A Light in the Sky

Our Star Party on April 1st turned into a successful evening despite the bad weather throughout the day. Miraculously, it cleared and the wind dropped just in time and we watched the first pass of the International Space Station (ISS) while the sky was still quite bright. It was easy to see but we looked in vain for the Jules Verne supply vessel.

As the sky darkened Saturn, Mars and the brighter stars appeared. Several telescopes were set up including one that a customer brought along. Viewing was good and we spent most of the time outdoors showing nebulae, clusters and galaxies to the visitors.

The sky was dark and clear for the second pass of the ISS and Jules Verne was clearly visible quite some distance ahead of the ISS. It was much further in front than any of us had expected so we don't know if we would have seen it in the earlier bright sky if we'd looked in the right place.

The ISS was very bright and unmistakable. For some visitors it was the first satellite they had knowingly seen. They soon got the hang of it and spotted ten or twelve more as the night went on.

One of our visitors was Don Airey, keyboard player with Deep Purple. Don is rediscovering an interest in the stars and he gave me a copy of his new solo CD called A Light in the Sky. Quite appropriate for the occasion.

New Prices from Celestron

I've praised Celestron's Nexstar 6 SE in earlier newsletters and still recommend it strongly. Now it's even better value as it is one of the telescopes covered by Celestron's Spring Promotions which were announced this week. At 619 pounds it really is a bargain. Other ranges that have been reduced include the SLTs and the Omnis. There's never been a better time to buy a telescope.

Protect Your Telescope with a Green Witch Scope Coat

We've introduced a new scope cover that we think you will like. It is made of hard-wearing woven polyester treated to protect against snow, frost, rain, pollution and birds. It's also ultra-violet stabilised and waterproof. It comes in a zip-up case and will cover most telescopes up to 12 inches in aperture. Brass eyelets and quality tie-cords enable you to secure it easily, and it has ventilation flaps to help prevent condensation.

It is ideal if you want to protect your telescope while you wait for the weather to clear, or if you want to leave dismantling it until the next morning. And it is equally suitable as a dust sheet. And the price is only 14.99 pounds. Find it on our web site under telescope accessories>accessories by type>Cases, Bags and Covers or follow this link:

http://www.green-witch.com/acatalog/Cases_and_Bags.html

International Year of Astronomy 2009

I know it's a long way off but wanted to remind you that the United Nations have designated 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy. This coincides with the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first telescopic observations of the heavens, the 40th anniversary of the first man on the moon and the 400th anniversary of Thomas Harriot's first astronomical observations through a telescope.

It's not too soon to start encouraging your local school or youth group to plan astronomy into next year's programme. There are bound to be lots of web sites covering it but you might like to start with this one:

http://www.astronomy2009.co.uk/

It has been set up by the Royal Astronomical Society, the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Institute of Physics. Grants are available to fund suitable projects which is another good reason to plan early.

Response to Number 10 Petition regarding funding for Particle Physics and Astronomy

Downing Street has issued a reply to the petition that asked the Prime Minister to reverse the cuts in funding for Particle Physics and Astronomy. Predictably it claims there is no cut and that there is in fact more money for these sciences. You can read the full text at http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page15216.asp

Although the petition may not result in any immediate increase in funding I hope it will have reminded the government of the importance of basic research and the strength of feeling in the community.

Arizona Sky Village

I've added two more visit reports to the web site covering trips in January and August 2007. They don't say much about the astronomy because I've got so used to it being excellent I tend to take it for granted. For any of you trying to persuade a partner there is more to the ASV than astronomy then the reports might help.

Looking South at 10 pm (from Cambridge in the UK)

This newsletter is a little earlier than usual as I shall be away for the rest of the week. Coupled with the move to BST this means the southern meridian is still through Leo's head and Saturn is more or less on it at 10 tonight. So let's try to find an object with an interesting name that few beginners will have seen. I'm referring to the Ghost of Jupiter which is in Hydra, not quite half-way down the snake's body.

Also known as NGC 3242 it is a planetary nebula, a star that is throwing off outer layers of its atmosphere to create a shell that we see as a tiny 'smoke ring'. It is similar in apparent size to Jupiter and its visual magnitude is 9 so should be visible in small telescopes. It's about 30 degrees below Saturn and just under 20 degrees above the horizon so you will need a reasonably clear sky and a good southern horizon. You might like to try a UHC or an OIII filter to improve the view.

When you find it take a good look as it's an example of what will probably happen to our Sun in five billion years time. Think also of the atoms that make up your body. All the elements between helium and iron, including carbon, oxygen and nitrogen were manufactured inside stars and spread through space by planetary nebulae. Good Hunting.

And Finally...

Jules Verne did dock successfully with the ISS just two days after we watched the two spacecraft pass overhead. This marks a milestone for Europe and for space technology development. It paves the way for lower-cost, unmanned delivery of supplies to the ISS.

Clear Skies and Best Wishes

Neil

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