Category Archives: Astronomy

The La Salle Public Library will host a showcase event for Project Next Generation: Destination Discoveries Be a Backyard Astronomer program from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.

The event is mostly intended for youth ages 11 through 14 and their families.

Be a Backyard Astronomer, is a grant-funded, six-week, independent, mentor-supported, distance kit learning program that includes hands-on science and technology activities about daytime and nighttime astronomy.

At the showcase event, visitors will have an opportunity to find out about the program, meet the mentor, browse the kit contents and activities, learn about a field trip opportunity to Chicagos Adler Planetarium, register for one of 18 spaces available in the Be a Backyard Astronomer program, conduct a simple series of experiments in the power of Ultra-Violet rays and watch a Glowforge CNC Laser Cutter/Engraver in action.

Funding for Project Next Generation: Destination Discoveries is provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Secretary of State/Illinois State Library under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.

The showcase event is free and open to the public. The La Salle Public Library is located at 305 Marquette Street, La Salle, and is ADA welcome and compliant. For more information, call the Library at 815-223-2341.

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La Salle Library to host Be a Backyard Astronomer event on Sept. 17 - News-Tribune

Some of us are old enough to remember the excitement and wonder of the launching of the two Voyager spacecrafts in 1977. Those two have traveled and entered into interstellar space. If you wonder how their equipment is functioning, a back-up system of thrusters on Voyager 2 kicked on in 1994 after 17 years of waiting to be needed. There are still signals reaching earth from them. And those are low-bid products. The engineers and scientists who dreamed them into reality really did an amazing job.

When you are out taking that stroll around the neighborhood or jogging along one of the walking trails of your town, make time to look up. About two hours after dark you will be able to see Jupiter and Saturn in the east-southeast among the stars of the constellation Pisces. Above will be the Great Square of Pegasus, or the baseball diamond where the Little and Pony Leaguers wound up their stellar seasons recently.

Pegasus is an ancient constellation and its lower left corner points directly toward Jupiter now. Continuing from that line would point towards the celestial sea that includes the constellations of Cetus, the whale; Pisces, the two fish that in myths were Aphrodite (Venus) and her son Eros (Cupid) who were trying to escape to safety; Aquarius, the water-bearer; Capricornus, the sea-goat; and Eridanus, the river, that still flows into the Persian Gulf.

These constellations date back to Mesopotamia (Iran) and Eridanus is the Euphrates River, which is before the Greeks or Romans even were city-states themselves. Astronomy is the oldest science of all. It is the basis of geometry as well. Ponder that as your student complains about history, geometry, or science homework. Remind them it is ancient history and also as current as our space programs out on Boca Chica beach.

It is a shame we have so much light pollution now that these constellations can seldom be seen, much less recognized. When we talk about energy saving, fewer lights almost everywhere would be a big saving.

If you are fortunate to have a dark sky view, then you might use a decent telescope to scan the region of the tail of Cygnus to locate the North America nebula. Yes, the nebula does resemble our continent but mainly the U.S. part. As sky-watchers have always done, the objects discovered are given names of familiar places or things. What wonders will be discovered with the new James Webb Space Telescope remain to be seen. Millions, perhaps billions of previously unseen galaxies are emerging from the images JWST has already shared. And it has been a month in use. Hubble opened our eyes to billions of galaxies; JWST will do even more.

The moon is waxing now, with more of its surface which is reflecting sunlight facing Earth as the two revolve around the sun in their constant dance. Full moon is 14 days after the new moon. The new moon is lost in the glare of the sun, while the full moon is directly opposite the sun. Since our moons orbit is tilted five degrees off from Earths orbital path, we dont have eclipses every month. Hooray for geometry.

Since the moons appearance changes daily, as does its location in the sky, this might be a good time to begin keeping a chart of how the moon appears from night to night-or from day to day. Yes, it can be seen in the daytime, but when? Try to figure out the pattern and use it for a unique science fair project. I know school just started, but longer-term projects are more interesting to judges. And this one would be easily done.

Until next week, KLU.

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Astronomy, the oldest science of al - Brownsville Herald

Ah, the sounds of late summer. Pass a pool, and hear the happy yelps of kids splashing around. Sit outside at night, and bask in the soothing buzz of cicadas hidden in the trees. Open the internet, and hear the terrifying howling of outer space.

Thank NASA for that last one. The space agency recently shared a clip online of sound coming from a cluster of galaxies about 250 million light-years from Earth. NASA, always eager to show off its capacity to produce cosmic wonder, presented the audio enthusiastically, as if to say, Wow, check out this cool thing! And although the transformation of space phenomena into something detectable by our human ears certainly seems like an exciting exercise, the reality iswell, have a listen.

The noise sounds like a ghostly wail, or the horror-movie music just before a jump scare, or, as several people have pointed out, the cries of countless souls trapped in eternal darkness. Just nothing good; less awe-ful, and more awful. Does space really sound this scary?

The answer is, sort of. And there is a perfectly horror-free explanation for it. Some parts of space are full of hot gas, including the medium between the distant, sparkly galaxies huddled together. In 2002, when a NASA space telescope named Chandra studied the Perseus cluster, it detected wavelike movements in the gas, propagating outward like ripples in water. The ripples, scientists determined, were produced by the supermassive black hole in the clusters central galaxy. When the black hole sucks in cosmic material, it burps some outexplosive behavior that pushes around the gas nearby. The resulting waves, astronomers concluded, were sound waves, with a frequency much too deep for any of us to hear.

It wasnt until recently that Kimberly Arcand, Chandras visualization scientist, decided to shift those impossibly low cosmic notes into the audible range. She wanted the public, and particularly those who are blind or have reduced vision, to be able to experience the wonder of the Perseus cluster with senses besides sight. Arcand told me she was inspired by Wanda Daz-Merced, a blind astrophysicist who developed a program to convert sunlight into sound so that she could hear a solar eclipse sweeping across the United States in 2017. Arcand and her team extracted the sound data from Chandras observations and then, with some mathematical work and sound editing, brought them into the range of human hearing, a couple hundred quadrillion times higher than the original frequency. The result: a spooky, cosmic wail.

Arcand and her team at Chandra have previously made a variety of celestial images into music through a process known as sonification, but those projects were based on light, not sound. Consider the glittering, star-filled center of our Milky Way galaxy. To hear it, scientists assigned different sonic features to the cosmic material in a snapshot of the galaxy. Stellar stuff at the top of the image corresponds to higher pitches; the brightest bits play at top volume. Short notes represent stars, and a drawn-out hum indicates clouds of gas and dust. The image features observations in multiple wavelengths, which scientists used to make a more beautiful song: xylophone for X-rays, violin for optical light, piano for infrared.

The melody of our galactic center sounds lovely, peaceful. Most of the sonifications in Chandras library do too, even the clips that lack instrumental elements and feature only a jumble of notes. They are nothing like the primal scream of the Perseus cluster, which the Chandra team released in May this year. The Perseus one is perhaps the most evocative because it is actually based on sound waves, Arcand said. Its more objective, which makes the noise feel a bit more real. At the same time, the cosmic wail wouldnt sound exactly like this if you could hang out in the Perseus galaxy cluster with a helmet and superpowered hearing. The spooky audio is a combination of the sound waves emanating from the central galaxy in different directions, not a single scream in time. Still, this is as close as we know how to get, she said.

When I asked Arcand what she thought about the sound freaking people out, she cracked up. I just feel bad, she said. Arcand grew up singing in choirs, and for her, the Perseus audio is musical, like a dramatic tune from an emotional, sweeping Hans Zimmer track. She has worked on the Chandra mission for more than two decades, and being so intimately familiar with the data, she was unlikely to be spooked by it, even when it sounds like, you know, that. I didnt hear anything scary in it, she said, but I totally understand that other people have a different perspective. Scientists and sound engineers could certainly edit the clip to make it less creepy, mixing in some chimes or nice harp chords. But this is space putting on a little performance, and we may as well experience it as the artist intended.

Read more from the original source:

The Spookiest Sound in Astronomy - The Atlantic

In the search for extrasolar planets, astronomers and astrobiologists generally pursue a policy of follow the water. This comes down to searching for planets that orbit with a stars circumsolar habitable zone (HZ), where conditions are warm enough that liquid water can flow on its surface. The reason is simple: water is the only known solvent capable of supporting life and is required by all life on Earth. However, since the 1970s, scientists have speculated that there may be a class of rocky planets in our Universe that are completely covered in water.

With the explosion in confirmed exoplanets, scientists have been eager to find examples of this type of planet, so they study them more closely. Thanks to an international team of researchers led by the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) at the Universit de Montral, an exoplanet orbiting within its systems HZ was recently discovered that could be completely covered in deep oceans. This ocean world (aka. Waterworld) could reveal things about the nature of habitability when it is the subject of follow-up observations using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The international team was led by Charles Cadieux, a Ph.D. student at the Universit de Montral and a member of IREX. He was joined by a team of fifty-five astronomers and astrophysicists from Canada, France, the U.S., Japan, Brazil, Hungary, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, and Russia. The team represents institutions such as the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, the NASA Ames Research Center, the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI), and many universities and institutes.

As they explain in their paper, which appeared on August 12th in The Astrophysical Journal, the exoplanet (TOI-1452 b) orbits within a binary system located in the Draco constellation about 100 light-years from Earth. The system is made up of two M-type (red dwarf) stars that orbit each other very closely, at 97 astronomical units (AUs), or about two and a half times the distance between the Sun and Pluto. The possibility that an exoplanet orbits one of these stars was originally ventured based on data obtained by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

Based on the TESS data, the astronomers noted that the exoplanet experienced a slight decrease in brightness every 11 days, from which they estimated that it has a diameter about 70% larger than Earths. Cadieux and his colleagues then conducted follow-up observations (a function routinely performed by the iREx) using the Plantes Extrasolaires en Transition et en Occultation (PESTO) camera on the 1.6-meter telescope at the Observatoire du Mont-Mgantic (OMM) part of the Universit de Montral.

Because of their low brightness and proximity, TOI-1452s two stars appeared as a single point of light when observed by TESS. However, PESTOs resolution is high enough to distinguish the two objects, and the images it obtained confirmed that an exoplanet does orbit TOI-1452. Subsequent observations were performed by a team from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) using the 8.2-meter optical-infrared Subaru Telescope in Maunakea, Hawaii. As co-author Ren Doyon, a Universit de Montral Professor and the Director of iREx and of the OMM explained in an IREX press release:

Im extremely proud of this discovery because it shows the high calibre of our researchers and instrumentation. It is thanks to the OMM, a special instrument designed in our labs called SPIRou and an innovative analytic method developed by our research team that we were able to detect this one-of-a-kind exoplanet.

The OMM played a crucial role in confirming the nature of this signal and estimating the planets radius, Cadieux added. This was no routine check. We had to make sure the signal detected by TESS was really caused by an exoplanet circling TOI-1452, the largest of the two stars in that binary system.

After confirming the presence of an exoplanet and obtaining estimates on its size, the team turned to the un SpectroPolarimtre Infra-Rouge (SPIRou) instrument, a near-infrared spectropolarimeter installed on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Designed largely in Canada, SPIRou is ideally-suited to studying low-mass stars like TOI-1452s binary components because they are brightest in the infrared wavelength. Despite this, it still took more than 50 hours of observation time to produce estimates of the planets mass (nearly five times that of Earth).

The next great challenge was the data analysis, which was performed using the line-by-line (LBL) analytic method developed by researched tienne Artigau and Neil Cook (also with iREx). This allowed the team to identify the weak signal produced by the exoplanet in the SPIRou data. Finally, Ph.D. students Farbod Jahandar and Thomas Vandal of Universit de Montral analyzed the SPIRou data to learn more about the host stars composition, which is useful for constraining the planets internal structure. Based on their estimates of its radius, mass, and density measurements, the astronomers theorize that TOI 1452 b is likely a rocky planet.

However, these same estimates led them to conclude that TOI 1452 b could be covered in a thick layer of water, similar to the largest moons of Jupiter, Saturn, and other icy bodies in the outer Solar System. This is supported by interior modeling conducted by University of Torontos Mykhaylo Plotnykov and Diana Valencia, which suggests that water may make up as much as 30% of TOI 1452 bs mass, which is also similar to satellites like Jupiters moons Europea, Ganymede, and Callisto, and Saturns moons Titan, Dione, and Enceladus.

In recent years, astronomers have detected hundreds of similar exoplanets with radii and masses between Earth and Neptune but significantly lower densities. This suggests that a large fraction of these exoplanets mass is made up of volatiles such as water, leading to the nickname ocean planets. As Cadieux explained, this latest discovery may be the first such planet discovered:

TOI-1452 b is one of the best candidates for an ocean planet that we have found to date. Its radius and mass suggest a much lower density than what one would expect for a planet that is basically made up of metal and rock, like Earth.

Given that TOI-1452 b orbits within its host stars HZ, it is unlikely to have an icy surface, which means it could have oceans several kilometers in depth. This makes TOI-1452 b a perfect candidate for further observations using the JWST, as it is one of the few known temperate planets that also exhibits the characteristics of an ocean planet. Its proximity to Earth also makes it a good candidate for atmospheric characterization, something Webb is very proficient at as demonstrated by the spectra it obtained twice from WASP-59 (confirming the presence of water and carbon dioxide).

To make matters even better, TOI-1452 is located in a region of the sky that Webb can observe year-round, making it perfectly positioned for follow-up observations. Our observations with the Webb Telescope will be essential to better understanding TOI-1452 b, said Doyon, who is also the Principal Investigator of the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), the Canadian Space Agencys contribution to the JWST. As soon as we can, we will book time on the Webb to observe this strange and wonderful world.

Further Reading: IREX

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Astronomers Find a Waterworld Planet With Deep Oceans in the Habitable Zone - Universe Today

The weird behavior of a galaxy around a billion light-years away suggests that it might contain one of the most highly anticipated events in modern astronomy.

Fluctuations in light from the center of the galaxy SDSS J1430+2303 look suspiciously like a pair of supermassive black holes with a combined mass of around 200 million Suns destined for an imminent collision with each other.

"Imminent" in cosmic terms can often stretch on for whole lifetimes. Fortunately in this case, astronomers predict that if the signal is indeed the result of colossal black holes they will merge within the next three years.

It may be our best shot yet to see two supermassive black holes collide but we still don't know for sure if that's what is going on at the heart of J1429+2303. Scientists advise that we continue watching the strange galaxy to see if it can be conclusively identified.

The first detection of colliding black holes back in 2015 launched a bold new era for astronomy. Since then, many more detections have been made thanks to the gravitational waves these massive events send rippling through space-time.

To date, almost all of these mergers have been binary pairs of black holes with masses comparable to individual stars. There's a very good reason for this. LIGO and Virgo, the gravitational wave instruments responsible for the detections, are designed for this mass range.

The more ponderous ripples generated by inspiralling and colliding supermassive black holes, in the range of millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun, are in a frequency range too low for our current observatories.

Still, the merger of a pair of supermassive black holes would be a freaking sweet thing to observe. Even without a detector capable of sensing low frequency gravitational waves, scientists expect to see an immense outburst of light across the spectrum.

The data packed into that outburst could tell us so much about how these events play out. We're not entirely sure how supermassive black holes get so big, but there are a few clues to suggest that one mechanism is binary mergers.

We know that galaxies have supermassive black holes in their centers, and we've observed not just pairs and groups of galaxies colliding, but supermassive black holes circling each other in mutual, decaying orbits in the centers of these post-merger galaxies. These are inferred from oscillations in the light emitted from the galactic center of these galaxies, on regular timescales that suggest an orbit.

This brings us back to J1430+2303. Earlier this year, a team of astronomers led by Ning Jiang of the University of Science and Technology of China uploaded a paper to preprint server arXiv, describing some really strange behavior. Over a period of three years, the oscillations in the galactic nucleus grew shorter and shorter, from a time period of about a year, down to just one month.

However, it's not entirely clear that what is happening at the heart of J1430+2303 is the result of a black hole binary at all, never mind one that is about to kaboom. Galactic nuclei are strange places, throwing out signals that are difficult to interpret, meaning it's possible something else may be causing the variability in the heart of J1430+2303.

To try to get to the bottom of the matter, astronomers turned to X-ray wavelengths. Using data from a range of X-ray observatories, covering a time period of 200 days, a team led by Liming Dou of Guangzhou University in China has attempted to identify high-energy signatures that we would expect to see in a close supermassive black hole binary on a decaying orbit.

They did see variations in the X-ray light emitted by the galaxy, as well as a type of emission associated with iron falling onto a black hole, which the team detected with a 99.96 percent confidence level from two different instruments. This emission can be associated with binary supermassive black holes; however, the team could not measure the "smoking gun" characteristics that would confirm a black hole binary.

Analysis of radio observations published in July were also inconclusive. So it appears we're still not 100 percent sure about what's happening with J1430+2303.

What we are able to state with confidence is that something very strange seems to be happening at the galaxy's center. Above all, it's a mystery, and a very juicy one; whether it's a supermassive black hole binary on the brink of collision or not, J1430+2303 seems to warrant closer, more detailed attention.

The paper has been accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and is available on arXiv.

See the rest here:

A Pair of Supermassive Black Holes Could Be Fated to Collide Within 3 Years - ScienceAlert

An Indian students team bagged the third rank in the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) held at Kutaisi International University in Georgia. In the event, which concluded on Monday, all five team members bagged medals, including two silver.

Raghav Goyal from Chandigarh, Md Sahil Akhtar from Kolkata and Mehul Borad from Hyderabad bagged gold in the event. Goyal also won a special prize for providing the best solution to the most challenging theoretical question. The silver medallists are Malay Kedia from Ghaziabad and Atharva Nilesh Mahajan from Indore.

Conducted annually, the IOAA aims to promote astronomy among school students.

With five gold medals, the Iranian team topped the medals tally followed by the guest team with four gold medals and one silver. India and Singapore are tied for the third spot. The event, which was to be held in Kyiv in Ukraine was shifted due to the ongoing Russian invasion.

The Indian teams mentors included Sarita Vig from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Ajit Mohan Srivastava from the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar and two scientific observers Shriharsh Tendulkar representing the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai and Tejas Shah of Father Agnel Multipurpose School and Junior College in Navi Mumbai.

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Indian team bags 3rd place in Astronomy Olympiad - The Indian Express

IRISH astronomers have revealed the most spectacular sky events coming up in the NEXT MONTH.

Astronomy Ireland, the worlds most popular astronomy society have outlined an action packed Autumn for budding Irish skygazers, from super rockets to star parties, here's everything that's in store.

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Despite the exciting events in store, Astronomy Ireland have outlined a variety of planets that are visible right now.

Saturn is visible to the naked eye as a bright star low in the South all evening.

Jupiter rises before 10pm and blazes in the East as the brightest star-like object all evening.

The iconic "red planet" Mars rises at 11:30pm in the East and is brighter than Saturn but not as bright as Jupiter.

The society say it is "beautifully placed" between the Pleiades and Hyades clusters.

Venus is very low in the East, however, keen early risers will see it over the next few weeks as it can only be seen at dawn.

The popular astronomy society have also highlighted some key September dates skygazers need to pencil in.

On September 14 Uranus will pass behind the Moon.

Most read in The Irish Sun

And just a day later on September 15 the International Space Station will be visible in evening skies for 2 weeks!

September 16 will of a "spectacular" naked eye view of Mars as it sits just a stone's throw from the Moon.

In the coming weeks Astronomy Ireland have also teased even more spectacular events taking place in the coming weeks.

They said: "NASA launches it's new super-rocket to the Moon at last, leading to people on the Moon in 2025.

"Saturn and Jupiter are brilliant evening objects next to the Moon, Mars is building towards a close approach to Earth.

"There's even an eclipse from Ireland in October, and loads more events like this to keep you informed of!"

But before all that on August 27, Ireland's biggest annual star party, Star-B-Q kicks off in the beautiful Wicklow mountains.

Promoting the event, the non-profit society said: "Join us under the very dark skies of the Wicklow mountains for our annual barbecue under the stars - Star-B-Q - now Ireland's biggest annual 'star party'.

"Showcasing some of the biggest telescopes in Ireland you will view the wonders of the universe, especially Saturn and Jupiter!

"Saturn will be especially incredible.

"With three amazing public talks, trade stands, professionally catered barbecue food all included, and more, this is an event not to be missed!"

Tickets and more details of the event can be accessed here, and you can follow Astronomy Ireland's Instagram page here.

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Were Irish astronomers and heres the most spectacular events coming up... - The Irish Sun

On Oct. 7, 2008, just after midnight UTC, an asteroid 4 meters across came screaming into Earths atmosphere.

It started feeling pressure from the thin air around 100 kilometers above the ground. Traveling at a downward angle of about 20 at 46,000 kilometers per hour a dozen times faster than a rifle bullet the building pressure as it rammed through ever-denser air caused the gas in front of it to be violently compressed and heat up, so much so that the asteroid heated up as well. Both the air in front and the asteroid itself started to glow by the time it was 70 km above the Earth. Seconds later, around 42 kilometers and then again at 37 km up, it partially exploded, then one second later a final pulse of energy caused the asteroid to completely disintegrate.

The total energy released was equivalent to over a thousand tons of TNT exploding, much of that in the form of a debris cloud expanding away. It contained dust and rocks, the remains of the original 80 tons of material making up the asteroid. This then rained meteorites down onto the ground, a region of the Sudans Nubian Desert in Africa, with meteorites ranging in size from specks of dust to ones that weighed several hundred grams.

The asteroid, called 2008 TC3, had been discovered just 19 hours previously in images taken by the Catalina Sky Survey, which sweeps the sky looking for dangerous near-Earth asteroids. An alert was sent out, more observations taken, and it quickly became clear this rock was going to hit Earth: The very first time one was ever seen before impact. Over 900 observations were made in that time by professional and amateur astronomers alike, which gave a very precise trajectory for TC3, including where it would impact.

In December a search began for meteorites, and within days several were found. Spread out over an area 30 kilometers long and about 7 wide, 600 meteorites were eventually found totaling about 11 kilograms.

Then things got weird. The scientists made very careful measurements of which meteorites were found where, and a pattern emerged: Following the trajectory of the asteroid downrange, the pieces that fell the farthest uprange were smaller, while pieces that made it farther downrange were bigger. Not only that, the uprange small pieces from 1 to 50 grams were confined to a narrow path only a kilometer or so wide, but the downrange larger rocks 100 to 400 grams were dispersed farther, some found several kilometers away from the ground path of the incoming asteroid. The pattern looks like a trumpet bell, narrow at one end and wider the farther along you go.

Why?

New research using sophisticated computer modeling of how an asteroid breaks up as it slams into Earths air has provided an answer, and it has to do with the shape of the asteroid and the details of what happens as the huge forces generated by its rapid motion caused it to break up [link to paper].

As the asteroid approached Earth, observations indicated it brightened and dimmed on a regular cycle, indicating it was highly elongated like a Tic Tac or a wide canoe, and rotating very rapidly, once every 49 seconds. As it entered the Earths atmosphere it settled into a single orientation, with its longest dimension ramming through the air (as opposed to narrow end-on like an arrow).

Compressing air that hard heats it up, which in turn heats up the rock on the side facing into the direction of travel. Material started to melt and blow back,a process called ablation. But the asteroid was moving so rapidly it was punching a hole in the air, with a near-vacuum behind it. The small bits of ablated material fell into this vacuum wake, and the high pressure from the shock wave around the main mass of the asteroid kept them there. Still hot, many of the pieces continued to vaporize and shrink, creating smaller particles that were essentially dust.

At the same time the wave of pressure and heating moved through the solid body of the asteroid, dissolving it from front to back. Within seconds it was so eroded it didnt have enough structural strength to withstand the onslaught, and it collapsed. At this point all that was left was material along the backside of the asteroid, which crumbled into large pieces.

The wake vacuum collapsed as well since the asteroid was now gone. The material stuck there was no longer protected and was suddenly exposed to the huge velocity of air moving past it. The small pieces slowed fiercely, eventually falling to the ground not far from the spot over which the final disintegration occurred.

But bigger pieces were more massive and retained their velocity for longer, so they fell farther downrange. That explains why different sizes were found at different locations downrange. But why did the small pieces fall along a narrow path and the big ones were more spread out?

The small ones stayed behind the asteroid for the most part in the wake vacuum, so they fell along that same direction. But when the final collapse occurred all the big pieces suddenly found themselves in open air, and each generated its own strong shock wave of air moving around them. Pieces near each other would feel a violent push away from each other as their individual shock waves interacted, a sideways shove perpendicular to the direction of travel. This gave them some velocity to the side, so when they eventually hit the ground farther downrange they were more spread out.

Most of the meteorites found in this case were therefore from the backside of the asteroid; the material from the front was mostly in the form of dust that trailed behind it to create the train of vaporized material or expanded outward in dust clouds as the asteroid disintegrated.

This may not be the case for every incoming space rock, but this result does help planetary scientists understand the asteroid 2008 TC3 better. For example, the larger rocks that fell to the right of the downward path probably came from the right side of the asteroid, and ones to the left from the asteroids left side. Examining the meteorites showed that some materials were well mixed throughout the asteroid, with no pockets of material preferentially in one place. That gives hints about the history of the asteroid.

The physics of hypervelocity impacts is extremely complex and difficult to model. The success of this model to mimic what happened to 2008 TC3 as it broke apart shows that its possible to learn quite a bit more about these rocks as they come in, and understand better the processes that almost but not necessarily completely destroy them. That in turn means we can better understand the effect they have on the air and ground as they fall. Thats important to know better what kind of damage they can do. Rocks like TC3, a few meters across, hit us a few times a year, and bigger ones are commensurately more rare. But they can do considerable damage just ask the dinosaurs, except you cant for obvious reasons so understanding why and how can have real-world implications for us living at the bottom of Earths ocean of protective air.

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Bad Astronomy | Meteorites from asteroid 2008 TC3 reveal how it broke up | SYFY WIRE - Syfy

Imagine a childhood filled with telescopes, night skies and an ongoing fascination with the stars, planets, and galaxies. Robert Quimby lived it.

Its really all my parents fault. They were both amateur astronomers, so some of my earliest memories growing up are of looking through a telescope, says the professor of astronomy at San Diego State University and director of the Mount Laguna Observatory. We went on lots of star parties, which are basically camping trips with telescopes. I was independently driven, so I learned to star hop around and locate deep sky objects, like galaxies, myself.

On Friday, hell present a lecture highlighting some of the research being done at the observatory, along with some of the nonprofit work being done to reduce local light pollution. His presentation begins at 2 p.m. at the Alpine Library.

Quimby, 45, lives in the College Area with his wife, Mika, and their two girls. Hes received awards for his research and work from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the American Physical Society, and a share of the 2014 Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics. He took some time to talk about his work, his first impressions of the breathtaking images from NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, and the time he played in a Reel Big Southern California ska band.

Q: In the description for your talk, the San Diego County Librarys website mentions the Hidden Skies Foundation, a nonprofit run by high school students based in Los Angeles, and its work to preserve dark skies for future generations. First, can you talk about light pollution?

A: Any human-made light that shines where it is not needed, is not helpful, or is just generally a waste, is light pollution. This could be a streetlight shining through a bedroom window that gives you a rough night of sleep, although astronomers usually use the term when discussing the light that spills onto the night sky and obscures the stars. No one sets out to hide the stars behind the glare of electric lights, but just as trash collects in our rivers and beaches, the natural beauty of the night sky can be destroyed by light indiscriminately cast by outdoor lighting.

Q: And what is significant about the work to preserve the darkness of night skies? Why does that lack of light in the sky matter?

A: Dark, star-filled skies give us connection to our past and hopefully our future. From a dark site, you might see the same stars that your great-great-great grandparents enjoyed on their first date, or that dazzled our ancient ancestors thousands of years before. Light pollution breaks this connection by hiding the stars. I have seen the thrill of San Diegans glimpsing their first view of the Milky Way while camping in Mount Laguna, and I would say it is worth protecting these views for future generations to enjoy as well.

We have great neighbors where we live in College Area. Several families welcomed us to the neighborhood soon after we moved here, and our kids became fast friends. There are lots of friendly waves when people walk or drive by. And, there are four taco shops within walking distance!

Q: Youve been director of SDSUs Mount Laguna Observatory since 2014. What have you come to learn about the surrounding area over the years and its place in the study of astronomy?

A: The Mount Laguna Observatory sits at 6,100 feet (500 feet higher than our colleagues to the north at Palomar Observatory, but whos counting!), so when the marine layer of clouds sets in in typical May-gray/June-gloom fashion, we are usually in the clear above the clouds. Better yet, the low clouds block some of the light pollution from the cities and make the nights even darker. Being near the coast we also get the gentle ocean breeze, which affords us much sharper views of the stars than the turbulent air further inland.

Q: What drew you to become interested in this area of study?

A: [Astronomy] remained a hobby of mine into college when it came time to decide on a major. I started with engineering since I liked figuring out how things worked, but I gravitated to physics and astronomy, at least in part because I thought the professors were more interesting people. One once plopped down a bunch of rock-climbing gear at the beginning of a lecture then proceeded to talk the whole period without ever mentioning it. He was just doing some rock climbing before class. These extra dimensions of personality really appealed to me.

Q: Why was this something you wanted to pursue professionally?

A: I figured its better than getting a real job. I love solving puzzles, but sometimes, when the puzzle is something you have to do, it can feel a lot like work. As an astronomer, there is a whole universe of puzzles for me to choose from.

Q: Earlier this month, most of us were in awe of the images of galaxies NASA shared from its James Webb Space Telescope. What initially went through your mind as you looked through those images?

A: I was really surprised at how awestruck I was. I have seen Stephans Quintet and the Carina Nebula before, but the James Webb telescope pictures convey them with such power and beauty. They are at once familiar and otherworldly.

Q: And how did you think about what you saw from your perspective as an astronomy professor and researcher?

A: The first images show how much we have been missing. The James Webb telescope offers, quite literally, a new way to look at our universe, and we are starting to see things we have never seen before. It was quite terrifying at times to wonder what would happen to the future of astronomy if this telescope failed; now that it has arrived and is working superbly, I, for one, am elated.

Q: Whats been challenging about your work in this field?

A: Like the universe itself, the field of astronomy is big and growing at an accelerated pace. It takes effort to stay on top of all of the new discoveries rolling in. It is also very competitive at times. Other groups are often working on projects similar to mine, so there is pressure to publish first.

Q: Whats been rewarding about this work?

A: Every once in a while, you make a breakthrough discovery. I discovered a new class of supernovae and later discovered the first supernova magnified by a strong gravitational lens. It is quite a rush when you put the pieces together and realize you have something that no one has ever seen before.

Q: What has this work taught you about yourself?

A: A big part of science is telling the story. We report our findings in scientific journals and give professional and sometimes public talks. I never considered myself particularly good at writing as a student, but I have come to realize that the storytelling is something I enjoy.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: For anyone considering getting their Ph.D., take a year off between undergraduate and graduate school and do something totally different. One of my college professors gave me this advice, and it gave me the opportunity to broaden my world view and, ultimately, meet my wife. If, like me, you find academia calling you back, then you will know that graduate school is right for you, and you will be motivated to stick with it even when it gets tough (it will).

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: Before becoming an astronomer, I played trombone in the ska band Reel Big Fish. It has been a while since I last picked up my horn, but I can still say, pick it up pretty fast.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: I have never done it before, but I would love to take a staycation at one of the local resorts in San Diego. Ideally, one with entertainment for the kids and relaxation for the parents. Barring that, I would enjoy a weekend featuring a hike in Mission Trails with my family and a trip to a new restaurant one day, followed by a relaxing day at the beach and a barbecue with friends and family the next day.

Original post:

Award-winning researcher and prof has stars in his eyes, will give astronomy talk in Alpine - The San Diego Union-Tribune

New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) India is setting up a booth at the International Astronomical Union General Assembly at Busan, South Korea, inviting astronomers from around the world to discover the cosmos from observatories across the country.

The International Astronomical Union General Assembly (IAUGA) is the biggest gathering of astronomers in the world where latest discoveries and cutting edge research is expected to be discussed.

About 1,700 academic presentations are scheduled for a total of 205 sessions at the IAU General Assembly which will be held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre from August 2-11.

The India Booth, put up by the Astronomical Society of India, will also showcase the participation of Indian astronomers in international mega projects such as the Square Kilometer Array Observatory, the Thirty Meter Telescope in Hawaii and the gravitational wave observatory in Maharashtra.

The IAUGA is special for India as a number of PhD students have won the International Astronomy Union PhD prizes and shall be delivering their award lectures at Busan, Dibyendu Nandi, chairperson, Astronomical Society of India Public Outreach and Education Committee told PTI.

India will also highlight the radio observatories at Devasthal near Nainital, the Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle in Ladakh, the Vainu Bappu Observatory in Tamil Nadu and the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope in Maharashtra.

The India booth will also trace the journey from ancient observatories in the country to the first space observatory AstroSat that was launched in 2015.

The upcoming Aditya L-1 mission, Indias first solar observatory, and the X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPOSAT), both expected to be launched next year will also feature prominently in the India pavilion at Busan.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) India, an advanced gravitational-wave observatory to be located in India as part of the worldwide network, will also feature in the India booth at IAUGA. The facility is coming up at Hingoli in Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

PTI SKU SRY

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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India to highlight astronomy initiatives at global astronomers meet in South Korea - ThePrint