Astronomy
I stood and stared; the sky was lit,
The sky was stars all over it,
I stood, I knew not why,
Without a wish, without a will,
I stood upon that silent hill
And stared into the sky until
My eyes were blind with stars and still
I stared into the sky.
— Ralph Hodgson
Few things inspire me more than the night sky. The beauty, complexity and vastness of the world beyond Earth enthralls me with an urgency that sometimes makes it difficult to understand why others don't feel the same way. Here are some of the things that I enjoy:
See the front page for the latest items.
Posted 2008 March 26 @ 01:45 - filed under Astronomy.
With summer only partially wrapped up, the evenings are only truly dark pretty late. As the Sun's light fades from the sky, look for the first star visible: Sirius, almost at the zenith.
Orion the Giant spends his evenings low in the west, and gets lower bit by bit each day. The Giant's Belt, the Three Kings (or the "Drie Gots" as I heard last week in Merweville) lies almost along the celestial equator, so that Orion is a true Colossus, bestriding the world. His feet are in the southern hemisphere and his body in the northern.
Rigel, the bright star that pinpoints Orion's one foot, is a supergiant star 70 times larger than out Sun, and the most luminous star in the local part of our Galaxy. Betelgeuse, the bright orange star of Orion's shoulder, dwarfs even Rigel. This red giant is over 600 times the Sun's diameter and is one of the largest stars known. Should Betelgeuse find itself the centre of our solar system, it would engulf the Sun entirely, and its outer limits would lie somewhere between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter!
Very low in the north-west at sunset lies isilimela, or the Seven Sisters (Pleiades), a beautiful cluster of stars clearly visible to the naked eye (and fantastic in binoculars).
For the Xhosa, who like the other Nguni people were agrarian, is was important to have an agriculturally-oriented calendar so that they could predict when the sowing and harvest seasons were. They therefore carefully watched the stars, specially the sky's appearance before daybreak. When the Pleiades became visible for the first time shortly before sunrise, it heralded the start of agricultural activities, which started with tilling of the soil. As the weeks passed, and isilimela became more visible at night, the agricultural activities kept pace, first the growth season, then the harvest. And when isilimela began to disappear in the west as dusk, as in April, the grain was safely in storage.
The morning appearance of isilimela was not only a guide to the farmer. It also determined the start of a boy's initiation into manhood. Traditional Xhosa men count the number of years of their manhood as so many "Isilimelas", even though few modern Xhosa men are aware that "Isilimela" refers to this handsome star cluster.
It's also interesting to note that "Eyesilimela", Xhosa for "June", also refers to the morning visibility of the Pleiades.
On the 8th, try to spot the very thin delicate lunar crescent, ultra low in the north-west. First hunt out the Pleiades – the Moon can then be seen to the bottom-left. Binoculars will make the search much easier. The next evening the Moon is to the upper-right of the cluster. On the 10th, the slender Moon is just to the right of El Nath, beta Tauri.
In the south this month after dusk, the Southern Cross and its two Pointers can be seen high up. If you have a low, clear horizon, Achernar can be seen. The long axis of the Cross points to the way to the south celestial pole and draws a bead on Achernar.
A line drawn in the opposite direction will eventually take you to the north pole (which of course can't be seen from down-under). A short distance along this line (some 40° from Crux) you will see a crooked square of stars, fainter but a bit larger than the Cross. To prevent your neck from breaking, rather face east and then look high up. This foursome is die constellation Corvus the Crow. Fainter stars around it are divided into Crater, the Cup, and Hydra, the Water Serpent.
These are all very old star patterns. Over 2000 years ago, the Greeks told a story about a crow that was commanded by the god Apollo to fetch him a cup of water. The crow duly arrived at the watering spot but noticed a nearby fig tree. After waiting for the fruit to ripen and enjoying a few, he realized that he was late for his duties. He filled the cup and then scooped up a snake he found at the poolside and returned to Apollo. He blamed the snake for being the reason he was late – but to no avail. Apollo saw through his lies and as punishment, turned the crow into a constellation, placing the Cup just out of reach and under the watchful eye of the Water Serpent. This ancient tale gave rise to the folklore that crows are the only birds that do not carry water to the younglings in their nest.
To the north in April, look for the bright red planet Mars, amongst the stars of Gemini. On the 11th, the almost-half Moon is just to the left of Mars. On the 12th the Moon is to the right. This is also the evening we will be stargazing with Jurg at Sutherland. If you'd like to join us, give him a call on tel (023) 5711 405 or mobile 082 556 9589.
Mars' motion along its orbit can be picked up this month as is moves closer to the two bright Twin stars Castor and Pollux. Early next month the three are in a neat line.
In the north-east, Saturn in Leo can be seen, spending the entire month near Regulus (Saturn is the brighter of the two). Saturn's rings have been slowly opening and in mid-April they reach their maximum tilt before starting to turn away.
On the 14th the Moon lies to the right of Saturn and Regulus, making a small sweet triangle with them the next evening. On the 16th the waxing Moon is to the right of the duo.
Venus comes up shortly before the Sun this month and for a while is a brilliant morning star low in the east.
On the 20th the Moon is Full. At sunset on the 19th, the Moon is directly above the bright star Spica in Virgo. Late evening on the 23rd the Moon can be seen just below Antares in Scorpius.
After midnight, Jupiter rises, below the Scorpion amidst the stars of Sagittarius. On the 27th, look for Jupiter just below the Moon.
Happy star gazing!
Posted 2008 March 12 @ 12:54 - filed under Astronomy.
Two attractive additions to the astrophoto gallery; the first is Dany Duprez's image of the lovely open cluster NGC 3766 in Centaurus and the other is by Johan Klopper of Durbanville, who witnessed the slender Moon joining Mercury and Venus at daybreak.
Posted 2008 February 27 @ 16:31 - filed under Astronomy.
On Tuesday morning, Philip van Heerden of Sandbaai captured Venus and Mercury together in the morning sky.
March skies will have three Morning Stars, so to speak, with Jupiter, Venus and Mercury visible shortly before daybreak.
By far the brightest is Venus, while Jupiter sits quite a ways higher up. Incidentally, both outshine Sirius, brightest star in the night sky.
Mercury is the fainter of the trio, and lies just to the left of Venus. Their changing positions from day-to-day would make a fascinating photo-essay.
This morning (Wed, 27th) the two are side-by-side. Mercury then moves up past Venus, and on March 13, Mercury pauses directly above Venus. The smaller planet then passes to the right of Venus, dropping lower down until they are again side-by-side, on March 25 – this time with Venus to the left. Mercury then continues its headlong dash towards the Sun and invisibility, reaching superior conjunction on April 16.
Posted 2008 February 25 @ 18:01 - filed under Astronomy.
Feedback and photos from the eclipse, including reports from Carol Botha, Pat Booth and Anthony Ayiomamitis.
Also check out the progress of the ASSA Imaging Section's photography competition over at Oleg's website.
Posted 2008 February 06 @ 00:54 - filed under Astronomy.
For the curious, some photo updates: Lacaille's plaque in Cape Town, John Herschel's monument at Grove School, and an account of my telescope assembly.
Posted 2008 February 03 @ 13:28 - filed under Astronomy.
Jupiter and Venus together in the morning sky, beautifully imaged by Kos Coronaios. Click the thumbnail to go to the gallery.
Posted 2008 February 01 @ 11:16 - filed under Astronomy.
Jupiter and Venus hang like brilliant dew drops in this morning's sky, captured by Luke Arnott. Click the thumbnail to be transported to the Gallery for the full view.
Posted 2008 January 17 @ 20:16 - filed under Astronomy.
Which part of the lunar surface is this? Click the image to find out more.
Posted 2008 January 17 @ 09:36 - filed under Astronomy.
From the solar system to the edge of the Universe – three new images for you to enjoy.
The first, by Australian Joe Perulero, is of comet 46P/Wirtanen (2008), winging its way towards Pisces and, according to Seiichi Yoshida's website, growing brighter.
Two images from Anthony Ayiomamitis: the first is of the beautiful and difficult-to-see nebulosity around Maia, one of the Seven Sisters.
Much more difficult to see is the brightest object in the Universe - the distant quasar APM 08279+5255.
Posted 2008 January 11 @ 13:38, via Oleg - filed under Astronomy.
Oleg Toumilovich, ASSA's Imaging Section Director, caught Mars amongst the stars of Gemini last month. Click the thumbnail to enjoy the full view in the gallery (and to find out which star in the image is 250 times bigger than our Sun).
Posted 2008 January 09 @ 17:01 - filed under Astronomy.
Posted 2008 January 09 @ 16:57 - filed under Astronomy.
Tim Cooper, of the ASSA Comet and Meteor Section, writes:
"This comet is moving rapidly southwards and is already well placed for observation. It is currently magnitude 6 and rather diffuse. Nevertheless it should be easily visible in binoculars outside town.
"It is currently moving through Cetus, into Fornax by mid January, and crossing into Eridanus by month end.
"The comet has been well observed while in the northern hemisphere; please continue the good coverage as it passes far south so that we can continue to characterise the brightness behaviour after perihelion on January 27."
Further details appear in the Comet and Meteor Section's Circular 2008/1. (contact details)
Posted 2008 January 02 @ 09:23 - filed under Astronomy.
Joe Perulero of the Wollongong Amateur Astronomy Club in Australia kindly sent in his image of comet Tuttle, taken yesterday (January 1st).
Posted 2008 January 01 @ 11:50 - filed under Astronomy.
Last year, while observing the Geminids, it was neat to see, at the same time, a comet in the night sky – a first for me.
From Hannes Pieterse news that comet 8P/Tuttle is currently in our southern skies. His chart (click thumbnail for large version) shows the comet from today until January 13, as it travels southward from Triangulum through Pisces and Cetus.
As always, check Seiichi Yoshida's comet page for the latest news.
Posted 2007 December 14 @ 11:22 - filed under Astronomy.
This morning, Carol and I kept watch on the Geminid meteor shower, and were well-rewarded. In a 3-and-a-half hour session, we saw a total of 82 meteors, of which 56 were Geminids.
No fireballs yet, and oddly, the two brightest meteors were non-Geminids. The brightest was a –3 magnitude whopper, that left a persistent smoke-trail. Several of the Geminids had a noticeable green hue.
The graph below shows the number of meteors I counted, grouped into one-magnitude bins. The results look reasonably OK down to about 3rd magnitude, where the excess of Geminids over "others" is clear.
We're holding thumbs for tonight...
Number of Geminids (X symbol) and non-Geminid meteors (O symbol), grouped into one-magnitude bins, counted on 2007 Dec 14, 00:00-04:00 SAST.
Posted 2007 December 11 @ 11:11 - filed under Astronomy.
On show at a star near you - go see it NOW.
The beautiful photo above was taken this morning at 07:58 SAST from Johannesburg by Oleg Toumilovich, Director of the ASSA Imaging Section.
Posted 2007 December 10 @ 22:02 - filed under Astronomy.
OOG's 2007 year-end party at Delvera outside Stellenbosch was thoroughly enjoyable, as usual. A small photo gallery shows some of the scenes.
Posted 2007 November 16 @ 14:33 - filed under Astronomy.
A nova has erupted in Puppis – finder charts and update (today, 14:33) below the fold.
Posted 2007 October 27 @ 13:25 - filed under Astronomy.
The much anticipated Northern Sky Talk Podcast, produced by Karol in Poland has made its debut and is now available for your listening pleasure.
Posted 2007 October 24 @ 22:14 - filed under Astronomy.
Northern-hemisphere astronomers are reporting that Comet 17P/Holmes has erupted.
It brightened 500,000 times in a few hours, going from a nearly-invisible 17th magnitude speck, to a 3rd magnitude naked-eye object. Still looking much like a star, it may or may not develop a tail, as its outburst continues.
The comet is currently in Perseus (on a line between Capella and Mirphak) so is only a prospect for observers with a good northern view. On October 27 its co-ordinates will be RA 03h 51m, Dec+50°16.7'.
To get a detailed ephemeris is quite elementary, my dear; just go to the IAU Minor Planet Center. More can also be found on Seiichi Yoshida's website.
Posted 2007 October 20 @ 11:14 - filed under Astronomy.
On my recent Sutherland trip (details in the previous post), I bagged two (yes, only two) observations; the small galaxy NGC 2228 and the interesting globular cluster NGC 2257.
Posted 2007 October 19 @ 21:57 - filed under Astronomy.
Back from Sutherland, I spent one night helping out at a All-Night Star Party, and then two nights up at the SAAO for some observing. Photos and more in the gallery.
Posted 2007 September 30 @ 21:00 - filed under Astronomy.
Scanning through Radcliffe telescope plates, I gasped when I saw the delicate form of this planetary nebula, beautifully contrasted with its bright stellar neighbour.
The image was taken on 1950 March 23, at 04:47, and was a 20-minute exposure with the 74-inch telescope at it's Newtonian focus.
The nebula, at RA 15h 51.7m, –51° 31', has been nick-named the Fine Ring. This dim stellar corpse was missed by John Herschel, and it was logged simply as "anonymous" in the Radcliffe observer's book. Some years later, astronaut-astronomer Karl Henize would log it as Hen 2-137. It's number 100 in Rodgers, Campbell and Whiteoak's catalogue of Hα-emission regions in the southern Milky Way, and is included in the ESO catalogue as 225-2.
More delights to come.
Posted 2007 September 07 @ 13:05 - filed under Astronomy.
The base numeric data for the new database is complete. 17,147 objects are listed; these include 10,540 galaxies; 1,455 dark nebulae; 1,847 open clusters and 1,548 bright nebulae.
So far, 9,093 of these objects have descriptive text, totalling 1,364,218 words, which has been edited and formatted. I expect these totals to increase by 25%.
Currently: editing text files for non-NGC/IC objects (214,452 words).
Next: Link text to numeric data; Format and index available images and sketches; Link sketches to numeric data. This completes the data preparation phase.
Then: Design of the web interface for manipulating the database – browsing, filtering, and such. After which, the database interface will be integrated with the front-end. This all by 2007 October 01.
Finally: The programming of the back-end begins. I expect that the first go-live will be on November 01.
Posted 2007 July 19 @ 22:54 - filed under Astronomy.
Percy Amoils sent in an updated view, taken last night, of the area around the Lagoon and Trifid nebulae.
Earlier, Dany Duprez shared a composite view of the Swan; compare the two separate images, one in H-α, the other through an O-III filter.
Posted 2007 July 19 @ 14:35 - filed under Astronomy.
Dany Duprez has sent in an intruiging image of the beautiful Swan Nebula (Messier 17), showing its appearance through a H-α and O-III filter, photographed from the Cederberg.
From Rustenberg, George Liakos has sent two images which leave me in a quandry – I can't decide which one impresses me the most. His first image is of Messier 4, that most-strange globular cluster just a stone's throw from Antares. If I had to be stranded on a desert island, I would want to take M 4 along (and a sat-phone). George's second image is a great attempt to show the young Moon as the naked eye sees it. (Hint: right-click, save image as, and you have a splendid new desktop image)
Posted 2007 July 17 @ 13:26, via Oleg - filed under Astronomy.
Sunspot #0963 making its way across the solar disk, imaged by Oleg this morning just after 08.
and zooming in:
Oleg recommends SOHO for more images.
Posted 2007 July 17 @ 00:18 - filed under Astronomy.
From Percy, a wide-field view of Trifid & Lagoon Nebula, and Ptolemy's Cluster; from Hannes (in his new gallery) the Trifid Nebula, Lagoon Nebula, and the Great Orion Nebula; from Kos, the Leo Triplet, Omega Cen & M83, and from Oleg, the beautiful crescent Moon below. Cheers!
Posted 2007 July 16 @ 19:08 - filed under Astronomy.
The 2-day old Moon makes nice at sunset, captured this evening at 18:40. At the top of the image, Venus as brilliant Evening Star; elsewhere, Saturn and Regulus.
The close-up view of the Moon (below) shows a bright spot just off the terminator – I have no idea which crater/mountain/etc. is making the highlight. Lovely, ain't it?
Posted 2007 July 11 @ 15:47 - filed under Astronomy.
The past few months I've been working on a new website for deep-sky observers. At the heart is a creative-commons database of visual deepsky observations. In addition to descriptions, sketches and images, you can compile observing lists, plan your observing session, log & share your observations and keep a journal. Further, there's a member's section, as well as tutorials, articles, news, and discussion pages.
I'm currently working on the design of the web pages, the look-and-feel. I'm looking for suggestions & comments on the design, so if you're opinionated, take a look and let me have feedback. Note that the links on the pages don't work, and the contents is garbage – they're just there for the pretty.
Available preview pages (opening in a new window) are:
home page,
news item,
tutorial list,
article,
administrator's blog page,
post in the discussion forum, and
member profile page.
Posted 2007 July 11 @ 13:21 - filed under Astronomy.
George Liakos recently imaged the delightful planetary nebula NGC 6302. Dark nebula guru E.E. Barnard claimed to have discovered it (in 1880, from Nashville, Tennessee, while hunting comets) although the nebula may have been seen half a century earlier by Australian-based James "Dodgy" Dunlop (Number 567 in his list).
Oddly, Cape Town-based John "Über-observer" Herschel didn't spot it, and therein lies a tale. Near the tail of Scorpius, too. Take a look.
Posted 2007 July 11 @ 13:21 - filed under Astronomy.
It's good to know the SA government has spent about US$ 20 million to provide astrologers with the tools for their trade. And a facility where they can work unmolested.
This according to the award-winning Sawubona magazine (July 2007, p.77), "official in-flight magazine of South African Airways". Its 96 000 copies (or 99 000 copies, depending on which sentence on their webpage you believe) are [verb omitted on the page] "to over 7 million passengers".
So, if you're a working astrologer, go here.
Before you rush off, you'll be further amuzed (amused amazement, in case you didn't know) to learn that SALT's truss assembly "uses air pressure to open the dome in the required direction" (p.77) and that amateur astronomer Jurg Wagener is quoted as saying – allegedly – "I have a powerful laser so even if the moon is out, we can still see the Southern Cross" (p.78).
I didn't dare read further, because I don't think my medical covers reckless behaviour. God, I love journalists.
Posted 2007 July 11 @ 13:19 - filed under Astronomy.
The weekend of October 20 there'll be the second "Dusk 'til Dawn" stargazing extravaganza in Sutherland, hosted by Jurg & Rita Wagener. The all-night star gaze takes place in Jurg's observatory just outside the town, so book early, dress warmly, and get enough sleep beforehand.
Posted 2007 July 11 @ 13:16 - filed under Astronomy.
If you remember, the "Stardust" project asked internet users to sift through images and classify holes. Far more sexy is taking part in the effort from Galaxy Zoo, who are inviting users to join in and classify galaxy images. Read about them on BBC News if you don't believe me, and give it a go at GalaxyZoo.org.
Posted 2007 July 03 @ 21:41 - filed under Astronomy.
Ninety seconds of southern hemisphere naked-eye astronomy. Get your copy while stocks last.
Posted 2007 July 01 @ 12:46, via Oleg - filed under Astronomy.
Venus, 80 million kilometres away, shows its phase (35% sunlight) in Oleg's photo, taken last night. "In Russia," he says, "it's known as a Horned Venus." More about the naked-eye visibility of crescent Venus in the 2005 December edition of Sky & Telescope.
Posted 2007 June 30 @ 21:10, via Oleg - filed under Astronomy.
© 2007 Oleg Toumilovich
This evening's Full Moon – a Blue Moon – captured by Oleg Toumilovich. "The only way to get it blue-ish without any manipulations was to take a shot in a Negative format," Oleg wrote. He used his favourite 100mm refractor and a 40mm eyepiece.
Posted 2007 June 30 @ 03:34 - filed under Astronomy.
Saturday's Full Moon was accompanied by a lovely moonbow, which encompassed Jupiter & Antares.
Posted 2007 June 27 @ 21:35, via Willie Koorts - filed under Astronomy.
Posted 2007 June 27 @ 21:25 - filed under Astronomy.
I'm gone for 10 days and when I get back, my e-mail overflows with goodies.
For starters, George Liakos sent along this stunning image of Messier 83 (NGC 5236) which you can enjoy in his gallery.
Posted 2007 June 28 @ 20:55 - filed under Astronomy.
Dany Duprez has sent in an intruiging image of Messier 8, the Lagoon nebula, showing it in the light of ionized hydrogen and oxygen. He combined exposures taken through H-α and O-III filters, using a Meade DSI camera, to create the composite 40-minute image. Click the thumbnail for a closer view.
Posted 2007 June 19 @ 10:25 - filed under Astronomy.
The waxing Moon moves past Venus, Saturn and Regulus this week, promising some lovely views.
Browse the growing gallery of Venus & Co. images, and consider submitting your own pics.
From Greece, Anthony Ayiomamitis has sent along his ethereal images of the crescent Moon occulting Venus, on the 18th.
Posted 2007 June 18 @ 00:35 - filed under Astronomy.
Percy Amoils has been experimenting with a newly-acquired 60-mm APO refractor and snapped the Lagoon and Trifid nebulae together in a wide-field view that will get your deepsky observing juices flowing.
Posted 2007 June 18 @ 00:09 - filed under Astronomy.
Jupiter shines brightly between Scorpius and the heart of our Galaxy, beautifully captured by Kos Coronaios on the morning of June 10.
Posted 2007 June 17 @ 21:35, via Chris.S - Astronomy.
The splendid (free) planetarium/sky simulator Stellarium has been upgraded; it is now at version 0.9.0. Get yours at Sourceforge.
Posted 2007 June 12 @ 11:35 - filed under Astronomy.
The June edition of The Independent Observer newsletter is available from Chris Vermeulen of Project Night Sky. Contact him at projectnightsky
starmail.co.za for your free copy.
Posted 2007 June 11 @ 12:19 - filed under Astronomy.
Discovered in 1755 (by Abbe de Lacaille), photographed in 2006 (by Percy Amoils).
Permanent post - filed under Astronomy.
Deepsky observers get a kick out of studying the Universe beyond our solar system. I've compiled various guides and resources that will be useful to anyone starting out. Currently, these are:
DOC deep-sky tutorial
DOC deep-sky observing checklist
Discover! star charts
DOC deep-sky database [in progress, but see recent additions]
Top 100 Deepsky Objects observing list challenge
Posted 2006 October 29 @ 11:52 - filed under Astronomy.
The Deepsky Observing Section of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa is pleased to present the "Top 100 Deepsky Objects", an observing programme for the novice and seasoned observer alike.
Hand-picked and collected together in a single list for the first time are the 100 best galaxies, star clusters and nebulae visible in the southern skies. Many can be seen with the naked eye and all are visible in binoculars, so a telescope is not essential to see them.
For each 20 objects you observe, the Society will issue a Merit Award Certificate in recognition of your work, and your observations will be added to the DOC Deepsky Database. more
Posted 2006 February 02 @ 21:02 - filed under Astronomy.
Get the most out of your observing session with this comprehensive checklist, which will help you to construct a memorable description of each deepsky object you visit. more
Posted 2005 Augst 01 - filed under Astronomy.
Do you want to learn the constellations? Or start hunting deepsky objects with binoculars or a small telescope? Try the free naked-eye star atlas and binocular workbook to get you started on your personal journey beyond the solar system. more
Posted 2005 August 01 - filed under Astronomy.
A compilation of what experienced deep-sky observers have learnt about their art. From the basic to more advanced topics, this tutorial is a practical introduction to deep-sky observing. And it's yours for free! more
Posted 2007 May 31 @ 10:19 - filed under Astronomy.
One minute 30 seconds of night sky goodness, the astronomy highlights for June in the new format Southern Sky Talk podcast. Yours for the taking.
Posted 2007 May 31 @ 21:39 - filed under Astronomy.
Sunset evenings in June will be delightfully decorated by brilliant Venus, drawing closer to Saturn each evening, until at month's end the two have a lovely close-approach. Follow the action in the gallery; submitting your own photos would be cool, too.
Posted 2007 May 23 @ 10:45 - filed under Astronomy.
Updated 2007 May 23 @ 20:08
Bad weather in the Cape prevented a view of the pairing between Saturn and the Moon last night, and it seems elsewhere the clouds caused disappointment, too.
Kos Coronaios, however, was on the ball, and imaged the ringed planet and our satellite together in the sky from the Soutpansberg.
Posted 2007 May 22 @ 11:14, via Joe Perulero - filed under Astronomy news.
As you read this, asteroid Vesta is growing brighter. It is already a naked-eye target from dark skies and will reach magnitude +5.4 around the end of May. More details below the fold.
Posted 2007 May 21 @ 11:41 - filed under Astronomy news.
On Friday, May 18, the Moon occulted Elnath (beta Tauri), the bright star marking the horn of the Bull. Kos Coronaios (who earlier this month captured the Moon & Antares doing it) was in place to photograph the event.
Posted 2007 May 08 @ 09:12 via Anthony - filed under Astronomy.
Anthony Ayiomamitis of Greece took some stunning images of April's distant Moon, which he then carefully processed to bring out subtle colour differences. But let him explain... more
Posted 2007 May 06 @ 10:21 - filed under Astronomy news.
When the Moon rose on Friday, May 04, seen from southern Africa, it was amongst the stars of Scorpius, and on-top of Antares. Moments after the pair rose, Antares appeared from behind the Moon as our neighbour moved along in its orbit. more
Posted 2007 May 02 @ 22:36 - filed under Astronomy.
The Full Moon tonight (Wednesday, May 02) was almost knackered by cloud, which did however allow Brandon Booth to capture a dramatic Moonrise over Stellenbosch Mountain. A while later it cleared, and I was able to add May's Full Moon to the gallery.
Posted 2007 April 30 @ 09:34 - filed under Astronomy.
Earlier (April 25) I reported on a new finding about the eta Aquariids meteor shower that may make it an interesting event this year. Tim Cooper (ASSA Comet & Meteor Section) notes that although it will already be daylight when the shower peaks (predicted for the afternoon of May 6 in South Africa) "any outburst may be of quite broad duration as the stream is already well dispersed, so we may see some enhanced rates on the morning of May 6."
"The moon will be a major problem though, at 87% just 73° from the radiant," he adds. Nevertheless, he put out a request for observations, especially on the mornings of May 05–07, and wider if possible. "The radiant can be observed from about 03h30 to 05h30 each morning (later from the Western Cape)," he writes. "The meteors are normally bright, fast, and often leave trains. Take care not to include any May Capricornids in counts and report these separately along with any sporadics seen. Please include estimates of your limiting magnitude and magnitudes of observed meteors."
Please report your observations to Tim as soon as possible, and let's hope for clear skies.
Posted 2007 April 27 @ 10:00 - filed under Astronomy.
Read all about the Sun, Moon, stars and planets for May.
Posted 2007 April 25 @ 08:12 - filed under Astronomy news.
If you walk outside tonight and look up in the southern sky, the Milky Way stretches up from Crux, arcing over towards Canopus. About halfway along is the bright nebulous patch that is the eta Carinae nebula. Lacaille, Dunlop, Herschel – everyone commented on the beauty of this small region of the southern sky.
Now the folks at the Hubble Space Telescope have released a set of (some massive) images of this region. Gird up your broadband and head over to the Hubble Heritage website.
Posted 2007 April 25 @ 08:03 - filed under Astronomy.
Japanese astronomers have reported that the eta Aquariid meteor shower this year may show enhanced activity.
Back in 836 BCE, a dust trail was ejected from comet Halley, and this year, on May 06, the Earth will encounter this ejected material. Because the comet-stuff was ejected so long ago, it has been spread out substantially along its orbit, mainly by the cumulative effects of Jupiter's strong gravity.
Meteor observers can expect to enjoy a longer period of activity, although the number of meteors seen per hour is expected to be low. The peak is expected to occur between 15:30-17:00 (SAST) on May 06.
(CBET 944)
Posted 2007 April 23 @ 11:47 - filed under Astronomy.
A wonderful event, with wonderful people. Read my personal account of the Xperience.
Posted on 2007 April 23 @ 08:33 - filed under Astronomy.
Comet Lovejoy, currently in the morning sky, is around 8th magnitude and, writes Joe Perulero of Australia, "is still putting on a show in our skies!" He kindly sent in the above image, taken this Saturday (2007 Apr 21, 02:00) at Jerrara Dam, New South Wales, Oz. The image is a 15 minute exposure through a piggybacked ED80 scope (with a Meade f/6.3 reducer) and an Orion Skyglow filter.
Posted 2007 April 02 @ 09:01 - filed under Astronomy.
Joe Perulero of Australia kindly sent in this image of comet C/2007 E2 (Lovejoy), discovered by fellow Australian Terry Lovejoy.
The photo was taken by Joe and Hans Von Borstel on April 01 at 04:45 (local time) at Jerrara Dam near Jamberoo NSW Australia in partial moonlight using a Nikon D70 and a 70mm ED lens, piggybacked on a classic 10-inch LX200.
The comet was discovered by Terry Lovejoy (Thornlands, Queensland, Australia) on March 15. He found it on images taken with a Canon 350D camera and a 200-mm f/2.8 lens. At the time, the comet was V=9.5.
Comet Lovejoy, currently in eastern Sagittarius, is predicted to reach V=7.7 by mid-April.
Further details can be found on Seiichi Yoshida's excellent site "Weekly Information about Bright Comets". Observations and images should be submitted to Tim Cooper of the ASSA Comet & Meteor Section (tpcoopemweb.co.za).
(IAUC No. 8819, 8820)
Posted 2007 April 19 @ 19:26 - filed under Astronomy.
A recent most welcome flurry of observations submitted to the Deepsky Section – first by Carol Botha, then by Richard Ford and Gustav Paul – has forced my hand.
I'm presently working on a proper electronic database, which will make all 11,600+ observations available online. But in the meanwhile, take a look at the recent observations that have been sent in. And let's have yours, too!
Posted 2007 April 17 @ 16:38 - filed under Astronomy.
Since April 1997 Dave Bishop's "Latest Supernovae" website has been providing timely news on currently visible supernovae. He maintains mirror sites here and here.
Posted on 2007 February 15 @ 14:30 - filed under Comet McNaught.
Under so-so conditions I photographed McNaught last night. It has faded to below casual naked-eye view but is still prominent in binoculars. Interestingly, as the enlarged image fragment shows, it has a decidedly green colour. I wonder why?
Updated 2007 April 10 @ 12:45
Tim Cooper, Director of the ASSA's Comet & Meteor Section, wrote to explain:
The answer is due to the presence of excited molecules, specifically singly ionised carbon monoxide (CO+) and diatomic carbon (C2). Excitation of the latter results in emission of light principally between 420 and 520 nm and gives the comet its distinctive colour. These so-called Swan Bands are also responsible for the colour you see in a butane flame.
Posted 2007 April 05 @ 12:44 via MG- filed under Astronomy.
Prof Kobus Botha's excellent "Weather Satellite Photos of South Africa" website is a resource every ZAnian should bookmark.
Of particular interest to astronomers is his cloud cover report, specially developed by prof Botha and updated hourly, from 05:30 to 21:30. The images show "all the clouds, including fog. White= clouds; green= earth cloudfree; blue=sea. This picture is an infra red picture - clouds are thus visible day and night."
Bookmark the Cloud Cover page today.
Posted 2007 April 04 @ 03:05 - filed under Wow!.
The New Horizons craft has taken a last look at Io and Europa and delivered a stunning image, showcased on the Planetary Society website. Amazing!
Posted 2007 March 30 @ 12:00 - filed under Photography.
SA Science Lens, a photo competition to showcase "stunning, dramatic, spectacular images related to science and technology", is up and running. This is the fifth event, hosted by SAASTA (SA Agency for Science & Technology Advancement), and is open to anyone with a cam and an interest in science. The closing date is 2007 Sep 14. Full details on the SAASTA SA Science Lens website.
Posted 2007 March 28 @ 17:09 - filed under Astronomy.
Read all about the Sun, Moon, stars and planets for April.
Posted 2007 March 28 @ 09:55 - filed under Astronomy.
Hot on the heels of his recent photo of the southern Milky Way, George Liakos has sent in a lovely image of the globular cluster Omega Centauri.
This beautiful cluster, visible to the naked eye as a 4th magnitude star, is number 56 of the Top-100 Deepsky Objects list.
Posted 2007 March 27 @ 14:45 - filed under Astronomy.
Astrophotographer George Liakos of Rustenburg has sent in a wonderful image of the southern Milky Way, around the Eta Carinae nebula.
Posted 2007 March 04 @ 15:01 - filed under Astronomy news.
Despite cloud, some nice lunar eclipse images can be found in the gallery.
Posted 2007 February 11 @ 23:10 - filed under Astronomy.
On Saturday night & Sunday morning, March 03/04, the bright Full Moon slips into the Earth's shadow during the only eclipse visible in Southern Africa this year.
Find out more about the eclipse events, take part in the ASSA's nation-wide photography competition, and consider submitting your eclipse photos to the gallery.
Posted 2007 March 01 @ 15:30 - filed under Podcast.
Episode 18 of Southern Sky Talk, for March 2007, is available for your listening pleasure.
Posted on 2007 February 28 @ 06:18 - filed under Astronomy news.
Last month, I reported on the discovery of a possible new companion around beta Crucis ("A tale of two stars"). Shortly afterward, Prof David Cohen, team leader of the group who identified the new star, let me know that the item was picked up by the New York Times. However, trouble with the Hubble Space Telescope trumped the discovery and the news story was shelved. Until yesterday, when the story ran in the NYT ("Astronomers May Have Found New Star in Southern Cross").
Posted on 2007 February 28 @ 08:30 - filed under Astronomy news.
Both novae are steadily fading; Nova Sco 2007 (V1280 Sco) is almost down to 6th magnitude this morning. I got a good set of images of Nova Sco 2007 No 2 (V1281 Sco) which is around 10.6 at the moment. Full details on their individual pages.
Posted on 2007 February 22 @ 00:12 - filed under Astronomy.
The three-day old Moon on Tuesday evening (20th) at 20:08. Venus was a few degrees away, making a pretty sunset duo. The 2-day old Moon can be seen in the gallery.
Tonight (Thursday evening) the Moon lies in Aries, and by Friday it will have moved on to Taurus, when, at almost quarter-phase, it will lie three diameters from the Pleiades star cluster.
(Canon PowerShot S3 IS, f/6.3, 1/40th, fl=430mm, ISO 80)
Posted on 2007 February 15 @ 06:34 - filed under Astronomy.
While standing on the pavement photographing this morning's crescent Moon, a subtle slender sickle rapidly fading from view, a passerby, well aware of my astronomical inclinations, came over to ask if I was looking at something special.
"Yes, look, Jesus on a stick!" I might have said. Instead, I was speechless and mumbled something. Of course it's special – just look and see. more
Posted on 2007 February 12 @ 12:14 - filed under Astronomy.
A portion of Magda Streicher's asterism observations (sketches and descriptions) has been published, marking the alpha-version of the Deepsky database.
Posted 2007 February 12 @ 00:13 - filed under Astronomy.
Without binoculars or a telescope, there's still a great deal one can see in the Moon. Find out more about the visibility of our Moon and it's most prominent features. more
Posted 2007 February 07 @ 00:04 - filed under Astronomy.
The southern galaxy cluster Abell S0740, with its dominant elliptical galaxy, is the subject of a new Hubble Space Telescope "Heritage" image.
Space Telescope Science Institute press release STScI-PRC07-08
Posted 2007 February 06 @ 09:00.
As mentioned in the February podcast, an aurora was seen at the Cape this month in 1872. Do any Gentle Readers know of historical accounts of other aurorae seen in the Cape Province? Dr Peter Alcock is writing a book about weather folklore and observations and would appreciate more information. Contact me with the low-down, thanks.
Posted 2007 February 02 @ 12:01 - filed under Astronomy.
Mauritz Geyser of Pretoria has come up with a most cunning plan. Using his GPS software and the famous NASA "Earth at Night" images, he's created a Southern African "Dark Sky Guide", allowing you to find a potential observing site free from excessive light pollution. more
Posted 2007 January 30 @ 13:13 - filed under Astronomy.
The Full Moon is a beautiful and easy target to photograph with just a digicam – no telescope required. Track it's changing size this year by building up your own gallery of Full Moon images, as explained in this brief tutorial on compact digical camera photography. more
Posted 2007 January 30 @ 13:13 - filed under Astronomy.
The Full Moon is a beautiful and easy target to photograph with just a digicam – no telescope required. Track it's changing size this year by building up your own gallery of Full Moon images, as explained in this brief tutorial on compact digical camera photography. more
The Full Moon gallery has a series of images at the same scale showing the Moon in 2007 January – May.
Posted 2007 January 29 @ 17:40 - filed under Astronomy.
Alan Jarrett, Director of Boyden Observatory from 1968 to 1989, died yesterday (January 28) in Margate.
One-time colonel in the Air Force, he was appointed as Professor of Astronomy at the University of the Orange Free State in 1968, and also as Director of Boyden Observatory. Jarrett was ASSA President for the 1971-72 term, and a frequent contributor to MNASSA.
During his time at Boyden, he oversaw various research programmes, including the monitoring of variable stars (particularly delta Scuti and various flare stars), line-profile studies, and solar work (including hydrogen-alpha interferometry). Jarrett also oversaw the upgrading of the 1.52m telescope under difficult financial conditions. Jarrett served as external examiner in astronomy at UCT and UNISA for several years. Upon his retirement from Boyden in 1989, the University of the Orange Free State closed its Astronomy department.
Graham Geary, director of the Natal Space Centre, said today that upon Jarrett's retirement to Margate they became close friends, and he fondly recalled weekly cake and tea chats with his fascinating guest.
Photo credit: Dawie van Jaarsveldt - History of Boyden, ASSA Symposium 2006
Posted 2007 January 26 @ 17:44 - filed under Astronomy.
Beta (β) Crucis, the 2nd brightest star in the Southern Cross, and amongst the Top-20 brightest in the night sky, may be a double star, according to new observations made with the Chandra x-ray telescope. more
Posted 2007 January 26 @ 11:10 - filed under Astronomy.
From the Planetary Society, the news of a new image of Saturn taken by the Cassini space craft. Not yet released in it's full glory, this one is going to grace desktops everywehere.
Credit: NASA / JPL / SSI / Emily Lakdawalla
Posted 2007 January 21 @ 13:10, updated Jan 22 - filed under Astronomy news.
On Saturday, Venus was occulted by the Moon. The Evening Star's reappearance at the edge of the Moon could be seen from the southern Cape; elsewhere, the pair set before separating. At the time of the occultation, Venus was 94% illuminated, and the Moon only 3.4%. New images added to the photo gallery illustrate the scene, which had a definite surreal feel to it. [New photo added Jan 22]
Posted 2007 January 13 @ 02:01 - filed under Astronomy news.
On January 5 the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Corporation, a public-private partnership formed in 2003 and based in Tucson, Arizona (USA), announced that Internet search-mogul Google has signed on as a team member.
»» unfold
Posted 2007 January 12 @ 10:23 - filed under Astronomy.
Just off the tip of the short arm of the Southern Cross lies the famous open star cluster nicknamed the Jewel Box. This small but bright & beautiful star grouping is easy to find in binoculars more
Posted 2007 January 11 @ 13:11 - filed under Astronomy news.
Globular clusters contain thousands to millions of old stars packed within a region only tens of light years across. According to some theorists, black holes are likely to form in these dense stellar environments. Not long ago, it was announced that the glorious southern globular cluster 47 Tucanae had a black hole hidden amongst its stars.
A paper published in the January 11 edition of Nature reports that one of the globular clusters orbiting the galaxy NGC 4472 (Messier 49, in Virgo) is very bright in X-rays, as one would expect if it, too, harboured an accreting black hole. Using the XMM-Newton satellite they detected the energetic flux of X-rays. Follow-up optical observations identified 53 globular clusters surrounding the galaxy, and were able to pinpoint the culprit globular cluster, even though it glows at a feeble V=21 mag. Details available online from arXiv or from Nature (subscription required).
Posted 2007 January 10 @ 11:57 - filed under Astronomy.
Just in case you missed it, Orion as Santa Claus.
Posted 2007 January 10 @ 09:41, Updated January 19 - filed under Astronomy.
Comet McNaught, currently visible in the southern skies after sunset, continues to please. Find the latest news, observing reports and finder charts here, or visit the new photo gallery for recent images.
Posted 2007 January 08 @ 20:14 - filed under Astronomy.
In 2003 I undertook a survey of old (1752 – 1917) star catalogues in the SAAO (Cape Town) archives, searching for references to non-stellar objects. I was looking specifically for unknown (poor, scattered) clusters of stars that might turn out to be open cluster remnants or microclusters. Subsequently, Philipp Harald Teutsch of the Deep Sky Hunters collaboration examined the list, suggesting cross-identifications and providing extensive commentary on the objects.
Read the original article, or go directly to the update.
Posted 2007 January 06 @ 09:12, via Chris Stewart - filed under Astronomy.
A big hurdle to starting out observing the deepsky – in fact, in practical astronomy in general – is that one needs a reliable set of star charts. Many atlases are available, and everyone has their favourite. I have always been particularly fond of the Uranometria atlas, for example.
Japanese amateur astronomer Toshimi Taki has created two freely downloadable star atlases, one that effectively replaces Sky Atlas 2000 & Norton's, and a second set you can use instead of the Uranometria. And it's yours for the taking!
The first set, Taki's Star Atlas , shows stars down to mag 6.5, while the second set, Taki's 8.5 Magnitude Star Atlas , goes two magnitudes fainter. Highly recommended. Go, go, go and get it!
Posted 2007 January 06 @ 09:12 - filed under Astronomy.
Two essential and excellent 100% free additions to your astronomy software library are Cartes du Ciel and Stellarium.
Cartes du Ciel is not pretty, but it is everything else. It's easy to use and has all the features you'd expect. As an advanced observer, I particularly appreciate its extensibility – you can import & display catalogues of objects as they are published and archived by VizieR etc.
Stellarium is pretty. Very pretty. It doesn't offer anything for the deepsky observer, but that isn't its aim. It aims to be a realistic simulation of the night sky, particulary wide-field views. It renders twilight scenes spectacularly. Drool.
Posted 2007 Jan 01, Updated 2007 January 03 @ 22:13 - filed under Astronomy.
Of the many ways life on Earth could be wiped out, the idea of a killer asteroid grips the imagination. Hollywood has given us Meteor!, Deep Impact and Armageddon. Now, you can make your own, and learn something about cricket along the way.
This fun, tasty and educational activity is great for star parties, school talks, and, well, just plain fun. more
Posted 2007 January 01 @ 10:00 - filed under Astronomy.
The Southern Sky Almanack, announced last September, is now available for free download. One page per month, it illustrates cool things to see in the night sky, and tabulates astronomical anniversaries & birthdays, South Africa holidays, school terms, and much more.
The Almanack has been designed with simple black and white illustrations specifically so that it can be economically printed on a home printer and easily photocopied, thus making it accessible to more potential star-gazers.
An overview of the year, and the monthly table of events, should make sure you don't miss a single event. If you find the Almanack useful, please let me know. more
Posted 2006 March 02 @ 08:44 - filed under Astronomy.
A brief observing report and some tips on observing the most enigmatic and charming objects in the Universe. more
Posted 2006 October 25 @ 10:41 - filed under Astronomy.
Almost daily, "new" stars are discovered, and the IAU astronomical telegrams are quick to announce the discovery of the latest batch of supernovae. Now, a German astronomer, Dr. Bringfried Stecklum, has picked up a new nebula which recently popped into view. more
Posted 2006 Nov 21 @ 11:00 - filed under Astronomy.
Last Saturday evening I attended the year-end star party of OOG – the Orion Observasie Groep. Read about the event and browse the photos in my report. more
Update 2006 November 08 @ 12:40 - filed under Astronomy.
The giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1316 (Fornax A) now sports a second supernova. The latest erupting star was picked up on November 5 by Berto Monard (Bronberg Observatory, Pretoria). more
Posted 2006 October 24 @ 11:53 - photo via Oleg, filed under Astronomy.
On October 19, Prof David Block and Robert Groess (Wits) announced that observations made with the Spitzer space telescope, and subsequent computer simulations, suggest that the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) was involved in a collision event some 200 millions years ago. more
Posted September 28 @ 17:14 - filed under Astronomy.
A press release from the Royal Astronomical Society bears the good news that we and the Ozzies have made it through to the next round of Square Kilometre Array (SKA) selection, with China and Argentina/Brazil losing out. more
Updated 2006 September 07 @ 21:25 - filed under Astronomy.
The curious cataclysmic variable star BD Pavonis is currently in outburst. Berto Monard has been monitoring it, and his observations may upset the cataloguer's apple-cart, as he reports. more
Posted 2006 August 24 @ 13:20 - via Bruce, filed under Astronomy & Podcast update.
In Southern Sky Talk podcast episode 10 (read the 2006 August 18 update), it was mentioned that Bruce Dickson of Johannesburg has been monitoring the interesting variable SV Indii. Now he writes: "Here's the last word on that W UMa star SV Indii. I left it a few days to see whether anything changed – it didn't!" Dickson supplemented his earlier observations with some 1 700 new data points, and has compiled a new light curve. more
Posted 2006 February 01 @ 17:27 - filed under Astronomy.
SuperWASP, a wide-angle search for planets, is up and running at SAAO Sutherland. I visited the installation, met the nice folk and took some pics. more
2006 December 18 @ 12:48 - filed under Astronomy.
For the latest news from the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa (ASSA), visit their website, hosted by the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO).
2006 October 04 @ 00:48 - filed under Astronomy.
Magda Streicher reports on the Symposium, and Oleg Toumilovich supplies some images. more
Posted 2006 December 14 @ 18:35 - filed under Astronomy.
In the accompanying image (click the thumbnail for a full view), I've overlayed these stars with a Turkish ibrik, a pot used for brewing coffee. Bottom's up!
Posted 2005 October 01 @ 19:05 - filed under Astronomy.
Why are the three stars of Orion's Belt sometimes called the "Three Kings"? and who was the first to use "Cape Clouds" for the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds? more
Posted 2005 August 01 - filed under Astronomy.
A bibliography of articles from the main psychology journals, on astronomy, and particularly, astrology. more
Posted 2006 November 01 @ 20:12 - filed under Astronomy.
Tim Cooper of the ASSA Comet & Meteor Section has issued a call for observers to monitor the coming Leonid meteor shower, active from November 15, peaking on the morning of November 19.
Posted 2006 September 22 @ 15:36 - filed under Astronomy.
Sunny skies happily accompanied this afternoon's partial eclipse. I took the first image of the eclipsed Sun projected through a pair of binoculars, from Stellenbosch (click on the small images for the full-sized version). From the other end of the country, Oleg Toumilovich of Johannesburg sent the orange "smiley" image.
Just off the lunar limb I could see a sunspot, which is visible in the larger version of Oleg's photo. He observed a double-eclipse, being lucky enough to see the sunspot disappear behind the lunar limb. The other two images show the lovely pattern of solar crescents at mid-eclipse – the first from light filtering through a vine trellace against a wall, the other on the road surface beneath a tree. It became slightly darker near maximum, as several casual passers-by noticed.
2006 September 09 @ 10:56 - filed under Astronomy
It seems to me the partial lunar eclipse last week was seen by everyone but me. Browse the photo gallery for images from Johannesburg to Athens.
Meanwhile, I'm holding thumbs for clear skies in Cape Town for the solar eclipse on Friday, September 22. Read about that and more on the September highlights page.
2006 August 27 @ 19:30 - via Ivor, filed under Pink Floyd.
It was widely reported in the media on August 14 that the original film footage of mankind's first steps on the Moon, which had been lost, was now being hunted for (see reports in the Daily Telegraph and the Washington Times).
Less than a week later they were found, in Australia, in the film vault of Peter Clifton, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report. Clifton used clips from the footage of the landing for a film he made for Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
Posted 2006 October 12 @ 09:47 - filed under Astronomy.
Four new rings have been discovered around Saturn, on recent images acquired by the Cassini space craft, currently in orbit around the planet. Two of the new rings are associated with (co-orbital to) Saturn's moons. These diffuse rings are 5000km and 2500km wide. The other two new rings, a mere 6km and 50km wide, respectively, are actually located within the Cassini division, a prominent dark gap that appears to separate the rings as seen through a small telescope. Stunning images of Saturn can be enjoyed on the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations (CICLOPS) website.
Posted 2006 September 14 @ 09:10 - filed under Astronomy
Once known as Xena, the dwarf planet 2003 UB_313 has been officially named Eris, and its moon, ex-Gabriella, has been dubbed Dysnomia. If you have trouble remembering all these names, see here.
Posted 2006 August 29 @ 00:13 - via ESA, filed under Astronomy.
Planetary scientists have discovered the highest clouds above any planetary surface - and they're on Mars! Until now, it was thought that Martian clouds were acrophobic, hugging the planetary surface. The new observations, using instruments onboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft, have found clouds at an altitude between 80 and 100 kilometres, most likely composed of carbon dioxide.
2006 August 30 @ 10:14 - via Bruce, filed under Astronomy.
The Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO), located north of Johannesburg, has been involved in an international effort to measure the rate at which Earth's continents are moving, using radio telescopes. The earliest evidence that the plates on which the continents rest were indeed moving, came from paleomagnetism studies, which measured the orientation and strength of magnetic fields from ancient rocks. The more recent findings, in which observations from HartRAO played a role, confirm that plate velocities as measured over the last 15 years nearly equal those averaged over the past 3 million years.
Posted 2006 October 26 @ 06:15 - filed under Astronomy.
The STEREO space craft, after a 14-minute delay, launched at 02:52 SAST this morning (Thursday, Oct 26).
Several South African observers attempted to spot the craft and its rocket, but the weather seems to have fouled most attempts. more
Posted September 29 @ 10:02 - filed under Travel.
Sir Richard Branson unveiled part of Virgin Galactic yesterday, a space-tourism initiative set to fly by early 2009. Ticket prices are currently US$ 200,000 for a half-hour zero-g trip.
Posted 2006 November 04 @ 15:00, via Maciej - filed under Astronomy.
RegiStax, the award-winning free image processing software, has been updated. Version 4 was released on October 29th. Over 5500 free copies have already been downloaded. Get yours from the Registax website.
2006 October 11 @ 08:53 - filed under Astronomy.
Astronomy & Astrophysics, the premiere European astronomy journal (established through the amalgamation of various national journals), announced its new website today. Visit it at http://www.aanda.org.
Keywords: Astronomy, deepsky observing, deep sky observing, Southern Sky Talk podcast, news
This website is licensed under an attribution-noncommercial 2.5 creative commons license and is © 2005-2007 Auke Slotegraaf.
SOUTHERN SKY TALK
A monthly podcast on southern-sky astronomy and a quick guide to what's cool in the heavens above.
NORTHERN SKY TALK
Astronomy news from the northern hemisphere, the Northern Sky Talk podcast comes to you courtesy of Karol in Poland.
TOP 100 DEEPSKY OBJECTS PROJECT
Observe the 100 best galaxies, star clusters and nebulae visible in the southern skies, and earn a Merit Award Certificate issued by the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa.
PHOTO GALLERIES
Images of deepsky objects, the Moon, night-time scenery, and more. Browse the galleries.
FULL MOON
Learn how to photograph the Full Moon using only a digicam, or browse the Full Moon gallery.
FOR SALE
"A Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way", E. E. Barnard (1927)
I have a copy of this rare work (both volumes), in excellent condition – if you're interested in buying it, I'm interested in selling, so please contact me.
