2009 SA Science Lens winners announced!

The entries in this year's SA Science Lens competition represented a wide range of science areas and many techniques were used to capture them, from state-of-the-art electron microscopes to digital and standard cameras. View the winning entries!

Meteoor! O, Meteoor!

So ver as Kimberley, Reitz en dan natuurlik verder Noord het mense hierdie vuurbal gesien. `n Muur het self gekraak na die impak op die grond. Iewers by 'n wildplaas. Vir ander het die ding net hier agter die koppie geval.

Gaan loer gerus op Auke Slotegraaf se webtuiste na die videos wat tot nou beskikbaar is. Ook wat die ouens sê wat hierdie ongelooflike gebeurtenis waargeneem het.

Die webadres: Klik hier

(Ek is groen van jaloesie.)

Groete

Hannes Pieterse

Leonid Meteor shower + Komeet 88P/Howell

 Komeet 88P/Howell in Sagittarius

Leonid Meteor shower

Vir die ouens wat snags wakker lê. Laat weet gerus of julle iets gesien het! 

This month is the time to look out for the Leonid Meteor shower. Maximum number of meteors per hour is expected on the 17th to 18th. Conditions are expected to be favourable and particularly dark, since this will be only a few days after new moon. As the name indicates, the radiant of the meteor shower will be located in the constellation of Leo. The radiant is the point in the sky from which all the meteors appear to originate from. Meteors, or more commonly called “shooting stars”, are small particles of space dust and debris that enter our atmosphere at high speeds, and burn up due to heat generated by air friction. For keen and enthusiastic observers, the radiant of the shower will be up above the horizon from about 03:00 to 04:00 in the mornings. (Source: The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)

Stay up late or get up early this morning to catch the Leonids. Each year we pass through the
filaments—both old and new—of Comet Tempel–Tuttle’s debris, and the chances of encountering a
particular stream from any particular year becomes a matter of mathematical estimates. We know
when it passed. . . We know where it passed. . . But will we encounter it and to what extent?
(Source: The Night Sky Companion)


Loer gerus op die Blog (regs bo) vir al die waarnemingshulp ens

Komeet 88P/Howell

Ek het die komeet Saterdagaand so 20:30 deur die stad se ligbesoedeling in die Weste vanaf Boyden opgespoor. Baie dof, maar sigbaar.  As jy `n kaart wil hê om dit op te spoor kan jy vir my e-pos stuur. Sal vir jou `n pdf-kaart stuur.

Hier is inligting oor die komeet.
On this night 88P/Howell is best visible between 19:55 and 20:17, with the optimum view at 20:15. Look for it in Sagittarius, fairly high in the sky during evening twilight. It is detectable visually in the Orion SkyQuest XT10 Dob. Use the Ultima 42mm for optimum visual detection. It is magnitude 9.3 with a diameter of 5.1'.

In the following 30 days this object is detectable visually from November 17-26, and again from December 3 on, with the best view coming on November 17. During this period it will fade by about 0.8 magnitudes and will remain constant in altitude.

88P/Howell will next reach perihelion in mid April 2015. It also is predicted to reach maximum brightness of magnitude 9 in mid April. The best visibility from Bloemfontein, South Africa near maximum brightness is predicted to be in mid April when it will be approximately magnitude 9. At that time it will be in Aquarius, fairly high in the sky during morning twilight and will be detectable in the Orion SkyQuest XT10 Dob. The previous perihelion was mid October 2009. Note that the magnitude and visibility of a comet can be very unpredictable.

Groete

Hannes Pieterse

Measuring The Sky (One-Minute Astronomer)

The Basics

• Astronomers measure angular separation of objects in degrees. There are 360 degrees in a circle. And the angular separation of any point on the horizon and the point directly overhead (the zenith) is 90 degrees. Halfway from the zenith to the horizon is 45 degrees. So far, so good.

• Smaller angles are a little trickier. But your hands and fingers are a remarkably accurate (and convenient) measuring tool. When you hold your hand at arm’s length, you can estimate angles like this:

- Stretch your thumb and little finger as far from each other as you can. The span from tip to tip is about 25 degrees
- Do the same with your index finger and little finger. The span is 15 degrees
- Clench your fist at arms length, and hold it with the back of your hand facing you. The width is 10 degrees
- Hold your three middle fingers together; they span about 5 degrees
- The width of your little finger at arms length is 1 degree.

A Deeper Look

• Now let’s go smaller. When you look through a telescope, you see a field of view of 1 degree or less… a very small slice of sky.

• Astronomers measure angles smaller than 1 degree in arcminutes, or “minutes of arc”. There are 60 arcminutes in one degree, so 1 arcminute is 1/60 degree. The symbol for arcminutes is ‘. So the full Moon, for example, is about 30′ (thirty arcminutes) across. Coincidentally, so is the Sun.

• Each arcminute is divided into 60 arcseconds, or “seconds of arc”. So 1 arcsecond is 1/60 arcminute and 1/3600 degree. The symbol for arcseconds is “. The face of Jupiter, which you can see this summer, is about 50″ across. The two components of the double star alpha Herculi are 4.6″ apart. A good optical telescope in steady skies can resolve down to about 1″ (one arcsecond).

Source:Visit  One-Minute Astronomer

Centaur vuurpyl laat die mense reg oor Suid Afrika en Europa wonder (UFO?)

Photo: Federico and Chiara Bellini of Bodio Lomnago, Italy.

Sondagaand het `n klomp sterrekykers na hulle kameras gegryp en hierdie vreemde verskynsel afgeneem.

UFO het die mense op OFM die plaaslike radiostasie in Bloemfontein gesê. Die kenners het natuurlik met die antwoord gekom:

Gaan loer gerus by hierdie webwerwe wat werklik gebeur het. Ongelooflik.

`n Plaaslike webwerf met sekerlik die beste foto's: Klik hier

Ook by Spaceweather kan jy gaan loer: Klik hier  en beweeg af op die blad

Prof Matie Hoffman van die Fisika Departement by die UV gesels Donderdagaand  om 20:30 met Hennie Maas op Sterre en Planete oor die verskynsel.

Luister Sterre en Planete op RSG

Luister gerus vanaand na Sterre en Planete op RSG
(Elke Donderdagaand om 20:30)

Medewerkers reg oor die land gaan vir Hennie Maas met die program help, na die afsterwe van Louis Barendse.

Prof. Matie Hoffman van die Fisika Departement aan die UV gaan ook vorentoe sy beurt kry.

Vanaand is `n ou bekende in die sterrekunde-omgewing, Willie Koorts van SAAO, aan die beurt.

Inligting oor die uitsending vanaand:

* Gesels oor die LCROSS-sateliet wat in beheerde omstandighede met die maan gebots het in `n soektog na water.

* Luister ook na die liedjie wat die projekleier oor die projek en die water op die maan geskryf het.

* SALT se oogoperasie word bespreek. Baie interessant hoe die 90 ton monster werk.

* Ook inligting oor die Galilean Nights van 22- 24 Oktober .
Webtuiste: http://www.galileannights.org/

Die praatjie is ook op die web beskikbaar om na te luister of af te laai by hulle potgooi-afdeling of die klankargief

• Gaan direk na Sterre en Planete en luister of laai af
  

Groete

Hannes Pieterse

Astronomy Night At The White House

Wow, that’s quite a star lineup! I wish I could’ve been there too. Maybe next year…
And the quote of the night from the President, who said this in response to a young girl who was 14 when she discovered a supernova, and a high school sophomore who found a rare type of pulsar:

NASA’s equipment is some pretty powerful stuff. But astronomy also depends on the curiosity and contribution of amateur astronomers. [...] If they can discover something great, so can any of you other students who are here tonight. All you need is a passion for science.

Damn straight. And awesome.

• Video of event on You Tube

Source:  Blog / Bad Astronomy
October 9th, 2009

Foto van die teiken

Kliek op foto om te vergroot.

Hier is `n voorstelling van die botsing.

• Klik hier
  

Watch Nasa bomb the moon

The LCROSS shepherding spacecraft attached to the Centaur upper stage. Credit: NASA

Seth Borenstein

Washington - Nasa will throw a one-two punch at the big old moon Friday and the whole world will have ringside seats for the lunar dust-up.

Nasa will send a used-up spacecraft slamming into the moon's south pole to kick up a massive plume of lunar dirt and then scour it to see if there's any water or ice spraying up.

The idea is to confirm the theory that water - a key resource if people are going to go back to the moon - is hidden below the barren moonscape.

The crashing spaceship was launched in June along with an orbiter that is now mapping the lunar surface.

LCROSS - short for Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite and pronounced L-Cross - is on a collision course with the moon, attached to an empty 2.2-ton rocket that helped get the probe off the ground.

Thursday evening, about 10 hours before smashing into the moon, LCROSS and its empty rocket will separate.

Read more...

Another read more...

• A live NASA TV Broadcast is planned for the LCROSS impacts starting at 6:15 a.m. EDT/3:15 a.m. PDT, Oct. 9, on NASA TV and www.nasa.gov/ntv. 
  
  
• Where and how to observe the LCROSS impacts
  (Only visible in the USA)
  
  
• Observations and Impact Timing

'n Nuwe ring vir 'n ou Bekende....!

Die Spinnekop in die (Magellaanse) Wolk

Kyk net hoe die Tarantula-newel kan lyk as 'n mens die regte teleskoop het - en dit nie eers 'n ruimte-teleskoop nie...!

• Lees meer en loer...
  

Op pad terug na sy nes!

• Nog foto's van pendeltuig Discovery op pad na Kennedy-ruimtesentrum in Florida
  
• Loer hier hoe word die pendeltuig op die Boeing gelaai.
  

Bron: Spaceflight Now

Space Shuttle Flushes the Toilet for All the World To See

Shuttle with water dump. Copyright Clair Perry 

Source:  www.universetoday.com

This picture is from last week; September 9, 2009 to be exact, but I still wanted to share it. I just got in touch with photographer Clair Perry from Prince Edward Island, Canada to get his permission to post the image. No, this is not a comet. Pictured is space shuttle Discovery executing a water dump. The shuttle needed to get rid of excess waste water before landing the next day, and jettisoned it overboard via the waste water dump line, creating a spectacular visual effect as sunlight hit the spraying water. This dump occurred just as the shuttle was flying over North America last week, and lots of people witnessed this "toilet flush." Some reports indicated it was "pristine" water (the shuttle fuel cells' by-product is water) and other reports said it was "waste water and urine" (the Bad Astronomer called it Constellation Urion). Whatever, it was pretty. NASA said this was an unusually large dump, about 150 pounds (68 kg), because new regulations say no shuttle water dumps can take place while docked to the ISS, so as not to contaminate the outdoor experiments on the Kibo lab.

See below for the spectacular entire image, which also includes the nearby ISS creating a streak in the sky. Thanks to Clair Perry for sharing his images.

• Read more and see whole image
  

ZA 002 ( SumbandilaSat) eindelik van die grond af

Source:  Engeneering News

SA satellite finally lifts off 

South Africa’s R26-million Sumbandila satellite (SumbandilaSat) has been successfully launched from the renowned Baikonur Cosmodrome by Russian space agency Roscosmos, on a Soyuz-2 rocket. The launch was at17:55 South African time on Thursday.

The rocket was placed on the launch pad early in the week, but the launch has been subject to two holds, each of 24 hours duration. The first hold was caused by a combination of bad weather and a telemetry glitch.

The second hold was the result of problems in the fuelling process, apparently caused by a leak in a pipeline or hose that needed repair or replacing. Fuelling has to be completed just 20 minutes before lift off, and the launch was aborted just 13 minutes before the scheduled launch time. The Soyuz-2 is powered by a mixture of highly refined kerosene (the fuel) and liquid oxygen as the oxidiser. Liquid oxygen has to be kept at a temperature of – 183˚ C or below. As it evaporates very easily, it cannot be stored for long.

• Read more...
  

Science Unlimited se ekspo in Pietermaritzburg

Science Unlimited het weer in Pietermaritzburg hulle jaarlikse ekspo gehou en meer as 22000 leerders en onderwysers het dit bygewoon.

Alhoewel die uitstallings agv die huidige ekonomie nie soos ander jare was nie, was die aanbiedings weer eens ‘n sukses.

Om in te skakel met die IYA2009 het ek ‘n multimedia aanbieding gedoen oor ons eie sonnestelsel. Oor die drie dae wat die expo gehou is, in die laatste week van Augustus, het 1800+ leerders my aanbiedings bygewoon wat die meeste nog is in vergelyking met die ander Science Unlimited waar ek aanbiedings gedoen het.

Drie expo’s per jaar word gehou. Een in Pretoria, een in Stellenbosch en in Pietermaritzburg. Besoek gerus hulle web blad vir meer agtergrond informasie. www.scienceunlimited.co.za

Jacques van Delft
Direkteur: ASSA Solar-afdeling

Klubaand vir ASSA Bfn-klublede

Wie: Lede van ASSA Bloemfontein
Praktiese sessie: Riglyne om astrosketse te teken
Plek: Oppikoppi - Boyden-sterrewag.
Datum: 19 September, Saterdag
Tyd: 16:30 vir 17:00
Aanbieder: Hannes Pieterse

• Meer inligting
  

Watch Discovery "drops" in and lands.

There's nothing prettier than watching the space shuttle land. Sure, it drops like a rock, a piano, a safe; but when the vehicle makes the final turn and lines up with the runway, and then the commander sticks the landing like Rick Sturckow did tonight, it's a work of art. If you missed the landing in real time, here's a great video of Discovery's landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, at 5:53 PDT on Friday, ending the 14-day mission to the International Space Station.

• Click to watch Discovery  "drop" in and land.
  

Just How Good is the "New" Hubble? Let's Compare

Hubble images of the Omega Centauri starfield from 2002, left, and from 2009, right.

"This marks a new beginning for Hubble," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at today's press briefing at NASA Headquarters to showcase the images from Hubble following Servicing Mission 4. "The telescope was given an extreme makeover and is now significantly more powerful than ever — well equipped to last well into the next decade."

See more comparisons and read article

Source: Universe Today

 More articles to read:

• New pictures show healthy Hubble is back in action
  
  
• Images from Refurbished Hubble
  
  

Top 10 (or so) Images from STS-128

Christer Fugelsang during the third EVA of STS-128. Credit: NASA

View the rest of the top 10...

_____________________________________________________________________    University of the Free State: This message and its contents are subject to a disclaimer.   Please refer to  http://www.ufs.ac.za/disclaimer for full details.     Universiteit van die Vrystaat:   Hierdie boodskap en sy inhoud is aan 'n vrywaringsklousule onderhewig.   Volledige besonderhede is by http://www.ufs.ac.za/vrywaring  beskikbaar.   _____________________________________________________________________

NASA 747 pilot shares experience carrying the space shuttle

"NASA 747 pilot shares experience carrying the space shuttle
Read the detailed experience of the NASA pilot who flew the 747 carrying the space shuttle ATLANTIS back to the KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. A bit lengthy, but trust me... worth every second reading! You will feel that you were there!!! Very good narrative of what it was like!

• Read detailed experience and also the comments at the bottom.
  (Never let facts interfere with a good story.)

Are Sunspots Disappearing

by Dr. Tony Phillips for NASA Science News
Huntsville AL (SPX) Sep 04, 2009

The sun is in the pits of the deepest solar minimum in nearly a century. Weeks and sometimes whole months go by without even a single tiny sunspot. The quiet has dragged out for more than two years, prompting some observers to wonder, are sunspots disappearing?

• Read more...

Source: SPACE DAILY

September is Saturnus sonder sy ringe

Composite image of Saturn over 6 years. Credit: Alan Friedman
Kliek op skakel en kyk na die animasie onder aan die blad.

Groete
Hannes Pieterse

Ruimtestasie en dalk Pendeltuig Sondag sigbaar oor SA

Nasa-voorstelling van die pendeltuig vasgemeer aan die ruimtestasie.

Volg die hele sending se verloop op Twitter. Al die ondersoek om te kyk of die pendeltuig nie skade tydens die lansering opgedoen het nie is voltooi. Nou vir die nader beweeg en die vasmeer:

• http://twitter.com/spaceflightnow/
  

Twitternuus: Sondag, 23:17 - Discovery is 45 miles away from the International Space Station, still on track for docking at 9 p.m. EDT tonight. http://tinyurl.com/ma48dc

Sondag 18:53 - 18:54: Ek en Pieter het die helder stasie met die pendeltuig doer agter op sleeptou (nie sigbaar vir ons) 4 keer gesien. Vir kort oomblikke in dele waar minder wolke of oop was. (Hannes Pieterse).

Sondag: Dit lyk of die pendeltuig wat toe eindelik Vrydagnag gelanseer is eers vandag (Sondag) aan ruimtestasie gaan koppel, of sal mens dit vasmeer noem. Kyk vanaand of jy twee spikkels sien wat oor beweeg. Die ruimtestasie is so groot soos `n rugbyveld en die pendeltuig is naastenby groot soos `n boeing 737.

Vrydag: Die Pendeltuig (Discovery) wat moontlik teen Sondagaand aan die Internasionale ruimtestasie vasgemeer is, kan Sondag so 18:50 regoor Suid-Afrika gesien word. Wees op die uitkyk. Hier is die tye vir die Bloemfontein-omgewing. In die stadium is die pendeltuig se lansering nog op ys en kan dalk vanaand (VSA se Vrydag-aand) eers gelanseer word.

Die twee kan Sondagaand van 18:50:27 so op `n 10 grade hoogte in die Suidweste gesien word. Om 18:53:18 is dit op sy hoogste - 81 Grade WSW. Dan beweeg dit oor tot dit weer so 10 grade bo die horison in `n Noordoostelike rigting verdwyn.

30 Aug

18:50:27

10

SW

18:53:18

81

WSW

18:56:20

10

NE

Laat weer of julle die stasie gesien het. En die Pendeltuig?

Groete

Hannes Pieterse

Net sommer vir die interessantheid!

Na aanleiding van die feit dat die wêreld se sterrekundiges verlede jaar besluit het dat daar nou net agt planete is, het die lekker ou rympie Meneer Van As, My Jas Sal U Nie Pas mos verval – en daarby kom nog die twee gordels ook by.

Ons Radio Orania het toe onlangs ’n kompetisie uitgeskryf om ’n nuwe rympie te kry, sodat kinders – en mense – die volgorde van die hemelliggame vanaf die son makliker kan onthou. Die woorde was natuurlik die volgende:

M = Mercurius

V = Venus

A = Aarde

M = Mars

A = Astroïde gordel

J = Jupiter

S = Saturnus

U = Uranus

N = Neptunus

K = Kuyper gordel

’n Jong vroutjie van Orania, Susan Joerling, het die kompetisie gewen met die volgende poging:

Mense Vra Altyd, Moet Alle Jong Sterre Uit Newels Kom?

Netjies, né?

Groete,

Franz Conradie

Komeet Christensen - Tekening

Thinus van der Merwe het komeet Christensen gaan soek en hierdie skets geteken soos dit Maandagaand gelyk het.

• Kliek op die skets om dit te vergroot.

C/2006 W3 (Christensen) uit die stad opgespoor

Ek en Pieter het Sondagaand tussen 22:00 - 23:00 vir komeet C/2006 W3 (Christensen) in die konstellasie Sagitta opgepoor en geskets. Dof uit die stad maar tog duidelik sigbaar met `n 10" Dobsonian. Volgens Skytools 3 is die komeet nou magnitude 8.2. Kon nie `n koma sien nie. Lyk meer soos `n "globular cluster", maar het tog `n effense langwerpige vorm.

Werkswyse:
1. Kyk eers op TheSky 6 waar hy is en kry merker sterre.
2. Ek soek met verkyker na redelike helder merkersterre en lig met groen laserwyser.
3. Pieter soek die lasermerk in die lug met teleskoop se "Finder scope". (Beeld onderstebo)
4. Hy kyk deur die oogstuk en daar sit die komeet. (Spieëlbeeld met dobsonian)

Soms soek mens bietjie op en af en links en regs. partykeer is jy gelukkig en kry dit maklik. Jou vooraf huiswerk op die rekenaar is nogal belangrik. Ook die merkersterre wat jy gebruik.

• Hier is `n kaart vir Maandagaand, 24 Augustus. Laai af (Pdf-formaat)
  Soortgelyk aan die kaart wat ons gebruik het.
  

Waarneming: C/2006 W3 (Christensen) met verkyker sigbaar

C/2006 W3 (Christensen) met verkyker sigbaar.

Kliek hier vir kaart

Begin Augustus in Vulpecula teen magnitude 8.2. Kyk vir `n 2' koma. Dit behoort konstant te bly soos dit oorbeweeg na Aquila teen die einde van Augustus.

Source: Skyhound's Guide to Comets

Hier is die inligting soos uitgewerk deur Skytools 3-sagteware:

On this night C/2006 W3 (Christensen) is best visible between 20:31 and 01:03, with the optimum view at 22:47. Look for it in Sagitta, fairly high in the sky in complete darkness. It is obvious visually in the Celestron NexStar 11 SCT. Use the Plössl 32mm for optimum visual detection. It is magnitude 8.3 with a diameter of 2.5'.

In the following 30 days this object is obvious visually from August 18-27, and again from September 7 on, with the best view coming on August 24. During this period it will fade slowly and will reach minimum altitude of 39° on August 26.

C/2006 W3 (Christensen) is past perihelion, which occurred in early July 2009. It reached maximum brightness of magnitude 8.2 in early August. The best visibility from Bloemfontein, South Africa near maximum brightness was predicted to be in early August when it was approximately magnitude 8.2. At that time it was in Vulpecula, fairly high in the sky in complete darkness and was obvious in the Celestron NexStar 11 SCT.

Visual Difficulty by Instrument for 2009 Aug 17 22:47
Instrument Current Visual Difficulty Best Visual Difficulty
Naked Eye not visible not visible
Bino 20X80 not visible not visible
Bino 12X50 detectable detectable
Celestron 11 SCT obvious obvious
Orion SkyQuest XT10 Dob obvious obvious
Bino 7X50 detectable detectable
Orion SkyQuest XT8 Dob easy easy
Orion SkyQuest XT6 Dob easy easy
Home Made Dob 12.5 f/5 obvious obvious
Orion Observer 70mm EQ easy easy

Vreemde sateliete by Jaarvergadering

Kliek op die foto om te vergroot. Let op die twee sateliete bymekaar (regs onder). Kon dit hulle wees? Jy sal sien daar is nog `n FENGYUN 1C DEB vermelding op die foto. Dalk wrakstukke van die sateliet wat die Chinese in die ruimte afgeskiet het? Orbitron gooi `n hele klomp van hulle uit. Ook nog twee SL-12 DEB.

Algemene Jaarvergaderings sal nie weer dieselfde wees nie. Griet Carelse en `n hele paar ander lede (ek ook) het Saterdagaand twee sateliete gesien ophelder en verdof, dieselfde as Iridium-satelliete. So 19:42 (plaaslike tyd) het die twee sateliete begin verdof en volgens ons skatting vanaf die braaiplek by Boyden was hulle in `n Noordoostelike rigting so plusminus 40 - 50 grade bo die horison. (Of was dit Suidoos?)

Volgens Orbitron, waarmee ons vooraf sateliete se verwagte verskynings bepaal was daar nie iets opwindends vir die aand op die spyskaart nie. Veral nie Iridium-sateliete nie.

Sondag het ek begin soek en op 2 sateliete afgekom wat moontlik die sondebokke was. Eintlik ook nie sateliete nie, maar oorblyfsels van sateliete. Dit word as DEB (debris) aangedui wat beteken dit is wrakstukke of oorblyfsels van sateliete.

Hier is die inligting volgens Orbitron. Die twee sateliete het volgens die sagteware deur die konstellasie Grus beweeg. Gaan google gerus FENGYUN 1C DEB en SL-12 DEB. Kliek op Comment onder aan hierdie beriggie en vertel vir ons wat jou gevolgtrekking is.

Hier is die 2 sateliete se inligting:
2009-08-15 19:42:04 FENGYUN 1C DEB 128.3 32.4 ? 2327 272.6 -24.7
2009-08-15 19:42:09 SL-12 DEB * 132.5 33.1 ? 2901 272.6 -24.7

Groete
Hannes Pieterse

Augustus - Waarnemingshulp

Dis nie meer so koud nie. Sien op Kobus Botha se weerkaart die front is op pad!

Loer aan die regterkantse spyskaart by waarnemingshulp vir nog dokumente wat afgelaai kan word.

Gerrit Penning het vir ons `n lys van helder dieplugvoorwerpe saamgestel wat jou gaan help om minder te wonder waarna om te kyk. Laai die pdf dokument af en maak `n uitdruk.

• Kliek hier om Junie, Julie en Augustus se voorwerpe af te laai. Die konstellasies is Sagittarius, Scorpius, Scutum en Serpens Cauda en Pavo.
  
  
• Hier's dit! Sterkaarte met `n observasielys van die winterkonstellasies bo: Sagittarius, Scorpius, Scutum en Serpens Cauda en Pavo. (In Pdf-formaat. Laai af en maak uitdrukke: Regskliek en stoor op jou rekenaar)
  
  Groete, Hannes Pieterse
  

Teleskoopbou: Klein en draagbaar

Die tydskrif Sky & Telescope het `n kompetisie vir klein en draagbare teleskope gehad. Hier is die wenner. Gaan swerf gerus op sy webtuiste ronde en kry idees. Die artikel is in die September 2009 uitgawe van die tydskrif.

• Webtuiste
  

A new bright spot on Venus

An intense bright spot has appeared in the clouds of Venus. Could it be associated with volcanic activity on the surface?

The Solar System is breaking out in spots. First Jupiter took a smack from a passing asteroid or comet, manifesting as a dark scar in the Jovian atmosphere, and now Venus is sporting a brilliant white spot in its southern polar region.

In an alert to fellow amateur astronomers, Venus observer Frank Melillo reports on his images captured on 19 July: "I have seen bright spots before but this one is an exceptional bright and quite intense area."

Complete article...

Source: Astronomy Now Online

Comeroid? Half Comet-Half Asteroid a Fluke? Nope

(Sal ons dit `n Comeroid noem - HP)

Back in 1996, astronomers discovered a strange object in the asteroid belt. They decided it was either a "lost" comet or an icy asteroid, as it ejected dust like a comet but had an orbit like an asteroid. No one had ever seen anything like the object, called 133P. Ever since it was found, astronomers have wondered if it was just an oddity — one of a kind. We now know it is not, and the discovery of more of these half asteroids/half comets means there is a new class of objects in our solar system.

Complete article...

Source: Universe Today

Vanoggend se gedeeltelike maansverduistering

Dit was maar `n eina verduistering met die maan wat net effens donker geword het.
Voorstelling met Skytools 3 gedoen. Klik op foto om te vergroot.

Events for Bloemfontein, South Africa

2009 Aug 6 01:02 Lunar Eclipse,
Enter Penumbra, Sep=+01°27'28", Alt=73°

2009 Aug 6 02:41 Lunar Eclipse,
Mid-eclipse, Sep=+01°14'32", Alt=54°

2009 Aug 6 04:18 Lunar Eclipse,
Exit Penumbra, Sep=+01°27'03", Alt=33°

Jupiter en sy "5" mane?

(Kliek op foto om te vergroot)

So het Jupiter Sondagaand net na 23:00 gelyk. Links onder is 45 Cap in Capricornus wat gesorg het dat daar nog `n "maan" sigbaar was.

Tot die 5de Auguatus gaan hierdie formasie weer sigbaar wees.

(Die voorstelling is met Skytools 3 voorberei.)

Meer hieroor op Auke Slotegraaf se blog.

Vyf gewilde voorwerpe sigbaar met `n klein teleskoop

Moenie jou kleiner teleskoop onderskat nie. Daar is `n paar mooi voorwerpe sigbaar wat jou baie plesier kan verskaf. Gaan bekyk bietjie jou sterkaarte en werk uit wanneer hulle in die Suide gaan sigbaar wees.

Lees meer op Universe Today se webblad

Groete

Hannes Pieterse

Heidemarie se gereedskapsak word `n vuurbal!

ISS TOOLBAG TO DECAY: The ISS Toolbag is about to become a fireball. Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper dropped the backpack-sized kit on Nov. 18, 2008, while she was working outside the International Space Station. Eight months later, the toolbag is reentering Earth's atmosphere. Best estimates suggest a fireball over the south Pacific Ocean (35.7° S, 216.4° E) at around 1300 UT on August 3rd.

It is visible through binoculars and small telescopes.

• Check the Simple Satellite Tracker for last-chance flybys.

Knoop toe! Hier kom dit...

As jy wonder oor die weer kan jy gerus by Kobus Botha se weerwebtuiste gaan inloer.
Op die infrarooifoto wat om 18:30 vaanaand geneem is kan die wolke duidelik gesien word. Bloemfontein is daar by die rooi pyl se punt.

• www.weatherphotos.co.za
  

Johannesburg-planetarium het nuwe voorraad teleskope

Die planetarium in Johannesburg het weer `n voorraad teleskope. Gaan loer gerus op hulle webblad. Die pryse is mededingend. Hulle wil sterrekunde so goedkoop moontlik by Jan Alleman uitbring. Ondersteun hulle gerus.

• www.planetarium.co.za
  Kliek op Telescopes bo aan die blad.

Spring gou! Die teleskope vlieg gewoonlik en is uitverkoop voor een in jou voorkamer staan.

- Nee! Ek kry nie kommissie nie.

Kontak die planetarium: planet@planetarium.co.za

Groete

Hannes Pieterse
e-pos: jl.pieterse@yahoo.com

Vlamme 10 meter vanaf Boyden se heining gestop.

Wat `n skok toe ek die koerant vanoggend oopmaak. (Kliek op foto om te vergroot)

Die opskrif by die foto is "Vlamme woed by Boyden-sterrewag".

Mnr. Braam van Zyl, afdelingsoffisier van die Bloemfonteinse brandweer sê die historiese waarde van die sterrewag het gemaak dat die brand hoë prioriteit geniet. Die veldbrand het eergister begin en is gister finaal onder beheer gebring.

Die brand het tot sowat 10 meter vanaf die Noordelike heining aan Maselspoort se kant gewoed, voor dit onder beheer gebring is en eindelik geblus is.

(Hannes Pieterse)

ASSA Annual General Meeting 2009

The 2009 Annual General Meeting of the ASSA was held in Cape Town on 2009 July 29.

Two highlights from the meeting were the presentation of awards, and Dr Peter Martinez's Presidential Address.

Read more...

1959 - ASSA Bloemfontein Centre

Die Bloemfontein Sterekundevereniging is vanjaar 50 jaar oud! Gaan dwaal gerus in die argiewe rond om te sien wat die afgelope halfeeu gebeur het.

• Kliek hier

Hier is `n kort inskrywing van die eerste vergadering:

1959 - ASSA Bloemfontein Centre

March 18th, 1959
A meeting was held at the Technical College, Bloemfontein, on March 18th, 1959, under the auspices of Dr. H. Haffner, at which it was decided to seek the approval of theCouncil of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa to the formation of a Bloemfontein Centre of the Society. Dr. C.B. van Wyk was elected Chairman, Mr. N. Lincoln Secretary. Dr. Haffner & Mr. M. J. Bester
were elected to the Committee. It was decided that the next Meeting should be held at the Boyden Observatory on April 20th, at 7.30 p.m.

Those present at the Meeting enjoyed a talk by Dr. Haffner on "The Moon", illustrated by lantern slides. An article in "The Friend" of 19 March 1959 reads as follows: Astronomy society branch Dr. C.B. Van Wyk, professor of applied mathematics at the University of the Orange Free State, was elected chairman at the inaugural meeting of the Bloemfontein centre of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa last night. Dr. Haffner and Mr M.J. Bester were elected to the committee, with Mr. Lincoln as secretary. There were about 20 foundation members. After the meeting Dr. Haffner gave an illustrated talk on "The Moon". He confined himself to the more technical side of the subject, as he considered he said, that enough had already been said about the more imaginative side.

The next meeting of the centre will be held as an observation evening at Boyden Observatory, Mazelspoort, at 7.30 p.m. on April 20. An open invitation has been extended to anybody interested in astronomy to attend the centre's meetings.

ISS - Visible Passes over Bloemfontein

Dit is elke keer `n wenner!

Source: Universe Today
Wow! Take a look at this image captured by award-winning French astrophotographer Thierry Legault. The visible detail of the shuttle and parts of the International Space Stations is absolutely amazing! If you remember, Legault also took images of space shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Space Telescope transiting the sun back in May during the HST servicing mission.

Legault is an engineer who lives near Paris. He started his digital imaging in 1994, and currently uses a SBIG STL-11000M CCD camera with AO-L system that is equipped with large and narrow band filters. He also uses a reflex Canon 5D, webcams from Philips as well as Astrovid video cameras.

He has written two books: "The New Atlas of the Moon" with Serge Brunier (Firefly) and "Astrophotographie" (Eyrolles), and is featured in a new book by Robert Gendler, "Capturing the Stars: Astrophotography by the Masters."

Visit Thierry's website for more great images!

Southern Sky News for 2009 August

Augustus is Jupiter se maand. Nie eens Mars wat so "groot" soos die maan gaan word, gaan die ou grootte se donder steel nie. Oops! Nou is almal weer ontsteld. Nee! Nee! Nee! Mars gaan nie so groot soos die maan word nie. Jupiter en sy mane is die hele Augustus-maand van vroeg tot laat sigbaar. Die mane is nou wel net sigbaar met `n kragtige verkyker of klein teleskoop. Op 14 Augustus is die Jupiter in opposisie as die aarde direk tussen hom en die son is. Dit is dan ook op sy helderste.

• Kyk wat is nog gedurende Augustus in die suidelike naghemel te sien. Kliek hier
  
  Besoek Auke Slotegraaf se Sterrekunde webtuiste
  Auke Slotegraaf is die huidige Direkteur van die ASSA* Dieplug waarnemingsafdeling.
  

Gaan loer na die impakkol op Jupiter

Hierdie is `n voorstelling wat met Skytools 3 geskep is soos gesien deur `n 11" duim teleskoop, 29 Julie om 05:14.

Gaan loer gerus deur jou teleskoop hoe die impakkol nou lyk. Ek het hierdie tye op Auke Slotegraaf se blog raak geswerf. Auke Slotegraaf is die huidige Direkteur van die ASSA* Dieplug waarnemingsafdeling. Besoek Auke se Sterrekunde webtuiste

Spotting Jupiter's impact spot

The schedule for observing the impact spot on Jupiter from South Africa is as follows (times in SAST):

Wednesday 29 July, 04:14; Thursday 30 July, 01:59 & 21:56; Saturday 01 August 03:43 & 23:34; Tuesday 04 August 01:12 & 21:03; Thursday 06 August 02:50 & 22:41; Sunday 09 August 9, 00:18; Tuesday 11 August 01:57 & 21:48; Thursday 13 August 23:26; Sunday 16 August 01:04.

The marking transits 2 hours and 6 minutes after the Great Red Spot.

Astro Mini-Kursus

Hier is nou net die ding om jou sterrekunde stokperdjie mee af te skop.

Met hierdie gratis inligting kan jy die grondslag lê vir hierdie interessante tydverdryf. Dit is in Engels, maar wat maak dit saak. Dit is `n vyfdagkursus. Moenie alles in een dag probeer verteer nie. Strek dit uit oor `n paar dae. Kliek en geniet!

You can access all 5 days of the course at the following links:

Day 1: What you can see up there
Day 2: How the sky moves
Day 3: How to read a star chart, and mini-tours of the sky
Day 4: Binoculars and telescopes
Day 5: How to see faint celestial objects; what to do next…

Hubble weer op sy pos: Jupiter se wond

Rejuvenated Hubble spies giant impact scar on Jupiter
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: July 24, 2009

The freshly-upgraded Hubble Space Telescope snapped a dramatic image of a dark blemish on Jupiter Thursday, using the observatory's brand new camera installed by astronauts in May.

• Read more...
  

Bydrae deur Amateur Sterrekundiges...

Goeiedag Vriende

Sterrekunde is een van die min displines in die wetenskap waar amateurs nog belangrike bydraes kan maak - gaan kyk gerus op APOD by http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html na die belangrike ontdekking onlangs gemaak deur 'n amateur sterrekundige in Australië: 'n nuwe impak-letsel op Jupiter.

As jy nie by die link kan uitkom nie, hier is die foto wat geneem is van Jupiter, met die impak-letsel 'n swart merk net onderkant die boonste pool van die planeet.

Moenie die amateurs afskryf nie - word eerder een!!!!

Groete en "clear skies"!!

Thinus.

How do you sneeze in a spacesuit? 'Aim well,' astronaut tells YouTube questioner

By Mike Schneider, The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - When it comes to sneezing in a spacesuit while in the void of space, it is best to aim well.

That's the advice lead spacewalker David Wolf offered Tuesday while answering one of the questions posted on YouTube for the crew of the space shuttle Endeavor.

"I've done it quite a few times, most recently yesterday," said Wolf, who led the mission's second spacewalk Monday and was set to go on a third spacewalk Wednesday. "You learn in training, and I don't know how to say this, aim well. It can mess up your view and there is no way to clear it."

Complete article...

Land on the Moon in Google Earth

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Google has launched a new feature: the Moon in Google Earth. You can now use Google Earth to explore, fly around and search the Moon. Google was able to get several astronauts to participate in this new feature, and you can get tours of landing sites, narrated by Apollo astronauts, view 3D models of landed spacecraft, zoom into 360-degree photos to see astronauts' footprints and watch rare TV footage of the Apollo missions. The hi-resolution views of the Moon were developed in collaboration with NASA Ames Research and JAXA. It's loads of fun and provides an historic perspective as well as a look to the future of lunar exploration. If you already have Google Earth 5.0 on your computer, just click on the tab on the top toolbar that has a picture of Saturn, and click on Moon. If you click on the Apollo 11 flag, you can zoom in on that location and take a tour of the first landing site on the Moon! What a great way celebrate the 40th anniversary. Enjoy!

Click here to go the the Moon in Google Earth.