July 2022

Global Astronomy Magazine Volume V - Published July 2022 Under inky skies Hear from the next generation of astronomers in this special section Latin America gets first official Dark Sky Park — Page 44 — Page 18 The ancient roots of astronomy — Page 14

Volume V - Published July 2022 Published by the Explore Alliance Chief Editorial Staff: Marcelo de Oliveira Souza David H. Levy © Explore Alliance Duplication of contents in full or part is prohibited unless prior authorization by Explore Alliance has been obtained. Unless an advertisement in the publication contains a specific endorsement by the Explore Alliance, it has not been tested by, approved by or endorsed by the Explore Alliance. Explore Alliance 1010 S. 48th Street Springdale, AR 72762 Phone: 949-637-9075 o o o Sky’s Up digital magazine is made possible through a generous contribution from Explore Scientific. 2 contents Under inky skies Ancient astronomy Latin America gets first official Dark Sky Park — Page 18 Check out the first installment of a new series on figuring out how the universe works — Page 14 The Cosmic View Check out this special section created by and for the next generation of astronomers — Page 44 on the cover Wonderful Universe .........Pg. 8 A Guide to the Sky..........Pg. 12 Upcoming events ..........Pg. 13 Astropoetry..................... Pg. 24 The Art of Astronomy... Pg. 38 Seasonal Calendars....... Pg. 53 Global Astronomy Magazine The night sky over Desengano State Park — the first official Dark Sky Park in Latin America — overflows with stars. This beautiful image was captured by Park Ranger Coordinator Samir Mansur. ISSN 2768-2285 (Digital) • ISSN 2768-2285 (Print)

3 Over the last few months you must have read dozens of articles, online or in print, about the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Fortunately, this is not one of them. This article is about Omicron² Eridani. It is a faint star in the constellation of Eridanus, the River. Actually, there are two Omicron stars in that constellation. The first is brighter, and is a variable star. The second one is one of the closest stars to the Sun. Omicron², also known as 40 Eridani, happens to be not a disease but one of the most interesting star systems in the entire sky. Omicron² is a triple star system that is only about 16 light years away. Its brightest component is a Sunlike star faintly visible to the unaided eye on a good night. It lies in northern Eridanus, the River, just a few degrees west of Rigel at the foot of Orion. The secondary is a white dwarf star. Unlike the companion of Sirius, this star is 9th magnitude and not near the brighter star so it is easy to see in a small telescope. The third star is not far from the secondary, but at 11th magnitude it is also not difficult to spot. This third star is a red dwarf. Although red dwarf stars are the most plentiful, by far, in our region of the Milky Way galaxy, they are almost impossible to see because they are so small. The closest one to us is Proxima Centauri, or Alpha Centauri C, which at 4.24 light years is the closest star to the Sun. Also because they are so small and intrinsically faint, only a few of them are easy to find. 40 Eridani C is one of the easiest to find. This interesting star has something else going for it. In 2018 astronomers discovered a planet orbiting the primary star. With a rapid orbit around Omicron², such a planet would receive much more radiation from the primary star than Earth gets from the Sun. But in 2021 new observations cast doubt on whether this planet exists at all. Whether Omicron² Eridani really hosts a planet is subject to debate. But in the universe of Star Trek, it surely does. It is the home of Vulcan, Mr. Spock’s home world. In the episode “Operation Annihilate”, which appears near the end of the first season, Spock is blinded by the intense light used to immobilize the invading parasites on the planet Deneva. However his blindness is temporary because of the existence of an inner eyelid. Vulcan is said to orbit Omicron² Eridani’s primary star, and since it is so much brighter than our Sun, even though Vulcan is at the same distance that Earth is from our Sun, they need the inner eyelid to protect their eyes. I rather enjoy the idea that the fictitious Vulcan happens to orbit one of my favorite real stars. And unlike the Omicron variant, which one hopes will be eradicated soon, we admire Omicron² Eridani, the real star, and wish it to “Live long and prosper.” by David Levy Skyward A different kind of Omicron n n n David H Levy is arguably one of the most enthusiastic and famous amateur astronomers of our time. Although he has never taken a class in astronomy, he has written over three dozen books, has written for three astronomy magazines and has appeared on television programs featured on the Discovery and the Science Channels. Among David’s accomplishments are 23 comet discoveries, the most famous being Shoemaker-Levy 9 that collided with Jupiter in 1994, a few hundred shared asteroid discoveries, an Emmy for the documentary Three Minutes to Impact, five honorary doctorates in Science and a PhD which combines astronomy and English Literature. Currently, he is the editor of the web magazine Sky’s Up!, has a monthly column, Skyward, in our local Vail Voice paper. David continues to hunt for comets and asteroids, and lectures worldwide. COURTESY OF Tim Hunter Tim Hunter took this beautifully focused picture showing Omicron2 Eridani. The primary star, named Keid, is the bright one; just to the left is the secondary, a white dwarf; the tertiary, a red dwarf, is fainter still. Used with permission and thanks.

4 from the editor “The wise as an astronomer. As long as you feel the stars as something ‘above you’, you still don’t have the look of the man who knows.” — Friedrich Nietzsche Hi! A smile... A look... A tear... A gesture... A touch... An image... The motionless record of a moment... Motion stops... Time stops... The clock is silent... The colors mix... Forming landscapes... Bodies... Faces... Feelings... Paintings that secrete the past, the present and dreams for the future... Paintings kept in ethereal boxes that travel in time... Float in daydreams... They are rescued by nostalgia... By memories... Sources of inspiration... Records for contemplation... Human beings have always looked for ways to be able to record the moments they lived through in images. Drawings... Paintings... Images in relief... Large Panels... Large monuments... Records for the new generations... Since ancient times, human beings have been trying to develop ways to obtain images that accurately reveal their observations of the sky. Images of the sky, of the observed phenomena and stars, recorded for posterity. In ancient Greece there are already reports of knowledge of the technique for producing images by directing the passage of light through a small hole, the orifice camera obscura. However, they were images only to be observed when observing the landscape. The Arab Alhazen (Abu Ali al-Hasan Ibn Al-Haitham), who lived in the 10th century, presented a way of observing eclipses using a camera obscura. In this case the camera obscura consisted of a room with a small hole in the window. The image formed on the wall. This method allowed the magnification of the image of the Sun and a comfortable and safe observation of the solar eclipse. The records of the observed images, however, were still made through drawings and paintings. Galileo Galilei released images of his observations through drawings. That way it was possible to get an idea of his observations. In the drawings he made, he showed the position of Jupiter’s moons, the phases of the planet Venus, details of the Moon and how he observed Saturn. He couldn’t get enough resolution to observe Saturn’s rings. Sky maps, with representations of how different civilizations saw the constellations, are records that were left by many people. In the West during a long period great artists were responsible for representing the constellations. Beautiful maps of the sky were produced. Works of art. With creative and beautiful designs for each of the constellations. The dream persisted of one day being able to accurately record the observed celestial images. In 1826, the Frenchman Joseph-Nicéphore Niépce, obtained the first photograph. It was an image from his window. The beginning of a revolution. It was possible to make accurate records of the moments lived. Images for posterity without depending on the precision, technique and talent for drawing of a human being. In 1840 the American chemist and photographer John William Draper obtained what is considered the first astrophotography. He recorded for the first time in a photograph the image of the Moon. In 1880, his son Henry Draper first obtained an astrophotograph of the Orion nebula. Since that time, the record of images of by Marcelo de Oliveira Souza Records for contemplation Discover how optics work & explore the night sky with the iconic Galileoscope build-your-own refractor kit! Now available at explorescientificusa.com

5 editorial board members • Scott Roberts - Founder and President of Explore Scientific - USA • David Levy - Worldwide famous astronomer, science writer and discoverer of comets and minor planets - USA • Marcelo de Oliveira Souza - DSc. in Physics (Cosmology). University Professor, Educator and Science Communicator. • Hassane Darhmaoui -PhD in Physics from the University of Alberta, in Canada. Associate Professor at the School of Science and Engineering of the Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI) and Coordinator of the AUI Center for Learning Technologies, founding member and general Secretary of the Arab Astronomical Society (ArAS), founder and national representative of the Universe Awareness (UNAWE) chapter in Morocco, founder and current supervisor and co-director of Al Akhawayn Observatory. Morocco • Andrea Sanchez Saldias - Astronomer, Master in Physics and PhD in Biology (Astrobiology), all degrees obtained at the Universidad de la República. Conducts research in Exobiology and Paleoclimatology on Earth and Mars, Uruguay • Suresh Bhattarai - Science educator, astronomy communicator and researcher in Nepal. National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for Nepal for 2018-2021 and chairperson at the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) • Valentin Grigore - Leading amateur astronomer, specialist in meteor astronomy, astrophotographer, astro-poet, astrojournalist, author, trainer, lighting specialist, dark-sky and ecologist militant, youth worker specialist President of the Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy (SARM), National Coordinator for Romania of Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) and producer of the tv show ”Us and the Sky” at Columna TV • Olaynka Fagbemiro - Assistant Chief Scientific Officer with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Founder/National Coordinator of Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) Nigeria, IAU’s National Education Contact (NAEC) for Nigeria and the Public Relations and Education Officer for the African Astronomical Society (AfAS). • Cláudio Moisés Paulo - Prof. Assistant in Astrophysics at Eduardo Mondlane University. Doctor of Astrophysics (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa), Master of Astrophysics (University of the western Cape, South Africa), Honours in Astrophysics and Space Sciences (University of Cape Town, South Africa), and Honours in Physics & Meteorology (Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique). • Manoj Pai - One of the most active amateur astronomers in India. Astronomy Club, Ahmedabad, India n n n Marcelo de Oliveira Souza is a physicist with a Master of Science in Physics (General Relativity) at the Universidade Federal Fluminense and a Doctor of Science in Physics (Cosmology) at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Since 2004, he has been a professor at the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense and since 2006 he has been the Louis Cruls Astronomy Club General Coordinator. In Brazil, he is the Astronomers Without Borders National Coordinator, the UNAWE program national Coordinator and the Mission X - Lead. He is the author of “Um Passeio pelo Céu,” and, from 2005 until 2013, he presented and wrote the script of the weekly TV program “Um Passeio pelo Céu” about astronomy and astronautics. the sky has been improved to obtain images with details that we cannot perceive with the direct observation of the Universe. Techniques were developed that allow the recording of images of very tenuous stars. In order to obtain good images of these stars, it was necessary to have a photographic film of excellent quality and with special characteristics. A long exposure time was necessary for the photographic film to be sensitized by the faint light captured. Due to the rotation of the Earth, it was necessary at all times to move the telescope so that it continued to face the star being observed. Thus, motors were developed to be coupled to telescopes in order to allow tracking of the star for a long period, compensating for the Earth’s rotation movement. Nowadays, it is used digital cameras to obtain images of the Universe. Digital astrophotography is the new way of obtaining beautiful images of the sky. Amateur astronomers have excelled in this area. Every day we are surprised with new and wonderful images of the Universe obtained with the use of large and modern telescopes. We now have a newer and more powerful device for observing the sky, the James Webb Space Telescope. For us to continue to marvel at the beauties of the night veil from our homes, it is necessary to minimize the effects of light pollution. Fantastic news for Latin America is the recognition by the International Dark Sky Association of the Desengano State Park as the first Dark Sky Park in Latin America. Images... The Universe in our hands... Moments for contemplation... The stars above us... Falling into our world... Records for the eyes of the human being who knows... Build your time... Observing the beautiful firmament... Clear skies for everyone...

6 Why do we have the instinct to explore the stars? Perhaps it’s because we are made from stardust. Stargazers and astronomers will tell you that a quiet night of mindful communion under the stars reduces their stress and improves their mood and with it their blood pressure and stress-related hormones cortisol and adrenaline can return to healthy levels, not to mention their peace of mind. Under a dark moonless sky with the Milky Way stretching overhead, the feeling is sacred and it makes you feel more in tune with nature. But before you drive off to dark skies, you need to be prepared to have the best experience: Safety First Bring a friend. Travelling with and observing with a friend makes the whole experience more enjoyable and adds a layer of safety. Consider joining an astronomy club or a star party and go to their dark sky site where other club members will be observing with you. Make sure your vehicle is in good condition and is ready to drive. Make sure your vehicle registration and car insurance are up to date and within easy reach. Check airpressure and tread on your tires, including the spare tire, and that you have necessary tools to do onsite emergency maintenance. Check your brakes, fluid levels, belts, hoses, and lights. Enroll in roadside assistance membership with your car insurance provider. Carry emergency gear. Bring emergency gear for fixing a flat, jumper cables and a strong backup battery for boosting your battery in case it goes dead, and carry extra fuel for your vehicle in a safe non-spillable container. Bring road reflectors to warn other motorists if you have a roadside breakdown. Carry extra water for you and your vehicle. Bring a good first aid kit and food bars. Bring your medical insurance card and any special medications that you need. Consider a membership into a telehealth service with rescue services. Update your emergency contacts. Communicate and stay in touch. Let people (especially emergency contacts) know exactly where you are going, how long you expect to stay, and stay in touch. Bring your mobile phone and a backup rechargeable battery. If you are going to a remote area with poor cell coverage, strongly consider a compact satellite communicator. Plan to stay in overnight If at all possible plan to stay overnight. Leaving your site after observing late into the night (when usually the best observing conditions occur), is not a good idea for obvious reasons. Leave in the morning after you have fully rested. If you are observing from a nearby cabin, consider laying down temporary deep red lighting (to protect your night vision) so you can easily find your way back. Prepare your camping gear. People camp in tents, in their vehicles, and in RVs or trailers. It is best to set up everything before you leave to make sure all of your camping gear is functioning and to prevent not bringing a critical piece that you need. RVs and trailers need to be inspected just like your vehicle. It is a good idea to watch videos for prepping RVs, trailers, and any kind of camping gear that you plan to use. Probably the least expensive but still very comfortable option is to pitch a tent. There are many options for tents, but you will want one that is easy to set up and tear down, rugged enough to last for years, waterproof construction with lots of room and storage. Astronomers also need enough room for themselves and most of their gear in case it rains. Prepare Your Astronomy Gear Completely set up your telescope rig, power it up, and check all functions before you pack it in your vehicle. Many amateur astronomers arrive at a remote site only to find that they forgot a knob, a cable, or some other critical piece of equipment. By testing it completely set up, you will find that you have time to correct any problems. It is also a good idea to clean and check collimation of your optics. In this way you can spend more time actually doing astronomy than trying to solve problems at the site. Refrain from bringing unopened, untested equipment to the site. Inventory and bring any needed accessories: Think of binoculars, eyepieces, field flatteners, filters, dew shields, dew heaters, Bahtinov masks, extension tubes, power cables, maps, computers (with red filter for the screen), red flashlights, etc. Check them and make sure they work. Bring backup electronics. Sometimes electronics, batteries, and cables can fail. Having at least one layer of backup will allow you to complete your mission. Electric Power Bring off-grid power for your gear. There are quiet and clean power solutions today to run all of your electronics for your telescope(s), computer(s), and communications. Some astronomers use small lithium-ion power banks, such as the USB Power Bank with Red LED Flashlight from Explore Scientific. Others build home-made solutions with solar panels recharging car batteries. But if you are not into building your own power station, there are fully integrated solar generator solutions available. by Scott W. Roberts Preparing for a star party

7 n n n Scott W. Roberts is the founder and president of Explore Scientific in Springdale, Ark. He is an avid amateur astronomer who has spent more than 30 years in the astronomy optics industry. Comfort Being comfortable during your observing sessions is important. Not only will you see more details, but you will experience greater health benefits. Here are some tips to consider: Dress for comfort. During winter you need to keep your extremities warm, so you will need gloves, a warm hat, and warm boots in addition to insulated pants and jacket. If you are observing in an area where there is a wide range of temperatures over the observing session, then dress in layers. If you want to buy the best coldweather gear at a bargain, then consider buying preowned and lessen the impact on the environment and your wallet. Natural insect repellent will greatly reduce the bother of mosquitoes, ticks, and flies. Many use the tried-andtrue oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE). The actual repellent chemical in OLE is called p-menthane-3,8-diol or, much more simply, PMD. The so-called Zero-gravity chairs have become popular with stargazers as they allow you to sit up straight or recline with amazing comfort for observing with binoculars or to watch for meteors with the naked eye. If you are spending most of your time at your telescope, consider an observer’s chair. Portable tables come in handy to bring your eyepieces, maps, laptops, red flashlights, and more (you get the idea) off the ground and within easy reach. Stay cooler when it’s hot, and warmer when it’s cold. If you are camping at a star party with temperature extremes, consider covering your tent/rv/trailer/vehicle with a reflective shade cloth such as Aluminet. This amazing metalized material has been knit together to make a lightweight cover that moderates the temperature within by reflecting heat from the sun when it’s hot, and retaining warmth from the sun when it’s cold. Aluminet can also keep your gear covered and insulated when not in use. Leave No Trace Set up your tents and telescope equipment on tarps. It will create a moisture and dust barrier. Tarps on the ground will make it easy to find any small parts that you drop in the night, and when you leave, it will make cleanup much faster and easier. Bring trash bags and pick up your area. You want to leave your observing area better than how you found it. All refuse should be packed out and properly disposed of. Double check the area before you leave, not only do you want the area to be clean, but you don’t want to leave behind any expensive gear. No open fires. Most astronomy or star party sites do not allow open fires. The light from a fire wipes out your night vision, and the smoke from a fire can get on your optics. Do not leave food or drink out in the open unattended. Insects and animals are attracted to the scent of food and drinks. Pack up all of your edibles, including any used dishes, cups, or cutlery. Star parties are a great way to connect with the cosmos, and proper prep work is crucial to an amazing experience. COURTESY OF Scott Roberts

8 wonderful universe — Compiled by MARCELO DE OLIVEIRA SOUZA — For a long time, we marveled at the images and data produced by the Hubble Space Telescope. Few years ago, there was great expectation about the successor of this wonderful equipment. There were many announcements of possible dates for the launch of its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. Expectations grew with each announcement. Finally, on December 25, 2021, as a Christmas gift to humanity, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched. A new expectation began: When would the first images be sent? On July 12, 2022, the first image obtained by James Webb was released. It was such a special moment that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, took part. On July 13, new images were released. Over the next few pages, we show the first images obtained by the James Webb Space Telescope: A whole new view of the Universe The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view. NASA’s Webb reveals cosmic cliffs, glittering landscape of star birth CREDIT: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI SOURCE: flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope/52211883534/in/album-72177720300469752/

9 wonderful universe The background of space is black. Thousands of galaxies appear all across the view. Their shapes and colors vary. Some are various shades of orange, others are white. Most stars appear blue, and are sometimes as large as more distant galaxies that appear next to them. A very bright star is just above and left of center. It has eight bright blue, long diffraction spikes. Between 4 o’clock and 6 o’clock in its spikes are several very bright galaxies. A group of three are in the middle, and two are closer to 4 o’clock. These galaxies are part of the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, and they are warping the appearances of galaxies seen around them. Long orange arcs appear at left and right toward the center. Webb telescope delivers deepest infrared image of universe yet CREDIT: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; SOURCE: flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope/52210366419/in/album-72177720300469752/ Webb image sheds new light on galaxy evolution, black holes A group of five galaxies that appear close to each other in the sky: two in the middle, one toward the top, one to the upper left, and one toward the bottom. Four of the five appear to be touching. One is somewhat separated. In the image, the galaxies are large relative to the hundreds of much smaller (more distant) galaxies in the background. All five galaxies have bright white cores. Each has a slightly different size, shape, structure, and coloring. Scattered across the image, in front of the galaxies are number of foreground stars with diffraction spikes: bright white points, each with eight bright lines radiating out from the center. CREDIT: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI SOURCE: flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope/52210580092/ in/album-72177720300469752/

10 wonderful universe A planetary nebula, seen by the Webb telescope’s NIRCam instrument, against the blackness of space, with points of starlight behind it. The nebula itself is shaped like an irregular oval, with lacy, reddish orange plumes of gas and dust. Further inside the circle, the gas and dust glows bright blue. A glowing white ring separates the red and blue gases. In the center of the rings are two stars, one glowing much brighter than the other, with diffraction spikes radiating out from it. Webb captures dying star’s final ‘performance’ in fine detail CREDIT: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI SOURCE: flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope/52212049510/in/album-72177720300469752/

E XPLORE ALLIANC E About Over the last decade, nearly four million telescopes, binoculars, microscopes, and other specialty optics from Explore Scientific have found their way into research facilities, educational institutions, and homes around the world, stoking the spirit of exploration and discovery in the hearts and minds of people of all backgrounds, both young and old. Our optical instruments have been used by astronomers to detect exoplanets, by science students to identify biofuels, and to aid first-responders and firefighters to identify dangerous threats. Explore Scientific gear is used by research scientists, educators, and renowned discoverers. But perhaps the most important thing to us are those young explorers who use our optics that are finding out that their world is much more amazing than they ever realized as they discover for themselves the vastness of the universe, and the intricate structures of tiny life on Earth that is otherwise invisible to the unaided eye. We built our company on the foundations of solid design, award-winning support, high value, and often once-in-a-lifetime experiences that we share with any would-be explorer. Explore Scientific has done all of this since our formation, but we want to do more. This is why we formed the Explore Alliance. Memberships EA Legacy Membership Legacy membership is given complimentary and provides a Quarterly Newsletter, Contests and Prizes, Sneak Peaks of New Products, and VIP Access to our Events. A new benefit available to all levels of membership is the ability to rent select Explore FirstLight telescopes, of which most of the rental fee can be applied towards purchase of a new telescope. Legacy Membership dues are complimentary for those who are new to our community, would like to learn more, and would like to enjoy some of the benefits of membership. Membership with Explore Care Explore Care is one of the benefits of dues paying EA Memberships. There are two levels of EA Membership that offer Explore Care: EA Platinum Membership Explore Alliance Platinum Membership provides members with the Explore Care Plus benefit that includes extended care + no fault coverage with advanced replacement service of your purchases from Explore Scientific, with free maintenance of your gear (cleanings, collimation, etc) when you need it. We invite you to become an Explore Alliance Member, to partake in the many benefits, and to participate in the journey of exploration and discovery. Visit explorescientificusa.com/ explorealliance. Explore Alliance Membership Program Join The ©2021 Explore Scientific, LLC. All rights reserved. Explore Alliance Legacy Membership EXPLORE ALLIANCE Explore Alliance Platinum Membership EXPLORE ALLIANCE Benefits Free $99.99/year Explore Care Extended + NO FAULT Protection Appreciation Gift Quarterly Newsletter Contest and Prizes Sneak Peek of New Products Advanced Purchase Discounts of New Products Free Maintenance Service Advanced Replacement VIP Access to Events

12 a guide to the sky July 28-29 – Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks With the Delta Aquarids set to peak on July 28-29 and the legendary Perseids on the horizon, meteor shower enthusiasts should be actively scouting out their favorite dark patch of sky. Each year, the Delta Aquarid meteor shower serves as the warm-up act for the highly anticipated August performance of the annual Perseids. However, this year, the Moon could play a huge role in which shower gets a standing ovation. At its peak, the Delta Aquarid shower produces 15-20 meteors per hour – a figure that pales in comparison to the average 80 meteors per hour that the Perseid shower can deliver during its peak. However, the Delta Aquarids will be at their pinnacle this year as the peak coincides with the New Moon. With no interference from the Moon, the Delta Aquarids will be easy to spot as they blaze across the night sky, which will amp up their drama. With a radiant point in the Aquarius Constellation, the Delta Aquarids begin their annual amble across the sky in midJuly, bloom in late-July and fade out in the third week of August. They can be seen almost everywhere but favor observers in the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere’s tropics region. Like other meteor showers, the Delta Aquarids are the result of Earth’s passage through debris left behind by a comet. However, the exact source comet for this shower has been a matter of debate. The most likely candidate is Comet 96P/Machholz, which was not discovered until 1986. To catch sight of a Delta Aquarid live, observers should actually look at a dark patch of sky about 90 degrees away from the radiant point to see the most meteors. The best viewing time is after midnight in the wee pre-dawn hours. To view the meteors, all you need is your naked eye, a good place to lie down under an open sky and patience. July 30-31 - Alpha Capricornid Meteor Shower Peaks Meteor lovers who are looking for a bit of a challenge may want to keep their eyes on the sky in the late hours of July 30 and wee hours of July 31, when the Alpha Capricornid meteor shower reaches its peak. Although it is not known to produce an impressive amount of meteors per hour, the ones it does generate are likely to be slow moving and very bright and may even reach the fireball level. Active through August 15th, the Alpha Capricornids radiate from the Capricornus Constellation and are caused by debris from Comet 169/ NEAT. August 11-12 – Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Although it comes on the heels of the full phase of 2014’s closest supermoon, the always-anticipated Perseid meteor shower should still produce some real stunners when it peaks August 11th and 12th. Designated by NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office as the annual meteor shower that produces the most fireballs, the Perseids are worth checking out even though the bright Moon will present significant interference. During its peak, the meteor shower has been known to produce 80-100 meteors per hour, and many of these display impressive persistent trains. Caused by the Earth’s passage through debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, the annual Perseids appear to radiate from the Perseus constellation. However, observers should actually look at a dark patch of sky about 90 degrees away from the radiant point to see the most meteors. The shower does favor northern hemisphere viewers and occurs in the perfect season for a long night of languishing under the stars. Because the Moon will already be presenting a significant light battle, observers will want to take extra care this year in choosing where to view because a dark sky will be vital. Questions/Comments? 866.252.3811 ©2022 Explore Scientific, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more at explorescientific.com/glasses Oct. 14 2023 APR. 8 2024 Annular Eclipse Total Eclipse ASSORTMENT $9.99 It’s a prime time for meteor viewing

13 (All times in Universal Time – UT) July 2022 28 — New Moon 28-29 — Peak of Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower August 2022 5 — First Quarter Moon 12 — Full Moon 12-13 — Peak of Perseids Meteor Shower 14 — Saturn at Opposition 19 — Last Quarter Moon 27 — New Moon 27 — Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation September 2022 3 — First Quarter Moon 10 — Full Moon 16 — Neptune at Opposition 17 — Last Quarter Moon 23 — September Equinox at 00:55h a.m. 25 — New Moon 26 — Jupiter at Opposition October 2022 3 — First Quarter Moon 7 — Peak of Draconids Meteor Shower 8 — Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation 9 — Full Moon 17 — Last Quarter Moon 21-22 — Peak of Orionids Meteor Shower 25 — New Moon upcoming astronomical events: By NICOLE OLIVEIRA DE L SEMIÃO Guest contributor On February 15, 1997, the asteroid Chariklo was discovered by American astronomer Jame Vernon Scotti. We know then that the asteroid Chariklo completes a revolution around the sun every 62 years and a revolution on its own axis every 7 hours. With a diameter of 250 kilometers, it is the largest centaur-type asteroid and the smallest known object to have rings. That’s right, the asteroid Chariklo has rings! But do you know what centaur objects are? They are objects that pass through the solar system in unstable orbits and sometimes appear like comets and in other orbits like asteroids. Now, shall we talk about Chariklo’s rings? In 2013 the asteroid Chariklo passed in front of a faint star and unexpected decreases in the brightness of this star revealed its rings. Using the technique of occultation of stars with the help of 13 telescopes located in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, Brazilian astronomer Felipe Braga Ribas led the team that made the discovery of Chariklo’s rings. Its rings measure 7 kilometers and 2 kilometers wide and were named Oiapoque the densest and Chuí the smallest and least dense. In 2014, the article with the complete description of this great discovery was published in the journal Nature. Reference: Nature Magazine 508, 72-75 (2014) n n n Nicole Oliveira (Nicolinha) is 9 years old. She is an amateur astronomer, science popularizer and NASA/IASC Citizen Scientist, ambassador for Planetarium Rubens de Azevedo and Alliance Explore. For her work in Astronomy, she received national and international recognition. She founded the online Science Club Nicolinha & kids. What makes asteroid Chariklo so special? IMAGE COURTESY OF ESO/L. Calçada/M. Kornmesser/Nick Risinger (skysurvey.org) CAPTION CREDIT: https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1410b/ Observations at many sites in South America, including ESO’s La Silla Observatory, have made the surprise discovery that the remote asteroid Chariklo is surrounded by two dense and narrow rings. This artist’s impression shows a close-up of what the rings might look like. The origin of these rings remains a mystery, but they may be the result of a collision that created a disc of debris.

14 By PIERRE PAQUETTE Royal Astronomical Society of Canada In many cases, what may have seemed very complex and complicated for our ancestors seems to us obvious or simple—sometimes, maybe even too much, to the point that we forget how we got to learn those facts. Many examples are to be found in astronomy. Join me in this series of articles in which we’ll explore the path of history and review how the monument of astronomical knowledge was built for us by the people of the past. Moonwatcher’s Heirs The movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” opens with a short subplot of tribes of apes fighting for access to a waterpoint in what seems to be a rocky desert. The novelization of the movie introduces us to one of these apes, called “Moonwatcher” by its author, Arthur C. Clarke. It is quickly understood that Moonwatcher’s tribe eventually becomes the ancestor to all Humankind, while the other tribe either dies out or remains simian. While it is impossible to know what went through the heads of protohumans or early humans, it is likely that they did actually “watch the Moon,” as the cycle of our natural satellite brings its succession of brighter or darker nights, depending on its visible phase. This, in a sense, represents the very beginning of astronomy: A simple curiosity for what is up there in the sky. It probably didn’t take long to keen observers to realize that some of the “stars” seem to move—the Greeks later would call those πλάνητες ἀστέρες planētes asteres, or “wandering stars,” which eventually became the modern English word “planet.” And while the other stars would remain stationary in relation to each other, they would gradually shift from one night to the next—another early realization was that they would eventually come back after a year. This established the notion that celestial phenomena— at least some of them—were connected to our earthly existence. Not knowing, back then, that the Earth is but a planet moving through space like the others, our ancestors thought that the Sun, the Moon, planets, and stars may be the cause of changes down here—a thought that survives to this very day in the form of astrology, but which was completely disproved by modern science. Mind you, there is a connection, but not that kind of connection! But this is a story for another day. The sky became a calendar to early civilizations. This is attested in some of the lore associated with some constellations—groupings of stars which seem to draw persons, animals, mythological creatures, or objects in the sky. For example, a specific bright star was seen to rise just before sunrise in the spring, and to set just before sunset in the fall. To early agricultural societies (ca. 7500 BCE), it thus became associated with the times of sowing and of reaping. Soon after writing was invented, texts report that it and the surrounding stars were called the Furrow—the trench cut by the plough in the soil to plant seeds in. We now know The ancient roots of astronomy figuring out how the universe works COURTESY OF User Fæ on Wikimedia Commons The Venus tablet of Ammi-Ṣaduqa, dating from the 7th century BCE, records the appearance of the planet Venus in the skies over Babylon around the years 1700 to 1500 BCE. It is written in cuneiform, the oldest writing system which has survived to this day. The dimensions of the tablet are 17.14 cm × 9.2 cm × 2.22 cm.

15 this group as Virgo the maiden, and this specific bright star is Spica, which is the Latin word for an ear (of wheat), another agricultural connection. The neighboring star group (constellation) Boötes the plowman is yet another link to what was at the time new technology—mythological lore says that it is the very inventor of the plough, who was laid on the celestial sphere after his death so that he would be remembered forever. By studying how different societies represent the skies, anthropologists have been able to trace back mass migrations across continents and millennia, but also the origin of some constellations. For example, many nations see Ursa Major, the greater bear, as this animal, which hints at a time when they lived together in a single place, rather than in different countries or even continents nowadays. Crossing this information with genetics—for example, the analysis of mitochondrial DNA—allows us to estimate this era as having taken place some 30,000 to 50,000 years ago. As writing was invented only around 3500 BCE, it is obvious we never could have figured out the genesis of this celestial figure merely by looking for written traces of it. Multiplying Mindpower Despite its temporal limitation, writing was, however, a very if not the most powerful tool for humans—and for astronomy. The earliest writing systems appear to be cuneiform, in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), and hieroglyphs, in Egypt—it is rather difficult to identify which was first, and there might have been communication between peoples of these areas, further complicating the inquiry, although it seems that cuneiform predates hieroglyphs by about a century. Not much later, early forms of another writing system appeared in what is now China—which makes Chinese characters the longest-running form of writing, still being used to this day, albeit in a slightly different form, whereas cuneiform and hieroglyphs have long been relegated to history books. Cuneiform was invented by the Sumerians, who spoke a language related to none other that is currently known. But quickly, it was picked up by their Akkadian neighbors, with whom the Sumerians gradually assimilated. Assyrian itself split in two dialects— Assyrian and Babylonian—by the 10th century BCE. Written on clay tablets, which were sometimes baked to make them harder, thus more durable, it left documents which easily traversed through millennia and can be found sometimes only slightly damaged even now. And quite a corpus of it was left; historians estimate there might be around 300,000 clay tablets lying dormant in museum collections around the world—most of which remaining unread by modern eyes. Many of those that have been read—“deciphered” is a more correct term—have to do with astronomy. Through the studies of Asger Aaboe, Teide de Jong, Hermann Hunger, Otto Neugebauer, Mathieu Ossendrijver, David Pingree, Francesca Rochberg, and John Steele, among others, we now have access, for example, to reports of Venus observations around the year 1000 BCE or to how Babylonians of the fourth to first centuries BCE were able to predict planetary movements, laying the foundation for the modern science of astronomy. Who Cares How It Works? One of the main points about Babylonian astronomy is that they didn’t seem to care how the skies work—they were just interested in patterns and repetitions, if any were to be found. And find, they did: For example, they realized that Mars takes 780 days to return to the night The stone circle at Stonehenge is thought by archaeologists to be one of the oldest astronomical observatory in the world. Located in the plains of the Wiltshire, England, it was erected in multiple steps from around 3100 BCE to around 1600 BCE, but traces of occupation dating back to around 8000 BCE have been found and may have an astronomical connotation. It was thought to have been used by Celtic druids, but these lived much more recently. Some rocks at Stonehenge are aligned in such a way as to point the place on the horizon where the sun rises or sets at the winter solstice or at the summer solstice, for example. More than an observatory, it was rather a sort of calendar. IMAGE CREDIT: landscape-horizon-architecture-sky-morning-hill-545972-pxhere.com.jpg

16 n n n Pierre Paquette has been an amateur astronomer for more than 35 years. He has been secretary (1990–1992) and president (1993–1994) of the Centre francophone de Montréal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, board member of the Fédération des astronomes amateurs du Québec (1993–1994, then 2010–2014), and vice-president of the Club des astronomes amateurs de Laval (2014). From 2012 to 2016, he was the editor and publisher of Astronomie-Québec, a freely available PDF magazine, and he still sometimes publishes on its website and Facebook page. He was main presenter at National Geographic Night-Sky Odyssey, the first-even open-air planetarium with augmented reality, in Sutton, Québec, from 2018 to 2021. He has been an Ambassador of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada since 2013. In 2016, he received the Fred Clarke Award of the Montréal RASC for his lifetime achievements. He has given talks and workshops in Montréal, Québec City, Toronto, Whitehorse (Yukon, where he is Subject Matter Expert for the Aurora | 360 Experience), and Brazil. sky, with underlying cycles of 15–17, 47, and 79 years. Jupiter returns each 399 days, with cycles of 12, 71, and 83 years. While the shortest periods may easily be discovered by a single person’s careful observations through a lifetime, longer periods are less obvious to discern — but the Babylonians had been scrupulously noting down, rather regularly, everything that happened in the kingdom and neighboring ones as well as in the skies. For example, a scribe might have written a weather report, together with the prices of various commodities such as those of wheat or beer, the king’s health and the state of political affairs, famine or drought, war or epidemics, etc., along with—and here’s our cue—the position and aspect of planets and the Moon. To Babylonian “star-diviners,” six points were important in monitoring planets Mercury and Venus, whereas five were their concern for Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. For the first two, these were: • First visibility, first station, and last visibility in the west after sunset •First visibility, first station, and last visibility in the east before sunrise For what we now call “superior planets,” these were: •Heliacal rising (first visibility in the east before sunrise) • First station in the west before sunrise •Acronycal rising in the east just after sunset (sometimes spelled “acronical”) • Second station in the east after sunset •Heliacal setting in the west just after sunset (last visibility) Recording the movement of planets allowed star-diviners to notice patterns and repetitions, but the stroke of genius came when someone decided to put all that in numbers—it is indeed much more precise to say, for example, that Jupiter is 1° away from the brightest star of Virgo and to say that it’s “two fingers” away from it; how big are the fingers? how far from the eye are they held? Since planets always travel along a specific band of the sky, now known as the zodiac, it was decided to divide it into 360 uš, a unit that is the direct ancestor to our degree. Why 360 and not, for example, 231? A definitive answer has never been found, but we may guess at least two possible factors: • It’s close to the number of days in a year, with the added advantage of having more mathematical factors (365 can only be divided by 5 and 73, whereas 360 can be divided by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 24, 30, 36, 40, 45, 60, 72, 90, 120, and 180—sadly, though, it is impossible to divide a circle in 360 equal parts with a compass and unmarked straightedge, so it took a long time before humans were able to manufacture precise protractors and other angle-measuring devices) • A degree is about twice the apparent size of the Sun, so it might have been found by “dividing the horizon” into “Sun-portions” With the zodiac thus divided, it became easy to bring out the mathematical relationships of the Universe, starting with the movement of planets. For example, from one year to the next, it was found that Jupiter would move ahead by 33° on average. Babylonians even came up with a system (simply called “System A” by modern historians) to calculate the past and future positions of planets using so-called step functions: for example, between the 25th degree of Gemini and the 30th degree of Scorpius, Jupiter would move by 30°/ year; between Scorpius 30 and Gemini 25, by 36°/year. Another system, which probably came later although extant cuneiform tablets describing or based upon it are of roughly the same time as those pertaining to System A, is System B, in which the calculation follows a zigzag function: for example, in one version, Jupiter’s progression was reckoned as growing steadily from 28° 15′30″ at Virgo 15 up to 38 02′ at Pisces 15. How precise were these systems? Just for fun, I ran a simulation starting from the values in a cuneiform tablet (called ACT 620) dated 185 BCE all the way to 2040 CE, and the average error for Jupiter was 0.624°, the largest errors being −4.29° and +6.184°—not bad, for a 2,500-year-old algorithm! In the next installment of Figuring Out How the Universe Works, we’ll travel from Babylonia to Greece. Stay tuned!

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18 On December 21, 2021, the International Dark Sky Association made a fantastic announcement that was received as a great achievement by astronomy lovers in Latin America. Desengano State Park (PED), which is in the State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, was recognized as the first Dark Sky Park in Latin America. Desengano State Park, managed by the Instituto Estadual do Ambiente do Rio de Janeiro (INEA), has a total area of 22.400 hectares involving three cities, Santa Maria Madalena, Campos dos Goytacazes and São Fidélis. The administrative head office of PED is located within the Horto Central Florestal Santos Lima, a Forest Garden for seedling production, located in the municipality of Santa Maria Madalena. The Park is located in Serra do Mar ecorregion and it has two geomorphological units: the escarpment of the Serra do Imbé (oceanic slope) and the reverse escarpment of the Desengano Mountain range, in addition to the high-mountain Latin America gets first official Dark Sky Park Under inky skies By JOÃO RAFAEL GOMES DE ALMEIDA MARINS, SAMIR MANSUR SANTOS, CARLOS DÁRIO MOREIRA, LETÍCIA LÜTKE RISKI and MARCELO DE OLIVEIRA SOUZA Guest contributors COURTESY OF Samir Mansur The night sky over Desengano State Park — the first official Dark Sky Park in Latin America.

19 terrains embedded between the slopes and deepened by the drainage network (desengano plateau), which are more prone to the action of mass movement. The limits of the conservation unit occupy the slopes and alignments of the highest ridges of these two geomorphological units. Desenagano State Park is located in the Atlantic RainForest Biome and the native vegetation is distributed by the Dense Ombrophylous Forest, Seasonal Semideciduous Forest and High Mountain Grasslands. The Desengano State Park currently has a flora list containing 1321 species, of these, 58 endangered species and 81 endemic species of the Rio de Janeiro State, of these, 65 are threatened with extinction. The main aspect of relevance to star observation activity within PED is that the environmental legislation applicable to State Parks establishes that it’s forbidden to have electric power transmission systems, except for management support structures in the Protected Area. The only external source of illumination allowed is from Top, on this light pollution map, Desengano State Park stands out as a black hole in the northwest region of Rio de Janeiro State. Above, within the boundaries of Desengano State Park (shown in green) lies the Morumbeca dos Marreiros area (shown in blue), which is an ideal area to enjoy stargazing due to its total lack of electricity. Left, Diego Nascimento, Park Ranger Coordinator Samir Mansur and Naby Mansur sit under a starfilled sky atop the peak of “Pedra do Desengano”, which gives the park its name. COURTESY OF lightpollutionmap.info COURTESY OF Samir Mansur COURTESY OF INEA

20 low power generators, even though, in the Morumbeca area, there isn’t light or electricity generated of any type. Access to the observation site can be done by car. In the months between May and September, the sky is completely clear of interference from clouds – dry season. The area designed as a support base for the Dark Sky Park has two structures: the chalet and the Morumbeca lodge. The first one is used mainly by the rangers’ team (Morumbeca chalet). The structure has accommodation for five people, kitchen (wood stove) and bathroom (with hot water). The Morumbeca lodge is privately owned. The structure has an overnight space for ten people, kitchen with wood stove and bathroom with hot water. Desengano State Park’s visitor center is open daily between 8 am and 5 pm, while the protected area of the park (forest area) any visitor has 24-hour access every day. Sky quality measurements began in June 2019, initially in the areas with easier access, that is, at the Park’s head office (in the Horto Florestal Santos Lima) and in the Morumbeca dos Marreiros’ region. Later, in 2020, measurements were taken at the top of Pedra do Desengano (summit of PED) and in the Poço Parado region, in the municipality of São Fidélis. The light meter used was a Unihedron SQM-L, provided by the Louis Curls Astronomy Club. The brightest reading recorded in the park was 21.96 at Morumbeca’s lodge. These statistics were obtained from the set of measurements made at the different locations identified in the park. For each set of measurement data, three consecutive measurements were made at each location and recorded before going to the next location for measurements. Analyzing the information provided by the light pollution map website (https://lightpollutionmap.info), it is possible to verify that the Desengano State Park is the only area with no COURTESY OF Samir Mansur The stars make a stunning backdrop at Desengano State Park — the only area with no artificial lighting interference in the entire northwesthern region of the State of Rio de Janeiro. The park’s visitor center hosts many activities to educate visitors on the Dark Sky Park, light pollution and more. COURTESY OF Samir Mansur

21 artificial lighting interference in the entire northwesthern region of the State of Rio de Janeiro. On the image on the previous page, the red circle is the area from Desengano State Park. The red point inside de circle is the Morumbeca sector, where lighting measurements were carried out. The black arrow points to Santa Maria Madalena. Quarterly measurements will be made to monitor the quality of the dark sky. Inside the limits of the Desengano State Park, there is no building with electricity, so there is no type of equipment that produces any source of artificial lighting. The only options for artificial light are those from alternative and temporary sources, such as lanterns or candles. Even though the head office is 13km away from the area designated to the Dark Sky activities, it was decided to carry out a lighting inventory of the head office installations. The site is the focal point for visiting the park, as it is where the visitor’s center is located. The place is visited by hundreds of tourists monthly. There, also, is where the activities related to the Dark Sky Park, of the Environmental Education Program, will be concentrated. There is no law or regulation that imposes restrictions or regulations on the use of outdoors artificial lighting in Protected Areas or in any natural spaces in Brazil. Now the Desengano State Park has a Lightscape Management Plan main goal to provide regulations and guidance for future outdoor lighting projects in the landscape area inside the limits of Desengano State Park. A natural dark sky is considered of great importance for the conservation of ecological interactions, so its protection is a priority. In the Desengano State Park area there is no artificial light that compromises the quality of the night environment and landscape. It is worth mentioning that the whole park is a natural zone of darkness/without lighting. No permanent or removable external lighting is allowed inside the park, except for some specific cases like, for example, an emergency/search and rescue situation, as well as in COURTESY OF Samir Mansur The night sky over Desengano State Park — the first official Dark Sky Park in Latin America.

22 authorized scientific research. Right after authorized lighting activities are finished, they must be immediately removed. Since the year of 2012, after hiring park rangers to State Parks, there has been a significant increase in environmental education activities in the state protected areas. Annually, 30 to 40 schools are visited, with over 3,000 students in average. Visitors aiming to enjoy the Dark Sky experience are encouraged to do it through the implementation of the Astronomical Program, created and developed by INEA, promoting activities such as stargazing and hiking under the dark sky. Visitors can follow the quarterly monitoring activities of light pollution of Desengano State Park. Another activity conducted by the Clube the Astronomia Louis Cruls is the “Outdoor Planetarium”. In an open amphitheater, people are invited to identify the planets and the main visible constellations. A green laser is used to help people with the identification of constellations and planets. The Clube de Astronomia Louis Cruls offers training courses for new park rangers, visitor guides, students from local schools and universities. The training covers the following topics: cosmology, stellar evolution, solar system, history of space conquest, observational astronomy, and the importance of preserving the dark sky. On June 26, 2022, the State Program for Astronomical Observation of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the “Vem Ver o Céu”, was launched. Coordinated by INEA, the initiative aims to sensitize visitors to light pollution, subsidize scientific research, encourage astrophotography, and promote environmental education in the community. Based on the program, the Protected Areas managed by the INEA and the Private Reserves will have a calendar of recurrent educational and astronomical observation activities, in addition to the production of technical-scientific knowledge on the subject. The title of Dark Sky Park for the Desengano State Park had a huge impact and brought the theme of light pollution to the daily lives of residents of the three cities covered by the park and neighboring cities. The initial results achieved renew hopes that new generations will have the opportunity to observe the night sky without the interference of excessive artificial lighting and that there will be places where they will have the opportunity to marvel at the beauties of the night sky without the interference of artificial lighting. ABOUT THE ARTICLE CONTRIBUTORS: Carlos Dario Moreira is the park manager of Desengano State Park. Samir Mansur Santos is the park ranger coordinator of Desengano State Park. João Rafael Gomes de Almeida Marins is a biologist at DIRBAPE. Letícia Lütke Riski is with Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Sky’s Up Editor Marcelo de Oliveira Souza is a professor at the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense. HYPERLINK REFERENCES: Official homepage of the Desengano State Park Information about the Dark Sky Park Desengano Desengano State Park Application

23 Global view of Pluto created from images taken by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft during its July 2015 flyby. Courtesy NASA / JHUAPL / SwRI AAS membership benefits include: • Discounted registration rates for our winter and summer meetings — the largest astronomy conferences in the U.S. • Opportunities to present your work at AAS meetings and network with other astronomers • Discounted subscriptions to Sky & Telescope magazine • Access to the AAS Membership Directory • Biweekly AAS News Digest delivered to your email inbox And much more! Join Us! Questions? [email protected] Join now: aas.org/join Since you read Sky’s Up, you’re obviously interested in astronomy. And if you’re interested in astronomy, you should belong to the American Astronomical Society! The AAS community includes nearly 7,000 professional researchers, amateur astronomers, science educators, and students, and we have a variety of membership types to suit all these categories.

24 astropoetry S tarting with 1993, the Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy - SARM organizes every year a two-week national astronomical camp during the Perseid meteor shower activity. Various activities take place during the camp: summer astronomical school, workshops, theoretical astronomy sessions, astronomical observation sessions, dark-sky exploration using the sky map, telescope observations, day and night astrophotography, astrophotography exhibition, astronomical book library, astropoetry and astro-arts, cultural program and hiking for exploration of this submontane area. The astro-photos-haikus on the following pages are creations of astrophotographer Valentin Grigore (President of SARM & National Coordinator for Romania of Astronomers Without Borders) and astropoet Andrei Dorian Gheorghe (director of SARM’s Cosmopoetry Festival). These creations were inspired by the days and nights of the 2021 Perseids Astronomical Camp, the 29th edition, which took place at Runcu Stone, Romania, between July 29 and August 13, 2021. Perseids 2022 Astronomical Camp astro-photo-haiku Above, astronomical camp participants watch the sunset, waiting for another night to admire the meteors.

25 Left and below, camp participants embrace the forest during a hiking activity and the sky night during astronomical activity. astropoetry

26 astropoetry Right, the youngest participants are guided to observe celestial bodies.

27 astropoetry Left, the youngest participants are guided to observe celestial bodies.

28 astropoetry Right, the organizer admires the sky over a rural area in the quiet moments after the camp. Above, Jupiter and Saturn in Capricornus — capture by diffusion filter; Right, crescent Moon and Venus conjunction on twilight time

29 astropoetry Left, sky observers watch the International Space Station disappearing into the shadows of the Earth right in the Scorpion’s tongs. This image is from 10 photos stacked by Sequator and composed by Photoshop. Below, a Perseid meteor ”touching” Pleiades

30 astropoetry Right, a composite image with Perseid meteors captured by the author on August 11/12 between 23:25- 01:42 UT

31 astropoetry Above, a Perseid meteor “indicating” where the RS Oph recurrent nova had just appeared. This photo with the nova was taken about an hour before its discovery was officially announced! Left, the ”winter” constellation Orion appears at dawn on August mornings.

32 By DAVID PROSPER NASA Night Sky Network Solstices mark the changing of seasons, occur twice a year, and feature the year’s shortest and longest daylight hours - depending on your hemisphere. These extremes in the length of day and night make solstice days more noticeable to many observers than the subtle equality of day and night experienced during equinoxes. Solstices were some of our earliest astronomical observations, celebrated throughout history via many summer and winter celebrations. Solstices occur twice yearly. In 2022 the solstice dates are June 21 at 5:13 am EDT (9:13 UTC), and December 21 at 4:48pm EST (21:48 UTC). The June solstice marks the moment when the Sun is at its northernmost position in relation to Earth’s equator, and the December solstice marks its southernmost position. The summer solstice occurs on the day when the Sun reaches its highest point at solar noon for regions outside of the tropics, and those observers experience the longest amount of daylight for the year. Conversely, during the winter solstice, the Sun is at its lowest point at solar noon for the year and observers outside of the tropics experience the least amount of daylight- and the longest night – of the year. The June solstice marks the beginning of summer for folks in the Northern Hemisphere and winter for Southern Hemisphere folks, and in December the opposite is true, as a result of the tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation. For example, this means that the Northern Hemisphere receives more direct light from the Sun than the Southern Hemisphere during the June solstice. Earth’s tilt is enough that northern polar regions experience 24-hour sunlight during the June solstice, while southern polar regions experience 24-hour night, deep in Earth’s shadow. That same tilt means that the Earth’s polar regions also experience a reversal of light and shadow half a year later in December, with 24 hours of night in the north and 24 hours of daylight in the south. Depending on how close you are to the poles, these extreme lighting conditions can last for many months, their duration deepening the closer you are to the poles. While solstice days are very noticeable to observers in mid to high latitudes, that’s not the case for observers in the tropics - areas of Earth found between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Instead, individuals experience two “zero shadow” days per year. On these days, with the sun directly overhead at solar noon, objects cast a minimal shadow compared to the Solstice shadows reveal science facts COURTESY OF NASA/DSCOVR EPIC (www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2021/summer-solstice-in-the-northern-hemisphere) These images from NASA’s DSCOVR mission shows the Sun-facing side of Earth during the December 2018 solstice (left) and June 2019 solstice (right). Notice how much of each hemisphere is visible in each photo; December’s solstice heavily favors the Southern Hemisphere and shows all of South America and much of Antarctica and the South Pole, but only some of North America. June’s solstice, in contrast, heavily favors the Northern Hemisphere and shows the North Pole and the entirety of North America, but only some of South America.

33 This article is distributed by the NASA Night Sky Network program, which supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach. Visit nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov to find local clubs, events, and more! rest of the year. If you want to see your own shadow at that moment, you have to jump! The exact date for zero shadow days depends on latitude; observers on the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° north of the equator) experience a zero shadow day on the June solstice, and observers on the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° south of the equator) get their zero shadow day on December’s solstice. Observers on the equator experience two zero shadow days, being exactly in between these two lines of latitude; equatorial zero shadow days fall on the March and September equinoxes. There is some serious science that can be done by carefully observing solstice shadows. In approximately 200 BC, Eratosthenes is said to have observed sunlight shining straight down the shaft of a well during high noon on the solstice, near the modern-day Egyptian city of Aswan. Inspired, he compared measurements of solstice shadows between that location and measurements taken north, in the city of Alexandria. By calculating the difference in the lengths of these shadows, along with the distance between the two cities, Eratosthenes calculated a rough early estimate for the circumference of Earth – and also provided further evidence that the Earth is a sphere! Are you having difficulty visualizing solstice lighting and geometry? You can build a “Suntrack” model that helps demonstrate the path the Sun takes through the sky during the seasons; find instructions at stanford. io/3FY4mBm. You can find more fun activities and resources like this model on NASA Wavelength: science. nasa.gov/learners/wavelength. And of course, discover the latest NASA science at nasa.gov. A presenter from the San Antonio Astronomy Club in Puerto Rico demonstrating some Earth-Sun geometry to a group during a “Zero Shadow Day” event. As Puerto Rico lies a few degrees south of the Tropic of Cancer, their two zero shadow days arrive just a few weeks before and after the June solstice. Globes are a handy and practical way to help visualize solstices and equinoxes for large outdoor groups, especially outdoors during sunny days. COURTESY OF Juan Velázquez / San Antonio Astronomy Club

34 By JAYAKUMAR VENKATESAN Guest Contributor With the launch of Sputnik in 1957 and the subsequent beginning of the space age, the progression of space technologies has, on the one hand, led to the development of hundreds of applications that use satellite data, including devices for everyday use, from satellite televisions to the Satnav in our cars. On the other, it has underpinned scientific progress in earth and atmospheric sciences as well as in astronomy and astrophysics. Just to recall some of the highest public profile contributions from the field, satellite measurements showed the extent of the ozone layer depletion in the atmosphere and the existence of exoplanets and black holes have been confirmed, among many other scientific advances. The rapid progress made in space technology led to extraordinary accomplishments for the whole human race, such as the Moon landing. Moon Landing Programme Valles Marineris International took part in the $30 Million Google Lunar Xprize Challenge as a partner with Synergy Moon to explore the Moon. The Google Lunar XPRIZE (GLXP), sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, was a 2007–2018 inducement prize space competition organized by the X Prize Foundation, and sponsored by Google. The challenge called for privately funded teams to be the first to land a lunar rover on the Moon, travel 500 meters, and transmit back to Earth high-definition video and images Jayakumar Venkatesan took the responsibility as chief technology officer to design and develop the spacecraft systems according to the competition guidelines. The competition guidelines required the rover to travel 500 metres and transmit images, video, data, an SMS and an email back to Earth. With working groups in more than 15 countries and on 6 continents, Team Synergy Moon promotes international cooperation in space exploration and development. Teams had until 31 March 2018 to launch their missions. On 23 January 2018, the X Prize Foundation announced that “no team would be able to make a launch attempt to reach the Moon by the [31 March 2018] deadline... and the US$30 million Google Lunar XPrize will go unclaimed. Synergy Moon reported in February 2018 that they are negotiating with TeamIndus to possibly launch their landers together, aiming for a launch in 2019. In December 2016 Google Lunar X Prize entrants Team Stellar (Croatia / Australia), Team Omega Envoy (USA), Team Space META (Brasil) and Team Independence-X (Malaysia) partnered with Team Synergy Moon to become Synergy Space Explorers.The team planned to use an Interorbital Systems Neptune N-8 LUNA launch vehicle to deploy its Tesla Surveyor rover on the surface of the Moon during the second half of 2017. The launch was planned from an open-ocean location off the California coast but it did not happen. On 23 January 2018, the X Prize Foundation announced that “no team would be able to make a launch attempt to reach the Moon by the [31 March 2018] deadline... and the US$30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE will go unclaimed.” Valles Marineris International is still continuing its moon landing programme along with former Google Lunar Xprize Participants to fulfill the dreams of everyone. Forging into the final frontier Company pushing the boundaries of space technology COURTESY OF Jayakumar Venkatesan Synergy Moon,USA Lunar Spacecraft

35 Human Spaceflight Programme In general human spaceflight (also referred to as manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be remotely operated from ground stations on Earth, or autonomously, without any direct human involvement. People trained for spaceflight are called astronauts, cosmonauts, or taikonauts; and nonprofessionals are referred to as spaceflight participants. The first human in space was Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who launched on 12 April 1961 as part of the Soviet Union’s Vostok program. Humans traveled to the Moon nine times between 1968 and 1972 as part of the United States’ Apollo program, and have had a continuous presence in space for 20 years and 307 days on the International Space Station (ISS) As of 2021, humans have not traveled beyond low Earth Orbit since the Apollo 17 lunar mission in December 1972. Currently, the United States, Russia, and China are the only countries with public or commercial human spaceflight-capable programs. Non-governmental spaceflight companies have been working to develop human space programs of their own, e.g. for space tourism or commercial in-space research. The first private human spaceflight launch was a suborbital flight on SpaceShipOne on June 21, 2004. The first commercial orbital crew launch was by SpaceX in May 2020, transporting, under United States government contract, NASA astronauts to the ISS. Recently, ISRO human spaceflight programme Gaganyaan was announced. The Gaganyaan is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the formative spacecraft of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The spacecraft is being designed to carry three people, and a planned upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capability. Valles Marineris International made a partnership with a Russian partner, who is building the Soyuz manned spacecraft training simulators for professional cosmonaut training. Valles Marineris International is ready to offer the crew training for professional cosmonauts and amateur learning experience of manned spacecraft training simulators. We also have Soyuz Spacecraft Simulators for children’s age 8 years and above. This can provide a learning experience for the children in an edutainment platform. We are also offering AR/VR spacewalk experience, so that learners can feel the spacewalk and visualize the space environment. Microgravity Research in ISS and 3-D Bioprinting in Space Valles Marineris International is also involved in Above, Soyuz Spacecraft training simulators for space enthusiasts; at left, AR/ VR space walk around ISS simulator IMAGES COURTESY OF Jayakumar Venkatesan

36 organizing International Space Station experiments and encouraging space industry professionals to conduct the science experiments on the ISS. Nanotechnology development allows for the management of living cells, tissue spheroids and synthetic microscaffolds by using magnetic fields. This, in turn, leads to attempts to create magnetic bioprinters. However, the first attempts to create magnetic bioprinters showed that terrestrial gravitation represents a significant limitation. It is reasonable to assume that in a gravity-free environment, magnetic and diamagnetic levitation will allow not only so-called “formative” biofabrication of three-dimensional (3-D) tissue constructions, but even programmable self-assembly of 3-D tissue constructions in a controlled magnetic field. The space magnetic 3-D bioprinter, which can manage tissue spheroids in microgravity, is a practical implementation of the new perspective concept of formative biofabrication. Microgravity biofabrication on the basis of magnetic forces transforms the technology of 3-D bioprinting and opens real opportunities for programmable self-assembly of tissue and organ constructions of tissue spheroids in 3-D space without solid scaffolds. Formative fabrication and programmable self-assembly are revolutionary manufacturing and biofabrication technologies of the 21st century. Today, there are three main 3-D bioprinting technologies: extrusion, inkjet and laser-based bioprinting. These methods have common limitations such as slow speed and the inability to create 3-D constructs with complex geometry. Therefore, new approaches such as acoustic or magnetic bioprinting using patterned physical fields for predictable cells spreading will evolve. The main idea is to use microgravity as a co-factor of bioprinting technology. This concept means using a scaffold-free, nozzle-free and label-free (i.e. without using magnetic nanoparticles) approach called formative biofabrication, which has the edge over classical bottom-up additive manufacturing. This technology could be commonly used for space radiation studies to IMAGES COURTESY OF Jayakumar Venkatesan Valles Marineris International CEO Jayakumar Venkatesan holds a 3-D bio printer. Right, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko experiments with a 3-D magnetic bioprinter.

provide long-term crewed space flights, including the moon and Mars programs. 3D Bioprinting Solutions developed a novel space 3-D bioprinter, which will enable rapid, label-free 3-D biofabrication of 3-D tissue and organ constructs in the condition of microgravity by using magnetic fields. Meanwhile, a sophisticated holistic cuvette system for delivering living objects to the ISS, performing biofabrication, and transferring bioprinted constructs back to Earth has been developed. Rapid biofabrication of 3-D organ constructs of thyroid gland and cartilage using tissue spheroids (i.e., thyreospheres and chondrospheres) in the conditions of natural space microgravity will be launched during space experiments. After the return of bioprinted constructs to Earth, histological tests will be conducted to examine the internal structure. The 3-D bioprinter will become a part of ISS scientific equipment for conducting further international experiments by any scientific groups and companies interested in 3-D bioprinting technology. That means we are developing a novel shared research infrastructure for unique biomedical research on the ISS. Analog Astronaut Training Valles Marineris International has also made a partnership with Analog Astronaut Training Center in Poland. It is a private company, which accelerates human spaceflight scientific studies. AATC was created by former European Space Agency professionals. In 2018, the company established a laboratory to simulate space environment for scientific experiments focused on space biology and medicine. The facility is located in Rzepiennik, south of Poland. It specialises in operational trainings for scientists, engineers, space enthusiasts and future astronaut candidates. Beside scientific projects, co-supervision of engineer - master and doctoral theses, AATC organizes rocket workshops, stratospheric missions and scientific lunar and martian analog simulations. In 2021 the company has reached 32 successfully organized analog simulations, which positions Poland on the top in Europe considering the number of organized expeditions. Most of the trained analog astronauts continue their career in the space sector. AATC helps them to develop and grow by publishing their work on international platforms, by sharing precious international contacts and collaborations and involving them in multiple ongoing space projects. We also offer training activities in the field of the studies like Aerodynamic Tunnel, Skydiving, TCCC,HUET Szczecin, HUET Gdynia, Hyperbaric Chamber, WIML Centrifuge, Stratospheric Balloon Aerobatic, Powered Planes, Glider Planes, Rescue Diver, Moon Rocks at Speyer, Buran at Speyer, Flight Simulator, Medical Training, Stratospheric Science, Space Facilities and Training Centers, and Advanced Medical Trainings. We offer analog astronaut training programmes year round in batches. n n n Jayakumar Venkatesan is the Chief Technology Officer for Synergy Moon (One of the finalist in $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE). He is an Astropreneur & Chief Executive Officer for Valles Marineris International Private Limited, India, and his special interest in Human Space Flight Programs and Orbital Research Stations. He is also the technology head for space exploration missions like development of Lunar Exploration Rover, expandable space station modules for Moon and Mars Mission Architect modules. For more details on Valles Marineris International, visit www.vallesmarineris.in. Analog astronaut training mission at the human training centrifuge in Poland COURTESY OF Jayakumar Venkatesan

38 the art of astronomy The Explore Alliance recently hosted a series of astrophotography contests to recognize the excellent work of the imagers in our membership ranks. In this issue of Sky’s Up, the astrophotography gallery space is dedicated to showcasing some of the winners in these contests. First Place Solar System Astrophotography: Hunter’s Moon by Aaron Thompson According to astrophotographer Aaron Thompson, this was planned as a black and white image. The Moon is a mosaic of 2 halves due to field of view and imaged in IR only. The images were all taken during the same session. Equipment: Explore Scientific ED80 APO, Explore Scientific iEXOS-100 PMC-Eight Mount with Heavy Duty Tripod, Nikon D5500, QHY-462c; Processing: Stacked in AutoStakkert then wavelets in Registax. Clouds were taken at the same time with the D5500 as they surrounded the moon just as they are. Final image was assembled in Photoshop. Color was removed from the cloud layer. Equipment: 10” Dob, Canon t3i, 2x Barlow Explore Scientific 82° 30mm Eyepiece used to find Saturn on 10/10/21; Processing: Pipp, Registax, Gimp Third Place Solar System Astrophotography: Saturn by Matthew McAlilly

39 the art of astronomy Equipment: Celestron CGX, Skywatcher ED80-DS Pro, Skywatcher x.85 reducer, ASI178mm Processing: Approximately 1000 frames 10% stacked; Sharpcap 4 Pro, Autostakkert 3, Registax 6, GIMP Second Place Solar System Astrophotography: Sun by Pekka Hautala

40 the art of astronomy A single frame exposure of Messier 82 captured this meteor. Equipment: Explore Scientific 150mm refractor, Canon 7ti Processing: Nebulosity Never Before Seen Award Meteor Astrophotography Contest: Patrick Stonehouse Second Place Meteor Astrophotography Contest: Joshua Kovach From the astrophotographer: “For this image, I had just finished processing Orion’s Belt to a point I was happy with it. I sifted through the original raw frames for any meteors that passed through, and stacked those together without rejecting the meteor trails, then masked the trails and added them to the final image of Orion’s Belt. The largest streak was a meteor captured on 2021-12-12T08:53:58, while all the others were captured during a session on the evening of 2021-01-03. Orion’s Belt includes subframes captured over four different nights: Dec. 12, 2021 · Dec. 27, 2021 · Jan. 2, 2022 · Jan. 3, 2022. The total integration time for the image is 6h 47m.” Equipment: Canon EOS Rebel T7, William Optics Redcat51 LX, Baader Planetarium Moon and Skyglow filter, iOptron SkyGuider Pro, Pixel Remote Shutter Release; Processing: Preprocessing in PixInsight with normal rejection for the final background image. Meteor frames were then stacked without rejection. The image was cropped and aligned with the background image then stretched in PixInsight. The stretched image was edited in Gimp to cut out all but the meteor trails. This image was then used as a mask to stretch the stacked meteor data so only the meteor trails end up being stretched. The meteors were then added to the background image using PixelMath in PixInsight.

41 the art of astronomy Partial Solar Eclipse (Hydrogen-Alpha) Equipment: PST telescope, iPhone 5s, Afocal 27X Processing: iOS app Camera, edited in GraphicConverter First Place Smartphone Astrophotography: Partial Solar Eclipse by Mike Weasner 14 Dec 2015, 0458 MST, Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) low in the eastern sky, two meteors (one of which was a Geminid (vertical trail), some airglow, and a cloud; Equipment: D7200 DSLR (f/4, 15 seconds, ISO 5000, FL 30mm) Processing: Lightroom Classic Third Place Meteor Astrophotography by Mike Weasner

42 the art of astronomy Second Place Smartphone Astrophotography: First Quarter Moon by Andrew Corkill From the astrophotographer: “The First Quarter Moon captured on March 28, 2021, with the iPhone Xr set at 1.9x magnification to better fill the field of view. The sharpness of the image is excellent considering this is a one-shot photo, no stacking, and no image post processing.” Equipment: iPhone Xr, Explore Scientific 152ED APO, Explore Scientific 18mm 82° eyepiece. Processing: No processing, taken using iPhone factory settings, 3024 x 4032, 72 dpi, sRGB photo, ISO-25, 1.9x Digital Zoom. Image created March 28, 2021.

43 the art of astronomy Elephant Trunk Nebula in IC1396A by Craig Weston Equipment: Bresser N20839; Asi533; Asi120mini; Idas Ngs1 zf filter; Bresser 8in Newtonian; Eq6-R Pro; Asiair Pro Processing: 410 lights at 120 sec, 0 gain, -14c, 20 darks, 100 bias, no flats, processed in Pixinsight and Lightroom Other information: Taken from Bortle 8 skies in Los Angeles, California

45 Chief Editorial Staff: Isabella Grant Nathan Hellner-Mestelman Taara Jaffer Delali Gnekoezan Submissions Wanted: The Cosmic View staff are always looking for submissions from youth aged 7-20 to feature in upcoming issues of The Cosmic View and in other Cosmic Generation outlets. To submit columns, article or photos, please email: [email protected]. Contact Information: Email: [email protected] Website: cosmicgen.org on the cover Astrophotographer Nathan HellnerMestelman captured this image of Comet NEOWISE in the skies over Parksville in British Columbia, Canada. Nathan is an active member of the Cosmic Generation organization and an editorial staff member of The Cosmic View. By ISABELLA GRANT The Cosmic View Editor The Cosmic Generation is a group of youth from around the world that created an astronomical program for youth similar to them, who love space and science. Our goal is to inspire future astronomers. During our meetings we discuss how to get youth interested and involved in science. We host presentations which give opportunities for kids who are very interested in a specific topic to show their interest through a presentation. Our first presentation was hosted by young astronomer, Taara Jaffar, from Canada, a member of the Royal Astronomical society of Canada and co-founder of the cosmic generation. The Cosmic Generation is an organization founded by a group of middle through highschool students from Canada, America, and Brazil. Our goal as an international organization, dedicated to youth aged 7-20, is to help kids gain interest in astronomy, provide them with an outlet for them to experience the wonders of science first hand, and inspire them to become the next generation of scientists. The organization was founded in January of 2022. Within our few months of active participation we have hosted outreach meetings and presentations via Zoom. Past presentations include, extremophiles, scale and size of the universe, and the James Webb Space Telescope. Extremophiles, hosted by RASC member and co-founder of the Cosmic Generation Taara Jaffer, presented on the possibility of finding extraterrestrial life in the hardest of living conditions. The participants created and drew their own extremophiles that were later entered in a competition where a generous prize was awarded during the global star party. Some of the participant’s creations are showcased on the following pages. Meet the Cosmic Generation

46 By TAARA JAFFER Cosmic Generation member My name is Taara Jaffer and I’m 14 years old. My love for astronomy started 6 years ago when I used a telescope for the first time. I am part of many astronomy organizations in Canada and the United States. I gave the first ever Cosmic Generation workshop on February 13. It was an alien drawing workshop where we focused on extremophiles, where we could find them, and what they would look like. More specifically, we talked about extremophiles such as the scaly foot snail, the tardigrade, and the tube worm, which live in similar extreme environments that have the possibility of similar alien inhabitants, like the hydrothermal vent on Europa. We wanted to see whether they would look similar to the aliens we see in comic books and TV shows in popular media. Then, we each started thinking about how our own aliens would look. To do so, we first asked ourselves what type of extreme environment it would live in, near hydrothermal vents, near volcanoes, in extreme heat, extreme cold, etcetera. Then, we thought about the type of alien we wanted it to be, individual or colony, its shape, how it moved, what type of limbs, wings, or even fins. Finally, how it detected predators or prey around it, using eyes or antennae. After the informative section of the presentation, the participants began to draw their aliens. Some of the participant’s drawings can be found on these pages. Taking things to the extreme Drawing workshop shines spotlight on extremophiles

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48 By NATHAN HELLNER-MESTELMAN Cosmic Generation member Let’s face the facts: from a cosmic perspective, we totally invented the terms “up” and “down.” Apart from our location on Earth, north and south mean nothing. However, we tend to orient our Earth maps and star maps relative to other things in the universe, so… what is up? And where the heck are we? We tend to live our lives assuming that the Earth itself is sitting still, and everything else is moving, and north is up, south is down, etc. For example, we say that objects in the night sky “rise” and “set” even though Earth is obviously spinning. And we say that the sun “moves through” the zodiac constellations throughout the year, even though the Earth is the one moving around the sun. So… where actually are we, and how fast are we moving? The Earth is rotating at the equator at around 460 meters (around 1510 feet) per second, which is around 30% faster than the speed of sound. If you’re sitting at the equator, you’re actually being hurtled along faster than a supersonic jet aircraft. Fortunately, the atmosphere is also rotating at this speed, which is why we don’t all die in a supersonic windstorm. If you don’t happen to live at the equator, you’re circling around at a slightly slower velocity. Regardless of your latitude on Earth, unless you truly live close to the Earth’s poles, you’re being flung around much faster than you might like. That’s just the Earth’s rotation, and as it turns out, the Earth itself is moving. The Earth circles the Sun in a nearly-circular path at around 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) per second – much faster than the Earth’s rotation. Putting that in perspective, every seven minutes, you travel the width of our entire planet. In addition, the Earth is tilted on its axis of around 23 degrees, meaning we’re all slightly tilted too. To get a sense of where you are relative to the flat plane of the solar system, try this: wait for a night when you can see the moon, look directly at it, and align your head so that the moon doesn’t appear tilted at all. Once you’ve aligned yourself this way, take a look around without turning your head. That’s how the world is tilted at the moment, relative to the flat plane of the solar system. If you don’t already feel dizzy enough, the Earth is spinning, and you’re also moving sideways at supersonic speeds. The Sun, and all the planets, are in constant motion throughout the galactic center. The Milky Way is a vast galaxy, but it also rotates. The Solar System is located around halfway to the edge of the galaxy, which means we’re all moving at around 200 kilometers (124 miles) per second around the galactic center. The solar system doesn’t lie flat like a frisbee either; it’s tilted at around 60º (twothirds the way to vertical) relative to the galaxy itself. To get a sense of where you are relative to the flat plane of the galaxy, you’ll need to go to a place with a dark sky and see the Milky Way yourself. Generally, the best time to view the Milky Way is during the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and during the winter in the Southern Hemisphere. If you see the Milky Way during these seasons, here’s something to try: tilt your head so that the Milky Way looks flat, and then take a look around without turning your head. Your viewpoint Cosmic orienteering

49 is technically correct relative to the galaxy, even if the Earth is upsidedown from your perspective. If this isn’t dizzying enough, keep in mind that you’re moving sideways at 200 kilometers a second, and moving in a completely different direction around the Sun at 30 kilometers a second, and rotating at supersonic speeds. Throughout the day, and throughout the year, these directions also change relative to you. The Milky Way galaxy and our entire galaxy group are also in motion, and we have no idea why. There’s a strange gravitational ‘anomaly’ in the constellation Centaurus, located several hundred million light years away. Whatever it is, it seems to have a strong enough gravitational pull to draw in the Milky Way – and every other galaxy in our Local Group. That’s what lead to its official name: the so-called “Great Attractor” (because astronomers like to be mysterious like that). Our entire galaxy is drifting toward the Great Attractor at around 600 kilometers (373 miles) per second. That’s fast enough to cross the Earth in around twenty seconds. Relative to the rest of the universe, in the time it took you to read this last paragraph, the you’ve travelled twice the width of our entire planet. People always tend to say that they “visited the place where they were born,” but honestly, that exact location in space is probably hundreds of billions of kilometers (or miles) away, and getting further. We also have a convenient way of charting nearby galaxy clusters, called the Supergalactic Coordinate System. A while back, when people discovered the first galaxy clusters beyond our own Local Group of galaxies, something interesting was noted: all of the nearby galaxy groups were located along an almost-flat imaginary plane. There’s no particular reason behind this, but it was convenient, so we charted galaxies relative to this Supergalactic Plane. If you’d like to orient yourself relative to the Supergalactic Plane, here’s a word of + Precision Optics + Bulit to Explore + Created by Astronomers to Learn the Night Sky FIRSTLIGHT TELESCOPES EXPLORE ALLIANCE EXPLORE Questions/Comments? 866.252.3811 ©2020 Explore Scientific, LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more at explorescientific.com 8x42 10x42 NON-ABBE PRISM TETON ABBE PRISM Simulated Images WATCH EXPLORE ALLIANCE LIVE Learn from the Explore Alliance Community and Special Guests. explorescientific.com/live LIVE daily at caution: if you can’t do a handstand, it’s best not to try. The Milky Way Galaxy, relative to the Supergalactic Plane, is tilted at an almost-ninetydegree angle, and everything else along with it. To orient yourself with “up” and “down” relative to the Supergalactic Plane, try this: find the Milky Way again, and align yourself with it, but this time, tilt yourself at a ninety-degree angle. At this point, from your perspective, you’re being driven directly forward at 600 kilometers a second, moving sideways at 200 kilometers a second, moving diagonally at 30 kilometers a second, and rotating around the Earth at supersonic speeds. Do you feel a little uneasy? Don’t worry – there’s a simple solution: don’t think about it too much. Our minds aren’t evolved to contemplate much beyond our planet. And hopefully, right now, you’re exactly where you need to be. Sure, you’re on a planet that’s spinning, circling a star that’s circling around a galaxy, which in turn is drifting through the universe, but face the obvious fact: none of this is going to affect your life. I hope, at least, it’s given you something awesome to think about. n n n References: • “Galactic Plane”. COSMOS - The SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/g/ galactic+plane •The GRAVITY collaboration (April 2019). “A geometric distance measurement to the Galactic center black hole with 0.3% uncertainty”. Astronomy & Astrophysics. • Kraan-Kortweg, Renée C. & Ofer Lahav. “Galaxies Behind the Milky Way”. Scientific America. October 1998. “Supergalactic Coordinate System”. COSMOS - The SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/S/ Supergalactic+Coordinate+System

50 What makes stars appear white to the naked eye? By DELALI GNEKNOEZAN Cosmic Generation member Gazing up at the vast sky above is something humankind has been doing since ancient times, and many astronomical advancements have emerged as a result. And while breathtaking discoveries have been made from both naked-eye and telescope observations, it’s clear that the eye doesn’t provide as much optical detail as telescopes and binoculars do. Why is it that bright red and blue supergiants like Beatleguese and Rigel are reduced to a white dot in the sky, with only a faint trace of their original color? After doing some research and consulting with my science teacher, I hypothesized that this was due to our eyes being too small to take in the entirety of the light from such a distance. When my school’s science fair came around, I used the opportunity to test my prediction. The first step was choosing a celestial object to observe. I selected the Pleiades, a cluster of more than 800 stars that are 410 light years from Earth. To the naked eye, the seven visible stars of the cluster appear to be small white blurs, despite being massive stars that actually emit blue light. Next, I planned to compare the Pleiades’ appearance through different observation devices. The smallest one was my pupil (objective area of 0.16πcm²) and the largest was a telescope from the Sommers-Bausch observatory in Boulder, Colorado (objective area of 645.16πcm²). I also looked through binoculars at the observatory, which had an objective area of 130.6449πcm². The trip to the observatory from my home was over an hour long, but the view was absolutely worth it. In addition to the Pleiades, I got to observe other celestial objects such as Betelgeuse, the Orion nebula, and more. I only conducted the experiment on the Pleiades, however, due to lack of time. The images for each observation device are shown to the right (in order of top to bottom: naked eye, binoculars, telescope). As you can see, the intensity of the blue color increases as the objective size increases, proving my hypothesis correct. The work to transfer the information to the tri-fold board took longer than I thought, and I ended up staying up until one o’clock in the morning to complete it, even though I had to get up at six to get to school on time. In the name of science, we must all make sacrifices. One thing I would have done differently is get more trials in. Experiments should be repeatable, and I should have made sure that the results would be the same with other celestial objects. Nonetheless, my project got first place in the school science fair, and landed a spot to compete in the district science fair. I was overjoyed, and got to work on planning how I would make improvements to ensure I got positive results at the district fair. At the time of writing this, the fair in question hasn’t happened yet, but I plan to get more trials in, as mentioned previously, and remake the tri fold display for better formatting. This first science project has been a wonderful experience, and I hope to continue pursuing my scientific curiosity in the future. COURTESY OF Delali Gnekoezan Pleiades Cluster viewed with the naked eye COURTESY OF Delali Gnekoezan Pleiades Cluster viewed with binoculars COURTESY OF Delali Gnekoezan Pleiades Cluster viewed with a telescope