Aylesbury Astronomical Society
Registered Charity Number 276313
Site Updated: 05 May 2012 @ 22:19:55
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AYLESBURY ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
For Heaven’s Sake! APRIL 2011
Aylesbury Astronomical Society Newsletter Issue No. 516
Stop Press! This months meeting is on Friday 8th April at Winchendon Observatory 7.30 pm, not Monday 4th. If not familiar with the route, take A41 from Aylesbury towards Waddesdon. Turn left at Waddesdon gatehouse to Upper Winchendon (UW). After UW look for a “farm traffic” warning sign, then a “blind summit” sign. On top of this summit there is a turning to the farm, after this summit is the back of a blind summit sign (for traffic in the reverse direction). Observatory gate is on the left just beyond the back of this sign. There should be a yellow/black ASS sign. Parking is limited so please share cars.
See www.aylesbury-astronomy.org.uk/observatory%20location
Newsletter and website
Please forward any newsletter contributions to the Editor. (See link at end.) I have not had many suggestions recently. If you don’t like my jokes, it’s your own fault.
Newsletters will be forwarded by email to many members saving postage, printing and, you can usually have this newsletter sooner. Please forward your email address to the Editor (details at end) as not all email addresses seem to be accurate.
I appreciate that many still prefer a hard copy which will be available at the monthly meeting or by post. Please tick your name at monthly meetings to save posting hard copies.
Visit the AAS web site at www.aylesbury-astronomy.org.uk and if you have any comments or suggestions, email the Webmaster.
Your committee
Committee posts are up for election on 9th May. Please consider standing for the following positions: Chairperson, treasurer, secretary, site manager, web site editor, newsletter editor or just serving on the committee generally.
OBSERVING:
Observing nights Friday 15th April and Friday 29th April – please check with a committee member before attending in case of doubtful weather.
The Winchendon Observatory is available at any time to keyholders. Keys are available from Steve Edwards, 01296 427098 or steven.l.edwards@ntlworld.com.
We ask that you check clashes with visiting groups (or come to help!) and attend with at least one other person in case of mishap.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
All at 7.30 pm and at Scout Hut, Oakfield Road, Aylesbury unless otherwise stated.
Friday 8th April: Note, not a Monday! At Winchendon Observatory 7.30 pm with Winslow and Edgcott Young Farmers in attendance.
Monday 9th May: AGM plus Steve Edwards speaking on the Twins paradox.
Monday 6th June: Visiting Speaker to be confirmed.
Saturday 9th July: BBQ at Winchendon Observatory (afternoon/evening).
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
Moon’s Phases: 3rd – New; 11th – First quarter; 18th – Full; 25th - Last quarter.
Moon will be close to: 1st – Venus; 7th – Pleiades; 16th – Saturn; 20th Antares.
Mercury is practically not visible this month, reaches inferior conjunction on 9th.
Venus is extremely low in the eastern sky before sunrise and will be difficult to see.
Mars is practically not visible this month.
Jupiter is practically not visible this month – reaches conjunction with the sun on 6th.
Saturn is visible in Virgo bright at magnitude 0.4reaching opposition on 4th. The rings are tilted at 8-9° so should be a spectacle even with a modest telescope.
Uranus and Neptune are not visible this month.
Although Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are practically not visible, on the last two mornings of April, given a clear low eastern sky, these three planets with Venus plus a thin crescent Moon will visible just above the horizon. You will be using binoculars, so stop looking when the sun rises - please!
Gemini is now setting towards the south-west and Leo holds pride of place in the south with its bright star Regulus and Leo is a great hunting ground for galaxies. Between Gemini and Leo lies Cancer. Below Gemini is the tiny constellation of Canis Minor whose only bright star is Procyon. Rising in the south-east is the constellation Virgo whose brightest star is Spica. Though Virgo has few bright stars it is in the direction of a great cluster of galaxies - the Virgo Cluster - which lie at the centre of the supercluster of which our Local Group (yes, that is actually the name of the galaxies near us) of galaxies is an outlying member. Ursa Major is high in the northern sky with the plough pointers showing the position of Polaris way above your head.
Andromeda and Perseus are now much lower in the north western sky. Orion is now much lower in the western sky and practically lost from view. Arcturus, the brightest star in the northern hemisphere is now visible rising in the east. The Algol variable star fades from its usual magnitude of 2.1 to 3.4 on 17th at 02:00 and on 19th at 23:00.
Lyrid Meteor Shower
If stars or planets do not take your fancy there is always the Lyrid Meteor Shower so called as the radiant (from where the meteor trails seem to radiate from) lies in the constellation Lyra. This peaks in the early morning of the 22nd April and is a reliable, though not spectacular, shower with perhaps up to 15 meteors seen per hour Lyrid meteors have been observed for at least 2,600 years. However, this year the peak of activity is only a couple of days after the full moon which could make the meteor trails harder to see, but the Moon will be low in the south so there may be a reasonable chance of rock spotting. Observations after 1 am could be the most productive. The dust particles that cause the shower have been released by comet Margaret Thatcher, discovered in 1861. Occasionally we pass through a dense clump of particles as happened in 1982 when over 90 meteors were seen per hour. So insomniacs should look to the East.
The following shows the night sky at 22:00 in the middle of the month.
The Moon’s Alpine Valley
The 11th is a good night to observe an interesting feature on our old friend the Moon if you have a small telescope. Close to the limb (on the 11th) is the Apennine mountain chain that marks the edge of Mare Imbrium. Towards the upper end you should see the cleft across them called the Alpine valley. It is about 7 miles wide and 79 miles long. As shown in the image a thin rill runs along its length which is quite a challenge to observe. Over the next two nights the dark crater Plato and the young crater Copernicus will come into view
Viewing Saturn
Although most planets will be difficult to see this month, Saturn is the best it will be for a long time so dust off the old ‘scope or go to the observatory as Saturn may not be this good again until 2016. Bear in mind that evening skies are going and soon all you will be left with are boring conversations about the demise of the aardvark over barbecue suppers. Saturn is visible in the evening in Virgo in the south east scrolling more towards the centre sky as midnight approaches. The rings are now tilted at 8 to 9 degrees and you should be able to see Cassini’s division. Saturn will be comparatively bright at magnitude +0.4 to +0.5. You may even see its largest moon, Titan, with some bands around the surface.
Having viewed Saturn scan just a little to the right to see if you can identify the double star Gamma Virginis or Porrima. Porrima is made up of two identical stars, each of magnitude 3.5. In 1919, there were separated by 6 arc-seconds, so could easily be split in a small telescope, but around 2005 the pair were so close that they could barely be split, but now they are opening out again and should be separated by 1.7 arc-seconds. Send your picture of Saturn or anything else to the Editor. (Please, no aardvarks.)
International year of Astronomy and the Moon
To mark International Year of Astronomy
(yes, I didn’t know either!), a team of British astronomers have made the largest lunar image in history and gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records! The whole image comprises 87.4 megapixels with a Moon diameter of 9550 pixels. This allows many small details to be discerned with superb quality. The Plato crater and the rille along the centre of the Alpine valley are clearly visible. The team captured video sequences from which 288 individual mosaic panes were produced. These were then stitched together to form the lunar image.
Nine day old moon
Check this interesting link www.lunarworldrecord.com/index.php with an option to donate to Patrick Moore's chosen charity by downloading a full resolution image or buying a print.
CONTACTS www.aylesbury-astronomy.org.uk
Chairman:
Ralph Campbell 81 Narbeth Drive, AYLESBURY, HP20 1NY 01296 421328 chairman@aylesbury-astronomy.org.uk
Secretary:
Sue Macdonald 107 Willis Road, Haddenham, AYLESBURY, HP17 8HG 01844 299031 secretary@aylesbury-astronomy.org.uk
Editor:
Simon Leach 28 Vicarage Road, Winslow, Bucks, MK18 3BE 01296 713061 editor@aylesbury-astronomy.org.uk
