Astronomy Community

Attend the American Astronomical Society conference and star party in Indianapolis

Sarah Scoles — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:06:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Logos/8228.aas222logo.png" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Logos/8228.aas222logo.png"]American Astronomical Society[/caption]If you enjoy astronomy, convention centers, and knocking elbows with top-notch scientists, you’ll be thrilled to hear that the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is inviting you — yes, you — to attend its 222nd meeting. The conference, which takes place June 2–6 in Indianapolis, will host more than 500 science-professional attendees, and the number of public guests is up to you and your friends and cousins and co-workers.

For a discounted rate of $50 per day, you can show up at the Indiana Convention Center (100 S. Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46255) on Monday, June 3, or Tuesday, June 4, and enjoy full access to the conference proceedings. For a Ulysses S. Grant bill or two, you can:

Attend talks by invited speakers and prize-winners
Peruse halls of posters detailing the latest research
Zip into sessions of short talks on topics like exoplanets, variable stars, globular clusters, star formation, and more
Listen to public policy discussions between astronomers and the National Science Foundation and NASA Headquarters
Visit ground- and space-based telescope exhibits manned by the scientists who work at each facility
Stock up on astro-themed gifts
Dive into a digital planetarium[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Logos/8156.IndianaAstronomicalSocietyLogo.gif" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Logos/8156.IndianaAstronomicalSocietyLogo.gif"]Indiana Astronomical Society[/caption]

I will be there the whole time and keep you updated about what’s happening via tweets and blog posts. Expect in-depth investigative reporting about the latest astronomical announcements. I’m most excited about the “Bridging Laboratory and Astrophysics: Molecules,” “A Glimpse of Galaxies at the Dawn of the Universe,” “Outer Limits of the Milky Way,” and “Transients in the Local Universe” sessions. The town hall meetings between government agencies and scientists are always a good way to keep up with the latest funding controversies and take the temperature of astro-politics.

If you decide to attend the conference, find me and say hello! I’m the one with curly hair who will be wearing a press badge.

To check out the schedule, visit http://aas.org/meetings/aas-222nd-meeting. To register, visit http://aas.org/meetings/aas-222nd-meeting-public-registration.

And even if you don’t register for the conference, you can still attend the star party that the AAS will co-host with the Indiana Astronomical Society on June 3 at 9 p.m. (rain/cloud date is June 4). The party will be raging on the Convention Center Plaza on the corner of South Capitol Avenue and West Maryland Street in downtown Indianapolis. Astronomers, both hobbyist and professional, will guide you to Saturn’s rings, which are so perfect that they almost look unreal through a telescope.

For updates about the star party, including those related to weather and logistics, visit the AAS facebook page.

Help discover gravitational lenses

Liz Kruesi — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:08:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Deep_2D00_sky+objects/4571.abell370.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Deep_2D00_sky+objects/4571.abell370.jpg"]The mass of a galaxy cluster warps space-time, and so light from a distant galaxy will bend and magnify around the cluster. Here are a few examples of such gravitational lenses; the lensed background objects take the shape of arcs and smears. In Zooniverse’s new citizen science project, Space Warps, you hunt for these objects. // photo by NASA/ESA/The Hubble SM4 ERO Team/ST-ECF[/caption]Zooniverse, which is home to 14 online citizen science projects and more than 830,000 users, just launched another program aimed at armchair astronomers: Space Warps. In this project, you’ll hunt for gravitational lenses. These are the optical illusions created as the light from distant galaxies is bent as it travels near a foreground galaxy or galaxy cluster. (The gravity of that foreground object warps space-time around it.) So you can end up seeing bright arcs, or even full circles, of a background galaxy around the foreground object. Such observations have enabled astronomers to find some of the earliest galaxies known.

The first images available to scan in Space Warps are from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope legacy survey. Just like with Zooniverse’s Galaxy Zoo and the Milky Way Project, Space Warps uses the fact that humans are better at identifying certain objects than computer programs. Citizen scientists helping with both of these projects, and additional ones from the Zooniverse, have led to all kinds of discoveries (like this one, and this one, and of course, Hanny’s Voorwerp).

So, try your hand at finding these awesome results of extreme gravity. I plan to log in and try identifying some gravitational lenses this week, too.

Astronomy Festival on the National Mall

Sarah Scoles — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:55:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Star+parties/3582.Astronomyfestival_5F00_washmonument.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Star+parties/3582.Astronomyfestival_5F00_washmonument.jpg"]In years past, the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall has included sidewalk exhibits. // all photos by Bruno Sánchez-Andrade Nuño [/caption]Have you ever looked through a telescope while the Washington Monument towered over you? If not (or if you have and would like to do so again), you’ll have your chance in just over a month.

On June 14 (or June 15 if the sky is not cooperating), the astronomy outreach arm of Hofstra University will host the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall. The event, whose title describes it quite accurately, will run from 5–11 p.m.

That evening, museums, universities, observatories, and other organizations will gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to share their excitement about and knowledge of astronomy. Participants will get great telescopic views of Saturn’s rings, our Moon, Jupiter’s moons, Mars’ redness, double stars, and star clusters from expert hobbyist astronomers from the area. But before the Sun sets, attendees can view it through a solar telescope, visit exhibits and view demonstrations by astronomers with the American Astronomical Society, Astronomy Foundation, the International Dark-Sky Association, the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences — all organizations filled with scientists whose brains are ripe for picking.

If visitors need to relax and take a passive role in their astronomical learning, they can view the planetarium programs Journey to the Stars (narrated by Whoopie Goldberg) and Cosmic Collisions (narrated by Robert Redford). [caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Star+parties/5165.Astronomyfestival_5F00_solar_5F00_observing.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Star+parties/5165.Astronomyfestival_5F00_solar_5F00_observing.jpg"]In 2011, when this picture was taken, 2,000 people attended the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall. [/caption]

Additionally, an important figure from scientific history will haunt the D.C. sidewalks. Astronomer Caroline Herschel (portrayed by K. Lynn King), the first modern female astronomer and the sister of William Hershel who discovered Uranus, returns from the past to discuss her contributions.

As for the living, Paul Hertz, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA, is the headlining speaker and will describe the agency’s astronomy program and answer questions.

So if any of that sounds fun to you (and how could it not, really?), and you’re within 2,500 miles of the nation’s capital, consider attending the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall. If you’re part of an organization that would like to participate — amateur astronomy clubs are welcomed — [caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Star+parties/4454.Astronomyfestival_5F00_Dobsonian.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Star+parties/4454.Astronomyfestival_5F00_Dobsonian.jpg"]This 14-inch Dobsonian is the biggest telescope these children have ever seen. // Donald Lubowich[/caption]email Donald Lubowich of Hofstra University at Donald.A.Lubowich@hofstra.edu. Tables, chairs, and generators will be available. To learn more about this event and to see a calendar of other Hofstra astronomy outreach events, visit www.hofstra.edu/astronomy.

George Washington would be proud.

Michael Bakich and Dave Eicher to attend Celestron Perspective

David Eicher — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:33:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-MISC/2425.Antares.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-MISC/2425.Antares.jpg"]Antares region. // Ivan Eder[/caption]Some 60 people will attend an event next month in Los Angeles that is the first of its kind. Telescope manufacturer Celestron will put on an event called Perspective in which they host an invitation-only audience of telescope dealers and astroimagers at a fancy oceanfront hotel in Redondo Beach. The two-day conference, slated for June 19 and 20, will include talks and seminars by well-known astrophotographers including John Davis, Christopher Go, and Warren Keller.

The event also will feature workshops by telescope and imaging experts, a Celestron factory tour, hands-on demonstrations, new product announcements, special awards, and camaraderie.

Not only will Michael and I be attending, but we’ve also been asked to emcee the awards dinner on the final evening. So I can only warn you that we’ll be invoking the spirits of George Carlin and Rodney Dangerfield.

It should be a really fun night and a fun event, and I’ll keep you posted about further plans as I hear of them.

Eclipse report from Jay Pasachoff

David Eicher — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:25:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Eclipses/3302.2013_2D00_Australian_2D00_annular_2D00_eclipse_2D00_Kier.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Eclipses/3302.2013_2D00_Australian_2D00_annular_2D00_eclipse_2D00_Kier.jpg"]Credit: Ruben Kier[/caption]Today’s annular eclipse was visible widely across Australia and other areas of the South Pacific, and early reports have it as a big success. I take pleasure in sharing the report sent by Jay Pasachoff, astronomer at Williams College and a longtime contributor to Astronomy:

We can report good success in observing 4 minutes 20 seconds of annularity at the eclipse today, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. On one side of the road, there was a turnoff to a hill that carried a radio repeater, and about 100 people had gathered there in the very early morning in anticipation of the 8:05 a.m. annularity, not to mention the beginning of the eclipse at 6:55 a.m. A wide variety of telescopic and photographic equipment was on view. Most of the people present were Australian amateurs or tourists. Several teams of Japanese amateur astronomers also were deployed north of Tennant Creek, though not at this location.

There were clouds in the sky, and much of the eclipse was viewed through thin clouds, though rarely after the first few minutes was the Sun obscured. The clouds thinned considerably before annularity, which were observed in a pretty clear sky. The air cooled noticeably when the Sun was almost entirely covered, and the shadows sharpened because they were being cast by a thin crescent of Sun.

We now look forward to the next total eclipse of the Sun, which will be visible from Gabon, Africa, on November 3. Another annular eclipse, on April 29, 2014, will have its annularity visible only from an inaccessible ocean spot off Antarctica, but Australia will see about 60 percent coverage.

If you have any images from the annular eclipse, submit them to the Astronomy.com Reader Photo Gallery or email them to readergallery@astronomy.com.

Another Brian May 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS!

David Eicher — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:41:00 GMT

Yesterday, I shared a cool 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS sent by Ph.D. astronomer, Queen guitarist, and Astronomy Editorial Advisory Board member Brian May. Today, I have the good fortune to share another image Brian sent me.

You may know that Brian is very much into stereo photography (see “Brian May’s world of stereo astro imaging,” Astronomy, January 2012), and he has produced these very cool shots with images taken by a number of astroimagers. You can view them by relaxing your eyes, at the right distance, until the images blend together and you see the comet floating in front of the starry background.

You can also use an OWL viewer to do this properly, without having to defocus your eyes. See the London Stereoscopic Co. website for more info on OWL viewers (which were designed by Brian) and on astronomical 3-D photo sets. (Hey, you might want some of the 3-D Queen shots taken by Brian and others, too.)

This impressive picture shows PANSTARRS was shot by Jamie Cooper of Northampton, United Kingdom (And happy birthday, Jamie! — May 6.)

Enjoy!

Send your poems to Mars on MAVEN

Sarah Scoles — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:42:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Missions/6087.maven.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Missions/6087.maven.jpg"]The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission will take scientific instruments and three poems to the Red Planet. // NASA/GSFC[/caption]

NASA’s newest venture around Mars, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission (MAVEN), will launch in November. It will carry the usual spectrometers and magnetometers, but it also will have cargo of a more literary sort: poetry, stored on a DVD and authored by you (if you’re lucky).

The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, which coordinates the “Going to Mars” campaign for MAVEN, and NASA are inviting the public to submit their names and the messages they would like to send to the Red Planet. The messages, however, must be in the classic three-line, five-seven-five syllable haiku poetry form. After all, everyone knows that martians much prefer haiku to the Petrarchan sonnet, which is too long for their attention spans.

So if you have something you would like to say to Mars, distill it down to its essential 17 syllables, come up with some clever enjambments, and submit it at http://lasp.colorado.edu/maven/goingtomars/send-your-name/. All submitters’ names will be burned onto the DVD, but only the three winners’ poems will make the long and digitally encoded trip across the solar system.

You can enter your haiku until July 1. From July 15–July 29, anyone with an internet connection can vote for their favorite poems. On August 8, “Going to Mars” will announce the three winners.

Along with carrying human literary tradition, MAVEN will study Mars’ atmosphere to determine how it is changing right now (specifically, how it has lost its volatile elements like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water); how it has changed over time; and how that loss changed the planet’s climate, wateriness, and habitability.

In other words, MAVEN is asking:

Oh, planet so stark,
were you always this dusty?
Where is your N₂?

Brian May’s amazing 3-D image of Comet PANSTARRS

David Eicher — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:31:00 GMT

Ph.D. astronomer, Queen guitarist, and Astronomy Editorial Advisory Board member Brian May sent some 3-D images of Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) the other day. These are absolutely incredible and will blow your mind when you see them in the right way.

You may know that Brian is very much into stereo photography (see “Brian May’s world of stereo astro imaging,” Astronomy, January 2012) and he has produced these very cool shots with images taken by a number of astroimagers. You can view them by relaxing your eyes, at the right distance, until the images blend together and you see the comet floating in front of the starry background.

You can also use an OWL viewer to do this properly, without having to defocus your eyes. See the London Stereoscopic Co. website for more info on OWL viewers (which were designed by Brian) and on astronomical 3-D photo sets. (Hey, you might want some of the 3-D Queen shots taken by Brian and others, too.)

This impressive picture shows PANSTARRS with a wide fan-shaped tail and was shot by Ignacio Diaz Bobillo in mid-February 2013.

Enjoy!

Uwingu announces Adopt-a-Planet Campaign

David Eicher — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:53:00 GMT

I think most of you are familiar with Uwingu, the company started by planetary scientist Alan Stern and friends that are raising grant money to fund astronomical research. Astronomy magazine is a partner in this project and strongly supports Uwingu’s activities. Please see the following release sent to me by Alan — and please support it if you can. It is a highly valuable resource for the future of astronomy.

Thanks.

Uwingu Launches World’s First
“Adopt-a-Planet” Campaign

Uwingu is Funding Space Research and Education Grants

Boulder, Colorado — Today, space company Uwingu announced the launch of the world’s first “Adopt-a-Planet” campaign. This open-ended campaign gives anyone in the public — worldwide — the opportunity to adopt exoplanets in astronomical databases via Uwingu’s website at www.uwingu.com. Proceeds from the name and voting will continue to help fuel new Uwingu grants to fund space exploration, research, and education.

Astronomers have detected and confirmed over 700 planets orbiting distant stars. Called “exoplanets,” these planets have been given technical names such as “HD 222582 b” by astronomers, but not memorable human-friendly names, like the constellations or comets have. Via the Adopt-a-Planet campaign, Uwingu, working with the public, plans to create names for many or even all of these fascinating distant worlds.

In Uwingu’s Adopt-a-Planet campaign, any nominated name that reaches 1,000 votes will qualify its namer to adopt the exoplanet of their choice with that name. Winners can choose which planet they would like to name from exoplanet lists created by astronomers.

Adopted planets and the planet’s name’s originator will be publicized by Uwingu. Additionally, the namer will receive $100 in Uwingu store credits, an adoption certificate, and links to in-depth information about their adopted planet. The first 10 names to reach adoption status will receive $500 in Uwingu naming/voting credits as a bonus.

Uwingu will also give recognition to names that reach thresholds of 100 and 500 votes as they climb toward adoption eligibility.

“This is a great way for the worldwide public to connect to the sky and space!” said Uwingu CEO and astronomer Dr. Alan Stern. Stern continued, “In our Adopt-a-Planet campaign, every person who nominates a planet can win, and at their own pace, knowing they are funding space research and education along the way.”

Uwingu’s current “baby book” of names is growing daily, with over 1,240 names submitted to date.

Seneca on comets: an excerpt from “Comets: Visitors From Deep Space”

David Eicher — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:29:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Comets/2117.Hale_2D00_Bopp.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Comets/2117.Hale_2D00_Bopp.jpg"]Hale-Bopp // Credit: Michael Stecker[/caption]My book, Comets: Visitors From Deep Space, will be published this fall by Cambridge University Press. Here’s a taste of a historical chapter centering on observations by the Roman philosopher Seneca . . .

Enjoy!

The Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, aka Seneca the Younger (ca. 4 B.C.–A.D. 65), summarized the early take on comets — as opposed to the always visible parts of the heavens, the Sun, Moon, etc. — in one of his writings. “No man is so utterly dull and obtuse,” he penned, “with head so bent on Earth, as never to lift himself up and rise with all his soul to the contemplation of the starry heavens, especially when some fresh wonder shows a beacon-light in the sky. As long as the ordinary course of heaven runs on, custom robs it of its real size. Such is our constitution that objects of daily occurrence pass us unnoticed even when most worthy of our admiration. On the other hand, the sight even of trifling things is attractive if their appearance is unusual. So this concourse of stars, which paints with beauty the spacious firmament on high, gathers no concourse of the nation. But when there is any change in the wonted order, then all eyes are turned to the sky. . . . So natural is it to admire what is strange rather than what is great.”

“The same thing holds in regards to comets,” continued Seneca. “If one of these infrequent fires of unusual shape have made its appearance, everybody is eager to know what it is. Blind to all the other celestial bodies, each asks about the newcomer; one is not quite sure whether to admire or fear it. Persons there are who seek to inspire terror by forecasting its grave import. And so people keep asking and wishing to know whether it is a portent or a star.”

Seneca wrote about comets and much more in his famous work Natural Questions (Naturales quaestiones, in Latin), written about the year A.D. 63. And he wrote about them under considerable pressure from Emperor Nero (A.D. 37–68), who had begun his life of wretched excess, total immorality, and criminality — and who had already arranged for the deaths of his mother, his wife, and his stepbrother. An imperial advisor, Seneca was accused of embezzlement and wrote in a manner of bald flattery toward the emperor.

Seneca mentioned recent comets, recalling “one which appeared during the reign of Nero Caesar — which has redeemed comets from their bad character.” He later referred to “the recent one which we saw during this joyous reign of Nero.” The flattery worked only for a short time. Accused of complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy, a plot to kill Nero, Seneca was forced to commit suicide. Nonetheless, his writings about comets published in Natural Questions continued to influence thinking about the celestial visitors for many years to come.

Seneca believed that comets were not fiery apparitions but permanent creations of the natural world that would last and be seen for short periods because of their movements. He mentioned the observation of a comet during a solar eclipse and therefore believed many comets may move close to the Sun in the sky and be hidden by its glare. Impressively, Seneca proposed that comets move in circular orbits and travel around the sky, becoming invisible when they move behind planets. One of the chief arguments for comets being atmospheric, and not distant celestial bodies, came from the fact that their appearances and motions differed greatly from stars and planets.

For this, however, Seneca had a rational retort. “Nature does not turn out her work according to a single pattern,” he wrote. “She prides herself upon her power of variation. . . . She does not often display comets; she has assigned them a different place, different periods from the other stars, and motions unlike theirs. She wished to enhance the greatness of her work by these strange visitants whose form is too beautiful to be thought accidental.”

Seneca then looked forward to a distant future, realizing that understanding would deepen over the ages. “The day will yet come when posterity will be amazed that we remained ignorant of things that will to them seem so plain. . . . Men will some day be able to demonstrate in what regions comets have their paths, why their course is so far moved from the other stars, what is their size and constitution. Let us be satisfied with what we have discovered, and leave a little truth for our descendants to find out.”

As Roman philosophers went, Seneca was an impressive scientist in the making. He stood up for careful, analytical observations, and even though his conclusions were primitive, the analytical part was a big step forward. In fact, his belief in the periodic orbiting of comets caught on, finally, with Edmond Halley — more than 16 centuries after Seneca’s death.

Astronomy Foundation seeks corporate fundraiser

David Eicher — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:28:00 GMT

The Astronomy Foundation, the nonprofit entity started as a telescope industry association to promote the astronomy hobby, seeks a volunteer person to help with corporate fundraising. The position would involve seeking and building funds for the group from corporate and private donations in order to build its treasury and enable astronomy-related activities such as outreach, star parties, assisting astronomy clubs with projects, and the like.

If you are such a person or may know of a person who could help the Astronomy Foundation, please contact Vice President Karen Jennings.

Founded in 2009, the Astronomy Foundation consists of officers and a board composed of telescope industry executives and amateur astronomy notables, including President David J. Eicher of Astronomy magazine; Vice President Jennings of the Delmarva Stargazers in Delaware; Secretary Richard Hedrick of PlaneWave Instruments; and Treasurer Frank Dibbell, a retired engineer and astronomy activist. The board of directors holds these officers plus Vic Maris of Stellarvue Telescopes, Mike Reynolds of Florida State College, Scott Kardel of the International Dark-Sky Association, and Craig Weatherwax of Oceanside Photo & Telescope.

Guest blog: Audrey Fischer on the International Starry Night

David Eicher — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:02:00 GMT

The International Starry Night celebration will take place August 10, 2013, coinciding with the Perseid meteor shower.[/caption]Amateur astronomer and activist Audrey Fischer of Chicago is well known as an influential friend who combats light pollution tirelessly. Now, Audrey, Michael Uberty, and collaborators are putting on a terrific event slated to coincide with the Perseid meteor shower this year — the International Starry Night. And there’s also Starlight Week. Audrey has been good enough to contribute the following description, and I invite you all to participate with yourselves and your astronomy clubs as much as you possibly can. Enjoy!

You can contact Audrey Fischer at audreyfischer@sbcglobal.net and Michael Uberty at muberty@gmail.com.

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Star+parties/8686.starry_2D00_night_2D00_poster_2D00_update0412.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-Star+parties/8686.starry_2D00_night_2D00_poster_2D00_update0412.jpg"]The International Starry Night will take place August 10, 2013, a date that coincides with the Perseid meteor shower.[/caption]

Invitation: International Starry Night — a celebration of starlight! August 10, 2013
and
Starlight Week, August 11—17, 2013

Friends,

I write this to you now, as the first rays of the early sunrise streak across my table, keyboard, hands, and face. The life-renewing sunrise is something to which every person on this planet can connect. However, it is the starry night that connects us to the universe and to each other. Starlight has been cherished throughout every culture of human ancestry for thousands of years, but we are losing it rapidly within only a few decades.

The National Park Service study predicts that by 2025, 90% of people in the contiguous U.S. will never see the starry night sky even once in their lifetime. It is similar for most populations the world over. It is time to unite on a global level to stop the exponential increase of harmful light pollution and restore starlight for present and future generations.

You are invited to join in the very first International Starry Night, a special celestial event to view the Perseid meteor shower and celebrate the starry night sky. This is an invitation that we hope people of all ages, colors, and walks of life will put their hearts into, in their own unique ways, to become part of a special synergy that will finally restore the hidden wonders of the starry night.

International Starry Night — a celebration of starlight, August 10, 2013. This will be celebrated officially the first Saturday of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids have always been many astronomy organizations’ favorite time for public outreach. United together, these events synergistically can have an even greater impact as registered International Starry Night and/or Starlight Week events. Please register your event at www.starry-night.org. If you don’t have an event scheduled, consider teaming up with an established community event and add the Starry Night element. This day is also a call for voluntary citizen action for “Lights Out — Eyes UP.” In addition, on rare celestial events, such as Comet ISON’s appearance or a low-latitude aurorae, we hope the public will be primed to respond and appreciate additional “Lights Out - Eyes UP” alerts so they may experience cosmic wonders from their own backyard.
Starlight Week. Starlight week extends International Starry Night. Every public astronomy outreach event between August 11 and August 17, 2013, can be registered.
Officially proclaimed calendar date: I am delighted to announce Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is the very first governor to sign an official proclamation for “Starlight Week,” August 11–17, 2013. This is great in and of itself; however, each governor who signs on will enhance our chances of getting an official nationally and/or internationally proclaimed calendar date dedicated for starlight restoration. Just as Earth has its day, all the stars deserve at least one. Please contact your governor and request the same for your state. Contact your community and invite them to participate.

Historical Artifact: Make a Wish — The Starry Night Banner Compilation. This gem is the idea of astronomer/activist Michael Uberty. People are encouraged to make a wish on the first Perseid meteor they see and then inscribe it onto a large banner material provided by the host organization. Inclusions of cosmic artwork and poetry would be splendid. (Consider providing material for two near-duplicate banners. One can be a historical keepsake for your organization, and a second to be combined with banners from all participating Starry Night events to make one gigantic banner to be displayed in Washington, D.C., either at the National Mall or the White House. We would like to ask the President for a nationally proclaimed Starry Night, and better still, a national and international commitment to restoring starlight for today’s and future generations.
Historical Artifact — CD/DVD compilation of music and other arts celebrating the Starry Night Sky. Now seeking cosmically inspired music, poetry, mythology readings, photography, time-lapse videography, paintings, and more to assemble into a CD/DVD that will provide a welcome companion at the observing site or cloudy night.

Quotations of Vincent van Gogh

“Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.”

―

“I confess I do not know why, but looking at the stars always makes me dream.”

―

“At present I absolutely want to paint a starry sky. It often seems to me that night is still more richly colored than the day, having hues of the most intense violets, blues and greens. If only you pay attention to it you will see that certain stars are lemon-yellow, others pink or a green, blue, and forget-me-not brilliance. And without my expatiating on this them,e it is obvious that putting little white dots on the blue-black is not enough to paint a starry sky.”

―

“I don’t know anything with certainty, but seeing the stars makes me dream.”

―

“Looking at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots representing towns and villages on a map.”

―

“Why, I ask myself, shouldn’t the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France?”

―

“Just as we take a train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star. We cannot get to a star while we are alive any more than we can take the train when we are dead. So to me it seems possible that cholera, tuberculosis, and cancer are the celestial means of locomotion. Just as steamboats, buses, and railways are the terrestrial means. To die quietly of old age would be to go there on foot.”

―

“When I have a terrible need of — shall I say the word — religion. Then I go out and paint the stars.”

The Chinese recorded the first observation of the (then unnamed) Perseid meteor shower in 36 AD. Translated, what the observers said was “more than 100 meteors flew thither in the morning.” The Perseid meteor shower has delighted people for nearly 2000 years. And now our generation is spoiling this experience with uncontrolled light pollution. Let’s fix this!

One of the most recognized paintings in the world is Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night. Ironically, humanity is losing the real starry night. This is why we chose Starry Night as the theme. Our goal is to raise awareness of harmful light pollution and appreciation for the starry night sky — the first steps toward starlight restoration and re-connection.

A coincidental tidbit I came across for our International Starry Night event is the Belgium link. Although he was born in Newfoundland, Vincent van Gogh was a missionary in Belgium, where he began his serious study of art by sketching the coal miners he was preaching to. Well, it just so happens that in 1835, a Belgian astronomer, Adolphe Quételet, first figured out that the meteor shower emanated from the constellation Perseus. It would be cool if Belgian astronomers participated in the very first International Starry Night. We’ll see!

I am delighted to introduce new collaborative partners: an inspirational class of seventh-graders who is urging their hometown to “Hit the Lights — save the stars one light at a time.” Their first attempt has a date of May 2, 2013. Kudos to these students! If you know of other students who might like to get something started in their school or community, please invite them! Share their story with us. Today's youth have the most to lose, as they are the first generation growing up where neither they nor their parents likely ever saw a night sky with the Milky Way. It doesn’t need to be that way.

So please, open the discussions in your astronomy associations, in the classrooms, community groups, and churches. Have fun doing it. Speak up for starlight restoration. Register your event. Share your ideas, pictures, and posters. Build the synergy. With any luck at all, our efforts will help turn on some stars!

I finished this message to you while viewing the nearly full Moon. My, where did the day go?!

cheers+stars,

Audrey

It is possible to recover the magnificence of the starry night sky to once again inspire & nurture the hearts and souls of all children of this planet. This is the goal at its core and intrinsic to humanity. This will not happen without a unified, conscious global effort. Starlight: a treasure not to lose.

Astronomical League searches for young astronomers

David Eicher — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:17:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-People/3005.Grant_2D00_Regen.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-People/3005.Grant_2D00_Regen.jpg"]Astronomy magazine has been able to capture the interest of young people like Grant Regens, the magazine’s 2013 Youth Essay Contest winner, but the hobby of astronomy continues to age. // courtesy Grant Regen[/caption]When I was at NEAF in New York last weekend, Astronomical League Vice President John Goss asked me about young people in amateur astronomy. He showed me a copy of the March issue of Reflector, the league’s monthly publication, with the theme of “You and Astronomy.” I hadn’t seen the issue, having been on several recent trips, but was glad to read it carefully.

For some years, astronomy enthusiasts have noticed the regular meetings and star parties they’ve attended for years have been showing pretty much the same crowd, getting a little older and a little grayer every year. What’s the deal with young people not getting into amateur astronomy in large numbers? Observing the universe, seeing and appreciating Saturn, the Moon, galaxies, stars, and nebulae, and understanding your place in the cosmos all seem pretty cool. But fewer young people are getting into this hobby than in some previous eras. Why?

John described how the March Reflector took on that question. Its special section, “Where are the young in our astronomy clubs?” by League Executive Secretary Ron Whitehead, explored the issue with a variety of guest editorials.

Courtney Flonta, president of the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers in Hampton Roads, Virginia, contributed an essay on why we must bring more young people into amateur astronomy. Joshua Babin of the Houston Astronomical Society, himself just 23, described some key reasons why astronomy interest has declined among young people. The League’s webmaster, Vern Rabin, suggested astronomy clubs must embrace technology to include young folks. Ted Forte of the Huachuca (Arizona) Astronomy Club discussed how people can grow into an astronomy interest slowly. And Craig Weatherwax of Oceanside Photo and Telescope (and a board member of the Astronomy Foundation) wrote about reversing the graying of astronomy.

It makes for an interesting and thought-provoking package. If you’re interested in the state of amateur astronomy, the trends of who is involved in it, and why it has changed, then I really think this issue is for you. I urge you to get a copy of the March Reflector. You can contact the Astronomical League at editor@astroleague.org.

Astronomy dreams at C2E2

Michael Bakich — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:30:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Misc/0336.Bakich_2D00_C2E2_2D00_2012.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Misc/0336.Bakich_2D00_C2E2_2D00_2012.jpg"]At the 2012 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, I roamed about freely as one of the elite media. // all photos by Holley Y. Bakich[/caption]The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) starts Friday, April 26, and for the second straight year I’ll be there. I guess the convention organizers liked what I did last year because they’ve issued me press credentials again.

The 2013 C2E2 runs April 26–28. The convention, which, in addition to comics, also spans the latest and greatest in the worlds of movies, television, toys, and video games, is being held in the North Building of Chicago’s McCormick Place.

This year, thousands of people will be hanging on every word spoken about Star Wars, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, The Big Bang Theory, The Walking Dead, Godzilla, and, of course, Doctor Who.

I’ll be searching for science. It underlies nearly every idea present at C2E2, you know. Energy beams? Check. Spaceships? Check. Alien worlds and civilizations? Check. Time travel. Check. Even the creators of fantasy realms imbue them with natural laws. (I’ve yet to encounter one where gravity doesn’t function, for example.)

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Misc/7827.C2E2_2D00_2012.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Misc/7827.C2E2_2D00_2012.jpg"]Fans of every entertainment genre packed the convention. How many, I wonder, are also science nerds?[/caption]As of this writing, I’ve snagged at least one super-cool interview. Hopefully, more will follow. But I know that Friday afternoon I’ll be speaking with Jordan Hembrough of Travel Channel’s Toy Hunter television show.

Hembrough is a self-professed comic-book geek and film buff who was bitten by the collecting bug at an early age. He quickly learned that he could make more money selling toys to his school peers than he could on any paper route. At age 16, he began buying and selling toys professionally. In 1998, he founded Hollywood Heroes, where he sells toys and film props to the collectible market and offers consulting services to toy and entertainment companies.

I want to chat with him about science-based toys. I know some manufacturers still make them. How well do they sell? Are there collectors out there that specialize in them? Considering that, as a whole, toy collectors can be eccentric and imaginative, do those qualities tie in to other hobbies that involve curiosity and imagination like astronomy? I only have 15 minutes with him, and I mean to make it count. Look for a blog about it soon after I return.

Both last year’s C2E2 and the San Diego Comic-Con were well worth the effort to attend. What surprises does the 2013 version of C2E2 hold in store for me? Store? Ooh, that reminds me: Take lots of spending money.

Sony Pictures and XPRIZE launch "After Earth" Challenge

David Eicher — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:32:00 GMT

Our good friends who work with Sony Pictures, Warren Betts and Brian Boothe, yesterday sent word of a new contest called the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge. This contest will engage students in science, mathematics, and technology to enter a robotics competition to win a large array of prizes, all relating to XPRIZE and Sony Pictures’ motion picture After Earth, starring Jaden Smith and Will Smith, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film will be in theaters May 31, and producers have already created an education plan for kids based off of the science implications in the film After Earth at www.lifeafterearthscience.com.

For more information, see the press release that follows:

CULVER CITY, Calif., April 24, 2013 – Sony Pictures Entertainment, Overbrook Entertainment, and XPRIZE will launch an unprecedented robotics competition celebrating the highly anticipated release of After Earth, in theaters May 31. Through an immersive two-stage competition, the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge propels individuals to engage in meaningful discussions regarding space exploration and environmental sustainability, while applying fundamental principles of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics in navigating the fictitious universe of After Earth. The competition launches April 24, 2013, at XPRIZEAfterEarth.com.

The XPRIZE After Earth Challenge puts participants in the shoes of a Ranger cadet, exploring the relationship between survival and sustainability while completing a mission to send an unmanned rover to explore Nova Prime, the human race’s new home in After Earth. Eligible teams (2–5 students between ages 13 and 17 with one adult captain) of the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge can register for a chance to win by visiting www.XPRIZEAfterEarth.com beginning on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, at 12:01 a.m. PDT, through 11:59 p.m. PDT, Friday, June 7, 2013.

In Phase 1 of the challenge, teams will create 2–3 minute video essays that answer targeted questions and describe their thinking on the importance of space exploration and the relationship between sustainability and survival. Video entries will be judged, and 10 teams will be selected to move forward to Phase 2 of the contest.

In Phase 2, the top 10 teams from the previous phase will receive a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® kit to use for their mission and a Sony Handycam® HDR-PJ230 camcorder to document their experience. They will design and build a Nova Prime landscape (playfield), upon which their LEGO MINDSTORMS robot will complete a series of mission tasks in one or more of four thematic areas: (1) Natural Resources, (2) Renewable Energy, (3) Agriculture, and (4) Shelter/Protection. Teams will showcase their Robot, Landscape, and Mission Tasks in a live performance in their community, which will be uploaded to the website for the judges.

The winning team will be highlighted in a special feature about the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge on the U.S. Blu-ray disc* of After Earth, and all members of that winning team will receive a signed Blu-ray and other cool prizes.

The Grand Prize winner will be announced August 9, 2013.

*Complete rules and regulations can be found at XPRIZEAfterEarth.com.

“XPRIZE is proud and excited to join the creative teams of Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment for the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, chairman and CEO of XPRIZE. “After Earth is not only a spectacular science fiction adventure but it also underscores the importance of protecting our planet, something we value deeply at XPRIZE. We are pleased to partner with the visionary team at Overbrook to present a complimentarily themed educational competition focusing on the sustainability of the Earth.”

Caleeb Pinkett, a producer of the film, added, “The XPRIZE After Earth challenge is an innovative way to get students excited about the film, the franchise, and the ideas that inspired them both, while using a combination of real-world science and science-fiction to fuel young people’s passion for preserving this planet.”

News from the Astronomy Foundation

David Eicher — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:32:00 GMT

Over the past three weeks, I’ve taken a vacation down the Mississippi River, speaking about the Civil War on the American Queen riverboat, and also gone to the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), the biggest astronomy expo in the United States, in Suffern, New York. I am very tired, but glad to be back finally in the normal routine.

NEAF was terrific, and I enjoyed meeting many of you there — thanks for all the great comments on the magazine and everything that’s going on here. It means a great deal to the staff to hear such an overwhelmingly positive response to what we’re doing, particularly in this 40th anniversary year.

I also wanted to alert you to some updates from the Astronomy Foundation (AF). This group, really a telescope industry outreach organization, got its start in the minds of a few manufacturers and has contributed mostly to amateur outreach events. Last year, the AF had a bit of a rough time pushing things forward because several of the volunteers acting on its behalf ran into career changes and challenges, which eliminated their time donated to the group.

I can tell you the Astronomy Foundation held its annual meeting of the board of directors at NEAF, and we have made some nice progress in reorganizing and promoting upcoming outreach events. Present at the meeting were the president (me), Vice President Karen Jennings, Secretary Rick Hedrick, and board members Vic Maris and Craig Weatherwax.

First, the board voted on new officers. They are: Dave Eicher, president; Karen Jennings, vice president; Rick Hedrick, secretary; and Frank Dibbell, treasurer. Additionally, the officers voted Karen Jennings onto the board of directors, as well as Scott Kardel. Eicher, Hedrick, Maris, Weatherwax, and Mike Reynolds continue on the board.

Additionally, several important volunteers are in discussions with Jennings about becoming integral parts of the foundation, and I expect to be able to report more about these folks soon.

The many committee chairs of the Astronomy Foundation are busily engaged in projects — these, along with supporting a variety of star parties and other outreach events, form the core of the AF’s activities. The committees are Astronomy Clubs (Jennings, chair), Education (Tom Trusock), Light Pollution (Kardel), Observing (Glenn Chaple), Planetaria (John Schroer), Star Parties (Reynolds), Website (Alex Khachaturyan), and Youth (Ben Palmer).

Updates on what the committees have been doing and a list of events the AF will be involved with will be forthcoming shortly.

Discover the Universe in Maryland and Delaware

Sarah Scoles — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:35:00 GMT

During the month of March, the Sussex County Astronomy Society and the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation held three events — one at the seashore, one at a rocket launch complex, and one on a boardwalk — as part of Astronomy magazine’s Discover the Universe program to bring sidewalk astronomy to everyone. Gerry Lyons, the Sussex Society’s outreach coordinator, reports on their success:

Assateague Island National Seashore
On March 9, we held our first event of the season with the Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland. To attract a large crowd, we started with a media blitz. We appeared on a local daytime TV show, placed information in all three local newspapers, and worked with a local DJ who did public service announcements for five radio stations (I highly recommend this market if you haven’t tried it before).

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Outreach/3022.discover-the-universe-3.JPG" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Outreach/3022.discover-the-universe-3.JPG"]Gerry Lyons (Sussex County Astronomy Society)[/caption]The night of the event, we worked in conjunction with some members of the Delmarva Stargazers. To begin, a NASA scientist spoke about meteors and meteorites. Our attendees then ventured outside so we could introduce them to a crystal-clear, incredibly dark night sky with 11 telescopes varying in size from 108mm to 14 inches.

Because our evening was aimed at children, families went inside the seashore’s visitors’ center to warm up, drink hot chocolate, and participate in activities such as building a sky wheel. Due to the chill in the air, copious amounts of hot chocolate disappeared.

After a while inside, visitors came back outside for another round of celestial delights. While the rangers at Assateague hoped for 100 people, we had approximately twice that number — 200!

Wallops Island
Do you know the significance of MARS on the Delmarva Peninsula? MARS stands for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, which is the rocket launch complex at Wallops Island in Virginia, associated with the NASA Flight Facility. Scientists will begin launching rockets to the International Space Station and the Moon during 2013.

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Outreach/2335.discover-the-universe.JPG" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Outreach/2335.discover-the-universe.JPG"]Gerry Lyons (Sussex County Astronomy Society)[/caption]March 22 is the annual celebration of Sun-Earth Day. This year, NASA sponsored a webcast out of MARS and invited 100 – 120 middle- and high-school folks from the area to participate. NASA asked the Sussex County Astronomy Society and the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation to do solar astronomy in conjunction with the event. We had eight solar telescopes in place, as well as the materials from the Astronomy Foundation, the Night Sky Network, and NASA Goddard.

Our final attendance total for the event was 180. Afterward, the scientist presenters came outside to check out our equipment and material. They seemed very pleased and surprised to see that we were promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) subjects while sharing our experiences and our passion for astronomy.

Rehoboth Beach
On March 29–30, we held our second annual Easter weekend astronomy event on the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. This is usually the first weekend that sees a significant influx of visitors each spring.

While temperatures were cool, visibility was moderate, even under the heavily light-polluted skies of the boardwalk. We obtained permission again to set up our equipment at the busiest point of the boardwalk. Curious onlookers mobbed us while we attempted to set up.

Despite that, we managed to set up five telescopes each night, ranging from 3 inches to 11 inches and mostly of the Schmidt-Cassegrain variety. The festive group of attendees, ranging in age from infants to 80-year-olds and including many children, displayed highly infectious happiness throughout the two nights. Friday, March 29, the group was smaller because visitors were still arriving at the beach for the weekend from the surrounding areas of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. We fielded many questions about how to locate local programs when visitors went home. That night, we spoke with at least 350 people; Saturday night, we totaled about 475 folks. Most of them left with pamphlets, brochures, magazines, and business cards. Representatives from various schools in the surrounding states subsequently contacted our astronomy society about providing programs for the school systems. A Girl Scouts regional representative also contacted us about future participation with them.

Overall, these three events in one month provided us direct contact with close to 1200 people. Indirect contact numbers through publicity channels and networking cannot be estimated. But the return on investment is (if you’ll pardon the pun) astronomical.

That’s quite a reach! Thanks to the Sussex County Astronomical Society and the Delmarva Space Sciences Foundation for being the first Discover the Universe bloggers this year and for holding successful events that include hot chocolate. If your astronomy club is interested having a sidewalk astronomy event that gives someone their first-ever view through a telescope, and you’d like to take part in Discover the Universe, send me an email! I’m Associate Editor Sarah Scoles, and my email address is sscoles@astronomy.com. I’ll be happy to discuss the program more with you and send you an application.

A younger crowd and fascinating talks at the 2013 Northeast Astronomy Forum

David Eicher — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:10:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-41/NEAF_2D00_2013_5F00_kids.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-41/NEAF_2D00_2013_5F00_kids.jpg"]Activity tables for kids allowed young space and astronomy enthusiasts to follow their dreams, NEAF, Suffern, New York, April 21, 2013. // all photos by David J. Eicher[/caption]Sunday always starts a little later at the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), the largest telescope trade show in the United States. But by 10 a.m., the show cranked up after a successful day Saturday, and 100 exhibitors showed off their wares — telescopes, binoculars, CCD cameras, books, filters, accessories, meteorites, and practically everything astronomical you could imagine. It was a day again filled with many hundreds of visitors in the Eugene Levy Fieldhouse at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York. This year it seemed clear that larger numbers of younger visitors were at NEAF, signaling a bit of a change in the hobby.

Talks on this day began shortly after noon with my presentation, “Astronomy’s New Frontier,” which summarized the great advances in cosmology, astrophysics, and planetary science over the past decade. The talk lasted more than 45 minutes, and then I fielded a superb range of questions from the enthusiastic audience, which included several smart and inquisitive kids. It was a refreshing exchange with the audience, and we covered everything from the fate of life on Earth to the distance scale of the universe to the probabilities that comets delivered significant amounts of water and organic molecules to early Earth.

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-40/Inflatable_2D00_planetarium.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-40/Inflatable_2D00_planetarium.jpg"]Kids really enjoyed seeing the sky inside this inflatable planetarium brought by the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center, NEAF, Suffern, New York, April 21, 2013.[/caption]My good friend and our popular columnist Bob Berman also delivered a talk on Sunday afternoon, this one centering on the prospects for Comet ISON but also describing Bob’s travel to eclipses, his ideas on cosmology, his experiences with writing various astronomical books, and many other topics of great interest. The audience loved the talk, and we shared many funny moments during that hour thanks to Bob’s wonderful sense of humor.

I was also privileged to see Caltech astronomer Mike Brown’s talk, “How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming.” Mike was involved with the demotion of Pluto in 2006 in the sense that several of the Kuiper belt discoveries and the discussion and summarization of small icy bodies in the solar system came in part from him and his team. His superb discussion of the solar system and of his research on small bodies laid out a fine understanding of the Pluto problem.

Along with the talks came another full day of exploring the exhibitors. Exciting things are cooking this year, with Astronomy magazine, with the Astronomy Foundation, with several partners of ours in the telescope industry, and with the approach of Comet ISON. Expect to hear more about all these subjects soon.

For all images from this trip, visit the Online Reader Gallery.

The hobby is alive and well at the 2013 Northeast Astronomy Forum

David Eicher — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 17:01:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-23/01_5F00_NEAF_2D00_2013.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-23/01_5F00_NEAF_2D00_2013.jpg"]The Northeast Astronomy Forum 2013 gets underway at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, April 20, 2013. // all photos by David J. Eicher [/caption]Following on the heels of the very successful two-day Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference, the world’s largest telescope show and expo — the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) — got off with a bang Saturday, April 20. As usual, the event took place at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, about an hour outside of New York City, and was hosted by the Rockland Astronomy Club. Some 110 exhibitors showed off their latest telescopes, binoculars, accessories, books, and other fun stuff to several thousand attendees. The event will carry on with its second day today.

Speakers on Saturday included Bernie Sokolowski, who presented a telescope clinic for beginners, Yuri Beletsky of the Magellan Telescope in Chile, astroimager John Davis (who is also a Hollywood director, noted for Jimmy Neutron and other films), Rick Fieberg of the American Astronomical Society on pro-am collaborations, and astronaut John Grunsfeld on NASA science.

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-24/02_5F00_Regen_2D00_Amos.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-24/02_5F00_Regen_2D00_Amos.jpg"]Youth Essay Winner Grant Regen of Los Angeles and his mother Beth pose proudly at NEAF, Suffern, New York, April 20, 2013.[/caption]Astronomy magazine again sponsored a Youth Essay Contest, and the winner, 13-year-old Grant Regen of Los Angeles, enjoyed his first NEAF, accompanied by his mother, Beth. Grant is already becoming involved with the outreach organization the Astronomy Foundation, so you will hear from him in the future.

NEAF’s new chairman, Ed Siemenn of the Rockland Astronomy Club, welcomed attendees, along with fellow club members Mies Hora and Jim Burnell.

The day was mostly consumed by numerous discussions with amateurs at the Astronomy magazine booth and the Astronomy Foundation booth, which was watched over carefully by Vice President Karen Jennings and Youth Committee Chair Ben Palmer. Much more on the foundation to come, with some exciting developments.

The second day of NEAF is at its height now — much more to report later.

For all images from this trip, visit the Online Reader Gallery.

More image processing at the 2013 Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference

David Eicher — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 03:39:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-19/Joe_2D00_DePasquale.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/13-67-00-00-00-48-89-19/Joe_2D00_DePasquale.jpg"]Astronomer Joe DePasquale at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is the main image processor for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, NEAIC, April 19, 2013. // photo by David J. Eicher[/caption]The second day of the Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference (NEAIC), held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Suffern, New York, kicked off early on April 19, 2013, and brought more than 150 astroimagers together for many amazing talks and presentations. Among the second day’s speakers were Joe DePasquale of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who is the principal image processor for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Joe’s tips and tricks on image processing, used with some images as recently released as a few days prior, were amazing to see. The crowds also heard from Yuri Beletski, who spoke about imaging dusty regions in the sky; Jim Lafferty, who described Hydrogen-alpha imaging of the Sun; Peter Lipschutz, who spoke on building 3-D images; Jerry Bonnell, who presented tips relating to NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day; and Caroline Moore, who described progress with her ambitious school observatory project.

The afternoon also brought the enormous setup process over at Rockland Community College, in preparation for the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), which took place today and will continue Sunday. A battery of folks from Astronomy magazine are here, myself included but also Publisher Kevin Keefe as well as Jeff Felbab and Ken Kozerski from our advertising department. I also will be spending time at the Astronomy Foundation booth, as will Vice President Karen Jennings. The AF has some exciting new initiatives and projects to report on this year. We held our annual board meeting Thursday and again voted on me as president, Karen Jennings as vice president, and Frank Dibbell as treasurer. More on this group will be forthcoming soon.

I’ll keep you posted on the daily activities at NEAF this weekend, which will see several thousand people at this unique event.

For all images from this trip, visit the Online Reader Gallery.

Image-processing rules at the Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference

David Eicher — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:24:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-NEAIC+2013/6076.NEAIC_2D00_2013_2D00_exhibitor_2D00_room.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-72-NEAIC+2013/6076.NEAIC_2D00_2013_2D00_exhibitor_2D00_room.jpg"]The commercial exhibitor room at NEAIC buzzed with products and skyshooters looking for cameras and gadgets, Suffern, New York, April 18, 2013. // Credit: David J. Eicher[/caption]The 8th annual Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference (NEAIC), one of the premier events for astrophotographers, kicked off Thursday morning, April 18, 2013, at the Crowne Plaza Conference Center in Suffern, New York. NEAIC precedes the major telescope show in North America, the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF), which begins on Saturday, April 20. New York’s Rockland Astronomy Club is the key organizing body for both events.

When I arrived at NEAIC on Thursday, a couple hundred skyshooters were on hand, enjoying a wide range of incredibly detailed talks. Well-known imager Rob Gendler spoke about tricks and tips for processing data captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Jerry Lodriguss delivered a lecture on planetary imaging with DSLRs. Astronomy magazine contributor Jon Talbot spoke about image processing with PixInsight, an alternative to Photoshop. Jerry Hubbell delivered a talk on how amateur astronomers can generate professional-quality astrodata. And French astroimager Olivier Thizy gave a great presentation on doing spectroscopy with small telescopes.

It was a fruitful day, packed with an incredible amount of impressive details for amateur astronomers. At times, the sessions reminded me of the complexity of formal talks at science meetings in their amazing depth.

Today, the second day of NEAIC kicks off, and set-up occurs for NEAF over at Rockland Community College.

Last night, members of the Astronomy Foundation held an organizational meeting that I’ll write more about later. Founding board member Vic Maris of Stellarvue Telescopes, his lovely wife Jan, Vice President Karen Jennings, and I went through an enormous amount of details on the foundation’s plans. More on that soon.

Now, back to astroimaging . . .

For all images from this trip, visit the Online Reader Gallery.

An "unofficial" name for Alpha Centauri Bb

Karri Ferron — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:10:00 GMT

Last week, I wrote about the Uwingu "People's Choice" contest that invites people to vote on a popular name for the nearest known exoplanet. Today, I have two updates:

1) Uwingu has extended the contest by one week, and the winning name now won't be decided until Monday, April 22, at midnight EDT. You can continue to vote at www.uwingu.com.

2) In response to Uwingu's efforts, which ultimately raise money for space education and research, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) issued a press release calling such contests “schemes” and stating that “it dissociates itself entirely from the commercial practice of selling names of planets, stars or even ‘real estate’ on other planets or moons.” The organization called itself the “single arbiter of the naming process.” Today, Uwingu issued a response:

Uwingu affirms the IAU’s right to create naming systems for astronomers. But we know that the IAU has no purview — informal or official — to control popular naming of bodies in the sky or features on them, just as geographers have no purview to control people’s naming of features along hiking trails. People clearly enjoy connecting to the sky and having an input to common-use naming. We will continue to stand up for the public’s rights in this regard, and look forward to raising more grant funds for space researchers and educators this way.

We now take this opportunity to note to the public that, contrary to the IAU press release:

- Informal names for astronomical objects are common (e.g., “The Milky Way”). And in fact, there is no such thing as a unified astronomical naming system, and there never has been. Claims to the contrary are simply incorrect, as an astronomical database search on a representative star, Polaris, reveals. This star is also known to astronomers and the public as the North Star, Alpha Ursae Minoris, HD 8890, HIP 11767, SAO 308, ADS 1477, FK5 907, and over a dozen more designations.

- There are many instances where astronomers name things without going through the IAU’s internal process. There are many features on Mars, ranging from mountains to individual rocks, with names applied by Mars-mission scientists and never adopted by, or even considered by, the IAU. And Apollo astronauts did not seek IAU permission before naming features at their landing sites or from orbit.

- There are also numerous recent press releases in which astronomical objects were given names by astronomers without any IAU process: Supernova Wilson, galaxy cluster El Gordo, the Black Eye Galaxy; none drew attention from the IAU.

- Uwingu looks forward to continuing to help the general public to engage creatively in astronomy and to participate in the excitement of the exploration of the universe in which we all live.

In our Alpha Centauri People’s Choice naming contest, anyone can nominate a name to honor a friend, colleague, loved one, or to recognize a place name, an author, an artist, or a sports team, for example. The name getting the highest number of votes will be declared the public’s choice for Uwingu to use as the name for this mysterious new world. Never before has the public been asked to choose its favorite name for a planet.

Name nominations are $4.99; votes cost $0.99. Proceeds from naming and voting fuel new Uwingu grants to fund space education projects affected by sequestration cuts to NASA.

So, yes, the IAU is right in that the designation can't become “official.” But then again, the North America Nebula isn't the official designation for NGC 700, nor is the Horsehead Nebula the official designation for Barnard 33. Yet the public still uses such monikers. And to infer that the Uwingu contest is in the same category as various star registry companies is a little excessive. You don’t “buy” a planet name; you buy a vote, and the money goes toward a good cause.

I say keep voting if you understand the parameters of the contest and what “winning” really means. No one gets hurt by spending a little money to help space funding. And who knows, the name just might catch on.

The Sun lets loose the biggest coronal mass ejection of the year

Sarah Scoles — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:10:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Solar+system+objects/5582.goddard_5F00_sun_5F00_cme_5F00_2.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Solar+system+objects/5582.goddard_5F00_sun_5F00_cme_5F00_2.jpg"]Coronal mass ejections usually occur after solar flares on our active Sun. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory caught April 11’s M6.5-class flare on camera. Don’t look straight at it. // NASA/SDO[/caption]Yesterday at 3:36 A.M., the Sun launched billions of tons of plasma into space at 600 miles per second (966 kilometers/second) — 37 times as fast as our fastest spacecraft. This event, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), sent charged particles and radiation hurtling toward Earth.

The radiation, traveling at the speed of light, reached Earth in the usual 8.5 minutes, but the particles, slowed down by their pesky mass, will take 1−3 days to get here. The radiation caused a brief radio blackout when it reached the part of the atmosphere where GPS and communications information zips around, but all is well now, and scientists predict no major “space weather” issues.

In order to affect Earth at all, a CME’s path must be in line with Earth. And even if one is headed toward us, the radiation can’t penetrate all the way through our atmosphere and reach the ground. But if you’re currently hanging out in Alaska or Norway or Siberia, a) that’s awesome, and b) look up at the sky in 1−2 days to see the spectacular northern lights that will occur as the solar particles, channeled along Earth’s magnetic field lines, collide with particles in the upper atmosphere.

This CME is associated with a mid-level M-class flare that peaked at 3:16 A.M. The flare, though 10 times weaker than an X-class flare, is the strongest so far in 2013. Expect more solar excitement in the near future, as we’re churning toward “solar maximum,” the part of the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle when the star is the most dynamic. Scientists expect this peak to occur late this year.

The Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured April 11’s coronal mass ejection (CME) as the plasma separated from the Sun and began its journey toward Earth. Click on the image to see an animated view of the CME. // ESA/NASA/SOHO/GSFC

Uwingu wants you to name Alpha Centauri Bb!

Karri Ferron — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:21:00 GMT

Astronomers aren’t normally known for being the most creative bunch when naming celestial objects. They stick to catalog/mission designations that involve an oftentimes convoluted or boring mixture of letters and numerals. That’s why many common names for our favorite deep-sky targets get their monikers from the non-Ph.D.s who enjoy them.

Recognizing the public’s creativity, scientists with Uwingu, a company dedicated to raising funds for scientific projects through crowdfunding scenarios, opened the People’s Choice contest last month to invite the world to name our nearest exoplanet neighbor, currently cataloged as Alpha Centauri Bb. For just $4.99, anyone can nominate a new name for the Earth-like world, and everyone else can vote on already-submitted names for just $0.99. Uwingu will recognize all submitters whose suggested name receives more than 100 votes, and the winner at the end of the contest will receive a call from Unwingu CEO and planetary scientist Alan Stern and Uwingu advisor/planet hunter Geoff Marcy, a signed plaque commemorating the name, and a yearlong subscription to Astronomy magazine.

But time is running out. The contest closes Monday, April 15. It might be too late to start with a name from scratch and get your friends and family to buy enough votes to make it a contender, but it’s absolutely not too late to influence the outcome. The top three names right now are Rakhat (from Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow), Amara (“eternal” and/or “beloved” in various languages), and Heinlein (for American science-fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein). Which one do you like?

The proceeds from the contest will go to an important need. “We’ve decided that all of The Uwingu Fund dollars we generate from the People's Choice contest to see what names the public suggests and votes to the top for the Earth-like planet around Alpha Centauri B will go to grant funds for space educators hit by NASA's sequestration cysts on education and public outreach," Stern says.

To help out this vital group and help give Alpha Centauri Bb a more attractive moniker, vote now at www.uwingu.com.

NASA publishes its proposed 2014 budget

Sarah Scoles — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:53:00 GMT

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Missions/4135.orionmpcv.jpg" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51-Missions/4135.orionmpcv.jpg"]NASA is planning its first test launch of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which will eventually carry humans into deep space, in 2014 // NASA[/caption]On April 10, NASA unveiled the budget it is requesting from the federal government in fiscal year 2014. The final number — $17.7 billion — is much higher than the average household income but is less than half a percent of the federal money-spending total in 2013. NASA has big plans for these billions and billions.

The big news is that the agency, under direction from President Obama, plans to acquire an asteroid, bring it closer to Earth, send astronauts to it by 2025, and have them bring samples back. While 2025 is a while from 2014, the planning and preparation are to start immediately, with $105 million of the total budget going toward preparations for this mission. The president and NASA hope that capturing and crawling around a space rock will prepare the country to send people to Mars in 2030.

NASA also will generously fund the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (Orion MPCV), its content delivery mechanisms for sending human contents to deep space. These are aiming for initial test launches in 2017 and 2014, respectively, with humans hopping aboard in 2021. NASA plans to revamp Kennedy Space Center’s launch and control facilities so that these complicated vehicles can do more than sit on a concrete pad.

The budget also includes money for maintaining NASA’s efforts and presence on the International Space Station, an initiative that includes commercial spaceflight (a category that received $821 million of the funds).

“Exploration Research and Design,” which weighs in at $364 million, will investigate the technological and logistical aspects of sending all these people into space and asking them to complete tasks.

[caption image="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51/0410.nasabudgetpiechart.png" position="right" targeturl="http://cs.astronomy.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-00-51/0410.nasabudgetpiechart.png"]NASA divides its $17.7 billion budget into nine categories. Click to enlarge. // NASA/Astronomy: Sarah Scoles[/caption]In short, human exploration features prominently after an era that witnessed and mourned the demise of the country’s ability to shoot people out of the atmosphere.

NASA requested a total of $5 billion for science research funding, an amount comparable to the 2012 and 2013 numbers. However, the allocations within science will shift a bit. Planetary science and astrophysics will be shortchanged, dropping around $300 million and $6 million, respectively. Most of that freed-up money doesn’t just disappear, though — some will go to solar research and observatories, and some will help us learn more about Earth through satellites like Landsat. But NASA will channel a lot of its science dough toward the completion of the James Webb Space Telescope. Emotions run high around James Webb’s $140 million increase between 2012 and 2014, since the telescope, considered Hubble’s successor, is years behind schedule and massively over budget.

The agency plans to continue work on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, to launch in 2020. Another rover, to work on Curiosity’s unfinished business, also will launch that year.

NASA’s vast and sprawling education program “will be fundamentally restructured into a consolidated education program funded through the Office of Education, which will use competitive processes to fund the best education and public outreach programs within NASA and will coordinate closely with the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution to broaden the reach of NASA’s capability to inspire and educate.” In other words, NASA will not directly fund or control its education programs … whose funding also will drop by 31 percent between 2012 and 2014.

All of these numbers, of course, are just suggestions, and Congress could completely change them and make this blog post moot.

Regardless of the actual numbers, though, it seems that the United States’ aeronautics and space organization is shifting its emphasis, focusing on the human and exploratory aspects of its mission while still trying to maintain its purer-science clout.

To see the full budget, Administrator Charles Bolden’s presentation, and agency commentary, visit http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/index.html.