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October 2003 Does the Moon Spin? $3.00 BONUS!! Is Polaris the Brightest Star? Faces on Mars – The Works of Martians? Eggs can only be balanced during Equinox? Complementary Game show CD to be given away with every copy of Young Astronomer’s Digest! The past 10 months have been a wonderful one for the team at Young Astronomer’s Digest – when we first started out with this, we were in trepidations because we were so new to this – both the magazine and the audience. We certainly cut our teeth on being the first true astronomy magazine in Singapore – sourcing for information, experts to talk to us, writers with the credentials… but at the end, the blood, sweat and tears were really worth it! So for our first birthday in December, we’re celebrating with a blast! There’s going to be a big party and all of you are invited! Make sure you check out the details in next month’s issue, alright? Speaking of issues, last month’s special on Mars really brought up some intriguing, yet rather unsettling ones – it was quite surprising to find out that many of you believed the email that was being circulated around that on August 27th, we would be able to see 2 moons, and wrote in to us demanding to know why this did not happen. (Check it out on Page 25) Hence we were inspired to find out what were the biggest misconceptions about astronomy right here in Singapore, and conducted a poll and interviews with people on the streets in order to do so (results on Page 3). Yes our dear readers, in case you didn’t already realise (which is highly unlikely, being the precocious kids that you are), this month’s issue is on the Myths and Urban Legends of Astronomy. For the younger minds, we’ve laid out myths like the phases and the spinning of the moon (yes it does spin!) as well as why stars actually don’t come in only the colour white and why Polaris may not be as bright as you think… The budding astronomers amongst us, however, can relish more advanced topics like the (still hotly-debated) theories on why the moon looks bigger than the horizon than directly overhead, as well as the different contributing factors as to why our Earth will not be ripped into two when the next planetary alignments comes along (brace yourself though, it’s a long read!). And one other thing before I go – recently the people at Celeste’s Squares sought our help with their program, and in return they are giving away a copy of that episode with every magazine. It’s really interesting to see our words turn being demonstrated live, not to mention a good way to learn too. Do play it to your friends! Well, what are you waiting for? Turn the page already! The Editor Heidy Teo Editorial Heidy Teo [email protected] Editorial Assistants Cai Mingfang [email protected] Guo Huizi Julia [email protected] Hee Mun Keong [email protected] Lee Cheok Kian [email protected] Contributors Art Direction Marcus Hee Advertising Joel Ng Publisher Patricia Bell [email protected] Young Astronomer’s Digest Is a monthly publication. Owned by Orion’s Belt Publications. 56 Forster’s Hill Drive #03-7824 P.O. Box 74 Singapore 823193. Tel: 6993 2587 Fax: 6995 1112 Distributed by Solarwheels Singapore 642 Alijunied Road #06-12 Printed by HMCA Printing Co Pte Ltd Lolong Drive Singapore 560026 MITA (P)No. 122/01/2001 Young Astronomers Digest shall not, within the written consent of the Publisher, be given, lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or in any unauthorized cover by way of trade; or affixed to as any part of any publication or advertising., literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. While every reasonable care is taken for editorial contributions, no responsibility will be assumed for return of materials. Opinions expressed or implied in Young Astronomer’s Digest are solely those of the writers, and are not necessarily endorsed by the Editor or Publisher in relation to defamation, slander, breach, copyright, infringement of trademarks of mane of publication titles, unfair competitive or trade practices, royalties or violations of rights or privacy. Nah we’re kidding. 2 Moon’s phases………………………………...10 Why does the Moon have phases? The Moon Spins?!..............................................15 Moon Illusion……………………………….....20 There will be 2 Moons on 27th august 2003!......25 Faces of Mars………………………………….28 Planet X Sage…………………………………..33 Planet Alignment………………………………42 Colours of the Stars……………………………51 The Brightest Star-Polaris……………………..53 Egg-quinoctial Balance………………………..58 Coriolis Effect………………………………....64 Street Interviews………………………..3 Survey Results………………………….7 Letters………………………………….9 Astro FAQs…………………………….14 Astro Power……………………………18 Correspondence Constellations………...41 Just A Joke……………………………..50 Books Corner…………………………...55 WIN!........................................................63 Subscription…………………………….67 Last Page……………………………….68 3 NB: Though our questions were formulated deliberately to induce the person interviewed to agree with us, this was not incompetence on our part! We were just trying to replicate the effect these myths have on the unsuspecting. A lot of myths practice selective provision of information, which tends to misguide those who are not in the know, since they sound very scientific and altogether highly compelling. Coriolis Force “Earth spins counter-clockwise in the Northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere. Does the water in our sinks and toilets drain correspondingly? Does it drain in one direction if you are living in the Northern hemisphere, and another if you are living in the South?” “Yah that sounds quite believable. Actually I didn’t notice the way the water in my sink drains, but if it affects hurricanes then I’m quite sure it will affect the water at home as well. Hm, maybe I will go and check when I go home…” - 21, male, University undergraduate “Yah, I think so. (When asked why: ) I don’t, Nature lor.” -14, female, Bishan Park Primary “No. That is definitely a fallacy. I once watched this science programme for kids on Central, just a couple of years ago, and they showed that this is not true at all. I can’t remember why though… something to do with the sink?” – 20, female University Graduate “I only know if I put my finger in the water as it is going down the sink and swirl it around, the water will swirl in the same direction too… my auntie showed it to me one. Very fun, you wanna see?” -10, female, Townsville Primary 4 “When planets align, does this affect Earth in any way? For examples, flood and earthquakes due to an increase in gravitational force?” “Sure the planets affect us. When Venus and Mars are in alignment there's likely to be a lot of lovemaking going on.”- 28, male, banker “Erm… what in tarnation kind of a question is this?! I'm not into astrology… Do i need to agree with the theory? I have heard of it before… I guess it's theoretically possible… some have used this theory to explain mass extinctions in the earth's history, for example of the dinosaurs. I mean the moon is supposed to control the tides right... but of course planets are further away... I cannot tell how much of an effect their gravitational force may have on Earth…”- 21, male, confused University undergraduate “Wow… so technical… (pause) I’m not really sure, I think it will if the Earth is in the axis as well. (When asked what this means) As in, if the Earth is in that alignment as well. (When told of the right answer) Oh yes… I remember now… yes, gravity is weakened the further you are… ” -21, male, University “Can you balance eggs (on their ends) only during the equinox?” “Think the answer is no. Although it may be easier to do it on the equinox. Has it got something to do with the moon?? Not very sure…”-18, male, JC student “Um… I think so. Can. Erm… what did you say was the equinox again?” - 16, male, secondary student “You can balance an egg anywhere on the planet... gravity exerts the same sort of downward force what as long as u attempt it on a plane that is perpendicular to the gravitational force? But don’t so stupid go and balance on a slope lah.”-24, male, in the IT “What’s the equinox? (When told: ) Oh ok i don’t think we can only balance eggs on that day... I never tried, but I don’t think we can balance eggs at all...” - 21, female, 5 Myth : Moon is bigger when it is nearer to the horizon. 1. “Well, I do agree that the moon seems to look bigger when it is nearer to the horizon. However, maybe it is due to some illusion or error? I am not sure about this.” – 18 Yrs Old College Student 2. “ No, I am sure this is just a myth. I have read it up in a book where they relate this to the Ponzo Illusion of the railway track. Moon is actually the inverted Ponzo Illusion.” – 24 Yrs Old Undergraduate 3. “Actually I think that the moon really does look bigger when it is nearer to the horizon. I think that most probably the zenith moon is smaller because of the angle that it portrays? – 20 Yrs Old Undergraduate 4. “Of course the moon looks bigger when it is nearer to the horizon. I live near the beach and have been observing this fact for a few years already. Yes, I am very sure that it is true!” – 28 Yrs Old Businessman 6 Myth : Planet X 1. “Of course there is no such thing as Planet X. This is absolutely absurd. The technology is still not that advance to travel to so far. Anything without evidence cannot be true!” – 23 Yrs Old Undergraduate 2. “I think it is true. Those artifacts are the best evidence of what the people from ancient civilizations found out. – 21 Yrs Old Undergraduate 3. “Although this has not been proved, I believed that it is true. I am sure that our galaxy does have another “earth” that contains similar human beings? – 19 Yrs Old Tertiary Student 4. “I think it is true. That must have been the day of the well-known “Armageddon” . Although nothing happened, I am sure that one day it will. – 22 Yrs Old Passer-by 7 All stars are white in colour. False 27% True False True 73% There will be 2 moons in the sky on 27th August 2003 when Mars is closest to Earth. Yes 39% Yes No No 61% Polaris is the brightest star. False 7% True False True 93% 8 The Moon spins on its own axis Yes 25% Yes No No 75% The faces of Mars are the works of the aliens. Yes 48% No 52% Yes No Moon's phases are caused by the Earth's shadows falling on it. No 42% . Yes 58% Yes No 9 Last month article on the Aurora was great! After reading it, I was so enthralled by the phenomena. But it is a regret that only those living closer to the Earth’s poles can have the opportunity to savour such a rare appearance. No wonder it is called the Northern and Southern lights. I wondered if it has anything to do with lovely the sheets city of lights that atmospheric always glow, overcome just like the in Singapore, we are unable to observe stars in the sky. If only I can ever get the chance to witness this spectacle, I wouldn’t mind to travel far for it may not come the second time round during my lifetime… Angel Ng, 20, student Hi Young Astronomer digest, my friends and I have both agreed that this magazine’s the best! It practically covers everything that we need to know for astronomy. Interesting articles featured every month have awed me for the whole month…Plus, I was euphoric reading your July issue. The tips of buying a telescope you guys have provided gives me great ideas on where to head when I purchased one last month. Young Astronomers digest is my best buddy! I’ll give you two thumbs up for the hard work! Vivien via Email I’m avid reader of Young Astronomers digest and have never failed to purchase it every month. I especially love Your Questions as they help to broaden my knowledge. Nd your Pals Column rock! I used to have problems finding friends who appreciate astronomy as me and I actually found many from Pals Column. The credit is all yours! Keep up the incredible work! Jez via Snail Mail 10 Some Facts Illumination from the Sun We all know that the Moon changes its shape- The exact explanation is that the phases of the sometimes it is thin like a crescent, some days Moon are actually produced by the alignment of half-lit and at times, the whole disk is evenly the Moon, the Earth and the Sun. "Moonlight" is illuminated. These phenomenons are commonly really light from the Sun being reflected off of referred as ‘Phases’. Generally, the Moon’s the Moon's surface. The Moon is always phase period lasts about 29.5 days. It is marked illuminated by the Sun and as it orbits the Earth, with the emergence of a new Moon. As more of we see different amounts of the Moon in the visible part of the Moon becomes lit, we say sunlight and some parts in darkness. It is it is waxing. The waxing crescent Moon grows noteworthy to know that almost all of the till it is about half full in the phase we call first Moon's light comes from the Sun. A small quarter. From there it grows to full Moon and amount also comes from sunlight reflected off then begins to shrink back to third quarter, the Earth. When the Moon is a thin crescent, the waning crescent and finally back to new Moon. dark portion that faces Earth is faintly visible as The Misconception The reason behind the works of the changing a result. This phenomenon is known as Earthshine, or "the old Moon in the new Moon's arms". shapes of the Moon has often been assumed to be a result of the Earth's shadow falling on the Moon. The Moon is being covered by Earth's shadow in some kind of partial eclipse. The Moon is big and full, when it is fully out of the Earth’s shadow and when almost all in the Earth’s shadow, we can only see a crescent. True, the Earth’s shadow occasionally does fall on the Moon but the result is a lunar eclipse, not phases. And eclipses occur at such rare events that we do not often see it. 11 Moon’s Phases The orientation of the Sun and the Moon determine the shape of the Moon. The Sun always illuminates half of the Moon facing the Sun (except during lunar eclipses, when the Moon passes thru the Earth's shadow). A Moon’s phase starts with position 1 when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. The face of the Moon that faces the Earth is not illuminated by the Sun, thus we usually cannot see a new Moon. But, do know that the other side of the Moon is fully lit by the Sun although we are not able to spot it. When the Moon and the Sun achieve a 90 degrees angular separation, position 3 is attained and this phase is first quarter. When the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth, the Moon appears "full" to us in a bright, . round disk as the side of the Moon facing us is fully illuminated by the Sun. In between, the Moon's illuminated surface appears to grow (wax) to full, and then decreases (wanes) to the next new Moon. 12 Try This to Understand Better! First, stand in the middle of a dark room with only one bright light source (a bulb) shining from a corner. This will be the Sun. Next, hold a small sphere (it could be a pingpong ball, white Styrofoam ball or anything round within your grip). Push a pushpin into the Styrofoam ball. This will represent the Moon. You will be what you are standing on the Earth. there is only a new Moon without an eclipse. (Picture 1). View the change of shapes illuminated as you rotate the Styrofoam ball counterclockwise. Slowly move the ball counterclockwise, just to the left side of the line between you and the light source. You will see an illuminated crescent Moon. This is the waxing crescent (Picture 2). When the Moon is opposite the Sun it comes within the shadow of your head, this would Hold the Styrofoam ball by its pushpin. Start from the ball directly in between the light source and you. You can see that the side of the ball facing you is in darkness. When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, the shadow of the Moon falls over your face. That will be a lunar eclipse. Then again, the shadow of the Moon will be a total lunar eclipse. For most months however, the Moon passes above or below the shadow of the Earth and is seen fully illuminated as a full Moon (Picture 3). Rotate the ball 90 degrees counterclockwise again; you can see the third quarter phase (Picture 4). usually fall above or below of the Earth, thus Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Picture 4 13 Put on your thinking caps 1. The full Moon always rises about the same time as the Sun sets. Why? 2. Would the Moon phases change if the Moon revolved around Earth in the opposite direction? How? 3. What do you think it would be like to have several Moons revolving around Earth? Would it change your calendar? Poetry? Tides? 4. What views do you think astronauts have of Earth and Moon as they orbit Earth? References: http://starryskies.com/The_sky/events/lunar-2003/phases.html http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/moon_phases.phtml http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/Academy/UNIVERSE/MOON.HTML Dennis Mammana,Start Exploring,The Night Sky (1989) 14 maximum altitude. You will notice that without a direct gaze, that when your What are Solar and Sidereal shadow becomes the shortest, the sun appears directly above the south point of Time? – Glenna Ng, 17 horizon. So your shadow will point directly to the north at ‘local noon’ where your watches Sidereal Time: time relative to the stars (astronomical time) Solar time: time relative to the Sun (ordinary time) The basis of our ordinary measurement of and clocks will register 12 noon. As the time of your shortest shadow, the sun lies above the horizon’s south point, somewhere along the imaginary line that rises from the due time is the time it takes the Earth to spin south point, passes directly overhead, and round once on its axis. This is the period of then sinks to the north point on the horizon. time we call the day, and we split it into 24 hours, divided into 60 minutes, which we split into 60 seconds. But to be accurate, it is really a solar day and refers to the time it takes for the Earth to spin round once relative to the Sun. However, this period is not the same as the time it takes for the Earth to spin round relative to the stars. Because the Earth is traveling around the Sun in space, by the time it has revolved on its axis it has moved on a bit on its orbit, and relative to the stars has revolved slightly more than once. Why do Stars Twinkle?– Trinni,12 This is due to light waves from distant stars penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere. There, the effects of refraction produce the most familiar property- twinkling! This twinkling results from the continuous changing refraction of starlight all along the path that it takes through the atmosphere above us. In fact, the air roils and boils in complex patterns, air currents that move the atmosphere in different directions at different altitudes, creating, in effect dozens and How do I Estimate how High dozens of air pockets that each bend does the Sun Rise? – Ace Seah starlight by a tiny amount. The cumulative effect of these separate refractions makes Well, firstly, whatever you do, never look directly at the sun! Dun let your enthusiasm overcome your caution, or your eyes will soon regret what you did because the Sun will damage your eyes, it will blind you! The simplest way to keep track of the sun’s angular height above the horizon which astronomers call its altitude, is to watch the length of your shadow. It decreases to its minimum length as the sun reaches its any star’s light appearing to arrive from slightly different directions, which change many times per second. Thus you now have the ability to distinguish planets that do not twinkle from stars! Send your questions via email to [email protected] ; or write to: Ask Astro, 22 Collyer Quay, The Arcade, #22-02, Singapore 202 202 15 The Widely Believed Misconception Many blurt out the above when being It is not surprising to told that the Moon actually spins at its know own axis. Read the below message people doubt that the taken from our forum: Moon actually spins.. How is it possible that the Moon rotates? I would like to ask that many The Moon keeps the same side pointed towards us on Earth all the time and so it seems logical that it does not rotate. anyone whether the Moon does or does not rotate. I do not think the Moon rotates because there is The Moon Revolves Round the Earth concrete evidence that points that BUT! it does not. That is, the Moon can around the earth, which produces the be seen for about 12 hours of the phases that we have discussed in the day with the same face, that is "the man on the Moon". Also, no matter when you look at the Moon from Earth, you see the man in the Moon, even in China, half way around the world. If you took a picture of the Moon in Canada, and one in China, you would see the pictures are exactly the same. Remember, the moon orbits previous article. To keep the same side facing us on the earth at all time, the moon would need to spin. Not convinced? Let's say we have a new Porsche, and we take it out for a few spins around the race track. We should all agree that as the Porsche speeds around the track, the driver's side is always to the inside. The driver is on the "near side" of the Porsche, and the passenger would be on the "far side" of the Porsche. 16 Wouldn't you agree at this step that this is identical to the case of the Moon keeping one side always facing the Earth? The central flag represents the Earth here. The face that faces the Earth would be on the "driver's side" of the Porsche. BOOK We always see the same side of the Moon, but that does not mean that the Moon does not rotate. If the Moon did not rotate, we would be able to see the whole Hence, we can see that if the driver were surface of the Moon within one revolution. to face the flag at all time, the Porsche will In fact, it rotates once every 27.3 days. need to rotate. This is just the case for the This Moon. However, because the Earth is also is called the sidereal period. orbiting the Sun, the period between An Experiment speaks everything successive new Moons is not 27.3 days If you still have a hard time getting this, try but 29.5 days (synodic period). As the the following: Moon's rotation period (sidereal period) corresponds almost exactly to its period of Put any object ( say a book ) in front of revolution around Earth, the same half of you. That will be the Earth and you will the Moon is always facing us. assume the role of the Moon. Bear in mind that you have face the object at all time. There are 2 approaches in explaining the Now, you move round the book, facing the motion of the Moon- one on the surface of object. Realize you are actually rotating at the Earth looking out at the Moon and one your own axis? And you would have to outside rotate one full time as you orbit around the perform the experiment from the latter book once. approach and see the Moon rotating. the Earth-Moon system. We However, from the first approach, we can see that that the Moon does not rotate. 17 Thus, different arguments stem from the 2 This means that sometimes we can different approaches. "peek" around a bit onto the far side of More Facts Sometimes, we see slightly more than half of the Moon in the long run. The reason behind is that the Moon's orbit is the Moon and see slightly more than 50%, which is 59% of the Moon, from Earth. This is called "libration". not a perfect circle but actually an ellipse. There is 41% of the lunar surface that Hence, we will never see from Earth - the "Far its spin and rotation do not match up exactly. The Moon rotates at a Side"(refer constant rate. But, it's distance from People sometimes mistake the far side Earth, and speed in its orbit, varies quite as the dark side, which is untrue. The a bit. This means that sometimes the far side to is following not always diagram). dark as Moon spin lags behind its orbital speed, sometimes it is illuminated by the Sun, and sometimes it moves ahead. For during the case of a new Moon when instance, the Moon moves faster when the side of the Moon facing us is in nearer the Earth, which results in the darkness but the far side is brightly lit amount of axial spin and orbital position up by the Sun. becoming out of step. References: The Far Side http://www.astro.washington.edu/larson/Astro150b/Lectures/EarthMoon/earthandmoon.h tml http://www.jimloy.com/astro/moon4.htm http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/fix/mesboard/messages/190.html http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/moon_spin.html 18 1. totality – A: partially being covered. B: lunar ellipse. C: solar ellipse. 2. precession – A: accurate guess. B: Wobbling of Earth axis. C: movement of star. 3. aurora – A: name of flower. B: name of a star. C: Northern/Southern lights. 4. perihelion – A: closest to the Sun. B: path of the Moon. C: Winter period. 5. aphelion – A: name of a star. B: above the Sun. C: furthest away from the Sun 6. declination – A: going down. B: lines parallel to the equator in the east- west direction. C: lines parallel to the sky in east-west direction. 7. circumpolar – A: surroundings. B: stars that never sets. C: at the poles. 8. azimuth –A: calendar. B: position measured in degrees. C: latitude measured in degrees. 9. meridian – A: middle of the solar system. B: equation of time. C: arc passes through the horizon. 10. ecliptic – A: ellipse. B: path of the Sun. C: point overhead. 19 5. 1. totality – C. The period of total solar eclipse, during which the Sun is completely covered up. 2. precession – B. A phenomenon which causes the Sun’s vernal equinox point to slowly shift westwards overtime so that a star’s RA and declination will slowly change by about 1.4 degrees. 3. aurora – C. The Sun gives off a constant stream of electrified particles, such as electrons and protons. They flow out into interplanetary space, forming the so-called solar wind and creates the most beautiful shimmering curtains of colours in the polar skies – the phenomenon known as an aurora 4. perihelion – A. The Earth is at its closest 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. point to the Sun and is moving the quickest. aphelion – C. The Earth is farthest away from the Sun and it moves the slowest. declination – C. The lines on a map of the Earth that run east-west parallel and is projected into the sky. circumpolar – B. The stars which never set as they seem to revolve continually around the pole. azimuth – B. The azimuth of the star is how many degrees along the horizon it is and corresponds to the compass direction. meridian – C. It is the arc that goes through the north-zenith-south points at the horizon. ecliptic – B. The apparent circular path the Sun takes across the sky in the course of a year. 20 Have you ever wondered why does the Moon seem larger when it is nearer to the horizon than it is up in the sky? This is known as the Moon Illusion. Take a look at the two pictures below. Both are superimposed pictures of the Moon when it has just risen and when it is high up in the sky. But which is the correct one? Are you able to capture this powerful magic?? Figure 2 Most of you would choose picture 1 as one experiencing the Moon illusion would expect the Moons to look different in size. However do you know that in actual fact, the moon’s angular distance is about 0.52 degrees measured from an observable point? Thus photographs of the horizon moon and the zenith moon should yield the same size as shown in picture 2. Since both moons have the same diameter on the diagram, the angle that the moon projects to the eye is the same for both circles. Over widely the centuries, scholars have debated about the Moon illusion, proposing explanations and theories to explain the psychological Figure 1 illusion as claimed by some or visual illusion as claimed by others. Here I shall illustrate one of the most common theory and its applications to 21 illustrate the Moon Illusion. which results in yet another this sky illusion. Hence S S o m d n o n … So om meee d deeefffiiin niiitttiiio on nsss… … paradox is Angular size measures the angle of apparent distance theory convincingly. unable size-distance to support the the Moon’s diameter that subtends at T T h P o n o u o n Th heee P Po on nzzzo o IIIllllllu usssiiio on n the eye at about ½ degrees of arc. Linear size measures the physical (metric) diameter of the Moon itself Distance illusion states that An explanation to support the the apparent-distance theory includes the distance to the horizon moon is less Ponzo illusion or rather the use of the than the distance to the zenith moon concept of the convergence of railway and hence it looks larger and closer to track to exemplify the linear illusion is the observer. shown in the diagram below. T o n T h o T h A p p n T h o n n on naaalll T Th heeeo orrryyy ––– T Th heee A Ap pp paaarrreeen nttt Th heee ccco on nvvveeen ntttiiio n c e t h e o r y D i s t a n c e t h e o r y D i s t a Distance theory According to the apparent distance theory, the Moon should have the same angular distance regardless where it is in the sky. Consequently, people experiencing the Moon illusion Figure 2 should perceive that the horizon moon looks farther away than the zenith moon and However, population hence only looks larger. about 5% of the experience the illusion, whereas the remaining 95% actually says that the horizon moon looks bigger and closer. Such the ‘parallel’ converge at diagram, even horizontal the bars railway top part though are of the lines of the yellow the same angular size, people tend to perceive that the upper bar looks linearly ‘larger’ and further away. Such linear observation contradiction As illustrates between a the conventional theory and what people actually see. This judgment of near and far is largely based on their perception of the distance to the sky illusion is based on the influence of foreground objects that leads one have such perception. When we view the railway track receding in the horizon, it seems that the track is stretching from near to far. This is true because of our daily experiences with the railway 22 track and roadways that has Zenith moon appears smaller conditioned us to reason the diagram in such a way. This mental map thus makes us identify that the upper bar is larger in linear size in order to compensate for the apparent further Horizon moon appears distance associated. Concurrently, the lower bar, which is perceived to be nearer to us deem smaller in linear size. Just like the blocks in the Ponzo Illusion, our perception of the moon appears to be influenced by the background. The "distance to the sky" that we perceived is very much based on where we direct our attention towards it. For example, due to our daily inference with familiar terrestrial objects in the foreground (trees, houses, roads), the sky nearer the horizon appears much more distant than the point directly overhead. In addition, experience we know that from many everyday of the Figure 3 Thus it is claimed that the Moon illusion is actually the inverted railway illusion as shown in figure 3. The moon has the same true angular size whether seen near the horizon or when it is much higher in the sky. Thus when the diagram is reversed, the upper bar will represent the moon that is just above the horizon and the lower bar will symbolize the moon that is overhead. When we see the moon "against" a more "distant" horizon it appears larger than when we see it 'against" a much "closer" one. Not convinced? Let’s do a simple recognizable things we see in the experiment! When the Moon just rises distance are quite far away. But when above the horizon, hold a piece of our gaze is upwards, we have no paper with a hole embedded in the reference cues for distance, and judge center. Look through the hole and you things near the zenith to be closer will realize that the Moon will look than those on the horizon. smaller as the horizon effect will disappear. It follows the argument that the familiar paper wall reference obscures objects in the the surroundings and hence the conclusion that Moon illusion is due to direct 23 comparison with reference objects of known sizes. However, there are people who argue that the Moon illusion is still present even on a barren land as shown in the applet (http://www.sandlotscience.com/Moon illusion/moonillusion1.htm), or even at the ocean and also by airplane pilots in the course of flying above the clouds. Figure 4 According to the sky-dome paradigm Thus it is not true that reference in the above diagram, most people objects accounts for the Moon illusion. perceive that the sky have limits and Furthermore, imagined it to be like a relatively as suggested by Donald Goldsmith, author of Connecting with the Cosmos, as well as other authors, he suggested yet another experiment. The observer will bend over and look at the Moon through the legs and the Moon illusion will disappear. Why is this so? This is because it is asserted that ordinary reference objects now become unfamiliar inverted and when therefore viewed unable to account for comparison. shallow inverted soup-bowl. Therefore, an observer will perceive that the compressed dome to be the boundaries of the sky and think that the Moon will have the same angular distance regardless of where it is. Thus, as the zenith sky is closer to the observer than the horizon sky, the horizon moon must have a larger as a linear size at A as it is further away, than the zenith moon at B’. T T h M n d o m m o d Th heee M Meeen ntttaaalll---ssskkkyyy d do om meee m mo od deeelll Another explanation to sustain the concept of apparent-distance theory is the sky-dome model. Figure 5 24 Although the reason for the Moon Illusion is still not yet fully understood and that scientists are still unable to find the correct explanation for it, we should not Figure 6 blindly follow the wrong explanations as offered. However, such sky-dome diagram is not able to explain the moon illusion if it is analyzed from the side and front views. As shown in figure 5, the front view of R R n Reeefffeeerrreeen nccceeesss what the observer is seeing may be The Moon Illusion Explained actually illustrated in figure 6. Since he http://facstaff.uww.edu/mccreadd/intro4. is facing eastwards looking at the Moon html as it rises across the sky and that it is the Moon same moon no matter where he is, it Planetarian should http://griffithobs.org/IPSMoonIllus.html display a constancy of appearance such that it has the same angular distance regardless of its position in the sky. However from the side view position, the front sphere obscures the rear sphere so even though they have different angular sizes, an observer will still see only a single moon that is the front moon. Thus it is not possible to account for the differences in The Illusion, Moon Carl Illusion, Wenning, An IPS Unsolved Mystery http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/3d/moo nillu.htm Space.com http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy /sun_mysteries_020716-1.html Moon Illusion Demonstration Applet http://www.sandlotscience.com/Moonill usion/moonillusion1.htm sizes based on the different ways in which the diagram is presented. 25 There will be two moons in the sky on 27th August 2003! It's going to be a rare sight, so remember - don't The Opposition miss the opportunity to view 2 Moons in the sky - The term opposition in astronomy comes > 27 AUGUST 2003. Never again in your from the fact that as seen in the sky, Mars lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular! stands This month and next month the Earth is catching opposition, the Sun, Earth, and Mars form a up with Mars, an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. opposite the Sun. During an straight line with Earth in the middle. This takes place every 780 days and this is when Mars, in its orbit around the Sun, come closest to the Earth. The Long Anticipated day Wondering if any of you had received the above email. If you did, then you might be one of the many out there, with excitement peaked to enjoy the superb chance to view this magnificent phenomenon. Anticipating with your best binoculars and camera, you are prepared to take down this rare picture and show it off to your friends, children and grandchildren. Ah, I can empathize the disappointment in you on the long anticipated day. On August 27, the opposition is the greatest of them all in the last 5000 years. During a distant opposition, Mars can be more than 60 million miles away. The encounter will *Magnitude is the standard by which astronomers measure the apparent brightness of objects that appear in the sky. The lower the number, the brighter the object. The brightest stars in the sky are categorized as zero or first magnitude. Negative magnitudes are reserved for the most brilliant objects: the brightest star is Sirius (-1.4); the full Moon is -12.7; the Sun is -26.7. The faintest stars visible under dark skies are around +6. 26 culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles and will be the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9* and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. How big of a deal is this? Not that big, actually. Mars will only be a little closer, a little brighter, and will look just a little larger than during other "close" oppositions. If you look at Mars in the sky, it will still be just a dot…but a very bright dot! If you get a chance to look at Mars through a telescope, it will seem a tiny bit larger than at any other time during your life. It is never possible to see 2 moons in the sky due to 2 reasons. Firstly, the Moon is, on average, 238 855 miles (384 401 km) away from the Earth. The vast difference in both distances reveals that the Mars can never be as big as the Moon. Secondly, there won’t even be any Moon in the sky on 27th August 2003. It’s a new moon! References: http://www.eccseattle.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=607 http://lyyyl.blog-city.com/read/199082.htm http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/headline_universe/solar_system/stories_2003/m ars_opposit_27aug2003.html http://www.space.com/spacewatch/where_is_mars.html 27 Camera Bug ECLIPSE SHADES TELESCOPES . BINOCULARS ACCESSORIES . EYEPIECES SPOTTING SCOPES MAPS . BOOKS . SOFTWARE Protection from the harmful Solar Radiation. The lense are made of Optical Grade and 100% of Ultra Violet We Transport To Almost Anywhere! www.eshades.com.sg Tel : 67782343 334 TangTang Mall #08-21 S(263334) www.camcambug.com Fax : 68882736 172 Science Park 2 #18-22 S(772172) Blue Laser Pointer Can Point out the stars easily www.blpointer.com.sg Tel : 62634232 BINOCULARS You can’t go wrong with our binoculars during stars-watching. Astronomy PDA Software Use your PDA to track astronomy? www.astropalm.org www.bblars.com.sg Tel : 64456232 5 Ho Sum Swee Street 21 S(780005) Researcher needed Investigate and research on Astronomy Sightings. Good pay! www.tus.edu.sg/astrodept/recruit.htm Astronomy Courses Learn more skills to tackle Astronomy problem? Want to teach Astronomy? Recreation Astronomy? No more worries! Sign up for one of our courses and get 1 free Astronomy Book by Dr Alex Berny www.crawfordschool.edu.sg 17 Crawford Lane Ave 19 S(9889217) Tel : 62938943 28 Bug-eyed monsters with slimy, green skin and long, sharp talons, tramping muddy tracks through eerie marshes. Emotionless beings with raised eyebrows and pointed ears. Silvercoated and androids running amok, blasting innocent Earthlings with powerful laser beams. Sounds familiar to you? Definitely! These are some of the diverse images that we all have extraterrestrials. They derive mainly from popular sources such as novels, television programs, movies etc. While Hollywood-based science fiction film formed by the Martians? Put on your courage and imagination cap as we begin our quest to confront the Faces on Mars! "We believe in Martians, partially, because want we (author's emphasis) to believe in Martians. Subconsciously we have always been lonely: ergo, our ready acceptance of any evidence that there is Universe. life elsewhere And Mars in this is so handy......" Richard Hoagland industry has generated the costumes, props and special effects needed to produce the illusion of life on other planets, writers have spent their careers churning out page after page, describing imaginary beings from the other worlds. Movies like E.T. the Extraterrestrial and Star Trek are one of the few successful films of all time. Assuming Figure 1 that Mars once contained rivers and seas, should we consider There the possibility that there are indeed extraterrestrial beings which inhabit in intelligent life forms in Mars? If given Mars photographs of pictures that resembles existence. So let us now look at at the a face, would you think that they are clash between NASA's space science is and yet another photos to hunt prove of its 29 and the world of aliens and Exploration, Vol. 5 No. 1, 1991) a conspiracies. detailed summary of the evidence that T T h e S o y Th he eS Sttto orrry y leads them to propose an artificial On origin for various Martian features. July 25th, 1976, Nasa’s Viking 1 Orbiter spacecraft took some photographs of the Cydonia region which is at the Northern latitude of Mars. Among the photographs was one that resembled a face as shown in the above picture. And the effect was heightened by ‘bits of errors’ during the radio transmission from Mars to Earth that freckled the picture with black dots, with some forming part of They believe that these features may have been a product of a human-like culture indigenously evolved on Mars and since rendered extinct by changes in climate. According to this hypothesis these Martians constructed multiple examples of large Faces, and possibly also the pyramids and the Sphinx F F a e o Fa accce eo offffff an eye and a nostril. However, Many photos are just a play of light and people believed that it was indeed a face and any dismissal by NASA was (and still is) attributed to a government cover-up – especially by Richard C. Hoagland, the author of The Nasa claimed that the shadow and that is a ‘normal geologic feature with slopes and ridges carved by eons of winds and down slope motion due to gravity’. Monuments of Mars: A City on the In Edge of Forever (1987) who discussed Viking Press Release P-17384, Nasa the Face and related topics in it, and explained that the face is just “ a huge many more later. Hence those who are rock formation… resembles a head… convinced was formed by shadows giving the illusion constructed by intelligent beings and is of eyes, nose and mouth…” So has the the alien artifact believe that the faces appearance of the face gone through are bona fide of evidence of life on computer enhancement and hence the Mars. resulting effect of the face? Well, not In that addition community, the to Face face-hunter exactly. The late scientist Carl Sagan Brandenburg, pointed out that it is likely for people the John particular, in their caption of JPL Vincent DiPietro, and Gregory Molenaar presented the Cydonian to see faces in trees, clouds and even landforms like the mountains. Hypothesis, (Journal of Scientific 30 Take a look at the picture below of an ancient ruin. What can you see? Nothing. none actually exist, but that doesn’t prove that this isn’t a real face. Consequently, this led to (and are still ongoing) efforts to pressure NASA to take yet more pictures of Cydonia Mesa. Thus on April 5, 1998, the Mars Global Surveyor re-photographed the Cydonia Region which depicts the same geological formation as seen in the Figure 2 Now take a look at the tilted picture Face photograph. And obviously a picture speaks more than a thousand words. Any face? No! in Figure 3 and what can you see? It’s a face! Since it is such an evolutionary trait, what’s the bid deal with the Face on Mars ?? Figure 4 Furthermore, when scientists took hundreds of altitude measurements of the mesa-like features around Cydonia including the Face, the height of the Face, its volume and aspect ratio -- all Figure 3 of its dimensions, in fact -- are similar Ok, to the other mesas. Hence it is not but others may argue that so what I am trying to say is that we exotic or spectacular in any way. have the tendency to find faces where 31 So the reality is that according to some scientists, they reasoned that what the picture actually shows is the Martian equivalent of a butte or mesa -- landforms common around Face” Crater was seen by Viking in 1976 (left) and during Mars Global Surveyor’s 1999 revisit (right) (Release #MOC2-89) the American West. It is believed that Mars is full of numerous such mesas, but the rest are not popular as they don’t look like human heads and thus have received little attention. Sagan, believed that the faces on Mars is that of the result of erosion and winds and other natural forces as a result of slow geological processes over million of years in Mars. Yet Figure 6 there are still numerous books and websites claiming that the face have been built by our alien neighbours. It is ridiculous to see that authors are trading on public ignorance and gullibility to create a market for more books. Another Kermit face on Mars which is…… the frog frolicking on the Martian surface back in 1976 as seen by Viking I ! And for those who are still diligently hunting for more and more such ‘faces’ I guess the search for more faces as shownabove will lead to more revelation as to what the aliens are trying to convey to us. Figure 5 This happy face, known as the Galle Crater-134 miles wide, a.k.a. “Happy 32 R R n Reeefffeeerrreeen nccceeesss Paul Halpern, The Quest for Alien Planets: Exploring Worlds outside the solar system, 1997, Dlenum Press, NY, USA More “Faces” on Mars http://members.aol.com/tbskep/Mars_ morefaces.html The View form Number 80 http://www.eighty.btinternet.co.uk/pa ge15.htm The McDaniel Report Newsletter http://www.mcdanielreport.com/faces. htm Skepdic.com http://skepdic.com/faceonmars.html Malin Space Science System http://www.msss.com/education/facep age/pio.html The Skeptical Mind http://www.skepticalmind.com/hoagla nd.html NASA http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y20 01/ast24may_1.htm SPACE.com http://www.space.com/opinionscolum ns/opinions/ford_000613.html 33 My Very Eagle – eyed Mother Just attraction Spotted Umpteen New Planets. planets. Astronomers Using this tenth planet as the mysterious this mnemonic sentence on the outermost ascribed to adapted from Stars and Planets, it is Planet X. easy to identify all the 9 planets According to late astronomer, Robert with regard to their order from the Harrington, Sun, namely, Mars, Venus, Earth, differences between the observed Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and predicted positions of Uranus Neptune and Pluto. But wait a and Neptune and calculated what minute! How about Planet X??? Planet X might be like and where it After might be hiding. His calculation the hunt for aliens that he studied Planet X’s the inhabitation in Mars, we shall now proposed mean embark in the expedition for the 10th distance was about a hundred times planet! Swoosh………… the Earth’s and it travelled on a highly elliptical orbit. The planet T Thhee ssaaggaa also moved far above and below the When Clyde Tombaugh discovered plane of the solar system. Its mass Pluto presence would be four times the Earth’s and explained for the wobbles in the its brightness would be somewhat motion of Uranus and Neptune. greater than Pluto at the time of its Hence, during the 1980s and 1990s, discovery. in 1930, its when there were aberrations in the orbital motion of Neptune and T Trruutthh:: Thhee T Uranus, it convinced many of our The missing mass own scientists that there is a strong The gravitational effect on in the likelihood that some kind of large orbit of Uranus was actually the body exists in solar space beyond missing mass of Neptune. When Pluto and exerts strong gravitational Voyager 2 went past Neptune in 1989, the planet’s gravity deflected the spacecraft in such a way that revealed the planet’s precise mass. It was 05.% less than what was 34 originally thought. Now, with the catastrophic correct occurred mass of Neptune, earth during changes the had second astronomers have the correct forces millennium BC due to cometary upon Uranus and thus compute a showers and the close passage of more accurate orbit. Venus. According to him, Planet Venus was then the large comet Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO) which flew past Earth some 3600 In 1992, astronomers discovered years ago in 1628BC, and before, objects beyond the orbit of Neptune approximately 5200BC, 8800BC and which was a lump of ices a couple of so on with extensions 3600 years hundred miles in diameter. These previously. objects belong to the Kuiper belt, a account for this by suggesting that a zone of cometary bodies and not cometary Venus was hauling around Planet X! This comet belt supplies a tail of rocks. Later on, these rocks short-period comets to the solar were then identified as the present system, those which revolve around KBOs. Velikovsky tried to the Sun in less than two hundred years. Some of these orbits are remarkably similar to Pluto’s and Pluto is simply the largest member of the Kuiper belt as shown in the In addition, a new age story writer, following diagram. Zecharia Sitchin, came up with the theory of existence of Planet X based on his study of the Sumerian civilization He anticipated that a "10th Planet" caroms through the inner solar system and that the civilization – Annunaki / Nefilim Figure 1 inhabits his 10th planet. He claims that they are our creators and SSuuppppoorrttiinngg C Chhaarraacctteerrss Back in 1950, based on his book, Worlds in Collision, Immanuel masters. His ideas are fictitious with the strong circumstantial evidence Veilkovsky had proposed that great 35 about the alien presence on this planet. The Sumerian civilization was well organized by 3000 B.C. and lived in Mesopotamia They were very skilled in T Myytthh Thhee M the use of metals such as copper, gold, Hence a combination of science fact- and talented Kupier Belt Object (KBO) and the artisans. They were also deemed to be ancient writings on the Sumerain very well-versed in astronomy as can be texts warn of us of a large object seen in the records of their knowledge in such as Planet X, that could be the carvings on metals. headed silver and were our way again. This unknown tenth planet - Planet X (also known as Niburu) is claimed to be moving around the solar system with a long elliptical orbit of 3600 years around the Sun. It is asserted Figure 2 According to one of the ancient artifacts backing this Planet X information is a 4500 year old Akkadian cylinder seal (Figure 2) in the State Museum in East Berlin, catalogued VA/243 or also more commonly known as the Berlin Seal, Sitchin believed that the Sumerians had carved a diagram that resembles that of the solar system, with the Sun at the center. Counting the Sun and Moon as planets, the tenth planet was believed to be the unknown Planet X inhabited by aliens. that in May 2003, it will pass close to Earth and drive many disasters or even hit Earth at full force and end human civilization similar to annihilation of the dinosaurs era. As it approached the inner regions of the solar system, it will cause the Earth’s axis to flip over and hence a pole shift. Due to this Planet X, Earth will experience more earthquakes, solar flares, unusual weather patterns like tornados, storms and droughts etc as well as climatic changes such as global warming. 36 Here is an illustration of the orbit of eye, it will be easily detected with Planet modern equipment, just like how X taken form (http://www.detailshere.com/planet Pluto was discovered! xorbit.htm) Conclusion: It is ridiculous to attribute a Planet X to the little wriggles of planets. This is not good science! N Naassaa hhaass pphhoottooggrraapphheedd PPllaanneett X X iinn 11998833 No, they didn’t! In 1983, the IRAS satellite spotted an irregularity in the Figure 3 infrared spectrum that was unexplainable. These were actually Ultra-luminous Infrared Galaxies So let us now go through the (ULIRGs), galaxies in which there is evidence and arguments one by a burst of stars being born. But lack one… of anything better to report, the media concluded that NASA had A miiccaall Assttrroonnoom E Evviiddeennccee ooff discovered a tenth planet which was E Exxiisstteennccee ooff PPllaanneett X X eventually proven to be a distant As rejected by Brian Marsden, head galaxy. of the International Astronomical Conclusion: Ethics of media leads to Union’s the Central Astronomical Bureau Telegrams for issue of credibility and in Earthlings ignorance to jump into Cambridge, Massachusetts, it was the bandwagon in the search of impossible for an unseen planet that Planet X. is sufficiently massive enough to make Uranus and Neptune wobble A Anncciieenntt aarrttiiffaaccttss ddoo nnoott sshhoow w tthhee from their proper paths. Although it eexxiisstteennccee ooff aa tteenntthh ppllaanneett lies far away in the solar system, The interpretation of the Berlin seal given its brightness, even it is too by faint to be observed with a naked interpreted the Sumerian mythology Sitchin is wrong! He had 37 in the wrong way. The analysis of Southwest Volcano Research Centre the ambiguous symbol which is a in Apache Junction, Arizona, it is circle with four triangles around it clearly like rays, and squiggly lines between eruptions never increased. Though the it has been fluctuating since 1989, triangles as the Sun is balderdash. The symbol used is that shown that volcanoes it actually decreased in 2003! of a bright star, but not the Sun. if the aliens had actually communicated with the Sumerains, then what about the moons of Jupiter and Saturn or even Saturn’s ring? The seal doesn't show any of these features. And the Sumerians thought the Moon and Sun were planets, when they aren't. Surely aliens would know that the Sun and Moon are not planets! Basing a cosmological theory on a seal is kind of like describing planet earth by Prudential's Rock of Gibralter logo. Let’s imagine some future Figure 4 Conclusion: The fact that the number of volcanic eruptions has been fluctuating and does not show any sharp increase, it does not provide evidence for the existence of Planet X. archaeologist defining our beliefs by examining the MP3 Player or the flying windows of Bill Gates? Planet X researchers are convinced Conclusion: Since the interpretation is wrong in the first place, it is pure nonsense that Planet X actually existed! due to the electromagnetic field of Planet X interacting with the Planet X comes closer, it is expected that solar flares on the Sun will Bogus! When was there ever an According that the increase in solar activity is electromagnetic field of the Sun. As IInnccrreeaassee iinn V Voollccaannooeess???? increase T Thhee SSuunn bbeehhaavviinngg ssttrraannggeellyy?????? in to volcanic data activities? from continue to increase in frequency and intensity. the 38 Conclusion: Since the Sun is behaving as usual, it does not support the presence of Planet X. EEaarrtthhqquuaakkeess???? According to the data provided by the US Geological Earthquake Figure 5 Survey Information National Center, the number of Earthquakes Worldwide for According to the data from the Southwest Volcano Research Center, the graph shows that the 1990-2003 has shown that there has not been any increase in major earthquakes over the past few years. Sun goes through an 11-year solar cycle. The peak year of solar activity The table (Figure 6) shown in the is following called the solar max. Nevertheless, the Sun stays active for 3 to 4 years each cycle and its activity rises and declines page illustrates the magnitude of the earthquakes as well as the total number of earthquakes starting from the year continuously. In particular, the last 1990 to 2003. Though it seems that 3 solar cycles have actually had a no. of earthquakes have increased double peak of activity where they apparently over the years. This is due to better devices in detecting seem to peak in 2 different years. them accruing to rapidly increase in As we are now completing the the number of seismograph stations second peak, we would be expecting in substantial amount of solar activity. improvements And according to Dr Phil Plait, the communications and not because flares in the second peak tend to be there is a real increase in the more violent than in the first, so we number of earthquakes. Hence, if actually expect Planet X was expected to arrive in activity in the more energetic second peak the world and in the many global May 2003, the no.of earthquakes currently. 39 should have increased as hypothesized, but it didn’t! (Figure 6) Conclusion: Since there are no addition to earthquakes, it should R Reeffeerreenncceess not be use as an indicator of Planet Ken Crosswell, Planet Quest, The X. Epic As predicted, Planet X would have System, Oxford University Press, already passed by us and bring 1999. about Joachim Ekrutt, Stars and Planets, the above catastrophe Discovery of Alien Solar mentioned. However, it is already Barron’s 2nd Edition. October now and May has way Planet X and the Pole Shift passed us. So we are overdue for the http://www.planet-x.150m.com/sun.html close YOWUSA encounter, explanation for that? any further http://www.yowusa.com/Archive/Februa ry2002/Nibiru1/nibiru1.htm Cassiopaea http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/sitchin2. htm http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/sitchin.htm Bad Astronomy http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc /planetx/science.html USGS Earthquake Hazard Program http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqstats.h tml http://www.dxlc.com/ 40 Magnitude 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 8.0 to 9.9 0 0 0 1 2 3 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 7.0 to 7.9 12 11 23 15 13 22 21 20 14 23 14 15 13 11 6.0 to 6.9 115 105 104 141 161 185 160 125 113 123 158 126 132 96 979 1106 1345 1243 1171 712 4.0 to 4.9 4493 4372 5196 5034 4544 8140 8794 7938 7303 7042 8045 8084 8630 5456 3.0 to 3.9 2457 2952 4643 4263 5000 5002 4869 4467 5945 5521 4784 6151 7003 5169 2.0 to 2.9 2364 2927 3068 5390 5369 3838 2388 2397 4091 4201 3758 4162 6421 4944 1.0 to 1.9 474 801 944 1137 1389 0.1 to 0.9 0 1 1 10 51 No 5062 3878 4084 3997 1944 1826 2186 3415 2426 2096 3120 2807 Magnitude 2939 2097 Total 16612 16516 19548 21476 19371 21007 19938 19872 21688 20832 22256 23534 *27456 *1992 6 5.0 to 5.9 1635 1469 1541 1449 1542 1327 1223 1118 887 1177 2 9 779 645 295 388 805 17 19 1 4 10 Estimated 51916 2326 3814 10036 1038 7949 Deaths 715 1028 5 419 2907 9430 22662 5 231 21357 1712 41 2786 Correspondence Constellation! Hi my name is Desiree Lim and I’m 9 this year. I’m looking for people who live near Yoz! I’m Edmund Kwok, 13 and in Sec One this year. I am in Basil View Secondary School. I want to meet other boys my age who are interested in the planet Pluto (if you know that Pluto is not considered to be a planet by some, and you know why, then you are the person I am looking for!) and comets. Contact me at 99199239 now! my house so that we can star-gaze together. My favourite constellation is Leo because I’m a Leo. My favourite planet is Mars because it is very beautiful. I stay in This is for anyone out there who’s interested: My friends and I are organising a star-gazing slumber party and we want to invite as many people as possible along! Problem is, we are new to astronomy, so we don’t quite know when’s a good night to pick to lie out in the grass with our (borrowed) telescopes. So we would really be grateful if interested parties come along and help us out with the technical bits! We promise to take care of the refreshments. ☺ By the way, we stay in the Pasir Ris area, so it would be good if you did too, for convenience’s sake. Call us at 99527843. Marie, Cindy, Erica and Lucy (we’re all 16 years old). A shout out to everyone who is in Want to make new friends? Write in! Your message can be about anything at all, as long as it is related to astronomy and not exceeding 120 words. Make sure you include your name and a medium for contact. Once you’re done, send it to: Young Astronomers Digest Correspondence Constellation! 56 Forster’s Hill Drive #03-7824 P.O. Box 74 Singapore 823193 love with ancient astronomical instruments! Hi my name is Marcus Ching, and I love sundials. They aren’t perfect, but that’s what makes them so endearing. Do drop li if ith !B 42 Earthquakes. Floods. Both of which to first check out the validity of the would cause untold millions in property information they were peddling – but to be lost and many people to lose their we’re not about to endorse such homes and loved ones. Utter chaos reprehensible behaviour. Without further unleashed onto Eath. Or, worse, some ado, let’s take a look at the Top 10 say that there is a possibility the Earth Reasons Why The Next Planetary might split in two, spelling the end of not Alignment Will Not Evoke Mayhem On only humankind but life as we know it. All Earth. (Okay, 5.) this because the heavenly bodies in our beloved solar system are lining up in a 1)We’re on pretty good stead that the rare and terrifying event that as a result Earth is still around and going about its would bring about great cosmic business as before. energies which we are powerless to prevent. Despite the last outcry being just over 3 Hold on a second. This doesn’t sound years ago, regarding the Great like typical fare we at Young Alignment of 5 May 2000, where it was Astronomer’s Digest would dish out to espoused that due to a series of our readers. And the truth is, it isn’t. planetary alignments taking place over Although not quite an issue in these the course of the year, the Earth would parts of the world, in the West (well, tilt, tidal waves would cause America largely) such fear-mongering earthquakes and polar ice-caps would has been spread not only by people melt and flood the major cities of the who meant well but who have quite world, that day went down in history as honestly been mistaken, but also by The Day Where Disaster Struck – Not. charlatans who have tried to make a quick buck out of those who’ve had the Yes, you’ve heard it here first – the wool pulled over their eyes, without Earth is still spinning! We’re still alive! This being bothered is not some parallel dimension we’ve been living in these 3 years! Seriously though, folks, the Earth has been around for millennia – 5 billion years is a rough e 43 estimate - and though planetary of planets3, or confluence of planets4. alignments involving 5 planets (which The supposed Great Alignment of May the one in 2000 was) are rare, they 2000 really looked something like this: aren’t 5-billion-years-rare. In fact, the all of the planets come to be gathered within 90° on the same side of the Sun about once every 200 years or so. While that is a rare event for us humans, that timeframe is but an eye-blink in the lifetime of the solar system. 2)The term “alignment of planets” is a gross exaggeration of the truth. When we speak of planets aligning, the image conjured up is that of planets lined up in a straight line. The angular separation of the planets would be zero if viewed from the head of the line – in other words, they would be stacked one behind another, so that we can only see the planet that is first in line. One other condition ought to be satisfied if we were to consider an alignment a true one – that the Sun should be in alignment with the other planets as well, the Moon included.1 In reality, however, Figure 1 Though it isn’t an alignment in the strictest sense of the word, by solar system standards it’s really not too bad. This is because each planet’s orbit is tilted slightly with respect the Earth’s orbit, and the chance of there being a perfect alignment is thus pretty slim. The calculations have been made5, in fact, and the possibility of this happening is once in 86 billion-trillion-trillion-trillion years! this would be incredibly rare. A more accurate description of the phenomena mankind has witnessed so far would be planetary configuration2, or conjunction 3 1 Dr. Donald Luttermoser, http://www.etsu.edu/physics/etsuobs/starprty/220 99dgl/planalign.htm 2 As used in ibid. Dr. Brian Monson, http://drumright.ossm.edu/astronomy/conjunctio ns.html 4 Philip Plait, http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/planets. html 5 Dr. Donald Luttermoser, http://www.etsu.edu/physics/etsuobs/starprty/220 99dgl/planalign.htm 44 3)Alignments more perfect than that of If this isn’t enough to convince naysayers our May 2000 examples have come and otherwise, there is still more compelling gone, none accompanied by any at hand. Dr. Monson at his website destructive results. “Planetary Conjunctions”6 has made use Okay, so maybe the alignment – of a computer planetarium program to confluence of planets did not bring search for alignments similar to the May about the destruction of the world, but it 2000 one, and came up with the what about afore-predicted floods? following results: Earthquakes? One way of looking at it would be to think about the number of times our Date Minimum Separation solar system has experienced these planetary alignments. If a “good” 12/28/1047 3.36° planetary alignment comes by every 4/24/1146 3.21° 200 years, that works out to 5 every millennia, and since humankind has 9/20/1186 6.98° been around for about a million years, 1/3/1285 that puts the number to be about 5000 6/21/1385 3.79° such planetary alignments we have 11/9/1425 8.41° been witnesses to so far. A few dozen of 9.58° 2/18/1524 6.94° these must have occurred since Man 7/9/1622 has been keeping written records so it 7.36° makes sense to say that if anything 8/22/1624 9.01° terribly bad had happened during one 9/2/1861 3.56° of the alignments, it would have been written down and we would be privy to (Note, however, that these calculations this knowledge had anyone who are only for planetary alignments of wanted to strengthen his/her arguments three planets within 10° of each other – on the destructiveness of planetary namely Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – and alignments had gone to look for past not forgetting being in line with the Sun, records. We have not heard of any, whereas the one in May involves 5 reason being there probably was no such correlation, and in all likelihood there will never be. 6 Dr. Brian Monson, http://drumright.ossm.edu/astronomy/conjunctio ns.html 45 planets.) Clearly, the results show that 4) The net effect planets have on the there have been better-aligned planets Earth during an alignment (and pretty than that of May 2000 – to no much everywhere else) are negligible. detrimental effect. Human civilisation did not cease to exist in 1861. By Duh. If it could we would not have taken extension, it will probably also not be such pains to set up the argument so far. wiped out during planetary confluences But in any case, what de-bunking in time to come. something takes is proof, otherwise it would put us in the same league as Some people would point out that those who wanted to make money out Venus and Mercury have not been of cheating unsuspecting people. included in the calculations. Surely Let’s start with gravity, and move on to planets so close to us should have some tides, which are the real earthquake- kind of effect on the Earth when they causing forces outside of the Earth itself. actually line up? Gravitational pull depends on two factors: the mass of the object that is At first glance, this argument is a very pulling on the Earth, and its distance valid one because yes, there is an effect from the Earth, with distance being the being exerted; two to be exact, and more important factor of the two. The they are gravitational pull and tidal strength of this pull is inversely forces. These are the two ways a planets proportionate to these two factors. To (or any large body for that matter) can be exact, the strength is equal to the act on the Earth. As defined by Philip square of the distance of the object. Plait on his “Bad Astronomy” website7, Something twice as far away as the gravity in our context is how hard a Moon is to the Earth will thus have a particular planet can pull on the Earth, quarter of its effect on us. Clearly, the and tidal force is one that stretches us gravitational force you exert on rather than pulls. Gravity, if strong something drops quite significantly the enough, can pull the Earth from its orbit, further away you are from it. while tidal force can rip it into two. The question is: can planets have such an Tidal force is similar to gravity, only this effect on us? time distance is of even greater importance. Tidal force actually drops with the cube of its distance from an 7 http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/planets. html 46 For any soothsayer who says that a 1.6 % object! If the Moon were twice as far increase in gravitational pull is enough to away from the Earth, then the tidal force create a significant impact on the Earth we experience from it would (nevermind that it is really tidal forces correspondingly drop 2*2*2 = 8 times. If it that should bring about earthquakes) were 10 times farther away it would this next bit of information should quiet exert 1000 times less tidal force than it him/her down a bit. The moon’s orbit originally did! Already, this tells us that around the earth is elliptical. At perigee, the force exerted by the planets on us its closest approach, it is about 363,000 would be much less than that exerted kilometers away, and at apogee, its by our humble Moon, knowing how far farthest point, it is about 405,000 away Venus, our closest neighbour, is kilometers away. That works out to 25 % from us even at closest approach – but difference in gravitational pull, far for the record it is 150 times further. A outstripping the net effect of 1.6 % the more graphic demonstration of this can May 2000 one had. Even if we used the be seen by plotting the forces of gravity statistics of the 1861 alignment, which if and tides of each of the planets on a you remember was more “in line” than table: this latest one, the difference would not be earth-shatteringly large (in fact it Planet Mass Distance Gravity (10^22 (Moon=1) Tides would still be rather small). (Moon=1) Now if the soothsayer were right, then kg) every month we would experience Mercury 33 92 0.00008 0.0000003 Venus 490 42 0.006 0.00005 of the Moon – there would be no need Mars 64 80 0.0002 0.000001 for a Great Planetary Alignment to send Jupiter 200,000 630 0.01 0.000006 Saturn 57,000 1280 0.0007 0.0000002 so such an argument can be easily Uranus 8,700 2720 0.00002 0.000000003 discarded. Neptune 10,000 4354 0.00001 0.000000001 Pluto ~1 5764 The masses are in units of 10^22 0.0000000006 0.00000000000004 kilograms (the Earth masses 6x10^24 Moon 7.4 0.384 1.0 1.0 Figure 2 great floods and earthquakes courtesy humankind onto the “Extinction” list at all. Obviously, this did not happen, and kilograms, or 600 on this scale), and the distances in millions of kilometers 47 (distances of closest approach to the For any soothsayer who says that a 1.6 % Earth to maximize the effect. In reality, increase in gravitational pull is enough to the force will be smaller than what is create a significant impact on the Earth given)8. (nevermind that it is really tidal forces that should bring about earthquakes) The total effect of gravity of all the this next bit of information should quiet planets on Earth is only about 1.6 % that him/her down a bit. The moon’s orbit of the moon's.9 For tides, Venus stretches around the earth is elliptical. At perigee, the Earth most, even though it’s much its closest approach, it is about 363,000 smaller than the mighty Jupiter, because kilometers away, and at apogee, its (on average) it is the closest to us next to farthest point, it is about 405,000 the Moon. Yet, it only stretches us 5 kilometers away. That works out to 25 % hundred thousandths as much as the difference in gravitational pull, far Moon does. In other words, its tidal force outstripping the net effect of 1.6 % the on us is amounts to nothing much. Less May 2000 one had. Even if we used the can be said of the other planets, which statistics of the 1861 alignment, which if are much further away, as evidenced in you remember was more “in line” than the table above. this latest one, the difference would not be earth-shatteringly large (in fact it 5) But is this enough to destroy the Earth? would still be rather small). Two words: the Moon Now if the soothsayer were right, then every month we would experience great floods and earthquakes courtesy of the Moon – there would be no need for a Great Planetary Alignment to send 8 Philip Plait, http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/planets. html . See also John Mosley, http://www.griffithobs.org/SkyAlignments.html (tidal forces), and in Skeptic vol. 4, no. 4, 1996, pp. 46-54, http://www.skeptic.com/04.4.mosleymillennium.html , Truman Collins, http://www.tkcscollins.com/truman/conjunct/conjunct.shtml (tidal forces), Brian Monson, http://www.griffithobs.org/SkyAlignments.html , Frank E. Reed, http://www.clockwk.com/tides/ (tides), and Dr. Donald Luttermoser, http://www.etsu.edu/physics/etsuobs/starprty/220 99dgl/planalign.htm (largely bsed on Plait’s website). 9 Brian Monson, http://drumright.ossm.edu/astronomy/forces.html humankind onto the “Extinction” list at all. Obviously, this did not happen, and so such an argument can be easily discarded. 6) A last word (Probably) The only study to have found a weak correlation between tidal stresses and earthquakes has been largely forgotten – most likely because it wasn’t very significant. 48 If proponents of the doomsday protest The another, of the 125 earthquakes that that all that has been offered so far has registered greater than 6 on the Richter been too abstract or too “scientific” and scale and the 15 or 16 heliocentric thus may win the argument purely due alignments since 780 B.C, all but one did to its brute numbers and figures, well, not coincide at all. Statistically speaking, there have been simple, direct this did not mean very much at all. observations made too. A study We’re Saved! published in Nature 13 years ago (Kilston and Knopoff) claimed to find a weak While predictions of doom due to the correlation between large earthquakes configuration of 5 planets have been on strike-slip faults in California and daily around since 300 B.C., we are still and semi-daily tidal stresses, reports John steeped in a world of superstitions Mosley10. There has also been no despite coming such a long way in attempt at repeating the study terms of technology. Then again, man however, as far as is known. It isn’t hard has long had a need to find an order for to see why, since a “weak correlation” things, or to give significance to the rare could mean that this was purely a occurrences of the world, for example spurious relationship, and even if it that the planets massing would signify wasn’t, there is very little for us to be something of greater importance – in worried about. this case, danger. Such tendencies of our species on its own usually lead to no On the same website, there has been harm, but once people start exploiting mentioned two attempt to correlate this of others, then something should be Chinese earthquakes with heliocentric done. And while the new and the media planetary alignments. Results were less at-large would go on sensationalising than astonishing, unless for the lack of such non-events (from a purely any proof that the two were connected geological point of view, of course) as at all. In one, out of the 11 earthquakes long as there people out there “with an intensity greater than 8 since uneducated about the truth, we at 1000 A.D.”, none were found to coincide Young Astronomer Digest will continue with a heliocentric planetary alignment. to fight the good fight. 10 John Mosley, http://www.griffithobs.org/SkyAlignments.html and Skeptic vol. 4, no. 4, 1996, pp. 46-54, http://www.skeptic.com/04.4.mosleymillennium.html 49 http://drumright.ossm.edu/astronomy/c onjunctions.html http://drumright.ossm.edu/astronomy/fo Resources: Bad Astronomy http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/mi sc/planets.html Griffith Observatory (at the end, talks about earthquakes and tides) http://www.griffithobs.org/SkyAlignments .html rces.html Frank Reed http://www.clockwk.com/tides/ Donald Luthermosser http://www.etsu.edu/physics/etsuobs/st arprty/22099dgl/planalign.htm Skeptic (on whh Griffith is based) http://www.skeptic.com/04.4.mosleymillennium.html Truman Collin http://www.tkcscollins.com/truman/conjunct/conjunct.s html Brian Monson 50 Ju st A Jok e! Living on Earth may be expensive, but it includes an annual free trip around the Sun Susie Ong Delhi Hill Girls Sec. 3 How do you know that Saturn is married more than once? Because he has lots of rings. Kwan Pern Hwa Broadrick Sec. 2 An astronomer is on an expedition to Darkest Africa to observe a total eclipse of the sun, which will only be observable there, when he's captured by cannibals. The eclipse is due the next day around noon. To gain his freedom he plans to pose as a god and threaten to extinguish the sun if he's not released, but the timing has to be just right. So, in the few words of the cannibals' primitive tongue that he knows, he asks his guard what time they plan to kill him. The guard answers, "Tradition has it that captives are to be killed when the sun reaches the highest point in the sky on the day after their capture so that they may be cooked and ready to be served for the evening meal". "Great", the astronomer replies. The guard continues, "But because everyone's so excited about it, in your case we're going to wait until after the eclipse." Rubern Chiang Victoria High Yr 1 What kind of star wears sunglasses? A movie star. How did the astronaut serve drinks? In sun glasses. Linda Janet Reid was driving her daughter westward after the Malibu fires when the smoke in the sky made everything look surreal. "Oh, Wendy, look at the sun," she told her daughter. "It looks like a big ball of fire." The three-year-old preschooler replied: "It is a big ball of Why didn’t the Dog Star laugh at the joke? It was too SIRUS. Kate Lopez Mullein Girls Sec 4 fire." Halim Bin Muhammed Bukit Purmei Sec. 2 51 “What are the colours of In actual fact, not all stars the stars?” All typical students will are white in colour. One will notice have a unanimous answer. In fact, that in the summer, a bright star, there are tons of people out there Vega, at the Northern hemisphere who think that all the stars are will appear to be blue. Also, another white in colour. They claimed that star, Antares, will appear to be red this is true because every time or orange. In the winter, one will when they see the star using their notice that another star, Betelgeuse naked eyes, it is always white. in the constellation of Orion, will An 18 years old student appear to be red. All these are not once exclaimed that if the colour the stars’ fault but ours. Why is this is not white, what can it be? Well, so? To explain this, we must relate what about you? Do you think that to the theory of light. Light’s it is really white? Or are you one behaviour is like a wave and the of the special one who thinks that colour of light depends on the it is not? wavelength. 52 An object at a given Thus, when a light is too dim, this temperature will emit most of its sensor will not be activated and we light at a certain wavelength. Less will see it as white colour. This is light will be emitted at other why a dim red star looks white and wavelengths. Thus, base on this only brighter stars will portray theory, this explains why different other colours. stars will have different colour because all of them have different To have a better view of stars, do try temperatures. to use the binoculars to view those Vega glows blue because it is a very hot star with bright stars that still look white. higher temperature. On the other With the binoculars, more light will hand, Betelgeuse looks red because be focus on our eyes and hence it is much cooler. activating the “cones”. This will Well, you must be thinking that I am joking and that why the then lead to us to viewing the star’s actual colour. Have fun in it. stars still look white to us when they are suppose to be of different References cited: colour. To disappoint you, this is • actually because we are using our naked eyes to view them. Our eyes /bad/misc/starcolors.html • contain two different kind of light sensors. One is called "rods" that http://www.badastronomy.com http://hubblesite.org/newscente r/archive/1995/06/ • http://webphysics.davidson.edu detects brightness and the other is /alumni/MiLee/java/bb_mjl.ht called "cones" that detects color. m The “cones” are not very sensitive. • http://www.sr.bham.ac.uk/~da/ eic/colours.html • http://www.star.le.ac.uk/edu/st ars/index.html 53 My friend once told me that if I Well, what is the truth? lose my way, just look for the Actually, Polaris is not the brightest brightest star in the sky, Polaris. With star in the sky. In fact, Polaris is it, I will be able to find back my only the brightest star in Little direction. I was very skeptical after Dipper and not the whole sky. To listening to my friend’s advice. I add on, Polaris is not even in the decided to ask around my friends to top 10 rankings for brightest Stars reaffirm his advice and a shocking in the sky. The disappointment is new perturbed my mind after that. that its ranking is only 48th. What Many people actually widely believe exactly is the reason why everyone that Polaris is the brightest star in the thinks that way? sky. In fact, all of them sounded so confident that I almost believed them. Upon regaining my sense, I really had a hard time convincing them of the truth. 54 I came up with two deductions. When it is no longer the North Star, One is due to the position of the will people still think that it is the Polaris Star viewed from earth. Due brightest star? I am sure the same to the rotation of the earth, the sky answer is all in our mind. seems to be moving above us. If we To add on, Polaris is actually very view it from another planet where the far away in terms of light-years. axis is pointing differently, we will see Also, the South star, Sigma Octans, a different spot in the sky as the which is now nearest to the South North Celestial Pole. Then, the North Celestial Pole, is hardly visible at all. Star viewed there which is supposedly to be the brightest star will then Reference Cited: contradict with thinking of Polaris Star being the brightest. • The other reason that causes this misunderstanding is due to the /bad/misc/badpole.html • importance of Polaris Star. As it is now the closest star to the North • Vega will then assume the role of the http://hometown.aol.com/nlpjp /polaris.htm • In 14 000 years or so, the star Vega will be near the North Celestial Pole. http://www.cosmobrain.com/co smobrain/res/brightstar.html Celestial Pole, it is the North Star currently which does not rise or set. http://www.badastronomy.com http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kal er/sow/polaris.html • http://www.glyphweb.com/esky / stars/polaris.html North Star then. Thus, if one say that Polaris is the brightest star because it is an important North Star, then what will happen 14 000 years later? 55 The Backyard Astronomer's Guide (Hardcover) By Terence Dickinson, Alan Dyer Revised edition (October 2002) Original Price: $49.95 Now Selling At: $34.97 Savings: $14.98 Details on the book When one embarks on the route to take up recreational astronomy, there are bounds to be millions of questions. What type of camera do I need? Are those new computerized telescope mounts good? What are some of the references I need other than charts, books and software? Information that are accurate and updated are very complex to find. Since the first edition of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, it has become a mandatory book for all recreational astronomers. With the updated edition coming out, one can expect more information in this edition. 56 Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Buying, & Using Telescopes and Accessories (Paperback) by Philip S. Harrington 3rd edition (May 15, 2002) Details on the book Want to know what to choose and how to care for astronomy equipments? This book is just for you. There will be references to difficult terms and concepts and some practical tips on how to maintain your equipments. There is also a “Homemade Astronomer” chapter to teach some projects such as parallelogram binocular mount made out of crutches. This book is highly recommended for all amateur astronomers who are interested in learning about and purchasing the best equipment. Now Selling At: $19.95 57 The Planets in Full Score (Paperback) by Gustav Holst January 1997 Edition Details on the book Original Price: $14.95 Now Selling At: $10.47 Savings: $4.48 “The Planets is Holst's masterpiece. It was an epic undertaking, both in size and orchestration, and is hugely influencial on many classical pieces today. Perhaps it was his unique and detailed orchestration that made this work stand out the most. It only takes one look at Dover's wonderful release of the full score to fully realize how monumental it was and to better appreciate it. Holst used every instrument in the orchestra effectively and masterfully integrated them into the piece. Even Rimsky-Korsakov, the master of orchestration, lacks the ingenuity and creativity Holst used with the orchestra in this one. This piece was way beyond of its time and, therefore, I strongly recommend it as a staple to any classical music listener's collection. By looking at it, you'll appreciate the piece much more than you did before and for orchestration fanatics like myself, you won't find any better score in terms of orchestral complexity. It's fun just following along with the piece.” Reference Cited: www.amazon.com 58 Thirty raw eggs, 10 science classes and the first day of fall are ingredients for the great equinoctal (sic) egg experiment at Vivian Middle School. "On the first day of spring and the first day of fall, you can make an egg stand up on end," says Janet Stevens, who teaches eighth-grade science. "We have a competition at our school to see which grade can make the most eggs stand up." She said the eggs can be stood on end only when the sun is absolutely dead overhead, so that the force of its gravity pulls the eggs up rather than to one side… A lot of students test the idea at home in hopes of proving that eggs can be stood up before or after that date, she said. "Kids are so skeptical. They don't believe it. But it doesn't work except on those two days," she said. "A lot of kids are disappointed because they can't get their egg to stand up on the day, and they know it's their only chance." That excerpt from an article in The article, dated 21 September 1987, is a Baton Rouge State Times, “Will test little old, and – thankfully – locally such equinox?”11, a misconception isn’t given much couldn’t be further from the truth. The attention in the news unlike in the West, equinoxes, while being a special time of but judging from the results gleaned the year – especially for you aspiring from this issue’s poll (Page 7), we astronomers – does not bring about any humans are rather gullible creatures. As special quality to the gravitational pull of the old adage goes, prevention is better the Sun on the Earth. Granted, the than eggs 11 cooperate with cure, and we at Young Astronomer’s Digest intend to set From a search made on www.factiva.com 59 things straight before any real damage to the diagram above). That is when we can be done. get summer. So, if the axis on the side of the North Pole is pointing towards the Sun, it is summer in the Northern hemisphere. Figure 1 To understand why there isn’t any magical balance in our solar system when the equinox takes place, we have to start with the matter in which the earth rotates. The Earth spins on its axis tilted 23.5° with respect to the ecliptic, its orbital plane, as can be seen in the diagram above. Figure 2 Summer However, at that time the Southern hemisphere would be pointing away from the Sun, however, the for those in the Southern hemisphere it would be winter-time. Similarly, while those living in the Northern hemisphere are experiencing winter, people in the Southern hemisphere would be enjoying summer. It is this tilt of the Earth that Winter On top of that, somewhere along the Earth's path on the ecliptic the axis causes the seasons (and not the distance will also be 90° away from the Sun. In of the Earth from the Sun, as some fact, this happens twice yearly, at the people mistakenly believe – but that’s Spring (vernal) and Fall (auntumnal) another story altogether). As the Earth equinoxes. Because of the angle the makes its way around the Sun on its Earth is facing the Sun, this means that orbit, some way along the line the axis on such a day (approximately 21st March will come to point towards the Sun (refer and 21st September), everyone on Earth 60 will experience more or less equal hours are able to be balanced, we would not of day and night – 12 hours thereabouts get reports of some eggs being able to of each. This is already special in its balance, some not, some having not own right; but somehow people started balanced on the first try do so after to attach more significance to it than subsequent tries and vice versa, or that there is in reality. The fact that there are the eggs once balanced could go on two equinoxes that take place every year assuming the position for days, even but most of the time the media only pays weeks, without toppling over. attention to the one in March already The eighth grade teacher Janet serves as a beacon of warning to us Steven’s reasoning behind why an egg is (though surprisingly this is not the case supposed to only be able to stand up at for the excerpt used). the equinox, that it has got to do with the force of the gravity, is the most common one given. Some say that gravity is “balanced” when the Sun is over the Spring Earth’s equator; others say that the Sun exacts a stronger attraction on the Earth on these two days 12 , and yet others say the Sun’s gravity “lines up with the Autumn Earth’s”13 during this period. With Another piece of information to regard to the last explanation, if you note is that while the equinox is a certain draw a line from the centre of the Sun to day, the Sun is actually on the equinox at the centre of the Earth (where both’s a certain moment in time – if the whole centre of gravity reside) this happens at deal about the equinox is true, then any time, not just at the equinoxes, shouldn’t eggs be balanced only at the someplace on the Earth is on that line!14 particular instant in time? The fact is, if We certainly wouldn’t need the equinox they can balance at all, they can balance to balance eggs on if this were true. at any time of the day, during any time of the year. And if it really were due to 12 http://sciastro.astronomy.net/sci.astro.2.FAQ 13 the occurance of the equinox that eggs http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/egg_spi n.html 14 ibid. 61 To refute the second assertion we some places are nearer to its centre of need only to refer again to the second gravity than are others. In short, there diagram. Though exaggerated, we can really is no way that just because the Sun see that the Earth orbits the Sun in an is directly above the equator during the elliptical plane. This means the Earth is equinoxes, this would result in a magical closer to the Sun at different times of the balance of gravity as there are simply year than it is at others. The Earth is at too many other factors to consider. perihelion, or its closest approach to the While all of the above are true, Sun, in January, while it is at aphelion, this does not mean that gravity has 15 or at its furthest from the Sun, in July . nothing to do with the balancing of eggs. The difference in distance would cause a It does, and that is of the Earth acting on corresponding change in gravitational the egg. The yolk of an egg is suspended pull from the Sun, and specifically it is in the centre of it by bands called at the perihelion as opposed to the chalazae, keeping the centre of gravity equinox that this pull is at its strongest. of the egg relatively high and making it And what about the claim that rather hard to balance. But it can be gravity is “balanced” when the Sun is done, and it has been done – just take a directly over the Earth’s equator? We look have to keep in mind that the Sun is not http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc the only heavenly body that exerts a /egg_spin.html and see pictures that gravitational pull from us: of note people have sent in after successfully especially is our humble Moon, which balancing eggs on their ends. (Or, you though small still has a significant could look at this picture below of yours impact on the Earth by virtue of its truly, euphoric at having just balanced relative proximity to us. Other than the an egg. And in the throes of October Moon, the pull of gravity comes also too.) at Philip Plait’s page at from other planets and even distant stars. One additional point to ponder is that because the Earth is not spherical, and so 15 From Strobel’s Astronomy Notes, http://www.astronomynotes.com/nakedeye/s9.ht m . See also http://www.clarkfoundation.org/astroutah/vondel/equinoxver.html 62 Current Sky http://currentsky.com/articles/eggquinox /index.html Straight Dope http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2 _089.html In fact, why look when you can do it yourself? Go ahead – give yourself some hard, empirical proof that eggs can be balanced, and not just only on the equinox – just like the schoolchildren of Ms. Steven’s may add. It is important to keep an open, inquiring and sceptical mind no matter what issue it is that we are approaching. Otherwise, you may just find out that the yolk’s on you. Clark Foundation http://www.clarkfoundation.org/astroutah/vondel/equinoxver.html Strobel’s Astronomy Notes http://www.astronomynotes.com/ Resources: Bad Astronomy http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc /egg_spin.html (and http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc /eggy.html Sci.astro.FAQ (B.14) http://sciastro.astronomy.net/sci.astro.2. FAQ 63 A PAIR OF CELESTRON 15X70 BINOCULARS WORTH $129 to be WON! Just answer the following question. The first 3 readers who answer correctly will get to win the pair of Celestron 15x70 binoculars! What’s Wrong with This M ? There are 3 binoculars to be given away, so be the FIRST 3 to send your answer to: The Young Astronomers Digest 2003 Promotion, 22 Collyer Quay, The Arcade, #22-02, Singapore 202202. Closing Date: 15th Nov 64 2003 Without getting too much into Lasting vortices at that. We do not the physics of the matter, the Earth see such a phenomenon taking place as spinning causes the air of the Earth water drains from our bathtubs and to rotate in a cyclonic fashion around sinks at home, not unless this is done a low-pressure centre16. This rotation under extremely controlled conditions is in the same direction as the Earth not likely to be produced at home. lying underneath, which is counter- More clockwise when viewed from above the conditions are will be touched on North Pole. Viewed from below the later; for now it is necessary to South Pole, though, the Earth is provide an explanation as to why we rotating clockwise. Hence bodies of cannot see the Coriolis Force taking air or water rotate counter-clockwise effect in our homes. on what exactly these in the Northern hemisphere, and Simply put, the magnitude of clockwise in the Southern hemisphere. the Coriolis force has got to do with This only affects such bodies on a large scale, however, and long- the rate of rotation of the Earth. The Earth rotates very slowly, completing one rotation every 24-hours. Since it is this rotation that causes the Coriolis Force, it is really not hard to see that one rotation each day does 16 That’s quite a mouthful, but for the purposes of our write-up we shall focus on the link this has with astronomy. A more detailed, physicsbased explanation of the Coriolis Force can be found however at http://www.physics.ohiostate.edu/~dvandom/Edu/newcor.html (David J. Van Domelen). See also On Hurricanes and Bathtubs, http://www.maztravel.com/maz/explain/coriolis. html , and Which Way Will My Bathtub Drain, http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/b athtub.html not brig forth a very strong effect. Fast things moving over great distances, by virtue of how long they last are, however, affected. A good 65 example of this would be leftover spin from filling up the sink hurricanes, which do rotate one way in (the water is still spinning, for a long the Northern hemisphere and another time in fact, even though to us it looks in the South. like the spinning has stopped), any Compared to the rotation of irregularities in the construction of the Earth, the rotation of the water the sink, even to convection currents in your bathtub or sink is going at a if there is a difference between the rate much higher. Now the Earth temperature of the water and of the spins on its axis at the rate of one sink. All these factors are much rotation every 24 hours so that makes greater than that of the Coriolis it 1 / 24*60 = 1 / 1440 rpm (rotations force, overpowering it and thus under per minute). Water going down your normal conditions, it would have a sink would be rotating every few negligible effect on the water spinning seconds or so. If we put that number down the drain at home. to, say, 5 per second, that would work out to 12 per minute. That’s 12 * 1440 = 17280 times faster than the Earth’s rotation rate! Obviously, the magnitude of the Coriolis force, which depends on the Earth’s rotation rate, is very much smaller than that in a sink. While there is a real effect, this is greatly overwhelmed by the other factors going on in your sink that is causing the water to rotate down the drain this way rather than the other, ranging from the direction in which water flows down from the tap, to Under controlled extremely conditions though, wellthe Coriolis effect can be seen in a draining sink/bathtub, and has been carried out in laboratories before. However conventional bathtubs cannot be sinks used. or For experimental purposes, a smooth pan with a diameter of about one metre should be used, and a small hole from which the water would drain should be drilled in the centre. The stopper used should be removed from the outside-bottom of the sink instead of the inside as we are all used to, to 66 prevent the water from being understood by knowledge of adversely disturbed when it is being meteorology or astronomy. It is, plain unplugged. But before the stopper can and simple, a fraudster(s), at work in be removed, it is necessary to let the a bid to earn a few tourist dollars out water sit on its own for perhaps of you. weeks on end to make sure that the leftover spin introduced when filling up the pan has without doubt died out. Because of the small hole, the water would take hours to drain out of the pan, which is a good thing, because of dear friend the Coriolis Force is rather tiny, and it would need the hours before sufficient deviation in the water is developed to produce the appropriate rotation as it drains out of the pan - counterclockwise in the Northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere. So the next time you take a Resources: Alistair B. Fraser, Bad Coriolis http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/Bad /BadCoriolis.html Explanations that are centred on the physics of the issue: Physics FAQ, “Which Way Will My Bathtub Drain?” http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physi cs/General/bathtub.html David J. Van Domelen, “Getting Around the Coriolis Force” (perhaps not-so-) exotic holiday to http://www.physics.ohio- that locale on the Equator and you are state.edu/~dvandom/Edu/newcor.html told that, due to the exclusivity of On Hurricanes and Bathtub Drains your location you are able to see (Henry Laxan) water draining in one direction on one http://www.maztravel.com/maz/explai side of the line of the Equator, and n/coriolis.html then the other on the other side of the line – you will know this is not caused by the laws of physics, 67 Coral Reef Adventure 3 Pairs of Omni-theatre tickets worth $60 for the first 50 readers when you subscribe to Young Astronomers Digest! Sign up for our exclusive subscription offer Space Station Adventure and you’ll receive: Young Astronomers Digest delivered to your doorstep every month. a jam-packed magazine full of the latest in astronomy updates and fabulous news! All you have to do is to be one of the first 50 readers to subscribe, so hurry! 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