Newsletter of the Sonoma County Astronomical Society
A nonprofit scientific and educational organization
February 2009
www.sonomaskies.org
Striking Sparks
The 2009 Striking Sparks telescope program is well underway
to award six Dobsonian telescopes to Sonoma County students.
The student essays are due February 28th and
the judging will be done on March 7
in preparation for the March 20,
2009 telescope awards at Apple
Blossom School. Orion Telescope
and Binoculars has again provided
the telescopes at a discounted price
to assist in continuing the program.
We have AANC, Dr. William Finley,
the Hejtmanek Fund, Alan Loceff, Linda
and Norman Mahan and Dickson Yeager
sponsoring telescopes. The contributions
to the program are appreciated and are
instrumental in a striking a spark of interest
in a student.
In the coming weeks we will be assembling
the telescopes and preparing for the awards
ceremony. If you would like to help or
sponsor a telescope for next year contact
me at llmccune@comcast.net
—Larry McCune, Striking Sparks Coordinator
Swap/Sell/Want
You know there’s equipment lurking in your closets which is
perfectly good but needs a better home.
Send me a list of your goods, with pictures if possible, prices
and contact information.
And describe the equipment you want--you never know-someone might just be on the edge of letting it go....
When we have some contributions I’ll publish a column. Help
me get it started. Email me at publications@sonomaskies.org
Update your Email Info!
Please let us know right away if you change your email address.
Each month we receive several “bounces” when we email the
membership list.
Don’t miss out! Contact Membership Director Dickson Yeager
at membership@sonomaskies.org. His contact information is
always listed in the “SCAS” box on the last page, and on the
sonomaskies.org website.
Volume XXXII No. 2
Astronomy at 41,000 Feet:
The Story of the
SOFIA Mission
with Dr. Dana E. Backman
SCAS February 11 Meeting, 7:30 PM
at Proctor Terrace School
Dr. Dana Backman will give us a status report on SOFIA
(Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy), NASA’s new
airborne observatory. SOFIA is a 2.5-meter telescope mounted
in a Boeing 747SP fuselage. It is currently undergoing ground
and flight tests.
The first science
research f lights
are scheduled for
mid-2009.
D r. B a c k m a n
is a native of
Hartford, Conn.
with a bachelors
degree in physics
from MIT; Ph.D. The 2.5-meter infrared telescope in the rear fuselage of
in astrophysics NASA’s SOFIA flying observatory.
from the University of Hawaii; post-doctoral research fellow
at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Ariz., and then
at NASA-Ames in Mountain View, Calif.; professor of physics
and astronomy for 12 years at Franklin & Marshall College in
Lancaster, Penn.
Dr. Backman became director of education and public outreach
for SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared
Astronomy, in 2003. Also, adjunct astronomy instructor at
Santa Clara University, and co-author with Michael Seeds of
two college introductory astronomy textbooks, Perspectives
and Horizons.
Join us for another fascinating account from the front lines.
Social Amenities
Many thanks to Paula Dove, mother of YA member Noah Dove,
for providing coffee and refreshments at the January meeting.
Young Astronomers See page 6
February Observing Notes
2/1
2/9
2/11
2/13
2/17
2/20
2/20
2/24
2/25
2/27
Ceres in Leo. At opposition 2/25, Ceres is at mag 6.9
and in Leo all month. See 2/25 for coordinates.
Full Moon, 6:49 AM
Zodiacal Light in West, 7:30 PM. Zodiacal Light viewable
in west after astronomical twilight in very dark locations
for next two weeks.
Mercury greatest elongation west, 6PM. This is a very
poor morning apparition. Mercury will stay low to the
horizon before dawn, viewable with difficulty from about
2/11 to 3/15.
Moon near Antares, 5 AM
Algol minimum, 1:30 AM. Minimum at 0138. Eclipse
most evident from about 2230 2/19 to 0500 2/20.
Occultation near miss of Nunki, 5:30AM. At about 0557,
right at the start of nautical twilight, the cusp of an 18%
crescent moon will just barely miss occulting the mag
2.1 star Nunki (sigma Sagittarii). The lunar alt/az will
be 12°/138°, so this should be easy to observe, even with
binoculars. The sight of the bright star very near the
crescent cusp should be lovely!
New Moon, 5:35 PM
1.2% Crescent Moon, 6:30 PM, Alt/Az at 1830 =
5°/263°
Algol Minimum at 2016. In eclipse already in twilight,
brightening most evident from 2100 to 2330.
Ceres Opposition. Reaching mag 6.9, this year’s oppostion
is the closest Ceres comes to Earth between the years 1857
and 4164! It is in Leo, though ventures into Leo Minor
for most of March, returning to Leo late that month.
Crescent Moon near Venus, 7:30 PM
—Most of above courtesy of Jack Welch
Welcome, New Member
The SCAS wishes to welcome Aaron Heuser of Santa Rosa.
New Member Bonus!
Scope City at 350 Bay Street, San Francisco, is offering
a $25 merchandise discount to new members.
Manager Sam Sweiss has supported SCAS and Striking
Sparks and offers a huge selection of telescopes,
accessories and more. Obtain a receipt from Dickson
Yeager, Membership Director, showing you have paid
the $25 SCAS membership dues. To arrange for your
merchandise discount, contact Sam at 415/421-8800 or
at sanfrancisco@scopecity.com
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The
S
eA
ms
i rt
-o
Sn
i o
rm
i e
u r
s
by
Herb
Larsen
Your telescope has gone dark?
What?....Did you forget to convert
to digital viewing?
George Ellery Hale
Remembered in 2009
by Robert K. Koslowsky
After enjoying the video, Journey to Palomar, shown at
SCAS’s December meeting, I decided to check out Ronald
Florence’s book, The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar
Telescope (1994). From the exploits of George Ellery Hale to the
mothballing (and then reactivation) of his 100-inch telescope on
Mount Wilson, to the continued productive use of the 200-inch
“Big Eye” on Mount Palomar, Florence’s book is an excellent
historical review of Hale’s life and those associated with building
his telescopes during the first half of the 20th century. I highly
recommend my fellow lovers of astronomy to check out a copy
from a local branch of our Sonoma County Library system. You
will appreciate reading about the evolution of the telescope and
the players that made it happen. Reading about Hale is also a
great way to celebrate the year of astronomy in 2009, which
could be called the year of the telescope.
Author Florence sets the development of the refractor telescope
and then the reflector telescope against the backdrop of the
American drive for “concrete symbols of achievement.” During
the 1920s, most Americans believed science meant engineering
know-how, the ability to produce automobiles, light bulbs,
radios, and kitchen appliances. It was a time when engineering
knowledge moved inventions from the lab to the consumer.
Progress was marked by the number of products coming out
of General Electric and Westinghouse and the number of cars
being pumped out of the factories of Ford Motor Company.
Sonoma Skies, February 2009
Hale Arrives on the Scene
Hale’s love of astronomy arose from a reading of Jules Verne’s
From the Earth to the Moon (1865), a preview of future Apollo
missions. He secured funding for the Yerkes 40-inch refractor
telescope and built it 80 miles north of Chicago, along with the
world’s most complete observatory.
Reflector telescope technology surpassed refractor technology
by 1900 and so Hale took his imagination and drive to southern
California to build even bigger telescopes. By 1908, the sixty-inch
reflector telescope was ready on Mount Wilson. Hale’s father paid
for the glass disc to jumpstart the project. The telescope featured
such precision and stability that extended time photographs and
spectrographs could be taken by the world’s newest and largest
telescope for extended study of the cosmos.
The next step up was the one hundred-inch Hooker reflector
telescope built on Mount Wilson too, which saw first light in 1917.
With further technological enhancements, this “astronomical
telescope is an impossible combination of the scale of a battleship
and the precision of a microscope.” The one hundred-inch served
great astronomers such as Edwin Hubble well. His work led
to our understanding of an expanding universe and a further
validation of Einstein’s theory of relativity.
The Hale Telescope
Hale’s vision for a two hundred-inch telescope, which bears his
name, was developed in the era of Big Science, with the building
of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Hoover Dam, a few entries
from the Western U.S. side of the progress ledger. Corning
ultimately cast the 200-inch mirror in 1934 using Pyrex glass.
Westinghouse produced the precision casting for the telescope
superstructure and the first optical test of the mirror occurred
in 1938. Years of figuring the mirror and a major disruption in
progress due to World War II saw the mirror stored until the
summer of 1945. The 200-inch mirror would eventually be
ground to a precision of one two-millionth of an inch, a most
ambitious undertaking.
First light occurred on Dec 22, 1947 and the initial results were
disappointing. Further figuring of the mirror was needed and
motion vibration problems in the mounting structures had to be
resolved. A second first light occurred on Jan 26, 1949 and the
famous astronomer Edwin Hubble reported that the Hale could
reach twice the distance as the 100-inch Hooker and capture
images in only five to ten minutes. Final figuring of the mirror
was done with fingers (the human touch) and after a final coating
of aluminum was applied to the glass disk, the telescope was
ready for astronomical research in October 1949.
Status of the Hale Telescope
The Hale Telescope on Mount Palomar remained a model for how
to build telescopes until the 1970s, when the Ritchey-Chrétien
telescope was introduced, and then in the 1980s and 1990s, when
fused quartz mirrors, honeycomb mirrors, and mirrors cast in
rotating ovens were produced. Adaptive optics for earth-bound
telescopes and the Hubble Space Telescope for orbiting telescope
platforms were next on the development roadmap.
Hale set the gold standard for astronomical tools of the 20th
century and influenced the development path of astronomical
observation devices in the 21st century. His namesake telescope
remains a workhorse to this day and provides viewing
opportunities for observers on 290 nights each year.
Sonoma Skies, February 2009
Community Outreach
SCAS Event Horizons
I write this with my fingers crossed for the SCAS volunteers
who have pledged to be at Petaluma’s Grant Elementary School
on Wednesday, January 28th, our first school star party of 2009.
Regardless of Wednesday’s weather, Len Nelson will have given
an astronomy presentation at the school.
February brings us several more public outreach events, two
school star parties and the Schulz Cartoon Museum.
The first star party occurs on Friday, the 13th at Rohnert Park’s
Evergreen Elementary. Len Nelson will again head up this event.
Actual start time has yet to be established, but, sunset is around
5:45 and things should be well underway by 6:30. Currently we
have 3 volunteers, but this school typically brings out a large
number of viewers (students, parents, siblings & friends), so
we will need many more volunteers. The last time I was at one
of this school’s Friday night star party, there were 8 telescopes
and we could have used more.
The other school currently scheduled for February also brings
out a crowd. Windsor Creek Elementary houses all of the town’s
third graders and each of them is assigned a solar system project,
all of which are put on display. This year’s Astronomy Night is
Thursday, February 26th. So far, only two of us have signed on
and we could use many more. This star party typically begins
at 6:00, and we’ll have a two day-old moon and Venus to view
during the twilight hour.
While I don’t typically schedule more than one star party per
week, this one is special. The Charles Schulz Museum (yes,
the Snoopy cartoon museum) has mounted a special 40th
anniversary display of the Apollo
10 mission that orbited the moon.
The command module was named
“Charlie Brown” and the lunar
module was called “Snoopy”.
Besides original PEANUTS
cartoon panels related to the
mission, the museum will have a
room full of NASA memorabilia,
including actual launch electronic panels from Houston,
an Apollo era flight suit, a 1/3 scale model of the Apollo 10
command module and a children’s play area with a space shuttle
simulation. SCAS will be providing telescope viewing on Friday
night, February 27th. We currently have three volunteers, but
can always use more. If you read this before Saturday, January
31 (the day the exhibit opens) two of the astronauts (Lt. Gen.
Thomas Stafford, and Capt. Eugene Cernan) from this mission
will be at the museum to greet visitors between 1:00 – 3:00.
Looking ahead to March we have a star party scheduled for the
first Monday, March 2nd at Proctor Terrace Elementary (yes,
the school where we hold our monthly meetings). Other March
Star parties include Thursday, the 19th – McKinley Elementary
in Petaluma; Friday, the 27th – Guerneville; and Tuesday, the
31st – Sequoia Elementary in Santa Rosa.
To sign up for any of these star parties or just to get on my email
list to be alerted of star parties between these bulletins, contact
me at astroman@sonic.net
—Lynn Anderson, SCAS Director of Community Activities
3
Events
Robert Ferguson Observatory
Public Viewing­
Saturday, February 21
Solar Viewing: 11 AM - 3:00 PM
Night Viewing begins 7:00 PM
The Observatory features three telescopes: A 14-inch SCT with
CCD camera in the East wing, an 8-inch refractor under the dome
and a 24-inch Dobsonian in the West wing. SCAS members may
set up telescopes in the observatory parking lot to assist with
public viewing. Auto access closes at dusk; late arrivals must
carry equipment from the horse stable parking area.
Fees: No admission fee for the solar viewing, but donations are
appreciated. The Park charges $6 per vehicle for entry. A $3
donation is requested from adults 18 and over for admission to
the observatory during night viewing sessions.
Night Sky Spring Series
Session #2—Feb. 16
Session #3—Feb. 23
Classes held Mondays at 7:00 PM. Each class includes a
lecture on the constellations of the season, their history and
mythology, and how to find objects within them. Fees: $75
for the series of six presentations. (Single session fee is $23).
10% discount for VMOA members. Classes are held at the
Observatory. For information or to register: (707) 833-6979,
nightsky@rfo.org
SRJC Planetarium
“Distant Planets, Other Stars”
thru February 22
“Universe of Galaxies”
February 27 - March 29
Often thought of as large cities of stars, galaxies are the biggest
and often the most beautiful objects in our universe. Join us as
we explore the nature of these stellar
cities and view them through the eye
of the Hubble Space Telescope. The
show will include striking images of
colliding galaxies.
“First Friday Night Sky” shows
on March 6th and April 3rd; no
planetarium shows on March 7th or 8th and no planetarium
shows on April 4th or 5th.
Shows are held at Santa Rosa Campus, Lark Hall, Room 2001,
on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM, Sundays
at 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Admission is $5 General; $3 Students and Seniors (60+). Tickets
are sold at the door only, beginning 30 minutes before show time.
A parking permit is required and is included in the Planetarium
admission price. Pick it up at the planetarium when you pay
admission. Please arrive early enough to place your permit on
your vehicle’s dashboard before the show starts.
Info: 527-4372, http://www.santarosa.edu/planetarium/
“First Friday Night Sky”
First Friday Night Sky shows are a new feature offered on the
first Friday February through May of 2009, at the regular times
of 7:00 and 8:30 PM. Free.
Demoting Pluto
2009 Grand Canyon Star Party
June 13-20
The Grand Canyon Star Party (GCSP) will be held the nights of
June 13 through 20 in northern Arizona’s Grand Canyon National
Park. GCSP is an annual collaboration between the National
Park Service and astronomers from around North America to
bring astronomy outreach to Park visitors.
Amateur astronomers with a telescope and love of the sky to share,
and the interested public of all ages, are invited to experience
the beautiful Arizona nights in an exploration of the heavenly
Grand Canyon skies. There will be concurrent North Rim and
South Rim events. Check the website often for details, at
http://www.tucsonastronomy.org/gcsp.html
If you’re interested in the North Rim events, reserve now as
accommodations are filling up fast. Go to this site:
http://www.saguaroastro.org/content/2009GrandCanyonStar
PartyNorthRim.htm
4
Feb. 5, 5:30 PM, Commonwealth Club, San Francisco
Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium and
author of The Pluto Files will talk about how exactly he led the
way for the demotion of Pluto as a planet.
Wine and cheese reception at 5:30, followed by the program at
6:00 PM. The event is in the Blue Room of the Commonwealth
Club office, located at 595 Market St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco.
Tickets are $18 per person, students $7. Info:
http://tickets.commonwealthclub.org/auto_choose_ga.asp?area=1
SSU Observatory Public Viewing
Feb. 13, 7:00-9:00 PM: Venus and the Pleiades, a Valentine
Treat!
Observatory located inside the stadium area at the SE corner
of campus (E. Cotati Ave. and Petaluma Hill Rd., two miles
east of US 101). Follow signs to campus. Parking Lot F is most
convenient. Call 707/664-2267 if it appears weather may force
cancellation. http://www.phys-astro.sonoma.edu/observatory/
pvn.html
Sonoma Skies, February 2009
Events
Sonoma State University Series
“What Physicists Do”
Mondays at 4:00 PM
Darwin Hall Room 103 (Coffee at 3:30 PM)
Feb. 2—Kepler’s Hunt for Habitable Planets
Dr. Natalie Batalha of San José State University and NASA
Ames Research Center will describe the science objectives of
NASA’s Kepler Mission, scheduled to launch in March, and
will also highlight some of the job opportunities that exist for
physics majors in the space sciences.
Feb. 9—The Convergence of Particle Physics and
Astrophysics: The LHC/FERMI Era
Dr. Michael Dine of the University of California, Santa Cruz will
explain the relation of some of the big questions in cosmology
and particle physics and how the Large Hadron Collider currently
being commissioned at CERN and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space
Telescope may address them.
Feb. 23—The Light, the Dark, and the Hot Gas Dissecting
Galaxy Clusters
Dr. Anja von der Linden of the Kavli Institute for Particle
Astrophysics and Cosmology and Stanford University will
explain how multi-wavelength observations of galaxy clusters
can reveal the properties of dark matter, and how they can
constrain cosmological parameters..
Contact http://phys-astro.sonoma.edu/wpd/
Morrison Planetarium
Dean Lecture Series
Feb. 23, 7:30 PM (at Morrison Planetarium): “Asteroids,
Evolution, and the Long-term Habitability of Earth”—David
Morrison NASA Ames Research Center
Long-term habitability of our planet is linked to external as well
as internal influences. In particular, cosmic impacts are now
recognized as a major factor in the biological history of the Earth.
Most dramatic was the discovery that the end-Cretaceous mass
extinction of 65 million years ago was caused by the impact of
an asteroid or comet.
Now that we recognize the importance of impacts, we can
consider ways to protect our planet from future cosmic
disasters. The first step is the Spaceguard Survey to discover
and characterize potentially threatening near-earth-asteroids.
We are also beginning to study technologies that could deflect
future impactors before they hit. For the first time in history, we
humans have the capacity to predict, and perhaps avoid entirely,
the sort of catastrophe that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Lectures have returned to Morrison Planetarium in Golden
Gate Park. Advance ticketing is recommended. Please call
800-794-7576 for reservations. Tickets may be purchased at
the door, but there is no guarantee of availability. Adults $10,
Seniors $8, Members $5.
http://www.calacademy.org/events/index.php
Sonoma Skies, February 2009
Great Links
Interesting links contributed by members this month:
Weather Underground Santa Rosa at
http://www.wunderground.com/US/CA/Santa_ Rosa.html.
Contributed by Karen Hacker, who says “It has all kinds of
goodies—weather, astronomy, earthquakes, etc.” and she says
she checks it every day, along with Spaceweather at
http://www.spaceweather.com/
Astronomycast, an excellent website with conversational
podcasts on all subjects astronomical. Here’s what one listener
said: “Astronomy Cast is out of this world! It’s hard to believe
that it’s free! This is an absolute must for any amateur astronomer
or anyone interested in astronomy or cosmology. The hosts,
Pamela and Fraser, are fun to listen to, extremely knowledgeable,
and are able to explain difficult subject matter with great
analogies. Bravo!”
http://www.astronomycast.com/
International Year of Astronomy Resources
from Jane Houston Jones:
Special IYA video from Jane’s “What’s Up” webpage:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=804
NASA’s IYA page: http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/. Jane says
“each month, the Hot Topics and Go Observe sections are worth
a look. In January, for example. the Go Observe section is about
Venus. http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/observe_ jan.htm There
are written features, ASP’s monthly Discovery Guides (I’ve
used January’s, it’s great!), my January What’s Up podcast about
Venus, outreach networks, educational resources and more!”
Jane’s Viewing Saturn in 2009 webpage gives month-by-month
Saturn viewing information at
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/Education/saturnobservation/viewing2009.
It’s one of the pages from the Cassini Saturn Observation
Campaign, her international outreach network of 400 astronomers
in 45 states and 55 countries around the world. Check out the
pictures of Saturn viewing outreach events all around the world
at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/saturnobservation/
Reserve the
Ferguson Observatory!
Groups of up to 50 can be accommodated. Astronomer docents
provide sky interpretation and operate telescopes, and you can
stay up as late as you want! Make your reservation at least two
weeks prior to your event. Best times for optimal sky gazing
are any time more than a week away from a Full Moon.
In addition to $111 charged by the RFO for use of the observatory
facilities, the State Park System charges $111 for use of the
Group Campground. Because it is adjacent to the Observatory,
the group camp must be reserved for private events. Total Cost:
$222. For information on how to reserve, visit www.rfo.org or
contact George Loyer at gloyer@rfo.org.
5
Young
Astronomers
Classifying the Stars
YA Meeting
February 20, 7:30 PM, Apple Blossom School
Stars—there are countless billions of them, and without the one
that we call the Sun we would not be here.
But what are they? How do they differ? What are star spectra
and how are stars categorized, and what does it all mean?
Our speaker, Allan Stern, SCAS member, RFO Docent and
prior president of the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers club
will delve into the history of star classifications and wrap it all
up into a meaningful whole that will leave you with a fine new
understanding of what stars are.
Do plan to come to the Young Astronomer’s meeting Friday,
February 20! It will be a truly ‘stellar’ presentation.
January Meeting Report:
Our Connection with the Stars
Dr. Jerry Eliaser, father of Young Astronomer Co-Editor Max
Eliaser, gave a presentation last month about whether the
molecular composition of the human body shares the molecular
composition of stars and if the molecules of the human body
have stellar origins. It was extremely interesting and I learned
a lot. Thank you, Jerry, for your wonderful presentation.
—Alex Katz, Newsletter Co-Editor
Lunacy Robotics
Max Eliaser is in training for the next generation of NASA
roboticists. This year’s FIRST Robotics competition is called
“Lunacy”. Teams are building robots that will compete in
conditions simulating lunar gravity.
For more information, check out FIRST Robotics at the NASA
website: http://robotics.nasa.gov/events/first.php. Sonoma
County ’s FIRST Robotics team hails from Technology High
School, located on the Sonoma State University campus in
Rohnert Park. To learn more about the team, go to:
http://www.techhighteam675.com/.
6
The upper stage of the launch vehicle (about the weight of a large SUV) will impact
into either the North or South Pole of the Moon at over 9,000 km/h (5,600 mph).
Lunar Exploration Planned
for Early 2009
Earth’s closest neighbor is holding a secret. In 1999, hints of
that secret were revealed in the form of concentrated hydrogen
signatures detected in permanently shadowed craters at the
lunar poles by NASA’s Lunar Prospector. These readings may
be an indication of lunar water-ice and could have far-reaching
implications as humans expand exploration beyond low-Earth
orbit. The Lunar Crater Observing and Sensing Satellite
(LCROSS) mission is seeking a definitive answer.
In April 2006, NASA selected the LCROSS proposal for a lowcost, fast-track companion mission to the Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter (LRO). The main LCROSS mission objective is to
confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently
shadowed crater near a lunar pole. LCROSS is scheduled to
launch with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter aboard an Atlas
V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in early 2009.
The LCROSS science payload consists of two near-infrared
spectrometers, a visible light spectrometer, two mid-infrared
cameras, two near-infrared cameras, a visible camera and a
visible radiometer. The LCROSS instruments were selected to
provide mission scientists with multiple complimentary views
of the debris plume created by the Centaur impact. As the ejecta
rises above the target crater’s rim and is exposed to sunlight,
any water-ice, hydrocarbons or organics will vaporize and break
down into their basic components. These components primarily
will be monitored by the visible and infrared spectrometers.
The near-infrared and mid-infrared cameras will determine the
total amount and distribution of water in the debris plume. The
spacecraft’s visible camera will track the impact location and
the behavior of the debris plume while the visible radiometer
will measure the flash created by the Centaur impact.
The upper stage of the launch vehicle (about the weight of a
large SUV) will impact into either the North or South Pole of
the Moon at over 9,000 km/h (5,600 mph). The impact will
excavate a crater about 1/3 of a football field wide and about
the depth of the deep end of a swimming pool. The amount of
material (dust and probably ice) ejected could fill ten school
buses, or ten Space Shuttle cargo bays. The plume will reach
nearly 50 km high (over 30 miles)!
The LCROSS and LRO missions are components of precursor
missions that will provide data for lunar mapping and modeling
that will enable establishment of lunar outposts in preparation
for sustained human exploration.
—Adapted by Alex Katz from articles on nasa.gov
Sonoma Skies, February 2009
On this power-grid map of the United States, the black-circled areas are regions
especially vulnerable to collapse during an extreme geomagnetic storm. Inside those
boundaries are more than 130 million people. Credit: National Academy of Sciences
report on severe space weather.
NASA SpacePlace
Severe Space Weather
by Dr. Tony Phillips
Did you know a solar flare can make your toilet stop
working?
That’s the surprising conclusion of a NASA-funded study by the
National Academy of Sciences entitled Severe Space Weather
Events—Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts. In
the 132-page report, experts detailed what might happen to our
modern, high-tech society in the event of a “super solar flare”
followed by an extreme geomagnetic storm. They found that
almost nothing is immune from space weather—not even the
water in your bathroom.
The problem begins with the electric power grid. Ground currents
induced during an extreme geomagnetic storm can melt the
copper windings of huge, multi-ton transformers at the heart
of power distribution systems. Because modern power grids
are interconnected, a cascade of failures could sweep across
the country, rapidly cutting power to tens or even hundreds of
millions of people. According to the report, this loss of electricity
would have a ripple effect with “water distribution affected
within several hours; perishable foods and medications lost in
12-24 hours; loss of heating/air conditioning, sewage disposal,
phone service, fuel re-supply and so on.”
“The concept of interdependency,” the report notes, “is evident
in the unavailability of water due to long-term outage of electric
power—and the inability to restart an electric generator without
water on site.”
It takes a very strong geomagnetic storm to cause problems
on this scale—the type of storm that comes along only every
century or so. A point of reference is the “Carrington Event” of
August-September 1859, named after British amateur astronomer
Richard Carrington who witnessed the instigating solar flare
with his unaided eye while he was projecting an image of the
Sun on a white screen. Geomagnetic storms triggered by the
flare electrified telegraph lines, shocking technicians and setting
their telegraph papers on fire; Northern Lights spread as far
south as Cuba and Hawaii; auroras over the Rocky Mountains
were so bright, the glow woke campers who began preparing
breakfast because they thought it was morning!
Sonoma Skies, February 2009
“A contemporary repetition of the Carrington Event would cause
… extensive social and economic disruptions,” the report warns.
Widespread failures could include telecommunications, GPS
navigation, banking and finance, and transportation. The total
economic impact in the first year alone could reach $2 trillion
(some 20 times greater than the costs of Hurricane Katrina).
The report concluded with a call for infrastructure designed to
better withstand geomagnetic disturbances and improvements
in space weather forecasting. Indeed, no one knows when the
next super solar storm will erupt. It could be 100 years away
or just 100 days. It’s something to think about … the next time
you flush.
One of the jobs of the Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellites (GOES) and the Polar-orbiting Operational
Environmental Satellites (POES) operated by NOAA is to keep
an eye on space weather and provide early warning of solar
events that could cause trouble for Earth.
You can keep an eye on space weather yourself at the
National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center,
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov. And for young people, space weather
is explained and illustrated simply and clearly at the SciJinks
Weather Laboratory:
http://scijinks.gov/weather/howwhy/spaceweather
—Article provided by JPL/NASA
Community Outreach Report for
January 28
Wednesday night’s (Jan. 28) star party at Grant Elementary was
attended by an estimated 40 students and parents.
The sky was perfect but for the light pollution in Petaluma.
Venus was viewed through Len’s 130mm refractor and the
view was as good as it can get—clear as a bell at 223x with
a 3.5 Nagler. The waxing crescent Moon was beautiful and
clear. We had great views of M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) , M42
(Orion Nebula), M38 Open Cluster in Auriga, M45 (Pleiades)
and many more.
Constellations were outlined and discussed with green lasers
in hand. Many great questions were asked and answered. No
clear answer was available for how far our universe went and
what might be on the other side if there is a ‘great wall’ out
there though! Volunteers were, Dickson Yeager, Walt Bodley,
Tom Dugan, Ted Judah, Maxwell Hyde (2008 Sparks winner)
and Len Nelson.
—Len Nelson
Young Astronomers Club
Meetings: 7:30 PM the third Friday of each month of the school year,
at Apple Blossom School, 700 Water Trough Road, Sebastopol, in the
Multipurpose Hall­. Open to all Sonoma County students. Telescope
viewing is held in the upper parking lot after the meeting. Directions:
From Hwy. 116 in Sebastopol, go west onto Bodega Ave. Continue
almost two miles to Water Trough Rd. Turn left and go about 1/3 mile
to the school, on your right.
YA ELECTED OFFICERS
President: Blaine Eldred
VP/Program Director: Geoffrey Knoll
Newsletter Editor: Max Eliaser, Maxxedout@comcast.net
Newsletter Co-Editor: Alex Katz
Adult Advisor: Open
7
SCAS Member Roundup
The second in a new series of member biographies
Ted Judah, SCAS Secretary
My interest in astronomy began as a child when my father and I
camped out in the back yard one warm summer night to watch
meteors.
I grew up locally
reading Carl Sagan
a nd Nat ional
Geographic and
loved the outdoors
and nature.
Hiking, surfing,
cycling, SCUBA,
cli mbi ng, a nd
kayaking are all
pass-times I enjoy.
When indoors, I
Ted at Glacier Point Lookout
like browsing the
science and skepticism blogs and viewing images and data
produced by the many spacecraft we humans have sent around
the solar system.
I am both a graphic designer and carpenter by trade, and as a
Robert Ferguson Observatory docent I helped design the RFO
logo and I contributed to the building of the domed section of
RFO. I am currently building an Observatory in west Marin.
This year I will be contributing episodes to the International Year
of Astronomy’s 365 days of Astronomy Podcast. My podcasts
are scheduled for April 10 and June 23. You can hear all the
podcasts at http://365daysofastronomy.org/
I am married and have an (almost) three-year-old daughter who
is a fan of the stars as well (her favorites are “Beetle Juice” and
Vega).
Astronomers Declare February
No Longer a Month
Emboldened by their success in declaring Pluto not a planet,
the International Astronomical Union determined this week
by a close vote that February is too short to be considered a
true month. It has, however, been granted the newly-created
status of “dwarf month.” It shares this dubious distinction
with several other calendar time spans, including Labor Day
Weekend, Christmas Vacation, and the Time Between When
You Were Supposed to Get Your Oil Changed and When You
Actually Did.
“It only seems fair,” said IAU President Ron Eckers. “February
reaches a peak size of 29 days, averaging only 28 days for
75 percent of the time. Recent research has shown that other
periods, such as the Time Between When You Were Supposed
to Get Your Oil Changed and When You Actually Did, often
exceed this meager time frame. In fact, this erratic behavior only
strengthens our case that February does not belong in the same
classification as the eleven ‘true’ months.” Eckers also warned
that the crop of 30-day “so-called” months should be careful
to maintain their number of days. “They’re already cutting it
pretty close in my book.”
8
—Written by Michael Haber.\
Magnetic
Field
(from Page 3
Sonoma
County
Astronomical Society (SCAS)
Membership Information
Meetings: 7:30 PM on the second Wednesday of each month,
in the Multipurpose Room of Proctor Terrace Elementary School,
1711 Bryden Lane at Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, unless otherwise
announced in this publication. The public is invited.
Dues: $25, renewable June 1 of each year. New members
joining between December 1 and May 31 pay partial-year dues
of $12.50.
Star Parties: See the Events section for dates and times.
Rental Telescope: Members are eligible to borrow the club’s 80mm
refractor with tripod. Contact any Board member listed below.
Egroup URL: Connect with other members about going observing,
observing reports and chat about astronomy and news items
from AANC and Sky & Telescope. Hosted by Robert Leyland at
r.leyland@verizon.net. Any SCAS member is welcome to join. Visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scas and click the “Join” button, or
send an email to scas-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Discount Subscriptions: For Sky & Telescope, new subscribers
may send a check for $32.95 payable to “SCAS”, with your complete
mailing address, directly to: Larry McCune, 544 Thyme Place,
San Rafael, CA 94903. Once you have received the discount rate,
you may renew your subscription by sending your personal check with
the renewal notice directly to Sky Publishing. Discount subscriptions
to Astronomy Magazine occur annually in October. Check
Sonoma Skies for details.
Library: SCAS Librarian David Simons hosts a library of astronomy
books that may be checked out by members at SCAS meetings, to
be returned at the next meeting. Videotaped lectures on astronomy
may be rented for $3 per month.
Sonoma Skies is the monthly newsletter of the Sonoma County
Astronomical Society (SCAS). Subscription is included as part of
membership. Articles and member announcements are welcome and
are published on a first come, first served basis, space permitting,
and may be edited. The deadline for submissions is 7 days prior
to the end of each month. Mail to: Editor, SCAS, P.O. Box 183,
Santa Rosa, CA 95402, or email publications@sonomaskies.org
SCAS Elected Board
President: John Whitehouse 539-5549 jmw@sonic.net
Vice-President & Program Director: Len Nelson 763-8007
lennelsn@comcast.net
Treasurer: Larry McCune, (415)492-1426 llmccune@comcast.net
Secretary: Ted Judah, 766-6190 tedjudah@comcast.net
Membership Director: Dickson Yeager 539-2385
membership@sonomaskies.org
Director of Community Activities: Lynn Anderson 433-1154
astroman@sonic.net
Publications Director: Cecelia Yarnell 569-9663
publications@sonomaskies.org
SCAS Appointed Positions
Striking Sparks Program Coordinator: Larry McCune
(415)492-1426 llmccune@comcast.net
Webmaster: Jerry McBride, jerry-mcbride@comcast.net
Amateur Telescope Making: Steve Follett 542-1561
sfollett@sonic.net
Librarian: David Simons 537-6632 davidsimons@planetatm.com
Young Astronomers Advisor: Open
—continued
Visitnext
us page
on the web at:
www.sonomaskies.org
Sonoma Skies, February 2009