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DECEMBER 2010 JANUARY 2011 SOCIETY JOURNAL December Society Meeting - Meteorites With DR Joel Schiff - Monday december 13th 8PM Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest, two of today’s leading science communicators and authors., will be in Auckland this July. M eteorites bring to Earth a vast amount of information about the formation and evolution of the Solar System. Modern methods of quantitative chemical (and physical) analysis enable scientists to develop and test their theories. Some meteorites have been shown to have been blown off the Moon during past energetic impacts, others are pieces of Mars. Our speaker, Joel Schiff, is one of NZ’s foremost experts on meteorites, and an avid collector. He was also advisor to Stardome during the recent development of the new meteorite display. His talk will explain the new display and give an overview of meteorites and their relationship to asteroids. November Society Meeting Astronomy: What have we learned in 100 years? A Message from Earth: Voyager the Golden Record with Jon Lomberg Report by Clive Bolt Jon Lomberg is perhaps the best-known astronomical illustrator in the world. He is well known for his graphic design of the Carl Sagan documentaries and for some of Carl Sagan’s books but perhaps his most famous images were developed to be carried aboard the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft. The images and sounds that were recorded on the Voyager Golden record were the principal subject of his talk. Jon began by playing an opening sequence from one of the Carl Sagan documentaries in which he produced the sounds depicting the radio traffic from Earth as the observer travelled outward in to the Solar System, and then into the Galaxy and finally into interstellar space. The sequences were accompanied by images that were carefully constructed to show the correct perspective and scale. Jon has a fascination with the Milky Way Galaxy. Much of his artwork depicts the Galaxy from various angles and scientific perspectives, all carefully accurate for scale and perspective. Any of these paintings are used for illustration. One example showed the region around the Orion Spur and the location of the Solar System with an illustration of the cone of observation that is seen by the Kepler Spacecraft, some 3,000 light-years long with a 10° field of view. After this introduction, he explained how he became involved in the Voyager mission and the narrow time window to prepare the design work and put together the images and the sounds for the Golden Record. Music makes up about 75% of the sounds on the record and the images depict both scenes and people, including children. Apparently NASA baulked at an image of a naked man and a pregnant woman, opting instead for a silhouette. Jon told of how annoyed he was until Carl Sagan stepped in and pointed out that NASA had accepted everything else. Perhaps NASA actually expected someone to see the 2 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 Perhaps the best known of Jon Lomberg’s images was the Pioneer Plaque images? It was an interesting compromise between what people on earth would see being included on the spacecraft and what an extraterrestrial might be expected to interpret. he is very passionate about his subject and he is both talented and a very articulate speaker. This would rate as one of the most entertaining talks we have hosted in recent years at the Society. Jon concluded with a discussion of his work with the Galaxy Garden in the Paleaku Peace Garden Sanctuary in Kona, Hawaii. This is a garden 100 ft. in diameter laid out as a model of the Milky Way. The scale is 1000 light years per foot, which is about 83 light-years per inch. The Galaxy Garden is set on 1/4 acre of lawn, with a gentle slope that suggests the observed warp of the galactic disk. Spots on the leaves depict individual stars, while flowers represent the nebulae. A fountain in the centre represents the central massive black hole. The water represents the axial jet and the water trough represents the event horizon. A selection of his artwork was on display in the sunroom for display and for purchase. You might not think that art work would make a great talk for astronomy but Jon has a very good knowledge of astronomy, Jon Lomberg’s Galaxy Garden proved extremely popular with his audience. November Practical Astronomy Astrophotography with Dave Moorhouse - Report by Shaun Fletcher “In the winter of 2005 David “strictly visual” Moorhouse (myself) was the only person to attend the first ever RASNZ Astrophotography Conference with only a visual 8” binocular telescope. All the others brought something to photograph with! However during the daily talks I heard about FWHM, autoguider dithering, LRGB image stacking and de-convolution. At this point the techie side of my nature kicked in and I knew I was hooked, astrophotography was now in my blood. Upon returning to Auckland I got the key and started to look about the 4 meter dome at Kumeu, that wasn’t at that stage working well. I spent a huge amount of time learning, tweaking and fighting to get a working system. Now we have two top class astrophotography setups at Kumeu and I know enough to regularly take prize winning photos.” In response to this enthusiastic introduction, a large (rather overwhelmingly so!) and keen group of members attended Dave Moorhouse’s presentation on astrophotography at the Society’s November practical session. A lot of ground was covered, ranging from what kinds of astrophotography are possible to the equipment required. Dave explained the use of simple cameras with only a tripod to take simple images such as Moon photographs, star trails etc. He also gave useful tips on how to take longer exposure pictures successfully with this kind of equipment. Even the simplest of equipment can be used to take fascinating and beautiful pictures of the night sky. Moving on to more advanced topics, the various types of cameras used to capture astro-images were introduced along with the ancillary equipment used such as filters, and the mounts and tracking equipment that form the platform for this work. The many types of telescopes suitable (and not so suitable) for photography were Dave explains the intricacies of the astrophotography process at November’s practical astronomy meeting introduced. Developing a diagram (shown in the image above) to provide a structured view of the requirements for imaging, the group were shown the, at times intimidating, number of aspects to be considered in order to achieve good images. An extremely lively discussion took place during and after the presentation, and it was clear that many members are very interested and keen to pursue this aspect of astronomy. Dave then invited those interested to remain to discuss the organisation of a proposed astrophotography learning group at the Society’s Kumeu observatory. Introducing Comet Hartley 2 Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD Comet Hartley 2 can be seen in glorious detail in this image from NASA’s EPOXI mission. It was taken as the spacecraft flew by around 6:59 a.m. PDT (9:59 a.m. EDT), from a distance of about 700 kilometres (435 miles). The comet’s nucleus, or main body, is approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long and .4 kilometers (.25 miles) at the “neck,” or most narrow portion. Jets can be seen streaming out of the nucleus. The mission’s Medium-Resolution Instrument was used to capture this view. www.astroNoMy.org.nz 3 Library Corner with Tony Reynolds An Expanded View of the Universe European Southern Observatory QB82 A rather plush ‘booklet’ put out by the ESO extolling the virtues of their envisaged European Extremely Large telescope. The tone is set on the first page; Galileo, Newton and the E-ELT (heady company). Lots of pretty pictures of deep-sky objects as well as eye-popping computergenerated images of the telescope (which is all they have as it’s not due to be built until 2018!) Jantar Mantar Featured Section – QB81-84 Observatories As well as the two new titles featured above, this section contains books on Jodrell Bank (by Bernard Lovell), Greenwich, megalithic lunar observatories and a cluster of booklets from famous observatories around the world. User’s Guide – DVDs This month sees the introduction of the official DVD lending section. At present only the Society’s monthly meeting recordings are available but general release material will be added in time. The DVD section is located on the bookshelves and the barcode for each is located on the disc itself inside the box. V.N. Sharma Not entirely ‘new’, this booklet was donated to the library by Timothy Hannah in 2009 but only added to the catalogue this month. Check them out in the same way as the books and magazines, i.e. on the sign-out form near the door with your membership number or name, the barcode and the DVD title. In Timothy’s words ‘Truly a remarkable place.’ Thank you Timothy. QB82 Kumeu Astrophotography D ave Moorhouse has begun running a series of sessions at the Kumeu observatory aimed at giving those members taking part a solid grounding in astrophotography, familiarity with the equipment and software used, and along the way at helping them to produce many fascinating and stunning images. These sessions take the form of small groups, and take place on clear nights as and when they are available. The Kumeu observatory contains a Celestron C14 on an equatorial fork mount, and the ‘WASP’ observatory a 10” Meade on a german equatorial mount. Beginning with a larger group session on a sunny Saturday afternoon, Dave gave an introductory talk, and then led the members through a disassembly, cleaning and reassembly of the mount for the WASP telescope, intending that this would give them the best understanding possible of the functioning of these mounts. At following sessions there has been a hands-on Image of NGC2070 Tarantula Nebula, produced by the tutorial in the use of the members at the early group sessions. mounts, telescopes and, perhaps most daunting, the software used to control all of this. By produce images, progressing through the the end of their first night session, everyone sequences of Red, Green and Blue images was hopefully able to turn on, set up and and assembling them.. initiallty to produce point the telescope and prepare the cameras the remarkable image you see above! and tracking systems for use. The group has begun extremely well, with Following on from this, the groups have learnt about focusing, automated through the maxim DL software that sits at the heart of the system. They have then begun to 4 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 by Shaun Fletcher an enthusiastic response from a lot of our members. Calendar and Events FEBRUARY PROGRAMME DECEMBER PROGRAMME Fri 3 7:30pm Young Astronomers with Margaret Arthur Fri 4 7:30 pm Young Astronomers with Margaret Arthur Mon 6 8:00pm Practical Astronomy Summer Star Party Mon 7 8:00pm Monthly meeting Speaker TBA Mon 13 8:00pm Monthly Meeting “Meteorites” Mon 21 8:00pm Film Night February TBA Mon 28 8:00pm Introduction to Astronomy Continuing course with Bernie Brenner with Dr Joel Schiff. Mon 20 8:00pm Introduction to Astronomy Continuing course with Bernie Brenner. January Break DECEMBER MONTHLY MEETING Monday 13th December at 8:00pm Speaker: Dr Joel Schiff Meteorites. Joel Schiff is one of NZ’s foremost experts on meteorites, and an avid collector. He was also advisor to Stardome during the recent development of the new meteorite display. His talk will explain the new display and give an overview of meteorites and their relationship to asteroids. Total Lunar Eclipse Tuesday 21st December There is a Total Lunar Eclipse visible from Auckland on the evening of 21st December. While the eclipse has started before the moon rises, totality starts just after moonrise. Totality will last for 1 hour 12 minutes. The moon will be rising 60° East of due North so the best places to view will be where you have a clear north-easterly view. Times for Auckland are; Partial (Umbral) Eclipse Starts: 7:33pm Moon Rise: 8:35pm Totality Starts: 8:41pm Greatest Eclipse: 9:17pm Totality Ends: 9:53pm Partial (Umbral) Eclipse Ends: 11:01pm Stardome Observatory will be having special eclipse viewing sessions on the night. If you are interested in helping with operating telescopes, please contact Jill Jessop at jillj@stardome. org.nz or phone 09 624 1246 in the evenings. A number of Society members should have some viewing locations set up for the event. Check the society website (www.astronomy.org.nz) or contact Andrew Buckingham on 09 473 5877 or email [email protected] closer to the date for more information. More details on the eclipse can be found online at eclipse.gsfc.naa.gov/eclipse.html. Please note that the society holds no activities in January. DECEMBER YOUNG ASTRONOMERS Friday 3rd December at 7:30pm with Margaret Arthur Young Astronomers end of year Christmas Party Practical Astronomy DECEMBER Monday 6th December from 7:00pm Summer Star Party The Summer Star Party is our seasonal observing event at the Stardome Observatory. The session will start in the planetarium with a tour of the summer night sky and as it gets dark outside we will move to telescope viewing. The EWB Zeiss Telescope will be available for viewing as well as portable telescopes outside in the courtyard. Ivan Vazey (AAS Curator) will be on hand to help people who have questions about telescopes or your own telescope. Feel free to bring your own telescope along. If the weather prevents telescope viewing, we will show the new planetarium show ‘Natural Selection’. The evening is aimed to include members who are getting started with exploring the night sky as well as the more experienced, so come along and join in. Welcome to New Members John Burns (ordinary) Benjamin Andersen (family) Peter Blomfield (ordinary) Mike Thomson (ordinary) Jeremy Steinberg (ordinary) Paul Beach (ordinary) Carlus Dovens (ordinary) Brian Smith (ordinary) Laura Burgess (student) www.astroNoMy.org.nz 5 2010 Astrophotography Competition Runners up M any of the entrants in this year’s Astrophotography Competition could easily have been prize winners. Below are the highly commended entries in each category, along with the Judges’ comments on each. J ohn Dunlop, Invercargill. After much humming and hawing the judges decided that the runner-up in the Artistic Section is MA15 Matai-Whetu. This is a delightful star-party scene. The people, trees and buildings appear in vibrant colour while, at the same time, the stars and brighter Milky Way are visible. This picture would make a good background for a starparty poster. K enric Ma, Auckland. Rather arbitrarily we decided that the runner-up Deep Sky entry was D27 IC2944, a faint nebula in the southern Milky Way. Because of its faintness it is technically challenging. The observer has done a fine job of firstly recording the nebula and its surrounding companions. Then he has presented it well, leaving some darker area around it to set off the nebula. M aurice Collins, Palmerston North. Our choice of runner-up in the Solar System section was S11 Terminator_220510. This image looks dark and unimpressive at first glance but at full size it is dramatic and alive with detail. The observer has caught one of the most interesting parts of the Moon at just the right light. He has also been blessed with exceptionally good seeing and has complemented it with careful focusing. One can study this picture for a long time. The Straight Wall is superbly captured, as are long jagged shadows of crater walls and central peaks. Tycho’s central peak has just the first rays of sun on its summit. 6 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 Double Feature Popular By Gavin Logan century precipitated the fall of the Moche civilisation in South America. Another great attendance at November’s Film Night for two controversial films. Over forty society members watched two controversial 50 minutes films at the November Film Night. One was about El Nino and the other about Nuclear Nightmares. “The Life and Times of El Nino” began with an account by a girl caught in a deadly landslide in California in 1998. The audience then learn that between April 1997 and May 1998, Peru, Kenya and Eastern Europe experienced unseasonable floods, Queensland unseasonable drought, Africa heavy rains that brought Malaria and Indonesia a heat wave that caused devastating fires. These all put down to that year’s El Nino. The film told of how scientists over the last century discovered that El Nino affects climate in almost the entire world. The massive fluctuations that El Nino causes in the world’s weather systems could have changed the course of history. Unusually cold winters and the resulting poor crops helped ferment the French Revolution. Hitler’s march across Russia was halted by one of the harshest winters on record. Severe drought in India in 1877 killed millions and a super El Nino in the sixth Unseasonable drought caused by El Nino Would these events have happened without the impact of El Nino? This documentary investigated El Nino, as well as its history and its rise from a little known occurrence to a headline-grabbing phenomenon. It looked at whether its occurrence can be accurately predicted, and the possibly of its power being harnessed. It ended showing that Global warming could increase the power and frequency of El Nino. The second documentary, “Nuclear Nightmares”, suggested that the fear of radiation associated with nuclear power may be exaggerated. The documentary interviewed a number of scientists who are asking whether we need to think again about the dangers of radiation as there is evidence to suggest that there is a threshold below which radiation may be harmless, or even beneficial. It examined in detail the aftermath of the ultimate nuclear nightmare, the explosion and fire over 20 years ago at Chernobyl Reactor number four. In the aftermath of Chernobyl experts predicted tens of thousands of deaths from cancer. Those predictions were based on a theory called the Linear No Threshold (LNT) model. BBC Horizon’s investigation has turned up evidence to suggest that there is a threshold below which radiation may be harmless. It claimed that there are many places on Earth where the natural background radiation is tens or even hundreds of times higher than in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Yet studies of populations who live in these natural radiation hotspots have consistently failed to find any negative health consequences. The programme also reports on scientific experiments that suggest that a little radiation may even protect against cancer by stimulating the body’s natural cancer defences. These ideas are controversial and caused a lively debate among society members during question time after the film screening. Many members disagreed with much of the film’s content. As a person who has been to the Ukraine and spoken to people there about Chernobyl, I have some doubts about this film’s account of the level of harm to the health of the people that were exposed to radiation from the Chernobyl accident. The next Film Night will be on Monday, February 21st 2011 at Stardome. Watch the Society’s Website and the next edition of the Society Journal for the programme. Yet, when the authoritative United Nations Chernobyl Forum report, compiled by scientists from organisations such as the World Health Organisation, was published it put the total death toll from the accident at just 59. Fifty workers in the plant died from acute radiation sickness and so far only nine cases of cancer can be attributed to the accident. This, the documentary stated, is a huge discrepancy between prediction and reality. The LNT model is, the scientists admit, little more than an informed guess. This model was derived by studying the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who received huge radiation doses. There is almost no data to support the model at the sort of levels of radiation exposure caused by Chernobyl. Chernobyl Reactor number four after the accident. www.astroNoMy.org.nz 7 Quiz – Jupiter and Uranus QUIZmaster - Bernie Brenner Jupiter 1. Jupiter is how many times larger than Saturn? 2. What elements make up Jupiter’s atmosphere? 3. How fast does Jupiter spin? 4. How many years does it take to orbit the Sun? 5. Name the 4 largest moon’s of Jupiter? URANUS 6. Which moon has volcanic activity? 1. Who discovered Uranus and when? 7. What is the mechanism of this volcanism? 2. How far is it from the Sun compared to Earth? 8. When was the great Red Spot first seen, and 3. What makes up it’s atmosphere? approximately how large is it? 9. How many other prominent spots are there? 4. What is Uranus’ spin axis and how long does it take to orbit the Sun? 10. Which of Jupiter’s moons may harbour life, and why? 5. What are its 2 largest moons called? This quiz was originally presented as part of the Society’s Introduction to astronomy course Answers on page 19 “It has been said that the best accessory for a telescope is an observatory” PIGEON MOUNTAIN PODs available in3 Standard Configurations POD-XL 5 wall panels, a door panel and a 4 quadrant clamshell design revolving dome. POD-XL3 2 wall panels, a door panel and 3 work bays, plus 4 quadrant clamshell design revolving dome. POD-XL5 A door panel and 5 work bays, plus 4 quadrant clamshell design revolving dome. Optional work bays can be added on later as required Each POD comes with working plans for a Steel Truss Pier. With a POD you can be out observing in minutes on any night of your choice, leaving your equipment permanently set up. No need to re-align your scope between each session. We are also a stockist of iOptron Mini Tower alt-azimuth mounts 8 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 You’ll wonder how you managed before POD. You can also be assured that your valuable gear stays dry and safe, year round through any weather. For colours & models contact Ivan at [email protected] http://pigeonmountainobs.co.nz New Zealand agents for SkyShed POD Obituaries Brian Marsden (1937-2010) Astronomers all over the world, including several in New Zealand, lost a great friend with the death of Dr Brian Marsden on November 18. As noted above, Brian was Director of the International Astronomical Union’s Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) from 1968 till 2000, then continued on as Director Emeritus. He was also Director of the Minor Planet Center (MPC) from 1978 till his retirement in 2006. Brian used his directorships to encourage observers both amateur and professional. Having a lifetime interest in comets, he was particularly concerned at the lack of observers in the southern hemisphere, so greatly assisted anyone who contributed. In 1973 Brian visited NZ to present, jointly with Dr Elizabeth (‘Pat’) Roemer, the Comet Medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific to Albert Jones. At that time Dr Roemer, at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, ran the only comet astrometry programme on large telescopes in the world. Allan Sandage (1926-2010) When Allan Sandage died on November 13th, succumbing to pancreatic cancer at age 84, we lost one of the true giants of observational astronomy. It’s hard to overstate this man’s contributions to our understanding of the visible Universe. Starting his career literally at Edwin Hubble’s side as an observing assistant, Sandage carried on efforts to measure distances to the nearest galaxies and the rate of the Universe’s expansion after Hubble’s untimely death in 1953. By exploiting the power of the new 200inch Hale telescope atop Palomar Mountain, Sandage realized that Hubble had mistaken small star-forming regions in nearby galaxies for individual stars and therefore had miscalculated the galaxies’ distances. Other tweaks followed, and in May 1958, Sandage published a drastically revised extragalactic distance scale, shrinking the value of k, relating an object’s distance and its recession velocity, from Hubble’s value of 530 km/s per megaparsec, to just 75. This meant that the Universe was not 1.8 billion years old, as Hubble had surmised, but instead much older — more like 12 billion years. Sandage later insisted that this critical value, known today as the Hubble constant, H0, was even lower, around 50, and the Universe even older. But in hindsight he’d nailed it the first time. Recent observations of the cosmic She recovered several ‘lost’ comets using Brian’s new calculations of their orbits. When we began our astrometric programme at the Carter Observatory in the early 1970s, tracking southern comets and asteroids, Brian (and Pat) gave us much encouragement. He arranged for Alan to attend the Comet Colloquium at the Goddard Spaceflight Center in 1974. Around the same time he convinced Yale University Observatory’s director that we would put one of their old measuring machines to good use. In the 1970s and 1980s the Carter Observatory received telegrams and telexes from CBET and disseminated the information to astronomers around NZ. In our time at Carter we often sent information back the other way. Thus nova brightness estimates and other urgent variable star results from Albert Jones and others were sent to CBAT from Carter, so a close partnership developed. Graham Blow continued to act as go-between at Carter in the 1980s. her onto the Committee for Small Bodies Nomenclature (CSBN), as it is now called; the international panel that approves names for asteroids. Brian continued as Secretary of the CSBN till his death, sending out the last batch of name proposals only three weeks ago. In later years Brian was particularly encouraging of the astrometric and other work being done by Auckland observers Grant Christie, Marc Bos, Jennie McCormick and Tim Natusch. He took time out on a tour of NZ with his wife Nancy in 2006 to meet the Auckland group. -- Alan Gilmore and Pam Kilmartin Much later, when Pam was made an IAU member, Brian immediately seconded microwave background, as well as accurate distances to galaxies made with the Hubble Space Telescope and other means, have established that H0 is 71 km/s/mpc to within a few percent. Interestingly, Sandage didn’t really think of himself as a cosmologist. “I’m really much more interested in stellar evolutionary processes,” he noted in an oral history recorded in 1978. “I’m an astronomer, [interested in] calibration processes, the determination of absolute magnitudes of certain types of objects, their use in the astronomical context, structure of the Milky Way Galaxy and density gradients. Those are the problems that occupy me.” Sandage continued to tackle “those problems” throughout his remarkable career and long after his formal retirement in 1997 from the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California. For example, he co-authored a seminal 1962 paper (with Olin Eggen and Donald Lynden-Bell) that describes how an enormous primordial gas cloud collapsed to form our galaxy. No astronomy library is considered complete without a copy of Sandage’s Hubble Atlas of Galaxies, published in 1961. “Allan was one of the greatest observational cosmologists of the 20th Century,” comments Wendy Freedman, Carnegie Observatories’ director. “He was tremendously prolific. His work on cosmology and the ages of the oldest stars in the Milky Way was tremendously influential, and he will be remembered for his decades of contributions to cosmology.” Much of his observational work came before the advent of digital detectors and comfy observing rooms surrounded by control consoles. Instead, he laboured in the primefocus “cage” of the 200-inch telescope, suspended high above the beast. “There is a tremendous advantage, which is not easily stated, of sitting in the dark in the primefocus cage, close to the instruments,” he once recalled. “It gives you a great deal more time to think about the consequences of the data coming in…. The mind is put in a state when it’s more receptive to call things up from its deep recesses.” In that sense, Sandage enjoyed a certain kinship with amateur astronomers. Born in 1926, he was the only child in an academic family and got the “astronomy bug” after looking through the backyard telescope of a boyhood friend. (In fact, he once ground a 6-inch mirror but never finished it.) He double-majored in physics and mathematics at the University of Illinois before earning his doctorate at Caltech 1953. By then he’d already been observing with Hubble and on his way to making his indelible mark in astronomy. For more insight on Sandage, especially his quest to find the Hubble constant, read Richard Panek’s excellent 1999 profile for the New York Times. www.astroNoMy.org.nz 9 Spacecraft is first to bring asteroid dust to Earth by New Scientist The troubled Hayabusa space probe has become the first spacecraft to bring material from an asteroid back to Earth, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced. Although Hayabusa’s capsule was retrieved earlier this year, it wasn’t clear whether the dust it contained came from the asteroid it landed on in 2005. Now an analysis by JAXA has shown that the dust’s composition is extra-terrestrial, even containing a mineral not found on the Earth’s surface. Further study may reveal what materials existed when the solar system formed, and give insights into how best to mitigate asteroid impacts based on new knowledge of their composition. “The science that we will obtain from these particles over the next few years will be invaluable,” says Paul Abell of the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, who is a member of the Hayabusa Joint Science Team. “After all the hard work and the many years of patiently waiting, we now can say that we have returned samples from an asteroid to the Earth for the very first time,” he says. Outback landing Hayabusa’s sample capsule was retrieved in the Woomera Prohibited Area of Australia (Image: JAXA) nursed back to life and released a capsule that landed safely in the Australian outback in June. It was still not clear, however, whether Hayabusa had actually managed to grab dust from the asteroid. Things looked promising in July, when JAXA confirmed that the capsule contained particles, but there was a possibility that these were contaminants from Earth. Asteroid origins confirmed Now, after analysing some 1500 particles using scanning electron microscopes, JAXA says that nearly all the material was extra-terrestrial and originated in Itokawa. Hayabusa blasted off in 2003 with a clear mission: to collect samples from the asteroid Itokawa. But after several technical failures and a bumpy landing on the asteroid in 2005, when it was 300 million kilometres from Earth, there were fears Hayabusa might not make it back. The relative abundances of elements and minerals in the dust – including olivine and plagioclase – are similar to what is seen in primitive meteorites and do not correspond to the make-up of any rock found on Earth’s surface, JAXA reports. Despite these hitches, Hayabusa was What’s more, one mineral in the dust, 10 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 troilite (an iron sulphide), is not present on the Earth’s surface. “Everything points to a successful sample return from Itokawa,” says Trevor Ireland, an earth chemist at the Australian National University in Canberra, who was involved in preliminary work on the dust sample. Over the next few years, the particles will be analysed further to see what they can reveal about asteroids, meteorites and the formation of the Solar System. The particles from Itokawa may have retained minerals from the early Solar System, unlike meteorites whose composition may have been altered by the high pressures and temperatures they encounter as they crash to Earth. The 2011 NZ Astronomical Yearbook is now available Members can purchase copies directly from the society at the discounted price of $14.00 + $2.00 postage (normal retail is $20) The 2011 edition celebrates the 50 year anniversary of the first man in space and Neptune’s first orbit since discovery. Other articles include; Rockets in NZ, Radio Astronomy, space junk, the Pleiades star cluster and the Mt John Observatory. A full set of monthly sky guides along with rise and set times for the Sun, Moon and planets are also included. To order a copy, contact Andrew Buckingham at [email protected] or phone 09 473 5877. They will also be available on meeting nights. Note this special pricing is not available from the Stardome shop Phoenix Astronomical Society Almanac 2011 The Phoenix Astronomical Society New Zealand Almanac 2011 is now in production. The Almanac is a beautiful calendar with wonderful photographs taken by New Zealand astronomers. Every year the photographs seem to get better - and this coming year’s edition is no exception! The Almanac is also packed with information on various astronomical events occurring throughout the year that is presented in an easily accessible calendar format. Almanacs make wonderful Christmas presents, so consider giving them as Christmas stocking fillers. The price is $20 plus $2 p&p. We have succeeded in keeping the price virtually unchanged for the last few years. We will continue to give discounts for members, societies and for bulk orders. We are now taking orders, so please contact Kay Leather: [email protected] to order your 2011 Almanac or post an order to: Almanac 2011P.O. Box 156, Carterton 5743 Society Contacts The 2010 Council President Grant Christie Vice President David Britten Treasurer &Andrew Buckingham Membership Secretary Michelle Knowler Curator ofIvan Vazey Instruments LibrarianTony Reynolds Journal EditorsClive Bolt Shaun Fletcher WebmasterNick Moore CouncilBernie Brenner Council Gavin Logan 021 024 04992 09 846 3657 09 473 5877 021 148 6764 09 535 3987 09 480 8607 09 534 2946 09 480 5648 09 537 1500 09 534 4103 09 820 6001 Auckland Astronomical Society Inc, PO Box 24187, Royal Oak, Auckland 1345, New Zealand Email Journal Website [email protected] [email protected] www.astronomy.org.nz Membership enquiries: contact Andrew Buckingham at [email protected] or by phone on 09 473 5877 or 027 246 2446 www.astroNoMy.org.nz 11 The Furor Over FUOrs By Mike Simonsen, Simostronomy - Article provided by the AAVSO writer’s bureau were forced to learn what they could from the only known example, or wait for another event to provide more clues. Finally, more than 30 years later, FU Ori-like behavior appeared again in 1970 when the star now known as V1057 Cyg increased in brightness by 5.5 magnitudes over 390 days. Then in 1974, a third example was discovered when V1515 Cyg rose from 17th magnitude to 12th magnitude over an interval lasting years. Astronomers began piecing the puzzle together from these clues. FU Orionis and its associated nebula. Image credit: ESO I n 1937, an ordinary 16th magnitude star in the constellation Orion began to brighten steadily. Thinking it was a nova, astronomers were astounded when the star just kept getting brighter and brighter over the course of a year. Most novae burst forth suddenly and then begin to fade within weeks. But this star, now glowing at 9th magnitude, refused to fade. Adding to the puzzle, astronomers could see there was a gaseous nebula nearby shining from the reflected light of this mysterious star, now named FU Orionis. What was this new kind of star? FU Ori has remained in this high state, around 10th magnitude ever since. This was a form of stellar variability never seen before. Since there were no other examples of this kind of variable star, astronomers FU Orionis stars are pre-main sequence stars in the early stages of stellar development. They have only just formed from clouds of dust and gas in interstellar space, which occur in active star-forming regions. They are all associated with reflection nebulae, which become visible as the star brightens. This artist’s concept shows a young stellar object and the whirling accretion disk surrounding it. NASA/JPL-Caltech Astronomers are interested in these systems because FUOrs may provide us with clues to the early history of stars and the formation of planetary systems. At this early stage of evolution, a YSO is surrounded by an accretion disk, and matter is falling onto the outer regions of the disk from the surrounding interstellar cloud. Thermal instabilities, most likely in the inner portions of the accretion disk, initiate an outburst and the young star increases its luminosity. Our Sun probably went through similar events as it was developing. One of the major challenges in studying FU Orionis stars is the relatively small number of known examples. Although approximately 20 FU Orionis candidates have been identified, only a handful of these stars have been observed to rise from their preoutburst state to their eruptive state. Now, in the last year, several new FUOrs have been discovered. In November 2009, two newly discovered objects were announced in Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams (CBET) #2033. Patrick Wils, John Greaves and the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey (CRTS) collaboration had discovered them in CRTS images. The first of these objects appears to coincide with the infrared source IRAS 06068-0641. Discovered by the CRTS on Nov. 10, it had been continuously brightening from at least early 2005 (when it was mag 14.8 on unfiltered CCD images) to its present mag 12.6. A faint cometary reflection nebula was visible to the east. A spectrum taken Rolling Across the Rocky Plains of Mars - Credit: Mars Exploration Rover Mission, JPL, NASA Explanation: You stare out across the rocky plains of Mars. Before you, in every direction, is dark sand and bright rock. Although little has chang in the region. Your human overlords back on planet Earth wonder if the impact that created this distant crater might have also uncovered uniqu the image centre, an unusual rock sticks out from the landscape. Quite possibly, this rock is not from this world, and you divert to inspect it. You field a day, you might reach Endeavour crater sometime in 2012. If you survive. 12 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 with the SMARTS 1.5-m telescope at Cerro Tololo, on Nov. 17, confirmed it to be a young stellar object. The object lies inside a dark nebula to the south of the Monocerotis R2 association, and is likely related to it. Also inside this dark nebula, a second object, coincident with IRAS 06068-0643, had been varying between mag 15 and 20 over the past few years, reminiscent of UX-Ori-type objects with very deep fades. This second object is also associated with a variable cometary reflection nebula, extending to the north. The spectrum of this object also shows Hα and the strong Ca II infrared triplet in emission. Light curves, spectra and images can be found at http://crts.caltech.edu/ CSS091110.html In August 2010, two new eruptive, pre-main sequence stars were discovered in Cygnus. The first object was an outburst of the star HBC 722. The object was reported to have risen by 3.3 magnitudes from May 13 to August 16, 2010. Spectroscopy reported by U. Munari et al in ATel #2808, Aug 23, 2010 support this object’s classification as an FU Ori star. Munari and his team reported the object at 14.04V on Aug 21, 2010. November 10, 2010, results presenting rare pre and post outburst observations from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) show that HBS722 is a bona fide FU Ori type star that was a classical T-Tauri star before eruption, providing strong evidence that FU Orionis eruptions represent periods of enhanced disk accretion and outflow, likely triggered by instabilities in the accretion disk. The second object, coincident with the infrared source IRAS 20496+4354, was discovered by K. Itagaki (Yamagata, Japan) on August 23, 2010 and reported in CBET 2426. The object appears very faint (magnitude 20) in a DSS image taken in 1990. Subsequent spectroscopy and photometry of this object by U. Munari showed that this object also has the characteristics of an FU Ori star. Munari reported the object at 14.91V on August 26, 2010. Another paper, released the next day, also based on observations from the PTF, shows IRAS 20496+4354 brightened by more than 5 magnitudes, reaching 13.5R in September 2010. Near-infrared spectra appear quite similar to a spectrum of McNeil’s Nebula/ V1647 Ori, a FUOr which has undergone several brightenings in recent decades. Both these objects are now the subjects of an AAVSO observing campaign announced October 1, 2010 in AAVSO Alert Notice 425. Dr. Colin Aspin (U. Hawai’i) has requested the help of AAVSO observers in performing long-term photometric monitoring of these two new YSOs in Cygnus. AAVSO observations will be used to help calibrate optical and near-infrared spectroscopy to be obtained during the next year. Since these stars are newly discovered, very little is known about their behavior. Their classification as FU Ori variables is based on spectroscopy by U. Munari et al. Establishing a good light curve and maintaining it, over the next several years, will be crucial to understanding these stars. This kind of long-term monitoring is one of the things at which amateur astronomers excel. So after a very slow start, discoveries of new YSOs and our understanding of the dusty disk environments around them are starting to heat up. With new tools and new examples to study we are peering into the the early stages of stellar and planetary formation and finding some of our models have been pretty close to the truth. We expect to find more and similar objects as new all-sky surveys begin to cover the sky, but these objects will still be relatively rare and therefore interesting, because this period in a star’s evolution is short-lived and only takes place in the active star forming regions of galaxies. Images of HBC722 and IRAS 20496+4354 from Discovery of possible FU-Ori and UXOri type objects Wils, P., Greaves, J. and the CRTS collaboration, Nov 18th 2009.http:// crts.caltech.edu/CSS091110.html ged here for millions of years, no one has ever seen this view before. You are being sent on a long journey to a distant crater, the largest crater ue clues to the distant past of Earth’s neighbouring planet, clues that might reveal if life ever existed here. Breaking the monotony, visible toward u are the robotic Opportunity rover, and you are the eyes for countless humans following your trek back on planet Earth. Rolling about a football www.astroNoMy.org.nz 13 The Evening Sky in December 2010 By Alan Gilmore, University of Canterbury‘s Mt John Observatory, www.canterbury.ac.nz Jupiter is the ‘evening star’ in the northwest sky at dusk, setting in the west around midnight. It slips lower in the sky, and sets earlier, as we move to the opposite side of the Sun. A small telescope easily shows its four bright moons, lined up on each side of the planet. Mercury and Mars are very low in the southwest twilight. At the beginning of the month Mercury is bright and easily seen. Mars is below and left of it, much fainter. Both sink into the twilight and disappear by mid-month. Mercury is 100 million km away. Mars is 360 million km from us on the far side of the Sun. The brightest stars are in the east and south. 14 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 Sirius, the brightest of all the stars, is due east at dusk, often twinkling like a diamond. Left of it is the bright constellation of Orion. The line of three stars makes Orion’s belt in the classical constellation. To southern hemisphere skywatchers they make the bottom of ‘The Pot’. The faint line of stars above and right of the three is the Pot’s handle. At its centre is the Orion Nebula, a glowing gas cloud nicely seen in binoculars. Rigel, directly above the line of three stars, is a hot blue-giant star. Orange Betelgeuse, below the line of three, is a cooler red-giant star. Left of Orion is a triangular group making the upside down face of Taurus the Bull. Orange Aldebaran is the brightest star in the V pattern. The name is Arabic for ‘the eye of the bull’. Still further left is the Pleiades/Matariki/Seven Sisters cluster, impressive in binoculars. It is 400 light years away. Canopus, the second brightest star, is high in the southeast. Low in the south are the Pointers, Alpha and Beta Centauri, and Crux, the Southern Cross. In some Maori star lore the bright southern Milky Way makes the canoe of Maui with Crux being the canoe’s anchor hanging off the side. In this picture the Scorpion’s tail can be the canoe’s prow and the Clouds of Magellan are the sails. The Milky Way is low in the sky, visible around the horizon. The broadest part is in Sagittarius low in the west at dusk. It narrows toward Crux in the south and becomes faint in the east below Orion. The Milky Way is our edgewise view of the galaxy, the pancake of billions of stars of which the Sun is just one. The thick hub of the galaxy, 30 000 light years away, is in Sagittarius. The nearby outer edge is the faint part below Orion. A scan along the Milky Way with binoculars will show many clusters of stars and a few glowing gas clouds. The Clouds of Magellan, (LMC and SMC), high in the southern sky, are two small galaxies about 160,000 and 200,000 light-years away, respectively. They are easily seen by eye on a dark moonless night. The larger cloud is about 1/20th the mass of the Milky Way Galaxy, the smaller cloud 1/30th. That’s still many billions of stars in each. Very low in the north is the Andromeda Galaxy, seen in binoculars as a spindle of light. It is similar in size to our Milky Way Galaxy and three million light years away. The Geminid meteor shower may be seen in the morning hours of December 14 and 15. The meteors appear to come from the constellation of Gemini, in the northeast at first, moving to the north by dawn. There is an eclipse of the Moon on December 21st. The Moon rises in the northeast at Sunset. In the North Island it will rise almost fully eclipsed; only its top edge still in the Sunshine. At moonrise in the South Island the Moon will be fully in Earth’s shadow and will be quite faint in the evening twilight. Colours of eclipsed Moons vary: anything from red, through apricot to dark brown. Mid eclipse is 9:17 NZDT, moonrise time in the deep south. The Moon begins to emerge from Earth’s dark shadow (the umbra) at 9:54 and is fully clear of the fuzzy edge of the shadow (the penumbra) by 12:06 a.m. Venus is the brilliant ‘morning star’, rising about two hours before the Sun. Above and left of it are Saturn and Spica, making a matched pair. Saturn is the one on the left. Diary of Solar System Events December 2010 By Brian Loader RASNZ Date (NZDT) Diary of Solar System Events in DECEMBER 2010 for New Zealand December 1 Mercury at greatest elongation 21° east of the Sun. December 2 Crescent Moon 20% lit, 7° to upper right of Saturn and 7° to upper left of Spica magnitude 1.1, low in morning sky. December 3 December 6 December 20 Mercury at inferior conjunction. December 20 Moon furthest north, so lowest southern hemisphere transit for the month. December 21 Full Moon at 9.13pm NZDT (08:13 UT). Total eclipse of Moon. Moon rises in total eclipse Crescent Moon 11% lit, 5° above Venus and 7.5° to right of Spica magnitude 1.1, low in morning sky. New Moon at 6.36am NZDT (Dec 5, 17:36 UT). Moon furthest south, so highest southern hemisphere transit for the month. December 6 Uranus stationary. December 7 Crescent Moon 3% lit, 2.5° below Mercury very low in evening sky following sunset. December 10 Mercury stationary. Jupiter and Uranus, in conjunction, separation 0.8°. December 13 Moon at apogee, its greatest distance from the Earth for the Lunar month, 404405 km. December 14 Moon at first quarter at 2.59am NZDT (Dec 13, 13:59 UT). December 14 58% lit moon 10° to lower right of Jupiter, and 8.5° fromUranus, evening sky. for New Zealand December 22 Southern Summer Solstice. Sun furthest south at midday in NZ December 26 Moon at perigee, its closest to the Earth for the lunar month, 368469 km. December 26 Moon 78% lit, 4.2° above Regulus magnitude 1.4, visible after midnight. December 28 Moon at last quarter 5.19pm NZDT (04:19 UT). December 29 Moon, 44% lit, 7.5° above Saturn morning sky. December 30 Moon, 33% lit, 4° to right of Spica magnitude 1.1, morning sky. December 30 Mercury stationary. www.astroNoMy.org.nz 15 The Evening Sky in January 2011 By Alan Gilmore, University of Canterbury‘s Mt John Observatory, www.canterbury.ac.nz Jupiter is the ‘evening star’ (planet really), bright in the western sky at dusk. It sets around midnight. It is 800 million km from us, the distance increasing as we move to the far side of the sun. It shows a disk in any small telescope with its four biggest moons looking like stars lined up on either side. Jupiter is near Uranus in the first week of January. Uranus is easily seen in binoculars. It looks like a star, greenish-coloured in a telescope. Around the 1st it will be a full Moon’s width (half a degree) below and right of Jupiter. A star of similar brightness to Uranus will be just left of Jupiter. By the 5th Uranus is below Jupiter and a little left. By the 10th Uranus will be 16 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 one degree from Jupiter at an angle of about 8 o’clock. Uranus was discovered in 1781. It is 20 times Earth’s distance from the sun and orbits once in 80 years. It is four times wider than Earth and 15 times Earth’s mass. Sirius the brightest true star, appears high in the east at dusk. Left of Sirius, as the sky darkens, are Rigel and Betelgeuse the brightest stars in Orion the hunter. Between them, but fainter, is a line of three stars: Orion’s belt. Left of Orion is the V-shaped pattern of stars making the face of Taurus the Bull. Left again, toward the north and lower, is the Pleiades/Matariki/Seven Sisters/Subaru star cluster. From northern New Zealand the bright star Capella is on the north skyline. Sirius, ‘the Dog Star’, marks the head of Canis Major the big dog. A group of stars to the right of it make the dog’s hindquarters and tail, upside down just now. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky both because it is relatively close, nine light years away, and 23 times brighter than the sun. Procyon, in the northeast below Sirius, marks the smaller of the two dogs that follow Orion. Rigel, directly above Orion’s belt, is a bluish supergiant star, 70 000 times brighter than the sun and much hotter. It is 800 light-years away. Orange Betelgeuse, below Orion’s belt, is a red- giant star, cooler than the sun but hundreds of times bigger: a ball of extremely thin hot gas. To southern hemisphere star watchers, Orion’s belt makes the bottom of ‘The Pot’ or ‘The Saucepan’. A faint line of stars above and right of the belt is the pot’s handle or Orion’s sword. It has a glowing cloud at its centre: the Orion Nebula The V-shaped group making the face of Taurus the bull is called the Hyades cluster. It is 150 light years away. Orange Aldebaran, Arabic for ‘the eye of the bull’, is not a member of the cluster but on the line of sight, half the cluster’s distance. The Pleiades/ Matariki cluster, pretty to the eye and impressive in binoculars, is 400 light-years from us. The cluster is around 70 million years old. Low in the south are Crux, the Southern Cross, and Beta and Alpha Centauri, often called ‘The Pointers’. Alpha Centauri is the closest nakedeye star, 4.3 light years away. A telescope shows it is a binary star: two stars orbiting each other in 80 years. Beta Centauri, like most of the stars in Crux, is a blue-giant star hundreds of light years away. Canopus is also very luminous and distant: 13 000 times brighter than the sun and 300 light years away. The Milky Way is in the eastern sky, brightest in the southeast toward Crux. It can be traced towards the north but becomes faint below Orion. The Milky Way is our edgewise view of the galaxy, the pancake of billions of stars of which the sun is just one. Binoculars show many star clusters and a few glowing gas clouds in the Milky Way, particularly in the Carina region. The Clouds of Magellan, LMC and SMC are high in the southern sky and easily seen by eye on a dark moonless night. They are two small galaxies about 160 000 and 200 000 light years away. The larger cloud is about 5% the mass of the Milky Way galaxy, the smaller cloud 3%. Saturn (not shown) rises due east about midnight. It is almost level with a star of similar brightness. Saturn is on the left. It is 1400 million km from us. The star is Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. Venus, the brilliant ‘morning star’, rises after 3 a.m. It is around 100 million km away mid month. Diary of Solar System Events January 2011 By Brian Loader RASNZ Date (NZDT) Diary of Solar System Events in JANUARY 2011 for New Zealand January 1 Crescent Moon 15% lit, 6° to upper right of Venus morning sky. January 17 January 2 Crescent Moon 7% lit, 3° to lower left of Antares, magnitude 1.1, morning sky Moon furthest north, so lowest southern hemisphere transit for the month. January 20 Full Moon at 10.21am NZDT (Jan 19, 21:23 UT). January 2 Moon furthest south, so highest southern hemisphere transit for the month. January 21/22 January 3 Crescent Moon 3% lit, 4° to right of Mercury low in morning sky. Near full Moon, about 8° from Regulus, magnitude 1.4: moon to upper left on 21st and to right of star on 22nd, late evening sky. January 22 January 4 Earth at perihelion, at 0.983 AU, 147.1 million km, its closest to the Sun for the year. Moon at perigee, its closest to the Earth for the lunar month, 362794 km. January 25 71% lit Moon 10° to upper left of Saturn, morning sky. January 26 60% lit Moon 2° above Spica magnitude 1.1 and 10° to upper right of Saturn, morning sky. January 4 New Moon at 10.03pm NZDT (9:03 UT). Partial eclipse of Sun visible from Europe. January 4 Jupiter and Uranus in conjunction, separation 30'. January 27 January 9 Venus at greatest elongation, 47° west of the Sun. Moon at last quarter 1.57am NZDT (Jan 26, 12:57 UT). January 27 Saturn stationary. January 10 Mercury at greatest elongation 23° west of the Sun. January 10 Moon at apogee, its greatest distance from the Earth for the Lunar month, 404975 km. January 29 Crescent Moon 27% lit, 5° to left of Antares, magnitude 1.1, morning sky January 30 Moon furthest south, so highest southern hemisphere transit for the month. January 30/31 Crescent Moon, 5.5° above Venus (30th) and 7.5° to lower left of the planet (31st). January 10 31% lit moon 7° below Jupiter, and 8.5° fromUranus, evening sky. January 13 Moon at first quarter at 12.31am NZDT (Jan 12, 11:31 UT). www.astroNoMy.org.nz 17 Book Review: Astronomical Symbols on Ancient & Medieval Coins By Dr K.A. Rodgers Both the introduction and the conclusion, which is not a conclusion but rather a beginning, are essential to understanding the remainder of the book and Marshall’s methodology. First and foremost Marshall is a scientist. He brings to his study the rigour of the scientific method. He well knows that correlation does not imply causation. His approach is spelt out on p. 5: First, the date of a coin bearing an astronomical symbol must be ascertained. Second, the astronomical symbol must be the first occurrence for that coin design or a reintroduction of the symbol after a substantial period of time to rule out immobilization of the design. Third, the occurrence of the astronomical event must be established. Fourth, and most difficult to ascertain, historical evidence must be presented that supports the observation and importance of the event. M arshall Faintich scores gold with his remarkable, 225 pp: Astronomical Symbols on Ancient & Medieval Coins. It is no common-or-garden coin book. Much of the remainder of the book is concerned with applying this strategy to a remarkable range of European coins. Each study is something of a mini-detective story. His work explores the notion that many astronomical symbols found on ancient coins record actual celestial events. The study is predicated on the use of coins by monarchs as a propaganda tool, in particular one that proclaimed their divine right to rule. Typical is Marshall’s analysis of a well-trodden path: the so-called two-star penny of William I. He discounts one widely accepted contention that one star represents a comet of 1077 since no reliable sources identify a comet in that year. There was, however, one in 1075 and he explores that possibility that this is the comet recorded in the coin’s design along with that of 1066. That latter presaged William’s success at Hastings; that of 1075 foretold his triumph over a revolt by English barons. William was no sluggard in exploiting coin designs as instruments of state propaganda. By depicting himself with two comets he declared his right Marshall is well placed to make such an analysis. He is, “an astronomer by training, a cartographer by trade, and a student of numismatics, archaeology, and history”. The results of his investigation of several hundred ancient coins are illustrated by some 550 line drawings, including maps and records of heavenly events. The first four chapters examine representations on coins of the Sun, Moon, stars, planets, eclipses and comets, and of the events that may have prompted their incorporation into the coins’ designs. Following examination of outof-left-field astronomical designs and assorted heavenly visions, three chapters examine the coins of Norman England, some contemporary European coins, and the influence astronomical events held for the crusades, particularly that of Louis IX of France. 18 society journal, DECEMBER 2010 to rule was written in the stars. Some analyses are highly detailed and include the three heavenly visions experienced by Constantine, a ruler prone to apparitions. I suggest readers ensure they are seated comfortably, have plenty of time to spare, and a goodly supply of coffee and/or a cheeky red, before working their way through this one. It is a provocative yarn that needs careful reading. You are welcome to disagree. Marshall invites debate. Each and every story is illustrated with clear line drawings. By using such drawings the necessary detail is made clear and presented in a uniform manner. The same clarity could not have been achieved from photographs alone. In addition Marshall has used his cartographic skill and astronomical knowledge to bring us maps of the night sky for the appropriate dates. A typical example is that of the planetary alignment on 27 October 312 when Constantine beheld the first of his fiery crosses. This is a book not be to read in a hurry. It is one to be savoured and digested at leisure. It makes no claims to be definitive. It simply represents the current state of play in Marshall’s thinking after many years of collecting and analysis. It was preceded by a couple of earlier, shorter books on the subject. Hopefully a further is in the offing. Readers can obtain copies for US$55 plus p&p., from the publisher, McFarland & Company Inc, Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640, USA or email: [email protected] or buy directly for the website www.mcfarlandpub.com Typical line drawing as used to illustrate a Type V two-star silver penny ofWilliam I. Image courtesy McFarland & Company and Marshall Faintich. Society Telescopes for Hire The Society has a wide range of telescopes for hire to members. If you are looking to purchase or upgrade a telescope and are not sure what to buy, this is a very good way to evaluate some of the available equipment. See also the advertisement on the back page. To inquire about hiring or for advice on what to buy and for information about equipment, contact Ivan Vazey, curator of instruments, on (09) 535-3987 Items for sale Nelson Holmes has the following items for sale. Members can contact him on 09 2357195, 027 2912684 or emeail at [email protected] if they are interested in anything or have any questions. All items are o.n.o. Regarding any postage costs just call and he will let you know the best prices and pay the extra for insurance. • • • • • 100mm x 20x Apogee binoculars with built in switch over nebular filters. Comes on tall tripod. As new $595 • Binoculars 7x50 Steiner military, Germany. High quality, water/fog/shock proof. Comes with laser protection coating. $695ono Assorted eyepieces; Leica zoom 1.25 $395, Meade Japan 4000series 56mm super plossl $250, Edmund 28RKE $120, 25mm wide field $150, 2 inch Branden Barlow $200, Takahashi 7x50 finder with illuminated cross hairs and mounting bracket $395, 40mm plossl 1.25, 20mm Erfle wide, 0.96 Japan eyepieces ortho etc, diagonals 1.25 and 2inch etc Binoculars 7x50 Apogee, has built in nebular filters. As new. $150 • Astroscan Edmund Scientific 104mm wide field. Has 28RKE eyepiece for 3degree field of view. $300 Telescope binocular viewer Denkmeier Germany 1.25 size, suits all telescopes, in case with fittings $890 • 76mm x 1200mm EQ Refractor Japan. With tripod, all fittings, eyepieces etc in wooden case. $495 • Telescope pier, steel galv professionally made1.6m 200mm diameter, comes Telescope filter set. 21 filters in case As new, 1.25size. All Japan. Cover all colours planetary, nebular broadband, neutral density etc. $450 with square mounting plate $295 • Telescope/binocular pier Kowa stylesuit small to large binoculars with tilting swivel head and round mounting base. $295 • Celestron carry case suit C8-C11, Meade 8†, 10†SCT. $250 • Case foam lined air tight suit scopes, eyepieces, accessories etc 15†x10†x8†$200 • 60mm refractor, high quality, all eyepieces, fittings, viewers etc in wooden case with tripod. $295 If there are any Society members with items they wish to offer for sale to other members, please contact the Editors Planetary Quiz - Answers Jupiter 1. Three times larger 9. Two other 10. Europa has water in its upper layer 150 km 2.Hydrogen (86.4%) Helium (13.6%) Uranus 3. 9.93 hours (fastest of all planets) 1.William Herschel in 1781 4. Just over 12 years 2. 5. Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto 3.Hydrogen (82.5%) Helium (15.2%) Methane (2.3%) 6. Io 4. Spin axis is 98 degrees Orbit is 84 years 7. Tidal bulges generate heat inside 5. Titania and Oberon (Midsummer night’s dream) 8. year 1665 size 26,000 km x 14,000 km 19 times further from the Sun than the Earth www.astroNoMy.org.nz 19