Wednesday 21 May 2014

Astrofotografie Werkswinkel vir beginners / Basic Astrophotography Workshop

Foto: Hannes Pieterse
ASSA Bloemfontein bied aan:
‘n Basiese Astrofotografie Werkswinkel.
(English version below)
Aanbieder: Brett du Preez, lid van ASSA Bloemfontein en ervare Astrofotograaf.
Plek: Boyden Sterrewag
Tyd: Saterdag 24 Mei 2014, vanaf 15h00.
 Toegang: Gratis vir Klublede en R100-00 per persoon vir nie-lede.
Weens die aard van die Werkswinkel, kan slegs 30 persone geakkomodeer word.
Bespreek asseblief deur per e-pos te stuur aan assabfn@gmail.com
 Program:15h00 vir 15h30 – Ons begin op die Platform: Almal pak hul goed uit en slaan op wat hulle saamgebring het.
15h30 - 16h30 – Gesels oor wat ons gaan doen en begin die Werkswinkel met die afneem van Son (bring hoedens ens saam….).  Brett sal ‘n beperkte hoeveelheid son-filter saambring vir afneem van die son.  Bring ook ‘n skêr of matmes, karton, dubbelkantige kleefband en gewone kleefband of kits-gom vir die maak van sonfilters.
16h30 - 18h00 – In die Ouditorium: stapsgewyse demonstrasie van die omskepping van die son se data na 'n foto. Bring asseblief u eie rekenaars en geheue-stokkie (“flashdisc”) saam. Brett sal sagteware verskaf en ook basiese prosesering demonstreer op 'n foto van die naghemel.
18h30 - 19h30 - 'n Kort praatjie oor astrofotografie. Die plan is om as groep saam te gesels. Brett sal begin met die basiese beginsels asook 'n verduideliking van die konsep oor "noise". Hannes Pieterse verduidelik ook die gebruik van die “barndoor“ montering vir nag-hemel fotografie.
20h00 - 22h00 – Terug op die Platform wys Brett hoe om polêre oplyning (“polar alignment“) te doen met 'n kamera asook watter tipe fotografie mens kan doen met die minste moeite en met ‘n basiese kamera….
Onthou asseblief:
Almal wat fotografiese en ander toerusting saambring, moet weet hoe om dit te gebruik sodat ons nie gedurende die werkswinkel tyd hoef te spandeer om basiese gebruike aan te leer nie.  Toerusting om saam te bring sluit in: kamera, driepoot, genoeg batterye (daar sal kragpunte op die Platform wees), nodige verbindingskabels en afstandsbeheer kabel, tafeltjie om op te werk ens: eerder teveel as te min.  
Daar sal tussendeur geleentheid wees om ietsie te eet: elkeen bring sy eie verversings.  Daar sal kookwater wees vir diegene wat koffie of ‘n soppie will maak. 
ASSA Bloemfontein presents:
A Basic Astrophotography Workshop.
Presenter: Brett du Preez, member of ASSA Bloemfontein and experienced Astrophotographer.
Venue: Boyden Observatory
 Time: Saturday 24 May 2014, at 15h:00.
 Admission: Club members free.  Non-members: R100-00 per person.
Only 30 persons can be accommodated.
Send  e-mail to assabfn@gmail.com to book
Program: 15h00 for 15h30 – We start on the Platform:  unpacking and setting-up of equipment.
15h30 - 16h30 – Discuss the program and start the Workshop by taking a photo of the Sun (remember to bring a hat…).  Brett will demonstrate the making of a solar filter: he has a limited stock of solar film which he will provide.  For this, please also bring along scissors or a carpet knife and carton, double sided tape and normal tape or fast-drying glue.
16h30 - 18h00 – In the auditorium: step-by-step demonstration of the conversion of the Sun data to  a photographic image.  Please bring your own computer and flash disc. Brett will provide the necessary software and also demonstrate the basic processing of a night-sky image.
18h30 - 19h30 – A short discussion on Astrophotography, also involving the audience.  Brett will also explain the importance of the concept of “noise”.  Hannes Pieterse will demonstrate the use of the “barn door” mounting for night-sky photography.
20h00 - 22h00 – Back to the Platform: Brett demonstrates polar alignment using a camera and also demonstrates what type of photography can be performed with the least effort and with a basic camera.
Please remember:
Make sure that you know how to operate all the equipment you bring along: you do not want to figure out how to use your equipment during the workshop, you actually want to use it.  This equipment can include:  camera, tripod, enough batteries (power outlets are available on the Platform), all necessary connecting cables and remote control cable, a small table to work on: rather bring too much than forget something vital…!  
There will be time to eat/drink something in between: please bring your own refreshments.  There will be boiling water for coffee and/or soup.

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Sutherland by Night - Milky Way, Melkweg

Sutherland by Night - Milky Way, Melkweg
In this beautiful image by SAAO Astronomer Stephen Potter we see the Milky Way setting behind the 20, 30, 40 inch, MONET and SALT telescopes. Jupiter is the bright star at the top and Venus is setting into the MONET dome. The bright glow on the horizon is from distant city lights.

Monday 17 March 2014

Key Signature of the Big Bang's Origin Discovered


  South pole telescope detects echoes of Big Bang


UPDATE MARCH 17: All the rumors were true. The story below was written yesterday, before today's announcement that "primordial B-waves" have been found in the cosmic background radiation. These must have arisen from inflation-driven gravitational waves rippling through spacetime in the first 10–34 second of the Big Bang. 
MARCH 16: Rumors have been racing through the physics and cosmology communities for the last few days that long-sought, Nobel Prize-worthy evidence for cosmic inflation driving the Big Bang will be announced on Monday, March 17th. A press conference for a "major discovery" regarding this topic is scheduled for noon EDT (16:00 UT) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, just up the street from Sky & Telescope. We'll be there.

Word of what may be announced first broke into wide circulation late Friday night, when The Guardian newspaper in the U.K. published an article online, Gravitational waves: have US scientists heard echoes of the big bang? Here are excerpts:




Sunday 9 March 2014

ESA's Gaia Mission Launches to Map the Milky Way

 

“Gaia promises to build on the legacy of ESA’s first star-mapping mission, Hipparcos, launched in 1989, to reveal the history of the galaxy in which we live,” says Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA’s Director General.

 

-          Universe Today

-          Space.com

-          ESA

 

Cosmos Reborn - J. Kelly Beatty - Sky and Telescope


Beginning Sunday evening, March 9th, Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey will air on the Fox television network, the rebirth of Carl Sagan's classic Cosmos. In the cover story of our April 2014 issue, contributing editor J. Kelly Beatty reveals a behind-the-scenes look at the new series. 

Scientists detect extraterrestrial neutrinos (Down South)


Buried deep in the pristine Antarctic ice lie 5,160 basketball-sized detectors that look for flashes of blue light. 

This radiation signals that a high-energy particle has interacted with an atom of the ice and given off some energy in the process. Scientists built the underground cubic kilometer IceCube detector to find a specific type of particle called a neutrino. This particle has no electric charge, is nearly massless, and interacts extremely weakly with matter. (In fact, billions of them are zooming through you as you read  this story.)

Astronomers have detected neutrinos from the Sun and from Supernova 1987A when a massive star exploded. Now, the IceCube team reports in the November 22 issue of Science that it has found 28 high-energy neutrinos during a two-year all-sky search. The newly discovered particles have energies at least a million times that of the SN 1987A neutrinos.

At most, 11 of the 28 detected signals could result from background events or atmospheric neutrinos — those created as high-energy particles called cosmic rays collide with atoms and molecules in Earth’s atmosphere and create secondary particles. However, the researchers say the neutrinos don’t have the characteristics of atmospheric ones.

They looked in the data for evidence of multiple neutrinos originating from a specific location on the sky or arriving at a similar time but were unable to trace the 28 neutrinos to specific sources. Most of the detected signals correspond to locations on the Southern Hemisphere sky.

Scientists can calculate the energies of the incoming neutrinos from the light the detectors register. The 28 particles discussed in the Science study had energies ranging from 30 trillion electron volts (TeV) to 1,141 TeV; visible light has energy between 1.5 and 3 electron volts. The data also include the two highestenergy neutrinos ever observed. — L. K.

Source:  Astronomy March 2014

Mark Kelly, twin brother enlisted for NASA study

This undated photo provided by NASA, astronauts Mark Kelly, right, STS-124 commander, and Scott Kelly are pictured in the check-out facility at Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA announced Friday, March 7, 2014, that Mark Kelly and astronaut Scott Kelly will participate in 10 different investigations. Craig Kundrot, deputy chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, says in a news release that the brothers provide a unique opportunity to study two people with the same genetics who were in different environments. Officials say Scott Kelly spent a year in space while Mark Kelly was on Earth. NASA says it is hoping the studies can be the basis for future research initiatives. (AP Photo/NASA)