Astral Projections Online April 2022
We are back, at the Planetarium for in-person meetings. Wearing masks inside is now optional, but is subject to change as COVID rules change.
Club dues and membership. We are now collecting dues/membership for 2022. If you renew after March 31 you will be renewed as a new member. Please mail it to the address on the form or bring it to club meetings. We will not collect dues during star parties. Forms can be found on our website Membership Info at bottom of the webpage.
Check our Website for updated content at www.astra-nj.com
Club Presentations Wanted:
Does anyone have any astronomy items of interest to share with the membership?
Please let us know at Club Contacts.
ASTRAL PROJECTIONS ONLINE (APO for short) is an email-linked publication for members only. If you exit APO to the club website or other resources you will need to use the emailed link again to get back to it. If you wish to retain a copy please bookmark or refer back to the email. We will make all efforts to post by the first week of the month.
Submissions Welcome: Members are invited to submit articles, photos, news, or stories for inclusion with Astral Projections Online. Please contact the ASTRA Webmaster.
Event Calendar
ASTRA’s next meeting - The April 2022 meeting will be Friday, April 08, 2022, at 7 PM EST. This will be an in-person meeting at the Planetarium and virtual for those that would prefer to remain remote.
Jakes Branch Public Star Party - Saturday, April 9, 2022, at 8 PM
Jakes Branch Public Star Party - Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 8:30 PM
Cloverdale Public Star Party - Saturday, May 21, 2022, at 8:30 PM
Jakes Branch Public Star Party - Saturday, June 4, 2022, at 9 PM
Island Beach State Park Moonlight hikes begin July 1 every Friday evening, until August 26. If you would like to volunteer to help out please let one of the executive board members know. We set up our telescopes in Parking Lot 13. This is not an ASTRA event, the public would need to contact Island Beach State Park to register.
EVENT Cancellations: Members will receive email notifications of an event cancellation.
April ASTRA Meeting Presents …
April will be our telescope workshop. With telescope presentation and members will assist anyone with their new telescope. Weather permitting we may also go outside. We will also discuss the upcoming Cattus Island Festival on April 30.
The April 2022 meeting will be Friday, April 8, 2022, at 7 PM EST. This will be an in-person meeting at the Planetarium and virtual for those that would prefer to remain remote.
Upcoming County Park Presentations 2022
Public Outreach, if any member wishes to support ASTRA outreach efforts with the public, please let Vinny, Ro, or Jim know of any interest. Currently, we have one event planned with the county parks.
Note: The County Park events below will require an entry fee and registration.
April 12 - 6 PM to 7:30 PM - Beginners Astronomy
Location: Cooper Environmental Center, Cattus Island County Park
Description: Ever wonder what it takes to get started stargazing? Join Jim Webster from the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area and learn about telescopes that can take your night viewing to a whole new level. There is a registration fee of $5, payable to the park. Please call them to reserve your spot.
April 30 - 11 AM to 2 PM - The Problem With Light Pollution
Location: Jakes Branch County Park
Description: Light pollution affects us all! From its adverse effect on our wildlife and ecosystems to our energy consumption, to our dark sky heritage, personal safety, and overall human health, the impact of light pollution can seem subtle but in fact, is very significant. Please join Jim Webster from Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area and International Darksky Association Advocate to learn about the impact of light pollution on our planet and yourself. This is a free open discussion event at the park.
April 30 - 10 AM to 4 PM - Cattus Island Nature Festival - NOTE: This event is still in the planning stage for us.
Location: Cattus Island County Park
Description: This event is being planned and we are looking for some volunteers. It is anticipated that we’ll have a table setup and some solar observations. This will be a long day with anticipated 1,000+ visitors.
May 17 - 6 PM to 7:30 PM - Milky-way Photography
Location: Cooper Environmental Center, Cattus Island County Park
Description: A beginner-level discussion on Milky-way Photography and what is needed with Jim Webster from the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area. There is a registration fee of $5, payable to the park. Please call them to reserve your spot.
May 21 - 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Astronomy with Binoculars
Location: Cloverdale Farms County Park
Description: Ever wonder what it takes to get started stargazing? Join Jim Webster from the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area and learn about binoculars that can take your night viewing to a whole new level without a telescope. There is a registration fee of $6, payable to the park. Please call them to reserve your spot.
NOTE: The ASTRA Star Party at 8:30 PM is a separate event that will follow and is free for all to attend.
Volunteers Needed for April 30 - Cattus Island Nature Festival
We will be available to the public to discuss astronomy, telescopes, and light pollution. This will be a good event to let the public know about ASTRA. We will have posters to hand out and if we have good weather maybe some solar observation. Anyone interested in helping let Jim Webster know.
One of the display boards made for April 30, Cattus Island Nature Festival.
Website Updates …
Please visit our club website. We continue to have additional updates, if there is some content that would be useful to members please let us know.
"The Universe is a trackless jungle waiting to be explored”
- Ryan Knipple, ASTRA Member
ASTRA Meeting - March 11
We held our second in-person meeting at the NOVINS Planetarium with another good turnout. We worked out some of the bugs we had that we discovered from our first dual in-person/virtual meeting. The issues we had on the virtual side seem to have been worked out. For now, we will continue to maintain our ZOOM presence for those that would prefer to attend online due to COVID concerns.
We would welcome some feedback on the meeting set up in continuing virtual side as it does take some extra effort to do both.
How The Irish Conquered Space
ASTRA member Ryan Knipple provided a presentation on Irish Astronomers. How the Irish Conquered Space, Famous Planetary Scientist from the Emerald Isle.
Ryan is of Irish heritage and his name means “Little King” Ryan is also the “King of Presentations” as he never fails to deliver something interesting and is greatly appreciated.
Image: Constellation O’Ryan only viewable March 17
Below are some presentation slides are some highlights from Ryan Knipples’ presentation from our April Meeting.
One topic from Ryan’s overview was the Birr Castle Telescope. If anyone ever visits Ireland this is something to take the time to check out the Leviathan of Parsonstown.
Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly in Ireland.
William Parsons, the third Earl of Rosse was responsible for the construction of the Six-Foot Great Telescope of Birr. The Leviathan of Parsonstown is a historic reflecting telescope of 72 inches (1.83 m) aperture, which was the largest telescope in the world from 1845 until the construction of the 100-inch (2.5 m) Hooker Telescope in California in 1917.
Birrcastle.com
Wikipedia
YouTube - Video 1 & Video 2
What’s Happening at the
Novins Planetarium?
The Projector is getting an upgrade. The bulbs currently used are no longer being made. With this upgrade, the digital projector and command station will also be updated. I know I am looking forward to seeing the improvements. Maybe when completed the members of ASTRA can make a night of it as a club.
Did you know the original projector of some twenty-seven years, was donated in 2008 to a California museum and featured in La La Land’s planetarium scene and several television programs?
ASTRA Member and Planetarium presenter Phil Zollner and Cara Muscio Director were on hand on March 26, when a few of us attended Wonders of The Seasonal Sky, Spring Season.
La La Land - “Planetarium” scene - Kind of wish I could dance in the stars like this.
Citizen Science
Catalina Outer Solar System Survey
Discover new worlds orbiting beyond Neptune. Classify online images searching the skies for new distant, icy worlds...
Out beyond Neptune, there are numerous dwarf planets and other objects orbiting the cold, distant reaches of our solar system. You probably already know Pluto, but astronomers have discovered a number of new dwarf planets in recent years, including Eris, Makemake, and Haumea. There are surely many more to find.
Go to Scistarter webpage for “Cataline Outer Solar System Survey”
APO Editor Note: We have explored Citizen Science in prior membership meetings and have shared resources on the club website. We have created a Citizen Science webpage that has been linked to “Astronomy for Kids” and “Online Astronomy Websites” from the Home page.
Around the Web
Free Astronomy Books
Below is a link to astronomy books available for free download or online reading. These books and papers cover all the areas of astrophysics, cosmology, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, solar and stellar physics, celestial mechanics, planetary science, astrobiology, as well as some popular works. The books are made available free of charge to the reader by their authors or publishers.
So, what is next for the James Webb Space Telescope?
Following the completion of critical mirror alignment steps, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope team expects that Webb’s optical performance will be able to meet or exceed the science goals the observatory was built to achieve.
The JWST as reported on March 16 has reached its alignment milestone on March 11, 2022. All optics are working successfully.
The purpose of this image was to focus on the bright star at the center for alignment evaluation. The optics and NIRCam are so sensitive that the galaxies and stars seen in the background show up. This image of the star, 2MASS J17554042+6551277, uses a red filter to optimize visual contrast.
Credits: NASA/STScI
Nasa Press Release
Our Nearest Neighbor
APO Editor Note: Starting with March APO we’ll feature some information on the Moon.
Let’s explore some interesting features, facts, or myths about our nearest neighbor, the Moon. Without it, life on Earth would be totally different, if not at all.
The Tycho Crater
The Tycho Crater - Named after Tyge Ottesen Brahe (1546-1601) was a Danish astronomer who was one of the greatest observers of his day. - Astronomy Magazine.
Center latitude: 43 degrees South
Center longitude: 11 degrees West
Diameter: 53 miles
Depth: 2.98 miles
Age: 108 million years
Image: Tycho as seen by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The Tycho Crater is one of the easiest objects to see on the moon. It appears as a bright spot in the southern highlands with rays of bright material stretching across much of the nearside. A relatively young crater of 108 million years old. Its beautiful rays are material ejected during impact, are still visible as bright streaks.
All craters start out looking like this after they form. Their rays gradually fade away as they are exposed to the space environment which over time darkens them until they fade into the background.
Source: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University
Published: January 30, 2019
Image by Jim Webster, August of 2019.
Central peak complex of crater Tycho, taken at sunrise by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2011.
- NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University
This Month-Member Show and Tell
This month's show and tell is from Jim Webster.
The following is from Richard Sanderson …
A few weeks ago a Facebook friend Richard Sanderson who is retired Curator of Physical Science at Springfield Museum shared an old collectible astronomy book, Guide to Starry Heavens by Duncan McEwan a member of the British Astronomical Association who lived in Glasgow, Scotland. It came with a star map umbrella dating back to 1910.
While reading a section of the book devoted to history, I was surprised to discover that the author endorses an old astronomy-related myth. While discussing a tunnel that extends into the Great Pyramid in Egypt, McEwan writes, “Looking up through such an elongated aperture and surrounded with darkness on every side, any star coming into its field of view would be seen even in daylight.” Perhaps McEwan owned a copy of Sir Robert Ball’s 1899 book, “Star-Land,” in which the Astronomer Royal of Ireland goes so far as to include an illustration of a man viewing the stars during daytime by gazing upward through a tall chimney.
Three decades ago, I wrote an article about what I call the “Chimney Myth” for the fall 1992 issue of “Skeptical Inquirer,” an excellent journal that debunks paranormal and fringe-science claims. I wish I had known about Duncan McEwan’s reference to the myth. In case anyone is interested, here’s a link: The Chimney Myth - Posted with permission.
This piqued my interest in the book, and I checked if any copies were available. Sadly at the time, there was no first edition. Why go for anything else. I have an interest in old books and photos and I decided to try finding something that would be available. Seems abebooks.com has a large collection of available material.
The currently oldest document is dated 1482 at a price of $38,500.00. SACROBOSCO, Johannes; REGIOMONTANUS, Johannes; PEURBACH, Georg, Published by Erhard Ratdolt.
The currently highest priced document is published by Johannes Petreius, Nuremberg, 1543 at a price of 2.5 Million. The document was from Nicolaus Copernicus.
Both of the above are way out of my price range, but I did not go away disappointed.
The Planetary and Stellar Worlds: A Popular Exposition. Great Discoveries and Theories of Modern Astronomy in a Series of Ten Lectures, By O. M. Mitchel of the Cincinnati Observatory, first edition dated 1848.
Book Description: Octavo. . From the library of collector George Brinley (1817-1875) with his bookplate. A series of ten lectures.336pp., 17 full-page plates of which three are folding. These lectures were used by the author as his way of obtaining subscribers to help build his telescope which he believed was needed in the US as there were non. He worked 6 years before the cornerstone of his observatory was laid in 1843 by President John Quincy Adams with appropriate ceremonies. On this occasion, Mr. Adams made his last great oration.
The Cincinnati Observatory was the first great observatory erected in the United States.
Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel Born August 28, 1810, Union County KY, Died October 30, 1862. He is buried at The Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. Mitchel was an American astronomer and major general in the American Civil War. A multi-talented man, he was also an attorney, surveyor, professor, and publisher. He is notable for publishing the first magazine in the United States devoted to astronomy.
In 1834, he accepted a position at Cincinnati College as a professor of mathematics, natural philosophy, and astronomy. In this position, he played a leading role in establishing an observatory for the college. Completed in 1845, the observatory was one of the most advanced in the United States at that time. Following the observatory's completion, Mitchel resigned his professorship, but he continued to serve as the chief operating officer of the observatory.
As good condition this book is I will only be handling it with white gloves to protect it as best as possible. Someday I hope to share this with the membership at an ASTRA meeting.
A copy of the above publication was digitized on June 29, 2007, and is available on google books along with several others that Mitchel wrote: The Planetary and Stellar Worlds
Outreach material below is distributed free for public outreach.
Let’s Explore Space - What’s in the Sky April 2022?
It’s Galaxy Season … In the astrophotography realm, Galaxy Season refers to the period in Spring when the night sky offers up a buffet of incredible galaxies to observe and photograph. From early March until Mid-May, the window of opportunity for night sky enthusiasts is open to those who wish to a wide variety of different galaxies.
For more on Galaxy Season check out a video from AstroBackyard.
Bodes Galaxy
Messier 81 is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away, with a diameter of 90,000 light-years, in the constellation Ursa Major.
Distance to Earth: 11.74 million light-years
Age: 13.31 billion years
Coordinates: RA 9h 55m 33s | Dec +69° 3′ 55″
Apparent magnitude (V): 6.94
Redshift: −0.000113
Angular size: 21x10 arc-minutes… Wikipedia
Due to its proximity to our galaxy, large size, and active galactic nucleus, Messier 81 has been studied extensively by professional astronomers. An easy target with binoculars and a superb target with all sizes of telescopes. Viewing and images are often paired with M82 the Cigar Galaxy.
On the lighter side of astronomy …
Frank and Ernest by Bob & Tom Thaves
ASTRA Member Astrophotos
Whirlpool Galaxy - M51
By Ron Bernknoph - March 4
A favorite spring target. Messier 51, "The Whirlpool Galaxy", 21 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Venatici (near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper). This was shot with my 6" Reflector. 27x 5-minute exposures.
Globular Cluster NGC2419
By Ron Bernknoph - March 16
NGC2419, a Globular Cluster in the constellation Lynx. This is one of the furthest Globular Cluster in our Milky Way Galaxy at around 300 thousand Light Years away. Nicknamed "The Intergalactic Wanderer" because at one time, due to its' distance, Astronomers thought it was outside of our Galaxy's influence I shot this with my 8" SCT Telescope.
The Moon
By Ron Bernknopf - March 16
I took the image Moon with my DSLR and 75 - 250mm zoom lens. This is 19x 1/250 seconds @ ISO 800. Stacked in Registax and processed "slightly" and cropped in Gimp. I then superimposed the moon over a starfield.
Moon Phase for Thursday, Mar 16th, 2022. The current moon phase for today is the Waxing Gibbous phase. On this day, the moon is 14.11 days old and 97.68% illuminated with a tilt of 166.468°. The approximate distance from Earth to the moon is 386,980.03 km.
Scenic Moon
By Rosemarie Spedaliere
- March 21
3 a.m. this morning on March 21, I couldn't resist this photo as a matter of fact I took quite a few.
Witch Head Nebula - IC 2118
By Matthew Michota - March 23
Trying out new Samyang 135. An extremely faint reflection nebula believed to be an ancient supernova remnant or gas cloud illuminated by nearby supergiant star Rigel in the constellation of Orion. An apparent magnitude of 14 this one is a seriously difficult target. 1.5 hours at f2.8 under /light-polluted skies.
Rosette Nebula - NGC 2244
By Matthew Michota - March 23
Trying out new Samyang 135. Did a quick wide field composition, in just an hour. The Rosette Nebula is an H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Sun Dog
By Rosemarie Spedaliere - March 26
Sundogs are colored spots of light that develop due to the refraction of light through ice crystals. They are located approximately 22 degrees either left, right, or both, from the sun, depending on where the ice crystals are present. The colors usually go from red closest to the sun, out to blue on the outside of the sundog. Sundogs are also known as mock suns or parhelia, which means "with the sun".
Globular Cluster - M 13
By Matthew Michota - March 27
Messier 13 or M13, also designated NGC 6205 and sometimes called the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules or the Hercules Globular Cluster, is a globular cluster of several hundred thousand stars in the constellation of Hercules.
This object is visible in the smallest telescopes and looks stunning in larger ones. This was shot with my asi2600 and 130mm APO.
Whirlpool Galaxy - M51
By Matthew Michota - March 27
The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, and NGC 5194, isAn an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. Its distance is 31 million light-years away from Earth.
This was a little tough from my skies last night, shot with my asi2600 and 130mm APO refractor.
Markarians Chain By Matthew Michota - March 30
Asi2600mc pro / Redcat51 APO / GEM45
Took a shot at Markarians Chain from my light-polluted front yard... I'm going to try again from darker skies soon. This image contains dozens of galaxies, the closest ones that make up the sweeping "chain" lay about 50 million lightyears away, they make up part of the Virgo Supercluster, of which our own galaxy is also a member. Visually, in my larger telescopes, the area is rich in fuzzy blobs, from dark skies it's really incredible.. It's crazy to think, each of those little smudges of light contains billions of Suns, most hosting planets of their own.. Charles Messier first discovered two of the galaxies, M84 and M86, in 1781.
For more on Markarian’s Chain, check out SkyandTelescope.Org and Astronomy.com.
Observatories, Parks and More
Cincinnati Observatory
Birthplace of American Astronomy
The Cincinnati Observatory is located in Cincinnati, Ohio (United States) on top of Mount Lookout. A historically registered location and the first observatory built in the United States.
It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11-inch (28 cm) and 16 inch (41 cm) aperture refracting telescope. It is the oldest professional observatory in the United States. It was a key facility for astronomical research and education at the University of Cincinnati and currently operates as a 19th-century observatory. There are regular viewings through both historical telescopes as well as tours and additional programs. The observatory also has an extensive outreach program, providing astronomical education for the region.
Cincinnati Observatory was built by Ormsby M. Mitchel and more info can be found on him in this APO issue of Show and Tell.
The cornerstone was laid on November 9, 1843, and presiding over the occasion was former President John Quincy Adams, with an introduction by Judge Jacob Burnet. At 77 years old, it was to be his last public speech, and Mount Ida was renamed to Mount Adams in his honor.
In 1871, the Observatory came under the control of the University of Cincinnati and in 1873 it was transferred from Mt. Adams to Mt. Lookout in order to escape the smoke and dirt of the city, where it remains today.
The 1845 Merz und Mahler 11 inch refractor is housed in the "Mitchel Building". It may be the oldest continually used telescope in the world. It is currently used for public education programs.
The 1904 Alvan Clark & Sons 16 inch refractor is housed in the "Herget Building". It is used in public education programs and graduate research.
For more information : Wikipedia and cincinnatiobservatory.org
Nineteen minute video about the Cincinnati Observatory.
Astronomy & Space Theme Music
“Jewel in the Night”
Jewel in the Night has the distinction of being the first song ever recorded in space. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield made history when he laid down this folksy tune whilst orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station.
The first original song by Chris and his brother is about space exploration, Christmas, and goodwill towards people on and off Earth. Chris had to re-learn how the play guitar in zero-G. Space.com has an article on this along with video links.
For more go to songfacts.com
What movie or television show was this from?
Can you name what movie or television show this telescope was from?
We’ll reveal it next month.
From Last Month
From March: Star Trek: First Contact, 1996
The Borg traveled back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. Captain Picard and his crew pursue them to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes his maiden flight reaching warp speed.
The telescope was used by Commander Riker and Geordi LaForge to show Zefram Cochrane the USS Enterprise as it was orbiting Earth. YouTube The telescope itself was a Meade that was modified for the movie. There are several telescopes over the decades that have made appearances on Star Trek.
Members Submitted Articles & Items
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Member Feedback and Correction to March APO
By Gary Mosher
I really enjoyed this month's issue of Astral Projections. In particular, I got a good chuckle out of Sandra Macika's article on the Rings of Jupiter. The first sentence of the article states "Voyager 1 images gave the first indication of a faint ring around Jupiter." I had a chuckle because this statement is incorrect.
In fact, the rings of Jupiter were discovered 6 years earlier in 1973 by a psychic and remote viewer named Ingo Swann. Swann was hired by the CIA as part of the Stargate Program run by Stanford Research Institute. As an experiment the government sponsors had Swann do a remote viewing session of the planet Jupiter prior to the flyby of our space probes to test the limits and accuracy of those rare individuals with remote viewing abilities. This viewing session was carefully documented at the time with many notes and sketches of Jupiter's features made by Swann. See the website below for more info on this incredible event which could not be believed by the astronomical community at the time.
What’s Up: April 2022
Sky Watching Tips from NASA
Provided by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
For more go to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory webpage: What’s Up: Skywatching Tips From NASA
This article and images are distributed by NASA Night Sky Network
The Night Sky Network program supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach.
Visit nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov to find local clubs, events, and more!
Springtime Catspotting: Lynx and Leo Minor
By David Prosper
Map of the sky around Lynx and Leo Minor. Notice the prevalence of animal-themed constellations in this area, making it a sort of celestial menagerie. If you are having difficulty locating the fainter stars of Leo Minor and Lynx, don’t fret; they are indeed a challenge. Hevelius even named the constellation as a reference to the quality of eyesight one needs in order to discern these faint stars since supposedly one would need eyes as sharp as a Lynx to see it! Darker skies will indeed make your search easier; light pollution, even a relatively bright Moon, will overwhelm the faint stars for both of these celestial wildcats. While you will be able to see NGC 2419 with a backyard telescope, Hanny’s Voorwerp is far too faint, but its location is still marked. A few fainter constellation labels and diagrams in this region have been omitted for clarity.
Image created with assistance from Stellarium
Many constellations are bright, big, and fairly easy to spot. Others can be surprisingly small and faint, but with practice, even these challenging star patterns become easier to discern. A couple of fun fainter constellations can be found in between the brighter stars of Ursa Major, Leo, and Gemini: Lynx and Leo Minor, two wild cats hunting among the menagerie of animal-themed northern star patterns!
Lynx, named for the species of wild cat, is seen as a faint zigzag pattern found between Ursa Major, Gemini, and Auriga. Grab a telescope and try to spot the remote starry orb of globular cluster NGC 2419. As it is so distant compared to other globular clusters - 300,000 light years from both our solar system and the center of the Milky Way - it was thought that this cluster may be the remnants of a dwarf galaxy consumed by our own. Additional studies have muddied the waters concerning its possible origins, revealing two distinct populations of stars residing in NGC 2419, which is unusual for normally-homogenous globular clusters and marks it as a fascinating object for further research.
Hanny’s Voorwerp and the neighboring galaxy IC 2497, as imaged by Hubble. Credits: NASA, ESA, W. Keel (University of Alabama), and the Galaxy Zoo Team Source: https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2011/news-2011-01.html
Leo Minor is a faint and diminutive set of stars. Its “triangle” is most noticeable, tucked in between Leo and Ursa Major. Leo Minor is the cub of Leo the Lion, similar to Ursa Minor being the cub of the Great Bear of Ursa Major. While home to some interesting galaxies that can be observed from large amateur scopes under dark skies, perhaps the most intriguing object found within Leo Minor’s borders is Hanny’s Voorwerp. This unusual deep-space object is thought to be a possible “light echo” of a quasar in neighboring galaxy IC 2497 that has recently “switched off.” It was found by Hanny van Arkel, a Dutch schoolteacher, via her participation in the Galaxy Zoo citizen science project. Since then a few more intriguing objects similar to Hanny’s discovery have been found, called “Voorwerpjes.”
Lynx and Leo Minor are relatively “new” constellations, as they were both created by the legendarily sharp-eyed European astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the late 1600s. A few other constellations originated by Hevelius are still in official use: Canes Venatici, Lacerta, Scutum, Sextans, and Vulpecula. What if your eyes aren’t quite as sharp as Johannes Hevelius – or if your weather and light pollution make searching for fainter stars more difficult than enjoyable? See if you can spot the next Voorwerp by participating in one of the many citizen science programs offered by NASA at science.nasa.gov/citizenscience! And of course, you can find the latest updates and observations of even more dim and distant objects at nasa.gov.
Let’s Explore the Area of Lynx and Leo Minor
NGC 2419 or Caldwell 25
NGC 2419 is a globular cluster in the constellation Lynx. It was discovered by William Herschel on December 31, 1788. NGC 2419 is at a distance of about 300,000 light-years from the Solar System and at the same distance from the galactic center.
Distance to Earth: 274,600 light-years
Radius: 260 ly
Distance: 275 kly (from the Sun); 300 kly (from the GC) (84.2 kpc (Sun); 91.5 kpc (GC))
Declination: +38° 52′ 54.9″
Right ascension: 07h 38m 08.51s
Constellation: Lynx
Apparent magnitude (V): 9.06
Although visually small and faint what makes it special is its distance, at 275,000 light-years it's one of the furthest known Milky Way globulars. In fact, twentieth century American astronomer Harlow Shapley nicknamed it "The Intergalactic Tramp", believing it to have broken possibly away from the Milky Way and headed off into deep intergalactic space. However, recent observations indicate Shapley hypothesis was incorrect and NGC 2419 is still gravitationally bound to the Milky Way, just moving in a highly eccentric orbit.
Resource material: Wikipedia and esahubble.org
More on Hanny’s Voorwerp
Hanny's Voorwerp (Dutch for Hanny's object) is a rare type of astronomical object called a quasar ionization echo. It was discovered in 2007 by Dutch schoolteacher Hanny van Arkel while she was participating as a volunteer in the Galaxy Zoo project, part of the Zooniverse group of citizen science websites. Photographically, it appears as a bright blob close to spiral galaxy IC 2497 in the constellation Leo Minor. - Wikipedia
There is a lot of research going on just what Hanny’s Voorwerp is. This would make for an interesting discussion for a future ASTRA meeting. … CoconutScienceLab, David Butler, NASA-APOD, Universetoday.com
The most recent hypothesis can be found in a 2017 article in Science News.
Tonight’s Sky: March
Clear April nights are filled with starry creatures. Near the Big Dipper, you will find several interesting binary stars. You can also spot galaxies like the Pinwheel Galaxy, M82, and M96—the last of which is an asymmetric galaxy that may have been gravitationally disrupted by encounters with its neighbors. Keep watching for space-based views of these celestial objects.
Other Calendar Items of Interest
APO Editor’s Note:
Removed previous months “What’s Up” and “Tonight’s Sky” since APO links to prior months postings of APO.
Added Skymaps.com “The Evening Sky Map” and will be posted with each new issue of APO.
Skymaps.com - The Evening Sky Map - Select the current month and download the Northern Edition.
Polar Alignment
Using the Drift Method
Explore Scientific, a popular astronomy distributor has a short article on polar alignment using the drift method. Has any ASTRA member used the drift method? Let us know. Good information for both the beginner and seasoned observers. A supplier of astronomy products.
Article from Explorer Scientific.
Submissions Welcome
Members are invited to submit articles, photos, news, or stories for inclusion with Astral Projections Online. Please contact the ASTRA Webmaster.