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Journal of the Amateur Astrono mers Association of New York Nove mber 2011 Volume 59 Number 11 ISSN 0146-7662

EYEPIECE
By Leo Genn
live in low temperatures, in near -vacuum conditions, they could spread to places like the Aster oid Belt and from ther e spread throughout the universe. Indeed, he said that by such mea ns, the entire universe might already be crawling with life forms. Dyson speculated that such life for ms would be easy to find because they might grow massive and reflect a significant amount of light that we could see with Earth and space telescopes. Dyson said that the radio telescope array at SETI was a gr eat way to look for life because, following Moore's Law, continuing exponential improvements in computer processing speed and memor y ma ke radio astronomy mor e powerful over time. Dyson said that optical SETI searching for laser emissions, now being perfor med jointly by Princeton and Harvard, might prove even mor e effective than radio astronomy in finding intelligent life. Advanced civilizations could alr eady be transmitting na nosecond broadband optical pulses that would contain far mor e data than radio waves. Dyson praised the important scientific results we are getting from the Cassini and Kepler missions, the Wilkinson Microwa ve Anisotropy Probe and Japanese and Canadian neutrino detectors. He argued that the important results of these projects didn't get worldwide attention proportional to their scientific mer it. Instead, media attention generally flowed to bigger budget projects perfor med by richer countries. Dyson explained that infrared telescopes ha d once seemed like they could be gr eat for finding civilizations throwing off heat. It turned out that so many planets give out heat for geological and other reasons that infrared telescopes wer e ineffective in the hunt for life, but that other wise, they rema in valuable astronomic tools. The next AAA lectur e will be held Friday, November 4 at 6:15 p.m. in the Kaufma nn Auditorium of the Amer ica n Museum of Natural History. Dr. Fred Chromey, professor of astronomy at Vassar College will present The Mystery of Beta Lyrae: Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs."

DR. FREEMAN J. DYSON OPENS AAA LECTURE SERIES
Addr essing a large audience at the Kaufma nn Auditorium at the AMNH, Dr. Freema n J. Dyson revealed that ther e are new places to search for life forms in the universe. The r enowned physicist deliver ed the first 2011-12 AAA lecture of the season on Friday, October 21. His focus was to discuss wher e we should be looking for life beyond the current search for rocky planets in the goldilocks zone. Dyson stated that the first rule of astronomy should be to search for what is detectable, not what is probable. Thus, we would be relying on our investigative tools, which we understand much better tha n we understand nature itself. Since nature loves surprises, we should be looking for life not wher e we expect it, but wher e we can detect it. One of the r ecurring themes throughout the evening was Dyson's disinter est in definitions and his battle against science based on pr econceptions. Answer ing a question on what is life, Dyson said he didn't like definitions because they are for lawyers. Since we ha ve no idea what life beyond Earth would look like, our search for life shouldn't be based on finding life that is highly similar to life on Earth. Dyson was clear in stating that elsewher e, life might not require anything close to the warmth of Earth's temperature, or oxygen, carbon, carbon dioxide or even an atmospher e. In response to a n audience member's question, he said ther e was no way to rule out the possibility that somewher e, life for ms could alr eady be running on their own internal nuclear energy. Instead of searching for life on planets in the goldilocks zone, Dr. Dyson believes that our search for life should focus on icy solar or interstellar objects, including, in particular, Jupiter's moon, Europa. Dyson speculated that on Europa or a similar icy body, kelp-like life might for m in oceans under surface ice and then emerge from cracks in the ice, evolve parabolic mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight and heat up the r eproductive organs of warm blooded plants. Such plants might look like sunflowers. If such life for ms could evolve to


EYEPIECE

November 2011

WHAT'S UP IN THE SKY
AAA Observer's Guide for November 2011

AAA LECTURE SERIES TO PRESENT ASTRONOMICAL SPECTROSCOPY By Dan Harrison
Dr. Frederick R. Chromey Jr., Matthew Vassar Jr. professor of astronomy and director of the observator y at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., will address the AAA Friday, November 4 on The Myst ery of Beta Lyrae: Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs. The free public lecture begins at 6:15 p.m. in the Kaufmann Theater of the American Museum of Natural History. Chromey will discuss two ideas. First, I want to promote the idea of amateur astronomers making practical spectroscopic observations. Second, I want to describe the very special object Beta Lyrae, and some spectroscopic observations of it that my students and I are making. This bright, relatively nearby double star is one of the rare cases in which the effects of stellar evolution can be seen on the timescale of a human life. It also presents an opportunity to closel y examine the behavior of an accretion disk. Understanding Beta Lyrae can improve our understanding of accretion-disk behavior in other astrophysical processes, such as the formation of planets and the generation of energy in quasars and in active galactic nuclei. Chromey, who holds a Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University, was assistant professor of physics at Brookl yn College before joining Vassar in 1981. He became director of the observator y in 1990, and oversaw construction of the Class of 1951 observatory building, which began operations in 1998. Although Chromey teaches all parts of the astronomy curriculum, he particularly enjoys teaching non -scientists, as well as teaching observational techniques, planetary physi cs and observational cosmol ogy. Chromey worked briefl y at the Goddard Space Flight Center, and has held visiting positions at Kitt Peak National Observatory and a number of other astronomy centers. His current research concerns the behavior and spectroscopic monitoring of bright stars. In 2010, he published To Measure the Sky, an undergraduate text in observational astronomy. Future AAA 2011-12 Lecture Series Dates December 2: Michael Shara, American Museum of Natural Histor y, How Novae and Supernovae are Connected January 6: Robert Nemiroff, Michigan Technological University and NASA, Best Short Astronom y Videos February 10: Glennys Farrar, NYU, Getting Photos of Supermassive Black Holes Tearing Stars Apart March 2: Charles Keeton, Rutgers, A Ray of Light in a Sea of Dark (Matter) April 6: Debra Fischer, Yale,Searching for Earthlike Worlds May 4: Alex Wolszczan, Penn State, The Astronomical Future of Man.
For more information, go to: www.aaa.org/lectures1112

By Richard Rosenberg November's Evening Planets: It's getting busy in the
evening sky. Jupiter has just passed opposition and is up virtually all night. Check out its moons and belts. Brilliant Venus is now visible in the southwest. In the first half of the month, use it to find Mercury. The bright star Antares in Scorpius makes it a threesome on Nov 9 and Nov 10.

November's Evening Stars: The Summer Triangle of
Vega, Deneb and Altair is now low in the west. The winged horse Pegasus now dominates the south. In the east the magnificent winter stars make their entry ­ Perseus, Auriga, Taurus, Gemini, Orion and Canis Major and Minor.

November's Morning Planets: Mars rises about 1:15
a.m. (Daylight Time) on Nov 1 and 11:30 Time) at month's end. It passes within 1° of brightest star, on Nov 11. Meanwhile, Saturn (EDT) on Nov 1 and 5 a.m. (EST) on Nov 30. within 4° of Spica, Virgo's bright star. p.m. (Standard Regulus, Leo's rises at 6 a.m. It slowl y cl oses

November's Morning Stars: The Summer Triangle is
now low in the west, and center stage is taken by the winter stars. Before sunrise let Mars point you to the star Regulus in Leo, and Saturn to Spica in Virgo. Around Nov 17 look for the Leonid meteor shower.

November Day-by-Day
(times are EDT until Nov 6, then EST) November 2 ­ Mercury and Venus are only 2° apart and remain close for the first two weeks of Novem ber November 2 ­ First Quarter Moon at 12:38 p.m. November 6 ­ At 2 a.m., Daylight Saving Time ends November 9 ­ Jupiter is below the Moon and Venus is near Antares this evening November 9 ­ Neptune is stationary, resuming direct motion with respect to the stars November 9 ­ Mars is near the star Regulus in Leo November 10 ­ As the sky darkens this evening, Antares joins Mercury. Venus is nearby November 10 ­ Full Moon at 3:16 p.m. November 14 ­ Mercury is at greatest elongation (23°) from the Sun November 17 ­ The Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight November 18 ­ Last Quarter Moon at 10:09 a.m. November 19 ­ Mars is well north of the Moon tonight. November 22 ­ Saturn is well north of the Moon tonight November 25 ­ New Moon at 1:10 a.m. November 25 ­ Partial solar eclipse occurs in New Zealand, South Africa, Tasmania and Antarctica November 26 ­ Mercury is just south of the Moon at dusk November 27 ­ Venus is below the Moon
For more information, go to: www.aaa.org/month1111

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EYEPIECE

November 2011

A Message from AAA President Richard Rosenberg
Hello Members: Although it's getting cold, ther e's a whole lot of astronomy going on. The club's class in astronomy begins on November 2 and continues until December 14 (there is no meeting on November 23). Each class runs from 6:30 p. m. to 9 p. m. The location is 505 Eighth Avenue (corner of 35th Street), on the 20th Floor. Laird Whitehill will teach the course, which will cover "Evolution of the Solar System". The fee is $45 for members and $80 for non-members (who become club members). More infor mation about the course is at http:// www.aaa.org/currentclasses. The first monthly pr esentation in our AAA Lecture Series at the Museum of Natural History was just given on October 21. If you missed it, our next lecture is set for November 4. Astrophysics professor Fred Chromey of Vassar College will speak on "The Mystery of Beta Lyrae: Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs". Please visit our website for all lecture infor mation. Our seminar resumes at New York University, wher e AAA members and students in NYU's astronomy club interact. On November 10, Louis Pataki of NYU will spea k. Professor Pataki's areas of inter est include planeta ry astrophysics and the history and teaching of astronomy. The time and location is not definite at this time -- if you're interested, check the Seminar page of our website, which will be updated shortly, or give me a call. We have observing sessions throughout the year. In fact, we have a few new ones - Gatewa y Park in Far Rockaway on Nov 5 (rain date Nov 6), Fort Greene Park on Nov 12 and the Avenue U Salt Marsh on Dec 3(ver y dark!). Our veteran locations include Solar Observing in Central Park (Nov 19), Great Kills (Nov 19), Floyd Bennett Field (Nov 4) and Inwood Hill Park (Nov 11 and 18). We hope to see ma ny of you at a AAA event soon. Sincer ely,

Rich Rosenberg, AAA President, president@aaa.org (718) 522-5014 AMATEURS DISCOVER ASTEROID
teur astronomer and computer scientist Matthias Busch from an amateur observator y in Germany. Busch's software fla gs potential space rocks, but the finds must be confirmed by human eyes. Since starting their SSA-sponsored survey work in January 2010, the TOTAS amateur astronomers have identified nearly 400 candidate asteroids, 20 of which have been confirmed and named.

By Dan Harrison
A team of amateur astronomers has discovered a previousl y unknown asteroid in orbit that brings it near the Earth, highlighting the contribution amateurs can make to planetary defense. The sky watchers spotted the asteroid, 2011 SF108, in September using a telescope in the Canary Islands. While 2011 SF108's orbit appears to bring it no closer to Earth than about 18 million miles, it still qualifies as a near -Earth object, the class of space rocks that could pose a danger. The team took advantage of an observation slot sponsored by the ESA's Space Situational Awareness (SSA) program to make the find. Asteroid 2011 SF108 was discovered by the Teide Observator y Tenerife Asteroid Survey (TOTAS) team, a group of 20 sky watching volunteers. They used the 1 meter telescope at the ESA's Optical Ground Station on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. After examining telescope images from three separate nights, the TOTAS team was able t o determine 2011 SF108's orbit well enough to declare it a near-Earth object. Specifics on the asteroid's estimated size were not detailed in the ESA announcement. The telescope observed for four nights, running automated asteroid surveys using soft ware developed by ama-

CALL FOR EYEPIECE WRITERS
Those members who enjoy reading Eyepiece ma y want to learn more about astronomy by participating as a writer. For the past two years and now as current editor, I am constantly exploring leading-edge astronomical events through research for my articles and attending lectures and presentations as an Eyepiece representative. I encourage anyone focused on learning more about science and astronomy to join us and write about your passion for astronomy. Please contact me directly to discuss working together.

Evan B. Schneider Editor, Eyepiece
Email: editor@aaa.org Tel: 212-986-4225 3


EYEPIECE

November 2011

AAA URBAN STARFEST BRINGS THE COSMOS TO CENTRAL PARK By Joe Fedrick and Evan Schneider
The afternoon of Saturday, October 22 was mostly cloudy and not promising for night time observing, but by evening the clouds had disappeared and the sky was cr ystal clear. As twilight descended upon the city, bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair began to appear overhead signaling the official beginning of this year's AAA Urban Starfest in Central Park's Sheep Meadow. Greeted at the front gate by board members Dan Harrison and Jocel yn Wilkes, each guest received a copy of the wonderfull y informative and updated AAA brochure with the hope that new members will join our growing club. Thus began each visitor's journey into the evening's event. The 10 AAA scopes set up on the grass ranged from a 6mm f/15 refractor through a 9mm Makarov to 10 and 12 inch reflectors. Around 7 p.m. massive Jupiter, 500 million miles from Earth, rose above the northeast horizon and into the eyepieces of our scopes. The planet displayed two parallel brownish equatorial belts and parallel faint gray belts on its otherwise pale ivory white oblate disk. The Galilean moons were all present for viewing as well. Three moons, Callisto, the third largest moon in our solar system, Io with its 400 active volcanoes and Europa with its icy surface, were visible in a triangular pattern on one side of the planet. On the opposite side of Jupiter was Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system (and larger than even Mercury) comprised of silicate rock and water ice. Refractors initially showed the three moons at the three o'clock position and the one moon at the eleven o'clock position, as images are reversed in these scopes. The moons gradually pivoted around Jupiter in a clockwise rotation and past each other as the evening progressed. AAA members and visitors to the event were amazed at the clarity of the images. Our members used the opportunit y to talk about the sky and about the many exciting and informative events available through membership. As the evening sky progressed, visitors of every age came to Sheep Meadow. Over one hundred people in all viewed the sky, moving about in the dark from scope to scope, sometimes taking pictures of each other and talking with members about the experience. Families with young children brought stepladders for the smaller ones to view the sky. Some even brought their own scopes and asked AAA members for guidance. Several older participants walked up to scopes, some for the first time in their lives, and marveled at seeing the sky in real time instead of in a photograph. As alwa ys, it was fulfilling as members to share our universe with others. But Jupiter and our solar system is so close and easy to observe. Our members also brought the capability to see far out into the night sky. Several of our telescopes were pointed 4 at deep sky objects beyond the solar system that were visible from our city location. These included the M13 globular star cluster which was a blotch of numerous pinpoints of light, some showing a distinct reddish color through a 12 inch scope at 60X power, the M31 Galaxy in the constellation Andromeda (only the central fuzzy nucleus of the galaxy was visible given its 2.2 million light year distance) and also its companion M32 Galaxy, a dwarf elliptical galaxy 2.65 million light years away. The double open star cluster in Perseus (two patches of sparkling stardust and some brighter stars like diamonds in the sky) was also a successful night observing target. The bright col orful double star Alberio in Cygnus the Swan displaced its stunning contrasting bright star of topaz yellow and sapphire blue in one of the larger scopes. Long lines of observers cued up at each scope waiting in the dark for their turn to view the images. All good things must come to an end, though. Our hosts, the Central Park rangers, gave ever yone a half hour closing notice at 9 p.m. Over the last half hour scopes were disassembled and packed. Visitors and members alike headed for home, knowing that the universe is an amazing place and that AAA had brought it all down to Earth and into an eyepiece for their viewing pleasure.

NEXT IN SCOPE: VENUS REAPPEARS
After an absence of just over a year, the "evening star" is about to reappear. Venus passed behind the sun, as seen from Earth, back on August 18 in what's known as superior conjunction. Since then, it has been invisible, mired deep in the brilliant glare of the sun. With each passing day it has been moving on a slow course toward the east and pulling slowl y awa y from the sun's general vicinity. Finally, during the week of Oct ober 24, the planet emerged as an evening "star" very low in the western twilight. Continuing to swing east of the sun during November, Venus will soon become plainly visible in the west southwest evening sky, even to the most casual of observers. Appearing as a brilliant white star -like object of magnitude ­3.9, our sister planet will set at least an hour after the sun by Nov. 3. It slowl y rises higher each evening to adorn the western evening sky all during the upcoming winter and early spring. By New Year's Day, it will set as late as 2 1/2 hours after the sun. It is brightest in mid-spring as it heads back down toward the sun, reaching its greatest brilliancy for this apparition on April 30, 2012 at magnitude ­4.5.


EYEPIECE

November 2011

"BOLD SCIENCE..." in the Year 2000

THIS MONTH'S BOOK REVIEW

By Leo Genn
Ten years ago "Bold Science, Seven Scientists Who Are Changing Our World," (W.H. Freeman and Company 2000) was presented to readers by award winning science writer Ted Anton. Although the book highlighted various professionals in the scientific community, this two part article will focus on documenting the work of astronomers Geoff Marcy and Saul Permutter first in the context of the scientific community in the year 2000 and later in the present. Anton's analysis of their work lays a solid foundation for some of the most exciting developments in astronomy toda y that include confirming the increasing speed of the expansion of the universe, classification of 96 percent of the universe dedicated to dark energy and dark matter, and the intrepid search for and discover y of over a thousand planets outside of our solar system, including 50 planets where liquid water and possibl y life could form. In 1982, postdoctoral candidate Geoff Marcy was frustrated with his stalled research on the chaotic magnetic fields of stars. Anton quotes Marcy sa ying, I thought I just didn't have what it takes. Uninspired by his work, Marc y changed course and decided to search for planets outside of our solar system. Finding such planets is difficult because, as our Sun outshines its planets by one billion times in visible light and one million times in the infrared spectrum, so do the suns of other solar systems. There was no hope of seeing an extrasolar planet unless it was at least five times larger than Jupiter. The success of Marcy's research was considered so unlikely to succeed that he wrote his research grant applications proposing to search for brown dwarf stars, a more attainable target. Following the lead of Canadian astronomers, Marcy's team found a way to use iodine in a spectroscope to filter out certain wavelengths and leave a telltale grid of black lines behind. Combined with an intricate computer program to predict other variables, this methodology revealed evidence of planet induced wobble in a flicker equivalent to 1/1000 of one pixel among 2,000 pixels. At a distance of 100 million light years, Jupiter-sized exoplanets would pull a typical star towards them at the speed of a bicycle. Although Marcy was clearly on his way to success, in October 1985 Swiss astronomer Michel Mayor announced the discover y of the first extrasolar planet, five times the size of Jupiter. This gas giant planet was approximately 700,000 miles in diameter (roughly 90 times larger than Earth) and completed one orbit every 98 hours. Though massive in size, it orbited Pegasi 51 at 299,000 miles per hour, four times faster than Earth orbits our sun. Although Mayor found the first extrasolar planet, less than a year later Marcy announced the discovery of the next seven extrasolar planets followed by 60 more of the first 100 extrasolar planets. This secured his place in the scientific community as a planet hunter. Saul Perlmutter's lifetime mission began with the search to find one of two numbers: the speed of the acceleration or deceleration of the universe. In the 1950's, fellow astronomer

Stirling Colgate suggested measuring light emanating from supernovae, the brief and massive explosion of dying stars. Colgate theorized that the mammoth explosion caused by the demise of a star might produce a uniform quantity of light sufficient to perform Perlmutter's calculations. Until the 20th century, astronomers witnessed one supernova every few centuries. In the 1950's, one of the greatest amateur astronomers in history, Australian Methodist minister Robert Evans began using his telescope to search for supernovae. In 1968, he upgraded his search using a ten -inch Newtonian telescope. Finally, in 1981, Evans found his first supernova immediately followed by the discover y of nine more. As computer technology developed, Perlmutter began to apply the use of high -speed computers to record newl y present or newl y absent traces of light. In September 1997, team member physicist Gerson Goldhaber plotted the data from 38 Type 1a supernovae, all of which were located in a tight pattern at a great distance indicating that the light originated a long time ago. Where astronomer Edwin Hubble's 1929 data set showed the universe expanding but decelerating, Anton deftl y explains how Perlmutter's data plots of type 1a supernovae showed that approximately 7 billion years after the big bang, the plotted supernovae started to accelerate awa y from each other at greater speeds than in the first 7 billion years after the Big Bang. Since that discover y and as of the year 2000 publishing of Bold Science, scientists had postulated that from 70 to 96 percent of the universe is not made of conventional matter or energy. Our follow-up article next month will take this work up to the present, and the concepts of an accelerating universe, dark matter and dark energy will be explored in greater depth.

DR. SAUL PERLMUTTER SHARES 2011 NOBEL PRIZE
This year's Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to US and Australian pioneers of astrophysics for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe through observations of distant supernovae and the effects of dark energy. Dr. Saul Perlmutter from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley, has been awarded half of this year's prize for his work on the Supernova Cosmology Project, with the other half awarded to Brian P. Schmidt from the Australian National University and Adam G. Riess from the Johns Hopkins University and Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, for their work on the High z Supernova Search Team. These discoveries led to the realization that empty space exerts a pressure that pushes the galaxies apart ­ something that demands new physics and a new understanding of space-time, explained Oxford University professor Roger Davies, President of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dr. Perlmutter's interview will appear next month in December's Eyepiece along with Geoff Marcy's interview. 5


EYEPIECE

November 2011

CUSTER INSTITUTE'S 33rd ANNUAL JAMBOREE A SUCCESS By Maya Kushner
September marked the Custer Institute's 33rd Annual Astronomy Jamboree. This year participants had the opportunity to hear presentations on several important astronomical topics. From the keynote address by best-selling author Ms. Dava Sobel ("A More Perfect Heaven," Bloomsbury Publishing 2011, $15.19) on how Nicolaus Copernicus revolutionized astronomy by introducing a heliocentric solar system, to the latest from Planet Hunter science team member Tony Hoffman, a broad spectrum of speakers presented their individual works and perspectives. The event was carefully crafted to take the audiences through a progression of astronomical topics. Astrophysi cs professor Dr. Mike Inglis began by presenting a review of the past 50 years in astronomy. With discoveries detecting planets orbiting distant stars, evidence of ancient oceans on Mars, the discover y of water in lunar soil, and the intriguing possibilit y that our universe may be just one of an infinite number of universes, Dr. Inglis discussed the origin of black holes, the search and discover y of other solar systems, and even queried the ultimate fate of the universe But knowing that other worlds possibl y like our own exist in far away galaxies is only one step in appreciating the magnitude of the universe we see through our telescopes. How far is far? Would You Reall y Want to Walk There was the topic of the second speaker, amateur astronomer and Custer board member Mal Speer. By explaining stellar measurements and distance calculations such as parallax (a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and measured by the angle of inclination between those two lines), parsecs, arc seconds, etc., Mr. Speer helped answer the important questions of How do you tell the distance to objects? and How do astronomers here on earth actually figure out how far away stars, galaxies, nebulae, and quasars are? This helped to bring into perspective the great distances that separate our solar syst em and the Milky Wa y Galaxy from others. Having established an appreciation for the great distance challenges in space, AAA board member Tony Hoffman, a ke y participant on the Planet Hunter science team supporting NASA's Kepler telescope initiative, presented the history, science, and progress of the mission. An avid amateur astronomer, Tony has discovered 117 comets in images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observator y (SOHO), and has codiscovered one near-Earth asteroid as a volunteer reviewer for the Spacewatch FMO project. He has also had an asteroid named after him: 112900 Tonyhoffman. The Kepler spacecraft is tasked with identifying the periodicity of planets. Planet hunters observe the light curves to determine possible candidates. So far Kepler has only been able to detect short -period planets transiting their stars in days, weeks or months. It has however, revolutionized the study of variable stars by allowi ng a much narrower range of variability to be observed. How we look at the universe depends upon the kind of 6 equipment available to observe phenomena. NASA's flagship X-ray telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, is part of NASA's fleet of "Great Observatories." It is specially designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the universe. Astrophysicist Dr. Kevin Manning discussed how Chandra looks at the hotter regions of gas and dust reaching millions of degrees and finds phenomena emitting light in the x-ray portion of the light spectrum. . One method of x-ray detection is by observing photons interacting with the magnetic field -lines of stars that cause increases in temperatures. These conditions are visible in the x-rays spectroscopy. Chandra has also looked into the ejecta field at the center of a black hole which is also visible in x-ray. Sobel, is known for her successes as a best -selling author of "Longitude" and "Gallileo's Daughter". She had wanted to write about Nicolaus Copernicus since 1973 during his quincentenial anniversary celebration after learning about his heliocentric theory claiming the existence of circular orbits of planets and 48 epicycles (although Copernicus used this term for his heliocentric model, ironically Ptolem y employed the word epicycl e to describe other planets' orbits around Earth). Sobel's new book addresses the events surrounding Copernicus' life. By 1514 he had an outline of this theory and through two decades of tedious observations he compiled his manuscript--truly a mathematical treatise. When Copernicus was visited by a young German mathematician Georg Rheticus in 1543, he persuaded Copernicus to have his manuscript published (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres,). Written in Latin, extremely expensive to publish and intensel y mathematical, those who bought the book were very serious about understanding its concepts. Later astronomers such as Galileo would advocate Copernican doctrine in advancing scientific understanding. Established in 1927 (the same year as AAA), The Custer Institute and Observatory is Long Island's oldest public observator y.

Coming to Custer: Saturday, Nov. 12, 7:00 -9:00 p.m.
"HOW TO BUY AND USE A TELESCOPE" Do you have a telescope but don't know how to use it? Are you looking to purchase new equipment? This lecture/ workshop will teach you about telescopes and provide practical information to get set up and observing. After the lecture, receive hands-on help from the instructor and Custer's Observatory staff. Bring your equipment with you. Instructor Jeff Norwood is a veteran amateur astronomer, telescope mechanic, & owner of Camera Concepts in Patchogue. Suggested Donation: $10 Custer Members; $15 Non -Members; $5 Fulltime Students. Admission includes stargazing after the event.


EYEPIECE

November 2011

BRIEFS IN ASTRONOMY By Dan Harrison An Astronomical First--Planet with Two Suns
A planet with two suns has been confirmed for the first time. Kepler captured details of a giant planet in orbit around the stars in the Kepler -16 system, 200 light-years away. Kepler -16(AB)-b passes in front of both stars, regularly dimming their light. Each star also eclipses its companion as they orbit each other. All motions allow scientists to calculate the mass, radii and trajector y of all three bodies. The planet's distance from its stars is nearly three-quarters of the distance bet ween the Earth and the Sun. It's Saturn -like in size, nearly 50% more dense, suggests that it is richer in heavy elements. The planet travels on a nearly circular 229-day orbit around Kepler -16A and Kepler-16B, which are 69% and 20% as massive as the Sun, respectivel y. The stars keep close to each other, onl y a fifth of the distance between Earth and the Sun on average, completing an orbit around each other every 41 days.

not be seen at all by visible-light and infrared telescopes. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the Chilean Andes, a $1.3 billion group of radio telescopes, is a multinational collaboration that will help astronomers to explore some of the universe's coldest and most distant objects. ALMA is a complex of radio telescopes. The array currentl y harbors 19 telescopes, with 66 coming online by 2013.

Wobbling Invisible Planet Discovered
For the first time, scientists have discovered an invisible planet by noticing how its gravity affects the orbit of a neighboring world. Kepler detected Kepler-19b and Kepler-19c. It spotted 19b, 650 light-years awa y in Lyra, as it transited its host star. Researchers inferred the existence of 19c after observing that 19b's transits periodically came a little later or earlier than expected. The gravity of 19c tugs on 19b, changing its orbit. The discovery of Kepler -19c marks the first time transit timing variation has found an exoplanet. Kepler 19b usually transits its star once every nine days, seven hours.

Asteroid Family Cleared of Dinosaur Extinction
New information has negated the theory of which asteroid was responsible for killing the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Satellite data suggests that an asteroid from the Baptistina family wasn't responsible. According to that theory, Baptistina crashed into another asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter 160 million years ago. The collision sent shattered pieces across our solar system. One large piece was believed to have impacted Earth, causing the dinosaurs' extinction. Using an infrared-sensitive telescope, scientists analyzed sunlight reflected off more than 1,000 asteroids and determined that the original asteroid broke up 80 million years ago, not 160 million years in the past. This didn't give collision remnants sufficient time to reach Earth, as the process is thought to take tens of millions of years. Scientists still believe that an asteroid impacted with Earth 65 million years ago to cause the dinosaur extinction, but are now unsure of its origination.

Super Earths Revealed
When NASA announced the discovery of more than 1,200 potential planets spotted by the Kepler Space Telescope, almost 25% of them were thought to be super -Earths. Latest research suggests that these massive rocky planets may be the result of the failed creation of Jupiter -sized gas giants. More than 50 planets, including one super -Earth potentially supporting life, have been discovered. They include 16 super -Earths, potentially rocky worlds more massive than Earth. One has captured attention because it orbits at the edge of its star's habitable zone, an estimated 3.6 times more massive than Earth with its star about 35 light-years awa y. This is the lowest-mass planet in a habitable zone ever discovered by radial velocit y.

Senate Panel Boosts Funding For Webb
Despite a House appropriations vote this summer to cancel the over budget James Webb Telescope (JWST), an independent Senate panel proposed $150 million of additional funding for 2012. The JWST would receive $530 million next year under the Senate's bill, about 40% more than the $374 million the Obama administration included in its 2012 budget. The additional funding falls short of what an earlier independent panel recommended NASA give the project to avoid further delays. JWST will cost $8.7 billion. Many scientists worry that price tag will absorb funds targeted for other NASA research projects.

NASA Reduces Near Earth Asteroid Count
New NASA observations show significantly fewer near Earth asteroids (NEOs) in the mid-size range than thought and indicate that more than 90% of the largest ones have been identified. Astronomers estimate roughly 19,500, not 35,000 mid-size NEOs exist, which may reduce the likelihood of a severe Earth impact. With the majority of these mid -size asteroids remaining to be discovered, more research is needed to determine if fewer potentially hazardous mid-size objects (bet ween 330 and 3,300 feet wide) are in orbit. A more accurate sample of asteroids was obtained utilizing infrared detectors to see dark and light objects. It is believed that all NEOs about six miles across, as big as the one thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs, have been identified.

Solar Storms Stronger Than Expected
Many storms erupting from the Sun's surface last longer and are more powerful than thought. Scientists had regarded solar flares as one-off events. About 15% have a second peak of strong energy emission minutes or hours later, often outshining the first. For decades, scientists have observed and categorized solar flares by watching their emissions in X-ra y light. Many flares' second explosion generally doesn't occur in X-ray wavelengths. Researchers hadn't previousl y monitored that part of the spectrum.

Scope Array Reveals New Universe Perspective
The world's most complex array of ground-based telescopes has captured its first image. The shot of a combined view of the Antennae galaxies, which are about 75 million light-years from Earth, reveals a view of the universe that can-

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November 2011

Here Come the Jets
Powerful jets of radio waves that can explode from monster black holes at the center of galaxies may erupt much closer to these giants than previousl y thought. Although black holes entrap anything falling onto them, a vast amount of energy can radiate outward from matter rushing into the phenomenon. Thus, radio telescopes can spot black holes by monitoring the radio wave jets created during the explosion. How these jets form is still undetermined.

Martian Rock Could be Key to Surface Water
NASA's Opportunity rover found a rock offering clues into Mars' wetter past. Arriving at Endeavour Crater's rim in August, it began studying a rock named Chester Lake, a rock apparently much older than the geologic formations encountered earlier. Endeavour's rim represents a period when there was much more surface water. While most Martian land is covered over by more recent geological processes, the terrain at the rim is thought to date back to Mars' earliest days, 3.5 billion-4 billion years ago. Scientists will clean off a layer of Chester Lake's surface to expose deeper material, hoping it will contain clay minerals that formed in the presence of water.

Brown Dwarf Provides Weather Clues
A small, dim star, 2MASS 2139, appears to be wracked by a mega storm more violent than any weather seen on another world. Using an infrared camera on the 2.5m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile astronomers observed the brown dwarf exhibiting the largest brightness variations ever seen on a cool brown dwarf, changing 30% in fewer than eight hours. Brighter and darker patches of its atmosphere come into view as the brown dwarf spins on its axis. Scientists think climate patterns on brown dwarfs are similar to those on giant planets, so this super squall could help to clarify weather phenomena on other worlds.

Ripples May Reveal Dark Matter
Scientists may be able t o spot evidence of dark matter by watching for ripples on stars' surfaces. Such vibrations could indicate a strange, hypothetical dark-matter object, a primordial black hole, has passed through the stars. The ripples could thus provide observable proof of dark matter. NASA Messenger probe reports that Mercury isn't just super hot but apparently covered in brimstone (dried up lava). High-resolution images of Mercury's surface reveal that epic lava flows created the planet's smooth northern plains. The once-molten rock filled craters more than a mile deep covering 6% of Mercury's surface, an area equal to 60% of the U.S. The data also suggests that Mercury didn't get as hot as some models of its formation suggest. The findings indicate Mercury's internal heat has declined substantially since forming, consistent with widespread volcanism 3.8 billion years ago.

Mercury Messenger Mission Update

Type 1a Supernovae Time Bombs
Thousands of ticking time-bomb stars are hidden throughout our galaxy. Astronomers calculate about three stars explode in Type 1a supernovae ever y thousand years in the Milky Wa y. Within a few thousand light-years of Earth there should be dozens of stars on the verge of exploding. Our greatest risk is if we are on plane with these explosions.

Hartley 2 May Match Earth's Water Signature
Comets might be the sources of Earth's water after all. Prior studies suggested early Earth was dry. Now Earth -like water has been discovered in the small oddball comet Hartle y 2. This comet originated in the Kuiper Belt, suggesting this may be a primary source of Earth's water. Measurements show Hartley 2 contains water with the same chemical signature Earth's oceans. Scientists compared isotopes of hydrogen found in Earth ocean water to isotopes of hydrogen seen in extraterrestrial bodies such as comets.

Giant Egg Discovered in Space
Astronomers have captured the best image yet of one of the rarest classes of stars. The cosmic scene resembles an egg white around a yolky center. The monster star, a yellow hypergiant, is 13,000 light-years away, but also the closest found to date. The massive star's width is 1,000 times larger than our Sun. If the nebula were placed at the center of our solar system, Earth would be positioned deep within the star itself. The orbit of Jupiter would be just above the star's surface. Yellow hypergiants are in an extremely active phase of evolution. They experience events that cause the star to eject four times the mass of the Sun in just a few hundred years.

Martian Atmosphere Wetter Than Expected
Mars' upper atmosphere contains up to 100 times more water than suspected. According to a new study, more water existed on the Martian surface long ago. Using data from the European Space Agency's Mars Express probe and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, astronomers determined that water in the upper atmosphere undergoes a process known as supersaturation, something astronomers thought could not occur on the dry, dusty planet. Under most climate conditions, water vapor coalesces around dust and particles in the air. When such dust is sparse, climate models have assumed excess water in the Martian atmosphere is converted to ice, but data show otherwise. Observations show up to 100 times more water vapor can subsist in a state of supersaturation. It's believed Mars has lost a substantial fraction, if not a majority, of its primordial water by escape processes into space. 8

Supernova - So Near, Yet So Far
Astronomers have spotted the closest supernova in 25 years. The Type Ia supernova flared up in the Pinwheel Galaxy, 21 million light-years away in Ursa Major.

Scientists: Desert Planets More Habitable
Desert planets might be the most common type of habitable planet in the galaxy rather than watery worlds. Scientists reasoned that scarcity of water on a land planet might help if it had a larger habitable zone around its star. Having less water for snow and ice reflects sunlight back into space. As such, it can absorb more heat to better resist global freezing. The dearth of water in a land planet's dry atmosphere makes it trap less heat, thereby avoiding a runaway greenhouse effect.
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EYEPIECE

November 2011

The Moon Rocks On
The Moon's shadow creates acoustical waves in Earth's atmosphere that travel more than 200 mph. This effect was predicted in the early 1970s, but researchers finally observed it during a total solar eclipse in 2009. The waves are produced by temperature disparities created during a solar eclipse when parts of Earth shaded by the Moon cool down.

The Bolshoi Goes to Pleiades
Scientists have generated the largest and most realistic simulations of the evol ving universe with the aid of NASA's powerful supercomputer Pleiades. By running the Bolshoi simulation code on Pleiades, researchers hope to explain how galaxies and other very large structures have changed since the Big Bang. Bolshoi is designed to model the distribution of dark matter across 1 billion light-years.

Crab Nebular Pulsar Emits Gamma Rays
Stunned astronomers detected intense radiation pumping out of the Crab Nebula at higher energies than thought possible. The powerful gamma rays came from the heart of the nebula where a pulsar resides. High -energy emanating from the nebula is expected, but coming from the pulsar was not. The pulsar, at the heart of the nebula's layers of gas, is the remnant of the original star's core that collapsed in on itself to form a super-dense, spinning neutron star. The Crab pulsar spins 30 times a second with a greater mass than the Sun. Its gamma ray beams exceed 100 billion electron -volts, stronger than previous projections, 1 million times more energetic than medical X-rays and 100 billion times stronger than visible light.

Worldwide Robotic Telescope Network
Starting next year, amateur astronomers from any location on the planet will be able to operate Gloria (GLObal Robotic telescopes Intelligent Array for e-Science), the three-year European project that will ultimately include 17 telescopes on four continents. Not only will users be able to control the telescopes via the internet, but they will also have access to the astronomical databases of Gloria and other organizations.

ALL ASTRONOMERS ON DECK AAA SUPPORTS INTREPID EVENT By Jordan Kushner
Finally my night arrived for travelling back in time and out into space, all from the deck of the USS Intrepid. I left m y house packing 75 lbs of equipment which included an Orion SkyQuest XT8 Dobsonian, a large case of Tele Vue and Orion eyepieces, and a stool for sitting, all secured in my astro-cart. Hoisting my equipment into a cab I rocketed to the West side to board the Intrepid. Upon arrival I was awed at the size of this aircraft carrier which had served its nation from WWII to the 1970's. Seeing the vintage planes on the deck I could onl y imagine what it may have been like fighting in the Pacific theater. Together with the modern jets I also imagined what it must have been like fl ying missions over Vietnam. I was overwhelmed by a sense of patriotism. Security was ver y tight as I approached the ship. Before

entering, I met fellow AAA member Carey Horwitz from NJ who had an unique portable configuration of observing equipment. It all fit into a small duffle bag. His Stellarvue refractor, Tele Vue plossl eyepieces, and an amazing Bogen tripod allowed him to place the refractor on the side of the tripod for viewing the zenith of the sky. I instantly knew that this would be m y next purchase of gear. Carey and I proceeded through the interior of the carrier and up the elevator to the flight deck where we were greeted by our gracious host John Lyon. As director of the museum, John would oversee the evening's activities and present an astro-lecture to members from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Afterward, ever yone would come up to the flight deck and observe through our telescopes. Peter Tagatac and Steve Belzer joined us at that point in the evening. Peter brought his amazing Teleport 10-inch Dobsonian which fol ds into a cube that easily fits into one seat of a NYC cab. Steve Belzer brought his sparkling personality and his 15 x 70 Celestron astronomical binoculars. We were ready. With John's lecture warmly received by the 70-member audience, children, parents, and grandparents proceeded up to the flight deck to join us. We were situated at the rear end of the ship, the farthest most point out on the Hudson, giving us an incredible 360 degree view of the sky. The deck was completely dark. Steve, Peter and Carey showed the crowd wonderful celestial sights including the Moon, the Dumbbell Nebula (M 27), the beautifully colorful double star Albireo in Cygnus, the Andromeda Galaxy and other wonders of the sky. I then proceeded to give everyone a naked-eye tour of the Summer Triangle with my hand-held laser. Realizing what a great location this was for observing I asked John if this could become a regular site for AAA. However, as with other large venues, the cost of security to support using the Intrepid was prohibitive. So I continued my tour of the sky, pointing out the constellation Lyra the Harp with its beautiful bright star Vega, Cygnus the Swan with its amazing star Deneb and Aguila the Eagle with its brightest star Altair. The children giggled and laughed; the parents and grandparents were awed. AAA brought the sky to New York that evening. It was a great success for ever yone. While we all looked out at the sky John discussed NASA's assignment of the space shuttle Enterprise to the Intrepid. The museum is still working on the details as to where the shuttle will land. Given the Intrepid's flight deck length of 820 feet, the museum would need to line up 18 Intrepid aircraft carriers to accommodate the 15,000 ft runway required for a live shuttle landing. Perhaps the Enterprise will have to beam down just this once. Contacting AAA: Website: www.aaa.org; General Club Matters and Observing: president@aaa.org; Membership Business: members@aaa.org; Classes: classes@aaa.org; Seminars: seminar@aaa.org; Eyepiece: editor@aaa.org 9


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November 2011

AMNH LECTURER REVEALS OUR UNIVERSE on the SMALLEST of SCALES By Anne Kiefer
As amateur astronomers we are alwa ys focused on going up in scale, forever seeking out mysteries in the most distant corners of the universe. An alternative wa y to understand the world is to look at the other end of the spectrum - to observe the smallest of particles and their formation. In the September 19 lecture at the Hayden Planetarium, particle physicist and Harvard professor Dr. Lisa Randall discussed her latest book, Knocking on Heaven's Door" (Ecco, $29.99). Science is on the brink of new discoveries. They have developed ground breaking experiments to look at cosmology from a broader perspective. We are on the verge of understanding our universe on both a small and large scale. The most advanced experiments in particle physics occur at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) installation. The LHC is the largest and highest energy particle accelerator ever built. Located 574 feet beneath the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland in a tunnel 17 miles in circumference, it is best defined by superlatives. As the largest of its kind in the world, it produces the highest energy, highest luminosity, and most effective vacuum, while employing the strongest magnets in production on an industrial scale. Randall focused the discussion on the central element of the LHC--the proton. Although a very basic particle, the proton is complex in structure, comprised of three valance quarks (two up quarks and a down quark) which give it a positive charge. When quantum mechanics are applied there are even more interactive particles inside a proton. Quantum mechanical theory defines virtual particles called a sea of quarks as hadrons, composite particles of protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. When protons are forced to collide at high speeds, these valance quarks and all virtual particles, from gluons to anti-quarks, are possible outcomes. Why do scientists collide protons and what are their goals? When particles collide they release energy which in turn, reverts back into particles. Most of the time these particles fit the Standard Model of particle physics. Scientists are hoping that the LHC may create a new kind of particle. New particles will provide a fresh perspective. Theorists will have to determine how to differentiate these from the multitude of other standard particles that are being produced. Scientists hope to have collisions with the highest energy particles possible and to have as many collisions as possible in order to make it more likely that new particles will be created. Randall described two key LHC experiments - ATLAS and CMS. Both initiatives are considered general purpose in nature. Each experiment involves over 2,000 physici sts from 35 countries. ATLAS, the largest-volume detector ever constructed, is 148 feet long, 82 feet wide and 82 feet high, weighing approximately 7,700 tons. The experiment is supported by t oroid magnets that bend particles to measure their momentum. The cavern housing the ATLAS detector array has been compared in size to the Notre Dame cathedral. CMS is designed to explore the physics of the terascale, the energy region where physicists believe they will find answers to the 10 central questions at the heart of 21st-century particle physics. Its focus is to identify any undiscovered principle in nature, learn more about dark energy and dark matter, and determine whether or not space is multi-dimensional. After proton collisions, new particles move out ward through various layers and detectors, each of which measure different reactions. The scientists observe tracks left by the charged particles and data from particles passing through detectors to determine what kind of particle was created, hoping to uncover more data relating to particle physics. But their most difficult task is finding the Higgs boson, a hypothetical massive elementary particle predicted to exist by the Standard Model of particle physics. Its existence is postulated to resol ve inconsistencies in theoretical physics. Scientists are confident that the LHC will help them locate this elusive phenomenon. Observing and quantifying the Higgs boson will complete the existing Standard Model. Without it the theory produces inconclusive data. Scientists know there has to be an extra ingredient that makes the model complete. The LHC is looking at more than the Higgs particle and its implications. It is also trying to determine where mass comes from and how it is created. The study of dark matter, super-symmetry and the fourth dimension are additional focal points of study and experimentation. Scientists at the LHC are hoping to create a larger knowledge base to further the postulation of these concepts and theories. In closing, Randall's vision of the future was optimistic. We are entering a new era in physics, she said. Secrets of the universe are about to unravel.

Astronomical Facts of the Month

Distance is our greatest challenge in exploration: Sample distances from the Earth: Moon: 250,000 miles; Jupiter: 500 million miles; Saturn: 887 million; Uranus: 1.6 billion miles; Oort Cloud: 1 trillion miles; Andromeda Galaxy: 13 thousand quadrillion miles. And that's just in our neighborhood... ________________________ Farthest spacecraft from Earth: Voyager 1 has travelled 10.8 billion miles in 33 years, just now reaching the edge of our solar system. Travelling at 41,000mph, it covers 1 million miles per day. Voyager 2 is right behind it at 8.8 billion miles from the Earth. Signals from the probes take 13 hours to reach NASA/JPL. At present speed, the spacecraft will reach the closest solar syst em in 40,000 years.


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November 2011

AAA Events on the Horizon November 2011
Wednesdays, Nov. 2, 9, 16, 30, Dec. 7, 14; 6:30-9:00 p.m., P Fall Class: Laird Whitehill, Evolution of the Solar System Cicatelli Center, 505 Eighth Avenue, Manhattan $45 members; $80 non -members (Pre-registration req'd)

AMNH TO OPEN NEW SPACE EXHIBIT
Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration, an exhibition that offers a vision of the future of space travel as it exa mines humanity's next steps in our solar system a nd beyond, opens at the AMNH November 19th and rema ins on view until August 12, 2012. The exhibition features a re-cr eation of a lunar habitat, a model of a space elevator rising from the surface of the Moon, one of the world's largest color holograms depicting 1,000 exoplanets and a variety of simulations. The exhibition celebrates the accomplishments of ma nned and unma nned space missions, and considers the partnership of robotic spacecraft and astronauts as huma nity journeys farther beyond Earth. Missions described in the exhibition include engineers mining for rare gases on the Moon, landing on or deflecting a potentially dea dly asteroid, traveling to Mars and per haps even establishing colonies ther e. Visitors can download an app before visiting the exhibition, and then look for 11 icons throughout the show. By using the camera on their iPod touch or iP hone, they can activa te the icon and unlock a nimations. Then, visitors can share ima ges by e-mail or post to Facebook and Twitter. A link to a special site will let visitors collect other icons, find out the science behind space technologies and share photos. Visitors can also glimpse the possible future of commercial space travel, thanks to a scale model of Virgin Galactic's SpaceS hipTwo, designed to ferry six passengers and two pilots into sub orbital outer space. STUDENT PLAYS KEY ROLE IN MARS SALT-WATER FIND
A University of Arizona student played a key role in a finding that salt water could be running down some slopes on Mars ever y spring. Clusters of dark, narrow lines that periodically emerge and lengthen on slopes in warmer regions suggest briny water might still be flowing in a few rare places on the surface. Scientists discovered the lines after the student used a computer algorithm on pictures of the surface taken by the High Resol ution Imaging Science Experiment on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The algorithm was capable of identifying subtle changes on Mars over time. The images covered a variety of latitudes and span across three Martian years. The streaks extend down some slopes during the warmest months of the Martian year. The y fade in winter, and then re-emerge in the spring. While the lines can be hundreds of feet long, they're only 1.6-16 feet wide. Salty water would be more capable of sta ying liquid at colder temperatures than pure water. 11

Monday, November 4, 6:15 p.m., P AAA Lecture Series
Fred Chromey, The Mystery of Beta Lyrae: Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs"

Kaufma n Auditorium - Museum of Natural History Friday, November 4, 8:00-11:00 p.m., P, T, C Observing at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn Saturday, November 5, 8:00-11:00 p.m., P, T, C Observing at Gateway Park Queens Last session of 2011 Thursday, November 10, 6:30-8:30 p. m., P Seminar ­ Recent Advances in Astronomy NYU, 726 Broadway, Conference Room Friday November 11 and 18, 8:00-11:00 p.m., P, T, C Observing at Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan Saturday, November 12, 5:00-8 p.m., P, T, C Observing at Fort Greene Park Last session of 2011 Saturday, November 19, 10 a.m.-12p. m., P, T, C Solar observing in Central Park at the Conservatory Water Saturday, November 19, 7:30-11 p.m., P, T, C Observing at Great Kills Gateway National Park, Staten Island Last Session of 2011 Saturday, November 19, AMNH Beyond Planet Earth Exhibit Opens Legend for Events
M: Members P: Ope n to t he public T: Bring your telescopes, binoculars, etc. C: Cancelled if cloudy AMNH: For tic ket information, call (212) 769 -5200; Check the AMNH's webs ite at www.amnh.org for an additional listing of other events.

For directions to AAA observing events, check the club's website, www.aaa.org.


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November 2011

'COSMOS' TO BE REVIVED WITH NEIL deGRASSE TYSON AS HOST
Cosm os, the 1980 documentary mini-series that exposed the late Carl Sagan to millions TV viewers and those viewers to the universe, is returning in 2013. A 13 -episode series, Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey, will be produced, somewhat improbabl y, for the Fox network. One of the executive producers will be Seth MacFarlane, the brains behind Family Guy, the Fox cartoon sitcom. Other executive producers include Sagan's widow, Ann Druyan, and astrophysicist Steven Soter, both of whom were collaborators on the original Cosmos. When the original Cosmos (subtitled A Personal Voyage) was first shown on PBS from September to December 1980, it was a watershed moment for science-themed television programming. Sagan's look at existence at its most massive and microscopic, accompanied by a contemplative score by the Greek composer Vangelis, were eventually viewed by 400 million people in 60 countries, making it public television's most-watched short-form series until the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War. We're obsessed with angels and vampires and whatnot, MacFarlane told The New York Times, when there are many more exciting and very real and much more spectacular things to be excited about, that are right in our own planetary backyard. Host of Cosm os redux will be Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ha yden Planetarium director and a TV personality in his own right. Two years ago, he introduced MacFarlane to Druyan. For several years Druyan told The Times, she, Tyson and Soter pitched a new version of Cosmos to the usual television network suspects that didn't see mass appeal in the series. We weren't interested in going to the audience that already knew that it loved science, Druyan said. We wanted to go to the largest possible audience and attract people who'd never even thought about it. The new series will be produced with the National Geographic Channel, which will show episodes later in the same evening they run on Fox. Never more than at this moment in the modern era have we needed a profound reminder of the col ossall y important and exciting role that science, space exploration and the human quest for knowledge must continue to pla y in our development as a species, MacFarlane said. We should be vigorousl y exploring the solar system by now, and who better to inspire us to get there than Ann Druyan, Steven Soter, Neil deGrasse Tyson and, of course, Carl Sagan.

NEXT MONTH in EYEPIECE
Here's a peek at December, readers: Marcelo Cabrera reviews Dava Sobel's new book A More Perfect Heaven: How Coper nicus Revolutionized the Cosmos; Ed Fox provides us with a insider's look at a NASA supported Zer o Gravity Experiment; Eva n Schneider covers the latest on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter presentation at AMNH with Carter Emmart and Apollo historian Andrew Chaikin; Leo Genn presents Part II coverage of Bold Science - interviews with Saul Perlmutter and Geoff Marcy on their current wor k; Dan Harrison reviews the opening of the new AMNH Beyond Planet Earth exhibit a nd sends us his Briefs in Astr onomy a nd more...

Amateur Astronomers Association PO Box 150253 Brooklyn, NY 11215. ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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