Astronomy Wise September Edition

WWW.ASTRONOMY-WISE.
COM

Mars One
Interviews
The Night Sky
Young Astronomer
Cover Image Alison Bossaert
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Contents Contents Contents

4. Lets Talk Interview with Nick Howes
8. The Night Sky with
14. Lets Talk Interview with Sophia Nasr
18. Android Astronomy & Space Apps.
20. Exploring the Sun - our local Super Star
24. The Region of the Summer Stars
30. Dwarf Planets
32. Latest Image for Curiosity
34. September Lunar Occultations
36. Astronomer Profle: Jason Ives
38. Book Review: Ninian G Boyle In the
Lions Paw
40. Death from Outer Space
43. Curiosity Images
44. Young Astronomer
46. Mars One
52. The Future Of Space Exploration
60. Occultations Table
70. Home And Away

Image: Crab Nebula (NASA)

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Whos Who?
Editor & Co founder
Dave Bood
Writer & CO founder:
Jason Ives
Page Layout/Writer:
Edward Dutton
Night Sky & Writer:
John Harper
Former director of the
occultation section,
S.P.A, society for
popular astronomy.
Writers:
Ninian Boyle
Andy Devey
Zantippy Skiphop
Jason Ives
John Harper
Dave Bood
Edward Dutton

Welcome to the September 2012 edition of
Astronomy Wise EZine. Well what a month August
was, yes an event of major proportions took place,
Curiosity successfully landed on Mars.
This month we are packed with articles with some
new writers. We have the monthly Night Sky from
John Harper, articles on our nearest star, Mars,
Young Astronomer, Astronomer profiles and much
more. We would like to thank everyone who sent in
their pictures for Rouges Gallery. Also a big thank
you to all who written for Astronomy Wise this
month.

Sadly Neil Armstrong passed
Away on August 25th 2012.
Neil was born in Wapakoneta,
Ohio, on August 5, 1930.
Neil had a long career flying
In the US Navy air force from
1949 to 1952. He had a career as a test pilot and in
1962 Armstrong transferred to astronaut status.
Full bio http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/
bios/neilabio.html We would like to offer the Arm-
strong family our deepest sympathy.
Images: NASA

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Lets Talk. Nick Howes (NickAstronomer)
Astronomy Wise is always on the look out to interview interesting people from the
world of Astronomy and Science. This month is no exception for we have Nick
Howes. Nicks CV includes the ESA and the Faulks Telescope, so we are proud to
announce Nick Howes

AW: Nick when did you first become interested in Astronomy and Science?
NH: Probably at the age of 7-9. My father took me to see Star Wars at the cinema
on release, and between that and the new reports of the Viking Landers and the
Voyagers launching, I probably like most kids wanted to be an astronaut. At the age
of 9, my grandmother bought me a telescope and a book on space, and I think from
that point onwards, I was hooked.
AW: Tell us about your work with the ESA
NH: I am employed under contract with ESAs Space
Science division as a freelance writer, after being
approached by one of their science editors Dr Stuart
Clark. Im immensely proud to work with some great
scientists on some amazing missions like the
Herschel Space Observatory, the XMM-Newton X-ray
telescope, LISA Pathfinder, and recently a lot with
the Mars Express team. I get to work on several
great science stories a month, taking research
papers and making their amazing science accessible
to a wider audience via the ESA Science Portal and
website.
AW: Briefly can you tell us about the other organisations you are involved with
NH: I am the Pro-Am programme manager for the Faulkes Telescope Project, which
is a an educational based outreach project aiming to engage school children in
Astronomy. We have two almost Hubble sized telescopes based in Hawaii and Aus-
tralia, which schools and some amateur astronomers have access to for research
and educational projects. My main focus is collaborating with other organisations,
and Ive proudly set up a big project detecting asteroids with ESA and am currently
also working as a research associate with the Lowell Observatory on Trans Nepunian
object detection. I mentored and ran a student project in 2011 where we discovered
over 40 new asteroids, and catapulted our student Hannah Blyth on to national TV
and shortlisted for some amazing science awards, something again I was very
proud of.

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Nick Howes, who came up with the idea for the image,
and Sir Patrick Moore, host of the BBC's Sky at Night
programme.
(http://spaceinfo.com.au/2010/06/07/world-record-moon-image/)
AW: From your twitter profile you
mention you are a STEM ambassador, can
you tell us what that involves.
NH: STEM is science Technology
Engineering and Mathematics. This
involved me visiting schools and talking
about Astronomy. Ive visited several
schools to demonstrate solar astronomy
and talk about comets. Its something
that gives me a huge amount of pleasure,
as the questions young kids ask are often
the most challenging.

AW:As an Astronomy Consultant who do
you offer advice too? What projects have
you been involved with?
NH: Ive helped specify the entire
observatory facility at Grazalema
National Park in Spain, which is an
educational and public outreach
observatory run in conjunction with the
University of Glamorgan and the Faulkes
Telescope. I am a visiting lecturer for
Glamorgan University and also act as the
technical consultant for Wiltshire
Astronomical Society. I was the
equipment consultant for 6 years at
Astronomy Now magazine, and working
on advising Faulkes with new projects
such as project Snoopy, where were
hunting to the Apollo 10 lunar ascent
module, as well as all of the asteroid,
and comet projects I am involved with.
In 2009 I instigated the plan and lead
the Guinness World record breaking
team creating the largest ever Moon
image, working with some of the worlds
greatest Astro imagers.
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http://www.faulkes-telescope.com/

AW: Can you tell us about the
Faulkes telescope project?
NH: This is a fantastic project set
up by Dill Faulkes, an entrepreneur
who invested 10,000,000 of his
own money in building two huge
telescopes in Hawaii and Siding
Spring, Australia. It operates dur-
ing school hours in the UK, offering
kids the chance to control, and im-
age using two scopes, almost the
size of Hubble. The scopes are
managed by LCOGT, who are in the
process of building and setting up a
vast network of additional 1m and
0.4m telescopes all over the world,
which will really enhance the
science capabilities and also offer
more time to schools and high end
amateur observers.
AW: What are your favourite
aspects of astronomy?
NH: Communication and outreach.
I run my own observatory from
home, imaging and doing
astrometry and photometry on
comets and asteroids, as well as
using the Faulkes scopes. But
writing about and communicating astronomy to me gives me the best thrill, as it
engages others and hopefully encourages them to take up this fantastic hobby.
AW: Are you a member of any astronomical societies?
NH: I am a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, a member of the Society for
Popular Astronomy and on the committee for Wiltshire Astronomical Society. All
great to be a part.
AW: What do you think is the next big thing in Astronomy or space?
NH: Id like to hope it will be clear evidence for life in the universe. Either by
exoplanet detection using spectroscopy of interesting planetary atmospheric events,
or on Mars from landers like MSL paving the way for hopefully future human
exploration and the discovery of microbial lifeforms. The most amazing project to
me right now though is probably the three fold triumvirate of the E-ELT, the JWST
and the SKA, which between them, will utterly transform our knowledge of the
Universe.
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AW: What equipment do you use to view
the stars?
NH: My home observatory is a range of
high end ATIK CCDs, Lumenera
cameras, a C11 telescope, and a TMB
refractor, which I love and use mostly
for comet and nebula imaging. Its all
under full remote control from the
house, which is helpful in the winter
when the -10c temperatures can start to
bite.
In the world of Astronomy and science
who do you admire the most and why?
Richard Feynman was my hero growing
up. His brilliance in conveying complex
ideas to a wide audience, combined wit
h humour and humility made him the
genius he was. Ive never heard
anyone who disagrees with this.
Carl Sagan, Neil De-Grasse
Tyson for their communication
ability, and the Apollo
astronauts, for doing something
so incredible, and so brave, that
they should all be hailed as
global heroes, even to this day.
AW: In the world of Astronomy
and science who do you admire
the most and why?
NH: Richard Feynman was my
hero growing up. His brilliance
in conveying complex ideas to a
wide audience, combined wit h
humour and humility made him the genius he was. Ive never heard anyone who
disagrees with this. Carl Sagan, Neil De-Grasse Tyson for their communication
ability, and the Apollo astronauts, for doing something so incredible, and so
brave, that they should all be hailed as global heroes, even to this day.
AW: Can you tell us about your talks and lectures?
NH: I am an FAS listed speaker, and give talks on Solar imaging and
astrophotography as well as on comets and asteroids to societies up and down
the country. Its been great that I;ve been invited to give talks abroad too, and
relish every chance I get to communicate astronomy as passionately as I can.
AW: What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in Astronomy?
NH: Work hard in Science at school and mathematics, and never give up on your
dreams. Do you think Amstrong and Aldrin ever imagined as kids that theyd be
the first people to step on to the Moon? Having great teachers and parents helps,
but you have to strive on your own if you want something badly.
A big thank you to Nick for taking time to answer our questions. Images provided
by Nick Howes. Interesting links to websites below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35527037@N02/
http://spaceisace-nickastronomer.blogspot.co.uk/
www.faulkes-telescope.com
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Former director of the occultation section, S.P.A, society for popular astronomy.

The Sun begins the month in the constellation of Leo, but on the 16th at around
noon, crosses the astronomical border which separates Leo from Virgo, in which
constellation it remains till the month ends.
The Autumnal Equinox on Sept 22nd at 14h49 marks the official start of autumn.
Day and night are almost equal in length again, and in the northern hemisphere,
autumn lasts for 89.85 days. The earth-sun distance at this time is 150,125,903
km.

September is the best month to observe the ethereal Zodiacal Light during the
early mornings when the moon is not present in the sky and you are well away
from light pollution. Look towards the east before the onset of morning twilight,
around 03h30, and you should see a faint cone of light pointing southwards at a
steep angle of 60. This phenomenon is caused by the sun illuminating the disc of
fine dust, which is the remnant of solar system formation 4.5 thousand million
years ago. The best days to observe this morning cone are from the beginning of
the month till the 11th, and from the 26th to the end of the month.
THE NIGHT SKY: JOHN HARPER
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THE MOON
The Moon is at apogee, its farthest from the earth, around 06h01 on the 7th, and at
perigee (nearest to the earth) at 02h53 on the 19th.

Before the days of mechanisation, harvest was a long process and the labourers
would have to work well into the night. For several nights before and after Full, the
moon rises at about the same time each evening as the sun sets and so its light
enabled the harvesters to continue their labours into the night. Look for the Harvest
Moon rising almost due east at sunset later that day.

Earthshine may be seen on the dark hemisphere of the waning crescent moon from
the 9th to the 15th.

Last Quarter Moon is at 13h16 on the
8th in the constellation of Taurus, near
Jupiter. This is one of the highest LQ
moons of the year.
New Moon is on the 16
th
at 02h11; on
the Leo-Virgo border 5 south of the
sun.
First Quarter Moon takes place at
19h41 on the 22
nd
, low down in Sagit-
tarius, and is the lowest FQ moon of
the year.
Full Moon in Pisces is at 03h19 on the
30th, and is called the Harvest Moon.
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THE PLANETS

MERCURY
It may be possible to glimpse Mercury low in the
eastern sky during the first few days of the month.
The planet rises 90 mins before the sun at that time
and so binoculars will be necessary to glimpse this
object at around 05h10 when the sun comes up.
Beware however of looking for Mercury when the
sun is rising because you may inadvertently catch
the sun in your binoculars, which is dangerous as it
will damage your eyes. On the 10
th
, Mercury is at
superior conjunction and lies beyond the sun, after
which it returns into the evening sky, but because of
the low angle of Mercurys orbit in relation to the
horizon, will not be seen during the rest of
September, nor during the whole of October.
VENUS
Venus, the glorious morning star, rises between 01h
and 02h throughout the month and from then on,
shines magnificently in the eastern quadrant of the
sky until sunrise; and even then it is still possible to
see Venus the brightest planet, against a blue sky if
you know exactly where to look. The waning
crescent moon and Venus rise together on the
morning of the 12th and at 03h are side-by-side 15
above the horizon, with the two Twin stars Castor
and Pollux higher in the sky pointing down to them.
The angular distance between the moon and Venus
at this time is 6.
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Saturn, like Mars is a difficult object to see as it runs into daylight during the month. Binoculars are necessary to locate the ringed

MARS
Throughout September, Mars sets only 90 mins after
the sun and so is a challenging object to locate low in
the SW sky as twilight fades. The red planet is now in
Libra and approaching the binary star Zubenelgenubi
(Alpha Librae). The best time to glimpse Mars is around
19h, when it will be 5 above the horizon.

JUPITER
Jupiter rises several minutes earlier on consecutive
evenings throughout September, so that on the 1st it
rises at 22h, but on the 30th at around 20h. The giant
planet is to be found in Taurus 6 to the east of
Aldebaran and 16 east of the Pleiades. The gibbous
waning moon, almost at last quarter forms a pretty
configuration with Jupiter and Aldebaran on the 8th,
when at 02h Jupiter is 4 to the lower left of the moon;
Aldebaran is 3 to the lower right of the moon. By 05h,
just before sunrise, the angular distance between the
moon and Jupiter has decreased to 3. As Jupiter is
visible in the evening sky at a reasonable hour, you
should take the opportunity to observe the Galilean
satellites, the four big moons; all you need are firmly
fixed binoculars, which shows the moon as tiny
star-like points close to the planets disc. It is intriguing
to see how they change positions on a daily basis as
they orbit the giant planet.
SATURN
Saturn, like Mars is a difficult object to see as it runs
into daylight during the month. Binoculars are
necessary to locate the ringed planet, which at 19h is
only 6 above the WSW horizon, the same altitude as
Mars. Only at the very beginning of the month does it
set 90 mins after the sun, but by the months end it
sets less than an hour before the sun.

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A minor meteor shower peaks on the 1
st
, when just before morning twilight begins,
you may see up to 8 Alpha Aurigid shooting stars an hour. The radiant, or apparent
origin of any meteors seen, is near to the star Capella (Alpha Aurigae). A bright
moon in the SSE may interfere though.

Constellations visible in the south around midnight, mid-month, are as follows:
Aquarius, the western fish of Pisces, sometimes known as The Circlet because of
its shape, and the large autumn square of Pegasus. Almost overhead are the great
galaxy in Andromeda and the W shaped constellation of Cassiopeia.

All times are UT. 1 is one finger width at arms length.
Add 1 hour for Local Time (BST)
URANUS
Uranus is at opposition, and opposite the sun in the
sky, during the evening of the 29th. The planet,
discovered by William Herschel in 1781 is exactly
due south at midnight in the constellation of Pisces.
At the same time, on the 29th, the almost Full Moon
is only 14 to the right of Uranus, so unless you
know where to look for this faint planet, it is difficult
to spot. When the moon is out of the way during the
earlier part of the month, the easiest way to locate
Uranus is to use the two eastern stars of the Great
Square of Pegasus and project them downwards by
the same distance the two stars are apart. The faint
star you see in that position is Uranus
NEPTUNE
If you wish to try to locate Neptune, then during the
middle of the month at around 22h30, the planet is
due south just less than 3 to the upper left of the
star iota Aquarii, which is not excessively bright, but
is marked in star atlases.
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AW: Sophia When did you first get an interest in Astronomy?
SN: Ive been interested in astronomy since I was very young. Ive always been
fascinated with the beauties in our might sky. It began with stars, planets (Saturn
and Jupiter in particular) and comets. I remember at a young age Id go out with my
mother for meteor showers and watch in delight as they burned up while entering
our atmosphere! My interests progressed to the mysteries of black holes and the
density and immense gravity of neutron stars and pulsars.
AW: Tell us about what you are
studying at university
SN: I go to York University in
Toronto, Canada, and am majoring
in astrophysics. In this field, one
must have a good grasp of
mathematics (Calculus I, Calculus
II, multivariable Calculus), some
chemistry, and of course, physics
(both physics and astrophysics,
and in later years, quantum
mechanics as well). Thus, these
are the courses we take in
astrophysics, and in later years,
courses become all
physics-related.

AW: Tell us about York
University Canada?
SN: York University is a great
university in Toronto. It is home to
one of the most popular observatories to which people from all over the world come
to visit and relish in peering through our 40-cm telescope at the wonders of the
cosmos. We also hold a 60-cm telescope dedicated to researching variable stars. I
am pleased to be a staff member at the York University Observatory.

Image Credit: M109, a barred spiral galaxy taken by Ted Rudyk at York U. Observatory:
LETS TALK
This month we are talking to an Astrophysics Major Sophia Nasr.
Follow her on Twitter @pharaoness

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Article
AW: What inspires you the most?
SN: Nothing inspires me more than a thirst for uncovering the many mysteries the
cosmos hold. There are many mysteries we have yet to solve, like that of the black
hole and how the laws of physics break down at the singularity. Dark matter is yet to
be detected, and dark energy is even further from our grasp. But with the Higgs field
recently being discovered at CERN, I think dark matter may be the next particle to
be discovered. I suppose it is safe to say that the drive to uncover the unanswered
questions is what inspires me most.
People who have advanced physics
also inspire me. Albert Einstein has
advanced the study of physics in
such a great way with his special
relativity and general relativity
(among other things). Sir Isaac
Newton also defined the laws of
gravity (which Einstein sharpened
and made better, if you will). These
people (among many others) and
the drive to solve mysteries are the
source of my inspiration.
AW: What are your thoughts on
the Curiosity Landing?
SN: The Curiosity Landing is a major
step forward in the field of
astronomy. It is such an exciting
thing! Many new things may be
discovered! The Curiosity rover is an
advanced rover with innovated
technology that will be able to better
analyse the contents of Martian soil in order to find whether any microbial life exists
(or once existed). I believe Curiosity will drive space agencies to send probes to
places like Jupiters moon Europa, a candidate object in our solar system which may
hold life in its suspected subsurface oceans due to tidal heating created by the
immense gravity of Jupiter, which may cause hydrothermal vents that give rise to
the formation of microbial life on Earth. These are very exciting times for the field of
astronomy.
Image credit: M81 (Bodes Galaxy) taken by Ted Rudyk at York U. Observatory

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AW: Recently there have been some
big developments in science, Higgs
Boson, Curiosity, what is the next big
thing?
SN: This summer has brought humanity
great scientific advancements with the
discovery of the Higgs boson and the
landing of Curiosity on Mars. With these
developments, I think the next big thing
will be the discovery of microbial life on
Mars or proof that some form of life once
existed there. I also think that the discov-
ery of the particle responsible for dark
matter is on the horizon, and particle
physicists at the LHC (Large Hadron
Collider) will be aggressively searching for
it now that the Higgs boson has been
found. Particle physicists at the LHC have
also expressed a desire to find out whether
or not supersymmetry holds, and this is
also very exciting for the world of physics.
AW: What is your favourite object in the night sky?
SN: My favourite object to look at through a telescope in the night sky would be
Saturn and M57 (the Ring Nebula). They are just beautiful objects to observe!
Jupiter is also gorgeous to view! M81 (Bodes Galaxy) is another beautiful object
to view. For viewing with the naked eye, no one can resist the beautiful band of
the Milky Way, near which M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) can be seen with the naked
eye. Of course, skies in Toronto are much too polluted with light to view any of
these objects, and as such, these must be viewed further away from the light
pollution. This makes these sights all the more precious to me, as I seldom get the
chance to see them.
AW: Any other information you would like to add?
SN: I am pleased to have recently been asked to take the Senior Executive posi-
tion in the York University Astronomy Club, which is an outreach club on campus
dedicated to inspiring astronomy enthusiasts and spreading knowledge about the
universe to its members. We hold meetings every other Wednesday during the
school year in which we play fun astronomy-related games like Jeopardy
(astronomy style!), schedule lectures on various topics about astronomy, and give
students a chance to meet new friends with like interests. It is a great way to get
17

people acquainted with all things astronomy.
Working at the York University Observatory has given me such appreciation for the cos-
mos. It has also shown me how many people are really interested in our night sky, which
is really important to me. I have also had the pleasure of working with people who have a
superb talent for astrophotography. One of the best Ive met is Ted Rudyk, who has con-
tributed some of the most beautiful images of night sky objects. Below youll find some of
the best images taken using the 40cm telescope at York University Observatory by Ted
Rudyk.

Image Credit: M57 (Ring Nebula) taken by Ted Rudyk at York U. Observatory
Image Credit: Saturn, taken by Ted Rudyk at York U. Observatory

Astronomy Wise would like to thank Sophia for taking the time to do our interview. At the
time of writing Sophia was about to undertake a Physics exam. I would also like to thank
Ted Rudyk for permission and use of these wonderful images. Finally a thank you to York
University, Toronto, Canada for the use of the images.

We wish Sophia all the success in the future and hope like many of the other students we
have featured she will let us know how she is getting on.

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Android Astronomy & Space Apps
In past issues we have looked at some Apps for the Iphone
and Ipad systems, for those of us who have the android
system here are few FREE apps which are worth a download

ISS Android Simple
Nice little free application, I have this
running on a Galaxy 10.1 tablet. It
tracks the ISS using Google maps.
Your location is shown with the android
man, while there is a graphic of the ISS
tracking across the planet
Using your device settings (location) it
can tell you if there is a passing over
your area. It can do this up to 10 days
in advance.

Google User Rating 4.6/5

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Android Astronomy & Space Apps

Solar Explorer Lite
This application was tested on the
Galaxy 10.1 tablet. The application is
ideal for those who want to learn the
basics of the solar system. See the
planets orbit the sun (Sol), click on a
planets to find out more information.
See what the planet is made off,
explore the planets moons. The lite
version is free however there is a
paid version with more objects to
view.

Google User Rating 4.5/5

Images Google Play & Screen
Print for Galaxy 10.1

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Exploring the Sun - our local Super Star.
By Andy Devey
www.thesolarexplorer.net
The me, the Sun is not only the giver and
sustainer of life and the centre of our solar
system, it also presents us with an unique
opportunity to see and study a real life Star
in action. What a fantastic opportunity we
also have to safely pursue our passion of
Astronomy and to capture and present the
beautiful dynamics of the Sun and possibly
get a tan at the same time? Safety is of
paramount importance here so I have
prepared a whole page of safety measures
for you to consider before starting your own
safe solar viewing.
Today is a very exciting time as we head
towards the next solar maximum expected in
2013, the
Sun is becoming an ever more active and
dynamic target that is well within the grasp of
the amateur solar astronomers or the
members of astronomical societies. You will
certainly have no problems with light pollution
with this aspect of Astronomy. The trick be-
ing, how to safely reduce the light levels for safe visual or photographic pursuits?
The Sun is so dynamic it will be different every time you wish to view or
photograph it!
I personally have been a keen solar observer since 2004 and solar imager since
2006 and like the majority of solar astronomers; I was in pursuit of ever better still
photographs. However after about 5-years of still photography I wanted more and
for me since 2010, the best way to capture and present the real beauty of the Sun
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is through preparing time lapse movie sequences of solar activity/events.
For todays Amateur astronomer there are numerous options available such as highly
filtered white light or the narrow band filtered systems in H-alpha and CaK filtered
telescopes. These are available to those even on a fairly modest budget. In my
opinion the H-alpha wavelength offers the most dynamic visual view of the Sun by
revealing the chromosphere [the Suns loweratmosphere] and its unique features to
the observer. These features include spicules, prominences and filaments, sunspots,
plages, flares and post flare loops, coronal mass ejections [CMEs] and even Moreton
waves [shock waves]. The sunspot groups are part of active regions that are given
Active Region numbers such as AR1515. This active region was responsible for
numerous C-class and M-class solar flares in July 2012. These active regions
numbers can be found on the
spaceweather.com website. These
features can even be viewed or
captured with the most introductory of
H-alpha equipment such as the
Coronado PST [Personal Solar
Telescope]. When such an instrument
is used in combination with a
reasonably fast monochrome web
camera then get ready to be stunned
by the results you could achieve! You
can either prepare to image part of
the Sun or shoot the separate areas
ready to prepare a mosaic of the Suns
full disc or even stay in the same
active area for quite a time with the
view of making a solar movie
sequence. There are lots of internet
assets to help, even before you even
go out to set up with your equipment,
internet sites such as the GONG
[Global Oscillation Network Group] ground based images/movies]. Viewing their
image/video data, will enable you to select the most dynamic target areas on the
Suns disc or limb and also let you correctly orientate your image. You can then
[clouds permitting] take high-frame rate video captures on that selected area at
regular intervals during your imaging session should you wish. Programs such as
Registax 6 or Avistacks are available as free download for your PC and can be used
to produce high quality still pictures from averages of your video data and hence
reduce the effects of atmospheric shimmer. There are loads of image processing
links on my website to assist you here I always suggest that you make a written
record of your observing session and also imprint the date and Universal Time [UT]
into the AVI or still image file names immediately on capture.

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You now have made a very useful and unique scientific record of solar activity! Why
not consider joining the British Astronomical Association [BAA] and contribute to
their solar observing program as I do, it has been recording solar activity for well
over 150 years and was responsible for the discovery of solar flares in 1859!
In January 2012, I personally achieved a huge scoop for an amateur, when I gained
permission from the head of the US National Solar Observatory to use and present
images from their GONG data of the major solar events and I make a unique video
record of them and keep them on a dedicated page on my own website. As such I
never miss a big event!
I thought it may be appropriate to give you a taste of what YOU can be achieved
with the very basic of solar equipment and so here are my results from July 2012. I
was using a standard PST with two 2 x Barlow lenses [one lens element was
screwed directly into the camera nose piece]. I was actually pushing my 40mm PST
to a focal length of 1.6m [F40]. I use a DMK21 mono camera with standard IC
capture software [comes with camera]. I used an EQ5 mount while hand tracking
features to centre frame and then letting them drift for 5 seconds at a capture rate
of 60fps. I generally do a 300 frame video every minute but I may move to 4
separate areas on the Sun so successive images are at 4 minute intervals. All my
movies are assembled and coloured in Photoshop CS5. I usually sit outside with my
laptop in a prepared box with a solarpowered fan to keep it cool and I am connected
to the net with one eye on the current GONG movie - usually the El Teide site. I
have no hair so I sit with a towel on my head to keep the sweat out of my eyes!
Hope this is of help for consideration purposes.
Regards
Andy

All images belong to Andy Devey and can be found on his website here

www.thesolarexplorer.net
23
24
The Region of the Summer Stars

During the long nights of winter, the night sky is ablaze with many bright stars, as
earths night hemisphere faces the bright stars of the Orion Arm of the Milky Way
Galaxy or star city, in which we live. During summer however, when the night
hemisphere is facing inward towards the centre of our Galaxy, there are fewer
bright stars of the arm in that direction. There are just 5 bright stars to look out
for, some of which we will be looking at in detail during the next few weeks. First
though let us familiarise ourselves with where these bright stars of summers short
nights are to be found in the midnight sky. All can be seen on the star chart
accompanying this article, which shows the night sky in the late evening, during
September. As with the monthly sky notes, the chart covers the whole sky. The
centre of the chart is the
zenith, the point directly
overhead. The edge of the
chart is the circular horizon on
which the cardinal points of
the compass are indicated so
you know in which direction to
look in the night sky to locate
the stars. The idea is to print
out the chart, then hold it
above your head, and
orientate it into a position so
that it coincides with the
direction you are facing. The
brightest of the stars we can
see is Arcturus, half way
between the western Horizon
and the zenith. In that same
direction further towards the
north are the seven stars
making up The Plough.
Arcturus seems to lie at the
end of an arc produced by
following the curve of the
Plough towards the left and
downward. There are no other bright stars in the west at midnight so Arcturus, the
brightest star in the northern hemisphere of the sky, and fourth brightest star
overall cannot be missed. Look for its warm golden glow as it twinkles in the deep
twilight sky. Now face south and look straight up. Above you almost at the zenith is
the beautiful blue-white star Vega shining with its steely blue light. Vega is the
second brightest of the northern stars, just fractionally fainter than Arcturus as the
fifth brightest star in the entire heavens. Looking at Vega through a telescope or
binoculars gives the impression of an oxy-acetylene flame. It is a most beautiful
star, destined to become our Pole Star in 12,000 years time.
If you look back and forth between Arcturus in the west and Vega overhead you
can see the colour contrast between the two stars immediately. Vega is one of the
three bright summer stars climbing in the southern sky, which Patrick Moore

25
unofficially named The Summer Triangle. As a young astronomer I knew this
wide group of three stars as the Vega V. However Summer Triangle has become
more popular and is its adopted name. The individual stars actually belong to three
separate constellations, as we shall learn in future articles.
You will see the second of the Triangles stars about a span, with your hand held
out at arms length, to the immediate left of Vega and will notice that it is less
bright. This is Deneb, eighteenth brightest star overall. The final star completing
the triangle is beneath these two, some 35 degrees high in the southern sky, is
Altair. Brighter than Deneb, Altair lies in twelfth place in the league of bright stars.
Of all three stars Altair, lying at a distance of 16 Light Years, is the nearest of the
trio. A distance at which a journey in a space ship, travelling at the speed of light
would take 16 years to get there.
The final bright star in our summer sky lies low in the north, in the twilight of a
summers night. It is Capella,
which is the sixth brightest star,
really belongs to the winter sky,
but it is circumpolar and never
sets as seen from our latitude
and is currently as low down in
the sky as it can be. In six
months from now it will take the
place of Vega at the zenith,
dominating the cold frosty, and
maybe snowy nights of a
January midnight.

Graphics generated using
Stellarium Software:
www.stellarium.org

The Early Evening Sky & The Summer Triangle are full
size on the next pages for printing.

By John Harper
26

27

28

29

30
D
warf Planets by
Bood

The term Dwarf planet is quite a new concept. In 2006
the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined what
makes a celestial body a dwarf planet.
This came about because with the advancement in
observing technology, astronomers have found more
celestial objects that are similar in size to that of Pluto.
However when Eris was discovered which is more
massive than Pluto the need to define a planet became
more important.
So what is a dwarf planet?
For a celestial body in our solar system to be a dwarf
planet it must meet the following criteria.
1) Orbit the sun
2) Have sufficient gravity to over come mechanical
forces so the body keeps a nearly round shape.
3) Has not cleared debris from its orbit.
4) Is not a satellite
Currently there are 5 recognised dwarf planets in our
solar system. These are Ceres, Pluto, Haumea,
Makemake and Eris. It is suspected that there are at

Pluto in approximate true colour based
on Hubble Space Telescope albedo data
Haumea with its moons, Hiiaka and
Namaka (artist's conception)
Makemake (artist's conception)
Below Eris, taken from Hubble
31
least 50 objects that could be classed as a dwarf planet. However time will tell, as
technology moves forward we may find more objects than can be classed as a
dwarf planet.

This artist's concept shows dwarf planets Eris, Pluto and Ceres in comparison to
Earth. Pluto's moon Charon also is shown
Image Source: NASA
Most of the dwarf planets orbit past
Neptune, in the Kuiper Belt. However
Ceres orbits in the inner solar system in
the main asteroid belt between Mars
and Jupiter. Observations from NASA
have found Ceres has a nearly round
body, it is thought Ceres did not form
into a planet because of Gravitational
perturbations from Jupiter billions of
years ago.

Left Image: Ceres (Wikipedia)
Even though Ceres is the largest object
in the main asteroid belt its size is that
of Texas and Pluto is 14 times more
massive.
32
Image: Mars from NASA Curiosity Probe Press Conference 27/8/12 Ustream screen print
33
Image: Mars from NASA Curiosity Probe Press Conference 27/8/12 Ustream screen print
34
SEPTEMBER LUNAR OCCULTATIONS 2012 by John Harper
35
Key to the Occultation Table

The columns of the table give data specific to each of the Lunar Occultation events listed.
From left to right they are:

1 Day of the Week
2 DATE in the format: dd-mm-yyyy
3 Universal Time of the event (add one hour when British Summer Time is in force for Local Time.
The predictions are for Scarborough, which lies midway between London and Edinburgh, on the North
Sea coast of the UK. (N54.27 deg., W00.43 deg.)
4 Occulted stars visual magnitude
5 P = Phase tells you whether the event is a disappearance (D) or reappearance (R) or a Graze (C).
6 L = Limb. This indicates whether the event takes place at the dark (D) or bright (B) lunar limb.
7 Al. = the Altitude of the moon at the time of the occultation event.
8 Az. = The azimuth (angular distance along the horizon, measured from the North Point, clockwise.
9 Sun Alt = the angular distance of the sun, below the horizon at the time of the event.
10, 11 & 12 the name or catalogue number of the star being occulted.
XZ Cat No. This is the stars designation in the US Naval Observatory catalogue of over 32,000 stars
that can be occulted by the moon.
Proper Name. This is the star more common name, if it has one!
ZC No. The Zodiacal Catalogue of 3539 stars brighter than visual magnitude +7, within 8 degrees of
the ecliptic. Some fainter stars are included in this total as well.
13 PA = Position Angle. This is the angular position on the limb of the moon where the reappearance
or disappearance will occur it helps you look at the right part of the moons limb. Position Angle is
measured from Celestial North (the line of Right Ascension running through the centre of the moons
disc. It is measured clockwise through west, south , east and back to north, a total of 360 degrees.

John Harper Former director of the occultation section, S.P.A, (Society for Popular
Astronomy).
36

37

38
Could it Really Happen?..
A new book by Ninian G Boyle

Have you ever thought what might happen if there
were a celestial event at the end of the year 2012 that
could be hailed as a marker for truly apocalyptic events
here on Earth?
A Catholic priest working at the Vatican Observatory in
Italy makes a chance discovery on Christmas Eve that will have global repercus-
sions. As the story unfolds, humanity's reaction to this event acts as a trigger for
outpourings of religious fervour, criminal behaviour and the threat of major global
war. All the while a few individuals are swept along in a Tsunami of events that
include kidnapping and terrorism, hysteria and heroism.
A handful of scientists work to understand what has happened and why, doing their
best to reassure and to re-evaluate an event of truly Earth-shattering significance
against a backdrop of human prejudice and frailty.
Politicians posture and debate; make claims and counter-claims and pile warnings
on to threats. As the clock ticks down to midnight on the 31st December 2012 the
world holds its breath...
This amazing and fast paced story whisks you from Rome to Edinburgh, London,
Chicago, New York, Washington and to Tel Aviv and beyond.

Ninian's writing has been likened to that of Michael Crichton, Dan Brown and Carl
Sagan. If you like a book that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens
next and is high in plausibility, then 'In The Lion's Paw' is a 'must read' of 2011,
2012 and for many years to come.
Available as a Kindle eBook now
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.fr
Amazon.de
39
About the Author
In the Lion's Paw, is the first novel by
Ninian G Boyle. He is an experienced
published writer in his field of
astronomy, having written features and
articles for magazines such as the BBC
Sky at Night Magazine and 'Astronomy
Now' Magazine and other periodicals on
the subject.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the British
Astronomical Association and has made appearances on the BBC Sky at Night
Television Programme with Sir Patrick Moore as well as on local BBC Radio. Ninian
even had his own TV programme on the Sky Information Channel called 'Stargazer'.
He lectures and teaches in astronomy to local societies and other organisations and
gives talks and holds night classes at his local Planetariums. He also runs 'Astronomy
Know How' a small business dedicated helping amateur astronomer at all levels. He
likes nothing more than assisting people get started in what he describes as 'the
most amazing hobby'.

He was raised a Roman Catholic but professes to 'no religion', but feels his
background gave him an insight into the workings of the Catholic Church, which
proves very useful for the plot of the book!

Ninian has been aware of the ideas about the 'End of the World' philosophies if that
is what you could call them, connected with the end of the Mayan Calendar in
December 2012, for some time. The huge amount of mis-information about this
subject, whether unintentional or not, was a 'prime motivator for the writing of the
book', he says. He also like to play with 'what if' ideas. This is made abundantly clear
in 'In The Lion's Paw'.

He enjoys writing, teaching and using his telescope, as well as music, both listening
and playing as he is also an accomplished musician. He lives with his wife and two
sons in southern England
http://www.inthelionspaw.com/

40

Death from Outer Space!
By Ninian Boyle

If you have an interest in the night sky, or
maybe even if you dont, youve probably
been made aware of certain prophecies do-
ing the rounds in the media and especially
the Internet, about the end of the world on
the 21st December 2012. Thats right the
world is going to end this year! Well, no, it
isnt, just to put your mind at rest, but there
are literally hundreds of websites suggesting
that it will. But what is all this misinfor-
mation based on?
Primarily it rests on a misunderstanding of
the Mayan long count calendar. The Maya
people of Central America, who were at the height of their civilisation in the early
middle-ages, produced a calendar of remarkable accuracy. Without going into too
much detail here, their calendar started in 3114BCE and runs out after 5126
years, or 2012 in the Gregorian calendar with which we are familiar. At least the
first cycle does. This is important, because the Maya never predicted the end of
the world. They just reset their calendar for another cycle. However, it seems
that some doom sayers believe that because the Maya calendar runs out, then
so does our luck!
So how is the world going to end, theoretically, anyway? This is where the
nonsense gets thicker. One such prediction if we can call it that, is concerned
with the mythical planet Nibiru. Just
type this word into Google and see
how many pages it brings up. It is
sometimes referred to as planet X
and this large astronomical body is
supposed to reside just outside the
orbit of Pluto. Whats more, it is
supposed to have a disastrous close
encounter with us on 21st November
this year, although some suggest that
this should be December, to coincide
with the Maya calendars ending. As
we get close to this time, it is becoming increasingly obvious, not that it was
41

ever in any doubt, that this is total nonsense as a body the size of a planet to
encounter us in just a few months time would be very noticeable by now! Nibiru,
by the way, comes from ancient Babylonian mythology.
It is also quite interesting that now we are getting nearer to these supposed end
times, many of the doom merchants are rapidly moving the goal posts and
suggesting that their initial predictions might be a bit out and that there should
be a certain leeway on these things.
Then there was comet Elenin. This particular
bringer of icy doom was due to smash into
Earth apparently this year too. It was
discovered by a Russian astronomer (Elenin)
and was being tracked, like so many of these
bodies, carefully just in case there was a
possible threat to us as it was realised it may
come quite close to Earth. If I recall
correctly, this close encounter was going to
be around 23 million miles distant; so not
that close really. As it happened and as it
happens to around 80% of comets, Elenin
had a close encounter with the Sun and
disintegrated, which I guess must have left some of the pundits feeling a little flat,
if not disappointed. I had several people ask me about this comet soon after it
was discovered, as they were genuinely fearful. I naturally reassured them, but it
did make me feel quite angry that there are many who are made to worry
needlessly about such things by highly irresponsible people who seem to enjoy
scaring innocent folk.
There have even been predictions of Supernovae, massive stars that explode at
the end of their lives, which will irradiate our planet with gamma rays and thus
wipe out all life on Earth. The only thing is any stars which might be capable of
doing this are fortunately far enough away to be quite harmless to us. Betelguese
or Alpha Orionis is the prime candidate here and has been cited as our Nemesis.
It is quite true that we know Betelguese will end its life as a supernova sometime
in the next million years, but again it is too far away to do us any harm. It will be
very bright and spectacular though, but it is unlikely to occur in our lifetimes.
There have been end of the world predictions throughout history, from the Bible
(The Book of Revelation) to Nostradamus and many of the sooth-sayers of the
present day. None of these predictions have had any foundation in fact and
certainly with our modern technology, we can easily discount any such death from
the skies scenarios, as we would have plenty of warning should any comet,
asteroid or even planet decide that our time is up.
42
And so it was that I sat down one
day and began to play with the
idea of death from the skies in
my mind... What if something did
happen, by sheer coincidence, at
the end of this year in the
heavens above us, which could be
interpreted, as it surely would be,
as threatening life on Earth?
Ive always been a lover of
thrillers and perhaps this has
made me think in these rather off
-beat ways and to evolve stories
in my head about such things. I
am an amateur astronomer as
you have by now, surely gath-
ered, and so I came up with the
idea of a celestial event occurring
not on the 21st December this
year but on the 25th December a
day not without significance for
millions of people around the world. To make it more interesting I thought this
event should be first noticed by someone who could be considered to have a vested
interest in it occurring on that day, so I came up with Father Giovanni Casparo, a
Roman Catholic priest and an astronomer at the Vatican Observatory. I considered
how this event would be interpreted by not only the Catholic Church, but also the
rest of the world and how it may affect people on a personal as well as global level.
The tale turned into a novel and developed several story lines taking place all in the
same time frame but on different part of the Earth, which proved challenging for the
author!
It has the title In The Lions Paw and is available as a paperback or a Kindle eBook
from Amazon for immediate download or next day delivery for the hard copy. Im
delighted to say that it has received over twenty 4 and 5 star reviews so far by
various readers. So if youd enjoy a story with an astronomical theme which
contains, kidnapping, threats of assassination and global nuclear war, then I would
encourage you to visit Amazon and buy it before its too late!!
Ninian G Boyle FRAS

43
Latest images
from
curiosity

44
Young astronomer
Amy jones
Welcome to this months Young Astronomer
Amy Jones , each month we like to give young
people the chance to talk about their
Astronomy hobby. Amy has appeared in her
local newspaper the South Wales Argus.

I can still remember the first time I saw a shooting star, as I called it then. I was
walking past the village post office with my Dad when I saw it, and my interest in
astronomy started there.
Sometime later, I was writing a list of new years resolutions. Included on that list
were to look at the International Space Station (ISS), watch a sunset, to see a green
flash, watch a meteor shower and to find some constellations. Four out of the 5
missions were completed. I went outside to look at the ISS every night, it was truly
amazing to watch. How something so small can be so obvious from many miles away
still fascinates me. While on holiday the same year in Rhossili, South Wales, I saw
my first proper sunset. My mum, dad and I stood on the top of a cliff for 2 hours just
so I could watch this sunset, but it was worth it.
It's not until the sun is setting against an object that you realise the speed in which
it orbits around the Earth. I also hoped to see a green flash that afternoon
(My parents were adamant that they didn't exist, and only believed me when they
saw a clip about it on The One Show, not so long ago) but I didn't unfortunately, so
that still remains on my list, unticked. For a few years now, some friends and I have
sat on the street outside my house to watch the meteor showers. Sometimes the
weather hasn't held up for us, but other times we have had the most amazing time,
the excitement when you see a meteor go shooting across the sky is still the same
as when I saw my very first meteor. So, I'd like to thank my friends for providing me
with such a good time on the street, even in the freezing cold, and those memories
will stay with me forever, so thank you! My final task on the list was to find some
constellations. My dad showed me Ursa Major, (AKA The Big Dipper/The Plough)
and the next constellation I found myself and to this day it is still my favourite
constellation to look at - Orion. I continued to find some more - Cassiopeia, Ursa
Minor and the Pleiades.

45
Last year for the Draconids meteor shower, my friends and I decided we would sit
outside on the street again to watch the meteors, but there was one problem which
we have had to deal with for the past few years - a large street light located directly
outside my house. Me being me, I decided to email my local council to see if I could
negotiate with them about turning the light off as it was obstructing our view.
A few days later, I got an email from a lovely man named Roger, who told me that
he couldn't turn the light off all night but he could for a few hours at a time when
most people are home from work, which I was ecstatic about. Some time later, I
received another email from Roger saying that my local newspaper were interested
in what I'd done and wanted to write an article on me! A photographer came the
next day and took my photo, and the story appeared in two newspapers and a
booklet in my area! On the night of the Draconids, Roger turned the street light off
for a few house on two nights. One night was amazingly clear and I saw numerous
meteors and a fireball, the following night was thick with cloud which was
disappointing. I've been told since then that my story has been one of the most
viewed articles on the newspaper's website, so thank you to Roger for complying
with my request.
When I leave school I aim to study Astrophysics in University, and I would love to
pursue a career in astronomy, so fingers crossed for that!

Here is the link to the South Wales Argus' article:

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/
gwentnews/9308561.Council_flick_switch_on_Goytre_schoolgirl_s_star_gazing/

46

Mars One Mission To Mars 2023
The red planet has had a lot of press
recently. NASA successfully landed their
rover Curiosity on the red planets
surface, this was an amazing
achievement, so what next? Are we
ready to look at a manned mission?

No doubt there will be other missions to
Mars, however one company is looking
at the possibility of sending humans to
the planet. This company has a mission
to get a settlement on the Red planet by
2023.
The company in question is Mars One,
founded by Bas Lansdorp and Arno A
Wielders.
Image top right: Bas Lansdorp, Below:
Arno Weilders.

The aims of Mars One is simple, get a
manned settlement on Mars by 2023.
Sounds simple enough, well not quite,
the mission would be a one way trip.
There are many difficulties to overcome.
Who Will Go?
Well they are looking for suitable
applicants, anyone can apply,
however a panel will decide who can
go or who can not.
Bas Lansdorp-Our plan to go to Mars has evolved quite a
bit since we started. Right now, just about everyone we
speak to is amazed by how realistic we have kept it. The
next step is introducing the project to the world and
securing sponsors and investors.
47

Never mind Big Brother here comes Mars One
The people at Mars One believe that it is in humankinds interest to watch the
mission progress so it is to be a media spectacle. However by doing this they
hope it will help raise the finance needed to help run such a project.

How many people tuned into a
website for the Transit of Venus or
the NASA Curiosity Mars landing?
I suspect millions! So why not make
this a media event? I think if this is
done in a professional manner and not like some of the reality tv shows we see it
should be interesting viewing.
Arno A Weilders -"The main reasons for participating in
Mars One are the need to make mankind a multi-planet
species and because it is the most exciting project ever
to be undertaken by humans."

However, media event or not, there are some serious questions and
considerations. Can we (humans) survive a long voyage in deep space? Do
we have the engineering capability to get habitats and equipment to Mars?
How expensive would this project be? Could humans cope with a one way
trip?
There are many questions to such a project and whatever you think the
prospect is tempting for mankind to venture to another world.
For more information please visit http://mars-one.com/en/
Images: Mars One
Ref: Mars One

Many thanks to Bas Lansdorp for communication with us. Images from
Mars One
48
http://edgeofuniverse.com

Amazon (USA):
http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Universe-Voyage-Cosmic-Horizon/dp/0470636246

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edge-Universe-Paul-Halpern/dp/0470636246
49
www.paulrumsby.com

Email: paulrumsby@gmail.com
Twitter: @PMRumsby
50

By james Lennie
51

52

T H E F U T U R E O F S P A C E
E X P L O R A T I O N I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S

NASA and JPL did a fantastic job building excitement for Earth's most recent
robotic mission on Mars. Through not only normal news releases and
interviews, but through social media, the awareness of Curiosity and its
mission was widespread. And through blog posts, tweets, picture memes of
Curiosity, and comments to interviews, people expressed their feelings in a
way that mirrored their emotional investment in the mission. Biologists,
engineers, and astronomers were in geek heaven, writers and artists took a
creative break to be part of the moment at landing, non-scientists who love
science were glued to news of Curiosity's fate, and for a lot of people busy with
their own lives and worries, the landing was a nice diversion or maybe just
registered a larger-than-normal blip in their space science awareness. There
was wide-spread knowledge that a major astrobiology project was about to
begin.

The Curiosity engineers, biologists, geologists, PR people, and the many
collaborating scientists from around the world delivered a huge boost of pride
in what we can accomplish as humans. Celebration of Curiosity's successful
landing was something humanity shared despite any religious or political
differences. In fact, the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory touched most
people of faith in a positive way. For these people, scientific discoveries tend to
deepen their personal faith. This is how the inner spiritual experience and the
larger objective reality coexist in most societies. This separation lets faith and
science flourish at the same time.

This separation has somehow broken down in the United States.
Fundamentalists of all religions tend to operate out of fear, seeing the larger
culture as a threat. In most democratic countries, they are free to believe what
they want but aren't allowed to control the conversation. This isn't true in the
U. S., where Christian fundamentalists are becoming a major political force.
Known now as the far-right wing in United States politics, Christian
fundamentalists have been courted for decades by politicians uninterested in
the fundamentalists' real desires, but manipulating those desires in order to
have a solidly loyal group of voters. These politicians painted a fabricated
reality of warfare between the moral majority- the fundamentalists - and
everyone else. In this reality, there is no in-between, no compromise, no way
of choosing to work with liberals or have any liberal views and still remain
moral. The actual majority of people in the United States do identify with a
religion, usually Christianity, but don't consider themselves to be part of this
fight, because most Christians accept that almost all issues are
complex and don't fall neatly into good-vs-evil scenarios. But
since the people of this real majority don't tend to push their
spiritual doctrine into the larger public space, their relatively
gentle voices are being heard less and less frequently while
anti-science fundamentalists, existing for decades as an
53

insistent shadow, are bringing determined ignorance into policy
decisions that affect science funding and education. It's vital
that the larger public understands exactly what scientific work is
made of, so that we don't let it be undermined by a profound
misapplication of religious freedom.

During the past decade, fundamentalists have stopped expecting politicians to
work for them, and have started to run for office themselves. They have
accomplished a lot very suddenly - any Republican lawmakers who simply value
small government among other traditional Republican ideals, but who do not
have a religious agenda, have been labelled as moderates or liberals and their
seats taken by new politicians whose common goals are to make fundamentalist
Christian law. Like the moderate Republicans they replaced, they say they
believe in small government, but take this ideal as literally as they do their story
of creation, and are working to defund almost everything the national
government has had a hand in, including science and education, two things they
know undermine a literal belief system.

In attacking scientific education, Bible-literalists are actually attacking the
scientific method. The scientific method is really what defines the exploration of
the universe through science: questions are asked, research is done as
objectively as possible, evidence is collected, and conclusions made. This re-
search is shared with other scientists who beat it up and down until there is a
consensus about the evidence-based conclusions. Often more questions come
up, realized by the investigations. We don't need to know the technical terms or
methods of every scientific field because the scientific method insures as little
subjective interpretation as possible, so we can have confidence in the
conclusions. This method allows no evidence other than the kind that other
scientists can see for themselves and attempt to replicate. And, it doesn't matter
how much an individual scientist would like to see a particular conclusion -
wishes and desires are not variables. It's clean, it's sane, it allows people to
debate questions and evidence and conclusions with the understanding that the
ideas are in an objective arena.

The freedom of mental exploration and discovery built into the Scientific Method
is fresh air to scientists and most people. It allows societies to advance in
knowledge and consciousness, because people have confidence that the
explanations of the natural world are objective, something we can all
experience together no matter what other differences we have. This freedom to
question is a threat to ignorance, since using the scientific method has the
tendency to lead scientists to conclusions that contradict the misunderstandings
of the natural world as explained in older texts like the Bible. This isn't
purposeful - no religious doctrine comes into play in any way with open scientific
investigations. To Christian fundamentalists, this means that the method itself is
wrong, since to them any valid approach to research would lead to conclusions
already reached by the writers of the Old Testament. Instead, most
Bible-literalists embrace the idea of what they claim is an alternative method,
the study of Intelligent Design, using scientific techniques to try to prove the
54

existence of a Creator. To be fair, many people who like the idea
of Intelligent Design truly do believe it is legitimate science and
simply want it to be considered by the scientific community as
one viewpoint among many, including within evolutionary theory.
But Intelligent Design starts with a conclusion, that a divine hand
created life, and they accept only the evidence they feel points to
this. This is science turned upside down, and is why the scientific
community in general considers ID to be pseudoscience at best.

Most people in the U.S. love real scientific discoveries and space exploration, and
want scientists to get on with their work unencumbered by various religious
views. Fundamentalists attitudes on science are not accepted by the country at
large, if those views are expressed as religious doctrine. But when those views
are presented in a science-sounding package, as with Intelligent Design, many
non-literalists become confused and think that ID is real science that belongs in
science classes, and lets them be comfortable with homeschools that teach only
ID and no real science. To these fair-minded people, it seems like the best of
democratic values, to give all opinions equal time. They don't understand that
ID excludes the practice and spirit of the Scientific Method. Most teachers,
though, know that ID isn't science and have been able to keep ID out of their
science classes, and while this does keep religious literalism out of science edu-
cation, it tends to let the idea survive that ID is a science that is unfairly not be-
ing given its day to prove itself. Maybe we can demystify ID for most people by
shining a strong light on it. If ID is scientifically challenged within the science
classroom, it can help people discern between what is open to scientific explora-
tion and what is not. Teachers can have discussions on ID vs testable hypothe-
ses, and have students try to do experiments based on its methodology so that
they can firmly grasp how ID doesn't actually have any sort of basic scientific
methodology at all. It can be a prime teaching example of what isn't science.

Intelligent Design is encountering a new threat in astrobiology that goes beyond
its normal fear of evolution and the great age of the universe. The basic hypoth-
eses of astrobiology rest on the viewpoint that life is a natural extension of cer-
tain chemical processes, and so there must be life elsewhere, otherwise our lone
presence would be considered a miracle. If evidence is ever found of extraterres-
trial life, it would have an impact comparable to the realization that the Earth is
not the center of the solar system or universe. Creation literalists are rightly
scared that their belief system is at risk. And even if no extraterrestrial life is
ever found, the very study of astrobiology is frightening to people not allowed to
question. Astrobiology is a science in its infancy. Technology is newly available
that allows us to remotely explore other planets and moons in our solar system,
to find planets in other star systems. We now have the opportunity to test long-
asked questions about the existence of life, which puts the search for extrater-
restrial life firmly within the realm of science. There is a lot of basic research go-
ing on, the kind of research that could lead in as yet unknown directions. Wheth-
er or not evidence of extraterrestrial life is found, knowledge is being added to
the scientific inventory, and no one knows where these explorations could poten-
tially lead. There is no cap on the investigations that say that the pathways have
55

to lead directly to the Bible. That open door is
really makes astrobiology so exciting, but is
what makes it unacceptable to what ID believers
think of as science.

The state of our scientific education is writing our
future. Most people get this, and it's why the
effort to put anti-evolution dogma into
classrooms has mostly failed. But we are growing
our own fatal bullet in allowing Creationism ID to
be considered a kind of science, letting the
literalists' kids to be profoundly uneducated in
science within their homeschools. The bullet will
be shot when millions of future lawmakers,
voters, teachers, engineers, and researchers
graduate from their homeschools, having been
taught that to question is wrong, to freely think
is heresy, that science is somehow anti-God.
How many of these children could be bright and
productive scientists, but are being taught to not
question anything? What will science in this
country look like when these millions of kids are
in charge of education and politics? NASA's use
of social media for Curiosity showed that people
in general love hearing about scientific
accomplishments and space exploration. Our
ability to keep people excited about real science
is right there, and we need to keep using it.

Fortunately for humanity, most other countries
and cultures don't limit their scientific
understanding based on what their religious
fundamentalists believe, and their children's
education is protected from ridiculous extremes.
India, China, and Europe all have space
programs. Theirs may have to go through normal
political hassles and fight for money, but in their
futures will be adults raised with strong science
backgrounds, free to question and research and
advance their societies' scientific culture. How
will the United States compare in 30 years?

Written By Zantippy (USA)
Zantippy has always focused her interests
around exploring our star system, galaxy,
and universe. Her M.S. is in Marine Biology,
and her graduate paper was devoted to un-
derstanding the minerals found on Mars by
the rover, Opportunity - minerals that were
made and altered by reaction with salty wa-
ter. The paper was focused on the kind of
microbes that could have lived in these very
saline waters.

Zantippy writes non-fiction and science
fiction, so she gets to think about astronomy
all day, every day. Every clear night,
Zantippy spends time alone watching the
stars, planets, and galaxies. She wonders
what the weather is like at that moment on
other planets and moons, who may live
there, and she assumes that at that moment,
beings of other star systems are also won-
dering if others are alive in the universe.
Then she goes back inside her terrestrial
home in Florida to live her own life with her
husband, ducks, and rabbits.

Her astronomical musings and insights can
be found at 'For the Geek in Everyone', while
more information on Zantippy and her poetic
friend, Iguana, can be found here.

Zantippy will also be Active Astronomy's offi-
cial Curiosity Rover correspondent.

Follow Zantippy on Twitter!
56

The Newcastle Astronomical Society is involved in both the practical and theoretical
side of Astronomy. Whether you like to stargaze or listen to lectures spanning a wide
range of Astronomical subjects, do not hesitate to come and meet us! Observing
Sessions are held in a wide variety of locations across the region. More details of our
Observing program can be found on our Observing Page.
Our lectures are usually held at Cross House, Red Cross Buidling off the West Road in
Newcastle. Details are how to find us and maps can be found on the Find Us Page.
More information on our lecture program can be
found on the Lectures Page.
Observing Sessions 2012 - 2013
Public Observing Sessions
Public outreach events are for the general public to
attend. These sessions are weather dependent and
are subject to change. Details will be posted on the
Societys website, Twitter account and Facebook
group nearer the time.

October 2012
20 October 2012 (Saturday) - Beginners talk and observing @Cawfields
March 2013
29 March 2013 (Good Friday) - Beginners talk and observing @Cawfields

FOR MORE INFORMATION GOT TO

http://www.newcastleastronomical.org.uk/index.html
57
Blackpool & District Astronomical Society (BADAS) is a growing and active society in
the North West of England and has around thirty members from novices to
experienced observers and imagers.
Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of every month, at St Kentigerns Parish
Centre, Newton Drive, Blackpool.
Meetings are friendly, quite informal and beginners are especially welcome.
Joining an astronomy club can be daunting to those just starting out in the hobby.
So BADAS tries to encourage new members by advising them each month what
fascinating wonders can be seen in the night sky, either with modest equipment or
none at all. BADAS also help and advise members who are considering purchasing
astronomical equipment. In addition they try to engage and enthuse established
members who are trying to progress in the hobby by having regular "members'
sessions" after the main speaker has finished on their meeting nights.

The society hold regular star parties and observing sessions, weather permitting,
either where they meet at the club or at a rural location near Blackpool.

Membership subs are 20 per year, and unlike many other societies they meet all
year round. Visitors are welcome and your first meeting is free.

Please see the BADAS website for further details - www.blackpoolastronomy.org.uk
- You can also follow their twitter account @badas_tweets.

www.blackpoolastronomy.org.uk
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Home and Away
With the success of the sky crane dropping off the Curiosity rover on Mars; we now
know that the technology created could potentially drop off all different kinds of load.
For example a load that has a much more extensive life span. For how long, you
wonder? The ISS is expected
to operate over 30 years and
is already funded for more
than 22 of them. A stationary
base on Mars however could
last much longer with
availability of the planets
natural resources. The use of a
Solar Furnace could be used to
harness the Iron from the Iron
Oxide sands which cover the
planet and could be used to
create new structures or components to the 'Mars Base'. There have already been
many concepts of bases on Mars and the Moon but actually creating one takes
construction literally, out of this world.
A bit like the International Space Station, a Lunar or Mars base would have to be
created from components sent individually from Earth. The biggest pay load ever
carried by a European rocket into space was over 20 tonnes. With the ISS weighing
about 450 tonnes it'd take at least
23 rockets to get a similar sized
station to Mars. However, NASA is
currently building the SLS (Space
Launch System), this will have a
payload of over 100 tonnes into
orbit. This means that only 5 of
these rockets would be needed to
carry components of a 'space base'.
Each component could then be
sealed together forming rooms and
labs. Various methods of sustainable and non-renewable energy collection would be
used to power the buildings from solar, nuclear and even geo-thermal sources. But,
to do this humanity needs a commercial fuel depot on the Moon to aid missions
further than our grasp. With no atmosphere, little gravity and no social issues, the

71
Moon is the perfect location for secondary launches to visit other celestial locations.
With a lunar fuel depot being regularly visited it would eventually evolve into a trade
post for all transportations to other planets and maybe even star systems. So,
imagine a world... no, imagine two worlds with the innovation and recreation of the
human mind. Then remind yourself about the ever increasing population of the world
and that expansion beyond our planet is not needed.

(The images are my work created on Google Sketchup).
Edward Dutton

Twitter: @EddDutton
Email: edward.dutton@live.co.uk

72
Disclaimer:
As far as reasonably practicable all information is used
with the owners permission. Where research has been
carried out references are made to the sources used.
Please contact me if you feel your work has been in-
fringed.
Astronomy Wise is a non profitable organisation.
The newsletter may be downloaded and printed for free.
Content in the newsletter may not be reproduced with-
out written consent . Words and images belong to the
respective owners.
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Credits
A big thank you to all who have contributed to the September edition of Astronomy Wise online
magazine. The magazine is a community based project. It is non-profit.

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