Supernova in M82 Peaks

	SAVE THIS | EMAIL THIS | Close

vscript language="javascript1.2" src="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/g/g/button/button_1.js"> email this >print this >save this >rss > OBSERVING BLOG by Alan MacRobert Supernova in M82 Reaches Its Peak Supernova 2014J in M82 has finally stopped brightening, at about magnitude 10.5. The galaxy and supernova are visible in amateur telescopes in the northeast during evening. Last updated January 31st The supernova in M82 as imaged by Leonid Elenin (Lyubertsy, Russia) and I. Molotov (Moscow, Russia) on Jan. 22.396. It's located at right ascension 9h 55m 42.2s, declination +69° 40′ 26″. It was V magnitude 11.7 at the time. Leonid Elenin On January 21st a group of astronomy students spotted a supernova in M82, the famous nearby irregular galaxy in Ursa Major. It continues to swell, becoming easier to see in smaller and smaller telescopes, and now seems to be peaking at about V magnitude 10.5 (as of January 31st). Here's a preliminary light curve, right up to date, from the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). The supernova is still showing its same orange tint due to reddening by dust within M82. Shortly after its discovery, Yi Cao and colleagues at Caltech took a spectrum that suggested it was two weeks away from reaching its peak brightness in the first few days of February. This and other spectra showed it to be a Type Ia supernova — an exploded white dwarf — with debris expanding at up to 20,000 kilometers per second. Because it appears reddened, it must also be dimmed by dust along our line of sight. By one estimate, it would be two magnitudes brighter if we were seeing it in the clear. Before and after. The supernova image, taken remotely by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes, and Martino Nicolini on January 22.3, shows the exploded star at unfiltered CCD magnitude 11.3. Their website. Ernesto Guido / Nick Howes / Martino Nicolini M82 is a near neighbor as galaxies go, at a distance of 11 or 12 million light-years. It's a favorite for amateur astronomers and researchers alike with its thick dust bands, sprays of hydrogen gas, and bright center undergoing massive star formation. The supernova is not in the central star-forming region but off to one side, 58 arcseconds to the west-southwest. Remarkably, the supernova went undiscovered for nearly a week as it brightened. Prediscovery unfiltered CCD images by Koichi Itagaki of Yamagata, Japan, show nothing at its location to as faint as magnitude 17.0 through January 14.5. But it was magnitude 14.4 on January 15.6, 13.9 on January 16th, 13.3 on January 17th, 12.2 on January 19th, and 11.9 on January 20th. (Images.) So the actual explosion occurred (from Earth's viewpoint) late on January 14th or early on the 15th Universal Time. It received the name Supernova 2014J once its nature was confirmed. It originally went by the preliminary designation PSN J09554214+6940260. The M81-M82 galaxy pair, 2⁄3° apart, lie in a dim region of Ursa Major off the Big Dipper. They're detectable in a large finderscope in a dark sky. Once you've recognized the general area, you'll probably need this more detailed finder chart. Sky & Telescope diagram Where to Look M82 is well up in the northeast by 7 or 8 p.m. (for observers at mid-northern latitudes). The waxing crescent Moon begins to light the evening sky noticeably after about February 2nd or 3rd, so don't wait. Here's a comparison-star chart from the AAVSO. On the chart north is up, east is left, and the field is ½° wide; star magnitudes are given to the nearest tenth with the decimal point omitted. The galaxy shows up as an elongated swarm of faint dots. (If you want other parameters, you can make your own chart using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter; for star name enter SN 2014J.) Here's the preliminary AAVSO light curve with photometry in the B, V, and R bands (blue, "visual," and red light) as well as eyeball estimates (shown black). So far the light curve is developing just as expected for a reddened Type Ia supernova. Italian observer Gianluca Masi hosted an online supernova-imaging session with his Virtual Telescope Project on January 25th. Click on the link to see a replay of the hour-long event. Here's a wide-field view of M81 and M82 including the supernova, for a broader perspective. S&T senior editor Dennis di Cicco captured M82's supernova on the evening of January 23rd with an Officina Stellare 12-inch f/7.9 RiDK 305 astrograph. S&T: Dennis di Cicco & Sean Walker . A Flukey Find The first people to recognize the supernova were a group of students — Ben Cooke, Tom Wright, Matthew Wilde and Guy Pollack, assisted by teaching fellow Stephen J. Fossey — taking a quick image at the University of London Observatory (within the London city limits!) on the evening of January 21st at 19:20 UT. "The discovery was a fluke," says a university press release, —a 10-minute telescope workshop for undergraduate students that led to a global scramble to acquire confirming images and spectra. "The weather was closing in, with increasing cloud," Fossey says. "So instead of the planned practical astronomy class, I gave the students an introductory demonstration of how to use the CCD camera on one of the observatory’s automated 0.35-meter telescopes." The students chose M82, a bright and photogenic galaxy, as their target, as it was in one of the shrinking patches of clear sky. While adjusting the telescope’s position, Fossey noticed a star overlaid on the galaxy which he did not recognise from previous observations. They inspected online archive images of the galaxy, and it became apparent that there was indeed a new starlike object in M82. With clouds closing in, they switched to taking a rapid series of 1- and 2-minute exposures through different colour filters to check that the object persisted, and to be able to measure its brightness and colour. The original press release, and a BBC story repeating it, claimed that this is the nearest supernova since Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud. In fact, SN 1993J in M81 was at essentially the same distance within the uncertainties, and two subsequent supernovae, SN 2004am and SN 2008iz (an obscured radio supernova), occurred within M82 itself. However, this is said to be the nearest Type Ia supernova since 1972. That's the kind so valuable for measuring the size and expansion rate of the universe. Despite the dimming and reddening, astronomers hope that SN 2014J will provide new details about exactly what happens in these "standard-candle" explosions. Update: Supernova in Another Messier Galaxy Don't get your hopes up, but another supernova, SN 2014L, has appeared in M99 in Coma Berenices high in the late-night sky. It was only magnitude 15.7 as of January 28.4 UT, way too faint for most amateur scopes, but it was only about magnitude 17.2 when discovered on January 26th. More information and images. It was still being reported at the same magnitude 15.7 as of January 29.4 UT. M99 is a spiral galaxy about 50 million light-years away in the Virgo Cluster, four times as far as M82. It has hosted three previous known supernovae (1967H, 1972Q, and 1986I) and the odd lesser outburst PTF 10fqs. Posted by Alan MacRobert, January 31, 2014 related content: Celestial events, Observing galaxies, nebulae, and clusters ( Share this story: Tweet!/span> Other links: + digg | + reddit | + del.icio.us | + rss comments (20) i .submission { display: none; } v Post a Comment f The following comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sky Publishing. By posting a comment, you agree to our Rules of Conduct and Terms of Use. < First comments (from 20) Report Violation Backyard astronomy Posted by Anthony Barreiro January 22, 2014 At 11:08 AM PST This is very exciting news, thanks. I'm glad I happened to check the S&T website today. Tonight, Wednesday January 22, was already going to be interesting, with Algol at minimum brightness at 2220 PST, Europa and Europa's shadow transiting Jupiter from 2018 to 2352 PST, and Jupiter's great red spot at the central meridian at 2232 PST. We're having a drought here in California, so the weather has been remarkably good for skywatching. I'll add M82's supernova to my list for tonight. By the way, Sky and Telescope used to send out occasional email alerts for special events like supernovae. Do you still do this? Do I need to sign up again? Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation on-line video of M82 SN Posted by Ron January 22, 2014 At 11:25 AM PST Check out this video on youtube. they have the SN live and even talk about (lack of) them in M82 and don't recognize a new star is right there on the image! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePOrciuULH0&feature=share&t=21m36s Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation Nearest Supernova? Posted by Jon Hanford January 23, 2014 At 06:18 AM PST Not only was SN1993J in M81 at about the same distance, two supernovae have appeared in M82 since 1987, SN2004am and SN2008iz(a radio supernova). SN2004am, a Type II-P SN, appeared very close to the position of the current SN: http://astro.berkeley.edu/bait/public_html/2004/sn2004am.html Additional info on these two supernovae in M82 can be found here: http://arxiv.org/abs/1207.1889 http://www3.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/staff/abrunthaler/m82.shtml Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation a special supernova Posted by Paul Vondra January 23, 2014 At 09:23 PM PST My 86-year-old mother passed away this afternoon, peacefully, at home, after suffering a second stroke on Monday. She never regained consciousness. Unscientific though it is, I will always think of this as her Special Guidelight as she sets sail across that Vast and Unknown Sea. I live in Pittsburgh where it has been cloudy and bitterly cold since I first heard of the supernova yesterday but I intend to set up my scope the first clear chance i get regardless of the temp. to see it. The only other supernova I've ever seen was the one in M101 a year or two back and I'm hoping this one may get a little brighter. Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation a special supernova Posted by Bruce Mayfield January 24, 2014 At 05:15 AM PST Paul, sorry to read of your loss. I lost my mother a few years back. While we know scientifically that astronomical and human events are unrelated, seeing something special at a time of great loss can bring comfort, so I hope you are able to personally observe SN2014J, and may your heart be warmed when you do. But science alone doesn’t offer much hope though. Reflecting on these verses were some of the many that brought me hope and comfort when my mother passed; Job 14:14,15 and Acts 24:15. Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation Max Mag of M82 SN Posted by Tom Hoffelder January 24, 2014 At 02:50 PM PST Happy to see the "very tentative" prediction of mag 10.1 as the maximum. I have seen other sources saying as bright as 8. They must be ignoring the reddening caused by dust. Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation M82 supernova Posted by John Mahlberg January 24, 2014 At 06:55 PM PST I could just barely glimpse the super nova tonight through a 90 MM scope in central Colorado. Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation M82 Supernova Posted by mrvair January 25, 2014 At 09:38 AM PST Events like this supernova remind me of Psalms 19:1. Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation M82 Supernova Posted by Bruce January 25, 2014 At 04:15 PM PST That's one of my favorite verses too Mrvair. I hope to see this, but only have 10x50 binoculars. In a fairly dark sky, what appartent magnatude would this SN have to reach to be detectable? Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Report Violation M82 Supernova in Binoculars Posted by Hal Lane January 25, 2014 At 07:48 PM PST Bruce, This PDF: "Limiting Magnitude in Binoculars" http://www.cloudynights.com/documents/limiting.pdf answers your question: "what appartent magnatude would this SN have to reach to be detectable [in 10x50 binos]?" -- but you'll have to do a bit of reading to find it... Note that the author of the paper used a tripod and averted vision (looking very slightly away from the object being looked for) for their tests... In the PDF the 3rd page has a list of useful abbreviations used in the paper. Please post whether you were able to see 2014J or not, and the circumstances (sky darkness, etc.) of your attempt! - Hal Lane Violation: - select a reason for reporting this comment -Offensive Image or PictureSpamming or AdvertisingVulgarity or ProfanityPersonal AttackInvasion of PrivacyImpersonating another MemberOther Additional Comments: Please type the security words into the box to prevent abuse of this utility. Post a commentPost a comment Read More Blogs read all comments post comment Your Name: Subject: Your Comment (2,000 character limit): Search: Tag: TopicEquipmentAstrophotographyDealers and manufacturersEyepieces and filtersOther astro gearSoftwareTelescope makingTelescopes and binocularsNews TopicsAstrobiologyAstronomy and societyBlack HolesCosmologyExoplanetsGalaxiesHistory and sky loreMilky WayPeople, places, and eventsProfessional telescopesScience and space policySolar systemSpacecraft and space missionsStellar scienceObservingAtmospheric phenomenaCelestial eventsObserving double, multiple, and variable starsObserving galaxies, nebulae, and clustersObserving our solar systemObserving techniquesPro-am collaboration Author: bloggerAlan MacRobertAlan SternAndrew ChaikinBabak TafreshiCamille CarlisleDavid LevyDavid TytellDennis di CiccoEmily PooreGary SeronikGovert SchillingIvan SemeniukJay PasachoffJessica KlossJessica OrwigJohannes HirnJohn BochanskiJonathan McDowellJoseph PiergrossiKelly BeattyKristina GrifantiniMark ShowalterMark ZastrowMichael DelaneyMonica YoungNaomi PasachoffPaul DeansPhil UnsworthRaphael RosenRick FienbergRobert NaeyeRoger SinnottSean WalkerSelby CullSharazade BalouchiShweta KrishnanStephen CraftStuart GoldmanSue FrenchTony FlandersValerie Daumthe Editors of Sky and TelescopeRobert Buchheim Date: MonthJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptember OctoberNovemberDecember Year 20142006

Find this article at: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/Bright-Supernova-in-M82-241477661.html

SAVE THIS | EMAIL THIS | Close

Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.

Copyright © 2008 New Track Media. All rights reserved.

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information

LUNAR TRANSIT OF THE SUN...

Earlier Yesterday, the Moon eclipsed the sun. No one on Earth saw it. The "lunar transit" was only visible from space. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the whole thing from geosynchronous orbit:

 

http://spaceweather.com/images2014/30jan14/max2_anim.gif?PHPSESSID=ejto7i145vdu91njvhu86vi503

At maximum eclipse as much as 90% of the sun was covered. SDO is solar powered, but it did not "brown out" because mission controllers put an extra charge on the spacecraft's batteries ahead of time.

Every year, SDO observes multiple lunar transits. This one, lasting almost 2.5 hours, was the longest in the history of the spacecraft's 4 year mission.

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information

Lunar Transit of the Sun

Space Weather News for Jan. 29, 2014
http://spaceweather.com

LUNAR TRANSIT:  The Moon is about to pass in front of the sun, producing an eclipse that can be seen only from space.  NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory will record the 2.5-hour  "lunar transit" beginning at 1331 UTC or 8:31 EST on Thursday, Jan. 30th.  Tune into http://spaceweather.com for pictures during the event.

SOLAR FLARES: A large and moderately active sunspot is slowly turning toward Earth, increasing the chances of geoeffective solar activity this week. X-flare alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)

[BAA-ebulletin 00783] SUPERNOVA 2014J, SN 2014G, PSN J12184868+1424435 and PNV J16161867+1151058

======================================================================
BAA electronic bulletin
======================================================================

A new supernovae, now designated SN 2014J, has been discovered in M82
by Stephen J. Fossey, University of London Observatory (ULO), on CCD
images obtained by himself and students B. Cooke, G. Pollack, M.
Wilde, and T. Wright.  They used the ULO 35-cm Schmidt-Cassegrain
telescope at Mill Hill, London, on 2014 Jan. 21.80UT. It is located
at: RA 9h 55m 42.14s DEC +69 40' 26.0" (2000), 54" west and 21" south
of the galaxy's centre. Their discovery is reported here
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/maps-faculty/maps-news-publication/maps1405

It is of type Ia-HV and its current magnitude is around 10.8.

Charts and a sequence may also be plotted using the AAVSO chart
plotter http://www.aavso.org/vsp/chart and entering SN 2014J.  This
can then be re-produced to any size and orientation by using the
"Return and Replot" facility at the top right of the chart.

SN 2014G
This supernovae was discovered separately by Koichi Itagaki and
Patrick Wiggins in NGC 3448 on 2014 Jan. 14.317 at mag 15.2 and is now
around mag 14.4.  It is at R.A. = 10h54m34s.13, Decl. = +54°17'56".9
some 44" west and 20" south of the centre. Discovery images can be
found here http://www.k-itagaki.jp/images/3448.jpg and here
http://users.wirelessbeehive.com/~paw/temp/NGC3448_2014JAN06-14.JPG.
This SN is of type IIn.

Charts and a sequence may also be plotted in the same way as for SN
2014J above.

PSN J12184868+1424435
This possible supernovae was discovered by the THU-NAOC Transient
Survey (TNTS) on 2014 Jan 26.830 in M99.  Its position is R.A. =
12h18m48s.68, Decl. = +14°24'43".5 and the PSN is located 14" west and
16" south of the center of M99.  A discovery image can be found here
http://www.thca.tsinghua.edu.cn/~wangxf/TNTS/PSNJ12184868+1424435.png
and an animation here
http://s176.photobucket.com/user/walcom77/media/M99_H06_T11_January_28_2014_animation_zps2d0dc2b7.gif.html
Its mag is around 15.4.

No sequence is yet available for this object.

PNV J16161867+1151058
Finally, a possible new nova has been reported in Hercules at R.A.
16h16m18.67s Decl. +11°51'05.8" (J2000.0) at 13.1 mag (unfiltered) on
2014 January 24.824 UT.  It was discovered by H. Nishimura,
Shizuoka-ken, Japan, on four 30-s frames (limiting mag.= about 15)
using 200-mm f/3.2 lens + Canon digital camera, who writes nothing is
visible at this location on his past frames taken on 2014 Jan. 18.854
and 22.839 UT (limit mag.= 15) using same patrol camera.

A chart and sequence is already available for this object and may be
obtained as described above.

Roger Pickard, VSS Director
roger.pickard@sky.com
2014 Jan 28
======================================================================
BAA-ebulletin mailing list visit:
http://lists.britastro.org/mailman/listinfo/baa-ebulletin
(c) 2013 British Astronomical Association    http://www.britastro.org/
======================================================================

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information

Charts-info Astrosite Groningen (January 25, 2014)

Dear comet observers,    We have prepared the following new charts for our homepage:    C/2012 X1 (LINEAR):    - two 4.5x6.0 degrees charts for the period 27 January - 11 February 2014    C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy):    - a 4.5x6 degrees chart for the period 27 January - 10 February 2014    These new charts are now available in the charts section of our   mainpage at: http://www.shopplaza.nl/astro    Reinder Bouma/Edwin van Dijk  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information

Bright Supernova in M82

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/Bright-Supernova-in-M82-241477661.html

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information

Supernova in nearby galaxy M82

                           

The SOCIETY for POPULAR ASTRONOMY           Electronic News Bulletin No. 368b  2014 January 22 Here is the latest round-up of news from the Society for Popular Astronomy.  The SPA is Britain's liveliest astronomical society, with members all over the world.  We accept subscription payments online at our secure site and can take credit and debit cards.  You can join or renew via a secure server or just see how much we have to offer by visiting    http://www.popastro.com/ SUPERNOVA SPOTTED IN NEARBY GALAXY M82 By Robin Scagell A relatively close supernova has exploded in the galaxy Messier 82 and may become bright enough to be observed in binoculars. M82 lies about 11.4 million light-years away, which is relatively nearby, making this already one of the brightest for many years. Early images show the supernova as a bright blob against the cigar shape of the galaxy, which can be found in the constellation of Ursa Major and which is visible as a smudge in binoculars or a small telescope. Estimates of its brightness put it at a little above 12th magnitude, so it is a telescopic target. However, supernova experts say it was discovered early in its explosive outburst and so could reach magnitude 8. The galaxy M82 is easy to find using the familiar star pattern of the Big Dipper (also known as the Plough) which is part of the constellation of Ursa Major. Just imagine a line extended through the stars gamma and alpha and it will point to where the galaxy lies. An image of the supernova was taken by SPA member Robin Scagell, remotely using a telescope in New Mexico. The supernova appears to have been discovered on Tuesday night by tutor Dr Steve Fossey and his students, of University College London, when they imaged the galaxy from the university's teaching observatory at Mill Hill, north London. It was confirmed by Russian astronomers L Elenin and I Molotov, using a 0.4-metre telescope at the ISON-NM Observatory at Mayhill, New Mexico. Its position is measured as 09h 55m 42s, +69d 40' 25.8", and the discovery brightness was given as magnitude 11.7. Remarkably, pre-discovery images have turned up showing that the supernova was already apparent a week before discovery as it brightened. But somehow it went unnoticed. News of the supernova spread swiftly thanks to social media such as Twitter, with excited professional astronomers comparing notes to help themselves understand its significance! They will also be scouring old Hubble images to see if they can se the star that produced the supernova. The SPA's Tony Markham, a formidable variable star observer, said: "At its latest reported magnitude of 11.7, a telescope will be needed to see the supernova. However given that it seems to have been detected in its early stages it may well brighten further and could even become visible in good binoculars." Chris Lintott, of the University of Oxford, and presenter of The Sky at Night, told us: "This is a nearby supernova, by astronomical standards, and so we have the chance to learn about the causes and processes that drive these spectacular events. Early indications are this might be a type Ia - they're the type we use to measure the expansion of the Universe and so that would be especially exciting." The closest supernova of recent years was seen to explode in 1987 in the Milky Way's companion galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud. Labelled SN1987A, it was of a different type to the new supernova, and reached magnitude 3 though was too far south for UK observers to see. Finder charts and images can be found at the SPA website: http://www.popastro.com/news/newsdetail.php?id_nw=235   Bulletin compiled by Clive Down (c) 2014 the Society for Popular Astronomy Our lively website:  www.popastro.com

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information

Supernova in M82

http://www.popastro.com/news/newsdetail.php?id_nw=235

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information

[BAA-ebulletin 00781] National Astronomy Week 2014

======================================================================
BAA electronic bulletin
======================================================================
National Astronomy Week, 2014 March 01–08

The sixth National Astronomy Week (NAW) occurs from March 01–08. NAW is organised and promoted by a committee representing all the main astronomical organisations in the UK, including the BAA. Its purpose is to stimulate public interest in astronomy and space science through the organisation of events country-wide. The BAA is supporting NAW financially, and encourages all its members and affiliated societies and schools to organise, or otherwise take part in, events and activities aimed at bringing astronomy to the general public, particularly including observing activities.

The theme of this year's NAW is "Target Jupiter", drawing attention to the fact that Jupiter will be ideally placed for observation during the evening in early March, at more or less the highest altitude it can obtain from the UK. Towards the end of the week the waxing crescent Moon will also be an attractive evening target, and of course the impressive winter deep-sky objects in Taurus, Auriga, Gemini and Orion will still be visible.

There will be an associated Star Count project to assess light pollution levels across the country, in collaboration with the BAA Campaign for Dark Skies and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, plus educational projects, including an attempt to reproduce Rømer's measurement of the speed of light using phenomena of Jupiter's satellites, in association with Orwell Astronomical Society.

NAW should be well-supported by national and local media. The main source of information will be the NAW website:
http://astronomyweek.org.uk
This contains a calendar of events and a map showing where they are taking place in the country, as well as other information. Event organisers should register here (the process has been made as simple as possible) and input details of their events. Many events are already on there.

If you have any queries or require any further information, please contact the NAW Project Co-ordinator Mrs Laurie Marsden:

E-mail: naw2014@the-observatory.org

Phone: 01323 832731
Fax : 01323 832741

The Observatory Science Centre
Herstmonceux
East Sussex
BN27 1RN

E-bulletin issued by David Arditti, Council Member of the BAA, representing the Association on the NAW committee
E-mail d@davidarditti.co.uk
======================================================================
BAA-ebulletin mailing list visit:
http://lists.britastro.org/mailman/listinfo/baa-ebulletin
(c) 2013 British Astronomical Association    http://www.britastro.org/
======================================================================

 

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information

SPA ENB No. 368

               

The SOCIETY for POPULAR ASTRONOMY           Electronic News Bulletin No. 368   2014 January 19 Here is the latest round-up of news from the Society for Popular Astronomy.  The SPA is Britain's liveliest astronomical society, with members all over the world.  We accept subscription payments online at our secure site and can take credit and debit cards.  You can join or renew via a secure server or just see how much we have to offer by visiting    http://www.popastro.com/ EARTH-MASS GAS PLANET Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Astronomers have discovered the first Earth-mass planet that transits, or crosses in front of, its host star.  KOI-314c is the lightest planet to have both its mass and physical size measured. Surprisingly, although the planet weighs the same as Earth, it is 60 percent larger in diameter, meaning that it must have a very thick, gaseous atmosphere.  The planet might have the same mass as Earth, but it is certainly not Earth-like and proves that there is no clear dividing line between rocky worlds like Earth and fluffier planets like water worlds or gas giants.   The team gleaned the planet's characteristics using data from NASA's Kepler spacecraft.  KOI-314c orbits a dim, red dwarf star located approximately 200 light-years away.  It circles its star every 23 days.  The team estimates its temperature to be 105 degrees Centigrade.  KOI-314c is only 30 percent denser than water which suggests that the planet is enveloped by a significant atmosphere of hydrogen and helium hundreds of miles thick.  It might have begun life as a mini-Neptune and lost some of its atmospheric gases over time, boiled off by the intense radiation of its star. Weighing such a small planet was a challenge.  Conventionally, astronomers measure the mass of an exoplanet by measuring the tiny wobbles of the parent star induced by the planet's gravity.  This radial velocity method is extremely difficult for a planet with Earth's mass.  The previous record holder for a planet with a measured mass (Kepler-78b) weighed 70 percent more than Earth.  To weigh KOI-314c, the team relied on a different technique known as transit timing variations (TTV).  This method can only be used when more than one planet orbits a star. The two planets tug on each other, slightly changing the times that they transit their star.  Rather than looking for a wobbling star, astronomers essentially look for a wobbling planet, Kepler saw two planets transiting in front of the same star over and over again.  By measuring the times at which these transits occurred very carefully, they were able to discover that the two planets are locked in an intricate dance of tiny wobbles giving away their masses.  The second planet in the system, KOI-314b, is about the same size as KOI-314c but significantly denser, weighing about 4 times as much as Earth.  It orbits the star every 13 days, meaning it is in a 5-to-3 resonance with the outer planet.  TTV is a very young method of finding and studying exoplanets, first used successfully in 2010. The planet was discovered by chance by the team as they scoured the Kepler data not for exoplanets, but for exomoons.  The Hunt for Exomoons with Kepler (HEK) project scans through Kepler's planet haul looking for TTV, which can also be a signature of an exomoon.  When astronomers noticed this planet showed transit timing variations, the signature was clearly because of the other planet in the system and not a moon.  At first they were disappointed it wasn't a moon but then they soon realized it was an extraordinary measurement. NEW TYPE OFCELESTIAL OBJECT University of Toronto An object located near and likely orbiting a very young star about 440 light years away from the Sun, is leading astrophysicists to believe that there is not an easy-to-define line between what is and is not a planet.  Astronomers have very detailed measurements of the object spanning seven years, even a spectrum revealing its gravity, temperature, and molecular composition.  Still they can't yet determine whether it is a planet or a failed star -- what we call a 'brown dwarf'.  Depending on what measurement you consider, the answer could be either.  Named ROXs 42Bb for it's proximity to the star ROXs 42B, the object is approximately nine times the mass of Jupiter, below the limit most astronomers use to separate planets from brown dwarfs, which are more massive.  However, it is located 30 times further away from the star than Jupiter is from the Sun.  Most astronomers believe that gas giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn formed by core accretion, whereby the planets form from a solid core that then accretes a massive gaseous envelope.  Core accretion operates most efficiently closer to the parent star owing to the length of time required to first form the core.  An alternate theory proposed for forming gas giant planets is disk instability -- a process by which a fragment of a disk gas surrounding a young star directly collapses under its own gravity into a planet.  This mechanism works best farther away from the parent star. Of the dozen or so other young objects with masses of planets observed by the team, some have planet-to-star mass ratios less than about 10 times that Jupiter and are located within about 15 times Jupiter's separation from the Sun.  Others have much higher mass ratios and/or are located more than 50 times Jupiter's orbital separation, properties that are similar to much more massive objects widely accepted to not be planets.  The first group would be planets formed by core accretion, and the second group probably formed just like stars and brown dwarfs. In between these two populations is a big gap separating true planets from other objects.  Astronomers say that the new object starts to blur this distinction between planets and brown dwarfs, and may lie within and begin to fill the gap.  It's very hard to understand how this object formed like Jupiter did.  However, it's also too low mass to be a typical brown dwarf; disk instability might just work at its distance from the star.  It may represent a new class of planets or it may just be a very rare, very low-mass brown dwarf formed like other stars and brown dwarfs: a 'planet mass' brown dwarf. Regardless, it should spur new research in planet and star formation theories, and serve as a crucial reference point with which to understand the properties of young planets at similar temperatures, masses and ages. TRIPLE STAR SYSTEM COULD REVEAL SECRETS OF GRAVITY BBC News Astronomers have discovered a triple star system which could reveal the true nature of gravity.  They found a pulsar with two white dwarfs all packed in a space smaller than Earth's orbit of the Sun. The trio's unusually close orbits allow precise measurements of gravity and could resolve difficulties with Einstein's theories.  This triple system gives us a natural cosmic laboratory far better than anything found before for learning exactly how such three-body systems work and potentially for detecting problems with general relativity that physicists expect to see under extreme conditions.  Pulsars emit lighthouse-like beams of radio waves that rapidly sweep through space as the stars spin on their axes and are formed after a supernova collapses a burnt-out star to a dense, highly magnetised ball of neutrons.  Using the Green Bank Telescope, the astronomers discovered a pulsar 4,200 light-years from Earth, spinning nearly 366 times per second. Such rapidly-spinning bodies are called millisecond pulsars - and are used by astronomers as precision tools for studying gravitational effects and other phenomena.  Subsequent observations showed the pulsar is in a close orbit with a white dwarf star, and that pair is in orbit with another, more-distant white dwarf.  Three-body systems are keenly studied because they allow competing theories of gravity to be tested. But until now the only known triple system containing a millisecond pulsar was one with a planet as the outer companion, causing only weak gravitational interactions.  The gravitational perturbations imposed on each member of this system by the others are incredibly pure and strong.  By precisely timing the arrival of the pulses, the scientists were able to calculate the geometry of the system and the masses of the stars.  The pulsar's inner white-dwarf companion has an orbital period of less than two days, while the outer dwarf has a period of almost a year.  The system gives the scientists the best opportunity yet to look for violations of the equivalence principle described by Einstein - which states that the effect of gravity on a body does not depend on the nature or internal structure of that body.   This was famously illustrated by Galileo's dropping of two balls of different weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Apollo 15 Commander Dave Scott's dropping of a hammer and a falcon feather while standing on the Moon in 1971.  Rather than drifting to the ground, the feather plummeted, falling as fast as the hammer. Without air resistance to slow the feather, both objects hit the lunar dust at the same time.  While Einstein's theory of general relativity has so far been confirmed by every experiment, it is not compatible with quantum theory.  Because of that, physicists expect that it will break down under extreme conditions.  High-precision timing of the pulsar's "lighthouse" flashes will let astronomers hunt for deviations in the equivalence principle at a sensitivity several orders of magnitude greater than ever before.  Finding a deviation would indicate a breakdown of general relativity and point us toward a new, correct theory of gravity. ALMA OBSERVES SUPERNOVA DUST FACTORY ESO Galaxies can be remarkably dusty places and supernovae are thought to be a primary source of that dust, especially in the early Universe. But direct evidence of a supernova's dust making capabilities has been slim up to now, and could not account for the copious amount of dust detected in young, distant galaxies.  But now observations with ALMA are changing that.   An international team of astronomers used ALMA to observe the glowing remains of Supernova 1987A , which is in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way about 160 000 light years from Earth.  SN 1987A is the closest observed supernova explosion since Johannes Kepler's observation of a supernova inside the Milky Way in 1604.   Astronomers predicted that as the gas cooled after the explosion, large amounts of dust would form as atoms of oxygen, carbon, and silicon bonded together in the cold central regions of the remnant.  However, earlier observations of SN 1987A with infrared telescopes, made during the first 500 days after the explosion, detected only a small amount of hot dust.  Using ALMA, the research team was able to image the far more abundant cold dust, which glows brightly in millimetre and submillimetre light.  The astronomers estimate that the remnant now contains about 25 percent the mass of the Sun in newly formed dust.  They also found that significant amounts of carbon monoxide and silicon monoxide have formed.  Supernovae, however, can both create and destroy dust grains.  As the shockwave from the initial explosion radiated out into space, it produced bright glowing rings of material, as seen in earlier observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.  After hitting this envelope of gas, which was sloughed off by the progenitor red giant star as it neared the end of its life, a portion of this powerful explosion rebounded back towards the centre of the remnant. At some point, this rebound shockwave will slam into these billowing clumps of freshly minted dust and it's likely that some fraction of the dust will be blasted apart at that point.  It's hard to predict exactly how much — maybe only a little, possibly a half or two thirds. If a good fraction survives and makes it into interstellar space, it could account for the copious dust astronomers detect in the early Universe. ISS  LIFE TO BE EXTENDED BBC News NASA has won White House backing to extend the life of the International Space Station for a further four years, until 2024. Construction of the ISS began in 1998 and is a joint venture between the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, and states in the European Space Agency (ESA).  For the extension to happen, it will likely need the partners' support.  Their current commitments run to 2020, but many engineers believe the station could work safely until at least 2028.  NASA says that it is feasible to continue operating the ISS if some partners decided not to stay on board, but it expects them all to offer full support, even if the agreements took a few years to put in place. Certainly, Germany, Europe's biggest contributor to the ISS project is keen to see the $100bn orbiting platform operate for many years into the future. At the moment, the station is solely reliant on Russian Soyuz capsules to rotate the platform's six-person crew.   NASA is therefore seeding American companies, including Sierra Nevada, to help them design and build alternatives.  The mini-shuttle is known as the Dream Chaser and would launch atop an Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.  It is envisaged that the vehicle will make its maiden voyage into orbit in 2016, in an autonomous configuration; and then fly its first manned mission in 2017.  The Ariane 5 was originally conceived as a human launcher, and Europe spent considerable funds designing its own mini- shuttle called Hermes to go on top of the rocket.  Budget constraints eventually led to the Hermes project being cancelled. NASA SPACECRAFT FINDS ITS FIRST NEW ASTEROID NASA NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) spacecraft has discovered a never-before-seen asteroid -- its first such discovery since coming out of hibernation last year. NEOWISE originally was called the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), which had made the most comprehensive survey to date of asteroids and comets.  The spacecraft was shut down in 2011 after its primary mission was completed, but in September 2013, it was reactivated, renamed and given a new mission, which is to assist NASA's efforts to identify the population of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs).  NEOWISE also can assist in characterizing previously detected asteroids that could be considered potential targets for future exploration missions.  NEOWISE's first discovery of its renewed mission came on Dec. 29 -- a near-Earth asteroid designated 2013 YP139. The mission's sophisticated software picked out the moving object against a background of stationary stars.  As NEOWISE circled Earth scanning the sky, it observed the asteroid several times over half a day before the object moved beyond its view.  2013 YP139 is about 43 million kilometres from Earth. Based on its infrared brightness, scientists estimate it to be roughly 650 metres in diameter and extremely dark, like a piece of coal.  The asteroid circles the Sun in an elliptical orbit tilted to the plane of our solar system and is classified as potentially hazardous. It is possible for its orbit to bring it as close as 300,000 miles from Earth, a little more than the distance to the Moon.  However, it will not come that close within the next century.  WISE discovered more than 34,000 asteroids and characterized 158,000 throughout the solar system during its prime mission in 2010 and early 2011.  Its reactivation in September followed 31 months in hibernation.  NEOWISE will continue to detect asteroids and comets. COUNTDOWN TO PLUTO NASA One of the fastest spacecraft ever built -- NASA's New Horizons -- is hurtling through the void at nearly one million miles per day.  Launched in 2006, it has been in flight longer than some missions last, and it is nearing its destination: Pluto.  Closest approach is scheduled for July 2015 when New Horizons flies only 10,000 km from Pluto, but the spacecraft will be busy long before that date.  The first step, in January 2015, is an intensive campaign of photography by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager or "LORRI."  This will help mission controllers pinpoint Pluto's location, which is uncertain by a few thousand kilometres.  LORRI will photograph the planet against known background star fields.  The images will be used to refine Pluto's distance from the spacecraft, and then fire the engines to make any necessary corrections.  At first, Pluto and its large moon Charon will be little more than distant pinpricks--but soon they will swell into full-fledged worlds.  By late April 2015, the approaching spacecraft will be taking pictures of Pluto that surpass the best images from Hubble.   By closest approach in July 2015, a whole new world will open up to the spacecraft's cameras.  If New Horizons flew over Earth at the same altitude, it could see individual buildings and their shapes. SPA SOLAR SECTION October 2013 By Geoff Elston, SPA Solar Section Director  I've been trying out a combination of a new full aperture solar filter (a "Sonnenfilter SF100" which I bought at the recent SPA 60th Anniversary Convention), UV/IR filter and a deep sky OIII filter when taking images of the Sun with a Canon D550 DSLR and 80mm f11 refractor. The OIII filter is said to act like a solar continuum filter and when ombined with a UV/IR rejection filter helps to improve the clarity of digital solar images. Rotation Nos. 2142 - 2143 There a significant rise in sunspot number in October, compared to the previous two months, and we had at least one, possibly two, naked eye sunspots. The Mean Daily Frequency went up from 2.80 last month to 5.10 this month and the Relative Sunspot Number more than doubled from 35.47 in September, to 71.65 this month. WHITE LIGHT ACTIVITY The first few days of October showed limited sunspot activity. AR1855, AR1856 and AR1857 were seen on the 5th, the first was nearing the W limb, and the second and third were still some way from the SE limb. As AR1857 approached the W limb it was followed by AR1861, AR1864 and AR1865 coming over the SE limb and putting on a fine display by the 10th. All three Active Regions showed signs of growth by next day. On the 13thSpaceweather.com website announced that AR1861 and AR1865, by then near the CM, were active with low-level C class flares due to their sunspot configuration. From mid-month onwards sunspot activity really picked up. AR1875 and AR1877 were seen near the SE limb on 19th. AR1875 was visible to the naked eye on the 24th was remained so even as it neared the NW limb on the 27th. The main spot showed a bright patch of photosphere with a trail of smaller spots behind it. AR1877 was possibly visible to the naked eye as well. AR1882 was much further east, towards the SE limb, and had about 16 umbrae embedded within the penumbrae. A patch of bright photosphere was also seen in the centre of the main spot. On the same day AR1884 and AR1885 were just over the SE or E limb and showed faculae being close to the limb. By the 30th the Sun was again very active, AR1882 was now at the CM behind a very complex group AR1885 and AR1879 coming over the E limb with bright faculae scattered around the two main sunspots. MDF: 5.10 R: 71.65 H-ALPHA ACTIVITY On the 5th plages and filaments were seen around AR1856 and AR1857 and a group of bright lengthy prominences were seen on the E limb. There was a substantial hedgerow prominence on the 7th. Numerous plages and small filaments were seen around AR1861, AR1864 and AR1865 on the 10th as were prominences along the S, E and W limbs. A broad dense prominence was also seen at the NW limb the following day. On the 15th a substantial prominence was seen at the S limb and a sizable arch prominence on the NW limb. Meanwhile AR1861, AR1864 and AR1865 still showed plages and filaments near them. The 17th saw some large and diverse prominences as well as spikes particularly along the SW limb, extending eastwards. AR1875 and AR1877 each showed several plages nearby and AR1877 had a large coiled filament just east of it on the 24th. Also seen on that same day were some filaments at the SE and SW limbs and there were several sizeable prominences visible. On the 25th a long curved filament was observed passing through AR1875, prominences and spikes were seen on the N and W limbs, and a bright highly active prominence on the SE limb. On the 31st several dark conspicuous filaments were seen near the E limb as well as a tree-like prominence on the W limb. MDF (P): 7.18 Go to the Solar Section link on the SPA homepage to see a selection of the many remarkable images and drawings made by the Section membership.   Bulletin compiled by Clive Down (c) 2014 the Society for Popular Astronomy

--

Good Clear Skies
--
Astrocomet
--
Colin James Watling

--

Various Voluntary work-Litter Picking for Parish Council (Daytime) and also a friend of Kessingland Beach (Watchman)
--

Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
--

Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

--
Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
--
Information