Home/Science/BBC Sky at Night/March 2019/In This Issue
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019WelcomeIt’s hard not to get excited at the prospect of catching a glimpse of the aurora borealis – especially now, as the spring equinox approaches, one of the two points in the year when the chance of seeing the glow reaches its peak. We’ve got plenty of inspiration and tips about the Northern Lights this month. In the Sky Guide, Pete Lawrence has advice on how to maximise your chances of spotting the display from the UK, while Jamie Carter introduces ways to take great photos of the aurora on page 60. Then on page 36, you can read about my recent trip to Swedish Lapland, a magical setting to see the aurora. My smartphone’s camera was invaluable on that journey, helping me capture the evening skies with the help…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Extra content ONLINEVisit www.skyatnightmagazine.com/bonuscontent, select March’s Bonus Content from the list and enter the authorisation code KWP9NTR when prompted March highlights Watch The Sky at Night Catch the special episode when the team visited NASA to witness the moment the New Horizons VSDFHFUDIW››HZ›E\›8OWLPD›7KXOH›RQ›WKH›HGJH›RI›WKH› 6RODU›6\VWHP››3HWH›/DZUHQFH›UHYHDOV›KRZ›WR›REVHUYH› DQRWKHU›.XLSHU›%HOW›REMHFW››WKH›GZDUI›SODQHW›(ULV› Interview: completing the dark energy survey 7HOHVFRSH›VFLHQWLVW›7LP› $EERWW›JLYHV›XV›WKH›ODWHVW› IURP›D›PLVVLRQ›WR››QG›RXW› ZKDWsV›DFFHOHUDWLQJ›WKH› H[SDQVLRQ›RI›WKH›8QLYHUVH› Access excerpts from new astro books 'RZQORDG›3')V›DQG› DXGLR››OHV›IURP›QHZ› titles on the science of WKH›8QLYHUVH›DQG›WKH› LPSDFW›RI›VSDFH›URFNV› +RWVKRWV›JDOOHU\››H[WUD›(402'››OHV›› binocular tour, observing forms, deep-sky tour chart, desktop wallpapers… and much more PLUS: Every month The virtual planetarium 0DUFKsV›QLJKW›VN\› KLJKOLJKWV›ZLWK›3DXO›$EHO› DQG›3HWH›/DZUHQFH…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019CommentThe modern picture of planet formation is one of change and chaos. There may have been as many as 30 large bodies pinging around the inner Solar System early on, with collisions between them responsible for such phenomena as the Moon’s formation, Venus’s slow rotation and Mercury’s strangely high density. All can be explained if the ›UVW›VWDJH›RI›SODQHW› formation delivers a plethora of small worlds, many of which are destroyed or, more likely, expelled from the system. If such collisions are common and bring volatiles to newly forming planets, then we should expect rocky planets everywhere to come loaded with the ingredients of life. Earth and its Moon may not be as unique as they seem. Chris Lintott co-presents The Sky at Night…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Orion’s salty starWherever stars are forming, astronomers have come to expect a disc of material to form too. Such discs eventually provide the site and the raw material for planets to grow, but they have another important role that starts long before that. A protostar grows through accreting material from the disc. But there are powerful winds that sweep up material from the disc, taking it away from the growing star. Eventually this removal of material brings a halt to the accretion process. Or at least, that’s what we assume. It’s hard to actually observe discs while stars are forming, especially for the most massive specimens where such a disc might exist only while the protostar is very young. To peer into the mysteries of star formation, astronomers normally turn to what’s…3 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Meteor hits the red side of the MoonOn 21 January, astronomers were given an unexpected treat while watching the lunar eclipse. At 04:41 GMT a meteor thudded into the Moon’s surface, creating D›EULJKW››DVK›› Light is created by the energy of the impact and the bigger the meteor, the EULJKWHU›WKH››DVK›› Though several small meteors hit the surface every day, an impact this bright only happens once every two to three months. s7KH››DVK›UHYHDOV›WKDW›D› rock hit the Moon at a large speed – about 61,000km/h. When these hypervelocity impacts occur, the impactor LV›GHVWUR\HG›DQG›D›EULHI››DVK›RI›OLJKW› is emitted,” says José M Madiedo of the Universidad de Huelva, who runs the Moon Impact Detection and Analysis System (MIDAS) which monitors asteroids hitting the Moon. Usually, MIDAS can only look out for impacts on the night side of the Moon, as the ›DVKHV›FRQWUDVW›DJDLQVW›WKH› dark background.…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019The Sky at Night MarchThere will be no episode of The Sky at Night this month, but Chris, Maggie and the team will return in April for more space and astronomy adventures. In the meantime, you can watch archive episodes and clips of the show, view astrophotography galleries and access practical astronomy guides, test your space knowledge with astronomy quizzes DQG››QG›RXW›ZKHQ›WKH›QH[W›HSLVRGH›ZLOO›EH› EURDGFDVW›RQ›WKH›RI›FLDO›Sky at Night website. The programme returns to BBC Four in April. www.bbc.co.uk/skyatnight…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019ON FACEBOOKJohn Maclean 'DUN›PDWWHU››,I›ZH›FRXOG›VROYH› ZKDW›LW›LV››ZH›FRXOG›SUREDEO\› GH›QH›D›WKHRU\›RI›HYHU\WKLQJ› Al Higgs :KDW›ZDV›EHIRUH›WKH›%LJ›%DQJ›› and will we ever have an event like that again? Alan Ford Whether there’s life under the LFH›RI›-XSLWHUsV›PRRQ›(XURSD› Tim Cowell Intergalactic travel. Bettina Bowyer To know if Betelgeuse will actually go supernova within WKH›QH[W›››››››\HDUV›RU›OHVV››DQG› what to expect! AR Gavin 7KH›P\VWHU\›RI›)DVW›5DGLR› Bursts. Jon Sales 6ROLG›SURRI›WKDW›ZH›DUH›QRW› alone in this Universe. Stuart Gasson 7KH›HIIHFWV›RQ›PDWWHU›DQG› energy beyond the event KRUL]RQ›RI›EODFN›KROHV››$QG›FDQ› WKH\›EHFRPH›SDUWLDOO\›RU›HYHQ› XQLYHUVDOO\›PDVVLYH" Michael Marshall +RZ›PDQ\›SODFHV›DFWXDOO\› GR›KDYH›ZDWHU›LQ›WKH›6RODU› 6\VWHP››IUR]HQ›RU›RWKHUZLVH›› DSDUW›IURP›(DUWK››DQG›ZKDW› is the likelihood of life in those places?…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019SOCIETY IN FOCUSBased in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex Astronomical Society was formed in 2000 with Sir Patrick Moore as our Honorary President. We now have over 70 members and, since the sad demise of Sir Patrick, we are honoured to have Professor Chris Lintott as our patron. The society is a registered charity with a simple aim – to help people enjoy astronomy and feel welcome to join our activities. Our monthly meetings start with a talk from a guest speaker, followed by a coffee EUHDN››D›UDI›H›DQG›D›PRQWKO\›SVN\›GLDU\s›› Speakers this year include Bob Mizon, QDWLRQDO›FRRUGLQDWRU›IRU›WKH›%$$sV› Commission for Dark Skies, and astronomer Pete Williamson. The Society has a dark site on farmland to the north of Bexhill, with its own small observatory housing a 16-inch Meade telescope. We also have several telescopes available to our members…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019The perils of a perfect pictureAstrophotography can be a bit of an odd hobby. For instance, it was 3.30am when a confused looking policeman joined me on the abandoned pier at Loch Fyne. He asked what I was doing and his puzzled expression didn’t disappear when I told him that I was taking photographs (shouldn’t the camera have made that obvious?). Since then I have met him a few times, interestingly always the same policeman who seems to be looking for a suspicious person wandering around the west of Scotland at night. On that night I was heading to Polphail, a village EXLOW›››WWHG›DQG›IXUQLVKHG›GXULQJ›WKH›RLO›UXVK›RI›WKH› 1970s, but never inhabited. Normally at night you can hear the sounds of birds, deer and sheep, but in this derelict village I could hear only silence – except for every couple…3 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Smartphone setupsHandheld There are a fair few celestial targets and scenes that can be snapped by simply holding your camera up to the sky. These include strong displays of noctilucent clouds, twilight nightscapes featuring the Moon or a bright planet near the horizon, and even some of the more prominent atmospheric phenomena that astrophotographers sometimes go after, like a bright 22° ice halo around the Moon. On a tripod If you try to take longer exposures with your smartphone you will soon find that failing to hold the device still will almost always result in blurred images. Small, fixed, tripods for smartphones are available commercially and may help you get better results if you’re shooting scenes that require exposures of a few seconds, such as nightscapes of bright constellations. Afocal imaging…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Swedish Lapland, the guided wayThe Arctic in winter is an environment that should be treated with respect, and an experienced local guide can help you get the most out of it, turning the risk of exposure in the extreme climate into something utterly exhilarating. A guide will know whether an extra pair of gloves is needed, or a pair of boots is suitable for the conditions. They’ll also know the local weather patterns and give advance warning of snow showers or high winds. Visit Lapland Visit Lapland help those planning an Arctic adventure to put together their own programme of guided activities from across the Lapland region of Sweden, Norway and Finland. To find and book Northern Lights photography evenings, Icehotel tours, dog sledding, hovercraft tours and Sami or snowmobiling experiences, visit www.visitlapland.com. Off…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Family stargazing – M44 ClusterThe Beehive Cluster, M44, is well placed in the dark, moonless, early evening skies at the start of March and a great target to find through star-hopping. First identify twin stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini. Now find Regulus (Alpha ( a ) Leonis) in Leo, at the bottom of the backward question mark known as the Sickle. Now imagine a line between the upper twin star Castor and Regulus. Look below the line’s mid-point using binoculars or a low-power telescope to find (although it may take a few goes) the beautiful Beehive. www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/stargazing…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019THE PLANETSMars Best time to see: 1 March, 19:30 UT Altitude: 35º Location: Aries Direction: South-southwest Features: Polar caps, surface markings, phase Recommended equipment: 3-inch or larger Telescopically the planet Mars is well past its best for its current period of visibility, appearing rather small through the eyepiece and relatively dim compared to its heyday at opposition in July of 2018. On 1 March it shines at mag. +1.2 and presents a 5 arcsecond disc when viewed using a telescope. This shrinks to a tiny 4 arcseconds by the end of the month, a size that really makes it quite hard to see much detail at all. The planet will have dimmed further by 31 March too, dropping to mag. +1.5. To the naked eye at least, the planet’s distinctive salmon…4 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019THE SKY GUIDE CHALLENGEThe brightest star in the night sky has a companion, and trying to image or REVHUYH›LW›LV›RQH›RI›WKH›JUHDW›FKDOOHQJHV› for amateur astronomers. The primary is Sirius A, a white main sequence star that appears to shine at mag. -1.5. The alpha star of Canis Major the Great Dog, it’s also known as the Dog 6WDU››ZKLFK›LV›ZK\›LWV›KDUG›WR››QG› companion, the white dwarf Sirius B, has been dubbed the ‘Pup Star’. 2Q›SDSHU››6LULXV›%›VKRXOG›EH›UHODWLYHO\› easy to see as it shines at mag. +8.5. In practice, especially from the UK, it’s anything but easy. This is down to the EULJKWQHVV›DQG›SUR[LPLW\›RI›6LULXV›$›› together with the restricted altitude that WKH›VWDU›DFKLHYHV›DERYH›8.›KRUL]RQV››)URP› the UK, Sirius only manages to reach an altitude of 20° when due south. This means it tends to be affected by poor seeing. You FDQ›VHH›HYLGHQFH›RI›WKLV›RQ›DQ\›FOHDU›GDUN› QLJKW››6LULXV›DSSHDUV›WR››LFNHU›DQG››DVK› GLIIHUHQW›FRORXUV››7KH››LFNHULQJ›LV›GXH›WR› VHHLQJ››ZKLOH›WKH›FRORXU››DVKHV›DULVH›IURP›D› combination of seeing and…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019PART 10: DEEP SKY continuedThe last part of our Imaging for Science VHULHV›FRQWLQXHV›RXU›ORRN›DW›WKH›VFLHQWL›F› observations that can be undertaken by amateurs on deep-sky targets. This month we are going to look DW›WZR›YHU\›VLJQL›FDQW›SURFHVVHV› – photometry and spectroscopy – that, with care, FDQ›FRQWULEXWH›VLJQL›FDQWO\›WR›WKH›VFLHQWL›F›VWXG\›RI› the cosmos. Photometry in particular is an important tool used in many areas of astronomy. We have already encountered it (in Part 4, January 2018) for measuring the brightness of comets and asteroids. Here we see how it can be employed to determine the brightness of stars and (on page 67) of one of the most violent processes in the Universe, supernovae. 7KHVH›WRSLFV›KDYH›VLJQL›FDQW›GHSWK›WR›WKHP›DQG› here we offer a general overview of their capabilities and practices to get you started. Deep-sky imaging is a term that essentially covers everything we can see outside of our own…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Supernova HUNTINGSupernovae are energetic outbursts associated with the death of certain stars. Only three have ever been observed in our own Galaxy, the last being in 1604. Most are detected in external galaxies. Even here, their occurrence is infrequent and the best way to detect them is by supernova patrols that systematically image a sequence of selected galaxies. The images taken are compared to the ‘normal’ view of the galaxies in the hope that a supernova appears as an extra star. Should a supernova be detected, analysis of its light curve will, if done accurately, provide important information that allows the supernova type to be determined. There are various kinds of supernova, each having characteristic light curves that reveal the nature of the system that has exploded. Once LGHQWL›HG››WKH›DSSOLFDWLRQ›RI›SKRWRPHWULF›DQDO\VLV› (see Project…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Step by stepStep 1 Print out the downloadable plans and use them to mark out and cut the aluminium channel. Use the drill, hacksaw and files to produce the required shapes. Make sure there are no rough edges before gluing anything together. Step 2 Glue the two sides of each clamp together. We added an extra top layer of aluminium to increase overall strength. Cut the inner blocks and knobs from plywood and drill to fit the nuts and screws. To obtain the springs we cannibalised an old pen. Step 3 Assemble the inner parts of each clamp, checking that all fit and operate properly. We added thin felt inside the inner clamping section so it moved smoothly but without being loose. When you are happy, glue the blocks into the outer…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019MISSION TIMELINE3 March 16:00 $SROOR›››ODXQFKHV› from Kennedy Space Center. 3 March 18:41 The command PRGXOH›XQGRFNV› IURP›6DWXUQ›9sV› ERRVWHU›VWDJH›DQG› turns around. 3 March 19:01 The command PRGXOH›GRFNV› ZLWK››WKHQ› H[WUDFWV››WKH›OXQDU› PRGXOH››6SLGHU› 5 March 11:15 Schweickart and McDivitt cross RYHU›LQWR›WKH›OXQDU› PRGXOH›› Schweickart EHJLQV›WR›VXIIHU› from space sickness. 6 March 16:59 6SDFHZDON›VWDUWV›› Lasts 47 minutes. 7 March 12:39 Spider undocks from the FRPPDQG›PRGXOH›› Descent thrusters FDUU\›LW›RYHU››››NP› DZD\››7KH›PRGXOH› jettisons the descent stage. 7 March 19:02 Over six hours ODWHU››6SLGHU›XVHV› ascent thrusters to return to and redock with the FRPPDQG›PRGXOH› 13 March 17:00 7KH›UHWXUQ›FDSVXOH› VSODVKHV›GRZQ›LQ› WKH›$WODQWLF› Ocean. 23 October 1981 /XQDU›PRGXOH› descent stage UHHQWHUV›(DUWKsV› atmosphere. All times are GMT.…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019PHOTO OF THE MONTHOrion widefield nebulous and dust goldmine Ross Clark, Northumberland, 9, 10 December 2018 Ross says: s7KLV›ZDV›P\››UVW› WULS›WR›D›GDUN›VLWH›ZLWK›P\›6WDU› $GYHQWXUHU››,›KDG›SODQQHG›WR› LPDJH›MXVW›WKH›+RUVHKHDG›DQG› 2ULRQ›1HEXODH›DW››››PP››EXW› Equipment : ›&DQRQ›(26››››'D›'6/5› FDPHUD››&DQRQ›()›››S›››PP›I›››››OHQV›› 6N\›:DWFKHU›6WDU›$GYHQWXUHU›PRXQW Exposure: ›››[›s›OLJKWV››››[›s›GDUNV›› ››[›››Š››DWV››››[›››››››Š›ELDV Software: 3L[,QVLJKW››3KRWRVKRS››/LJKWURRP Ross’s top tip: s8QGHUVWDQG›ZKDW›DOO›\RXU› NLW›LV›IRU››H[DFWO\›ZKDW›LW›GRHV›DQG›ZKDW› WKH›ZLQG›ZDV›D›OLWWOH›KLJK›VR›,›EURXJKW›LW›EDFN› WR›››PP›DQG›LQFOXGHG›%DUQDUGsV›/RRS›DQG› WKH›:LWFK›+HDG›1HEXOD››,WsV›LPSRUWDQW›WR› DGDSW›WR›WKH›FRQGLWLRQV›\RX››QG›Š LWV›OLPLWDWLRQV›DUH››7KHUH›DUH›VHYHUDO› )DFHERRN›JURXSV›WKDW›DUH›KDSS\›WR›KHOS› EHJLQQHUV›ZLWK›TXHVWLRQV›DERXW›HTXLSPHQW›› LPDJLQJ›WHFKQLTXH›RU›SURFHVVLQJ››$OVR›› VSHQG›DV›PXFK›WLPH›DV›QHHGHG›JHWWLQJ› ERWK›D›SRODU›DOLJQPHQW›RQ›DQ›XQDVVLVWHG› JXLGH›OLNH›WKH›6WDU›$GYHQWXUHU›DQG›HQVXULQJ› WKDW›\RXU›OHQV›RU›WHOHVFRSH›LV›SLQ›VKDUS› LQ›IRFXV›Š› Waning gibbous Moon Andrew Brown, Lancashire, 24 December 2018 Andrew says: s,›XVXDOO\›IRFXV›RQ› LPDJLQJ›GHHS›VN\› REMHFWV››EXW›DV›LW› ZDV›WKH›››WK›DQQLYHUVDU\›RI›WKH› $SROOR›››(DUWK›5LVH›LPDJH›› ,›GHFLGHG›WR›FDSWXUH›RXU›0RRQ›› 7KLV›LV›D›WZR›SDQHO›PRVDLF›Š Equipment: $OWDLU›*3&$0›››››0› PRQR›FDPHUD››([SORUH›6FLHQWL›F› ('›››DSR›WULSOHW›UHIUDFWRU››6N\› :DWFKHU›$=›*7L›:L)L›PRXQW› Exposure: ›››››››IUDPHV› Software: 6KDUS&DS›› $XWRVWDNNHUW›››0LFURVRIW›,&(›› 5HJL6WD[››3L[,QVLJKW The Andromeda Galaxy Tim Cowell, Somerset, September 2018 Tim says: s+DYLQJ›PRYHG›WR›6RPHUVHW›LQ› ››››››,›ZDV›HDJHU›WR›JHW››UVW›OLJKW›IURP›WKLV› QHZ›ORFDWLRQ››,WsV›P\›WKLUG›DWWHPSW›DW›PRQR› LPDJLQJ›VR›WKHUH›ZDV›WUHSLGDWLRQ›DV› ,›VWDUWHG›WKH›LPDJLQJ›UXQ››,›DP›SOHDVHG›ZLWK›WKH›GHWDLO› DQG›EULJKWQHVV›RI›WKH›UHVXOW››HVSHFLDOO\›DV›P\›WHOHVFRSH› LV›TXLWH›VPDOO›Š Equipment: =:2›$6,››››00›3UR›FDPHUD››:LOOLDP› 2SWLFV›6WDU››››0DUN›,,›DSR›LPDJLQJ›UHIUDFWRU›› 6N\›:DWFKHU›$=›(4››*7›PRXQW› Exposure: ›K›HDFK›/5*%›DQG›+D› Software: ›6HTXHQFH›*HQHUDWRU›3UR››3L[,QVLJKW››/LJKWURRP Xi Cygni and Cygnus Wall Stacey Downton, Birmingham, 14 August, 6 December 2018 Stacey says: s2ULJLQDOO\›WKLV›ZDV› D›PRVDLF›DQG›,›KDG›FXW›RXW›;L› &\JQL›WR›IUDPH›WKH›ZKROH›1RUWK› $PHULFD›1HEXOD››,›ZDQWHG›WR›JLYH› P\›LPDJH›FRQWH[W›VR›,›UHSURFHVVHG›WR›LQFOXGH› ;
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Impressive opticsThe ZS61 has a 61mm objective lens made from two FPL-53 extra-low-dispersion (ED) glass elements. FPL indicates that the material contains fluorite (or a synthetic form of fluorite) and lead (chemical symbol Pb). The ‘L’ means that the material is low dispersion. This creates an optical material that has very low chromatic aberration, ideally suited for colour-corrected telescope optics. The two lens elements are air spaced to form a doublet lens. Each element is designed to bring the two ends of the visible spectrum to a convergent focus. All this adds up to a lens with virtually no unwanted colour fringing. Further refinement is provided by super-multi coatings (SMCs) to reduce unwanted refraction and reflections. Inside the optical tube, circular baffles are fitted as field stops, limiting the field of…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019VITAL STATS• Price £65, £89, £99, £135, £169 • Focal length 10mm, 15mm, 18mm, 24mm, 30mm • $SSDUHQW››HOG› of view 60°, 65°, 65°, 65°, 70° • Eye relief 16mm, 16mm, 20mm, 29mm, 22mm • Optical elements 4, 8, 8, 8, 9 • Barrel size 1.25-inch (10–24mm eyepieces), 2-inch (30mm eyepiece) • Weight 109g, 172g, 245g, 431g, 676g • Extras Lens FDSV››PLFUR›EUH› cloth • Supplier Altair Astro • Tel 01263 731505 • www.altairastro.com…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019GEAR1 Moon phase clock Price £39.95 • Supplier Climemet Tel 01787 883138 • www.climemet.com Always know the phase of the Moon with the help of this clock synchronised to the Moon’s 29.5-day cycle. The frame can be personalised and is waterproof, meaning this will be just as handy in an outdoor observatory as in the living room. 2 Dust Ex air blower Price £12.99 • Supplier F1 Telescopes Tel 0845 260 2622 • www.f1telescopes.com Expel dust from sensitive optical and electronic equipment without physical contact using a powerful blast of air from the Dust Ex. 3 Eurohike roll top table Price £80 • Supplier Millets Tel 0161 393 7060 • www.millets.co.uk This foldable table allows you to keep your equipment within easy reach, then packs up for transportation, making it…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Sky at Night – lots of ways to enjoy the night sky…Television There’s no episode of The Sky at Night in March, but you can catch up with old episodes online Online Visit our website for reviews,competitions, astrophotos, observing guides and our forum Facebook All the details of our latest issue, plus news from the magazine and updates to our website Podcast The BBC Sky at Night Magazine team and guests discuss the latest astro news iPhone/iPad Get each month’s issue on your iPad or iPhone, now with bonus image galleries eNewsletter The best targets to observe each week, delivered direct to your inbox: bit.ly/sky-enews…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Space can be such a dragHUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, SUBARU TELESCOPE, 28 JANUARY 2019 The inky blackness between galaxies and stars in astrophotos might seem like empty space, but this is not always the case. The huge red beam stretching across this image of the Coma Cluster is generated by a process known as ‘ram-pressure stripping’. As galaxies move within a cluster, they are actually pushing through hot gas and dense plasma, which drags on the galaxies like the drag on a boat pushing through water. Galaxy D100, on the far right of the image, is being pulled towards the centre of the cluster by the gravitational tug of other galaxies there. As this happens, the drag causes enormous amounts of gas to be stripped from D100, creating a huge tail in its wake. Once the…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019NEWS IN BRIEFThe Sun’s diamond future A recent survey has revealed WKDW›ZKHQ›6XQ›OLNH›VWDUV› reach the end of their lives, the carbon and oxygen in their cores crystallises. The process, which our own star will undergo in 10 billion years, slows down the rate of aging. This keeps stars within a certain colour and luminosity range, creating an excess that the survey detected. What time is it on Saturn? $VWURQRPHUV›DW›1$6$›KDYH› measured the length of a GD\›RQ›6DWXUQ›IRU›WKH››UVW› time. The team took a new look at images of the planet’s rings taken by spacecraft Cassini, hunting for patterns created by the movement of the planet’s solid core. They found it WDNHV›6DWXUQsV›FRUH››››KRXUV›› 33 minutes and 38 seconds to completely rotate. TESS finds first planets The exoplanet-hunting VDWHOOLWH›7(66›KDV›IRXQG› WKUHH›FRQ›UPHG›S›DQG››››› FDQGLGDWH›S›SODQHWV›ZLWKLQ› LWV››UVW›WKUHH›PRQWKV›RI› REVHUYLQJ››7KH›1$6$›PLVVLRQ› will spend at least two years…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019NEWS IN BRIEFExoplanet plugs the gap A rare exoplanet has recently been discovered by a group of citizen scientists. At around twice the radius of Earth, K2-288Bb lies within a size ‘gap’ of planets between 1.5 and 2 Earth radii, where there is a curious lack of worlds. It was found by users of the Exoplanet Explorers website, using data from the Kepler Space Telescope. Repeat performance for fast radio bursts A second repeating fast radio burst (FRB) has been discovered, it was announced in January. FRBs are intense pulses of energy, though no one currently knows what generates them. Over 60 have been discovered, but ZKLOH›PRVW›RI›WKHP››DVK›RQO\› RQFH››WKLV›)5%››DVKHG›VHYHUDO› times over three weeks. Earth’s oldest rock found on the Moon The Earth’s oldest rock has been found not on our planet, but on…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019INTERACTIVETweets Alyn Wallace #DO\QZDOODFH›T››››-DQ $›››KRXU›VHTXHQFH›RI›WKH›IXOO› Moon fading into total eclipse DQG›EDFN›DJDLQ›IURP›%HOOH›7RXW› OLJKWKRXVH›LQ›6XVVH[››››VKRW›HYHU\››› PLQV›››7KH›QH[W›WLPH›WKLV›LV›YLVLEOH› IURP›WKH›8.›LV›QRW›XQWLO›››››› Accidental alien I have a query regarding your January ›››››LVVXH››DQG›WKH›DUWLFOH›E\›:LOO›*DWHU›› S››››››7KH›<HDU›LQ›6SDFHs››,›UHDG›LW›WKLQNLQJ› WKDW›WKH›0DUV›,Q6LJKW›ODQGHU›KDG›DOUHDG\› ODQGHG›RQ›0DUV››EXW›ZKHQ›,›VWXGLHG›WKH› photo at the top of page 37 I noticed that it included a Martian sitting astride his bicycle! Where was the photo actually taken? Please explain what is going on. $››UVW›FODVV›PDJD]LQH›LQGHHG››DQG›,›ORRN› forward to further space details. John G Ford, West Sussex If we squint at the illustration, we can see what you mean! It is in fact the grapple on the end of the deployment arm. – Ed Fellow fans ,W›ZDV›ZLWK›SOHDVXUH›DQG›HPSDWK\›WKDW› ,›UHDG›WKH›PHVVDJH›IURP›$GDP›'HOPDJH› ›,QWHUDFWLYH››)HEUXDU\››››››LVVXH››UHJDUGLQJ› KLV›VRQ›7D\ORUsV›H[FLWHPHQW›DW›DQ›LVVXH›RI› Sky at Night Magazine FRPLQJ›WKURXJK› WKH›OHWWHU›ER[››,WsV›WKH›VDPH›IRU›PH›ZKHQ›,› YLVLW›WKH›QHZVDJHQW›WR›FROOHFW›P\›FRS\›› and it’s disappointing if it KDVQsW›DUULYHG››7D\ORU›LV››YH›› DQG›,›ZLOO›EH››››LQ›0DUFK››EXW› when we receive our latest LVVXH›RI›WKH›PDJD]LQH›DQG›WXUQ› WR›RXU›IDYRXULWH›VHFWLRQV››WKH› eight decades between us GLVDSSHDU›OLNH›PDJLF›› Congratulations on Sky…3 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Capture the night sky with a SMARTPHONEYou don’t need the Hubble Space Telescope to see that some of the biggest recent strides in amateur astrophotography have happened when astronomers have seized upon innovations in consumer electronics. Take the advent of webcams. Never intended for use in astrophotography, they precipitated the birth RI›DQ›HQWLUHO\›QHZ››HOG›RI›OXQDU›DQG›SODQHWDU\›LPDJLQJ› by amateurs. The same is happening today with camera-equipped smartphones. The phones themselves may not be a new phenomenon, but advances in the camera technology within them mean that huge numbers of people are carrying powerful tools for capturing the night sky in their pockets. So how do you go about using your smartphone to get an astrophoto? There seems no better place to start than the very simplest type of shot, where you just whip the phone out of your pocket and snap…6 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Polishing up your astro imagesIn astrophotography the image captured by the camera is rarely the final version and you’ll no doubt want to tweak pictures you’ve snapped with your smartphone too. You can of course bring your shots into your chosen image editor on your computer for sharpening, levels and curves adjustments and colour balancing, but there are also apps such as Snapseed and Adobe Lightroom CC which let you make tweaks on your device. For more advanced work such as noise reduction – often needed with smartphone images – a program like Photoshop or GIMP on your computer is the tool to go for. If you intend to make a mosaic of the lunar surface, using multiple overlapping shots captured with your phone looking down the eyepiece of a scope, you’ll need a…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019NEED TOKNOWUniversal time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST) Universal Time (UT) is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. British Summer Time (BST) is one hour ahead of UT. RA (Right ascension) and dec. (declination) These coordinates are the night sky’s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial ‘globe’. Family friendly Objects marked with this icon are perfect for showing to children Naked eye Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted Photo opp Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR Binoculars 10x50 recommended Small/ medium scope Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches Large scope Reflector/SCT over 6 inches, refractor over 4 inches GETTING STARTED IN ASTRONOMY If you’re new to astronomy, you’ll find two essential reads on…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019THE NIGHT SKY – MARCHWhen to use this chart 1 March at 00:00 UT 15 March at 23:00 UT 31 March at 23:00 BST On other dates, stars will be in slightly different positions because of Earth’s orbital motion. Stars that cross the sky will set in the west four minutes earlier each night. How to use this chart 1. Hold the chart so the direction you’re facing is at the bottom. 2. The lower half of the chart shows the sky ahead of you. 3. The centre of the chart is the point directly over your head. Sunrise/sunset in March* Moonrise in March* *Times correct for the centre of the UK Lunar phases in March KEY TO STAR CHARTS More ONLINE Paul and Pete’s Virtual Planetarium…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019STAR OF THE MONTH0DUNLQJ›WKH›HQG›RI›WKH› FRQVWHOODWLRQ›/HR›WKH›/LRQsV›WDLO› LV›PDJ›››››››VWDU›'HQHEROD››%HWD› ›`››/HRQLV›››LWV›QDPH›FRPLQJ› IURP›WKH›$UDELF›danab al-asad, SWDLO›RI›WKH›OLRQs› 'HQHEROD›LV››››OLJKW\HDUV› DZD\››DQG›LV›››››WLPHV›ODUJHU›DQG› ›››WLPHV›PRUH›OXPLQRXV›WKDQ› RXU›RZQ›6XQ››,W›KDV›WKH›VSHFWUDO› W\SH›$›9D››ZKLFK›PHDQV›LW›LV›D› VOLJKWO\›PRUH›OXPLQRXV›WKDQ› DYHUDJH›PDLQ›VHTXHQFH›VWDU› ›WKH›S9Ds›SDUW››ZKLFK›DSSHDUV› ZKLWH›LQ›FRORXU›››WKH›S$›s›SDUW›› 'HQHEROD›KDV››››››WLPHV›PRUH› PDVV›WKDQ›WKH›6XQ››EXW›LWV›PRVW› LQWHUHVWLQJ›DQG›H[WUHPH› YDULDWLRQ›LV›LQ›UHJDUGV›WR›LWV›VSLQ› UDWH››:KHUH›RXU›6XQ›URWDWHV›DW›D› UDWKHU›OHLVXUHO\››NP›V››'HQHEROD› VSLQV›››[›IDVWHU›DW››››NP›V››7KLV› LV›IDVW›HQRXJK›WR›FDXVH›WKH›VWDU› WR›EXOJH›DW›WKH›HTXDWRU›LQWR›DQ› REODWH›VSKHURLG››,Q›FRQWUDVW››WKH› VORZ›URWDWLRQ›RI›WKH›6XQ›UHVXOWV› LQ›RQH›RI›WKH›PRVW›SHUIHFW› VSKHUHV›NQRZQ›LQ›QDWXUH› 9LHZHG›LQ›LQIUDUHG››'HQHEROD› VKRZV›DQ›H[FHVV›RI›UDGLDWLRQ›› KLQWLQJ›DW›WKH›H[LVWHQFH›RI›D›GLVF› RI›GHEULV›LQ›RUELW›DURXQG›LW››7KLV› FLUFXPVWHOODU›GLVF›PD\›EH›WKH› QXUVHU\›IRU›D›IRUPLQJ›VRODU› V\VWHP››DOWKRXJK›QR›SODQHWV› KDYH›\HW›EHHQ›LGHQWL›HG›ZLWKLQ› LW››'HWDLOHG›DQDO\VLV›RI›WKH›GLVF› VXJJHVWV›WKDW›LW›H[WHQGV›››WR›››› $8›IURP›WKH›VWDU››7KH›KLJKHVW› FRQFHQWUDWLRQ›RI›PDWHULDO› DSSHDUV›DURXQG›WKH››››$8›PDUN›› ZLWK›D›WHPSHUDWXUH›RI››››.›› $PD]LQJO\››VWUXFWXUH›KDV›EHHQ› GHWHFWHG›ZLWKLQ›WKH› FLUFXPVWHOODU›GLVF››7KHUH› DSSHDUV›WR›EH›D›››$8›KROH›DQG› D›KRW››››.›GXVW\›ULQJ››S››$8› LQ›GLDPHWHU›…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019DEEP - SKY TOUR1 NGC 4565 NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy, is a mag. +9.5 galaxy 3° southwest of Gamma (a) Comae Berenices. It earns its name well, appearing like a thin sliver of light. In a 6-inch instrument its appearance is grainy with the hint of a thin dark dust lane along part of its length. The central bulge is easy to observe in a 10-inch scope and it’s interesting to see how far you can trace the dust lane either side of it. A mag. +13.5 star appears centrally positioned, 1.5 arcminutes northeast of the galaxy’s core. NGC 4565 is about 43 million lightyears away and more luminous than our famous closer neighbour M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. SEEN IT 2 NGC 4559 Only marginally dimmer, NGC 4559 can be located 1.9°…3 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Making a start in PHOTOMETRYPhotometry is the science of measuring light. The light received from a source object such as a star is recorded on a camera’s chip and ultimately converted into an image. The data behind the image holds a value that can be used to work out a star’s brightness. Objects such as variable stars have magnitudes that vary over time. Photometry can be used to determine accurate variable star magnitudes by comparing the variable’s LPDJH›ZLWK›WKDW›RI››[HG› magnitude comparison stars. For accuracy it is important to deduce the noise contribution from your camera’s electronics, the spectral response of your camera’s sensor and optical factors from your telescope’s optics and the atmosphere you’re imaging through. A CCD’s response to light is linear. Blooming occurs when a pixel over-saturates. Typically this produces a cascade of…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Build a smartphone holderThis month’s project is an accessory that will help you to take great astrophotos using the camera on your smartphone. Unlike some commercially made versions, our design can be adapted to suit a wide range of phone models. The method of imaging used is called ‘eyepiece projection’ or ‘afocal projection’ because it involves taking a photograph through a telescope’s eyepiece (unlike ‘prime focus photography’ where the camera replaces the eyepiece). The camera lens must be ›UPO\›VXSSRUWHG›LQ›D›VLPLODU›SRVLWLRQ›WR›WKH›H\H›ZKHQ› visually observing. This is where our adaptor comes into play. The phone is held between two pairs of clamps mounted on a rigid baseplate. This has a nosepiece which securely inserts into a tube that clamps to your scope’s eyepiece. These two parts are made from SOXPELQJ››WWLQJV››D›SXVK››W›VWUDLJKW›FRQQHFWRU›DQG›D› blanking plug for 40mm PVC pipe. This…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019APOLLO 9The Apollo astronauts knew better than anyone that landing on the Moon was always going to be a formidable challenge. When the crew of Apollo 9 – Commander James McDivitt and pilots Russell Schweickart and David Scott – blasted into low Earth orbit on 3 March 1969, the G-force pressing down on their bodies was not the only pressure they were under. Two months earlier, the Soviets had docked two modules in space. To NASA, this was a clear precursor WR›D›PDQQHG›OXQDU›ODQGLQJ››GHVSLWH›RI›FLDO›6RYLHW› pronouncements that there were no plans to put a Russian on the Moon (in fact, there were at least two Soviet lunar programmes and both were in chaos). ,Q›'HFHPEHU›››››››$SROOR›››S›WKH››UVW›FUHZHG› FLUFXPOXQDU››LJKW›S›KDG›SXOOHG›WKH›86›LQWR›WKH›OHDG› IRU›WKH››UVW›WLPH›VLQFH›WKH›EHJLQQLQJ›RI›WKH›6SDFH› Race. They couldn’t afford to fall behind now. With the clock running down on meeting the “end of…6 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Photograph the aurora from the UKSpotting and photographing the aurora borealis (the Northern Lights) from the UK is an interesting pastime. It’s something that's undoubtedly easier to carry out the further north you live. Auroral displays also tend to be larger, brighter and more frequent around the equinoxes, so the dark skies at the end of March 2019 and the start of April 2019 are a great time to try to photograph them. The reason the aurora is easier to see the further north you live in the UK is simply that you are closer to the auroral oval. The oval is a name given to the band where the aurora normally performs. It typically spans about 10 degrees of latitude and is located vertically in the atmosphere from 80km to 250km. However, these are…4 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Altair Ultraflat eyepiecesAOWDLUsV›QHZ›8OWUD›DW›H\HSLHFH›FROOHFWLRQ› KDV›EHHQ›VSHFL›FDOO\›GHVLJQHG›WR›KHOS› FRUUHFW››HOG›FXUYDWXUH››DQ›DEHUUDWLRQ› WKDW›UHVXOWV›LQ›VWDUV›WRZDUGV›WKH›HGJHV› RI›WKH››HOG›RI›YLHZ›WDNLQJ›RQ›DQ› HORQJDWHG›VKDSH››%XW›ZKLOH›ZH›ZHUH› JHQHUDOO\›LPSUHVVHG›ZLWK›WKH›UDQJH››WKH›QDPH› S8OWUD›DWs›PD\›EH›RYHUVWDWLQJ›WKH›FDVH› 7KH›H\HSLHFHV›DUH›YHU\›QLFHO\›SUHVHQWHG›LQ›D›PRVW› DWWUDFWLYH›VDWLQ›JUHHQ›DQRGLVHG››QLVK›ZLWK›D›EULJKW› VWDLQOHVV›VWHHO›EDUUHO›DQG›FRQWUDVWLQJ›EODFN›UXEEHU› JULS›DQG›H\HFXS››7KH›IRFDO›OHQJWK›RI›HDFK›LV›SULQWHG›LQ› ZKLWH›RQ›WKH›JUHHQ››JLYLQJ›SOHQW\›RI›FRQWUDVW›ZKHQ› YLHZHG›XVLQJ›D›UHG›OLJKW›WRUFK››2YHUDOO›WKH\›KDYH›D› TXDOLW\›IHHO›WR›WKHP› 7KH›FROOHFWLRQ›FRPSULVHV›RFXODUV›ZLWK›IRFDO›OHQJWKV› RI›››PP››››PP››››PP››››PP›DQG›››PP››PDNLQJ› WKHP›VXLWDEOH›IRU›D›ZLGH›UDQJH›RI›FHOHVWLDO› REVHUYDWLRQV›DOWKRXJK››VXUSULVLQJO\›IRU›D›FROOHFWLRQ›RI› WKLV›W\SH››WKH›DSSDUHQW››HOG›RI›YLHZ››$)29››LV›QRW› FRPPRQ›WKURXJKRXW›WKH›UDQJH››7KH›››PP››››PP› DQG›››PP›H\HSLHFHV›HDFK›KDYH›DQ›$)29›RI›››p›› ZKLOH›WKH›››PP›DQG›››PP›KDYH›$)29V›RI›››p› DQG›››p›UHVSHFWLYHO\› Focus and fit $OO›RI›WKH›H\HSLHFHV›KDYH››››››LQFK›EDUUHO›GLDPHWHUV› H[FHSW›IRU›WKH›››PP››ZKLFK›GHPDQGV›D›››LQFK›EDUUHO› WR›DFKLHYH›LWV›››p›DSSDUHQW››HOG›RI›YLHZ››7KLV›LV› EHFDXVH›WKH››HOG›VWRS›RI›D››››››LQFK›EDUUHO›ZRXOG›EH›D› OLPLWLQJ›IDFWRU›KHUH››7R›PDNH›XVH›RI›WKH›ZKROH› FROOHFWLRQ›\RX›PD\›WKHUHIRUH›UHTXLUH›DQ›H\HSLHFH› DGDSWRU›WR›DFFRPPRGDWH›ERWK›VL]HV››7KH›H\HSLHFHV› DOO›LQFOXGH››OWHU›WKUHDGV›LQ›WKHLU›UHVSHFWLYH›VL]HV› :H›WHVWHG›WKH›H\HSLHFHV›WR›VHH›LI›WKH\›ZHUH› SDUIRFDO›S›WKDW›LV››WKDW›WKH›IRFXV›SRLQW›VWD\V›H[DFWO\› WKH›VDPH›ZKLOH›\RX›]RRP›WKH›OHQV›S›DV›WKLV›FDQ›EH›D› YHU\›XVHIXO›DWWULEXWH›ZKHQ›VZDSSLQJ›IURP›RQH› H\HSLHFH›WR›DQRWKHU›WR›PLQLPLVH›IRFXV›DGMXVWPHQWV›› 7KH›››PP›DQG›››PP›YHUVLRQV›ZHUH›IXOO\›SDUIRFDO›› ZLWK›WKH›››PP›DQG›››PP›UHTXLULQJ›WKH›VPDOOHVW›RI› DGMXVWPHQWV›ZLWK›OHVV›WKDQ›D›PLOOLPHWUH›RI›IRFXV› WUDYHO›WR›FRYHU›WKHP›DOO››7KH›››PP›YHUVLRQ›UHTXLUHG› DQ›H[WUD›››PP›RI›RXWZDUGV›IRFXV›WUDYHO›DV›ZH›ZRXOG› have expected because its 2-inch barrel didn’t, of course, require the 1.25-inch adaptor which has a depth of 11mm. Colour correction was generally good, although the 10mm eyepiece displayed a OLWWOH›IDOVH›FRORXU›HYHQ›RQ›D[LV››7KH››HOG›VWRS› LQ›DOO›RI›WKH›H\HSLHFHV›ZDV›VKDUSO\›GH›QHG› and, with the rubber eyecups folded down, could be seen in all of the eyepieces when wearing glasses. Taking them on tour We put the eyepieces to the test by observing a range of objects using our own William Optics 2-inch Dielectric Diagonal attached to both our observatory-mounted William Optics FLT 98 apo…5 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019BOOKSOur Universe: An Astronomer’s Guide Jo Dunkley Pelican £20 z HB A professional astronomer trying to explain the Universe to a lay audience – isn’t that bound to fail? Well, not if her name is -R›'XQNOH\››,Q›KHU› introduction to everything cosmic, 'XQNOH\›WDNHV›KHU› readers on a grand tour of space and time, from our nearest planetary neighbours to the edge of the observable Universe. Our Universe is nothing less than a comprehensive crash course in astronomy. The book follows a very traditional and well-trodden path, starting with an overview of the history of astronomy and a description of our Solar System – the familiar “here and now”, as the author writes. Stellar evolution is next, followed by a chapter that focuses on galaxies, clusters and the mystery of dark matter. The birth,…6 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS…Faintly glowing dust grains are everywhere in space, says Professor Haley Gomez, but only now are we uncovering this ‘hidden Universe’ “Cosmic dust gives us a new view of how stars form. It can give us an idea of when and how many stars are forming, how much gas a galaxy has and how enriched a galaxy may be. The more dust, the more material, which means more iron, silicon, carbon and oxygen-rich gas – all the things we know are important for life. ‘Cosmic dust' is an umbrella term for small grains of rock in space. Most of it is smoke particle-sized, although it can be as large as an Earth-like planet. And there’s a huge amount of it in and between galaxies. We know that around half of…4 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHEREWhen to use this chart 1 March, 24:00 AEDT (13:00 UT) 15 March, 24:00 AEDT (13:00 UT) 31 March, 23:00 AEDT (12:00 UT) The chart accurately matches the sky on the dates and times shown for Sydney, Australia. The sky is different at other times as the stars crossing it set four minutes earlier each night. MARCH HIGHLIGHTS The Southern Hemisphere has only a handful of exclusive annual meteor showers. The Gamma Normids are an example, expected to be active from 25 February to 28 March. They are normally bright, showing some colour, occasionally yellow or orange, with some trains. Best observed after midnight, at peak activity ››››0DUFK››WKH››UVW›TXDUWHU›0RRQ›HQVXUHV› the morning will be dark. This also allows the radiant in the constellation of Norma, WKH›6HW›6TXDUH››WLPH›WR›JDLQ›DOWLWXGH› STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS Gamma Velorum is…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019This month’s contributorsShaoni Bhattacharya Science writer Cosmic dust – it’s everywhere! But what does it tell us about the Universe? See page 98 Chris Lintott Sky at Night presenter What does it mean when UHVHDUFKHUV››QG›VDOW› swirling around a protostar? Chris tells us on page 15 Amber Hornsby Astro research student Amber reviews Alan Boss’s new book, Universal Life , on page 95 – and it’s a real page-turner Andrew Pontzen Cosmologist There’s a debate raging about the expansion of the Universe. Andrew talks us through it on page 18…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019The Moon brought elements of LIFE TO EARTHThe elements necessary for life probably arrived on Earth during the explosion which created the Moon, a novel set of experiments has revealed. According to current theory, Earth was extremely hot MXVW›DIWHU›LW››UVW›IRUPHG››+RZHYHU››PDQ\›RI›WKH›HOHPHQWV› in our planet’s crust – including those, like carbon and nitrogen, essential to living organisms – are volatile, meaning they would have boiled away. One theory to explain how they are present suggests that another object crashed into Earth after the planet cooled down, delivering the elements to the crust. “But the timing and mechanism of volatile delivery has been hotly debated,” says Rajdeep Dasgupta from Rice University, who took part in the study. The main issue is that the raw material the planets formed from has the wrong ratio of carbon and nitrogen. This means that whatever…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Double stars have a flipped discNew observations by the $WDFDPD›/DUJH›0LOOLPHWUH›6XEPLOOLPHWUH›$UUD\››$/0$›› have found a double star system surrounded by a ring of dust that’s been knocked over on its side. The dusty ring is a protoplanetary disc, which could one day form planets. Though planetary systems have been found around binary stars before, this is the ›UVW›WLPH›WKH\›KDYH›EHHQ› found at right angles to the stars’ orbit. s6RPH›RI›WKHVH›SODQHWV›HQG› up being misaligned with the spin of the star, so we’ve been wondering whether a similar thing might be possible for circumbinary planets,” says *UDQW›0›.HQQHG\›IURP›WKH› 8QLYHUVLW\›RI›:DUZLFN›› .HQQHG\›DQG›KLV›IHOORZ› UHVHDUFKHUV›XVHG›$/0$›WR› measure the ring’s orientation. If planets did form, they would have two suns that moved from side to side across the sky and some extremely unusual seasonal variations. www.almaobservatory.org…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Did magnetism make Mercury?Mercury is the smallest planet in our Solar System, as well as being the closest to the Sun and the one with the most elliptical orbit. In some respects it is also the most mysterious. For such a small planet, it’s fabulously dense, so much so that its heavy iron core is estimated to make up around two-thirds of its mass. Proportionally it’s over twice as big as the cores of the other rocky, terrestrial planets, Earth, Venus and Mars. All terrestrial planets are made up of an iron-rich core with an overlying silicate-rich mantle and crust. But what gave Mercury such a giant heart? Computer simulations of the early Solar System, modelling how small planetesimals collide and aggregate to grow into planets, fail to show how an inner world…3 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Milky Way gets a new neighbourAstronomers have recently discovered a new nearby galaxy in the Milky Way’s galactic neighbourhood, the Local Group. They found the galaxy, Bedin 1, by chance while studying white dwarf stars in the globular cluster NGC 6752 with the Hubble Space Telescope, and noticed a compact collection of stars on the edge of the image. Closer inspection revealed the collection was much further away than the cluster – around 30 million lightyears from the Milky Way. The galaxy is elongated in shape, and only 3,000 lightyears long (the Milky Way is roughly 200,000) making it a dwarf galaxy. There are 36 galaxies of this type known in the Local Group, but most are satellites of larger galaxies. Bedin 1 is also extremely isolated. Its solitary position means the dwarf has had…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Looking back The Sky at NightOn the 13 March 1965 episode of The Sky at Night, Patrick Moore discussed the latest images sent back from the Moon by NASA’s Ranger 8 spacecraft. The Ranger missions were a series of robotic probes intended to crash into the Moon in the early 1960s. As they made their approach, the spacecraft ›OPHG›WKH›OXQDU› surface before impacting at high speed. Out of seven previous Ranger missions, only one had succeeded, and so NASA breathed a sigh of relief when on 20 February 1965, Ranger 8 successfully hit the surface. The main goal of the mission was to scout out the terrain where Apollo 11 would set down just four years later. But when Patrick analysed the images just after the impact, he was trying to answer one of the biggest…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019MESSAGE OF THE MONTHReward for the early risers Inspired by your piece on photographing a lunar HFOLSVH›LQ›-DQXDU\sV›HGLWLRQ››,›VHW›P\›EHGVLGH› DODUP››UHSHDWHGO\››WKURXJKRXW›WKH›QLJKW›WR› HQVXUH›,›ZDV›WKHUH›DW›WKH›ULJKW›WLPHV›WR›FDSWXUH› WKH›SKLJKOLJKWVs›RI›WKH›HYHQW››)RUWXQDWHO\››WKH› DVWURQRP\›JRGV›ZHUH›VPLOLQJ›RQ›PH›DV›D›FORXG\› forecast held off and I successfully captured shots showing the Moon at several stages of the eclipse. ,›ODFN›WKH›VRIWZDUH›DQG›HTXLSPHQW›WR›DGG› that extra level of polish of the seasoned LPDJHUV›DPRQJ›\RXU›UHDGHUV››'HVSLWH›WKLV››WKH› SKRWRV›KDYH›VWLOO›JRQH›GRZQ›D›WUHDW››PXFK›WR› P\›VXUSULVH››ZLWK›FROOHDJXHV›DQG›IULHQGV› alike. It’s rewarding to see their interest in the QLJKW›VN\›S›MXVW›OLNH›P\›IRXU›\HDU›ROG›VRQ››ZKR› LQVLVWHG›,›ZDNH›KLP›WR›VHH›KLV››UVW›WRWDO›OXQDU› HFOLSVH›ZLWK›0XP›DQG›'DG››+H›FRXOGQsW›ZDLW›WR› tell his teacher at school about it later! ,sP›GHOLJKWHG›WR›KDYH›JRW›WKH›MRE›GRQH›DQG› KDYH›VWLOO›KDG›WLPH›WR›MXVW›VWDQG›WKHUH››ORRN›XS› and enjoy the spectacle being laid on for all those willing to brave the cold and lack of sleep. :HOO›GRQH›WR›HYHU\RQH›HOVH›ZKR›PDGH›WKH›HIIRUW› to see it too. This month’s top prize: four Philip’s books The ‘Message of the Month’ writer will receive four top titles courtesy of astronomy publisher Philip’s: Robin Scagell’s Complete Guide to Stargazing, Sir Patrick Moore’s The Night Sky, Mark Thompson’s…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019SCOPE DOCTORI have a Synscan 127 Maksutov-Cassegrain and want to use an eyepiece for projection. Would the Baader Hyperion zoom be suitable? ANDRE HUDSON (\HSLHFH›SURMHFWLRQ›LV›D›PHWKRG›RI› FDSWXULQJ›LPDJHV›WKURXJK›D› WHOHVFRSHsV›H\HSLHFH›XVLQJ›D›FDPHUD› ZLWK›LWV›OHQV›UHPRYHG››DQG›LV› QRUPDOO\›XVHG›ZKHUH›KLJK› PDJQL›FDWLRQ›LV›UHTXLUHG››IRU› H[DPSOH›ZKHQ›LPDJLQJ›SODQHWV›RU› features on the Moon. One of the issues associated with WKLV›PHWKRG›RI›LPDJLQJ›LV›DWWDFKLQJ› WKH›FDPHUD›DGHTXDWHO\›WR›WKH› WHOHVFRSH››HQVXULQJ›WKDW›LW›LV›DFFXUDWHO\› aligned with the eyepiece. There are VHYHUDO›PRXQWLQJ›V\VWHPV›WKDW›FODPS› RQWR›WKH›H\HSLHFH›ERG\››EXW›VRPH› eyepieces have a suitable thread built into their top to take an adaptor to produce a very solid and perfectly DOLJQHG›WKUHDGHG›DWWDFKPHQW›SRLQW›› 7KH›%DDGHU›+\SHULRQ›]RRP›OHQV›KDV› VXFK›D›WKUHDG›DQG›ZRXOG›EH›D›JRRG›FKRLFH››+RZHYHU››WKLV› PHWKRG›RI›SKRWRJUDSK\›FDQ›EH›TXLWH››GGO\››<RX›ZRXOG› probably achieve better results using a high quality 3x Barlow OHQV›OLNH›WKH›([SORUH›6FLHQWL›F››[›)RFDO›([WHQGHU››&HOHVWURQ› ;›&(/›/;
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Angling for a great shotOne of the trickiest aspects of afocal smartphone astrophotography with a telescope is getting the phone’s camera lined up to the eyepiece. If you don’t, the edge of the eyepiece field of view can encroach into the shot and spoil the image or, at the least, the view will show ‘vignetting’, where the picture exhibits dark gradients. The trick to overcoming this is to, firstly, use an eyepiece with a relatively large exit pupil, as these tend to be more forgiving. If you have several eyepieces, experiment to see which gives the best results. Secondly, while ensuring that your smartphone camera lens is centred above the eyepiece aperture itself, also check that the device is held parallel to the top of the eyepiece and isn’t at an angle.…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Adventures in the AURORA ZONEOut in the magical frozen landscape of Swedish Lapland with our cameras and an experienced photography guide, I felt that this was the best opportunity I’d had so far to witness the aurora. And I wasn’t wrong. Less than 10 minutes later, a misty grey-white tendril appeared in the night sky above the horizon. There they were – the Northern Lights! 7KHLU›GH›QHG›UD\›VKDSH›FKDQJHG›VORZO\››EHQGLQJ›› undulating and twirling until it took on an entirely GLIIHUHQW›IRUP›IURP›WKH›GLDJRQDO›OLQH›WKDW›KDG››UVW› appeared. In next to no time it had morphed again, this time into a wave that was then joined by what ORRNHG›OLNH›D›IRUHVW››UH›EXUQLQJ›JUHHQ››:KDW›DQ› experience, and what a setting to witness it in. Aurora hunters know that to maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights you need to get as close to the Arctic Circle as possible. High in…10 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019MARCH HIGHLIGHTSFriday 1 Venus, Saturn and Jupiter all appear in a line in the morning sky. This morning they are joined by a 23%-lit waning crescent Moon. View around 06:00 UT. Saturday 2 This morning a now 16%-lit waning crescent Moon lies 6.8° to the west of mag. -4.0 Venus. Sunday 3 The beautiful morning show continues with a much thinner 9%-lit waning crescent Moon lying 4.7° to the east of Venus. Monday 4 With no Moon to contend with, this is an ideal time to try for this month’s Deep-Sky Tour objects (see page 56). This month we’re looking at some striking galaxies on the border of Coma Berenices and Canes Venatici. Tuesday 5 The Moon being out of the way makes this is a great time to try to…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019THE BIG THREEMorning LINE-UP BEST TIME TO SEE: 1–3 March at 06:00 UT and 27–30 March from 01:30 UT until dawn Recent months have shown some spectacular Solar System line-ups in the east-southeast and southern part of the morning sky before sunrise. This trend continues into March. On 1 March just before 06:00 UT it’s possible to see (in order from the Sun) mag. -4.0 Venus, mag. +1.0 Saturn, a 23%-lit waning crescent Moon and mag. -1.9 Jupiter. In addition, the mag. +1.0 red supergiant star Antares (Alpha ( a ) Scorpii), can be seen close to the meridian. Antares appears 13° west and slightly south of Jupiter. The following morning on 2 March, the now 16%-lit Moon will have slipped further east to lie between Saturn and Venus. On the morning…5 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019BINOCULAR TOUR1 Delta ( ð ) Boötis 10x 50 We’ll get our eye in with Delta (ð) Boötis, an easy double star. The primary is a deep yellow giant, nearly 60 times more luminous than the Sun, which shines at mag. +3.5. Its mag. +7.8 companion, 105 arcseconds to the east, is slightly less yellow. That 105 arcseconds translates to a huge 0.6 lightyears apart at the stars’ distance of 117 lightyears and, at that separation, the orbital period is about 120,000 years. SEEN IT 2 RV Boötis 15x 70 <RXsOO››QG›WKLV›UHG›YDULDEOH›VWDU›D›OLWWOH› more than 2.5° northeast of Rho (l) Boötis, in between two mag. +6.3 stars, ZKLFK›DUH›WKH›EULJKWHVW›VWDUV›LQ›WKH››HOG›RI› YLHZ›RI›››[›››ELQRFXODUV››59›%R¶WLV›LV›D› VHPL›UHJXODU›YDULDEOH›ZLWK›D›SHULRG›RI››››› GD\V››,WV›PDJQLWXGH›VXSSRVHGO\›YDULHV›IURP› +7.2 to +9.8, but recently it has only been falling to mag +8.7, so it remains well within binocular capability. SEEN IT…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019The colour OF STARSAstronomical spectroscopy is the science of analysing the spectrum of an object’s light. It’s an important and fundamental part of analytical astronomy that can yield very valuable results. Starlight is composed of different wavelengths of light. Passed through an optical dispersion device such as a diffraction grating or prism, the light is spread out into the object’s unique spectrum. This ‘signature’ spectrum can tell us the temperature of the star’s outer atmosphere and the chemical composition of the star’s outer layers. In addition, starlight interacting with another medium can produce variation in spectra over time DQG›UHFRUGLQJ›WKLV›LQ›D›ULJRURXV›VFLHQWL›F›PDQQHU›FDQ› PDNH›D›VLJQL›FDQW›VFLHQWL›F›FRQWULEXWLRQ››$Q› excellent example of such an observation was during the last eclipse of binary Epsilon ( ¡ ) Aurigae in 2009–2011. Here the spectroscopy research done by non-professional astronomers helped uncover never-before-measured variations in…2 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Tools and materialsA hack saw, tenon saw or similar; drill and bits for screws; a 40mm bit for nosepiece hole; files A small sheet of good quality 6mm plywood (about A4 size); short lengths of 20x10x1.5mm and 15x15x1.5mm aluminium channel Four M4 x 40 CSK or flathead screws; four M4 Nyloc nuts and washers; two M4 nuts; four M5 x 16 (or 20) CSK screws with washers and wingnuts; push-fit PVC plumbing fittings: Floplast 40mm x 40mm straight connector and socket plug; small compression spring (cut in half) to fit over M4 screws; 40mm Jubilee clip; a small quantity of felt/padding material; epoxy resin glue Some spray paint for the base plate…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Meet the astronautsCommander: James McDivitt Born 10 June 1929, air force pilot McDivitt joined NASA in 1962. After flying the Gemini 4 and Apollo 9 missions, he took over managing the Apollo programme in August 1969, just after Apollo 11. In 1970 he helped guide the crew of Apollo 13 through the emergency procedures he himself rehearsed during Apollo 9. Command module pilot: David Scott Texan Scott, born 6 June 1932, initially dismissed Apollo as a pipe dream. He joined NASA’s third class of astronauts in 1963 and flew with Neil Armstrong on Gemini 8, a mission which nearly ended in disaster when a stuck thruster sent it spinning. In 1971 he became the seventh person to walk on the Moon. Lunar module pilot: Russell ‘Rusty’ Schweickart Born 25 October 1935 in…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019IIAPY Masterclass Enhancing IC 1318, The Butterfly NebulaThe ‘dark art’ of processing is not an exact science. There are so many techniques you can use and they’re constantly evolving, which means that a lot of your choices are as much down to personal taste as technical know-how. Here I'll describe the processing techniques used on my image of IC 1318 which was captured and processed during September 2017. I was very pleased with the results, so hopefully some of the methods I used will prove helpful for you. IC 1318 is a beautiful and interesting area surrounding Sadr (Gamma (a) Cygni), with fascinating details. The framing of the photograph was carefully chosen to include the central dust lane (running from bottom right to top left) and to exclude Sadr (just off frame to the left). At mag.…4 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019William Optics Zenithstar 61 apo refractorDark skies can be something of a luxury if you live in an urban environment and \RX›PD\››QG›\RX›KDYH›WR›WUDYHO›WR› escape the light pollution and see the cosmos at its best. Or perhaps you’re lucky enough to holiday somewhere where the skies are dark and the opportunity for looking up is irresistible. Either way, dragging a large, cumbersome telescope with you soon loses its appeal and this is where portable scopes like the William Optics Zenithstar 61 (ZS61) come into their own. ,Q›WHUPV›RI›SRUWDELOLW\›LWsV›GLI›FXOW›WR›LPDJLQH›KRZ› you could improve on this 61mm aperture refractor’s design. In its most compact form it measures just 23cm long by 14cm wide. It’s also pretty light at 1.7kg but retains a solid, well-built feel. The front of the instrument has a retractable dew shield that extends the overall length by…5 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Ultraflat or not?Nearly all telescopes suffer from field curvature to some extent, resulting in only the stars at the very centre of the field of view – those that are ‘on-axis’ – being in perfect focus. The further off-axis you look, the greater the amount of distortion in the star shapes. Although field curvature is a big issue for astrophotographers, it isn’t for observers as eyepieces and the human eye and brain tend to compensate. The Altair Ultraflat eyepieces aim to form distortion-free images right up to the field edge, even in very fast focal ratio telescopes. We tested the effect of off-axis distortion through a high-quality refractor by observing a bright star centred in each eyepiece, turning off the mount tracking and noting the point at which distortion became noticeable as…1 min
BBC Sky at Night|March 2019Interview with the author Jo DunkleyWhat have been the most important developments in astronomy over the past 100 years? Technologically it would be the ability to detect non-visible light from space, including radio waves and X-rays, and the invention of CCDs to take better digital images. Scientific highlights are the discovery of galaxies beyond the Milky Way, that stars are mostly balls of hydrogen and helium gas, that much of the matter in space is invisible, and that our Universe had a beginning. A major recent development has been the discovery of a wealth of diverse exoplanets. Who do you think are astronomy’s biggest unsung heroes? For me, it’s the women of the story. In 1908, Henrietta Swan Leavitt discovered that a type of pulsating star could be used to measure vast distances, the key…1 min
