ASSA Bloemfontein

Groot Magellaanse Wolk vanaf Boyden-sterrewag

2012-02-06T23:39:00.000+02:00

Hi Almal, hier is een van die fotos wat geneem is tydens die naweek van die Bloemfontein/Johannesburg inter. Die een is Vrydagaandgeneem.

Frans Human het sy Canon kamera en 200mm f2.8 lens saamgebring en saam kon ons hierdie foto saamstel.

Dit is slegs 'n uur se data in totaal. Die tarantula lê links onder in die wolk. Hy vertoon blou en nie pienk nie, omdat die DSLR kamera 'n ingeboude infra rooi filter het wat dan maak dat die chip baie onsensitief vir die rooi in waterstofnewels is.

Die GMW bestaan uit ongeveer 10biljoen sterre.

Dit is verstommend hoe baie sterre die agtergrond alleen uitmaak en dis nie eers deel van die melkweg nie.

Groete

Brett du Preez

Klein Magellaanse Wolk vanaf Boyden-sterrewag

2012-02-06T23:27:00.000+02:00

Hier het Brett du Preez van ASSA Bloemfontein die Klein Magellaanse Wolk in Tucana met `n Canon DSLR op `n volgmopntering vasgevang. NGC 104 (Tucanae 47) is duidelik sigbaar. Ook NGC 362, `n effens kleiner bolvormige sterreswerm is net links van die Klein Magellaanse wolk sigbaar. (200mm lens @f2.8, Canon DSLR ISO 800)

Die foto is tydens ASSA Johannesburg se besoek aan Bloemfontein geneem.

M45 vanaf Boyden-sterrewag

2012-02-06T23:04:00.000+02:00

Brett du Preez van ASSA Bloemfontein het M45 (Pleiades) in swart-en-wit vasgevang. Van die beligtings is einde 2011 gemaak en toe nog `n paar vroeg in die nuwe jaar.

Komeet Lovejoy op 1 Januarie 2012

2012-01-13T11:14:00.000+02:00

Foto: Hannes Pieterse (Klik om foto te vegroot)

Uiteindelik kon ek ook vir komeet Lovejoy sien. Die wolke het Nuwejaarsnag in die niet verdwyn en so in die deinserigheid oor die see by Reebok het ek so 03:00 na die wasigheid begin soek. Eers niks, maar toe het ek die stert se kante as `n skerp lyn met 'n verkyker (12 X 50) gesien. Dof maar daar. Die ligbesoedeling is nogal `n probleem - Die son wat amper opkom en die ligte van Mosselbaai. By `n lekker donker plek sal mens die komeet dalk met die blote oog kan waarneem. Nie hier oor die see nie.

Selfs op die foto is die komeet baie dof. Kyk mooi. Dit kern is net buite Ara en dan loop dit reg deur Triangulum Australe.(Op die nuwe verwerkte foto is die komeet baie dudieliker)

Oor 'n paar dae gaan die komeet reeds vroegaand sigbaar wees. Dit moet baie donker wees.

Fotoinligting: Canon 30D op driepoot gemonteer; fokale lengte: 17mm x1.6; 3 minute beligting; f6.3; ISO 800; Foto baie effens met Lightroom verwerk. Finale verwerking met Neil Carboni se Astronomy Tools in Photoshop.

Groete
Hannes Pieterse

(Comet Lovejoy)

Kepler 22b - the 'new Earth' - could have oceans and continents, scientists claim

2011-12-07T00:28:00.000+02:00

Kepler 22b, the planet which scientists say hold the best hope yet for future human habitation, could have continents, oceans and creatures already living on its surface, they believe.

The new planet was discovered by Nasa’s Kepler space telescope two years ago but new research has identified it as the most similar to our own yet discovered.

Kepler 22b is about twice the size of Earth and has temperatures which average around 72 degrees (22 Celsius).

It also contains the right atmosphere to potentially support life. However, there is a downside: it is 600 light years from Earth.

Kepler 22b is the first so-called "super-Earth" known to lie within the "habitable" zone of a star similar to our Sun.

Dubbed the "Goldilocks Zone", this is the band where temperatures are just right to allow the existence of surface liquid water throughout its orbit.

No Hope for the Russian Space Probe

2011-12-05T22:56:00.000+02:00

The European Space Agency has given up on efforts to revive Fobos-Grunt, the Russian space probe that was slated to visit the Martian moon Phobos, but got stuck in Earth’s orbit shortly after launch.

The unmanned probe was launched on Nov. 9 with a mission to take soil samples from the Martian moon and fly them to Earth. All efforts from the ESA to send the probe commands that could send it to the next stage of its mission have been unsuccessful, however, and now the ESA has announced it will not be making further attempts to contact the probe.

“In consultation and agreement with Phobos-Grunt mission managers, ESA engineers will end tracking support. Efforts to send commands to and receive data from the Russian Mars mission via ESA ground stations have not succeeded; no response has been seen from the satellite. ESA teams remain available to assist the Phobos-Grunt mission if indicated by any change in the situation,” said ESA in an official statement.

This likely won’t be the last we hear of the 13.2-ton spacecraft, as scientists expect it to fall back to Earth sometime in January. Most of its weight consists of highly toxic hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide fuel, which, according to NASA veteran James Oberg, makes the probe the “most toxic falling satellite ever.”

If the fuel has frozen in space, some of it could survive the fall to Earth, but if it’s liquid, it will probably burn away – along with the rest of the probe – when re-entering the atmosphere, experts say.

Source: Mashable Tech

Astronomy Magazine - Top 10 space stories in 2011

2011-11-27T23:28:00.000+02:00

1. The last flight of the space shuttle

2. These standard candles aren't so standard - Some cepheid variables in dispute.

3. Most eart-like planet found... yes, no, yes?

4. Scientists watch as a black hole eats a star.

5. Water may still flow on Mars.

6. A Better understanding of the complexities of our star.

7. An asteroid sharing Earth's orbit.

8. The Milky Way blows bubbles - Gamma ray bubbles perpendicular to Milky Ways disk discovered.

9. New type of stellar explosion - Supernova 2005ap in Coma Berenices.

10. Mercury reveals itself. Spacecraft Messenger imaged the surface after a journey of 7 years.

Read these stories in the January edition.

Curiosity on it's way to Mars

2011-11-27T22:40:00.000+02:00

The Atlas 5 rocket launches the Mars Science Laboratory from Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 at 10:02 a.m. EST, sending Earth's Curiosity to explore the red planet!

Curiosity on its way to Mars - Assortment of videos to watch

2011-11-24T23:17:00.000+02:00

ArtSpoken & Reviews

Moira de Swardt: The stars in South Africa's night sky ...

One of my favourite little books for sky happenings this past year was the Sky Guide 2011. I went on trips to countryside where light pollution is less of a problem than in the big city and it was actually used. I looked forward to receiving the 2012 edition with some eager anticipation.

Inflation has seen a small rise in price from R85 to R95, but at under R100, this is still a very reasonably priced pocket guide to the Southern African night sky.

As in previous editions the monthly sky diary is supplemented by information phrased simply enough for non-scientific types like me to follow, and they include information on the sun, moon, planets, asteroids, comets, meteors, stars, deep sky, basic observing skills, seasonal start charts and a history of astronomy in Southern Africa. The information is largely different to that of the information contained in the 2011 book.

More....

ASSA Johannesburg se teleskoopmakers op die kassie

2011-11-19T09:06:00.000+02:00

Ook op YouTube

`n Groot lekkerte in jou posbus!

2011-11-11T23:07:00.001+02:00

Daar is darem nie iets so lekker as om jou posbus oop te maak en `n gunstelingtydskrif in sy plastieksakkie daar te sien lê nie. Dis nou die Sky &Telescope doer ver uit Amerika.

In die jongste uitgawe word SkySafari3 - (for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch) bespreek. Dit is `n"warm" planetariumprogram wat ope-aande baie gaanvergemaklik. Soms reën die vrae op jou en daardie stukkie inligting wat op die punt van jou tong is, wil net nie kom nie.

Loer gerus op hulle webblad http://www.southernstars.com/.

Ek het die sagteware op `n iPad2 in aksie gesien en dit kook!
- Satelliete beweeg inwerklike tyd verby.
- En jy kan dit aan `n groot verskeidenheid Go-Toteleskope koppel (met eksra koppelvlak).
- Klik op `n voorwerp en jy het al daardie inligting wat mensevir jou vra. So jy hoef nie meer in boeke in die donker rond te grawe nie.
- Jadit het `n rooi nagverstelling en geen ligte skyn in jou oë nie.
- Ook `n nuttige lys van voorwerpe wat die aand sigbaar is.
- Posisie van Jupiter se mane vertoon soos dit op daardie oomblik is.
- En nog baie meer. Lees op die webblad oor die sagteware.

Die databasis vir die Plus weergawe gaan jou vir jare besig hou. DiePro-weergawe is regtig vir die hardebaard-sterrekundiges.

As jy bevoorreg is om een van Steve Jobs se i-speelgoed te hê, kan jy gerus die sagteware oorweeg. Die Plus weergawe kos maar $15 by iTunes.

Daar is glo `n Android-weergawe op pad.

Groot klip sommer baie naby verby.

2011-11-11T22:57:00.001+02:00

Vroeër die week het 2005 YU55so bietjie meer as 325 000 km van die aarde af verby beweeg. Dit is effensnader as die maan se afstand.

Meer inligting: Asteroid Flyby: How Students Helped World See Giant Space Rock 2005 YU55

"On November 10, 2011 there were 1256 potentially hazardous asteroids." (http://spaceweather.com/) Onder aan die blad.
Asteroid 2005 YU55 to Pass Earth; Closer Than Moon
Asteroid 2005 YU55 facts & figures

Sonvlekke vir Afrika!

2011-11-11T22:53:00.001+02:00

Hou bietjie die sonvlekke dop. As jy Donderdagaand Sterre en Planete geluister het soujy die waarskuwing vir die volgende paar dae gehoor het: GPS,Internetverbindings en selfone gaan in die hek duik en dit as gevolg van al diesonaktiwiteite.

Loer hoe lyk dit op die son by http://spaceweather.com/. Wanneer laas was daar so baie aktiwiteit. Klik op die klein sonnetjie links op die spyskaart.

Onthou dit is gevaarlik om sonder die regte toerusting na die son te kyk. Jy het spesiale filters nodig. Moenie deur `n verkyker of teleskoop direk na die son kyk nie. Jy sal jou sig verloor!

Local is Lekker! Star Gazer's Deep Space Atlas!

2011-11-06T22:07:00.001+02:00

This is a must for your Xmas-stocking

Wayne Mitchell is offering his book, Star Gazer's Deep Space Atlas, at R329 for the month of November for anypersons interested when ordering directly from him.

- Postage: R45.

For the special people must contact Wayne directly at wayne.mitchell@penbrogroupe.comand mention the special offer.

Visit the website

The latest Stellarium available

2011-11-06T20:01:00.003+02:00

2011/11/04

Stellarium 0.11.1 has been released!

The Stellarium team is proud to announce the release of version 0.11.1. This is an important bug fix release closing more than 20 bugs in the main application and in the plug-ins. It also brings small GUI usability improvements. A huge thanks to all community bug reporters who helped us a lot finding bugs! You can find the full list of changes the change log.

We have updated the configuration file and the Solar System file, so if you have an existing Stellarium installation, you need to reset the settings after you install the new version.

Download now (55MB)

Bring a memory stick to the next meeting (ASSA Bloemfontein). It will be available!

Hot News: Supernova 2011gv in Galaxy IC4901

2011-10-23T23:56:00.002+02:00

Supernova 2011gv in Galaxy IC4901

by gregbradley

This image shows supernova SN2011gv, discovered last week by IceInSpace member Greg Bock as part of the amateur BOSS supernova searching team. The supernova is in the galaxy IC4901, in the constellation Pavo and is marked by the 2 lines near the centre of the galaxy. Greg Bock has taken tens of thousands of images hunting for supernova over the years, and to finally get one must be very satisfying for him. Image by Greg Bradley with an FLI Microline 8300 and Planewave CDK17, 70 mins exposure.

ASSA Johannesburg se besoek aan Boyden

2011-10-17T23:30:00.002+02:00

Brett besig om foto's te neem

Nog foto's van die besoek

Sterrekundewoordeboek / Dictionary of astronomy

2011-10-08T13:05:00.000+02:00

Sterrekundewoordeboek

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns gee vir ons `n aanlyn Sterrekundewoordeboek / Dictionary of astronomy.

(Afrikaans– Engels)

Voorbeeld

aangroeistroom (akkresiestroom) : accretionstream

aangroeitempo (akkresietempo) : accretionrate, rate of accretion

aangroeiteorie (akkresieteorie) : accretion theoryaanjaagvuurpyl : booster rocket aanraking (kontak) : contact aantrek : attractaantrekking : attraction aantrekkingsfeer (sentrosfeer) : attraction sphere,centrosphere aantrekkingskrag : attractive force

Aanlynwoordeboek

- Die Engels/Afrikaans-weergawe is later beskikbaar

Ruimtewoordeboek in Afrikaans

`n Engels/Afrikaans en Afrikaans/Engels Woordeboek van Ruimteterminologie is in Kaapstad deur die Internasionale Akademie van Ruimtevaart (IAA) bekend gestel.

Dit is ook aanlyn beskikbaar (Meer inligting sodra die skakel werk)

Pharos Speller Speltoetser

Nog `n stukkie inligting vir ouens wat met Afrikaanse spelling van woorde sukkel.

Die gewilde Pharos Speller Speltoetser & woordafbreker is pas opgedateer en bygewerk en is nou versoenbaar met Windows 7.

Laai gratis af

A Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way

2011-10-08T12:45:00.000+02:00

A Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way
Edward Emerson Barnard, Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin

Edward Emerson Barnard's Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way was originally published in two volumes in 1927. Together these volumes contained a wealth of information, including photographic plates of the most interesting portions of the Milky Way, descriptive text, charts, and data. Only 700 copies were printed, making the original edition a collector's item. Reproduced in print for the first time, this edition combines both volumes of Barnard's Atlas. It directly replicates Barnard's text, and contains high resolution images of the original photographic plates and charts, reordered so that they can be seen together. It also includes a biography of Barnard and his work, a Foreword and Addendum by Gerald Orin Dobek describing the importance of the Atlas and additions to this volume, and a pull-out section with a mosaic of all 50 plates combined in a single panorama.

Cambridge University Press

Speed-of-light results under scrutiny at Cern

2011-10-02T23:25:00.000+02:00

Enormous underground detectors are needed to catch neutrinos, that are so elusive as to be dubbed "ghost particles"

Source: BBC

By Jason Palmer Science and technology reporter, BBC News

A meeting at Cern, the world's largest physics lab, has addressed results that suggest subatomic particles have gone faster than the speed of light.

The team has published its work so other scientists can determine if the approach contains any mistakes.

If it does not, one of the pillars of modern science may come tumbling down.

Antonio Ereditato added "words of caution" to his Cern presentation because of the "potentially great impact on physics" of the result.

The speed of light is widely held to be the Universe's ultimate speed limit, and much of modern physics - as laid out in part by Albert Einstein in his theory of special relativity - depends on the idea that nothing can exceed it.

Thousands of experiments have been undertaken to measure it ever more precisely, and no result has ever spotted a particle breaking the limit.

"We tried to find all possible explanations for this," the report's author Antonio Ereditato of the Opera collaboration told BBC News on Thursday evening.

"We wanted to find a mistake - trivial mistakes, more complicated mistakes, or nasty effects - and we didn't.

"When you don't find anything, then you say 'well, now I'm forced to go out and ask the community to scrutinise this'."

Friday's meeting was designed to begin this process, with hopes that other scientists will find inconsistencies in the measurements and, hopefully, repeat the experiment elsewhere.

"Despite the large [statistical] significance of this measurement that you have seen and the stability of the analysis, since it has a potentially great impact on physics, this motivates the continuation of our studies in order to find still-unknown systematic effects," Dr Ereditato told the meeting.

"We look forward to independent measurement from other experiments."

The Ten Commandments for Amateur Astronomers

2011-10-02T22:24:00.000+02:00

Sourced from October Canopus, Newsletter - ASSA Johannesburg Centre

Articles about the Bloemfontein visit in Canopus.

Submitted by Annelie Hoberg; Source: www.physlink.com, Anonymous

1. Thou shalt have no white light before thee, behind thee, or to the side of thee whilst sharing the night sky with thy fellow stargazers.

2. Thou shalt not love thy telescope more than thy spouse or thy children; as much as, maybe, but not more.

3. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's telescope, unless it exceeds in aperture or electronics twice that of thy wildest dreams.

4. Thou shalt not read "Astronomy" or "Sky & Telescope" on company time, for thine employer makes it possible to continue thine astronomical hobby.

5. Thou shalt have at least two telescopes so as to keep thy spouse interested when the same accompanies thee under the night sky or on eclipse expeditions to strange lands where exotic wild animals doth roam freely.

6. Thou shalt not allow either thy sons or thy daughters to get married during the Holy Days of Starfest.

7. Thou shalt not reveal to thy spouse the true cost of thy telescope collection; only the individual components and that shall be done with great infrequency.

8. Thou shalt not buy thy spouse any lenses, filters, dew shields, maps, charts, or any other necessities for Christmas, anniversaries, or birthdays unless thy spouse needs them for their own telescope.

9. Thou shalt not deceive thy spouse into thinking that ye are taking them for a romantic Saturday night drive when indeed thou art heading for a dark sky site.

10. Thou shalt not store thy telescope in thy living room, dining room, or bedroom, lest thou be sleeping with it full time.

Neville Young's book "Astronomy - Yes You Can"

2011-10-02T21:19:00.002+02:00

New book - by Neville Young This composite photograph shows Fred Oosthuizen with the Stevick-Paul telescope that he built and mounted inside his observatory on the roof of his house. The photograph is being included in Neville Young's book "Astronomy - Yes You Can" which will reach the bookshops in March next year. Neville is a former chairman of the Pretoria Centre and is still a member of it.

The book is also being translated into Afrikaans by Bosman Olivier, a committee member of the Pretoria Centre. The book is intended to interest the layman in astronomy particularly and in science generally, but has been received with great interest by the experienced amateur Michael Poll and the professional Barbara Cunow, who are helping Neville to ensure that the content of the book will be accurate.

Source: ASSA PretoriaCentre - August Newsletter

NASA’s Cassini orbiter snaps unbelievable picture of Saturn

2011-09-09T22:42:00.001+02:00

Click to enlarge

Science fiction movies have spoiled us on high definition views of our planetary neighbors, but real-life photographs with equal jaw-dropping potential are exceedingly rare. That's what makes NASA's awe-inspiring snapshot of Saturn (hi-res version here) such a stunning piece of eye candy.

Taken by NASA's Cassini robotic orbiter, the shot was captured from the dark side of Saturn as the Sun's bright rays illuminated every piece of dust and debris circling the planet. Cassini has offered astronomers a never-before-seen look at Saturn and revealed more information about the planet than any craft before it. The craft has taken so many pictures of the ringed wonder that they were recently made into a short flyby film that looks like it was created by George Lucas rather than a robotic space explorer.

The Cassini probe was launched in 1997 and took a further 7 years to reach Saturn's orbit. The total cost of its overarching objective of studying the ringed planet stands at a staggering $3.26 billion. However, the wealth of information it has wrought — including amazing pictures like the one above, and recordings of massive lightning storms on the planet — have already made it one of the best investments in space exploration. Hopefully Juno — which began a 5-year trek to Jupiter just last month — will bring us some equally stunning shots of Saturn's neighbor.
[Image credit: NASA]

Transit of Venus, 2012

2011-09-08T22:35:00.001+02:00

The next transit of Venus will occur on June 5–June 6 in 2012, succeeding the previous transit on June 8, 2004. After 2012, the next transits of Venus will be in December 2117 and December 2125.

Where visible

Astronomers discover planet made of diamond

2011-08-29T20:19:00.003+02:00

LONDON (Reuters) - Astronomers have spotted an exotic planet that seems to be made of diamond racing around a tiny star in our galactic backyard.

The new planet is far denser than any other known so far and consists largely of carbon. Because it is so dense, scientists calculate the carbon must be crystalline, so a large part of this strange world will effectively be diamond.

"The evolutionary history and amazing density of the planet all suggest it is comprised of carbon -- i.e. a massive diamond orbiting a neutron star every two hours in an orbit so tight it would fit inside our own Sun," said Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.

More info...

Kollimasie werkswinkel

2011-08-28T23:44:00.000+02:00

Met al die sirkeltjies en swart kolletjies in plek gaan jy net baie beter sien met jou teleskoop. By `n werkswinkel wat Thinus van der Merwe en Brett du Preez by die Boyden-sterrewag vir amateur sterrekundiges aangebied het, het lede geleer hoe om onder meer `n Cheshire kollimeerder te gebruik.

Tipiese somer vlieswolke het die dieplugwaarneming in die wiele gery, maar daar was genoeg oop kolle om vinnig na Tuc 47 (NGC 104) en ook `n paar ander voorwerpe te kyk.

Komeet C/2009 P1 (Garradd) in Sagitta was ook op die spyskaart en is en Wessel du Preez van Senekal het dit vinnig met sy nuwe 10" Skywatcher opgespoor. Net so links onder M71 (sterbondel).

Vroeër die middag het James Ross gehelp om al die spieël wat geslyp word se randjies te "bevel". Hy en Thinus het ook geloer of almal nog op die regte spoor is met die harde werk.

2012 Karoo-sterrefees

2011-07-30T12:44:00.003+02:00

Die Sterrefees by Kambro Padstal by Britstown is in Weg, die reistydskrif aangekondig.

Kambro padstal was een van die naaswenners in Weg se kompetisie vir padstalle in Suid-Afrika.

21 - 25 Maart 2012

Gerrit Penning en Pieter Pieterse maak reg vir die nag se waarnemings by Britstown tydens die 2011 sterrefees.

KAROO STARPARTY 2012

The ASSA Pretoria Centre is continuing the annual National Karoo Starparty which was started in
2009 at the Kambro Padstal, about 20 km north of Britstown in the Karoo, next to the N12 National Road. This event is intended to be a get-together for friends that want to enjoy the beautiful Karoo sky and there are no scheduled events, talks or workshops – we go there simply to enjoy the company of fellow stargazers and the legendary Karoo sky.

The date for the 2012 Starparty is scheduled for the week-end of 21 March 2012. That is Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 March 2012.

- Wednesday 12 March is a National Holiday. Please book early to avoid dissappointment!

There is also accommodation available in Britstown at the Karoo Country Inn.

See http://www.kambroaccom.co.za or phone Wilma Strauss at 0833056668 for details of the site and to make a booking.

- Meer inligting oor die 2011 Karoo-sterrefees

- Kambro Padstal by Britstown GPS S30°-25-00.3 E23°-33-56.1

A Southern Comet on its way to us

2011-07-28T22:11:00.001+02:00

Copyright © 1995 by Tim Puckett

This image was taken by Tim Puckett (Villa Rica, Georgia, USA) on 1995 December 28.99, using a 0.30-m f/7 Meade LX-200 and an SBIG ST-6 CCD camera. It is a 300-second exposure.

Visit the webpage

16 August 2011: Closest approach of the brightest comet of the year
Comet: 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková
Visible: August until September, fading in October
Magnitude: 6
Finder charts: Sky Guide (pg 31)

45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková

Info from Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand

The comet Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova is expected to brighten rapidly in August as it passes to the south of the Earth. It will be observable from the southern hemisphere for about 2 weeks before getting too close to the Sun.

At its closest the comet will be 0.060 AU from the Earth, that is about 9 million kilometers away. While this is close for a comet, it is still about 24 times the distance of the moon. When it is first at magnitude 10, on the evening of August 9/10 it will be visible from New Zealand throughout the night, setting only briefly during daylight hours. For the next few nights until August 16 it will be circumpolar although low in the sky in the evening. On the 17th it will set briefly in the evening to rise again about midnight.

Over the next few days, as the comet moves north it will rise after midnight so becoming a morning object. Its elongation from the Sun will decrease as the comet moves away from the Earth towards the Sun and it will rise later in the morning to become lost in the morning twilight by about August 23.

By mid September Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova will be an 8th magnitude object rising about 90 minutes before the Sun into the dawn sky. The comet will then be slow moving in Leo, a few degrees from Regulus. By mid October it will have faded to magnitude 10.

45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková is a periodic comet discovered by Minoru Honda December 3, 1948. The comet is named after Minoru Honda, Antonín Mrkos and Ludmila Pajdušáková. The orbit is elliptical with a period of 5.252 years. The comet nucleus is estimated to be 1.6 kilometers in diameter. (Information from Wikipedia.)

45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova
Perihelion: 2011 September 28
Maximum magnitude about 7

Vaarwel aan NASA se ruimtependeltuig, Atlantis

2011-07-21T21:13:00.002+02:00

Willie Koorts:

Wat ‘n fantastiese manier om die Pendeltuig program vaarwel te roep! Na Oleg se voorspelling dat die twee ‘n paar minute uitmekaar sou wees en Rudie se opmerking op Facebook dat hulle verby die Suiderkruis gaan vlieg, het ek my foto beplan deur op een plek te konsentreer en agterna die fotos te kombineer. Ek was so besig om te konsentreer op Atlantis, dat ek eers later besef het dat ISS so kort na dit volg, om die waarheid te sê, hulle was naby genoeg om in een veld te pas, maar ek moes deurdruk met my beplande foto.
Dit was wonderlik dat ons so goed geplaas was vir die swanesang, en boonop ook nog perfekte weer in die middel van die winter!

Besoek gerus OOg se webblad vir nog `n paar foto's

Happy first birthday, Neptune!

2011-07-11T23:11:00.004+02:00

On 12 July, Neptune will celebrate its very first birthday because exactly one Neptunian year -- or 164.79 Earth years -- will have passed since its discovery.

Neptune was mathematically predicted before it was first telescopically observed on 24 September 1846. Astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle and his assistant Heinrich Louis d'Arrest used Urbain Le Verrier's calculations to locate the planet. It was found to be within a single degree of where Le Verrier had predicted it would be and it was the first planet to have been discovered deliberately.

More...

How to tick the Horesehead nebula of your astro bucket list

2011-06-23T23:20:00.000+02:00

Seeing the Horsehead with a filter is a real accomplishment; finding it without one is something to very be proud of!

Dark Nebula w/nebulosity

aka B33, LDN 1630

Minimum requirements to detect: 8-inch scope under dark skies

More information to to tick this of your astro bucket list

Nog `n maanverduisteringfoto

2011-06-20T23:40:00.000+02:00

Frans Human van ASSA Bloemfontein het hierdie samestelling van die totale maanverduistering afgeneem.

Total Lunar Eclipse , 15 June 2011 - Animation

2011-06-17T00:46:00.000+02:00

Click on Picture to view eclipse animation

Photos: Hannes Pieterse

Onthou: Algehele Maanverduistering, 15 Junie 2011

2011-06-14T08:17:00.000+02:00

Laai groter grafika af

Tye volgens The Sky 6:

19:24: Beweeg in Penumbra in
20:23: Beweeg in Umbra in (Verduistering is meer sigbaar)
21:23: Algehele verduistering begin. Maan in in rooi gloed gehul.
23:03 Algehele verduistering eindig. Beweeg in penumbra in. (Maan word meer strokie-vir-strokiesigbaar)
00:04 Maan uit Umbra en in Penumbra.
01:04 Maan uit Penumbra en algehele verduistering is verby.

Reminder: Total Lunar Eclipse, 15 June

NGC 3324, Gabriela Mistral nebula vanaf Boyden-sterrewag, Bloemfontein

2011-06-10T23:21:00.001+02:00

Klik om te vergroot

NGC 3324, Gabriela Mistral nebula
Constellation: Carina (Car)
Foto: Brett du Preez, ASSA Bloemfontein

Atik 383L+
280mins Ha data
20mins subs
127mm Apo triplet refractor
Cgem off axis autoguided with Meade dsi pro
Captured with Maxim DL 5, Sigma stacked, processed with startools and Photoshop cs5

ATM: Amaterur teleskoopmakers in Bloemfontein bymekaar

2011-06-06T13:07:00.000+02:00

Thinus van der Merwe van ASSA Bloemfontein wys hier hoe `n spieël geslyp moet word by `n inligtingsessie om jou eie teleskoop te bou.

Meer inligting oor die projek

Die "Jet Stream" beïnvloed jou waarnemingsomstandighede!

2011-06-04T13:01:00.000+02:00

Kliek om te vergroot

Die Suidelike "Jet stream" soos op 4 Junie 2011 besig om oor Suidelike Afrika te beweeg. Tog as jy na die Wolkekaart van Kobus Botha (hieronder) kyk is dit oopgetrek oor Suid-Afrika.

Kliek om te vergroot

Hoe gaan die "seeing" vanaand by Boyden wees? Waarskynlik onstabiel. Is dit nie `n nfaktor wat ons amateurs nie in gedagte hou as ons observasieaande beplan nie. Agterna kla ons oor die voorwerpe wat rondspring.

Lees gerus die artikel hieronder wat ek op `n webtuiste raak ge-google het. Onderaan is 'n paar skakels.

How the Jet Stream impacts astronomical "seeing"

Source: Astronomy Club of Asheville

"Seeing" refers to the the amount of "blurring" caused by the earth's atmosphere -- most apparent in a telescope using higher magnifications. Astronomers refer to this atmospheric turmoil as "bad seeing". Seeing well at high magnifications is only possible when the air is steady.

Excellent seeing means, at high magnification, you will see fine detail on planets. In bad seeing, planets might look like they are under a layer of rippling water and show little detail at any magnification, but the view of galaxies is probably undiminished.

Bad seeing is caused by turbulence combined with temperature differences in the atmosphere. The turbulence may be caused by ground level winds as well as higher level air movements created by the jet stream. When the jet stream is overhead, seeing is generally poor.

Bad seeing can occur during perfectly clear weather. Often good seeing occurs during poor transparency. It's because seeing is not very related to the water vapor content (transparency) of the air.

Skakels

- Stel animasie op van Suidelike "Jet Stream"

- Grafika van vandag se Suidelike "Jet Stream"

- The Atmosphere and Observing - A guide to Astronomical seeing.

- Predicting the seeing (over Holland) is that possible?!

- Chapter 8 -- "Astronomical Seeing"

Deep Space Atlas - Father's day Special

2011-06-01T21:58:00.000+02:00

FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL!
Father's Day special of R299 for the Deep Space Atlas for the
month of June. (Usual price R399)
Postage: R45
To order, please use the following email address: wayne.mitchell@penbogroupe.com

For more info about the book visit blog article: Deep Space Atlas

Kom bou jou eie teleskoop!

2011-05-31T12:16:00.000+02:00

Inligtingsessie: Kom bou jou eie teleskoop!

Datum: 4 Junie 2011 (Saterdag)
Tyd: 18:00
Plek: Boyden-sterrewag

Aangebied deur die Bloemfontein Sterrekundevereniging

Thinus van der Merwe, `n gesoute teleskoopbouer van die vereniging, met `n hele paar teleskope op sy kerfstok, gaan ons meer oor die projek vertel.

Hy gaan ook vir ons `n praktiese demonstrasie gee van die stappe om `n spieël te slyp.

Vir wie: Almal wat belangstel om sy eie teleskoop te bou. `n Lekker gesinsprojek.

Nee, dit is nie net `n projek vir die manne nie. Mia Zeelie, van die vereniging het vroeër haar eie teleskoop gebou.

Waaroor gaan ons praat?

- Koste van so `n projek.
- Hoe gaan ons die projek aanpak?
- Is dit goedkoper as om `n teleskoop te koop?
- Hoe maklik is dit om dit self te doen?
- Wat het jy alles nodig om so `n projek aan te pak?
- Waar kry jy al die benodigdhede vir so `n projek?
- Hoe slyp mens self die spieël?
- Het jy duur toerusting nodig om die voetstuk/basis te maak?
- Wie gaan help as jy vashaak?
- Hoe lank gaan die projek neem?
- Is `n selfgemaakte teleskoop beter as `n gekoopte teleskoop?

As daar nog vrae is kan jy dit gerus vir ons stuur. e-pos aan: assabfn@gmail.com Die kundige ouens sal dit Saterdagaand beantwoord.

Besoek ons 2007 webblad toe ons `n soortgelyke projek aangepak het en loer na die teleskope wat gebou is.

Kliek hier

Daar is ook `n paar kort videos oor die slyp en bouproses van `n teleskoop.
Ons sal ook van die selfgeboude teleskope by Boyden hê, sodat jy kan sien hoe dit lyk.
As die weer saamspeel sal ons ook deur `n selfgeboude teleskoop kan kyk.
Die kanse is goed dat jy al so `n teleskoop by Boyden op die platform gesien het.

Laat weet asseblief of jy die geleentheid gaan bywoon.
e-pos aan: assabfn@gmail.com

A Reminder: Total eclipse of the Moon (Wednesday June 15, 2011)

2011-05-30T22:22:00.000+02:00

Date: 27 – 28October 2004

Time: 02:00 – 04:25Place: Back Yard Observatory, Westdene, Bloemfontein

Equipment: Canon 10; ISO400 - 1600; Exposure: 1/250 – ¼ sec;Camera attached to Celestron 11GPS telescope; Focal length: 2800mm. Only firsthalf of eclipse was visible. Neighbours roof and sun interfered with last part.

Technique: Shutter release used to prevent movement. Telescopewas in Lunar tracking mode.

Image Processing: Photoshop

Photographer: Hannes Pieterse

On Wednesday evening, June 15, 2011, the Moon will be in line with the Earth and the Sun, and the shadow from our planet will obscure the Moon, turning it a dramatic orangey-red colour.

This beautiful and rare event is inspiring to watch

Click here for the details:

Observing 101: Averted Vision

2011-05-30T22:04:00.000+02:00

Averted Vision: Getting The Most From What Nature Gave You

Using averted vision means looking slightly off to one side rather than straight on. It exposes the most sensitive part of your eye and lets you see much fainter objects. If you’ve never tried this before, you’ll be amazed at how much more you can see, with or without a telescope.
The Basics
• The retina of your eye has two types of light-detecting cells: rods and cones.
• Cones detect color under well-lit conditions and are densely packed in the fovea, near the center of your retina. Cones help you see color and fine detail, which is why you look directly at objects you want to see well, like books, movies, and faces.
• Rods are mostly away from the center of your retina. You see less detail and no color with the rods, but they are much more sensitive to light.
• The way your eye is structured means you see the faintest objects if you look 8 to 16 degrees off center. The exact angle is a little different for each person.
• This only works if the object you’re looking at is on the nose-ward side of your eye. So look slightly rightward with your right eye and leftward with your left eye. Do the reverse and you’ll expose the blind spot of your eye and you won’t see a thing.

A cross section of the human retina, showing rod and cone cells.
A Deeper Look
• If you’re using both eyes, as with binoculars, looking only sideways makes one eye more sensitive at the expense of the other. The solution? Look up. That uses another rod-rich part of your retina above the fovea.
• With a little practice, averted vision reveals objects 20-40x fainter than direct vision. That’s a huge difference.
• Rods are most sensitive to blue-green light, but your optics nerve and brain are not wired to detect color when only your rod cells are exposed to light. That’s why faint objects appear grayish-white.

The sensitivity of rods and cones to light across the spectrum
Good To Know
The blinking nebula, NGC 6826, is an object that most dramatically demonstrates averted vision. Stare directly at this blue-green planetary nebula and you see only the dim central star. Look slightly to the side and the faint nebula around the star appears suddenly. When you switch from straight on to averted vision, the nebula appears to blink on and off. It’s darned impressive.
Personal View
I usually begin with a short lesson on averted vision when showing faint objects to beginners. When they try it, they usually gasp at the subtle detail that suddenly appears.

Observing 101: Dark Adaptation

2011-05-30T18:29:00.000+02:00

Dark Adaptation: “Looking” Your Best

March 14, 2008
To best see faint deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae, you have to make sure your eyes are “dark adapted”. Here’s what you need to know.
The Basics
• The human eye evolved to operate in two modes, photopic for seeing in well-lit conditions and scotopic for seeing faint objects in the dark.
• As you learned earlier, your retina has two types of cells, rods and cones. In photopic mode, the cones detect bright light and colors. But in scotopic mode, the rods detect faint light. Both types of cells contain dyes that undergo a chemical change called “bleaching” when hit by light.
• In light-adapted or photopic mode, the dyes in your rods are fully bleached, so they can’t detect faint light… they’re out of action. Turn the lights off and the rods to return to dark-adapted mode, but it takes a long time, about 20-60 minutes. That’s why astronomers get so angry when someone carelessly shines a white light in their eyes… they have to wait a long time to recover their dark-adapted vision.
• Going from a dark to light adapted state happens much faster, in only a few seconds.
A Deeper Look
• Each eye reacts separately to light, so you can keep one eye dark adapted while using your other eye to read star charts and slew your telescope. An eye patch is ideal.
• You can keep unwanted streetlights out of your eyes by throwing a towel over your head when looking through the eyepiece of your scope with your dark adapted eye.
• You often see astronomers using bright red LED flashlights when looking at star maps and gear around the telescope. That’s because red light cannot bleach the dye in the rods if the wavelength is > 620 nanometers. So the chemical structure of the dye in the rods is completely unaffected, while the dye in the cones still enables scotopic vision.
Good To Know
Your body cannot by itself make the dyes for the rods and cones in your retina. It needs an external chemical-beta carotene-to synthesize the dyes. A good source of beta-cartone? Carrots. So carrots really can be good for your eyesight.
Personal View
You can imagine the reaction I get from the police officers who occasionally find me in the local park wearing an eye patch with a towel over my head to block out the nearby street lights. “Really officer, I’m just trying to see the faint structure in M97. Want a carrot?”

The Atmosphere and Observing - A guide to Astronomical seeing.

2011-05-19T23:15:00.000+02:00

Introduction

An observer, be they at a mountain top observatory, or in their own back yard must, at all times contend with the Earth’s atmosphere. It is a notoriously unpredictable and limiting factor in obtaining fine views of the Planets, and close binary stars. Many often comment, especially here in the UK that seeing is all too often mediocre on most nights, but what are the factors that contribute to this?. Are there ways and signs, which indicate whether the atmosphere, will be stable or turbulent on a given night?.

What is “seeing”?

So what exactly is atmospheric seeing? - it is high frequency temperature fluctuations of the atmosphere, and the mixing of air “parcels” of different temperatures/densities. This behaviour of the atmosphere is seen at the eyepiece as a blurred, moving, or scintillating image. There are roughly 3 main areas where Atmospheric turbulence occurs. Near ground seeing (0 – 100metres or so.) central troposphere (100m – 2km), and High troposphere (6-12km.) Each area exhibits different characteristics, which are explained in more detail below.

Beware of the Jetstream

2011-05-19T23:07:00.000+02:00

Clouds along a jet stream over Canada.

Jetstream can influence your "seeing"

3. High Altitude effects.

Effects at this altitude are caused by fast moving “rivers” of air know as Jet streams. Wind shears at around the 200-300mb altitude level can cause images to appear stable, but very fuzzy, and devoid of fine detail. There isn’t anything the observer can do to prevent these effects, but forecasts are available, to help predict weather a Jet stream is present over your area. Areas of the Northern hemisphere most affected by the Polar jet stream are the Central US, Canada, North Africa, and Northern Japan. The Jet stream’s position varies with the seasons, tending to move further South during the winter and spring months.

Southern hemisphere Jetstream

Africa Jetstream

Source: Wikipedia > Jetstream

Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere (where temperature decreases with altitude) and the stratosphere (where temperature increases with altitude).[1] The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds (flowing west to east). Their paths typically have a meandering shape; jet streams may start, stop, split into two or more parts, combine into one stream, or flow in various directions including the opposite direction of most of the jet. The strongest jet streams are the polar jets, at around 7–12 km (23,000–39,000 ft) above sea level, and the higher and somewhat weaker subtropical jets at around 10–16 km (33,000–52,000 ft).

Read more about Jetstreams

Total Lunar Eclipse of June 15 - Also in Bloemfontein

2011-05-19T17:01:00.000+02:00

Total Lunar Eclipse of June 15

The first lunar eclipse of 2011 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in southern Ophiuchus about 7° west of the Lagoon Nebula (M8). The Moon passes deeply through Earth's umbral shadow during this rather long event. The total phase itself lasts 100 minutes. The last eclipse to exceed this duration was in July 2000. The Moon's contact times with Earth's umbral and penumbral shadows are listed below.

   Penumbral Eclipse Begins:  17:24:34 UT
   Partial Eclipse Begins:    18:22:56 UT
   Total Eclipse Begins:      19:22:30 UT
   Greatest Eclipse:          20:12:37 UT
   Total Eclipse Ends:        21:02:42 UT
   Partial Eclipse Ends:      22:02:15 UT
   Penumbral Eclipse Ends:    23:00:45 UT

At the instant of greatest eclipse [5] the umbral eclipse magnitude [6] will reach 1.6998 as the Moon's centre passes within 5.3 arc-minutes of the shadow axis. The Moon's southern limb will lay 54.2 arc-minutes from the edge of the umbra while the northern limb will lay 22.3 arc-minutes from the umbra's edge. Thus, the northern regions of the Moon will probably appear brighter than the southern regions that lie deeper in the shadow. Since the Moon samples a large range of umbral depths during totality, its appearance will change dramatically with time. It is difficult to predict the exact brightness distribution in the umbra so observers are encouraged to estimate the Danjon value at different times during totality (see Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness).Note that it may also be necessary to assign different Danjon values to different portions of the Moon (i.e. - north vs. south).

Nearly 30 years ago (1982 Jul 06), the author watched another total lunar eclipse with the Moon in the same part of the sky. I was amazed at how brilliantly the summer Milky Way glowed since it was all but invisible during the partial phases. Observers will have a similar opportunity during June's eclipse. In this case, the totally eclipsed Moon will lie in southern Ophiuchus just 8° northwest of the brightest Sagittarian star clouds. The summer constellations are well placed for viewing so a number of bright stars can be used for magnitude comparisons with the totally eclipsed Moon.

Antares (mv = +0.92v) is 15° to the west, Shaula (mv = +1.63) is 14° south, Epsilon Sgr (mv = +1.85) is 15° southeast, Arcturus (mv = -0.05) stands 55° to the northwest, and Altair (mv = +0.77) is 46° northeast of the Moon.

Figure 3 shows the path of the Moon through the penumbra and umbra as well as a map of Earth showing the regions of eclipse visibility. The entire event will be seen from the eastern half of Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and western Australia. Observers throughout Europe will miss the early stages of the eclipse because they occur before moonrise. Fortunately, totality will be seen throughout the continent except for northern Scotland and northern Scandinavia. Eastern Asia, eastern Australia, and New Zealand will miss the last stages of eclipse because they occur after moonset. Again, the total phase will be seen from most of these regions. Even observers in eastern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina will witness totality. However, none of the eclipse will be visible from North America. At mid-eclipse, the Moon is near the zenith for observers from Reunion and Mauritius.

Table 3 lists predicted umbral immersion and emersion times for 20 well-defined lunar craters. The timing of craters is useful in determining the atmospheric enlargement of Earth's shadow (see Crater Timings During Lunar Eclipses).

The June 15 total lunar eclipse is the 34th member of Saros 130, a series of 71 eclipses occurring in the following order: 8 penumbral, 20 partial, 14 total, 22 partial, and 7 penumbral lunar eclipses (Espenak and Meeus, 2009a) spanning 1262 years. Complete details for Saros 130 can be found at:

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaros130.html

ISS & Endeavour visible from Bloemfontein

2011-05-17T15:04:00.000+02:00

Watch out for the International Space Station and the space shuttle Endeavour passing over this evening (Tuesday). Not sure how far apart they'll be - could be a minute or two - but they should both look like bright stars moving upwards from the north-western horizon at 6:57pm. Both will "disappear" about halfway up the sky as they pass into the shadow of the Earth.

Endeavour launched Monday, and will dock with the ISS just after midday Wednesday. The "crew hatch opening" at around 2:30pm (and other mission events) can be watched live at www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv
This is the last flight of Endeavour.

For sightings of the Space Station from Southern Africa later this week, go to www.planetarium.co.za click on "In the Sky" and then "Satellites", and follow the instructions

Source:

Claire Flanagan

Wits Planetarium

011-717-1390

086-521-4273 (fax)

www.planetarium.co.za

Info for Bloemfontein from Heavens Above

ISS - Visible Passes

Observer's location:	Bloemfontein, 29.1330°S, 26.2000°E
Local time zone:	Universal Coordinated Time -2 (UTC + 2:00)
Orbit:	343 x 346 km, 51.6° (Epoch May 16)

Date	Mag	Starts			Max. altitude			Ends
Date	Mag	Time	Alt.	Az.	Time	Alt.	Az.	Time	Alt.	Az.
17 May	-1.8	18:58:03	10	NNW	18:59:32	23	N	18:59:32	23	N
18 May	-1.2	19:21:31	10	WNW	19:22:57	24	WNW	19:22:57	24	WNW
19 May	-2.8	18:10:11	10	NNW	18:12:52	34	NE	18:14:47	16	ESE
20 May	-2.6	18:33:35	10	WNW	18:36:22	42	SW	18:37:56	21	SSE
21 May	-0.7	18:58:46	10	WSW	19:00:06	12	SW	19:00:56	11	SSW
22 May	-2.6	17:45:30	10	WNW	17:48:17	42	SW	17:51:06	10	SSE
23 May	-0.7	18:10:36	10	WSW	18:11:56	12	SW	18:13:15	10	S

Images: 3rd Karoo Star Party

2011-05-08T21:29:00.000+02:00

Images of the 3rd Karoo Starparty

ScopeX op kykNet se nuus

2011-05-08T10:08:00.000+02:00

"Dis heavy interessant!"

Werskwinkel by Boyden-Sterrewag - Saterdag, 9 April 2011

2011-03-29T01:05:00.000+02:00

Foto by Boyden geneem tydens die Venus/Maan okkultasie

Kom sluit die vakansie af met `n Sterrrekunde-belewenis!

Die Bloemfontein Amateur Sterrekundige vereniging hou op 9 April `n Werskwinkel by Boyden-Sterrewag, by Bloemfontein.

Dit gaan `n praktiese dag wees, waar deelnemers gaan leer om met ander oë na die uitspansel te kyk.

Datum: Saterdag, 9 April 2011
Tyd: 14:30 vir 15:00 - 22:00
Plek: Boyden-Sterrewag, by Bloemfontein.Werkswinkel: Sterrekunde vir beginners

Van die lesings is onder meer: `n Zoemreis van 100 meter bo Boyden tot `n paar miljoen ligjare verder; Astrowaarneming vir beginners; Wat kan ons alles in die naghemel waarneem en later gaan kyk ons daarna; Inligting oor Teleskope en verkykers voor jy gaan koop.

As dit donker word gaan ons met `n verskeidenheid teleskope en verkykers kyk na al die voorwerpe waarvan ons vroeër gehoor het. Voor die maan teen 20:00 sak gaan ons ook na die hemelliggaam kyk. Jy gaan ook die geleentheid kry om self na iets in die lug te soek.

Pak vir jou `n piekniekmandjie vir die aandete en kom geniet die hemelruim. Ons sal sorg vir koffie en koeldrank.

Hulpmiddels vir die Werkswinkel (Bo-aan)

Die koste vir die werkswinkel is:

Per gesin (3) = R240; Ekstra kind = R60;
1Volwassene = R 120;
Skoolkind en volwassene R180;
(Kinders graad 7 tot 9 moet deur ouers vergesel word.
Elke inskrywing ontvang `n Sterrekunde DVD propvol inligting en nuttige sterrekunde sagteware.
Klublede van die Bloemfontein Sterrekundevereniging is R60.

Besoek die webtuiste www.assabfn.co.za/2011_werkswinkel.htm vir `n meer volledige program.
Om te bespreek
- E-pos assabfn@gmail.com
- Bel vir Yolande Fick by 051 4019751 (Soggens)

Earth Hour 2011

2011-03-25T20:19:00.000+02:00

Are you burning candles this Earth Hour?

Click here to find out how to do it safely. Keep your children and home safe.

Saturday 26 March 8:30 - 9:30PM

Earth Hour is the largest mass participation environmental event in the world and every year, WWF encourages people all over the world to turn off their lights for one hour in a symbolic gesture to pledge their commitment to combating climate change.

This year is especially important for South Africa as we will host the crucial COP17 climate change conference in Durban in December and will once again be in the global spotlight. This annual conference is where world leaders meet to assess progress in dealing with climate change and negotiate obligations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The significance is huge: South Africa will play host to a point in history at which humanity has the opportunity to prevent runaway climate change. We encourage everyone in South Africa to take a stand against climate change as it affects all of us, our country and our planet.

This year, Earth Hour is asking everyone to ‘go beyond the hour’ and commit to an on-going personal action to benefit the environment. With COP 17 on the horizon, it is especially important for people in South Africa to make their voices heard and to go beyond the hour.

GASLAND Trailer 2010. Stop these cowboys from fracking our Karoo!

2011-03-20T17:03:00.000+02:00

Time Is Now For Human Mission To Mars

2011-03-17T22:24:00.000+02:00

by Staff WritersWashington DC (SPX) Mar 15, 2011
MarsDaily

"The time for a human mission to Mars is now," write the editors of "A One Way Mission to Mars: Colonizing the Red Planet," a collection of articles published in book form this month by the Journal of Cosmology. "The overall message of this volume is not just that going to Mars is a worthwhile scientific program and a great adventure worthy of Homo sapiens. It is that we can begin the project now," write the editors, astrobiologists Paul Davies of Arizona State University and Dirk Schulze-Makuch of Washington State University.

Read more..

NASA spacecraft trying to get into Mercury's orbit

2011-03-17T22:10:00.000+02:00

A desk-sized NASA spacecraft is riding the brakes all the way to Mercury, about to pull a tricky maneuver Thursday night to become the first man-made object to orbit the tiny planet.

This image released by NASA shows an enhanced photo image of Mercury from its Messenger probe’s 2008 flyby of the planet. NASA says it was a taste of pictures likely to come after March 17, 2011, when the probe enters Mercury’s orbit. This photo shows the eastern part of the smallest and closest planet in our solar system. The colors in this picture are different than what would be seen with the naked eye, but show information about the different rock types and subtle color variations on the oddball planet. The bright yellow part is the Caloris impact basin, which is the site of one of the biggest in the solar system. Earth is about to get better acquainted with its oddball planetary cousin.

(AP Photo/NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Arizona State University/Carnegie Institution of Washington)

An asteroid the size of a house swoops by Earth

2011-03-17T22:08:00.000+02:00

An asteroid the size of a house zoomed by Earth Wednesday, flying within the orbit of the moon just one day after astronomers spotted the space rock in the sky, NASA says.

But don't worry, danger was small, those at NASA watching space rock say

Russian craft brings astronauts back to Earth

2011-03-17T21:59:00.000+02:00

by Staff WritersArkalyk, Kazakhstan (AFP) March 16, 2011

A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying a US and two Russians astronauts Wednesday parachuted amid hailing winds into a snow-swept Kazakh steppe after a five-month mission to the International Space Station.

Europe agrees 2020 space station

2011-03-17T21:55:00.000+02:00

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

Europe has formally agreed to the extension of operations at the International Space Station until 2020.

Member states have also put in place the financing to cover their commitments at the platform for the next two years.

Super Full Moon

2011-03-17T21:46:00.000+02:00

Perigee moons are as much as 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons.

by Dr. Tony Phillips
Science@NASA

Huntsville AL (SPX) Mar 17, 2011 Mark your calendar. On March 19th, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It's a super "perigee moon"--the biggest in almost 20 years.

Super full moon

2011-03-17T21:37:00.000+02:00

Mark your calendar. On March 19th, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It's a super "perigee moon"--the biggest in almost 20 years.

The Moon looks extra-big when it is beaming through foreground objects--a.k.a. "the Moon illusion."

Credit: NASA

Shell plans could threaten SKA

2011-03-17T20:46:00.000+02:00

Shell plans could threaten SKA: "Shell's plans to prospect for shale gas in the Karoo could affect South Africa's bid to build the world's biggest radio telescope, MPs have heard."

Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

2011-03-12T11:24:00.000+02:00

Help us bring the SKA project to Africa

	The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be a mega radio telescope, about 100 times more sensitive than the biggest existing radio telescope.

	SKA is a €1.5 billion project, with operating costs of about €100 million a year.

	It will be the first to provide mankind with detailed pictures of the “dark ages” 13.7 billion years back in time.

	This mega telescope will be powerful and sensitive enough to observe radio signals from the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang.

	If there is life somewhere else in the Universe, the SKA will help us find it.

	At least 24 organisations from 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, India, China, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA, are involved.

	The SKA will consist of approximately 4 000 dish-shaped antennae and other hybrid receiving technologies.

	Both South Africa and Australia have suitably remote, radio quiet areas for hosting the SKA and have competing bids to host the SKA.

	If Africa wins the SKA bid, the core of this giant telescope will be constructed in the Karoo region of the Northern Cape Province near to the towns of Carnarvon and Williston, linked to a computing facility in Cape Town.

	Other countries where stations will be placed include Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya and Zambia.

	South Africa is already building the Karoo Array Telescope (MeerKAT) which is a precursor instrument for the SKA, but will in its own right be amongst the largest and most powerful telescopes in the world.

	Why is Africa the best site for the SKA? Most valuable for science Low levels of radio frequency interference and certainty of future radio quiet zone. Significant investment in skilled human resources - bursaries for scientists from across Africa, training for technicians and artisans. Best imaging An ideal physical environment (little water vapour, calm stable weather conditions). Most Affordable Required land, labour and support services available and very affordable. Most Reliable Core basic infrastructure of roads, electricity and communication already in place . Ideal geographical location, sky coverage and topography. Safe and stable area with very few people and no conflicting economic activities. Most Options The astronomical "richness" of the southern skies & strong tradition of astronomy. Excellent academic infrastructure to support SKA science and technology.
More info... Who is the barefoot astronomer?

The Southern Star Party (2011 March, Bonnievale, South Africa)

2011-03-10T22:24:00.000+02:00

The Southern Star Party | Suidelike Sterrefees
2011 March, Bonnievale, South Africa

The mere utterance of the words "star party" makes me tingle. As a school kid I read with wide-eyed longing of Stellafane, a mystical place far, far away where all they did at night was look at deep sky objects and spent the days pushing glass. It's taken a while, but the first inkling of a local Stellafane happened this past week-end just outside Bonnievale in the Western Cape.

Read it all...

SSP photo gallery

Square Kilometre Array - Newsletter

2011-02-21T23:03:00.000+02:00

Read about all the SKA achievements

Vriende van Boyden Ope-aand, 19:00 op Vrydag 25 Februarie

2011-02-20T23:32:00.000+02:00

Vriende van Boyden Ope-aand,

19:00 op Vrydag 25 Februarie
English translation follows at the bottom

Bespreek asseblief vroegtydig!

Bel 051 401 2561 tydens kantoorure
Of stuur 'n epos aan vjaarsdp@ufs.ac.za
Toegang: R 30 per motor
Verversings en ligte etes te koop.
Aangebied deur: Vriende van Boyden Sterrewag en die Amateur Sterrekunde Vereniging

Die Ingenieurswese agter Sterrekunde

Sterrekunde het by die publiek en selfs die wetenskaplike gemeenskap die gesig van mooi foto’s, sterrekundige data en uiteindelik wetenskaplike resultate. Daar is egter ‘n enorme ingenieurspoging nodig om dit alles te laat gebeur – die meeste daarvan ongesiens agter die skerms. Willie Koorts se lesing sal op hierdie aspek fokus en sal aantoon hoe instrumentasie en beheersisteme op die voorpunt van die tegnologie wat vir die moderne sterrekunde noodsaaklik is, tot stand kom.

Willie Koorts werk vir die afgelope 23 jaar as ’n Elektroniese Tegnikus by die Suid-Afrikaanse Astronomiese Observatorium in Kaapstad. Hy het begin by SAAO se buite stasie in Sutherland in die Karoo en skuif later na hulle hoofkantoor by die sterrewag in Kaapstad as deel van die ingenieurspan. Hier ontwerp en bou hulle die beheersisteme en instrumentasie vir die teleskope in Sutherland. Die SAAO het ook die kontrak gekry om twee kameras vir SALT te bou waarby Willie Koorts nou betrokke was, spesifiek met die verantwoordelikheid vir die installasie van dié baie duur detektore.

Willie Koorts het as ’n amateur sterrekundige geïnteresseerd geraak nadat hy in Sutherland, en as deel van ’n UNISA Rekenaarwetenskap kwalifikasie, sommige B.Sc. Astronomie modules geneem het. Hy is ook ’n amateur teleskoopbouer (ATB) en werkskaf ook met die aanpassing van webkameras en donkerlig videokameras vir astronomiese gebruik. ’n Ander belangstelling van Willie Koorts is sterrekunde geskiedenis waaroor hy navorsing gedoen het en ’n paar artikels gepubliseer het. Hy het ook geïnteresseerd geraak in satellietopsporing en het ’n rekenaarbeheerde montering vir die opsporing van satelliete ontwikkel - ’n geheime Amerikaanse spioensatelliet is onlangs met so ’n sisteem opgespoor. Ander belangstellings is fotografie en in die laaste tyd, Geocaching- die “sport” om skatte te vind (en te versteek) met die gebruik van ’n GPS.

Vir die laaste vier jaar was Willie die redakteur van MNASSA (Maandelikse Notas van die Astronomiese Vereniging van Suidelike Afrika). Hy skryf gereeld vir die WEG, De KAT en ONS EIE en vertaal ’n paar publikasies vir Struik Uitgewers. Hy is die voorsitter van die OWG (die Orion Waarnemingsgroep), ’n informele sterrekundeklub in die Boland en is taamlik betrokke by die Voortrekkers en reik spesiale astronomie kentekens uit. Ander publieke uitreikaktiwiteite sluit in sy rol as toergids vir die jaarlikse ATKV bustoer vanaf Wellington (sy tuisdorp) na Sutherland.

Friends of Boyden Open Evening,

19:00 on Friday 25 February
Reservation is Required. Book early!

Contact 051 401 2561 during office hours
Or send an e-mail to vjaarsdp@ufs.ac.za to book.
Entrance: R 30 per car
Refreshments and light meals will be for sale.
Presented by: Friends of Boyden Observatory and the Amateur Astronomy Association.

The Engineering behind Astronomy

The face of astronomy to the public or even the scientific community are pretty pictures, astronomical data and ultimately scientific results. But a huge engineering effort is required to make this all happen - most of which happens unseen, behind the scenes. Willie Koorts’ talk will focus on this aspect and reveal how the cutting edge instrumentation and control systems needed in modern astronomy comes about.

Willie Koorts has been working as an Electronics Technician at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town for the past 23 years. He started at SAAO's observing outstation in Sutherland in the Karoo and later moved to their head quarters in Observatory, Cape Town as part of the engineering team there. Here they design and build the control systems and instrumentation for the telescopes in Sutherland. SAAO also got the contract to build two of the cameras for SALT with which Willie was intimately involved, with the responsibility of installing the super-expensive detectors himself.

Willie got interested as an Amateur Astronomer after starting in Sutherland and, as part of a UNISA Computer Science qualification, did some BSc Astronomy modules. He's also an ATM (Amateur Telescope Builder) and tinkered with modifying webcams and low-light video cameras for use in astronomy. Another interest is Astronomical History for which he did some research and published a few articles. He also got interested in satellite tracking and developed a computer controlled mount for tracking satellites - a secret American spy-satellite was recently tracked down using such a system. Other interests are photography and, lately, Geocaching - the "sport" of finding (and hiding) hidden treasures using a GPS.

For the last four years Willie has been the editor of MNASSA (Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa). He regularly writes articles for WEG, de Kat and Ons Eie and translated a few publications for Struik Publishers. He's the chairman of OOG (the Orion Observation Group), an informal astronomy club in the Boland and is quite involved with the Voortrekkers, presenting special astronomy badges. Other public outreach activities include being the tourguide for an annual ATKV bustour from Wellington (his hometown) to Sutherland.

Invitation to the Southern Star Party (2011 March 04-06)

2011-02-16T11:01:00.000+02:00

You're invited

Join us for a week-end of star gazing and friendly chat at the Southern Star Party, which will be held on March 04-06 on a farm just outside of Bonnievale, near Robertson, in the Western Cape.

The GPS position to point your car to is 34:00:45 South, 19:59:43 East.

The organizers of the event are Willie Koorts, Edward and Lynnette Foster, Martin Lyons, Suki Lock and Auke Slotegraaf.

Visit the website at the Southern Star Party blog for more.

Programme

As of this writing, the programme will consist of:

"What astrophotography teaches us about the deep sky" – Dr Dieter Willasch
"Basic astrophotography with a digital camera" - Kos Coronaios
"The next step: astrophotography through a telescope" - Lucas Ferreira
"How to care for and clean your telescope" – Willie Koorts
"Fossils, Light & Time" – Edward Foster
"Astronomy for beginners" – Edward Foster
"Deep Sky Observing Workshop" – Auke Slotegraaf

There will also be an "Astronomy Pub Quiz", and a sale table.

Night-time events include:

"What's up in the sky tonight" – Willie Koorts
"Learning the Constellations: Using ConCards to find star patterns and bright deep sky objects" – Auke Slotegraaf
"A Guided Binocular Starhop" – Auke Slotegraaf

Find out more

For more details, and the all-important booking and registration, visit the Southern Star Party blog. Space is very limited, so please book right away.

Valentines day in NGC 2547 in Vela

2011-02-14T00:37:00.000+02:00

Click to enlarge

Hi all Stargazers

May you have health, wealth, prosperity and joy in abundance this year!

About 7 years ago I “discovered” this cluster and took the liberty of naming it the Heart Cluster. I made mention of it in my book as well. It is cluster NGC2547, located near the bright multiple star Gamma Velorum in the constellation Vela.

I have copied Neville Young, a member and friend of the Pretoria Centre for ASSA. Hope you like it Neville!

Look Up and Discover the Cosmic Gems We All Deserve to See!

Best regards

Wayne Mitchell,

Author of the STAR GAZER'S DEEP SPACE ATLAS

Member of the Pretoria Centre of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa

www.deepspaceatlas.com

Eclipse Photo Gallery: January 4, 2011

2011-01-12T17:22:00.000+02:00

On Jan. 4, 2011, the Moon passed in front of the sun, slightly off-center, producing a partial solar eclipse visible from Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia

More images

Transit of the ISS during the Solar Eclipse of January 4, 2011 from Oman

2011-01-06T20:40:00.000+02:00

Photo: Thierry Legault

Visit his website for more information and images

Help! Is this book available in South Africa? Where?

2011-01-06T00:34:00.000+02:00

Has anyone seen this book (2nd Edition) in a bookshop in South Africa.

Email and let us know! (assabfn@gmail.com) or post a comment!

The book

Finding your way around the sky is easy with this Atlas

Atlas of the Southern Night Sky – by Steve Massey and Steve Quirk
This top-selling, Australian-authored and -published hardcover atlas has been specially produced for Southern Hemisphere stargazers.
Fully revised and updated with new information, images and maps, the latest edition has easy-to-follow starcharts and details of astronomical objects that are within reach of most backyard telescopes.
Beginning with a basic introduction to the night sky—what you can see, how to find your way around the sky and what to look for— Atlas of the Southern Night Sky then delves into lunar and planetary observing, with authoritative information on how best to observe these celestial targets. This comprehensive reference book will be appreciated for years to come.

290 full-colour pages, hardcover
Over 100 star charts and maps (use in conjunction with the Red Light Torch included in this pack)
Maps of the Moon and planets
Fully illustrated with images by Australian and New Zealand amateur astronomers to give a realistic perspective on what can be seen and photographed
List of constellations and astronomical objects visible throughout the year
Tips and tricks
Guide to astrophotography and image processing

Go Voyager! Go!

2011-01-03T15:55:00.000+02:00

The most distant space probe, Voyager 1, was about 16 light-hours away from Earth as of 9 October 2010. It took that space probe 33 years to cover that distance, and will take over 18,000 years to reach one light-year at the same speed.

Voyager 1 is about to kiss the solar system goodbye.

The plucky spacecraft – one of two Voyagers launched more than 30 years ago and now bound for interstellar space – appears to have reached a region within a broad boundary between the sun's influence and interstellar space where the speed of the solar wind's outflow reaches zero, scientists report.
The region is known as the heliopause, where the solar wind – a continuous flow of charged particles that streams from the sun in all directions at roughly 1 million miles per hour – is brought to a standstill as it meets interstellar winds head-on and gets deflected sideways.

"The solar wind has turned the corner," said Ed Stone, the mission's project scientist, in a statement. The Voyager team presented its evidence at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, currently under way in San Francisco.
The boundary between the sun's influence, known as the heliosphere, and interstellar space is thought to consist of four onion-like layers: the termination shock, where the solar wind grows increasingly turbulent as the sun plows through interstellar space; the heliosheath, where the wind grows turbulent and get compressed and heated; the heliopause, Voyager 1's current location, and the bow shock, the outermost region where the solar system in essence generates a wake in the tenuous gas and dust between stars.

Voyager 1 passed through the termination shock and into the heliosheath in December 2004. The craft passed into the heliopause last June, at a distance of some 10.6 billion miles from the sun. It's currently traveling at 38,000 m.p.h.

How much time remains before Voyager 1 enters interstellar space?

A research team led by University of Arizona physicist Ke Chiang Hseih has analyzed data from Voyagers 1 and 2, as well as from spacecraft closer, to suggest that the heliopause at Voyager 1's location is only about 21 astronomical units wide (give or take 6 A.U.), or roughly 21 times the distance between the Earth and sun.
The team acknowledges that its estimate represents a "very coarse cut" at taking the measure of "a very dynamic region." But if it's correct, Voyager could take as few as four years to clear the heliopause and enter the bow shock.

The estimate was published in August in Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The latest data from Voyager 1 should help refine those estimates, researchers say.

Source Christian Science Monitor

Today Voyager1 is 16 hrs 08 mins 22 secs of light-travel time from Earth

Catalina Sky Survey Discovers Possible Extinct Comet

2011-01-02T22:56:00.000+02:00

Image: This image combines thirty exposures made with the Catalina Sky Survey's 60-inch telescope a few days after the initial discovery. It shows the outburst of (596) Scheila. (Image by Alex Gibbs and Steve Larson)

An asteroid discovered more than 100 years ago my not be an asteroid at all, but an extinct comet that is coming back to life, according to new observations.

The night of Dec. 11, Steve Larson, senior staff scientist with the Catalina Sky Survey, was searching for potentially hazardous asteroids when he came across what looked like a comet: a faint, wispy tail surrounding a bright, star-like core. Four images taken over the course of 30 minutes revealed the object was moving relative to the background stars.

"Its brightness of a total magnitude of 13.4 visual, which is about 900 times fainter than the faintest star you can see in a clear, dark sky, led me to suspect that it was a known comet, but I checked the comet database and got nothing," Larson said.

According to Larson, comets are thought to be a major source of Earth's water, and "extinct" comets may be useful resources for space exploration.

Further investigation revealed that the object was a known asteroid called (596) Scheila, discovered in 1906. The extraterrestrial rock is tumbling through space alongside thousands of similar objects in our solar system's main asteroid belt, roughly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, out of the ecliptic plane in which most planets and asteroids travel.

Catalina Sky Survey team member Alex Gibbs checked previous images in the survey's archives but found no activity until Dec. 3. At that time, the object appeared brighter and slightly diffuse.

Previous analysis of (596) Scheila's color indicated that it is composed of primitive carbonaceous material left over from the formation of the solar system and might be an extinct comet.

After the discovery was announced, the astronomical community responded by pointing many of the world's largest telescopes at the object to obtain images and spectra to determine if its tail consists of ice and gases spewing out of the body or if it is dust left behind from a collision with another asteroid. Preliminary spectra of the outburst show that the coma surrounding the asteroid is composed of dust, but more observations will be needed to understand just what is happening with (596) Scheila.

"Most asteroids are collision fragments from larger asteroids and display a range of mineral composition," Larson explained. "But a fraction are thought to be former comets whose volatile ices have been driven off by the sun. If the activity in Scheila proves to be cometary in nature, this will be only the sixth known main-belt comet, and about 100 times larger than previously identified main belt comets."

In 1998, Larson founded the Catalina Sky Survey, a NASA-supported project to discover and catalog Earth-approaching and potentially hazardous asteroids. It operates two telescopes in the Catalina Mountains and one in Australia and is currently discovering 70 percent of the world's known near-Earth objects, including one that fell in northern Sudan in 2008.

Source:spaceREF

# Download 2011 International Space Station Calendar

2011-01-01T22:08:00.000+02:00

Download 2011 International Space Station Calendar in PDF-format

Source: NASA

7 Meg

74 Meg

Asteroid Itokawa Sample Return

2011-01-01T21:55:00.000+02:00

Hayabusa photographs its own shadow on asteroid Itokawa in 2005 prior to collecting samples from the big space rock. [more]

Source: Nasa Science News

Asteroid Itokawa Sample Return

Dec. 29, 2010: The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa spacecraft has brought home to Earth tiny pieces of an alien world–asteroid Itokawa.
"It's an incredible feeling to have another world right in the palm of your hand," says Mike Zolensky, Associate Curator for Interplanetary Dust at the Johnson Space Center, and one of the three non-Japanese members of the science team. "We're seeing for the first time, up close, what an asteroid is actually made of!"

He has good reason to be excited. Asteroids formed at the dawn of our solar system, so studying these samples can teach us how it formed and evolved.
Hayabusa launched in 2003 and set out on a billion kilometer voyage to Itokawa, arriving a little over two years later. In 2005, the spacecraft performed a spectacular feat -- landed on the asteroid's surface⁽¹⁾. The hope was to capture samples from the alien world.
But there was a problem. The projectiles set to blast up dust from the surface failed to fire, leaving only the particles kicked up from landing for collection. Did any asteroid dust made it into the collection chamber?

More ...

Venus is closest to the Earth today

2011-01-01T21:45:00.000+02:00

If you're feeling romantic tonight, it might be because Venus is closest to the Earth today for 2011. Just 92,750,680km away.

- Auke Slotegraaf on Twitter

Best Space Discoveries of 2010: Nat Geo News's Most Popular

2011-01-01T10:36:00.000+02:00

Enjoy the images!

Space Photos This Week

2011-01-01T10:05:00.000+02:00

As the Stars Turn

Photograph by Kwon O Chul, TWAN

Star trails create arches over the horizon in a long-exposure picture of the night sky taken from Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The shot, captured in July and released this week, shows the apparent motion of the stars around Polaris, the star that's almost exactly aligned with Earth's north celestial pole. Also called the North Star, Polaris is the brightest dot in the constellation Ursa Minor.

Equatorial regions, such as Kilimanjaro, are the only places on Earth where the celestial poles sit right at the horizon.

Published December 30, 2010

More images

Cryosat ice mission returns first science

2010-12-20T13:04:00.000+02:00

19 December 2010

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, San Francisco

The Cryosat-2 spacecraft has produced its first major science result.

Radar data from the European satellite has been used to make a map of ocean circulation across the Arctic basin.

Cryosat's primary mission is to measure sea-ice thickness, which has been in sharp decline in recent decades.

But its ability also to map the shape of the sea surface will tell scientists if Arctic currents are changing as a result of winds being allowed to blow more easily on ice-free waters.

"Nobody really knows how the Arctic is going to behave as the ice retreats, but we do anticipate that significant changes will occur," said Dr Seymour Laxon, a Cryosat science team member from University College London, UK.

"This is just the first data, and it shows we now have the tool to monitor what is happening," he told BBC News.

Space Pictures This Week: Cosmic Gem, Sun Burp, Vegas

2010-12-20T12:58:00.000+02:00

Cosmic Gem

Image courtesy ESA/NASA

Is it a massive opal? A huge holiday ornament? A multicolored stargate? No, it's the leftover cloud of hot gas and dust created by a star that ended its life in a violent explosion.

The new picture of this cosmic bauble, released Tuesday, combines data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope.

Known as SNR 0509-67.5, the supernova remnant sits about 160,000 light-years from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way galaxy. Chandra's x-ray vision shows the soft greens and blues from hot material, while Hubble's visual-light data reveals the visible, glowing pink shell of gas being superheated by an expanding shock wave.

Published December 15, 2010

More images

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has reached the outside edge of the solar system.

2010-12-20T12:23:00.000+02:00

A NASA space probe dispatched 33 years ago for the first close-up studies of Jupiter and Saturn has entered the tail of the solar system, a place where the constant stream of charged particles flowing from the sun ebbs.

This final phase of solar system exploration should last another four years, computer models show, though scientists overseeing the two Voyager spacecraft really don't know what to expect.

Voyager 1 is now about 10.8 billion miles from the sun, traveling in a region of space known as the heliosheath, a turbulent area between the sphere of space influenced by the sun and magnetic forces from interstellar space that lies beyond.

Read more ...

Magnetic Eruption on 14 December 2010

2010-12-16T20:38:00.000+02:00

Click to play a 3MB animation

MAGNETIC ERUPTION : On Dec. 14th around 1530 UT, a filament of magnetism lifted up from the surface of the sun and--snap!--erupted. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the action.

The blast produced an hours-long C2-class solar flare and hurled a magnificent CME into space: SOHO movie. The expanding cloud is not heading directly toward Earth, but it might deliver a glancing blow to our planet's magnetic field two or three days hence. High latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.

Source: Visit spaceweather.com

Coleman, Crew Members Fly to ISS

2010-12-16T18:42:00.000+02:00

89 Instruments used for tank test on Discovery

2010-12-13T21:04:00.000+02:00

IMAGE: Technicians prepare space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank for a tanking test on launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Teams have installed environmental enclosures on the tank, removed foam and prepared the tank's skin for approximately 89 strain gauges and thermocouples. Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

Shuttle Discovery's tanking test will occur no earlier than Friday as cold weather and strong wind have slowed preparations.

Workers at launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center continue to instrument the tank with temperature sensors, after work through the weekend finished attaching strain gauges.

In total, nearly 90 instruments are being placed on the tank's mid-section. Fresh insulating foam will be applied over those areas.

The sensors won't bond properly to the tank's metal skin in cold weather. Specially constructed environmental enclosures and thermal blankets are being used to control temperatures.

Read more ...

Reuters Best Photos of 2010

2010-12-12T12:57:00.000+02:00

Out of the half-million photos that Reuters photographers produce each here, Reuters has selected 55 as the Best Photos of 2010. These photographs capture the human spirit at play and in turmoil within the natural world around us. The Pakistani floods, the Gulf oil spill, the Shanghai World Expo, the Haitian earthquakes and more are all represented here with stunning symbolism. These photographs are a visual record of the world in 2010, where human culture made its movement into yet another decade.

See all 55 at the Reuters Blog.

NASA-Funded Research Discovers Life Built With Toxic Chemical

2010-12-07T23:04:00.000+02:00

NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth.

Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components.

"The definition of life has just expanded," said Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "As we pursue our efforts to seek signs of life in the solar system, we have to think more broadly, more diversely and consider life as we do not know it."

Read more ...

Jupiter gets its stripe back

2010-12-07T22:46:00.000+02:00

By Robert Sanders, Media Relations | 24 November 2010

BERKELEY — One of Jupiter's dark brown stripes that faded out last spring is regaining its color, providing an unprecedented opportunity for astronomers to observe a rare and mysterious phenomenon caused by the planet's winds and cloud chemistry.

Earlier this year, amateur astronomers noticed that the long-standing stripe, known as the South Equatorial Belt (SEB), just south of Jupiter's equator, had turned white. In early November, amateur astronomer Christopher Go of Cebu City in the Philippines observed a prominent bright spot in the unusually whitened belt, piquing the interest of professional and amateur astronomers around the world.

More Space Pictures

2010-12-07T22:32:00.000+02:00

More Space Pictures

Best Space Pictures of 2010

2010-12-07T22:21:00.000+02:00

Visit and enjoy!

ASSA Bloemfontein

Groot Magellaanse Wolk vanaf Boyden-sterrewag

Klein Magellaanse Wolk vanaf Boyden-sterrewag

M45 vanaf Boyden-sterrewag

Komeet Lovejoy op 1 Januarie 2012

Kepler 22b - the 'new Earth' - could have oceans and continents, scientists claim

Kepler 22b, the planet which scientists say hold the best hope yet for future human habitation, could have continents, oceans and creatures already living on its surface, they believe.

The new planet was discovered by Nasa’s Kepler space telescope two years ago but new research has identified it as the most similar to our own yet discovered.

No Hope for the Russian Space Probe

Astronomy Magazine - Top 10 space stories in 2011

Curiosity on it's way to Mars

ArtSpoken & Reviews

More....

ASSA Johannesburg se teleskoopmakers op die kassie

`n Groot lekkerte in jou posbus!

Groot klip sommer baie naby verby.

Sonvlekke vir Afrika!

Local is Lekker! Star Gazer's Deep Space Atlas!

The latest Stellarium available

Hot News: Supernova 2011gv in Galaxy IC4901

ASSA Johannesburg se besoek aan Boyden

Sterrekundewoordeboek / Dictionary of astronomy

A Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way

Speed-of-light results under scrutiny at Cern

Enormous underground detectors are needed to catch neutrinos, that are so elusive as to be dubbed "ghost particles"

The Ten Commandments for Amateur Astronomers

Neville Young's book "Astronomy - Yes You Can"

NASA’s Cassini orbiter snaps unbelievable picture of Saturn

Transit of Venus, 2012

Where visible

Astronomers discover planet made of diamond

Kollimasie werkswinkel

2012 Karoo-sterrefees

A Southern Comet on its way to us

Copyright © 1995 by Tim Puckett

16 August 2011: Closest approach of the brightest comet of the yearComet: 45P/Honda-Mrkos-PajdušákováVisible: August until September, fading in OctoberMagnitude: 6Finder charts: Sky Guide (pg 31)

45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková

Info from Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand

The comet Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova is expected to brighten rapidly in August as it passes to the south of the Earth. It will be observable from the southern hemisphere for about 2 weeks before getting too close to the Sun.

Vaarwel aan NASA se ruimtependeltuig, Atlantis

Happy first birthday, Neptune!

How to tick the Horesehead nebula of your astro bucket list

Nog `n maanverduisteringfoto

Total Lunar Eclipse , 15 June 2011 - Animation

Onthou: Algehele Maanverduistering, 15 Junie 2011

NGC 3324, Gabriela Mistral nebula vanaf Boyden-sterrewag, Bloemfontein

ATM: Amaterur teleskoopmakers in Bloemfontein bymekaar

Die "Jet Stream" beïnvloed jou waarnemingsomstandighede!

Deep Space Atlas - Father's day Special

Kom bou jou eie teleskoop!

A Reminder: Total eclipse of the Moon (Wednesday June 15, 2011)

Observing 101: Averted Vision

Averted Vision: Getting The Most From What Nature Gave You

Observing 101: Dark Adaptation

Dark Adaptation: “Looking” Your Best

The Atmosphere and Observing - A guide to Astronomical seeing.

Beware of the Jetstream

Total Lunar Eclipse of June 15 - Also in Bloemfontein

Total Lunar Eclipse of June 15

ISS & Endeavour visible from Bloemfontein

Images: 3rd Karoo Star Party

ScopeX op kykNet se nuus

Werskwinkel by Boyden-Sterrewag - Saterdag, 9 April 2011

Earth Hour 2011

GASLAND Trailer 2010. Stop these cowboys from fracking our Karoo!

Time Is Now For Human Mission To Mars

NASA spacecraft trying to get into Mercury's orbit

An asteroid the size of a house swoops by Earth

An asteroid the size of a house zoomed by Earth Wednesday, flying within the orbit of the moon just one day after astronomers spotted the space rock in the sky, NASA says.

But don't worry, danger was small, those at NASA watching space rock say

Read more...

Russian craft brings astronauts back to Earth

Europe agrees 2020 space station

Super Full Moon

Super full moon

Shell plans could threaten SKA

Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

The Southern Star Party (2011 March, Bonnievale, South Africa)

Square Kilometre Array - Newsletter

Vriende van Boyden Ope-aand, 19:00 op Vrydag 25 Februarie

16 August 2011: Closest approach of the brightest comet of the year
Comet: 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková
Visible: August until September, fading in October
Magnitude: 6
Finder charts: Sky Guide (pg 31)

The book

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