Archive for December, 2009
Cooking In Space
As you may or may not have figured out, one of my other interests is baking, as well as eating yummy food.
What better for the holidays than a post all about cooking in space? Turns out, although most astronauts rehydrate and reheat the packages of food, one astronaut at least experimented with combining those foods and ways of cooking in space. Check out Nancy’s story about Astronaut Sandy Magnus and her adventures in preparing holiday food – over at Universe Today.
You can also look into Sandy’s journal about cooking in space, or stop by my collection of recipes (none of which were ever prepared in space, sadly).
Happy Newtonmas and Merry Christmas!
~ A l i c e !
Carnival of Space #134
Stewart Atkinson of Cumbrian Sky is graciously hosting a holiday Carnival of Space #134. If you don’t go for any other reason, go to see his awesome space-y Christmas tree – it is what I’ve been trying to make mine look like for years. I still haven’t succeeded, though the star on top is a model of a star (our Sun).
Also, thanks to Stu for making sure everyone knows that Alice’s AstroInfo “does what it says on the tin” I think that’s hilarious. I like to think I provide information about Astronomy …
~ A l i c e !
January-February 2010 Sky
Check out this month’s starmap.
Notable Sky Objects
HEY ALICE, I SAW …
Believe it or not, the answer this month is either Sirius or Mars – and they are in the same part of the sky.
PLANETS
Jupiter is up at sunset, setting around 7pm.
Mars will be up all night, and beautiful. Look midway up in the east around 10pm.
Saturn will be rising in the east around 10:30pm.
Venus will not be visible; it is in the same place as the Sun.
Mercury will also be very hard to find, but it rises just before the Sun, so you have a chance.
EVENTS
January 2 – Perihelion. At 7pm the Earth will be at its closest point to the Sun.
January 4 – Latest sunrise of the year, also Spirit’s 6th anniversary on Mars.
January 25 – Mars Planetarium show opens at Pacific Science Center, also Opportunity’s 6th anniversary on Mars.
January 29 – Mars is at opposition, the best time to observe it.
January 27 – Mercury at greatest elongation, best time to observe Mercury.
January 30 – Facing Mars exhibit opens at Pacific Science Center.
New Constellations
CANIS MAJOR – The Big Dog
SCIENCE: Obviously you’ll need to notice Sirius, the brightest star in the night-time sky, and if you’re wondering about that other one nearby, that’s Procyon. It’s not in Canis Major, it’s in Canis Minor (the little dog), but it’s nearby. If you have a new telescope (or an old one), Sirius might be a fun target, it’s bright enough to find with your scope semi-easily, and it’s a double star, so once you find it look for the teeeeensy-tinsey companion star. (I say “semi-easily” because learning to point a scope takes practice).
MYTH: Traditionally Canis Major and Minor are known as Orion’s hunting dogs, but children today will recognize something else in this constellation. The star Sirius is the inspiration behind the name of J.K. Rowling’s character Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series. Sirius Black is an animagus, a man who can turn himself into an animal. Guess what animal he becomes? Yup – a dog. A big, black dog. She knew her stuff.
According to Dr. Snowder at the Western Washington University Planetarium, the Chinook Tribe sees a canoe race in this part of the sky:
“A big canoe (Orion’s belt) and a small canoe (Orion’s dagger) are in a race to see who can be the first to catch a salmon in the Big River (Milky Way). The little canoe is winning the race. Can you tell which star is the fish? It is the very bright star in the middle of the river (Sirius).”
CANCER – The Crab
SCIENCE: Oh beautiful M44! Messier Object #44, the Beehive Cluster, is in the middle of Cancer. I have been told it’s called the Beehive because it’s full of little triangles of stars which look like bees swarming around.
MYTH: The ancient Egyptians saw Cancer as a scarab beetle – a symbol of life and immortality.
LEO – The Lion
SCIENCE: The star Wolf 359 is in Leo. It’s the third closest star to the Sun – and you might remember it from Star Trek fame – the Battle of Wolf 359, where the Federation attempts to hold off a Borg attack. The other closest stars are Alpha Centauri and Barnard’s Star. It’s too dim to see without a telescope or a camera, but it would be between Leo’s front and back feet.
Gliese 436 (I know, terrible names) is ALSO in Leo. There may be a small Earth-ish-like planet around this one – there’s definitely a Neptune-ish-like planet. We talked about a similar discovery a while ago – and this discovery is by the same team.
MYTH: The Khoisan people of South Africa call Regulus the “Fire Finisher.” It is a star that marks the time of night in the winter. Unfortunately, in the paper I read, the Fire Finisher might also be Antares or Arcturus – depending on which tribe you ask. Regulus is called “G/wi” – and I’m sorry, I can’t help you pronounce that, the “/” is an actual part of the anglicized spelling, because the Khoisan languages are the “clicky” languages of the San (Bushman) people. (This is from Astronomy Across Cultures, a book of scientific papers on traditional astronomy around the world. It’s an awesome book, and VERY hard to get a hold of).
“Tiny” Guys
Going for the Gold? Here’s this month’s itty-bittys.
LEPUS – The Hare
ERIDANUS – The River (Actually, it’s huge, but dim)
CANIS MINOR – The Little Dog
LEO MINOR – The Small Lion (Between the Big Dipper and Leo)
CAMELOPARDALIS– The Giraffe
TRIANGULUM – The Triangle
ARIES – The Ram
SEXTANS – The Sextant
HYDRA – The Sea Serpent (Also big and dim, so big that it may be the biggest Northern Hemisphere constellation)
MONOCEROS – The Unicorn
LYNX – The Lynx
LACERTA – The Lizard
Returning Constellations
ORION – The Hunter
TAURUS – The Bull
GEMINI – The Twins
PISCES – The Fish
ANDROMEDA – Princess Andromeda
PEGASUS – The Winged Horse
CEPHEUS – King Cepheus
DRACO – The Dragon
URSA MAJOR – The Great Bear
URSA MINOR – The Little Bear
CASSIOPEIA – The Queen
Happy Sky Viewing!
Where’d I get my Info?
My memory, and Zeta Strickland
Selin, Helaine ed. Astronomy Across Cultures. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2000.
~ A l i c e !
Jay O’Callahan and the NASA Story
THIS is what I’ve been waiting for. Yesterday I received wonderful news in my e-mail. Jay O’Callahan will tell his NASA Story on PRI’s Living on Earth the weekend after Christmas.
This is a well-written and well-told story of NASA’s first 50 years. You should all mark your calendars and drop everything for it.
I heard this story at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific meeting in September, and Jay moved the audience to tears.
Not often do I believe this vehemently that everyone should watch/listen/or read a certain thing. I may say “You gotta see…” or “This is the best ever…” but it is often hyperbole. This though, this you should hear. I assume a recording will come out at some point, but there has been no noise about such and I have not heard of motions in that direction. So, as it stands this MAY be your only chance to hear this story – sometimes things get lost in the sands of time. Tune in, turn it up, and imagine an grey-haired man with graceful hands beginning to spin a tale in for you.
The e-mail:
Jay’s NASA Story on NPR!
Jay recorded a 48-minute “broadcast” version of his NASA story, Forged in the Stars, before a lively audience for NPR*’s Living on Earth. It will air on Living on Earth the weekend after Christmas. To find out when Living on Earth is broadcast on your local NPR station, go to www.loe.org, click on WHERE TO TUNE IN, then click on your state or go directly to your local NPR station.
You may already have heard a segment of this story called The Eagle Soars on Living on Earth. The upcoming broadcast is the complete “broadcast” version of Forged in the Stars.
Be sure to tune in! Happy Holidays!
|
Read about my journey of the creation of Forged in the Stars
Visit Jay’s Website
|
Jay O’Callahan, PO Box 1054, Marshfield, MA 02050
800-626-5356, jay@ocallahan.com, www.ocallahan.com |
*As pointed out later, Living on Earth is produced by PRI, not NPR.
~ A l i c e !
Winter Solstice Sunset – 2009
- When: Monday, December 21st 4:20pm (so come at 4)
- Where: Solstice Park (or, if you’re not in Seattle, wherever you have a view of the western horizon!)
- Who: Everyone welcome – like the last few events
Come watch the winter solstice sunset Solstice Park in West Seattle on Monday (the 21st). We’ll see if the sunset lines up with the placed marker. I’ll be there even if it is cloudy because sometimes the Sun peeks through just as it begins to set, but if it is driving rain or sleet I’m staying home with a hot cup of tea.
If you’re interested – here’s the timing of various celestial events on Monday from Seattle, courtesy of the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department
Sun and Moon Data for One Day
Seattle, King County, Washington (longitude W122.3, latitude N47.6):
Monday 21 December 2009 Pacific Standard Time
SUN
Begin civil twilight 7:19 a.m.
Sunrise 7:55 a.m.
Sun transit 12:08 p.m.
Sunset 4:20 p.m.
End civil twilight 4:56 p.m.MOON
Moonset 8:44 p.m. on preceding day
Moonrise 10:44 a.m.
Moon transit 4:11 p.m.
Moonset 9:48 p.m.
Moonrise 11:02 a.m. on following dayPhase of the Moon on 21 December: waxing crescent
Everyone is welcome, see you there!
Oh – and check out this week’s Carnival of Space – #133!
~ A l i c e !
Magnetotactic Bacteria
Magnetotaxis is movement along magnetic field lines, from Latin magnes (magnet) and Greek taxis (arrangement). The Latin magnes is itself from Greek ho Magnes lithos “the Magnesian stone,”(This is what my etymology research turns up, if you know more, let me know so I can pass it on!)
Where Do They Live?
Magnetotactic bacteria on Earth are found in a layer of water called the oxic-anoxic transition zone: where the water goes from having oxygen to not having oxygen. The bacteria often occur within sediments (like the muck at the bottom of a pond – but that’s a simplified example). They don’t occur in all water at this transition zone, the water must be exactly the right composition.
There are many types of magnetotactic bacteria on Earth. The shapes include: coccoid (connected bubbles), ovoid, rods, vibrios (curved rods), & spirilla (spirals).
Movement
All know magnetotactic bacteria on Earth have flagella (tails) for movement. They orient along magnetic field lines and actively swim along those lines. Dead magnetotactic bacteria do not move along magnetic field lines.
Some northern hemisphere magnetotactic bacteria swim along the geomagnetic field towards our North Pole. Some southern hemisphere magnetotactic bacteria swim along the geomagnetic field towards our South Pole. Since our magnetic field is centered on the center of the earth, these magnetotactic bacteria are swimming along the field line in the direction of “down.” It was originally thought that this was to allow the bacteria to burrow down deeper into the sediment. It has since been discovered that magnetotactic bacteria also use aerotaxis. Wahhh! Too many big words! Aerotaxis: move to or away from oxygen. So really, the bacteria not preferentially going “down” the magnetic field line, they’re preferentially going away from the oxygen and also happen to be moving along the magnetic field line.
How Do They Work?
Magnetotactic bacteria have structures inside them, magnetosomes, which contain crystals of iron. Those crystals are magnetic: magnetite. There’s a “skin” (membrane) around the magnetosomes – it probably helps the bacterium control the growth of the magnetite crystals. Most freshwater magnetotactic bacteria create magnetite (iron & oxygen), but many marine and salt-water species create greigite (iron & sulfur) instead.
Here’s what matters in terms of finding magnetite in that Martian meteorite: “The narrow size range and consistent morphologies of the magnetosome crystals in each species or strain are clear indications that the magnetotactic bacteria exert a high degree of control over the processes of magnetosome formation.” (Frankel) In other words, the magnetite crystals are very, very similar between bacteria, and that’s the type of magnetite crystal found in the Martian meteorite ALH84001.
Want More?
~ A l i c e !
Geminids at the Seattle Christmas Ship
We saw a couple of Geminids this evening while we were out watching the Christmas Ship at Lowman Beach in West Seattle. (For those of you who don’t know, or those of you not in Seattle, the Christmas Ship is a local tradition that’s been going for 60 years. Argosy cruises takes a choir and a majorly awesome sound system out on a cruise around Seattle. They stop at various beaches where folks are gathered and sing (from afar) Christmas carols at you).
Well, tonight the Geminid meteor shower is peaking. I didn’t even plan to go out looking for them since it is cloudy, but since we were on the beach for the Christmas ship anyway, I looked up and the sky was semi-clear. We each saw about two, with one spectacular one right over the ship itself which made most of the Christmas ship audience ooh and ahh. Jason happened to have his finger on the shutter of his camera and caught it:
These pictures are copyright 2009 to Jason Gift Enevoldsen. If you’d like to reproduce them please credit him and let me know (alices astro info at gmail dot com). Click to see bigger.
Here are some helpful labels:
Happy meteor-watching!
~ A l i c e !
Answering Questions: Life on Other Planets?
Here are my questions:
1. What is the possibility that intelligent life on other planets exists?
2. Have we found any signs of life on other planets?
3. What is the possibility that any life will be found on a moon such as Europa or Titan?
Again, I greatly appreciate your time, and thank you in advance for your response.
Many Thanks,
-Jacob
Jacob, ahh, these are the questions driving our exploration of the solar system.
1. What is the possibility that intelligent life on other planets exists?
This question is more of an opinion question at this point than a science question. There are just beginning to be scientists attempting to put a number to the possibility that there is life on other planets. I’d like to break this question down.
Life within our solar system (other than on Earth)
There is no evidence of intelligent life within our solar system. This does depend on your definition of intelligent, but one definition sometimes used by astronomers is that intelligent aliens would be able to form civilizations and use radio communication. We would have picked up those radio signals long ago had they been created within our solar system. It is entirely possible that there is life that is not creating radio signals – but we might have detected that life in other ways too: noticing extra heat, carbon dioxide, oxygen, or methane in the atmospheres of other planets and moons within our solar system.
There is a scientist – Dr. Abel Méndez from Puerto Rico who is studying how likely it is that life could survive (the habitability of) on various planets and moons. He has actually ranked Enceladus, Saturn’s moon, as having more habitable area than Earth!!
Life outside our solar system
Since we have not yet found evidence of life outside our solar system, we have no way of knowing if it is there or not. If you like, you can use the Drake Equation to make your own guess, based on your own choices for the percentage of stars that you think might have planets, and the percentage of those that might be habitable. If you talk to your math teacher about how to use this formula you can get your own best guess. If you’d rather though, scroll to the bottom of this page and choose the numbers you like best, and the webpage will calculate it for you.
2. Have we found any signs of life on other planets?
Hmm. Not really. Scientists are looking for what they call “markers” of life or “markers of biogenic activity” (both phrases mean the same thing). For instance – if you see dog poop in the park, although the poop isn’t alive you can be pretty certain that there was a dog at that exact location not too long ago. Most of the markers scientists are looking for aren’t nearly as certain as that.
Methane
A while ago scientists studying Mars found new methane in the atmosphere. Methane is often produced when life forms digest food – it comes out of your body when you burp or fart. Bacteria make methane too, as do dogs, cows, and other animals. Unfortunately, the rock cycle can also make methane – especially when iron rusts. Mars is covered in rust – that’s why it is red. This discovery of methane could be either from geology or from biology, it is not necessarily a “marker of life.”
Magnetotactic Bacteria
Last week I wouldn’t have mentioned this, but there is a new scientific paper out this week. In 1996 scientists found what they thought were markers of life in a meteorite from Mars. This meteorite (ALH 84001) was discovered in Antarctica in the early 80s. There were two interesting things inside this meteorite: forms that might be fossilized bacteria, and strings of magnetite (a magnetic mineral). We can’t really tell about the shapes that might be fossilized bacteria, but the strings of magnetite are identical to magnetite strings created by certain bacteria (magnetotactic bacteria) here on Earth. This is a very new paper, so other scientists might have other ways to interpret the same information.
3. What is the possiblity that any life will be found on a moon such as Europa or Titan?
If you look at the work done by Dr. Abel Méndez it looks fairly likely that life might have begun on Europa or Enceladus. Titan is less likely, as is Mars. How likely is it that the life is still there or that we’ll find it? I don’t know. Scientists are constantly debating this one.
Useful Links
Dr. Abel Méndez on Planet Habitability
Magnetotactic Bacteria from NASA
Advanced Links (My source material)
(These are source material, but I do not recommend them unless you want to spend hours piecing through the jargon)
Press release about Méndez’s work, with diagram
~ A l i c e !
West Seattle Stargazing Tonight – Solstice Park 12/7/2009
- When: Tonight 5pm+
- Where: Solstice Park
- Who: Everyone welcome – like the last event
I have officially given up on “planned” stargazing in Seattle. I’ve been foiled by the weather too many times. I tip my hats to those of you who persevere. Hereafter you can expect all stargazing events from me to be last-minute, as with this one!
If the weather holds, tonight you will find me and my scopes at Solstice Park in West Seattle just as it begins to get dark starting between 4:30pm and 5pm. I’ll go until it clouds over or my fingers get too cold (and I can be quite a pansy). I may also be late – depending on the commute.
Everyone is welcome – bring your binocs, scopes, or just yourself and we’ll see things Galileo hadn’t even thought of. I’m also brining a thermos of hot tea, but if you have a mug of chocolate instead please set it aside before using my telescopes. :)
Oh – and check out this week’s Carnival of Space – #132!
~ A l i c e !
2009 Gift Guide
Since you asked me for the information, here you go!
Looking for something for that little (or big) astronomer in your life? Well, if you need a little help, or feel a like the possibilities are too infinite, I’ve gathered together some of my suggestions here. You should note: you know your friends and family best so ignore my age recommendations if you like. You should note, some of this sounds like I’m just advertising what we have to offer here at Pacific Science Center. Yes, I have a vested interest in Pacific Science Center doing well, but I promise this guide includes only gifts I would actually recommend or purchase myself for my own friends.
*A number of these ideas are available at the Pacific Science Center Store. Some are online, others are not. To find the items online go to pacificsciencecenter.org and click on the store link.
First Things First
*Solar System Cards – I have to point these out, since I made them. Appropriate for many ages from beginning readers to adults, this is a full-color glossy deck of 44 objects within our solar system, and is a great way to figure out on your own why Pluto is now a “dwarf” planet. The deck is ideal for doing creative card sorts, laying out distance models, inventing games, or simply flipping through. This is not a deck of playing cards, and comes with minimal suggestions in order to inspire creative use. The cards are available exclusively through Pacific Science Center’s store. To find them on the web go to pacificsciencecenter.org, click on the store link, and search for “Solar System.” (By the way, educators, this is your last chance to get these, we won’t be doing another run!)
Membership to your local science museum or planetarium – a whole year of hands-on science exploration! This gift is perfect for a wide range of ages. Obviously, Pacific Science Center offers gift memberships starting as low as $45 – check out pacificsciencecenter.org/membership for details. Remember, a membership here gets you in to all museums participating in the Association of Science and Technology Centers Passport Program (over 290 museums!).
Books & Magazines
*Eyewitness Companions: Astronomy by Ian Ridpath, ISBN 978-0756617332 – This is a new publication of Smithsonian Handbooks: Stars and Planets by the same author. Man, this book is great. Easy to use as a reference, fun to flip through just for the fun of it, and a decent read cover-to-cover if you don’t need a narrative to take you from page to page. This is my number one recommended book whenever anyone asks me “What should I get to learn about…?” I recommend it for kids AND adults.
*The Complete Book of Our Solar System by School Specialty Publishing, ISBN 978-157768605 – I have only flipped through this book, but it is a paper-activity style book with mazes, word searches, etc. I had some of these types of books when I was little and there was always something interesting to do in them. Grades 1-3.
*Explore the Solar System! 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments by Anita Yasuda, ISBN 978-1934670361 – Once again, this is the first I’ve seen of good astronomy activity books so I haven’t gotten a chance to fully read through them. This one is more projects and experiments – which I find really exciting. Kids will probably need more help executing the activities in this book because they’ll need help gathering supplies, but it should be rewarding none-the-less. Ages 7-0.
Sky and Telescope Magazine – Sky and Telescope is focused more on actual stargazing and observing tools and tips. This is the magazine I subscribe to. I recommend it for high school reading level and above.
Astronomy Magazine – Astronomy is slightly more directed towards new discoveries, current research, and the physics-y side of astronomy, though it does have a good section on what’s up in the current sky. I recommend this for an adult reading level and above.
Equipment
Binoculars – Binoculars are always a better place to start than a telescope. The Meade Travelview 7×50s are a good option, though anything made by a company you’ve heard of should work well. I strongly recommend a tripod as well, though you’ll need to buy or make an adapter to get the binoculars to sit on the tripod. I recommend binoculars for ages 6 through adult.
Telescopes – Please read “What Telescope Should I Buy?”
*Planisphere – A planisphere is a starmap that is good all year round. If you’re buying one for someone who lives in another city, make sure you get one that is good for their latitude. Since it takes some concentration to learn how to use and read a planisphere, I recommend these for middle school and above. I also recommend taking it to your local planetarium and having the teacher show you how to use it.
Toys
*EarthBall (Inflatable) – I find this satellite-image based beach-ball/globe delightful. Of course, that may be because I like playing with the planets. There is something just intrinsically fun about a beach ball, and there is something just … beautiful about satellite images of our planet from space. I’m sure this says ages 3 and up since it is made of plastic and could become a choking hazard somehow, but other than that I don’t see why any age wouldn’t love this.
*Glow-in-the-Dark Stars – The little ones are best, because you can make a whole galaxy or lots of constellations in your bedroom (for people who wear glasses, like me you might want to go with bigger stars.) I have also always found the planets somewhat boring as they’re not to scale. As an added bonus, include a starmap or planisphere to help create the real constellations or the sky on a specific night. (Ages 3+ because of small parts)
*Space Shuttle Toy – One of my favorite toys when I was about four was a set including the Space Shuttle, a NASA truck, and a trailer for the Shuttle. The one we have like this at Pacific Science Center is called the “Space Shuttle Backpack Playset.” It is important to note when buying toy space shuttles – the cargo bay doors must be open and closeable – preferably with room to store something inside. At least, that was what mattered to me when I was four. People that can sit in the seats and be moved around are an added bonus. People that aren’t to scale and don’t fit in the seats are frustrating. (Ages 3+ because of small parts)
*Posters – Any beautiful astronomy poster. Hubble images are great, pictures of the whole galaxy are great. Really, if you think it is pretty and it’s a photo, it is hard to go wrong here. Posters full of little bits of information are great for the detail-studiers in your family (the ones who can always find Waldo).
“Desk” or “Grown-Up” Gifts
*50-Year Calendar/Paperweight – Sometimes called a perpetual calendar, you just spin the metal disks on this paperweight to the current year and month, and the days of the month are displayed below. Ingenious!
Earth Marble – your very own “blue marble.” There is also a collection of paperweights made by Glass Eye Studio that are very beautiful and should impress any lover of astronomy.
StarWalk – An app for the iPhone, in support of the International Year of Astronomy. This starmap app is beautiful and very well put together. It has the basic information you might want while out observing, and not so much as to be overwhelming. For users of other systems I recommend PocketStars (not as pretty, but just as useful) for Windows Mobile, and Google Sky Map (not to be confused with Google Sky) for Android.
Planisphere Watch – totally astronomy-geeky and perhaps not that useful, but this watch doubles as a planisphere.
Gifts I Recommend Against
Home Planetariums and Star Projectors – Home planetariums are cute for about an hour, but they aren’t very accurate, tend not to move appropriately, and don’t project well on a square room. Also, the constellations can be difficult to identify because the stars are all the same size.
Solar System Mobiles – I have yet to see one that’s really well made, so usually they look shoddy, and aren’t to scale in either size or distance. They couldn’t be to scale in both – but I’d like to see one that’s to scale in at least one way.
Buy/Name a Star – Unfortunately the organizations selling stars are not authorized to sell those stars, and the stars sold are often very dim and hard to find (though if you bring your map by Pacific Science Center we’ll do our best to help you out). If you’d really like to give a star, do this instead: look through a starmap and pick a bright one that’s easy to find. Make a pretty card and map of it and share this with your loved one. Together you can learn to find it, and it can be your star. You can watch for it to show up every year.
Automatic Constellation Identifiers – I’ve only used a few, and I’ve found them lacking or inaccurate. It’s more rewarding to spend the time learning to read a starmap or a planisphere and identify the constellations on your own. My thought is that the automatic constellation identifiers will end up in the “gadget” drawer, never to be used again.
Telescopes – Most telescopes that you are tempted to buy as gifts are very difficult to use, do not have good optics, and lead to more frustration than discovery. Telescopes too often end up in the closet. You can buy decent telescopes at a decent price – you just won’t see them in gift stores because they don’t “look right.” Please read “What Telescope Should I Buy?” before purchasing a telescope.
~ A l i c e !