My View Of The Universe: September 2011

2011-09-30

Sagittarius and Scorpius September 30 2011

With Scorpius and Sagittarius low in the sky, I thought I would catch a few Messier objects before they disappear for the season.

The moon is a thin crescent. Seeing is 4 out of 5. Transparency is 3 out of 5. Temperature 78 degrees, humidity 48. No wind. No clouds.

Instrument: Questar 3.5

M 69, NGC 6637 Sagittarius.
Globular Cluster
Magnitude 7.6
8:00 pm local
Very faint. Hint of elongation W-E. The core is brighter. There is some mottled appearance. Averted vision helps to see this mottling. The halo around the core is hazy.

M 69

M 70, NGC 6681- Sagittarius
Globular Cluster
Magnitude 8.0
8:15 pm local
Globular cluster in a field of stars. Central star-like core has an outer halo.

M 70

M 54, NGC 6715 - Sagittarius
Globular Cluster
Magnitude 7.6
8:30 pm local
Of the three Globular Clusters in Sagittarius (69, 70, and 54) this is the brightest and slightly larger. Diffuse ball, well defined core, averted vision resolves some mottling in the center.

M 54

M 54 - a photo of the object, using the Slooh telescope in the Canary Islands.
This image is viewed with N on top,
but the E is on the left and the W is on the right.
Many telescopes invert the views,
while the Questar shows all directions as true.
This shows the difference between the eye and the camera.

M 6, NGC 6405 - Scorpius
Open Cluster
Magnitude 4.2
Called the "Butterfly Cluster"
8:45 pm local
Cluster of fine stars. Some differences in magnitude.

M 6 - Butterfly Cluster

M 7 NGC 6475 - Scorpius
Open Cluster
Magnitude 3.3
8:55 pm local
Large and loose cluster of 20 plus stars. There is a distinct line of nebulosity on the south side. The nebulosity is fainter but present along the east.

M 7

M 22, NGC 6656, Sagittarius
Globular Cluster
Magnitude 5.1
9:00 pm local
Large Globular Cluster. Mottling is quickly visible. With patience eye adjustments to resolve several stars at the core. Large halo.

M 22

2011-09-24

PSN J02082141+4129123 - the possible supernova in UGC 1626

Another image of the possible supernova in the very dim galaxy UGC 1626.

IC 1336

IC 1336 imaged with the Slooh telescope in the Canary Islands.

IC 1336 close up.

Discovered by September 13, 1892 by Stephane Javelle.

Imaged by Maynard Pittendreigh with the Slooh telescope, Canary Islands Dome 2 High Magnification, September 24th, 2011 00:24:30 UTC

R.A. 20h 47m 54s Dec. -9° 59' 00"

UGC 1626 and possible supernova PSN J02082141+4129123

The first picture is UGC 1626 taken by a friend long ago. The second is mine. This is a faint galaxy that needs more time to image than I gave it. However, put these two images side by side and you will be able to detect something extra - a possible supernova.

Two top lines point to the same two stars above the galaxy, the bottom line points to the nucleus of the dim galaxy, but the two arrows embrace the extra object that has recently appeared.

"PSN J02082141+4129123" was discovered on September 21, 2011 by F. Ciabattari and E. Mazzoni, both of the Italian Supernovae Search Project. The object is 2" west and 26" north of the center of UGC 1626. The magnitude is 15.9.

The coordinates are (2000.0):

Right Ascension: 02h 08m 24.0s

Declination: +41° 29' 00"

I imaged this with the Slooh telescope on September 24, 2011, 0943 UTC, using Dome 2 on the Canary Islands, high mag.

Here are some links to some other images:

Discovery image

Xing Gao image

Joseph Brimacombe image

2011-09-09

GRAIL Launch

I went to the Kennedy Space Center this morning to watch the launch of the GRAIL mission.

GRAIL, or Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory, is a mission involving placing two spacecraft into the same orbit around the Moon. The two spacecraft will fly over areas of greater and lesser gravity. Some of these variations in gravity are caused by visible features such as mountains and craters while others are caused by masses hidden beneath the lunar surface. As the two craft move slightly toward and away from each other, measurements will be taken so as to produce a high-resolution map of the Moon's gravitational field.

GRAIL will be launched aboard a Delta rocket - a family of rockets that has been used since 1960 when a Delta launched ECHO into earth orbit. The launch vehicle for GRAIL will be a Delta II Heavy.

I had wondered if I would be able to see the launch of a Delta II Heavy from my backyard, but the timing of this launch allowed me to travel from the Gulf side of Florida to the space center to see the launch up close.

After leaving the launch viewing area, I enjoyed some time at the Visitor Complex, where I was able to meet Charlie Duke, an astronaut from Apollo 16 who walked on the moon in 1972.

Unfortunately, the launch was scrubbed.

It was still a pleasant day. I happened to meet Cecilia Barnbaum, astronomy professor at Valdosta State University. We sat together and chatted while waiting for the launch that would not happen as planned.

After leaving the launch viewing area, I enjoyed some time at the Visitor Complex, where I was able to meet Charlie Duke, an astronaut from Apollo 16 who walked on the moon in 1972.

Duke is a fascinating man, and very personable and approachable. He is full of fascinating stories about his trip to the moon. I asked him how the trip the moon impacted his spirituality. "I did not view the trip to the Moon as a spiritual experience," he said. "To me it was an adventure, and a great adventure. However, I did have a tremendous spiritual awakening after I returned from the moon." I have not read the book, but he says the last chapters deal with how this spiritual awakening came about and changed his life.

"Do you think America's commitment to space is waning," I asked.

"Not at all. People are still very interested in space travel. America will continue to lead the way into space. It is frustrating right now because there is a lot of uncertainty, but it is time for us to move out of the low earth orbit that the Space Shuttle had bound us. The GRAIL mission is one of many great robotic missions in NASA, and human space flight will always be part of NASA's mission."

I had Charlie Duke sign his autobiography, which he inscribed with the words, "To Pastor Maynard, aim high, Charlie Duke."

It just so happens that I viewed the launch of Apollo 16 from the area around the VAB.

Me and Mom at the launch of Apollo 16

Charlie Duke told me that at the moment of the launch, he was concerned that something was very wrong. "There was so much vibration from side to side. I looked at John Young, who had already flown atop a Saturn V and he was quite calm. I asked the flight surgeon about my heart rate at launch and he said it was 144. He told me, 'you seemed to be a little excited.' John's was a mere 70."

I saw Apollo 8, 11, 16 and 17 launches in person - and except for Apollo 8 I viewed them in the restricted area near the VAB. The launch of Apollo 16 was the quietest of the launches - I suspect it had to do with the direction of the wind, but I'm not sure.

Today also happens to be the 45th anniversary of the premiere of the original Star Trek series on television, and there is a special, temporary exhibit about Star Trek at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. There are lots of props, costumes, and even a replica of the bridge of the original Enterprise. Here I am in the Captain's chair, wondering why nothing happened when I pushed the button, "Battle Stations."

As for GRAIL, it will be launched later - but I'll be seeing it from my backyard on the other side of Florida (or from television).

2011-09-04

INDEX OF SOLAR SYSTEM, PLANETS, ETC

Observing Planets

Neptune In Motion
Neptune's Moon Triton Occults a Star

Moon - Observing Cassini
Moon - Sunrise over Crater Babbage
Moon - Eclipse

Mercury Transit 2006

Mars

Asteroid Triberga passing by M77

Uranus and its Moons

BLOG INDEX

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Index of Messier Deep Sky Objects -- click here

Index of Comet Observations -- click here

Index of General Observations and Comments -- click here

Index of Arp Peculiar Galaxies Observations -- click here

Index of Planetary Nebulae -- click here

Index of Solar System, Planets, Etc -- click here