5A Blog

Growing Sunspot

2012-01-09T11:54:00.002-05:00

From Spaceweather.com: Over the weekend, sunspot AR1393 tripled in size, swelling into an active region more than five times as wide as Earth. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the two-day expansion, click to watch the animation:

Click picture to watch animation!

-The 5A's

Earth at Perihelion Today

2012-01-04T09:55:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone,

Most of us can remember from science classes through the years that the mean distance of the Earth from the Sun is roughly 93 million miles. Earth’s orbit however is not a perfect circle but an ellipse. This means that at one point during a yearly orbit the Earth is closest to the Sun and at another point during a yearly orbit it is farthest from the Sun. Today Earth is at Perihelion or its closest approach to the Sun in its orbit. The name for the point furthest from the Sun along its orbit is called Aphelion.

At Perihelion Earth is 91,402,639 miles from the Sun.

At Aphelion Earth is 94,509,639 miles from the Sun.

The diagram below shows an exaggerated look at Earth’s orbit to clearly illustrate the elliptical nature of the orbit with perihelion and appehelion shown. In reality Earth orbit is much less elliptical but not circular

A few other fun facts:

The Earth travels just under 67,000 mph along its orbit in the Solar System
Light takes about 8 minutes to travel from the Sun to the Earth (at ~186,000 miles per SECOND!)
Earth Weighs 6,572,000,000,000,000,000,000 TONS (That’s 6500 trillion or 6 sextillion!)

-The 5A's

Quadrantid Meteor Shower Tonight - Moon Interferes.

2012-01-03T11:55:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone,

Tonight is the Quadrantid Meteor Shower and for the brave watchers out there, the weather looks as if it will likely cooperate. However, with a Waning Gibbous Moon in the sky, only the brightest of themeteors will be visible. Scroll down for sky chart. From Spaceweather.com:

The Quadrantid meteor shower is one of the year's best, often producing more than 100 meteors per hour from a radiant near the North Star. In 2012 forecasters expect the shower to peak around 07:20 UT (02:20 am EST) on Wednesday, January 4. The peak is brief, typically lasting no more than an hour or so, and it does not always occur at the forecasted time, so observers are encouraged to be alert for meteors throughout the early hours of January 4th.

Click HERE to read the whole story at www.spaceweather.com.

Sky Chart:

-The 5A's

The Earth-Moon System

2011-09-01T10:57:00.001-04:00

Recently NASA's Juno spacecraft on it's way to Jupiter turned back and took a picture of the Earth-Moon system from 1 MILLION miles away.....and what a view! Doesn't look like much you say? Well, from a purely photogenic standpoint for most, it isn't. However, for those of us who regularly turn our telescopes to the sky and observe other planets and their moons....this image is familar and incredible at the same time....here's looking at US. Thanks Juno!

-The 5A's

Amazing Total Lunar Eclipse Video!!

2011-07-11T13:50:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is that of a fascinating video created during last month's Total Lunar Eclipse as seen from Tajikistan on June 15th. The text and surely the video speak for themselves....enjoy!

Total Lunar Eclipse Video

Here is a great composite from the Acropolis.

-The 5A's

Website Spotlight: Wheel of Stars

2011-06-23T08:51:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

This edition of website spotlight combines astronomy and art with the Wheel of Stars. In short Jim Bumgardner used star data to create a rotating sky where as each star passes the meridian a musical tone is played based on various attributes of that star. Each star tone's pitch is based on the star's color temperature, volume is based on the star's magnitude, and for stereo panning the star's location on the screen. Listen to the Wheel of Stars and read more about its creation at http://wheelof.com/stars/.

Thank you to club member Silas for this link!

-The 5A's

Planets Everywhere!!

2011-04-27T12:04:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone,

This is a tidbit from Sky and Telescope's This Week's Sky at a Glance page.....

A dawn challenge: Set the alarm to get up Friday [or Saturday] morning well before your local sunrise time, grab binoculars or telescope, and get to a spot with a view of the eastern horizon by a half hour before sunrise. The waning crescent Moon will be hanging in the east. If the air is clear Venus should be easy to pick up far to its lower left. Try next for Mercury, Jupiter, and, for a real challenge, tiny Mars next to Jupiter, as shown here.
Here is a map to help you find all those planets!

-The 5A's

Come observe beautiful Saturn with us!

2011-04-04T08:33:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

This past Sunday, April 3 marked Saturn's opposition for 2011. A planetary opposition occurs when a given planet is opposite the Sun from Earth. As such, when the Sun sets in the west the planet rises in the east and vice-versa. It also means the planet will generally be its brightest on and during the weeks around opposition. This month will be an exceptional time to observe Saturn with virtually any telescope large or small. Our Saturday evening our FREE Public Observatory Program offers a great opportunity to see beautiful Saturn and its rings through a telescope that's as long as a bus!

The Observatory is open free to the public on clear Saturday evenings starting at 9 PM and suitable for all ages. For directions to the Observatory and all other details please visit our Observatory Program information page.

-The 5A's

Public Observatory Program Starts Saturday, April 2nd!!

2011-03-21T10:25:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone,

In just under two weeks on the evening of Saturday, April 2nd the 5A's will open the 18" Clark Refractor at the Amherst College Wilder Observatory for our FREE weekly public Observatory Program. Come look through a telescope that's as long as a bus and see the rings of Saturn, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, and much more!

The program starts at 9 PM and runs ONLY IF THE SKY IS CLEAR. The program is free of charge and all ages are welcome. Please visit HERE for more details and directions. If you visit our homepage at http://www.amherstastronomy.org/ after 7 PM on Saturday April 2nd this blog will be replaced by the status of the program (go or no-go based on weather).

-The 5A's

Sunspot 1158

2011-02-17T11:13:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone,

The current solar cycle continues to strengthen. Check out the following video of the sunspot emerging to its current form over the last 5 days from YouTube user eqshannon:

Sunspot 1158 recently hurled a series of Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's) toward Earth yesterday that could spark auroras over the high northern latitudes during the next 24 hours. The sunspot is now wider than Jupiter and the solar flares it has created are the strongest since December of 2006.

To learn more about sunspots and the potential aurora visit http://www.spaceweather.com/

-The 5A's

What kind of Telescope should I buy?

2011-01-16T20:46:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone,

What kind of telescope should I buy? This is a question we hear quite often. Whether it's for a gift, budding amateur astronomer, or the rekindling of an old hobby there are many answers. Our most common one is to "try before you buy", and is a main purpose of astronomy clubs like ours. By attending one of our public progams, meetings, and/or open-to-the-public star parties you can learn about the different types of telescopes, their advantages and dis-advantages, and get to experience using them firsthand. We invite you to do so by keeping an eye on our calendar for future events. In the meantime you can learn the basics about types of telescopes and their uses by looking at this handout which we distribute at some of our outreach programs. As always you can contact us with any questions at any time!

-The 5A's

Evening Sky Show TONIGHT!!

2011-01-09T11:24:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

The following is from Spaceweather.com; check out the full story and sky maps at www.spaceweather.com

Just after sunset tonight, step outside and look south. The waxing crescent Moon and Jupiter are in conjunction, beaming brightly side by side. Try looking before the evening sky fades to black. A bright conjunction framed by twilight blue has a special beauty that you won't want to miss.

-The 5A's

Website Spotlight: This Week's Sky at a Glance

2011-01-04T09:15:00.002-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR from the 5A's!!!

We hope everyone had safe and enjoyable New Year celebrations. The first Website Spotlight of 2011 brings to your attention Sky and Telescope's This Week's Sky at a Glance page. If you're a budding amateur astronomer or have been enjoying the night sky for years, this is a great resource to quickly see what you can observe over the next week. Included are the moon, planets, deep sky objects, meteor showers, comets, conjunctions, and more. Be sure to check out the rest of Sky and Telescope's main site as well!

-The 5A's

Jupiter's Southern Equatorial Belt is Returning!

2010-12-02T15:15:00.002-05:00

Jupiter with and without SEB.

Great Red Spot easily visible while SEB is covered.

As many amateur and professional astronomers alike are aware, Jupiter's Southern Equatorial Belt (SEB) vanished, or more exactly was "covered" earlier this year turning our familiar gas giant's image in telescopes a bit odd. For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to view Jupiter through a telescope, it normally has two relatively dark reddish-brown belts that circle the planet; one north and one south of its equator. For almost a year now, the southern belt has been hidden. Coincidentally, the Great Red Spot is found in the SEB and due to the similarity in color between it and the SEB, it is sometimes often hard to see in our telescopes. With the SEB covered by white clouds, the Great Red Spot has been relatively easy to see and a delight to many backyard observers. Recent turbulent storms and cloud structures in the SEB region however, herald its emminent return!

Recently white plumes have been pushing through the cloudtops where the SEB was once located and now traverse half the circumference of the planet. This chain reaction will lead to even more puffy plumes, spots and swirling clouds until the SEB is entirely visible once again. How long will it take for the complete re-emergence? No one knows exactly but the general feeling in the astronomical community is 30 to 60 days.

Plumes in SEB region that mark re-appearance of SEB.

-The 5A's

Website Spotlight: Spaceweather.com

2010-09-30T12:04:00.000-04:00

The next in our Website Spotlight series is Spaceweather.com a website that provides daily information in regards to the Sun/Earth environment. At a glance you will find a current visible light image of the Sun showing any visible sunspots, the sunspot number, Interplanetary Magnetic Field info, information on Aurora potential, solar wind speed and density, and interesting tidbits of news through images and video. Have you ever seen a picture of the International Space Station transiting the Sun right across a sunspot?!?! At Spaceweather.com you'll find stunniing images like this often and so much more, check them out!

http://www.spaceweather.com/

-The 5A's

The Perseid Meteor Shower!

2010-08-11T08:34:00.001-04:00

Once a year the Earth’s orbit intersects that of Comet Swift-Tuttle and some of the dust debris from the comet collides with the Earth’s atmosphere creating the infamous Perseid Meteor Shower. Most of the particles that collide with the atmosphere are smaller than a peanut and completely incinerate in less than a second. However, given the speed at which they are travelling we see beautiful streaks of sometimes colored light across parts of the sky. Sometimes larger pieces hit the atmosphere creating bright fireballs whose meteor trails can span half the sky and take several seconds to dissipate. So why is it called the “Perseid” Meteor Shower? When observing the shower, all of the meteors seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus. Of course this is nothing more than an optical illusion but as with most celestial objects, the constellations provide an excellent way to locate them in the night sky.

The best time to view the Perseids is AFTER 10 PM on THIS Thursday August 12th…..with midnight to 2 or 3 AM (into Friday) being the most opportune time if the sky is clear. If the sky isn’t clear, Tuesday the 11th and Friday the 13th will be good as well. Why so late? Pretty simple, think “bugs on your windshield”. Did you ever notice the side windows of your car usually don’t end up with the same summer evening carnage that your windshield does?!? As with the forward facing windshield of your car, your place on Earth needs to be facing INTO the debris field……and any given location on Earth is driving more or less “head-on” into space around midnight to 3 AM.

The best place to view the Perseids is a relatively dark location away from say shopping centers and large groups of streetlights. All you need to observe them is a blanket to lay on and your eyes. Head out around 10 or 11, spread out your blanket so your oriented toward Perseus (toward the Northeast), lay back, relax and enjoy!

Not only is the Perseid Meteor Shower the best of the year, 2010 is especially unique in that there will be a beautiful and tight planetary conjunction occurring as well. If you want to start your evening earlier do so around 8 or 9 PM by stepping outside to observing Saturn, Venus, Mars, and a crescent Moon all within a circle less than 10 degrees (or one fist width) in diameter. The 4 objects will be shining beautifully in the evening twilight. Another positive aspect of this year’s Perseid Meteor Shower is that the Moon will set BEFORE the “show” begins, thus leaving a nice dark sky for the best possible meteor observing conditions.
For more information and a sky map for both the conjunction and meteor shower radiant in Perseus visit……

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/05aug_perseids/

If it is clear, the 5A's will hold a Perseid Meteor Shower observing session at the Mt. Pollux Conservation Area in South Amherst THIS Thursday night starting around 11 PM. If you’d like to join us, please contact either Tom Whitney or Kevin Collins using the information at the bottom of our homepage. If you don't feel like travelling, any spot with a relatively open view of the sky near home will work for you….a park, ball field, even your backyard.

-The 5A's

2010-07-18T00:06:00.001-04:00

Above is a to scale location representition of Mercury at Sunset. Each Dot represents 1 Day's Position. The "W" is Due West on the Horizon. Note that Mercury, for us, like the Moon and Venus, goes through Phases.

Mercury is "bright". At it's brightest, < Mag. 2.0. Only the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars (at it's brightest), and Jupiter are brighter.This Apparition, Mercury will reach Mag. + 0.6. Not many living people have "seen" Mercury, perhaps only 100,000,000. That's because, with an Interior Orbit to Earth, Mercury's maximum Elevation at Sunset, for us, above the Horizon, is 28 degrees and usually much lower. Because it's low in the Twilite Glow, it's difficult to see less than 30 - 45 mins. after Sunset. Additionally, Mercury is difficult to see if it's Angular Separation from the Sun is less than 12 degrees.

Mercury is a "small" Planet, about one-seventeenth the Volume and Mass of Earth. It's the fastest Sun-Orbiting Planet - average speed is 30 mi./sec. Earth's average speed is 18.5 mi./sec. Mercury has the most Eccentric Orbit of the "Planets" at .21. At Perihelion (closest to Sun) it's 29,000,000 mi., at Aphelion (furthest from Sun) it's 43,000,000 mi. Mercury gets from 5 to 11 times the intensity of Sun Light as Earth. Without an Atmosphere, it's even more intense on Mercury's Surface, with an average Surface Temperature of 629 degrees F.

With Earth's and Mercury's Orbits, its Synodic Period is about 116 Days. Which means it has Eastern Elongations about 116 days, on average. There's a Western Elongation, on average each 116 Days. Since I don't like to get up early, I observe Eastern Elongations (when Mercury is visible in the Western Evening Sky after the Sunset). The next Mercury Eastern Elongations will be Dec. 2010, Mar. 2011, & July 2011. I'll probably observe the July 2011 Elongation, maybe the others.

If you want to see Mercury, you'll need a Low Horizon - free of buildings, trees, hills or other obstructions. At its highest this Apparition, Mercury will be less than 16 degrees above the Horizon at Sunset. I plan to be at Mt. Pollux, Amhest, Sunday - July 18 & 26, & Friday - July 30, before 8 pm. Then Friday - Aug. 6 & 20, and Sunday - Aug, 1, 8 15, & 22 by 7:30 pm. If you want to see Mercury on those dates, please call me, Tom Whitney at 256-6234, between 5 & 6 pm on those dates, or email me at tom-whitney@tom-whitney.com , the day before. I'll meet you and bring extra equipment to Mt. Pollux for this. If you want to do other dates, notify me at least a day ahead and, if I can, I'll try to accommodate you.

Hope you can "see" Mercury this Apparition. If so, you'll be in an exclusive group on only 100,000,000 +/- living people. If you "see" the Cresent of Mercury, you'll be in an even more exclusive group of 10,000,000 +/-, living.

- Tom Whitney

Moon & Venus July Repeat

2010-07-05T19:39:00.002-04:00

Above is a scale representation of what you will see looking West after Sunset. if Sky is Clear, on July 14, 15, & 16. Moon noticably appears to move through the Sky Daily, while Venus only appears to move slightly against the background Sky.

July 14th to 16th, the Crescent Moon & Venus again put on a spectacular display in the Western Evening Sky, just after Sunset, similar to their June display. Moon & Venus are consistantly the 1st & 2nd brightest natural Night Sky Celestial Objects. Each are bright enough to be seen from an urban light polluted Sky. They will show a somewhat similar, but not identical, display monthly through October. The next similar apparition will be August 12 to 15. However, Venus will be 5 degrees lower in the Sky, while slightly brighter & larger. Binoculars will show exquite detail on the Moon & possibly the Gibbous Dist (apparent shape) of Venus, particularly if you have premium optics & excellent eyesight. A small telescope will show the apparent Gibbous Shape of Venus. Venus displays an Evening Phasing about every 19 months, lasting almost 10 months, similar to the Moon's Monthly Phasing, because Venus' Orbit is interior to Earth's Orbit around the Sun. A Telescopic view of Venus at 50 power will easily show it's apparent Gibbous shape.

Venus is so bright, Magnitude -3.8 to -4.6, it casts a shadow in a dark location. Venus never appears more than 47.8 degrees from the Sun, for us in Amherst. Usually it's much closer. So it's isn't seen by us in the Dark Midnight Sky. For us, Venus is always seen in the lovely Twilight Glow after Sunset or before Sunrise. Part of the reason ancient Greeks named it after the Goddes of Beauty.

If you want to see this spectavular July Apparition, look West at Sunset. Don't look at the Sun ! Venus will be about 20 degrees above the Horizon. You man need an unobstructed Horizon - free of trees, buildings, hills, or other obstructions. Venus will Set about 2 hrs. after the Sun.

If you want to see this Apparition in a Telescope, call me - Tom Whitney at 256-6234 between 6 & 7 pm, July 14 or 15. If Clear, I'll meet you at Mt. Pollux around 8 p.m., with a Telescope. If Clear on Friday, July 16, I'll be at Mt. Pollux by 8 p.m., with my Astronomy Class.

The next Evening Appritions of Moon & Venus that will somewhat approximate these current ones, will be December to March 2011 - cold & unpleasant New England weather, with the Moon & Venus lower in the Sky. The next Apparitions as "good" as this will be in 2018. Hope you can see this, if your schedule & weather permit.

- Tom Whitney

June Moon & Venus

2010-06-09T18:31:00.000-04:00

At left is a scale representation of what you will see looking West after Sunset, if sky is clear, on June 15, 16, & 17. Moon noticeably appears to move through the sky daily, while Venus barely seems to move against the background sky.

June 15th to 17th, the Crescent Moon & Venus put on a spectacular display in the western evening sky just after Sunset. Moon & Venus are consistently the 1st & 2nd brightest natural night sky celestual objects. Each are bright enough to be seen from an urban light polluted sky. They will show a somewhat similar display monthly through October. The next similar apparition will be July 13 to 16. No optics (binocular or telescope) are needed to view this sensational apparition. However, binoculars will show exquite detail on the Moon & possibly the Gibbous Disk (apparent shape) of Venus, particularly if you have premium optics & excellent eyesight. Even a small telescope will show the visual shape of Venus. Venus displays an evening phasing about each 19 months, lasting almost 10 months, similar to the Moon's monthly phasing, because it's orbit is within Earth's orbit around the Sun.

At left is a telescopic image of what Venus will look like at about 100 power on June 15 > 17.

Because of its interior (to Earth) orbit, Venus is denominated, like Mercury, an "inferior" planet. Venus, Mercury, & Mars are also called "Terrestrial" planets, because they resemble Earth more than Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune.

Venus is so bright, magnitude -3.8 to -4.6, it can cast a shadow in a dark location. Venus is never more than 47.8 degrees, for us in Amherst, from the Sun, usually much closer; so it is never seen in the dark midnight sky. By us, Venus is always seen in the lovely twilite glow before Sunrise or after Sunset. To see this spectacular June apparition, look West at Sunset. Venus will be about 20 degrees above the Horizon. You may need an unobstructed Horizon - free of trees, buildings, hills, or other obstructions. Venus will set about 2 & 1/2 hrs. after the Sun.

For those who want to see this sight in a telescope, you can call me - Tom Whitney at 256-6234, after 6 p.m. on June 15, 16, & 17. If it's clear, I'll meet you at Mt. Pollux, with a telescope around 8 p.m. The next Evening apparitions of Moon & Venus, that will somewhat approximate these current ones, will be between December 2011 & March 2012 - cold & unpleasant New England weather, with Moon & Venus much lower in the sky. The next set of apparitions, that will be as "good" as these current ones, will be in 2018. Try to see this, if your schedule & the weather permit.

- Tom Whitney

Website Spotlight! Astronomy Picture of the Day

2010-05-24T12:39:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

We are starting a new blog entry series called Website Spotlight where, from time to time, we will present an astronomy related website that we think you should visit. To start the series we present Astronomy Picture of the Day, a website maintained by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center which posts an Astronomy/Earth Science related image each day with a great description. The images are most often current and/or related to a current astronomy related event. From majestic Hubble Space Telescope images of far away nebula and galaxies to a complete analemma this is a fascinating site to visit on a daily basis. A link to this website along with some other interesting sites can also be found in the links section of our website by clicking "Links" in the navigation menu.

Crescent Moon in Hand-Held Camera

2010-04-19T23:05:00.000-04:00

I'm new at astro-imaging, but couldn't resist the esthetic Crescent Moon after so many cloudy nights. Have only used my 10x Walmart Point & Shoot small camera once before. Have been told I would have to use a tripod or the image would smudge.

This 1st image is hand-held. Deleted 4 smudged images. The next image is on a tripod. Don't know what all the Menu and Settings are and what they do. Was dissapointed not to get much Lunar detail. Suspect there were Settings and Menu Options that would have improved the image. Suppose that comes with practice and experience.

Hope that my crude efforts encourages others (you) to take images and post them in the PHOTOS section of this Web Site or even in this Blog. Already know there are many who have more skills than me and better equipment.

This 2nd Image was taken also at 10x but on a tripod. It was one of 4 that were equally "clear". Lesson learned - tripod makes a difference (to me). Note tree limbs in this Image. Note also the angle of the Moon Phase.

Hope you get to see the Crescent Moon. Hope this elementary effort encourages you to submit your astro-images. Anyone know why the 2nd image is larger than the 1st? Had the same zoom setting.
- Tom Whitney

Northeast Astronomy Forum - NEAF is THIS Weekend!

2010-04-15T12:16:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

This weekend (Saturday 4/17 and Sunday 4/18) professional and amateur astronomers along with many vendors presenters will converge in Suffern, NY for the 2010 Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF). Hosted by Rockland Community College this is one of the largest Astronomy Expos in the country. You'll find countless talks and presentations to attend, all sorts of the latest astronomy equipment and gadgets from telescopes and binoculars to accessories like laser collimators and observing chairs at great prices! If the weather is nice some of the most impressive solar telescopes will make an appearance outside as well. Rain or shine I encourage you to take a ride down on Saturday and/or Sunday and check it out!

-Kevin.

FREE PUBLIC OBSERVING PROGRAMS START

2010-04-01T22:33:00.000-04:00

We (the 5As) start our Free Public Observing Programs Saturday, April 2nd and continue to the end of October.

Every Saturday at 1 pm, there's a Solar Observing on the Amherst Town Common. The Sun appears to be comming out of a Sunspot Minimum, making the Sun more interesting to observe. We do a 2nd Solar Observing at Science A to Z Store on King ST, Northampton at 3 pm.

Every Saturday at 9 pm, if it's clear, we open the Amherst College Observatory on Snell ST, Amherst. This is probably our premiere program. Typically there is 3 to 5 telescopes set up outside. Because the Observatory Telescope takes so long to set up, move to objects, and cycle people through the Observing Platform, we often only observe one to three objects. The telescopes on the "lawn" are free to go to many objects - even by request. This is where the heart of the program is conducted. You will be shown Mars, Saturn, Multiple-Stars, Galaxies, Star Clusters - Open and Globular, Nebulas, and even an Asteroid. Club Members would be pleased to accommodate any request.

Every Sunday at Sunset, (which is now about 7:15 pm, but is constantly slowly changing), we do a Sunset Observing Porgram at Mt. Pollux, off South East ST, Amherst.

In addition, we do several other Observing Programs, so check out CALENDAR on this Web Site for updates and information. As with all our Observing Programs, Clear or Near-Clear weather is required. Check this Web Site, weather forcasts, and the sky before comming. All our Programs are free and open with no restrictions. Our Observing Programs are appropriate for all ages.

Hope you can take advantage of our Programs and look forward to seeing you. You will see some of the most incredible sights in all nature. Do not hesitate to call me - Tom Whitney 256-6234 - or email this Site with any questions.

Sunspot / Space Station Conjunction

2010-03-26T09:37:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone,

It's no secret that 2010 has been a relatively active year so far in regards to sunspots...hopefully heralding the start of a climb out of one of the deepest solar minimums in decades. In the lower left hand corner of our homepage we have a visible light image of the current Sun provided by NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory that links to Spaceweather.com. Spaceweather.com provides all sorts of neat daily happenings from unique astronomy related pictures taken by professional and amatuer astronomers alike, information about conditions on the Sun and in Sun-Earth space, special observing oppportunities, and more. Today's highlight was a picture taken from Cape Elizabeth Maine by astrophotographer John Stetson and his son Peter......a conjunction of current sunspot 1057 and the International Space Station (ISS)!....

Absolutely spectacular!!!! Clearly visible are the dark umbras (cores) and lighter penumbras of the sunspots as well as the huge solar arrays and many modules that make up super-structure of the ISS. Of course this "conjunction" is an optical illusion as most are. The Sunspot is on the Sun roughly 93 million miles from the Earth where the ISS is orbiting roughly 220 miles from the Earth's surface. I encourage you to check out SOHO and Spaceweather.com for more incredible pictures and information about our closest and most important star....the Sun.

WARNING: NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITH A TELESCOPE OR BINOCULARS, PERMANENT EYE INJURY AND BLINDNESS WILL OCCUR INSTANTLY!!!!

If you are intersted in SAFELY viewing the Sun to observe sunspots like the one pictured above, please note that our 2010 free public programs start on Saturday April 3rd with our Amherst Solar Program at 1 PM on the Amherst Town Common. If it is clear come see us! For more details and directions please click the "Amherst Solar" link in the upper left section of our homepage.

-Kevin.

Come see Saturn!!!!!

2010-03-17T13:37:00.002-04:00

This weekend is very special astronomically speaking. First, Saturday, March 20th is the Spring Equinox….one of two days of the year during Earth’s orbit around the Sun that the Sun will pass directly overhead at the Equator. The other day is 6 months later on the Autumn Equinox on September 22nd. For us here in the Northern Hemisphere the Spring Equinox is the astronomical beginning of Spring and from now until the Summer Solstice on June 21st, the Sun will climb higher in the sky and the hours of daylight will lengthen. This of course ushers in mild but hopefully insect-less nights for amateur astronomers…..a wonderful treat for us all.

Second, Saturn will be at opposition at midnight Sunday March 21st. An Opposition occurs when a planet is opposite from the Sun from Earth. At Opposition the planet will rise in the east as the Sun sets and will set in the west as the Sun rises providing an entire night of observation. At Opposition the planet also comes physically closest to the Earth in its orbit so it appears as large as possible.

While Saturn’s opposition is technically on Sunday the 21st, the weeks approaching and following opposition provide prime viewing opportunities. On THIS Friday March 19th and THIS Saturday March 20th, we will be open the 18 inch Clark Refractor at Amherst College’s Wilder Observatory on Snell Street at 9 PM for the PUBLIC, IF THE SKY IS CLEAR. All ages are welcome to attend!

For more information regarding the opposition and observation of Saturn’s satellites, please click HERE to see a recent post on this subject by club President Tom Whitney.

Please click the “Observatory” link under our FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS section in the upper left of our homepage for directions to the Observatory.

As of Wednesday mid-day the forecast for Friday night is partly cloudy and for Saturday night is mostly clear. This is New England and that could change, please keep an eye on this blog and the weather for any program status updates.

If you have any questions regarding the program and whether it will go or not you can always contact Tom or myself using the contact information at the bottom of most pages on our website.

We hope you can join us!

Kevin.

First Light - for an Eyepiece

2010-03-08T16:40:00.001-05:00

While I don't have any financial interest in Orion Telescope, I have always had very good luck with their eyepieces. When it came time to step up from my "vintage" 60mm refractor, I didn't buy a new telescope, I just bought a hybrid star diagonal (from Orion) so the 0.965" drawtube would accept 1.25" eyepieces, and went to town buying 2 Orion Sirius plossl's - a 32mm for wide-sky viewing and a 12.5mm for more detailed lunar and planetary viewing. The improvement in what I could see with the new eyepieces - from shadow transits on Jupiter to clusters and bright double stars - was, well, astronomical. Whole new vistas had opened up, not because of a bigger aperture scope, but because of better eyepieces.

Since then I have indeed graduated to (slightly) larger scopes - a C-5 and a 6" reflector, but again the gains have come from the eyepieces as much as from the telescope itself. And while an aging back is beginning to limit the size scope I can reasonably aspire to and still use often, aging eyes are beginning to set the parameters of the eyepieces I will find most useful. And it is my aging astigmatic eyes that have helped me to fully appreciate wide-field, long eye-relief eyepieces. I have 3 of these now, a 9mm Orion Expanse, a 25mm Celestron wide-angle SMA, and the newest addition, a 16mm Orion Edge-On flat field eyepiece. These last 2 were put through their paces at the member observing session last Saturday night. Although in my 6" the difference in magnification between these 2 eyepieces (41x for the 25mm; 64x for the 16mm) is not great, it was substantial enough that the 25mm, with its wide field of view, allowed me to use the scope as a higher-power finderscope, zeroing in on objects faintly, if at all, seen in the true finderscope. In this eyepiece both the Double Cluster and the Pleiades each fit comfortably in a single field.

But the real treat arrived when I switched to the 16mm. The field of view, even at the higher power, was still wide enough to fit the entire Double Cluster in a single field, which stayed sharp all the way to the edge. The higher contrast of the more highly magnified image showed vivid star colors against a black background, and the light-transmitting capabilities of this eyepiece made the 2 cores and subtle structure of the Whirlpool Galaxy apparent with just 6" of aperture for an object that was relatively close to the horizon.

Faint fuzzies were not the only things this eyepiece showed to advantage; Saturn and its thin rings and tiny Titan were crisp edge to edge, giving me time top relax and enjoy both faint surface markings and telltale signs of shadows as the image drifted across my clock-driveless field of view. And Mars viewed through the 16mm combined with a 2x barlow showed evidence of both a polar cap and hints of surface markings.

Best of all, the wide field and long eye relief of all 3 of these eyepieces means I can keep my glasses on. I no longer need to constantly take them off to squint through the minuscule portholes of my usual eyepieces and try to find and put them on again when I need to look through the finder.

I'm already saving my pennies to round out my collection with a 5mm Edge On!

Steve Herzberg

Saturn Opposition

2010-03-01T17:02:00.000-05:00

Saturn will be at Opposition about Midnite, Sunday, March 21. At left is a crude TW-CAD (Tom Whitney - Computer Aided Drawing) of Saturn & 5 bright Satellites at 9 pm Saturday, Mar. 20. One hr. before or after will make a significant difference in Satellite positions. Will Open Observatory Friday & Saturday, March 19 & 20 at 9 pm, providing weather cooperates. Opposition is generally the best time to observe Outer Planets & their Satellites. Saturn will rise about 6 pm & should be clear of horizional obstructions by 9 pm. Also, it's altitude will improve telescopic seeing.

In the "Old Days" of the 5As, we had a SSS (Saturn Seven Satellites) Group. Members who saw & indentified the 7 brightest Saturn Satellites. The Observatory Telescope (Clark 18) has enough apature to see them. I did. If I can, almost anyone can. Even saw an 8th Satellite, Hyperion.

At left is a scale TW-CAD of Saturn & 7 of the 8 brightest Satellites. Hope you can take advantage & the weather cooperates and see 7 Saturn Satellites (SSS). Have a short list of the bright Saturn Satellites & some info. In order is Satellite; D - Diameter in km.; OR - Orbit Radius in hundred thousand km.; OP - Orbit Period in days; M - Magnitude. MIMAS D-400, OR-185, OP-.9, M-12.9. ENCELADUS D-500, OR-238, OP-1.4, M-11.7. TETHYS D-1,070, OR-295, OP-1.9' M-10.2. DIONE D-1,120, OR-377, OP-2.7, M-10.4. RHEA D-1,530, OR-527, OP-4.5, M-9.7. TITAN D-5,150, OR-1,222, OP-16, M-8.3. HYPERION D-410x260, OR-1,470, OP-15.9, M-14.1. IAPTEUS D-1,470, OR-3,360, OP-79, M-11+/-

With Kevin & his K-20, we now have a 20" scope in the club, which should out-perform the Clark-18 in light gathering & make 8 Saturn Satellites visible. We also have I-Phones, Smart Phones, etc. which can give the instantanious location/position of Saturn's Satellites. Am planning on a Fri. & Sat., Mar. 19 & 20, 9 p.m. Observatory opening. Other days & times are available, if you contact me. Also, on Sat. Mar. 20, will do Solstice Transit at Noon & Solstice Sunset at 6 p.m., at Mt. Pollux. Hope you can take advantage of these opportunities & observe these neat events. Feel free to call me, evenings at 256-6234 or email this Web Site w/ questions or requests.

Take Care - By - Tom Whitney

Excaped Wrath of Storms 1 & 2

2010-02-27T19:09:00.001-05:00

Again, Mt. Pollux avioded shut-down from the two storms that hit the area. I have joked that the MPG (Mt. Pollux Gods) intervein. MP's been lucky missing the crippling effects of the two recent storms primarily due to elevation and latitude. MP has been accessable every day this Winter, with one or two days that were questionable. Have been encouraging Kevin to do a blog on weather. Perhaps what I'm about to say will encourage someone with more knowledge to do a counter-correcting blog.

I'm suspecting that the severe winter is over. Don't think we'll get any extended period of freezing weather where the day high temp. is well below freezing. We may get significant snow because air in higher temp. can hold more moisture and the jet stream will likely move more north, putting us more centrally into the storm tracts. Most of the moisture (rain or snow) from our storms comes from the Gulf or Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Realize the Worcester Hills (15 mi. East) and Berkshire Foot Hills (15 mi. West) got significantly more snow than MP, due to elevation. We may not escape that elevation benefit in the next storm systems, but possibly. Suspect any accumulation will not last long. We start our Public Programs in April. By then, we'll be in a "normal" pattern of temperature. Would welcome anyone who has more knowledge and information on future regional weather, to respond with detail on dynamics involved and predictions for March and April.

Sunspot activity continues with a series of moderate new sunspots. Venus will be visible in the evening sky, soon to be joined by Saturn. This bodes well for the Solar Observing, MP Sunset Observing, and the Observatory Observing. Looking forward to seeing you at our Observing Programs.

Take Care - Tom Whitney

PAST THE HEART OF WINTER ?

2010-02-18T18:31:00.000-05:00

It was such a change to have a non-cold day w/ sun, couldn't resist imaging it. At left is the Three-Tree (1403 tree) at Mt. Pollux. That tree reflects the effect of mid-winter. Am predicting that we are past the Heart of Winter - beyond the freezing mid day weather of recent. It's New England so we'll see. Kevin says there's prognosis for a cold March & possibly April (will see).

Attached solar filters to my 50mm RSB (Russian Stabilized Binoculars) and viewed new Sun Spot # 1049. Am thinking we're on the upslope of Sunspot activity of Sunspot Cycle 24. Noted this group is in the Southern Hemisphere of the Sun. Previous SSs were in the N. Hemi.

At left is a TW-CAD (computer aided drawing) of what I saw. Think the Binos are 20 > 30 x. No disignations on them. They're from when the Soviet Union disolved and the Russian Army sold lots of it's equipment to maintain costs. Have had them for 20+ yrs. If anyone would like to view Sunspots, call me - Tom Whitney at 256-6234 and I'll set up a Solar Scope for Saturday afternoon, if it's clear. Been so long since there's been active visible Sunspot Groups. Kevin does a great job inserting Space Weather's Sun image, my CADs are a poor duplication - but they're what I think I see with what optics I use.

Again, at left is one of the Con-Trails I imaged (not drawn) in the crisp blue sky. The Con-Trails were straight, short, and unbroken. That indicates the air movement at that altitude (20,000 > 30,000 ft. ?) was relatively calm. Also indicates the air at that altitude was dry. If Friday and/or Satruday Nite are Clear, if anyone wants to view Asteroid (Minor Planet) Vesta, I'll point it out. Moon will be at 1st Quarter, so 50 mm binos. will bearly show it. If not, will up aperature. If interested in seeing Sunspots, Vesta, or Moon (Clavius possible) feel free to call me and I'll set up for it. Hoping we're past the worst of winter and in to high sunspot activity.

Hope you can take advantage - Tom Whitney

Prof. Judy Young on Astronomy in World Culture

2010-02-12T23:22:00.001-05:00

Prof. Judy Young received her Ph.D. from the Univ. of Minnesota in 1979. She was awarded the Connor Prize from the American Astronomical Society and the Foeppert-Mager Award from the Americalo Physical Society. She is the receipient of the Sloan Research Fellowship, Distinguished Outreach Award at U. Mass in 2000 and Distinguished Teaching Award at U. Mass. in 2002. She has hundreds of Scientific Publications and done multiple hundreds of talks and seminars. She is President and C.E.O. of the Foundation for Astronomy and Spirituality. She is Creator of the U. Mass. Sunwheel, begun in 1992, which was the first Campus Sunwheel in the world.

Her presentation focused on Astronomy in World Culture and the educational aspects of Sunwheels. Prof. Young showed her pictures of several world Sunwheels and ancient observatories she has visited. She concluded with the creation, building, and educational use of the U. Mass. Sunwheel. Her presentation was appreciated by all Members present. We are all greatfull for her time, effort, and contribution to the 5As.

Next month - Friday, Mar. 12, Springfield Stars President, Al Rifkin will discuss Focal Ratio. As always, Members are encouraged to attend. Friends, family, and the general public are welcome.

By - Tom Whitney

VESTA OPPOSITION - FEB. 17

2010-02-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

At left is a TW-CAD (Tom Whitney Computer Aided Drawing - because I can't draw nor camerage image well) of Asteroid Vesta on Wed. at 10:30 pm from Mt. Pollux. Vesta is the brightest and only naked eye visible Asteroid. Have been observing Vesta every clear nite this year. Use 10x 50mm binoculars. Check my CADs in the "PHOTOS" Link on this web site. Have difficulty finding Vesta with telescope because scopes have too much aperture and too small a field of view. Am not a good observer. A scope brings out too many background stars. Can't distinguish Vesta from dim stars. My binos have a 7.6 degree field of view. They don't show much below mag. 8, making it easy for me to locate Vesta. When viewing is clear, Vesta appears (to me) to have a blue tint. Will continue observing Vesta until June, when it dimms to Mag. 7.7.

Vesta was the 4th Asteroid discovered - Olbers 1807. An Oblate Spheroid; Diameter 521 miles: 2.36 au from Sun; Orbital Eccentricity .09; Orbital Inclination 7.1 degrees; Rotation 5.3 hrs. ; Vesta can reach mag. 5.1.

On Feb. 15, 16, & 17 (Mon. > Wed. nites) Vesta will pass between Algieba and Star 40 in Leo's Sickel - a spectacular sight. Wed., Feb. 17, Vesta will be at Opposition when it reaches mag. 6.1. You're welcome to join me and see Vesta. I'll supply optics, if you want. To Observe Vesta (w/me), Call Tom Whitney 256-6234, Sun. > Thr. evenings, after 6 pm, or E-Mail me through this web site. Hope you get to see this Asteroid (Minor Planet?) - By - Tom Whitney

END OF SUNSPOT MINIMUM ?

2010-02-03T17:10:00.001-05:00

I think so. At left is Sun Spot (SS) # 1043. This is a CAD (Computer Aided Drawing) done with 10x25 Solar Binoculars (SBs) from Mt. Pollux at 1 pm, Wednesday, Feb. 3. These CADs are what I see - not as accurate as a photo. SS was difficult to see and appears to be shrinking. Also one Spot visible, previously 2 were visible. However, I think this is the end of the SS Minimum and we are in SS Cycle 24.

SS Cycles average 11 years, with generally a 1 + 1/2 year minimum (average 485 days). This Minimum was longer than "usual". 2008 had 73% Spotless days; 2009 71% ; while 2010 has had only 6% Spotless days.

SS # is calculated using a complex system. Basically SS # equals a Scaling Factor (involving Observing Conditions and Observing Instrument), usually < 1, times (# of SS Groups plus individual # of SSs). To date the Visible Brightness of the Sun has dropped .02%. Expect that to change.

Have been doing Solar Observing Programs since 1986. Expect the # of SSs to increase. We start the Amherst and Northampton Solar Free Public Programs every Clear Saturday inApril, to the end of October. At times, we'll have Hydrogen Alpha By-Pass (HAB) Telescopes, which allow one wavelength of light (6,500 angstroms), showing Solar Prominances, Faculae, and Photosphere Granulation. 2010 should be an interesting year with much more activity to observe. Check out our Solar Observng on the Amherst Town Common at 1 pm and at the Science A to Z Store, King ST, Northampton at 3 pm., Clear Saturdays starting in April.

Think of this: If all the Galaxies, all the Stars, all the Asteroids & Comets, all the Planets, even the Moon - disappeard - we would survive ok. If the Sun disappeared we would all die within an hour or two. The Sun is the most important Celestial Body in the Universe and essential for life on eEarth.

By - Tom Whitney

Biggest 2010 Full Moon Rise

2010-01-29T19:48:00.000-05:00

The Jan. 29 & 30 Full Moon will be the "largest" Full Moon of 2010, because the Moon is Full at 1:18 am, Sat., Jan. 30, and at Perigee (closest to Earth) about 2.7 hours later. The Moon's Orbit, like virtually all Orbits, is an Elipse. Moon will be closest to Earth since Dec.12, 2008. Astronomical Tides will be unusually high. The Full Moon in January is often called the "Wolf Moon". Most cultures named the Full Moons. We get our Full Moon names from Europeans, Native Americans, and primarily - Colonial Americans. There were more wolfs in Colonial America and their howling was more noticed in January.

The 5As have been doing a Full Moon Rise program at Mt. Pollux since 1995, primarily on Sunday of a FMR. This Friday, Jan 29, I went to Mt. Pollux to catch the 1st of the FMRs this week-end. It was well below freezing, with a strong wind with viscious gusts. Couldn't stay long. Saturday, Jan. 30, I intend to catch the 2nd FMR at Mt. Pollux at 5:55 pm - 1 hr., 22 mins. later than today's. The Moon will be a deeper orange color, rising in a darker sky. You are welcome to join me and view this spectacular sight, as the orange Moon clears the horizon and turns a steely white-grey, as it climbs higher in the sky. Over-Dress warmly. It will be frigid and more windy on Mt. Pollux. Call me at 256-6234 or email this site, if you want to come. I'll supply Binos, if you need.

By - Tom Whitney

Mars is approaching...come observe with us!!! CANCELLED

2010-01-26T09:53:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone, these programs have been cancelled due to ice conditions on the Observatory dome and very cold and windy conditions forecast for the next few nights. Please keep an eye on this blog for other observing opportunities, Mars will be relatively close for a few weeks so we'll try again soon!

On Wednesday, January 27th Mars will reach its closest opposition with Earth during the 2008-2012 period at a distance of just 62 million miles. An opposition of a planet occurs when that planet is opposite the Sun as viewed from Earth. It will rise in the East roughly at sunset, occur when the Earth and that planet are closest in their orbits, and thus appear relatively larger and brighter being fully illuminated (like a full moon) by the Sun. The red planet has been steadily growing in brightness and color, standing out as a brilliant red “star” in the night sky. Through backyard telescopes a myriad of surface detail and a polar ice cap are easily visible.
The club has been watching and observing Mars as it approaches opposition and we invite you to join us! IF IT IS CLEAR, this Friday and Saturday nights, January 29th and 30th will be our Mars Opposition observing nights. We will be opening the 18 inch Clark Refractor at the Amherst College Wilder Observatory at 7 PM both nights. This is 6 TON telescope that’s as long as a bus! Also on hand will be some member telescopes set up on the Observatory grounds for different views of Mars and other objects in the sky. Have you ever seen the Moon through a telescope?!?!

For directions and details about the Observatory please click HERE for our Observatory details page. You can also email or call us using the link and/or information at the bottom of our homepage.

Lastly, please check this blog AFTER 3 PM on Friday and Saturday afternoons for the latest status of these programs based on the weather.

Hope to see you at opposition!!!

MARS Observing TONIGHT!!

2010-01-23T12:14:00.003-05:00

Hi All!

The 5A's will be opening the 18 inch, 6-TON Clark Refractor at Amherst College Wilder Observatory TONIGHT, Saturday 1/23 at 8 PM for continued observing of Mars as it nears its January 29th opposition. This is a great opportunity to see the red planet at its biggest and brightest for 2010. Observations will include the south polar ice cap, large surface features and perhaps even its moons! For the Observatory location and mapquest directions, please click the "Observatory" link to the left of this blog under "Free Public Observing". We should also have a few other telescopes looking at star clusters, red stars, The Great Nebula in Orion, asterisms, and maybe a galaxy or two!

This program is suitable for all ages and if you decide to join us DRESS WARM!!! The Observatory is not heated.
If you have any questions please contact us via email or phone as noted at the very bottom of our homepage.

Thanks and hope to see you!

Kevin

ISS Pass

2010-01-21T21:47:00.000-05:00

I hope some of you got out early this evening to see the International Space Station pass overhead. I was quite a bright and long-lasting event, that went right overhead from my vantage point in Haydenville. And be sure to check out the photos taken by some of our members; just clilck on the "Photos" link at the top of the page.

If you missed this one, there should be another pass tomorrow night just before 6:00 p.m.

Steve

Red and Double Star Observing

2010-01-19T17:49:00.000-05:00

Forty years ago I received my first, and until about 10 years ago my only, telescope: a classic 60mm refractor on a German Equatorial Mount. What it lacked in aperture it more than made up for in the quality of the images. Over the years I have seen shadow transits on Jupiter, Syrtis Major and polar caps on Mars, and, from a very dark sky, M81 and M82 through that scope. But perhaps the most incredible thing that scope showed me was the wonderfully different colored stars all over the sky. Its pinpoint images spawned a love for double stars that showcase contrasting colors, and provided a welcomed relief from the marathon of faint fuzzies to which my friends with more massive telescopes insisted on hopping.

Hence the topic of the club’s first Bright(er) Night Observing: Red and Double Stars. We’ll be tracking down a select number of the stars in the observing list that can be found by clicking on the “Event” link to the left of the blog, and following the “Starlist.pdf” link.

In particular, we will be aiming for UU Aurigae; W and h 3945 in Canis Major; ι and X Cancri; γ Eridani; δ Geminorum; β, ε and ζ Monocerotis; W, δ, ζ and σ Orionis; η Persei; and 30, TU, ΟΣΣ 66 and φ Tauri. All these targets, and more, can be found on the starlist pdf.

Some of the double stars on this list are optical illusions, chance alignments of totally unrelated stars. Others, such as σ Ori are wonderfully complex systems of gravitationally-bound siblings. Some are quite close together and sometimes difficult to separate, others are fine objects for binoculars. I have tried, in this list, to focus on double stars whose components exhibit significant color differences, differences that are not simply appealing to the eye, but which also tell astronomers significant detail about the stars themselves.

I have also included some particular, and peculiar, red-colored stars called carbon stars – some are stand-alone stars, others are members of a double-star system. What’s not to like about carbon stars (originally classified as spectral class R or N and now reclassified as C): they appear deeply and vividly red in most scopes, particularly those with long focal lengths, and are persistent reminders of stars’ role in the creation of every element heavier than hydrogen and helium. This process, called nucleogenesis, occurs either within a star during its normal lifespan, or in the supernova explosion that marks the death of more massive stars. Carbon stars receive their name, and deep red color, from the fact that they have reached a stage in their life-cycles when they have been burning helium instead of hydrogen for fuel and have thus produced significant amounts of carbon and whose outer atmospheres contain more carbon than oxygen, giving the star a sooty atmosphere which scatters back the higher wave-length light leaving the star appearing red.

I hope you can join us on the 22^nd!

Steve

100 Degree APOV Eyepiece Comparison

2010-01-18T11:15:00.002-05:00

The highlight of this past weekend during the Solar program and Winter Star Party involved being able to do a firsthand comparison of the 100 degree apparent field of view (apov) Televue Ethos 13mm and Explore Scientific 14mm eyepieces. At the January meeting I had told the members that the reviews for the Explore Scientific 100 degree apov series eyepieces vs. the Televue Ethos series were very positive. While I knew Tom had the Ethos, his surprise to me on the Common was that he had recently acquired the 14mm Explore Scientific (ES). So, needless to say off we went on doing head to head comparisons…starting with the Sun. At first handling the ES feels very rugged and a bit heavier than the Ethos, which could be attributed to the engineering required to Nitrogen purge and completely seal the eyepiece giving it its much advertised water (and dust)-proof design. Looking at the Sun in both eyepieces I can truly say the image was virtually the same, probably indistinguishable to most with the ES exhibiting a slightly brighter image. I was curious if this had to do with the slightly lower power (14mm vs. Ethos 13mm), better light transmission or poor contrast due to internal scattering. I would only be able to tell this under the night sky….. we’ll get to that shortly. The field of course was huge in both eyepieces requiring you to tilt your head to find the edges! Granulation and limb darkening was just stunning with sunspot 1040 exhibiting its dark core and filamentary penumbra in both eyepieces, again virtually identical images. OK, so what about the edges? Nudging the telescope to put sunspot 1040 right at the edge in the ES there was absolutely no distortion or loss of detail. The Ethos exhibited these same characteristics. I then took the Genesis off the Sun, removed its filter and tried each eyepiece on various signs, buildings, and trees around the Common to see how they both dealt with color and chromatic aberration. Much to my delight the only aberration signatures in either eyepiece were found at the extreme edges of the field where the transition from glass to barrel occurs. This of course is normal in any eyepiece with a large apov. Both eyepieces also performed flawlessly in regards to flatness of field and edge distortions, again the images were virtually identical.

Saturday night, Tom was gracious enough to again bring his Ethos and Explore Scientific eyepieces to Northfield….and wait over an hour beyond our expected arrival time……I think his hands are still intact from the cold! In to my 20 inch they went and off to M42 to start. I’ll say it again, the images in the two eyepieces in regards to field size, contrast, flatness of field, and non-distorted edge sharpness were virtually identical. Neither eyepiece exhibited any stray light issues. The increased brightness I initially saw while viewing the Sun with the ES was also apparent under the night sky while looking at M42. I’ve determined that this is most likely due to slightly more efficient light transmission qualities of the ES; it was a linear increase with no loss of contrast vs. the Ethos. Stars from edge to edge were sharp and undistorted and the nebulosity in M42 was intricately, almost 3-dimensionally detailed with subtle hues of blues and greens in both eyepieces. Observing the Trapezium I was able to see the usual 5-6 magnitude “corner” stars but we also could see the two 10th magnitude “E and F” stars clearly at the moments that the seeing settled out. Whether a function of seeing or not, I was clearly able to see these two stars with more definition in the ES. Next it was on to Mars….for which I masked my 20 inch down to 8 inches. Again, a spectacular image in both eyepieces with subtle surface features, very crisp edge on the south polar ice cap, and a spherical image right to the edges of the fields. While not a ton of testing, I experienced enough during the solar observing and a few differing objects in the night sky to support most reviews of the ES vs the Ethos that have been popping up on various outlets and forums on the web. I look forward to more time at both of these eyepieces.

In summary, Televue brought the 100 degree apov eyepiece to the astronomy world….a nod to Al Nagler’s relentless journey on the cutting edge of optics that continues to change observational astronomy by leaps and bounds. The Ethos is a beautiful series of eyepieces anyone should be proud to own that will last their lifetime. Explore Scientific has jumped into the 100 degree apov eyepiece market and hit the ground running side-by side with Televue. Too often we see attempts by one company to compete with another on a specific level while never truthfully starting even head to head. This is surely not the case with Explore Scientific. They not only began with a 100 degree apov that in image quality is head to head with the Ethos but also took the product one step further in making its internals virtually impervious to outside contaminants and moisture by giving it a Nitrogen purge and completely sealing the eyepiece afterward. Lastly, the price point of the ES is substantially lower than that of the Ethos. This, combined with the simple competition is good for the market, but also puts 100 degree apov observing in closer reach to a larger portion of the amateur astronomy community…..perhaps their most beneficial aspect.

Please note that the views expressed in my comparison of the Ethos and Explore Scientific above are solely my own and not necessarily those of the Amherst Area Amateur Astronomers Association.

-Kevin.

Sunspot 1040 and a Winter Cloud Party!

2010-01-18T11:12:00.001-05:00

This past Friday and Saturday evening were scheduled as a set of our Winter Star Parties. I was pretty sure on Friday the cloud cover would dissapate by late evening….around 9 PM or so. As such, myself, Tom Walker, Tom Whitney and Dan Carnevale packed up and headed to the Northfield Observing site. While holes opened up here and there and the clouds tried to thin and dissapate, we had no luck by 10:30 or so. At which point we all headed home, it was fun to meet and socialize none-the-less.

We awoke Saturday morning to clear skies and bright Sun. With a 2009 season of continuously spotless Solar Programs, I asked Tom Whitney if he’d like to do an off-season impromptu Amherst Solar event on the town Common since decent-sized sunspot 1040 was still visible, albeit headed for the western limb. We met on the Common around noon with my properly filtered Televue Genesis and much to my pleasant surprise Tom brought along some fascinating eyepieces……more about those shortly. Sunspot 1040 looked great! There was not only a well defined core, but a crisp and clear penumbra with very visible filamentary structure. Wandering nearby were a few other smaller spots and other lighter surface feature across a nicely granulated surface. We had a few public visitors, not bad considering there is no Farmer’s Market this time of year. The market draws folks toward the Common from downtown in the warmer months.

Saturday night yielded a clear enough sky to help the winter cabin fever woes. Tom Whitney with his nifty eyepieces (more on those shortly!), Manmatha with his new 10 inch collapsible dob, and Barry Hervieux with his 16 inch Meade Lightbridge arrived earlier in the evening around 7 PM. Tom Walker and I arrived around 10 PM with my 20 inch truss dob and Televue Genesis. With the sky somewhat wrought with moisture and seeing not the greatest, the evening’s objects included many of the common, brighter ones we always enjoy….no hunting the Horsehead on this night! Mars of course was at the top of our list as its steadily approaching opposition on Friday, January 29th. M42, the trapezium, and a couple nice multiple star systems in Orion, the Double-cluster in Perseus, the Leo Triplet provided some great views in all scopes. Later in the evening we were treated to our old friend Saturn as it climbed higher in the east. The continued opening of the rings was very apparent. It was a nice evening and we all headed out as the clouds started thickening around 1:30 AM.

-Kevin.

Nooks and Crannies

2010-01-14T23:12:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, Amherst College has been extremely gracious over the years to the 5A's. We are welcome to use the Bassett Planetarium to offer planetarium shows to school groups and the public free of charge...and this venue also provides a great place for us to hold our monthly meetings. We also enjoy the special privelege of opening the 18 inch Clark refractor at the Wilder Observatory to the public each year during our Saturday evening Observatory program. While so many of us as members and program participants have enjoyed each of these treasures, we often don't stop to learn of bit of their history. Not too long ago Amherst College created its Nooks and Crannies film series documenting interesting, and often unseen parts of the Amherst campus. The Bassett Planetarium and Wilder Observatory are featured in two of thes films narrated by Steve Sauter, the Bassett Planetarium Director and Coordinator of Education at the Pratt Museum of Natural History at Amherst College. These short films have been posted on YouTube and I invite everyone to vist the links below to watch them and learn a bit about these truly amazing and history-laden facilities!

Bassett Planetarium Wilder Observatory

Kevin.

Welcome to the NEW 5A Website!!!!

2010-01-12T00:25:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone and welcome to the Amherst Area Amateur Astronomers Association's (5A's) new website! It's now 12:10 AM on Tuesday and I just posted the entire site for the first time. The newest and most obvious addition is this blog.....the new place to not only see what we've BEEN doing, but what we will BE doing. Find out about what we'll be looking at during our Observatory Programs or what celestial event will grace our skies next. We encourage YOU (members and public alike) to post comments about programs and events that you may have attended.

So, this past Friday we had our first regular meeting of 2010 where Club President Tom Whitney shared many original observing charts he has created for young moons, the Mars opposition, Venus at sunset, Mercury in 2010, Vesta in Leo during 2010 and the most striking and "S" asterism in Orion that many of us have most likely overlooked. At the end of the meeting Tom quickly reviewed the public program attendance numbers for 2009.

Please feel free to check out this new site and contact me (using the Email link at the bottom of the main page) if you find any issues. There are a few pages that I'm still working on and should finish in the next week or two.

Thanks!

-Kevin.