The Phoenix has Landed

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander managed to avoid the bank holiday traffic and arrived safely at its destination in Mars' northern arctic region. It is looking for evidence that the arctic soil can support microbial life. Powered by two solar 'wings' it looks a bit like a giant insect about to take off.

Using its robotic arm it will dig through the surface layers to reach the water ice believed to lie below. This will be brought to the surface with soil samples for analysis. Its four main aims are to determine whether life ever arose on Mars, to characterise its climate, to characterise its geology and to prepare for human exploration.

Mars is currently about 700 times further away than our Moon so the next step for manned exploration will certainly be a big one.

Cambridgeshire County Show at Wimpole Hall

If you enjoy country shows then why not come to Wimpole Hall on Sunday 1st June? We will be there with a trade stand and we always enjoy the show because it's not too big but has plenty to interest the whole family. Click here for details

Stock Clearance

We've cleared out quite a bit of stock to make way for new products in the showroom but there are still some bargains to be had. The list was on our web site but many of the items have now been sold. We've also got a load of smaller items in the showroom which are not listed on the web site.

Hawke Binoculars

We've just taken delivery of a new range of binoculars from Hawke Optics and are very impressed with them. They offer excellent value and we recommend trying them if you are thinking of buying binoculars. Please remember you are always welcome to try our binoculars and we have views over open farm land where you can give them a thorough test. And you can do it without any obligation.

Getting the Most from your Spotting Scope

Astronomers are well aware of the importance of a good mount for their telescope; any slight movement or shake is especially noticeable when looking at point objects. But the same is true of field or spotting scopes and a good tripod that holds the scope steady will give much more pleasing views.

When choosing a tripod, take your scope with you to try it out. How easy is it to frame your object quickly? Does it move when you tighten the locks? Does it pan and tilt smoothly and does it settle quickly if you knock it? You also need to consider weight, especially if you plan to carry it far. We have a selection of tripods suitable for spotting scopes which you are very welcome to try.

The Sun has Flipped

Back in January the first reversed-polarity sunspot was observed by the Soho satellite, marking the start of Solar Cycle 24. Sunspot activity, which had been at a minimum is now increasing towards a maximum in 2010 or 2011 and NASA scientists predict that this will be the most intense cycle since records began.

Solar Cycles last around 11 years and the Sun's magnetic field reverses with each cycle. Many phenomena vary throughout a cycle but the most obvious and easily observed is the appearance of sunspots. Any telescope, when fitted with a suitable filter, can be used to observe sunspots.

Other phenomena such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections also vary but it requires specialist equipment to watch them. Their effect on the Earth can be quite profound producing spectacular aurora and severe communication problems. Fortunately, the specialist equipment needed is no longer confined to the research laboratories and telescopes fitted with narrow-band hydrogen-alpha filters provide unprecedented views of  our local star.

The most popular of these is the Coronado Personal Solar Telescope or PST. Costing only 399 pounds it allows you to check out solar activity whenever the Sun is shining. Watching flares appear and grow is fascinating, especially when you work out how big they are compared to the Earth.

If you've been thinking about gearing up for some solar observing this would be a good time to do it. You will be able to watch the current cycle develop and relate what you see to reports of space weather and its impact on the Earth. Here is a list of recommended equipment:

• Astrosolar Film. Flexible filter material from which you can make a filter for any telescope or binoculars. Cuts down the Sun's light to a safe level but passes all wavelengths to give a 'white light' image. Ideal for sunspots, surface granulation, faculae and limb darkening. Very easy to use. (Do not improvise with 'mylar' or similar material - it may not be safe.)
• Purpose-made filters. These are available for many of the popular telescopes. More expensive than making your own from film but more convenient if you don't like DIY.
• Solarscope Projectors. The safest way for a group to watch the Sun together. Ideal for families or school groups. Projects an image of the Sun onto the inside of a box where its motion and sunspots can be observed.
• Binomite Binoculars. Binoculars fitted with solar filters. Can only be used to observe the Sun but they are convenient for taking a quick look on a regular basis.
• Personal Solar Telescope PST. The cheapest and most popular 'h-alpha' telescope that will show you flares and prominences. Great fun to use.
• Solarview Telescopes. These are high-performance h-alpha scopes that show greater detail than a PST. Ideal for the more dedicated observer or photographer, or anyone who wants the best views available.

Future Funding for Astronomy

After the furore caused by the possible closure of Jodrell Bank and the abandonment of whole areas of research, things seem to have gone quiet again. However, behind the scenes I suspect that there is a lot of feverish activity trying to recover from the apalling press coverage the Science and Technology Facilities Council received. Let us hope the publicity has produced a more rational approach to funding research into astronomy and particle physics.

Here in Cambridge one of the world's leading physicists, Neil Turok, who holds the Chair of Mathematical Physics, is reported to be planning a move to Canada. He has been selected as the new Director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) in Waterloo, Ontario. He wanted to establish a similar institute in Cambridge to be named after his friend and collaborator, Steven Hawkins, but was unable to attract sufficient funding. Funding for the PI is many times the amount he was looking for in Cambridge and is a mixture of government and private money.

People like Neil Turok attract the brightest people to work with them and it's a great shame we can't keep him in this country.

Arizona Sky Village

Astronomy magazine's Senior Editor Michael Bakich has made a video tour of the ASV which you can watch on their web site. This link should take you straight to it but if not it should be easy to find on their web site at http://www.astronomy.com/

I've posted a report of my last visit to the ASV at http://www.arizonaskyvillage.co.uk/visitjan2008.html which you might like to read. It includes some information on Rancho Hidalgo which is a short distance away in New Mexico. Rancho Hidalgo has all the advantages of the ASV for astronomy but will also feature a major equestrian facility and vineyard. More details are at http://ranchohidalgo.green-witch.com/

As always, I found something new on this trip. I bet you've never attended a Harp and Tibetan Singing Bowl recital in the middle of the desert.

Looking South at 10 pm from Cambridge, UK (Friday 29th May 2008)

Our southern meridian runs from the handle of the Plough which is right overhead, down the border between Bootes and Coma Berenices, past Spica in Virgo and through the tail of Hydra.

Let's start overhead with a look at Mizar and its fainter companion, Alcor. Mizar is the second star in the handle of the Plough and if your eyesight is reasonably good you should be able to see Alcor alongside it. It will give you a crick in the neck to look at it for long but when it's overhead you have the best chance of resolving it. If you can't see Alcor with your naked eye use binoculars which will show it easily.

Moving down to a more comfortable angle you will see the bright star Arcturus just to the left of the meridian. Remember you can find Arcturus by following the arc of the Plough's handle. Also called Alpha Bootes, Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation of Bootes the Herdsman and the third brightest star in the night sky.

Arcturus is in the Local Stellar Cloud which is also known as the Local Fluff. This is a cloud of extremely tenuous gas with less than one molecule per cubic centimetre, but it's temperature is about the same as the surface of the Sun. We entered this cloud between 45,000 and 150,000 years ago. The Local Fluff is inside the Local Bubble where the density of gas is much lower than the surrounding interstellar medium. If you find it hard to visualise this try looking up the terms in Wikipedia. (Not everything in Wikipedia is wrong and it's getting better all the time.)

Although Arcturus is between one and one and a half times the mass of the Sun, it is about 110 times as luminous because it has swollen up to form a red giant, much as the Sun will do towards the end of its time as a main sequence star. It emits more radiation in the infra-red and gives off about 180 times as much power as the Sun.

Following the meridian down to the horizon we encounter the bright star Spica. In contrast to Arcturus this is a blue giant and is thought to be the star that provided Hipparchus with the data he needed to discover the precession of the equinoxes. A temple to Menat at Thebes was built in 3200 BC aligned with Spica. By the time of Hipparchus the alignment with Spica had changed noticeably.

Spica may be massive enough to explode as a supernova in the distant future. It's only 260 light years away so will be pretty spectacular if it does explode.

And finally...

Steve Truglia is planning an assault on the world record for a high-altitude parachute jump this Summer. Using a balloon to reach over 120,000 feet (almost 23 miles) and wearing a space suit he expects to break the sound barrier on the way down. 23 miles is a long way to fall but when we consider that most of the atmosphere will be below him it reminds us just how thin a later the atmosphere forms.

You can follow the story at http://www.spacejump.co.uk/world_record.htm

Clear Skies and Best Wishes

Neil

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