Astral Projections Online August 2021
ASTRA held its virtual club meeting on July 9, 2021. We will continue the virtual meetings via Zoom during COVID. If you can’t participate because of issues with Zoom please contact us.
Club dues and 2021 membership. Returning members should have renewed by now. If you renew after March 31 you will be renewed as a new member. NOTE: Those members that paid for 2020 will be carried over to 2021 and should have already been notified.
Please check our Website for updated content at www.astra-nj.com
Club Presentations Wanted:
Anyone has 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
Jakes Branch Public Star Party - Saturday, August 7, 2021, at 8:30 PM
Lavallette Yacht Club Star Party - Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 8 PM
There will not be a club meeting for August.
ASTRA’s next virtual meeting - Friday, Sept 10, 2021, at 7 PM
Members Picnic - Saturday, August 14, 2021, at 4 PM - Must be registered in advance.
Girl Scouts at IBSP - Sunday, September 12, 2021, at 7:30 PM - Pending Approval
Jakes Branch Public Star Party - Saturday, October 9, 2021, at 7 PM
Jakes Branch Public Star Party - Saturday, November 13, 2021, at 6:30 PM
EVENT Cancellations: Members will receive email notification of an event cancellation, or call the ASTRA Hotline: 609-971-3331
Upcoming Island Beach State Park Events
Island Beach State Park continues its IBSP After Dark in August. They run on Fridays promptly at 7 PM EST, from June 25 until August 20 at Parking Lot 13 and the cost is $10.00. Those wishing to participate in this IBSP event should register online with Island Beach State Park at the links below.
IBSP General Event Calendar Listing
August 6 - August 13 - August 20
This event is not run by ASTRA, we are there as volunteers with our telescopes. As in the past, we will be there, weather permitting, as long as we have volunteers. Members wishing to volunteer should let John, Rosemarie, or Jim know.
Upcoming County Park Presentations Fall/Winter 2021
Public Outreach Presentations are being planned. If any member wishes to support ASTRA outreach efforts with the public, please let John, Ro, or Jim know of any interest. Currently, we have four planned with the county parks. The dates and times below are being planned now, so it is possible for some changes. The descriptions below will be posted in the county park Fall/Winter catalog. As the COVID restrictions are starting to loosen up the prospect of large turnouts is possible, so any support would be appreciated.
Note: The County Park events below will require an entry fee.
·Sept 14 – 8 to 9:30 PM - Cloverdale: Astronomy with Binoculars
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.
·Oct 21 - 6 to 7 PM - Jakes Branch: Light Pollution
Description: Light pollution and its impact. 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 stargazing, nature, and yourself.
·Nov 9 – 6 to 7:30 PM - Catus Island: Beginner Astronomy.
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.
·Nov 16 – 6 to 7:30 PM - Catus Island: Milkyway Photography and Beyond
Description: A beginner-level discussion on Milkyway Photography and what is needed with Jim Webster from the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area.
January 25 - 6 to 7 PM - Cloverdale Farm County Park: Milkyway Photography and Beyond
Description: Join us as Jim Webster from the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area discusses how to capture the beauty of the night sky and the Milkyway galaxy through photography.
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.
"Astronomy taught us our insignificance in Nature."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Poet
Robert J. Novins Planetarium Announcement
The Novins Planetarium is pleased to announce that they will begin a phased reopening of in-person events beginning this June.
To show our appreciation for their support of ASTRA please visit the planetarium website and purchase some show tickets.
ASTRA Club Meetings: We will be reviewing with the Planetarium staff our ability to hold in-person club meetings again and will update the membership as soon as we can. Until then, club meetings will continue to be held virtually via Zoom.
IBSP After Dark
On July 16, 2021, some of our ASTRA members were having a Night Out Among the Stars at Island Beach State Park, too bad the wispy clouds rolled in. We were there in support of IBSP After Dark the park runs during the summer. This event will be wrapping up shortly with only three remaining. August 6, 13, and 20 as long as the weather holds.
On July 23, 2021, ASTRA members were visited by some of the local critters. A pair of fox tried joining the club event and got to within 3 feet of us. We had a great evening and some fun with a group picture.
July 30 was a cool night and the sky was great with quite a few meteors. While some of our members were setting up our gear for the night, Alexandra Granovsky and her Mom hiked out to the beach and was able to capture these great sunset photos on her cell phone. We were also treated to some apple cake that night which was greatly appreciated.
APO Editor: My favorite is the Judge’s Shack.
ASTRA Presentation
The Constellation Pegasus
Image from Learn the Sky.
Our July club presentation was by our newest ASTRA member John Zimmerman on the constellation Pegasus.
Pegasus is best seen in October and November, but can also be observed in September. To observe Pegasus it is best to see it from 8 PM to midnight from September to November while facing northeast.
Like the Big Dipper, the Great Square of Pegasus isn’t a constellation. Instead, it’s an asterism or noticeable pattern on our sky’s dome.
The Great Square is used much like the Big Dipper to help you find other sky treasures, the most notable being the Andromeda Galaxy.
Image from Earthsky.org
There are four bright stars that make up the great square of Pegasus, Markab, Scheat, Alpheratz, and Algenib.
Markab is 130 Light Years away from Earth.
Scheat is 200 Light Years away.
Alpheratz is 97 Light Years away and is also part of the constellation Andromeda.
Algenib is 390 Light Years away and connects the head to the rest of the visible body of Pegasus.
Connecting the stars of the constellation we would get what appears to be half of a horse. The Greek mythological legend of Pegasus is that it was formed from the blood of Medusa. It is suggested that the part of Pegasus that can’t be seen is still submerged in the ocean which contributes to ships figureheads displaying the visible part of Pegasus.
Continuing with legends of Pegasus you can find its image on many ancient coins. Associated with heroic deeds of Persius. Also regarded as a celestial inspiration for poets, legend has it Pegasus was prancing around and a magic spring was created. If one drank from it they would be gifted with poetry.
APO Editor Note: For more on ancient coins associated with Pegasus can be found on an ancient coins forum webpage at www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/pegasos_coins.html
There are other interpretations of the constellations in other cultures. The ancient Chinese astronomers had it as a bed for the moon to rest on. Native American tribes said it was a barbecue on stilts. Johns's favorite interpretation comes from the ancient Persians as a doorway to Paradise, a portal to a dimension of eternal bliss.
In Urban areas, you can’t really see much, but far away from city lights, you can see many stars within the constellation.
With a telescope, there are plenty of deep-sky objects in the constellation of Pegasus as well, such as the spiral galaxy NGC 7331, the Seyfert galaxy NGC 7742, Einstein's Cross – a quasar, or Stephan's Quintet – a cluster of galaxies, among others.
Another famous imaging of Pegasus was associated with The Steve Miller Band album Book of Dreams. John’s favorite song on the album is Wish Apon a Star.
Full YouTube Album link for Book of Dreams.
YouTube song link Wish Apon A Star
John Zimmerman's full presentation on Pegasus can be found on our club YouTube in the first eighteen minutes of the July Presentation here.
APO Editor Note: This month’s Night Sky Network article in this issue of APO is also associated with the constellation Pegasus.
More on Pegasus Constellation: Facts & Notable Features can be found on Space.com.
Additional ASTRA Presentation
We had an additional presentation for our July meeting from Jim Webster, DSLR Astrophotography. This presentation was presented as a dry run for the upcoming county park in the fall.
Nov 16 – 6 to 7:30 PM - Catus Island: Milkyway Photography and Beyond.
It is divided into three sections: DSLR Milkway Astrophotography, DSLR Deepsky Astrophotography, and a short presentation on Light Pollution. You can find it on our July YouTube video starting at 34 minutes.
Learn the Sky - How to Find Pegasus
Pegasus is a seasonal constellation that is best seen in the autumn months in the northern hemisphere. The asterism known as the Great Square of Pegasus is the easiest pattern to spot in the constellation and in the autumn sky. Explore the stories behind this star pattern and discover the easiest ways to find this constellation.
Einstein Cross
The Einstein Cross can be found in Pegasus at 22h 40m 30.3s, +3° 21′ 31″. This system was discovered by John Huchra and coworkers in 1985.
Amateur astronomers are able to see some of the cross using telescopes; however, it requires extremely dark skies and telescope mirrors with diameters of 18 inches (46 cm) or greater.[7]
Most galaxies have a single nucleus -- does this galaxy have four? The strange answer leads astronomers to conclude that the nucleus of the surrounding galaxy is not even visible in this image. The central cloverleaf is rather light emitted from a background quasar.
The gravitational field of the visible foreground galaxy breaks light from this distant quasar into four distinct images. The quasar must be properly aligned behind the center of a massive galaxy for a mirage like this to be evident. The general effect is known as gravitational lensing, and this specific case is known as the Einstein Cross. Stranger still, the images of the Einstein Cross vary in relative brightness, enhanced occasionally by the additional gravitational microlensing effect of specific stars in the foreground galaxy.
Source Material: ASTRA July video, NASA APOD, Wikipedia
More on Einstein Cross can be found at Astronomy.com.
Around the Web
American Meteor Society
The American Meteor Society, Ltd. is a non-profit scientific organization founded in 1911 and established to inform, encourage, and support the research activities of both amateur and professional astronomers who are interested in the fascinating field of Meteor Astronomy. Our affiliates observe, monitor, collect data on, study, and report on meteors, meteor showers, fireballs, and related meteoric phenomena. Please note that the AMS does not deal in meteorites.
Quoting from our certificate of incorporation, our purposes are:
To encourage and promote research activities of both amateur and professional astronomers who are directly interested in meteoric astronomy.
To observe, monitor, collect information, plot, and report on meteors, meteoric fireballs, meteoric trains, and related meteoric phenomena.
To publish scientific materials dealing with meteoric astronomy.
To publish a newsletter dealing with meteoric astronomy.
To carry on any other scientific or public service activities relating to meteoric astronomy.
Perseids 2020 - American Meteor Society - YouTube
This Month-Member Show and Tell
This issue of APO ASTRA Member Vic Palmieri shared some details with us on his telescope that many of us are familiar with. From personal experience in viewing objects, this is a very fine setup surpassing some viewed objects when compared to Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes.
The telescope is a 4" f9.8 achromatic refractor purchased with the equatorial mount in 1999. Several years later the RA drive motor and hand controller were purchased. The telescope, mount, RA motor, and hand controller are Vixen Optics products.
The finderscope is an 8 x 50 GSO model from Agena Astro. The 1.25" focuser adapter and 1.25" prism diagonal are from Baader Planetarium.
The oak tripod was homemade. Vic is an excellent craftsman and if you haven’t seen this setup you're missing an excellent treat. Next time we have a public star party take the time to see it.
Who is Vixen? Vixen is the company that manufactures the optical tube, GP and GP-DX mount, and many accessories. In the U.S.A. their products are usually distributed through third parties. Vixen was founded as a wholesale distributor of optical goods in Japan in October 1949 by the present Chairman, Mr. Kosuke Tuchida.
Company Seven has a webpage dedicated to Vixen products and is worth checking out. www.company7.com
For more information on the telescope, check out this manual from a similar telescope and can be found here.
Outreach material below is distributed free for public outreach.
Let’s Explore Space - What’s in the Sky August 2021?
Messier 20 - Trifid Nebula
CONSTELLATION: Sagittarius
DISTANCE: 5200 light-years
MAGNITUDE: 6.3
RADIUS: 21 light-years
AGE: Estimated 300,200 years
Credits: apod.nasa.gov
Franz Hofmann, Wolfgang Paech
Charles Messier discovered both M20 and M21 (An open star cluster) on June 5, 1764. He referred to M20 as an envelope of nebulosity.
The beautiful Trifid Nebula is a cosmic study in contrasts. Also known as M20, it lies about 5,000 light-years away toward the nebula-rich constellation Sagittarius. The Trifid Nebula is about 40 light-years across. Just too faint to be seen by the unaided eye, it almost covers the area of the Moon in planet Earth's sky.
A star-forming region in the plane of our galaxy, the Trifid does illustrate three different types of astronomical nebulae; red emission nebulae dominated by light from hydrogen atoms, blue reflection nebulae produced by dust reflecting starlight, and dark nebulae where dense dust clouds appear in silhouette. But the red emission region roughly separated into three parts by obscuring dust lanes is what lends the Trifid its popular name. Pillars and jets sculpted by newborn stars, below and left of the emission nebula's center, appear in famous Hubble Space Telescope close-up images of the region.
To locate the Trifid, first, focus on the bright familiar teapot asterism of Sagittarius. The top three stars of the teapot are Kaus Borealis (λ Sgr - mag. +2.8), Kaus Media (δ Sgr - mag. +2.7), and φ Sgr (mag. +3.2). Imagine a line connecting φ Sgr to Kaus Borealis and then extending it for just over 6 degrees to arrive at M20.
On the lighter side of astronomy …
ASTRA Member Astrophotos
Messier 8 - Lagoon Nebula
By Matthew Michota - July 18
Matthew took this image of the Lagoon Nebula with an Ioptron GEM 45, Astrotech AT102EDL, ASI533mc pro, ASI120mm for guiding, ASIair Pro. Optolong L- enhance.
30x 120s / 20x darks / 20x bias / no flats
The Lagoon Nebula is a giant interstellar cloud in the constellation Sagittarius. Classified as an emission nebula and as an H II region. Discovered by Giovanni Hodierna before 1654 and is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the eye from mid-northern latitudes.
Messier 16 - Eagle Nebula
By Matthew Michota - July 18
Matthew took this image of the Eagle Nebula with an Ioptron GEM 45, Astrotech AT102EDL, ASI533mc pro, ASI120mm for guiding, ASIair Pro. Optolong L- enhance.
40x180s / 20x darks / 20x bias / no flats
The Eagle Nebula, is an emission nebula, a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens, discovered by Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux in 1745–46.
Messier 20 - Trifid Nebula
By Matthew Michota - July 18
Matthew took this image of the Trifid Nebula with an Ioptron GEM 45, Astrotech AT102EDL, ASI533mc pro, ASI120mm for guiding, ASIair Pro. Optolong L- enhance IR cut.
30x60s / 20x darks / 20x bias / no flats
The Trifid Nebula is an H II region in the northwest of Sagittarius in a star-forming region in the Milky Way's Scutum-Centaurus Arm. It was discovered by Charles Messier on June 5, 1764.
New to APO - Astronomy & Space Theme Music
Will feature one song from YouTube each month.
Astronomy & Space Theme Music
By Australian alternative rock band The Church, released “Under the Milky Way” on February 15, 1988, appearing on their fifth studio album Starfish. Written by bass guitarist and lead vocalist Steve Kilbey and his then-girlfriend Karin Jansson of Curious (Yellow).
Members Submitted Articles & Items
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
None for August APO publication.
What’s Up: July 2021
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!
Corner the Great Square of Pegasus
David Prosper
The Summer Triangle may be the most famous seasonal star pattern, but during early August evenings, another geometrically-themed asterism rises; the Great Square of Pegasus. This asterism’s name is a bit misleading: while three of its stars - Scheat, Markab, and Algenib - are indeed found in the constellation of the winged horse Pegasus, its fourth star, Alpheratz, is the brightest star in the constellation Andromeda!
The Summer Triangle may be the most famous seasonal star pattern, but during early August evenings, another geometrically-themed asterism rises; the Great Square of Pegasus. This asterism’s name is a bit misleading: while three of its stars - Scheat, Markab, and Algenib - are indeed found in the constellation of the winged horse Pegasus, its fourth star, Alpheratz, is the brightest star in the constellation Andromeda!
While the stars of the Great Square of Pegasus are not as bright as those of the Summer Triangle, they still stand out compared to their neighbors and make a great foundation for exploring this area of the night sky. Note that the brightness of the stars near the horizon is exaggerated in this picture.
August evenings are an excellent time to look for the Great Square, as it will be rising in the east after sunset. If not obvious at first, wait for this star pattern to rise a bit above the murky air, and remember that depending on your point of view, it may appear more like a diamond than a square. Look for it below the Summer Triangle, or to the southeast of nearby Cassiopeia at this time. As the Great Square rises in prominence during autumn evenings, it becomes a handy guidepost to finding more constellations, including some of the dimmer members of the Zodiac: Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, and Capricornus. Like the Summer Triangle, the Great Square of Pegasus is also huge, but Pegasus itself is even larger; out of the 88 constellations, Pegasus is 7th in size, and feels larger as the stars in its neighboring constellations are much dimmer.
There are many notable deep-sky objects found within the stars of Pegasus - ranging from easily spotted to expert level targets - making it a great constellation to revisit as your observing skills improve. Notable objects include the densely-packed stars of globular cluster M15, a great first target. The potential “Milky Way look-alike” galaxy NGC 7331 is a fun target for more advanced observers, and expert observers can hop nearby to try to tease out the much dimmer interacting galaxies of Stephan’s Quintet. A fascinating (but extremely difficult to observe) object is a gravitationally-lensed quasar famously known as the Einstein Cross. Pegasus has quite a storied history in the field of exoplanet research: 51 Pegasi was the first Sun-like star discovered to be host to a planet outside our solar system, now officially named Dimidiam.
Stephan’s Quintet is one of the most famous deep-sky objects in Pegasus. First discovered in 1877, it contains the first galaxy group discovered (which includes 4 of the 5 galaxies making up the Quintet) – and has been studied extensively ever since. One day this group will merge into one super galaxy! While famous, these galaxies are hard to spot in all but the largest backyard telescopes – but are a favorite target of astrophotographers. Take a virtual flyby of these galaxies with a tour created from Hubble data at: bit.ly/quintetflyby
Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon, J. DePasquale, F. Summers, and Z. Levay (STScI)
While observing Pegasus and its surroundings, keep your eyes relaxed and ready to catch some Perseids, too! August 2021 promises an excellent showing of this annual meteor shower. The crescent Moon sets early on the evening of the shower’s peak on August 11-12, but you can spot stray Perseids most of the month. If you trace the path of these meteors, you’ll find they originate from one point in Perseus - they're radiant. Giant planets Jupiter and Saturn will be up all evening as well. Look south - they easily stand out as the brightest objects in the faint constellations Aquarius and Capricornus.
Pegasus truly holds some fantastic astronomical treasures! Continue your exploration of the stars of Pegasus and beyond with NASA at nasa.gov.
Tonight’s Sky: August
In August, a flock of star-studded figures soars overhead. Look for the Vega and Lyra constellations, which point to Epsilon Lyrae and the Ring Nebula. You can also spot three bright summer stars: Vega, Deneb, and Altair, which form the Summer Triangle. Keep watching for space-based views of these and other stars and nebulas.
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.
Astronomy Magazine
Has free downloads that may be interesting for you to explore. Go to Astronomy.com.
Submissions Welcome
Members are invited to submit articles, photos, news, or stories for inclusion with Astral Projections Online. Please contact the ASTRA Webmaster.