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FRIENDS OF THE PLANETARIUM NEWSLETTER – MAY 2006
First of all an apology for the lateness of this newsletter. We normally try to get it out to you
in April but we have been waiting for the final details regarding the trio of guest speakers
coming to Hawkes Bay in June. This information is included on the reverse side of this
newsletter. Information about subscriptions for 2006/07 is also included on the reverse.
Planets
As we are already half way through May, we will give you the viewing details for June. June
is a good month for observing the planets. All 5 major planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter
and Saturn, are visible, although Mercury will not be visible for the first few days of the
month.
Mercury will be visible in the Western evening sky for all but the first few days of June. By
June 4 it sets at 18 01 (about an hour after Sunset), by June 25 at 18 55 and at 18 52 by
month’s end. It starts the month in the constellation of Taurus, moving into Gemini on June 4,
and finally into Cancer on June 26.
Mars will be visible for the first hour or so of the night. At the start of the month it sets at 20
27 and at 20 04 by month’s end. Mars is in the constellation of Cancer.
Saturn will be visible for the first hour or so of the night. At the start of June it sets at 21 13
and at 19 34 by month’s end. Saturn is in the constellation of Cancer, in which it remains until
September 2006.
Jupiter will be visible for the first three quarters of the night. At the start of June it sets at 05
13 and at 03 10 by month’s end. Jupiter is in the constellation of Libra, in which it remains
until December 2006.
Venus will be visible for the last hour or so of the night in the Eastern sky. At the start of the
month it rises at 04 23 and at 05 22 by month’s end. Venus starts the month in the
constellation of Pisces, moving into Aries on June 2 and finally into Taurus on June 19.
Winter Solstice
The Southern hemisphere Winter Solstice is at 00 26 on June 22. This is when the Sun is at its
most Northerly point in the sky and therefore at its lowest altitude at the middle of the day in
the Southern hemisphere. Mathematically this means that the longest night is June 21/22 and
the shortest day is June 22. We say “mathematically”, as the nights and days are longer or
shorter than the adjacent nights and days by only a few seconds, whereas actual Sunrise and
Sunset times can vary by up to 3 or 4 minutes due to atmospheric conditions. This large
variation means that any of the nights or days around the Solstice could actually be the
longest or shortest.
Matariki and the Post in the West (by Richard Hall, Phoenix Astronomical Society)
Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades star cluster (also known as the ‘Seven sisters’).
Matariki is in conjunction (directly in line) with the Sun on the 20th of May. For
approximately 12 days before and after this date the cluster is too close to the Sun to be seen.
According to Maori folklore, during this time the goddess Matariki is below in the
underworld. In the evening twilight of late May, looking due west you will see an upright line
of four bright stars. These are the three bright stars of the ‘Belt of Orion’ with Sirius, the
brightest star in the sky, above. The four stars represent the Post of Hine-Nui-Te-Po, the Great
Goddess of Death. The Post marks the end, the death of the old year. Matariki is part of this
post – a line drawn through these stars takes us below the horizon to Matariki. Matariki
anchors the post in the underworld. In early June (June 2 this year) Matariki will rise in the
dawn twilight to herald the beginning of the Maori new year.
The two lectures at the Holt Planetarium require advance booking. Seating is limited and
tickets are $10 per person. Seats may be reserved by contacting the Planetarium on 8344345
or at [email protected]. Jack Bacon’s lecture at the Century Theatre does not
require advance booking. At this time it is likely that admission will be a gold coin donation.
Friday June 9 7:00 p.m. Holt Planetarium Chambers Street
Anthony (Tony) Fairall is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Cape Town and
Planetarium Astronomer at Iziko Museums of Cape Town. His research career spans more
than 30 years. Tony’s lecture is titled “Living inside the Cosmic Egg”.
The entire visible universe appears to be enclosed within an opaque spherical shell – a
‘cosmic egg’. Imprinted on the inside shell of the ‘egg’ is a remarkable picture of the
embryonic universe. The Universe has since expanded enormously and the fluctuations shown
in that picture have developed into large-scale structures, within which modern-day galaxies
congregate. Each galaxy is literally a city of stars, and within our home galaxy, our Sun is
almost lost amongst the stellar multitude. While the scale and general character of the cosmos
seems vastly different to the surroundings of our everyday lives, the nature and expansion of
our Universe are necessary for our existence here and now.
Thursday June 22 7:30 p.m. Century Theatre HB Museum
Jack Bacon Ph.D., P.Eng.
Jack Bacon has often been called “A New Carl Sagan.” He is an internationally known
motivational speaker, a distinguished lecturer of the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (AIAA). A noted futurist and a technological historian, he is one of the most
requested speakers in America for topics concerning technology and factors that shape human
society.
His lectures have captivated tens of thousands of all ages in twenty-six countries on five
continents, and he has appeared on numerous radio and television broadcasts. In his daily
work, he is on the NASA technical management team overseeing the construction and
operation of the most complicated technical project in history: the International Space Station.
It is a job he describes as requiring everything that mankind has learned about engineering,
science, politics, language, and finances, and then making it all work 400 kilometres above
the earth.
Thursday June 29 7:00 p.m. Holt Planetarium Chambers Street
Arne Henden Ph.D. is the recently appointed director of the AAVSO. Since 1993 Arne has
worked at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station as a Senior Research Scientist
employed by the Universities Space Research Association, which is headquartered in
Columbia, Maryland. At NOFS Arne was instrumental in the development of a number of
cutting edge imaging systems for visible and near-IR use, supporting the Naval Observatory's
astrometric catalog mission (UCAC and USNO-A/B). Although employed as a professional
astronomer, Arne has been an observer for and member of AAVSO for 8 years, contributing
almost three thousand observations to the International database. These data points are only
the tip of the iceberg. Arne brings with him to AAVSO literally tens of thousands of CCD
images of AAVSO Program stars. The final details of Arne’s talk are yet to be sorted but it
will probably be along the lines of Our Violent Universe, highlighting the transient objects
such as soft-gamma-ray repeaters, the GRB-supernova connection, and novae like V838 Mon.
Subscriptions/Donations for 2006/07
Attached is a renewal form for your annual subscription/donation. Your continued support
will be appreciated. Subscriptions/donations are tax deductible. We strongly encourage you to
invite friends and relatives to become Friends of the Planetarium. The Planetarium receives
no funding from local bodies or the government so your donations are vital to the continued
operation of the Planetarium.
Adopt a Star
There are still many stars available for adoption under this fundraising project. The certificate
makes a great gift and is also subject to tax rebate.