5 THE BLUE PLANET REPORT FROM STELLAFANE PERSPECTIVE ON APOLLO HOW TO GAIN AND RETAIN NEW MEMBERS
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Published by the Astronomical League
Vol. 71, No. 4 September 2019
THE BLUE PLANET
REPORT FROM STELLAFANE
5
7.20.69
PERSPECTIVE ON APOLLO
YEARS
APOLLO 11
HOW TO GAIN AND RETAIN NEW MEMBERS
What’s Your Pleasure? Contents 2020 Calendar
+30°
+20°
7h
Fast Facts
GEMINI
AU R I G A
ξ
6h
χ2
ν
χ1
Meissa λ
ORION
5h
ο2
π1
ο1
π2
TAU R U S
4h
+30°
+20°
+10°
Winter’s Cosmic Hunter
Orion
Midwinter nights are dominated
by the constellation Orion.
cosmic hunter, attended
This
by his
From Famous Observatories to Solar Eclipse
+10° μ 1
φ2 φ
an d
γ π3
hunting dogs, Canis Major
α
Bellatrix π4
Betelgeuse
ω
the
and Minor, follows Taurus
ψ ρ π5
π6 0°
δ Mintaka
eac h
M78 ε
0°
Bull across the heavens
Alnitak Alnilam
ζ σ η
MONOCEROS
night in endless pursuit.
M43 M42
ιθ υ τ
β –10°
The showpiece of the
Saiph Rigel
–10° κ
President’s Corner
CANIS ERIDANUS
constellation is the Orion
4 . . . . . . . . . .
LEPUS
MAJOR
ORION (Constellation) Nebula (M42,shown here),
–20°
–20°
5 hr;
Location: Right Ascension
5° north
a region of nebulosity
Declination
and starbirth just 1,300
4h
5h
Area: 594 square degrees
6h
7h
light-years away that is
4 5 6
Symbol: The Hunter
1 2 3
-1 0
-2
Nebula);
Notable Objects: M42 (Orion as a
M78 (planetary nebula);
NG C 2024 visible to the naked eye
sword.
(Flame Nebula)
Barnard 33 (Horsehead Nebula);
cloudy patch in Orion’s
Trapezium (multiple star
sy stem) Positioned astride the winter
t o
Milky Way, Orion is home
(Betelgeuse,
Brightest Stars: α Orionis
Library Telescope Giveaway
a; β
Arabic for “armpit of Orion”
prodigious starbirth, sprawling
4 . . . . . . . . . .
“leg of
Take Your Pick From These Tours
Orionis (Rigel, Arabic for
Orion”) regions of nebulosity, and
lo ok at
extreme stars. Here is a
within the borde rs
MORE THAN A HUNTER the treasures
sky.
Orion’s hourglass shape
has long of this icon of the winter
form, most durabl y
conjured images of a human
shield at the read y,
that of a hunter, club poised,
a belt of three evenly spaced COLOR
and sword dangling from
have seen other patterns.
HORSEHEAD OF A DIFFERENT
stars. But other cultures ni, Nebula, a dark nebula also
Library Telescope Update
people see Biboonkeoni The famous Horsehead and
North America’s Ojibwe ’s a notch of obscuring dust
Aztecs identified Orion known as Barnard 33, is
5 . . . . . . . . . .
the Wintermaker; ancient d
the wood sticks bright nebula IC 434, a clou
gas located in front of the
Belt as Mamalhuaztli, representing MOLECULAR CLOUD ATLAS
th
It can be seen just sou
fire; Polynesian ocean of glowing ionized hydrogen. s
used to light a ceremonial Molecular Alnitak. In visual wavelength
called it Heiheionakeiki because i t Orion is home to the Orion of the leftmost belt star,
voyagers forming regions appears as a silhouette.
resembled the string of
a cat’s cradle game. Cloud, a complex of star (below, top) the Horsehead Hubble
spanning hundreds of light-years
across. Infrared imaging from the
peers
Many portions are visible
in this image. Space Telesocpe, however,
below the belt matter,
The Orion Nebula appears through the background
stars and above Orion’s
two feet; the effectively rendering it invisible,
the
Horsehead and Flame Nebulae
surround and shows the clouds of
the leftmost belt star; the
Lambda Horsehead as though illuminated
“head”; and directly (bottom).
Orionis region is at Orion’s
Full STEAM Ahead
the
Barnard’s Loop nearly encircles
arc.
5 . . . . . . . . . .
constellation in a nebulous
March 2020
Save 25
S M T W T F S
February 2020
7
1 2 3 4 5 6
January 2020 8 9 10 11 12 13
14
%
21
15 16 17 18 19 20
S M T W T F S 28
22 23 24 25 26 27
$ 14.95
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10
11 29 30 31
18
12 13 14 15 16 17
Observe the Moon Night
25
19 20 21 22 23 24
26 27 28 29 30 31
6 . . . . . . . . . .
Friday Saturday
PROLIFIC PROPLYDS
Australian Observatories
Wednesday Thursday
The Orion Nebula is home
to dozens of
Monday Tuesday First Qtr Moon 8:42 PM ET
1
Sunday
Travel Down Under to visit top
for short), February Sky Guide
protoplanetary disks (proplyds glimpsed low in
ever, can be most ea sily 10th and 13th.
stars
the final incubators for newborn disks In 1880, the Orion Nebula • Mercury , elusive as
the west-southwes t after
sunset betwee n the
outhwestern sky
and their planetary systems.
These became the first nebula • Venus is a stunn ing
sight all month in the s
Lo ok for a young
are evaporatin g as night falls, appear ing
about 30° high.
surrounding nascent stars ever photographed; since near on the 27 .
th
crescent Moon passing
from other e 30° long in the
or being distorted by radiation beca use then, M42 has become the • Mars , Jupiter, and Sa
turn form a diagonal lin
is highest an d farthest
right (west), 1956: Army Ballistic Missile
Agency
glow predawn southeas t. Mars the middle, and Saturn is farthest
(ABMA) established
nearby stars. Some proplyds most photographed deep Jupiter is brighte st and
in 1959: First Titan I launchdestroyed during
and others appea r passes near
the horizon. Th e Moon the 20 th. 2003: Shuttle Columbia die
of the new stars within, left (east) and clth osest to on reentry; seven astronauts
sky object. on the 19 , and Saturn
th
beh ind Mars on the 18 , Jupiter
dark because of bright matter 8
the basis for
6 7
or less
often form
Deep-Sky Objects
them. The proplyds
4 5
observatories, including Siding
the stars.
planetary systems orbiting 3
7 . . . . . . . . . .
Vesta 0.5° south of Moon
2
October 1–9, 2019 PAGE 7
JENNIFER WISEMAN
As an undergrad eman
Jennifer Wis
studied phy
at MIT, where
she discovered
the comet
114P/Wiseman-
sics
,
Groundhog Day
9
1966: Luna 9 lands on Moonlaunched
1984: STS-41B Challenger
1994: STS-60 Discovery launched
1995: STS-63 Discovery launched;
SuitSat satellite
shuttle pilot
2006: Astronauts aboard the
Mercury at greatest elongation
Eileen
ISS launch
10
1906: Clyde Tombaugh born
11
1965: First test of Apollo SPS engine
1967: Lunar Orbiter III launched
1971: Apollo 14 lands on Moon
1974: Mariner 10 uses gravity
of Ven us to
adjust its trajectory to Mercury
12
1971: Alan Shepard hits
on Moon
2018: First Falcon Heavy launch
Juno stationary
Juno 0.6° south of Moon 13
1984: First untethered spacewalk
1999: Stardust comet probe
launched
2001: STS-98 Atlantis launched
2008: STS-122 Atlantis launched
14
1828: Jules Verne bornmission ends, last
1974: 84-day Skylab 4
crew to occupy Skylab launched
2010: STS-130 Endeavour
Last Qtr Moon 5:17 PM ET
15
Spring and “The Dish” at Parkes.
Full Moon 2:33 AM E T (18° E)
Skiff. She then Moon at perigee
earned a Ph.D. y
in astronom
at Harvard 1564: Galileo Galilei born
Wanderers in the Neighborhood
University. Dr.
craft
1972: Luna 20 launched 1973: Pioneer 10
s 1980: Solar Max launched portrait
belt
to pass through the asteroidChelyabinsk,
Wiseman studie launched
7 . . . . . . . . . .
1970: First Japanese satellite
at KSC to build 1990: Voyager 1 solar systemEros 2013: Meteor explodes over
1984: First shuttle landinglaunched 1963: NASA selects contractor 1852: Johan Dreyer born 2000: NEAR orbits asteroid Russia, injuring 1,500 people
g regions in our opes 1997: STS-82 Discovery launched the Crawler Transporter 1937: Sigmund Jähn b
to
Valentine’s Day
star formin d radio telesc 2000: STS-99 Endeavour 1974: Mars 5 enters orbit around
Mars
galaxy. She use s of dense dark 1990: Galileo spacecraft passes
by Venus
2010: Solar Dynamics Observatory 2001: NEAR lands on asteroid
Eros
21 22
SPACE
on its way to Jupiter
to map filament form behind
the 1971: Apollo 14 returns from
Moon, last launched
Pluto 0.7° north of Moon
20
The Year in
1992: First Atlas II launch
gas where stars Dr. Wiseman is
now post-mission quarantine
Mars 0.8° south of Moon
18
Jupiter 0.9° north of Moon
19 Saturn 1.7° north of Moon
Orion nebula.
a senior astrop Fli
hysicist at NASin
ght Center
A’s
Mercury stationary
16 17
Goddard Space here she serves as the
Go wine-tasting, hike in nature
Maryland, w the
ect scientist for
senior proj Te lescope.
Hubble Space 1966: Cosmos 110 launched;
sets record
1962: John Glenn becom for dogs in space (22 days)
to orbit Earth satellite launched
1978: First Navstar GPS launched
1959: Vanguard 2 launched Moon, returns launched in
1965: Ranger 8 impacts the 1931: First liquid-fuel rocket 1996: STS-75 Columbia
1965: Ranger 8 launchedlaunched 1930: Pluto discovered body speed record photographs Europe
born orbit
1996: NEAR spacecraft launched 1970: HL-10 sets lifting of space shuttle 1473: Nicolaus Copernicus 1994: Clementine enters lunar
1948: Gerard Kuiper discovers
Miranda, 2007: THEMIS spacecraft 1977: ight 1986: Mir space station launched
Uranus 4° north of Moon
28 29
moon of Uranus
2009: Dawn spacecra
Presidents’ Day
Enterprise
Moon at apogee
26
Venus 6° north of Moon
27
All Things Astronomical
1965: Saturn SA-9 launched
24
Mercury in inferior conjunction
25
New Moon 10:32 AM ET
23
reserves, and explore eclectic Syd- 9 . . . . . . . . . . 1997:
explodes
1987: Supernova 1987a solar
Kvant
system
1990: Pioneer 11 leaves module
1968: Discovery o
1969: Mariner 6 launched
2007: Rosetta spac
2011: STS-133 Discovery launched
rs
ed born
1842: Camille Flammarion launched
1966: First Saturn 1B rocket
Year In Space Fun Fact:
1897: Bernard Lyot bornbody altitude record
1970: HL-10 sets lifting
of 90,300 feet
Observers in the Southern
when it’s high in the sky;
Hemisphere see Orion
in this orientation, they
handle is Orio n’s sword,
1959: Discoverer 1 launched
1966: Gemini IX primary crew,
See, killed in plane crash
1990: STS-36 Atlantis launched
2007: New Horizons passes
“upside down”
visualize an asterism known
and whose base is the three
as the
belt stars.
Bassett and
by Jupiter 1936: Jack Lousma born
LIVE FAST, DIE YOUNG the largest stars known,
20 times the mass of Saucepan, whose angled Social Media
left shoulder, is one of of Jupiter. The long- Follow @YearInSpace on
2020
Orange Betelgeuse, Orion’s to extend beyond the orbit
its diameter—large e nough which is shedding material www.YearInSpace.com
ney and Australia’s capital, Can-
the Sun and 1,000 times
10 . . . . . . . . . Telescope Targets for Halloween
of this unstable red giant,
is the most detail ed view have created a
wavelength image (left) supernova. Past mass ejections
is destined to die as a space.
at a prodigious rate and star (right) as it moves through
that travels ahead of the
wave front, or bow shock,
berra. Plus: Stargaze under south- Wall Calendar
10 . . . . . . . . . Celestial Savings Program
ern skies. Options to Great Barrier
Reef and Uluru or Ayers Rock. 12 . . . . . . . . . Perspective on Apollo
skyandtelescope.com/australia2019 14 . . . . . . . . . NCRAL Report Enjoy this award-winning, large-format
PAGE 14 space calendar all year long!
Uluru & Sydney Opera House: Tourism Australia; observatory: Winton Gibson
16 . . . . . . . . . Report from Stellafane • Over 120 space images
• Sky events, space history, & more!
Astronomy Across Italy 20 . . . . . . . . ALCon 2019 Reports • Group discounts available
May 3–11, 2020 23 . . . . . . . . Coming Events
See more at YearInSpace.com
As you travel in comfort from Rome to Florence, Pisa, and Padua, 27 . . . . . . . . New Award Programs
visit the Vatican Observatory, the Galileo Museum, Arcetri 27 . . . . . . . . Top Award Finishers
Observatory, and more. Enjoy fine food, hotels, and other classic
Italian treats. Extensions in Rome and Venice available.
29 . . . . . . . . Observing Awards
skyandtelescope.com/italy2020
PAGE 16
31 . . . . . . . . . National Young Astronomer Award
Winners: Where Are They Now?
S&T’s 2020 solar eclipse cruise offers 2 2020 Eclipse Cruise: Chile, Argentina, Cover image: Andrew Klinger (Texas Astronomical Society)
minutes, 7 seconds of totality off the
and Antarctica took this image of IC 1396 from a dark site in Texas using
coast of Argentina and much more: a William Optics GT81 (reduced to f/4.7, 382mm) with a
Nov. 27–Dec. 19, 2020
Chilean fjords and glaciers, the ZWO ASI1600MM-Cool CMOS camera.
legendary Drake Passage, and four days
amid Antarctica’s waters and icebergs.
skyandtelescope.com/chile2020
Patagonian Total Solar Eclipse The Astronomical League Magazine
December 9–18, 2020 Vol. 71, No. 4 • ISSN: 0034-2963 • September 2019
Come along with Sky & Telescope to view this celestial spectacle in A FEDERATION OF ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETIES
the lakes region of southern Argentina. Experience breathtaking A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
vistas of the lush landscape by day — and the southern sky’s incompa- To promote the science of astronomy
rable stars by night. Optional visit to the world-famous Iguazú Falls. • By fostering astronomical education,
skyandtelescope.com/argentina2020
• by providing incentives for astronomical
observation and research, and
See all S&T tours at skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-travel • By assisting communication among amateur
astronomical societies.
Astronomical League National Office:
9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64114 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 3
President’s Corner
We are also seeking someone with successful
fundraising experience, at the local, corporate,
and national levels, to help your League attain
T hank you, Horkheimer Charitable Fund,
Zhumell Telescopes, and Celestron, for
making this wonderful program possible!
with the library patrons. In fact, the library direc-
tor, Roseanne Butler-Smith, has provided funding
to procure two more Library Telescopes and make
the art of telescope making is losing its foothold
in this hobby. As a board member of Sidewalk
Astronomers, this has been difficult to watch over
some future goals, including growth of the them available to the patrons of other branches of the past several years. Now with AL welcoming
T
QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE
outreach programs, expanded website, monthly Congratulations to the 2019 winners: the Amherst library. me on board, I am addressing the graying of the
ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE he weather is turning cooler, the trees are
Issued by the Astronomical League in March, June, September, and changing color, and the summer constel- digital Reflector, collaboration with additional Miami Valley Astronomical Society, GLRAL —Jim Zappa, AL Member-at-Large hobby as a whole by planning a telescope-making
December, Reflector (ISSN: 0034-2963) is sent directly, either by
postal mail or via a digital link, to each individual member of its lations are getting lost in the glow of sunset. It citizen science programs, and many more. We St. George Astronomy Group, MARS workshop at the AlCon Jr. in 2020. After all, it does
do everything we do with an operating budget of
Full STEAM Ahead fit under the STEM/STEAM umbrella.
affiliate societies and to members-at-large as a benefit of League
membership. Individual copies of Reflector are available at the must be time for autumn, which means ALCon Kansas Astronomical Observers, MSRAL
following subscription rates, payable to the League’s national office.
2019 is a recent memory and we are knee-deep in about $100,000. Imagine what we could do with Right now, Rob Teeter of Teeter’s Telescopes
Door Peninsula Astronomical Society, NCRAL
PAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS:
preparations for ALCon 2020. an extra $50,000 or $100,000 in grants! and the Astronomical Legaue have partnered to
USA & possessions: $3.00 each or $10.00 per year (4 issues)
Olympic Astronomical Society, NWRAL
Canada: $5.00 each or $16.00 per year The 2019 convention was a wonderful and Remember, this is your League and only you BILL BOGARDUS’S VISION generate telescope making kits for students and
Mexico: $6.00 each or $22.00 per year
unique experience, especially for first-time can help make it better. Atlanta Astronomy Club, SERAL
Other countries: $7.00 each or $25.00 per year FOR THE ASTRONOMICAL families to assemble. Rob has spent hours figur-
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: cruisers. Food was plentiful (actually, endless), —Ron Kramer, League President Astronomers of Verde Valley, SWRAL LEAGUE’S LEGACY ing and calculating as well as offering to lead the
All countries, possessions, and territories: $10.00 per year
A
and we enjoyed very calm seas and ports-of-call ATM workshop. Rob will be cutting all the wooden
t ALCon 2017 in Casper, Wyoming, Bill
REFLECTOR AND CLUB ROSTER DEADLINES
March issue
June issue
September issue
December issue
January 1
April 1
July 1
October 1
in Nassau and CocoCay (Bahamas). There were
several great presentations and two interesting
panel discussions which will benefit both the
Editor’s Note Library Telescope ̃Bogardus offered me the youth coordinator
position that had been empty for over a decade
on the Astronomical League Council. I was
pieces out of high-quality wood, individually
pre-boxing all his parts, and shipping them to
New Mexico when the time is right. (Little did I
Written and graphic material from this publication may be reprinted only
for non-profit benefit of interested parties, provided specific credit is given
to the writer(s), Reflector, and the Astronomical League. Any other use of
material, including graphics and photographs, is subject to express
permission from the Editor and the Astronomical League.
League and individual clubs and societies. Many
thanks to Carroll Iorg, Maynard Pittendreigh, and
others for a great time.
A s you may have noticed, the most recent
̃issues of the Reflector have arrived late.
We express our sincere apologies. The Reflector is
Update honored and shocked at the same time, since
I had just asked the council what were they doing
to stop the “graying” of the clubs. Quite frankly,
know that Rob won a telescope-making award at
Stellafane when he was a student in the 1990s).
In addition, Pat Murnaghan, of Coulter Optical,
A
I am pleased to report we are on a sound I thought I was going to be asked to leave the Odyssey, and e-Scopes has waived the $25 per kit
NATIONAL OFFICERS managed and produced by a small team of Astro- s the winner of the 2108 member-at-large
financial footing with an approved balanced bud- nomical League volunteers. Producing each issue meeting. But Bill liked my suggestion about shipping cost because of our bulk order. Pat told
President ̃̃category for the Library Telescope
Ron Kramer
get for the next fiscal year. Three new observing opening up the national conferences to families me he believes in and wants to support what we
9520 Dragonfly Avenue • Las Cruces, NM 88012 requires a significant amount of time and effort, Program, I am sending you this update.
520 -500-7295 • president@astroleague.org
programs are being added to our current offerings and the availability of each member of our small and students so that instead of just older kids are trying to do. I told Pat that I hoped this would
Vice President The Library Telescope was presented to the be a yearly activity for AL and create a “renais-
and we have a very bright future ahead. Of course, staff can adversely affect our timeline. coming with one parent, the whole family would
Carroll Iorg
board of directors for the Amherst Public Library, sance” of amateur telescope making in the United
9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100 • Kansas City, MO 64114;
we can always use a few more volunteers. Also, choose an ALCon as a yearly summer event since
816- 444-4878 • vicepresident@astroleague.org
We are changing our processes and expanding Amherst, New York, on May 8, 2019. States.
Secretary if you have any ideas or comments, pass them it would include the younger children.
the Reflector team with the goal of mitigating this
T
Bryan Tobias
along. he goal is to offer these telescope kits at a
Astronomical League National Headquarters
issue and ensuring we deliver the Reflector to you At the Minneapolis ALCon in 2018, Bill
9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100 • Kansas City, MO 64114
astronomerbryan@gmail.com or secretary@astroleague.org We now can set our sights on Albuquer- on time. Thank you for your understanding and continued to move forward on an ALCon Jr. reasonable price, but with quality mirrors,
Treasurer que, New Mexico, and ALCon 2020. Mark your patience. family STEAM conference for 2020. He supported and solid wooden bases; we hope to fund half of
Bill Dillon
190 Settlers Road • Fincastle, VA 24090 calendars for July 15 (council meeting), July 16 funding the calendar that I created for the council the cost. Currently, the ATM telescope kits cost
to 18 (conference days), and July 19 (VLA tour),
Library Telescope
703-674-8484 • treasurer@astroleague.org
to see what I was recommending. Bill and Ron approximately $400, and we plan offer these
Executive Secretary
Maynard Pittendreigh plus a chance for your youngster to build their Kramer worked together to secure the funding to telescope kits, ready to assemble, for $200. So,
3208 Little Oak Way • Orlando, FL 32812
own 6-inch telescope with our very first ALCon Jr. make this calendar happen. It was agreed that the for every $1,000 of calendar profits, we will be
Giveaway
770-237-2071 • executivesecretary@astroleague.org
National Office STEAM conference. More details are still to come, profits from the calendar would support activities able to cover five telescope kits. The Astronomical
Mike Stoakes, Office Coordinator
Astronomical League National Headquarters
but be sure to check out the advertisements in and resources for families and students at the League has 750 calendars at the League Store. See
9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100 • Kansas City, MO 64114 this issue of The Reflector. The online application Albuquerque ALCon in 2020. Bill told me he loved the goal here? In addition to this ATM workshop,
T
816-DEEP-SKY
National office: leagueoffice@astroleague.org form will be available soon. hrough the vision of the Horkheimer my passion and ideas and felt this was a great new there will also be astronomy STEAM activities
Society rosters: rosters@astroleague.org
League sales: leaguesales@astroleague.org In addition, we are starting to plan the 2024 Charitable Fund, the Astronomical League venture for AL and encouraged me, to which I gave planned for elementary students and will also
National Observing Program Coordinators
Cliff Mygatt Aaron B. Clevenson
convention (another great solar eclipse is coming again offered a free Library Telescope to a lucky him a hug and kiss on the cheek and thanked him include an Astro Camp for Saturday Night during
cliffandchris@wavecable.com aaron@clevenson.org our way), and news will be forthcoming. Astronomical League club in each region, plus one for his vision and support. the adult banquet.
I
to a member-at-large.
S
Astronomical League Historian
Mike Stewart 913-240-1238 • AL_Historian@kc.rr.com t looks like we have found a new information o here we are, working on this 2020 ALCon Jr. I want to note that this telescope workshop is
technology manager, and he has been sitting The Library Telescope consists of a 4.5-inch conference with the new AL 2020 Calendar. best suited for middle school and older students,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Send to editor@astroleague.org with subject line “letter to editor” under our noses all this time. John Martin, who Dobsonian Z114 Zhumell reflector fitted with an Back when it was suggested, I was told to get parents with their upper elementary (third- to
Amherst Library Director Roseanne Butler-Smith introduces
works in IT at a major hospital (and is presently 8–24 mm zoom eyepiece and a nameplate com- the Library Telescope to a young patron. The telescope was
NASA images and I said, “no, everyone does fifth-grade) children, and teachers with students.
REFLECTOR STAFF
editor of the Reflector) has agreed to become memorating the late Jack Horkheimer. The value prepared and presented by Astronomical League member-at- that – I want it to be amateur astronomers from Since we do not know how the calendar sales will
Managing Editor Assistant Editor
of this opportunity is approximately $200; the large Jim Zappa, not pictured. the membership.” Last year’s calendar introduced
Ron Kramer Kevin Jones our new IT and webmaster maven effective in the go, this will be on a first-come, first-served basis
Mobile: 520-500-7295
managingeditor@astroleague.org
j11.kevin@gmail.com
very near future. We can’t expect John to wear too potential is enormous. The Library Telescope was sponsored and sup- me to the great imagers and sketchers from the with a slot assured with a payment for half of the
Design/Production
Editor Michael Patterson many hats, so he will be retiring as editor. So, if The Library Telescope program was initiated ported by Astronomical League member-at-large League, and I was overwhelmed by their support telescope costs. Because the facilities are still
John Martin
editor@astroleague.org
michael.patterson@stellafane.org
you have publishing experience, including the use ten years ago by the New Hampshire Astronom- Jim Zappa. In addition to the telescope, Zappa do- for Bill’s vision. I was highly encouraged and so I being worked out, it is uncertain how many kits
Advertising Representative
Photo Editor Carla Johns of the Adobe and Microsoft Office suites, and are ical Society and has grown into a nationwide nated books, constellation maps, a planisphere, continue to move the ball forward. we will be able to assemble, but we are pursuing
Dan Crowson
photoeditor@astroleague.org
970-567-8878
advertising@astroleague.org willing to handle this critical task, please let me presence. A club donates an easy-to-use portable and a map of lunar features. You see, the graying of clubs is everywhere, as many as we can fit comfortably in the space
Assistant Editor Coming Events Editor know at president@astroleague.org. This volun- telescope with quality optics and a sturdy mount The Library Telescope has been in circulation and is noticeable in organizations that were once provided.
Kristine Larsen John Wagoner
larsen@ccsu.edu astrowagon@verizon.net teer position is very important to the continued to their local library. Patrons can then check it out since mid-May 2018, and feedback from the filled to the brim with amateur astronomers and I encourage those interested 1) students, to
success of the League. as they do books. library staff is that the telescope is very popular telescope makers. The crowds are dwindling and start mowing extra lawns, or babysitting, dog "
4 REFLECTOR ✶ SEPTEMBER 2019 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 5
walking, and so on; 2) parents, hold a garage sale; the Moon large and bright, it rewards observers countries and agencies have successfully sent Night Sky Network program, you can schedule to 360,000 Suns. The cluster also contains the
and 3) teachers with students, encourage your with its regularly changing appearance through- orbiters, landers, and rovers, including Russia, your upcoming event to the NSN’s calendar first planetary nebula discovered in a globular star
parent-teacher associations to host a bake sale out the month. While most astronomers find the Japan, India, China, and the member nations of and it will be automatically cross-posted as an cluster, Pease 1. The nebula was discovered by
specifically for a school telescope. Remember, Moon’s brilliance in the night sky a nuisance, the European Space Agency. It’s getting busy on International Observe the Moon Night event – just Francis Pease in 1927 using a photographic plate
this is only a plan and won’t become reality unless since its light drowns out observations of faint the Moon, and with humans returning in just a few make sure that “Moon” is in the title and that the made with the 100-inch telescope at Mt. Wilson.
the 750 Astronomical League 2020 Calendars
fly out of the League Store. To club presidents:
please consider placing a bulk order for your club
fuzzies, the Moon’s brightness is a strength for
outreach. Its brilliance makes it a perfect object
to share with the public, especially folks who have
years it’s bound to get even more exciting.
So how can you participate in International
Observe the Moon Night for 2019? Find recom-
event is public. If October 5 is inconvenient, you
can host an event any date between September 28
and October 13. The times, dates, and locations of
M y image of M15 was taken with an 8-inch
̃f/6.4 Ritchey–Chrétien reflector using an
SBIG ST-2000XCM CCD camera. The exposure was
members and even to sell to attendees at your never looked through a telescope, or even binoc- mendations and resources on the official website, public events will appear on the International Ob- 30 minutes. In the image, north is up and east to
star parties since these are packed with astro- ulars. Seeing the fine details in a galaxy, cluster, moon.nasa.gov/observe. There is an observer’s serve the Moon Night event map; private events the left. The image spans 25 arcminutes in right
nomical information and trivia. I was informed or nebula takes experience as an observer, but the map of the Moon in the phase it will be on October can also be registered and will appear on the map ascension, and most of the stars in the image
that if they sell quickly, we might have an option Moon shines so brightly through an eyepiece that 5, featuring areas of interest visible with the without specific information. belong to the globular cluster. The brightest star
to order more. I personally buy a dozen calendars its details are much easier for novices to identify. naked eye and through binoculars and telescopes. If you prefer to visit rather than host, and in the image (with the diffraction spikes) is a
for my family and close friends for Christmas off Plus, you can tell if your telescope’s visitor has want to attend an event, or even drop in on magnitude 7.6 foreground star, SAO 107179,
the Internet. But not anymore – they get this one a good view by spotting the moonshine glinting several events, you can check out the map to find located approximately 200 light-years away. The
with all the information they always ask me about from their eyes. one near you. Or you can mark your observing faintest stars in the image are magnitude 17.
throughout the year. I also sell these at the star
parties I attend and my Broken Arrow Sidewalk
Astronomy sites every month.
T his year’s International Observe the Moon
Night is a great opportunity to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program with
spot on the map as an individual lunar observer.
Please share your takes, photos, and experiences
using #ObserveTheMoon on social media. Find
The yellow arrow points to the almost-re-
solved planetary nebula Pease 1, estimated
magnitude 15.5. It can be imaged with an 8-inch
lation’s lack of open clusters – M15.
everything you need to know on the official Inter-
T
So, in the spirit of Bill Bogardus and his your family, friends, and community. Celebrate telescope using narrowband filters or seen in a
he French astronomer Jean-Dominique Mar-
vision, I want to thank you in advance for your humanity’s first steps on another world and share national Observe the Moon Night website, 14-inch telescope under dark skies with an O-III
aldi discovered M15 in 1746 while searching
support in fulfilling his legacy. Full STEAM ahead! the inspiring story of how we went there while moon.nasa.gov/observe. nebula filter, but it takes a 32-inch telescope to
for the de Chéseaux comet. His countryman
observing the Moon. Share your own story of how —David Prosper and Andrea Jones Charles Messier independently found M15 in resolve any detail in the nebula! All telescope and
—Peggy Walker
the Apollo program touched your life and ask oth- binocular owners should visit M15 this fall. Those
1764 and added it to his now-famous catalog.
ers about their memories of that historic time. You with large light buckets will enjoy the challenge
Night Sky Network can even share your Apollo story with NASA and
hear others’ stories at nasa.gov/apollostories.
Discussions of Apollo’s triumph often turn to
Oklahoma City Astronomy Club member Peter Khor helped
visitors “Walk on the Moon” during their International
Observe the Moon Night event by sending live video from his
telescope’s eyepiece to a projector pointing to the ground
Deep-Sky Objects M15 is easy to find. Start at the magnitude
3.5 star Baham (Theta Pegasi) and go 7.5 degrees
northwest to the magnitude 2.4 star Enif (Epsilon
of capturing its planetary nebula!
—Dr. James R. Dire
Kauai Educational Association for
from a tall tripod. Pegasi). Continue in the same direction another
hopes and dreams for future lunar exploration. THE BEST STAR CLUSTER IN PEGASUS Science and Astronomy
There are slide sets presenters can use, activity four degrees to M15. A side note: although Enif
O
People often ask why humans haven’t gone back,
ne of the most recognizable constellations is given the designation Epsilon Pegasi, it is
and while the answer is a bit complicated, we can
now answer that we will be going back, and soon!
You can discuss the Artemis program – NASA’s
recommendations, event evaluation materi-
als, and more. The Night Sky Network recently
released a new toolkit of Moon resources in honor
̃in the autumn evening sky is Pegasus. It
is located far from the Milky Way and high above
actually the brightest star in the constellation. For
most constellations, the bright stars are labeled Wanderers in the
plan to return to the Moon with crewed missions
in orbit and on the surface. Humans have robotic
emissaries there, right now, that are helping us
of Apollo 11 that your club may find handy at ob-
serving events at bit.ly/nsnmoon, and additional
Moon-related NSN resources are at
Polaris when it transits, and its main stars are
easy to see, even with moderate light pollution.
The constellation’s most notable asterism is the
in descending order of brightness: Alpha (the
brightest), Beta (the next brightest), Gamma,
Delta, and so on. Enif is a tenth of a magnitude
Neighborhood
bit.ly/nsnmoonnight. Great Square, formed by the stars Markab, Sheat, brighter than Alpha Pegasi, also called Markab.
prepare for the next set of boot prints in that THE BLUE PLANET
Y
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL Algenib, and Alpheratz. Alpheratz is technically This assumes you ignore “Delta Pegasi,” which
dusty soil. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter ou can register your event by adding it to
OBSERVE THE MOON NIGHT is currently in orbit and has been mapping the the official International Observe the Moon
part of the constellation Andromeda, but some is brighter than all of them, but really isn’t in
W ith the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf
L
older star charts give Alpheratz the dual designa- Pegasus. It’s a confusing constellation! planet, Neptune once again became
ook skyward and find the Moon on Saturday, lunar surface in rich detail for 10 years. Other Night event map. If your club participates in the
tion of Alpha Andromedae and Delta Pegasi. M15 is a beautiful star cluster and is one the most distant planet from the Sun in our Solar
̃̃October 5, 2019! You’ll join millions around
the world celebrating our planet’s nearest Pegasus doesn’t contain a plethora of bright of the richer and more compact globulars. The System. The color of this blue planet is not due
neighbor during the 10th annual International deep-space objects. Almost all of the 319 New cluster’s integrated magnitude is 6.2 and it has a to liquid water like on the Earth, but from trace
Observe the Moon Night. Anyone can participate General Catalog (NGC) objects in the constella- diameter of 18 arcminutes. It can be spied in bin- amounts of methane and other substances in
anywhere, and there are many ways to join the tion are galaxies. Of those, only 15 are brighter oculars but will require a 3- to 4-inch telescope its hydrogen and helium atmosphere. Neptune
festivities. Individuals can attend a nearby Moon than magnitude 12, and only one is brighter with good magnification to begin to resolve the is the Solar System’s third most massive planet
viewing party, host their own observing session, than magnitude 10. That outlier is NGC 7331, the individual stars. An 8-inch telescope will resolve after Jupiter and Saturn. These three, along with
or simply take a quick peek up during their busy Deer Lick Galaxy, a decent magnitude 9.5 spiral. it into countless stars and reveal its intense Neptune’s neighbor Uranus, make up the local
day to appreciate our neighbor’s quiet beauty. Many of the remaining galaxies are brighter than brilliant central core. population of gas giant planets.
magnitude 15. So anyone with a 14-inch or larger M15 contains scores of RR Lyrae class variable Neptune is the densest of all the gas giants.
International Observe the Moon Night is one
telescope in dark skies can score many of them, stars. These stars enable M15’s distance to be Its mass of 17 times the mass of Earth is just
of the most successful annual outreach events in
including the famous Stephan’s Quintet. determined fairly accurately. The cluster lies slightly more than that of similar Uranus. The
the world. The Moon is the most easily observed
object in our skies, and, unlike almost any other There are three open clusters in Pegasus, all 33,600 light-years away. This distance shows the gravitational pull of Neptune’s higher mass causes
object, it can be seen both day and night, in even loosely scattered and unimpressive. However, true diameter of the cluster to be 175 light-years. its atmosphere to be more compressed than that
the most severely light polluted skies. Not only is there is one very impressive globular cluster in Approximately 100,000 stars reside in that spher- of Uranus, making Neptune physically smaller
Griffith Observatory was host to a large public star party held by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society during
International Observe the Moon Night 2018. Photo by Todd Kunioka Pegasus that more than makes up for the constel- ical region of space, with a brightness equivalent than its twin. "
THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 7
6 REFLECTOR ✶ SEPTEMBER 2019
the Sun, Neptune is an active place that astrono- disk they discovered a ring of gas streaming largely of iron and nickel.
mers will observe as long as we have the facilities from a solid body, like a comet’s tail. This gas “If it was pure iron it could survive where it
to do so. Hubble spied a new dark spot forming in could either be generated by the body itself or by lives now, but equally it could be a body that is
2018–2019. Hubble will keep watching to see how evaporating dust as it collides with small debris rich in iron but with internal strength to hold it to-
it will evolve and how long it will last. within the disk. gether, which is consistent with the planetesimal
—Berton Stevens The astronomers estimate that this body has being a fairly massive fragment of a planet core.
to be at least a kilometer in size, but could be as If correct, the original body was at least hundreds
All Things large as a few hundred kilometers in diameter,
comparable to the largest asteroids known in our
of kilometers in diameter because it is only at that
point planets begin to differentiate – like oil on
Astronomical Solar System.
W hite dwarfs are the remains of stars
like our Sun that have burned all their
water – and have heavier elements sink to form a
metallic core.”
The discovery offers a hint as to what planets
HEAVY METAL PLANET FRAGMENT fuel and shed their outer layers, leaving behind
may reside in other solar systems, and a glimpse
SURVIVES DESTRUCTION FROM into the future of our own.
a dense core which slowly cools over time. This
DEAD STAR
A fragment of a planet that has survived the
̃death of its star has been discovered by
particular star has shrunk so dramatically that the
planetesimal orbits within its sun’s original radius.
Evidence suggests that it was once part of a larger
D r. Manser said, “As stars age, they grow into
̃red giants, which ‘clean out’ much of the
inner part of their planetary system. In our Solar
University of Warwick astronomers in a disk of body further out in its solar system and is likely to System, the Sun will expand up to where the Earth
debris formed from destroyed planets, which the have been a planet torn apart as the star began its currently orbits, and will wipe out Earth, Mercury,
star ultimately consumes. cooling process. and Venus. Mars and beyond will survive and will
L
The Hubble Space Telescope took these images of a dark spot on Neptune’s surface as it slowly shrank over two years. In 2015, the spot’s long axis was 3100 miles long. By 2017, the spot The iron- and nickel-rich planetesimal sur- ead author Dr. Christopher Manser, a research move further out.
had moved further south and lost some of its energy, shrinking to only 2300 miles long. It also lost some of its color. Image credit: M.H. Wong and A.I. Hsu (UC Berkeley)/NASA/ESA “The general consensus is that 5–6 billion
vived a system-wide cataclysm that followed the ̃fellow in the Department of Physics, said,
death of its host star, SDSS J122859.93+104032.9. “The star would have originally been about two years from now, our Solar System will be a white
Neptune is the only planet not visible to the Unlike the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, which el-iron. The mantle sitting on the core is a hot Believed to have once been part of a larger planet, solar masses, but now the white dwarf is only dwarf in place of the Sun, orbited by Mars, Jupiter,
naked eye, with an apparent magnitude of 7.7. has been around for over two hundred years, fluid of water, ammonia, and methane forming its survival is all the more astonishing as it orbits70 percent of the mass of our Sun. It is also very Saturn, the outer planets, as well as asteroids and
Even being 3.88 times the diameter of the Earth, Neptune’s dark spots only last for a few years. a water-ammonia ocean. This fluid has a high closer to its star than previously thought possible, small – roughly the size of the Earth – and this comets. Gravitational interactions are likely to
Neptune’s remoteness provides a telescopic disk A dark spot found in 2015, for example, was 3100 electrical conductivity and probably provides the going around it once every two hours. makes the star, and in general all white dwarfs, happen in such remnants of planetary systems,
that is only 2.4 arcseconds across at its largest. miles long at discovery, but by 2018, it had moved electric current to form Neptune’s magnetic field. meaning the bigger planets can easily nudge the
The discovery, reported in the journal Science, extremely dense.
Earthbound views of Neptune never showed any toward the south pole, had shrunk to only 2300 The top of the mantle is an ocean of liquid carbon smaller bodies onto an orbit that takes them close
is the first time that scientists have used spec- “The white dwarf’s gravity is so strong – about
detail in its atmosphere – it was just a blue dot. miles long, and was fading. with hailstones of diamond falling from the sky. to the white dwarf, where they get shredded by its
troscopy to discover a solid body in orbit around a 100,000 times that of the Earth – that a typical
In 1989, the Voyager 2 spacecraft on its Most of Neptune’s storms have been found The diamond hailstones form when methane enormous gravity.
white dwarf, using subtle variations in the emitted asteroid will be ripped apart by gravitational
“Grand Tour” of the outer Solar System made a in its southern hemisphere, because it is now higher in the atmosphere decomposes and the
light to identify additional gas that the planetesi- forces if it passes too close to the white dwarf.” “Learning about the masses of asteroids, or
flyby of Neptune, providing the first close-up summer there. Neptune’s poles are tilted 28.3 carbon atoms are compressed at high pressure to
mal is generating. Professor Boris Gaensicke, coauthor from the planetary fragments that can reach a white dwarf
views of its atmosphere. Uranus had not shown degrees to the ecliptic, so Neptune goes through form diamonds.
can tell us something about the planets that we
T
Using the Gran Telescopio Canarias in La Pal- Department of Physics, adds, “The planetesimal
Voyager 2 much activity, and with Neptune seasons like the Earth. The southern hemisphere he atmosphere over the carbon ocean consists know must be further out in this system, but we
ma, Canary Islands, Spain, the scientists studied a we have discovered is deep into the gravitational
receiving less of the Sun’s energy than Uranus, it has been tilted toward the Sun since 1962, and ̃of 80 percent molecular hydrogen and 19 currently have no way to detect.
debris disk orbiting a white dwarf 410 light-years well of the white dwarf, much closer to it than we
was thought that Neptune would also have a bland this tilt reached a maximum in 2003. So, for all percent atomic helium, with traces of methane to
disk.
But Voyager’s images showed that all was not
the time we have been able to observe Neptune,
the southern hemisphere has been in spring and
summer. As the planet continues around its orbit,
give Neptune its color. Uranus’s atmosphere has a
similar composition but it is only a pale blue. The
vivid blue of Neptune must be due to an additional
away, formed by the disruption of rocky bodies
composed of elements such as iron, magnesium,
silicon, and oxygen – the four key building blocks
would expect to find anything still alive. That is
only possible because it must be very dense and/
or very likely to have internal strength that holds
“O ur discovery is only the second solid
̃planetesimal found in a tight orbit
around a white dwarf, with the previous one found
quiet on Neptune. The most obvious feature was of the Earth and most rocky bodies. Within that it together, so we propose that it is composed
summer will move to the northern hemisphere and trace component of its atmosphere. because debris passing in front of the star blocked
a spot in the southern hemisphere dubbed the
we can expect to see dark spots form there. some of its light – that is the transit method wide-
Great Dark Spot, similar to Jupiter’s Great Red Higher clouds in Neptune’s atmosphere cast
T
ly used to discover exoplanets around Sun-like
Spot. Neptune’s atmosphere also contained cloud he spots and clouds ride on one of three their shadows on the lower, more solid cloud deck.
stars. To find such transits, the geometry under
streams, bands and smaller storms, showing that ̃jet streams circling Neptune. There is a The lower cloud deck is composed of chemicals
which we view them has to be very finely tuned,
it was active despite the weak sunlight. westward jet stream around the equator where like ethane and ethyne that are formed when
which means that each system observed for sev-
W hile Voyager 2 has been the only space- the winds howl at 900 miles per hour. Near each ultraviolet light from the Sun breaks down meth-
eral hours mostly leads to nothing. The spectro-
craft to visit Neptune, when the Hubble pole, an eastward jet stream travels at over 500 ane. Most of the action in the atmosphere occurs
scopic method we developed in this research can
Space Telescope became operational, astronomers miles per hour. Neptune has the fastest winds between thirty and seventy miles above the cloud
detect close-in planetesimals without the need
began regularly monitoring Neptune’s atmo- measured in the entire Solar System, with winds deck. The atmosphere is somewhat warmer than
for a specific alignment.”
sphere. They found dark spots like the Great Dark speeds in the storms reaching 1300 miles per would be expected if it was only receiving energy
hour, an almost supersonic speed in Neptune’s from the Sun. There is an internal energy source, Manser and Gaensicke were supported by the
Spot were common. These anticyclonic storms
atmosphere. probably gravitational, that adds energy to Nep- European Research Council under the European
(clockwise in the northern hemisphere, counter-
tune’s atmosphere and helps power the storms we Union’s research and innovation program (grant
clockwise in the southern hemisphere) churn up Neptune’s atmosphere is only the thin top
see from time to time. agreement 320964).
darker material from deeper in the atmosphere as layer of the planet. At its heart is a rocky core, A planetary fragment orbits the star SDSS J122859.93+104032.9, leaving a tail of gas in its wake.
they move with the upper atmosphere. probably composed of silicates and solid nick- While it is hard to see this gas giant far from Credit: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick — University of Warwick Press Release
THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 9
8 REFLECTOR ✶ SEPTEMBER 2 019
Saturn, and Mars are visible starting in twilight.
Telescope Targets For the next few Halloweens, Jupiter and Saturn
are well-placed for evening viewing. The best op- Celestial Savings NG
AS
TRO
NOMY TO
TH
E
for Halloween portunity to show Mars will be in 2020 when it is
Program
PE
I
NG
nearly at opposition. One may show children the
OP
BRI
double star Albireo or a terrestrial object in the
LE
O
distance as well. One of the distant objects I have
ne of my fondest childhood memories
shown in the daytime is the steeple at the top of ALL LEAGUE MEMBERS QUALIFY A S T R O N O M Y D AY
is the Halloween tradition of trick-or- FOR SPECIAL DISCOUNTS at participating
the First Methodist Church in Barnesville, Georgia.
treating. Halloween falls on October 31, and the
Sun sets early. I started to show people objects
Table 1 lists what I consider the best target and an
alternative for Halloween viewing between 2019
vendors when purchasing equipment, accessories
or books. Discounts vary by vendor and by items OCTOBER 5,
through the telescope on Halloween about 30
2019
and 2030. purchased. Participating vendors include:
years ago. Since then, thousands of children and
On a few occasions, I have set up a Sunspotter Astronomics • Camera Concepts & Telescopes
their parents have received close-up views of the
during the daytime for those early trick-or-treat Galaxy Optics • Got Grit • Mr. Star Guy For a FREE 76-page Astronomy
Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and other objects
through the telescope. On a few occasions, children. One needs a clear western horizon to Seymour Solar • Spectrum Telescope Day Handbook full of ideas and
children have also had a chance to view our Sun show the Sun. The Sun is more interesting to view Telescope Adapters • Thousand Oaks Optical suggestions, go to:
before sunset using a safe Sunspotter. when sunspots are visible. Sunspot maximum www.astroleague.org Click
Vixen Optics
should happen around 2024.
In my community, many children start trick- Obtain the discount codes by visiting on "Astronomy Day” Scroll
or-treating an hour before sunset and continue
until about three hours after sunset. There is also
a lot of ambient light from streetlights and other
I
recommend a few things to those who want
to do public outreach on Halloween. Firstly,
children sometimes grab or touch the eyepiece,
astroleague.org/celestial-savings. Each vendor
is listed with the discounts offered for their prod-
down to "Free Astronomy Day
Handbook"
ucts, their current discount code, their website
sources in my town. Therefore, I have selected so use an inexpensive one. I gently warn children For more information, contact:
URL, and, if appropriate, a contact telephone
bright objects for viewing since they are the not touch the telescope. In my area, parents have Gary Tomlinson
number. Provide the appropriate discount code to
easiest to find and see. learned to tell their children not to touch the
the salesperson or include it in your online order. Astronomy Day Coordinator
telescope. In some cases, a child will grab the
What is the best object to show children? Questions? Email the Celestial Savings Director at gtomlins@sbcglobal.net
eyepiece, causing the telescope to shift. For this
Based on my many years of experience, the Moon celestialsavings@astroleague.org.
reason, a Dobsonian telescope with a good finder-
ranks first, followed by Saturn. I prefer the Moon
scope is a good choice for Halloween outreach. A
because it is easy to find when lights are around
small stool or booster ladder may help very small
and children are more likely to see it. Further-
more, inexperienced observers are more likely to
viewers. Sometimes, parents hold their children 2020 Calendar
up to look through the eyepiece. One may also
see a big bright Moon in the eyepiece than a small
place a monitor-connected video camera in the
planetary disk. One may even show the Moon Fast Facts
Russian Old Reliable
telescope and people can easily see the object on Soyuz Rocket
during the day, but twilight or nighttime viewing With a heritage that predates
is the oldest and most
the Space Age, the Russian
flown rocket in the world. Soyuz family of rockets
a screen. Finally, I have my bag of goodies next to
of the 1950s, the first Soyuz Evolved from Soviet R-7
flew in 1966 and derivatives ICBMs
send people, cargo, and of that rocket continue
satellites into space. Well to
SOYUZ-U ROCKET thundered aloft since over 1,000 Soyuz rockets
its debut. The basic design have
is better. Because of its brightness, children
Manufacturer: Ts-SKB Progress
quartet of conical boosters, of the Soyuz, with its
Height: 51 m (168 ft) has changed very little distinctive
this reliable vehicle to over the decades, allowing
Main Stage Diameter: 3
m (10 ft) be economically mass
Mass: 313,000 kg (690,000
only vehicle capable of produced. The Soyuz is
Liftoff Thurst: 4,144 kN
lbs)
launching crew to the currently the
my telescope so that the children get two treats!
Payload Capacity to Low
(928,000 lbs)
Earth Orbit:
International Space Station.
6,900 kg (152,00 lbs)
Launch Sites: Baikonur,
Plesetsk
First Launch: 18 May 1973
may also see Venus during the daytime. Jupiter,
Last Launch: 22 February
2017
Total Launches: 786
Total Successes: 765 (97.3%)
—Richard W. Schmude Jr.
LAUNCHER LEGACY TRAIN RIDE TO OUTER
SPACE
The Soyuz family of rockets The Soyuz’s fast ten-minute
first flew ride
in 1966, but its heritage above: the Soyuz is assembled to orbit begins at much more modest pace. From
dates back horizontally (in contrast left to right,
to the R-7 Semyorka, the vertically) and is shown to most US rockets which
world’s first here before mating with are built
intercontinental ballistic hauls the rocket, still horizontal, its upper stage and Soyuz
missile, which at a walking pace to the capsule; a train then
flew in 1957. The R-7 had at the site, the Soyuz is launch site 2 km (1.25 mi)
a central erected into a vertical launch away; once
four RD-108 engines surrounded core of position.
booster rockets with clusters by four
engines—a configuration of RD-107
today’s Soyuz rockets.
nearly identical to WORLD TRAVELER
An R-7 variant launched
world’s first satellite, Sputnik the Soyuz rockets now launch
SPACE TRUCK
(upper left), in 1957. When a Soyuz is not ferrying
A Vostok variant of the from four locations around crew
R-7 (below) was developed the to the International Space
specifically for human globe. Crewed flights depart Station
spaceflight, and was the (which it does three or
rocket that launched Yuri the Baikonur Cosmodrome four times a
The writer used the JPL Horizons software package to determine the visibility of each target
Gagarin (below left) into year), it delivers Progress
orbit in April 1961 on the (left, bottom) in southern resupply ships
first to the ISS; launches communications,
human orbital spaceflight. Kazakhstan; many military
Earth observation, and
satellites are launched meteorological
Not including from satellites; and sends interplanetary
the Plesetsk Cosmodrome
the Soyuz probes on their way, such
about 800 km (500 as Mars
branch, the R-7 Express and Venus Express
mi) north of Moscow;
family flew (shown here).
Vostochny Cosmodrome
successfully
(left, top) in eastern
over 700 times
Russia is the newest;
for his location. Visibility should be similar for cities near 33° north latitude
between 1957
the Kourou Space Center
and 2010.
in Guiana is where the
European Space Agency
missions depart.
December 2019
through
like Atlanta, Dallas, and San Diego. Save 25
It is estimated Russia
January 2020
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 charges $80 million for February 2020
8 9 10 11 12 13
14 a US astronaut to ride
%
15 16 17 18 19 20
22 23 24 25 26 27
21
on a Soyuz rocket to S M T W T F S
$14.95
28
the International Space
29 30 31 1
2 3 4 5 6 7
Station. 9 10 11 12 13 14
8
15
KOROLEV CROSS
16 17 18 19 20 21
22
A Soyuz launch begins
Sunday Monday
23 24 25 26 27 28
29
strap-on boosters firing
with all four
Tuesday Wednesday around
main core. After two minutes, the
Thursday Friday the
• Mercury appears at
January Sky Guide
Saturday four boosters, now depleted
of fuel,
1
dusk, low in the west-southwestern Vesta stationary
at month’s end. are jettisoned while the
2
sky Moon at apogee First Qtr Moon 11:45 PM ET
center stage
3
Quadrantid meteor shower
continues. As seen from
Year Best Target Alternate target
• Venus is prominent
4
in the Uranus 5° north of Moon
the 27th and 28th, a young southwestern sky as night falls. On Quadrantid meteor shower the ground,
crescent Moon passes
below it. the separation of the four
• Mars shines in the southeast boosters
The bright red star to its in the hours before sunrise. tumbling away creates
right
Scorpio. A waning crescent is Antares, in the constellation a pattern
Moon is close by on the th
20 known as the Korolev Cross,
• Jupiter is low in the
southeast named
end. Look for a slim crescent just before sunrise at month’s 1900: Leslie Peltier born for Sergei Korolev, the
Moon near it on the 22nd 1920: Isaac Asimov born lead designer
. 1801: Giuseppe Piazzi discovers 1959: Luna 1 is first spacecraft
to leave of the Russian ballistic
planet Ceres dwarf Earth’s gravitational field missile and
5
Earth at perihelion New Year’s Day 1972: Mariner 9 begins mapping
space programs through
6
2004: Stardust flies by Comet Mars 1962: NASA announces Gemini
1966.
7
Wild 2 2004: Spirit rover lands on program 1970: NASA cancels Apollo
or less
8
Mars landing mission 20 Moon
9 Mercury in superior conjunction
10 11
Full Moon 2:21 PM ET Uranus stationary
(Penumbral eclipse)
SERGEI KOROLEV
2019 Moon (waxing crescent, west) Saturn (west)
1969: Venera 5 launched
1972: President Nixon approves Born in 1907
development of space shuttle in the Russian
2005: UB313 (Eris) discovered,
Pluto-Planet debate ignites the 1610: Galileo discovers 1587: Johann Fabricius Empire,
1998: Lunar Prospector launched 1964: First power tool forCallisto, Europa, Io 1942: Stephen Hawkingborn
born
1839: Thomas Henderson 1787: William Herschel discovers
Korolev Sergei
1968: Surveyor 7 launched space tested 1973: Luna 21 & Lunokhod distance to Alpha Centauripublishes moons Oberon and Titania Uranian
aeronautiwas an
12
2 launched
1987: Challenger debris buried 1968: Surveyor 7 lands 1946: U.S. Army bounces radar 1978: First triple docking: Soyuz
13
Saturn in conjunction with 1990: STS-32 Columbiaon Moon signal off 26, Soyuz
Sun the Moon 27, Salyut 6
engineer cal
14
Ceres in conjunction with launched 1969: Venera 6 launched 1996: STS-72 Endeavour launched
Sun
more than who,
15
Moon at perigee 1998: Lunar Prospector arrives
16
Mars 5° north of Antares at Moon anyone
17
Last Qtr Moon 7:58 AM ET else, shaped
18
the missile
space programsand
of the former
Soviet Union
2020 Moon (full) Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars
1907: Sergei Korolev born and 60s. in the 1950s
1986: STS-61C Columbia launched 1610: Galileo discovers Ganymede,
moon 1975: Earth Resources Technology 1973: Luna 21 lander and Lunokhod
a secret, To keep his identity
1997: STS-81 Atlantis launched of Jupiter
2 only as he was known
2005: Deep Impact spacecraft 1978: NASA selects first Satellite is renamed Landsat rover land on Moon publicly
launched 1993: STS-54 Endeavourwomen astronauts 2005: Huygens probe lands 1976: Helios 2 launched Korolev the “Chief Designer.
SPACE
launched on Titan 1969: First docking of two manned
ballisticled the development ”
2008: MESSENGER first Mercury 2006: Stardust spacecraft returns
19
flyby of comet dust samples spacecraft (Soyuz 5 and Soyuz
20
Mars 2° south of Moon 2003: STS-107 Columbia launched 4) 1985: 1,037th and final Aerobee rockets, missile and later of R-7
The Year in
21
rocket launched sounding 2002: Gemini South Observatory
satellite as well as the firstSoyuz
22
Jupiter 0.4° north of Moon dedicated
23 New Moon 4:42 PM ET
24
He also s and human spaceflig
unsuccessled the ultimatel
25
hts.
program. ful Soviet lunar y
Korolev died landing
in 1966.
1573: Simon Marius born
1747: Johann Bode born 1930: Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin born
1851: Jacobus Kapteyn 1966: Apollo A-004 launched; 1968: Apollo 5 launched
1965: Gemini II launchedborn test of CSM hardware first flight 1978: First automatic resupply
2021 Jupiter (south) Saturn and Venus (west)
1978: Progress 1 launched (Progress 1) ship docking
2006: Pluto New Horizons
launched Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2018: Rocket Lab Electron 1992: STS-42 Discovery 1978: Cosmos 954 reenters 1736: Joseph Lagrange
launch vehicle,
first orbital launch from New 1998: STS-89 Endeavourlaunched 1985: STS-51C Discovery atmosphere 1962: NASA authorizes born
1986: Voyager 2 flies past launched 1983: IRAS launched Saturn V rocket
26
Zealand launched
2003: Pioneer 10’s last signal
27
Venus 0.08° south of Neptune to Earth 1992: Magellan begins thirdUranus 1994: Clementine spacecraft
28
Neptune 4° north of Moon of Venus mapping cycle 2004: Opportunity rover landslaunched
29
Venus 4° north of Moon Moon at apogee Chinese New Year on Mars
30 Uranus 5° north of Moon
31
1829: Isaac Roberts born
1967: Apollo 1 astronauts White,
and Chaffee die in cockpit fire Grissom, 1611: Johannes Hevelius born
pad during test on launch 1986: Space shuttle Challenger 1964: SA-5 launched; first Saturn 1958: Explorer 1 launched
killing all seven astronauts explodes, II rocket I Block 1961: Chimp, Ham, suborbital
2022 Moon (first quarter, high) Saturn and Jupiter
1989: Phobos 2 enters orbit 1966: Luna 9 launched flight
around Mars 1964: Ranger 6 launched 1971: Apollo 14 launched
Year In Space Fun Fact: 1985: ESA approves Columbus
On May 27th 2019, a Soyuz program
communications satellite 2-1b rocket carrying a Glosnass-M
was struck by lightning
Cosmodrome; the lightning 10 seconds after its launch
strike had no apparent from the Plesetsk
Follow @YearInSpace on effect on the Soyuz or its
payload. BYE, BYE, BOOSTERS?
2020
social media Soyuz rockets will continue
flying for the foreseeable
www.YearInSpace.com there are plans for an “eco-friendly” future, but
— free weekly newsletter methane-powered Soyuz
rocket. Its proposed single-core -7
(boosterless) design
would be a radical departure
from the Soyuz design.
2023 Saturn (southeast) Jupiter (low in west) Wall Calendar
2024 Saturn (southeast) Albireo or something else
2025 Moon (waxing gibbous, east) Saturn (southeast)
2026 Saturn (east) Albireo or something else
Enjoy this award-winning, large-format
2027 Saturn (east) Albireo or something else space calendar all year long!
2028 Moon (full) Albireo or something else • Over 120 space images
2029 Venus very low in the west* Albireo or something else • Sky events, space history, & more!
• Group discounts available
2030 Moon (waxing crescent, west) Albireo or something else
*15° above the horizon at sunset, and the altitude decreases afterwards. See more at YearInSpace.com
10 REFLECTOR ✶ SEPTEMBER 2 019 THE ASTRONOMICAL LEAGUE 11
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