Category Archives: Astronomy

Bubbles of gas released by black holes spread across vast distances of the intergalactic space, affecting star formation thousands of lightyears away from their source, a new study shows.

Astronomers knew that black holes draw in matter from their surroundings due to their powerful gravitational pull. They also previously documented that some of this matter subsequently escapes in the form of jets of charged particles that squirt out at the speed of light out of the black hole's poles.

But it wasn't until this new study that they managed to document in detail how this ejected material spreads throughout the intergalactic space over hundreds of thousands of light years. The process is somewhat similar to the way in which ash clouds from volcanic eruptions on Earth propagate through the atmosphere and affect weather on distant continents, the scientists said in a statement.

"Our investigation shows how the gas bubbles accelerated by the black hole are expanding and transforming in time," Marisa Brienza, a research fellow at the department of physics and astronomy of the University of Bologna, Italy, and lead author of the study, said in a statement. "Indeed, they create spectacular mushroom-shaped structures, rings and filaments that are similar to those originating from a powerful volcanic eruption on planet Earth."

Related: Surprise discovery suggests that black holes are more complex than thought

These new insights were possible thanks to radio observations by the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the German-led X-ray space telescope eROSITA.

The gas bubbles observed in this study emanate from a black hole at the center of a rather ordinary group of galaxies called Nest200047. The black hole, which lies about 200 million lightyears away from Earth, sucks in matter from its surroundings and at the same time releases powerful jets of charged particles and hot gas.

Using LOFAR, the largest low-frequency radio telescope in the world, astronomers in this study were able to observe how these jets create gas bubbles that over time transform into filaments as they drift farther away from their source and interact with objects in the surrounding universe. The observations were combined with images from eROSITA, the first space-based telescope capable of imaging X-ray radiation across the entire sky.

"For many years, researchers have been trying to figure out how much of the surrounding area a black hole can influence," Timothy Shimwell, of the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), which manages LOFAR, said in the statement. "The images we have created of this incredible system show that the answer is astonishingly large. The black hole doesn't just influence the host galaxy but instead it impacts a vast intergalactic environment which may contain hundreds of other galaxies, and it will affect aspects such as the rate at which stars form in those galaxies."

The LOFAR telescope, a network of tens of thousands of radio stations spread all over Europe but primarily residing in the Netherlands, enables astronomers to scan large portions of the sky with a very high resolution. The telescope has previously captured some of the most detailed images of distant galaxies and the jets of plasma emitted by them.

"This is yet another fantastic scientific breakthrough that LOFAR has facilitated and it's opened up a new avenue of research that is going to be actively pursued," Huub Rottgering, an astronomer at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, and also a co-author of the paper, said in the statement.

The study was published on Monday (Oct. 18), in the journal Nature Astronomy.

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Black hole 'volcanic eruptions' influence vast areas of intergalactic space, study shows - Space.com

Just after midnight Thursday, Clayton Thompson was sitting outsidehis Fishers home when he sawsomething he "couldn't believe."

"It was gigantic," Thompson told IndyStar. "A blaze in the sky, almost like a fireball."

He happened to be recording himself on anapp, when he's seen on videostartled by a bright streak of light hurtling across the sky.

"Oh my God," he says on camera. "Look at that ... Halley's comet, baby ... what is that?"

He spent the next few hours researching what it could have been.Experts answered his question for IndyStar,taking into account both the speed and brightness of the object.

Thompson says he usually looks up at the sky for a "glimpse of anything," but he notes this timehe got lucky.

"I'dnever seen anything like it," Thompson said. "And it was just so vibrant and so close that it made an impact on me."

Based on those factors, the object waslikely a man-made object reentering the Earth's atmosphere, according toButler University physics and astronomy professor Brian Murphy.

"It was because of the speed at which it was moving," Murphyexplained. "It looked as though it was moving fast, but it was moving a lot slower than say a meteor orsay a fireball. They would be moving close to four to fivetimes the speed than what we saw there."

Man-made space junkusually falls back to Earth around 17,000 miles per hour, Murphy said.A meteor or space rock, on the other hand, would travel significantly faster at around 90,000 miles per hour.

NASA astronaut shows off Indianapolisfrom space: See the picture here

The American Meteor Society, a non-profit astronomyorganization, collected more than 150 reports of a fireball seen around 12:40 a.m. EST across several states including Indiana, Ohioand Kentucky. The Indiana sightings included reports from Westfield and Fishers, where Thompson recorded his video.

The organization concluded the object seen was not a natural fireball, but in fact there-entry of aRussian reconnaissance satellite, which "launched on Sept. 9 but failed to maintain orbit," theAmerican Meteor Society states.

The various viewpoints across the Midwest likely helped in making thatdetermination, Murphy explained.

But that very fact the broad coverage area and the immense brightness may have alsobewildered observers, leading them tothink it was a more natural phenomena, such as a fireball.

A fireball is a type ofexceptionally bright meteor, "spectacular enough to to be seen over a very wide area," according to NASA.And the one seen over Indiana early Thursday was really bright.

"This onehada very bright nucleus ... and left a trail behind it,"Indiana University astronomy professorCatyPilachowski said.The object's flaringalso mimicked a the "burst of energy" seen when afireball'sparticles heat up and explode,she explained.

Another twist:the Orionid meteor shower, which peakedlate Wednesday and early Thursday morning.

More: The Orionid meteor shower will peak Thursday morning, but moon glare might ruin it

The Orionid meteor shower isassociated with the well-known Halley's Comet, which "isn't anywhere near us,"Pilachowski explained, but it continually sheds dust as it orbits around the sun. Thosetiny dust particles sometimes fall intoEarth'satmosphere, heat up and create streaks of lights in the sky.

The shower continues into Thursday, but the fullmoon's light willdecrease visibilityand "wash out" many of the meteors, according to Indiana University.If the weather is clear, people may still beable to catch aflash of space matter early Friday morning between midnight and dawn though chances are slim.In the Indianapolis area, the forecast doesn't look too promising.

"We're going to be fairly cloudy tonight," Mike Ryan, a meteorologist with Indianapolis' National Weather Service, explained. "It's going to be very unlikely that we see any breaks in the clouds."

Youmight still get some opportunities to see meteors in the coming months.The Earth passes Halley's orbit twice each year, with the next chance of its meteor dust likely visible in the spring.

The next major meteor shower will be the Gemini shower inDecember, expected to peak on the night of Dec. 13. It's the "most active showerof the year," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, with an average of 75 meteors flying by per hour. Pilachowski said the visibility for that showershould be "excellent."

Contact Rashika Jaipuriar atrjaipuriar@gannett.comandfollow her on Twitter @rashikajpr.

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Fireball over Hamilton County was not a meteor. Here's what it was. - IndyStar

Astronomers are awaiting the release of a series of proposals and recommendations that will guide the field for the next decade.

Why it matters: Astronomy is at a transitional moment. Large ground and space-based telescopes are nearing completion, and the field is reckoning with sexism, racism and harassment all issues that shape the science at least as much as new technologies and missions.

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The document called the decadal survey won't just make recommendations about the next missions NASA and others should fund, it's also expected to address the inequality that's plagued and hindered the field.

"I'm proud and happy that our community is acknowledging that science is, you know, a human endeavor," astronomer Grant Tremblay told Axios.

Catch up quick: Scientists have been waiting for the decadal's release since last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the teams putting together the document.

How it works: The decadal survey is expected to have three major pillars.

One will focus on recommendations for space-based telescopes and missions, including at least one new, expensive flagship mission to follow the James Webb Space Telescope and the Roman Space Telescope.

A second pillar will focus on ground-based astronomy. It may include a recommendation on the future of the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope in Hawaii, which many native Hawaiians have protested for a number of years.

The third pillar will look at the state of the profession itself, examining what it will take to make astronomy more equitable and providing recommendations for how to make that happen.

What's happening: The previous decadal in 2010 acknowledged that people of color are under-represented in the field, but this year's document is expected to make specific, actionable recommendations on how to address diversity, inclusion and harassment.

Story continues

"Findings can be ignored by funding agencies, but recommendations cannot," Jane Rigby, a scientist involved with the writing of the decadal, told me.

Just 3% of Ph.D.s in astronomy were awarded to individuals from under-represented groups from 2002 to 2012, according to National Science Foundation data.

The big picture: Under-representation is a documented problem across the sciences.

Black and Latino students leave science degree programs at higher rates than white students, and Black and Hispanic professors are under-represented on faculties.

A 2020 report from the American Institute of Physics outlined the systemic problems facing Black students in the field, including a lack of support and financial challenges.

Between the lines: The science and inequality in the field are inexorably linked.

Although science is oftentimes framed as an objective search for knowledge, the people behind that pursuit bring their own knowledge and biases to it.

Having people who come from a variety of backgrounds looking at scientific problems from many angles is key to the health of the profession, but it also takes a concerted effort to make sure those voices are heard.

Including the state of the profession in the decadal puts the spotlight on these issues and has the power to bring some accountability to these problems, according to some experts.

"Over the time it took to conduct Astro2020 [the decadal survey], the nation began reckoning with the legacy of systemic racial injustice," Rigby said.

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The next decade of astronomy is about to be defined - Yahoo News

Three faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences have been honored by the American Physical Society two elected APS Fellows and one winning a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Fundamental Physics Innovation Award.

Jacobus Verbaarschot, former graduate program director and professor of physics, and Thomas Hemmick, distinguished teaching professor, were elected Fellows of the American Physical Society, a distinct honor signifying recognition by ones professional peers for outstanding contributions to physics.

Verbaarschot was recognized for the development of random-matrix theory methods and their applications in atomic nuclei and in nonperturbative quantum chromodynamics. Hemmick was honored for leadership and innovation in developing new detector technologies for nuclear and particle physics, for teaching and mentoring new generations of physics students, and for important scientific contributions to the field of heavy ion physics.

I am delighted that ProfessorsHemmick and Verbaarschot are recognizedwith thisdistinct honor by the American Physical Society, which is made to no morethan one-half of one percent of the Societys membership each year, saidChang Kee Jung, SUNY distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. It signifies their outstanding contributions to the advances in science and their distinguished career. It also reflects the strength of the nuclearphysics program at Stony Brook that isone of the top-ranked programsin the nation.

Verbaarschot is a theoretical physicist interested in non-perturbative effects in Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory such as correlations of quantum spectra, classical solutions of non-linear field theories, the spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry, QCD at nonzero baryon density.

Verbaarschot has been particularly fascinated by the interplay between chaos and symmetry in quantum systems. He believes that a full understanding of a problem in mathematical physics requires a synergy between analytical and numerical methods which is reflected in many of his over 150 research articles. A significant portion of his publications has been devoted to analysis of mathematical problems in Random Matrix Theory.

Hemmick is a professor of experimental nuclear physics whose research involves the study of collisions of heavy ions at high energies. He is a member of the PHENIX experiment at the Brookhaven National Laboratory RHIC accelerator, and he works on both the Ring-Imaging Cherenkov Detector or RICH and on the PHENIX Drift Chambers which are part of the PHENIX Tracking system.

Hemmick is also a member of the research community that is working to develop detector technologies for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a next-generation nuclear physics facility in the planning stages at BNL.

Ross Corliss, a research assistant professor, was one of 10 winners of APS Fundamental Physics Innovation Awards, earning a Convening Award.

Corliss explained: Our upcoming workshop, Scientific Opportunities at the Intensity Frontier: Physics with 10-100 MeV Beams, will bring together an international community to explore how new, high luminosity, medium energy accelerators like TRIUMFs ARIEL facility can help explore open, statistics-hungry physics questions. These questions cover a wide range of interests, from rare processes, to precision SM tests, to searches for dark matter and other beyond-the-standard-model physics.

The innovation awards are funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and have been given over the last three years to stimulate ideas on innovative ways in which emerging technologies can be used to address pressing problems in fundamental physics beyond the Standard Model by bringing people together to collaborate on ideas and explore new cost-effective approaches.

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Physics and Astronomy Faculty Named APS Fellows, Win Physics Innovation Award | | SBU News - Stony Brook News

NASA & Astronomy Ireland Observe The Moon Night

To celebrate NASA's billion dollar Moon missions LRO and LCROSS that discovered so much about the Moon in October 2010 a Moon Watch has been organised annually since then and now has over 800 events worldwide as part of NASA's "International Observe the Moon Night"

This year, due to Covid-19 restrictions Astronomy Ireland are encouraging everyone in the country to get out, even at their own home and using the naked eye or low cost binoculars observe the Moon, on this 'International Observe the Moon Night' on October 16th, the Moon can be seen all night from sunset at 6:30pm until after midnight.

"The Moon is full of details to see like craters, mountains, vast lava lakes and more.

It is by the far the most spectacular object to see in a telescope.

It is great be joining forces with NASA focus on the Moon for one night a year, even if we cannot do it together!" said David Moore, editor of Astronomy Ireland magazine.

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NASA & Astronomy Ireland Observe The Moon Night | SPINSouthWest - SPIN South West

Some have called NASAs James Webb Space Telescope the telescope that ate astronomy. It is the most powerful space telescope ever built and a complex piece of mechanical origami that has pushed the limits of human engineering. On Dec. 18, 2021, after years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns, the telescope is scheduled to launch into orbit and usher in the next era of astronomy.

Im an astronomer with a specialty in observational cosmology Ive been studying distant galaxies for 30 years. Some of the biggest unanswered questions about the universe relate to its early years just after the Big Bang. When did the first stars and galaxies form? Which came first, and why? I am incredibly excited that astronomers may soon uncover the story of how galaxies started because James Webb was built specifically to answer these very questions.

Excellent evidence shows that the universe started with an event called the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, which left it in an ultra-hot, ultra-dense state. The universe immediately began expanding after the Big Bang, cooling as it did so. One second after the Big Bang, the universe was a hundred trillion miles across with an average temperature of an incredible 18 billion F (10 billion C). Around 400,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe was 10 million light years across and the temperature had cooled to 5,500 F (3,000 C). If anyone had been there to see it at this point, the universe would have been glowing dull red like a giant heat lamp.

Throughout this time, space was filled with a smooth soup of high energy particles, radiation, hydrogen and helium. There was no structure. As the expanding universe became bigger and colder, the soup thinned out and everything faded to black. This was the start of what astronomers call the Dark Ages of the universe.

The soup of the Dark Ages was not perfectly uniform and due to gravity, tiny areas of gas began to clump together and become more dense. The smooth universe became lumpy and these small clumps of denser gas were seeds for the eventual formation of stars, galaxies and everything else in the universe.

Although there was nothing to see, the Dark Ages were an important phase in the evolution of the universe.

The Dark Ages ended when gravity formed the first stars and galaxies that eventually began to emit the first light. Although astronomers dont know when first light happened, the best guess is that it was several hundred million years after the Big Bang. Astronomers also dont know whether stars or galaxies formed first.

Current theories based on how gravity forms structure in a universe dominated by dark matter suggest that small objects like stars and star clusters likely formed first and then later grew into dwarf galaxies and then larger galaxies like the Milky Way. These first stars in the universe were extreme objects compared to stars of today. They were a million times brighter but they lived very short lives. They burned hot and bright and when they died, they left behind black holes up to a hundred times the Suns mass, which might have acted as the seeds for galaxy formation.

Astronomers would love to study this fascinating and important era of the universe, but detecting first light is incredibly challenging. Compared to massive, bright galaxies of today, the first objects were very small and due to the constant expansion of the universe, theyre now tens of billions of light years away from Earth. Also, the earliest stars were surrounded by gas left over from their formation and this gas acted like fog that absorbed most of the light. It took several hundred million years for radiation to blast away the fog. This early light is very faint by the time it gets to Earth.

But this is not the only challenge.

As the universe expands, it continuously stretches the wavelength of light traveling through it. This is called redshift because it shifts light of shorter wavelengths like blue or white light to longer wavelengths like red or infrared light. Though not a perfect analogy, it is similar to how when a car drives past you, the pitch of any sounds it is making drops noticeably.

By the time light emitted by an early star or galaxy 13 billion years ago reaches any telescope on Earth, it has been stretched by a factor of 10 by the expansion of the universe. It arrives as infrared light, meaning it has a wavelength longer than that of red light. To see first light, you have to be looking for infrared light.

[The Conversations science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories. Weekly on Wednesdays.]

Enter the James Webb Space Telescope.

Telescopes are like time machines. If an object is 10,000 light-years away, that means the light takes 10,000 years to reach Earth. So the further out in space astronomers look, the further back in time we are looking.

Engineers optimized James Webb for specifically detecting the faint infrared light of the earliest stars or galaxies. Compared to the Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb has a 15 times wider field of view on its camera, collects six times more light and its sensors are tuned to be most sensitive to infrared light.

The strategy will be to stare deeply at one patch of sky for a long time, collecting as much light and information from the most distant and oldest galaxies as possible. With this data, it may be possible to answer when and how the Dark Ages ended, but there are many other important discoveries to be made. For example, unraveling this story may also help explain the nature of dark matter, the mysterious form of matter that makes up about 80% of the mass of the universe.

James Webb is the most technically difficult mission NASA has ever attempted. But I think the scientific questions it may help answer will be worth every ounce of effort. I and other astronomers are waiting excitedly for the data to start coming back sometime in 2022.

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The most powerful space telescope ever built will look back in time to the Dark Ages of the universe - The Conversation US

The International Observe the Moon Night, the global initiative organized by NASA dedicated to the discovery and monitoring of a natural satellite, is back. Nearly two thousand events have taken place all over the world, from the United States to Canada, from South America to the Arabian Peninsula to Europe. About a hundred initiatives in Italy, including those of the Union of Italian Amateur Astronomers (UAI) and the Virtual Telescope Project.

The international designation is an opportunity to propose observations on the telescope dedicated to the moon, which is today in its first quarter, and to deepen topics such as its formation, previous and planned space missions, myths, poetry, music and various artistic expressions inspired by the natural satellite.

In Italy, the special event was organized on October 16 at the Monte Vizighi Astronomical Observatory in La Spezia with the game Moon and the observation of stars, the images of which were taken directly by telescopes, on a screen. Telescopes are also targeting our satellite at the Astronomical Observatory of Punta Falcon di Piombino. While the Ravennate Astrofili Rheyta (Arar) Association proposed the La Luna dantesca event at the Classense Library in Ravenna.

In the US, NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, on the other hand, is organizing a virtual observation and continuing the celebrations with activities on social media, while a live lunar broadcast organized by the British Space Agency is scheduled from the island of Cyprus. .

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It's the night of the moon, more than 2000 events in the world live at 10:30 pm - space and astronomy - News Net Nebraska

An artistic representation of the weird radio waves coming from the heart of the Milky Way. These are unlike any radio signals detected before and are puzzling scientists as to their origin. The source is named ASKAP J173608.2-321635, based on its coordinates on the sky. Image via Sebastian Zentilomo/ The University of Sydney.Weird radio waves from an unknown source

Radio emission is common in the universe. Theyre generated by everything from planets and stars exotic objects like pulsars and black holes galaxies and, of course, human technology. This week (October 12, 2021), astronomers said theyve detected new and unusual radio wave signals, unlike any found before. The radio waves are coming from the direction of the center of our Milky Way galaxy. And so far, scientists havent explained them.

Astronomers discovered the variable signals using the ASKAP radio telescope in Australia. The behavior of the radio emission doesnt fit the pattern of any known source of radio signals. It might be a new kind of stellar object, the scientists said.

Ziteng Wang in the School of Physics at The University of Sydney led the international team of astronomers from Australia, Germany, the United States, Canada, South Africa, Spain and France who observed the signals. They published their peer-reviewed paper about the intriguing discovery in The Astrophysical Journal on October 12.

The source of the signals has been dubbed ASKAP J173608.2-321635, but astronomers dont know what the source actually is. It is located in the direction of the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Wang said:

The brightness of the object [] varies dramatically, by a factor of 100, and the signal switches on and off apparently at random. Weve never seen anything like it.

Whatever it is, it is highly polarized and oscillates, as Wang explained:

The strangest property of this new signal is that it is has a very high polarization. This means its light oscillates in only one direction, but that direction rotates with time.

See an animated representation of the radio signals in the video below:

One of the most extraordinary things about the source is how it was found. Tara Murphy from the Sydney Institute for Astronomy and the School of Physics said:

We have been surveying the sky with ASKAP to find unusual new objects with a project known as Variables and Slow Transients (VAST), throughout 2020 and 2021. Looking towards the center of the galaxy, we found ASKAP J173608.2-321635, named after its coordinates. This object was unique in that it started out invisible, became bright, faded away and then reappeared. This behavior was extraordinary.

The astronomers detected six signals over a period of nine months in 2020. But, when the astronomers tried to find the source in visual light, using optical telescopes, they saw nothing. The Parkes radio telescope in Australia also came up empty.

But then, the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, an array of telescopes more sensitive than Parkes, did detect it. The signal was there, albeit intermittent and different. Murphy described the signal:

Luckily, the signal returned, but we found that the behavior of the source was dramatically different. The source disappeared in a single day, even though it had lasted for weeks in our previous ASKAP observations.

Wang and his team ruled out that it might be a pulsar, a rapidly spinning neutron star that emits lighthouse-like beams of energy:

At first we thought it could be a pulsar a very dense type of spinning dead star or else a type of star that emits huge solar flares. But the signals from this new source dont match what we expect from these types of celestial objects.

The signals also appear to be different from those generated by such objects as supernovae, flaring stars and fast radio bursts (FRBs). Those objects are also variable, but sorry, no match to the newly discovered oddity.

However, there do seem to be some similarities with other mysterious sources near the galactic center called Galactic Center Radio Transients (GCRTs). David Kaplan at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee explained:

The information we do have has some parallels with another emerging class of mysterious objects known as Galactic Center Radio Transients, including one dubbed the cosmic burper.

While our new object, ASKAP J173608.2-321635, does share some properties with GCRTs, there are also differences. And we dont really understand those sources, anyway, so this adds to the mystery.

The discovery is a puzzling mystery for scientists, and naturally, they want to figure it out. So what comes next? The researchers plan to continue monitoring the signals as much as they can. In addition, they will get help with that task, thanks to a new powerful radio telescope being built. According to Murphy:

Within the next decade, the transcontinental Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope will come online. It will be able to make sensitive maps of the sky every day. We expect the power of this telescope will help us solve mysteries such as this latest discovery, but it will also open vast new swathes of the cosmos to exploration in the radio spectrum.

In the meantime, scientists will keep listening with current telescopes, in hopes of finding more clues. Whatever this enigma turns out to be, it will provide exciting new insights about our universe.

Bottom line: An international team of astronomers has detected weird radio waves coming from the heart of the Milky Way. They are unlike any found before, and may originate from a new type of cosmic object.

Source: Discovery of ASKAP J173608.2321635 as a Highly Polarized Transient Point Source with the Australian SKA Pathfinder

Source (preprint): Discovery of ASKAP J173608.2-321635 as a Highly-Polarized Transient Point Source with the Australian SKA Pathfinder

Via The University of Sydney

Via the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Paul Scott Anderson has had a passion for space exploration that began when he was a child when he watched Carl Sagans Cosmos. While in school he was known for his passion for space exploration and astronomy. He started his blog The Meridiani Journal in 2005, which was a chronicle of planetary exploration. In 2015, the blog was renamed as Planetaria. While interested in all aspects of space exploration, his primary passion is planetary science. In 2011, he started writing about space on a freelance basis, and now currently writes for AmericaSpace and Futurism (part of Vocal). He has also written for Universe Today and SpaceFlight Insider, and has also been published in The Mars Quarterly and has done supplementary writing for the well-known iOS app Exoplanet for iPhone and iPad.

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Weird radio waves from the heart of the Milky Way - EarthSky

The American Physical Society has honored Chad Orzel, associate professor of physics and astronomy, as a member of the Societys 2021 Fellows.

The APS Fellowship Program recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise in physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, or significant contributions to physics education.

Each year, no more than one-half of one percent of the Society membership is recognized by their peers for election to the status of Fellow in the American Physical Society. This year, 155 Fellows were selected for their contributions to science in an announcement Wednesday.

Orzel was nominated through the Forum on Outreach and Engaging the Public, which focuses on improving the public's knowledge of and appreciation for physics.

In addition to teaching and research, Orzel writes books about science for non-scientists. His first book, "How to Teach [Quantum] Physics to Your Dog," explains modern physics through imaginary conversations with his German shepherd, Emmy. His most recent book, "Breakfast with Einstein: The Exotic Physics of Everyday Objects," explains how quantum physics shows up in the course of ordinary morning activities. "A Brief History of Timekeeping," which covers 5,000 years of the science and technology of marking time, is due out in January. It is based in part on a sophomore research seminar he has taught at Union.

Orzel also maintains a steady online presence, which started with the launch of a blog, Uncertain Principles, in 2002. He is a regular contributor to Forbes and Substack.

I use those platforms to try to show people a bit about life as a scientist and some of the wonders of physics, particularly quantum mechanics, said Orzel. This goes hand in hand with my work teaching at Union. Much of what's in the books and on the blogs is drawn from courses I teach, and I've used materials I developed for the books in some of my courses.

Orzel said it is a great honor to have his work recognized by his peers.

It really means a lot to know that other members of the physics community appreciate the time and effort I've put into trying to share physics with the broader public, he said. It would not have been possible without support from the Union community, both directly providing me the time and space to research and write (and access to library books and journals), and more indirectly through having colleagues to ask questions and bounce ideas off.

Orzel joined Union in 2001.

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Chad Orzel, associate professor of physics and astronomy, honored as APS Fellow - Union College

What is Astronomy Day?

Doug Berger, while president of the Astronomical Association of Northern California at the time, started Astronomy Day in 1973 with the goal of bringing attention to the night sky. Astronomy Day happens every spring and fall on a Saturday close to the first-quarter Moon. This month, the Moon reaches first quarter on Wednesday, October 13th (October 12th for U.S. time zones).

Whether you have a telescope, binoculars, or prefer to observe with only your unaided eye, this is a great chance to head out and see some amazing things in the night sky this weekend.

Star parties, where people bring their equipment and observe together, are a great way to spend the night. These events are an inspiring experience for anyone, including beginners who are just starting to learn about astronomy.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still making things difficult, and many of us cant get to events easily. Instead, how about having a virtual star party? Talk to some friends or with a local astronomy club, chat online, and enjoy all things astronomical this weekend.

Here are a few things to get you started, especially if youre new to the hobby.

It is Astronomy Day isnt it? Why should everything happen at night? So, a few times during the day, note where the Sun is. That path the Sun travels across the sky is called the ecliptic, which will come in handy later.

IMPORTANT: Please, no telescopes or binoculars for this. You could severely damage your eyes. Do not stare at the Sun, lenses or not.

In the dimming autumn evening, lets look for our nearest celestial neighbor: the Moon. On Saturday after sunset, in deepening twilight, we'll see a young, waxing crescent Moon, about halfway between new and first quarter, just above the stunning gleam of the planet Venus. As the pair glide toward the horizon, lets see if we can spot earthshine, the sunlight that bounced off Earth, off the Moon, and back to our eyes. Earthshine appears a dim glow on the Moons unlit side, and its easiest to see during the Moons crescent phases. Maybe we can also catch some of the Moons features hiding in the shadows there. The pair will set about two hours after sunset, so linger here for awhile; itll be worth it.

Remember when we were watching the Suns movement across the sky and used it to imagine the ecliptic? After catching up with the Moon and Venus, follow that same imaginary line back toward the east across the southern sky. The next bright object well come to is the planet Saturn.

I wont lie, Saturns a little tough. Its not as bright as we might expect it to be; after all, its light has traveled almost 2 billion miles to get to our eyes! Still, I always love how understated and subtle it is with the naked eye. Binoculars likely wont let you see the rings, but their presence makes the planet appear a bit stretched out and egg-shaped. With a telescope, those rings come into clearer view. With optical aid, you might even be able to see its giant moon, Titan, appearing as a nearby star. (You can double-check using our interactive online tool.)

A bit farther to the east, well find unmistakable Jupiter. Its the third-brightest object in the night sky (after the Moon and Venus), and its been positively gorgeous recently. With our binoculars, we can spot its four planet-size Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Those tiny dots are each very roughly the size of Mercury.

As the night goes on, well see the Pleiades open star cluster (Messier 45) rise. The Pleiades, which looks like a tiny dipper, but isnt the famous Little Dipper, is 444 light-years from us. This makes it one of the closest open star clusters to Earth. With good vision and sufficiently dark skies, we might be able to see six or seven stars with the naked eye. Through binoculars, though, its positively jaw-dropping, with countless stars spilled across the sky. We usually think of this cluster as a wintertime object, but here it is in early October: a sneak preview of good things to come.

This ones a bit of a challenge for beginners. The Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) is the nearest large spiral galaxy, and in October, its well-placed for easy spotting in mid-evening. While its possible to see M31 under very dark and clear skies, most of us need binoculars or a telescope to find it.

There are two easy ways to get to it. First, face northeast and find the constellation Cassiopeia. This month, its stars sit like the number 3 in the northeast sky. Then scan the sky about 15 degrees toward the right or upper right. (Extend your fist and stick out your index and pinkie fingers in a hang loose sign, and itll be that far toward the right of Cassiopeia if youre in the Northern Hemisphere ).

Or you can star-hop with a telescope or binoculars. Start by finding Mirach, which is the second in the line of three stars extending northeast from northeastern corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. From Mirach, hop toward the northwest to Mu Andromedae, then to Nu Andromedae (see diagram below), and start scanning the sky nearby.

Either way, youll know when you see it because the galaxy almost looks like a giant thumbprint on the sky. This is a great skill to pick up because once we find it, well know exactly where to look next time, and then we can tell everyone where they can see 2.5 million-year-old light, too.

These are just a few things we can see this weekend. What else should we look for? I hope youll head out and have a great Astronomy Day, everyone! Leave a comment and let me know how it goes!

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Celebrate Fall Astronomy Day This Weekend - Sky & Telescope - SkyandTelescope.com