Tuesday, 14 September 2010

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010


Congratulations to Tom Lowe who wins the title Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010 with this spectacular image of ancient trees silhouetted against the bright star clouds of the Milky Way. Competition judge Marek Kukula says: ‘I think this beautiful picture perfectly captures the spirit of Astronomy Photographer of the Year, linking the awe-inspiring vista of the night sky with life here on Earth. The bristlecone pines in the foreground can live as long as five thousand years. But they are babies compared to the starlight shining behind them, some of which began its journey towards us almost 30,000 years ago. 

Saturday is Moon day (night)


Ope-aand Boyden-sterrewag, Saterdag, 18 September 2010


Plek: Boyden-sterrewag (Langs Maselspoort)
Datum: Saterdag, 18 September 2010
Tyd: 18:30

BESPREKING IS NOODSAAKLIK!
  • Willie Koorts van die SAAO lewer praatjie oor Die Ingenieurswese agter Sterrekunde. Die lesing sal tweetalig wees met die skyfies in Engels.
  • Hennie Maas van RSG se Sterre en Planete kom maak twee opnames vir die radioprogram "Sterre en Planete" by die sterrewag. Prof Matie Hoffman en Willie Koorts  is die twee gaste wat om die beurte met die program help. Hierdie sessie is in Afrikaans
  • Waarnemings deur teleskope indien die weer dit toelaat o.a. van Jupiter, Venus en die maan.
Bel 051 401 9751 tydens kantoorure om te bespreek of stuur 'n epos aan FickY@ufs.ac.za

Toegang: R 30 per motor

Verversings en ligte etes te koop - Nuwe spyseniers!

Aangebied deur: Vriende van Boyden-sterrewag en die Amateur Sterrekunde Vereniging

Monday, 13 September 2010

More Photos: Venus and Moon Occultation 11 September 2010


 Click to enlarge image
Moon and Venus Occultation as seen from Boyden Observatory
Photo: Hannes Pieterse
Equipment: Canon 30D attached to Celestron 11 GPS (Prime focus) Tracking in Lunar mode.
ISO 400 and 1/2000 sec. Processed in Photoshop CS5

According to my computer clock and Camera exif info the moon started to move in front of Venus at 14:28:55. The exit time was give or take 15:36:39.

Foto's: Maan en Venus Okkultasie - 11 September 2010


Herman Bonnet van ASSA Bloemfontein se foto's
Canon 400D ISO 100, Skywatcher equinox 120,Eq 6
Klik op foto om te vergroot

Wesssel du Preez ASSA Bloemfontein stuur uit Senekal die
foto's wat hy met `n selfoon deur die oogstuk van `n Orion 8"dobsonion  geneem het.

Klik op foto om te vergroot

Friday, 10 September 2010

Shuttle se moer gestrip! Moer nou weg! NASA soek moer!



Discovery attachment to tank delayed by nut problem
Workers rotated Discovery upright last night for mating to the fuel
tank and boosters. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
 Engineers attaching the shuttle Discovery to its external fuel tank ran into problems Friday when an internal nut used to attach a separation bolt to the belly of the orbiter slipped out of position. Re-positioning the mis-aligned nut will require access to the shuttle's aft engine compartment, sources said, but it was not immediately clear what might be required to provide that access with Discovery not yet firmly attached to its external tank.
 (Ok! 'n  Bolt is `n bout! Maar moer klink beter! Dit is toe `n "nut" en nie `n "bolt" nie!) 

    How Microbes Could Help Colonize Mars




    Cyanobacteria fossil about 850 million years old from Bitter
    Springs in Central Australia. Credit: J. William Schopf
    by Jeremy Hsu
    for Astrobiology Magazine

    Moffett Field CA (SPX) Sep 10, 2010


    Tiny rock-eating microbes could mine precious extraterrestrial resources from Mars
    and pave the way for the first human colonists. Just don't expect them to transform
    the red planet's surface into a new Earth on a short deadline, researchers say.

    Space station cargo vessel blasts off


    A robotic Russian resupply ship to service the International Space Station successfully launched atop a Soyuz rocket rocket today at 6:22 a.m. EDT (1022 GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The freighter is carrying two-and-a-half tons of cargo, food and water for the high-flying laboratory.
    Photo credit: Energia

    Wednesday, 8 September 2010

    Two Asteroids To Pass By Earth Wednesday (Today)


    Two small asteroids in unrelated orbits will pass
    within the moon's distance of Earth on Wed.
    Both should be observable with moderate-sized
    amateur telescopes.


    by Staff Writers
    Pasadena CA (JPL) Sep 08, 2010
    Two asteroids, several meters in diameter and in unrelated orbits, will pass within the moon's distance of Earth on Wednesday, Sept. 8.
    Both asteroids should be observable near closest approach to Earth with moderate-sized amateur telescopes
    . Neither of these objects has a chance of hitting Earth.

    Read more... 

    Source: SpaceDaily

    Monday, 6 September 2010

    11 September 2010 - Occultation of Venus by the moon on your doorstep

    Re Post with extra information

    Maak `n knoop in jou selfoon om hierdie okkultasie van Venus deur die maan nie mis te loop nie. Dit is in die dag en sal maklik met `n verkyker waargeneem kan word. Selfs met die blote oog. Venus verdwyn Saterdag 11 September om 14:29 agter die maan en verskyn dan weer om 15:47.  Die sekelmaantjie gaan hoog in die hemel sit en daardie klein ligpuntjie naby hom is Venus. Sien onder vir meer spesifieke tye.

    Times for the Free State
    Bethlehem 2:36 pm 3:48 pm
    Bloemfontein 2:29 pm 3:47 pm
    Harrismith 2:38 pm 3:50 pm
    Kroonstad 2:33 pm 3:45 pm
    Parys 2:34 pm 3:43 pm
    Smithfield 2:30 pm 3:50 pm

    Northern Cape
    Calvinia 2:14 pm 3:40 pm
    De Aar 2:24 pm 3:46 pm
    Hotazel 2:19 pm 3:37 pm
    Kimberley 2:25 pm 3:44 pm
    Springbok 2:08 pm 3:34 pm
    Sutherland 2:18 pm 3:44 pm
    Upington 2:15 pm 3:37 pm


    Hier is meer inligting: 

    11 Sep - Occultation of Venus for E Brazil & S Africa (daytime)
    Local Circumstances (Boyden Observatory - Bloemfontein)
    Longitude =  26° 14' 31" E
                                 Latitude =  29° 01' 18" S
                                Elevation = 1114m.
    
                     Greatest Occultation = 2010-Sep-11 13:08:05.6 UT
                                 Altitude =  76.4°
                                  Azimuth = 338.3°
    
                Calendar Date and Time          Planet           Sun     Limb
                    Universal Time         Azi    Alt    PA      Alt      PA
     
    Universal Time 
    Ingress    2010-Sep-11 12:29:18.8 d   18.6°  76.6°   88.0°   43.0°  295.3°
    Egress     2010-Sep-11 13:47:08.7 b  309.3°  71.2°  328.4°   28.5°  295.2°
      Duration    77m 49.9s
     
    Graphic of disappearance and reappearance points as seen from Boyden Observatory
    Graphic Source: TheSky6
    
    
     Click on images for a bigger view