Sky Wise

Sky Events for October

Casey and I produced this piece for IMAGINOVA CANADA.

It's Aurora Season!

Image Credit:  SOHO

This picture of the sun was taken by the SOHO space observatory and shows what is known as a "Coronal Hole".  Basically, it's an area where the magnetic field doesn't loop back into the sun but extends out into space along with the solar wind continually streaming from the sun.  This process allows charge particles to escape and travel with the stream.  Why is this important?  Well when these particles reach Earth's magnetic field there's an interplay that may result in a show of the Northern Lights.  If you have a chance tonight and tomorrow night take a look outside around midnight.  If you are looking northward and have dark skies you might just be rewarded with nature's light show.

End of an Era

The David Dunlap Observatory was one of the world's leading facilities in Astronomical Research.  Situated in Richmond Hill, it provided Canadian researchers the ability to explore the universe since the 1930's.  A lot of real scientific discovery went on at the 74 inch reflector telescope, once considered a Goliath.  Now, it is a victim of progress.  Light pollution from urban growth coupled with more advanced and more capable designs made the DDO less and less important.  It's hard to justify spending $800,000 per year to operate something that now offers minimal returns.  The shame here is that we could have had gone further with the present facility if the political will existed on all levels of government to use better municipal lighting.  Still, it had to happen eventually.

The facility was a gift to the University of Toronto from Jessie Dunlap in memory of her husband.  The university recently announced that it has reached an agreement with the grandchildren of Jessie and David which allows the closure of the facility and sale of the lands and equipment.  A new facility built with the proceeds will be called the Dunlap Institute.  It will support future astronomical research from the U of T's St. George Campus.  Final vote is expected in October.

It is sad that this jewel will go missing from Richmond Hill.  A piece of history will be lost.  Progress is like that though; some good with the bad.

The Eye of God

Picture Credit:  NASA, ESA, C.R. O'Dell (Vanderbilt University), M. Meixner and P. McCullough STScI

This is a picture of the Helix Nebula as taken by the Hubble Space telescope.  What you are looking at is the remains of a star the puffed off it's outer atmosphere as it collapsed in on itself and died.  You see this picture fairly often with the heading "The Eye of God". 

Picture Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

Here's the same object taken in infrared light by the Spitzer Space Telescope.  Spitzer is a companion telescope to Hubble. Details which are hidden by dust in the visible light spectrum are revealed by Spitzer's Infrared abilities.  It's a fine compliment and equal partner to Hubble.

Beautiful eye isn't it?

Incredible Mars Event on August 27.....NOT!!!!

Image Credit:  NASA JPL

There's a notice floating around the internet right now describing an incredible event involving the planet Mars later this month.  Unfortunately, this information is wrong. 

In August of 2003, the planet Mars was in a particularily close alignment with Earth.  It does this every 26 months but in 2003 the red planet was marginally closer.  It appeared as an orange-red star and was quite bright.  At that time, someone took the information, made a mistake regarding the apparent size -no where near "Full Moon" proportions- and posted a well-meaning but inaccurate story about what people would see.  Every year since 2003 we see this notice.  It's still wrong.

If you have a telescope and want to see Mars in its most favorable position in 2007 you will be well rewarded at Christmas time.  At its best, under modest magnification on your telescope you will be able to see detail on the surface of Mars and maybe even a polar ice cap.  The detail will be no where near what you see in the picture above but then again, that's why we spend the money and send robotic probes there.  This picture by the Viking probe shows the deep canyon known as Vallis Marineras.  If this giant feature was here on Earth, it would stretch from one side of North America to the other.

Now that's incredible.

What's up in July

Want to know what's up in July's skies?  Casey and I produced this piece for IMAGINOVA.  It's a freely available Podcast that IMAGINOVA has on their website SPACE.COM in their NIGHTSKY section and it's also available on ASTROSHORTS.

Casey voiced this piece while I scripted it.  The podcast highlights the different things going on in the sky on various July evenings -and one early morning too.

VIDEO courtesy:  IMAGINOVA

Venus, Saturn and Holiday Stargazing

Sky Chart by Starry Night Pro, copyright IMAGINOVA

Take a look in the west as the sun sets on July 1st.  Chances are, the first heavenly object you will see is the planet Venus.  Canada Day brings a bonus.  Keep watching and as the sky gets darker, Saturn will be revealed just a little above and to the right.  Of course, this close proximity is an optical illusion.  Saturn is over eighteen times further away.  Photographers take note -The beautiful pairing of Saturn and Venus is an opportunity for some great images.

Do you have a telescope?  Even small scopes can pick out Saturn's rings and some of its many moons.  Now is the time to visit because Saturn is slowly sinking in the sky and will be visible only a little while longer this summer.  Take the opportunity while you have the chance.

The Moon meets the Lion

Take a look at the constellation Leo.  To me it's one of the few that really suggests what you are looking at.  You can see the head of the lion represented by that backward question mark formed in stars.  The body is easy to imagine also.  On June 19th, our moon passes very close to Regulus, the star that marks the leg of the mighty lion.  Take a pair of binoculars and visit this close alignment.  The two will be so close you would be hard pressed to fit another moon in between them!
Clear Skies!

Sky Charts produced by Starry Night Software copyright IMAGINOVA

Sidewalk Astronomy Around the World

Setting up in Whitby

Photo Credit:  Steve Bevan

On May 19th, astronomers all over the world got their telescopes out and shared their views with the public.  My friends Arnold and Pedro joined me in Whitby Ontario where we were joined by many curious people.  Venus, the Moon and Saturn were easily visible and many people were blown away by what they saw.

This event happened again and again all over the globe.  You can see the results in the photo gallery available on-line at www.astroshorts.com which collected and displayed the photos on behalf of the International Sidewalk Astronomers .  Take a look.  Some of these events were HUGE!

That Bright Star in the Western Sky

Picture Credit:  NASA

I get this question almost daily right now.  Shrouded in cloud, a poisonous atmosphere and temperatures close to the melting point of lead, Venus is an example of the Greenhouse Effect gone crazy.  When you look in the west after sunset tonight, you will see this planet shining brighter than any other "star-like" object.  For Venus, it's all reflected light.  Our Sun's rays bounce off the highly reflective clouds to make the planet a bright jewel in our skies.  This image is taken in ultraviolet light to reveal cloud patterns but to the naked eye Venus appears featureless.