity as well as the lights from the houses on my road, the viewing of stars was much harder than normal and nothing could be vividly seen to be noted.
Time: 7-9 p.m.
Location: My driveway in Northern Sarasota.
In expectation of this rare event, I made sure to leave free time on Saturday night in order to observe the moon. The moon this night was the closest it has been to Earth in 18 years and thus looked ENORMOUS compared to usual. I was amazed by its shear size as the Supermoon approached us. Not only was it large, but its color was darker with a yellowish tint as well. However, as a result of this great luminosity as well as the lights from the houses on my road, the viewing of stars was much harder than normal and nothing could be vividly seen to be noted.
Friday, March 18, 2011
APOD 3.8
March 17th, 2011. Saturn's Serpent Storm
According to studies, late in the year last year a violent storm erupted in the Northern Hemisphere of Planet Saturn. This white storm is still going on, now putting on a show like that of its rival planet Jupiter. It is believed that the storm has grown and now spans a length of 100degrees of longitude. The last time a storm of this magnitude took place on Saturn was 1994, and the current storm is easily the brightest appearance on the globe, rivaling even Saturn's great rings themselves. The storm was nicknamed the serpent storm as the disturbance weaves and swerves around the planet. Pictures of the storm have been taken by the Cassini Spacecraft which is in orbit around Saturn. While the storm was first noted last December by amateur astronomers, it has taken much interest around the world and is now studied by many astronomers all over, amateur and professional.
Friday, March 4, 2011
APOD 3.7
February 26th, 2011. Shell Galaxies in Pisces
This photograph is of a cluster of galaxies located 100 million light-years away known as Arp 227. All of these galaxies are located in the constellation Pisces, or the Fish. On the left hand side of the photograph are the shell galaxy NGC 474 and the spiral arm galaxy next to it NGC 470. There are two theories on how the shell-like ripples of NGC 747 were formed, one having to do with a gravitational encounter with its neighboring galaxy and the other proposing a merger with a smaller galaxy that caused the ripples. The large galaxy on the right hand side of the picture is known as NGC 467, and also shows slight resemblance to this rippling effect proving another intergalactic interaction. The rest of the stars and galaxies shown lie well within our galaxy and just happen to lie within the 25 arc minute view taken in the photograph.
This photograph is of a cluster of galaxies located 100 million light-years away known as Arp 227. All of these galaxies are located in the constellation Pisces, or the Fish. On the left hand side of the photograph are the shell galaxy NGC 474 and the spiral arm galaxy next to it NGC 470. There are two theories on how the shell-like ripples of NGC 747 were formed, one having to do with a gravitational encounter with its neighboring galaxy and the other proposing a merger with a smaller galaxy that caused the ripples. The large galaxy on the right hand side of the picture is known as NGC 467, and also shows slight resemblance to this rippling effect proving another intergalactic interaction. The rest of the stars and galaxies shown lie well within our galaxy and just happen to lie within the 25 arc minute view taken in the photograph.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Quarter 3 Biography: James Keeler
James Keeler Biography
James Edward Keeler was born September 10th, 1857 in La Salle, Illinois. He was born to the parents William Keeler, assistant paymaster on an ironclad steamship, and Anne Dutton. Throughout his career he made many significant contributions to astronomy that have helped its advancement over the ages.
Growing up, James studied at public schools in his hometown of La Salle, Illinois. He later moved to Mayport, Florida in 1869 where he was home schooled for a short time. He eventually transferred to Johns Hopkins University with financial assistance from philanthropist Charles H. Rockwell and graduated in 1881 with degrees in Physics, German, Math, Chemistry, and Astronomy. He then began working at the Lick Observatory where director Edward Holden lobbied to have Johns Hopkins grant him a Ph.D for his work with the observatory but the University would not break their rule of only giving degrees for work done on campus. Despite irritating and disappointing Keeler, it did not prevent him from his future success.
As an astronomer, Keeler was one of the first to utilize Spectroscopy to study and analyze the composition of light from stars and other celestial objects and thus was regarded as one of the leading Astronomical Spectroscopists of the era. He was also one of the pioneers of Astrophysics, or applying physics to gain a better understanding of celestial phenomenon. Through this work he realized that Saturn’s rings were actually made up of numerous particles, each individual particle orbiting the planet, and in this process he made note of what was later named Keeler’s Gap. He furthered his research on Saturn by using his skill in Spectroscopy to verify James Maxwell’s hypothesis that the particles orbiting Saturn moved at different speeds, and after he proved the hypothosis correct he gained my fame and renown in the world of astronomy.
Additionally, Keeler did much to improve the current understanding of Spiral Nebulae and Spiral Galaxies through his research at the Lick Observatory using the Crossley Reflector Telescope. Most of his observations were in and around the constellation Andromeda, or the Queen, and more notably M31 inside the constellation.
One of his most important contributions however was his promoting of the use of his newly developed method of Astrophysics. In 1895, along with George Hale, he founded the Astrophysical Journal for communication among the adherents of the “New Astronomy.” He also produced the first regular graduate program at the University of California that helped produce much research in both Astronomy and Astrophysics. Through his observations here, he demonstrated the prowess of the reflecting telescope over the refracting for certain cases in which the reflecting could be larger and cheaper. Finally, Keeler also did some fundraising to advance his research efforts in both Astronomy and Astrophysics to help further his cause.
It is clear that James Keeler did much to enhance our understanding of our skies and the celestial objects they contain. Since he took interest in Astronomy as a child, he has worked effortlessly to spread his theories and ideas and reveal to the world the true mysteries that astronomy beholds.
APOD 3.6
February 25th, 2011. NGC 4449: Close-up of a Small Galaxy.
This image is of a small galaxy known as NGC 4449. It is located at an amazing distance of 12 million light-years away. Despite its vast distance from Earth, the galaxy itself spans only 20,000 light-years. The galaxy was found by William Herschel in 1788 and is currently recorded at a 9.4 magnitude. It is a Magellanic Dwarf Galaxy, often compared to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) which is known to be our Milky Way's satellite. The picture was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and the reason for the reddish tint of the clouds is due to the presence of Hydrogen Gas. These red clouds actually resemble star forming regions, with enormous interstellar arcs and bubble formations. NGC 4449 is a part of a group of galaxies found in the constellation Canes Venatici which I believe is next on our list of constellations we are going to learn in class. It is believed that interactions with these nearby galaxies have had a great effect and played a key role in the star development of NGC 4449.
This image is of a small galaxy known as NGC 4449. It is located at an amazing distance of 12 million light-years away. Despite its vast distance from Earth, the galaxy itself spans only 20,000 light-years. The galaxy was found by William Herschel in 1788 and is currently recorded at a 9.4 magnitude. It is a Magellanic Dwarf Galaxy, often compared to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) which is known to be our Milky Way's satellite. The picture was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and the reason for the reddish tint of the clouds is due to the presence of Hydrogen Gas. These red clouds actually resemble star forming regions, with enormous interstellar arcs and bubble formations. NGC 4449 is a part of a group of galaxies found in the constellation Canes Venatici which I believe is next on our list of constellations we are going to learn in class. It is believed that interactions with these nearby galaxies have had a great effect and played a key role in the star development of NGC 4449.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Q3 Astronomer Bio. Sources: James Keeler
Sources:
http://www-keeler.ch.cam.ac.uk/lectures/
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/K/Keeler.html
http://www.nndb.com/people/961/000167460/
http://johnbrashear.tripod.com/bio/KeelerJ.htm
Gale Library Sources:
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=fl_sarhs&tabID=T003&searchId=R3&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=3&contentSet=GALE|CX1782700067&&docId=GALE|CX1782700067&docType=GALE&role=
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=fl_sarhs&tabID=T003&searchId=R2&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=2&contentSet=GALE|CX2830101807&&docId=GALE|CX2830101807&docType=GALE&role=
http://www-keeler.ch.cam.ac.uk/lectures/
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/K/Keeler.html
http://www.nndb.com/people/961/000167460/
http://johnbrashear.tripod.com/bio/KeelerJ.htm
Gale Library Sources:
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=fl_sarhs&tabID=T003&searchId=R3&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=3&contentSet=GALE|CX1782700067&&docId=GALE|CX1782700067&docType=GALE&role=
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=fl_sarhs&tabID=T003&searchId=R2&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=2&contentSet=GALE|CX2830101807&&docId=GALE|CX2830101807&docType=GALE&role=
APOD 3.5
February 14th, 2011. The Rosette Nebula
How fitting was it that the Rosette Nebula happened to be an APOD of the day during the week in which we learned about the constellation Monoceros in class. Also known as NGC 2237, the Rosette Nebula is an Emission Nebula containing an open cluster of bright stars at the center known as NGC 2244. It is believed that these stars formed four from Nebular Material. Currently, these stars' stellar winds are clearing a hole at the center of the galaxy, insulating it by the dust and gas that we learned make up the interstellar medium. Ultraviolet light coming off as radiation from the cluster of stars in the center of the Nebula cause the glowing effect that makes the Nebula look so interesting and intriguing. The Rosette Nebula is located about 5,000 Light-Years away and spans for a distance of 1,000 Light-Years across.
How fitting was it that the Rosette Nebula happened to be an APOD of the day during the week in which we learned about the constellation Monoceros in class. Also known as NGC 2237, the Rosette Nebula is an Emission Nebula containing an open cluster of bright stars at the center known as NGC 2244. It is believed that these stars formed four from Nebular Material. Currently, these stars' stellar winds are clearing a hole at the center of the galaxy, insulating it by the dust and gas that we learned make up the interstellar medium. Ultraviolet light coming off as radiation from the cluster of stars in the center of the Nebula cause the glowing effect that makes the Nebula look so interesting and intriguing. The Rosette Nebula is located about 5,000 Light-Years away and spans for a distance of 1,000 Light-Years across.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Astronomy Cast Episode 201: Titan
Astronomy Cast Episode 201: Titan
Titan is planet Saturn's best known moon. However, it is not so famous only for its size. Titan is also famous for its possibility of future life. Titan has long been thought to look like Earth when it was in its early stages. Recent studies have found both amino acids and nucleotide bases on the moon as well, which are the basic building blocks of Earth's life. Recent discoveries have found to be even more promising than expected, showing signs of both high energy oxygen ions as well as molecular ions in the atmosphere. If the oxygen ions were to join with these molecular ions, it could be very possible that the conditions for life would be possible. However, the top region of Titan receives intense radiation that could possibly break apart these molecules, having potential and unknown dangers that researches are trying to determine. Additionally, Titan has been well known for its possession of hydrocarbons that cycle from the atmosphere to the surface like rain does, however remaining in the form of organic chemicals. These, along with many other signs, all point to the same theory. Life on Titan may be possible, however scientists from all over want to be very clear that just because it is thought to be possible does not mean it currently exists.
Titan is planet Saturn's best known moon. However, it is not so famous only for its size. Titan is also famous for its possibility of future life. Titan has long been thought to look like Earth when it was in its early stages. Recent studies have found both amino acids and nucleotide bases on the moon as well, which are the basic building blocks of Earth's life. Recent discoveries have found to be even more promising than expected, showing signs of both high energy oxygen ions as well as molecular ions in the atmosphere. If the oxygen ions were to join with these molecular ions, it could be very possible that the conditions for life would be possible. However, the top region of Titan receives intense radiation that could possibly break apart these molecules, having potential and unknown dangers that researches are trying to determine. Additionally, Titan has been well known for its possession of hydrocarbons that cycle from the atmosphere to the surface like rain does, however remaining in the form of organic chemicals. These, along with many other signs, all point to the same theory. Life on Titan may be possible, however scientists from all over want to be very clear that just because it is thought to be possible does not mean it currently exists.
Astro Cast Episode 213: Supermassive Black Holes
Astronomycast Episode 213: Supermassive Black Holes.
Most Galaxies will contain one or more of these black holes. Usually, there are quite a few of these supermassive black holes located at the center of each galaxy. Since no light is permitted to escape from a black hole, they are very hard for scientists to detect and must be detected indirectly. The active black holes feed on the gas and dust in the rings that surround them. As these dusts particles fall into the black holes at very fast speeds, it causes friction that enables the particles to light up in X-Ray and infrared, allowing the astronomers to find these black holes. These objects are the Active Galactic Nuclei or AGN. The supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxies is called the quasar, which is a type of these AGNs. Due to new computer technology, research on black hole development has shown that growing black holes release a blast of energy that regulate galaxy evolution and black hole growth itself. When the Universe began, it is believed that the black holes were much smaller but over time these have been pulled together and combined forming the supermassive black holes with masses a billion times that of our sun's.
Most Galaxies will contain one or more of these black holes. Usually, there are quite a few of these supermassive black holes located at the center of each galaxy. Since no light is permitted to escape from a black hole, they are very hard for scientists to detect and must be detected indirectly. The active black holes feed on the gas and dust in the rings that surround them. As these dusts particles fall into the black holes at very fast speeds, it causes friction that enables the particles to light up in X-Ray and infrared, allowing the astronomers to find these black holes. These objects are the Active Galactic Nuclei or AGN. The supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxies is called the quasar, which is a type of these AGNs. Due to new computer technology, research on black hole development has shown that growing black holes release a blast of energy that regulate galaxy evolution and black hole growth itself. When the Universe began, it is believed that the black holes were much smaller but over time these have been pulled together and combined forming the supermassive black holes with masses a billion times that of our sun's.
APOD 3.4
February 10th, 2011. Hanny's Voorwerp.
Hanny's Voorwerp is the Dutch term for Hanny's Object. It is an enormous object, about the size of our own milky way galaxy. The glowing greenish color of the galaxy comes from ionized oxygen atoms. It lays below spiral galaxy IC 2497 which is the pinkish swirl above. This picture was taken from the Hubble Space Telescope and the galaxies are both located 650 million light-years away in the constellation Leo Minor which we have yet to learn. The green cloud is now suspected to be part of a tidal tail of material illuminated by a quasar and follows the above galaxy IC 2497. The quasar which was powered by a massive black hole at the center suddenly stopped working, thus leaving it so only the green glow can be seen by the telescope at optimal wave lengths. This mystery galaxy was discovered only recently when Hanny van Arkel noticed it while participating in the Galaxy Zoo project in 2007.
Hanny's Voorwerp is the Dutch term for Hanny's Object. It is an enormous object, about the size of our own milky way galaxy. The glowing greenish color of the galaxy comes from ionized oxygen atoms. It lays below spiral galaxy IC 2497 which is the pinkish swirl above. This picture was taken from the Hubble Space Telescope and the galaxies are both located 650 million light-years away in the constellation Leo Minor which we have yet to learn. The green cloud is now suspected to be part of a tidal tail of material illuminated by a quasar and follows the above galaxy IC 2497. The quasar which was powered by a massive black hole at the center suddenly stopped working, thus leaving it so only the green glow can be seen by the telescope at optimal wave lengths. This mystery galaxy was discovered only recently when Hanny van Arkel noticed it while participating in the Galaxy Zoo project in 2007.
Friday, February 4, 2011
APOD 3.3
February 4th, 2011. Zeta Oph: Runaway Star
Unfortunately, while looking through this weeks pictures there was nothing that really appealed to me, including one APOD that would not load, however luckily the final APOD I clicked stood out as an immediate interest. This Picture is of the Runaway Star Zeta Ophiuchi taken by an infrared telescope, the WISE spaceship. This star is estimated to be 20 times larger than our sun and moving at a speed of 24 kilometers/second. It has a strong stellar wind preceding it that compresses and heats the interstellar dust molecules that form the curved cloudy material around the blue star in the center of the picture. This is interesting how the main appearance of the star is formed by the interstellar medium, just as we were talking about in class the past few days. It is believed that Zeta Oph was once the part of a binary star system along with a more massive and thus shorter life star. When this start exploded causing a supernova, the force flung the Zeta star out of the system. Located about 460 light years away, Zeta Oph is 65,000 times more luminous than our sun and the only thing preventing it from being one of the brighter stars in our solar system is the cloud that surrounds formed of the interstellar medium aforementioned.
Observation 02/02/11
Observing from My Driveway, Northern Sarasota.
Time: 7:40 p.m.
In anticipation for the Iridium Flare, I brought my entire family out into the middle of the street to observe. Looking to the east I saw a twinkling star which I at first mistook as the flare, only to realize it was still early so that the glowing object was Jupiter. Then, right on cue, the iridium Flare appeared right over the trees I was concerned might block the way, looking like a short line. It was nowhere near as bright as I had anticipated, and it was only a matter of seconds before it disappeared behind a cloud and was never visible again. This was quite a disappointment but I am eagerly awaited another opportunity to observe this type of flare.
Time: 7:40 p.m.
In anticipation for the Iridium Flare, I brought my entire family out into the middle of the street to observe. Looking to the east I saw a twinkling star which I at first mistook as the flare, only to realize it was still early so that the glowing object was Jupiter. Then, right on cue, the iridium Flare appeared right over the trees I was concerned might block the way, looking like a short line. It was nowhere near as bright as I had anticipated, and it was only a matter of seconds before it disappeared behind a cloud and was never visible again. This was quite a disappointment but I am eagerly awaited another opportunity to observe this type of flare.
Friday, January 28, 2011
APOD 3.2
January 25th, 2011. The Rippled Red Ribbons of SNR 0509.
First seen in 2006, these ripples of a supernova remnant were once again seen late last year. This photograph was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble used a filter that emitted only the element Hydrogen through, which in turn caused for the reddish coloring of the ripples. While the reason for the causation of these rings remains unknown, many astronomers have ventured to hypothesize why they have formed. Many say that they originated due to highly dense concentrations of ejected or impacted gas. The reason for the bolder center ring is much more certain, as it originated from a type Ia supernova explosion that was thought to occur about 400 years ago. SNR 0509 lays 160,000 light-years away near the constellation Delphinus and spans for about 23 light-years, which while it is still a huge amount, as we saw from the videos in class this week, in comparison to the universe it is a near insignificant amount. While much is being learned about these ripples, one mystery still remains. While it is believed that the explosion of a supernova caused for the formation of the rings, no records of sight of the explosion from Earth when it occurred 400 years ago were ever found.
Friday, January 21, 2011
APOD 3.1
January 20th, 2011. The Once and Future Stars of Andromeda
Queen Andromeda was a very interesting constellation in our class since she had many unique features, including her Worm like appearance, her notable star Mira, and her circumpolar feature that allows for the constellation to remain above the horizon 24 hours a day. Additionally, the constellation contains M31, which we did not talk much about and I hoped to learn of from this APOD. M31, or the Andromeda Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located 2.5 million light-years away. This picture was taken by two satellites, Herschel and XMM-Newton, in a combination of infrared and X-Ray spectrum. The rings of dust contain gaseous reservoirs where many new stars are being formed, however towards the center core, some of the more predominant starts are shown to be coming to the end of their lives. Not clearly shown in the picture however, is the true size of this great Andromeda Galaxy. Over twice the size of our own Milky Way, the galaxy stretches over 200,000 light-years across and contains thousands of stars.
Friday, January 14, 2011
APOD 2.8
January 8th, 2011 The Helix Nebula
We have long known about the existence of the Helix Nebula since we learned the constellation Aquarius a few months back, but we never really learned what exactly it was so I figured that this was a fitting APOD choice. The constellation Aquarius, located approximately 700 light years away, has a sun-like star in its final days. Over the past thousands of years, the star has created NGC 7293, or more commonly known as the Helix Nebula, discovered by Karl Harding in 1824. This is a typical example of a Planetary Nebula, or an Emission Nebula consisting an expanding glowing shell of ionized gas that is expelled during the final stages of a star's lifespan known as the asymptotic giant branch phase. The picture shown was taken over 10 hours of exposure time. The brighter blue insides spans up to 3 light years, but the outer halos give the Nebula a total span of over 6 light years across. The white dot in the center of the Nebula is the sun-like star that allows for all of this to occur. Recently, much has been learned about the complex geometry of these types of Nebulae but there is no doubt that there is much more to learn about the matter.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Sun Images Links
These are the links to some of the websites I found that had interesting photos of the Sun. Some of them lead to other galleries and some just have the photos and descriptions posted right there. The first two links also contains some animations and demonstrations. The third link is to a website that has links to pictures of most of the unique sun phenomena.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Astro Bio Q2 Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve
Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (1793-1864)
Friedrich von Struve was born in Altona Germany in 1793. Son of Jacob Struve, Friedrich fled to Dorpat, Estonia in 1808 to avoid being forced into the German army. There, he attended the University of Dorpat, from which he graduated in 1810, and was later pronounced Director of the Dorpat Observatory in 1817. He remained at Dorpat, studying double stars and geodesy until 1839 when he transferred to Pulkowa, Russia to monitor construction of the new central observatory being built.
Friedrich von Struve was best known for his research on double stars, originally discovered by astronomer William Herschel. A double star is a system of two stars revolving around a common center of gravity. In 1827, Struve published a list of all known double stars to date in what is known as the Catalogus novus stellarum duplicium, which exceeded the research of Herschel and all others who came before him. Based on the locations of the objects and the times that they were observed which matched the predictions formed by the Dorpat Meridian Circle, Struve was able to carefully measure the constant of aberration and is known as one of the first astronomers to deal with parallax.
Struve was also one of the first astronomers to deal with interstellar extinction, although he was unable to explain the effect. This term refers to the absorption and scattering of electromagnetic radiation from the view of the observer, and although unable to explain the process, Struve was accurately able to predict the average rate of visual extinction at 1mag per kpc, which is still an accepted value to date.
Along with these studies, Stuve always held on to his interest in geodetics, or the study of the measurement and representation of Earth, including its gravitational and electromagnetic fields. This led him to founding the Struve Geodetic Arc, or a recording of many triangulations from across the world that allow for accurate estimates of Earths size and shape to be made.
Despite his admirable dedication to his work and hobbies, Friedrich was at the same time a family man. In 1815, while teaching at the University of Dorpat, Struve married Emilie Wall. Together they had 12 children, of which only 8 survived early childhood. After Emilie passed away, Struve remarried to Johanna Bartels, who bore him six more children. Struve was also very politically involved throughout all of this, and was a strong proponent of the liberalist Constitutional Democratic Party as well as the White Movement.
Although not as well known as many of his preceding astronomers, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve was clearly a very important member in the progress of astronomical advancement. His research in the fields of double stars, parallax and aberration, and geodetics clearly paved the way for future research that would continue to advance the modern understanding of our Universe.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Observation 01/06/11
Date: January 6th, 2011
Time: 7:00 P.M.
Location: My Backyard. Northern Sarasota.
While in the morning both Venus and Mercury were present, as the dark of night approached 2 new planets were visible. Jupiter was located in the southern sky, and although Uranus was supposedly located right next to it I was not able to see it very clearly due to excess lighting around my house.
Time: 7:00 P.M.
Location: My Backyard. Northern Sarasota.
While in the morning both Venus and Mercury were present, as the dark of night approached 2 new planets were visible. Jupiter was located in the southern sky, and although Uranus was supposedly located right next to it I was not able to see it very clearly due to excess lighting around my house.
Observation 01/6/11
Date: January 6th, 2010
Time: 6:00 A.M.
Location: My driveway/Pine View Parking Lot after arriving at school.
In the early morning I could see Venus quite clearly and I think that a fainter Mercury lay near it as they are both coming upon their points of longest elongation very soon.
Time: 6:00 A.M.
Location: My driveway/Pine View Parking Lot after arriving at school.
In the early morning I could see Venus quite clearly and I think that a fainter Mercury lay near it as they are both coming upon their points of longest elongation very soon.
Observation Winter Break
Location: My Driveway
Date: December 21st, 2010.
Time: 2-3 A.M.
Although I could not attend the observation at Pine View with the class, I still was able to go out and observe the beginning of the Lunar Eclipse from my house. It was an amazing sight as it is the only eclipse I can ever remember seeing and I am looking forward to seeing a solar eclipse as well.
Date: December 21st, 2010.
Time: 2-3 A.M.
Although I could not attend the observation at Pine View with the class, I still was able to go out and observe the beginning of the Lunar Eclipse from my house. It was an amazing sight as it is the only eclipse I can ever remember seeing and I am looking forward to seeing a solar eclipse as well.
APOD 2.7
January 5th, 2011. Eclipsing the Sun
This picture is from the first eclipse of the New Year. It is a partial solar eclipse, meaning only a fraction of the sun was hidden from sight as the picture clearly depicts. The photographer of this picture, Thierry Legault, planned very carefully from predictions of the eclipse and decided to travel to Muscat so that he would simultaneously be able to capture two different occurrences. The first and obvious is the partial solar eclipse caused by the Moon passing in front of the Sun, however if you look towards the top left region of the Sun you will see another silhouette. This object happens to be the International Space Station, also passing in front of the Sun at the same time. The Moon and ISS are Earth's two largest satellites, making this a unique occurrence. The black shadow in the lower right portion of the Sun is a common Sun Spot, however as you can see it is quite large as it is comparable to the ISS shadow. One problem with the APOD is that it provides a link to a site that is supposed to have a video however the video does not play.
This picture is from the first eclipse of the New Year. It is a partial solar eclipse, meaning only a fraction of the sun was hidden from sight as the picture clearly depicts. The photographer of this picture, Thierry Legault, planned very carefully from predictions of the eclipse and decided to travel to Muscat so that he would simultaneously be able to capture two different occurrences. The first and obvious is the partial solar eclipse caused by the Moon passing in front of the Sun, however if you look towards the top left region of the Sun you will see another silhouette. This object happens to be the International Space Station, also passing in front of the Sun at the same time. The Moon and ISS are Earth's two largest satellites, making this a unique occurrence. The black shadow in the lower right portion of the Sun is a common Sun Spot, however as you can see it is quite large as it is comparable to the ISS shadow. One problem with the APOD is that it provides a link to a site that is supposed to have a video however the video does not play.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Q2 Astro Bio Sources
Works Cited
"Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve." Astronomy. Web. 05 Jan. 2011. <http://pvastro0714.blogspot.com/2008/01/friedrich-georg-wilhelm-struve.html>.
"Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve." NNDB: Tracking the Entire World. Web. 05 Jan. 2011. <http://www.nndb.com/people/202/000097908/>.
"Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Von Struve - Definition." Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - WordIQ Dictionary. Web. 05 Jan. 2011. <http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Friedrich_Georg_Wilhelm_von_Struve>.
"Struve, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Von - Britannica Philippines Struve, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Von Article." Britannica - Encyclopedia Online. Britannica Philippines Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Jan. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com.ph/astronomy/struve-friedrich-georg-wilhelm-von-379741.html>.
"Struve, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Von (1793-1864)." The Worlds of David Darling. Web. 05 Jan. 2011. <http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/Struve_FGW.html>.
The Gale Reference Library was asking for a password to use so I will also be using that source once I figure
out how to access it.
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