Aylesbury Astronomical Society

Registered Charity Number 276313


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“Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler” (Einstein)
Aylesbury Astronomical Society

AYLESBURY ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY


For Heaven’s Sake! MAY 2011


Aylesbury Astronomical Society Newsletter Issue No. 517


Stop Press! This month’s meeting is on 9th May starting with the AGM. Please volunteer to serve on the committee in any capacity. See AGM note below


11th May: Conjunction of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in a 2 degree vertical line just before sunrise. Shall I give you an alarm call?!



Membership renewal


It’s that time of year again so please pay your subscriptions to Ian MacDonald, Treasurer. Fees are held down for another year. £25 for adults and £15 concessions. Cheques payable to Aylesbury Astronomical Society



Newsletter and Website


Please forward any newsletter contributions to the Editor, see link in the contacts sewction. With so many new members I would like to start new series on “Observing for dummies beginners” and “How to choose a telescope.” Dark evenings are nearly over but in preparation for next autumn, please send your suggestions on these themes. Your tip could even be as simple as wearing a white/red LED head torch to keep your hands free to adjust the ‘scope or a night sky guide as in this newsletter!


Newsletters will be forwarded by email to many members saving postage, printing and, you can usually have this newsletter sooner than the monthly meeting. Please forward your email address to the Editor (details at end) if not an electronic recipient. I appreciate that many still prefer a hard copy which will be available at the monthly meeting or by post


Despite many references to web sites, I do appreciate not everyone has access to a computer. More on this in later newsletters.


Visit the AAS web site at www.aylesbury-astronomy.org.uk and if you have any comments or suggestions, email the Webmaster



AGM & 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. Nominations accepted on the night



OBSERVING


Observing nights Friday 13th May and Friday 27th May from 8.30 pm. Please check with a committee member before attending in case of doubtful weather.


The Winchendon Observatory is available at any time to key holders. 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 at the site



FORTHCOMING EVENTS


All at 7.30 pm and at Scout Hut, Oakfield Road, Aylesbury unless otherwise stated




AAS VISIT TO NORMAN LOCKYER OBSERVATORY


This year’s outing is to the Norman Lockyer Observatory in-September (exact date to be confirmed) near Sidmouth, East Devon. Some may stay overnight in a B&B to make a weekend of it


http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/nlo/Home~EN.php


On site there is,


Also observing through the telescopes at night if the sky is clear


Please forward your name to Steve Edwards if you are interested



WHAT’S UP?


Moon’s Phases: 3rd – New; 10th – First quarter; 17th – Full; 24th - Last quarter


Moon will be close to: Mercury – 1st; Venus 1st & 31st; Jupiter 1st & 29th; Antares –

17th; Saturn – 13th & 14th and the Sagittarius “Tea Pot” on the 20th!


Mercury is difficult to see being very low on the eastern horizon reaching greatest western elongation on 7th May. Try just before dawn on 11th May!


Venus remains a pre-dawn object rising about 1 hour before the Sun. Try just before dawn on 11th May!


Mars is difficult to see being very low on the eastern horizon. Try just before dawn on 11th May!


Jupiter is visible just before dawn in the east rising earlier and earlier before the sun but not great viewing generally as it is so low in the sky. Try just before dawn on 11th May!


Saturn is visible in Virgo dominating the evening sky at magnitude +0.5 to +0.7 depending on the time of the month. The rings are tilted at +8° and should be a spectacle even with a modest telescope. You should see the A and B rings separated by the Cassini division. Bands of colour around Saturn and its largest moon Titan may also be visible. Viewing Saturn won’t be this good again until 2016 so do try to see it this month either at the observatory or a friend’s telescope. Ask a committee member for advice and don’t try just before dawn on 11th May!


Uranus and Neptune are not visible this month


As already stated, conjunction of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter in a near vertical line just before sunrise in the east on 11th May and remains in a line well on to the end of May.




The following shows the night sky at 22:00 in the middle of the month



Eta Aquarid Meteors


The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is building to a peak up to 40 meteors per hour over the coming week in the constellation of Aquarius very low east-south-east in the pre-dawn sky. You need an alarm clock and a dark moonless sky to observe these meteors. Meteors occur when the remnants of comets enter the earth’s atmosphere, glowing brightly as they burn up. Eta Aquarid meteors are made of particles of the most famous comet of all - Halley’s Comet


The Sun


A new solar cycle has started and the Sun has had a recent flurry of sunspot activity with some nice large spots groups now appearing regularly. There have also been some large prominences visible from time to time, so take a look through a solar scope. I know I don’t need to state this but please look at the Sun in safe manner either by projecting onto card with a refracting telescope or by using a solar scope


Click http://spaceweather.com/ for update on spots, meteors and a great picture of a solar prominence.




Resources: BOOK: Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku


Perhaps more to do with science fiction than astronomy but there are articles on whether aliens exist (just meet my children!), time travel and rocket propulsion among many others. Prof Kaku shares with many of us a disappointment that we have only got as far as the Moon for a fleeting moment. Dividing future innovations into “Class I, Class II and Class III Impossibilities” this is a popular science book which is, I suggest, heavy going for non-scientists. My main criticism is that it is far too optimistic and lacks basic common sense questions. In teleportation, when you transfer the particles of your body into some sort of beam of matter, essentially you have killed that person!!! It does not matter how well you put that person together, they are still dead, i.e. like a Frankenstein - yes but a dead Frankenstein. I suppose as long as teleportation occurs during a time allowed within Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, ripping the particles of your body apart won’t be a problem, as long as there is no fly in the chamber!



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



May 2011